Episode 59: Ruins (1)

S-grade artifact, Ganjiang Moye Sword.

Contrary to its unique appearance, the item skill description of the Ganjiang Moye Sword was simple.

Ganjiang Moye Sword Item Skill ‘Yin-Yang’

Yin-Yang (S): Cuts apart enemies ahead with the energy of yin and yang. (Cooldown 24 hours)

Generally, the shorter the description of this kind, the more powerful it is.

Gun. If it hits, you die.

Pufferfish poison. If you eat it, you die.

Nuclear weapon. If it explodes, the surroundings become a wasteland.

A simple explanation means there is no need to explain in detail.

In short, the ‘Yin-Yang’ skill can cut anything, no matter what it is.

The only drawback is the long cooldown that is inversely proportional to the extremely short and concise skill description.

“…Isn’t this just too much?”

I stared at the scenery before my eyes.

Great Rift.

The Observation Zone was split wide open from left to right.

KUOOOOOOOOOOOO—

With a violent tremor, the gap in the Magical Warehouse widened even more steeply.

One side overflowed with pure white aura, the other side with pitch-black aura, painting the interior of the rift.

At that moment.

WUUUUUUUUUU—

A chilling sound crawled up my spine, and my breath caught in my throat.

I immediately identified the cause.

A sinister energy was pouring in through the gap of the rift.

Beyond it, I could see hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of prisons.

“…!”

What seeped through the gap was resentment and evil thoughts.

The voices of the beings confined in the Observation Zone began to leak out.

[Lightlightlightlightlightlightlightlightlight…]

[Pleaseforgivemepleaseforgivemepleaseforgivemeplease…]

[Save me! Let me out! Release me! Let me go! Do it, I said!!!]

[WarehouseKeeperpleasehearmepleaseIwaswronglyimprisonedhereIaminnocentpleaselistenplease!]

[Humanoverthereif youfree mefromhereIwillgiveyouhalfofthisworldthisbodyisoneofthethreegreatdemonsofhell…]

All kinds of voices mixed together and assaulted my eardrums.

An ordinary person… no, even most hunters would find this pressure unbearable.

If it were the old me, my body would have frozen in terror.

But.

“Phew…”

Just a few deep breaths were enough to calm my mind instantly.

It only felt as unpleasant as smelling food waste—nothing more.

‘It’s probably thanks to my increased mental stat.’

Ding-dong!

[Cha Hasang]

– Strength: 154  

– Stamina: 154  

– Agility: 154  

– Intelligence: 154  

– Mental Power: 264  

Thanks to steadily completing the Magical Warehouse quests, all my stats had risen smoothly.

Especially because I had raised my mental power stat a lot, I seemed to have gained considerable resistance to status abnormalities.

At that moment.

Ding-dong!

<Damage detected in the 2nd Floor Observation Zone!>

<Observation Zone Sector 1 Damage Rate: 0.000000000000000000081%>  

<Observation Zone Sector 2 Damage Rate: 0.000000000000000000023%>  

<Observation Zone Sector 3 Damage Rate: 0.000000000000000000097%>  

<Observation Zone Sector 4 Damage Rate: 0.000000000000000000014%>  

<Observation Zone Sector 5 Damage Rate: 0.000000000000000000055%>  

<Observation Zone Sector 6 Damage Rate: 0.000000000000000000008%>

System windows reporting the damage status of the Observation Zone filled my vision like black snow.

Yet…

‘Only this much damage?’

Even though an entire section of the warehouse had been split apart, the damage rate was merely decimal points.

Just how enormous is Morgue’s Magical Warehouse? 

I couldn’t even begin to fathom it.

At that instant.

CCCCCC.

Morgue’s Magical Warehouse began to tremble violently.

Ding-dong!

<Morgue Mu Featherback’s temporary restoration magic is activating!>

From the left and right walls of the split warehouse, fiber-like tendrils burst forth.

KUDUK— KUDUDUK— KUDUK—

Pink mucous membranes and red muscle-like tissues tangled together and fused.

Like a living bio-building, Morgue’s Magical Warehouse was regenerating.

KU—GUGUGUGU!

In an instant, the gaping rift closed completely.

However, it looked crudely patched in places, as if done by an unskilled worker.

-Ding-dong!

<Temporary restoration of the Observation Zone is complete. – Restoration Rate: 68%>

<Specific materials are required for perfect restoration of the damaged area!>

‘So certain materials are needed for perfect repair. Nothing comes free, huh.’

The moment I thought that.

Palrak—

Featherback’s logbook opened, and a small note floated up.

-To my successor Warehouse Keeper.

If my restoration magic has activated, it means you are managing the warehouse like complete trash.

Morgue’s Magical Warehouse is the private property of the great and supreme Sorcerer Emperor.

Remember this well.

In the sky and earth, ceiling and walls and floor, light and darkness—there is no place that escapes the gaze of the Sorcerer Emperor.

Mistakes stem from incompetence, and this Morgue’s Magical Warehouse has no need for incompetent beings.

…There will be no next time. Bear that in mind.

-Morgue Mu Featherback-

=Ah=

It was Featherback’s long-winded nagging, lightly seasoned with threats.

Soon after, the materials needed to restore the warehouse appeared before my eyes.

-Ding-dong!

[Magical Warehouse Requirements]

– A+ grade magical beast materials: 0/5

– A grade magical beast materials: 0/10  

– B+ grade magical beast materials: 0/40  

– B grade magical beast materials: 0/75  

‘…Quite demanding materials.’

It flushed the toilet for me, but left the wiping to myself—something like that.

Still, it wasn’t bad.

Fulfilling the warehouse’s demands would further increase my stats, so it was actually profitable.

At that moment.

[KKADUK… KKADUK…]

A grotesque sound came from the floor.

There, the head-only remains of the Elite Soldier Zombie were grinding its jaw.

“It was still alive.”

I thought it had died long ago.

To still be breathing after its head was severed—astonishing vitality.

Attack power, defense, agility, and vitality—all stats comparable to a high-mid tier A+ rank hunter.

If this thing had fallen in the middle of Seoul, it could easily turn an entire city into ruins.

And below the Observation Zone, there must be entities even stronger than the Elite Soldier.

…

‘I need to prepare countermeasures.’

Then, the Elite Soldier Zombie slowly raised its head.

And then.

[…Your Majesty… the Queen…]

It spoke.

‘These things could talk?’

I tried to examine it more closely, but.

Tulseok—

With that single phrase, it died.

At that moment.

KWAJIK!

Jeanne stomped on the zombie’s head with her foot, crushing it completely.

[Master, I apologize for keeping you waiting so long. It was my first time using that power, and controlling it was harder than I expected.]

“No, it’s fine. But your voice…”

A dark, murky tone completely devoid of life.

Jeanne had reverted to her Death Knight form.

[It seems that because I exhausted all my mana, the Gideon’s Prayer was released.]

Saying so, Jeanne tried to sling the Ganjiang Moye Sword across her back.

But.

Hwiichung—

Jeanne staggered.

She seemed so drained that she couldn’t even properly hold the weapon she had wielded flawlessly moments ago.

Ganjiang Moye Sword item skill ‘Yin-Yang’.

It appeared to be a full-power strike that consumed all stamina and mana.

‘I’ll have to use it carefully. Especially since it can only be used once per day anyway.’

At that moment.

Sreureuk—

Shadows gathered, and Yi Seonggye revealed himself.

[Oh-ho, it seems you felled that fellow without issue! However, more importantly…]

Yi Seonggye continued with a grave expression.

[I have returned with something to report, Warehouse Keeper.]

“Did you discover something?”

[Even hearing it ten times cannot compare to seeing it once. Come see for yourself. I shall guide you at once!]

***

The place Yi Seonggye led us to was a crevice between isolation zones.

The entrance was narrow enough for only one person to squeeze through, but the deeper we went, the wider the space became.

After walking for a few minutes.

[Here we are, Warehouse Keeper.]

Finally, Yi Seonggye stopped.

When I looked ahead, I was rendered speechless.

“This is…”

It was a sight I had never expected.

Broken wooden pillars. Moss-covered rotten roofs. Half-burned buildings.

A watchtower collapsed halfway, surrounded by wooden palisades.

Upon closer inspection, fragments of zombie carapaces and dried green blood were stuck nearby.

Broken blades, spear shafts, and arrowheads lay scattered everywhere.

‘Traces of battle with the zombies.’

Suddenly, I recalled the traces of civilization I had seen when first entering the Observation Zone.

There was no doubt—people had once lived in this place that was now ruins.

‘…Just who?’

Then, I saw Cheok Jungyeong and Yi I walking out from the ruins.

Yi I bowed politely and spoke.

[We searched the village, but there appear to be no survivors.]

[…]

Cheok Jungyeong silently nodded.

At that moment, I heard the sound of cloth flapping in the wind.

Peolleok peolleok—

‘That’s… a flag?’

Atop the collapsed watchtower, a tattered flag fluttered.

It was a pure white flag bearing the emblem of a black lily.

Then, Jeanne spoke in a trembling voice.

[No, it can’t be… Why is that flag… in a place like this…]

“?”

I turned to Jeanne.

Her voice was shaking violently.

Finally, Jeanne opened her mouth with a tense face.

[Master. May I… investigate this place a little more? Please.]

It was the first time I had seen Jeanne look so desperate.

We immediately began searching the ruins.

And in what appeared to be the village square, we discovered a large stone monument.

[yKEeAustUEUqun]

Strange characters I had never seen before were engraved on the monument.

Then Jeanne’s voice rang out.

[…We shall eternally remember the victims who sleep here.]

Jeanne read the inscription on the monument, her shoulders trembling.

Tears had already welled up in her eyes.

[This is…]

Finally, Jeanne looked at me and said.

[It is the language of Ravianglily. Master.]