NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39
From the emergence of Epusio.
Pooling our strength to finish him off and ensuring that the adventurers who fell to him returned in one piece.
I began to slowly unravel the whole process.
“Wow. So that happened.”
“Oh ho! They responded like that? Truly a flash of brilliance.”
While he listened to my story, he felt less like a Guild Leader and more like a friendly neighbor.
The Guild Leader chimed in throughout the tale with admiration and sighs.
Was it because he unknowingly paid attention to me?
I was able to shake off my burdens and nervousness, spinning the tale without making mistakes.
“Well, I see. So, it looks like the Layered Ruler on the first floor won’t be showing up again.”
“Yes. It seems that way.”
Even though the Guild Leader in front of me looked like a nice guy,
he was still a stranger I had just met today, and from the brief glimpse of his aura earlier, I could tell he was incredibly powerful.
So, I couldn’t trust him completely.
Thus, Isaac and I concealed the fact that we were transgressors, claiming that only the dead Isaac knew the circumstances under which Epusio was summoned.
‘Who knows what he’s thinking inside, but outwardly I seem to have gotten through it well.’
Well… I had hidden a small lie among most of the truth.
“If you hadn’t withstood the last mental assault from that guy, just imagining how many adventurers would have had to die is horrifying.”
Indeed, if I had fallen into a state of forgetfulness, no one would have been able to react right away.
Unless a high-level adventurer decided to take the lead…
Countless low-tier and mid-tier adventurers would have been annihilated, losing their attributes in Oblivion, amounting to at least a few hundred deaths.
With that, he would have become stronger and a huge headache to deal with.
Snap!
The Guild Leader snapped his fingers, changing the stiff atmosphere.
“Well, now that I’ve heard everything, it’s time for a warning.”
A warning?
“I mentioned it before, didn’t I? About the Labyrinth Record. You didn’t forget, did you?”
“Of course not! I remember clearly.”
“Good. Then you should understand how much attention the ‘first’ achievement engraved there is going to receive.”
…I understand what he means.
Not only did we capture a creature that hadn’t been seen for decades,
but a mere low-tier adventurer, just registered, managed to get his name on the top among dozens of adventurers who participated in the hunt?
‘Someone might poke around out of curiosity, and some ridiculous thing could happen where they try to nip it in the bud. What do I do about this?’
After seeing my worried expression, perhaps the Guild Leader felt reassured.
“Don’t worry for the time being. I, Rakion, will do my best to block any external pressure and attention directed towards you due to this achievement.”
“…Why are you going so far for me? No matter how much they talk about it being a first achievement, I’m just an inexperienced adventurer at this point.”
“Oh ho! All you need to say is thank you!”
“Th-thank you.”
Is this really how a Guild Leader of the Adventurers’ Guild behaves?
“I can’t protect every adventurer since I’m only human, but I won’t be the fool who sits idly by when I see a sprout showing promise after a long time. After all, the title of Guild Leader doesn’t just come from nowhere!”
His vicious smile, accompanied by those words,
erased the previous warmth and cunningness, leaving just a monster filled with fighting spirit present.
“You just need to overcome the adversities faced in the Great Labyrinth and the city and grow. What I will protect you from is limited to this matter, so don’t let your guard down. Got it?”
“Yes! I will keep that in mind. Again, I will remember!”
Hearing my response, the Guild Leader nodded contently before clearing his throat and indicating that I still had a final task.
Specifically, he pointed to the sparkling white gloves I was wearing.
“Is that your unique equipment obtained from subduing the Layered Ruler?”
“Yes. That’s right. Um… in summary, it allows me to store and handle various weapons.”
“Great! Follow me. Consider it an investment in a budding adventurer; I’ll give you a gift!”
Huh?
The Guild Leader, not wanting to hear any objections, strode off somewhere.
The sudden flow of the situation was so natural that I couldn’t find words to say.
Vroom─
Clank.
As he placed his hand on something in the corner of the office and infused mana into it, a nearby wall opened up, revealing another space.
“What are you doing? Don’t dawdle, come on in.”
Whoa… is this real? What in the world is he planning to give me?
‘He said investment. Let’s not get my hopes up.’
[Chaos is gleaming and clasping hands in expectation.]
‘No. If Chaos is getting excited, what will happen to me?’
[Chaos cancels expectation!]
I followed the Guild Leader, no, Rakion, inside.
‘It’s spacious! Did he cast a space-expansion spell or something?’
He paused, stroking his chin, deep in thought, but before that caught my attention was something else.
That was the countless weapons and mysterious items adorning the display stands and walls everywhere.
Among them, there was a sword that was not only sealed within some apparatus but also held with chains and magic circles, tightly bound.
────
[Extermination Sword Degapris] (S)
An unidentified behemoth that suddenly appeared and annihilated everything in the vicinity due to Dimension Break.
This sword dropped after the end of Keas, who was defeated after numerous sacrifices.
Whoever wields this magic sword gains immense power but becomes unable to resist the fate of causing destruction to oneself and all around them.
─Upon first use, the user gains a permanent ‘Path to Destruction’ status. This state cannot be changed by any means.
─All user stats are increased by six tiers.
─User is granted the trait ‘Waves of Annihilation.’
────
(Shit. That’s insane.)
The moment I saw it, I was so shocked that I almost cursed.
‘What kind of horrific weapon is this?’
Is it really alright to keep something like this in a personal space? Isn’t it supposed to be managed on a national level?
…No. If it accidentally falls into the wrong hands, it would be a catastrophe.
It might make more sense if a powerful individual were to responsibly seal it away.
Next to it, I noticed a similarly sealed red jewel.
────
[Heart of Ignis] (S)
The heart of the mutated named flame giant Ignis that occurred in the depths.
Anyone with less than a certain level of mana would instantly ignite and turn to ash upon touching it.
If consumed, it grants absolute resistance to all fire, but it comes with a hefty cost.
─Upon consumption, the user gains the trait ‘Ignis.’
─Upon consumption, the user gains a permanent ‘Burning Reason’ status. This state cannot be changed by any means.
─Upon consumption, the user’s mental fortitude drops substantially.
─If the user enters a dying state while having lost their reason, they will transform into a fire giant that incinerates everything, gaining boosts to stats and traits.
In this case, the previous form cannot be restored.
────
Wow.
“Haha, what a cute one. Haha, your eyes are going to pop out.”
Ugh. I was unconsciously scanning the information on the items.
Others likely saw me staring at each one in disbelief.
‘This is pretty terrifying. Is the Guild headquarters even safe?’
“Do you appreciate their value? I can tell what you’re thinking.”
Rakion laughed heartily.
“Hmm. I’ve spent more time at the Adventurers’ Guild than at my mansion.”
That can’t be. He scratched his cheek, denying it.
“I’ve decided to keep them stored in the guild headquarters, so there’s no one capable of breaching the defenses and security measures I’ve set. That’s a certainty.”
That’s right.
‘I must have been out of my mind. My worries should be directed elsewhere. Get a grip.’
“Hmm, if you’re strong enough to bring down the Layered Ruler… your attack power should be sufficient. I’ve decided. This will do.”
Rakion stepped forward and lifted a massive, wide-bladed great sword from a display stand.
It was a great sword that dwarfed any comparison to the Aiming Sword-type Baraak.
“Ahaha! Isn’t the great sword a man’s dream!”
He’s giving me this?
“It was one of the weapons I used until I reached mid-tier a long time ago. How about it?”
I wondered if I could actually lift it.
────
[Defensive Sword Rehagen] (C)
A special great sword crafted by a Dwarf master smith using special magic and black iron.
Rather than focusing on attacks, it is specialized for defense using a wide blade.
Due to a special enchantment, infusing mana into the sword restores its durability, but if the blade is completely damaged or the lifespan of the enchantment runs out, it will cease to function.
─Because of the meticulous process in its creation, it is very sturdy.
─When blocking projectiles with the blade, weak damage reduction is applied.
─When blocking attacks with the blade, mid-level resistance to stun and slight increases to defense are applied.
─Wielding it increases health by one tier.
────
“It should be a great help in defensive situations. You could swing it around mindlessly, relying on its weight, and it would be usable.”
“Are you sure I can really accept something like this─?”
“Hmm. What did I say earlier?”
All I needed to say was thank you, right?
“Thank you very much!”
“Good, that’s all I needed to hear. Now go ahead and try using the power of your gloves. I believe I mentioned they could store items, right?”
I accepted Rehagen from Rakion and put it on.
[Health increases by one tier.]
‘Ugh. It’s quite heavy, considering how it looks. It’s pretty dense.’
Not only was it large, but the black iron was inherently a heavy and solid metal.
To properly swing it or adopt a defensive stance, I felt like I would need to maintain a solid posture continuously.
Looking at the great sword in my hands, I thought about registering it.
[Would you like to register ‘Defensive Sword Rehagen’ in the equipment collection?]
‘I will register it.’
[Registration complete. Three spaces remain.]
Baraak had already been registered on the way to the portal within the labyrinth.
“Whoa, once registered, you can use it freely from an alternate space, and the act of summoning or storing it has no prelude at all?”
Rakion explained that if used well enough, it could be an unexpected attack technique.
“Hmm, now that I’ve finished what I needed to do, I’ll head back. Despite appearances, I’m a rather busy man.”
“Yes!”
I exited from the secret space.
Having received so much before grabbing the doorknob, I bowed deeply as a gesture of respect.
“Well then, I will be taking my leave.”
“Right. Take care. As it won’t be easy to find someone like you in a prominent position, I hope you remember everything discussed until now.”
Thud.
‘Phew.’
Perhaps I had poured too much mental energy into this. As soon as I closed the door behind me, my legs felt weak.
Even though hardly an hour or two had passed, it felt like I had been in the office for four times that long.
‘Still, I’m relieved everything went well. If I had messed up my private meeting with the Guild Leader… just imagining it makes me shudder.’
[Chaos sighs in relief, saying if he had made a bad impression or been targeted, it would have been tough starting in the city much less entering the Great Labyrinth.]
Ah, right. This isn’t the time to be dawdling.
Thinking that Yeriell and Lumia must have been anxiously waiting all this time, I grounded my legs and started moving again.
“Have you finished? Seeing a low-tier adventurer go up to the fifth floor and return in one piece suggests it won’t be long until you shed that iron badge.”
As I went down the stairs, the guard I had seen earlier spoke to me.
From the fourth floor onward, all adventurers entering are high-ranked, and I’d heard that the numbers for mid-tier adventurers drop dramatically compared to high and deep tiers, so this fellow must be rather bored.
“Yes. Well, I was really tense upon entry, but luckily it wasn’t as big of a deal as I feared.”
“Haha, it’s rare for anyone to enter without the jitters when meeting the Guild Leader. You did well. Move along now.”
“Thank you. Well then.”
I lightly bowed my head.
With the stiffness I felt when going up having dissipated greatly, I smiled back at him and headed down to the first floor.
‘Let’s see, where could they be?’
I glanced around a bit before noticing them sitting at a table in the corner far off.
‘Why do they both look so serious? Did something happen while I was away?’
I hurried over and tapped on their table.