Novel Will Be Taken Down on 17 May or Earlier Chapter 132 - Peeved (1)

“W-What’s going on?”

 

Nettuber’s occupational disease.

 

As Park Hwigang muttered to himself, the chat window trailed after him.

 

– What’s wrong? What is it???

 

– Hwigang, adjust the camera angle!!!

 

– I’m so curious it’s driving me crazy

 

– Is our Hoyeol-nim there? As expected of Homen

 

“No, Hoyeol-nim didn’t appear…”

 

At the same time as he touched the camera, the angle switched.

 

[Thefern’s Black Contractors] finally appeared on the viewers’ screen.

 

– ㅁㅊ Why are there so many? ㄷㄷㄷㄷ

 

– ㄹㅇ Could you have almost gotten killed without being able to do anything and died like a sunfish??

 

– Where are they going???

 

It was literally a huge army.

 

After being surprised by the quantity, viewers also sensed that something was strange. [Thefern’s Black Contractor] was clearly a monster that was specified in the additional update details.

 

“Why aren’t they attacking like before?”

 

“How would I know?”

 

“Hyungnims, I just drank a pricey potion for no reason. Please sponsor the cost of the potion.”

 

They didn’t know what was happening but…

 

Sigh–

 

Sighs of relief were heard everywhere.

 

However, Park Hwigang didn’t let down his guard yet.

 

Because he had an explorer’s intuition.

 

“Touching a trap shouldn’t get this bad.”

 

Rumble–!

 

Even at this moment, the labyrinth was shaking as if it were about to collapse. Even if someone deliberately trolled them, there was no such thing as a device that could shake the entire labyrinth.

 

“Something bigger must have happened….”

 

Normally, he would have gotten a headache thinking about it.

 

However, his concerns didn’t last long.

 

There was only one possibility he could think of.

 

It happened because Hoyeol was in the [Thefern Labyrinth].

 

‘…Right, Hoyeol-nim is doing a quest!”

 

The incident that took place in [Thefern Fence].

 

A conversation between Hoyeol and the dark spirit.

 

The scene was broadcast over the airwaves, so there was endless analysis of the conversation between the two. Like Infinitely Deep Darkness was definitely Hoyeol’s class or things like that…

 

But only one conclusion was certain.

 

– “Only he can unravel this labyrinth of Thefern.”

 

The fact That Hoyeol received a quest related to the Thefern Labyrinth.

 

It ended his series of speculation.

 

Park Hwigang opened his mouth.

 

“I think it’s Hoyoel-nim’s doing.”

 

– What? Hoyeol-nim?

 

– Are you saying that Hoyeol-nim is the troll?

 

– That’s a blasphemy!!

 

“No, he’s not trolling!”

 

He could tell just by looking at the actions of the [Thefern’s Black Contractors].

 

As if a trap had been triggered.

 

The mobs woke up, but they did not attack.

 

They just headed somewhere.

 

To be precise, they just moved towards the depths of the labyrinth.

 

‘Isn’t this part of the quest Hoyeol-nim is working on?’

 

He came to that conclusion, but Park Hwigang kept his mouth shut.

 

Maybe it was an over-speculation.

 

It could be a nuisance to Hoyeol.

 

But for others to learn of that fact.

 

No further explanation was needed.

 

[Thefern’s Black Contractor], who had been repeating the same lines since the first time they appeared.

 

They all now said different lines.

 

“… After a long wait, the opportunity to correct your mistakes has come.”

 

“!!!”

 

It wasn’t just one of them.

 

All the black contractors were saying that.

 

The players, including Park Hwigang, exchanged glances with each other.

 

They opened their mouths without any hesitation.

 

“This is part of the quest too!”

 

“Just at what scale is the quest…?”

 

“Even just getting a random job request is hard for some people!”

 

What kind of quest was he working on.

 

That it could shake the entire labyrinth and have this kind of influence?

 

Apart from envy, as fellow players, their hearts pounded.

 

At that moment, someone opened their mouth.

 

“Should we follow them?”

 

Since the [Thefern’s Black Contractor] had woken up and moved around, the players didn’t need to worry about traps.

 

Really, if they just followed the contractors’ footsteps…

 

“We may be able to get to the depths of the labyrinth safely.”

 

The depths of the labyrinth.

 

They would be able to reunite with players they had crossed paths with when entering the rupture.

 

Among them, Hoyeol would definitely be there, too. Aside from wanting the loot in the labyrinth, they couldn’t help but feel purely curious at this moment.

 

“I want to see it with my own eyes. His performance!”

 

They wanted to watch Hoyeol’s performance.

 

It wasn’t just Park Hwigang’s party.

 

Every player who entered the labyrinth.

 

In the starting point where they were dropped to.

 

“If we follow them, we can go to the depths of the labyrinth, right?”

 

“Lee Hoyeol will be there.”

 

“Then we will be able to see what Lee Hoyeol is doing.”

 

The moment when judgment was made.

 

It didn’t matter who went first.

 

Rumble–!

 

At each starting point, players followed the march of [Thefern’s Black Contractor].

 

Indeed, just as they had guessed.

 

The trap was no longer triggered.

 

“Anyway, why is this damn labyrinth so deep?”

 

“This isn’t a rupture that emerges to be cleared.”

 

“At normal speed, we wouldn’t have been able to reach the deep part, let alone clear the rupture until it collapsed.”

 

Even as they became tongue-tied, they went deeper and deeper into the underground.

 

After walking hurriedly, the players arrived.

 

In the depths of the Thefern Labyrinth.

 

And they witnessed it.

 

“…W-What is that?”

 

A mysterious rock wall.

 

A large ‘something’ filled the wall.

 

“…Is it a gem? But it seems to be moving, too?”

 

“Didn’t that flinch just now?”

 

“Wait. No way, is that an eye?”

 

“Hey. Don’t be crazy. What kind of eyes are that big?!”

 

It was so big that they couldn’t recognize it right away.

 

It was so big that they wanted to deny it.

 

The eyes seemed to be more than ten meters long.

 

Someone stuttered.

 

“…If that’s the pupils, how big is its body?”

 

Tense–!

 

As soon as they realized that, they felt goosebumps.

 

In an instant, Arcana’s boss mobs flashed through their minds. Had there ever been a monster that possessed such a huge body? Even if they looked back on their memory, they couldn’t think of any monsters.

 

Buzz–

 

Players arrived from other starting points.

 

“Look, I told you we were late.”

 

“I see. Was the situation on the other side the same as ours?”

 

“Wow. Why are there so many?”

 

“…Hey, wait a minute.”

 

One by one, they also faced the huge pupils.

 

The message of status abnormality hadn’t appeared yet, but.

 

Any player could tell straight away.

 

“I thought it was strange from the beginning!!”

 

“The recommended level is 500? That’s ridiculous!”

 

“I knew it from the moment Lee Hoyeol entered. I knew it!”

 

It was not an enemy they could deal with at their level.

 

It was something they intuitively recognized.

 

So, they couldn’t help but turn their gazes towards Hoyeol.

 

“…I am not doubting him, but. Is it possible?”

 

It was Lee Hoyeol.

 

His level was estimated to be at least 900.

 

But even if this was Hoyeol they were talking about.

 

Could he deal with that monster?

 

As soon as they met it, they got overwhelmed by its size.

 

Viewers, including the players, were anxious.

 

“Boss mobs are on a different level. Even if it is superior in level, the stats themselves are on a different level from regular monsters. But that monster’s level can’t be lower than Lee Hoyeol’s…”

 

Moreover, Hoyeol’s power was not at 100% right now.

 

Hoyeol’s personal power was still the same, but.

 

The forces that followed Hoyeol.

 

Mage Tower.

 

Knights of Lionheart.

 

Shadow Mercenary Corps.

 

Paladins of the Goddess Church.

 

This time, those overwhelming forces weren’t with him.

 

“The only ones accompanying Lee Hoyeol are three explorers.”

 

Of course, all three of them were not ordinary explorers, including the legendary explorer Fabian.

 

But the explorer was truly a non-combat class.

 

It meant you couldn’t expect much help from them in combat.

 

Some quick-witted players spoke up.

 

“Then why don’t we join? To Hoyeol-nim’s side.”

 

“Yes, of course, we should join him. We’re in the same boat anyway.”

 

“That’s right. Because we have to knock that monster down anyway. But…”

 

…Frankly, could they be of any help?

 

They didn’t know, but they could see it.

 

The huge pupils were out of focus.

 

It was just keeping its eyes open.

 

Still, they weren’t sure.

 

The guy’s skin tissue was glimpsed beneath the rocks of the labyrinth.

 

“Honestly, at my level, I don’t think I can even make a scratch.”

 

The players imagined the worst.

 

If the monster’s pupils came back into focus.

 

If those eyes were directed at them…

 

“Damn it, I’m already scared.”

 

Was this what it felt like to have your body and head separate from each other?

 

Sweat–

 

Their hands began to sweat as they struggled to hold their equipment.

 

But the players were overlooking one thing.

 

Right here.

 

The existence of [Thefern’s Black Contractor] gathered toward the depths of the labyrinth.

 

The black contractors that had a black shimmering figure began to move.

 

“!”

 

Due to the narrow passage of the labyrinth, their number couldn’t be counted accurately.

 

As they entered the vast depths, the number of contractors could be seen at a glance.

 

No, to be exact, there were so many of them that it couldn’t be seen in just a glance.

 

“I think there are thousands, no, ten thousand of them?!”

 

Perhaps because of the anxiety that had already gripped them tightly.

 

Someone murmured quietly.

 

“…What if they suddenly change?”

 

“Well, we will be doomed.”

 

“It’s too late to run away now. Come to your senses, everyone.”

 

Gulp–

 

Their throats swallowed on their own.

 

But their concerns were unfounded.

 

“?”

 

Because each of them came from a different crossroads, the gathered black contractors began to move.

 

They lined up and formed a formation.

 

“…What’s going on?”

 

It was an action that appeared to be faithful to ‘formality’ and ‘procedure’.

 

Of course, the first person who noticed it.

 

It was Park Hwigang, who was quick-witted and yet unwavering in his faith.

 

‘Hoyeol-nim. Where is Hoyeol-nim?’

 

As expected, Hoyeol must have moved the black contractors!

 

Park Hwigang looked around the deep area.

 

The depths of the labyrinth were crowded with black contractors and players.

 

Looking for Hoyeol here.

 

It should have been as difficult as looking for a needle on a sandy beach.

 

“…I found him.”

 

But Park Hwigang found Hoyeol at once.

 

Because of the power of faith?

 

No, it wasn’t like that.

 

Deep in the dark labyrinth.

 

A figure was emitting a brilliant halo there.

 

[White Elytra].

 

This was thanks to the elytra wings imbued with a hundred different attribute magics fluttering and radiating their presence. And the silver hair that reflected that light.

 

“Hoyeol-nim!”

 

Hoyeol’s presence was brilliant even in the labyrinth of despair.

 

His figure was like a ray of light shining within infinitely deep darkness.

 

Park Hwigang activated the skill [Explorer’s Gaze] to see Hoyeol in detail, but he was shocked. He even blinked his eyes in case he had seen it wrong.

 

No matter how hard he looked at it, in Hoyeol’s hands…

 

“… Teacup?”

 

Whistle–

 

A steaming teacup, at that.

 

*

Clink–

 

Unwavering angles of neck and arm.

 

A teacup tilted in a restrained posture.

 

…It was tea time that came out of nowhere.

 

How would it look to others?

 

Yeah, I didn’t even want to think about it anymore.

 

Yes, thinking about it only makes me suffer. Hoyeol…

 

[Mana regeneration increases slightly for 6 hours.]

 

It was the so-called crying while eating herbal medicine ^[1] ‘Crying while eating herbal medicine’ is a parody of the idiom ‘Crying while eating mustard’. This idiom is used when someone is forced to do something they don’t want to do but pretends to enjoy it anyway. .

 

I looked at the huge pupils.

 

It was the ‘Being That Should Not Be Awakened.’

 

Indeed, the reputation of the legendary explorer didn’t go anywhere.

 

Fabian identified it as soon as he saw the pupils.

 

“Judging by the skin, it seems to be a snake or lizard. But at this size…”

 

Gulp–

 

Fabian continued, wiping his cold sweat.

 

“As expected, I think it might be related to dragons.”

 

Fabien’s intellect sometimes hurt me.

 

…A dragon, you say!?

 

After all sorts of struggles, I managed to defeat the demon kings, and now I had to face a dragon.

 

Now I could be certain. This was all because I didn’t invest stat points in [luck]…!

 

‘Dragon is the final content.’

 

Dragon.

 

If I were to describe its strength in one word, it would be simple.

 

『From the Great Dragon-Demon War, which left uncontrollable damage, we learned a lesson. Even the Mage Tower cannot compete with the immortal being, the dragon…』

 

If nothing else, it was written like that in the book I read at the Mage Tower.

 

It was probably not an exaggeration. So, it was understandable that Fabian broke into a cold sweat.

 

“Sir Hoyeol, now I understand. The reason why Thefern, an ancient city that boasted such a large size, tried to seal it even by sacrificing everything.”

 

Of course, dragons were not demons.

 

There was no way that [Natural Enemy Relationship] would be activated.

 

No, this was not an opponent I could win even if it was activated.

 

Even the entire Mage Tower couldn’t defeat this monster.

 

The Mage Tower, who once directly involved, took their defeat as a lesson.

 

They even wrote it down in a book.

 

…I guess I am really doomed.

 

It was what my past self would have said.

 

However.

 

I had gotten used to it so much that even my gap hiatus became insignificant.

 

In other words, I had gotten the knack of it.

 

‘That’s not a dragon.’

 

How could I be sure?

 

Because I knew that there were levels to quests.

 

[Top 10 Wonders Quest: Thefern Labyrinth]

 

Top 10 Wonders of the Arcana Continent, Thefern.

 

Dig up Thefern’s Labyrinth.

 

Let the world know the true nature of Thefern.

 

Wonders discovered so far: 0 / 10

 

– Witness Thefern Labyrinth. (Successful)

 

– Reach the depths of the labyrinth. (On Hold)

 

– Defeat the ‘Being That Should Not Be Awakened’ sleeping deep in the depths. (In Progress)

 

If it was really a quest related to dragons.

 

This wouldn’t be classified as a Top 10 Wonders quest.

 

It would have emerged as a true world quest rather than a world-class quest.

 

[World Quest: Seed of World Tree]

 

Like the quest of the World Tree.

 

So, I thought it was worth a try.

 

That’s why I had made thorough preparations.

 

From item equipment to elixir herb dose.

 

Truthfully, I wanted to take care of Fabian and his company, but.

 

“Unfortunately, I don’t have any tea to give you.”

 

Fortunately, Fabian laughed it off.

 

“No. You don’t have to mind me. Actually, even if you offered it, I don’t have the energy to take anything.”

 

“Me too.”

 

“I agree.”

 

Now that everyone said that, I felt less sorry.

 

Besides, it wasn’t just me and Fabian’s party here.

 

Well, as it appeared, there were players who had entered the rupture with me.

 

And there were the proud people of Thefern who had sacrificed themselves for the sake of peace in the Arcana continent.

 

[10,890 Thefern’s Black Contractors]

 

[Current status: Waiting for command]

 

And I knew.

 

Being That Should Not Be Awakened.

 

I didn’t know if it was a real dragon or not, but it was not in good shape anyway. That was thanks to the ‘Black Tube’, which was maintained through the sacrifices of the people of Thefern.

 

‘It has been deprived of its five senses.’

 

[Blindness], [Silence], [Paralysis], and so on…

 

It was suffering from all kinds of status abnormalities.

 

At this moment, the pupil blinking without focus was the proof.

 

And I was filled with ‘right mana’ that could make the effect of 『Black Tube』 even stronger. So, I opened my mouth with confidence like always.

 

“You are something that should not be awakened.”

 

At the same time, I raised my right mana.

 

It couldn’t even hear it because its hearing was taken away.

 

I continued.

 

“If you feel peeved after sleeping, I will accept it. Feel free to run wild.”

 

…This big mouth.

 

I said that but it meant nothing else.

 

I couldn’t let a monster related to the dragon run wild…!

 

My desperate determination appeared as a message.

 

[Fear occurs in the Being That Should Not Be Awakened.]

• 1. ‘Crying while eating herbal medicine’ is a parody of the idiom ‘Crying while eating mustard’. This idiom is used when someone is forced to do something they don’t want to do but pretends to enjoy it anyway.