The Nameless Blood Cult investigation team departed northward.
Though it was called an investigation team, it was just Volkran and Lee Tae-seong, the two of them alone.
However, the mission was dangerous and difficult, so the team’s level was not low.
After all, a Transcendental Realm master was the team leader, and a Peak Realm-level Hybrider was the member.
woong!
The two rode the teleportation magic circle installed at the Red Magic Tower’s Elleun branch and arrived at the northern city of Demenmark.
‘It’s good that I don’t have to pay since I’m with Volkran-nim.’
The distance from Elleun to Demenmark was considerable, so they had to use the teleportation magic circle.
Even though the Red Magic Tower had commissioned the investigation, they charged a fee for using the magic circle, and the amount was exorbitant.
Even Lee Tae-seong, who was no longer lacking financially, was taken aback.
But perhaps they couldn’t bring themselves to charge Volkran, or maybe the Nameless Blood Cult investigation commission was that important—either way, they got to use the magic circle for free.
“It’s always a barren place, no matter when you come.”
Volkran stepped out of the branch first and said.
Demenmark was one of the northernmost cities in human territory.
Beyond that, there were only villages, not cities, and the magic circle didn’t extend that far.
And that was the characteristic of most northern regions: the environment was much worse than the wealthy central or southern continent.
“It can’t be helped. The natural energy that was depleted in the past still hasn’t recovered.”
A voice came from beside them.
It was a woman wearing a robe and a pointed hat.
She took off her hat and greeted them.
“I’m Lucy, from the Red Magic Tower. I’ve joined this investigation team. Nice to meet you.”
A high-ranking mage of the Red Magic Tower.
At the 5th Circle level, she was the personnel the Red Magic Tower had assigned to the team, and she was also the one who had previously investigated the Nameless Blood Cult.
“Pleasure. I am Volkran.”
“I’ve heard of the Earth Dragon Mountain ascetic’s reputation for some time.”
Lucy bowed politely to Volkran.
Volkran was already famous, and not long ago he had broken through the wall to reach the Transcendental Realm.
Even among major factions, Transcendental Realm masters were so few that they could be counted on one hand, so he was treated with respect wherever he went.
Then Lucy turned her gaze to Lee Tae-seong.
“So you’re the genius that recently appeared in Elleun.”
“!”
Lee Tae-seong had expected her to just greet him casually, but she looked at him with obvious surprise, making him a little flustered.
Lee Tae-seong, a Peak Realm-level Hybrider.
He had been busy lately and hadn’t paid much attention to the Dream World, so he didn’t know, but rumors about him were spreading quietly.
“I heard you broke through the limit of Outsiders and reached the Peak Realm?”
Outsiders who came from the Other World were immune to death, which was remarkable, but it was difficult for them to become stronger beyond a certain level.
Simply spamming skills could not produce power equivalent to the Peak Realm, which dealt with Spiritual Will, or the realm above the 5th Circle.
It might be possible temporarily, but in a prolonged battle, it was absolutely impossible.
Therefore, no matter how much players raised their levels and learned skills, they were blocked by an invisible wall.
Naturally, top-tier players were dissatisfied.
What was the point of playing the Dream World diligently if they couldn’t even reach a mid-level position in a major faction?
For a long time, they had asked Alex, known as the developer, to patch the problem, but this was a structural issue that even Alex couldn’t touch.
And amidst all that, Lee Tae-seong appeared, growing stronger at a genius-like speed and even breaking through the Peak wall.
It was news that even the residents of the Dream World’s major factions paid attention to.
‘Is it because of the difference in how I learned skills?’
“Pleasure. I am Volkran.”
“I’ve heard of the Earth Dragon Mountain ascetic’s reputation for some time.”
Lucy bowed politely to Volkran.
Volkran was already famous, and not long ago he had broken through the wall to reach the Transcendental Realm.
Even among major factions, Transcendental Realm masters were so few that they could be counted on one hand, so he was treated with respect wherever he went.
Then Lucy turned her gaze to Lee Tae-seong.
“So you’re the genius that recently appeared in Elleun.”
Even if Lee Tae-seong died, he could revive and relay information, so the mission had a 100% success rate.
Of course, there was the penalty of skill deletion, so Lee Tae-seong never took his life lightly.
“And if this commission succeeds, you’ll get contacted by countless places in the future.”
An Outsider who can revive even after death, with high trust and skill.
That was a condition that would make any major faction drool regardless.
“Yes. I look forward to working with you.”
Lee Tae-seong nodded.
Then the three began heading north beyond the northern gate.
The barren environment greeted them.
—
The voice of the Mad Demon came from outside.
The Flame Emperor opened the door of the thatched hut.
“Mad Demon. What brings you here?”
“Oh my. Is this a place this young girl shouldn’t come?”
Outside was a woman wearing a flowing palace dress and a veil covering her face.
Long black hair fell like silk over the dress.
Her figure and jade-like voice made her seem like a celestial maiden.
But the Flame Emperor was not fooled.
Despite her outward appearance, she was someone called the Mad Demon (ç‹‚é”).
Unlike himself, who had caused all sorts of trouble in the Lower Realm but ultimately became a hero and ascended, the Mad Demon had only accumulated a terrifyingly evil reputation.
She was a monster who had ascended solely through power.
“Stop with the chatter and get to the point. Why are you here?”
“Hehe. I just came because I missed you.”
“You must be bored.”
Because such incidents had happened many times, the Flame Emperor could guess why the Mad Demon had come today.
Just as the Flame Emperor had found the Cheonoecheon world boring, the Mad Demon felt the same.
So many Ascendants in Cheonoecheon developed hobbies to relieve their boredom.
Most continued the training and meditation they had done since their Lower Realm days, but the Mad Demon preferred to find someone and have a good sparring session to sweat it out.
Since the Flame Emperor never refused a fight, they had already sparred thousands of times.
“Today, this elder is busy, so just go back.”
But the Flame Emperor waved his hand dismissively, uninterested.
He was watching the highlight of a drama.
How could he pay attention to the countless sparring matches he’d had when he was in the middle of an interesting scene?
“Hmm?”
The Mad Demon tilted her head at the Flame Emperor’s unusual reaction.
Then, from inside her dress, her hand slid out.
A white, jade-like hand.
The Flame Emperor was startled and grabbed the air, and a sword made of flames appeared.
Goeseung also twitched his hand, and a golden flame sphere formed.
Kwaaang!
The Mad Demon’s strike was blocked by the Flame Emperor and Goeseung’s counterattacks and dissipated.
But they couldn’t completely nullify its power, so a fierce wind blew, part of the thatched hut collapsed, and the things inside were blown outside.
“…Mad Demon. Do you really want to die here today?”
“Hoho. Of course not. I just feel regretful about leaving.”
The Mad Demon slightly raised the corner of her mouth behind her veil upon seeing the Flame Emperor’s reaction.
If it were the fiery Flame Emperor, he wouldn’t endure it now that things had come to this.
“Alright, fine. Let’s end it today.”
Red flames began to surge from the Flame Emperor’s entire body.
It meant the Flame Emperor was really angry.
Goeseung also joined in.
He didn’t want to waste time like this.
Since they had been suddenly interrupted while watching a drama, one couldn’t expect mercy from the two.
And the Mad Demon also noticed their mood and laughed awkwardly.
“Ahaha… facing both the Flame Emperor and Goeseung at once is tiring.”
Normally, in such situations, Goeseung would naturally step aside.
But today he was trying to gang up with the other.
Usually a benevolent monk, Goeseung had the character ‘怪’ (strange) attached to him because once he got angry, he was reckless.
Even the great Mad Demon couldn’t handle these two.
“Alright. It seems you two are busy today, so this girl will take her leave.”
She used her Lightfoot Technique and leaped away.
The Flame Emperor and Goeseung didn’t bother chasing her.
Originally, the Flame Emperor would have chased her to the ends of Cheonoecheon to teach her a lesson, but now it was enough that he had gotten rid of the annoying interrupter.
The two hurried back inside, turned on the drama, and began focusing intensely.
—
The Mad Demon put some distance between them and, when it seemed the two weren’t following, began to move leisurely.
“Letting me go so easily. How boring.”
She kicked a random stone lying on the road.
The stone was imbued with her power and flew straight to the opposite mountain’s midsection, exploding with a huge noise.
[Mad Demon! Is that you again! Please keep quiet and behave!]
“Oh, sorry. This girl apologizes.”
The Mad Demon scratched her head and apologized.
From the echoing telepathic message, it seemed she had disturbed an Ascendant living over there.
Laughing, the Mad Demon leisurely walked down the mountain.
She had gone to see the Flame Emperor to relieve her boredom, but she hadn’t achieved her goal.
Usually, in such cases, she would be very irritated and go around venting her temper, but today was a little different.
“Hmm. What’s this?”
The Mad Demon looked at the object in her hand with curious eyes.
What she held was a tablet PC.
When the first exchange of blows had caused the fierce wind, part of the thatched hut had collapsed, and some of the items inside had scattered outside.
One of the things that had flown out was this tablet PC.
Goeseung had received a tablet PC from Lee Tae-seong, and to save battery, they had been watching the drama divided between the Flame Emperor’s and Goeseung’s tablets.
The one that rolled out in the wind was Goeseung’s.
The two had been so surprised by the drama they were watching and the sudden visit of the Mad Demon that they forgot about the other tablet’s existence, and thanks to that, the Mad Demon had sneakily pocketed it amidst the wind.
“Hmm…”
She looked at the screen reflecting her face and tilted her head.
Then she lightly touched it, and seeing the screen light up, she was startled.
After fiddling with it and seeing the screen react, she smiled in amusement.
The Mad Demon tossed the tablet up and caught it, smirking.
“I wonder what this is that those two got angry but still let me go.”
It was a strange device that seemed to have something alive moving inside when touched.
Moreover, she felt a connection leading somewhere.
It wasn’t simply to the Lower Realm…
The pull headed toward an unknown world.
If she kept this, it felt like she would meet that connection someday.
The Mad Demon smiled broadly.
She didn’t know what it was, but it seemed she had finally found something interesting in the boring world of Cheonoecheon.