Chapter 108
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Merhen Kingdom Party Quests
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It hadn't been long since I'd sent the whisper, but Kim Bong-gu was already here.
"You're early?"
I hadn't told him to come rushing over right away.
I'd just said not to be late.
"Haha, arriving early puts my mind at ease!"
Kim Bong-gu snapped to attention like a disciplined soldier in his reply.
Not long after, Ha-jin arrived too.
"I'm here"
"Come on in."
I checked their levels.
Mine was 164.
Ha-jin's was 179.
Kim Bong-gu's was 166.
We'd all surpassed the level requirement for party quests ages ago.
"So, we heading out right now?"
"Yeah. We're gonna grind party quests starting now."
Party quests were typically accepted from an NPC and took you into a dedicated map.
"Grind them...?"
"Yeah."
I hadn't gotten the exact time he'd enter.
So we'd keep repeating them until we ran into him.
'You know the Merhen Kingdom party quest? The one where ten straight wins unlocks the castle quest?'
Entry to Merhen Kingdom's castle.
That was my next goal.
Unlike temples, the castle didn't have a straightforward clear quest.
Merhen Kingdom's castle required a very specific condition.
Ten consecutive party quest victories without a single loss.
'You said it's a must-do step?'
The hidden class he'd gotten.
The first step toward that hidden class was entering Merhen's castle.
NPC Info
-Nickname: Po-Chil
-Level: 175
-Job: Party Quest Manager
Po-Chil, the Merhen Kingdom party quest manager.
He lived with a circus troupe a bit outside the capital, handling quests for players.
But right now, the circus grounds were deserted, nothing but dust blowing in the wind.
"...Whoa, not a single soul here?"
Ha-jin let out a quiet exclamation.
"The Merhen Kingdom party quests just aren't efficient... There are way better spots right next door. Do we really need to do these...?"
Kim Bong-gu explained.
"Quiet down, all of you."
I approached Po-Chil, who was dozing off in his chair, head nodding.
A question mark blinked above his head.
Party Quest: Merhen
-Restriction: Parties of 3 players level 155
-Reward: Experience
-Description: Complete the party quest over 3 rounds!
Merhen's party quests consisted of three rounds total.
As soon as I applied for entry, Po-Chil jolted awake.
"Whoa! Customers!"
He wiped the drool from his mouth and began explaining the party quest.
Party Quest
1. Obstacle Course
2. Random Mission
3. Battle Royale
The obstacle course was exactly what it sounded like: crossing from start to finish on a map packed with hazards.
Then the random mission.
The missions varied wildly.
From hunting monsters to chugging mystery potions and holding them downeasy ones to nightmarish ones, all completely random.
Finally, battle royale.
That was what I was after.
It tracked other parties doing Merhen quests and randomly matched you.
Then tossed all the matched parties into a colosseum.
The last party standing claimed victory and the experience.
It was basically the make-or-break final roundthe be-all and end-all of the quest.
'Kaneda Shun.'
I'd heard he and Iwase were friendsclose enough that he'd come to Korea as an exchange student because he loved it so much.
But I didn't like the guy.
Something slimy about him, impossible to read.
Teammates, but we never meshed?
And after that final betrayal, in the standoff, Kaneda Shun mocked me.
'You idiot. I never once thought of you as a teammate. Betrayal? What betrayal? That's why you'll never make it.'
He'd stabbed me in the back and kept mocking me relentlessly.
Those damn eyes, that upturned smirk.
Just thinking about it made me want to puke.
"Hey, you okay?"
Ha-jin put a hand on my shoulder.
Guess my expression gave it away.
What could he be thinking to look that pissed?
'Something's up with him.'
Anima too, and even Mok-ho were eyeing me cautiously.
I chuckled inwardly.
Like with Mom the other day, I needed to work on my poker face.
"Yeah. I'm good."
"Heading in right away?"
"That's the plan. You cool with that?"
My gaze shifted to Kim Bong-gu behind them.
"Yes! Ready whenever!"
Kim Bong-gu nodded vigorously, no hesitation.
'That glare is terrifying... One wrong move and I'm dead.'
Complaining was only okay when Jeong Hoon was in a good mood.
"Okay. Let's go."
The obstacle map was one of five types.
We drew the third one.
"Ugh... What the hell? We gotta cross this?"
Ha-jin peered down the cliff with a horrified look.
Countless spear tips jutted skyward below.
Fall, and they'd impale you, instant elimination.
And floating in front were rocks just big enough for one person.
"Looks like we hop those rocks to the goal."
"And this is the easy difficulty...?"
Merhen's quests were on the easier side compared to other empires or kingdoms.
I nodded.
"Yeah, pretty easy. Just cross the rocks carefully."
No tricks on the rocks.
Just time your jumps right.
Miss, and you plummet.
I unleashed my movement technique and bounded across effortlessly.
"How's he so fast...?"
"Whoa..."
Ha-jin and Kim Bong-gu stared blankly before snapping to.
Gotta catch up.
They hurried after, jumping rock to rock.
Legs shaking, sweat pouring from head to toe.
'Can't stop.'
'Stop and you're done...!'
They pushed nonstop and reached the goal.
Clear the first obstacle, and round two was missions.
Kill a monster with a magic attack.
The random mission was brutal.
Warriors or rogues? Dead endquest over.
No magic attacks possible.
But not me.
Crackle
I could do physical or magic.
Lightning Bolt erupted from my hand, engulfing the monster.
"Kweeeek!"
It convulsed, foaming at the mouth, and dropped dead.
Mission Clear!
Experience accumulated!
I'd cleared mine; Ha-jin and Kim Bong-gu remained.
Select the player for the next mission.
Round two was one at a time.
I'd gone first; time to pick second.
"Should I go?"
Ha-jin asked Kim Bong-gu.
He pondered briefly, then nodded.
"Yes. I'll go last."
I'd cleared and moved to the clear room.
If Bong-gu went second and cleared, I'd be alone with him while Ha-jin did his mission.
'No way in hell.'
Truth was, being with Ha-jin was a relief.
Less chance of Jeong Hoon messing with me.
"What? A quiz?"
Ha-jin's mission was a quiz.
New World trivia.
'Phew, dodged that.'
Kim Bong-gu sighed inwardly.
He hated studying most in the world.
Quizzes? Pure torture.
If he'd gone second instead, it'd be him.
"Oh, easy. White Fang."
Ha-jin solved it in seconds.
His turn loomed.
'Monster hunt. Please, monster hunt.'
Plain monster hunt, no weird conditions!
No monster.
Instead, a black table and cup appeared.
Filled with green liquid.
Drink it all and hold for 5 minutes.
Worst mission ever.
Kim Bong-gu paled.
If you get the drink mission in party quest just abandon and restart
-That shit's undrinkable... Nothing good happens. Just pure agony.
For real lololol
Thought it'd buff exp or stats, held it down... Nada. Passed out there.
Wtf... Can't they remove this crap? Why make us drink it?
They say odds are under 0.5 lol
So what are we, the 0.5 unlucky bastards?
Go buy lotto lol
Drink the foul liquid mission.
Worse than quiz, and it hitwith sub-0.5 odds.
Kim Bong-gu leaned in, sniffed the cup.
Stench assaulted his nose; head rang.
"Gah!"
No way he could drink it.
Wasn't meant to be drunk.
But quitting? Jeong Hoon wouldn't let it slide.
He'd make him do worse, over and over.
'Down it...'
Just a drink.
Kim Bong-gu grabbed the cup and chugged.
"Urp!"
It burned his throat; bile rose.
But puking failed the mission.
Had to hold five minutes post-vomit even.
'I can do this. Fuck!'
He endured the five minutes.
Auto-moved to clear room.
"Urghhh!"
Puked up a pizza on the floor like he'd been waiting.
Ha-jin patted his back.
"Dude... Why force it down? Could've just quit."
"...Good work."
I knew how vile that drink was.
Thought he might bail, but he drank and held for five?
Props for that one...
'Must've been godawful, but he toughed it out. Impressive.'
Yeah. Credit where due.
Round 3 begins.
Searching for opponents...
Round three didn't start instantly.
Few did Merhen quests.
But New World had millions.
Even unpopular spots matched in 30 seconds.
Match success.
Moving to Colosseum.
We warped to the colosseum map.
Hidden Class: Path to Dark Lord
-Restriction: Lv.151, Possess Dark Lord's Memoir
-Reward: Dark Lord Hidden
-Description: Find NPC Karyan in Merhen Castle.
Kaneda Shun was a Unique-grade Holy Knight, Royal Guard.
Unlike friend Iwase Haruto's hidden class, his was standard Unique.
Acted fine, but envied Iwase deep down.
Why no hidden for me?
Then opportunity struck.
A tattered book by chance.
Dark Lord's own memoir.
'Finally... My shot at hidden class.'
But needed Merhen Castle entry.
Not walk-in; required ten straight party quest wins.
One loss? Forget it.
Near-impossible setup, but Kaneda had to break it.
Hope glimmered.
'Thank god I'm in Korea.'
New World's weakest nation.
Ten wins? Cakewalk.
Kaneda picked two Korean helpers, formed party, started quests.
"Cough!"
Victory.
First win in a flash.
Restarted immediately.
Match success.
Moving to Colosseum.
Ready for next prey.
And spotted a martial artist grinning at him.