Episode 211
! Ddddd-!
As soon as the door opened, monsters from the Forbidden Zone poured out.
The name tags displayed above their heads were so numerous that it was difficult to even distinguish them.
[Evil-infused Goblin (Lv. 210)]
[Evil-infused Red Wolf (Lv. 212)]
[Evil-infused Skeleton (Lv. 215)]
The types themselves didn't feel particularly special.
However, their pitch-black eyes and burly bodies were completely different from the ones they knew.
"-Hi.
" "-Welcome.
" "-It's your first time in the Forbidden Zone, right?
" "-But seriously, was the passageway in this state? " "-So
it was a flowery path when we arrived…"
"-Re-evaluating Hylen's test tube, shudder .
" "-Yeah, but he's still a lunatic."
Viewers who had been following the episode like a guidebook reacted with surprise to the revealed truth.
After all, when they arrived here, they would have only seen the passageway neatly cleared by Hylen.
Ding-
[Cuckoo has donated 5,000 won.]
[Episode 7 players struggling to persuade the Margrave.]
This was news from the outside world brought by a viewer named Cuckoo.
The players attempting to start Episode 7 now were not those who had experienced the reset.
Since the update began shortly after Episode 6 ended, those who chose the reset would likely be in the midst of actively progressing through the story.
In other words, players who had followed the guidebook were bound to go astray if they tried to follow Hanbit.
'It's just a waste of time.'
The Margrave was a man who became more cautious the more anxious he became.
Although Hanbit had emphasized the existence of spirits, persuasion would have been difficult without the nationwide public announcement regarding the investigation team candidates.
Support, compounded by the King's sincerity, held that much power.
Yet, for a player who had followed the guidebook to receive the same level of support as Hanbit's party?
It was absolutely impossible.
In other words, it should be considered that outside affairs were not even worth worrying about.
If they were to take up their time there, it would be less troublesome and a good thing.
Rustle—
The Glacier's cold condensed along Hanbit's blade.
Sensing his power surged to its limit, he stepped forward and swung his sword.
Whoosh—!
The blade slashed horizontally, tracing a massive arc.
And then.
Whoosh—!
A tremendous storm of freezing air surged forward.
Quadruple—!
The cold covered the ground beneath the entrance, instantly engulfing the monsters.
They were engulfed in ice, but for the time being, it only immobilized their feet.
“Sylph, blow them far away.”
Whoosh—!
As he scattered dozens of prisms from his sack, Sylph’s wind naturally lifted them.
Floating through the air, the transparent shards passed over the monsters' heads and spread widely inward.
“Lumia!”
At the same time, Noeul’s voice echoed through the space.
It was immediately afterward that an intense radiance erupted from the sphere of light rising upward.
Snap—!
The light extending forward entered a single prism.
And that unique spirit light split into dozens, then hundreds, flying toward other prisms.
Snap!
Wave!
Light enveloped the maze, as if connecting the prisms.
Change soon followed. Screams of pain began to echo throughout the maze. Hanbit, gripping his sword, kicked his foot forward.
Thud!
Just then, the frozen monsters writhed and broke free from their restraints. Hanbit, who had been watching them, plunged into their midst. Whoosh! Movements mingled with the wind enveloping his body. It was a sword dance of a gale. Slash! Swoosh! The sword's trajectory, slashing gracefully like a dance, severed the monsters' heads one after another. Their tough skin and hides were useless. The Sword of the Nebula, emitting multicolored light. They could not withstand that weapon of a different caliber and the power of the spirit. "Tch." Haneul, who had been following closely behind as instructed, expressed dissatisfaction at the enemy that could not be cut down in a single blow. Her Silver Moon Dagger was excellent, but in a forbidden zone, modifications were bound to be necessary. Of course, her individual stats would need to improve as well. Swish—! Clearing the entrance at high speed, Hanbit entered the maze. Grrr—! Screech—! Monsters affected by the light spread by the prism filled the maze. Rustle— Cracks of light visible all over their bodies.
They were weakened, as if under a debuff.
“Stay a little distance away and move freely. If you see a big one, don’t go near it.”
“Yes!”
“Understood!”
The twins distanced themselves further and scattered to the sides.
Whoosh—!
Sallion’s flames began to mingle with the sword dance of the gale that was still continuing.
The effect, which seemed as if the blade’s range had expanded, slaughtered the monsters at tremendous speed.
Whoosh—!
Screech—!
Enemies weakened by the light met their demise as their bodies were sliced through.
Enemies outside the range were being dealt with by the twins’ hands.
Snap—!
Maintaining its speed, Hanbit surged deeper into the area.
Since the space was not vast, the dwindling number of monsters was quickly noticeable.
And individuals distinct from the ordinary ones also revealed their presence.
Bang—!
A large-framed Orc was behind the broken maze wall.
Although he, too, was affected by the light, the massive double-edged axe in his hand looked menacing.
Slash—!
Hanbit slashed through the monsters blocking his path and charged toward the spot.
The orc, sensing the enemy, reacted immediately.
*Thump!*
The creature's foot struck the ground, creating a shockwave accompanied by a deafening roar. *
Swoosh!*
A black haze began to rise around its body.
It was a phenomenon that appeared for beings who had absorbed a stronger aura of evil.
[Elite: Orc Caught in Evil (Lv. 220)]
The modifier attached to its name seemed to signify that distinction.
Of course, to Hanbit, it was merely one of the monsters to be dealt with.
*Snip!*
Having slashed the last monster, he charged forward.
The orc, stepping forward in return, violently brought down the axes held in both hands.
*Whoosh!
* The attack, falling with tremendous force, looked as if a whole house was being slammed down.
However, Hanbit did not dodge it.
*Whoosh!*
A multicolored sword, pulled up from below, headed upwards.
Simultaneously, the sharp blades of the two weapons clashed.
*Clang!
* *Whoosh!*
The aftershocks spread around with crisp sounds.
Despite the impact, Hanbit's feet did not retreat even the slightest.
On the other hand, the situation was different for the Orc, who had launched his attack with such ferocity. *
Crack*
—a crack formed in the center of the massive axe blade.
His arms, having been flung away by the impact, remained frozen in that exact position.
His foot, which had struck down forcefully, had also been pushed back.
"-Ow;
" "-He's practically a brute force character.
" "-Are you beating an elite mob from the Forbidden Zone with brute force?
" "-It's possible because my stats are at a bug level."
*Grrr*—!
The Orc was taken aback by the unexpected result.
Some monsters in the Forbidden Zone are born with higher intelligence.
While his intelligence was still at the lowest level to be discussed, it was enough to make him feel fear.
*Crunch*
—Holding his tattered axe, the Orc took small steps backward.
However, his instinct to survive was just as strong.
*Thump*—!
Standing at the crossroads of life and death, the Orc made a decision.
To live, he would kill his enemy.
It was a heart so simple and instinctive.
*Bang*—!
The creature, gripping the axe handle tightly, kicked off and charged forward.
Perhaps because he was standing on the edge of a cliff, his movements were faster and wilder than before.
Whoosh!
The blade of a massive axe fell upon Hanbit's head.
Facing it calmly, he raised his sword once again and struck.
Crash!
Tracing a calculated trajectory, the blade struck the axe's crack precisely.
Crunch!
Receiving the second blow, one side of the axe's blade collapsed helplessly.
The pathetically exposed pivot and the other blade hanging precariously.
It was a meaningless battle now.
Snap!
Hanbit kicked his foot and continued his attack.
Clang!
Crash!
The Orc was flustered by the sword's rapid onslaught.
He tried to block by swinging his wretched axe, but even keeping up with the blows was a struggle.
Crash!
Slash!
Axe blades kept breaking, and deep wounds grew everywhere.
Before he could even make a decision to survive, an attack half a beat faster flew in.
Slice!
The handle of the axe was severed by the multicolored blade and fell to the ground.
Thump—
the orc, now barehanded, took a step with a trembling body.
And simultaneously with thrusting his blood-gushing fist…
Thud!
Hanbit's sword was plunged deep into the heart.
Bang!
The massive Orc sank to his knees onto the ground.
Crunch!
Hanbit twisted the blade to deliver the finishing blow.
It was one of the habits he had developed in the forbidden zone.
Swish!
Hanbit drew his sword and landed lightly on the ground.
The Orc's movements could no longer be felt.
-For some reason, the Orc looked pitiful.
-Seriously, he got beaten to a pulp;
-It looked like he was contemplating running away for a moment. Lol
-???: Say you want to live!
-Then will you spare him?
-No.
“Lord Black Dragon!”
He turned his gaze at the voice he heard.
The sight of the twins running from a distance.
At the same time, an alarm rang in his ears.
Ding-
[Sub-quest completed.]
[Sub-quest settlement complete.]
[Received 30,000,000 Gold.]
[50 Stat Points awarded.]
[Experience increased by 50,000,000.]
[Level increased by 2.] [2
Stat Points awarded.]
[Main Quest branching point for Episode 7 reset. ]
[All rewards for the Main Quest in Episode 7 have been greatly increased.]
Every single monster had been cleared without exception.
The sub-quests were set to lead to changes in the upcoming Episode 7.
“Phew, that was really tough.”
“I was flustered because magic didn’t work as well as I expected. As expected, I’m still lacking a lot.”
The twins wore frustrated expressions, as if acutely aware of their own shortcomings.
The reason was clear.
“Don’t worry too much. It’s just that I haven’t properly prepared my skills or equipment yet.”
They had not provided the twins with full preparations.
It was partly because I moved immediately after the server opened, but primarily because I wanted to properly confront the forbidden zone.
Should I call it a wish for them to grow while building a solid foundation?
"…I sound like a master." It was
an action naturally escaping thanks to the twins' talent and hard work.
It was almost laughable that I had so firmly declared I wouldn't take any disciples.
"I wonder if they are doing well here, too."
The face of the only disciple I had taken in from the other world flashed through my mind.
Could I protect that child here?
Or was it the right choice not to meet them again this time?
"Phew."
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, Hanbit turned his gaze toward the black door in the corner. It was
a problem that had gone unnoticed beforehand due to a soldier's mistake.
The magic circle that had been used as a lock had been torn out in its entirety.
"What kind of situation is this?"
Just then, a voice was heard from beyond the maze toward the fortress.
Turning his gaze, Hanbit spotted a tall man walking slouching with his hands in his pockets.
[Investigation Team Examiner Hylen]
The name tag that appeared above his head.
His dazzling white hair and the scar running from his nose to his cheek were like his identity.
*Thump*—
“Hey.”
Hylen reached Hanbit’s face in the blink of an eye.
He was fast enough to look like he had teleported to anyone else.
“Did you do this?”
It was a question devoid of emotion, merely a provocation.
But Hanbit knew.
He knew that Hylen was displaying an unprecedentedly strong curiosity.
“We did it. The investigation team was slower than expected.”
“Ha. Do you know who I am to spout such nonsense?”
Hylen’s expression furrowed at the tossed-out sarcasm.
Hanbit continued calmly .
“Investigation Team Examiner Hylen. You’re the only one who would come here at this time, aren’t you?”
“So, you’re saying you spouted that bullshit even though you knew?”
-??
-Black Dragon, this is a bit… … .
-You’re saying I’m speaking informally to you?
-It’s not the informal language; you’re picking a fight.
"-You absolutely must not mess with Hylen.
" "-Her true nature is showing. We're screwed.
" "-Emergency, emergency, emergency, emergency. "
Viewers were taken aback by the conversation that continued as if they were about to fight.
However, Hylen's expression, visible only to Hanbit, was different from the atmosphere.
"Interesting."
The examiner grinned and watched Hanbit.
Then, pointing to the black door leading to the Forbidden Zone, he continued speaking.
"The test begins immediately. I will push you into hell, so live up to expectations."
Ding-
[Episode 7: Forbidden Zone]
[Main Quest #1: Encounter]
The test begins immediately after meeting Examiner Hylen.
Although I do not know the details or anything else, it seems I must live up to his expectations.
Objective: Travel to the Forbidden Zone with Hylen.
*Current Progress: 0 percent
