234 - 243

Chapter 234: Chapter 234

"I'm the captain of Meimei, and I'm ranker player, Praus. I don't know who you are, but I'm going to make you pay for standing in my way. Snicker!"

He wondered if he was actually stupid, but it was common for people to lack the ability to catch on to the situation.

The fact that he didn't know the force of his opponent made him feel even more sorry for him.

When he faced off against complete trash like him, even as someone who lacked human emotion, he felt the smallest bit of relief.

He felt like he was alive again.

'This is a bad hobby…'

Min Sung had that thought as he walked toward Praus.

Praus' eyes turned red, and his entire body zapped from the current.

Praus then charged toward Min Sung at an explosive speed.

Praus held his current hammer above his head and lowered it upon Min Sung's head.

The sound of the current explosions could be heard.

It was a decent noise, but Min Sung thought it sounded like a car that was purposely made to make large exhaust noises.

In other words, it sounded like a bluff…

He didn't feel threatened at all.

Min Sung watched as he lowered his current hammer on his head and lifted his left hand in response.

He then grabbed the hammer with his hand.

Boom!

It made an explosive sound, but there was absolutely no harm done.

Praus' pupils shook, and he was so shocked by the difference in power that he didn't think to attack again.

Praus simply stared at Min Sung in disbelief as Min Sung held onto his hammer enchanted with his magic power with his bare hands.

***

"… Are you finished?" Min Sung asked in boredom while staring at the pirate captain, Praus.

Praus dripped in sweat. He glanced around him and tried to take his hammer back, but only his body wobbled from side to side.

Praus had yet to realize that this man was the player that killed Pheus.

Praus, who refused to give up, decided to use his vision skill instead.

As a result, a stronger current flowed through his hammer, and it flashed with a thick ray of Aura.

It almost looked like his hands could burn if he held onto the hammer any longer.

However…

'Why hadn't anything changed?'

His opponent didn't take his hands off.

It looked like his opponent wasn't affected by it at all.

'There's no way. This is a strong Aura. No matter how strong he is…'

As Praus had such thoughts…

Kaboom!

A loud thundering noise rang through the sky.

And that noise came from Min Sung, who was holding onto his hammer.

At the same time, Praus' hammer cracked like glass and exploded into a million pieces.

After losing his weapon, Praus' lips trembled as he took a step back.

He saw that death was near.

His life flashed before his eyes, and as soon as Min Sung's fist swung in, he was faced with darkness.

It was an eternal darkness.

***

Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow!

It was the noise of his head getting smashed in.

After seeing the no longer recognizable face of their captain, his subordinates gulped and dripped in sweat.

They all wanted to go back to their pirate ship, but their legs wouldn't listen.

That was because their bodies froze up because of fear.

Min Sung sighed at the pirates.

Ever since the dungeons appeared, monsters came out from it, and hunters became a profession, the world turned into a dog-eat-dog-world that followed the laws of the jungle.

And Beatrice was especially worse in that aspect.

As a result… He had no reason to feel guilty, but he didn't have the motivation to kill every single one of them.

He didn't see a point in killing day in and day out just for the name of justice.

"Go," said Min Sung.

Since their boss died and they saw that they didn't stand a chance, fighting would have been meaningless to them.

Some of them peed their pants, shed tears, and froze up, and

as soon as they heard Min Sung's remark, they ran.

They ran so quickly to their priate ship that some of them even fell in the water.

Min Sung watched the pirate ship grow distant when he tapped on Bowl inside his pocket.

"Come out."

In response, Bowl wriggled out and plopped down on the ground.

"See if you can eat this."

Min Sung pointed at Praus, who was currently in a treacherous state.

As soon as the sleepy Bowl saw the body, he jolted his eyes wide open with black flames and ran toward the body.

He used both hands to use his dark magic as if he was a hungry child.

The body immediately dried up. The remaining blood turned into the raw materials of the dark magic, and Praus turned into the Undead.

Once Bowl obtained the body, he snickered with joy.

Bowl originally only used organisms that were on the brink of death to turn into the Undead, but he was now able to use the magic on dead bodies as well.

That made him realize just how much Bowl had changed.

[Some Dionysus Gods are displeased that you showed mercy to the evil pirates.]

[The angels are praising your decision.]

The noisy comments of the Dionysus Gods and angels were a part of why he wanted to return to earth as soon as possible.

He wanted them to shut up, but since the system messages were simply the middlemen expressing their emotions, no threat was going to work on them.

In any case, he wasted quite a bit of time because of those pirates.

Min Sung clicked his tongue and returned to his VVIP room.

***

"Sir, we're about to arrive in the inner continent."

Once he took a nap and went back up to the top of the ship, Ho Sung Lee approached and spoke while pointing in one direction.

The sun had already set, and the direction Ho Sung Lee was pointing at appeared to be a port.

It was a long voyage.

Ssol must've been tired too because he had dark circles under his eyes.

Bowl was snoring away inside his pocket, and Ho Sung Lee was grabbing onto the railing as if he could die at any moment.

Not long afterward, the ship docked.

As soon as they stepped onto land, it felt weird.

Since they were on water for such a long time, it felt new to step on land again.

Ssol even wobbled around as if he was drunk.

And Bowl stuck his head out of Min Sung's pocket and snickered at Ssol.

Min Sung looked around the inner continent.

Before he arrived, he took a look at the system window, but it was only once he approached the inner continent that he could look at the overall map.

In Beatrice, the inner continent was surrounded by the outer sea, and outside of it was the outer continent.

After passing through the outer continent, the outer sea, and arriving at the inner continent, they were finally on the land where the most powerful players resided.

But just because it was the central continent didn't mean it was that different.

But the more central they got, the higher the rank of the players they would meet.

This was the beginning.

Although the central continent was their final destination, they reached it a lot quicker than they expected.

But of course, the central continent was much larger than the outer continent, but considering how fast they could move, that wasn't an issue.

What was important was the abilities of the highest ranker in the central continent.

But just in case, it was best to use his 150,000 performance points to either buy a skill or an 8 Divination Sign.

This was the capitol.

Rather than underestimating this opponents, it was best that he do everything he could.

After all, this world lacked sufficient information.

Min Sung opened the system map.

"We have to move quickly."

Ho Sung Lee felt nervous after hearing Min Sung's remark.

That was because it was time for him to run so fast that his heart could almost pop out of his mouth.

Ho Sung Lee practiced running in the same spot with a nervous look on his face and did some stretches.

Min Sung finished checking his map and nodded.

"We're running in the northwest direction," said Min Sung as he looked toward in that direction.

Ho Sung Lee nodded in response.

"Yes, Sir."

His answer was short, and while Min Sung ran, Ho Sung Lee clenched down on his teeth.

Min Sung tried his best to slow down for Ho Sung Lee, but Ho Sung Lee felt like his heart sank as soon as they started running.

***

Pierra Desert.

Once the sand storm passed and they could see again, a group of people could be seen in the distance.

Among them was a man who had his right arm covered with tattoos who squinted his eyes.

And the robed men that followed him looked to their commander with strange looks in their eyes.

"It's a local," the commander said.

In response, his subordinates' faces stiffened with fear.

By local, he was referring to the monsters that lived in Pierra desert, and they were the strongest monster with the most powerful attacks in all of central continent.

For that reason, the subordinates other than the commander glanced around and kept their guard up for the 'locals' that had yet to show their faces.

The locals were known to make sneak attacks.

The locals normally hid within the sand and suddenly sprung up to kill the players with their poisonous tails.

Chapter 235: Chapter 235

The commander, 'Lownie', who had his right arm completely covered with tattoos, took off his hood.

He then guessed where the bastard was located and took out his large sword from his item window.

It had a wide and long blade.

A sword the size of 5 long swords combined.

But despite its large size, he held it up effortlessly as if he wasn't bothered by its weight at all.

While he focused on the sounds and figured out their location, the commander, Lownie, began moving with his sword before the monster, local, showed himself.

He figured out its location through sound alone.

Lownie stabbed his sword into the sand.

Booooooom!

The sand exploded, causing for the sand to fly in all four directions, and at the same time, Lownie was able to see the large local with his eyes.

The local charged toward Lownie at an incredible speed with his body and tail wriggling from side to side.

Lownie clenched his teeth and used his sword to slash the tail.

Slashhhh!

The intense sound of the sword.

The tail clashed off, and as soon as Lownie tried to approach, the local used its magic,

Flash!

The local flashed with a green light, drawing its magic on the ground below him.

A grey light flashed in all 4 directions.

As soon as he was exposed to that light, the poison spread throughout his body, causing paralysis.

But Lownie calmly took out an item from his item window.

It was an item called 'reflective mirror'.

It was a shield resembling a piece of glass, but it was the strongest shield item to block out any kind of magic.

As soon as he used that shield, the scorpion monster, local, was unable to use any of his magic.

Monsters also needed magic power to use their skills, and once they used it once, there was a cool time before they could use it again.

It needed time to recover its magic power before using the skill again, and that duration was an opportunity to suffer great damage.

And there was no way Lownie was going to miss that opportunity.

Lowie blew his magic power into his sword.

As soon as he did, the same pattern that was tattooed on his right arm showed up on the sword, causing for an intense blue light to shine.

And he used that sword to stab into the local's body.

Slashhh!

Along with a blinding blue light, the local exploded into a million pieces on the spot.

Since the local contained poison, as soon as the blood spilled onto the sand, it caused for an intense smoke to form.

After collecting the items from the local's body, Lownie looked back at his subordinates.

The subordinates were all smiling at him in admiration.

But that was when their expressions changed.

Whoosh!

It wasn't just one local.

The locals that popped out behind the subordinates used their magic while swinging their poisonous tails.

Lownie jolted his eyes wide open and watched his subordinates die before he could do anything about it.

Lownie glared at the locals that killed his subordinates and charged toward them with a deafening scream.

But the locals dug back into the sand.

Lownie tried to chase them down while biting down on his lip, but the locals had already hidden away after completing their objective.

After losing the locals, Lownie looked back at his subordinates in frustration.

His subordinates had died without even closing their eyes.

Lownie breathed heavily and dropped his shoulder.

He didn't expect the scorpion locals to show up while they crossed the desert.

Since they were normally outside of the desert to secure food around this time, he thought it was going to be safe, but they were out of luck.

Lownie collected his subordinate's bodies with a dejected look on his face

***

They began to see the desert.

It was Pierra Desert.

Once they crossed this desert, they were going to arrive at the first city in the inner continent.

The desert was vast, but at the pace they were going, they were going to arrive in a short span of time.

But before they entered Pierra Desert, Ho Sung Lee reached his limit.

Sir, can we take

a break?

He used the trill to send him a message.

When he slowed down and looked behind him, he saw Ho Sung Lee, who was about to collapse with his tongue sticking out due to his thirst.

Min Sung stopped and checked the time.

"We'll take a 10 minute break."

"Ugh!"

Ho Sung Lee plopped down on the sand.

Some sand entered his clothes, but Ho Sung Lee didn't care as he did his best to catch his breath.

Min Sung took out a bottle of water from his item window. He drank it and put it back into his item window before scanning around him.

The heat of the desert flowed through his body, and the sun was setting in the sky.

It was going to be dark soon.

While Min Sung took a look around, he sensed a small vibration.

'… What was that?'

And that strange sensation made him put his guard up, and that response was immediate.

A scorpion local sprung up from the sand beside Ho Sung Lee and tried to stab Ho Sung Lee in the body with its sharp tail.

Ho Sung Lee, who was resting on the sand, jolted his eyes wide open in response, unable to speak.

As soon as Min Sung took out his Gungnir from his item window, he threw it at the scorpion local.

Kaboom!

The sound of thunder rang while the Gungnir stabbed through the local's body.

The local's tail stopped right in front of Ho Sung Lee's forehead.

The local wriggled and collapsed.

Min Sung summoned Gungnir back to his hand.

Ho Sung Lee stared at the dead local beside him with shocked eyes.

"W-what was that…? F*ck! Sigh!"

Ho Sung Lee grabbed onto his chest and stared down at the local's body with a pale-blue face.

Min Sung put his Gungnir back into his item window and looked down at his hand.

Depending on his instinct, his level or force differed.

And the attack he just used contained a significant amount of power.

So much that his hands were tingling.

While Ssol collected the items left by the large scorpion's body, Min Sung scanned the desert.

He knew that the real game began inside the inner continent.

And as a result, the level of the monsters here could be clearly sensed.

"Wow… I can't even rest properly here."

Ho Sung Lee minded Min Sung and turned his head.

"Sir, can I use my shadow skill and lead the way?"

Min Sung looked at him with a look of disgust.

"You kept talking about your abilities as a supporter. Is this the best you've got?"

"… I apologize, but you're too fast," replied Ho Sung Lee while scratching his head.

Min Sung sighed and gestured with his chin.

"Then let's get moving. No break."

"Yes, Sir! But I'll go as fast as possible."

Ho Sung Lee's body turned into a shadow and absorbed into the sand of the desert.

They began moving.

Compared to their previous speed, they were moving very slowly, but Min Sung was accepting of it out of consideration of Ho Sung Lee's current condition.

At that moment, a fairy that they met when they first arrived in Beatrice popped out of nowhere.

"Hello."

The fairy, Arin, beamed a smile and flew around Min Sung's face.

Min Sung stared at Arin, unimpressed.

"Get to the point," said Min Sung while walking.

"You're so coldhearted!"

"I said, get to the point," replied Min Sung with eyes of a predator.

"Hehe, you're showing off some impressive results."

Arin looked at its own system window and continued, "I didn't know you would thrive this much. You're more powerful than your stats. I've never seen this before. Maybe you'll become the top ranker one day."

Min Sung waved his hand.

He wasn't trying to hit Arin. He just tried to scare it off.

"Agh! Okay, fine. I'll get to the point. Sob!"

The fairy, Arin, faked a crying noise and showed a sad look on its face.

"What are you doing here?"

Min Sung pressed it to explain.

"I came to give you an explanation about the inner continent! Should I just leave without giving you the information? Hmph!"

When Min Sung started ignoring Arin, it quickly proceeded to explain.

"Only ranker players live in the inner continent. Normal continents can't come here, so it's impressive that you arrived here after a short time of coming to Beatrice!"

The fairy continued with excitement.

"The inner continent is very different from the outer continent that you've seen. The cities are vibrant, and the rankers are very powerful!"

That's when Min Sung paid attention to Arin.

Arin laughed and continued, "You faced off against easy opponents until now, but this is when the real battle begins. The inner continent is home to many powerful players!"

He knew all of this.

But the fact that Arin was warning him of it made him worry about it a little more.

But that was it.

He had to get rid of anyone that got in his way of proceeding forward. End of story.

He wasn't the type to be scared or afraid.

He simply thought he had to be wise about his decisions.

"Are you listening?"

Arin buzzed around his face like a mosquito.

When Min Sung clicked his tongue and glared at it, Arin acted cutely and flashed a smile.

"Is that it?" Min Sung asked.

"No! Not yet. Ahem! Let me continue. The inner continent's rankers have their own ranks, and the biggest indicator of the ranker's rank is their reputation, but within the inner continent, there isn't a direct connection between a ranker's reputation and their power."

Min Sung looked at Arin with suspicious eyes.

Chapter 236: Chapter 236

"What does that mean? Min Sung asked with a confused look on his face.

Arin flapped its wings and stuck out its index finger.

"For example, when the 100th ranker faces off against the 120th ranker, the 120th ranker could win."

"How?"

"Because of reputation. Depending on how favorable their actions were or high their evil reputations are, their ranker ranks differ, so the ranks within the inner continent aren't entirely dependent on a player's abilities."

"If you have an evil reputation, does that mean you can't be a 1st ranker?"

"Not necessarily. There are other ways."

Min Sung nodded.

"Tell me."

"Ugh! I hate it when you pressure me!"

"Yeah, yeah. Go on and tell me."

"Ugh, anyway! There's a way and that way… Huh?!"

Arin looked in a certain direction and showed its surprise.

The fairy was looking at a large worm-like monster crawling underneath the sand.

"Sand snake!"

Arin shouted.

He didn't understand why it was so fascinated by the large monster when there was nothing that interesting about it.

But Min Sung soon found out the reason.

The monster called 'Sand Snake' was headed in the direction of a human being.

"That's ranker, Lownie!"

Arin shouted with sparkling eyes.

He couldn't see clearly, but he must've been a player that Arin knew of.

"Lownie Ederk! He's a great warrior. Very strong and a goodhearted man."

Min Sung knitted his brows at Arin.

"Continue what you were explaining before."

Arin remembered and laughed.

"If you surpass a certain evil reputation level, you're qualified to challenge other players. Your rank will go up at a slower pace, but you'll have an opportunity to fight higher rankers with higher reputation."

"What if you fight before you've given that right?"

"You'll end up losing all of your experience points, and it's just pointless! After all, you can't obtain the 1st ranker position. Those who break the rules can't be rewarded."

It was a vague and complicated rule.

It would have been simpler if the strongest took all, but the gambling board of the gods of Beatrice wasn't like that.

The rules were complicated because of the disputes between the Dionysus gods and the angels.

Min Sung glanced at Lownie, who was fighting off the sand snake and checked his own status window.

In front of his reputation read 'neutral'.

If this name happened to cause disorder, their evil reputation would go up, and if they became law-abiding, their reputation in that category would go up.

"The law-abiding players become the targets of the disorderly players, and the disorderly players also become a target of law-abiding players in return. They end up keeping each other in check."

"Are you able to know each other's reputations?"

"Yes, you can. Since you're neutral, it doesn't show, but if you become law-abiding or disorderly, you'll be able to see it."

"How?"

"It shows up in the player's eyes. That's one of the rules of the inner continent."

"Are you saying this rule only applies in the inner continent?"

Arin nodded.

"Then it must be the most useful to maintain your neutral position." Ho Sung Lee popped out of his shadow form and spoke.

Arin looked at Ho Sung Lee and giggled.

"But if you stay in the neutral state, you're less able to increase your rank."

Min Sung clicked his tongue.

"It's not even that important."

"It is. And the reason why I showed up at this time was to warn you."

"Warn me of what?"

Min Sung stopped right before he was about to take off and looked back at Arin.

"Be careful. There are many warriors within the inner continent."

"Is that it?"

"Sorry?"

"Is that all you have to say?"

"Yes, but…"

"Then leave."

Min Sung then turned around and began to move.

And not long afterward.

Kaboom!

Along with a loud explosive noise, a part of the monster, as well as blood, blew over with the sand storm.

Min Sung blocked it all out with his clear shield, and he looked in the direction it came from.

There, he saw the ranker player, Lownie, who was well built and had tattoos all over his right arm.

Min Sung and Lownie met eyes, and meanwhile, Arin disappeared.

Followed by a moment

of silence, Lownie approached Min Sung.

Min Sung looked at Ho Sung Lee.

Ho Sung Lee stared at Lownie with his jaw dropped.

"Look at his huge sword."

Min Sung looked back at Lownie.

Like Ho Sung Lee said, his sword was bigger than his own body, and he was walking over with the sword lightly propped up against his shoulder.

"He's coming this way," said Ho Sung Lee while glancing at Min Sung.

"I know."

"…"

With only the sound of the sand storm in Pierra Desert, he saw Lownie approaching while stepping into the sand.

Arin knew him.

'Is he strong?'

Min Sung made sure he was ready to fight at any moment.

But he just passed Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee without even looking at them.

"He's just leaving…?" Ho Sung Lee asked Lownie.

"What did you expect?" Min Sung asked.

"That's true, haha. This place is weird. Since we fought every single time until now, it feels weird not fighting," replied Ho Sung Lee as he looked at Lownie.

"Let's keep moving."

Min Sung took the lead.

Ho Sung Lee, who was watching Lownie walk off in the distance, saw Min Sung running at high speed again, causing him to sigh and start the sprint all over again.

***

Lownie stopped in his tracks and looked back.

At first, he thought it was an unfamiliar face.

But the image of his face continued to linger inside his head, making him wonder what the reason behind it was.

He stopped. He looked back and thought about it.

Lownie then sighed and continued moving.

As soon as the image of that man disappeared, he remembered the faces of his subordinates.

Just a few hours earlier, they were joking and laughing together.

But now, they were all dead.

Lownie looked to the ground with his dark eyes and continued walking.

While he walked endlessly, a system message woke him up from his thoughts.

When he lifted his head, he saw a dimension door.

A door surrounded by a white light border.

Lownie approached the door and reached out his hand.

His hand passed through the magic door, and a moment later, his hand grabbed at something.

Inside Lownie's hand was a contract made of dragon skin.

On the piece of leather, the size of an A4 paper were letters and a stamp.

After taking a look at the contract, Lownie put it inside his item window and continued walking.

As Lownie grew more distant, the mysterious door slowly faded before disappearing into thin air.

***

They began to see the city.

The first city they saw after passing through Pierre Desert was a city called 'Chopin'.

Even from a distance, he was able to see that the city was the complete opposite of the slum cities they passed through in the past.

Ho Sung Lee felt both excited and worried as he approached the entrance to the city with Min Sung.

The guard standing outside the city simply scanned Min Sung and his party and didn't bother them with any kind of inspection.

As a result, Min Sung and his party were able to enter Chopin easily.

Once they entered the city, they realized Chopin was even more different than they imagined.

First of all, all of the buildings in Chopin were low-rises with 3 floors at the most.

On top of that, the roofs were all orange, and it was a city that showed off beautiful scenery when looked at from the mountains.

Within the city were workers such as farmers and blacksmiths, and he saw people smiling and some adults scolding their children.

It looked like a place worth living in.

He didn't understand why there was such a difference between the outer continent and the inner continent, but that was Beatrice for you.

Min Sung erased his curiosity and headed toward the castle.

He figured he had to go inside the castle in order to get proper information regarding the city of Chopin.

But Ho Sung Lee stuck by Min Sung's side with an anxious look on his face.

"Sir, this is the inner continent, and as Arin said, there are lots of powerful fighters. Why don't we find a dorm and figure out what to do there before we try anything."

On their way to Chopin, Arin gave them all sorts of additional information.

Lownie, whom they met in Pierre Desert, had quite a high reputation, and he had a law-abiding tendency, making him a hero that many citizens of Chopin loved.

As high as his reputation was, so was his ranking.

Arin also warned them that the players of the inner continent were at a whole different level from those in the outer continent.

And if possible, Arin recommended that he join a guild containing law-abiding players like Lownie.

The disorderly players always betrayed and shoved other players into the corner.

In any case, the fairy told them all sorts of things in long explanations.

Min Sung ignored what Ho Sung Lee said and continued to walk toward the entrance of the castle as directed by the system map.

Ho Sung Lee followed him after giving up, and Bowl came out of Min Sung's pocket and walked beside him.

The Beatrice citizens residing in Chopin watched Min Sung and his party with curiosity and their guards up.

A while after walking, Min Sung's party was able to see the entrance of the castle.

Unlike at the main entrance, there were 4 guards standing at the entrance, and behind the door were 2 additional guards with bows and arrows.

Chapter 237: Chapter 237

Ho Sung Lee looked at Min Sung in hopes that they could enter safely.

As for Min Sung, he entered freely as if he was walking into his own house.

It was as if he didn't care that it was the inner continent full of high-level rankers.

He was confident even in the most unfamiliar places.

Some would call him rash and crazy, but all Ho Sung Lee could do was shake his head.

"Stop right there!"

One guard shouted.

"We must check your identities. Follow the system."

In response, a system window popped in front of Min Sung's eyes.

Min Sung touched accept, and the information got sent over to the guard.

While they checked his personal information, Min Sung sighed.

He had no choice but to be passive in Beatrice.

Since he didn't hunt very much due to lack of time, he didn't get many quests, and in the end, he had to fight against the rankers in order to go up in rank.

But such disturbance was bound to become an obstacle on his way to increasing his rank, and he didn't want to become a manic killer just so he could save earth.

This world revolved around power.

In that sense, earth was not much different from Beatrice.

He had no choice but to wait for those with the authority to give him an opportunity to his greed.

On top of that, he was a player without a guild, so he had to take on additional responsibility.

This might have been the inner continent, but that didn't mean his ways would change.

If someone had heard this, they would have been surprised, but he had made his decision a long time ago.

"You're a ranker. I apologize for the trouble," said the guard as he made way.

Both Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee thought strangely that they let them through, but the guards simply waited for them to pass through.

As soon as they entered the castle, they were met with multiple people.

They wore fancy garments, and they all seemed to be on the reserved side.

"Welcome to the city of Chopin. We've prepared your dorm. Right this way."

One of the men spoke with his head bowed low.

Min Sung glanced at Ho Sung Lee.

"What do you think?" Min Sung asked.

Ho Sung Lee tilted his head at the men.

"I'm not sure. I feel like it'd be rude to turn them down. I think we should just keep our guards up. What do you think?" Ho Sung Lee spoke in a small voice.

Min Sung nodded.

"Let's follow them."

Ass soon as the decision was made, Ho Sung Lee led the way.

"Thank you for your kindness. We're right behind you."

The men quietly led the way.

Min Sung, Ho Sung Lee, Bowl, and Ssol followed from behind while glancing from side to side.

There was another city within the castle, and compared to the outer village, there were extravagant and expensive buildings everywhere.

And there was a much larger proportion of women than men in the castle, and they all looked fairly beautiful.

This was also monopolized on women with power, but they were more explicit than anyone.

There are many women here. The leader here must be quite greedy. I doubt this is all out of 100% kindness, so I'll take a careful look as soon as we get to the dorm.

Ho Sung Lee spoke through his trill.

A moment later, the men were leading them into the main building.

"Wait, why are you leading us to the main building?"

In response to Ho Sung Lee's question, they responded as if he was weird.

This could be a trap.

Ho Sung Lee sent Min Sung a trill.

It doesn't matter. If they're going to give me a chance, I'm more than welcoming.

If that's what you think… Okay, Sir.

Ho Sung Lee told them to continue.

They entered the main building.

The castle was large, and the inside of it was extravagant and warm.

They were led to their dorm on the 3rd floor.

The room was large with multiple beds, and across the window showed a great view of the city.

"Please get some rest."

They closed the door and left.

Ho Sung Lee sighed out of relief.

Ho Sung Lee then approached Min Sung, who was looking out the window.

"Don't you think this is too easy?

The inner continent is this welcoming? I don't think this is right. These people… are too nice."

"…"

Min Sung didn't answer.

While he looked out the window, silence fell within the room.

***

Ho Sung Lee sighed and sat on the sofa.

He tilted his head back and got some rest.

He tried not to make it show, but his body was utterly exhausted.

His stamina and magic power had emptied a long time ago from trying to keep up with Min Sung Kang.

He felt like a bowl of leftover black bean noodle sauce.

He felt like if he just melted away into oblivion right here, it wouldn't be weird at all.

'Anyway… Something feels off about this castle…'

Ho Sung Lee looked around the room with eyes of suspicion.

"Ho Sung."

In response to Min Sung's calling, Ho Sung Lee sprung up despite his exhaustion.

"Yes, sir."

"Prepare a meal."

Ho Sung Lee smiled bitterly and bowed to Min Sung.

"Yes, Sir."

***

Lownie, who collected an item from Pierre Desert, returned to the castle in the city of Chopin.

Every time Lownie walked around, he was showered with cheers and affection from all around.

Lownie had always responded with a warm smile, but not today.

His eyes looked blank, and his shoulders were dropped.

Once the people of the city noticed this, they no longer tried to talk to him or show interest.

Lownie continued to walk through the city with his blank eyes.

He then stopped in his tracks and clenched down on his teeth.

He felt frustrated about how his subordinates died.

He couldn't believe that the top players from their own stars that managed to enter the inner continent died from a mere scorpion local in the middle of Pierre Desert.

And as the commander, he regretted that he couldn't protect them.

He broke into tears.

After wiping his eyes with his hand, he continued to walk toward the castle with the same blank look.

***

Ho Sung Lee notified Min Sung that the meal was ready.

Ho Sung Lee cooked inside the room with the window open, making it unnecessary to even go outside.

This meal didn't take long to prepare.

"It's braised short ribs."

Ho Sung Lee pointed at the dish that he put down on the table with a confident smile.

'So this is the dish that caused all the delicious smells inside the room.'

Min Sung gave Ho Sung Lee a thumbs up and then sat down at the table.

"Please try it."

The visuals were amazing.

White rice and the braised short ribs covered with red sauce that sat inside the pot.

There were also side dishes such as perilla leaves and various kimchi dishes.

After wiping his hands with a wet wipe, Min Sung wrapped a piece of the braised short rib in a perilla leaf. He added garlic and pepper and put it inside his mouth.

Om nom, om nom, om nom!

Gulp!

Min Sung shook his head while looking at the food on the table with a frown.

"This is impressive, Ho Sung."

In response to Min Sung's praise, Ho Sung Lee gave him a thumbs up.

"I just followed Chef Jang's recipe."

"It's delicious."

Min Sung continued his meal.

"I'll begin eating as well."

Ho Sung Lee sat down at a fair distance away from Min Sung where he had set a table for himself.

Meanwhile, Min Sung placed a short rib on a spoonful of rice. He added sauce and put it all into his mouth.

It was spicy, but not overly spicy.

It actually had a sweeter flavor. The meat was soft while the garlic within the sauce seduced his tongue, and the salty flavors graced the inside of his stomach.

It wasn't too salty, no MSG could be tasted. The sauce was savory, and the meat wasn't smelly whatsoever.

The braised short ribs were a work of art.

He took another bite of the rice, and when he put another piece of the saucy short ribs with radish kimchi inside his mouth, the refreshing radish and the soft yet intense flavor of the sauce exploded inside his mouth.

After that, he tried it with white kimchi, and it was so good that he was speechless.

He tasted refreshing water from the crunchy white Kimchi, and the braised short ribs that entered his mouth with it made him feel so pleased that he felt like he was looking out onto the beautiful scenery of the Atlantic ocean.

Min Sung was in awe of the fantastic flavors.

He was also impressed by Ho Sung Lee's cooking skills, which improved even more since last time, causing him to tilt his head.

The reason why he tilted his head was because he was amazed.

Once he finished the meat, he used the remaining sauce in the pot to mix with the rice.

As soon as he mixed the rice with the sauce, he regained his appetite despite being completely full from the meat.

Min Sung swallowed all of the rice as if he was possessed.

It truly tasted as sweet as honey.

***

As soon as Lownie appeared, the guards saluted while looking straight ahead.

Lownie passed without even looking at them.

The guards glanced over at how different he seemed from usual.

That was all.

Once Lownie entered the castle, he went to find the leader of the city, Chopin, who was also the owner of the castle.

A moment later, he passed the halls lined with red carpet and stopped in front of a door.

As soon as he went to knock, the door opened automatically.

The five beautiful women standing in front of the door smiled at Lownie. They bowed and then left the room.

"This is Lownie."

As soon as he revealed his name, he heard a voice from the inside.

"You may enter."

It was the voice of 'Chopin' himself.

Chapter 238: Chapter 238

"I'm here to see the lord."

Lownie greeted Chopin, who was the lord as well as the owner of the castle.

Chopin got off his bed and tied up his hair with a tie.

"Oh, Lownie. Did you have a nice trip to the desert?"

Chopin drank some water and looked back at Lownie when he didn't answer.

"You look exhausted."

In response, Lownie reported that his subordinates were killed by the large scorpion local they encountered in Pierre Desert.

Chopin's face stiffened up followed by silence.

"A local… They should be dormant right now. That's strange."

Chopin looked at Lownie's depressed face and laughed bitterly.

"As time goes by, you seem to become more and more attached to your personal relationships."

Chopin continued with a heavy look laid upon Lownie.

"I'm sure you're devasted, but don't dwell on it too much. The living must go on living. Anyway, did you bring it?"

Chopin asked Lownie.

"Yes, Sir."

Lownie gave a short answer with a dark expression on his face.

In response, Chopin's face lit up.

"Good work. I know there was an unexpected accident, but I can always count on…"

Chopin's face immediately went from a smile to a frown after noticing Lownie's expression.

"Lownie?"

In response to Chopin's calling, Lownie's eyes lit up.

It wasn't out of murderous spirit.

Lownie was simply resisting Chopin.

He wanted to convey that this wasn't right, and that was the only way he could resist the lord, Chopin.

But rulers didn't let such resistance sway them.

On top of that, rulers with greed didn't let anything get in the way of their momentum.

Chopin grimaced.

"What are you thinking, Lownie?"

Along with Chopin's shouting, a throbbing energy surrounded Lownie's entire body.

Lownie's body shook as a result of the intense wave, but he showed his determination to stand his ground.

"Then why did you bring the contract that was kept in Pierre Desert?"

Chopin asked with a raging voice.

"I'm sure you know what it'd mean to break this contract."

"Of course."

Chopin spoke with an unwavering voice while glaring at Lownie.

"Breaking this contract would be to mean I'm leaving your territory."

"So… Are you saying you're going to go against me? Why do you think so highly of mere subjects? Did you forget Lownie? This is Beatrice!"

In response to Chopin's scolding.

When he said the word, 'Beatrice', Lownie's eyes shook.

Chopin continued, "All the preparation are complete. Don't even think about spoiling the cause," Chopin said firmly.

"To break this contract would mean to start a war against Lord Martin. And in order to fight in that war, I'm prepared to gather the subjects and come up with a hack in the magic…"

"Lownie."

Chopin's eyes grew dark.

"If you threaten to go against me one more time, I'll take it as a revolt."

"…"

Lownie took out the contract from his item window. He plopped down on his knees and held the contract over his head.

Chopin reached out his hand with dissatisfaction.

As soon as he did, the contract presented by Lownie floated over to Chopin's hands.

"You may go," said Chopin in a cold voice.

Right as Lownie began to get up, Chopin called him once more.

"Lownie."

"Yes, My Lord," Lownie answered with proper posture.

"I retract your authority over the military from this point onward. I want you to take some time to fix your way of thinking."

Lownie paid his respects with a dark look on his face and left.

***

Bowl turned his head and looked toward the room door.

He felt intoxicated by the energy that lingered outside the door.

Bowl ran over as if he was gravitated by a magnet. He opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

The hall was empty, but a sense was directing him on where to go.

Bowl followed the direction and ran toward it with black flames in his eyes.

It wasn't common for Bowl to have this kind of feeling. The first time he sensed it was when he first met his master.

And after that was when he received a magic stone from his owner to eat.

That was what it was.

It was the smell of a magic stone.

The closer he got, the clearer he sensed it.

Once he turned a corner in the hallway, Bowl stopped in his tracks.

Lownie, whom they had passed in Pierre Desert, was sitting on a wide bench.

And

he could see Bowl.

And beside the bench he was sitting on was a magic stone…!

Gulp!

His craving for the magic stone confused him.

If that man wasn't there, he would have eaten the magic stone already, but he couldn't help but mind that human being.

That was when Lownie turned his head and met eyes with Bowl.

He showed a surprised look on his face, and Bowl bowed.

"Hello."

Lownie looked even more surprised when he realized it could talk.

He looked around and stood up as if he thought Bowl was weird.

"A monster?"

Lownie asked, and just to prevent a fight from breaking out, Bowl explained to him how he entered the castle with his owner.

"Hm… Interesting. I didn't know such a pet existed, but why are you here alone?"

Lownie asked Bowl.

Bowl pointed at the magic stones that were attached to the sculpture.

"Because I want to eat that magic stone, but that's not allowed, right?"

When Bowl confessed his honest feelings, Lownie looked back at the stone statue and laughed.

He then fixed his face.

"I understand your feelings, but that statue belongs to the leader here. If you touch it without permission, you'll end up paying a hefty price. You don't want to put your owner in a difficult spot, do you?"

Bowl looked at the statue with a sad face and sighed.

Lownie thought he was cute. He sat back down on the bench and smoked his cigarette.

"I'm worried you might lay a hand on the leader's statue. I'd better keep an eye on it, haha."

Lownie then stared into space from the bench and smoked his cigarette, failing to hide his inner sadness.

The smoke blew into the air.

Bowl watched for a while before running over to him.

He then sat beside him.

"…?"

Lownie stopped smoking and looked at Bowl strangely.

Bowl just sat there without a word… as if he was a doll.

Lownie also looked into space and smoked his cigarette.

Only the sound of his smoking could be heard inside the hall.

"… Is this it for me?"

Lownie mumbled to himself.

Lownie looked over at Bowl.

His dark eyes were staring at Lownie.

The king of the Undead was a lich.

He ended up having to serve a master, but he was a lich.

He had the ability to see death.

And in Bowl's eyes, he could see that Lownie was prepared to die.

He saw death in him.

Bowl could see that his life was soon to vanish.

He was curious about the reason.

"Why do you want to die?"

Bowl asked.

In response, Lownie stared at Bowl with a surprised look on his face.

He was wondering how he knew.

"I'm a lich that can control death."

"Sigh…"

Lownie smiled bitterly in understanding.

"I see. That's why you can see it."

Lownie stared into the distance and smacked his lips.

Lownie took out another cigarette. He smoked it and got up as soon as he gathered his thoughts.

He then looked down at Bowl.

"I cleared my head thanks to you. I can't explain why, but thank you, little skeleton."

Lownie pat Bowl on the head and walked out of the hallway.

As soon as he disappeared, Bowl immediately took the magic stone out of the statue and chewed on it.

He then began to walk off in the same direction that Lownie disappeared to.

***

Lownie walked without any hesitation.

He was quick, but not in a rush.

He was rational.

He didn't make his decision on a whim, and he was certain of what he wanted to do.

He knew he wasn't going to regret it, and he planned to take all responsibility for the outcome.

Chopin.

He was a decent man when they first met, and he was a player with a great personality.

But positions made a man.

He changed.

He was tainted by greed, and it caused him to do things that were unacceptable.

But their past relationship always held him back.

He hoped he would turn back to his old self.

To the time when he promised to save this world.

But he never returned, and he attempted to take the path that he could never return from.

He had to stop him.

He couldn't just stand by and watch any longer.

The contract from Pierre Desert was the key to putting an end to Chopin and Martin's peace agreement and starting a war.

And Chopin had prepared a magic square that would use the subjects' blood as a sacrifice to defeat Martin, and the preparations were now complete.

He planned to capture innocent subjects of Beatrice, and use their bodies to carry out the dark magic to attack Martin.

Lownie tried to stop him, and in order to do that, he planned on destroying the magic square.

The closer he got to the research lab, the more his heart pounded.

What he was about to do was betrayal and a revolt against Chopin.

Lownie swallowed his emotions and arrived at the research lab.

Lownie breathed heavily as he made up his mind and slammed the door open.

He took out his sword from his Item window and held it in his hand.

At that moment…

Clang, clang, clang!

Dozens of weapons entered the research lab and targeted Lownie.

Lownie scanned the inside with shocked eyes.

Chopin was sitting in a luxurious throne with a smile, and the highest-ranked players under Chopin were holding up their weapons against him.

Chapter 239: Chapter 239

"I had a feeling you were going to do this, but I didn't know I'd be so disappointed…"

Chopin glared at Lownie and laughed.

After realizing that the decision he managed to make after much thought was in vain, he couldn't help but sigh. Chopin said, "I just have one question for you. Have you simply accepted your fate as a revolter, or are you planning to take my position somehow?"

Lownie's eyes drained of energy, and he dropped the sword he was holding.

Once Chopin saw that, his eyes squinted.

"Your action is a revolt. Normally, you'd be sentenced to death… But we created this city of Chopin together. I'll show you mercy. You'll be held on probation in the basement cell for 12 weeks."

"…"

Lownie looked at the weapons in the players' hands with sad eyes.

He had a rush of emotions.

He remembered all sorts of past memories and scenes of what could happen next flashed through his head.

It was too obvious.

"I can't accept that you'll use the lives of innocent Beatrice subjects to attack Martin with magic."

"I'm sure you can't."

"Can you rethink it?" Lownie asked Chopin.

Chopin sighed out of frustration.

"I'm not forgiving you for revolting. If you really wanted to betray me, you wouldn't have gone to Pierre Desert, and you wouldn't have brought the contract either. Isn't that right?"

"…"

"Be strong. This is Beatrice, but we're not people of Beatrice. We'll have to leave this world eventually," said Chopin.

Lownie smiled bitterly.

It was as he said.

He wasn't a person of Beatrice, and he would leave this world eventually.

That was right.

That was how it was at first.

That was how the relationship began.

But does he still feel the same way?

No.

He had changed, and an even bigger change was soon to come.

It was time to get rid of all expectations.

And he never thought that doing so would make him change so much.

The only way he could cheer him on was to express his resistance and deliver his message.

Chopin had sensed that he was prepared to die.

The light atmosphere quickly filled with death.

The space around him suddenly changed into one that felt like there were countless needles pointed around him in all directions.

Before the fight broke out, Chopin knitted his brows and looked over Lownie's shoulders.

At that moment, he saw a small shadow disappearing.

***

While he laid on the bed resting with the refreshing breeze, the door opened to Bowl entering.

Ho Sung Lee, who was studying recipes, glanced at Bowl, and Bowl immediately ran up on the bed where Min Sung was lying.

"Master!"

Bowl stood next to Min Sung's head.

"What is it?" Min Sung asked.

Bowl's eyes were flaming with black fire.

"Master! I have some information or you."

Bowl put his hands on his waist with strength in his shoulders and showed a triumphant posture.

"What is it?"

Min Sung asked, and in response, Bowl immediately told him his story.

Long story short, there was a man named Lownie in Chopin's castle, and while they were preparing to start a war with the subjects' lives, Lownie was trying to stop it from happening.

As soon as Bowl finished, a bell rang.

It was a system message.

[Help Lownie save the innocent Beatrice natives and defeat Chopin.]

[If you succeed in the quest, you'll obtain great reputation and experience points.]

Ho Sung Lee put the recipe paper in his item window and opened the door.

'I want to rest though…'

Min Sung got out of his bed with an annoyed face.

Bowl ran around the room with joy at the thought that he did something meaningful.

As soon as Min Sung began moving, Bowl jumped and hung onto Min Sung's belt.

Ssol also followed Min Sung out of interest.

As for the directions, Bowl knew the way.

Ho Sung Lee smoked a cigarette while following Min Sung from behind.

***

It felt as if a battle was about to break loose.

Chopin's face remained in a grimace

"Lownie, are you seriously doing this?"

It clearly showed

on Chopin's face that he was very conflicted.

He was simply annoyed, and that annoyance slowly turned into a pair of sharp scissors that would cut off a long-time friend.

"This is your last chance. Put down your weapon, Lownie."

Chopin's low voice now contained the playful tone that he was known for, and he warned him that with one answer, he would be faced with a result that he could not take back.

Lownie had already made up his mind.

And Chopin was the only one who didn't know that.

As soon as he realized Lownie really intended to get in the way, Chopin couldn't hide his emotions on his face.

He was hoping it was just a surprise event.

That was just how close he was as a friend to Lownie.

But there was something he couldn't stand.

As the man in charge, he had to keep things under control, and as a result, being controlled by someone else became unacceptable.

In that sense, Lownie's behavior was treason.

"Lownie, this must be it for us," said Chopin with a straight face.

No emotion could be found on his face, but Lownie realized something while looking at Chopin.

That he was swallowed up whole by something called 'Greed'.

And that was consuming the past Chopin that he knew.

"Get rid of him."

In response to Chopin's command, the players immediately swung their weapons at Lownie.

An Aura took over the area, but Lownie stood without a single movement.

Lownie stood still despite the fact that the players' weapons were charging toward him.

As soon as the players stabbed Lownie with confidence, he turned into smoke.

He wasn't real.

The players glanced around in shock, and the real Lownie dropped from the ceiling and slashed off the players' heads and limbs with his large sword.

The players turned into blood fountains.

Lownie swung his large sword at the players once more.

Whoosh!

A thick Aura was launched from the long sword.

The strong Aura caused 5 of the players to rip into shreds and roll on the ground.

in the midst of the screaming, the remaining players charged to attack Lownie.

Lownie's sword was large.

It was not average, but he used it effortlessly to block anyone from getting near him.

As a result of his power and speed, he was unbeatable.

Slash!

It didn't sound like a sound a sword would make.

Every time Lownie swung his sword, it sounded like an explosion.

That was just how powerful it was.

Despite how skilled they were as players, they couldn't get their hands on Lownie.

He was a powerful man.

Whenever he appeared on a war field, 100 meters around him turned into ashes.

That meant that he had full control of his explosive power.

Once he used his force, it was just a matter of time before the castle tumbled down.

"Enough," said Chopin with his hand raised.

In response, the remaining players took turns looking at Chopin and Lownie before putting their weapons away.

Chopin kicked the body that was in his way.

Chopin glared at Lownie and said, "If you really intend to stop me, get rid of the pawns and target the magic square first. What do you think you're doing? Haven't you made up your mind? Do you still have a lingering attachment?"

Lownie smiled bitterly.

"I can't be so rash around you… because you'll stop em for sure."

Chopin smiled at Lownie.

"Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we've battled."

Chopin glanced at his subordinates.

"Move the bodies and step aside."

In response, the players took the bodies away and stepped back.

Chopin took out a weapon from his item window.

Behind his back was the magic square.

The magic square was small, but it was made so that it could absorb a great amount of energy from living beings.

It was strong enough to swallow all of the Beatrice natives on his land, along with the entire kingdom.

"You've probably invested the most magic power in your magic square than anybody. That means you're low on magic power, and you can't stop me at that level."

"How friendly of you."

Chopin laughed and swung his sword.

His sword was much smaller than Lownie's, but the scent of young blood on it contained a strong energy that didn't compare to that of Lownie's large sword.

"Like you said, I invested a lot of magic power into this magic square, but there's something you don't know… You've always underestimated me."

"…!"

Lownie's face froze still.

It didn't sound like empty words.

He was speaking with full confidence.

He never thought he could defeat him anyway.

As long as he could find a way to destroy the magic square, he didn't care if he died.

"How unfortunate. If you had decided quicker, you might have been able to stop me, but in the time that you contemplated, this treacherous sight occurred."

"If I had the power to see the future, I wouldn't have walked the same path with you."

"It's sad to hear you say that. Let's stop talking about our feelings and finish this."

Hungry mana surged through Chopin's sword.

Chapter 240: Chapter 240

Magic power in the form of blue light also launched from Lownie's sword.

If the Auras collided and caused damage to the magic square, there was no better outcome.

But there was no way Chopin was that rusty, and when calculating the probability, it was 90% possible that he would die without laying a finger on his magic square.

That was how powerful Chopin was.

If there was a little bit of hope, it was the fact that Chopin consumed his magic power to create his magic square.

Lownie kricked his teeth and prepared for battle.

The air around them froze still.

***

Ahead of the battle between Chopin and Lownie inside the research lab nearby.

You're not going in?

Ho Sung Lee asked through trill.

What for? I'll just go in once they're tired from fighting and get rid of them both.

Min Sung responded.

Oh.

And Ho Sung Lee agreed.

He wanted to see the fight from up close, but he couldn't lose his life just because of his curiosity, so he had no choice but to wait with Min Sung.

***

Chopin's sword's specialty was absorption.

Whenever the opponent launched their Aura, Chopin was able to consume that Aura and turn it back on them.

But of course, that ability was only effective when Chopin had enough magic power to activate it.

Since Chopin had poured all of his magic power in making the magic square, it was possible he wouldn't be able to use his absorption ability, and that was Lownie's one and only hope.

But as soon as Lownie made his first attack, he realized that his expectation and hope was useless.

Whirrrrr!

Chopin's sword swallowed Lownie's Aura in one go.

Every time he launched his Aura, he felt as though he was pouring water into a bottomless pit.

Chopin was strong, sturdy, and powerful.

"Ugh…!"

Once his Aura lost its power, his sword would become nothing but a piece of metal that was too big to carry.

The attacks of his weak piece of metal were nothing compared to Chopin's magic power.

Chopin grinned.

He was laughing at Lownie.

Although not much time had passed, Lownie's face was already pale.

The loss of magic power caused one to quickly lose their stamina as well.

The more he attacked, the more he lost stamina, and if he just defended, he wouldn't be able to find a way in, ultimately leading him to be defeated by Chopin.

Lownie lost all hope and life began to drain from his eyes.

***

Bowl's spirit spell was quite effective.

While the two swung their swords at each other, Bowl was able to use his spirit spell to help Min Sung watch all of it.

He planned to attack once they were both low on stamina, but he felt as though he had to dispose of his expectations.

He knew that if he wanted 30 seconds longer, Lownie was going to be dead.

On the other hand, rather than losing stamina, Chopin was recovering his stamina through Lownie.

Min Sung opened his item window.

In response, Ho Sung Lee stared at Min Sung in shock, and Bowl snickered at the hope that they were finally entering the battlefield.

As for Ssol, he simply glanced around without much thought.

Kaboom!

The thundering noise was so loud that it sounded as if everyone in the whole world could hear it.

***

'… What's that noise?'

Chopin, who was determined to start punishing Lownie once and for all, jolted his eyes wide open and glanced around in response to the sudden thundering noise.

The location of the magic power was not far from them right outside the door.

'Who…?'

Chopin then remembered hearing that a new ranking player entered his castle recently.

'Did he receive a quest?'

Chopin laughed.

"I'll postpone my punishment for your revolt for later," said Chopin as he glared over at the door and fixed his beautiful sword in his grip.

And at that moment…

Boom!

Something broke through the wall and charged in.

It was a long sword.

It was Min Sung's sword, Gungnir, which was radiating with white magic power.

Chopin's face stiffened up before he used one of his passive skills.

The energy began to absorb the Aura surrounding Min Sung's Gungnir.

But compared to how much it was absorbing, the Gungnir was charging toward him at a much faster speed.

"Gasp!"

Chopin gasped and quickly turned his body.

Slash!

The Gungnir cut Chopin's shoulder and stabbed into the ground making a large thudding noise.

He felt pain in his shoulder.

Chopin clenched his teeth and looked behind him.

"That's not

a bad weapon, but you can't just throw around such a treasure like that. We call this…"

Chopin was unable to finish.

The Gungnir came out of the ground on its own and returned to Min Sung's hand as he stepped into the research lab.

When Chopin saw that, he snickered.

"You're an interesting guy."

Chopin watched Min Sung fix his grip on his sword with a straight face and licked his own lips out of excitement.

Meanwhile, Lownie stared at Min Sung in shock and confusion.

***

Min Sung looked at Chopin and then saw the magic square behind him.

The magic square was engraved into the ground, and the interior of the research lab was so vibrant, that it was hard to believe that it was a research lab.

After all, common sense would tell a person that a place like this had to be located somewhere where people couldn't find it.

In that sense, Min Sung came to the conclusion that that magic square was a fake.

He normally wouldn't have cared if the magic square existed or not.

But since this was a quest now, he had to get rid of the magic square in order to complete it.

That meant that he had to defeat him but not kill him so that he could tell him where the real magic square was.

'This is annoying.'

Min Sung fixed his grip on his Gungnir with an annoyed look on his face.

He began to feel more certain about his prediction.

It was obvious seeing how he wasn't worried about the magic square behind him with a new ranker player standing in front of him.

"That magic square's a fake, isn't it?" Min Sung asked.

In response, Chopin's face didn't change.

It was a poker face that could have either meant that it really was the magic square and that he was just lazy, or it was really a fake.

"I guess I'll find out once I break that thing," said Min Sung while glancing over at the magic square.

"Who says you can?"

Chopin laughed.

In response, Min Sung showed a smile as well.

"We'll see."

Min Sung confidently walked toward Chopin.

"Looks like you've never seen failure in your life. You fool. Stop deceiving."

Chopin grinned and swung his sword.

Swoosh!

Chopin's sword quickly swung toward Min Sung's neck.

The Aura was launched at a close distance, but Min Sung blocked that Aura with the end of his Gungnir.

Min Sung's Gungnir charged toward Chopin's neck this time.

It was a simple stab, but Min Sung's speed and force were not average.

After all, he had so much force that opponents froze up as soon as he began his attack.

But Chopin easily dodged Min Sung's attack.

But that was it.

Followed by Min Sung's stab, he swung his Gungnir in a second attack.

Kaboom!

The magic power that was launched with the thundering noise charged at Chopin all at once and Chopin decided to block that magic power rather than dodge it.

He tried to absorb his magic power, but it didn't work.

Min Sung's power was much stronger than his absorption.

In the end, Chopin had to use the magic power in his sword and fight against that of Min Sung.

Flash! Kaboom!

Along with a blinding light, an explosion broke loose.

It was expected for an Aura and magic power to collide and cause such an impact.

While Chopin sighed out of annoyance, Min Sung's face looked calm.

'There's nothing more annoying than capturing someone alive.'

With that thought, Min Sung used the palm of his hand to jab at Chopin's side.

Although Chopin let out a loud gasp, Chopin didn't collapse and swung his sword toward Min Sung.

An Aura in the shape of a crescent moon charged toward his face.

Min Sung quickly dodged that Aura and swung his sword at the same time.

Kaboom!

Magic power that was much larger than Chopin's Aura launched.

Chopin clenched his teeth and blocked it out with his sword.

And the reflected magic power hit the wall.

Boom!

As a result, the wall tumbled down exposing the nature outside.

The wind that blew in caused for his clothes to flap.

Chopin brushed off the area that Min Sung punched with his hand and laughed.

"I can't tell if you're generous, if you want to know something, or if you're just arrogant. I can't tell at all."

No.

He already knew.

That meant he found out his intention, and he was relieved by it.

But unlike with other opponents, he felt nervous and needed to think a lot more.

It wasn't just him, but many other players were full of pride and arrogance.

But Chopin was different.

He was very nervous.

And that nervousness was something that could make Chopin fight even harder.

That kind of thoughtfulness was hard to go up against in Min Sung's experience, especially given, Chopin's power.

But with a big enough difference in skill, this wasn't a problem.

"You don't stand a chance against me."

Min Sung continued, "Tell me where the magic square is."

Chopin scoffed.

"That's your objective?"

"Of course."

Min Sung made a short conclusion.

"You arrogant…"

"You're the arrogant one, not me. Open your eyes."

Min Sung looked at Chopin with calm eyes and launched his magic power.

Kaboom!

A deafening thundering noise rang through the room, and a white light charged toward Chopin from Min Sung's Gungnir.

Chopin jolted his eyes wide open in response and dropped his jaw.

The surprise only lasted a little while.

Chopin also launched his power.

Rumble!

Chopin's Aura and Min Sung's magic power collided, and once it was unable to withstand each other, it began to swallow up its surroundings.

Chapter 241: Chapter 241

***

"I-I have to avoid this."

Ho Sung Lee mumbled to himself, and it was rational.

Even if he hid as a shadow, it didn't guarantee that he would be okay in the midst of all that force.

The force was powerful enough to destroy the entire castle.

It was almost like an explosive with great firepower.

"Damn it…!"

While Ho Sung Lee looked at Bowl and Ssol in panic when he couldn't find a place to hide, a shadow appeared in front of them.

"…?!"

It was Lownie.

He used his skill to form a shield in front of Ho Sung Lee, Bowl, and Ssol.

Swoosh!

A white Aura flashed in all directions.

And then…

Rumble!

The sound of the castle shaking could be heard.

Their surroundings were filled with smoke, but Min Sung and Chopin were still battling.

Chopin looked like a mess.

His hair, which was previously tied up neatly, was loose and messy, and his eyes and mouth were covered in blood.

On the other hand, Min Sung looked as he always did.

"This son of a bitch…!"

While the castle was on the verge of destruction, Chopin swung his sword, causing for a red liquid substance to burst out of it.

'… What's this?'

The red liquid covered his sight.

And then he sensed that a threatening force could come at him at any moment.

That must've been a special characteristic of the skill.

And there was something that suddenly crossed Min Sung's mind.

He had forgotten about it for a while, but he decided that this was his chance to put it to use.

[Skill opened]

[Counter barrier]

Min Sung used his skill as well.

The counter barrier was a skill that allowed him to turn his opponent's attack back onto them.

And then…

He saw the message, 'Counter barrier successful!'

The red liquid resembling blood began to disappear quickly, and it then started to cover Chopin instead.

"No way…! Damn it!"

Chopin floundered while being covered in the red and sticky substance.

'This counter barrier skill isn't half bad.'

Min Sung smirked and swung his Gungnir.

Kaboom!

The thundering noise sounded like a lion's roar.

And along with a slashing sound, Chopin's right arm flew off, spouting blood.

The arm that was holding the sword flew out of the hole in the wall and fell outside.

"Aghhhhh!"

Chopin screamed and plopped down on his knees.

He continued to bleed. He grabbed his right shoulder while blinking violently and clenched down on his teeth.

"I was looking forward to powerful opponents in the inner continent, but you're weak, too."

He was helped out by his counter barrier skill, but even if he hadn't used it, he would have been able to win against Chopin.

But this battle did teach him a lesson for the first time since coming to Beatrice.

"Agh!"

As soon as Chopin tried to pull out another weapon from his item window, Min Sung almost stabbed him with his Gungnir before realizing that he had to capture him alive.

Min Sung took out an item, but he simply grabbed Chopin by the throat and threw him out the hole in the wall.

Chopin bounced off the side of the hole before falling through to the outside of the castle.

Considering how strong he was, Min Sung assumed he wouldn't die from the fall.

Min Sung then walked toward the magic square.

But…

Rip!

He heard cracking sounds and the castle began to tumble down.

Ssol ran at an incredibly high speed out the hole in the wall, and after that were Ho Sung Lee and Bowl, followed by Lownie.

While everyone jumped out of the castle, Min Sung stared down at the magic square on the ground.

And right as he was about to stab the magic square with his sword.

Roarrrrr, kaboom!

The castle tumbled down upon Min Sung.

***

Ho Sung Lee and Bowl stared up at the castle with surprised eyes, but they were just watching out of curiosity of when he would come out.

Ho Sung Lee and Bowl knew better than anyone that Min Sung Kang wasn't going to die just because the castle fell on him.

Even Lownie, who saved them both, knew that as well.

"Thank you."

Ho Sung Lee brushed himself off and then greeted Lownie.

Lownie was

looking up at the destroyed castle.

"Who is that player…?" Lownie asked.

Ho Sung Lee sighed.

"He came from a star called earth. His name is Min Sung Kang. Some know him as the Black Slaughterer."

Min Sung then came out of the pile of bricks and brushed himself off.

Lownie was unable to take his eyes off of him.

His eyes looked both shocked and in awe.

Min Sung stretched out his joints and glanced around.

"Where is he?" Min Sung asked.

Ho Sung Lee looked around blankly.

He then realized that he couldn't see Chopin, who had lost his arm to Min Sung.

"Huh? Where did he go?"

Ho Sung Lee mumbled, and Min Sung glared at him in annoyance.

"Unless you want to die in his stead, you'd better find him," grumbled Min Sung.

"I-I apologize, Sir."

Ho Sung Lee used his supporter skill to find Chopin, and Bowl also used his spirit spell.

"He couldn't have gone far."

In response to Min Sung's remark, Ho Sung Lee and Bowl immediately began their search.

At that moment, Min Sung saw Lownie staring right at him and knitted his brows.

"What are you looking at?"

In response to Min Sung's emotionless question, Lownie didn't show a response.

He simply watched Min Sung with a straight face.

Min Sung sighed and looked around while clicking his tongue.

"Where did he run off to?"

Right as Min Sung mumbled to himself, he heard a trill.

I found him!

It was a trill, but he could sense the direction.

Min Sung kicked the ground, making it rumble, and he disappeared from Lownie's sight so quickly that Lownie couldn't see where he went.

As soon as Min Sung disappeared, an army of players ran toward Lownie, who was standing in the quiet surroundings of the castle's ruins.

"Where's Lord Chopin?!" One of the players asked with an offensive look in his eyes.

Rather than answering, Lownie gripped harder on the sword in his hand.

The players' eyes shook.

***

Ho Sung Lee was the one who sent the message, but it was actually Bowl who found him.

Just as Min Sung predicted, the place where Bowl found Chopin was where the magic square actually was located.

There was a passageway in the basement behind the castle, and around it was blood predicted to have been from Chopin.

"Stay out here. I'm going in alone."

Min Sung then stepped into the stairs leading to the basement and disappeared into the dark.

Ho Sung Lee watched Min Sung walk down and gulped while Bowl's eyes lit up with black flames.

Ssol then stepped forward from behind with a terrified face and watched in the same direction Ho Sung Lee and Bowl were staring at.

***

The stairs leading to the basement were wide, but there was no lighting.

But since Min Sung was used to seeing in the dark, it didn't hinder him in the slightest bit.

On his way down the stairs, Min Sung stopped in front of a metal door.

He shook it with his hand, but it was locked.

It was locked from the inside.

Min Sung put his Gungnir into his item window and gathered magic energy in his fist.

Kaboom!

Along with an explosive sound, the door ripped open and rolled on the ground.

Min Sung walked through the door and stepped into the hallway.

It was damp and humid.

It also reeked inside.

There was a light on the ceiling of the hallway, and on the ground was blood spilled by Chopin.

Min Sung followed the blood trail.

Just 5 minutes later, Min Sung saw something shocking.

"Ugh…"

"G-give me food."

"I'm hungry."

"… Take it out."

"Please save me."

"Sobbbbb!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

"Ughhhh…"

He heard shocking noises from all directions.

On the side of the hall were people trapped behind cages, and every single one of them pleaded for help in great pain.

There were those who were crazy and hungry, as well as people who were screaming for help because it hadn't been long since they were captured.

They were all Beatrice natives, not players.

When he walked further, he could see that there were also players who had their limbs cut off.

Unlike the Beatrice natives, they were quiet, and their eyes looked lifeless.

He had heard that the magic worked based on the life of human beings.

He had already started to gather humans.

"What a sight…"

Min Sung laughed at the absurdity.

How could he openly make such a thing?

He didn't know if he should call him bold or crazy.

In any case, It was very likely that the magic square was here in this basement.

With a few waves of Min Sung's hand, the locks on the metal doors opened.

The Beatrice natives couldn't believe what they saw, and they opened the door and ran to get out of the basement.

They were pushing and shoving.

They ran to get out as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Min Sung looked for Chopin.

It was highly likely that the magic square was there, and even if it wasn't there, he had to find Chopin first.

He continued to walk through the hallway.

The hallway went on forever with more and more cages.

There were so many cages that he couldn't imagine just how many human beings he was planning to capture.

Chapter 242: Chapter 242

At the end of the long and humid hallway was a door.

It was a large door made of metal.

Creak, clunk!

When he pulled on the door handle, it opened easily.

The first thing that he heard once he opened the door was the sound of crying.

"Sobbbbbb…"

Chopin was resting his head against the wall while crying with one arm missing.

Behind his back was the magic square drawn on the ground, and the light that decorated the magic square gave off a strange energy.

"Where did that monster come from? My plan was sound. It was perfect… before that bastard appeared that is…"

Chopin cried and talked to himself without realizing that Min Sung had already entered his 'real' research lab.

The way he cried was very contrasting with his fancy outfit.

"Hey," called Min Sung.

In response, he looked behind him with tears all over his face.

Chopin looked at him with a bloated face and hazy sight.

They met eyes for a moment, and Chopin burst into laughter.

"Haha. Haha. Hahahaha! Hahahahahahaha!"

His laughter filled the research lab.

He laughed like a crazy person.

His own state, his appearance, and the way he was being looked at.

He laughed and cried at the fact that his hopes and dreams turned into his worst nightmare.

What sounded like laughter at first started to turn into something strange.

"Beatrice… Beatrice is like this. I forgot…"

He continued with a haggard look on his face.

"Beatrice is a place where you can enjoy your power, but once you lost that power, you end up losing everything."

Chopin leaned on the wall and snickered at Min Sung.

"I didn't know I'd end up like this. Snicker, I never even imagined it. I've fought countless times already, but this is the first time I was so close to death."

"Stop your useless chatter and tell me why you ran here."

Min Sung stared at Chopin with piercing eyes.

He smiled.

He smiled like a ghost.

Chopin pointed at his right shoulder, which was now missing an arm.

He stopped the bleeding through treatment, but it still looked horrid.

"Now that I can no longer hold a sword, I might as well be dead, and I know… that I can't get away from a monster like you."

"So you wanted to die here? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"That too. But there's another reason, and you've probably been curious about it."

Min Sung stared at him while taking out his Gungnir.

Chopin looked horrible, but his eyes were filled with much emotion.

And Min Sung knew what emotion that was.

He was hiding something.

Something precious.

He didn't think it was a trap.

But it wasn't something useless either.

After all, the emotion in his eyes was telling him just that.

"I don't know what this is… But I advise that you forget about trying any funny business with me."

"You think?"

Chopin laughed.

When a human being was pushed to the edge of a cliff, it was easy to lose one's dignity in such a way.

It was difficult to stay rational when a person was standing on the edge of a cliff with the person who could kill him standing right in front of him.

And that phenomenon could have been something similar to a defense mechanism.

It was natural.

Just as Min Sung began to pass the magic square with his Gungnir.

Chopin's face broke out into a smile.

At the same time, the magic square flashed with a gold light.

Every single line of the magic square was filled with gold light.

The gold light coming from the magic square looked so vibrant that it almost looked like a fancy clock.

From on top of that magic square, Min Sung stared at Chopin with unimpressed eyes.

Chopin's eyes were filled with disappointment and surprise.

"That's not the reaction I was hoping for."

Chopin's eyes drained of amusement, and his tone became sharp.

Right before Min

Sung began to walk toward him again.

Chopin opened his mouth.

"I did something to the magic square while you were looking for me."

Chopin continued with a grin.

"It's a time bomb," explained Chopin with twinkling eyes.

Just from that one remark alone, Min Sung could understand what was about to happen.

When he saw Min Sung glancing down at the magic square beneath his feet, Chopin's smile grew even bigger.

"That's right! That's the face I wanted to see!"

As soon as Chopin finished, Min Sung laughed bitterly.

"Are you happy?"

Min Sung looked up at Chopin and continued.

"I said, are you happy?"

Chopin's face stiffened up with mixed emotions, but he quickly got himself under control.

"Don't laugh at me. The power of this magic square is beyond your imagination. It's powerful enough to make everything around it in a 500 kilometer-radius into ashes. Not even you can survive it. We'll die together."

A number appeared in the magic square.

And the number was counting down.

It appeared to be counting down to the explosion.

"How do you feel? You didn't see this coming, did you? You probably didn't expect to die here. Hahaha!"

Chopin laughed loudly, but Min Sung smiled.

"I was wondering why you were so weak, so this is what you spent your energy on. That's also why you were lingering on the outskirts of the inner continent. You're nothing…"

Min Sung sighed.

"… But a small fry."

Chopin stared at Min Sung blankly.

"I was hoping to increase my reputation by a lot since I'm in the inner continent, but this is a disappointment."

Chopin began to tremble.

"… What's wrong with you? I told you. Didn't you hear me? You're going to die now!"

Min Sung looked down.

30 seconds remained.

Min Sung looked back up at Chopin.

"Watch to see why you're a small fry," said Min Sung while glowing due to the gold light.

Chopin scoffed.

"… Stop acting arrogant. You and your entire party, and all the Beatrice natives here will go to their afterlife. All because of me! All because of Chopin's power!"

Chopin screamed at the top of his lungs.

"That's what you think."

Min Sung began to unleash his magic power.

Roarrrrrrr!

The research lab shook as if the ground was about to split in half.

That was simply the result of Min Sung's unleashing of his magic power.

Chopin gulped and stepped back in response.

Once Chopin was backed against a wall, he stared at Min Sung with utter fear.

"… No way. There's no way."

Chopin almost teared up in disbelief.

… 5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3 seconds, 2 seconds, 1 second.

Right as the golden light filled the entire room, an Aura exploded out of the magic square.

At the same time, Min Sung stabbed the magic square with his Gungnir.

Kaboom!

The extreme sensation strong enough to rip Chopin apart swallowed him whole.

The shutter was nothing he had sensed before, and it was all formed from Min Sung's power.

"T-there's no way…"

Boommmmm!

An explosive sound made his ears beep, but it wasn't because of an impact.

The sound that followed was something that Chopin couldn't believe with his own eyes.

Zappppppppp!

The magic power from Min Sung's sword was swallowing up the Aura from the magic square.

It almost looked as if a devil was ridiculing the magic square for being too weak as it swallowed it whole.

Chopin jolted his eyes wide open and trembled while staring at Min Sung.

Roarrrrrrr!

Chopin lost sensation in his legs and plopped down on the spot.

The amount of Aura that was put into that magic square was equivalent to 50 magicians forming a square.

And that man with the black hair was swallowing up all of it on his own.

"… This is impossible."

Chopin breathed heavily and grabbed the left side of his chest.

Chopin's eyes were tearing up.

It wasn't from fear, disappointment, rage, or desire to kill.

It was out of awe.

As the gold light from the magic square died down, the candles went out, and darkness took over.

It remained silent for a while.

Kaboommmmmmmmm!

Thunder and lightning then flowed out of Gungnir, and along with the ground splitting in half, the entire research lab turned white.

As a result of the light, Min Sung almost looked like the god of lightning in Chopin's eyes.

The deafening noises died down, and silence fell once more.

Chopin still had a hard time breathing, and Min Sung slowly took out his Gungnir from the magic square.

Crack!

The magic square cracked as Gungnir came out of the ground.

Since Gungnir absorbed all of the power from the magic square, it was glowing with gold light.

And it soon lit up its surroundings in gold.

Min Sung glanced at his own sword, which was wriggling from the power.

Due to the transformation, his '+9 Gungnir' transformed into 'Gungnir S'.

Min Sung knew instantly that his abilities and specifications changed as a result.

Chapter 243: Chapter 243

While Min Sung stared at his transforming weapon, Chopin's hair was turning white due to his despair.

The magic square, which he thought could swallow the world whole, was now nothing but a shadow with no use whatsoever.

Once Chopin lost everything, he just blinked and stared into space with no life remaining in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Min Sung's shadow drew close.

As soon as Chopin saw the gold Gungnir in Min Sung's hand, he laughed.

After all, his efforts to get rid of both Min Sung and this land ended up with him making his weapon more powerful than before.

Min Sung watched Chopin snicker as he raised his 'Gungnir S'.

The Gungnir S then stabbed into Chopin at lightning speed while he continued to shake from laughter like a crazy person.

Kaboom!

The flash of thunder and lightning stabbed into Chopin, killing him before he could even close his eyes.

Min Sung stared at Chopin on the ground and then turned around.

[Quest Cleared]

[You've obtained experience points as a reward.]

[The Dionysus Gods are in awe of your abilities.]

[Experience points are flooding your way.]

[You currently have +130,000 points.]

[Additional inner continent special order]

[The inner continent special order is now active.]

Min Sung stopped in his tracks.

He had never heard of that term before.

'… Inner continent special order?'

While Min Sung stood in confusion, the fairy, Arin, popped out of nowhere.

"Hello!"

Arin flashed a smile and greeted him cheerfully.

"What's an inner continent special order?" Min Sung asked while looking down at Arin.

"Hmph! You never say hi and just get straight to the point."

"Get to the point."

"… Okay."

The fairy, Arin, complied and cowered its shoulders.

Arin then began to explain what the inner continent special order was with its lips sticking out.

According to Arin, the inner continent special order was like a quest, but it was more difficult and gave him a chance to increase his reputation even more.

But in the case that he failed, he would put his honor at risk.

This quest could only be taken by players who proved their worth and received experience investment from the Dionysus Gods.

Since Min Sung wanted to rank up as quickly as possible, there was no reason for him to decline the offer.

[Accept/Reject]

A message popped up asking him if he would like to accept or reject the offer.

He had no reason to reject it.

Min Sung touched accept without hesitation.

[You've accepted the special order.]

Right as the system message disappeared, Arin's body flashed with a bright light.

The fairy, Arin, then flew around Min Sung while launching flower petals in all directions.

Min Sung quietly watched the mysterious behavior.

After flying around Min Sung 2 times, Arin smiled and greeted Min Sung again.

"That's how fairies greet each other, hehe."

"So a special order is a quest, right?"

In response to Min Sung's question, Arin scratched its head.

"Yes. It's a very difficult quest… But if you complete it, you get a bigger compensation."

"When can I get that quest?"

"It's never certain. If an accident occurs, the Dionysus Gods will have a meeting, and if it's a mission that needs to be resolved, they will give it to a player."

"Okay," answered Min Sung before walking through the hallway again.

It was still humid, dark, and smelly inside.

The fairy, Arin, looked around the long hallway filled with cages with curious eyes.

In the midst of the silence, only Min Sung's footsteps rang loudly.

Just before exiting the basement, the fairy, Arin, said its goodbye and disappeared.

***

As soon as he got above land, Ho Sung Lee, Bowl and Ssol were waiting outside, and beside them was Lownie, who was covered in blood.

"… What happened? Did you find Chopin?"

"I killed him," answered Min Sung, and Ho Sung Lee nodded in response.

"Good work, Sir."

Min Sung glanced over at Lownie.

Lownie bowed quietly, but he still had a question that he was curious about.

He was probably itching to ask about the magic square.

"I destroyed the magic square, and I killed Chopin."

Lownie appeared to be satisfied with the answer, and he paid his respects to Min Sung once

more with a troubled look on his face.

When he looked around, he saw the bodies and blood of Chopin's men scattered everywhere.

Min sung smiled bitterly.

It was sad that they sacrificed their lives to protect a leader who planned to obliterate the entire kingdom.

"I need a horse. Can you help me?" Min Sung asked.

In order to absorb the Aura from the magic square, he had to use a significant amount of magic power, and as a result, Min Sung was almost as tired as when he first arrived on earth.

"Of course. I'll escort you to the stable."

Min Sung nodded, and Lownie, who was exhausted as well, led the way.

Min Sung, Ho Sung Lee, Bowl, and Ssol followed from behind.

At that moment…

Ding!

A system message appeared along with an alarm sound.

He was surprised by how soon it came.

[Special Quest: Dark Elf's Forest]

[Obtain the ancient document possessed by the dark elf Ellen.]

[Accept/Reject]

He wasn't notified of what his reward would be, nor did it explain what kind of risks the quest would come with.

Although the quest was not so friendly, Min Sung was happy that a quest appeared on soon.

Min Sung hated dragging things on.

"How many horses do you need?" Lownie asked in front of the stable.

"2."

Ho Sung Lee smiled with delight behind Min Sung, but Min Sung couldn't see it.

Meanwhile, Lownie picked out 2 horses for Min Sung.

It was a black horse and a white horse.

Ho Sung Lee waited for Min Sung to pick first.

Min Sung picked the black horse and immediately got on.

It looked like it had very good stamina, and it had impressive muscles to it as well.

"Thank you," said Min Sung from on top of the horse.

Lownie smiled.

"Don't mention it. Thank you. You protected Chopin's land from destruction."

His smile grew even wider.

Min Sung nodded and glanced over at Ho Sung Lee.

Ho Sung Lee quickly got on the white horse.

"Where are you headed?" Lownie asked.

Ho Sung Lee also looked at Min Sung with curiosity.

"Dark Elf's Forest."

Lownie looked surprised at the answer, but before Min Sung could even see his reaction…

"Eeyap!"

He had already taken off on the fast horse.

"We'll be going then. Take care."

With that greeting, Ho Sung Lee also took off so that he could catch up to Min Sung.

Ssol chased them from behind.

Lownie watched Min Sung's party take off and knitted his brows.

"Dark Elf's Forest…"

Lownie gulped, sighed, and then smiled.

He then continued to watch in the direction that they left.

***

They normally would have headed to the center of the next territory, but in order to find the Dark Elf Forest to complete the quest, they had to go northwest.

Fall ended and they could sense winter coming.

The wind was cold, but Min Sung, Ho Sung Lee, Bowl, and Ssol weren't strongly affected by the weather.

Even in the middle of winter, their magic power or Aura kept their bodies warm.

Since Bowl was a lich, he couldn't sense temperature at all, but what was surprising was the fact that Ssol could control his own temperature.

It was clear that he was no ordinary goblin.

But what didn't change was the fact that they had to expend their stamina to race through the dry land.

Since they had to ride horses in order to recover their stamina, their speed was much slower than usual.

At this rate, it would take days to reach their destination, but since recovering their stamina and magic power came first, Min Sung didn't rush.

Their plan was to ride on the horses and recover their stamina and magic power by the time they reached their destination, but thanks to the monsters that appeared, Min Sung was able to recover quicker than expected.

A 2-meter-tall monster that looked like a gorilla appeared, and as soon as Min Sung spotted it, his eyes flashed like that of an eagle.

Min Sung jumped off his horse and charged toward the monster.

And as soon as he reached out his hand, the gorilla-like monster immediately flew toward Min Sung's hand, which startled the monster.

Once the monster was in Min Sung's hand, Ho Sung Lee covered his eyes with his hands.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

He heard bones breaking.

That was the sound of the monster's skin shrinking, and his bones breaking as a result of Min Sung sucking out his life.

Min Sung threw the lifeless monster on the ground and got back up on his horse.

"Use your supporter ability to find any monsters nearby and report to me immediately."

Ho Sung Lee gulped while staring down at the dead monster.

"What are you a vampire? You sucked the life out of him…"

"I can hear you."

When Min Sung glared, Ho Sung Lee smiled awkwardly and scratched his head.

"I'm just impressed by your abilities, Sir. Haha, but aren't you hungry? It's way past our mealtime, but you haven't said anything."

"That monster helped me recover, so my appetite's better, too."

"Does that really work?" Ho Sung Lee asked in shock.

"Let's eat and rest as soon as we get near our destination. You can eat snacks here and there on the way if you need."

"Yes, Sir."

Min Sung sped up again.

Min Sung and Ho Sung Lee raced on their horses toward their destination, which was the Dark Elf Forest.

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