Chapter 218 : Chapter 218
Chapter 218 - Tower of Causalitas (6)
"I lost."
Lena's surrender was quick. The moment the fired Holy Sword smashed the barrier, the victory and defeat had already been decided.
"However, I would like you to know one thing clearly. This duel was my defeat, not the defeat of magic."
It seemed she was bothered by what I had said. After all, the mages I had experienced so far were a lot of people who were full of pride in magic regardless of their realm.
Furthermore, if she was a Great Mage of Lena's level, it was natural that she could not accept the defeat of the magical world.
"Think of it as you wish. I have no reason to force it on you anyway."
Lena bowed her head to me.
"In any case, I have learned a lot."
"I have not even taught you anything."
"You have made me realize that such a realm exists."
I nodded because I accepted those words.
Her reckless challenge to the quest until now must have been confidence in her own realm.
Because she had the memory of her failure erased every time, the years she spent repeating infinite challenges were as many as four thousand.
I could not know what realm the mage she had to face was at, but if it was a unique class of all dimensions, she would have to keep in mind a level close to a Dragon.
Today's duel with me served as a reference point for her.
"I am glad it was helpful."
"To think I have been doing useless things for four thousand years. It would have been good if I had met you sooner."
"In any case, I wish you good luck."
In fact, I also could not know if the day would come when Lena clears the quest. Because rising to the level of the unique class is not something that can be guaranteed even if one trains for thousands of years from now. At this point, it is a realm of overwhelming talent rather than effort.
"But are you going to leave for the quest immediately? Without training?"
I replied with a smile instead. I was just curious. A swordsman of the unique class besides me. I wanted to see what kind of realm that person was at. I wanted to meet a worthy opponent whom I had not met in either Kalia or Earth.
***
[Starting search for swordsmen in all dimensions for the quest.]
[Searching]
To be able to check data on numerous characters in countless dimensions in real time, I could not help but admire the amazing ability of the Abyss.
[Search completed.]
[The quest location has been decided as Murim.]
[A quest has been generated.]
[Defeat the top expert of Murim.]
Murim. It was a place I had heard of for the first time. The place I was transmitted to along with the message was a strange world named Murim. The people's appearance and the look of the houses were oriental.
"An unkind quest."
There was no subsequent message about who the top expert of Murim was or where I should go to meet them. From now on, I had to do everything on my own. All they did was put some travel money in my pocket.
'What if the person I need to meet is in seclusion?'
I only hoped that would not be the case. The place where I was standing was a moderately bustling village. For now, I planned to go to a place that sells liquor. If I met various people there and listened to their stories, I might hear information about who the top expert of this place called Murim was. Thus, the place I found was the Black Cloud Inn.
"Did you come alone?"
I was met by a young waiter in his mid-teens. Perhaps my appearance was strange, as he tilted his head. That questioning gaze might mean he thought I had no money in my possession. I took out a few coins I had received as travel money.
"Can you bring me a bottle of the best-selling liquor here and some snacks?"
Then, his face brightened.
"Then I will bring out a bottle of Black Cloud Liquor and a plate of dumplings."
The waiter immediately bowed and went into the kitchen. I looked at the inside of the inn while waiting for the food. I had already felt it, but more than half of the customers here were people who knew how to handle mana.
Just seeing them wearing a sword at their waist each allowed me to grasp the atmosphere of this place called Murim. I thought it was truly a world view where a swordsman of the unique class exists.
A moment later, the waiter brought out the liquor and food. The dumplings were similar to those on Earth, and the liquor called Black Cloud Liquor looked quite unique.
The ingredients detected by my sense of smell were trace amounts, but they promoted the circulation of mana. It was similar to a medicinal herb that does not exist on Earth and is traded at a fairly high price in Kalia.
"What are the ingredients in this liquor?"
"It is Guyeopcho. It is a common ingredient."
"This medicinal herb is a common ingredient?"
"It is scattered all over the mountain behind the village. And to be called a medicinal herb, shouldn't it be at least a Snow Ginseng?"
The waiter's words were surprising. Murim was a place where a medicinal herb of this level was not even treated as a medicinal herb. My expectations for this world view could not help but grow. I placed a coin on the table.
"If you answer my questions well, this coin will be yours."
"Really?"
"Yes. It might not be a very difficult question."
"Yes. I will answer as sincerely as I can if it is something I know!"
I went straight to the point.
"Who is the strongest person in Murim?"
However, at my question, the waiter's complexion froze instantly. Then he carefully opened his mouth.
"...Are you perhaps testing me, sir?"
"I am not, but you have a troubled expression."
The waiter nodded. I could not quite understand. The person I was asking about was a swordsman of the unique class across all dimensions; for that level, the answer should be fixed.
"You just have to tell me the facts as you know them. It is fine even if you are wrong."
However, the waiter still only hesitated. Since I became more curious about his answer, I took out two more coins.
"One coin must not have been enough. It is fine, so tell me as you know it."
It was certainly an excessive reward for just answering once. Looking at the three coins on the table, the waiter swallowed hard. Then he spoke with a serious air.
"I am not sure, but I think it might be the Leader of the Demonic Cult..."
"Demonic Cult... where can I find that place?"
"Pardon?"
The waiter had a bewildered expression.
"It is because I have lived only in the remote countryside."
"Ah, no wonder! I thought perhaps you were testing me, sir!"
"Testing you? Why?"
"This is the territory under the rule of Evil Path Alliance."
I did not know what Evil Path Alliance was, but I could roughly guess the meaning of the waiter's words. That the relationship between Evil Path Alliance and the Demonic Cult was not good. Nevertheless, since the waiter had given a statement of his conviction, I gave him a smile.
"You may take the three coins now."
"Thank you, sir. And the Demonic Cult is at the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains."
Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. I did not know if the Leader of that place was truly the best in this world view, but for now, I decided on that place as my destination.
However, the moment the waiter tried to pick up the coins on the table, someone grabbed his wrist.
"Aaargh!"
"Do not play the victim, you little brat."
A large man with a thick beard. He looked like a warrior from the way he wore a sword, and since he said this was Evil Path Alliance territory, it was not difficult to guess the man's origin.
"It hurts! Why are you doing this!"
"I heard everything you said. What? What about the Leader of the Demonic Cult?"
"I-I am sorry! It is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!"
"What misunderstanding?"
Instantly, the bearded fiend put more strength into his hand.
"Aaargh!"
The waiter let out a louder groan. However, surprisingly, no one in this inn was paying much attention to our table. Was a disturbance of this level common?
"Let go of that hand."
However, at my words, the bearded man only gave a sickening smile.
"I do not want to."
In that case, there was no helping it. I had to use some force.
"AAAAARGH!"
The one who screamed this time was the bearded man, not the waiter. A chopstick I had thrown was stuck in the back of his hand.
"I told you to let go."
"You crazy bastard!"
The bearded fiend pulled out the chopstick stuck in his hand and immediately drew his sword.
His actions were third-rate, but his appearance of emitting considerable bloodlust was somewhat worth looking at. Only then did the eyes of the people in the inn turn toward me.
"You bastard! What is your affiliation!"
"Before that, I will ask one thing first. Who is the strongest fiend in Murim?"
"What?"
"Did you not torment this child because you did not like his answer? So answer me yourself."
"What kind of lunatic is this!"
The bearded man swung his sword at me. It was not a simple threat. It was clear bloodlust with the intent to kill me.
'Murim is an interesting place.'
I caught the sword swung by the bearded fiend with my thumb and index finger. And then.
CRACK!
As I applied force, the sword blade broke helplessly. The bearded man's face was full of bewilderment.
"You have not answered yet. Who is the strongest fiend in Murim?"
"You, you bastard!"
The bearded man rushed at me again with the broken half-sword.
THUD!
Of course, a moment later, he was the one rolling on the floor. And his broken sword was in my hand.
"Hearing an answer is awfully expensive."
At that moment, there were groups that surrounded me. I had already noticed them.
"Stop right there and reveal your affiliation!"
I looked back. Groups in the same clothing. Their mana qualities were all bizarre.
"Affiliation..."
"Are you perhaps from the Righteous Faction?"
The Demonic Cult, Evil Path Alliance, and now the Righteous Faction. At the moment I was contemplating how to respond to the unfamiliar terms of Murim, one fiend shouted.
"He is definitely not from Evil Path Alliance! Strike him!"
The waiter was covering his head. He had sensed that his workplace would be destroyed.
'I should probably head out.'
As I tried to leave the inn, the fiends hurriedly followed me.
"Catch him!"
"He is definitely a Righteous Faction bastard!"
For now, I felt I needed to know a bit about the situation in Murim. What is the Righteous Faction, what is the Evil Faction, and what is the Demonic Cult. The fiends who would answer these questions were diligently chasing after me.
And a moment later.
"So, you are saying the fiend called the Leader of Evil Path Alliance is the top expert of Murim?"
"Y-yes, that is correct!"
The fiends who chased me were warriors belonging to Evil Path Alliance. To be precise, they were from a sect of the Evil Faction that formed Evil Path Alliance. Of course, they were all kneeling before me now.
"The waiter said the Leader of the Demonic Cult was the best?"
"That is just because that brat does not know any better! According to rumors, even the life or death of the Heavenly Demon is not certain right now!"
"If his life is certain? Then who is the best?"
"T-that is!"
This reaction was enough of an answer.
"By the way, is the fiend called the Leader of Evil Path Alliance strong?"
"A fiend? How can you call him that?"
SMACK.
I flicked the head of the fiend who talked back.
"If he is the leader of fiends like you, it is obvious without seeing."
I could immediately tell that the quality of the fiends called the Evil Faction was not good. Their swordsmanship was malicious, and the quality of their mana, which they called internal energy here, was wicked.
"The Union Leader is the greatest expert in the history of the Evil Faction!"
"Then I must meet him once."
"Pardon?"
"Because I have become curious about the skills of the fiend you praise so much."
The Demonic Cult. I thought it would not be bad to push that place back a bit and visit Evil Path Alliance first.
As an appetizer to taste briefly before eating the main course.