novelraw Chapter 25 : The First Episode
Chapter 25 : The First Episode
Chapter 25: The First Episode
Fwoosh!
A drop of saliva from the bartender’s mouth aimed for Kang Yohan’s eye.
It was fairly fast.
He had expected it.
Twat!
As if he had known, Kang Yohan casually flicked the spit away.
It was a poisoned dart.
A kind that couldn’t be seen in this place.
“Trying to kill someone just because they said one word. This bar is nastier than I thought.”
“Ugh.”
The bartender quickly tried to pull out the concealed dagger he had hidden between his thighs.
But Kang Yohan was one step faster again.
In an instant he snatched the man’s wrist and leaned close to his ear to whisper.
“Wouldn’t it be just as troublesome for you if people started paying attention?”
The Hestia Empire was humanity’s enemy.
Although the days of all-out war were over, a truce did not mean they could move around freely.
If his identity was revealed, of course he would not fare well.
In fact, as Kang Yohan’s posture made it look like he might overturn the table, heads turned.
“How—”
“How did I know you were a spy for the Hestia Empire?”
The bartender nodded slightly instead of answering.
“That ring on your pinky is used to seal classified documents. The faint snake-shaped mark around the ring is the residual magic left from the sealing.”
True to an empire that favored analog methods, they often used courier letters rather than communications.
Naturally, they would have magical tools suited for security.
‘Rings or necklaces were mostly used.’
All of it was information he had accumulated over countless rounds.
“I thought you weren’t an ordinary person, but this far exceeded my expectations. If I told our intelligence department, they’d probably faint.”
The bartender let out a small sigh.
“Believe it or not, I don’t hold much ill will toward the Empire. On the contrary, I approached because I wanted to make an in — some point of contact. You came all the way to this foreign country, so you surely want something. Who knows — maybe I can help.”
Kang Yohan shrugged and answered.
Because of the ‘Second Impact’ that brought entire civilizations over, huge medieval-based powers had taken root in Europe.
‘Not only those guys — because four more civilizations arrived, the size of Earth had grown to more than three times its original scale.’
It had been a major event that changed the paradigm of security, but the important thing now was that their existence was closely linked to the episode.
In particular, the Hestia Empire held items and people that were indispensable for the mid-episode strategy.
He had to open a route to secure those, no matter what.
‘Even if they were at peace, the borders were sealed tight.’
A miracle would be needed — like getting elected in a short time and creating an official diplomatic channel.
Otherwise, he would have to find spies like this and build trust the hard way.
“There’s no other choice then. So can I take that to mean you’ll formally accept our contract?”
“Difficulty doesn’t matter — but please make the reward worth it. Of course, it will start after the first episode ends.”
“Understood. I’ll look for things that suit your tastes.”
Eventually the bartender, worn down by Kang Yohan’s demeanor, surrendered.
There was nothing he could do inside the Running Rabbit.
“Then, I look forward to working with you.”
Kang Yohan leisurely took a sip of the newly served drink.
Old Fashioned.
It had a faint fruity aroma.
He thought he would be drinking it often from now on.
Time passed quickly, and before long the day of fate approached.
Three hours before the first episode began.
Cities around the world were swallowed by a suffocating tension.
Surely, the message that an apocalypse would begin before everyone’s eyes had appeared.
But there had been no signs for about a week afterward, so there was some hope it might be a false alarm.
That message had been, in fact, someone’s prank.
They desperately wished for word that this peaceful daily life would continue.
‘Of course, that wouldn’t happen.’
Kang Yohan set his jaw.
Soon the episode would truly begin.
When a hellish journey of the highest difficulty unfolded, many things would change.
Looking around Banpo Park, he saw armed raiding parties here and there.
Employees of the Hunter Association and the police were busy controlling the roads, preparing for the coming apocalypse.
The only clue given to humanity was the ‘Green Wave.’
Because there was no way to know how, where, or in what form it would start, fear and pressure only grew with time.
And finally.
[0H : 0M ; 0S]
All the grains in the hourglass had fallen.
[The main episode will begin!]
The red status window flashed at that moment.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Trumpets announcing the long prelude to war echoed across countless cities.
[The ‘Caretaker Bureau’s fay’ are intervening!]
[‘Forces from other dimensions’ have begun to operate!]
[24 gates in the Republic of Korea have appeared in an inactive state!]
“Ha ha ha. Wow, they really flooded in. The place that used to be for picnics is now full of humans with weapons!”
A cheerful laugh.
Small and cute in appearance.
Flapping wings too.
Everything about it was optimized for this situation.
Its skill for teasing people’s nerves seemed like it had been trained in a group somewhere.
He had hoped Priscilla would come, but she seemed to be assigned elsewhere. Maybe she had gone to the Gangdong District after all.
“It’s for real… then.”
“The peaceful days are over, huh.”
Hunters sighed deeply.
The appearance of administrators meant the apocalypse had become a fait accompli.
Another tragedy that would push humanity into despair was beginning to take shape.
"That's right! For you people who used to milk the Tower of Trials after it was cleared, this must be quite a tragedy. But what can you do? If you don't want to die, you’d better start adapting to this world right now."
The giggling fairy snapped her fingers.
Then.
[Main Episode (1) – ‘Green Wave’]
Duration: 7 days.
Content: The green-skinned warriors are preparing for the first Flood. Currently, in the ‘Republic of Korea,’ 24 Gates are scheduled to appear, and the inside of each Gate is connected to a single location. (It is an ‘open-type dungeon’ that allows free entry and exit.)
Objective: Find and secure the Orc tribe’s ‘Sacred Relic.’
Reward: Treasure Chest (Rank B)
Upon Failure: An Outbreak will occur.
[Sub Quest]
From now on, you may acquire a ‘Profession.’ You may ‘inherit’ your existing profession and abilities or attempt to ‘change’ to a new one!
“Don’t worry too much, everyone. At least for the first time, I’ve added several restrictions to make it relatively easy for you. It’s not like the Orcs will come pouring out right away. You even get a whole week’s grace period. Hah. Damn humans, you should just be grateful.”
The fairy bared her sharp teeth.
Honestly, it was hard to find a lower administrator with a decent personality among them.
No doubt it was because they were overworked preparing these massive Episodes every single day.
Office workers buried in overtime always had plenty of anger to spare.
‘Meiba….’
Yohan mouthed the fairy’s name silently.
The ‘Eye of the Prophet’ was already piercing through the creature’s status window.
[Meiba]
Occupation: Lower Administrator
Constellation: 4th Moon (月), 1st Star (星)
Unique Ability: Nightmare of Dreams
Description: Possesses narcissistic tendencies and a disposition to despise beings of a lower rank. Currently in a state of obsession with achieving results.
Now that the ‘Eye of the Prophet’ had reached Lv.2, the pain had significantly subsided.
Its constellation was 4th Moon, 1st Star.
A little higher than Priscilla.
‘It’s still too early to deal with that one.’
When Hunters obtained a profession, they were usually assigned a rank equivalent to 3–5 stars. An A-rank would start around 10 stars. To barely reach the mid to late stages of the 1st Moon, one had to be at least S-rank or higher.
Of course, talented S-ranks or rising stars would advance through the constellations much faster.
But that was something for later.
For now, the constellations of the 3rd Moon, Jinwol (辰月), or the 4th Moon, Geonwol (乾月), were insurmountable walls.
‘I wonder where I stand.’
If his mana was sufficient, Yohan could easily crush someone like Meiba.
But if not….
Even if he mobilized every Hidden Piece and all his preparations, his chances were only about fifty-fifty.
In the previous rounds, his odds hadn’t even reached ten percent.
‘I’ve gotten stronger.’
His heart pounded.
He had achieved the best start across all his previous cycles.
Right then—
Ding!
A third status window appeared before Yohan.
[A special reward will be granted to the one with the greatest number of Hidden Pieces.]
Yes.
He had been waiting for this moment.
His visit to Running Rabbit wasn’t just to obtain the 2nd and 3rd-grade Hidden Pieces.
Before each Episode began, an additional reward was granted to the player possessing the greatest number of Hidden Pieces, which was a major incentive.
Originally, Taehwa Pharmaceuticals would have claimed that reward—but yesterday’s incident had changed everything.
Yohan smacked his lips in satisfaction.
‘Sweet.’
Exhilaratingly so.
The realization that he could start a week ahead of everyone else sent a shiver of thrill through him once more.
With trembling fingers, he checked the reward.
Then—
[You may use the item you selected in the ‘Mystery Room.’ (However, its abilities are partially restricted, and in the case of ‘Isofoth’s Animal Encyclopedia,’ the number of animals you can choose is limited to three.)]
It was a reward beyond expectations.
He had enjoyed using that item for various purposes, so it had been disappointing to only use it within the dungeon.
Now, he could summon those animals once again.
“Huh?”
Meiba tilted her head.
Then, as if noticing something, her eyes widened.
“Wow, no way. There’s actually a Hidden Piece collector here? You’re seriously lucky. Thanks to you, everyone in this area now has a much higher survival rate, you know?”
She didn’t reveal who it was, but she grinned slyly while looking straight in Yohan’s direction.
And at that moment—
[The Gate is opening!]
A green Gate appeared, spreading across the air.
“Well then, I wish you luck. May you damn humans prove your worth.”
With those words, Meiba vanished.
A few seconds of silence passed before the surroundings erupted in noise.
“Orcs? Did it just say the first Episode’s about Orcs?”
“So we need to secure their Sacred Relic… A week’s pretty tight.”
“We also need to figure out the pros and cons between ‘inheriting’ and ‘changing’ professions.”
“I don’t like that there’s someone hoarding all the Hidden Pieces. Who the hell could it be…?”
Questions filled the air, but no satisfying answers followed.
One thing was clear—they had to get inside as quickly as possible and secure the Orcs’ Sacred Relic.
To prevent a horrific Outbreak, speed was essential.
“Each guild should start selecting members to enter.”
They needed to send a scouting team first to gauge the enemy’s strength.
Orcs usually appeared in C-rank dungeons, but they were aggressive and operated in groups, making them far from easy opponents.
[‘Monarch’]
[‘Silver Lion’]
[‘Red Oni’]
The major guild Monarch led the charge, joined by the elite but smaller Silver Lion and the bounty hunters of Red Oni.
Others unaffiliated with any faction followed soon after.
‘Shall I go too?’
Yohan quietly joined the advance party.
Like the Withered Garden, this place also contained useful items and Opportunities. To claim them first, speed and timing were everything.
He hadn’t come all the way to Banpo instead of staying in nearby Gangdong District for nothing—the Gate here was the closest to the Orcs’ main territory.
Above all—
‘Finally, I can choose my Profession.’
He didn’t want to delay the moment of making the most important choice that would accompany this grand Episode.
“Entering now!”
At the raid leader’s signal, the advance party stepped through the Gate.