Chapter 63
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: Reviving the Abandoned Dungeon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It's a fine day, indeed! Get some good rest until dinner!
Blaine said that and gave instructions to the butler, who then guided Jeong Hoon to an empty room.
It was a remarkably luxurious guest room.
If you need anything, please let me know at any time.
Yes.
Jeong Hoon sat on a nearby chair and fiddled with the badge.
He had obtained it one or two weeks ahead of schedule.
His original first plan had been to subjugate the Ogre King.
To do that, he needed to complete the prerequisite quest of helping the territory's residents, but thanks to Isaac, he had skipped ahead with a free pass.
Now, there was no need to rush.
The Radiant Star is in my hands now, too.
Normally, Alessandro would obtain the clue from the hidden theme and claim the Radiant Star to unlock the hidden theme.
Of course, he didn't subjugate the Ogre King himself. A BJ user broadcasting the content as if it were theirs had taken down the Ogre King and obtained the Radiant Star, which Alessandro then acquired.
Radiant Star
-Type: Material
-Grade: Epic
-A small star that shines on its own.
Naturally, that BJ had no idea what the Radiant Star was or how to use it, so they handed it over for the enormous sum Alessandro offered.
In the end, Alessandro used that star to discover the hidden theme.
Was it three weeks later when Alessandro figured it out?
The BJ subjugating the Ogre King happened about two weeks from now, so that timing fit.
Knock. Knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Jeong Hoon stored the badge in his inventory.
Who is it?
Yes. A guest has arrived. What should we do?
A guest?
It's Knight Isaac.
Word of the successful subjugation must have reached him.
Yes. Let him in.
As soon as Jeong Hoon gave permission, the door swung open as if Isaac had been waiting, and he strode in.
Are you alright?!
Isaac scanned Jeong Hoon's body here and there with a worried face, making a huge fuss.
Jeong Hoon burst into laughter at his concern and replied.
Yes. I'm perfectly fine.
Just as he said, Jeong Hoon's body was in impeccable condition.
Isaac clicked his tongue in amazement at the perfect state.
To subjugate the Ogre King and come out unscathed like this... You're really something.
More importantly, after the banquet ends, could I ask you for one favor?
A favor?
Yes.
Anything! Just say the word!
The banquet was held grandly.
To the benefactor of Autobahn!
And the star of this banquet was Jeong Hoon.
Do you know that man? He saved my life, and this time, he subjugated the Ogre King without asking for any reward.
Isaac tilted his glass as he joined groups here and there, passionately recounting Jeong Hoon's heroic tales.
What? Really? No gold or items demanded?
I'm telling you, it's true. In all my years, I've never met someone so purely good.
The listeners' eyes filled with respect for Jeong Hoon.
Of course, there were some thick-headed types who weren't so easily swayed.
Don't make me laugh. I heard he got an honorary knight's badge? Honorary knighthood without a proper ceremony? Ridiculous.
At the gruff voice, Isaac's eyes flashed.
Hey. Have you forgotten how brutal the Ogre King is?
The knight who had spoken flinched under that glare and let out a hiccup.
Hiccu... No, that's not what I
He took that monster down single-handedly. If not for our benefactor, one of us here might have died. Am I wrong?
......
The badge was bestowed by the lord himself, moved by his knightly spirit. Got it?
A-alright, no need to get mad.
Now, listen up. Let me tell you why that benefactor is a true knight.
Isaac praised Jeong Hoon with spittle flying.
Has Isaac always been so talkative?
No. Wasn't he the top when it came to being tight-lipped?
That means this outsider must have accomplished something truly remarkable.
Groups Isaac hadn't yet reached glanced at Jeong Hoon as he tilted his glass.
An outsider who had come from elsewhere, not a resident of Autobahn territory.
They never moved without compensation.
That made Isaac's story hard to believe outright.
Have you heard my tale?
Isaac had approached before they knew it.
They were his next targets.
With you shouting so loudly, how could we not?
More than that, it's impressive. If your story's true, isn't he a real knight?
Oh! This group's got some sense. Alright, then. Gather round and hear my story.
Isaac grinned from ear to ear.
Jeong Hoon, watching it all, couldn't help but chuckle in disbelief.
He's packaging me as some saintly paragon.
For the record, that wasn't what Jeong Hoon had asked for.
Isaac was just doing whatever he pleased.
Haha... Is it alright to just let that go on?
Blaine asked with an awkward smile.
He was tilting his glass across from Jeong Hoon.
Yes. Just let him be.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't embarrassed, but improving his reputation wasn't a bad thing.
He had to spend quite a bit of time in Autobahn, after all.
By the way, how long do you plan to stay in Autobahn?
Hmm. Nothing set in stone yet.
Then how about staying here until you leave?
In the room you've provided?
Yes.
Hm, but I'll be heading out frequently.
It wasn't a bad offer.
Above all, resting in the lord's castle guest room came with a nice buff.
EXP Gain 5 (24 hours)
After three hours of rest, your EXP gain increased.
Levels 100-150 were a grind-heavy stretch.
He had to stick to the plan, but Jeong Hoon couldn't neglect his own leveling.
Which made the EXP buff all the more essential.
Yes! Of course! You'll have free rein to come and go, benefactor.
Then I'll do that.
The lively banquet ended, and the next day.
After logging out for some rest, Jeong Hoon headed out at the crack of dawn.
His destination was the abandoned dungeon at the boundary between Autobahn's western and southern sectors.
An abandoned dungeon was one that had lost all function, leaving nothing behind.
Even the portal had vanished, with only traces remaining.
Hoon, you're here?
Isaac stood in front of the dungeon.
It was due to the favor Jeong Hoon had asked before the banquet began.
Ill visit the abandoned dungeon at dawn the next day. Please make sure no ones around.
Normally, even Isaac couldn't manage that.
But Jeong Hoon had received the honorary knight's badge from Blaine.
Honorary in name onlypurely in terms of authority, it outranked even a formally knighted Isaac by several levels.
In other territories, maybe not, but within its own, the badgecrafted by a previous lordgranted power second only to the lord himself.
The abandoned dungeon? Why...?
I have business there.
Hm... You're not planning something dangerous, are you?
No.
Autobahn had only one abandoned dungeon.
Dungeons usually vanished completely upon malfunctioning.
Yet this one left traces behind despite failing.
Polluted mana lingered where the portal had been.
Its concentration was so dense that non-mana users who approached would suffer mana poisoning and die quickly, their insides melting in agony.
In a way, it's like radiation.
Exposure ruined the whole body.
Of course, even mana cultivators weren't safe.
Fall short of a certain level, and you'd still get poisoned.
Even an Epic-grade saber like Isaac couldn't endure the polluted mana for long.
But since the polluted mana didn't extend far, staying away meant little worry.
Thus, Autobahn's knights rotated shifts to strictly seal off the area, preventing approacheswhich Isaac had pulled them all away from, leaving only him and Jeong Hoon.
Step aside for a moment, please.
What are you planning to...?
Something I need to check.
It's dangerous to get close!
As Jeong Hoon moved nearer, Isaac urgently grabbed his arm.
It's fine. I withstood polluted mana once before.
But Jeong Hoon was different.
He had entered a hidden dungeon in Edenhark previously and endured its polluted mana.
You withstood it?
Yes.
Isaac let go at Jeong Hoon's nod.
Thank you. Then, Isaac, could you step back too?
Got it. If anything seems off, I'll step in, so bear with me.
Yes.
Only after the reply did Isaac retreat farther.
Left alone, Jeong Hoon approached the portal's traces.
Purifying polluted mana.
Purifying polluted mana.
The polluted mana attacked Jeong Hoon, but his holy power purified it in an instant.
Shall we begin?
Jeong Hoon took out the Radiant Star from his inventory.
Autobahn had one abandoned dungeon. It was said to have malfunctioned and vanished, but that wasn't true.
Alessandro Braiden had once explained how to use the Radiant Star.
This abandoned dungeon was a device hidden by New World.
Many users had sniffed it out and rushed to uncover its secret, only to fail.
A single abandoned dungeon in existence? Too suspicious.
Yet no one unraveled its mystery.
They planted a device and unlocked it at the right time.
And that key was the Radiant Star.
Jeong Hoon placed the Radiant Star atop the portal traces.
An astonishing change occurred.
The Radiant Star shines light on the blocked entrance.
The lock is released.
Vmmm
The Radiant Star vibrated faintly, purifying not just itself but the surrounding polluted mana.
The cleansed mana rapidly reformed the portal from mere traces.
That was it.
The dungeon hadn't malfunctioned; its entrance had simply been sealed.
The Radiant Star was the key to breach that seal.
Wha...?!
Isaac, watching from afar, went wide-eyed.
How could a mere trace reform into a portal?
This is insane... How the hell did he recreate that portal?
At this point, Jeong Hoon's true identity intrigued him.
Rescuing him from the shadowy back alleys wasn't enough; soloing the Ogre King, and now restoring an abandoned dungeon.
Is Hoon the successor to the Knight King?
The Knight King.
A legendary figure all knights aspired to.
Isaac.
At Jeong Hoon's call, Isaac snapped out of his thoughts.
He hurried over.
You called?
I'll head inside briefly, so please keep watch to ensure no one approaches.
Inside here...?
Yes. I'm going to clear the abandoned dungeon.
Is that possible?!
The abandoned dungeon was one of Autobahn's headaches.
Straddling the western and southern boundary, it was inaccessible to most, forcing a blockade of the surrounding area.
Not enoughthey had to rotate knights to guard it.
If it vanished, no more blockades or wasted manpower. Autobahn would welcome it.
I'll give it a try.
...You're really something.
How many times had he saved Autobahn, including Isaac himself...?
To him, Jeong Hoon was a knight worthy of utmost respect.
I'm counting on you.
Leave it to me. No one gets near.
Isaac gripped his sword hilt, steeling his resolve.
If anyone ignored him and approached, he'd cut them down, no exceptions.