Chapter 167: Star, Level 50 (6)

Chapter 167: Star, Level 50 (6)

“You’re... quite rude...” Tae Hong-Gak reacted to Chang-Sun’s remark first, paying no attention to the system message that told everyone about the train arriving at the ‘Boiling Hell’ station soon.

The bulky Hong-Gak slowly spoke, his voice filled with fury. When he stood up, the top of his head pressed against the train’s ceiling, which wasn’t very high in the first place. He glared at Chang-Sun with bloodshot eyes, making the atmosphere heavier. Sensing the tension in the air, Baek Gyeo-Ul and the other Team L members quickly rested their hands on their weapons’ handles.

“I advise you not to do anything rash,” Bu Yeong-Jin quietly said as he looked at them with his cloudy eyes. He unwrapped his long bandages, made them rigid, and pointed them at the back of the Team L members’ heads, forcing them to stop.

‘When did he...?’?Gyeo-Ul shockingly wondered.

Yeong-Jin was pointing the bandages at their carotid arteries and could instantly cut them if the team L members continued to resist. His eyes noticeably changed as well—his black pupils and white scleras switching colors—when he activated the [Black and White Demon Eyes, his signature skill. It turned anyone who met his eyes into a corpse.

‘What should I do?’ Gyeo-Ul momentarily pondered how to respond to the current situation.

He wasn’t sure if he could use [Shadow Play] to backstab Yeong-Jin through his shadow before Yeong-Jin could slit his throat. Fortunately, Yeong-Jin and Hong-Gak didn’t know that Gyeo-Ul had recently completed [Shadow Leap], which enabled him to move freely to any shadow that Gyeo-Ul could see. It was the perfect skill for surprise attacks.

Meanwhile, the staredown between Chang-Sun and Hong-Gak continued.

Thump, thump...

With each step Hong-Gak took, the train compartment shook hard. Glaring at Chang-Sun, who was still in his seat, he growled. “What... did you just... say...to us? Get...lost...?”

Most rankers would’ve felt intimidated by Hong-Gak’s aura, but Chang-Sun just smirked and replied, “I think you heard me correctly. Why? Has your hearing gone bad? It must be hard for you since you speak really slowly. ”

[The Celestial ‘A Good Season to Hunt’ angrily asks what’s wrong with him and advises you to teach him a lesson!]

[The Celestial ‘Calamity Tiger’ watches the fight between his two subordinates with interest.]

“You bas...!” Hong-Gak frowned and attempted to swing his hammer-like arm to attack Chang-Sun.

As he did, Jaegal Hyeon-Ryong entered the compartment and fixed his glasses. “I thought I could finally rest now. Why is it so noisy in here?”

Hyeon-Ryong’s suit was clean when they entered the Dungeon, but it was covered in dust now, serving as proof that he had gone through a rough battle outside. Nevertheless, he already noticed the staredown between the elders and Team L members with his sharp eyes.

Hong-Gak and Yeong-Jin immediately stood down, having spent enough time in the Council of Elders to know that they should be careful whenever Hyeon-Ryong asked such a question.

“Goliath and Rotting Skull, don’t try to cause a commotion,” Hyeon-Ryong said as if he was scolding children, but what he actually meant was to stop fighting immediately.

At that moment, Yeong-Jin’s face turned scarlet red. Even though Hyeon-Ryong told them to stop, Yeong-Jin’s pride would still be seriously damaged if he tucked his tail between his legs before these children.

“Wu Hou! This is our fight,” he growled.

“Hmm? I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” Hyeon-Ryong tilted his head in confusion. UppTodated from nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m

“I know you have enough interest in that child to make him your disciple, but this is between us.” Yeong-Jin turned his head to look at Chang-Sun.

The Team L members held their breath. It would cause quite a commotion in the White Tiger Clan if the others found out that Hyeon-Ryong wanted to make Chang-Sun his student, but Chang-Sun didn’t even seem fazed.

“I’m certainly very interested in that child, but that has nothing to do with the current situation,” Hyeon-Ryong dumbfoundedly replied. “As a fellow elder, I’m just trying to prevent your pride from getting hurt by that child.”

“... What? What are you talking about...!” Yeong-Jin frowned.

“Has your hearing really gone bad?” Hyeon-Ryong grinned and enunciated each word. “That kid will kick your asses.”

“...!”

“...!”

Yeong-Jin and Hong-Gak looked at Chang-Sun again as their lips trembled in disbelief, naturally having trouble believing Hyeon-Ryong. The two became first-generation Players dozens of years ago, so how could Hyeon-Ryong think they could lose to a novice who had only been a Player for half a year?

“Well, if you insist, I won’t stop you.” Hyeon-Ryong crossed his arms, then coldly continued, “You know about the rule, don’t you? Before you decide, keep in mind that I’ll always uphold it.”

“...”

“...”

Yeong-Jin and Hong-Gak were rendered speechless. Hyeon-Ryong was the Council of Elders’ vice-head, which traditionally held another position—auditor. He kept the elders in ‘line’ and reprimanded the ‘corrupted’ ones, and the first standard that he followed was ‘don’t stain the name of the White Tiger Clan and disgrace oneself as an elder.’

If Chang-Sun, a mere team leader, defeated Yeong-Jin and Hong-Gak, they would be disgracing themselves. Hyeon-Ryong himself would have to step in if they did, considering Munseong and Hyeon-Ryong built the Council of Elders to create ‘indestructible claws.’ Broken ones were not needed in the council. Hence, Yeong-Jin and Hong-Gak couldn’t ignore Hyeon-Ryong’s warning.

“...!” Henri held his breath when he heard the monstrous Nicolas had lost. Considering the position Nicolas held in France—the ‘Immortal Overlord’ Jacque Valentine’s favorite disciple and the next Revenant Clan leader—then his story didn’t make any sense. However, Henri couldn’t reject it due to the French volunteer Players who were injured and lying on the floor.

“Henri,” Nicolas coldly said.

“Huh? Yes!” Henri straightened his posture. A shiver ran down his spine for some reason, and he got goosebumps all over his body.

“I have work for you.” Nicolas narrowed his eyes. Henri swallowed his saliva nervously.

* * *

“Do you know why the ‘Wuthering Stone Desert’ is a stone desert?” Thanatos asked.?

It sounded as if Thanatos was just going to deliver a joke, so Chang-Sun considered not answering. However, since there was a chance Thanatos would tell him the Dungeon’s secret, Chang-Sun said, “Why?”

“It’s not a real desert.” Thanatos shrugged.?

“... What?” Chang-Sun slightly frowned.?

“It’s the dead Surtr’s skin.’

“...!” Chang-Sun’s eyes widened.

“The entire Dungeon is Surtr’s corpse. The stone desert is the corpse’s skin, which means when the land cracks, it’s his skin cracking. His energy is the reason why it’s so hot in there,” Thanatos explained, but he seemed to be having a lot of fun for some reason.

“How can monsters live in there, then?” Chang-Sun asked.?

“He was still the Fire Giant King and the ruler of <Muspelheim>, so although his divine class wasn’t as high as mine, it was still pretty high. That’s why it isn’t strange for new lives to be born there.” Thanatos nodded.

“Huh!” Chang-Sun exclaimed.?

“So getting to the underground floor of the Dungeon is basically just ripping through Surtr’s muscles and going up his veins,” Thanatos said.?

“Where exactly is the ‘Rhaegaren,’ then?” Chang-Sun asked.?

“Like I told you, it’s an armory that holds Surtr and <Muspelheim>’s valuable treasures. Authorities manifest there too, so it’s only natural that it isn’t out in the open,” Thanatos shrugged.?

“Then...” Chang-Sun narrowed his eyes.?

“Yes, the ‘Rhaegaren’ is at his heart. You’ll find it while you go up his veins.” Thanatos grinned.?

Hearing that this gigantic Dungeon was Surtr’s corpse itself shocked him quite hard. Even though he was a giant, the Dungeon was still unbelievably large to think of as someone’s corpse.

‘The train will leave the station in twenty-four hours... and I have to find Surtr’s heart before then?’?Chang-Sun summarized his plan.

It would be difficult. The Dungeon was so huge that finding a way into its underground floor in itself would already be much more difficult than clearing most Dungeons. Chang-Sun immediately started planning, but he suddenly felt his chest heating up and realized the [Stigma] had been activated.

[The Skill ‘Stigma’ has been activated, awakening the Attribute ‘Eon Wind’!]

‘She’s finally up,’ Chang-Sun noticed.

Feeling something wriggling, Chang-Sun soon heard someone speaking inside his head. She sounded in pain.

『Human... who are you?』

After hunting the ‘Wind-Hating Daughter’ in ‘Wind Hell,’ Chang-Sun took away her <Starlight> and saved it in his [Stigma] as his third Attribute. The remaining fragment of the ‘Wind-Hating Daughter’ in that <Starlight> had just woken up.

As she asked that question, Chang-Sun sensed shock, confusion, and distrust in her voice. Even though she had lost her power and was now just a fragment, the fact that she had been hunted down still shocked her. Nevertheless, although she was overwhelmed with various emotions, she felt suspicion the most.

『I’ve been watching you ever since I got trapped here because I have so many questions, and I thought I have to find out more about you in order to kill you. You’re a human, so how did you decrypt the [Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan]? What’s your relationship to the Pale Star? 』

The ‘Wind-Hating Daughter’ was really confused.

『But there is something about you that confuses me the most.』

With a trembling voice, she asked,『Why do you smell like Ithaca?』

Chang-Sun stopped. He already expected she would ask her a lot of questions, but he certainly didn’t expect to hear that name. Ithaca was the Guardian he served for the first and last time in Arcadia, the Celestial that Gramps handed over right before he died, and... the only woman Chang-Sun ever loved.