novelraw Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116 : Chapter 116
Chapter 116 - Nesos (2)
The portal to Nesos came into view.
I had cut down over a hundred large and small monsters just to get here.
No monster could withstand a single strike from the Holy Sword Bastian, but it was still undeniably a hassle.
My friend! I'm feeling somewhat pathetic!
“About what.”
Shall I say I was moved to see you cutting down monsters one by one?
Well, when I first met the Holy Sword, I was a Sword Master who could freely use Sword Qi.
A barrage of Sword Qi would have been enough to end the situation against any run-of-the-mill mobs, so perhaps my current state, taking them down one by one, seemed pitiful to it.
And to think, in our final moments together, we faced a red dragon!
Now that we were just catching things like crayfish, carp, and frogs, the Holy Sword Bastian was likely feeling a reality check.
“Isn't it time you got used to this?”
I do not know, my friend! In the first place, I, Bastian, was created to face the Demon King. To think that the only blood staining my noble body is that of mere mobs!
“Wait. Someday, I will make sure to stain your blade with the blood of a red dragon.”
At my words, the Holy Sword trembled and resonated.
Putting aside the loss of prestige, the more difficult issue was that my mana was already hitting rock bottom.
Although my mana pool had grown much larger recently, the basis of that comparison was only the Seo Ji-han of the past. There was no way I could be fine after facing hundreds of monsters.
Even the Guyeopcho's Necklace had reached a stage where it could no longer replenish my depleted mana in an instant.
“It would have been nice if there was someone in the Chamryongdan at the same Abyss progression level as me.”
Unfortunately, there wasn't.
Everyone was far ahead of my progression.
It was ironic, but as the commander, my hunter career was overwhelmingly short.
It was just a shame that there was no one to act as my guide, porter, guard, and errand boy.
Are you planning to replenish your mana before going, my friend?
“I have no choice.”
Even if it took some time, I had no choice but to operate the Mana Breathing Technique and build up my mana again before passing through the portal.
Fortunately, no monsters appeared around the portal, so I could start the Mana Breathing Technique with peace of mind.
Of course, a corner of my senses was always kept open in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances.
The Abyss was a place where anything could happen.
The mana replenished quickly.
Part of the reason was my small mana pool, but the mana concentration in the Abyss was also significantly higher than in the outside world, and the efficiency of my Mana Breathing Technique had greatly improved as my body's condition became better than in the past.
Just as I was about to finish the Mana Breathing Technique, I felt a presence from afar.
First of all, it wasn't a monster.
Not only was it a place devoid of monsters, but more importantly, the size of the mana was quite large.
It was clearly human.
And as the presence got closer, I felt a sense of familiarity.
Step.
Step.
I heard the sound of footsteps rapidly closing the distance.
Just from the feel of the footwork, it was a considerably skilled master. I could now guess who it was.
‘She’s improved a lot.’
She wasn't a talent the Muwon Sword Family cherished for nothing.
I ended the Mana Breathing Technique and immediately opened my eyes.
“Senior!”
The one who greeted me cheerfully was Min Ha-rin.
“I was wondering if it was you, but it really is, Senior!”
“This is unexpected.”
“What is?”
“I thought you would have already finished with Nesos.”
It had been quite a while since I had come to an Abyss quest area to make progress.
Lately, there had been a few places I had to go to via maps.
“Lately, I've been focusing solely on my training. It's been a while for me in the Abyss too.”
“I see.”
I heard that old man Han Byeong-cheol was teaching her directly, and just by sensing her aura, it was clear she had improved significantly.
“Perhaps you and I are destined, Senior Johan?”
“A strange coincidence does seem to be continuing.”
If it were true destiny, it would have been better if we had met a little earlier, at the beginning of this journey.
“You're going to party with me this time too, right?”
“I don't mind, but I heard Nesos gives more difficult quests to parties.”
“I won't make it hard for you, Senior. I've benefited a lot from you so far, so please give me a chance to repay you!”
Her enthusiastic demeanor was just like Min Ha-rin.
“Alright. Then let's party up this time as well. I'm in your care.”
“Thank you, Senior!”
And so, we once again embarked on a quest journey together.
***
[A quest has been generated.]
[Eliminate the Lord of the Night Market, Nefaya.]
A message that came as soon as we passed through the portal.
The target of the quest was not a monster.
It was a native inhabitant of this dimension.
If one had done even a little research on Nesos, it was impossible not to know about Nefaya.
He was one of the top-named figures in this world.
The ruler of the underground city's night market.
And the wealthiest man in Nesos, an object of fear for merchants.
We, as outsiders, were given the role of erasing such a man from this world.
Min Ha-rin's expression became extremely serious upon hearing the message.
She, too, felt the weight of this quest.
Perhaps both of the two superstitions about Nesos had been applied.
‘Didn't they say the quest's difficulty is proportional to the challenger's talent?’
On top of that, party play was added, so the difficulty must have skyrocketed.
But it didn't end there.
[You have been poisoned by Paris's venom upon passing through the portal.]
For a moment, my eyes met Min Ha-rin's.
She had received the same message.
An incredulous laugh escaped my lips.
Somehow, I had felt something was wrong with my body's senses as I passed through the portal.
But to think it was poison.
Even for someone like me, there was nothing I could do about the machinations of this Abyss.
[The poison will slowly spread, and your body will become increasingly sluggish.]
[Antidote: Consume a Polos Fruit.]
Thankfully, they had kindly provided the method of detoxification.
Min Ha-rin's expression had become sullen.
“I'm sorry, Senior.”
“What are you sorry about?”
“My desire to repay you got the better of me, and I rashly suggested we party……”
“You sound weak. Are you not confident in this quest?”
“That's not it, but.”
At the very least, her confidence in being able to carry the team had weakened.
She seemed burdened by the quest's target, but more than that, she was feeling the effects of her lowered stats due to the poisoning.
It wasn't just her body becoming sluggish; her mana had also decreased.
‘I don't know the reason, but she seems to have taken a bigger hit than me.’
I could tell with my Mana Eyes.
“The decision to party up was entirely my own. So you have nothing to be sorry about. I quite like this quest, actually.”
This was by no means a bluff.
It was a truth of the Abyss that the more difficult the quest, the greater the reward.
I looked at the still sullen Min Ha-rin and continued.
“I'll say it again, you have no reason to feel sorry towards me. But if you still feel uncomfortable, you can take care of the trivial matters during this journey.”
“Of course, Senior!”
“Then let's head to the central area for now.”
Nesos was a world with a gloomy atmosphere.
A musty smell pervaded the entire city, and the sun was not bright, making the visibility poor.
The overall atmosphere felt apocalyptic.
If not for the fluorescent stones embedded here and there, the entire world would have been even darker.
“We need to get the Polos Fruit first, right?”
I nodded at Min Ha-rin's question.
If we eliminated the Lord of the Night Market, Nefaya, right away, the quest would end, but the poison in our bodies would not disappear.
So we had to complete the detoxification here.
The problem was the whereabouts of the Polos Fruit.
As we walked towards the city center, we asked passersby, but no one could give us an answer.
“We'll have to use an information broker.”
“Senior. But the cost of buying information……”
“We'll have to earn that first.”
I had heard that there was an easy way for hunters from Earth to gather initial funds.
By going to a gladiatorial arena and fighting for a daily wage.
There was no reason to choose another option.
What we did best was swing and cut with a sword.
It would be beneficial to hurry even a little.
Even now, the poison was slowly encroaching on our bodies.
Thus, we arrived at a gladiatorial arena located in the city center.
A bald middle-aged man who seemed to be the owner of this place asked.
“I haven't seen you before, you want me to let you fight?”
“Yes. If possible, in the earliest slot.”
I stood with my arms crossed behind my back, watching Min Ha-rin's conversation with the owner.
“As it happens, a spot opened up unexpectedly today……”
“Then I'll take that.”
“Without even asking who you'll be fighting?”
The bald owner gave a dumbfounded smile.
“I was just about to ask! Who do I have to fight?”
“You don't look very trustworthy. Can you really fight?”
“Of course. Do you think this sword is just for decoration?”
Min Ha-rin took out her beloved sword from her inventory and showed it to him.
The owner stared at her sword and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
“That sword. It certainly looks good.”
“Then tell me. Who is it that I have to fight.”
“A Red Twin-headed Tiger.”
“It's not a person?”
“You don't seem very surprised.”
Min Ha-rin didn't seem to know what a Twin-headed Tiger was.
In fact, neither did I.
It was impossible to learn everything that existed in the world of Nesos before coming here.
“The fight fee is 60 Lina, with a victory bonus of 100 Lina. Do you agree to these terms?”
“I do.”
There was no negotiation.
She immediately said yes without a second thought.
The owner had a satisfied look on his face.
“Oh, and there's one more condition.”
“What is it?”
“Not just the young lady, but the man behind her must also fight. A Twin-headed Tiger has two heads, so it's only natural for two gladiators to step up, isn't it?”
“No! Do you know who this person is! He's not someone who would do such a menial task!”
“Who is he?”
It seemed I couldn't just listen anymore, so I finally chimed in.
“We accept those terms. I'll fight too.”
“S-Senior Johan!”
“It's fine. Don't overdo it.”
Min Ha-rin was determined not to let a single drop of blood touch my hands, but there was no need to go that far.
What was the big deal about hunting once in the Abyss.
And so, an agreement was reached, and we decided to wait here for a while.
The arena was scheduled to open in two hours.
From the next room, we could hear the laughter of the owner who had left us behind.
It seemed he was talking to someone.
If I focused my senses a little more, I thought I could hear them.
Good for us! If they both die, we don't have to pay the bonus, right?
And the reaction would be even better if they both get eaten by the Twin-headed Tiger.
The two laughed loudly again.
From the looks of it, she was carrying a good sword too, we could get a pretty penny just by selling that!
It felt like we had chosen a corrupt gladiatorial arena.
Min Ha-rin, oblivious to everything, was just spacing out by herself.
While waiting, I entered the Mana Breathing Technique again.
My body was already in poor condition, and with the poison spreading, it was quite nerve-wracking.