READ NOVEL ONLINE 43. Ripples (2)
Even as we left Badadkkot and headed back to the house, my heart rate refused to slow down.
Unlike the previous hidden quest I stumbled upon through Charlotte, this hidden piece was something I had discovered and unraveled with my own hands.
It was something I couldn’t have imagined just a few weeks ago.
I felt anew how my life had changed.
“Are you feeling unwell? Your face is red.”
“Ah, no. Let’s just get back quickly.”
My steps towards the house felt strangely light. I had a good feeling that everything would work out well.
“By the way, how did they discover the sea person in Eidolon?”
I’d heard about the infiltration, but they hadn’t explained the exact circumstances. I also wondered why there was a sea person in Eidolon, the capital.
“With Hunter Han Cha-hyun there, I’m sure they managed well.”
Right now, I just wanted to savor this elation fully. If something came up, they’d contact us. Pushing my curiosity aside, I returned to the house with Yun Su-ho.
◆◇◆◇◆
Han Cha-hyun, perched on a branch, checked Yun Gaho’s message. He had guessed that Yun Gaho had gone to that special field, and his assumption was correct.
“It’s good that the quest was completed safely.”
Han Cha-hyun muttered. He had just returned from the underground a bit earlier than yesterday, as the quest in Shella seemed urgent.
“The World Tower is truly fascinating. Who knew Lee Kang-to’s quirk would come in handy.”
Who would have thought Lee Kang-to’s eccentricity would be of help? Human affairs are indeed unpredictable. Han Cha-hyun spoke with a hint of amusement as he recalled the first time he learned about that room.
◆◇◆◇◆
“Helium, Media, and Yupeta.”
Han Cha-hyun murmured, sprawled atop a massive tree.
Despite the late hour, sleep eluded him. His mind was brimming with the stories he’d heard over the past few days, and after constantly roaming fields, he now found himself with excess energy while merely polishing his skills.
He had come out for some fresh air, but Lee Kang-to’s report kept swirling in his mind.
“Even for the World Tower, full of impossibilities, this context feels too unnatural.”
Contrary to popular belief, myths are not immutable. They sometimes ride on the coattails of other myths, flexibly changing their names as human affairs flow.
While believed to be absolute truths, they aren’t always so. As a humanities scholar, Han Cha-hyun knew better than anyone that myths were closely tied to society.
Myths can change. But usually, they alter their appearance more naturally, over long periods.
“Fifty years is far from enough.”
In just over 50 years, the myths of Yupeta and Media were being distorted and forgotten. Lies sprinkled with a spoonful of truth were now being accepted as obvious facts.
Wasn’t it too blatant if even he, who had just entered the capital, could notice? The probability that someone had intentionally interfered was high.
“If I had just a few more clues, I might be able to piece it together…”
Han Cha-hyun, who had been absent-mindedly shredding innocent leaves, rose from his spot. Even if he wasn’t tired, it was about time he should sleep.
As he was about to climb down the tree, a familiar silhouette caught his eye.
“Hmm, why is Lee Kang-to-ssi there?”
That gait and silhouette unmistakably belonged to Lee Kang-to.
After dinner, Lee Kang-to had made a fuss about being sleepy. Though it seemed a bit unnatural, Han Cha-hyun had believed him, thinking how uncomfortable Lee Kang-to must have felt staying in the temple with his personality…
Moving with his face hidden by an all-black robe, he looked suspicious to anyone. Han Cha-hyun had even escorted him to his quarters to prevent any mischief, but he had slipped out already?
“What trouble are you trying to cause now.”
Han Cha-hyun silently jumped down from the tree and followed Lee Kang-to.
“What is he waiting for?”
Han Cha-hyun muttered, using his stealth skill to tail Lee Kang-to. Given his personality, the fact that he came straight here without detouring suggested he had a clear destination in mind.
Lee Kang-to hung from the ceiling for a long time without moving.
‘Is there something in this building?’
Only after the moon reached its zenith did Lee Kang-to move.
“What shall we do tonight~”
Lee Kang-to hummed continuously, seemingly quite excited. Having collaborated with White Night before, Han Cha-hyun knew well that this was a sign of impending trouble.
‘I told him to go to bed quietly, but he couldn’t even wait that long…’
Lee Kang-to descended from the ceiling and headed behind the statue. He then took out a branch from his inventory and waved it like a conductor’s baton. That was…
The tapestry depicting Helium aiming a bow transformed into a wooden door with a rusty iron handle.
“What are you doing here?”
“Eek! W-who’s there?”
Just as Lee Kang-to was about to turn the doorknob, Han Cha-hyun placed a hand on his shoulder. Startled, Lee Kang-to trembled like an aspen leaf. Upon recognizing Han Cha-hyun, he began darting his eyes back and forth, trying to gauge the situation.
“H-how did you…”
“That’s what I’d like to ask you.”
Han Cha-hyun’s gaze was decidedly stern.
‘How did he follow me? He’s only B-rank and not even a physical enhancement type. There’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed being tailed.’
No, that’s not important right now. He’d been caught sneaking out without Han Cha-hyun knowing. He needed to say something plausible to this strict leader.
“Lee Kang-to-ssi, I can hear you thinking.”
“Well, um…”
“Speak plainly.”
Unable to find a suitable excuse, Lee Kang-to finally confessed honestly about what he had seen.
◆◇◆◇◆
“Those who pretend to be refined are often the worst offenders.”
After finishing his conversation with Han Cha-hyun last evening, Lee Kang-to had roamed various parts of the temple while keeping himself hidden.
If he only relied on Han Cha-hyun, he’d have nothing to report to the Guild Master later. This behavior stemmed from his desire to at least appear to be doing something.
Despite his constant jovial laughter, Gyeon Ji-woon was a person who clearly distinguished between rewards and punishments.
‘How long did I have to beg to get this tail!’
He couldn’t bear to lose it again.
“I’m so lucky indeed!”
His steps were light as he walked through the darkness. Without hesitation, Lee Kang-to crossed the western corridor of the central hall.
At the end of the corridor stood a small building housing prayer rooms. In the center of the circular building was a statue of Helium, with prayer rooms arranged around it.
Sensing a presence, Lee Kang-to clung tightly to the ceiling using his tail. Just then, armed temple knights circled the statue once before disappearing.
It was a sweet spot he had found last night while avoiding people.
How long had he been hanging there? Having dozed off while suspended upside down, he awoke sensing a mana fluctuation.
When a figure in red priestly robes drew a circle with a golden chalice, the tapestry behind the statue changed into a wooden door. The priest entered through the door with an attendant carrying a box.
“Oh, I’ve seen something interesting.”
It looks suspicious even upside down, doesn’t it? Lee Kang-to righted himself and began humming. Black magic, secrets, conspiracies. These were the things Lee Kang-to loved.
After a little over an hour, the door opened again. Lee Kang-to patiently waited until they disappeared from sight before descending to the floor.
“Well… let’s see what’s in there.”
The magic used here was predictable. An illusion spell that reflects false images.
It’s a spell easily broken if you know its nature. Hunters with high magic resistance stats might see through it immediately, but for a physical-type hunter like Lee Kang-to, an auxiliary item was necessary.
Lee Kang-to took out an ‘Olive Branch’ from his inventory. As he tapped various parts of the tapestry with the branch, the wooden door that the priest had used soon revealed itself. Though there was no one watching, Lee Kang-to tiptoed into the door.
“Which way should we choose? Ding dong dang dong!”
As soon as he entered, he saw a corridor that split into two paths.
Lee Kang-to alternately pointed at both paths with his finger before choosing the right corridor. The sound of his cheerful footsteps echoed in the torch-lit corridor.
The path split again. Lee Kang-to once more chose the right path. Soon after, another fork appeared.
“Oh, what’s this?”
He had thought the security was oddly lax, but it seemed the entire space was enchanted to create endless forks unless one took the correct sequence of paths.
Despite the possibility of wandering here forever if he wasn’t careful, Lee Kang-to grinned.
“Of all people, it had to be me who came in here?”
A ball of red thread had appeared in Lee Kang-to’s hand, though it was unclear when he had taken it out. It was the ‘Thread of Ariadne’, an item that shows the way back. With this, he could return to his starting point anytime.
Right, left, center, and then right. Lee Kang-to walked the corridors, turning at will. After who knows how long, a spiral staircase leading upwards appeared before him.
“Found it!”
Lee Kang-to bounded up the stairs. At the top was a small room. Without hesitation, he opened the door.
“Wow…! Fantastic, fantastic!”
A magic circle covered the entire floor of the narrow room.
At each point of the hexagram drawn in the magic circle, eerie objects emanated ominous energy.
A clay doll, an unidentified purple flower, an ancient book, a pouch oozing blood, a raw gemstone, and a golden arrowhead. Though diverse in nature, each item possessed an unsettling magical power.
In the center of the magic circle was something resembling a locked jewel box. Lee Kang-to approached the box as if entranced.
Just before his hand touched the jewel box, with a sharp “Chang!” sound, a spherical barrier rose around it. Lee Kang-to’s hand, which had collided with the barrier, turned bright red.
“Ouch! As expected, it’s not to be trifled with.”
To inflict this much damage on a physical-type hunter known for their toughness… An ordinary person’s hand would have been severed. It seemed to be quite a cherished object.
Despite the tingling pain rising from his fingertips, Lee Kang-to grinned from ear to ear.
“I wonder how extraordinary this item is?”
An object that had absorbed such intense energy couldn’t be ordinary.
Until dawn broke, Lee Kang-to sat before the magic circle, gazing at the jewel box with enraptured eyes. Only just before wake-up time did he leave the room.
Even while working, Lee Kang-to’s mind was filled with thoughts of the secret room.
It was the same when he was with Han Cha-hyun. His poor acting in trying to retire early said it all.
“Today~ I’ll definitely open it~”
Singing in an odd tune, Lee Kang-to pranced down the corridor with lively steps. Then, he hung from the ceiling above the statue, which had become his designated spot, waiting for people to disappear.
Little did he know that Han Cha-hyun was following right behind him.