Chapter 54

[All souls have been collected.]

▶ Souls collected: 10,000/10,000

[Grade B - Hell's Gate]

[Quest completed.]

“We did it!!”

“It's finally over!!”

WAAAAAAH!

WAAAAH!

As the notification sounded, the assembled members of the Genesis Corps erupted in cheers.

“Quiet, everyone.”

At the voice of the man standing on the dais, the noisy members fell silent in an instant.

“You've all worked hard. Hunting ten thousand monsters was no easy task.”

Dressed in pure white robes like a cult leader, the man spoke as he looked down over the hundreds of members.

“Without you, it would have been utterly impossible.”

The man was Karyu, leader of the [Genesis Corps].

“Now, then.”

His pale skin and long, straight black hair certainly gave him a mysterious air, but at times they made him look chilling.

As he reached toward the jar on the dais, purple smoke began to rise.

[Souls are being gathered in the Millennium Earth Furnace.]

WHOOOOSH!

A dazzling display of red light poured from all across the cult's grounds like an aurora, then began streaming into the jar in an instant.

[Congratulations.]

[You have completed the Ten-Thousandfold Gu Poison.]

“Hmm.”

Karyu gazed at the dark red liquid in the jar with satisfaction. Then he took a coin from inside his robes and dropped it in.

[SKREEEEEE!]

A piercing shriek rang out that instant.

“Gah?!”

“Aaagh...!!”

The members clapped their hands over their ears at the sound, which threatened to tear their eardrums apart.

[You have paid Dead Soul's Fare.]

[The more fare you pay, the more potent the gu poison becomes.]

“Gu poison is the deadliest of poisons. And this particular poison, made by grinding souls into it, is said to be capable of subduing even demons.”

As he watched the gu poison bubbling in the jar, the corners of Karyu's mouth twisted strangely.

“The quest is not over yet. We shall enter a new world.”

WAAAAAH!

At his words, the members began cheering as though entranced.

“Everyone, come forward and put the fare you possess into the jar!!”

At his command, the members began climbing onto the dais one by one.

“Only when all the fare has been paid will Hell's Gate open.”

[You have discovered a chain quest.]

[Hell's Gate → Archdemon]

[Continue the quest.]

When the notification appeared, the expressions on their faces went beyond joy into madness.

“Damn it...”

But there was one person who could not smile in this situation.

Colson.

'I never imagined they'd use the fare like this...'

His expression grew stiffer with every person who climbed onto the dais. Unlike other quests, this one offered no choice.

'What do I do? If the leader finds out I don't have my fare, he won't let it slide...'

If the quest were to fail because of him...

He did not even want to imagine the consequences. He might never be able to set foot on the central continent again.

No, considering what sort of man their leader was, he might have to quit the game altogether.

'I can't let that happen!'

GULP.

Colson swallowed nervously.

'Thankfully, not everyone who went out hunting monsters is back yet.'

He clenched his fist tightly.

'I have to get that coin back from him, whatever it takes...'

“Boss.”

Just then, someone quietly approached the anxious Colson from behind.

“We've received word that Peron was seen leaving the Azen Trading Company at dawn today.”

“The Azen Trading Company? In Hundred Flowers Valley?”

“Yes, that's right.”

“What's he doing there?”

“We'll have to check... but perhaps he's preparing to come over to the central continent?”

“Him?”

Colson frowned slightly and shot his subordinate a sidelong glance.

'He's been desperate to latch onto us because he had no one backing him. Why now, all of a sudden?'

A question occurred to him then.

'Come to think of it, he was the one who handed over that Dragon Mana Stone at the black market in Moretti recently.'

After losing his fare in the Bloodstained Cave, Colson had tried contacting Peron again, but there had been no response. On top of that, Peron had even disbanded the Blan Clan he had founded, so Colson had continued to harbor suspicions about him.

'Someone must be backing him.'

At that moment, Woojin's image flashed through Colson's mind. A man with such absurd strength that he had overwhelmed them despite clearly being low-level.

'Even if Peron has sided with that bastard... there's no way he's had enough time to level up enough to reach the central continent already.'

“Right. So that's it.”

Colson nodded with a nasty smile, as though he had figured it out.

“That bastard... was on an alt account.”

That would explain it. Both his absurd strength and the reason Peron was coming to the central continent.

“Yes, that's it. He's got a separate main account. A character over level fifty, here on the central continent.”

It felt as though every piece of the puzzle had fallen into place. Elated to have found a way forward, Colson urgently beckoned to his subordinate.

“Report to me as soon as Peron arrives on the central continent. Who he meets, what he does—every last detail.”

“Understood.”

'I have to get my fare back, no matter what.'

GRIND.

Colson quietly left the cult's grounds with his subordinate.

* * *

[The Lady has been analyzed.]

[Several clues have been found.]

“Strange? What do you mean?”

Setsuna, who had boarded with Woojin, began wandering around the ship.

-“Well... I can't sense the scent of death.”

“The scent of death...? What's that?”

-“The smell of a dead person.”

Woojin's expression stiffened slightly at her words.

“Are you saying no one died here?”

-“Yes. At least, not that I can sense.”

'That's strange. Charlson clearly said the captain died and the ship returned alone... '

Then what had happened to the captain?

'There must be something hidden on this ship.'

Keeping Setsuna's words in mind, Woojin opened the door to the wheelhouse and stepped inside. Although the ship had not sailed for a long time, it had been kept clean, perhaps because the sailors considered it a symbol of good luck.

-“Also, the ship is built from sea-king timber.”

“Sea-king timber?”

-“Yes.”

[Setsuna uses Ancient Wisdom.]

[Retrieving memories absorbed from the ancient book 'A Guide to Other Races (Grade C).']

A book glowing gold appeared in Setsuna's hands. She recalled the memories of an item she had absorbed in Charlson's storehouse.

'I didn't know Ancient Wisdom could do this too.'

He had thought it simply granted experience from relics, but apparently it could also retrieve information associated with them.

-“It says only the Bolton family can work with sea-king timber.”

“The Bolton family... Charlson, do you know anything about them?”

“Bolton? Of course. The captain of this ship, the Lady, was from the Bolton family.”

“Really?”

“They were once a seafaring family that traveled the seas quite extensively. The family has died out now, though.”

“Do you know much about them?”

Charlson shook his head at Woojin's question.

“No. They were already gone before I was born.”

“Hmm, I see.”

Considering a gnome's long lifespan, Woojin thought the family might have existed much further back in antiquity than he had imagined.

“What could have possessed him?”

Murmuring under his breath, Woojin casually rested a hand on the ship's wheel.

“... Hmm?”

At that moment, his fingers felt something unusual.

[The light guides the way.]

When he lifted his hand, he noticed the words engraved into the wheel.

“Light...”

CREEEAK.

He turned the wheel 180 degrees. Another inscription was written along the bottom.

[The ship sails only toward the light.]

'The light is the lighthouse. Could this mean the ship heads toward it?'

With that thought, he became convinced the ship was connected to the unexplored region of black fog. But that was all he could discover. He left the wheelhouse and searched the rest of the ship, but found nothing else of note.

“Khan!! Are you leaving right away?”

Charlson, who had been waiting for him at the harbor, called out.

“No. I'll investigate a little more before I go.”

“Hmm... All right, do as you please. The day's begun, so I ought to get back to the trading company.”

“See you later.”

“But, you know, doesn't unexplored territory mean no one's managed to investigate it? I'm not sure there's anything more for you to look into.”

Charlson looked at Woojin and asked worriedly.

“There is.”

Unlike Charlson, however, Woojin wore a knowing smile as he gazed at the blue window that had appeared before him.

“A method only Outlanders can use.”

It was the in-game community window.

* * *

-Hey, any brave souls out there willing to tackle the black fog?

-Give up on that place. There's a reason even the top rankers gave up.

-Is it that tough?

-Nah, you can't even get in.

Most of the posts he found when he searched the community for the black fog were worthless chatter.

“You can't even get in...”

But even posts like those contained information.

'There must be an entry requirement. And it's most likely... that ship.'

Seated in a restaurant beside the harbor, Woojin glanced at the docked ship.

-I spent a year researching nothing but the black fog before moving on to the central continent.

Then one post caught his eye.

-I gave up, but I'm leaving this here in the hope that the information I gathered will help someone.

“Author... Huh? Kerga?”

Woojin looked startled by the unexpected name.

'Well, there's no rule saying top rankers can't use the community... '

Perhaps because of his many major achievements, the name Kerga inspired something akin to awe among players. Woojin also held him in high regard, so he could not help taking an interest in his post.

1. You need a ship to reach the black fog. I bought and tried every ship in Hundred Flowers Valley's shipyard, but the fog blocked me from entering.

2. I believe a special ship is required.

3. Perhaps something like the ship with the goddess figurehead docked at the harbor, owned by the trading company. However, there's no way to obtain it, so there's a good chance that isn't it.

'Sorry, but there was a way to get it.'

Woojin chuckled and continued scrolling down the post.

4. There's a drunk in the brothel alley who talks about the black fog.

5. There's a kid on a brown roof toward the back of the square who asks you to take them to the black fog.

6. There's a field boss near the black fog: a ghost ship.

“This... is more impressive than I expected.”

The remaining three points in Kerga's community post were all things Woojin had not known. In particular, he could not have learned about the ghost ship without personally venturing out to sea.

“Being a latecomer has its advantages. You've saved me some time, Kerga.”

Just then, a notification appeared.

[Amalan of the Blue Temple has fallen.]

[Labyrinth Tower - Floor 10 has been cleared.]

[The Dungeon Board records have been updated.]

[1st [Phoenix Corps] (10 members) 1 hour 57 minutes 32 seconds]

[2nd None]

[3rd None]

The city stirred at the records that appeared alongside the notification resounding overhead.

“Whoa...! The Phoenix Corps finally cleared the tenth floor?”

“It took almost two hours! Isn't that the longest clear so far?”

“That's insane...”

Was it proof of how fierce the battle had been? Everyone marveled at the records on the Dungeon Board.

“I see... So being a frontrunner has its own advantages too.”

Woojin closed the community window and chuckled as he looked at the notification overhead. Though the two had never met, strangely enough, they were gradually becoming more conscious of each other.

“Ruen.”

“Mmm... Mmph! Oh, yes? Yes!!”

She had been nodding off in the seat opposite him and answered with a startled jerk at his voice.

“Let's get up. There's somewhere we need to go.”

“Oh, yes! J-just a moment!”

She stood, stuffing into her mouth the pie she had been too sleepy to eat.

“Why are you so worn out?”

“... I'm sorry.”

“Did you not sleep last night? What were you doing?”

“No, it's...”

Flustered by his question, Ruen could not answer.

-“She says she stayed up all night worrying about you, Master.”

Ruen raised an index finger to her lips in alarm, signaling Setsuna to be quiet.

“What?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Woojin looked at her.

“Let's go!! Come on!”

Without even hearing where they were headed, Ruen began walking as though fleeing.

“Don't do that again. Just get some sleep.”

Woojin overtook her, speaking as though in passing. His tone was blunt.

Looking dispirited, Ruen merely nodded without a word.

“... I won't collapse again.”

Ruen lifted her head. He was still looking ahead rather than at her, and his tone remained blunt, but somehow she believed him.

“Yes!”

She followed after Woojin.