Chapter 259
Chapter 259
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 259
>Chapter Title: The Forbidden Labyrinth
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>"Does my empire interfere greatly or pay much attention to the apostles' affairs? Do you know why?"
A heavy voice echoed softly through the audience chamber.
Do-hyun didn't answer hastily.
It seemed Baharun wasn't expecting a reply anyway, as he continued calmly.
"It's because we're confident that no matter what the apostles do, they can't pose a threat to our empire."
"......"
In Baharun's flickering eyes, something beyond mere confidence could be felt.
Considering there were ten billion users alone, and over a hundred billion in the empire, it was an arrogance without equal.
But even if someone other than Do-hyun had heard those words, no one could refute them.
It was a fact without the slightest exaggeration.
Who could dare call stating a fact arrogant?
"But the Forgotten Tomb is different. For us, it's a place we cannot help but watch closely. If the apostles failed, we planned to step in and scour it ourselves."
This emperor, who feared nothing, was showing caution toward the apostles' affairs for the first time.
'Why exactly?'
Because the Forgotten Tomb's difficulty was that high?
Out of worry that if the apostles failed and the catastrophe reappeared in the empire, it would be disastrous?
'No, it can't be just that.'
It might have been nearly impossible for current users, but the empire could have handled it without much trouble.
Even if the catastrophe occurred on the main continent, it would be the same.
There might have been civilian casualties, but they would have rooted it out in a matter of days.
"How could we not watch it?"
And yet, the reason the empire—no, this arrogant emperor—had been watching it.
"The Forbidden Labyrinth that suddenly appeared in our empire one day. The tomb emits waves strikingly similar to that unpleasant labyrinth, which grows ever more ominous."
"......!"
It was because the Forgotten Tomb was emitting the exact same energy as the empire's long-standing headache.
Do-hyun paused, mulling over the shocking fact revealed by the emperor.
If it shared the same energy as the Forgotten Tomb, there was only one possibility.
'......The Abyss.'
Beings full of the unknown.
It was certain they were in that labyrinth.
The presence of the Abyss meant a very high chance of connection to the main quest.
It wasn't coincidence that this topic came up now.
"We've long wanted to investigate the labyrinth, but it itself refused our entry. And trusting the apostles fully left much to be desired......"
They had been cautious due to ministers' warnings that meddling unnecessarily before anything happened could cause trouble.
But now that a link to the Forgotten Tomb had been revealed, the situation had changed.
"Having conquered the Forgotten Tomb once, you should be able to discern any connection between the labyrinth and the tomb. Thus, I wish to entrust you with investigating the labyrinth......"
"......"
"Kaiser. Will you accept my request?"
Ding-
[Quest: 'Investigation of the Forbidden Labyrinth' has occurred.]
[Investigation of the Forbidden Labyrinth]
-Rank: Heroic
-Description: The Forbidden Labyrinth that suddenly appeared in the empire one day.
A peculiar labyrinth that does not permit entry to its own citizens, but is presumed to allow the apostles' entry.
Thus, Emperor 'Baharun de Arnys' wishes for you to find out what lies there.
Accept his request and investigate the labyrinth.
-Investigate the Forbidden Labyrinth (0 / 1)
-Clear Reward: Linked quest occurrence, 3,000 gold, a certain amount of experience
-Failure Risk: Linked quest deletion and drop in emperor's favorability.
-Time Limit: 120 hours
Do-hyun grinned as he viewed the quest that appeared after the emperor's words.
"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll investigate it thoroughly."
There was no reason for the first user to refuse a chance to check out a labyrinth potentially linked to the main quest.
* * *
Leaving the audience chamber and exiting the imperial palace, Do-hyun wore an uneasy expression.
-Huh? What's up, master? Weren't you happy just now?
-Rizarija.
Jihad and Eliza looked puzzled at his change, like going into and coming out of the bathroom.
Do-hyun chuckled dryly at them.
As they said, he had been pleased up until receiving the quest.
It was an opportunity exclusively for him, the number one ranker in World Quest clears, and it was linked to the Abyss, no less.
'Up to that point, it was good...... but I still couldn't figure out if the imperial family is in league with them.'
And that wasn't all.
He couldn't even guess why the Second Prince and the emperor's bodies had been so red.
Essentially, he had learned nothing.
That left him unsatisfied. But he soon shook his head.
'Well, opportunities like this won't come just once.'
He had gained permission to freely enter and exit the imperial palace during the quest.
The time limit was a generous 120 hours.
In such a situation, impatience would only be poison.
With time on his side, it was wiser to proceed slowly.
'I should learn something from meeting the First Prince.'
He couldn't meet him now since he was away in another city, but he would return soon, so Do-hyun decided to look forward to it.
The First Prince was the most influential figure in the current empire.
-An excellent judgment, my lord. Hasty actions often lead to failure. For now, focusing on the task at hand seems best.
As satisfied Charlie nodded, Jihad suddenly chimed in.
-Then we're heading straight to the labyrinth?
-Rija?
"No."
Sorry to Eliza, whose eyes sparkled with curiosity about the labyrinth, but Do-hyun shook his head.
Eliza visibly deflated.
"Don't look so down, Eliza. We will go. I just have to stop somewhere first before investigating."
-......Rija?
-A stop? Oh, meeting those comrades?
"......Is that the only thing that comes to mind when I say 'stop'?"
-Khem, you don't have many friends, master.
He itched to give a knuckle after a long time, but he had no retort.
His once-empty friends list now had barely three entries.
-Ast
-Cultivation
-Eyes Open Nicely
'The old man's in some meeting, and that girl's off cultivating again. Probably meditating under a waterfall.'
Even the Empress's name had no green light.
Given her inverted day-night schedule, she was likely still in dreamland.
'Those nicknames are still ridiculous.'
The absurdity he felt yesterday upon friending those two lingered vividly.
Unlike Bora-ajae playing with the normal nickname Ast, theirs were extraordinary from the start.
"......Eyes Open Nicely? Why's your nickname like that?"
"Didn't expect it'd blow up, so I picked it casually. Plus, keeping your eyes open nicely is good, right? No beatings."
"......"
Her savage grin was still ridiculous, but somewhat understandable.
A madwoman doing mad things was no surprise.
The most absurd was the Sword Saint.
'To not forget his devotion to cultivation, he named it Cultivation...... Still ridiculous. That guy's the real lunatic.'
Kkukku was openly nuts, while the Sword Saint was subtly deranged.
They had unique mental worlds.
They always fought like oil and water, but it might be tribal hatred, a reasonable suspicion.
'No wonder people call them by titles instead of nicknames......'
Those with system-recognized official titles could use them instead.
Most registered titles on official rankings.
The Sword Saint and Empress were such cases.
By now, many probably thought those were their real nicknames.
'I did at first.'
As he chuckled, he heard Jihad muttering softly.
-......I think I know why they're your comrades. Yeah.
-Rizarija......
"? What do you mean? Where are there normal people like me?"
-Um...... Is the 'normal' humans use different from the 'normal' I know?
"Wanna get hit after so long...... Hm?"
He was pulling out a knuckle of justice with a friendly smile when Jihad had already hidden behind Charlie.
That was knee-jerk reflex level.
Was that the kind of readiness needed to dodge safely in battle?
Amid the absurdity, Do-hyun lowered his fist with a hollow laugh.
"Enough chit-chat. Let's go."
-Yeah, master!
Jihad quickly stepped forward to follow, with Charlie and Eliza behind.
-But where are we going?
-Hm, I'm curious too.
To their question, Do-hyun gave a curt reply.
"Hard-earned, so time to put it to use."
In Do-hyun's grasp, the iron plaque gleamed softly in the sunlight.
* * *
Clang! Kang!
Sweltering heat and humid air.
The clear ring of metal on metal. Smiths sweating profusely yet showing no fatigue.
-As expected...... So this is where we're headed.
"Can't skip after surviving death to get it. My stomach would hurt."
This was a blacksmith workshop.
Used by many NPCs and users, but this was no ordinary one.
-Hmm! All skilled artisans. We can get good gear.
Former Knight Commander Charlie, picky about equipment, recognized their skill at a glance.
The top workshop in the Arnys Empire, always counted on one hand.
The one Sword Emperor Garfield Drew favored so much he signed an exclusive contract with.
[Argeltlam Grand Workshop]
'They say this place makes the best gear?'
Crafting had many fields.
Even within major categories like weapons, armor, accessories, the world of creation was endless.
'At least for close-combat weapons and armor, Argeltlam Grand Workshop is top-rated.'
Among the empire's three great crafting workshops, this one handled close-combat gear.
No wonder the Sword Emperor signed exclusively.
It ran on reservations, with backlogs so long a single weapon took months.
'Even then, they refuse if the user's level is insufficient.'
Thus, Argeltlam gear served as a mark of proven ability among users.
Kang-
The steady ringing stopped then.
A smith, finally lifting his head after finishing a weapon, spotted Do-hyun and narrowed his wrinkled eyes.
"Hm? Who're you? No word of a visitor. Hey, did you check the reservation list properly?"
"Yes! Next is Jebran in 2 hours."
"Hey, kid. That your name, Jebran?"
"Who's here?"
"Hmm, weird. I remember that guy's not Jebran."
"Ah, bro, you took that reservation? Good memory."
"That client was a woman, obviously."
Gender twist aside, that wasn't important now.
Realizing he wasn't reserved, the smiths' mood turned hostile.
Muscles rippled as they approached, halting their work.
Short but bulky and muscular, they looked thuggish.
And not just that.
"......Looks like an arrogant customer."
A knight rose slowly from the back, his presence extraordinary.
Do-hyun recognized the face.
He'd seen it in community fun tournaments ranking empire powerhouses.
'Knight of the Gale, Dran? Top 100 strong, I think.'
Top 100 in the empire was elite.
Even Top 10 Guilds couldn't guarantee victory against them.
No need for pointless trouble, so he moved to show the iron plaque quickly.
"What's this commotion?"
A powerful, resonant voice boomed.
Pushing aside the menacing aura, an old man emerged among the smiths.
"Blacksmiths causing a fuss over something so trivial? With Knight Dran lending his strength for us to focus on crafting, what disgrace is this...... Eh?"
"......Huh?"
The old man's face was familiar.
Not just to Do-hyun—the old man, mid-reprimand, met his eyes and gave a strange look.
And in that moment.
"Oh!?"
"You!"
Their eyes widened almost simultaneously.
Joy lit their widened gazes.
"Aison?"
"You! Kaiser! Have you finally resolved to become my disciple?"
The great blacksmith called artisan of artisans, who excommunicated Leon after losing to Do-hyun in the reinforcement war and coveted him as a disciple.
It was an unexpected reunion with Aison.