Chapter 234
Chapter 234
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 234
>Chapter Title: Catastrophe Fragments
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Do-hyun had first entered the Forgotten Tomb about an hour ago.
After much deliberation, the moment he selected his reward and stepped inside, he was greeted by a scene that could hardly be called a disaster.
‘This is…’
Not quite a disaster—just a tomb.
True to its name, it seemed long forgotten by people, with no maintenance at all. Moss-covered buildings and withered weeds on the crumbling, rotten ground.
Graves and tombstones scattered here and there.
At a glance, it was just a bit eerie, nothing more.
‘Ugh, this is gross. What’s with this sticky air?’
‘Hmm… Not a great feeling.’
‘Li-ja-ri-ja…’
But Jihad, Eliza, and Charlie furrowed their brows, clearly uncomfortable.
It was because they could feel the unique unpleasant sensation emanating from the dead, permeating their entire bodies.
Especially for those sensitive to energy, it hit harder.
That was when the message appeared.
[You are the first to enter the World Quest Dungeon, ‘Forgotten Tomb.’]
[Rescue the Forgotten King from the site of the disaster.]
[The current catastrophe reenactment rate is 0%.]
[You have priority access as the first entrant. Other users can enter in 1 hour.]
‘So it hasn’t happened yet.’
It was already giving off a chilling aura—how would it change once the catastrophe reenacted?
The curiosity was piqued since it involved recreating the catastrophe the Forgotten King had faced, but he’d find out soon enough.
Do-hyun set aside his curiosity for now and drew Cheonbyeon.
His eyes narrowed low.
‘One hour… I need to monopolize it as much as possible.’
The one-hour priority granted as a reward for discovering the World Quest.
Its value was immense.
Unlike users who’d have to compete right away, he had time to fully explore the place.
Especially valuable for Do-hyun, who possessed the Eye of Truth.
‘The most profitable thing I can do right now is find the guardian.’
Or a hidden piece.
Ordinary methods wouldn’t rack up enough clear score to rank high.
But the problem was how to find it in this vast space…
Do-hyun clicked his tongue and turned.
‘No choice but to wander around.’
The straightforward approach was the only answer here.
Determined to search as much as possible before other users arrived, Do-hyun started walking.
How long had he walked?
[The current catastrophe reenactment rate is 2%.]
“Sigh, feels like I’ve been wandering for 30 minutes already. Nothing?”
-Yeah… Getting tired.
-Li-ja-ri-ja.
He scoured every corner.
Checked places footsteps rarely reached.
Even ventured into the creepy buildings.
But the Eye of Truth never activated.
Worried it might be something the Eye missed, Do-hyun inspected closely himself—same result.
‘I skipped hunting time to wander, and this is what I get? Total waste.’
Hunting would’ve at least leveled him up or raised the reenactment rate, contributing something.
Now he’d just burn the hour for nothing.
Do-hyun clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, but it was somewhat expected.
As a World Quest Dungeon accommodating many users, the map was huge. Even a full hour might not suffice.
[After a certain time, the catastrophe reenactment rate has increased.]
[The current catastrophe reenactment rate is 3%.]
[The spawn rate of wights has increased.]
Groooar— Groooar—
As the message appeared, hands burst from the rotten, crumbling ground.
Five wights twisted grotesquely as they clawed their way out.
He’d seen wights wandering from afar, but this was the first time they’d popped up right in front of him.
‘No time to deal with those…’
He planned to ignore them like before.
‘…Hold on.’
Do-hyun’s expression turned peculiar.
Jihad, who had stopped abruptly beside him, tilted his head.
-Huh? What’s up, Master? Giving up the search for hunting? Should I hang back?
Do-hyun’s pattern of handling the first fight solo to gauge foes was familiar, but he shook his head.
He’d stopped for another reason.
[The Eye of Truth activates.]
‘…Why is the ground under all of them glowing red?’
Beneath the ground the wights had burst from.
A red light seeped out.
Tiny as a dot, but definitely red.
Groooar—!
As Do-hyun narrowed his eyes, the wights that met his gaze charged without hesitation.
They even drew swords and swung.
Swish—
‘Well, look at that? Aiming for the head.’
Do-hyun leaned back to dodge the lead wight’s sword, grabbed its elbow, and snapped it.
Crack. Even twisted at an odd angle, it showed no hesitation.
Do-hyun kicked its stomach, toppling it as it gnashed its teeth, then slammed down Cheonbyeon, transformed into the ‘Dreadful Nightmare Scythe.’
Crunch—
Confirming the fallen one clutching sand, Do-hyun shifted trajectory and cleaved its hand first.
Slash— Thunk!
One strike, two, three…
Around four strikes, and the wight stopped twitching.
[You have defeated the ‘Resentful Mercenary Wight.’]
‘Not even a proper skill, just basic strikes with darkness aura, and it took four…’
Definitely tough, as expected of a World Quest.
Undead-like fearlessness in taking hits, but cunning efficiency unlike typical undead.
Felt like fighting a battle-hardened human.
‘Using mercenary techniques from life?’
And this at just 3% reenactment.
If 3% was a mercenary, what about 10%, 20%, 50%?
Do-hyun let out a hollow chuckle.
Now he understood why the Lion King’s spirit warned of trouble at 100%.
-Such form… Sword swings worse than street thugs. Balance that shaky… Clients hiring mercenaries like you must have nine lives.
-Li-ja! Li-ja!
-Even a bandit leader who learned by eye has better skill. I see why you’re a resentful mercenary. I wouldn’t rest in peace either.
-Li-ja-ri-ja!
-…Good job!
Beside him, Charlie and Eliza were cleverly holding the wights.
Charlie mouthing off as usual, Eliza chiming in. Jihad clapping behind them.
Groooaaar—!!!
Groooar!!!
Infuriated, the wights glared fiercely, swinging swords wildly.
A somewhat comical scene, but Do-hyun’s eyes were darkly sunken.
Not on them.
Slightly below.
[The Eye of Truth activates.]
The red glow, tiny as a dot under their feet.
‘Gone from the one I killed.’
Same under the one Charlie just felled.
Testing, Do-hyun pierced another’s throat from behind. The light vanished as it crumpled.
‘Confirmed.’
Grinning as his hunch proved right, Do-hyun shouted.
“Charlie! Eliza! Don’t kill them—grab one and hold it.”
-Li-ja?
“As you command, my lord.”
Eliza tilted her head in confusion, but Charlie obeyed without question.
He parried the wight’s attack with fluid swordplay, snatched its sword, and choked it from behind.
-Got it.
“Okay.”
Do-hyun nodded and charged the rest.
Sweeping his massive scythe, he dispatched the remaining two in an instant, then approached Charlie slowly.
Grooo— Groooar!
The held wight thrashed, gnashing teeth, spitting.
Ignoring it, Do-hyun stabbed Cheonbyeon, now a spear, into the ground at its feet.
No change. Tried a few times—same.
‘Not this?’
Switching to shield form, Do-hyun began digging.
-…Huh? What’re you doing, Master? Why dig suddenly?
-Li-ja?
Ignoring the puzzled reactions, he kept going.
After several digs, nearing the red glow, he brushed away dirt with his hand.
He picked up the revealed red crystal, and a cheerful alert rang.
[You have discovered a hidden Catastrophe Fragment.]
“Catastrophe Fragment… The name alone spells trouble.”
Do-hyun’s eyes filled with conviction as he held the iridescent red crystal, glowing despite the dirt and moss.
Instinct told him.
This was linked to what the Lion King’s spirit mentioned.
‘But where to use it…’
Plop, groooar—!
A rotten hand burst from the fragment.
A wight, identical to those killed before.
Stunned by the physics-defying sight, Do-hyun instinctively stabbed with an assassin’s dagger.
Thunk! Thunk-thunk! Thunk!
[Destroying the Catastrophe Fragment removes part of the catastrophe.]
[The catastrophe reenactment rate rises sharply.]
[The current catastrophe reenactment rate is 4%.]
[Level up.]
“…”
-…Huh?
Do-hyun’s eyes wavered at the unexpected turn. Jihad, Eliza, and Charlie beside him too.
They instinctively exchanged glances, blinking.
“…Insane.”
-Th-this is what I think it is, right, Master?
“My god.”
Do-hyun nodded with a hollow laugh at Jihad’s stunned question.
“Seems like it.”
-Wow, is this allowed? Cheating has limits. This is too much, Master. More importantly, what’s this got to do with the Crystal of Conviction?
“Who knows? Maybe unrelated.”
But Do-hyun’s face was bright.
No regret—pure elation, lips curled up.
‘Raising the reenactment rate counts as resolving the catastrophe. Huge clear contribution.’
Harder overall, but for score alone, raising it was profitable up to a point.
‘One fragment bumped it 1%.’
A cheat key, essentially.
Pick and smash for 1% each.
And it judged as fully resolving the contained catastrophe, granting massive EXP.
‘So just smashing fragments secures first in clears…?’
Reaching that thought, Do-hyun couldn’t help snorting excitedly.
“This is OP as hell?”
-…Sigh, unfair world. This our reality?
“As expected of my lord. Finding something like this— this humble sword is overcome, vision blurring.”
“Li… ja.”
Guardian, treasure, Crystal of Conviction—gone from Do-hyun’s mind.
Treasure? If it doesn’t show, who cares.
‘Smash fragments for EXP and clear rewards at once!’
Thus began the fragment hunt, proceeding smoothly.
“Charlie!”
“Yes, my lord! Come on up—time’s short.”
Gr— groooar?
Spotting a hand from the ground, Charlie grabbed and pulled.
The bewildered wight, now up easily, tilted its head.
Charlie ‘comforted’ it with a chokehold—not quite—while Do-hyun dug.
[Acquired Catastrophe Fragment.]
[Destroyed Catastrophe Fragment.]
….
[The current catastrophe reenactment rate is 5%.]
“Next!”
“Yes, my lord!”
Charlie tossed the wight; Do-hyun pierced its brain, killing it.
Repeat: hunt wights.
When five popped at once like before, Do-hyun’s grin split wide.
[Destroyed Catastrophe Fragment.]
….
[The current catastrophe reenactment rate is 13%.]
Eventually, two or three for 1%, but in just 20 minutes—insane speed.
Hit exactly 50%, and first place was guaranteed.
[Level up.]
‘Kya! This is why we skip hidden pieces!’
Even post-80, notoriously slow, he hit 81.
No better jackpot.
Calming his thrilled heart with cool reason, scanning around—
[Gr— Stop that, won’t you?]
“Huh? What? Who said that?”
-I didn’t say anything?
“Charlie?”
“I said nothing, my lord.”
Do-hyun tilted his head at the urgent voice from somewhere, but resumed digging a fragment spot.
Ignoring the choked wight’s pitiful groans.
[Stop right now!!]
A booming voice echoed then.
It rang straight in his brain; Do-hyun winced.
Changes hit then.
Rumble—
The digging ground shook violently, parting on its own.
Not just here—the whole area quaked, terrain shifting into form.
Like Moses’ miracle, the split earth revealed a massive door below.
[The Eye of Truth activates.]
[Discovered hidden area, ‘Guardian’s Cave.’]
[First discovery grants first-clear benefits.]
[EXP gain +20%.]
[Drop rate +20%.]
“Ah.”
-Good lord.
The long-sought guardian’s cave.
Stunned as the pumpkin rolled right to him, an enraged voice boomed again.
[I won’t tolerate more. Enter.]
-Huh?
-Li, li-ja!
The doors opened, sucking Do-hyun and guardians in.
Unintentionally mastering the ultimate strategy: if you can’t find it, make it come to you.
* * *
Opening his eyes after being pulled in, he saw a vast cave.
Filled by a massive lion statue, eyes glaring fiercely, fangs bared.
[Entered hidden area, ‘Guardian’s Cave.’]
[The guardian is enraged.]
[Fail the guardian’s trial to prove your conviction, and face death.]
Seeing the message above the lion statue, Do-hyun murmured softly.
‘Whoa… Never thought I’d find it like this.’
This explained the abnormally high reenactment rate other users saw on entry—and how Do-hyun reached the Guardian’s Cave.