novelraw Chapter 45 : A New Era (2)
Chapter 45 : A New Era (2)
Chapter 45: A New Era (2)
…Enemy.
It took only 0.1 seconds to make the decision.
Pachutz!
Scarlet-red mana manifested, coursing through Yohan’s hand.
An ability that could deceive his own holy power.
And on top of that, she had secured not one but two mid-tier traits.
It occurred to him that she might be far more dangerous than Murugan ever was.
“W-wait, hold on! I’m not trying to fight! I was just observing whether you fit the criteria or not, that’s all!”
Lee Saerom hurriedly waved her hands.
Yohan paused for a brief moment.
“Criteria? What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, come on. Don’t play dumb. You know, right?”
“Know what?”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“I’m not really fond of cryptic answers. Or maybe you’re just a little too casual with your words?”
Yohan reversed his grip on the dagger.
Resentment of the Black Abyss exuded a sharp aura.
Then, Lee Saerom tousled her hair wildly and spat out a single word.
“Forbidden Book.”
“……!”
At that, the puzzle inside Yohan’s head finally clicked into place.
The source of the subtle discomfort he had been feeling.
It was the possibility that there existed another being who also knew about the Forbidden Book.
‘Now it makes sense.’
The reason she had obtained the Apache Totem.
The reason she had secured two mid-tier traits.
If she had experienced a Forbidden Book before, it was entirely possible.
‘So that’s why she went to the Withered Garden, huh?’
In that tense moment, she was able to pick and use the Broken Camera item only because she already knew how it worked.
When Yohan lowered his blade slightly, Lee Saerom began to speak in earnest.
“We’re currently looking for people like you. The episode difficulty is absolute hell, so we need as many trustworthy players as possible.”
“‘We,’ you say? So there are others?”
“Well, the details can wait… let’s talk properly somewhere with no eyes or ears around. You won’t regret it, I promise.”
Lee Saerom handed him a black envelope.
It was a kind of invitation, with a location and entry code written inside.
“There’s a veteran on our side who’s tried the Forbidden Book twenty-six times. He even reached the seventh episode! So? Can you see now just how amazing this invitation is?”
She puffed her chest proudly, flashing a confident grin— a look that seemed to say, You’re not seriously going to turn this down, are you?
Twenty-six attempts.
Up to the seventh episode, huh….
Yohan let out a faint chuckle.
“What’s with that smile?”
“Nothing. Just…”
He didn’t bother adding—because it’s cute.
Still, it was indeed intriguing.
How did she gain access to the Forbidden Book?
How much did she truly know about it?
And what were their future plans?
He needed to find out.
“All right. I’ll drop by soon.”
After preparing a few things… and fabricating a reasonable excuse, of course.
He would go only when ready.
After all, maintaining control in such a meeting was the key.
＊＊＊
Yeouido, Seoul.
After the episode ended, Yohan visited a three-story café overlooking the Han River with Scarlett.
“Waaah.”
Scarlett’s eyes sparkled.
On the table were sweet whipped-cream cakes, bright red strawberries, crispy egg tarts, and cinnamon bread, all beautifully arranged.
There were over ten kinds of desserts alone.
Along with them came lattes, smoothies, and all sorts of beverages.
“I’m not against eating, but isn’t this a bit much?”
“What are you talking about! I can finish it all!”
Scarlett’s hair stood on end as she growled— like a stray cat guarding its territory.
“Fine, eat all you want.”
It wasn’t his money anyway, and the variety of food was welcome.
“Hehe. Everyone, behold! This is called a ‘dog treat.’ It’s a sacred offering that humans present to the noble canine race.”
“H-hehehe… D-dog treat!”
“Strange… taste. Hm. Not bad, though.”
Sambok enthusiastically licked at the dog treat.
“Oooh.”
“Chomp! Chomp chomp chomp!”
“Wow… But could you maybe… stop drooling so much and eat with a little dignity? Please?”
Its eyes grew wide and narrow again as it made sounds of delight.
Seen like this, it looked entirely adorable and precious—
—but Yohan knew better.
‘Sambok’s combat strength during the battle with the Orcs was beyond imagination.’
Just what was this creature’s true identity?
It was certainly different from the hellfire-breathing Cerberus.
The Celestial Black Cloud it summoned— that was an ability even Yohan had never seen before.
‘One thing’s for sure… it’ll be a great help.’
Considering how happy it got over a single dog treat, it was cost-effective too.
It was already tamed, obedient, and with its charming looks, it could easily disarm enemies’ suspicions.
A perfect summon.
‘Quiet, scenic, and peaceful. Can’t ask for more.’
Thanks to his generous spending of gold coins, he had rented out the entire third floor of the café, leaving the first and second to others.
A private and comfortable rest.
Slurp.
Yohan drank deeply from his chocolate smoothie.
Ah, sweet bliss.
Far superior to that cursed green liquid— the rich, full-bodied flavor of sugar melted through his veins.
“I still don’t understand why I’m here. If you intend to extract information, don’t waste time—just kill me now.”
For reference, Kim Geunsik was sitting at the next table.
“I’m not here to interrogate or torture you. Enjoy the desserts instead. That green mint one with chocolate chips is surprisingly good. Try it.”
“What are you plotting, exactly? You…”
What else could he be plotting?
First, he would feed him the Black Fruit.
Then, if he disobeyed a command, he’d turn into a tree on the spot —and afterward, send him off as a loyal servant to the Requiem Cult.
Since the man would have to deliver information for him, Yohan figured the least he could do was provide a generous last supper.
His gaze shifted to Elizabeth I, perched on the table.
“Kieeeh!”
It chirped joyfully, and Yohan smiled, certain that a fine fruit would bloom soon.
Ah, right. There was one more person trembling in fear beside Kim Geunsik.
“She’s truly insane. That witch! Aah… my sugar’s dropping.”
Priscilla trembled, burying her face into a cake as big as her head.
From what Yohan heard—
At the site where Murugan and the Orcs had died, even a lower administrator’s corpse had been found.
That was why White Spirit hadn’t been able to retrieve any information.
Corpses never talked, after all.
The only thing left behind was a small flowerpot placed on top of the bodies—with a single yellow rose blooming in it.
The death of a lower administrator was not something to take lightly. Yet White Spirit chose not to dig deeper into the matter.
The traces left at the scene were the first reason—evidence that the cause was a being of considerably high rank.
The second reason was that White Spirit was still elated after winning a bet against Reygas, a mid-level Western Administrator.
And amidst all that, Yohan also learned that Reygas’s promising protégé was none other than Lee Saerom.
‘For me, things are turning out perfectly.’
After finishing most of the desserts, Yohan took out the box he had stored inside a subspace.
The reward he had received for returning the Orcs’ Sacred Relic.
He was curious to see what was inside.
‘It was disappointing that Jadrak didn’t give me that accessory which grants [Fear Resistance].’
The drop rate wasn’t high, but still—he couldn’t help hoping for it.
[‘B-Rank Treasure Chest’ is now opening!]
[Select one of the three items.]
Hundred-Year Hasuo (百年何首烏) – BBB
Fairy’s Shoes – BBB
Bone Breaker – BBB
“Wow…”
Yohan let out an exclamation as he looked at the items that appeared.
Any trace of disappointment melted away like snow.
All of them were Triple-B rank items.
‘Jackpot.’
Hundred-Year Hasuo was one of the elixirs known to exist in the martial world.
Though not comparable to the Millennium Hasuo or Ten-Thousand-Year Hasuo, it could still raise one’s mana by about 30 points if fully absorbed.
Given that his current mana was 35, it meant he could nearly double his mana reserves.
The Fairy’s Shoes increased movement speed and stamina by 10% each and came with an additional option that allowed free movement even on snow.
A normal B-rank Hunter’s movement speed was 10.
‘Mine’s around 20 now.’
That meant he could move even faster and more nimbly than before.
And finally—
Yohan’s gaze dropped to the last option.
[Bone Breaker (Set Item)]
Acquisition Difficulty: BBB
Attack Power: 110
Durability: 200 / 200
Details:
A two-handed sword weighing 3.3kg.
It has a 3% chance of directly inflicting shock to the target’s bones and a 1% chance of stunning the target for 0.2 seconds.
Its attack power was remarkable, and though the activation chance was low, the attached effects could cause huge shifts in battle.
But above all—
‘It’s a Set Item.’
Set items produced tremendous synergy the more pieces one gathered.
Some varieties even surpassed Sacred Relics in power.
In later episodes, the outcome of battles often depended on how many high-quality set items one possessed.
There was no need to say more about their value.
‘Damn… and I can only pick one of these?’
As expected of an episode reward, not a single one was lacking.
It was maddening—he wanted to take them all.
After several minutes of thought—
[You have chosen ‘Hundred-Year Hasuo’.]
He chose the elixir that raised mana.
‘To use Bloodline Abilities and Void Magic, I need a solid base of mana.’
Raising his mana was his top priority for now.
The problem was that to absorb 100% of it, the process was rather tricky….
He’d need to find a skilled Alchemist soon.
It was much more efficient to refine it into a potion rather than consume it raw.
And just then—
Thud!
Thump.
Suddenly, there came sounds of something collapsing on the first and second floors of the café.
“…What’s that?”
Yohan instinctively turned toward the staircase leading downstairs.
Breathing and presence had vanished.
Not dead—just… asleep?
Either way, something was clearly wrong.
One thing was certain—
Tap.
Someone was walking up to the third floor of the café.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star…”
Humming the one song he least wanted to hear in the world.
＊＊＊
If one were to ask what the scariest nursery rhyme in existence was, this would be the undisputed answer.
“From the eastern sky…”
A lazy, drowsy voice.
The syrupy scent of maple, sweet enough to rot teeth, seeped into his skull.
“From the western sky…”
The humming, growing louder from the first floor, sent chills down his spine.
“Kyaaaah!”
Priscilla practically convulsed.
She wanted to run out immediately, but her spiritual form wouldn’t manifest.
Because Vivian had already made her move.
[An ‘Ancient Barrier’ has been deployed in this building.]
[The café ‘Oasis’ is now under the dominion of the Maple Tree’s Territory.]
Outside the windows, out-of-season maple leaves began to scatter beautifully.
There was no escape.
“Y-Yohan, who is that person? What kind of power could… could cause this?”
Even Scarlett set down her fork.
Though she was full of pride and dignity, she froze under the overwhelming, ominous mana.
And this—
was only a fragment of the being’s true power.
“Everyone… I’ll do the talking. Don’t say a word. Just play along if needed. Got it?”
“Y-yes, understood.”
“Just spare me! I barely escaped White Spirit—I don’t want to die here!”
“……”
Scarlett and Priscilla nodded furiously.
Kim Geunsik, lips tightly sealed, silently observed.
And then—
The singing stopped.
At the same time—
Click.
The door opened.