Chapter 52
The Arrow That Left the Bow (11)
If you think that just because I obtained unexpected information I forgot to check the market, you’re greatly mistaken.
[Sixth Feather of the Corrupted Agemor (A)]
The last feather dropped by Agemor, a child of the God of Light, Oerisa, before his corruption. Once radiating pure sacred light, it is now consumed by darkness, appearing dark red.
Agemor was entrusted by the god Oerisa with the divine task of overseeing dimensions but became captivated by human greed and gradually fell into corruption. Eventually, yearning for freedom, he rebelled against Oerisa and was sealed away.
The feather contains Agemor’s resentment and longing for freedom, whispering endless nightmares to anyone who touches it.
Though it had no special effects or latent abilities, the description was remarkably detailed for an A-grade item. It was as if someone hoped whoever held this item would understand the situation of the continent of Ganasia at a glance.
I stroked my chin, muttering like an old man who had seen it all.
“So that’s how it is…”
Ah, the rebellious phase was too extreme, and my mother had forbidden me from going out.
Now that I realized Agemor was an actual person and a “slave of freedom,” I roughly understood the scenario’s background.
This catastrophe, painting the world in darkness, was the work of Oerisa’s child, Agemor.
Perhaps because Agemor’s existence was erased from this continent, his anger grew even more.
It was literally a case of the little shrimp suffering in a family feud.
What didn’t make sense, though, was that this was a destroyed world.
From Alessandro, I understood that if the Babel Tower wasn’t climbed within the set time, the dimension would perish.
I had suspected that when Babel destroys a dimension, some external trigger might be involved.
But the true reason this dimension perished was none other than Agemor’s corruption.
“Was this outsourced?”
I’d have to ask Alessandro about that again.
Perhaps the dark wizards were also contracted by Babel Tower to destroy the 49th-floor dimension.
“Somehow my shoulders feel heavier…”
Meanwhile, the golden aura of Paroxia vanished.
This was the signal that the repair was complete!
[Paroxia (???)
A sacred relic symbolizing peace between humans and beastmen.
Status: Complete
“Well, there’s no further explanation.”
Of course, repairing this didn’t mean all problems were solved. Since it was completed with the blessing of the god Oerisa, the Paroxia—just an antique—would have no real power for now.
“Then my priority should be finding a way into Probel.”
If I could avoid Reykam, I wouldn’t run into the attack squad.
I checked my remaining gold while deciding my next destination.
[Gold in possession: 681G]
The money I had earned with great effort had all gone just to survive.
This made no sense. I hadn’t even found any research material about Babel Tower yet, and now there was a condition that if I didn’t leave within five minutes, I would die.
Individual combat would be necessary at a time like this.
I looked into the explorer’s eyes and issued an order.
“You go and search for the word ‘Babel.’”
Meanwhile, I rummaged through the mage lord’s room where the Paroxia was stored.
The bookshelf, left untouched amidst the chaos, was crammed with all sorts of meaningless documents.
A person obsessed with research like this… could there really be nothing about Agemor here?
Even if the entire continent had forgotten Agemor, records would remain, just as the turtle beastman had said.
I flipped through papers with plausible and strange titles alike, searching for anything related to Agemor.
“Why are you keeping ‘Fatigue Studies Based on Sole Thickness’…?”
Wizards truly are all mad folk.
I shook my head in disbelief as I sifted through the documents for a long time.
“…Huh?”
I froze when I discovered a certain document.
An alarm beeped faintly in the distance, but I stayed rooted, holding the bundle of papers.
[A Study on the Ancient Ganasian Creation Myth – Focusing on the Descendants of Oerisa
Ganasia Ancient History Research Institute / Scholar of Ellarion University]
Agemor’s name wasn’t written, but the term “descendants of Oerisa” alone was intriguing.
I quickly flipped the pages.
[…Within infinite time, Oerisa felt fatigue and recognized the need for divine beings like herself. According to both the Northern Chronicles and the Book of Light, Oerisa went to the cliffs of ‘Provi’ on the northern coast of Ganasia, the last land of the world. This place marked the boundary where cold seas met the hot land, where light and darkness coexisted. Legends say Oerisa meditated on these cliffs for seven days and nights. Her pure light mingled with the cold sea, generating a mystical aura, and by the dawn of the eighth day, a new life was conceived within Oerisa…]
Bingo.
The place where Oerisa bore Agemor was called Provi, the northernmost cliffs of Ganasia.
So many place names had been encountered that it was confusing, but “Provi” seemed significant.
If Agemor was born there, then…
“Could it be that Agemor’s corruption started there too?”
I quickly sent a message.
[Did the black fog start in Provi?]
The reply came promptly.
[> New message
Yes, but who are you? I’m Wanda (Dimension-Earth | Region-Korea | 51st Floor Performer)]*
Of course, I recognized her from when she changed her attitude after receiving a potion.
The fact that you can only message those you’ve traded with is a weakness, but thanks to the kind and innocent wolf beastman Kona, I didn’t have to struggle.
Okay, everything’s settled!
Defeat Agemor at the Provi cliffs and bring the Paroxia to Probel to restore it…
“This scenario is clear.”
Of course, a weakling like me can’t defeat Agemor.
He’s a child of a god—how could I possibly fight that?
That’s beyond my abilities.
But the one thing only I can do is repair Paroxia.
There may be other legitimate routes set by Babel…
“Then I’d just block the repair skill.”
I’ve fully repaired it, so what can they do?
I shrugged in defiance, embodying Agemor’s rebellious spirit.
Still, I can’t enter the sanctuary either… how do I deal with that?
Beep—beep—beep—
“Oh, right.”
Snapped out of my deep thought, I looked up in alarm.
The explorer’s eyes were welling up, probably upset I hadn’t arrived sooner.
I hurried toward where the Babel Tower materials might be.
[Gold in possession: 548G]
“I could really cry…”
Ugh, this accursed black fog.
I had to get out and ask the attack squad to help defeat Agemor—without revealing my identity, of course.
“Ah, this is bad.”
I stopped the Nokkachen and sighed heavily.
The path that had been clear on the way from Kona was now stained black.
With so little gold left, I couldn’t use the repair skill freely.
I muttered sadly.
“Guess I have to go back.”
A map would’ve been nice.
Come to think of it, I’d seen an interview saying the first thing participants do in a scenario is study the terrain and secure a map.
I wouldn’t have known without trying a scenario.
“Next time, I’ll get the map first.”
“What the heck am I saying?!”
Next time, I need to avoid this, Lee Won!
I shook my head to dismiss these thoughts.
At least I knew that Kona, the beastmen territory, and Casablanca, the human territory, were adjacent.
I couldn’t go straight to Kona, but I could follow the outskirts of Casablanca and then enter Kona.
Thinking that, I drove the Nokkachen for about ten minutes.
“Waaah-!”
Screams came from somewhere, and I slammed on the brakes.
Tall trees surrounded me.
No one was in sight, but the screams continued.
I couldn’t stop just because of screaming—it was an emergency.
“Help me!”
“Oh, seriously!”
Why am I so soft-hearted in such a harsh world?!
My grand plan of meeting the attack squad to solve the scenario was already going out the window, and the Nokkachen drove straight toward the screams.
Deep in the forest, branches scraped my cheeks painfully.
The screams grew louder.
Turning around a huge boulder, I spotted a man’s back.
“What the hell…?”
He was looking at a human—or was it human?
Pitch-black skin, eyes devoid of irises, moving like a living shadow.
His expression revealed no emotion, except for his dark red mouth, exhaling ominous-colored breath.
Even just looking at him instilled terror.
My legs froze.
I stood rooted, watching.
“P-please… I have a child, a child…”
Damn, of course there’s a kid.
Before I could figure out a solution, my body lunged forward.
“Wait, wait! What am I doing?!”
I didn’t even have time to scold myself for recklessly charging forward.
The black figure had already noticed me.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion.
The man’s facial expressions as he realized me, the black shadow rushing excitedly toward me, his mouth opening wide in a vivid red…
“Skill, what skill can I use?!”
No time to run.
My mind raced.
The black figure, black skin as if tainted by the black fog.
Could this be Agemor’s corruption?
“Repair?!”
I reached out desperately, blocking the man.
At that moment…
[100G has been deducted.]
The moment my hand touched the black figure, the darkness covering him began to vanish.
Black particles peeled away and ascended into the sky.
As if everything burned to ash.
The black figure disappeared, leaving only me and the unnamed man.
As the surroundings quieted, he exhaled deeply, shaking off the terror.
“…Hoo!”
In a daze, I blinked.
“It… works again…!”
Am I really a Babel kid?
The repair skill was surely Babel’s contingency for a fragile body like mine.
The fear I had felt moments ago was long replaced by amazement.
The man, now recovered, looked at me in surprise again.
There was only one thing I could say.
“Are you alright?”
He tried to stand but wobbled and sank back down.
His trembling limbs showed he truly thought he was going to die.
“My legs are shaking… I can’t get up.”
A poorly armed man, with brown hair and brown eyes, looked innocent.
He held only a fragile-looking bow, far from a knight or soldier.
Why was he being chased by a black figure in the middle of this forest?
Was this how humans changed when tainted by the black fog?
Perhaps the man before me could answer.
Sitting hopelessly, he spoke.
“Thank you for saving me.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“You’re the savior of my life. My name is Anton.”
“Ah?!”
I gasped, looking up.
Startled, he shrank back, but I asked without hesitation.
“Clara’s man?!”
