Chapter 122
T h i s w a s c o p i ed f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
The Korokoro Tribe’s Village (5)
The Korokoro Tribe’s village was a dungeon that players on Earth didn’t need to seriously tackle.
Once a hidden dungeon was cleared, it couldn’t be cleared again, and it was a low-level exclusive dungeon.
Players would just pass through it, sharing efficient routes rather than sincerely strategizing.
However… even so, it was quite surprising that Hae Wonryang surpassed the know-how and strategy routes accumulated by players over years in just one attempt.
Looking back, Hae Wonryang had the innate qualities of a ‘strategist.’
While the monster stat holder, Ma Yuseong, was specialized in solo rampages, Hae Wonryang excelled in tactics that outsmarted his opponents.
‘The enemies primarily use javelins as their attack means. If you look at the steeply sloped cliffs to the east and west, herding them there would entirely neutralize their weapons. If they attempt to attack, they’ll self-destruct. Even if not, we won’t be surrounded.’
‘Are you planning to face that many at once?’
‘Oh, I’m in. Sounds fun.’
‘Crazy bastards…’
Honestly, I thought they were out of their minds.
Even players who enjoyed herd hunting didn’t use such bold methods.
But Hae Wonryang’s strategy, though bold, was precise and flawless. The enemies chose self-destruction just as he said.
The Korokoro Tribe, which combined the strength of orcs with the dexterity of goblins, specialized in long-range javelin throwing. Instead of running away from the range, pushing the enemies into a corner and sealing their weapons…
The Korokoro Tribe, with their javelins blocked, were no better than simple, brute beasts, and Ma Yuseong displayed the might of a rampaging locomotive amidst them.
Understandably, the Korokoro Tribe lost their will to resist as they were cornered by Hae Wonryang’s lure and Ma Yuseong’s bombardment from the cliffs, crushing their kin with falling rocks.
‘Ha, this is fun, right Yu-seol?’
‘Ah, yeah…’
It’s as if they were venting all the accumulated stress by joyfully smashing the dungeon. Considering the dungeon’s appropriate clearing level was 4-5 members of 3-Class or higher, seeing them rampage like that made them look monstrous.
In my opinion, both had already reached 4-Class. Given that they were destined to become the strongest in their twenties, reaching 4-Class just before the summer break of their first year wasn’t so strange.
Well, anyway.
Thanks to them, I got a free ride.
I was glad I brought them along. Honestly, it would’ve been a shame to waste all the hard training I did to come to this dungeon, but isn’t it better to avoid hardship and reap the benefits?
[You have been rewarded for clearing the dungeon ‘The Korokoro Tribe’s Village.’]
[Magic Power +06%]
[Sensibility +03%]
[Stamina +05%]
T hi s w as c o p ie d f r o m k i n gm t l . o r g
[Considering your attributes, the ‘Magic Power’ reward has been converted to ‘Strength.’]
As expected, the hidden dungeon gave substantial rewards. Increasing such stats permanently in just a day or two wasn’t easy.
[Baek Yu-seol]
* Stats
[Strength: 3-Star 05%] [Sensibility: 3-Star 04%]
[Agility: 2-Star 79%] [Stamina: 2-Star 38%]
T his w a s co pi e d f r om k i n g m t l. o r g
[Toughness: 0-Star 99%] [Mental Power: 3-Star 17%]
[Magic Power: -]
* Skill List
[Blink Lv.2]
[Taeryeong Divine Art Lv.1]
* Attributes
[Mana Leakage Syndrome Lv.3]
[Blessing of Red Spring March Lv.1]
Ever since I started training in Taeryeong Divine Art, my overall stats had been sharply increasing.
Even though I only worked out for an hour or two a day.
Additionally, thanks to acquiring quite a few recent rewards, my strength and senses had reached 3-Star.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n gm t l. org
At this level, if I seriously punched a rock, I could easily smash it.
In a world of mages, I felt like I was in a martial arts novel alone, but it didn’t matter. The very existence of ‘character Baek Yu-seol’ was quite an irregularity in Aether World.
Just as I was an anomaly in Stella now.
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f ro m kin gm t l . org
‘It’s about time to level up Mana Leakage Syndrome and Blink.’
The experience and proficiency of the skills had accumulated considerably, so clearing the next episode should allow me to level up one of them.
“Baek Yu-seol.”
“Huh?”
While I was feeling pleased looking at my now quite satisfying stats, Hae Wonryang called me with a troubled expression.
“We need to distribute the rewards.”
“Oh, right.”
“But…
He gathered the loot on a suitably sized rock and said,
“Only two ‘Artifacts’ dropped.”
“Really? Lucky.”
“But there are three of us.”
Ah. I get what he’s saying.
Artifacts are ancient relics that exhibit abilities similar to modern items, and they are rare.
Although artifacts could occasionally be found while exploring dungeons or ruins, high-grade artifacts were astronomically expensive.
The artifacts dropped in this dungeon weren’t particularly expensive, but they were rare enough to be considered valuable.
‘Rings and bracelets, huh…
I roughly checked their stats.
A ring that expanded the maximum capacity of mana suited Hae Wonryang, and a bracelet that hastened spellcasting was perfect for the knight Ma Yuseong.
T h i s wa s copi e d f r om k i n g mt l. or g
“You guys take them.”
“…What?”
“Are you sure, Yu-seol?”
“I don’t need them.”
Although the technology of items hadn’t surpassed ancient artifacts yet, I could make them if I put in the effort.
Moreover, I didn’t come here for the artifacts anyway.
“I’m fine with this.”
Looking at the item I pointed to, Hae Wonryang and Ma Yuseong’s expressions changed strangely.
“That’s…
“Just a stone monument…”
“Yeah.
What I wanted was none other than a plain stone monument embedded in the ground. It was assumed to be part of a shattered stone monument.
This is one of the keywords leading to the ‘Ruins of Ancient Carmenset.’
Collecting these pieces would open the gate to the ruins. Hae Wonryang and Ma Yuseong didn’t have the ability to detect or identify ancient artifacts yet, so it might look like a mere stone fragment to them, but I had confirmed it through the Bulbul Glasses.
“You guys must be blind. This is more valuable.”
“…Can I check it out?”
“Go ahead.”
Hae Wonryang inspected the stone monument thoroughly, unable to believe it. Ma Yuseong, curious as well, took out some special equipment, but still couldn’t discern its identity.
“Hm, I don’t get it. How about you?”
Ma Yuseong looked puzzled, and Hae Wonryang, frustrated by his inability to identify the stone monument’s nature, bit his lip.
Anyway, after dividing the rewards, it was time to leave.
The exit was in the same place as the entrance. If we went out wrongly, we might be hit by a train. But I had already investigated when the trains passed, and it was safe now.
The only concern was whether the Dark Mages were still waiting outside.
“No problem. They scattered so much dark mana; there’s no way magic warriors haven’t arrived.”
“True.”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d fro m k i n gmt l . o r g
They probably fled long ago.
“Then let’s go. It’s safe now.”
Checking the train schedule, we had an hour of safety in both directions.
*Whew!*
As we approached the small warp hole left after the dungeon core shattered, the world seemed to collapse around us, and we returned to our original location.
Bustle, bustle!
“This area is now restricted!”
“Hey, no entry! Hey, journalist! Don’t cross the police line!”
…We were momentarily stunned by the commotion.
“What, what’s going on?”
A massive crowd gathered on the cliff tracks where the train passed.
People in police uniforms, researchers in white coats who looked like the Magical Investigation Team, guards in light armor, and mages from the Stella Magic Knights, along with journalists holding cameras.
Around us was a yellow line marked ‘No Entry,’ with a strong barrier subtly surrounding it.
“What is this situation?”
Before I could even finish saying it.
“Look, it’s Stella’s cadets!!”
At someone’s shout, an overwhelming burst of camera shutters and lights went off.
Click, click!
“How did you survive the mad killer?”
“Please say something!”
“They say there was a fierce battle inside the train. Can you describe the scene?”
Journalists shouted at the top of their lungs.
“You crazy journalists! Step back quickly!”
“You’re going to break through the barrier!”
Guards trying to hold them back.
“Wait… is this spatial transition? Was there a dungeon occurrence at this location?”
“But if so, the entrance should have been detected! Is this a dungeon that can’t be accessed by conventional means? How does this even work?”
Mages lost in their own world, discussing amongst themselves.
“What the heck is this…”
Returning from the dungeon, it seemed like the outside world was in complete chaos.
* * *
Stella Knights Headquarters.
Senior knight Baydo knelt with a hardened expression in the office of the ‘General Commander of the Knights.’ A man, whose face seemed consumed by darkness, was sitting at a desk, not even sparing Baydo a glance as he spoke.
“Baydo, senior knight of the Betelgeuse 3rd Magical Escort Battalion.”
“…Yes.”
“You made a very interesting mistake this time.”
“I apologize!”
Thud!!
Baydo slammed his head to the floor.
It was an excessively dramatic act of loyalty for someone living by the honor and dignity of ‘Stella’…
T h i s w as co pi ed f r om k in g mtl . o r g
But the person in front of him was ‘Stella’s General Commander, Arain.’
Having been summoned by the General Commander due to his mistake in this mission, he had to beg for forgiveness, no matter how dramatic it was.
Baydo deeply regretted his error.
‘I’m such an idiot.’
He thought the train was safe. Even though it was a close escort mission, he found disguising himself annoying and took a nap in a different car. As a senior knight, he had taken a mission typically given to lower knights lightly.
But then, the worst Dark Mages appeared and attacked his escort targets.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f rom k i n g mtl.o rg
‘…It’s not just bad timing.’
He had been thoroughly educated to respond to crises anytime, anywhere.
“You used to be diligent and useful…”
Arain’s words made Baydo bite his lip.
“Have you slacked off since becoming a senior knight?”
“I apologize!!”
Thud!
He slammed his head to the floor again, blood seeping from his forehead.
Arain frowned at the commotion, though Baydo couldn’t see his face.
…Of course.
‘This is interesting.’
To Arain, Baydo’s mistake was trivial.
‘Baek Yu-seol again…’
Arain, whose face always seemed shadowed by darkness, showed a flicker of interest.
Baek Yu-seol had faced crises not just once or twice.
The necromancer attack, the Persona Gate, Maizen Tiren’s dark transformation, and now even a killer on a train.
Yet Baek Yu-seol handled all these situations flawlessly.
“Honestly.”
“…Yes!”
When Arain began to speak, Baydo thought he was being judged and responded vigorously. But Arain had long lost interest in Baydo’s mistake.
“I dislike young geniuses.”
“…Excuse me?”
What a random statement. Baydo looked up, bewildered, as Arain continued talking.
Maybe he just needed ‘someone’ to listen to him.
“Those who know their talent shines in their youth… tend to falter before reaching their twenties.”
Arain was never called a genius.
In fact, he was once considered an underachiever.
He was always surrounded by geniuses who advanced ten steps when he took one.
But that was the problem with geniuses.
Geniuses who strided ten steps at a time would quickly become despondent when faced with even a small barrier.
Having always walked an easy path, they couldn’t think of climbing over walls.
Ordinary people were different.
They faced steep cliffs instead of smooth roads. Advancing one step required tremendous effort, and even after overcoming it, another wall would soon block their path.
But ordinary people kept going. Knowing how to overcome walls, they continued their journey.
That was Arain now.
Once called an underachiever, lagging behind others, he was now the General Commander of the world’s most powerful knights.
“So, I dislike geniuses…”
By Arain’s standards, Baek Yu-seol was a genius.
A genius on par with the famous Ma Yuseong and Hae Wonryang.
But Baek Yu-seol had something different from other geniuses.
He surely walked a smooth path with his talent, but he also knew how to overcome barriers perfectly, as if he were an underachiever.
‘He said he can’t use magic, right?’
Born with a body that made him an underachiever, yet discovering talent in another field, he was a genius.
Arain rubbed his wrist. Long ago, a curse from a witch had turned his skin dark.
He had little time left to live.
He urgently needed to find a successor for the ‘General Commander of Stella Knights.’ He had planned to choose a hardworking ordinary person, not a genius, as his successor.
‘But if it’s this kind of genius…’
Perhaps, this person was the most suitable for the position.
Though Arain thought this, he shook his head and put Baek Yu-seol’s file aside.
‘Mana Leakage Syndrome, was it?’
Th i s w as c o p i e d f r o m k i ng mt l . o r g
It was a pity. For a child like him to walk a similar fate to his own.
No matter how much of a genius Baek Yu-seol was.
He was also living a terminal life.
But, regardless.
‘…Meeting him in person once wouldn’t be bad.’
End of Chapter