Chapter 171 – Curse
Whoooosh!
Each time I brushed past the trees, a cutting wind struck my cheeks.
White vapor billowed from my mouth. Though the forest trees were lush with greenery, the weather was cold enough to believe it was winter.
"Brother, to the left!"
Jenna, darting among the tree branches, shouted from above.
Turning my gaze to the left, the shadow among the bushes quickly receded.
"I'll block the path ahead!"
Jenna leaped like a squirrel and landed on a branch of an opposite tree.
Then, her figure vanished. Her movement, freely traversing the trees, was of such a level that she could outmaneuver a monkey back and forth.
I shook my head and leaped over the roots protruding from the ground.
If you're wondering why we're suffering here…
[Floor 41.]
[Mission Type – Pursuit]
[Objective – Chase and annihilate enemy survivors!]
The mission window on the right side of my field of vision blinked.
Floor 41 was an extension of Floor 40. The goal was to pursue and annihilate the remnants that had been defeated in the previous battle. This forest was connected to the plain field of Floor 40.
We were supposed to rest.
That's how it had been every time we cleared a boss stage.
But this time, we didn't rest.
I insisted to Anything that we challenge Floor 41 immediately. The first reason was out of curiosity about what lay beyond Floor 40, and the second reason was that the ascent to 4 stars wasn't far off.
Just one level to Level 40.
My experience bar was almost full.
Completing this mission successfully would fulfill the conditions for ascending to 4 stars.
Better to finish this and prepare than to rest at an intermediate location.
'I thought it would be a more relaxed mission…'
Personally, I wanted to talk to Priacis and learn about the background of Floor 40.
But here we are, stranded in this place with the mission to annihilate enemy survivors. Perhaps after completing this mission, I can have a private conversation with her. I decided to put off resolving accumulated doubts until then.
'It won't last long.'
The forest floor was stained red in various places.
Signs of deep bleeding. The wound wasn't superficial. With no hurry, the target wouldn't last long. I followed the tracks with the dagger in my inverted left hand.
In terms of difficulty, it was a mission to rest, indeed.
The target was already severely injured before encountering us.
We just needed to pursue the half-dead and finish it.
Jenna was running swiftly through the forest to my right.
Belkist and Kishasha were blocking the exit by encircling the forest's perimeter. We had also deployed Katio's exploration magic to prevent any unforeseen situations. There was no way out for the target.
"How about it, do you think you can catch him?"
Priacis's voice sounded in my ear.
It seemed she was using communication magic from the camp.
"Of course, he can't escape."
"If possible… could you capture him alive?"
"Why?"
"The one you're chasing is the sole surviving officer of the Order Army. I want to obtain information through interrogation."
She wants to interrogate him.
Does that mean Priacis doesn't know the full details either?
"As you might guess, I came here seeking the last key with the support of the Asynis Family. But then, the Order Army appeared. As if they knew I was here."
"Hmm."
"I'm curious. Why they call me a witch. Why they hate me so much and block my path. I want to know. I'm sorry, but… could you do it, Han?"
"I'll try. But I don't promise anything."
"Thank you."
I cut off the communication.
Capture, huh. That wasn't in the mission.
Well, I decided to give it a try. If things get ugly, I can cut off his breath at any time.
The bloodstains followed a trail.
A dark red color mixed with a murky light. It was visible from afar, so there was no worry of losing it.
"I got him!"
Jenna's cry came from the other side of the trees.
It seems she has caught a big catch. I quickly leaped over the bushes in that direction.
"Here, brother!"
In a clearing in the dense forest.
Jenna had her bow aimed at the target.
[Silver Flash Versace Lv.47]
On one side of the clearing, there stood a knight in shattered armor.
The armor, which should have gleamed silver, had long lost its shine. His long platinum hair was sticky with blood and dust. Under his left chest, there were two embedded arrows.
"I took care of the pawns. Did a good job, didn't I?"
Jenna turned to me and smiled.
Near the knight, there were soldiers lying with arrows in their heads.
"…"
The knight looked at me with apathetic eyes.
I sheathed the blood-stained dagger and spoke.
"Drop your sword and kneel. If you behave, I won't kill you."
Jenna looked at me as if she didn't understand what I was saying.
"Priacis wants us to bring her alive for interrogation."
"But will the mission still be completed?"
"It will be."
The mission should have that flexibility.
"You heard, sister. If you behave, we won't harm you."
"…Heh."
A bitter smile appeared on the knight's lips.
"Do you think I'll listen to a traitor?"
"Traitor?" Jenna blinked in surprise.
The knight laughed maliciously and murmured.
"I won't forgive. Never, never forgive. Never, never…"
"What is she saying?"
"I don't know."
"Then, unknowingly… die!"
The knight lunged at us with her sword drawn.
Ping! Jenna tensed her bow. The arrowhead pierced the knight's right chest. Still, she didn't stop. I leaped forward, unsheathing my sword and slashing downward simultaneously.
Pshhh.
Red blood arched through the air.
With a snap, the horsewoman's body, split from top to bottom, fell to the ground.
"Wow, that was terrifying. Did you see that woman's expression just now? It gave me chills."
Jenna rubbed her arm.
I looked down at the horsewoman. Her eyes were wide open at the moment of her death.
As expected, the capture had failed. When I informed Priacis, she was disappointed but still grateful.
"She's dead."
That's what Belkist said when he joined us later.
Belkist scattered dirt over the woman's body with his foot.
"Does this conclude the mission?"
"Yes. It's done. The completed mission notice will appear soon."
My body began to turn transparent.
I shook the blood off my sword blade and sheathed it.
"Rest well tonight. Probably, the ascent to 4 stars will begin tomorrow. Many things will change."
With this mission completed, Jenna, Belkist, and I, all, will have reached level 40. We decided not to go to floor 39 or 38, but to challenge the new mission on floor 41 to synchronize our levels.
"Then, the engravings will unlock. How do we obtain them?"
"The basic method is through Exploration Dungeons, but there are many other ways. I'll explain it to you gradually."
"I hate to say this about Kishasha, but I wouldn't want to turn into an animal."
She's a special case.
Usually, the engravings are an extension of abilities.
You could say a set of similar types of skills are grouped. They come with some additional statistics and bonuses.
Shortly after, Kishasha and Katio also arrived at the clearing.
"... "
Katio closed the horsewoman's eyes with a bitter expression.
[Stage cleared!]
[Han (★★★), level up!]
[Reward – 10,000G]
[MVP – Jenna (★★★)]
[There are heroes in the Master's group waiting to ascend. If the materials have been gathered, combine the Ascension Stone and retrieve the fragments of the forgotten memory.]
[Heroes eligible for ascension – Han (★★★), Jenna (★★★), Belkist (★★★)]
[Tips/4 stars is a very important rank that determines the future of a hero. Your hero needs your attention! Please take care of them with love.]
When the light dissipated, we had returned to the Space-Time Rift.
It was late at night. Except for those dedicated to training, it was time for everyone in their quarters to be scattered sleeping. I gave the dispersal order to the group.
'Traitors.'
Looking back now, there are many suspicious things in Pick Me Up.
Too many to count on one hand. After all, the fact that I was summoned here is already incredible.
[Item synthesis begins!]
[Selected materials – Fire Attribute Stone, Water Attribute Stone, Wind Attribute Stone, Intermediate Level Ascension Stone, Intermediate Level Soul Stone]
[Item to be completed – High-Level Ascension Stone]
[Success probability – 54%]
[Synthesis method – Automatic]
Anything was in the midst of intense preparation for ascension.
Item synthesis involves pure elemental stones obtained with low probability in Daily Dungeons, Soul Stones made from 2-star heroes or higher, and Intermediate Level Ascension Stones. It's the formula for a 4-star Ascension Stone.
[Cudangtangtangtang!]
[Fairy Power!]
[Failure!]
[Synthesis failure!]
[Materials have been consumed.]
[Failure!]
[Synthesis failure!]
[Materials have been consumed...]
Despite the continuous failures, I had accumulated many materials.
At least I should be able to create an Ascension Stone. I headed to the fourth floor of the mansion. The other members had gone up just after returning, so I was probably the last one to arrive.
"You worked hard on the mission."
Upon entering the mansion's foyer, a familiar figure greeted me.
It was Nerissa, acting as Submaster. She bowed to me.
"What's up? It's late for you not to be sleeping."
"I have something to discuss with you about the 4-star ascension ceremony."
She got straight to the point.
I smiled slightly and responded.
"Don't worry. I'll explain everything to you."
"I would greatly appreciate it if you could. There's something specific I really want to verify."
"That sounds suspicious. I know that too."
There's a significant information gap between 3 and 4-star heroes.
Probably what I'll see tomorrow will be very different from the enigmatic videos I've seen so far. Heroes who have ascended to 4 stars tend to change a bit in their attitude.
Whether it's content or form, there will definitely be changes.
"It's not really my concern."
Honestly, whatever this world hides doesn't concern me.
My goal is to reach the end of the tower and return to Earth. After all, I'm not a resident of this place. No matter what appears, as long as I do my job, there won't be any problems.
But still... it would be good to know.
Who knows how I might be able to help in some way.
"Things are going to get a little busier."
If I come to know the reason why I was summoned and the truth about Taonier, I'll probably feel a little confused.
Not just Jenna and Belkist. Soon, Edith, Rain, Main, and the other heroes will also advance to 4 stars. Their perception of being summoned here for unknown reasons to fight will change.
'Won't you forgive?'
Suddenly, I remembered the gaze of the horsewoman looking at me with eyes full of anger.
But what could she do now that she's dead?
I entered my room with a bitter smile.
