Chapter 147 – Again (３)

[Soul of the Warrior]

– Grade : Unique

– Accelerates Mana to temporarily amplify physical abilities.

– All Stats +50%

– Movement Speed +50%

– Attack Power +200%

– Magic Attack Power +200%

– Defense -30% while active.

– After the skill ends, Movement Speed and Attack Speed reduced by 30% for 5 minutes.

– Duration : 300 seconds

‘…That’s monstrous.’

Soul of the Warrior—Amalta’s skill.

Its effects were genuinely excellent.

300 seconds.

A skill that skyrocketed combat ability for five full minutes.

A brutal skill that jacked up not just stats and movement speed, but attack power and magic attack power all at once.

But its drawbacks were the same as Amalta’s.

After the five-minute boost, movement speed and attack speed decreased for five minutes.

And even during use, defense dropped.

‘Still, it’s way better than what Amalta had to deal with.’

A five-minute aftereffect wasn’t such a terrifying risk.

At least, not when you looked at Amalta.

“Kkueo, kkeuueuu…”

Because Amalta was now teetering on the edge of death, the consequence of forcibly surging his physical abilities in a single instant.

[… I don’t know how I should take the fact that he wanted to defeat you that badly.]

Libre shook her head.

Then Hamal approached Amalta and laid a hand on his head.

[Your forehead burns like a cinder. You’ve suffered much, my son.]

With those words, a faint light flowed from Hamal’s hand.

And that light soon wrapped itself around Amalta’s entire body.

At the same time, Amalta’s complexion eased considerably.

[After a good long sleep like this, your body will recover.]

With that, Hamal looked at Gijun.

[You’ve grown truly strong in that time.]

“Yes. Quite a lot has happened.”

Hamal nodded.

Libre puffed out her chest, shoulders squared, as she spoke.

“Heh heh. My master can rightly be called the strongest man in this world. Don’t you agree?”

At Libre’s provocative words, Hamal nodded silently.

Since Hamal conceded without argument, Libre seemed even more pleased.

“Anyway, it’s time I truly entered that place.”

“Yes. I suppose so.”

“I always feel sorry toward you.”

“No need. I’m doing this because I want to.”

Gijun looked down at his own hand as he answered.

He meant it.

Gijun couldn’t help but feel overwhelming gratitude for the opportunity given to him.

That was when—

“W-Wait…”

Amalta’s lips quivered as he lay unconscious, his mind hazy.

“T-Take me…”

“…”

Gijun, Libre, and Hamal all understood what Amalta was trying to say.

“It seems he wishes to go with you, my master.”

“Seems so.”

“What will you do?”

“Wait for him. If I go alone, he might never look at me again.”

“Heh heh…”

Libre must have imagined Amalta looking thoroughly sulky, because she covered her mouth with her hand and giggled to herself.

*

Amalta rose only about half a day later.

Thanks to Hamal’s healing, his recovery had been swift.

“…You saw a shameful sight.”

That was what Amalta said the moment he saw Gijun.

“But I feel no disgrace. I burned my pride to the end, and for that, I hold my head high.”

“That was cool.”

Gijun said it plainly.

“Thanks to you, I learned something good too.”

“…Is that so. Thank you.”

Amalta looked pleased.

He even showed a hint of pride at the fact that Gijun had learned something from his example.

“As expected, you are a warrior. The warrior I acknowledged must never know defeat. From now on as well.”

“Of course. Because I’m never losing.”

“Good.”

“Then let’s go together. Deeper into the darkness.”

“Yeah.”

At Gijun’s words, Amalta cracked a grin.

The thought that an even tougher fight was about to begin reignited the fire in Amalta’s chest.

Gijun felt the same way, of course.

Just what else was waiting for them in there?

“Well then, we’ll be off.”

[I’ll be waiting.]

*

“It’s Jun!”

“Please sign this!”

“Look over here, just once!”

News that Gijun had re-entered Tartaros spread through Real Spirit like wildfire.

Naturally, Players flooded into Tartaros to catch a glimpse of him, and from the moment he stepped out of the Temple of the Warrior, he was swallowed by the crowd.

“Move aside, you lot!”

Amalta bellowed at the top of his lungs.

“It’s Amalta!”

“Master Amalta, please sign this!”

“I’m a fan!”

But it was no use.

If anything, Players started revealing themselves as Amalta’s fans too.

“Your muscles are awesome!”

“A strong man!”

“He’s a warrior!”

Then he picked out the words Amalta would love to hear and shouted them too.

“Wha—what did you say…!”

Hearing those shouts, Amalta’s cheeks flushed red.

“….”

Gijun was horrified seeing Amalta — flustered yet shy at the same time.

“C-come here. I’ll give you that autograph….”

Amalta had even started to enjoy the situation now.

For Gijun, it was maddening.

‘I’m going crazy.’

He wanted to get deeper into the darkness as fast as possible, but….

That was when it happened.

“Huh?”

“Look over there!”

Players on one side started making a commotion.

Gijun also turned his gaze toward that direction.

‘…Huh?’

For a moment, even Gijun was startled.

It was because the flag approaching from over there bore a symbol he also recognized.

‘The 1st Knight Order?’

That was right.

Right now, the flag of the 1st Knight Order was approaching this way.

The first Knight Order of the Saint guild.

“Master Jun is currently carrying out an important Quest. Please step aside!”

That single statement made the Players start clearing a path.

Thank god.

Just like last time, the Saint guild’s intervention had scattered the crowd in an instant.

So this is the Saint guild, huh.

No one was afraid of Gijun yet—but the Saint guild was another matter entirely.

Whenever the Saint guild showed up, the Players would look at them with faces full of fear and awe.

“Good to see you again.”

It was Klaim who had come all this way.

“Hera figured something like this might happen, so she sent me here.”

“Thanks. I was having a pretty rough time of it.”

“Then I’ll accompany you as far as the front.”

In that moment,

….

Gijun fell into thought.

I wish Klaim would come with me, too.

A deeper darkness.

Maybe it would be better if Klaim came along too, he thought.

After all, Gijun couldn’t help but feel more at ease going with someone he could trust and who had solid skills.

Who knew what powerful enemies might be lurking inside that place?

“Actually…”

Gijun spoke carefully.

“If you’re free, would you come inside with me?”

“…Huh?”

At Gijun’s suggestion, Klaim’s eyes went wide.

“You—are you serious?”

Klaim’s voice stumbled, caught off guard.

“Yes. I just thought it’d be better if you came along.”

“…If Master Jun permits it…!”

Klaim’s hands were actually trembling.

That was how excited he was.

Even Gijun, who’d never seen Klaim show emotion like this before, found the reaction startling.

“If you let me enter that place with you, I’ll protect Master Jun by any means necessary until your mission ends.”

“Then let’s go together.”

“…Thank you … truly. That I get to be part of this historic moment. Since starting this game… no, this might be the happiest day of my life.”

Klaim was genuinely overjoyed.

Truth be told, the reaction wasn’t all that strange.

If Gijun had made the same offer to any other user in this game, most of them would probably have reacted the same way.

After all, the Deeper Darkness was currently one of the most buzzed-about areas in Real Spirit.

Just the news that Gijun had arrived at Tartaros had Players flooding the community with all kinds of speculation about the Deeper Darkness.

“Well, let’s go.”

“Yes.”

And so Gijun, Klaim, and Amalta began to move.

*

“This is the place?”

“As far as I know, yes.”

Gijun had now reached the edge of Tartaros.

Before him stretched an endless expanse of land.

What was unusual was that it was filled with darkness—literally nothing visible.

While all of Tartaros had a dark backdrop, beyond this point was a pitch-black where you couldn’t see an inch ahead.

‘Just walk in, then?’

There was no obvious entrance.

[You need only walk in.]

Just then, Libre spoke.

[Beyond a single step, a new world will unfold.]

“…Let’s go.”

After hearing Libre’s words, Gijun said.

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

And so the three of them took a step into the darkness.

In that instant.

A sibilant hush—!

The world before them went completely black.

For a moment, Gijun’s breath caught as every one of his senses felt completely cut off, plunging him into that sensation.

[Do not panic.]

Libre said.

[This darkness only deceives your senses.]

‘….’

He still didn’t fully grasp what she meant.

But he accepted it as fact.

Literally—that his senses weren’t gone, just being fooled.

“Hoo, hoo…”

Gijun slowly steadied his breathing.

The pulse that had been hammering in his ears began to slow, gradually settling back to something near normal.

And at the same moment, as Gijun’s mind started to calm,

‘…I can feel it.’

His senses began to return, piece by piece.

First came hearing and touch.

Then smell, and finally, sight.

“….”

He could see.

Through the pitch-black darkness, he could make out his own hands, his feet, his body.

Gijun slowly moved his gaze.

Klaim and Amalta were still in a state of utter confusion.

It seemed Gijun was the only one who had found his senses again, at least for now.

“…Don’t be startled.”

Gijun said that much, then gently laid a hand on Klaim’s shoulder.

“Hhk—!”

Klaim’s breath burst out in a sharp gasp.

“It’s me.”

At the sound of Gijun’s voice again, the tension in Klaim’s face softened by a degree.

“Breathe slowly. And calm your mind.”

“…Hoo, hoo….”

Klaim steadied his breathing, following Gijun’s advice.

Then he opened his eyes.

“Hah, haah….”

It was only when his vision brightened that Klaim let out a long, ragged exhale.

“I was startled. If it hadn’t been for Master Jun….”

“No. And right now….”

Gijun turned his gaze.

“Kyah! Kyaaah! What is this?! I can’t see a thing! Kyaaaaah!”

There was Amalta, roaring like a man possessed, thrashing in utter panic.

“I think we need to calm this one down first.”

“…That seems right.”

Gijun had roused Klaim first precisely because of Amalta.

After all, he figured he’d need Klaim’s help to steady the big man.

“…Amalta.”

The moment Gijun cautiously reached out and set a hand on Amalta’s shoulder,

“Ugh, uwaaah! Wh-who?! Stop right there! Don’t even think about attacking this body—impossible! You bastard!”

“….”

Gijun shook his head and glanced at Klaim.

Klaim, looking every bit as flustered, moved behind Amalta and locked his arms tight around him.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

As Amalta’s howl rose again, Gijun shouted straight at him.

“Snap out of it, you idiot!”

“…Huh?”

In that instant, Amalta’s violent thrashing stopped.

He had recognized Gijun’s voice.

“Calm down and listen to me.”

“Y-yeah… yeah!”

Finally, Amalta’s face brightened a little.

It took nearly another full hour after that for Amalta to reclaim his senses completely.

“Hoo, hoo… That was a hard fight.”

Only once his senses were back did Amalta wipe the sweat from his brow and say that much.

[What a hopeless fool, truly.]

“….”

“….”

Klaim and Gijun both shook their heads and leveled a glare at Amalta.

“…Enough. Let’s get moving.”

“Yes.”

“Good! No foe can stand before me!”

And so the three of them finally set off, walking into the deeper darkness.