Chapter 21

“What’s this?”

No matter how I turned it over, it looked like a quest item, but I couldn’t figure out anything else about it.

I glanced back at its owner, Hunter So Yeri, and she seemed just as puzzled.

“I don’t know either… but it feels like it’s related to the main quest?”

The four of us huddled our heads together again.

Of course, Shin Jae-heon and Joo Yian were so much smaller than the book that they looked like they were leaning on a railing, draping their arms over it.

“What about the contents?”

At Shin Jae-heon’s question, Hunter So Yeri shrugged, as if telling him to go ahead and open it.

As Joo Yian stepped aside, Shin Jae-heon walked to the edge of the book and tried to flip open the cover.

Or at least, he tried.

“It won’t open?”

A book that even an S-rank dealer couldn’t open with his strength?

That meant the cover was heavier than a decent boulder… no, it meant only specific people could open the book.

And sure enough, Hunter So Yeri smiled slyly.

“It says only I can open it.”

I hadn’t expected it to be literal. She hummed as she opened the book, and the pages turned lightly under her hands.

“?”

But even after opening it, we couldn’t hide our confusion.

“The text in the book is glitched?”

I blurted out in disbelief. But Hunter So Yeri shook her head.

“No, it says I need to gather monster magic power here for the text to be revealed.”

“Oh…”

So that’s how it works.

Our eyes gathered on the book again. Staring at the squares full of alien script, I recalled the book’s title.

“Apoc, alypse.”

The two middle characters. Rolling them around in my mouth a few times gave me the answer.

“Apocalypse Revelation?”

Shin Jae-heon and I said it at the same time.

Joo Yian nodded calmly.

“Seems right. Since the main quest is to prevent the continent’s downfall.”

Joo Yian’s tiny monocle glinted. He’d even climbed onto the book to read the text.

“We just need to take down monsters for it, but…”

He pointed to one side as he crossed the book.

“This part bothers me.”

The sentence there read:

It was more readable than other parts.

I didn’t know what was mixing where, but one thing was clear: things weren’t going well.

Something was blocking their path.

“An important sentence, so it showed up first.”

We’ve been through enough RP dungeons to know better.

We all agreed with Shin Jae-heon. He tilted his head slightly.

“We should take out the monsters quick and complete the sentence.”

With his eyes narrowed, he continued.

“Since the main quest item dropped, it might affect the whole RP dungeon world.”

Our clear goal was ‘Prevent the continent’s downfall,’ so odds were this world was closer to ruin now.

An unprepared F-rank facing apocalypse… I scratched my head.

“For now, let’s head back to our positions and check what’s happening.”

I held up my hand, splaying my fingers.

“By the way,”

Joo Yian’s mild voice rang out then. The three of us, including me, turned to him.

“There’ve been reports of monsters surging lately.”

“Yeah, that’s why Shinshian Church requested troops from the imperial family.”

Shin Jae-heon picked up.

“So something’s happening on the continent?”

Joo Yian nodded at my words.

“Seems like it. Need to investigate more thoroughly, though.”

“Well, yeah.”

I shrugged.

With the pope, emperor, and mage tower lord here, info gathering should be fast, right?

We could even exchange info instantly via hunter chat.

“But not in this state.”

Shin Jae-heon pointed at himself.

Definitely tough shrunk like this. Plus, he was injured.

“Ah, Hunter Shin Jae-heon. Lie down here.”

Joo Yian seemed to remember late, startling as he pushed Shin Jae-heon straight onto the blanket—no, the handkerchief.

Shin Jae-heon flopped backward in shock.

“No, not the injury—the shrinking!”

“That’s a problem too, but we need to check the wound properly.”

Joo Yian said in his gentle voice.

Shin Jae-heon, who hated hospitals for minor injuries, didn’t resist much.

He must have serious internal damage despite acting fine.

“That was just first aid earlier.”

Joo Yian said, summoning a yellow glow on his hand.

“First aid is SS+ healing?”

I ignored Shin Jae-heon’s protest, just like Joo Yian did.

With Hunter So Yeri playing along, Shin Jae-heon meekly lay down.

Joo Yian’s diagnostic skill flashed over him.

A much brighter light than before lingered on Shin Jae-heon’s body.

Joo Yian frowned slightly.

“There’s a hairline fracture in your sternum. Healing skills focus on major wounds, so micro-damage like this wasn’t fixed…”

His hands flashed with blue and purple light. Having teamed up long, I knew from the colors: Splint (S) and Emergency Treatment (S).

“Not two weeks, but at least no straining for a week. Pushing more here would strain even healing skills.”

Joo Yian said after finishing.

Shin Jae-heon sat up and rotated his arm a few times.

“Yeah, feels stiff.”

“Stop rotating it.”

Testing now? I grabbed his arm with my index finger, halting it.

An F-rank stopping an S-rank? Impossible, yet it stopped like magic.

Then, a slice of cake appeared between us.

Of course, far bigger than Shin Jae-heon or Joo Yian.

“Eat this while we talk… oh dear.”

Hunter So Yeri’s eyes sparkled at Joo Yian struggling with a giant fork.

“No smaller forks.”

Meanwhile, Shin Jae-heon battled the cake with a tea spoon.

I burst out laughing and beckoned Hunter So Yeri.

“Find baby spoons, baby spoons.”

“There aren’t any.”

We ransacked the kitchen drawers, but nothing fit palm-sized hunters.

“Oh, this’ll work!”

Instead, I found saucer plates: soda bottle caps.

Handily, soju bottle cap-sized.

“Here, saucers.”

I placed them in front of the two.

Hunter So Yeri collapsed laughing. I couldn’t hold it either.

The caps looked like huge tubs to them.

“Just scoop and eat.”

Defending his dignity, Shin Jae-heon attacked the cake with the spoon.

Joo Yian agreed, eyes gleaming as he grabbed a fork tine.

And soon, they passed out before eating even a fraction of the slice.

…Stuffed.

Once the shrink potion wore off, Shin Jae-heon and Joo Yian prepared to leave.

And before going…

“You’ll return to Polang Manor after training, right?”

Joo Yian, worried after hearing poison details, pulled out a silver rod.

“Hunter So Yeri, can you imbue a skill here?”

“Of course~”

Support hunter So Yeri had ‘Skill Imprint (SS)’.

Her signature skill.

One reason our team cleared gates easily.

She could imprint any skill on anything.

“Poison Detection skill, then?”

“Ah.”

The ‘Magic Silver Rod’ she casually made ended up in my hand.

“Be careful with food.”

I nodded at Joo Yian. Beside him, Shin Jae-heon added,

“Chat immediately if anyone tries feeding you weird stuff.”

They nagged several times before leaving.

Why act like parents dumping an F-rank in L-rank hell?

…Minus the parents part, spot on.

Ugh, damn RP dungeon!

And I, who’d poked around with Hunter So Yeri for days, returned to Polang Manor the day before the succession rite.

“This leveling feels good.”

I’d ranked up from F to E, of course.

…Condition wrecked, so no C-rank.

If that SS-rank boar hadn’t rampaged, my condition wouldn’t have tanked!

Still, base stamina sans items was just 20k.

65k with bonuses—end times.

“Huge gain, but…”

I crossed my arms at the status screen. Opponent’s A-rank.

Won’t drop in one hit unless sword lands clean. Worth a shot. Plus…

Magic power surged too.

That’s why I stuck to Hunter So Yeri like glue—to leech some magic influence!

Result: satisfying. E-rank dealer with 2k magic? Freakishly high.

Of course, nowhere near enough for proper Afterimage (SS+) use.

I closed the status. Still, enough to afterimage my sword once.

As I checked the system window,

E-rank eyes sharper than civilian caught a suspicious figure passing outside at night.

“Kikal?”

Sword in hand, heading to training grounds despite the hour.

Staring solemnly at his blade, then swinging diligently in Polang sword forms.

“Anxious, huh?”

Earlier on my return, he’d played good brother at the carriage: ‘Senia, I was worried.’

His smug face now showed impatience.

Makes sense.

He’d hoped I’d die to a monster, but I showed up healthier than ever days later.

Swinging a sword a few times won’t upgrade an A-rank.

I memorized his pathetic sight.

Next morning, imperial envoy arrived.

Succession rite began.

“Senior Knight Esna of the 1st Knight Order.”

Emperor’s direct knight for Polang succession.

Bet Shin Jae-heon picked her.

To prevent Kikal’s tricks, sent a strict one.

Proved right—her sharp eyes scanned everywhere.

“Welcome.”

Imperial decree bearer; even nobles couldn’t be rude.

Polang Viscount couple greeted politely.

“The successors: Kikal de Polang, Likas de Polang, Senia de Polang?”

Second bro, long unseen—Bangkok life?

But shady aura behind dealer mark matched Kikal’s.

“Yes.”

We three affirmed.

Knight pulled out a prepared tube, black cloth-covered, opaque.

“Draw one by one. One gets a bye.”

Senia’s knowledge: past rites same procedure.

Kikal bye would suck.

Thinking that, I drew.

“Oh.”

I drew the bye ticket.

My draw luck strikes again!

Kikal’s face crumpled openly. Likas returned calmly.

“First rite match: Likas de Polang vs. Kikal de Polang.”

Knight Esna slammed the tube shut.

Pointed to prepared arena center.

As Likas and Kikal headed there, I glanced at their heads.

Senia knew their levels; ranks clear: A-rank Kikal, B-rank Likas.

Huge gap. Quick result.

Polang knights and couple knew too—more eyes on me than Likas.

Even Likas relaxed.

As if expecting loss.

—Ching!

“Kikal de Polang, victory!”

Sure enough, under 10 minutes.

Likas dropped sword, raised hand in surrender; Esna signaled win.

As Kikal triumphantly raised his sword…

Quest popped. Conditional clear?

This was gambling, not questing.

No choice, I numbly gripped my sword.