Chapter 140.
Walking on thin ice.
A dark and slender woman moved with utmost caution. Considering that she was a Dark Elf, one became aware of just how dangerous this place was.
Indeed.
Swish.
Leap.
At times she clung to the wall, other times to the ceiling, and sometimes even crawled along the floor. She moved with the stealth and agility reminiscent of a Black Panther Beastfolk.
Despite this, Glance.
The Dark Elf kept glancing back. Even with such adept movement and concealment skills, she infiltrated well. But whatever it was that made her so uneasy, she kept looking back every ten seconds.
And that behavior eventually resulted in—
“Hmm? Who’s there?”
Her stealthy movements created an opening.
‘Damn!’
A look of panic crosses her eyes. But despite that look,
Slash.
Her trained body thrust a dagger immediately.
However.
Clang.
The dagger was blocked by a mysterious dark gauntlet.
“Gah! Sword aura!”
From the large hand that grabbed the dagger, crimson liquid trickled out. Seeing the sword aura flickering on her dagger, one could feel firsthand how exceptional the defense of that dark gauntlet was.
And the thick black armor covering the entire body connected to the gauntlet, caused the Dark Elf’s eyes to show reluctance.
‘This is bad!’
To block an attack infused with sword aura with just a little blood loss. Of course, if she fought at full strength, that armor wouldn’t be much of a problem.
‘But I need to finish this before he yells!’
The upper-class dragonkin in front of her, a Drak, couldn’t be silenced if he shouted or screamed.
As she feared,
“Intrud….”
Just as the Drak’s voice began to rise,
Crunch.
With the sound of something twisting,
Crack!
A chilling sound of ripping flesh cut off Drak’s voice.
More precisely,
“Guh, gurgh…!”
Its throat was being clamped shut. Its mouth bubbled with blood and foam several times but that was all. Between the black helmet and armor, Drak’s thick neck was pierced, and no matter how he strained his vocal cords, no sound came out.
He glared at the cause of his impaled neck.
Hissss.
An eerie or ghostly, ash-gray, semi-transparent claw, followed by a semi-transparent arm speckled with golden scales.
‘A Draconian? Why would he…’
With that thought, the Drak finally stopped his intermittent trembling.
“We almost had a big problem.”
The hand pierced through the Drak that was over three meters tall.
“Dayna. Are you okay?”
Shimun, shrouded in ash-gray aura, casually asked.
***
– Killing high-level dragon in one go…
– Before, you were just playing around with a named Drak. Are you surprised by just an ordinary Drak?
– LOL. It’s more unbelievable that they got past the dragons while being invisible.
– Yeah, how did they manage that without the dragons noticing anything at all?
While the chat room was more interested in Shimun’s invisibility than in killing high-level dragons, it was no surprise.
– Isn’t this invisibility at least diamond-rank?
– Yeah. Despite their lack of combat abilities, their basic assassination skills are at least at a diamond novice level.
– The effort Dayna put into leading them this far, even putting on a show while reading the situation.
– I’ve never seen Dayna try this hard before LOL.
Dayna led the way with great care, and the real-time broadcast showed how she had infiltrated with such caution.
On the other hand,
– But how did this person follow Dayna’s lead?
– Really? I heard they used invisibility as well.
– But we didn’t see any invisibility effect from this person. So maybe they didn’t use it?
Shimun’s appearance wasn’t visible on the viewers’ screens at all.
– Shouldn’t the viewers see the invisibility effect?
– Yeah. The settings vary, though. Maybe this person kept it at the default setting for the sake of the broadcast?
– If it’s the default setting, shouldn’t the invisibility effect shimmer like waves?
– Yeah.
When a player broadcasting the game uses abilities like invisibility, there should be a separate effect for viewers to understand what the player is doing.
– But I didn’t see any invisibility effect at all.
– I didn’t see any either.
No one had seen Shimun’s invisibility.
This could be deduced in two major ways: either there was an issue with the broadcasting platform Arenia, or…
– Don’t tell me… Nah, that can’t be it?
– Ah, even Arenia couldn’t detect this level of invisibility LOL.
– Even for an irregular, that’s a bit overboard…
Such a level of invisibility that not even Arenia could detect it. The viewers’ opinions gradually leaned towards the latter, for a simple reason.
– That ashen aura we briefly saw seemed like some kind of death energy stat, right?”
– You’re right. Hyung, I have a death energy stat, so I can tell that Shimun used a spell to become invinsible.”
– Indeed, Shimun is something else. Using spellcasting for invisibility.”
– He’s a ninja in a league of his own compared to promising Platinum players like Riko, right? LOL
Shimun’s current viewership was around 1.4 million, comprising multinational and high-level players, making it somewhat possible to estimate the power Shimun was showcasing.
Of course, the idea of this invisibility being the skill of the Seat of Hades was unimaginable.
『Constellation Hades is very pleased with your ambush.』
They would never imagine that this stealth move was executed using Hades’ artifact.
『Four constellations watching you are glaring at Hades.』
『Constellation Hades subtly moves closer to Constellation Zeus.』
『Constellation Zeus bursts into hearty laughter and lightly pushes Hades away.』
『Constellation Hades looks at Constellation Zeus with a shocked expression.』
The reactions of the Constellations rising before their eyes.
At this sight, Shimun let out a bitter laugh.
“So even among the top-ranked Constellations, there are differences. Hades must be a top-ranked Constellation as well.”
Together with Zeus, Hades was known as one of the three kings of Olympus. But to think that even Hades was being cautious?
‘Is it that you can’t compete there unless you’re at the highest deity level like Zeus? Well, they are considered the king of kings in terms of ranking.’
Although Shimun couldn’t quite grasp the hierarchy of the Heavenly Demon, he knew that the other Constellations, including the Black Goat, held leadership positions.
Though Hades may be one of the three kings of Olympus, he may not measure up to them. After all, it’s not like there’s only one Constellation related to the underworld and death.
As he contemplated this, Shimun cast a rather stern gaze inside the black forge.
“Here is no different from the underworld.”
After using Hades’ artifact, ‘Kynee’, shimon had escaped the dreadful heat and oppressive air of the Black Forge.
But he faced another horrific environment.
None other than…
“So many souls….”
A spectacle of countless souls.
No.
Screeeeaaaam!
Arghhh!
It should be called a storm of vengeful spirits.
‘Each one harbors intense resentment.’
Perhaps due to the influence of Hades’ artifact, Kynee, Shimun could not only stealth but also,
-It’s hot! It hurts! It’s hot! It hurts!
-I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!!
-Stop it now!! Let me go!! Please, just kill me!!!
He could also hear the vengeful cries of numerous spirits filling the Black Forge. Shimun’s gaze followed the flow of these spirits to the ceiling.
‘They’re all heading in one direction.’
Like a turbulent sea, a massive vortex made of vengeful spirits was swirling on the high ceiling.
“It seems to be the souls of hybrids drawn to the black forge…. Why can’t the souls exit the black forge?”
Although he didn’t possess any particular command spells or morale stats, equipped with Kynee, Shimun had a rough idea of the structure of death.
When a being with a soul faces death, the soul leaves the body and heads towards the underworld. He didn’t know the exact mechanism by which they journey to the underworld, but this was a fundamental concept of the circulation of souls.
And command spells and morale stats could influence this process, but what about this place?
“There’s no trace of any command spells or morale here…”
There were no apparent elements related to death. Despite that, countless souls were endlessly sucked up into the swirling vortex on the ceiling throughout this monumental space.
Even more astonishing was…
“Souls keep emerging endlessly from below.”
Ever since setting foot in the black forge until now, the endless whirlpool of souls continued beneath them. How many lives must perish for such a phenomenon to occur without end?
“Kill me! Please!!”
“Ahh!”
Two cries brushed past Shimun’s ear. Like worn-out objects. The icy expression on Shimun’s face solidified even more in the tangled mass of grudges that intertwined with each other to the point of erosion.
“Even to the extent of the deformation of the soul… What on earth can be done about this?”
Before starting to write the Kynee, he had only thought of the black forge as a simple forge for the Dragonkin. However, gazing at it with the power of death, the black forge was no ordinary suspicious place.
Then.
A chill.
A cold, almost involuntary repulsion crept over Shimun. Slightly shivering, Shimun’s eyes flickered.
『The Constellations of Death are watching you.』
An abrupt message popped up. Soon after.
『Constellation Hades is discussing something with them with a stern face.』
『Constellation Hades assigns you a mission as the representative of the Constellations of Death.』
Hades had issued a mission. Shimun immediately opened the mission window to check Hades’s mission.
『Mission』
-The Constellations of Death are very sensitive to the circulation of souls. They find the phenomenon occurring in the black forge very unpleasant. Please release as many trapped souls in the black forge as possible.
Reward: death energy stat, Gifts from the Constellations of Death
P. S – The gifts from the Constellations vary depending on the number of souls released.
“Conditional rewards attached?”
Conditional rewards. Rewards that vary depending on how much you achieve as stated in the mission window.
“Even though it’s just the death energy stat, ‘Gifts from the Constellations of Death’…”
It’s not even sponsorship or lending but a ‘gift.’ In a way, it’s the most advanced type you can receive from the Constellations. And it’s not just Hades.
If it’s something given by the Constellations of Death, it must be extraordinary. Shimun’s gaze turned towards the ‘trapped souls’ and ‘release’ stated in the mission window.
“I see. So the souls are trapped here. Then these vast souls must agree with that.”
Just like a fountain where water is reused. The souls cannot proceed to the underworld in an orderly manner, continually circling only the black forge.
Thus, this endless flow of souls can be sustained. After closing the mission window, Shimun’s gaze pierced through like a black hole, towards the endless ceiling that swallowed souls.
“The souls are just being sucked into the vortex of the ceiling. Which means…”
And naturally. He turned towards the floor where the souls continued to flow.
“The beginning of the flow must be down here.”
With such thoughts in mind, “Noble one, are you here? Are you around?”
Dayna’s voice interrupted. Shimun momentarily released his concealment with Kynee.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
Shimun, faintly visible with an ash-colored aura. Seeing Shimun like that, Dayna nodded her head stiffly and pointed to a place.
“Where our kin are trapped is down here. Please use those stairs first.”
The direction she pointed to was the stairs leading to the lower floor.
* * *
“Hurry up. You pathetic creature!”
A thick and fierce voice. Along with it.
Crack.
“Ack!”
Followed by a painful scream erupting from the ensuing friction sound. Red marks spreading behind the emaciated back in a pitiful and perhaps even miserable manner, caused by the Dragonkin wielding a whip.
“Can’t you get up right now?!”
The dark elf clutched his eyes as if he didn’t believe it.
“We are already busy with the supply disruptions! Where are you being so dramatic?!”
Without any hesitation, the Drak whipped the dark elf again, the spikes on the whip striking sharply.
Crack.
Was the sound of the dark elf screaming without even the strength to scream?
Once again, the dark elf hit by the whip collapsed to the ground without a sound.
“Tsk! This is why elves are problematic. They have no skill like the dwarves and have even weak bodies!”
The Drak yelled irritably. The other dark elves watching the tragedy of their kin trembled in fear.
“Look. Throw that one into the furnace!”
“Yes, Valkma-nim.”
The Drak hastily resumed the labor at the irritated command of the Drak known as Valkma.
Valkma, who had been watching with half-closed eyes, clicked his tongue.
“These wretched creatures should all be turned into fuel. What is Sargas-nim thinking?”
Just as Valkma was shaking his head and turning his body, his fierce gaze wavered.
Suddenly!
The surveillance devices installed throughout the room and on the walls and ceiling exploded at once.
Then, a sinister whistling sound accompanied the collapse of the dark elves being moved like sacks by the dragonkin. But that wasn’t all.
Phew!
Fine, thin lines – so narrow that they could be called threads – of a black beam shot out like a net.
“Ke, Krrrk!”
“Kkuk!”
The beams pierced the heads of the dragonkin supervisors in the area. But luckily.
Kkaah!
Valkma swiftly deflected the intense black beam shooting towards his forehead and hastily retreated. However.
“This!”
Was just deflecting the beam enough to overwhelm him?
Valkma hesitated, clutching his sore wrist and broken whip.
‘He’s strong!’
He quickly took a deep breath.
‘He’s not someone I can handle alone.’
He might be overwhelmed on his own, but things would be different with backup.
“Intruders….”
Just as he was about to utter those words along with his breath.
“Shut up.”
Kwoong!
A clear, immature voice and a heavy force incongruent with it pressed against his mouth and whole body.
‘How…?!’
How could this young drakonid, a high-ranked dragonkin from Drak, dare to crush him with just a single word?
‘Those eyes…!’
Valkma quickly realized the reason, but before he could process it further.
Thud.
Kwoong!
With the footsteps of a man, another force slammed his body to the ground.
Phew.
In an instant, a black light flickered at the man’s white fingertips.
Valkma’s consciousness flickered as well.