At last, the Gate had been completely conquered.
Evan let out a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground.
Then, from his inventory, he took out the Black Crystal he had obtained after defeating the Goblin Test Subject.
The place where the Goblin Test Subject appeared, and this Gate—they were certainly similar.
A mysterious being that wielded the power of runes.
‘Who are these guys? Why would they create such things?’
Following the Goblin Test Subject, even the boss monster of the Void Gate, Nightmare, had appeared.
Even for a seasoned veteran like Evan, it was an uncanny experience.
The important thing was that the power those beings wielded felt truly threatening.
He thought he might run into them again in the main quest.
‘With this much power, it could threaten the entire world…’
Surely, the quest would mention them again.
‘Things are going to get tougher. This probably won’t be the end of it.’
He couldn’t gauge the opponent’s full strength.
Evan felt more than ever that he needed Lee Han’s power.
“Resonance Rate, huh…”
A crucial clue and key related to Lee Han’s power.
By raising the Resonance Rate, he could regain his old strength.
That much was clear.
He’d realized it while facing Nightmare.
The question was, how would he reclaim that power?
Evan was lost in thought when it happened.
[The Gate has been cleared.]
With the medium that maintained the Gate now gone, its collapse began.
Evan got to his feet and started walking toward the exit.
‘Time to go. Darwen must be in a panic by now.’
By this point, everyone else had probably already escaped through the exit.
Evan moved toward the gateway.
In an instant, the scenery before his eyes transformed, and a forest appeared.
It was the very spot where he’d first entered the Gate.
“Young master! Are you unharmed?!”
Darwen, having spotted Evan, rushed over.
Alan and Reynold followed close behind.
“M-Master!”
Alan’s eyes were swollen, his face a mess as if he’d been crying.
Reynold, though less obvious, looked pale as well.
“I made you worry. But it’s all right, everyone seems to be safe. Let’s get a handle on the situation first.”
Evan calmly began explaining to the gathered group that the Gate had vanished.
Darwen, however, seemed unconvinced.
“The Crimson Oath just vanished like that? And we didn’t even find the medium you spoke of.”
Evan nodded as if he’d expected this.
“That’s because, when I was dragged into another space, I was lucky enough to find the medium of the Crimson Oath there. There was a creature guarding it, but I barely managed to defeat and destroy it.”
“Oh-ho! So you’re the one who handled it?”
“Yes. That’s why you couldn’t see me at the end. I broke it in another space and exited through a different gateway.”
Darwen pondered for a moment, then made up his mind.
Given the situation, there was no other way to explain what had happened.
“That’s right. The Count will be pleased to hear this. Come, we must hurry and deliver this news.”
“Yes. Father will be pleased as well. But…”
Evan lowered his gaze, as if deep in thought.
“This incident will bring many changes. I’ll have to prepare accordingly. I may not be able to meet for a while.”
He thought of Heres and Hilton.
If word spread that Darwen had resolved the Gate, whether for better or worse, those two would surely make a move.
‘It’s time to take care of this.’
His growth had reached a certain point.
And with the completion of this hidden quest, he was about to receive a reward from the Mediator.
There was no longer any need to be wary of Heres and Hilton.
‘Whatever the reward is…’
‘If it was a hidden reward, it would be a way to become dramatically stronger.’
‘From now on, devising a way to deal with them would be his next task.’
‘Since I’ve grown this much, it’s time to take the official knight’s exam. To do that, I need to handle those two quickly.’
With these thoughts, Evan returned to the mansion with Darwen.
***
When Evan’s group arrived at the mansion, knights began returning one by one.
The monster assault had ceased, so the battle ended quickly.
The knights, unable to make sense of the Gate’s sudden disappearance, exchanged bewildered looks.
After observing them, Darwen turned to Evan.
“The Count should be back by now, right?”
“I’m not sure, but since Delian is returning over there, I think he must be.”
Evan pointed toward the mansion’s entrance.
Darwen shifted his gaze, confirmed Delian’s presence, and nodded.
“Good, I’ll make sure to report everything to the Count—especially your contributions. The Count will be pleased.”
“I’ll leave the aftermath to you. I have a lot to prepare for now.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to speak in a way that helps you.”
Finishing his conversation with Darwen, Evan quickly hurried away.
This Gate had been important for this very moment.
‘The Mediator. It’s been a while since I visited.’
He didn’t care for that face, but when it came to receiving rewards, it was different.
He couldn’t help but look forward to the hidden reward this time.
As soon as Evan entered his room, he took out the Soul Stone from his inventory.
He immediately used it, and a halo of light enveloped his body.
Fwoooosh—!
A brilliant light flashed before his eyes.
In an instant, Evan was transported to the Celestial Realm, where the Mediator awaited.
As always, the Mediator stood at the castle gate, waiting for him.
Evan approached, step by step.
The Mediator watched him, an inscrutable smile on his lips.
“You managed to clear the hidden quest. And you look quite interesting, too.”
Evan walked up without a word, then spoke when he was close enough.
“You already know, so just give me my reward.”
“Very well. For your service to the world, I shall grant you a special reward.”
The Mediator raised his hand and opened his palm wide.
A small sphere of light formed above his palm.
Flash!
It was immediately absorbed into Evan’s body.
[The Hidden Quest ‘Omen of Disaster’ has been completed!]
[Hidden Supply Box: Stage 1 has been added to your inventory.]
[You have received 2,000,000 merit points as a reward.]
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has increased!]
A flood of messages appeared before his eyes, most of them reward-related, as expected.
But there was something different this time.
Unfamiliar messages popped up in succession.
[Lee Han’s hidden achievement has been linked.]
[You have achieved Void Conqueror III.]
[Resonance Rate has increased by 0.20%.]
[As a hidden achievement reward, Trace of Ihan has been added to your inventory.]
He had achieved something outside the quest.
And it was related to the Resonance Rate.
But what caught his attention even more was the Void Conqueror achievement.
‘These are definitely the achievements I earned in the past.’
Back in his previous world, he had achieved these when he destroyed Void Gates.
At that time, he’d stopped at Void Conqueror II.
This must be an extension of that achievement.
‘Trace of Ihan, huh.’
An achievement named after himself.
It was a strange feeling.
Evan immediately opened his inventory.
There, he found the crimson Hidden Box and a crude, battered old box, both received as rewards.
Evan began opening the boxes one by one
***
“Tsk.”
Kerthen Count’s House, First Knight’s Office.
Hilton was biting his nails.
“This is absurd.”
It was because of the order handed down by Clyd to the knights.
“In recognition of their efforts in stopping the Crimson Oath, commendations will be awarded to Marquess of Armeria and Evan Kerthen?”
Hilton sneered after reading the official letter.
He didn’t know the details, but it seemed Darwen and Evan had stopped the Crimson Oath.
‘Darwen Armeria.’
A fallen marquess from the frontier.
To Hilton, he was nothing more, nothing less.
But since returning to the Count’s house, he had to reconsider.
Darwen had started looking out for that good-for-nothing brat.
‘Thanks to him, I can’t just kill him off anymore. Where did this old snake come from…’
This was a real problem.
Evan’s presence was growing ever larger.
And now, even Darwen was sticking with him, which was especially irritating for Hilton.
It was getting harder to get rid of that brat.
‘No, maybe it’s already too late.’
He had to act now to deal with Evan.
He couldn’t let Evan take center stage any longer.
As he pondered, Hilton recalled the maid he’d assigned to watch Evan.
‘…Is this side the most unstable right now?’
If things had gone as planned, Evan would have been slowly poisoned to death with Parnah Herb.
That is, if Evan had just quietly lived like a wastrel.
But now, things were different. This method could be exposed at any moment.
He had no choice but to halt the plan.
‘In that case, there’s still a final use for her as a disposable pawn.’
Hilton called for Ayra.
The exclusive maid responsible for delivering Parnah Herb to Evan.
Seeing her sunken eyes and gaunt face, Hilton just clicked his tongue.
Rumor had it that Ayra not only worked as a maid but also handled other chores around the mansion.
‘Was it because she barely gets any rest due to money? Not my concern.’
He didn’t know the reason, but he’d heard she needed a lot of money.
That’s why Hilton was using Ayra for this job.
‘If it’s for money, she’ll do anything.’
Ayra silently stared at Hilton.
With a faint smile, Hilton spoke.
“I have another job for you this time. I’ll give you a reward that’s not so boring. Ten times your usual pay—no, would fifty gold be enough?”
The sudden proposal made Ayra’s eyes dart as she thought.
Then she remembered the maid who had previously poisoned Evan.
“…Is this hazard pay?”
Hilton’s eyes glinted with approval.
“Quick-witted. The situation’s changed a bit, so your role is no longer needed. Let’s finish it this time.”
“Of course, if you refuse, I have plenty of replacements.”
It sounded like a choice, but anyone who knew the truth would know otherwise.
If she refused, she’d be dismissed without proper pay.
Or worse, who knew what other consequences awaited.
She could lose everything except her life.
Ayra bit her lip, thinking of her family.
Then, cautiously, she spoke.
“Could I receive the money in advance? If something happens to me, I might not be able to send it…”
She recalled the previous maid who’d attempted to poison Evan.
That woman was still imprisoned; Ayra herself could end up dead or in prison for life.
But this was a chance to make more money at once than she’d ever seen.
Hilton grinned.
“Fine, I’ll allow that much. I’ll tell the Head Maid to send the money right away.”
“Thank you.”
“Then, take this.”
Hilton took a tiny glass vial from his pocket and handed it to her.
“Mix that into the Parnah Herb and make him eat it.”
“This is…”
“It’s a deadly poison that paralyzes the limbs. Fortunately, it won’t kill him. You’ll avoid execution, and I’ll do what I can as well.”
Ayra stared down at the vial.
She didn’t believe a word Hilton said.
She was only risking this for the money.
Delivering the Parnah Herb had already been dangerous.
Whether he collapsed now or later, the result was the same. It was just happening sooner.
‘A poison that cripples a person?’
Ayra felt uneasy about harming others, but steeled herself once more.
She needed money, now.
If she hesitated, she’d never be able to do anything.
Clench.
Ayra carefully tucked the vial away.