Chapter 64: The Monster in the Underground Waterway
The next morning, after a satisfying rest at the hotel, I dressed and headed straight to the Captain of the Guard’s office near the village’s wall.
Knock, knock.
When I knocked on the door, Braimoon, who had been reviewing reports since dawn, opened it and greeted me warmly.
“Ah! You’re here. It’s a humble place, but come in.”
His office was simple. Despite being the head of the village’s defense and effectively its leader, he didn’t seem to harbor greed.
He handed me a cup of tea and sat across from me.
Sip.
The tea was warm. It wasn’t overly bitter and had a distinctive, pleasant aroma.
“If you’re here about a request, it must be Quest No. 478—eliminating the monster in the underground waterway.”
〚NO. 478 Eliminate the Monster in the Underground Waterway (Advanced-E+) can be assigned by Captain Braimoon.〛
The message appeared the moment I stepped into the office. I downed the tea in one gulp and looked at him.
“That’s right. Please, eliminate that monster—or rather, that Malice.”
〚NO. 478 Quest – Eliminate the Monster in the Underground Waterway
Rank: Advanced
Grade: E+
Description: An unidentified entity has infiltrated the underground waterway of the primordial city, Teraium. Captain Braimoon seeks to eliminate this entity and free the village from danger.
Objective: Eliminate the monster in the underground waterway (0/1).
Success Rewards: Achievement: Guardian of the Primordial City [Advanced-C-], 30,000 Purple Coins, Item: ???, Recommendation Letter from Cardinal of the Holy Kingdom of Batroy.
Failure Consequences: ???〛
I closed the quest window, suppressing my smile, and nodded.
Those rewards didn’t mean much to me.
The real reason I wanted this quest was something else.
The monster? I didn’t know what it was, but an Advanced-E+ grade entity wouldn’t be a match for me.
‘That guy barely explained what would appear in the starting quest, so I’m not sure either….’
Especially compared to yesterday, I had grown stronger and acquired better equipment, so it was even less likely to pose a threat.
‘The problem is that the monster isn’t the only thing down there.’
That’s when the real challenge would begin.
I opened my stat window and focused on Misfortune. That was the real issue.
Would it make a move this time, or wait until the next opportunity to gather more power?
After pondering for a while, I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
No matter what, I had to keep moving forward. Retreat wasn’t an option.
“I’ll do it. Please show me the way to the underground waterway.”
Braimoon, who had been anxiously observing me, nodded with a mix of joy and fear as he rose from his seat.
“I’ll guide you. Follow me.”
I followed him out of the office, walking a short distance before arriving at a sealed entrance to the underground waterway.
Feigning calmness, he unlocked the seal on the entrance with trembling hands and opened the door.
Whoosh!
A chilling energy burst out from the opening, brushing past us.
‘What is this?’
Clearly, it wasn’t an ordinary monster. As I toyed with Manbyun on my wrist, Braimoon spoke up.
“Shin Juha. The entity in this place isn’t just a normal monster. If it were, I would have taken care of it already. I may look like this, but I once reached the rank of a knight candidate for the kingdom.”
The kingdom—likely one of the nations in the next stage.
Considering even a small nation’s knights are at least C- grade, it was clear he was stronger than me.
Yet even he couldn’t defeat the monster?
Silently cursing the person from the future for glossing over details, I probed for more information.
“It’s a manifestation of pure Malice. It attempts to shatter your mind just by looking at it and amplifies negative emotions.”
His face turned pale, and his body trembled as he spoke, likely recalling the creature.
His expression clearly displayed fear.
Oddly, I felt a bit more at ease. Mental attacks? Sorry, but I’m practically an expert in that area.
Of course, I might not compare to the top-tier rankers specializing in mental abilities.
But among those below the highest rank, few had stronger mental barriers than me.
With my Authority, Ultimate Soul, and just a little more level growth, I could be unmatched among Earthlings in this regard.
In other words, a monster relying on mental attacks was no match for me—now more than ever.
I lightly tapped my head and grinned at Braimoon.
“Don’t worry. When it comes to mental strength, I surpass most rankers. I’ll resolve this quickly, and let’s have dinner together tonight.”
Braimoon, moved by my confident and bold words, seemed to shake off some of his fear.
Smiling slightly, he patted my shoulder as if to show trust and handed me the prepared items.
Without hesitation, I plunged into the underground waterway. As I fell, I transformed Manbyun into shoes and stepped on the air, landing gracefully in the canal.
The waterway was dark and vast. While there were glowing magic circles installed densely on the ceiling, many of them were broken, perhaps due to the monster, leaving more than half of the space in darkness.
From the items Braimoon had given me, I pulled out a glowing orb called Light Sphere and infused it with mana.
The small orb floated in the air, radiating light.
In an instant, the surroundings brightened, and the vast structure of the waterway came into view.
Though it seemed neglected for at least several years, there was no sign of rust, moss, or decay.
This was likely thanks to the magic placed by the mages who built the waterway.
I stopped admiring the view and began walking.
My first priority was to find and kill the monster hiding in this expansive space, so I needed to act quickly.
‘Thankfully, Misfortune is still dormant.’
Would it remain idle this time as well? How grand was its preparation that it kept holding back?
I transformed Manbyun into a sword.
〚Manbyun projects the item: Purifying Four Tiger Sword [Advanced-SSS+].〛
Thanks to my increased stats and overall growth, the ownership of the Golden Tower had risen to 28%. Essentially, I could summon any item below EX rank.
The sword I projected was a renowned weapon particularly effective against ghosts (Gui) and demons (Yo). Despite being an advanced-tier weapon, it was so famous that its price rivaled those of rare-tier items.
How long had I been walking?
Sssssshhhhh….
A chilling, eerie sensation brushed past me, raising goosebumps all over my body. I heightened my senses and tensed up.
There it was.
Up ahead, I could feel its presence.
So this was why the guard captain, who almost became a knight, was powerless and defeated.
〚The Unique Ability: Ultimate Soul [Mythical] resists all mental attacks caused by the rune: Domain Expansion – Icy Negation [Ancient-SSS-].〛
That thing actually possessed an Ancient Rune.
This was no ordinary monster.
The future version of the person—who eventually obtained the Emperor of Ten Thousand Souls—bragged about everything else but was oddly silent about what happened during this starting quest.
Was there something he wanted to hide? He always glossed over this part.
I hadn’t anticipated facing such a creature. A monster that carried a rune?
That such a being existed in Stage-0 was astonishing.
Though it didn’t quite match the caliber of a Hidden Stage, it was understandable since only those who met certain conditions could enter this place.
I gulped—not out of fear, but… greed.
‘A domain-related ability, huh.’
Domain abilities were classified as the highest tier among all skills, occupying the very top.
Among them, runes, which could be used without any cost, were invaluable treasures whose worth was incalculable.
‘Can I obtain it?’
In my past life, that guy had never used such an ability. This left me with two scenarios.
One, he killed the monster but failed to acquire the rune.
Two, he didn’t kill the monster but stumbled upon the hidden stage by luck.
The latter seemed far more likely. No wonder he never explained this quest properly—maybe he hadn’t even cleared it.
I activated the power of Arrogance, amplifying the strength imbued in my body, and gripped the Four Tiger Sword tightly.
Hoo… Judging by the domain’s effect, it likely relied on amplifying negative emotions for its mental attacks.
“Unlucky you.”
To think you’d encounter me. As I stepped deeper into the domain—
Whoosh!
A blue malevolent aura glared at me from the darkness, and I immediately launched myself toward the entity.
-Screeeeech!!!
A shrill, piercing shriek slammed into my eardrums. Simultaneously, a system message appeared.
〚An Evil Spirit Bound to ??? [Advanced-Uncommon]-Rank E+ LV 22〛
〚The Evil Spirit Bound to ??? uses the skill: Wail of Malice [Common-A+].〛
〚Status Ailment: Amplification of Negative Emotions applied…〛
〚The Unique Ability: Ultimate Soul negates the crude mental attack with ease.〛
The attack didn’t reach me.
But my attack did.
The entity, confident that no one could approach it, and believing that even if someone did, they wouldn’t harm its incorporeal form, was arrogant.
It had underestimated me. Just like everyone else before, it thought this time would be no different.
Arrogance led to a critical mistake.
The Four Tiger Sword, imbued with the ashen power of Arrogance, sliced through one of its arms and carved a deep wound across its chest.
-Screeeeeech!!!
It wasn’t over.
The sword’s ability inflicted continuous pain through the wounds, a special effect against incorporeal or malevolent spirits.
For the first time, the creature experienced overwhelming agony, driving it into a frenzy.
With my overwhelming advantage in compatibility, the creature wasn’t a real threat to me.
To exaggerate slightly, it was no more dangerous than a goblin.
No, even a goblin’s attacks could at least reach me. Most of this creature’s attacks couldn’t even touch me.
Consumed by pain and rage, the creature tried to flee while hurling various skills at me.
〚The Evil Spirit Bound to ??? uses the skill: Abyss of Negation [Common-B].〛
〚Status Ailment: Crippling Fear applied…〛
〚The Unique Ability: Ultimate Soul negates the crude mental attack with ease.〛
…
…
It was futile.
The creature’s mental attacks, limited to advanced-tier abilities, didn’t affect me.
“Just die quietly and hand over the rune.”
Then I’ll kill you a little less painfully. I opened my inventory, pulled out a speed potion, and downed it.
“This game of tag ends now. I’ve got dinner plans and can’t play with you anymore.”
Reversing my grip on the Four Tiger Sword, I accelerated to my maximum speed, my body moving faster than the spirit could react.
And with one decisive slash, I cleaved the creature in half.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Click here -> https://discord.gg/S8c2kGVr2g
Comment