Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 233
>Chapter Title: The Forgotten Tomb
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>[You have entered the World Quest Dungeon, 'Forgotten Tomb.']
>[Rescue the Forgotten King from within the site of the catastrophe.]
>[The current catastrophe recreation rate is 14%.]
>"Huh? Fourteen percent?"
>Astr couldn't hide his bewilderment upon entering the dungeon.
>Normally, it started at 0 percent, or at least 10 percent.
>But 14 percent right from the start?
>'Did someone already get here and start hunting?'
>Anxious, Astr scanned his surroundings, revealing a gruesome scene.
>Groooar— Groooar—
>Clatter clatter—
>Undead emitting a piercing chill and knights riding undead horses.
>Buildings engulfed in flames and blackened ground.
>Even in the dark night, the flames wrapping around the structures illuminated the devastation each time they flared.
>True to its concept as a tomb recreating a catastrophe, it was an unsettling stage, but Astr's eyes remained calm as he took it in.
>"Master."
>"Yeah. Looks like we're the first ones here."
>Astr nodded at his cautious sub-master.
>It was a gruesome sight, but this was the standard setup. There were no signs of recent hunting or human activity.
>Yet the recreation rate was already at 14 percent. That left two possibilities.
>'Either they hunted in another area, or the recreation rate climbs faster than expected.'
>Maybe even both.
>'...No way it's because of you, right?'
>Kaiser crossed his mind for a moment, but Astr quickly shook his head.
>'Nah, that doesn't make sense no matter how you slice it.'
>The discoverer of a World Quest got priority entry, but that was only for an hour at most.
>It might have some effect, but there was no way one guy could push it to this level.
>Which meant the latter was more likely.
>'Unlike previous World Quests, the pace is overwhelming... Bet the faces on those Top 10 Guilds in the New Continent are priceless.'
>Grinning with satisfaction, Astr immediately issued orders.
>"Kids, looks like we need to hustle. Everyone, get ready for battle."
>If the recreation rate was rising fast, they needed to monopolize it now while no one else was around.
>But unfortunately, that plan hit a snag from the outset.
>"Hmm, so this is the Forgotten Tomb."
>It was due to a group entering almost right beside them, scattering beams of light.
>Hundreds of players on white steeds, led by a woman with brown hair.
>Dressed in Eastern garb that accentuated her ethereal, fairy-like aura straight out of a wuxia tale, her beauty was the kind that set men's hearts racing.
>"Heaven Beyond Heaven..."
>"They dropped into the same spot too. Competition from the start, huh."
>"Getting tangled with them is a pain..."
>But the guild members looking at her wore anything but thrilled expressions. Far from enchanted, they were visibly annoyed.
>They already knew.
>Heaven Beyond Heaven's master, Xiao.
>That her fairy-like face belied an obsessive, leech-like personality.
>'Once she sets her sights on something, she never lets go. Of all people, why her in the same place?'
>Astr rubbed his temples, headache brewing.
>He'd hoped to avoid Heaven Beyond Heaven; nothing ever went smoothly when they were involved.
>Xiao even ranked among the two women Astr despised most.
>And as if that wasn't bad enough, it didn't end there.
>Flash— Flash—
>"Whoa! What the hell is this place?"
>"Damn, this a dungeon? No wonder it's a World Quest—feels totally different."
>"Can't believe the day came when I'd run a World Quest. Insane."
>Players began entering from all directions, beams of light flashing here and there.
>"No way, check it out. That's Xiao, right?"
>"Holy crap, Ast's here too."
>"Whoa, first time seeing Xiao in person. Knew she was hot, but damn, she's a goddess."
>"What a beauty and the beast vibe. Look at Ast's tank build—Korean dude?"
>"So this is a Top 10 Guild... The presence is no joke. I wanna hit Empire ASAP too."
>From high-level looking users to those from other cities gawking excitedly with sparkling eyes.
>As Astr froze at the sudden influx of players, a whinny echoed from nearby.
>"A Pegasus!"
>"Woooah!"
>A white horse standing proudly with two pairs of radiant wings spread wide.
>The mythical divine beast, Pegasus.
>Captivated by its holiness, players gaped in awe.
>Its 5-meter-plus frame and massive wings were breathtakingly beautiful.
>"Looks like you've got time to gawk, Owner of the Armory."
>"...Xiao."
>"See ya. I'm off to claim first dibs."
>Whiiiinny—!
>Mounting her signature Pegasus, Xiao smirked and soared into the sky.
>At the same moment, dazzling effects poured from the staff she drew.
>"Hup...!"
>She held her breath once, and her slender arm exploded with power.
>A flash—then her staff pierced the head of a knight on an undead horse.
>Crunch!
>One kill.
>In the blink of an eye, Xiao disposed of one and gracefully sought her next target.
>This time, Pegasus swept its wings, whipping up a fierce gale that gathered the monsters in one spot.
>Flash—!
>Crunch—! Crunch!
>Then, with another staff toss like a streak of light, she cleared them in an instant.
>"Woooah!"
>"...How is that even possible? I can barely take one."
>"Wealth gap is real AF."
>Leaving the awestruck, envious players behind, Xiao looked down at Astr.
>"Gonna catch anything moving that slow?"
>"...Hah."
>Seeing her beam smugly atop Pegasus snapped him alert.
>Pulling out Pegasus from the start was a declaration.
>Just like his own plan: claim as much as possible before the other Top 10 Guilds arrived.
>And by not leaving but hunting right here...
>'She wants a showdown?'
>Growling at the provocation, Astr extended both hands to his sides.
>Cracks formed where his hands reached, and massive jaws emerged.
>"Divine beast? You don't own the monopoly on those."
>He'd roamed Delmrock unleashing the Azure Dragon and White Tiger Seats—why wouldn't he have tamed one here?
>Time to show why he held other titles, why he was called the Owner of the Armory.
>[The divine beast, 'Weapon-Devouring Phantom Beast,' has opened the armory.]
>[The divine beast, 'Weapon-Devouring Phantom Beast,' is absorbing weapons.]
>Riiip—
>The giant maws gaped wide, sucking in weapons from ownerless monsters in a flash.
>Not just weapons—anything that could be material for them.
>Like iron.
>Heh.
>Confirming the phantom beast had swallowed all ownerless metal and weapons, Astr fed it his own.
>[The divine beast, 'Weapon-Devouring Phantom Beast,' has swallowed +15 Ultimate Supreme Emperor Sword.]
>[Beginning combination.]
>The beast paused briefly, then spat out a single weapon.
>[The divine beast, 'Weapon-Devouring Phantom Beast,' spits out +15 Undead-Slaying Ultimate Supreme Emperor Sword.]
>Babylon's master, one of the Top 10 Guilds, Astr.
>He wasn't called the Owner of the Armory just for buying hordes of weapons with cash.
>The core was elsewhere.
>[Unique ability 'Weapon Upgrade' activated.]
>[Weapon reinforcement temporarily increases by +1.]
>[+16 Undead-Slaying Ultimate Supreme Emperor Sword completed.]
>He was the one and only player who could wield a +16 weapon, beyond the current max of +15.
>Plus a cheat-level divine beast that absorbed nearby weapons to add optimal options against foes.
>"Bring the boss. I'll smash its head in one shot."
>That overwhelming one-shot damage.
>It was why Astr, despite lacking raw talent, stood proudly at his position.
>* * *
>Such scenes weren't exclusive to Astr's location.
>Some distance away.
>Even the flames were sparse here, the air thick with eerie chill, the ground bone-numbingly cold.
>Not figuratively—literally freezing.
>"Argh, freezing. What the hell?"
>"Repias is over there. All ice magic."
>"No way... That range is insane."
>All because of one person.
>Ice-blue hair, pale skin, glasses.
>A handsome man with a stiff, coldly analytical vibe, expressionless.
>The Blue Tower Lord's prized disciple, the unrivaled master of ice magic.
>Step, step.
>Wherever Repias walked, the air plummeted in temperature, his path freezing over.
>No monster could escape him.
>Knights on swift horses slipped constantly; footbound undead merely crackled and froze.
>"He even laid down Ice Road."
>"Blizzard just before that."
>"Ugh, just let him take it all. Let's go elsewhere."
>"Not like we can attack first anyway—ice debuff screws priority."
>"Think we could win if we attacked?"
>Players had no choice but to retreat when Repias showed.
>Beyond his overwhelming strength, his presence slowed them down, making hunting a hassle.
>"Ice mage is straight broken. Why even allow it?"
>"It's Repias, so it's allowed. Who else drags an ice mage? You'd take a burst DPS illegal caster."
>"Screw it, it's bullshit. Heard a high-ranker's flying around next to him—where we supposed to go?"
>Many grumbled, but plenty saw the positive.
>"Well... We're not ranking anyway. Just here for the experience."
>"I'm good with it. When else you gonna see Repias or Top 10 Guilds go at it for real?"
>"True. Dungeon's fun too."
>"Yeah, out-of-towners act like it's a picnic. Heh."
>Realistically, scoring top rewards amid this crowd was impossible.
>They prioritized the experience.
>"And who knows? We might find the Forgotten King. That's the top clear score, right? Save him and boom—first place~"
>"Yeah, pipe down~"
>"Or maybe treasure? Hidden piece or whatever."
>"That one's got a shot, but us?"
>"Why not? World Quest hidden piece? Kyaa, how to hold back? Rewards gotta be nuts."
>They laughed off the jabs, dreaming big, when—
>[The catastrophe recreation rate has reached 20%.]
>[From now on, massive catastrophes will recreate. Boss monsters will appear.]
>[Be cautious.]
>"What? Twenty percent already?"
>"This World Quest's progressing way too fast. Why?"
>"Gonna end before the New Continent Top 10 Guilds even arrive."
>"Was hoping to see some wipes."
>"I wanna see the Empress."
>One quiet listener suddenly spoke up, puzzled.
>"Why no word on Kaiser?"
>"Huh? Kaiser?"
>"Now that you mention..."
>Come to think of it, zero Kaiser sightings.
>No community posts, no rumors.
>The very guy who triggered the World Quest had vanished without a trace.
>But they brushed it off.
>"Eh, probably joined and couldn't hack the difficulty. Can't compare to Top 10 Guilds or Empire elites' direct disciples yet."
>"Yeah, monsters hit hard. Getting stronger too—just 20 percent, what's 100 gonna be?"
>"10 to 20 was like 1.5 times tougher... Over 50 percent, barely anyone left..."
>Rooooar—!
>A ear-splitting roar cut them off.
>[Boss monster has appeared nearby.]
>"...Yo, boss! Let's move—hurry!"
>"Yeah, go go!"
>"Late and you miss it! Didn't you see Repias bolt?"
>Kaiser was already forgotten as they rushed off.
>High-rankers hunting bosses were far more exciting than some guy they didn't know where he was.
>* * *
>And at that moment.
>Kaiser—Do-hyun, all but forgotten by everyone—was...
>[Eye of Truth activated.]
>[Hidden location, 'Guardian's Cave,' discovered.]
>"Whoa... Didn't expect to find it this quick. Look at that recreation rate climb—gonna be a total disaster at this pace?"
>-Oh? You care about that stuff, master? Thought you'd say none of my business.
>"If it climbs too fast, it might end before I sweep everything. Can't have that."
>-Ah.
>Smiling deep in a cave devoid of any human presence.