Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 158



Only Noblemtl

158

Jinseong nodded his head leisurely.

The chili shrimp’s eyes rolled quickly and then suddenly stopped.

This means that Jinseong has already rationalized it without needing to say anything.

“No… right. But common sense tells you that war can’t happen that easily. Our teacher Byulna probably just finished his military service, so I guess that’s possible. Usually, when people come back from the military, they go around bragging about war and talking about it to everyone around them-”

“I’m done with the reserves too.”

Chili Shrimp tried to interpret Jinseong’s warning and advice as a warning to himself, but Jinseong couldn’t just sit still.

A counterattack that secretly reveals Jinseong’s own age while also trying to guess the age of the chili shrimp.

“Ah? At what age does the reserve…military service end?”

“Hey, you know everything.”

“I don’t know- no, that’s not important… ahem, then, uh… ”

The chili shrimp went over it just fine.

Then he said quickly.

“Oh! You mean the civil war epic quest? The seasonal quest? What if that doesn’t work? If I stay here?!”

“Just like Chili Shrimp has been repeating Anton Jjeol and going around the dungeon area: Power Station?”

At Jinseong’s question, Chili Shrimp’s expression brightened slightly.

Anyway, since it was the flow of the main scenario quest, Chili Shrimp, who had not progressed through the main scenario since Anton, was relieved that he might be safe, but Jinseong could not accept it.

“That’s right! That’s right! That’s it-.”

“I guess no one has come until now.”

“-yes?”

Never throw a tantrum or be a jerk.

A reasonable inference based on a situation that Jinseong himself experienced and that Chili Shrimp likely experienced as well.

“You probably know that each adventurer has their own timeline. If they were in-game users, they wouldn’t have encountered each other because the timelines for the epic quests were different, but what about us? Hmm, I heard that there are some possessed people who have reached the Prey-Isis raid stage.”

“Ranger- what was his name, that guy……”

Even if you are someone who hasn’t progressed further from Anton since the encounter around 2016, you will definitely know and follow the judgment.

Even without having to mention the occupation, Chili Shrimp knew about it.

In that case, the conversation becomes easier for Jinseong.

“Oh, you know. When he came back down here after his time in the Demon Realm, did you ‘meet’ him? Oh, and not just have a quick conversation. Did you ever ‘spend more than a few days’ with him?”

“…….”

The summoner kept his mouth shut.

Have you ever spent a long time with a possessed adventurer who had to solve the main scenario [Heavenly Chronicles]?

Chili Shrimp did not answer Jinseong’s question.

I just kept biting my lower lip.

Jinseong looked at the red-haired young girl with an anxious expression, and said with a relaxed expression.

“And if you’re not just bragging about money to me, tsk tsk, then there’s one possessed person who’s practically crazy. That ‘Berserker’ that Chili Shrimp-nim mentioned… I think you probably know his personality, but it’s not just his personality that’s no joke. His items are no joke either. He’s a guy who wears a ton of epic items that Chili Shrimp-nim probably doesn’t even know exist. If that guy were to finish the Demon World and come back here?”

If the chili shrimp met Ah-hang, and if they encountered it near the dungeon, then the Kasiyas clone from would have definitely met Ah-hang as well.

There is no way that the Apostle’s clone would not have recognized the power of Ahaeng, which not only possessed equipment items but also had advantages that other Bings could not even imagine.

“To be more precise… what if I come down here after Chili Shrimp? Can you handle it? A human who is ‘out of standard’?”

That is, Jinseong is driving a wedge under the assumption that he has clearly mentioned the power of Ah-hang or the possibility of its threat to the chili shrimp.

That the main scenario [Heavenly Chronicles] is not the only thing that poses a serious threat to the chili shrimp.

It is true that he is confident that he can subdue many possessed people, but there is also a possessed person who is not ordinary, an ‘out of the box’ possessed person, and his personality is also not ordinary.

“If you finish Berserker’s awakening and even add that bastard’s Templar, then Cassias’ clone will definitely say something.”

A person who had revealed money before becoming a member, who was the first to clear the Anton Raid 2-person in the game Dungeon & Fighter, and who immediately started a ‘2-person raid’ and collected money from many users without hesitation.

Even after being possessed, he is a person who has made his home in the Eaton Industrial Complex, and has given other possessed people ‘awesomeness’ that is difficult to even imagine in terms of method or structure.

The chili shrimp asked.

“What… should I do? When will the civil war-. Hey, you said Jinseong-nim earlier? What, how much do you know?”

The fact that Jinseong’s name was called means that Jinseong’s strategy to conquer the chili shrimp was 100% effective, and that he achieved a complete victory in the fight for dominance.

Jinseong smiled faintly.

“Please cooperate with me. I will tell you how to protect Mr. Chili Shrimp’s property.”

Information and even physical assistance from the chili shrimp in the name of cooperation.

As if he had foreseen all of this, Heukgu’s laughter echoed.

[Keep kek kek… … That would be the case for someone who hangs around with Kashias. I wouldn’t be able to deal with a ruthless conman like you.]

Jinseong continued to smile, swallowing the words, “Who is a swindler?”

As the night deepened, the lights at the Chili Shrimp House in the Eaton Industrial Area never went out.

* * *

“What if I don’t clear the last quest?”

“At first, it was a coincidence. When I first encountered Anton after being possessed and coming up here, there was a possessed soul who was with me, and I went to Anton’s heart with that person, two people-”

“Did Chili Shrimp retreat?”

“Well, rather than retreating… Ahem, well, yes. Some kind of strategic thing? Anyway. Actually, that was the first time I entered Anton’s body… ”

The chili shrimp is said to have caught up with the previous swimmer shortly after being swept away.

A soul bringer of the male inspector profession who possesses a flesh body.

The two people, who were of similar levels and cleared the main scenario flow at a fast pace and reached Apostle Anton, said that they realized this when they actually proceeded with the ‘2-person Anton raid’ right away.

‘If you don’t clear the last quest in the epic quest… … the main scenario won’t end. Does it mean that it doesn’t end, but rather that it goes back to the beginning as if rolling back?’

Dungeon Area: From Power Station to Dungeon Area: Anton, the area that used to be called ‘Anton Raid’ can be seen as a single season flow.

The same goes for the heavens before . The flow of the season will be from first coming to the heavens, rescuing the princess from the cartel, and defeating Rangelus.

What if I hadn’t killed Ranjerus back then? What if I had tried to go back after saving only the princess?

‘Does that mean that the scenario in Heaven will return to its original state? Then the flow of the princess being kidnapped by the cartel will repeat itself? Wow.’

Of course, this is something that no one, including Jinseong, could know because no one has ever done it like that.

In a way, it could be said that it was targeting a loophole in the system, but this is not the game Dungeon & Fighter, but rather a systematic loophole in ‘an adventure only experienced by the possessed’ and ‘a blade that must truly be sharpened’.

‘No, in another sense… … . This might be where Nemer put his effort. If the blade that needs to be forged escapes, is it something like taking measures to make it ‘once again’ so that it can be forged? Hehe, right, me.’

In the end, even though the cause could not be determined, Chili Shrimp learned of the result, and after that, he broke up with the Soulbringer and just settled down in the Eaton Industrial Complex. This means that this is the life Chili Shrimp has lived up to now.

“What happened to Soulbringer? Did you clear Luke? Did you reach the Demon Realm?”

“I don’t know. Ahem, actually… That’s why I was sitting next to Anton. Luke, the Demon World… ”

“ah.”

It’s not just because I’m scared and disgusted by what entered Anton’s body at the time of his subjugation.

This was the real reason why the chili shrimp ran away from Anton’s heart and never cleared it.

“I think it was around April 2016… I don’t know about the next DnF. Luke? I’ve never seen Luke in-game. Demon World? I only found out later that users could go there from a possessed person who came in. The name of the ‘Castle of the Dead’ is the same. These days, what the heck, the Heavenly World? The Heavenly World is bullshit. So after I kill Anton- In a game… In a game, I’ve never experienced… ”

The chili shrimp swallowed the words that were about to follow.

Jinseong could fully understand that feeling.

Anton’s heart, what he felt in front of that throbbing beat was not just fear towards Anton, but also fear of the vague path that Chili Shrimp himself would have to take in the future, anxiety about the unknown.

“And the epic quest is like that too. You said the story was turned upside down? It’s not the story I knew at the time.”

“Ah, that, that’s right. Ahem, it’s been quite a while since I was possessed by Chili Shrimp, but anyway, it’s probably been at least two years since I was possessed by Chili Shrimp…”

“Haha, that’s funny. It’s not even funny. The stories I knew have evaporated, and I’m walking down a path where only stories I don’t know remain… Why should I? Why would I do that? If I do something wrong, I’ll really die.”

“So, since you came here after being possessed, you’ve been here all along-”

“I don’t know what kind of patch was applied outside, but it seems like it didn’t apply to me, who was ‘just here’, so the skill became like that.”

“hmm…….”

The quest repeats.

Chili shrimp are always there.

Is that why even the changes in the world of Dungeon & Fighter, Plain: Arad, are not being applied?

While Jinseong was taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Chili Shrimp spoke with an artificial smile.

“Oh, Mr. Jinseong, you’ve been playing DnF for a long time too? Haha, there are a lot of fun things in the old version. You can still do the crane pull here?”

“Matthias Nessmann!?”

“Wow, you even memorize names? That little brat.”

“I see… That’s why… ”

Fortunately for Jinseong, the reason why the crane game, which had been deleted through repeated patches, was possible was discovered through NPC Mathias Nessmann.

‘Is that because the old version patch is being applied to the chili shrimp? If so, then it means it is not contaminated. It is a different concept from contamination.’

Should we consider this to be due to the existence of another non-standard human, the chili shrimp?

Jinseong still hasn’t decided what to do with the summoner in front of him.

However, if this has happened several times already, it is natural to think that it is not necessary to consider it as contamination and deal with it.

‘More than anything, if there’s someone here who really did Anton Jjol and sent the possessed people to the demon world… … .’

Because it might be helpful to Jinseong himself too.

Chili Shrimp changed the subject as if he knew or didn’t know what Jinseong was thinking.

“But Jinseong, Jinseong, Jinseong… I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere. Did you party with me before?”

“If Chili Shrimp’s old nickname was Anton, the first raid member, then he probably never met me in person. Rather, I think Chili Shrimp would have hated me.”

“Reason to dislike-…… Ah! Ah!? Newbie! Are you that guy who used to be a header fighter? What the hell is that real name!?”

“Yes. The real ‘cool’ chili shrimp was probably-.”

“Why would you dislike it? Didn’t you post a summary of the story on the community back then? I saw that too!”

Jinseong smiled awkwardly, saying that there was nothing more embarrassing than hearing his own story before he became famous through YouTube or as an educational engineering professor.

“Oh, really? Well, that was before I started using YouTube in earnest.”

“I remember being amazed at how there are people in the world who enjoy games like this. People of all colors and backgrounds are like that, but they just sort out things that don’t make any money and talk about them.”

However, Jinseong had no choice but to counterattack again as he watched Chili Shrimp subtly and skillfully explain that it wasn’t necessarily a compliment.

“Baekinbaeksaek… I’ve heard this expression once in a textbook. Excuse me, but Mr. Chili Shrimp, how old are you…?”

At Jinseong’s question, the chili shrimp quickly moved away and spun around in a circle.

“T, that’s fine! Why are you talking about that-. A big, cute laggy like me! I’m the best because I don’t even lag! I’m different from the average laggy people-.”

“Could you please tell me your gender…?”

The chili shrimp did not continue the interrupted conversation.

He didn’t even answer my sincere question.

“……Let’s go.”

“Hey, Chili Shrimp? The answer is-.”

“If you go past the Grandine Power Plant, hey, come to think of it, there’s probably one more person on Anton’s side. Oh, there are a lot of possessed people these days, aren’t there?”

Chili Shrimp hurriedly walked away, avoiding the question to the end.

Jinseong nodded his head as he watched the back of the young red-haired girl walking ahead.

‘One hundred percent.’

With a sense of certainty as a bonus, the two headed to the last dungeon in the dungeon area: Power Station, the Grandine Power Plant.