Chapter 118

A silence fell.

“……”

Some were receiving treatment.

Others were steadying their ragged breaths.

But it was clear that everyone had heard.

– Why is it that the martial artist, that James, was the one who left the pattern, but those soldiers only attacked us?

– And look at James over there. He’s the only one who’s perfectly fine, right? As if he wasn’t attacked at all.

Vladimir Rodygin’s sharp question.

And.

[Team members may choose one ‘Treasure’ at any time and escape the Giant Castle.]

[Escaped team members will ‘Pass’ Theme 2.]

An exit that appeared as if to mock us.

No, it was less of an exit and more of a temptation.

A very blatant temptation.

“Ugh.”

A lump formed in my throat.

My chest felt just as tight as the phlegm caught in my throat.

‘I have no justification.’

I had no justification to hold them back.

Because I picked them?

Or because I’m the Team leader?

That was just a temporary sense of loyalty.

Not only were they under no obligation to do so, but I also couldn’t vaguely expect them to.

‘Besides.’

My gaze suddenly fell on someone.

The woman with a swollen face, still being carried on Kane’s back, her eyes slowly fluttering open. Olivia.

‘At least she…’

There was a 99% chance she would go outside.

No, wouldn’t it be 100%?

‘Fwoosh!’

It was then.

“From this moment on.”

Zhang Wei stepped forward in front of the gate and lowered his spear.

‘Clomp, clomp.’

He walked slowly forward, then stood tall at the very edge of the pattern.

His broad back and tensed, powerful forearms created an extraordinary atmosphere.

“……If anyone crosses this line without permission.”

Zhang Wei’s lips parted.

“I will deliver judgment with my spear. Cross it if you have the guts to die.”

Wow.

I was inwardly stunned.

He’s going to help me to that extent?

It was probably less about him being the vice-leader and more about the kind of person he was.

A person who does not tolerate injustice like murder or betrayal.

I silently expressed my gratitude to Zhang Wei.

“I agree.”

Olena also stepped forward, holding her staff.

“Hoon accepted us into the team when we were about to be eliminated at the beginning. If you’re a hunter who knows any decency, you wouldn’t just turn a blind eye in a situation like this.”

‘Thud!’

Facing Zhang Wei, she majestically slammed her staff on the ground.

“Hmm. Is that the pride of Oxford?”

Vladimir Rodygin stroked his chin, looking amused.

With his left hand.

To be precise, the hand that wasn’t holding his staff.

“Well, there’s a point. To be honest, more than that, I value the Team leader’s abilities. Just because I go out there and pass doesn’t guarantee I’ll pass the next theme, does it?”

“That’s right. According to the Second Law of Pathfinding, ridiculous temptations offered in a dungeon are usually traps. Who knows? Maybe that exit leads to hell, not a pass. I’ll stick with Hoon, too.”

As Rodygin agreed, Capu also nodded.

The rest of the hunters nodded one by one.

They probably didn’t want to be the only ones to stand out when the general consensus had already been formed.

And Zhang Wei’s aura was quite intimidating.

‘…….’

For now.

I had safely cleared the first stage.

Of course, I couldn’t let my guard down.

The moment even one person bolted, the crossbow barrage from those Aranvalon soldiers would begin.

“Thank you for believing in me.”

I gave a short bow in the direction where Zhang Wei was standing.

“Well then, since the treatment seems mostly done, shall we slowly start moving and look for the Treasure? If there’s something called a Legendary Treasure, I think we need to find it as quickly as possible.”

“……Hmm, all of that?”

Rodygin asked.

I nodded.

“Yes, for now, we don’t know what the ‘Legendary Treasure’ is. It’ll be easier to think of it as an approach to find a hint, rather than actually finding it.”

“Good, well. It’s better than just standing around.”

He stood up, dusting off his rear with his staff.

And so, a strange march began.

Everyone trailed after me, with me at the center.

I first headed for the side farthest from the entrance.

If we got too close to the entrance, that Olivia girl might just whirl around and make a run for it.

“Woah, a giant castle is a giant castle, huh? It’s incredibly spacious.”

Rodygin stretched.

“It’s truly amazing. Makes you wonder how they built a structure like this. Look. There are no pillars, and you can’t even see the ceiling.”

“I know, right? Can you even call this a building?”

“It’s like outer space. And those glittering treasures are like stars.”

Myoi Hana said with a smile.

“Stars, my ass.”

Rodygin chuckled.

“You’re quite the sentimental young lady, aren’t you? I’m walking on eggshells, wondering when that bitch Olivia is going to bolt.”

“……”

Everyone was, consciously or unconsciously, aware of Olivia.

The funny thing was.

She didn’t deny it.

She just kept her eyes closed, pretending to be unconscious.

‘Wow, at this point.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

Shouldn’t I be re-evaluating Kane?

How can he still be carrying her like that?

Is he a living saint?

Or a Buddha?

In any case, it was only after we had traveled a considerable distance.

We were able to reach a glittering treasure.

[Arriving at Treasure Display #314.]

[Please check the Treasure.]

The displayed treasure was a single, ornate sword.

It was a pricey-looking sword, studded with jewels, that anyone could tell was used only by nobles.

Could this really be the Legendary Treasure?

“I’ll check it first.”

I grabbed the sword’s hilt and slowly lifted it.

[Item: Ancient Aranvalon Imperial Sword]

[Grade: S]

[Type: Sword]

[Description: A sword crafted by dwarves under the ancient Aranvalon Kingdom for the royal knights.]

[Effect 1: Energy +100.]

[Effect 2: Skill Cooldown -10%.]

[Effect 3: Skill Power +150%.]

[Effect 4: Strength +30.]

“Oh.”

An S-grade right from the start.

And aren’t the stats quite decent?

[This Treasure is the ‘Ancient Aranvalon Imperial Sword’ (S-Grade).]

[This Treasure is not the ‘Legendary Treasure’.]

I shared the information from the status window with my team members.

They, too, murmured among themselves with surprised expressions, just like me.

“Treasures like this are scattered all over the place?”

“Does that make sense?”

“Isn’t this a treasure vault? If we loot everything here and leave, won’t we all become filthy rich?”

“A windfall is a windfall, I guess.”

“If it weren’t for the limit on subspace bags, I’d loot every single thing here.”

The team members actively shared their opinions.

I nodded.

‘They’re right.’

They were right, but.

I was anxious.

‘From experience, when you gain something, you have to pay a corresponding price.’

Just like how I had to endure immense pain every day after obtaining the Elder of Ten Thousand Arts.

“For now. Take this.”

For now, I handed the sword to Capu.

“Hold on to it, and let’s slowly look around.”

The distribution of the treasures could wait.

It wouldn’t be too late to think about it after we survived.

We continued our treasure exploration.

The types of treasures were diverse.

[This Treasure is the ‘Queen’s Bow’ (S-Grade).]

[This Treasure is not the ‘Legendary Treasure’.]

[This Treasure is ‘30kg of Sapphire’.]

[This Treasure is not the ‘Legendary Treasure’.]

[This Treasure is an ‘Elixir’ (S-Grade).]

[This Treasure is not the ‘Legendary Treasure’.]

…….

Weapons were a given.

From unique potions to jewels of various shapes.

It was the moment we had acquired so many treasures that everyone was carrying at least three items each.

“Kane! Run!”

At that moment, Olivia started running with Kane.

‘Fwoosh!’

“Where do you think you’re going.”

Zhang Wei reacted with lightning speed.

The Space Mage, Rodygin.

Olena, too.

Each of them stepped forward as if they had expected it.

‘Of course.’

I had expected it, too.

‘Sunny, Eldrin.’

That’s why I had placed Sunny and Eldrin at the edge of the pattern.

“Looks like you haven’t been beaten enough.”

“Leave it to me, Master.”

Sunny and Eldrin also drew their weapons and blocked the way.

The entire sequence of events took about 3 seconds.

It was a perfect preparation, a precise reaction speed.

No, to be precise, I thought it was.

Until Kane’s body gradually began to glow crimson.

“Hm?”

My eyes widened.

“Wh-What?”

“What is this power?”

‘Fwoooosh!’

An immense pressure began to pour out of his body.

An amount of power far too great for a mere S-grade hunter.

The power was so immense.

That even Zhang Wei, Sun Spear, and Eldrin flinched to a halt.

“N-No way?”

It was then that Olena cried out in horror.

She shouted.

“The Art of Self-Destruction? How did you get a scroll so dangerous that even Oxford treats it as ‘forbidden’…!”

“What is that?”

I asked.

“It’s a wicked art that detonates all the energy a victim possesses in exchange for their life! Judging by the flow of mana, it seems Olivia cast it!”

“Ha.”

I let out a sigh.

A broken art like that exists?

Then couldn’t you just cast the art and blow someone up to become the strongest in the world?

As if reading my thoughts, Olena shook her head.

“It’s an art that can only be activated when there is complete agreement between the caster and the victim. Unless they’re an idiot, no one would agree to such an art. Unless it’s a loyalty contract or a slave contract.”

“Then don’t tell me……”

They have a slave contract?

‘Come to think of it.’

Kane was unusually powerless in front of Olivia.

I just thought he was a living saint or a pushover who liked her that much.

‘Was his body just held as collateral?’

‘Rumble-rumble-rumble!’

“Ugh.”

I frowned.

The power erupting from Kane was amplifying more and more.

“Everyone, I’m sorry. I had no hard feelings.”

And the moment Kane spoke.

‘KWAAAAAAAANG!’

An enormous explosion, like a bomb going off next to a microphone in my ear, struck my eardrums.

My body was lifted into the air by the immense pressure.

‘Crazy.’

The bigger problem was.

Since we were all at the edge of the pattern, we were all bound to be thrown outside of it.

‘I had a feeling it would come to this.’

This was a disaster.

One that couldn’t be prepared for.

It was like a ‘systemic risk’ in economics.

Who would have thought Kane would go so far as to sacrifice his own life to help Olivia?

‘Screeeech!’

At the same time, I heard the sound of nails on a chalkboard.

“Fuck……”

In that instant, goosebumps erupted all over my body.

All the statues of the Aranvalon soldiers around us.

I could feel them turning their bodies in our direction.

‘Clack-clack-clack-clack……!’

Should the successive sounds of crossbows being loaded sound this terrifying?

“Dammit! Everyone, get back in!”

Rodygin shouted.

“Everyone return and form a defensive line! We stick together to survive!”

Zhang Wei also roared.

‘Tumble, tumble.’

I, too, rolled on the ground and regained my balance.

The pattern moves with me at its center, so I had to move to the middle of the group as much as possible.

“……”

In my field of vision, I could see Olivia frantically running away.

Damn it.

It didn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter if she alone ‘passes’ and goes on to Theme 3.

‘Because I’m going to survive here, too.’

And I’ll survive somehow and pay you back, so just you wait.

I hardened my gaze.

Fortunately, the other team members had all made it inside the circle.

“Huh?”

No, I thought they had.

“James?”

Olena stared ahead, murmuring blankly.

Where her gaze was fixed, the martial artist, ‘James’, was running towards the exit, holding a load of the remaining treasures.

“James, you crazy bastard! What are you doing! Get back here!”

Capu shouted in disbelief, but James didn’t even listen.

Frowning, Capu then closed his eyes and began to mutter something.

It was a total mess.

“……”

Ha.

I let out a chuckle.

It wasn’t funny; it was just that laughter was the only thing that came out.

Everyone is something else, really.

Well, still.

I expected this from the beginning, didn’t I?

It wasn’t a huge blow, mentally.

“For now! Everyone, focus!”

I shouted.

‘Swoosh-swoosh-swoosh!’

First, let’s figure out how to deal with those hellish bolts flying at us from a distance.