Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 136



Only Noblemtl

136

It was only natural that the face of Caracas would change subtly.

Because he can’t understand what Jinseong is saying at all right now.

“What… are you talking about? In what circumstances – a gift for His Majesty the Emperor? Are you talking about the De Los Empire?”

“Hehe, no, no, just… just tell me anyway. No matter what the moment, no matter what the situation, you must never! Say this.”

“that…….”

“Please tell them that if they do that, everyone will be happy. You know? Surprisingly, even if they hear this kind of advice, they make mistakes. You should always keep it in mind and make sure that it doesn’t just pop out unconsciously. That’s how the value of the advice I gave will come to life.”

Jinseong still had a bright smile on his face.

Could this also be considered an act of correcting pollution?

‘Well, if you look at it specifically, it’s a slightly different concept… … Hehe, anyway, it’s not a lie. It’s true that everyone can have fun.’

Of course, this is a situation that only Jinseong, who spoke, knows about, and if he were around, he would be understood by users of the game Dungeon & Fighter who might have heard about it.

Even if the great figure and adventurer’s guild leader right in front of him is Karakas, who is an NPC, he will never accept it.

“Hmm… But even so… I wonder if this will increase the value of our guild and her-.”

“I guarantee it. Even though Lady Meryl may not understand it right away, I’m sure she’ll take this advice seriously. Just by that, Lady Meryl’s value, especially her social reputation, will be maintained appropriately as it is now, and she’ll engage in various activities that benefit the Adventurer’s Guild based on that. If by any chance you ignore my advice and make a mistake and disappear… can you guess how much damage the Adventurer’s Guild will suffer?”

Jinseong said confidently.

Caracas began to spin the empty beer mug around, using the handle as a ring.

Jinseong let out one more word as he watched his actions that clearly revealed his struggles.

“Oh, well, I don’t think Mr. Caracas would do something like that, but you wouldn’t do something so shameless as to say it wasn’t a deal when you’ve already heard about it, right? That would be complete rip-off, and as the leader of the Adventurer’s Guild, such rip-off behavior-”

“What, a hit and run? Ahem, I promise you on the position of Adventurer’s Guild Leader and the nickname of Sighing Caracas. I will not run away, and unless the deal is approved, I will never tell Meryl what I just heard.”

Caracas said.

It may have been a harsh statement, but Jinseong felt relieved when he heard it.

I can trust this attitude.

Above all, the Adventurer’s Guild knows of Azalea Rot’s existence and even has the ability to find her.

‘It will be useful for my future work. So… … I have to tie it up now.’

If so, we must plunge Caracas into a deeper quagmire.

We must make it so that Jinseong cannot escape from his own trap.

A card for that?

“Not only that… if the Adventurer’s Guild helps me out in the future, I may be able to give you a leg up.”

Of course, he had the real thing.

Caracas’s movements as he turned his beer mug suddenly stopped.

Jinseong did not miss that opportunity.

Jinseong lowered his voice as he pulled up a chair and moved closer to Caracas.

“The Resistance. Do you wish to contact their leadership?”

Another group we encountered in heaven, the Resistance.

The Adventurer’s Guild, which frequently clashes with the De Los Empire, and the Resistance, which was originally hostile to the Empire, are two groups that secretly care about each other, but so far, there has been no way or opportunity to openly contact them.

What if it were Jinseong himself in that situation?

Captain Luther, the captain of the Saint Horn, who is practically the leader of the resistance and their mobile fortress, and Jinseong himself are already close friends!

“…….”

Caracas was now silent.

But I could tell the truth because I was looking into his eyes.

It’s not a look of doubt in Jinseong’s own words.

Rather, his eyes were wide open, filled with enthusiasm and longing, said Caracas.

“Azalea Lotra……”

“yes.”

“Come here in three days. I’ll tell you where to meet.”

Caracas, who eventually fell for Jinseong’s trick, said.

The confidence that he could find and meet a specific person within just three days was what really satisfied Jinseong.

And until the moment when Jinseong formally introduces the two organizations, the Adventurer’s Guild will have to use all of its information and action power for Jinseong.

* * *

“I’m back!”

Jinseong spoke as if he were entering his own home.

Sharan, who was on the first floor of the Magic Guild building, greeted Jinseong with surprised eyes.

“I guess this matter ended quickly?”

“Oh, it’s not completely over. I came out first because I had something else to do.”

“Something else…? Is it something important that I should know?”

Sharan lowered her voice in an instant and asked.

The question was probably intended to reflect Jinseong’s ‘ability to foresee some of the future’, but Jinseong simply smiled warmly.

“No, no, not you. It’s personal.”

“……Our vice-chairman has personal matters. That’s strange. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Sharan said, as if she was really surprised this time.

It was only natural, she remembered, that ever since they had first met in the Sky Castle, Jinseong had never once used the expression ‘personal matter’.

Jinseong also seemed to remember that part and made an awkward expression, but that was all.

Even though it was Sharan, Jinseong himself couldn’t tell everything.

“Yes, there’s nothing in particular you can help me with… but I’m running low on teleportation potions. Could you please get me some?”

“That’s not a problem.”

“Okay, then I’ll be back for a bit.”

Jinseong took out the teleportation potion from [Inventory] with a relieved face.

It is similar to the that exists in the game Dungeon & Fighter, but there are also clear differences. It is not just that there is no level restriction.

“Oh, I don’t know where you’re going in such a hurry! If it’s something fun, tell me later-.”

Jinseong gulped down the potion.

Perhaps it should be said that Plain: Arad is one of the most important moving elements for the possessed Jinseong.

The in-game item can only be used to move to areas judged as villages, but if you make a teleportation potion here yourself… … .

“-Anyway, I said it was fast.”

─────────────!

Because you can go even if it’s not a village.

Jinseong was able to smile pleasantly because he had used it several times already, but he had never felt this kind of convenience even when he was a user of the game Dungeon & Fighter.

“Well, then-……. Huh?! Huh huh?”

“Gulp, gurgle! Gulp!”

But that smile had to disappear in just a second.

It was the same for Taco, who always silently followed Jinseong.

“What? What, what? What happened?”

Jinseong muttered as he quickly scanned the dark surroundings, but there was no one who could answer his question.

“Ta, Tako! !”

“Gulp-!”

Jinseong hurriedly used his creature skills to shoot out Taco’s tentacles, but it was the same.

The nimble tentacles merely cut through the air in vain.

There was nothing touching the tip of its tentacles.

As if Jinseong couldn’t see anything in his own field of vision.

So Jinseong had to swallow his saliva.

“……The gold is gone.”

The place Jinseong moved to was the Golden Cave, one of the dungeons of Noirefera, located in the kingdom of Fennes, the land of the black elves.

At least for the sake of the ‘dots displayed in the game’, it was the very place where gold was always piled up.

But now, to Jinseong and even to Taco, that place was just a hollow cave.

There was no gold.

It wasn’t just a concern that he wouldn’t be able to make any more money in the future.

‘How can this be? Shouldn’t the in-game dots remain? Shouldn’t this not change?’

How did the background, which should not have changed, change?

Could pollution work this way too?

That was the reason Jinseong had no choice but to open his eyes wide.

“Heukgu! Is there any sign of people around?”

[Keep kek kek… … Do you need to confirm with me what you know, Jinseong?]

“That’s right. What the hell is this? What the hell is going on?”

Jinseong checked with Heukgu, but there couldn’t have been anything unusual.

There are no users around. There is no one who could be classified as an NPC, let alone a user.

What’s more, there are no monsters.

There is literally nothing that can be called a living thing.

All that remains are a few light-emitting objects that still emit blue light, a few wooden carts, and tracks to facilitate movement of the carts.

‘How can this be? There are no users. And now… … . Was there a user who just passed by?’

The moment his thoughts reached that point, Jinseong immediately lifted up and shouted.

“Black Goo, lend me your strength!”

[Keke, good. My power will be infused into your body… … .]

For a moment, an effect occurred as if a shape like a black, flexible armor was wrapping around Jinseong’s body.

As soon as that moment passed, Jinseong returned to his original form and began to run at incredible speed.

Dungeon Area: The next place you will head to after visiting Noirefera’s dungeon ‘Golden Cave’ is the dungeon ‘King’s Ruins’.

‘There used to be another dungeon called the Heart of the Ancients, but not anymore. If you continue on to the epic quest itself, you’ll end up at the King’s Ruins. This way.’

Jinseong was running at full speed, but was listening towards the dungeon that existed in the past.

Of course, there was no noise in his ears.

Even though monsters occasionally popped out in Jinseong’s direction, Jinseong couldn’t deal with them one by one.

Rather, Jinseong’s expression only grew darker as the monster appeared.

If there are monsters left in the direction you are going, it means that no one has passed by.

In other words, it also means that there are no users.

Jinseong, who had approached the dungeon ‘King’s User’, took out a teleportation potion and drank it without even having time to think.

The place he showed up again was the same golden cave he had just been in.

[Kuuu, what are you trying to do? A shit-dog- no, ahem… … . Training it in a way that only dirty creatures that are hard to even name-.]

“Shh. Let’s go the other way this time.”

Heukgu muttered with a questioning tone, but Jinseong did not answer.

This time, the place he was moving was the exact opposite of the direction he had been running in just a little while ago.

If there was no one in the dungeon after the Golden Cave, it was because of the suspicion that there might be someone in the dungeon before the Golden Cave.

And what if there are users in the previous dungeon?

‘That human’s quest must have been corrupted. In that case… … What I have to do is-. Anyway, I have to make it look like it’s full of gold when I look at it on the monitor, right? Damn it, there’s not that much gold in the vault right now?!’

Assuming that this was pollution, Jinseong had already thought about how to resolve this pollution.

The question is whether it can be made to seem plausible enough.

When I was a user, wasn’t there a background screen inside the Golden Cave that I saw on my monitor that was literally filled with an incredible amount of gold coins?

Although he still has quite a bit of gold in his office safe at the Wizard’s Guild, it’s not enough to deal with all those dots one-on-one.

Jinseong arrived at the dungeon before the Golden Cave, the ‘Tyrant King’s Altar’, with the thought that eventually, decorating it plausibly would become important.

And there I saw it.

“……No one. No one?”

There were no users.

At this point, Jinseong had to change his mind.

A new kind of pollution?

Is it possible for the background to change like this even when there are no users?

But what does this level of pollution matter?

‘If it’s pollution, it has to be to the extent of disrupting the user’s epic quest flow. Wasn’t the main purpose of pollution to disrupt the blade from becoming a forged blade? There’s a fundamental purpose of pollution itself… … ‘

Could contamination such as the absence of gold in the Golden Cave really interfere with the user’s main scenario quest?

Wouldn’t it be something that can be resolved by simply contacting the game developer Dungeon & Fighter’s customer service center about buggy gameplay or output errors?

‘There’s no change in the Epic Quest rewards. It doesn’t really have any effect. After all, from the user’s perspective, gold is just a dot in the background and can’t be touched. So, this is-.’

Jinseong thought.

There is a chance that it is not contaminated.

And what if it’s contaminated?

Another thing is that it doesn’t affect the users at least.

‘-It’s not the existing contamination. Damn it, I hate to even think about it, but… … If there’s even one in a thousand, one in ten thousand chance that this is contamination!’

If this is a contamination that does not affect users, who does this change affect?

“me…….”

That means it is something other than contamination that affects the true self.

At the same time, who is the being that can do such a thing?

Jinseong felt it instinctively.

That the gaze of the had finally directly reached Jinseong himself.