Chapter 36

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“… What?”

Stopping her steps, Ria slightly turned her head.

After glaring at Han-bit for a moment, she slightly furrowed her brows and asked.

“Is that really true?”

“If you can’t believe me, you can go a separate way. Though you won’t find it even if you search all day.”

“…”

When he shrugged his shoulders, telling her to do as she pleases, Ria fell into agony.

She wanted to find it with her own strength, but reality was bleak.

Because the outside of the slum district was far too vast.

Since she knew the cat all too well, it resonated with her even more.

“Argh, seriously!”

Ria ruffled her hair roughly in the unanswered situation.

And then approached while letting out a sigh.

“Hurry up and take the lead. Ruby is quick on its feet, so it’ll run to another place soon.”

“No need to rush. I saw it enter the underground waterway.”

“The waterway? You’re saying Ruby went there?”

At those words, Ria’s eyes widened in surprise.

A waterway crossing long underneath Edlen.

It was a place that was no longer used, but dangerous because the water level was high.

“Hey, damn it! Why are you saying that only now!”

Becoming urgent, Ria kicked off her feet without hesitation.

As Han-bit also started to run, Yeon-woo, who was following behind belatedly, asked from a distance.

“Hyung! Are we really going to the underground waterway?”

– Was there a cat there?

– No no there’s nothing there.

– It’s just a useless map.

The existence of the underground waterway was commonly known even to players.

However, compared to the hardship of exploring its insides, there was nothing to be gained.

This was the very brief description listed in the guidebook.

“Have you ever been to the waterway?”

“I have been there, but the map itself is unnutritious. The stench is implemented in such detail that I don’t even want to step near it.”

Yeon-woo answered with an expression signifying absolute disgust.

Certainly, if the smell could be so vividly felt, it’d be hard to lightly go inside.

However, the saying that there was nothing to gain was completely wrong.

Because if anyone had realized the importance of the underground waterway, the walkthroughs would have completely changed.

Tap-!

Running for a while having a brief conversation.

The two arrived at an area heavily dipped below the outskirts.

Ria, who had taken the lead, was already out of sight.

“I guess she went inside?”

Yeon-woo said while looking at the half-open iron-barred door.

Scanning his surroundings, Han-bit swung the door wide open.

“Let’s go too.”

***

Drip- Drip-

Inside the gloomy underground waterway reeking of a musty stench.

The two were moving along the path illuminated by sparsely placed candles.

“Hyung, how far are we going? I’m telling you this really isn’t a place a cat would be?”

Yeon-woo, who was walking slightly behind, asked while pinching his nose.

He wanted to make him feel what a real stench was, but it was still early.

“Seeing your certainty, I guess you’ve searched the whole place?”

“Even if it wasn’t me, there’s plenty of people who came here. If even one person discovered anything, the word would’ve spread.”

“Even so, didn’t you stop at the level of the guidebook?”

“That’s normal. To begin with, the underground waterway is an appendix written in small letters in the corner of a page. Who would painstakingly check it one by one if they’re not an otaku like you, hyung?”

– Oh ho.

– He’s fighting cowardly using facts;

– Since it’s come to this, let’s show you the real deal.

– Teachers, please step forward.

[Lore Explainer has supported 5,000 won.]

[Edlen’s Underground Waterway: According to the words of Irteloger, the architect who designed the waterway 100 years ago…]

– Yes, I heard you well~

– Long text cut.

– He actually does it when asked. Lol.

The perception of the underground waterway could be seen just by looking at the chat window.

At this rate, adding more explanations would only be a loss.

Giving up on explanations, Han-bit increased his speed and moved forward.

“Hah.”

A dead-end location arrived after following the winding path.

There, Ria had stopped with her hands placed on her hips.

“Did you find anything?”

Approaching closely, Han-bit stood next to her.

Ria, who was glaring straight ahead, dropped her gaze and replied.

“Ruby came here.”

A bright red string held in her hand.

It was the ribbon tied to the leg of the cat, Ruby.

“We need to look for other traces.”

Ria with a serious face tried to turn back down the path.

Han-bit moved before her and blocked the way.

“What is it?”

“Look up there.”

“Up?”

When he pointed upwards with his finger, Ria’s gaze followed.

Concentrating with furrowed eyebrows, she soon discovered something.

“Ah!”

A hole faintly visible at the top of the wall.

It felt smaller because the light didn’t reach it, but it was a size that a cat could easily pass through.

“So it went there! But the path connects to…”

Unlike a flexible cat, it was a size impossible for a person to enter.

The problem was, even with the knowledge of all the structures of this underground waterway inside Ria’s head, no path popped up.

“Wait.”

Han-bit, who knew her inner thoughts, walked past Ria and knelt in front of the blocked wall.

‘Just like I remembered.’

A crack extending starting from the gap between the wall and the floor.

The bottom visible through the crack was in a worse state.

“Come here for a second.”

Raising his body, Han-bit pulled back while grabbing Ria’s arm.

“What is it? What are you going to do?”

Ria asked, sensing a strange atmosphere.

However, an incantation flowed out of the mouth of Han-bit, whose hand was already extended.

“Fire Burst.”

Boom-!

The floor crumbling down with a rumble as the launched fireball exploded.

At some point, the bottom of the blocked wall had turned into an unstable passage.

“Are you crazy?”

Ria put on a bewildered expression at the overly simple and radical solution.

Because, all in all, this place was also a public area of Edlen.

If they made it a problem, they could be dealt punishment as much as they pleased.

“It’s fine as long as we keep quiet. Let’s find Ruby quickly first.”

“No…”

Answering lightly, Han-bit moved his feet first.

Lowering his posture and passing under the wall, he looked back at Ria.

“Are you not coming?”

“… Who said I’m not going?”

At Han-bit’s carefree appearance, Ria scratched her head and moved her feet.

And the moment she bent her waist to come inside.

Crack-!

A strong spark popped from her bag.

“Ugh!”

Startled, Ria quickly threw her bag onto the floor.

Then, something tumbled out of the opened gap.

Thud-

What lay solitary on the floor was a ring set with a red jewel.

Something like a family crest was engraved on the gold trim.

Flash-!

The blinking light was emitting from the jewel of the ring.

Ria, who saw that sight, had an expression mixed with question and fear.

“Ugh…”

Swoosh-!

As if trying to wrap around her whose body stiffened due to emotions, wind gathered like a protective shield.

And the alarm sound followed.

Ding-

[The Wind Spirit Sylph expresses its anger.]

– Huh?

– Wasn’t it playing with Plona?

– But why is it angry.

– Who did it.

The viewers expressed questions at the appearance of Sylph.

The existence of Sylph, who should be playing with Plona, was valid here as well.

It was a story that applied anywhere worldwide.

‘The anger of a spirit…’

It’s usually a spirit similar to a child, but their anger is not a matter to think of lightly.

Because depending on the situation, things like cataclysms could also happen.

That’s how great and terrifying entities spirits are.

“… Wind?”

Ria let out a puzzled voice at the cozy sensation enveloping her body.

But that was only for a moment.

Quickly picking up the ring and the bag, she looked at the gloomy path.

After a brief silence, she spoke towards Han-bit.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“A feeling? Because of that ring from earlier?”

“… I don’t know about that. Anyway, it’s dangerous further inside here.”

Ria warning without truly taking a single step.

It wasn’t a lie, but a judgment made purely from an instinctive sense.

‘Her intuition is bound to be good.’

A sensitive sense that could detect danger even with little information.

The reason she had such talent at a young age was singular.

She was continuously exposed to life threats while growing up.

Just like a survivor of a treasonous family living while hiding their identity.

Swoosh-

While they were talking.

The spirit’s wind spread out as if to envelop the space.

“I’m going first, okay?”

“No, wait…!”

When Han-bit stepped into the path, Ria grabbed his sleeve.

And turning her gaze away as if slightly embarrassed, she said.

“You can’t go. Unni and Plona will be sad if you die.”

– Cute.

– Favorability is farmed quite well. *shiver*

– God Atsbel.

Ria also heard in detail the story of Atsbel’s mother being freed from pain.

Because she watched from the side how desperate of an matter it was, her evaluation towards Han-bit had changed early on.

Because her unni’s savior is her own savior as well.

He even saved Plona on top of that, so she had absolutely no intention of letting him die.

“It’s okay. I won’t die.”

“… The people who say that always end up dying.”

“Not that, look over there.”

Han-bit pointed his finger towards the path stretching inwards.

Then, a small silhouette was seen approaching from the darkness.

Meow-

“Ruby?”

Ria made a puzzled expression at the carefree cry of the cat.

Because it was a guy who hid deeper every time they tried to find it.

Whoosh-

The spirit’s wind, which hadn’t returned yet, drifted faintly in the surroundings.

No one probably knew that Sylph helped lure the cat.

“Why did you run away this far?”

Ria, hugging Ruby, let out a sigh of relief.

Because it was a cat that often caused accidents but had never gone outside the slum district.

“Huh?”

Ria, looking at the cat’s condition up close, discovered something.

She, bringing Ruby to her embrace, slowly pulled out a piece of white cloth the cat was biting.

“… The Holy State?”

A cloth of a unique material she had never seen in Edlen.

At the very end of it, the national flag of the Holy State was embroidered.

Ria’s expression darkened instantly upon discovering it.

– Holy State?

– Why is a Holy State clue coming out from here?

– Does this really connect to the Main Story?

– It’s a Sub, so we’ll only know once it’s summarized.

– Yep. A freaking lot of things were meaningless when revealed.

The viewers started a debate at the word Holy State.

Sub Quests that enrich the Main Story.

Naturally, the impact changes depending on the process and outcome.

“Let me take a look.”

Han-bit reached out his hand and received the cloth.

At that moment, a message popped up along with an alarm.

Ding-

[Sub Quest #2 has been completed.]

[Sub Quest #3 is unlocked.]

[Sub Quest #3]

The cat Ruby discovered in the underground waterway was carrying a strange item.

Why does a cloth with the Holy State’s national flag exist in a place like this?

It seems you need some information.

Objective: Report about the trace to the Guild Master.

Reward: Sub Quest Settlement

– Seeing the Guild Master already?

– Does this really unlock a new route?

– How many years has it been. Lol.

– Nothing is certain yet.

– Yep. Cowen isn’t easy.

One of the key figures in Edlen, the Guild Master.

Even more so, the achievement objective of having to meet him at the timing the Holy State’s clue appeared.

Because both elements were directly tied to the main quest, viewers’ expectations and doubts concerning a new story route grew stronger.

“Ria, you take Ruby back to Plona.”

“… What are you going to do with that?”

“I’m going to find the Guild Master. It’s strange for an item from the Holy State to be found here.”

“…”

Ria kept her mouth shut tight at Han-bit’s answer.

Agonizing for a moment, she quietly said.

“Got it. I’ll go to Plona for now.”