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Chapter 58
[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
Chapter 58: Cheryl’s Request (1)
1.
“No, but this is too much. It’s just a debt, and how much I repay is up to me, isn’t it?”
“No.”
“Ralph, you can butt out.”
“No way.”
“Golden Eyes, can you be quiet?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Kiri, even you!”
The El Pam party was more boisterous than ever over a 100 million meso check.
But El Pam was not present in the commotion.
At this moment, El Pam couldn’t even hear the breaths of his comrades.
That’s how intense it was.
‘I’m certain.’
The silk that El Pam is holding right now, with the bracelet neatly placed inside, was such an item.
‘It’s definitely Apollo’s Bracelet. Legendary rank.’
It was a Legendary rank item, surpassing even Unique rank.
No, it wasn’t just any Legendary rank.
‘Comparable to a myth.’
It was an item that ranked among the top of Legendary rank.
And it was worthy of that.
‘Because it allows you to use the Apollo’s Fire Arrow skill.’
The magic Apollo’s Fire Arrow, which could be used the moment you equipped this Apollo’s Bracelet, was one of the most powerful fire attribute magic.
‘It’s also a 4th Circle magic.’
The greatest strength of Apollo’s Fire Arrow, in particular, was that it was a 4th Circle magic.
This was a huge deal.
Usually, the more powerful a skill, the more Circles and mana it requires.
‘But most Legendary rank skills are 6th Circle or higher.’
Therefore, only 6th Circle adventurers could even use Legendary rank items, and even then, it was more like they could barely manage to use them. To use them properly required even more mana.
7th Circle!
It was generally assessed that only at that level could one truly wield Legendary rank skills.
And at present, there were less than a hundred adventurers who had reached 7th Circle in the entire Maple World.
In any case, it was an extraordinary item.
‘This is beyond a gift.’
It was an item beyond even what Gold Richie, the wealthiest man, could give as a present.
‘He intends to use it as a tool for revenge.’
Gold Richie’s intention was chilling.
‘If the tool doesn’t serve its purpose, he can just retrieve it later.’
If El Pam failed to meet Gold Richie’s expectations, he would surely be dealt with.
Apollo’s Bracelet was that kind of item.
In a way, for El Pam, it wasn’t a bracelet but a hangman’s noose that could tighten around his neck at any moment.
Of course, El Pam had no intention of refusing.
‘It’s all good.’
From his perspective, it was something to be grateful for.
Just then.
“Boss.”
Divo, who had been bickering with his comrades, approached El Pam and spoke.
“So, when are we leaving?”
“Is everyone joining this adventure?”
“Of course! Money rolls in when we follow the Boss!”
It seemed that everyone had made up their minds amidst the bickering.
“We can go right away!”
El Pam responded to Divo’s determination.
“Then let’s go right now.”
“Huh?”
“We’re leaving tonight.”
2.
“We’re leaving tonight.”
The moment El Pam said those words, the El Pam party fell into chaos.
Going to the next Mystic Gate less than a day after arriving in Lith Harbour and having a meal?
It wasn’t an easy task, even for the El Pam party.
El Pam offered an answer to that.
“We’ll rest while we travel.”
An absurd answer the moment they heard it.
“Boss, didn’t you say we were going to Perion?”
It was only natural, as their destination was none other than Perion.
The wasteland of Perion was literally a wasteland.
Unlike Lith Harbour, Ellinia, or Henesys, which were filled with forests, there weren’t many places to properly hide and take cover.
If they encountered monsters on the way, they would have to fight them head-on.
Moreover, the monsters that appear in Perion are different from ordinary monsters.
“There are a lot of Stumps and Wild Boars…”
Especially the herds of Wild Boars, the giant wild boars that appear in the Perion region, were very troublesome creatures. Once they find prey, they charge like crazy and don’t stop until they kill their prey!
“Will it be possible to rest?”
Taking a break in Perion, where such monsters roam? It was unimaginable, beyond impossible.
El Pam showed his companions…
“……It’s possible?”
That it was entirely possible.
It was literally true.
“But how can we travel for so long without even a single proper fight with these monsters?”
During the long journey of 20 days from Lith Harbour to Perion, the El Pam party did not fight a single battle.
Of course, this was all thanks to El Pam.
In fact, it wasn’t difficult for El Pam.
“Unlike the Mystic Gate, there’s a map. And here, the monster ecosystem is established.”
Unlike the world beyond the Mystic Gate, where you never know what situation will unfold, a world with information such as maps was like a problem with an answer sheet for El Pam.
“I have Psychokinesis and Clairvoyance from Artemis’s Eye.”
El Pam even had various skills that allowed him to avoid battles with monsters, including the ability to see faraway places with Artemis’s Eye.
Of course, it wasn’t just about skills.
“Only the Boss can do that.”
This was only possible because it was El Pam.
“Of course.”
‘Those who couldn’t do this are all dead.’
Because it was El Pam, who survived until the very end before returning to the past.
In any case, thanks to El Pam, the El Pam party was able to take repeated breaks even after reaching Perion.
For a whole 20 days.
“Boss, I’m starting to get itchy now.”
Resting was becoming excessive now.
However, there was no need to worry about that.
“From now on, it’s the excavation site.”
The moment the El Pam party entered the excavation site located in the northernmost region of Perion, they were greeted by…
Clatter clatter!
Skeletal dogs, Skull Dogs.
They were quite troublesome monsters.
For starters, all Skeleton-type monsters had to be dealt with by destroying the magic stone located inside their heads.
There was no point in destroying their bony bodies.
The problem was that the skulls of Skeleton monsters were harder to break than expected.
For one, their hardness was on a different level.
And another troublesome aspect was that they were slippery. The smooth surface of the bones made sharp blades easily slide off.
On the other hand, that hardness also translated to their attack power.
The jagged bones of Skeletons were much sharper and more powerful than any ordinary sword or spear.
In many ways, they were troublesome monsters.
And among them, that was the most troublesome aspect.
“We can’t fight them like regular monsters.”
The experience adventurers had accumulated while hunting monsters didn’t quite apply here.
That’s because the basics of monster hunting weren’t about destroying magic stones, but rather about wearing them down.
For example, inducing bleeding to make them lose blood and collapse from exhaustion.
However, that didn’t work on Skeleton types.
This was surprisingly important.
“Keep that in mind.”
In fierce battles, adventurers acted more on instinct than reason, following their accumulated experience rather than calculation.
Of course, it didn’t matter when it wasn’t a fierce battle.
Crack!
The El Pam party, dealing with about fifteen Skull Dogs, all acted rationally.
“This is easy!”
They accurately aimed for the heads, smashed them, and destroyed the magic stone fragments.
Without any major crisis, the El Pam party was able to reach their destination.
“Is this it?”
In front of the wasteland.
“There’s nothing here?”
But there was nothing in the wasteland that looked like a Mystic Gate.
Then El Pam took out five talismans from his pocket and gave one to each of his comrades.
“What’s this?”
They tilted their heads at the unfamiliar talismans, and at that moment…
“Huh?”
“Whoa!”
The moment they held the talismans, the scenery they saw changed.
The Mystic Gate, which had been invisible in the wasteland, revealed itself.
“Wh-What is this?”
“It’s Taoism.”
“Taoism?”
While everyone was surprised by the Taoism they had never seen before, El Pam approached the Mystic Gate.
And he examined the bottom of the Mystic Gate.
‘317362459.’
Then he saw numbers written on the dirt.
‘There are no intruders.’
It was a measure he had prepared in case there were additional intruders.
It was also an important measure.
If someone else had entered the Mystic Gate, the number of people who could enter would decrease.
If that number was one or less?
Only El Pam would be able to enter.
The more troublesome thing was that they couldn’t know whether the person who entered was an enemy or an ally.
To be more precise, the probability of them being an enemy was high.
Cross Hunters were those who chased the followers of the Black Mage, and the followers of the Black Mage also chased Cross Hunters.
The reason they hid the Mystic Gate using Taoism was because of that.
Anyway, there was no problem.
Then there was only one thing left.
“Now we enter.”
3.
The moment they passed through the Mystic Gate, the stage that greeted the El Pam party was none other than a forest.
It was an ordinary forest, overgrown with trees.
For adventurers, it was the most familiar and welcoming stage.
It was incomparably advantageous to adventurers compared to deserts, swamps, or snow-covered worlds.
“Oh dear.”
However, none of the El Pam party members could welcome the forest as they looked at the scenery.
It was because they knew.
“To think they couldn’t get to the next floor even in a place like this.”
That they had come here for a rescue.
In other words, there must be a reason why those being rescued couldn’t leave this place.
And the reason was obvious.
“The monsters must be extraordinary, right?”
Just then.
Clatter, clatter!
At the sound of bones clashing, all the members of the El Pam party turned their heads, and they saw it.
A single Skeleton, holding a bone club in its right hand.
At its appearance, the El Pam party relaxed slightly.
“It’s a Skeleton Warrior.”
They weren’t underestimating the Skeleton.
It was only natural that the Skeleton Warrior seemed insignificant compared to the absurd monsters they had faced so far.
There was only one exception.
“Everyone, be careful.”
“Yes, we know. We won’t let our guard down.”
El Pam, he warned.
“That’s not it. Be careful.”
“Huh?”
And the reason for the warning was soon revealed.
Skeleton Warriors began to appear around the El Pam party.
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
An uncountable number, hundreds, even more than a thousand.
“…Crazy.”
In front of that overwhelming number, no one, including Divo, showed any composure anymore.
All they could do was tighten their nerves.
And at this moment, there was only one thought they could have.
“I’ll clear the way.”
To escape this place.
It was a natural thought.
If they tried to catch all the visible Skeleton Warriors, they would have to be prepared to fight all day.
The problem was that there was no guarantee that the battle would end even after that.
On the contrary, there was a high possibility that other monsters would be drawn to the commotion.
“Since it’s a forest, it won’t be difficult to shake them off.”
On the other hand, this stage, this dense forest, was definitely an advantageous stage for adventurers.
Escape was the best option.
El Pam agreed with that fact.
Normally, he would have told them to prepare to run away before Divo even said anything.
But not now.
“Continue the battle.”
“Huh?”
Everyone was surprised by El Pam’s words.
That was all.
They had questions, but no one dared to voice them.
“Yes.”
The leader of this party was El Pam.
If he said something, it was the party members’ role to follow.
“Let’s give it a try.”
As the party members prepared for battle instead of escape, El Pam showed them…
“Apollo’s Fire Arrow.”
The reason why El Pam continued the battle.
[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
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