Chapter 109: The Hero's Return (1)
The great heroes who had prevented the Outbreak.
“Waaaaah!”
“Oh! They're here! It's the expedition! The expedition is entering the city!”
“Over here! Please look this way just once! Over here!”
The Hestia Empire gave the returning expedition a grand welcome.
“This kind of reception is certainly refreshing.”
“Wow. How romantic. It's like roses are raining from the sky.”
Scarlett and Park Yeri exclaimed as they watched the shower of flower petals.
The sight of thousands cheering and applauding was truly spectacular.
“It was an infamous Gate that had thwarted countless expeditions. Everyone wishes to see the heroes who saved them from the terror of the Outbreak.”
Beman Sherphon.
The military mage bearing the Third Moon Rank smiled faintly.
“That's right. We saved... at least hundreds of thousands of people.”
Beatrice, who served the God of Light, quietly added a word of her own.
Simply hearing the number—hundreds of thousands—didn't quite make it feel real.
However...
Looking at the countless people gathered here...
It felt as though all the hardships they had endured until now had been somewhat healed.
‘I gained quite a lot as well.’
Yohan reflected on everything that had happened inside the temple.
From the hidden abilities of the Sea Otter Trio.
To discovering Sambok's true form.
And even the Linked Ability he had used together with Scarlett.
The rewards had far exceeded his expectations.
It had also been a chance to witness the true potential and determination of his companions.
Then.
“……!?”
The relaxed expression on Yohan's face instantly disappeared.
He had discovered something out of place within the crowd.
Distinctive fangs.
And a faint scent of blood that only another member of their own race could possibly detect.
They were Vampires.
“Yohan.”
Scarlett had noticed the anomaly as well.
“Yeah. I know.”
They weren't high-ranking.
Only Lower Vampires who had recently completed their transformation.
Yet they continued weaving through the crowd as though searching for something.
“Should I leave one alive for interrogation and tear the rest into pieces?”
Scarlet threads formed around Scarlett's fingertips.
Ever since she had devoured Gluttony's [Infinite Craving], something about her had changed.
Whenever she saw an enemy...
She immediately wanted to rip them apart.
She spoke such terrifying words without even blinking.
“No. They won't make the first move with this many eyes watching.”
Reina had already succeeded in contacting the Vampires and provoking a war with the Grand Witches' Council.
For now...
It was best to let the two sides fight each other.
That aside.
He took back what he had said about there being only Lower Vampires.
Among them...
There was one whose aura was anything but ordinary.
‘Even someone of that level came?’
He knew her all too well.
Gracia Le Eppenhaus.
One of the executives of the Red Moon Corporation.
A Vampire bearing the title of ‘Marquis.’
The youthful girl with flowing silver hair and crimson eyes stared fixedly at the expedition.
“No.
Not this one...”
She muttered to herself while slowly observing each person.
Then.
“Found you.”
Her gaze stopped precisely where Yohan was.
A chill crept down his spine.
Could it be...
Had she seen through him?
Impossible.
‘There's no way they know anything about me.’
Unless Reina had confessed everything.
There was no reason for them to pay any attention to him.
Countless possibilities raced through his mind.
His heart began pounding unpleasantly.
The moisture inside his mouth rapidly disappeared.
If a monster like her suddenly went on a rampage...
This entire area would become a living hell in an instant.
She wasn't on the same level as Behemoth.
But Gracia was still a monster beyond ordinary standards.
Fortunately...
The worst never happened.
Flutter.
A butterfly with crimson wings gracefully landed on Yohan's shoulder.
[To the Vampire without an affiliation.
We offer you the opportunity to become a member of the great Red Moon.
Tomorrow at 6 p.m.
I'll be waiting at a tavern called ‘The Wolf and Spice.’]
It was an invitation.
One granted exclusively to Vampires.
‘Should I consider it fortunate that my identity wasn't exposed...?’
It was still too early to relax.
He still had to walk straight into the lion's den.
Nod.
Yohan gave Gracia a slight bow.
“A wise decision.”
Gracia smiled as though satisfied.
Haa...
He had a feeling this victory celebration wasn't going to be peaceful either.
＊＊＊
The Ruin, ‘Festering Entrails.’
Filled with gigantic maggots, it was a place where most guilds had abandoned any attempt at conquest due to its overwhelming difficulty.
However...
After someone exterminated every single maggot.
It was no longer a notorious ruin.
“Hmm hm hm♪
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.”
A girl hummed cheerfully.
She leisurely sipped tea carrying the fragrance of maple leaves.
Then.
Step.
Someone entered Vivian's territory.
Pushing aside the murderous magical energy.
They walked deeper inside without the slightest hesitation.
It was madness.
No one would step into this place unless they wished to die.
“You are...”
Vivian narrowed her eyes.
A face she had seen once before.
His name was...
“You called yourself Samuel, didn't you?”
The blond man she had briefly encountered at Daejeon O-World.
“My apologies for interrupting such a lovely tea time.”
Samuel wore a smile bright enough to lift anyone's mood as he sat across from Vivian.
“How interesting.
So...
What brings you all the way here?
You're far too deep inside to have simply gotten lost.”
Vivian replied with a smile overflowing with madness.
The boundary between life and death.
From this moment onward.
Depending on his next words.
A new corpse would be added beside the maggots.
Its head and limbs all separated from one another.
“Haha.
Please don't be so cold.
I've brought news that Lady Vivian will surely find interesting.”
“Hm.
There's nothing someone like you could possibly possess that would interest me.”
She had long since grown tired of cheap tricks.
As though there was no reason to listen any further.
Vivian slowly raised a finger.
“Kieeeee!”
“Keeee!”
The Gluttons slowly emerged from the shadows.
Countless eyes and teeth covered the ground beneath Samuel's feet.
However.
At his next words...
“A revelation concerning Lord Kang Yohan and Lady Vivian has descended.”
“……!?”
Vivian froze.
She couldn't help it.
Twenty-four hours a day.
Every minute.
Every second.
There wasn't a single moment she wasn't thinking about him.
And now...
A revelation concerning both him and herself.
“You've certainly succeeded in capturing my interest.”
Just imagining it made her heart pound.
Her raised finger stopped.
The roaring Gluttons also fell silent.
“When you read it...
I doubt you'll like it very much.”
Samuel placed a scroll upon the table.
[The Witch of the Maple Tree shall suffer a great wound from the one she trusts most, and she shall discover that part of what he said was false. (11)]
“Deception is truly terrifying.
No matter how powerful someone may be.
If you skillfully exploit the difference in information.
They'll become incapable of making rational judgments.”
“No...
That's impossible.
It's a lie.
He...
He would never...!”
Vivian read the scroll over and over before screaming.
BOOOOOOM!
The Gluttons surged like a tidal wave, instantly swallowing the entire ruin.
“You dared bring me this worthless trash...
Don't think you're leaving here alive.”
Rumble!
Her magical power raged in every direction.
The wrath of someone possessing a Beautiful Moon Rank was enough to make the entire ruin collapse.
Yet Samuel remained completely calm.
He had expected Vivian to react exactly like this.
“If you kill me.
You'll never learn about the second revelation.”
“The second revelation?”
Surely he hadn't walked into a death trap without any insurance.
“It contained something far more interesting.
Enough to make the first revelation seem like nothing more than a taste.”
Revealing his insurance.
He expanded the board.
“For now.
Meet him yourself.
If you speak directly with Kang Yohan.
Wouldn't every doubt and fear you're carrying disappear completely?”
“And if...
They don't?”
“Then...
It would mean the revelation was true.”
Planting seeds of doubt.
History had already proven it to be the most effective method.
And so.
The sharpest blade prepared to eliminate Yohan.
Was finally forged.
＊＊＊
That night.
A banquet was held in honor of the expedition.
Just as Sherphon had promised, the atmosphere inside the grand banquet hall far exceeded imagination.
Magnificent chandeliers.
Candles created through various magic spells brightly illuminated the hall.
The tables overflowed with delicacies so exquisite they made mouths water at a single glance.
“Hooee! Today is Rice Phantom Thief Lupin Day!”
“Hehe. A meal perfectly suited to this noble self.”
“Hehe! Joongbok eats! Joongbok eats a lot!”
The summons immediately rushed toward the food.
Several nobles frowned.
But who cared?
The highest-grade companions brought by the noble hero were hungry.
“May the God of Light guide you.
Everyone certainly has... an impressive appetite.”
Beatrice put it as tactfully as she could.
Slurp. Slurp.
Gulp!
“Buuurp! There's not enough alcohol!
Just two more mouthfuls and I could've sung the Saga of Valhalla with my belch!”
“Brother.
This salmon tastes good with jam.
There's something similar to sweet and sour pork too.
Shouldn't I just pour all the sauce over it?”
A sauce-pouring fanatic.
Watching her commit such a horrifying act without hesitation filled him with rage.
Yeah.
He should probably sit farther away.
He could already feel his list of enemies growing.
Just then.
“Mind if I sit here?”
Seo Changhee approached with a wine glass in hand.
“Of course.”
Yohan made room for him.
Then he offered the usual greeting.
“How's your body?”
“Much better.
Losing consciousness in the middle of the battle...
It's rather embarrassing.”
“For someone who blocked Behemoth's sword, you got off cheap.
That thing could split almost any powerhouse in half with a single strike.”
“Lordbrok seems perfectly fine.”
“Well, that's because he dumped practically everything into muscles and recovery.”
“Besides, Lagertha apparently squeezed out every last bit of strength she had afterward and smeared her saliva all over his body.”
“The smell is still lingering around him, so she practically washed him with it.”
Anyway.
That guy was an exception in every possible sense.
“By the way...
Are you alright?”
“With what?”
“Well...
That...”
Sigh.
He wasn't good at saying things like this.
He wasn't sure how to begin.
“I just hope...
You don't blame yourself too much.
She threw herself into danger to save you.”
“I still don't understand what you're talking about.
Who sacrificed themselves to save whom?”
“I'm talking about Evelyn.”
Yohan finally gave up trying to beat around the bush.
Then.
“Evelyn returned earlier.
She was injured, but not seriously enough to threaten her life.”
Seo Changhee calmly dropped the shocking news.
“What?”
This time.
It was Yohan's expression that changed.
He knew Evelyn was strong.
But surviving against the Harvester?
Did that even make sense?
“The other Hunters held it back while Robert used Aura to perish together with it.
That's how she survived.
Afterward, she said she followed a shark and found another path leading outside.”
By the time the expedition reached the summit.
The seal surrounding the entire temple had already been lifted.
The summit was no longer the only exit.
At least.
The story itself wasn't impossible.
But for some reason.
Yohan felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
‘I'm probably overthinking it.’
If it were anyone else.
Perhaps.
But Seo Changhee wasn't someone who could be deceived.
[World Tree's Blessing] allowed him to identify anyone harboring malicious intent toward him.
If Evelyn had approached him with evil intentions.
Seo Changhee would've noticed immediately.
That was enough about that.
There was something more important right now.
“I'm glad she returned safely.
More importantly...
That thing hanging at your waist looks pretty impressive.”
Yohan casually pointed toward Seo Changhee's scabbard.
It increased both Attack Power and Attack Speed by 5%.
It naturally restored durability simply by storing a sword inside.
On top of that.
It also increased the proficiency gain of Swordsmanship Skills by 1.5 times.
The masterpiece.
‘Juemon's Scabbard.’
That was the very reason Seo Changhee had come to the Hungry Temple.
As one of the top contributors.
It seemed he had selected it as his final reward.
Well.
As a swordsman, there really hadn't been another choice.
“Yeah.
Thanks to you, I accomplished my goal.
Thank you.”
“Just with words?”
“...I'm not planning to stiff you, so stop staring at me like that.”
[Merchant King's Scales]
Acquisition Difficulty: A
Description: Once only, you may exchange an item belonging to another class into an item belonging to your own class. (Due to the Merchant King's special effect, the exchanged item's rank increases by +1.)
Yohan accepted the scales Seo Changhee handed him.
Ah...
Nothing tasted sweeter than the reward earned after overcoming hardship.
Now then.
‘Shall I make my own selection?’
The Hidden Piece possessed by the Beast Race.
At last.
It was time for him, as the number one contributor, to make his choice.