Chapter 52

The attack had been so powerful that when the Wooden Man reappeared, nearly half of its body had been completely incinerated into ash.

The creature clattered its jaw, attempting to say something, but Lee Yoonseop rushed in without listening and swung his sword, severing its neck in one clean stroke.

His past experiences had taught him well that there was nothing to be gained from unnecessary leisure.

“Is… is it over?”

“Whew, my god…”

“The soldiers it summoned are scattering into sand. I think it’s finally finished…”

It had been a formidable enemy.

Of course, it didn’t seem to possess an extraordinary level of power within Level 4, but the mere fact that such a thing appeared in a Level 3-rank Dungeon was an immense stroke of misfortune.

The Hunters of the Raid Party let out hollow laughs and collapsed in groups, beginning to catch their ragged breath.

“Haa, I really didn’t know what was going to happen for a moment. That thing was way stronger than I expected.”

“Ugh, don’t even get me started. That mummy soldier wearing a dog mask that popped out at the end was practically boss-level.”

“Me too… honestly, I almost got pushed back…”

After resting for a while and regaining their composure, the Hunters looked after their comrades, supported the injured, and headed out of the Dungeon through the portal.

Once most of the immediate tasks were handled, the Raid Leader, Lee Yoonseop, approached Taewoon and asked.

“…That was impressive. You’re far better than I was when I was a rookie. How were you able to grow at such a rapid pace?”

“My apprenticeship was longer than others, and there are some personal reasons. I ask for your understanding that I cannot go into detail.”

“Haha, that’s only natural, so don’t worry. I wasn’t trying to pry into your secrets. By any chance, are you still not considering joining a Guild?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, that is the case.”

Lee Yoonseop had originally intended to officially offer Taewoon a position as per Shin Myeongho’s request, but his thoughts shifted slightly after fighting alongside him.

For some reason, he felt that Taewoon was not a vessel that a mid-sized Guild like theirs could contain.

“Though we may not be able to act as fellow Guild members, I hope we can maintain a positive relationship. If you ever need anything from our Yongcheol Guild, feel free to contact me anytime.”

“Yes. Thank you for your words. I look forward to our future interactions.”

Concluding the long Dungeon Conquest, Taewoon completed the necessary procedures, returned home, and lightly checked his equipment and physical condition.

Then, he looked back on the battle in this Dungeon.

‘…Certainly, there is still much lacking.’

He felt this most acutely during the fight with the Wooden Man.

Facing an opponent with a higher weight class made him realize that he lacked a means of attack capable of dealing a decisive blow.

‘But it’s positive that I got to properly verify the power of the Remegethon.’

He had thought so when he first acquired it, but it was indeed an Artifact of immense value.

Although it required more Magical Power than Barata or the Wax Mask, its efficacy was beyond doubt.

‘It can be used broadly in various situations, and there are more than enough ways to use it strategically.’

It was even proven in this battle that even if the page capacity was exceeded, it could absorb power at least equal to the amount of empty pages.

This meant it was a treasure that could fully demonstrate its value regardless of when or in what situation it was brought out.

‘If I get coins again next time, it might be a good idea to enhance the Remegethon once more.’

In some games, there are so-called ‘essential items’ that you must invest resources into as a top priority without question upon acquisition.

Taewoon felt the same about the Remegethon.

While Barata and the Wax Mask were outstanding treasures, Taewoon’s honest opinion was that the Remegethon existed on a completely different level.

‘Well, it’s not something I need to worry about right now; it’s not even certain when I’ll get coins again.’

Just as Taewoon was finishing his thoughts, a beautiful voice laced with sleepiness suddenly drifted in, catching his attention.

[Yawn, I wondered what was happening… was it you, young master?]

Taewoon tilted his head seriously for a moment, wondering if he had heard an auditory hallucination.

However, realizing it wasn’t a mistake, he looked at the Remegethon in his right hand with wide eyes.

“Reje?”

[…Indeed. I’ve been so sleepy that I can’t keep my senses. Let’s talk… later.]

Absurdly, Reje could not continue the conversation, leaving only those words behind.

With a blank expression, Taewoon stared at the Remegethon, lost in deep thought.

‘What on earth is happening?’

He had cooperated with figures he had formed bonds with in previous Theaters through the Companion of Memories privilege, but this was different.

After all, the Theater was the Theater, and reality was reality.

‘In this case… it’s more likely that Reje’s personality was given as part of the reward.’

▶【Damaged Remegethon】

• Anti-Magic effect equivalent to Level 3 upon summon.
• Empty Pages (0/10)
• Locked

Checking the information of the Remegethon again, the details that had been bothering him since before caught his eye.

The modifier ‘Damaged,’ and the ‘Locked’ entry on the third line.

Seeing as she couldn’t communicate properly due to sleepiness, it was possible that this was also related.

‘Anyway, does this mean I eventually need to get more coins…?’

Leaving behind one additional task, Taewoon’s Multi-type Dungeon Conquest came to an end.

And the next day, the long-awaited opportunity finally arrived once more.

“So, which Theater are we entering this time?”

“I don’t know yet. I haven’t checked.”

Yerin, who had come back after receiving his contact, seemed very excited, constantly sticking to Taewoon’s side and chattering away.

It seemed that after obtaining an Artifact as a reward from the last Theater, she had become completely fascinated by it.

“By the way, can’t you just speak comfortably with me? We’re practically sharing secrets now.”

“Then I’ll just drop it now.”

“Wow, look at how natural that was. You really do have a peculiar personality, Oppa.”

Yerin responded with a giggle, and Taewoon asked her another question.

“So, did you try using the staff?”

“Yes. It’s a bit inconsistent, but the effect itself seems certain. Equipment power is great, isn’t it? Hehe.”

Yerin proceeded to brag about her exploits, claiming she played a major role in the last Dungeon Conquest.

Apart from that, it seemed her Trait had also undergone a change.

“Don’t be surprised. Now… I can reroll the Roulette once a day.”

“…Is that a good thing?”

“Of course it is! There’s a huge difference in peace of mind between once and twice.”

Thinking back, Taewoon had received great help from Yerin’s Trait at the final moment in the last Theater.

Being able to utilize her Trait more actively would make a significant difference.

“I’m all ready. You can leave whenever you want.”

“…I’m telling you in advance, don’t expect too much. Unlike last time, I plan to use a General-grade Ticket.”

Taewoon approached the mirror and expressed his intent to enter the Theater of All Things, and soon he faced the familiar message.

【You possess 1 General-grade Ticket.】

【Would you like to consume a General-grade Ticket to enter the Theater?】

【Ticket use confirmed.】

【With your current tickets, you can enter a total of 3 Theaters.】

▶【Only Number One (★★) / Heartwarming, Friendship, Drama】

▶【Taming Fenrir (★★★) / Fantasy, Action, Comedy】

▶【Maximus (★★★★) / Politics, Action, Biography】

“Hmm…”

“The genres are quite different from last time, aren’t they?”

The number of Theaters had decreased back to three, and the difficulty felt similar to before.

However, there didn’t seem to be much to deliberate over.

“It would be a bit much to challenge a two-star Theater at this point.”

“Ah, then we can just pick from the other two. The last Theater was three-star difficulty, right?”

In the case of ‘Who Opened It?’, the overall difficulty had certainly felt higher than ‘The Mirror’ or ‘Final Rampart.’

Based on previous experience, while three-and-a-half stars might be possible, it was rational to conclude that a four-star difficulty Theater was premature.

“Then the second one? I actually like that one the most.”

Yerin seemed strongly drawn to the word ‘Taming,’ but Taewoon, conversely, felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety toward it.

However, since there were no better alternatives, Taewoon didn’t dwell on it and decided to challenge the ‘Taming Fenrir’ Theater.

【’Taming Fenrir’ Theater has been selected.】

【Please set your Starting Point!】

▶【Francis Viscount House Monster Tamer】

▶【Swandill Count House Hired Mercenary】

▶【Lower Branch Manager of Monster Trading Company ‘Goldini’】

“Oh, what’s the difference between these?”

“I don’t know. I suspect it’s divided between those who ‘raise’ Fenrir and those who ‘steal’ it…”

Recalling his past experiences, regardless of the choice, there would be a way to meet the key figures of the Theater and reach various endings.

And he already had a rough prediction of the direction of this Theater.

“Then the Monster Tamer… that’s probably the side that raises Fenrir, right?”

“…”

“Ah, u-um, do you perhaps dislike animals?”

It wasn’t that. He just thought it might be fundamentally different from raising a dog or a cat.

But thinking about it again, that choice certainly felt most aligned with the essence of the Theater.

“Fine. Let’s try raising it.”

“Yes!”

【Francis Viscount House Monster Tamer has been selected!】

【You may select an Entry Privilege!】

▶【A Handful of Blessing】

▶【A Step of Change】

▶【A Word of Advice】

After selecting the Starting Point, this time had finally come again.

He always felt it, but these choices were always agonizing.

However, the privilege that had provided the most help to Taewoon so far was, without a doubt, this one.

【Entry Privilege selected!】

▶【A Step of Change】

“It’s the same as last time?”

“Yeah. It just feels like the most certain choice.”

The A Step of Change privilege was what one would call a ‘fail-safe choice.’

He might change his mind later, but for the time being, he expected to keep the Change privilege as his first priority.

“Then it’s my turn.”

Yerin, contemplating between the remaining two options, closed her eyes and thought for a while before eventually choosing the same privilege as before.

【Entry Privilege selected!】

▶【A Handful of Blessing】

“Blessing again this time?”

“Hehe, yes. Honestly, I’m not the type whose head works that quickly… so I thought I wouldn’t be able to make proper use of advice even if I got it…”

Taewoon nodded, as he could empathize with her reasoning to some extent.

Shortly after, the two of them were finally fully prepared to enter the new Theater.

And once again, the familiar message appeared in their vision.