Chapter 60: Ruins (2)

[It is the language of Ravianglily. Master.]

I carefully examined the stone monument.

Featherback’s logbook began translating the characters engraved on it.

[Remember forever those victims who sleep here.]

– Layla, daughter of Sarah. Rests here.  

– Be happy there, big sister Yelena.  

– Proud son, Maxim. Died honorably in battle.  

– Roy. I will definitely avenge you. Close your eyes in peace.

“…This is.”

The monument was filled with messages mourning the dead.

The more Jeanne read, the darker her expression grew.

When I looked around, I saw small mounds of earth rising here and there.

This place… seemed to be a communal graveyard.

At that moment.

Tuk… Tududuk…

Tears began rolling down Jeanne’s cheeks.

[I thought I was completely alone… yet some descendants of Ravianglily still remained…]

Perhaps all the grief she had bottled up until now had surged forth; Jeanne quietly wiped her tears.

After a while.

Having calmed down somewhat, Jeanne spoke with a composed face.

[Master. Although this is written in ancient Ravianglily script, it uses an extremely old writing system from long ago. Why is it here?]

A cold, sharp observation.

This was Morgue’s Magical Warehouse. The storehouse of the Sorcerer Emperor ‘T’.

Why were the descendants of Ravianglily—a kingdom on the Lokpia Continent destroyed by the Seven Great Demons—here?

At that moment.

Dae Dae Dae—

Jeanne’s body gradually began returning to its intact human form.

Ding-dong!

<Vassal Ravianglily Mu Jeanne d’Arc has activated the skill ‘Gideon’s Prayer’!>

Her mana had finally begun recovering.

Soon, Jeanne looked at me and said.

“Master.”

I could feel firm resolve in her voice.

“I wish to explore deeper inside. Will you permit me, please?”

Somewhere in the Observation Zone, or somewhere within Morgue’s Magical Warehouse, there might still be survivors from Ravianglily.

This was undoubtedly of utmost importance to her.

I nodded.

“Thank you, Master.”

Jeanne bowed reverently in gratitude.

At that moment, Yi Seonggye abruptly chimed in.

[Then we shall accompany you as well. My body still feels a bit stiff, after all.]

At Yi Seonggye’s words, Cheok Jungyeong and Yi I also nodded.

Shadow knights needed neither food nor sleep.

They were truly perfect for exploration.

‘It really feels like running a macro.’

Moreover, from my perspective, there was no reason to refuse since it would raise the exploration rate.

‘Then the sub-dragon… better not bring it.’

It only listened to me anyway.

Besides, after forcibly sending it back earlier, it was probably sulking hard right now.

“Master. If this unworthy disciple can be of any help, call me anytime. I will come running immediately.”

With those parting words, Jeanne led the shadow knights and headed deeper in.

“I guess I’ll work on some warehouse quests too.”

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  

Materials needed for perfect restoration of the Observation Zone.

Every single one was rare and precious.

“Conveniently, I have just the right item.”

I took out an artifact from my inventory.

-Ding-dong!

<Nostra’s Compass>

– Storage Number: MRG-771  

– Storage Grade: Safe  

Long ago, in a city called Hectum, there lived an old prophet named Nostra.

He possessed the ability to foresee the future by reading the flow of the stars.

However, the peculiar thing was that Nostra’s prophecies could only foretell impending disasters and calamities.

Tsunamis and storms, droughts and floods, famine and war.

Nostra’s prophecies were always accurate, pinpointing even the exact location and time.

Then one day, Nostra went to Hectum’s plaza and declared.

‘Seven calamities will soon befall Hectum. These seven calamities will be unprecedentedly cruel and harsh.’

If the citizens of Hectum had been wise, they might have heeded his words and prepared.

Unfortunately, Hectum was filled only with the ignorant.

The crowd believed Nostra’s prophecies were the cause of the disasters, so they sewed his eyes shut, crushed his ears, and cut out his tongue with heated scissors.

The prophet Nostra breathed his last in the arms of his only disciple.

Yet before dying, he handed his old compass to his disciple and whispered something, after which the disciple vanished without a trace.

And the city of the ignorant, Hectum, met a miserable and horrific end under the seven successive calamities.

“The one who possesses my compass will clearly foresee the disasters to come. Yet no one will believe them when they speak of it. Just as it was for me.” -Nostra-

Nostra’s Compass. An artifact that divines approaching catastrophes.

‘Last time I used it, things got pretty hectic.’

It had led me to an S-grade dungeon.

To Death Lord Vincent’s instance dungeon.

But the situation now was very different from back then.

Even an S-grade dungeon no longer terrified me outright.

I closed my eyes while gripping the compass.

Then.

Paaat—!

Stars gathered and formed the shape of the Korean peninsula.

Soon, countless points of light began appearing.

Among them was one particularly intense, blindingly bright point.

I nodded and said.

“Destination: Busan. Haeundae.”

***

The next afternoon.

A rich coffee aroma filled Professor Park Ahjeong’s office.

Jjororuk—

Soon, Park Ahjeong carried a coffee cup to the table.

“I heard the villain alliances have been going wild lately? Watching the news made me think of you. You must be insanely busy.”

The person she handed the coffee to was Bae Minji, special investigator from the Hunter Administration Bureau.

Bae Minji pressed her forehead and replied.

“Don’t even start. The number of villain alliances has increased sixfold compared to last year. Sixfold! It makes me wonder if there’s a villain factory in places like Samcheok, Gangwon-do.”

Vigilantes and villain alliances.

Keywords that had been constantly appearing in the news lately.

Vigilantes were violent self-appointed enforcers who advocated private justice.

Villain alliances were massive criminal organizations made up of awakened individuals.

Because of these two groups running rampant, only the hunters in public service were dying in droves.

Bae Minji sighed deeply and continued.

“If only the Hunter Association were a little cooperative with us…”

“What do you mean? When the Administration Bureau officially requests cooperation, they’re supposed to comply, right?”

“Do you know what Association hunters call us? ‘Main Enemy.’ Apparently we’re the real enemies, not the monsters. Hilarious, isn’t it?”

“…”

The Hunter Administration Bureau existed to control hunters and awakened individuals.

Naturally, from the hunters’ perspective, the bureau was nothing but a thorn in their side

They only cooperated because they were forced to by orders from a national agency.

At that moment.

Swiik—

Park Ahjeong gently patted Bae Minji’s shoulder.

“You’ve had it rough.”

“Yeah…”

Bae Minji nodded.

She only ever showed this weak side to Park Ahjeong.

After taking a sip of coffee, Bae Minji continued.

“Actually, that’s not the only problem. Lately it feels like Deus Ex Machina is plotting something big. They’ve hired both the Gray Mage Tower and the Red Mage Tower. It’s a headache.”

Deus Ex Machina Corporation.

A subsidiary of Mrs. Luddite, ranked 2nd among Korea’s A+ hunters.

Bae Minji continued complaining for quite some time.

After a while.

“So.”

Park Ahjeong set down her coffee cup and said.

“You have a favor to ask me, right?”

“When did you learn mind-reading? How did you know?”

“We’ve known each other ten years. I can tell just by looking. Whenever you have a request, your left eyebrow keeps twitching.”

“…”

“Heh.”

Bae Minji sheepishly scratched her left eyebrow.

But only briefly. Soon she spoke with a serious expression.

“Ahjeong, come back to the Administration Bureau.”

“No.”

Park Ahjeong rejected the words Bae Minji had struggled to say far too easily.

Bae Minji showed no sign of being shaken.

She merely smiled bitterly and continued.

“In times like these, we need even one more outstanding talent. Someone like you, Ahjeong.”

“Think about it carefully. I can prepare a position for you anytime.”

“Minji, I…”

Just as Park Ahjeong was about to speak with a troubled expression.

Beep beep beep— Beep beep beep~!

Bae Minji’s smartwatch began blaring frantically.

After checking the message, her face instantly darkened.

“What? What is this… Ahjeong, sorry, I have to go!”

Bae Minji rushed out of the professor’s office.

Moments later, a disaster alert also arrived on Professor Park Ahjeong’s smartphone.

[Disaster Alert]

– An S-grade presumed dungeon gate has appeared at Haeundae Beach, Busan.  

Nearby residents and vacationers, please evacuate immediately to the emergency shelter.  

– Shelter contact: 055-XXX-XXXX  

“An S-grade dungeon!? That’s impossible…!”

***

At that very moment.

“Great view from up here. The whole beach is clearly visible.”

I was looking down at the sandy beach from the Haeundae observatory.

KURURURURURUK~!

A powerful mana field swirled in all directions, whipping up a sandstorm, while violent waves crashed as if to devour the white sand.

And at its center.

WUUUUUUUNG—

A gate emitting a dark crimson aura was opening.

Even from dozens of meters away, I could feel the tingling mana waves.

I was certain.

‘That’s at least an S-grade dungeon.’

Normal dungeons allow escape midway even without killing the boss.

In other words, I could just quickly gather materials and leave.

Thinking that, just as I was about to descend from the observatory.

KUGUGUGUGUGU—

“!?”

Suddenly, my entire body began to be crushed.

An enormous gravity. It felt as though a giant’s hand was squeezing me.

Tulseok!

Unable to withstand the pressure, I fell to my knees.

At that instant, the space in front of me rippled, and a subspace began tearing open with a CRACK CRACK.

Beyond it was none other than the entrance to the Magical Warehouse.

An orange eyeball embedded in the pitch-black door stared down at me.

Soon, a voice like an echo from a cavern flowed directly into my mind.

<Bow your head in reverence…>

Terror crept up my spine.

Cold sweat was already pouring down.

Even though my mental stat was high enough to withstand the prisons, right now my body was stiffening with pure fear.

Soon, the voice from the hell gate rang out once more.

<Warehouse Keeper ‘Cha Hasang’ shall obey the imperial command of the Sorcerer Emperor ‘T’, sovereign of the Magical Empire.>

…What the hell is this situation again.