Chapter 800
Chapter 800: Rank 1 (2)
The moment we stepped into the portal, our vision flickered once more and a new space appeared.
“This is……?”
“What is this? It’s quiet……”
The members tilted their heads at the unexpectedly quiet atmosphere, presumably having expected the place to be crawling with monsters. Well, it made sense. Compared to Skull Island, Katakoma, which was littered with bones, and the previous field where the entire island was erupting with lava in real-time, this place was just a bit dark, quiet and had no immediate threats in sight.
“This is a peculiar place. It seems like some kind of research facility.”
After a brief moment of unfamiliarity and tension with the unknown space, Raven revealed her scholarly curiosity while looking around.
‘She was talking about revenge for her master and whatnot, but people really don’t change.’
Not that it’s a bad thing, though. To be honest, I wish she’d forget about revenge and just live doing what she enjoys. Well, not that I’m one to talk.
Clang, clang……
A space completely covered in metal plates wherever we walk. The walls are filled with metal pipes, hatch handles, and thick magical circuits that look like power cables. It felt like we were inside a huge submarine or bunker.
“Oh! I really want to turn this—.”
“No! Fenelin! Don’t touch anything!”
“Ah, I didn’t! I was just thinking about it!!”
Ignoring Ainar’s rantings about being treated unfairly, I hurriedly moved forward. After all, time is still ticking, isn’t it?
‘It should be about time for it to start speaking……’
As I was thinking this while slowly walking toward the center, sure enough, a voice rang out.
[“Who are you? Are you Pilgrims?”]
A voice that crackled with a static sound, as if coming through a speaker.
“……!”
Most of the group raised their weapons and looked around cautiously as soon as they heard the voice. Well, that’s understandable. After all, only two people here could understand those words.
“Ancient language……?”
Raven, who could understand a bit of the ancient language through years of academic training.
And……
[“Greetings, Arta.”]
Me, who can speak it at a fluent level despite never having learned it.
[“……You have not yet answered my question. Who are you? Are you pilgrims?”]
I smirked hearing that question. Even in the game, Arta Island was a very interesting location. Arta was the only NPC you can meet in the labyrinth. Though, once you learn the truth, it becomes a bit questionable whether you can call them an NPC. In any case, it can be considered a very unique case in that this was a life form capable communication and also gives out quests. By the way, the progression method was also very unique……
“Bjorn! Is it an enemy? Just say the word! I’ll crush it!”
“Calm down, Ainar. It’s useless anyway.”
“Useless……? Ho, is it a ghost!! Don’t worry! I, I can beat up ghosts now!”
“Really? Then try hitting that door with your weapon.”
“……Huh?”
Though confused by my instructions, Ainar obediently approached the door with her spear.
But……
“Uh……?”
Ainar froze in place while holding her spear. As if some invisible force wouldn’t allow such an action.
“Wh-what is this! My body wont move……! He-help me!”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine once you drop your hostility.”
Strictly speaking, in the game it was the attack button itself that became disabled…… But with a reality patch, I guess it would be something like this. Sure enough, as soon as Ainar followed my words, she regained control of her body.
“Ugh……! What was that!”
To put it simply, it was a field effect. This place is quite unique, even among the various hidden pieces.
[You have entered a special area.]
[Field Effect – Arta’s Secret Base is applied.]
[All hostile actions are prohibited within this field.]
You can’t engage in any combat here. Therefore, to clear this place, you need something other than brute force……
[“……What are you talking about with them? Answer my question quickly. Otherwise, I’ll expel you immediately.”]
The clear method here is simply conversation. Even in the game, when talking with them, multiple choices would appear, and only by selecting the correct ones could you receive the quest. Ah, of course, that’s assuming you could speak the ‘ancient language.’
‘It took me over 100 attempts just to get the quest……’
But on the flip side, with all those experiences of failure, getting the quest now should be as easy as eating cold rice.
[“We are not pilgrims.”]
First off, saying we’re pilgrims is the wrong answer. If you choose that option a sequence of verification questions will begin that is impossible for the player to complete. The problem now was……
[“…How do you know my name?”]
Ah, his name……
[“That’s……”]
I struggled to think of an explanation. Tsk, I mentioned their name out of excitement. Was that a mistake? In the game, they only spoke preset lines, and I only chose from preset options, so I hadn’t thought this far. But what can I do about it now? Unfortunately, I haven’t lived such an uneventful life that I’d blank out from this level of unexpected situation.
[“We are survivors of the fallen empire.”]
A line possible because I knew already the story in advance. Though the order is a bit off… But either way, you need to choose this option when asked about your identity to receive the quest.
[“We’ve come here to prevent the apocalypse, and of course we know of your existence.”]
[“Indeed… Survivors of the fallen empire…… Well, you too wouldn’t want this world to end.”]
[“Of course not. Is there anything we can do to help?”]
[“Well… I doubt there’s anything you can do to help. While I respect your desire to save the world, if you truly wish for that, leave this place. I am already making my own attempts to resolve it.”]
Huh… what’s this? Why are you telling us to just leave? Is it because things got messed up with the introduction? Well, this isn’t the first time reality has differed from the game.
‘Guess I’ll have to freestyle from here on.’
With that decision made, I quickly continued speaking.
[“Arta, we know how to prevent the apocalypse.”]
These were the singular words in the storyline that they could absolutely never ignore and brush off.
[“…Haha, You?”]
Yet for some reason, what came back was a genuine laugh of ridicule. Is this also because of the reality patch? This bastard wasn’t this unpleasant in the game. Rather, once our identity was confirmed, he would assess our various abilities, and if he judged us useful, he would give us a quest to try and utilize us somehow.
‘Hah… I can’t believe I messed up on the first button press.’
Well, it shouldn’t be a problem since I know the entire story.
[“We know how to kill the ‘beast.’”]
[“……The beast cannot be killed. Even I can only seal it at best.”]
A voice dripping with the skepticism, as if asking ‘How could the likes of you?’
[“I have no intention of persuading you with long words. I’ll hunt down that snake and kill it.”]
[“……You even know about that situation?”]
[“Is that important? What should matter to you is whether we can pass the trial or not, right?”]
[“You’re not wrong. However—.”]
[“Don’t worry, we already know that snake is a rank 1 monster, and that we need to activate the Divine Machine below after hunting it.”]
[“……”]
Arta no longer asked how I knew these things. Instead, his attitude changed towards me who casually knew such top-secret information. Should I say he became much more serious than before?
[“…Very well. I will give you a chance to challenge the trial, survivors of the fallen empire.”]
With those words, a hidden hatch in the floor opened with a sound like gas escaping. Well, somehow the story got skipped, but……
Hissssss-!
Even if you go off the path, as long as you get to Seoul, that’s all that matters.
***
We were descending. Climbing down a seemingly endless ladder, as if it were connected to an abyss.
“What were you talking about? I heard something about an empire and trials.”
“Nothing much really.”
“No, how did you know about this island in the first place?”
I just smiled in response to Raven’s question. She already knows about my origins as a player. Of course, even the members who didn’t know that weren’t really questioning it.
“He’s a viscount after all. Someone of Captain’s rank would naturally know information that regular explorers don’t! Isn’t that right? Mr. Parav?”
“Haha, yes… that’s right.”
“But that would mean the royal family already knew the secrets of Arta Island……”
I awkwardly smiled as I quietly listened to the whispers of the members who didn’t know I was a player.
“Don’t think too deeply about it. It’s not something to be openly talked about anyway.”
“I understand that better than anyone. I just wonder why the royal family left Arta Island as a mystery.”
Is it because of his background as a knight? Kaislan tends to always suspect the royal family and think of them as the masterminds behind every conspiracy.
……Well, he’s not wrong.
“Everyone focus. I told all of you about this monster in the city, remember?”
“Ah… Don’t tell me this is that place? Where the Serpent of the end, Sniktura, appears?”
“That’s right.”
“……I’m nervous. That Kashan was such a monster.”
Kaislan’s voice trembled, seemingly remembering the Kashan we hunted on the first basement floor. It wasn’t hard to understand why. Back then, even with leading hundreds of elite soldiers, we still suffered heavy casualties. Not many explorers have encountered a rank 1 monster, so few truly understand their danger……
But those who have encountered them all share an unforgettable experience.
A rank 1 monster is a disaster.
They aren’t like other monsters or even humans, they’re more like an entirely different type of being.
“Don’t worry too much. As I said in the city, this monster is completely different from Kashan. Taking all conditions into account, the actual combat difficulty is at about the upper rank 2 level.”
“Uh… Isn’t even rank 2 plenty monstrous?”
Hmm… That’s true. In fact, there are frequent rumors about once-famous clans being completely wiped out by a single rank 2 monster. But from the perspective of a hardcore K-gamer, it’s a totally different story.
Being able to hunt a rank 1 monster at rank 2 difficulty?
You’d be a fool not to—.
Clang.
As I climbed down the ladder with these thoughts, my feet soon touched the ground. And at the same time.
[You have entered a special area.]
[Field Effect – Destroyed Nuclear Laboratory is applied.]
[The Source of Earth absorbs all powers. All resources possessed by you are fixed at 0.]
My MP gets completely drained, leaving me in a state where I can’t use any skills.
“So… We’re fighting a rank 1 monster in this state?”
Raven, a wizard who had now become weaker than an ordinary person after having all their magical power drained, grumbled these words, but I just shrugged.
“Don’t worry. The same applies to our opponent.”
The concept here is to fight with pure physical strength without using any special abilities.