TL: enigma
PR: Forgotten_one
Chapter 9 [Episode 2: Luck is also created (2)]
“It looks like a door.”
Even though Taeseng GilgeoI was about to disappear, he came next to me and observed the cave wall.
It seemed difficult to notice if you didn’t look carefully, but it was definitely there.
A square crack, about 3 meters long.
The thing on the wall was none other than a square-shaped crack.
It was something that could never occur naturally.
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like a door leading to a secret space. However, I had never come across any information about such a space in the hunter community.
Even though it may not be popular, this dungeon had been visited by many people, so why was this hidden door not known?
After pondering for a moment, the answer quickly came to me.
The Monkey Shaman’s skill, chaos.
There was a high possibility that all the hunters who had come here hadn’t discovered this hidden door because they were cursed and their awareness deteriorated as soon as they entered the boss room.
On the other hand, I was not cursed due to the effect of composure, so I only discovered it on the tenth attempt.
Now, all that’s left is to find the key, and that’s easily solved.
“This looks exactly like a cane.”
In the middle of the square wall, there was a groove that perfectly matched the shape of the monkey shaman’s staff.
Without hesitation, I picked up the staff and inserted it into the groove.
Kugugugugugung-!
With a loud noise, the wall was pushed aside, revealing a long passage.
“That’s a great guess, my lord.”
“What is this? Shall we proceed inside?”
“There might be traps. I will take the lead, my lord.”
After all, Taeseng GilgeoI wasn’t a guardian knight for nothing.
He walked ahead with his shield raised, but fortunately, there were no traps.
Instead…
“Huh, it wasn’t given the title ‘greedy’ for nothing.”
A pile of treasure appeared before us.
Various gold and silver treasures, thrones, furniture, armor, and other miscellaneous items were stacked up in a small cavity within the passage.
However, despite the grand sight, there wasn’t much substance to it.
“There are only a few things I can take with me.”
I could only carry a few items.
Even though there were gold and silver treasures, non-item items had the property of disappearing when taken out of the dungeon.
Still, it wasn’t too disappointing.
Fortunately, I found the item I had been searching for in one of the treasure piles.
[Tome of the Greedy Monkey Shaman]
[Grade: Rare]
[Feature: An old book stolen from a ruined city by a greedy monkey shaman.]
[When viewed, the item’s effect is activated.]
[The item can only be viewed by those who have met the conditions.]
“Great.”
The completion of the second hidden quest was within reach.
Without hesitation, I opened the book to learn about its effects.
But something was off.
“Hmm…?”
When I opened the book, instead of paper, pure white light filled my vision.
Flash-!!
“Master…!!”
I heard a voice in my ear, but I couldn’t respond.
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
Consciousness slipped away amidst the blinding light.
* * *
“Move quickly! How many times have I told you that if you’re that slow, you’ll become food for monsters!”
A shout echoed from nowhere.
“This place…?”
As I regained my senses, I saw a training ground with dust rising in the air.
What had happened?
I quickly stood up and tried to assess the situation.
However…
My body didn’t respond. Or rather, it moved, but not according to my will.
I was fully conscious, yet my body was running around the training ground on its own.
As if I were possessed.
I swiftly analyzed the situation.
A parade ground filled with scarecrows, knights wielding swords.
And…
A familiar building that seemed to have been seen somewhere, along with the mustachioed face of an instructor.
“The training ground of the Imperial Knights…?”
I looked around and realized.
This was the same place as the Imperial Knights Training Ground, a map in the game.
If anyone were to hear this, they would think it was utter madness, but it was true.
The surroundings matched exactly.
“Physical strength is the foundation of everything! Excellent swordsmanship begins with strong physical strength, do you understand?”
“Yes, Knight Commander!”
The voice that responded to the shouts of the mustachioed instructor, the Knight Commander who directly taught the cadets, was the voice of “I’m Gonna Want It.”
Although it didn’t make sense, I found myself possessed by the body of I’m Gonna Want It.
Even though I couldn’t move my body of my own accord, I could still feel the sensations and thoughts of “I’m craving it.”
“This… I guess I’ll just observe.”
In that brief moment, I finished assessing the situation and chose to take a wait-and-see approach.
I didn’t know how this was related to the compensation, but it was certainly interesting.
Everything that was happening in I’m Gonna Want It was something I had played as a main quest in Higher.
The first main quest, growing as a knight.
I never imagined that I would personally experience the quests I had seen while playing.
I wondered if future events would unfold in a similar manner, and my prediction proved to be correct.
Whick!
For a moment, my vision went dark, and the body that had been running in the middle of a race suddenly stood in front of a scarecrow.
The mustachioed Knight Commander shouted.
“The straight line may be the shortest path, but the trajectory must be a curve! Move with agility and seize your opponent’s timing!”
“Yes!”
Taeseng GilgeoI swung his sword without hesitation. Sometimes, he would engage in sparring sessions with his fellow knights using wooden swords.
Then, my vision changed once again.
Whi-profit-!
This time, I found myself under the tranquil walls of a castle.
It was an unexpected change of scene, but I quickly realized what was happening.
It was a quest to gather intelligence about an assassination group plotting to kill the emperor, and to stop them alongside a small group of elite soldiers, led by the Knight Commander.
Of course, it was a trap.
The enemies had planned to eliminate the Imperial Knights before their rebellion could take place.
In the latter half of the quest, you would face ten times more enemies than you initially encountered.
But…
“Haaaaa!!”
He defeated all the enemies with his incredible growth through items and hunting.
His skills were so overwhelming that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he could defeat hundreds, even thousands, in a day.
Even the Knight Commander was impressed.
“Your skills are exceptional. You can be the deputy commander!”
“Thank you, Captain.”
Once again, my vision went dark.
Next, it was a battlefield with the Dragon Legion summoned by a warlock who sought the destruction of the world by offering himself as a sacrifice.
The Knight Commander stood at the forefront, shouting.
“Knights of the Empire! Subdue the horde of evil!”
“Waaaa!!”
The war between humans and dragons had begun.
There was no room for hesitation.
Flames rained down from the sky, and fierce dragon warriors advanced from the ground.
Although they were much stronger than humans, the Imperial Knights fought with valor.
But sacrifices were inevitable.
This was because, at the end of the battle, an ancient dragon known as the Father of Destruction appeared.
Dragon Ludria.
As the battle situation gradually worsened, the Knight Commander fought against Ludria alone, but he was struck by a powerful breath attack and fell before him.
“From now on, you are the Knight Commander. Don’t forget, a knight must raise his sword to protect the weak…”
“Captain…!”
I could hear the tremor in Taeseng GilgeoI’s voice, which was always composed and serious. She said tears were welling up in her eyes.
And then…
“Quaaaaa!!”
Screams erupted from all directions.
I looked around while holding onto the Knight Commander.
It wasn’t just the Knight Commander. The colleagues I had trained with were also falling to the ground, struck down by the weapons of the dragon warriors.
Regret, anger, and a burning desire filled my heart.
But there was no time to mourn.
“I have to become stronger. Only when I become strong can I protect myself, my comrades, and the weak.”
Profound realizations came one after another.
Overcoming this crisis required my will, effort, and sword.
“Dragon Ludria!!”
With determination in my heart, I stood up, wielding the sword of the Knight Commander.
And…
“In the name of guardianship, I will bring you to justice!!”
“Kurrrrr…!!”
I charged towards the dragon, spewing flames of death.
The memories ended there.
Hwaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
“Huh, oh oh…”
My eyes widened.
This time, my body moved according to my will.
The scenery also returned to its original state. Inside the whitish treasure trove, a familiar voice greeted me.
“Master, are you okay?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. What happened?”
“The moment you opened the book, it disappeared in a flash of light, and you lost consciousness, my lord.”
“How much time has passed?”
“It was just a few seconds. As soon as I realized it was a trap and was about to react, you woke up, my lord.”
“I see. Thank you.”
I felt relieved that it was just a momentary lapse, but I was caught off guard. However, I didn’t feel bad about it.
In fact, after experiencing several years in just a few seconds, I felt a sense of nostalgia and bittersweetness, as if I had had a long dream.
Perhaps this was a memory from the game I had played, Higher.
A strange feeling washed over me, something I couldn’t quite put into words, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it.
As soon as I regained my senses, the effect of the old book took hold.
The reward for the second hidden quest is:
“The second hidden quest has been cleared.”
“Absorb the contents of the Greedy Monkey Shaman’s Tome.”
“Acquire the reward.”
“Level 1: Acquire the sword skills of the Imperial Knights.”
It was Taeseng GilgeoI’s swordsmanship.
