Chapter 122

“H-how are you two here?”

Woojin cried out in bewilderment and joy at the sight of his two companions suddenly appearing.

“Well, I’m not sure myself. I was doing a quest when Setsuna suddenly appeared.”

“A quest?”

What was she talking about now?

‘An NPC doing a quest...?’

NPCs sometimes joined players on quests they had accepted, but he had never heard of an NPC receiving a quest herself.

“A quest...? What on earth have you two been doing while I was gone?”

SPLASH...!!

Just then, Ruen stretched her arms out to either side, and clear droplets of water rose around her entire body.

[Summoning intermediate water spirits.]

Two spirits appeared above her shoulders, wearing helmets and carrying large shields and spears like Roman soldiers. They were only a little larger than Setsuna. At first glance, they looked as cute as toy soldiers, but...

WHOOOOSH!!!!

Tucking their heads behind their shields and leveling their spears, the spirits shot toward a golem at tremendous speed.

THUD!!!

Like bullets, the spirits punched through the golem’s body.

[It hurts...! It hurts...!!!]

[Help me!! Mommy...! I... miss...!!]

“... Ngh.”

As the golems began wailing, Woojin staggered, clutching his head at the splitting pain.

[Setsuna uses Soul Guardian on you.]

She clasped her hands as if praying, and multicolored motes of light drifted over his head.

▶ A mental barrier is created.

▶ Blocks mental attacks for a set duration.

His throbbing head suddenly felt clear, as though it had never hurt at all. Woojin stared at Setsuna, wide-eyed.

“I’m level 23!”

Noticing his gaze, she flashed a V with her fingers and grinned.

“Level 23...? When did you level up so...?”

Come to think of it, he had been too overwhelmed to notice at first, but her appearance had subtly changed as well. A petal ornament that had not been there before now adorned her head.

“It’s a gift from the great spirit. She had so many incredibly old things!”

“A spirit?”

Woojin had no idea what she was talking about.

“I’ll explain once we’re out. Let’s deal with these things first!!”

Unlike the exhausted Woojin, Setsuna was full of energy. She rolled up her sleeves and shouted excitedly.

THUD!!!

[Using Critical Shot.]

At that moment, Ruen’s arrow pierced a golem’s head. Its head burst like a balloon, and it lost its balance, flailing as it collapsed.

[GRAAAAAH...!!]

The last remaining golem roared and charged at Woojin.

[Using Phantasmal Barrage.]

Dozens of projectiles shot from Setsuna’s outstretched hand toward the golem.

THUD! THUD!!

THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD!!!

The barrage battered the golem, making its body sway violently from side to side.

[GRAAAAAH...!!]

But that seemed insufficient to bring it down. Snorting like a bull, it shook its head and began charging again.

“Master...!!”

Ruen hastily drew her bow.

[Using Mighty Bow.]

▶ Increases minimum damage at the cost of accuracy.

CREEEAK...!!

The tendons in her arm stood out as she pulled back the string.

[Title: Unerring Aim’s effect activates.]

▶ Once per day, an attack skill you use is guaranteed to hit.

TWANG!!!

The arrow shot from the bowstring at ferocious speed.

THUD!!

Ruen’s arrow pierced through the back of the golem’s head and buried itself in Kelduan’s stomach wall.

SHUNK!! SHUNK-SHUNK!!

At the same time, the water spirits stabbed both of the golem’s legs.

[Gr... grrk...]

Finally, Woojin’s sword cleaved the golem in two as it lay on the floor, unable to use its legs.

[Congratulations.]

[The tenth wave has ended.]

[You have passed all waves.]

[You have cleared Dungeon: Kriemhild.]

[Special Condition: Inside the Azure Turtle’s Belly has been added.]

[Achievement earned.]

[Achievement: Beneath the Lake]

[All Failed Experiments will perish.]

[Kelduan’s contamination is beginning to be purified.]

[Mom...my...]

[I want... to go...]

FSSSH.

The golems began turning to ash amid black smoke.

‘You’re sickening to the very end...’

Woojin sank wearily to the floor and watched them disappear.

[Kelduan is freed from contamination.]

[Achievement earned.]

[Achievement: Lake Purification]

▶ Additional rewards will be granted.

[WOOOOOO...!!]

A sound like a ship’s horn reverberated, and water poured down the esophagus, slowly lifting Woojin’s body.

[Kelduan begins regurgitating the contaminated matter.]

“W-watch out...!!”

WHOOOOSH!!!!

Before Woojin could finish, the rising water began swirling and surging back upward.

“W-waaagh?!”

“Master!!!”

Woojin hurriedly tucked Setsuna against his chest and grabbed Ruen’s hand.

FWOOOOOOSH!!!!

Tilting its head back like a fountain, Kelduan began spewing pitch-black water.

“Cough...! Cough...!”

Expelled from the lake in a tangle of vomit, the three grimaced at the slime coating their bodies.

“Ugh... Couldn’t you have let us out a little more cleanly?”

Soaked through, Setsuna twitched her lips as she glared at Kelduan’s head protruding above the lake.

[Woooo...]

Kelduan bobbed its head at her words as if laughing. With the Human Golems gone, its healthy coloring seemed to have returned as well.

SLURP.

A long tongue licked Woojin. The fishy smell assaulted his nose, but he smiled and gently patted the Azure Turtle’s cheek.

[The master of the lake is grateful to you.]

Woojin looked up at the unfamiliar voice. The elderly boatman was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a beautiful woman was watching him, and he immediately realized she was the great spirit Setsuna had mentioned.

“The Fairy Queen told me there was a spirit in the Great Forest... I didn’t recognize you even when you were right in front of me.”

[Of course you didn’t. I dislike humans.]

“There you go again. Are you really going to keep this up?”

[... What?]

Setsuna climbed onto Naiad’s shoulder and poked her cheek repeatedly. Naiad’s face remained expressionless; her head merely bobbed with each poke.

“Then why did you give a Seahorse Stone Necklace to a human you dislike? You could have just let him fall into the lake and get eaten by monsters.”

Setsuna chuckled.

“You said you recognized my dress and knew the Fairy Queen had sent him. You weren’t trying to hurt a human. You just wanted Master to help Kelduan.”

[... Impertinent little thing. Whose cheek do you think you’re poking?]

“She even summoned the Fairy Queen here while you were gone, Master! Thanks to her, I gained new abilities too.”

▶ Golem Skill: Grasp

▶ Elf Skill: Soul Guardian

▶ Sacred Spirit Skill: Cloud Step

▶ Skill: Grasp — Summons a giant hand from the ground to attack enemies or protect allies.

▶ Soul Guardian: Creates a mental barrier within a set area. Protects against mental attacks and cures mental debuffs.

▶ Cloud Step: An advanced version of Mist Step. Once per day, travel to a designated target’s location. You may take up to two people holding your hands. The target must be within a 500-meter radius.

As Setsuna spoke, a skill window appeared before her.

“You saved my life.”

Woojin bowed his head to Naiad.

[There is no need to thank me. You have good companions. When Kelduan appeared, both of them made such a fuss about going to save you.]

Ruen and Setsuna smiled sheepishly.

[But humans have indeed defiled the Great Forest. Their atrocities contaminated even a Primordial Sacred Spirit.]

She looked at Woojin.

[And humans will continue to defile the Great Forest.]

“If you mean the alchemists, you can rest a little easier. The laboratory they built in the Great Forest is gone.”

Woojin answered with the events in the Kingdom of Esten in mind.

“Besides, we’re pursuing them too. Apparently, the problems they’re causing are serious not only in this world, but in ours as well.”

[The Outlanders’ world? I see...]

“The investigation will be over soon. Their organization should fall apart as well.”

But Naiad shook her head.

[It will not be easy. The forbidden alchemy they used must be connected to Juter.]

“Juter?”

He had heard that name somewhere. Then Woojin remembered what the gravekeeper at Kaisha’s tomb had said.

“Do you mean the alchemist Juter? One of the two people acknowledged by Bensina, the Black Dragon?”

[... Acknowledged? Who acknowledged whom?]

Naiad’s expression twisted at his words.

“I was told he has a key to Emperor Kaisha’s burial chamber. Those keys are supposedly given out by the Black Dragon.”

[Hmph. Did the gravekeeper tell you that? After guarding that tomb for so long, he still has no eye for people...]

“What do you mean?”

[Juter was not acknowledged by the Black Dragon. He merely took someone else’s key and made an identical copy.]

“... What?”

[He stole the Queen of Nemes’s key and copied it. Then he deceived the gravekeeper and fled with all manner of the Black Dragon’s treasures. The oblivious gravekeeper apparently took that as proof that the Black Dragon had acknowledged him. Tsk, tsk. Robbed blind right under his own nose.]

“Then... are you saying the experiments the alchemists are conducting now are connected to this Juter?”

[Yes. Unless he is caught, incidents like this will keep happening.]

This was entirely unexpected. Woojin had thought it was simply something players were doing to earn money... He had never imagined there was an NPC above them.

‘Then again, they did say they were doing a quest.’

Where had they obtained such a horrific quest?

‘Only NPCs can trigger quests.’

The alchemists’ association [Plaz] had been able to issue a quest to capture them because [Plaz]’s head was an NPC. What if their leader was also an NPC—Juter...?

‘He could have issued a twisted quest like that.’

“... If he’s involved, arresting a few of them won’t end this.”

No matter how many players were caught in the real world, Juter—the most important culprit—would remain right here. Woojin began to think the alchemist problem might grow far bigger than he had expected.

[A reward for saving the master of the lake.]

As Woojin pondered, Naiad brought a small box and set it before him.

▶ Greater Potion x2

▶ Spirit Necklace x1

▶ Azure Turtle Armor x1

The box’s contents were modest, but their value was anything but.

Name: Spirit Necklace

Grade: B (Upgradable)

Description: Allows the wearer to summon a lesser spirit.

▶ Agility +2

▶ Constitution +2

‘So it lets me summon a spirit...’

It was an interesting item, but how much help a lesser spirit would be remained uncertain. What caught his attention, however, was the upgrade notation beside its grade.

‘I’ve never seen anything like that next to an item’s grade before...’

[If you are fortunate, you may be able to form a contract with a higher spirit.]

Apparently, that was what “upgradable” meant.

Name: Azure Turtle Armor

Grade: A

Description: Armor made from Kelduan’s shell. Only those acknowledged by a Primordial Sacred Spirit can obtain it. Extremely hard and specialized for defense.

▶ Defense: +450

▶ Trait: Hardened Skin — Reduces all damage taken by 5%.

▶ Skill: Crouch — Reduces damage taken from area-of-effect attacks by 50% when used.

Considering that the leather armor Woojin had been wearing offered a mere 150 Defense, this was a truly tremendous amount.

‘It’s useful, but it’s completely tailored to a tank. Maybe I’d be better off giving it to Weden.’

“Well, he’s wearing Sigmund’s armor for now... I can swap it out later, once he’s a bit more capable.”

Woojin removed his leather armor and equipped [Azure Turtle Armor].

[Trait: Valor has been removed.]

[Trait: Golden Rule has been removed.]

[Skill: Spirit Channeling has been removed.]

The two Traits attached to his armor disappeared. Losing Golden Rule did not matter, since he still had plenty of money, but he regretted losing Valor and Spirit Channeling.

‘I can’t keep wearing C-grade gear forever...’

He lightly tapped his sturdy new armor and made up his mind.

“I know some people investigating the alchemists. I’ll pass the information along when I return.”

[May light shine upon your journey.]

SPLAAAAASH...!!

With those final words, she dissolved into a cascade of water and vanished.

“Whew.”

Only after Naiad disappeared did Ruen sink to the ground, seemingly free of tension at last.

“I was so scared... When Kelduan appeared in the lake, I really... my mind just went completely blank, you know?”

“Sorry.”

Her cheeks flushed faintly at Woojin’s reply.

“You should have heard Lady Ruen shouting that we had to save you! But wasn’t it amazing? I never dreamed that old boatman would be a great spirit!”

In an excited voice, Setsuna regaled Woojin with their recent exploits.

“Then the old boatman suddenly turned into Naiad and gave Lady Ruen a trial! ‘Do you truly insist on saving that man?’ Ahem!!”

“S-stop.”

Flustered by Setsuna’s performance, Ruen waved her hands and grabbed her.

“Mmph—mmph! All right!! Stop, stop!!”

Setsuna barely escaped Ruen’s hand over her mouth, then asked as though something had just occurred to her.

“Come to think of it, what kind of trial was it?”

“Hmm...”

Ruen hesitated briefly at the question.

“It hardly felt like a trial. More like having a dream?”

An NPC having a dream? That sounded even stranger, but Ruen herself had no way of knowing that.

“What kind of dream?”

“Nothing special. I dreamed I became queen.”

“Wow...? That sounds wonderful! I’d love to have a dream like that... But isn’t that hardly a trial? It sounds like a perfectly happy dream!”

Setsuna’s eyes sparkled as she asked, eager to hear more.

“Well... it was a little strange.”

Ruen scratched her head with a troubled look, as though unsure how to answer.

“The Labyrinth Tower had collapsed there.”

A chill ran through Woojin. Her words made his skin crawl.

“Except for the final floor.”