novelraw Chapter 33 : Chapter 33
Chapter 33 : Chapter 33
Chapter 33: Waryong's Dungeon (4)
"Sigh."
Having completed two of the three runs, I was finally facing the last one.
However, unlike the first and second times, the final run was not going to be easy.
The system notifications informed me of that fact as well.
[A hidden piece of the Gate—Waryong's Dungeon—is being revealed.]
['The Final Visit of the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage' begins.]
[Prove your worth and be recognized.]
The idea of a mere Gate deciding whether to judge and recognize me was quite unpleasant.
I was considerably annoyed, but I could not voice my complaints.
After all, the person who needs something has to be the one to bow down, right?
Since I was the one in need, I had no choice but to follow along silently.
"At least it finally feels like it fits the name Waryong's Dungeon."
Perhaps because a hidden piece was not called a hidden piece for nothing, the zombies, which had been difficult to even recognize as humanoid before, began to take on a proper form in the third run.
They looked like... warriors, perhaps?
In truth, there was nothing particularly special about them, but because this was Waryong's Dungeon, they felt that way.
"Well, for a C-Rank Gate, this much is impressive."
While not the exact same structure, similar types of hidden pieces exist in higher-ranked Gates.
Considering that, the fact that a mere C-Rank Gate underwent such a transformation was impressive in itself.
'Though in the end, they are still just zombies.'
They did not even know how to swing their weapons properly, and even when they did, it did not feel threatening.
Thus, I cut down the zombies in a manner not much different from what I had been doing.
Most fell in a single strike, and those that seemed a bit more resilient were hacked to pieces over several dozen minutes.
Before I knew it, they had been cleared out as cleanly as before.
"Phew. These guys were all bark and no bite."
Only their appearance had changed; nothing significant was different from those I had defeated earlier.
If anything, it felt like my clearing speed had increased.
I supposed the reason it felt faster was that I had become more accustomed to using my power.
"Let's finish this quickly."
Even if I was faster, I needed to move busily considering the time it took to clear the previous two runs.
When I left the Academy, what I received was an outing permit, not an overnight pass.
I still had some time left, but since you never know what might happen in life, it was better to finish as quickly as possible.
I moved into the dark forest.
It was already my third visit, but I still could not get used to this gloomy feeling.
Uwoooooooo!!!
I was equally unable to get used to the sound of the boss's roar.
I let out a sigh mixed with annoyance and irritation as I looked at the boss.
However, I was quite surprised by the boss's appearance that followed.
"...It is remarkably sophisticated."
The moment I confirmed the boss's appearance, I took back what I had thought earlier.
'I would believe it if someone said that thing was a real warrior.'
The boss before my eyes was in a different league from the zombies I had killed until now.
Its face was crushed beyond recognition, but its body was not.
A Ghoul, wearing the kind of martial arts robes characters in Wuxia novels might wear, was walking toward me while clutching two swords.
Seeing that appearance made it feel a bit odd to even call it a Ghoul, but it was a Ghoul nonetheless.
It was a look perfectly suited for the phrase 'hidden piece.'
'I wonder if a boss will actually know how to use swords properly.'
The zombies could not even swing their swords correctly.
However, seeing that this guy was specially holding dual swords, it felt like it might actually swing them properly.
'I need to be on my guard.'
This was not the same entity I had seen during the first two runs.
That meant the creature standing before me now was not the one I knew.
If even the strong can die in this world if they let their guard down, then someone like me, who is not even strong, certainly could not afford to be careless.
Therefore, I wreathed myself in Im Seong-cheol's talent and stared at the boss.
Uwoooooooo!!!
Then, just like before, the boss immediately rushed toward me.
However, the same situation as before did not unfold.
CLANG—!
The boss blocked my sword strike with its own sword in the exact same manner.
It did not end there.
The boss immediately swung the sword held in its other hand.
"Ugh!"
As I hurriedly tilted my head back, the sword strike grazed past my forehead.
In that single exchange, I could feel it.
It did not just know how to swing a sword; it was skilled at using it.
"Yeah, there is no way anything in my life would ever go smoothly!"
I immediately corrected my broken posture and activated Shin Yu-hwan's talent.
When I did, the pain that had felt like a mere sting until a moment ago instantly began to constrict me.
It was an unavoidable consequence of using the high-ranking talents of Shin Yu-hwan and Im Seong-cheol simultaneously.
Still, unlike during the incident with Yu-hyeon, I was not squeezing out every drop of power, so it was manageable.
'I will wait for the next attack and then decide the match in one go.'
My combat style is not usually one where I bet everything on a single blow, but I had no choice now.
Even though I had become more accustomed to it than before, using Im Seong-cheol's and Shin Yu-hwan's powers together was still difficult.
Considering what came afterward, it was a correct judgment to end it as quickly as possible.
Therefore, I did not move from my spot, waiting for the boss to attack.
Uwoooooooo!!!!
As expected of a Ghoul lacking intelligence, the boss could not wait and rushed toward me.
'I have to aim for the exact timing.'
It lacked intelligence, but it was something that knew how to fight.
Thus, even though I was using the talents of those two, I could not just swing blindly.
If I did and got blocked again like the first time, it would be a total disaster.
'Not yet. A little more.'
The boss was rushing at me with the intent to kill.
My body was screaming that I should block it right now, but I could not.
The greatest opportunity usually comes at the most dangerous moment.
I held my breath until the end and waited for that opportunity to arrive.
Time flowed, feeling infinitely long despite being only an instant.
Uwoooooooo!!!
The moment the boss, having reached right in front of me, swung its sword toward my head.
'Now!'
I stared at the enemy's attack until the very end and immediately moved my body.
At the same time as I parried the attack aiming for my head with my sword.
CLANG—!!
I blocked the second attack that followed by using the scabbard in my left hand.
Uwooooooo?!
I dug into the guard of the boss, who was flustered because all its attacks had been neutralized.
Then, perhaps realizing that the situation had gone wrong, it tried to regain its posture, but it was already too late.
It was time to teach it how important it was to maintain distance when using a sword.
"Phew."
Having dug deep into its guard, I lowered my posture and sliced through one of its legs as if sliding.
It was not a strike delivered from a proper stance, so it lacked power, but thanks to Im Seong-cheol's Blue Flame, the monster's leg was easily cut off.
The boss immediately staggered and lost its balance.
And I was not such a fool that I would miss that opening.
"Let's end this now."
I wrapped my left arm around the head of the unbalanced creature to fix it in place.
Then, I reinforced my sword using 'Blue Flame' and 'Mach Strike.'
Perhaps knowing that this was a power that would kill it, the boss began to struggle wildly.
However, that did not change anything.
STAB!!
I immediately plunged my sword straight into the neck of the creature I had held in place.
Because of the sheer force I used, the sword sank in as easily as a key into a lock, despite its sturdy-looking skin.
At the same time, the struggles of the thrashing creature gradually ceased.
"Huff, huff..."
Certain that there would be no more unexpected events, I let out a heavy breath and released the strength in my hands.
Pain began to cover my entire body with a stinging sensation.
Moreover, even though it was a Gate boss, it felt like I had fought a person, so I felt more mentally exhausted.
While I was soothing my exhausted mind and body for a moment.
U... Uwoooooo...
Despite having a sword stuck in its neck, the boss let out one last cry of some kind.
The way the creature flailed its hands was somewhat strange.
However, I could not follow that question further.
[The boss 'Ghoul that recalled its memories of life' has been defeated.]
[The hidden piece 'The Final Visit of the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage' has been cleared!]
[Calculating contribution.]
[Player Choi Yu-seong's contribution is calculated as 100%.]
[Rewards corresponding to the contribution are being distributed.]
[You have gained 1,500 Influence Points by indirectly affecting the future.]
In the end, the Ghoul, unable to survive the fatal wound, died.
Like any other boss in a Gate, it disappeared without even leaving a corpse behind.
However, the final appearance of the Ghoul and the system's message continued to swirl in my head.
'Its name changed to saying it recalled its memories of life.'
What on earth was that?
Even though there was a hidden piece, it was ultimately just a C-Rank Gate.
In the first place, the fact that a hidden piece like the Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage was hidden here was impressive.
Usually, hidden pieces of this level only appear in Gates of A-Rank or higher.
If so, for what reason did the Ghoul change like that?
Furthermore, to think I indirectly affected the future... this Waryong's Dungeon was supposed to be a dungeon that only had its setting written out and was never discovered by anyone...
'I am curious, but the problem is that I have no way to find out now.'
I looked at the system window filling my vision.
[11 hours and 57 minutes until the Gate disappears.]
The Ghoul was already dead.
And this Waryong's Dungeon was a Gate that disappeared once the hidden piece was completed.
There was no longer any way to find out what the memories of its past life that the Ghoul recalled were.
"...I have no choice but to give up."
Even if I wanted to find out, not a single clue existed.
That meant there was no longer an answer.
Clinging to something that could not be done would only be a waste of time, so it was right to give up.
I felt like some useful secret was hidden here, but there was nothing I could do.
"I should check the original objective."
Ultimately, I decided to give up and check the reason I had come here in the first place.
I decided to see what the reward equivalent to an A-Rank Gate was.
With a slightly fluttering heart, I waited for the reward to be distributed.
[The reward is being distributed.]
"...This is the reward?"
After confirming the reward I obtained after that long wait, I became so flustered that I naturally forgot the questions I had until a moment ago.
***
It was now early evening, and the sun had begun to set.
I was moving toward the portal, dragging my body which was still aching from the ongoing penalty.
However, I could not concentrate on my steps back at all.
The reason was the reward I had just obtained.
I opened the system and checked the reward in detail once again.
[Blood Wish Sword]
Rank: A+
Category: Sword
Information: One of the swords cherished by the Gate boss 'Ghoul.' Although an ominous energy is felt from it, its performance is worthy of being called a masterpiece. It feels as though it contains a deep and complex story.
Ability 1: By paying a price, significantly increases abilities for a short period of time. (Cooldown: 24 hours)
Ability 2: When the duration of Ability 1 ends, the user enters an 'Anemia' state for a certain period of time.
"This is a reward I never expected..."
The reward I obtained was one of the dual swords the boss used.
I did not know while we were fighting, but now that it had become a reward, I even knew the name of the sword.
Since it was a Gate made only with Zhuge Liang as a motif, I had not expected an artifact related to Waryong, but this was also a completely unexpected reward.
"Should I be happy about this?"
I pressed my hand against my head as I looked at the Blood Wish Sword.
It was definitely a good artifact.
The sharpness of the blade was outstanding, and when I had swung it a few times inside the Gate as a test, it felt like a masterwork.
However, there was a reason I could not just be happy.
"The source is a bit..."
From the name of the sword and the fact that the penalty was called Anemia, I could roughly tell how the ability was used.
If I were to classify it, it would be a sword suited to be a demon sword.
Moreover, since the description said it was a sword cherished by the Gate boss, it was something difficult to bring out in public if possible.
"Well, it is not like I am not going to use it, though."
In any case, it was an A+ Rank artifact, surpassing A-Rank.
It was a mystery how a mere C-Rank boss possessed such an artifact, but the quality was certain.
And although I had not used the significant increase in stats mentioned in Ability 1 yet, that was also likely to be an outstanding ability.
'In the first place, my criteria isn't about looking cool, but performance.'
I had no intention of becoming a heroic player, so who cares about looking cool?
As long as the performance is solid, it is fine.
"I should go back quickly and test it."
I needed to know the abilities and penalties clearly so I could use it according to the situation.
Therefore, I intended to move quickly to the portal and return to Glory.
However, it seemed my day outside would not end just yet.
"Brother. Do you have a moment?"
The fanatic who had caused a great stir at Glory.
Yu-hyeon, who had left his contact information with me and vanished, was calling out to me while smiling and waving his hand.