Chapter 154 - The Symmetrical World's Town (1)

"Do you understand? Although the idea was good, it isn't good in practice. As long as it isn't a road you know, it's better if you avoid moving between the two worlds."

Hyun realized that he'd been lucky after he heard the explanation.

He'd moved to the Symmetrical World with Louise from Iluna; he never realized that action was so dangerous.

It looked like Rutia easily moved between the two worlds, but in reality, that wasn't something as easy as it seemed.

Anyway, it seemed like he wouldn't be able to use that method.

Scothanatos laughed and explained a bit more.

"Hahaha. Maybe it's possible outside of the town… The place it's symmetrical to may be safe…"

"Really?"

"Yes… but no one knows where that is… You won't know unless you try it."

"No one…?"

"Yes… Even Transcendents don't know… Maybe the ones that are at the highest rank know."

"I see… Understood."

Since the two Dukes said it was impossible, Hyun decided to give up.

"Mr. Bahmir, it's about time."

"Ah. I started talking too much again before I even realized."

Bahmir smirked at Rublen's words.

"It isn't easy to get recognition from the Dark… But I hope you'll be able to get close to it."

Bahmir left after saying that.

"The fog will go away… tomorrow afternoon."

"At what hour?"

"The road to the Dark will open 27 hours, 32 minutes, and 17 seconds from now."

Scothanatos raised his finger and pointed to a place in the middle of canyons.

It was a road that was blocked by a thick fog.

It was a place that looked like the mouth of a monster that was waiting for prey to enter. They subconsciously didn't want to get close to it.

While Louise gulped, Scothanatos warned the rest of the group.

"You'll have to be careful… so that you aren't devoured by the fog."

After saying that, the skeleton Duke also left.

After all the Dukes left, the group was left in the middle of the town.

Ain opened her mouth first as they looked between each other.

"Hmm… We'll have to stay here for a while. Anyway, we're going to do the quest, right?"

Ain asked that since she knew what the main quest was.

"Yes, probably."

"Isn't there a way to return home?!"

"Not really."

"That…!"

'It isn't that there isn't any way, but…' Hyun didn't say that.

There might’ve been a passageway that led toward the other world, but there was no way to know where that was.

Since he couldn't move between worlds, Hyun began thinking of a plan based on their situation.

* * *

"You found a safe road?!"

The Pope's face brightened after receiving the bishop’s report.

It was the first good news he'd heard in a long time.

"Yes. As you ordered, I've searched and found a road that leads to a place near the Ruins of Darkness!"

The lives of numerous users were sacrificed in the process of finding it.

The bishop didn't say that because, after all, the deaths of users had almost no weight.

Also, hadn't they offered their lives in exchange for a quest reward?

"Oh, the Heavens are looking over us!"

"Yes. We have to hurry before Darkness recovers its strength! We have to move the Knights immediately!"

"Hmm…"

After hearing what the bishop said, the Pope fell into thought and shook his head.

"No. The Underground is dangerous. We also don't know what enemies might be there."

The Heavens were planning to attack the Underground for the first time in many years.

But the Pope had to consider the possibility that they would have to face an unknown enemy.

"What if we carelessly move and fail? Our Knights could lose their lives."

"Then…"

"Once again, we're going to send users first."

The Pope had learned how to take advantage of the users.

If it were for quest rewards, they were willing to put their lives on the line. If he used the quest reward again, they'd be able to get more information on the Underground.

"Get the help of someone who knows users very well."

He could use the users at a reconnaissance squad. The Knights would have to go through the road they paved.

"I'll do that."

A new quest was prepared from the Pope’s orders.

A quest that was going to use the user's lives as sacrifices—it wasn't something the Holy Kingdom could be proud of.

That's why the quest was generated in a bit of a different way.

- This ticket can be used to move to a specified place.

- Depending on your contribution rate obtained in the town, you'll receive a reward from the Holy Kingdom.

- Before entering there, you can obtain a blessing from a Priest.

…

Satisfied, the Pope smiled while reading the description.

Rather than using the name of the Pope, that would probably have a greater effect on the users.

They were going to give a blessing to the users because they had to put magic on the users that let them share what they saw in the Underground.

Their sacrifices would, once again, light up the lamp of the Heavens.

There wasn't much time left before Light’s oracle happened.

After all, the new entrance ticket to the black town would soon be seen by the users.

The Pope's eyes shone after he finished all of the preparations.

* * *

'If I looked at the information from the interloop, I might be able to find a place that we can forcibly move to. Just like when I went from Iluna to Asra.'

Hyun thought of a way but soon shook his head.

There was no point in thinking about something like that since they wouldn't be able to return to the Symmetrical World.

Even if the affection rate had gone up, he didn't dare to ask Bahmir to take him to that place again.

"Don't think about it too much. After all, until recently, we didn't have a guild and just wandered around!" Ain said while looking at Hyun with a smile on her face.

Ain was feeling good since Salon and TarrTarr weren't around.

Not only that, but Hyun had turned on the Blessing of Darkness.

The Heavens’ beings felt scared when it was turned on? Ain liked that more.

Since Hyun was usually very kind toward her, she didn't have much opportunity to feel the opposite.

"Do you want to take Louise to the house?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

Louise flinched after hearing her name being mentioned. Hyun took a glimpse at her and shook his head.

Not only was she strong, but it also made no sense to do the quest without her.

He wasn't 100% sure of it, but wasn't she the Darkness itself? Maybe she would play an important role in finding the Ruins of Darkness.

"Just like you said, let's cool our heads down while wandering around."

"See?"

Hyun decided to stay in the town for a while.

Maybe if it were a few days, he would've thought about it, but if it was only a day, he was okay.

First, Hyun sent a message to Salon and TarrTarr.

Wouldn’t they feel disappointed that he was moving on with the quest without them?

Hyun soon realized he was worried for nothing.

「Hyun, could you tell me the director’s contact information?」

After realizing that Steven was behind the documentary, it seemed like Salon had lost interest in the related quest.

No, it was that he was more interested in other things.

「I've seen my recordings… but… there were a few parts where I appeared that are going to need some edits. It's just that I look weird, should I say? I was thinking about whether I should let him know…」

「Oh, that's perfect. He was asking if one of us could work with him. I refused since I don't have time… Do you want to do it?」

「Oh, that's my specialty!」

Hyun nodded after hearing Salon’s enthusiastic tone.

He could probably leave all the bothersome things to him.

「Could I also go?」

It seemed like TarrTarr also wasn't that interested in the quest.

「Do you also want to go?」

「I want to… I was wondering if I could join.」

「There's no reason why you can't, but don't forget to keep uploading YouTube videos…」

「Thanks, hyeong!」

Hyun accepted their requests since they'd offered themselves to do the job without him needing to ask them.

'Was there another thing…? Oh, yeah. There was that!'

It was Friday—the day he said he would check on Practice and Jini.

After he’d got a guild House, they'd been going there.

'I can't check on them today.'

He looked at his friend list and saw that Jini was online, so he sent her a whisper.

「Hyun?」

Jini sounded weak.

Hyun knew the reason. Practice had become the ace of Star Dust as of late, but unlike him, Jini hadn't been able to show results.

'It seemed like both practiced an equal amount.'

Hyun had taught them both, so he knew it very well. Still, there was just something he couldn’t help her with.

After all, in the world of professional gamers, talent is very important.

「I have a big quest this week, so I won't be able to help you with practice. I called to say that.」

「Ah, I see…」

Gini's strong point wasn't in fighting—she was good at strategy and analyzing things.

From Hyun's point of view, she was more suited to be a coach rather than a player… but maybe that would be too rude of him to say.

'She’ll probably be able to figure out her own path… After all, she knows her own strengths best.'

"Are you done?"

He heard Ain's voice after he finished organizing things.

He turned his head and saw her with a face that seemed more excited than usual. Hyun smirked.

Was she really that excited about looking around a new town…? In that sense, she was probably similar to him.

"Okay. It’s been a long time since we’ve done things like this, but let’s do this with just the two of us."

"We've just returned to normal."

"That's true."

Pitch Black Lighthouse…

The fog that surrounded the town had begun moving.

As part of it cleared and other parts thickened, the light that shone on the town changed, and a new view appeared beside them.

It was the first town they’d seen in the Symmetrical World.

Although it was a small town, since it was close to the Ruins of Darkness, there might be many other interesting things.

Walking around such a foreign area with Ain was something that he still found exciting.

* * *

The town, which was surrounded by trees, was very small, so it didn't take them long to see everything.

"15 minutes from end to end… It really is a rural town."

"But the atmosphere isn't bad."

Ain looked around as if she'd found things interesting.

Even though it looked like a remote town, it had a sophisticated atmosphere.

Beings that weren't human walked around the streets; it was as if they'd come to an undead theme park.

"Although small, it doesn't look like a rural town."

The surprisingly small town had a smelter, a weapons shop, an inn, etc… It had most of the necessary things.

The reason there wasn't a clothes shop was probably that the beings living there didn't need to wear clothes.

"There’s even an inn!"

"Okay, let's get a room."

Hyun grabbed a room at an inn that was in a corner of the town.

It was a small nest built under a bridge that went over a red river.

They would probably have to stay there for more than a day. Hyun and Ain could log out, but Louise couldn't.

He couldn't let her walk around in a place full of devils.

"Oh, Hyun, look at this!"

"Hmm?"

"This ghost, is it scared of me…?!"

Hyun looked around and saw Louise growling at a ghost.

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