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chapter 21
Whoooosh—
At the far northwest edge of the city of Edlen.
After finishing their business in the forest, Hanbit and Yeonwoo arrived at a cliff overlooking a gorge.
It was so deep that the flowing river below looked like a thin thread.
-Scary as hell;
-Wind Swordsman name checks out ㄷㄷ
-Embarrassed to say it, but I peed a little.
-This place existed?
-Perverts are good at finding places like this. ㅋㅋ
The dizzying height was conveyed clearly to the viewers as well.
Yeonwoo could only gape blankly.
[Quest]
You have heard news about the master of Swordsman Balder.
If you earn his recognition, you may learn a very special technique.
Objective: Find the Wind Swordsman in the Edlen Forest.
Reward: Linked quest unlocked
The Wind Swordsman mentioned in the quest.
It was a place that, just as the viewers said, truly lived up to the name.
“This really the place? Please tell me it’s not.”
“This is just the entrance. You have to follow the path further.”
“Oh, there’s a path?”
Yeonwoo let out a small sigh of relief.
Bending his knees, Hanbit quietly scanned below and said,
“If you’re scared of heights, go back to the city.”
“S-scared? Not at all. Not even a little. Really.”
-Scared shitless. ㅋㅋㅋ
-Not scared (please save me)
-But where’s the path?
-Aren’t you supposed to climb down the cliff?
-That’d be pioneering at that point, no?
The viewers tried to figure out where the path was.
Of course, there was no such thing.
‘A lot of them came.’
A quick glance back into the forest showed a large crowd twitching nervously.
People who had been following them since they left Edlen.
Ding—
[SafetyFirst has registered a 10,000 won challenge mission.]
[No rope bungee ㄱㄱ]
At that moment, a challenge mission notification popped up.
“That’s just telling us to die. Hyung, skip this one.”
After checking the content, Yeonwoo shook his head in disbelief.
Then another message appeared right after.
Ding—
[ㅇㅇ has registered a 30,000 won challenge mission.]
[Go together with Roper ㄱㄱ]
“What? Don’t joke around! I absolutely— Hyung? Why are you looking like that?”
Yeonwoo, who had been genuinely indignant, looked at Hanbit’s face.
That look and that smile meant he was about to do something.
“Wait. Wait a second. That’s not it, seriously. If we fall from here— ugh!”
Thud—!
Grabbing Yeonwoo’s arm, Hanbit kicked off toward the cliff below.
Falling immediately was inevitable.
“Waaaaaah!”
-Crazy. ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-He was a good streamer.
-He’s falling so damn fast. ㅋㅋㅋ
Whooo—!
The two bodies continued to plummet.
“Hyyyyuung!”
Yeonwoo was almost crying as he screamed beside him.
‘Almost there.’
Hanbit kept checking the height while cutting through the wind.
And just before their bodies reached the bottom.
Gloop—
Suddenly, the surrounding scenery changed.
“Ugh… huh?”
Yeonwoo, who had been sure he was dead, lay face-down and turned his head around.
A massive cave-like structure with sunlight filtering in from various places.
In front of them stood a slender stone pagoda-like structure.
Around it, a spiral path stretched upward from the ground.
-?
-What is this?
-Why aren’t they dead?
-Where is this?
-What’s that?
The startled viewers also tried to make sense of the situation.
Hanbit stood up calmly and looked at the chat.
“Mission success, right?”
“…Ah.”
Yeonwoo, who had been spacing out, snapped back to his senses.
Then he raised his voice at Hanbit.
“Hyung! I really thought I was going to die!”
“We’re alive, aren’t we? Just take the prize money.”
“…Fine.”
With a sigh, Yeonwoo immediately completed the challenge mission.
Ding—
[Cuckoo has donated 1,000 won.]
[The guys who were secretly following are jumping into the gorge. Over 300 suicides.]
-It’s real. ㅋㅋㅋ
-Are they insane?
-So many came.
-But why are they dying?
-Explanatory Black Dragon, please show up.
A donation message relayed what was happening outside.
It seemed the players who had been following also jumped off the cliff after Hanbit.
“That’s because they don’t have this.”
Hanbit showed the camera the cloth embroidered with a green sword emblem.
It was the item he’d received from the swordsman.
“Wasn’t that just a piece of cloth?”
Yeonwoo asked curiously.
Hanbit shook his head.
“This is like a spirit domain. That’s the entrance pass.”
“…Spirits?”
“You’ll see. Let’s go meet Balder’s master first.”
“Where is the master?”
“Right there.”
Hanbit pointed to the top of the stone pagoda.
At its peak, a tiny human figure could be seen.
“That’s the Wind Swordsman? So we’re done if we just climb that path?”
“Once you climb, it’s over. Let’s go.”
“…Huh?”
-That’s it?
-Then isn’t this a trash skill?
-Talking about spirit domains and all that.
-Is this for real? ㅋㅋ
Doubts arose at the overly simple method.
Yeonwoo followed behind Hanbit as he walked ahead.
“Hyung, is this skill actually nothing special?”
“Why? Because it looks too easy? You were screaming your lungs out earlier.”
“That’s different. If the condition is just following the path, it’s easier than other skills.”
Yeonwoo couldn’t hide his disappointment, having had high expectations.
It seemed he wanted something visually spectacular.
Stopping at the entrance, Hanbit asked,
“Want to go first?”
“…Why all of a sudden?”
“It’s quite a sight from the inside. It’ll look better if you film it directly.”
“Really?”
Tempted, Yeonwoo stepped forward with a slightly brighter expression.
And the moment he took a few steps—
Whoosh—!
Something brushed past his cheek.
“…Huh?”
Frozen stiff, Yeonwoo slowly turned his head.
An iron arrow was embedded in the opposite wall.
“Ugh!”
A beat late, Yeonwoo yelped and hurried back.
Standing behind Hanbit, he protested in a wronged voice.
“Hyung! What was that?!”
“You said you just had to follow the path. Isn’t it easy?”
“Ah, seriously! You knew, didn’t you?”
-Shit, it was a trap. ㅋㅋㅋ
-???: Isn’t it easier than other skills?
-Ah ㅋㅋ Easier to die.
-Can’t you just see and dodge?
-Nope, you’re supposed to take light hits.
Looking at the chat, Hanbit took out a bow from his inventory.
“Why the bow?”
-Head-on fight ㄷㄷ
-Is he going to shoot the master and knock him down?
-Crazy. ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Fwwng—
Hanbit silently nocked an arrow and drew the string.
Ping—!
As he released, the arrow flew at high speed.
It struck the inner wall of the spiral path.
Ping—!
Ping—!
“…What are you doing?”
“Let’s go. Follow behind me.”
“Huh?”
After firing several arrows, Hanbit walked forward calmly.
He had already passed the spot where Yeonwoo had been standing.
“Did you disable the traps?”
“Follow closely. If you fall, you can’t come back.”
“What does that even— Hyung! In front!”
Rrrrr—!
A massive boulder rolled toward them head-on.
Raising his hand, Hanbit shouted while looking at the ground.
“Fire Burst!”
Boom—!
With a huge explosion, the stone floor collapsed.
Crash—!
The rolling boulder plunged straight down.
-Rank 2 but it’s insane;
-Ah, damn Rashten;
-Info) Rashten employees also jumped off the cliff trying to get here.
-At that point it’s obsession, no?
News about Rashten stood out in the chat.
It seemed they’d all been kicked out by Artsvel in the end.
“Let’s go.”
Thud—!
Leaping over the collapsed path, Hanbit continued climbing.
After glancing down, Yeonwoo swallowed hard and followed.
Ping—!
Boom—!
The process of disarming traps with arrows and magic continued.
After using up all his arrows, Hanbit proceeded with his sword in hand.
Whoosh—!
Thud—!
Flying arrows, maces, and harpoons couldn’t touch him.
He avoided them with the bare minimum of movement, just barely.
Following from a distance, Yeonwoo asked with a dumbfounded expression,
“Hyung, did you memorize all this? Is this in the novel?”
“How would I memorize all that? If it feels fucked, you dodge.”
“No way……”
-Fucked-sense detection ㄷㄷ
-You can dodge just by looking?
-Is his dynamic vision a cat’s?
-As expected of King Kitty.
-If he were a dog, the path would already be paved.
Though he joked, he really had memorized everything.
No—rather, it was impossible not to.
Kaboom—!
After passing the final boulder trap.
They finally reached the end of the path.
“Long as hell.”
With a leisurely complaint, Hanbit stepped onto the top of the stone pagoda.
At its center sat an old man with white hair, sitting cross-legged with his back turned.
[Wind Swordsman Asla]
“Do not come closer.”
A low voice rang out before he could even move.
Hanbit simply sat down where he was.
“Hyung?”
“You sit too.”
-Endure mode ON
-He’s prickly;
-You can tell he’s a master just from the back.
-Try rebelling.
-Time for middle-school syndrome.
After hesitating, Yeonwoo also sat on the ground.
“Looks like we finished the test you prepared?”
“…….”
The swordsman gave no answer to Hanbit’s words.
‘He really put me through hell.’
That man, Asla, had severe social anxiety.
Forcing your way closer would only get you expelled from this place.
Not knowing that or how to deal with it, Hanbit had been expelled for nearly a month before finally learning the technique.
And after ten more runs had passed.
He possessed Asla’s body.
‘I know your insides better than anyone.’
Possession inherited all the original owner’s thoughts and experiences.
The confusion had been overwhelming, but humans were adaptive creatures.
Enough to grasp the design and locations of hundreds of traps.
Slide—
Hanbit took out a bottle from his inventory.
Then he wrapped the cloth given by the swordsman around it.
Rattle—
He lightly let go, rolling the bottle.
Spinning, it gently bumped into the old man’s hand.
“Alcohol?”
Without even lowering his gaze, he recognized the contents.
After staring at the bottle briefly, the old man said coldly,
“Take it away. I no longer drink.”
“Then roll it back this way.”
“…….”
-?
-Why no answer.
-Told you to roll it back?
Despite Hanbit’s words, the old man remained silent.
Then he pretended not to hear and stared off into the distance.
‘Like a dog giving up poop.’
Alcohol he’d started drinking under the pretense of overcoming social anxiety.
But his near-addiction showed no intention of being fixed.
That old man simply liked alcohol.
Unfortunately, his disciple Balder had been deeply affected by it.
“You’re not drinking?”
“Hmph. Do you think my will could be broken by such a trivial thing?”
“You’re going to drink again tonight anyway.”
“…Ahem.”
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Got exposed.
-Abstinence (3 hours)
The old man’s fingertips were still touching the bottle as he cleared his throat.
Hanbit took out another bottle and rolled it toward him.
Rattle—
“Try it. They’re all drinks you’ve never tasted before.”
“I have tasted every alcohol in the world. A fledgling could never satisfy me.”
“Just try it. If you don’t like it, I’ll leave immediately.”
“…….”
At the continued insistence, the old man’s fingers twitched.
Glancing sideways, he finally said as if he had no choice,
“Fine. If it displeases me, be gone at once.”
Pop—
Snatching a bottle, he uncorked it.
“Mmm.”
As he inhaled the aroma, his back twitched.
Slowly bringing the bottle to his lips.
The cautious first sip soon slid down his throat.
Gulp—
“……!”
His body jerked violently.
Clutching the bottle to his chest, the old man quickly grabbed another bottle from the ground.
-Old man?
-Hugging the bottle is hilarious. ㅋㅋㅋ
-???: Take it away.
-???: I no longer drink.
Contradicting words and actions made the viewers laugh.
Unaware of any of it, the old man focused solely on the alcohol.
Gulp—
“……!”
After tasting another drink, his back shook even harder.
Gulp—
Gulp—
He began chugging the bottles one after another.
When every bottle was empty, he slightly turned his body.
“…Any more?”
