Chapter 71

WHOOOOSH!!!

His vision went pitch-black. Hundreds, then thousands of stars appeared before being sucked into a hole like a black hole, and his vision turned blindingly white again.

“Ugh... Urp!! Bleeergh!!!”

When the white finally cleared from Woojin’s vision, he found Ruen leaning against him, retching.

“I-I’m sorry!!”

After throwing up, Ruen realized she had made a mess on Woojin’s feet and recoiled in horror.

“It’s fine. I can wash it off.”

“N-no...”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

Woojin spoke casually, but she stood there helplessly, her face scarlet.

“She’s more embarrassed than sorry. Ugh... I’m dizzy...”

Sprawled on the ground, Setsuna flailed as she spoke.

“Ugh... This is worse than the ship. Master, since you’re already dirty, could I trouble you too?”

“You don’t feel sorry or embarrassed, do you?”

“Waaah!!”

Woojin picked Setsuna up, tossed her unceremoniously into the bushes, and turned to Karlan.

“You seem all right.”

“I’m used to it. Dimensional sickness gets better if you keep using portals. It can be quite severe the first time.”

If anything, Karlan seemed intrigued that Woojin was perfectly fine.

‘Well, I’ve been to another world too... Maybe I’ve gotten used to it.’

He merely shrugged, avoiding an answer.

“Anyway... So this is the central continent.”

What caught his eye above all else was an enormous tower that seemed to pierce the sky. It had a hundred floors, but its height was anything but ordinary.

“Seeing that makes it feel real.”

“Yes. Many adventurers are working to conquer the tower. All the treasures recovered from it are making the continent wealthy.”

Indeed, the kingdoms were flourishing as more of the Labyrinth Tower was conquered.

‘We thought that prosperity would last forever.’

But as Raoul had said, this happiness would end someday.

‘Raoul said the world would start changing once the sixtieth floor was cleared.’

Only the tenth floor had been cleared so far. There was still plenty of time, but that made it all the more important to be careful. As time passed, people would succumb to the arrogance that would lead them to ruin.

DING.

It happened just then. Around the time Setsuna returned from the bushes where he had tossed her, a notification window appeared. Unlike any he had seen before, it had a golden border.

[Congratulations.]

[You are the first person to set foot on the central continent below level 50.]

“... Hmm?”

[Achievement: Outlander of the Dark Forest]

[This is a feat no one has ever accomplished before.]

[A quest will be issued.]

[Find Nissen in Thorn Bach.]

‘Hmm?’

Something was different this time. Previously, whenever a quest was generated, a notification would ask whether the player wished to accept it. This one did not. Like a guide, the notification was telling him what to do on his first visit to the central continent.

“Well, I appreciate it. Karlan, how long would it take to get to Thorn Bach from here?”

“Thorn Bach? It’s right nearby.”

“I’d like to stop there.”

“Of course. We should go wash your shoes first.”

Karlan, who had no way of knowing about the notification, smiled as he spoke, and Ruen’s face flushed once more.

[Thorn Bach, the Labyrinth Tower’s Thirteenth Village]

“M-Master...!!”

“Go ahead. Order whatever you like.”

Inside the inn, Woojin waved a casual hand at Ruen, whose eyes sparkled as she gazed at the food other people were eating.

“It’s certainly different from the Dark Forest.”

“Haha, I imagine so. The central continent is more than ten times the size of the Dark Forest.”

Even the scale of the villages was different. This place, a mere village, was larger than Parta, the biggest city in the Dark Forest. Unlike the Dark Forest, where most buildings were wooden, this village was filled with stone buildings and felt more like a city than Parta did.

“It’s been a long time for me too. I’ve only been here as a child, with my mother.”

“Here?”

“The kingdom manages it now because of the adventurers visiting the Labyrinth Tower, but House Muren’s mansion used to stand here.”

“Really?”

“Yes. That’s probably why it’s so much bigger than the other villages. My uncle explained it when we came to see the Labyrinth Tower.”

“Your uncle... Zion Muren?”

“That’s right. He said he stops by occasionally because, although the mansion is gone, the vacant land is still House Muren’s private property.”

“Hmm...”

Woojin’s lips twitched slightly at the unwelcome name.

“You all rest here. I’m going to look for someone. I won’t be long.”

“Shall I come with you?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll go alone and have a look around the city while I’m at it.”

“Understood.”

After tending to his shoes, Woojin left his companions behind and stepped out of the inn.

* * *

“All kinds of ingredients harvested on the first floor for sale!!”

“Buying broken equipment.”

“Low- to mid-grade alchemy items for sale.”

Unlike the beginner area’s squares, which were lined with NPC merchants, this one was full of player stalls displaying all sorts of signs. Watching players trade with one another in the square felt novel to Woojin.

‘First, I need to find Nissen...’

Woojin approached one of the stalls in the square, where fruit was piled high.

“Welcome! These fruits grow on the first floor. They’re delicious.”

“Excuse me, could I ask you something? Do you happen to know an NPC named Nissen?”

Woojin picked up something resembling an apple from a crate of produce as he asked the proprietor.

“Nissen?”

The man tilted his head.

“Yes. I heard Nissen was here.”

“Hmm. There is an NPC by that name, but why are you looking?”

The stall owner’s expression stiffened as he accepted Woojin’s money.

‘What’s with that reaction?’

The man looked as though Woojin had asked something he should not have, but Woojin answered calmly.

“It’s for a quest. It told me to find Nissen in Thorn Bach.”

“A quest? That’s unusual. Are you from the Church, by any chance?”

“No. Why do you ask?”

“Nissen is cursed. It’s dangerous to get close, so the militia caught Nissen and locked them in jail.”

“... The militia?”

“Ah, I take it this is your first time on the central continent.”

Woojin nodded.

“You can look it up on the community later, but... You got a notification when you entered Thorn Bach, didn’t you? Saying it was the thirteenth village?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“There are over a hundred villages like this on the central continent. Each one has a militia.”

The merchant explained a number of things to Woojin. In short, monster waves apparently occurred at regular intervals on the central continent. The militia protected villages from those monsters in exchange for a set payment from the kingdom to which the village belonged. Each village did have guards, but as higher floors of the Labyrinth Tower were cleared, the monsters grew stronger, gradually leaving the guards short of manpower.

‘So we have to conquer the Labyrinth Tower, but the further we get, the more dangerous it becomes outside.’

The merchant’s explanation helped him understand how conquering the Labyrinth Tower had led to the world’s destruction, as Raoul had described.

“Then where can I find the militia?”

“See that black roof over there? That’s where you need to go.”

Woojin took out a gold coin and offered it to the merchant.

“Thank you for taking the time to explain.”

“Gasp...! N-no, there’s no need!”

Startled by the unexpected sum, the merchant hastily waved his hands, but Woojin set the coin on a crate at the stall.

“Um... In that case, just a moment...”

“Yes?”

The merchant hesitantly slipped the gold coin into his pocket, then glanced around.

“It’s not just because of the money...”

He covered his mouth with a hand, as though about to share a secret.

“I don’t know what your business is, but you’d be better off not getting involved with the militia. Those guys are downright rotten.”

“Why?”

“They collect taxes on the pretext of protecting the village, help themselves to crafted items... Honestly, they’re no better than thugs.”

“Don’t the administrators stop them?”

“Even if we report them, they just tell us to settle problems between players ourselves. Besides, the militia has big clans backing it, so people like us can’t fight back.”

“Hmm.”

Woojin nodded at his words.

“Anyway, you’d best be careful. There are even rumors that those militia bastards secretly follow people they don’t like and kill them outside the village.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. You’ve only been in the Dark Forest, so you’ll need to keep your wits about you from now on. PK is possible on the central continent.”

“Thank you.”

Woojin smiled at the merchant’s earnest warnings and rose to leave.

“PK, huh...”

Heading toward the black roof, Woojin scratched his cheek. Just then, for no particular reason, his eyes fell on the title in his status window.

[Title: Mad Demon]

* * *

KNOCK, KNOCK.

Woojin knocked on the door of the black-roofed building the merchant had pointed out. He had not noticed from a distance, but up close, it looked markedly more lavish than the other buildings.

“Who is it?”

The door opened, and a man in black leather armor appeared before Woojin.

“I heard an NPC named Nissen was here. I’ve come to see them.”

“... Nissen?”

The moment Woojin spoke the name, the man’s expression turned icy.

“What business do you have with that person?”

“It’s for a quest.”

“A quest?”

The man gave Woojin a suspicious look, then jerked his head.

“Hmm. Come inside for now.”

As Woojin entered the building, every gaze turned toward him. Everyone wore the same black armor as the man leading the way.

‘He called them thugs... but whoever’s in charge seems to know a thing or two about managing people,’ Woojin thought as he studied them.

‘People feel secure when they belong somewhere.’

And uniforms were the most effective way to make that sense of belonging visible.

“Are you in, Captain?”

Having led Woojin upstairs, the man spoke at a door, looking thoroughly tense.

‘What kind of person has him acting like this?’

His behavior only heightened Woojin’s curiosity.

“Come in.”

A rough voice like scraping metal came from within. The man gave Woojin a small nod, then turned the doorknob with utmost deference.

“You have a visitor.”

“A visitor? I don’t have any appointments today.”

The man seated at the desk inside looked up at Woojin. With a thick beard and a patch over one eye, he had a striking appearance.

“He says he’s here to see Nissen.”

“Nissen?”

Just like the man at the door, the captain’s expression turned cold.

“Why are you looking for Nissen?”

“It’s for a quest.”

“What quest?”

‘... Rather rude, isn’t he?’

Brushing aside the man’s mildly irritating manner, Woojin answered.

“I’m not sure. All I got was a notification telling me to find Nissen.”

“Hmm... Is this your first time on the central continent?”

“It is.”

At Woojin’s answer, he looked as though his suspicions had been confirmed.

“Is there a problem?”

“No. Not particularly.”

The captain addressed the man who had escorted Woojin.

“Ricky! Take him to the jail.”

“Yes, sir.”

CREEEAK.

The man named Ricky led Woojin around the back. Another old building stood in the open lot, and when its door opened, a musty stench assailed his nose.

“At the very back.”

Rows of iron-barred cells lined both sides of the building, like cages for animals.

“Ugh... Ugh...”

“P-please spare me!!”

“Please let me out of here!!!”

Cries mingled with screams spilled from the cells.

‘What is this place?’

Was this what a medieval prison looked like? Thinking they had done an impressive job of depicting such a horrifying sight, Woojin stepped into the jail.

“...?!”

Then something caught his eye, startling him.

“Ugh... Ugh...”

A man lay on the floor, his arms and legs shackled and his mouth gagged. His face was a wreck, but Woojin still recognized him.

“... Weden?”

It was the warrior he had met at the cabin on the road to Hundred Flowers Valley. He had been so friendly and cheerful that even Gareth had invited him to the Uldia Alliance. Now he was staring at Woojin with lifeless eyes.

“Hey.”

Woojin turned to Ricky.

“You bastards lock people up too?”

His voice was cold enough to cut.