Chapter 20 (1/2)

Max Talent Player

Chapter 20: Mandra

The Demon King Army.

The brutal atrocities they committed were indescribable. This was slightly off topic, but the eight Heroes representing Korea earned their hero titles while confronting the Demon King Army. Most of their heroic tales originated from battles against the Demon King Army.

‘In other words, the Demon King Army is strong enough to resist and fight those heroes.’

In any case, it was valid to say that having become a lieutenant of the Demon King Army, he’d run the gamut of all sorts of despicable deeds, though that hadn’t happened yet.

“Hello! Didn’t think there was a senior here.”

Seo Joohwan made a rather polite bow. It was unexpected, but I understood after a beat.

‘Fake’ was unmistakably mixed into his disposition. He greeted me with a good-natured expression, but I was determined not to let my guard down.

“On the way to the 7th fork, we saw that the monsters had already been killed. Was that you, senior?”

“Yes.”

I looked at So Yoohyun. He was blinking at me in a daze, obviously very surprised.

“…You were al—”

I cut him off. “Nice to meet you. You must be So Yoohyun, the Tutorial Ender. I saw you on TV.”

“Uh… I… Ah… Yes. I mean, yes, thank you. You’re too kind. I’m truly humbled and don’t know what to say.”

After floundering for a short moment at my ‘nice to meet you’, Yoohyun promptly expressed his modesty. It seemed he really meant it when he said ‘you’re too kind’.

However, the look in his eyes towards me spoke volumes. They were filled with goodwill. I could feel through Eye of Perception that his look went beyond goodwill, almost into adoration. Those were Yoohyun’s sincere feelings. The ‘Debt-Repaying Magpie’ summary truly suited him to a T.

“We’ve come as support,” Seo Joohwan said. “Let’s work together.”

I stared at Seo Joohwan. “I wonder about that. You’ve seen the other paths already, I’m sure?”

Sunhwa and I had cleared most of the monsters in the forks. We had left the rest of the monsters simply because we didn’t need them.

Seo Joohwan was struck speechless for a moment. “…That’s true. You’re doing perfectly fine on your own already.”

“Yes.”

“But couldn’t you achieve a slightly more desirable clear with our help? This place isn’t a dungeon with a set owner, anyway.”

He was being roundabout, but what he was implying was, ‘You’re not the owner either, so you can’t refuse us’.

‘Right, Seo Joohwan was one of the first people to assert that dungeons had owners,’ I thought. Later dungeons fell under the possession of individual guilds. They taxed things like the items and Coins that were obtained from the dungeons at their own discretion, solely on the basis that they owned the dungeon. Later on, wars were even waged for dungeons. The Demon King Army committed murder for them without reserve.

“I think it will be fine if everyone Plays on their own. However, there’s an item I’m looking for. The Guardians said they wanted it.”

I sold off the Guardians.

[The ‘Nameless Observer’ expresses their misgivings.]

[The ‘Lady of the Scales’ expresses her disappointment.]

[The ‘Whispering Devil’ is happy.]

The Guardians didn’t really like it when their names were used in vain. However, I had no choice. I couldn’t just carelessly give off the ‘I know everything’ feeling. This was the easiest road available to me.

‘Is the Whispering Devil a pervert?’

I did something Guardians usually didn’t like, but the Whispering Devil was happy about it.

“I’d also gladly Play with everyone. But I would like to ask that if an item bearing the name of this path, Lakitula, appears, that you concede it to me. Of course, I will fully compensate you.”

So Yoohyun and Seo Joohwan seemed interested in the item I was looking for. Joohwan asked, “An item bearing the name Lakitula? Did other items like that appear in the other paths, as well?”

I expected a conversation like this to come about even before coming here. It was all a part of the picture I was drawing. There was no need to lie, and even if I did, it would be quickly exposed at the next checkpoint. There was no real reason to lie.

“Yes, there were. I’m working on a quest to gather the seven items.”

“There was a quest like that? We didn’t get that.”

Because I had already predicted such a situation, my response was also prepared in advance. “It is a quest given to the first person who enters.”

“Aha.” Seo Joohwan seemed convinced.

“I think the item won’t be of much use to you even if you get it. They don’t really have any good effects. None of them are better than shop credit.”

These guys had passed level 15, so they could also use the Item Shop.

“If someone else ends up obtaining that item, I will buy it from them at a higher price than what is offered in the shop.”

* * *

* * *

On the 7th fork, ‘Lakitula’s Path’, black and purple yaks appeared together.

So Yoohyun extended his fist with a loud, rousing shout. “Hiyaa!”

One black yak fell over.

“Taunt!”

‘!!!’ marks appeared over the purple yaks’ heads, indicating that their aggro had been properly pulled. Two purple yaks fired their horns, and while they were doing so, Seo Joohwan and the three members of his group quickly approached the purple yaks and killed them. As she watched, Kang Sunhwa felt a little odd.

‘Those people are survivors of the Tutorial…’ There was another man. ‘And that mister using his fists is the Tutorial Ender, right? That super famous guy.’

There was no doubt he was currently the most famous Player in the world.

‘So why…’

She might just be imagining it…

‘How come…’

She didn’t know exactly why, but…

‘They look so weak?’

Somehow, she got the feeling that they were weak. After a moment of contemplation, Sunhwa realized the reason.

‘It’s because I’m comparing them to oppa.’

Be it Mr. So Yoohyun, the Tutorial Ender, or that nimble-looking Mr. Seo Joohwan, both of them had quick and concise movements, but—

‘Compared to Hyukjin oppa…’

She couldn’t help but think that they fell far short. But something else was strange, and it was that Hyukjin wasn’t showing his full prowess.

‘Oppa’s movements have gotten much slower and cruder than before.’

Sunhwa couldn’t be sure whether he was doing it on purpose, or if he was just tired. In any case, as it was right now, Hyukjin, Yoohyun, and Joohwan all looked to have about the same level of skill, though their Playing styles were a bit different. What was significant was the fact that only 14-year-old Kang Sunhwa was able to precisely compare their movements. However, Sunhwa herself did not think of that as an impressive feat. She wasn’t even cognizant of what she was doing.