Chapter 239
Chapter 239
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 239
>Chapter Title: The Sealed Door Opens
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>A shocking statement drew nothing but a hollow laugh from him.
‘This is way bigger scale than I thought?’
He’d been on guard, expecting at most a Forgotten King nearing its prime.
But to think a monster was sealed here that even a prime Forgotten King couldn’t take down—what the hell was this?
[The reenactment rate of the catastrophe rises abnormally, gradually weakening that monster’s seal. That’s why I stepped in personally to stop you fools from messing around.]
“Ah…….”
Cold sweat trickled down Do-hyun’s back.
‘No wonder it felt too damn easy…… I was buzzing over the experience gains, sucking up the honey, and nearly triggered a catastrophe.’
Like a rat lured by cheese right into a trap.
He’d almost unleashed the disaster creeping up silently with his own hands.
Finally understanding the guardian’s fury, Do-hyun cleared his throat awkwardly.
“How strong is that monster?”
[Hmm…… Well. It must be severely weakened since it took heavy damage itself and can’t exert its full power.]
Do-hyun’s eyes sparkled at the somewhat hopeful news.
But as the saying goes, you have to hear out the Korean proverb to the end.
The words that followed doused his budding hope like a bucket of ice water.
[Even now, the prime version of the main body might barely manage a mutual destruction suicide bomb.]
“……Not capture it?”
[Capture? That thing? Don’t make me laugh. You can’t capture that monster. Sealing is the only way to bind it. And even that requires at least three beings on par with my main body…….]
The guardian glanced Do-hyun up and down and clicked its tongue.
[……You’re screwed. At your level, if that seal breaks, you’d be lucky to last a minute before dying.]
“…….”
[What about the other apostles? Are they stronger than you?]
“There are plenty stronger than me.”
Right off the bat, the Top 10 Guilds, Lepias’s direct disciples under NPCs, and countless high rankers besides.
There were tons stronger than him right now.
The guardian spoke in a tone full of distrust.
[They’d better be. I acknowledge your talent, but you’re still a greenhorn. If all the other apostles are greenhorns like you, there’s no hope.]
“That’s real encouraging.”
He replied jokingly, but Do-hyun’s expression darkened.
‘Can those guys even handle it? That monster.’
Honestly, he had no confidence.
He wasn’t yet on par with the Top 10 Guilds, but he wouldn’t get one-shot in a minute either.
No one would, no matter who showed up.
He was confident in fighting for at least ten minutes.
If he dug in determinedly, even longer.
‘And according to the Lion King’s spirit, there’s a high chance we’ll have to fight the Forgotten King too.’
No assurance against the existence-swallowing thing alone, and now the Forgotten King on top?
It’d be a total disaster. Every guild would have to unite.
Even then, no guarantee of victory.
[Well, no need to worry too much.]
Was his tension showing on his face?
He looked up at the lighter tone and saw the guardian looking utterly relaxed.
No great worry on its face.
[That thing is thoroughly sealed. As long as I hold out as guardian, its seal won’t break.]
“……Doesn’t the reenactment rate weaken the seal when it rises?”
At 100%, it’d break by that logic.
But the guardian just smirked.
[You think the seal would be that sloppy? Have you forgotten what I am? I’m the guardian of this place. I protect the tomb from those trying to break the seal.]
“Ah?”
[Kill me, or sneak past my eyes to the sealed location and force the door open. Those are the only two ways to break the seal.]
And even then, you’d need 100% reenactment rate.
Considering how strong the guardian Do-hyun faced was, near impossible.
Just as Do-hyun started to exhale in relief—
Ding-
“……Ding?”
Was that ominous feeling just his imagination?
The timing of the alert grated on him oddly, so Do-hyun slowly turned his gaze.
Then blinked.
“……You said the seal absolutely won’t break?”
[Yes. As long as I hold out, it won’t.]
“……Really?”
Do-hyun looked ahead again, tilting his head and squinting.
Not out of displeasure.
Just to see more clearly, with eyes questioning if this was right.
And for good reason……
[Someone has awakened the colossal disaster slumbering in the Forgotten Tomb.]
[The reenactment rate of the catastrophe is skyrocketing.]
[Current reenactment rate of the catastrophe: 35%.]
[Current reenactment rate of the catastrophe: 37%.]
[Current reenactment rate of the catastrophe: 38%.]
….
‘……Then what the hell is this?’
Messages flooded his vision chaotically.
The reenactment rate surging nonstop felt like an emergency siren now.
The guardian noticed something off a beat later.
[Ah, no, this is……!?]
Sensing the discrepancy from Do-hyun’s reaction, it closed its eyes to probe the sealed door.
And understood what happened.
[……Someone opened the door of the seal.]
Something that shouldn’t happen was happening.
* * *
Earnest Guild.
An explorer guild that shattered the old prejudice of high intel but low combat prowess, boldly claiming a spot in the Top 10 Guilds.
At its center was Master Harrington.
“With Harrington, you can follow with full trust.”
“I’ve never seen an explorer or archer as outstanding as Harrington.”
Name the top archer, and he was always in the rankings.
Name the greatest explorer, and he was always right below Barion.
The one and only man nearing the peak in two fields.
Europe’s genius—that was Harrington.
‘This is my chance.’
His rise owed much to his exceptional talent, but even more to the unique ability he lucked into.
The Mythic God’s Demonic Eye owner’s unique ability: Demonic Eye.
It could detect anything steeped in negative energy—a cheat of an eye.
Using it, he uncovered countless hidden pieces, built ties with NPCs, and became a great explorer.
‘The theme of this world quest is catastrophe and tomb. This evil-infested place will be my stage to shine as the protagonist.’
So he was certain.
‘No time for hunting. Let’s find the hidden pieces.’
Today, proving his combat prowess wasn’t the goal—fulfilling his role as explorer was the right answer.
Thus, Harrington led his guild’s most capable explorers to scour for hidden pieces.
‘Came in late and I was worried…… but no one else is hunting hidden pieces. Idiots.’
Even while he searched, others ignored them despite seeing with their own eyes, fixated only on
The rapidly rising reenactment rate. Competitors swarming like the tide.
That made them hasty, chasing only what was in plain sight.
‘Well, without the Demonic Eye, they couldn’t find them anyway.’
Only he deserved to find them.
And he would, rightfully.
It didn’t take as long as expected to bear fruit.
“Master Harrington…….”
“……This seems like.”
“Yeah, it really is.”
Guild members cautiously spoke, staring at the sight before them.
[Hidden location discovered: ‘Door of the Seal’.]
[First discovery grants first-clear benefits.]
[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
They’d found the desired hidden piece, yet no one dared approach rashly.
Normally, Harrington would scold them for being cowards, but not this time.
His reaction was no different.
‘This…… is a door?’
Tension etched Harrington’s face as he licked his dry lips.
The door alone towered over 50 meters high.
‘Can’t even guess the width.’
Without the discovery message, he’d have thought it just a patterned floor.
Maybe he wouldn’t have noticed even seeing it without digging up the ground.
The size was that unbelievable.
‘Door of the Seal…… what the hell is sealed here?’
Should he open it?
Was it Pandora’s box, something better left shut?
That thought gripped his ankles.
The deliberation was brief. Harrington furrowed his brow and stepped forward heavily.
‘……No. I’ll open it.’
Come this far and back out from fear?
That was as good as forfeiting a ranking spot in the world quest.
He’d already ditched coming in late to hunt this.
And.
‘Already dug up the ground—if someone else snags it, that’d hurt even more.’
If word got out this was a jackpot, it’d be infuriating.
Sometimes you need bold resolve.
Screeech-
[Opening hidden location: Door of the Seal.]
[You may lose your life to the tomb’s guardian.]
[Caution! Beware the first strike.]
“……!”
Alerts flashed as he opened it, startling Harrington into ducking low.
The name alone screamed danger—he thought it was a trap.
But after several seconds passed,
“Hm?”
Why wasn’t anything happening?
Harrington looked up puzzled.
“Ugh…….”
“That scared me.”
“Everyone okay……? What was that? Just a scare?”
Same all around.
Not entirely trap-free—scattered arrows, blades, and some injured guild members.
‘But not enough for a caution alert?’
Guardian this, warning that—no big deal.
Those traps weren’t lethal even if dodged poorly.
A bizarre situation all around. The mystery resolved soon enough.
[The guardian is currently away.]
[Will you really open the Door of the Seal?]
“……So that’s what happened.”
The message overhead explained the situation.
Guardian away—simple implication.
‘Opportunity is now or never.’
Whatever the reason, a “guardian” wouldn’t be pushover.
If opening the door anyway, now without it was best.
Handing you victory on a platter.
Pass this up, and you’re the fool.
Screeech-
The rusty, unoiled door creaked horrifically like nails on chalkboard and opened.
[Door of the Seal opened.]
[Awakened the colossal disaster slumbering in the Forgotten Tomb.]
[The reenactment rate of the catastrophe is skyrocketing.]
[Current reenactment rate of the catastrophe: 35%.]
“……What?”
Harrington’s face went blank.
Before he could process what it meant, it happened.
------!
“Urk, wh-what is that!”
“My, my ears……!”
A chilling sound emanated from the pitch-black void beyond the door, where nothing was visible.
Guild members writhed, unable to control their bodies from the ringing in their ears.
But Harrington stood ramrod straight, staring.
‘What the hell……is that.’
His face had gone deathly pale.
Shock flashed in his eyes, soon replaced by despair that settled in.
Something horrific faintly overlaid his pupils.
‘That……a person?’
A silhouette hovered over the colossal being’s head.
It appeared and vanished in a glimpse, but clearly a man’s silhouette. Confirming it, Harrington spun without hesitation.
‘C-can’t beat that. No one could!’
Swift judgment.
“Retreat! Everyone fall b—!”
But the horrific being reacted just as fast.
The moment it moved from beyond the door, the pitch-black void turned ordinary space.
That darkness was all its body.
Sss—
As it slowly opened its eyes, the massive pupil fixed on Harrington’s back.
That was the end.
His body froze briefly, and when he came to, nothing remained before the door.
Crunch, crack—
Crunch, crunch—
Chilling sounds echoed from the now-dark-again void beyond for a while before stopping.
[The colossal disaster replenishes its nutrients.]
[The colossal disaster senses its seal is not fully released.]
[The colossal disaster retreats, awaiting the seal’s full release.]
It glanced beyond the door briefly before fully withdrawing.
The colossal disaster, horrific abyss monster.
The beast that drove an empire to the brink of ruin—the Existence Devourer—had opened its eyes.
And at that moment.
[The Forgotten King opens its eyes.]
The man hanging above the Existence Devourer opened his eyes as well.