Chapter 419

‘But where is this place?’

The place where Myeong-hu, Bartas, and Ekalim found themselves was not inside the castle walls, but a vast open field.

‘Did they move us?’

The exact details were unclear, but it seemed they had moved locations.

“Shall we begin?”

“Whenever you’re ready.”

Of course, the location wasn’t important. What mattered now was the battle between Bartas and Ekalim. Myeonghu listened to their conversation and began focusing on them.

“…”

But the situation that followed soon made Myeonghu frown.

Swoosh swoosh

Bartash and Ekalim vanished from their seats.

BOOM! CRASH!

Then, without pause, deafening roars echoed as the ground began to crack and turn upside down. The problem was that Bartasch and Ekalim were still nowhere to be seen. To Myeonghu’s eyes, it simply felt like a natural disaster had struck.

‘This is no good…’

Myeonghu already knew the battle’s end. He had wanted to see how the fight played out, but now there was no reason to focus. Frowning, Myeonghu waited for the battle to end quickly.

“Guh!”

Then, a moment later, a scream reached Myeong-hu’s ears. And the previously invisible Bartas and Ekalim reappeared.

‘Just as I thought…’

As Myeonghu suspected, it was Bartas who had screamed. Unlike Ekalim, who looked relaxed, Bartas appeared to be in great distress.

“Looks like it’s over?”

Ekalim said with a smirk.

“…”

Bartsash said nothing in response to Ekalim’s words.

Swoosh

The surroundings darkened once more. A moment later, a message appeared.

[Special Quest ‘The Truth of That Day’ completed.]

[Rewards acquired.]

[Quest ‘The Rising Castle of Bartash’ has been created.]

[Reputation increased by 10 million.]

[Maximum Fame reached.]

[Fame accumulates.]

[Current accumulated fame rank: F]

It was the quest completion message.

‘It’s over.’

Seeing the message, Myeong-hu could confirm there was no past left to see.

Swish

Shortly after reaching that conclusion. The surrounding scenery changed.

-When will the Master be returning?

-I don’t know the exact time either, but he should be back soon.

The pillar of the Central Divine Temple before his eyes and the conversation between Carrot and Haran reaching his ears. It seemed real after all.

Swish

Myeonghu turned his head to look at Haran, Carot, and Praminus gathered in conversation, then opened his mouth to speak.

“I saw everything.”

Having announced his return, Myeonghu then opened the quest window. He did so to check the quest generated upon completing the quest ‘The Truth of That Day’.

You have lifted the curse. Should you leave the castle, the sunken Castle of Bartash will rise again, restoring its former glory. Go to the central temple of the risen Castle of Bartash and meet the High Priest!

(After a set time, you will be forcibly warped outside. If no players remain inside the castle, Bartaš Castle will immediately begin to rise.)

Time remaining until warp: 5 hours

Quest Difficulty: –

Quest Reward: ???

Quest cannot be canceled

‘What? I have to go out?’

Myeong-hu, puzzled by the lack of changes beyond the cursed pillar transforming into a sacred pillar, realized upon seeing the quest that he had to leave the city.

Swish

Myeonghu closed the quest window. He looked at Carrot and Praminus. The two were watching him beside Haran. Myeonghu opened the pet window and spoke.

“Carrot, Praminus. Good work. And please wait here for a moment.”

-Yes, Master.

-Yes, my lord.

Hearing Carrot and Praminus’ replies, Myeonghu pressed the recall button, recalling Carrot and Praminus. Closing the pet window, Myeonghu then looked at Haran and said.

“There’s nothing more to do now, right?”

Looking at the quest, there was nothing left to do inside the castle. Yet he asked this because there might be something hidden, something he hadn’t noticed.

-That’s correct.

Haran nodded in response.

‘Nothing…’

He had hoped, but hope ended with just hope. Myeong-hu, who had held out a little hope, moved on with a slightly disappointed look and said.

“Then may we proceed outside now?”

-Outside the city walls, you mean?

“Yes, the curse is lifted, and my business here is done…”

His business within the castle was done, and he had to leave anyway to start the next quest.

“There’s also another matter to attend to outside.”

There were also matters to resolve outside the castle.

‘They said there were a few more Kraken.’

Myeonghu opened the quest window to check the quest.

Repurem, the god of luck and thieves, has made you an offer. The proposal is to slay the Kraken, a race known to the gods as the ‘Paradine.’ Why Repurem seeks to kill the Kraken remains unknown. Will you accept Repurem’s proposal and slay the Kraken, or refuse? Your choice?

[Kraken: 2 / ???]

Quest Difficulty: S

Quest Reward: ???

Refusing the quest slightly lowers your affinity with Repurem

Minghu had captured a total of two Kraken so far. However, Kraken still remained in Lake Belkan. Minghu intended to go out and capture the remaining Kraken.

-Understood. I’ll guide you then.

Haran nodded in understanding at Myeonghu’s words and began walking ahead. As Haran started moving, Myeonghu closed the quest window and followed suit.

‘Ah, right.’

Myeong-hu, silently following Haran while looking around, suddenly turned his head at a thought that came to mind and looked at Haran.

“Hey, Haran.”

He opened his mouth and called out to Haran.

-…Yes?

Haran stopped walking and turned back at Myeong-hu’s call.

“I have one question I’d like to ask.”

He had intended to ask, but there was one thing he had momentarily forgotten to inquire about. Myeong-hu now intended to ask about it.

-…?

Haran looked puzzled, and Myeonghu continued.

“Could you tell me where the Great Temple is?”

What Myeonghu had intended to ask was the location of the Grand Temple. After the fortress appeared, Myeonghu had to go to the Grand Temple to meet the High Priest.

-The Grand Temple, you say… We’ll need to alter our route slightly. Is that acceptable?

It meant it would take more time.

“Ah, yes.”

But Myeonghu nodded without a moment’s hesitation. He thought it better to learn the way now, even if it took a little longer, than to get lost later.

-Then we’ll head to the Grand Temple first.

Haran changed direction upon hearing Myeonghu’s reply and began walking. Myeonghu followed behind Haran, mentally memorizing the surrounding buildings.

-Right over there.

A short while later, Haran stopped walking, raised a hand, and pointed ahead. Myeonghu, who had been observing the surrounding buildings, turned his head at Haran’s words and looked where Haran was pointing.

‘There it is.’

Where Haran pointed, a temple stood, so enormous and majestic that anyone would recognize it as the Grand Temple.

“Thank you.”

-Is there anything else you’d like to know?

“No. I think we can head outside now.”

I might have to find another place later. But for now, the Grand Temple was the only place I needed to know about.

-Understood.

Haran began walking again at Myeonghu’s words, and Myeonghu followed behind her. After walking for quite some time, Myeonghu and Haran finally reached the edge of the outer wall.

-Shall I open the gate?

Haran, having reached the end, asked Myeonghu. The gate Haran referred to was clearly the city gate connecting to the outside, now firmly shut.

“Yes.”

Myeong-hu nodded in response.

-I’ll open the gate. And… thank you so much.

Swoosh

As soon as Haran finished speaking, her body began to emit light. No, to be precise, Haran’s body was transforming into light.

‘Does opening the door mean I have to return to the earth again?’

Myeonghu thought, watching Haran transform into light. When they first arrived here, light had emerged from the ground, and that light had become Haran. It seemed that to open the door, she had to transform back into light and return to the earth.

Squeak

Of course, that wasn’t the important part. While Myeonghu pondered, Haran transformed into light and returned to the earth. Simultaneously, the castle gates began to open.

‘So I just need to go outside.’

When no users remain inside the castle, Bartsach’s Castle immediately rises. And inside the castle, there were no users besides Myeonghu. Meaning, as soon as Myeonghu stepped outside, the castle would rise. Finishing his thoughts, Myeonghu took a step to exit.

“…Huh?”

But as Myeonghu tried to take a step, he couldn’t move when he saw what lay beyond the castle gates.

‘Those things…’

Outside the castle gate, countless Kraken stood in a line. And that wasn’t all.

‘Atakshia too?’

Atakshia was visible among the kraken.

‘This is perfect.’

Myeonghu had been eager to meet Atakshya after obtaining Bartsash’s token anyway. Thinking it was for the best, Myeonghu stepped outside the castle gates.

[You have exited the castle.]

[Bartsach’s castle is rising.]

[Bartsach’s castle will land on the ground in 3 hours.]

As he stepped outside, a message appeared.

‘Three hours…’

It would take three hours for the castle to fully rise above the ground. It was quite a long time, but Myeong-hu didn’t care.

‘Perfect timing.’

He actually thought it was perfect timing. After all, Myeonghu had to capture Atakshah and the Kraken anyway. Three hours was just the right amount of time.

Thump, thump

Myeong-hu turned his gaze from the message to Atakshah and the Kraken, and began striding purposefully toward them.

‘Which one should I take down first?’

Myeonghu pondered as he advanced toward Atakshah and the Kraken. He wasn’t debating which Kraken to take down first. His dilemma now was whether to capture Atakshah first or the Kraken first.

‘It seems better to take Ataksa first…’

Myeonghu knew it would be better to take Ataksa first. But one thing troubled him.

‘What if they escape?’

That concern was precisely the Kraken’s escape. Atakshah didn’t seem likely to flee just because the Kraken died first. But the Kraken were a different story.

What if Atakshar died? The Kraken’s reactions would be twofold. One was to charge in rage, and the other was to flee in terror. If they charged in rage, that would be ideal. But what if, by any chance, they fled in terror?

‘I won’t be able to catch them all…’

We might catch a few, but we wouldn’t catch them all.

‘Alright, let’s catch the Kraken first.’

Having resolved to catch them all, Myeong-hu decided after much deliberation to catch the Kraken first. Atakshya would be quite troublesome, but it couldn’t be helped if he wanted to catch them all.

Swish

Having made up his mind, Myeong-hu turned his head to gauge the distance to the krakens. He wanted to identify which one was closest.

‘That one.’

After checking the distance, Myeong-hu knew which Kraken was closest. It was the brown one staring straight at him.

‘Shall we go?’

Myeong-hu grinned at the brown kraken. Then he opened his mouth and spoke.

“Shadow Shift. Moving Strike.”

============================ Afterword ============================

My throat hasn’t healed even after 4 weeks, so I tried going somewhere else today…

I should have come here sooner.

I feel like it’ll be all better in a few days. Ha ha.

Wishing you a delicious dinner

and have a peaceful night.