Chapter 128
Just who are you, Oppa?
Seohye used the word oppa for the first ti. I didnt attach much significance to the word. Age-wise, I was indeed her oppa, and the title itself wasnt anything weird.
Im just an ordinary person.
Ordinary?
Seohyes red eyes wavered.
Therell be trouble if you say youre ordinary again.
...
I examined Seohyes eyes carefully.
Red eyes.
It was a characteristic of the forr Red Demon, the Red-Eyed Killer. From the stiffness of her body and her flow of mana right now, it didnt look like she was planning on attacking . Her eyes were just red.
But
Sothing about those eyes bothered .
Seohye.
Yes?
I know that barrier magic isnt the only ability you have.
Actually, I didnt know. I just threw out a wild guess. If Seohye denied it, it ant she didnt have one, and if she remained silent, my guess was true.
...
Seohye didnt respond. I had sprung the words so suddenly on her that she couldnt even co up with a proper denial.
About those red eyes
Red eyes?
If you have a mirror, take a look at yourself.
A considerable number of female Players carried a mirror with them. That applied even now, ten years in the past. I didnt get it. In any case, Seohye was in her late teens, an age at which one was sensitive about ones appearance, and she had a mirror with her.
Kyaa!
Seohye scread involuntarily upon seeing her face in the mirror. Apparently, she had been unaware this entire ti that her eyes were turning red.
I dont know what ability youre using when your eyes turn red, I said. I only know that the mana flow of your eyes is weird.
Seohye seed very shaken by her red eyes.
Wh-Wh-What is this?
Youre alright. Youre alright.
The killer I knew from the future, the Red Demon, showed a very fragile part of herself. As expected of an oppa with a little sister who had a tofu ntality, I consoled Seohye quite adeptly.
In any case, those red eyes. The mana flow is suspicious.
Sung-gu cut in as if frustrated. Cmon man. You gotta explain in concrete terms how its suspicious. You cant just say its suspicious and call it quits. Though, yeah, of course those red eyes are super sus.
I thought for a bit. Almost like its opening its mouth to swallow you alive?
Observers Eye saw Seohyes muscles stiffen for the slightest mont. That ant she had also sensed sothing weird, whether that was instinctive or sothing else.
Youve already felt sothing like that before, right?
... After a long mont of hesitation, Seohye said, I feel it often.
When?
Im not sure. When Im dreaming, I feel it. When no ones there, it feels like soones watching . No, theyre glaring at .
I paid close attention to her eyes. They had returned to normal.
Be wary of your eyes.
That was all the advice I could give at this point in ti.
Red eyes.
There was sothing more to them. They harbored so kind of secret. I had the feeling there would be so kind of incident related to those eyes in the near future.
Looks like our relationship wont end here.
* * *
* * *
Sung-gu followed Hyukjin closely.
Still, I didnt think that girl would say the word oppa.
...
The two of them were heading to the U-Plex Dungeon. Choi Sung-gu chattered tirelessly. She must have ward up to you a lot.
...
But seriously man, whats your secret? Cheon Soojis after you. Yeonseos after you. Whyre all the ladies so impatient to get a piece of you?
...
Hyukjin didnt bother answering. Even if he didnt, Sung-gu could keep up a conversation all by himself.
Im jealous man, Im jealous. Im really fuckin jelly.
..
They neared the U-Plex Dungeon. At the entrance were wardens dispatched by the Players Association. A man wearing sunglasses stopped them.
As Im sure you know, this is the U-Plex Dungeon, a brutally difficult dungeon. Please turn back.
After Hyukjins party, several Players and parties challenged the dungeon, but not a single one of them made it out. As a result, this place beca a prohibited area, and most Players were forbidden from entering.
Entry is temporarily restricted to Players who have gotten talent plate readings of thirty. This is a asure for your safety, so we ask that you cooperate.
The man acted by the manual. He didnt do anything wrong, and Hyukjin didnt quarrel.
Sung-gu. Youve got thirty talent plates.
Huh? Huh? Riiiight, I forgot.
Sung-gu fumbled for a mont like a blockhead before producing the Player Card the Players Association had issued him. In addition to his personal details, it indicated how many talent plates he had.
Thirty talent plates. That number ant a great deal in this world where new culture was quickly spreading. It ant you had the foundation to beco a new leader, a new sobody.
I apologize for not recognizing you.
Not at all, I also forgot I had thirty.
Sung-gu shrugged. Though it might have looked like modesty to the n guarding the dungeon, Sung-gu was sincere.
A talent plate reader that said Hyukjin had [No Talent] ans nothing.
He regarded the reliability of such a faulty device as 0, so he had erased the fact that he had thirty talent plates from his mind altogether. How accurate could a talent plate exam that said Hyukjin had 0 plates possibly be?
We can go in together, right?
You may. However, both of you must sign an agreent stating that the Players Association holds no liability.
After signing, Hyukjin and Sung-gu walked up to the dungeon.
[Enter the U-Plex Dungeon?]
They entered.
[You have entered the U-Plex Dungeon 1st Floor.]
The dungeon hadnt changed.
But bro, do we have to clear this place again?
No. Its not clearable.
Eh? Why not?
Noah will rember us.
After digesting that for a mont, Sung-gus eyes grew wide.
He wont be reset?
Hell definitely rember us.
The 1st, 2nd, and even the 3rd floor were doable, but there was no way to escape Noah on the 4th floor.
Then what do we do? Fight him?
Theres no doubt we would die if we did.
Then? Whyd you bring
here? Y-Youre not going to offer
as a sacrifice, right?
Sung-gu stealthily reached for Hyukjins hand. Hyukjin slapped his hand away extrely heartlessly.
Grab my hand, and Ill kill you.
Hik! Sung-gu trembled from head to toe.
As I told you before, sa procedure as last ti. The Big Black Dogs will appear on the 1st floor.
They would proceed the sa way as last ti. Only this ti, Hyukjin was here to deliver Rapundels Remains to Charles.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
They began to hear the sound of barking.
The Big Black Dogs probably wont rember us.
An NPC of Noahs level would rember them, but not these monsters. They had to slowly build up intimacy using the sa thod as last ti.
Hyukjin saw the Twin-Headed Big Black Dog in front of him. Once the Big Black Dogs tails were moving in slow figure eights, he slowly, unhurriedly moved to the boss. The drooling Twin-Headed Big Black Dog was still impossible to hunt at his current level.
Hyukjin stopped calmly in front of the Twin-Headed Big Black Dog without the slightest trace of intimidation. Then, he extended an item.
Rapundels Remains.
The Twin-Headed Big Black Dog sniffed the item in Hyukjins hands for a long ti, then sat on his haunches.
AWOOOOOOOO!
He began to howl.
At his howl, the Big Black Dogs tearing voraciously into the Black Yaks Lean at began to howl as well.
AWOOOOOOO!
AWOOOOOOO!
The sound of howling filled the floor. Sung-gu trembled.
Fuck. Why the hell is it so scary?
To Sung-gu, the Big Black Dogs howls made terror resonate in his very bones. He was under the influence of the fear effect created by high-level monsters.
Hyukjin just stood there quietly, gazing at the Twin-Headed Big Black Dog.
This howl is strange.
Sung-gu was feeling a fear effect right now, but Hyukjin was different.
My chest aches.
What was this?
This feeling is
Hyukjin turned his ditative gaze inward, reading his own feelings. He focused on the howl and on the Big Black Dogs. Certain words began to drift to the surface of his consciousness.
Govern thy emotions with eyes of ditation.
Read all things with a tranquil heart.
And gaze down upon all phenona with peaceful eyes.
He didnt hear any other words. Sothing was lacking. Hyukjin had a hunch.
Incantation territory.
This was incantation territory. He was beginning to harness a special authority that could enhance his power of observation even more. Not long afterwards, Hyukjin had a realization.
What Im doing right now
To his surprise, it wasnt just simple observation, but empathizing.
Sung-gu saw tears drip from Hyukjins eyes.
Whats with him?
Sung-gu almost wanted to say, Its because youre like this that youre scary, man! but he held back. Why was Hyukjin crying? Did he go mad all of a sudden? Sung-gu was extrely confused, but he internally slapped himself back to stillness.
Hyukjin put out a hand.
I see. Youre very sad.
He t eyes with the Twin-Headed Big Black Dog. Tears were running out of the boss monsters four eyes.
[The Shepherd Boy is very impressed by your empathy.]
[The Shepherd Boy expresses utmost goodwill towards you.]
The Twin-Headed Big Black Dog began to lick Hyukjins hand.
It doesnt hurt at all.
This high-level monsters saliva was a strong acid. Last ti, when Hyukjins head was in the Twin-Headed Big Black Dogs mouth, the saliva was excruciating. But now, it didnt hurt at all.
The licking didnt harm his hand at all, but the Twin-Headed Big Black Dogs emotions were relayed to Hyukjin in full.
Heartbreaking pain.
It felt like he was deeply connected to the monsters emotions. This phenonon was one he knew about.
There was an article about it on Playpedia.
Tars of a high level are not only able to easily read monsters emotions, but are able to feel those emotions. In other words, the more in-tune a Player is with a monsters emotions, the more talent they have as a tar.
He heard notices.
[Find Charles Owner! has been cleared.]
[The clear has been recognized as a peerlessly perfect clear.]
While those notices were going off, Darongi clambered onto one of the Twin-Headed Big Black Dogs heads and patted it with an air of self-importance. The boss other head turned to stare at Darongi, who gave another pat, as if to encourage the Twin-Headed Big Black Dog to cheer up.
Hyukjin was able to read the Twin-Headed Big Black Dogs emotions through Eye of Perception.
Hes actually getting significantly comforted?
As ridiculous as it was, the Twin-Headed Big Black Dog was greatly consoled by Darongi.
[Distributing the rewards for Find Charles Owner!]
This was a quest created by linking the First Pioneer title effect with a first discovery of a hidden piece. It would give out far greater rewards than a regular quest.
[Title Hundred Dog Master acquired.]
Hyukjin got a new title, Hundred Dog Master.
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