Chapter 134 : Chapter 134
Chapter 134 : Commercial City Elysian
What in the world is that?
I've seen all sorts of people on the Anonymous Bulletin Board, but this is the first time I've seen someone blatantly chattering about buying firearms like that.
After all, the World of Justice was a world where firearms hadn't developed at all.
Soon, the background behind such a post suddenly appearing was very likely related to the Plague Mask Gunman.
‘Certainly, if firearms have appeared in the world, it's not unreasonable to think someone is making them somewhere but…….’
Rather than that, the nickname bothered me.
Bellerophon[NO.75].
A nickname where anyone could easily tell the affiliation, showing no regard for anonymity, the very identity of the Anonymous Bulletin Board.
‘Bellerophon, huh…….’
Whether fortunately or unfortunately, we haven't been deeply involved yet, but it was also true that we were unknowingly getting entangled little by little, starting with Dennis of the Pegasus Merchant Guild the other day.
Although it was just a suspicion, Yuliana and Royer of the Griffin Knights, who visited Winter Castle a while ago, also seemed to have some kind of relationship with Bellerophon.
And that probably meant the group called Bellerophon exerted considerable influence on this world.
‘From what I roughly felt, they seemed like fundamentalists warning of the Ascension Stone Fragment's danger and shunning it.’
Of course, in my view, their arguments just looked like an obvious ploy to monopolize the Ascension Stone Fragments, but anyway, it was true that they were putting forth such claims.
‘Well, there's no need to pay special attention.’
No matter how loudly they shout on the Anonymous Bulletin Board like that, there wouldn't be anyone who could actually produce firearms anyway.
If such a thing actually existed, stories about firearms should have already leaked out before I revealed myself in Akiro's Labyrinth.
However, since there were no such signs at all, from my perspective, I could just ignore it and pass by.
‘If I need quick cash later, I could try playing a prank using the gun as bait but…… it's better not to do things that buy grudges for no reason if possible.’
Bellerophon is a huge force, enough to own a giant merchant guild like the Pegasus Merchant Guild.
Turning such a huge force into an enemy just because I coveted some petty cash wasn't a good idea in many ways.
Of course, strictly speaking, my relationship with Bellerophon could already be seen as not very good due to the Dennis incident, but fortunately, it seemed the Bellerophon side hadn't noticed yet that I killed Dennis.
If they had found out that fact, it would have ended in some way when the Griffin Knights looked for me last time.
‘If I mess with them for no reason, my past actions might even be revealed, so it's better to be careful when getting involved if possible.’
Even if it is a fate where we are bound to clash someday as long as I aim for the Ascension Stone Fragments.
‘Have we almost arrived?’
As I rode the horse while checking the Anonymous Bulletin Board, before I knew it, the commercial city called the Land of Plenty, Elysian, came into view.
As proof that we had finally crossed the scorching southern desert region and reached the Central Continent, I planned to stay here and rest today.
“We have arrived.”
“Huh? Ah.”
Only then did Luna, who had been engrossed in the bulletin board for a long time, raise her head.
Looking at that sight, I could understand very easily why one shouldn't look at a smartphone while driving.
“Finally, I can wash off some sand from my body. I seriously hate the desert.”
“If you utilized the Ring of the Stopped One's Wish you obtained as a labyrinth reward this time, you could have blocked at least the sandstorm?”
The Ring of the Stopped One's Wish that Luna obtained as a clear reward for the 5th floor of Akiro's Labyrinth this time can completely fix one's state at a certain point depending on how it's utilized.
Of course, if a powerful alteration occurs from the outside, that fixed state would be forcibly broken, but there's no way something like a sandstorm could break that fixed state.
“Huh? Does that ring have such a function? How do you do it?”
“You will naturally find out as you try utilizing this and that by yourself.”
“Stingy. Would it hurt just to tell me?”
“I am saying this for your sake. If I tell you how to use it, you will miss the opportunity to realize it yourself. And you will only use it as I told you. That is not the correct way to use an item.”
Luna, who had a strange expression for a moment, spoke as if she had a good idea.
“Then you can just tell me all the other ways to use it too, Vell.”
“That is bothersome.”
“Ah! In the end, you're saying it's bothersome.”
“Let's just say it is that.”
Luna looked at me as if she was genuinely fed up.
***
Commercial City Elysian.
Situated in the fertile plains unique to the Central Continent, serving as a key point for water transportation through the massive Eli River flowing in the center, and above all, serving as a crossroads connecting the Imperial Capital and the western regions, Elysian is a city that is colorful and full of vitality in many ways.
As we entered the city after a simple inspection, a scenery mixed with all sorts of cultures unique to a commercial city came into my view.
It was a place we had stopped by once when heading towards Akiro's Labyrinth, but the scenery seen while leisurely returning after successfully finishing the job was naturally bound to be different from when heading to the destination urgently.
“It's quite bustling? Is something happening?”
“It seems there will be a festival soon.”
“Oh, a festival? Let's watch before we go!”
“If the time fits.”
“Ah, right.”
Luna spoke as if she remembered something.
“Cain-nim…… no, Vell. Did you see that?”
“See what?”
“The Anonymous Bulletin Board is in an uproar with stories about the crazy gunman wearing a Plague Mask.”
“Crazy, huh……. I am asking just in case, but you are saying that knowing half of that is about you, right?”
“Ey, I don't shoot guns. Naturally, it's obvious they're talking about Vell-nim, who is the Guardian of the Labyrinth, rather than me, a mere extra, right?”
“…….”
She spoke as if the existence proudly mentioned on the Anonymous Bulletin Board had nothing to do with her, but since that wasn't entirely wrong, I had nothing particular to say.
As we were walking to find a suitable inn like that, familiar words reached my ears.
“Ha…… Everything is ruined because of that Plague Mask bastard. Where the hell did he get a gun?”
“Forget it, we can try again next time. Anyway, hearing rumors about the Divine Sword, they say it's just like a fantasy.”
“Sigh. Just my luck, it's chaos right when I barely made time to go to the labyrinth. I should go to another labyrinth or something…….”
As the voices gradually grew distant, Luna, who was subtly gauging the mood, looked at me and whispered softly.
“Vell, did you hear?”
“Yes. They were players. People we saw in Akiro's Labyrinth.”
Just as we stopped by Elysian in the Central Continent while coming up from the southern desert, other players who visited Akiro's Labyrinth also seemed to have visited Elysian.
“It would be better to be careful, it could get troublesome if we get entangled for no reason.”
“I did not expect you to say such things. Wasn't it always your style to say 'bring it on if you want'?”
“What are you saying, I don't act that recklessly either, you know? I'm not even wearing a mask right now.”
“You said you hated the mask so much, but now you mean you are keeping a low profile because you don't have the mask.”
“So. Is that not allowed?”
“There is no reason it is not allowed.”
Luna stuck her tongue out.
It was an expression that would look cute if a stranger saw it, but to me, it was just dumbfounding.
“Let's get lodging first, just in time, I see a suitable place over there.”
“It looks quite expensive, will it be okay?”
“You earned a lot this time, didn't you?”
Luna looked at me with a face as if she was genuinely surprised.
“……How did you know?”
“Would what a Mage of Blazing Fire of that level possessed be just a penny or two?”
It wasn't a problem that needed long thinking to know that Luna had made a big profit from this trip to the labyrinth.
There was a big fight, and the winner took everything from the loser.
Even their life.
That was why I just assumed Luna also took a proper price befitting that.
“……Don't tell me you're telling me to pay again? How long has it been since you ripped that huge amount of money from me……!”
“Then let's go with that place over there. Seeing that the price looks cheap, I can tell at a glance there won't even be simple bathwater. I also don't have money, you see.”
Eventually, there was only one choice Luna could make.
“Ugh, okay, okay! We just have to go to the place you picked first.”
“Good thinking.”
“……Robber.”
“The side that is desperate usually pays a little more.”
“I shouldn't have followed you.”
“Still, thanks to me, you obtained the labyrinth 5th floor reward almost for free. That much should be appreciated.”
At those words, Luna, who was lost in thought for a moment, said.
“……Uhm, I can't refute it because it seems correct. That makes it more annoying.”
“Usually, the truth is strong.”
“You speak so well, anyway. Did you catch the Destruction Dragon with your mouth?”
“I did actually bite it. Although from the Destruction Dragon's perspective, it would have been a part it didn't want to be bitten.”
Luna didn't say anything more.
***
Since the journey itself was so arduous, Luna and I took a rest immediately that day after getting lodging.
Elysian was a peaceful city, and so I also let go of my tension and slept soundly for the first time in a while.
As the next morning came like that, and I woke up in the inn, the message I had been waiting for so much appeared before my eyes.
[You are the Guardian who protects the laws of Akiro's Labyrinth.]
[Synchronization with the Guardian's Phantom is proceeding.]
[Current Phantom's Floor: 2nd Floor]
With that, countless memories began to be engraved into the existence called me.
Not just memories thought with the head, but even memories remembered by the body.
[You have demonstrated marksmanship of a hundred hits out of a hundred with amazing concentration!]
[Mental Power increases. (+1)]
[4 → 5]
[Torn muscles recover and muscles grow.]
[Stamina increases. (+1)]
[5 → 6]
[Torn muscles recover and muscles grow.]
[Strength increases. (+1)]
[5 → 6]
.
.
.
[Level increases. (+1)]
[4 → 5]
As a Guardian of the Labyrinth, everything my phantom sees, hears, and experiences accumulates as my experience.
Thanks to that, although it had only been a little over a week since I left Akiro's Labyrinth, an enormous figure of 1 level had already risen.
Of course, it was partly because my original level was so low, but it meant that the phantom active as a Guardian of the Labyrinth was that efficient.
In a way, it was natural.
The Guardian's phantom chosen as the Guardian of the Labyrinth resurrects without a trace the next day even if it suffers damage reaching death.
Furthermore, the Guardian of the Labyrinth's phantom doesn't get tired and continues fighting endlessly.
It is in an environment where the growth rate cannot be slow even if it tried.
‘Of course, as the level rises, the phantom's behavioral patterns might change a little too but…… I shouldn't be regretful about that.’
In fact, one of the reasons Guardians of the Labyrinth experienced stagnant growth after a certain level was exactly that.
Well, by that time, I would have already gained a lot of benefits due to the labyrinth's phantom, so it didn't matter much.
‘Anyway, if I'm level 5 now, it wouldn't be bad to openly go around looking for Ascension Stone Fragments soon.’
Until now, I had mainly hunted mutants to obtain Ascension Stone Fragments because it was hard to even look after my own body, but actually, besides guys hard to find like mutants, there were guys in this world who had plenty of Ascension Stone Fragments.
Demonic persons.
Those very things.
As I was thinking about what I had to do in the future to obtain Ascension Stone Fragments like that, for some reason, outside the window was noisy.
Wondering if something happened, I peeked my head out the window slightly, and people were surrounding something at a place a bit far from the inn where I was staying.
“What in the world is happening?”
“I don't know. The guards will come soon and investigate.”
Although the distance was far, it wasn't difficult to recognize that what people were surrounding was a corpse.
If there was one problem, it was that the appearance of that corpse was somewhat familiar.
‘That is…….’
Only then could I know that the appearance of that corpse was the same as one of the players I had glimpsed while passing by yesterday.
At that moment.
Bang!
Luna, who kicked open my door and entered, looked at me with a somewhat pale face and said.
“Ca, Cain.”
“……I think I know what you came for, but is it something to make such a fuss about?”
To that, Luna told me the reason she made a fuss.
Such a reason that even I had no choice but to accept.
“A N-Newbie Hunter has appeared.”