ALL NOVEL Chapter 29
Chapter 29 – Trial (9)
‘After all, I can’t play the game simultaneously.’
After the increase in residents had doubled, a kind of system began to operate in earnest. Seeing them manage efficiently on their own without my intervention, I was convinced that my choice was correct.
I felt like I was watching an idle game set to auto-mode as I observed them bustling about doing their tasks, even though I was clearly doing nothing.
Right now, this is how it should be. Whether harvesting resources or hunting, as long as you don’t go to a specific area in that game, monsters outside common sense don’t show up.
So the aspect I need to focus on is undoubtedly Riena, who is rolling around in a relatively difficult game. I need to completely clear Chapter 1 to change classes and gain more equipment and skills to become stronger.
[Chapter 1 clear is required to unlock Stage 2]
‘What changes are there at Stage 2, anyway?’
That wasn’t the only reason. I wanted to test whether activating Dark Blurs at Stage 2 would allow for more residents to be deployed, but unlike the first game that unlocked Stage 2 without conditions, this one had stipulations.
I intended to bring in more people like Balun, who had awakened their traits, so I had to clear Chapter 1 for that plan.
Of course, it was also possible to activate other games without going to Stage 2, but now that I had come this far, I didn’t want to defy the Master Program’s recommendation and gamble.
“—.”
Soon, when I brought Riena into the game world, and we faced each other on the screen. As I waved my hand to greet her using emotional expression, she awkwardly smiled and waved back.
‘I’ll finish it today.’
Seeing her, I resolved to end Chapter 1 today. The playtime of this game isn’t tremendously long.
Until now, I had been controlling the pace considering Riena’s fatigue, but according to guides from masters, Chapter 1 can easily be completed in less than an hour.
Changes, such as the Soul Devourer appearing in the village, were certainly happening, but the fixed structure itself hadn’t changed, so if I hurried, it wouldn’t be impossible to face the boss today.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Smirking, I hurried to move my character with her following behind. The strategy videos weren’t useless. They helped, at least, in using shortcuts or solving scattered puzzles.
‘Wraith Knight.’
As a result, within just a few minutes after starting our activity, we encountered the midboss of Chapter 1.
“…”
The wraith knight’s empty gaze met us, but soon a murderous intent flared in those eyes. A once-great knight in life, he was vastly superior to the other wraith soldiers.
Those who came to investigate this place in the story had all been killed by him, unable to surpass that wraith knight before facing the true boss.
‘I’m feeling more apprehensive than I should.’
Looking at the bloodstained armor and the sword drenched in blood, I couldn’t help but swallow hard.
He was just a monster in the game, yet the realization hit me hard that he was no longer just that. How would Riena, who would face such a creature for real, feel?
“—.”
But when I turned back, she, sword drawn, nodded her head with a steady face. It was a different look from when she had been petrified by fear before the Soul Devourer.
Suddenly, a memory flashed through my mind; the image of her overwhelming an enemy warrior in the preceding battle.
Whether it was the power of the Celestial Blessing she had acquired or merely her own growth, I couldn’t tell.
One thing was certain: as she continued to battle not just bugs but game monsters, she was steadily accumulating experiences that other tribe warriors would struggle to obtain. The way she had immediately nullified the shaman’s spells, being a snowball effect from her acquired blessing in the game, was also evident.
‘Experience booster?’
I chuckled at Riena, who had rushed out without hesitation towards the wraith knight, letting out a chilling roar directed at us.
Experience doesn’t only benefit one side. For Riena, confronting the wraith knight showcasing excellent swordplay would surely be greatly beneficial due to her recent experience fighting another tribe’s warrior.
[Hot blood flows… a true knight]
“Uh?”
But then, at that moment, the wraith knight, who was not lagging in power or technique, hesitated before Riena’s sword and suddenly opened his mouth.
Originally, as an ordinary elite monster, the wraith knight had no set dialogue. It was an event that didn’t exist in the game.
[Please, kill me]
He said that while raising his sword towards the flustered Riena. His words contradicted his actions, but it was clear he had a story no one knew.
“–, —?”
The one taken aback wasn’t just me; Riena was equally confused. As I stood there speechless, Riena, who was scanning the situation, initiated a conversation.
[The being before you is a terrible demon. Including myself, a mere knight, it toys with the bodies and souls of countless peaceable people. Don’t presume to judge without qualifications. You too are merely a puppet. The bare minimum qualification is to kill me.]
Riena seemed to ask about the identity and intention of the wraith knight. True to her inquiry, the knight provided an explanation for his behavior.
‘Will I be given some special reward?’
It’s a tale of sorrow, being turned into an undead and exploited after losing everything, yet I found my mind drifting elsewhere as I absorbed the knight’s story.
Much like how killing the Soul Devourer and being recognized for that achievement would grant me the Celestial Blessing that couldn’t normally be obtained in this area.
‘Is this what he wants? Of course.’
Unlike me, Riena seemed determined. She spoke to me, and even just by looking at her eyes, I could sense her resolve.
Not once thinking of retreating, I eagerly dashed towards the wraith knight to attempt a charging attack.
[You are free of fear]
The wraith knight began swinging his sword in response to my attack, judging me to be fearless—perhaps recognizing my character as a real entity like the Soul Devourer. It would be stranger if a character only controlled by my will from beyond the monitor felt emotions.
[But is that all there is to your skill?]
“Damn.”
The problem was that almost all my attacks were blocked by the enemy’s guard. Regardless of how many combo attacks I could execute, I couldn’t match the awakened skills of the wraith knight with my character’s limited motions.
“—!”
The one to cover that gap was Riena. She leaped in just as I was pushed back, slipping into the opening to slice at the enemy with her sword.
No matter how dazzling the knight’s swordsmanship was, as an already seasoned warrior, she could dodge all of it.
[With this, it might just be possible]
In a fleeting moment of exchanging strikes that resonated with a roar, the wraith knight murmured absently. I, too, waited closely in a circle for a gap to appear, ready to jump in and intercept the knight’s attacks should Riena falter.
It was a method I had gradually learned about fighting together.
Even if I couldn’t land a successful attack, raising my guard and blocking with my body was still possible. The wraith knight, overwhelmed by this coordinated assault, was swiftly brought down as he lost an arm and suffered other injuries.
The final blow was bestowed through a successive skill activation from Riena and me, culminating in a strike that shattered his body into pieces.
Thus, the unfortunate knight, unable to find peace even in death, finally fell into a slumber.
‘Now for the boss fight.’
I’ve dealt with all the puzzles that the wraith knight had been guarding and taken down all the necessary enemies. The last remaining obstacle was just the boss holed up in the castle.
I glanced at the wraith knight’s corpse sprawled on the ground. If a mere midboss had become this powerful, how strong could a real Demon Lord be? Though not all of its powers may be restored, it was already grotesquely formed.
“Hmm?”
But just as I was taking a break to replenish Riena’s health, I was slightly taken aback by her actions as she rummaged around.
She entered a collapsed building and brought something out. It was none other than gold coins lying scattered on the floor in the background.
She cautiously approached and offered me what she held in both hands.
‘No way.’
Flustered, I stared blankly at the gold coins on my hand. It was clear that she had misunderstood based on the previous incident with the gold ring.
While it’s true I like gold, right now I could only pick up potions, weapons, or specific items; anything outside those couldn’t be claimed.
How should I convey this? I shrugged my shoulders using the emotional expression ‘Well…’ and, startled, she fumbled and quickly tucked the gold coins back into her attire.
Unlike me, she could use or handle all items in this place, so if she were to collect them and use file transfer, they might eventually reach me.
That could mean I’d soon become wealthy. Things like this are quite common in the game’s background. Especially in the castle we were headed to, where a noble had amassed a treasure hoard during his lifetime.
“Let’s go now.”
Smirking, I led her towards the castle. Dark, ominous clouds covered the sky in that fortress, exuding an eerie atmosphere typical of dark fantasy.
Not to mention, there were wraith soldiers trying to hinder our path.
They howled savagely and charged at us, but perhaps because the elite monster, the Soul Devourer, was already dead, they were just fodder wasting energy.
Once upon a time, they may have been splendid and majestic, but now, having transformed into a lair of gory stains and unknown slime, I dashed in and dispatched them before Riena could even step in.
After all, my character’s health is infinite. As we entered the boss fight, her strength would become more crucial than mine, so splitting our roles was the correct approach.
[Ah, the souls we desire have arrived]
And finally, we found ourselves in the banquet hall of the castle, where grotesque and disgusting flesh was taken over, and before us stood the boss dreaming of seizing this realm.
Deus, the Death Demon. This mass of flesh that could barely drag itself along the ground was none other than the boss of Chapter 1, the Demon Lord attempting to descend into this world.