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Chapter 34




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Fortress City Kramdel
The reason Kramdel is called a fortress city is because the entire city is fortified.
It is a castle so massive that it is rarely seen in the human world. This colossal structure, which seems to have no end, is Kramdel itself.
In the center stands a statue of the White Tiger.
‘The White King.’
The White King, the guardian deity of the north.
Similarly, Kramdel is also under the protection of the White King.
As long as the White King protects it, neither the demon world, the rulers of the abyss, nor humans can covet this place.
‘I made a promise, but it shouldn’t matter.’
I promised not to step into the north again, but now this body is not Wilhelm’s but Randolph’s.
Moreover, what I want is the ‘Ultimate Mystery.’
If I can just take Undasar, the daughter of Priest Andrew, during the process, that will be enough.
I will never meet the White King.
“Wow, it’s incredible.”
“Indeed, a castle of this size exists only in Kramdel, caw.”
“It’s not that... I’m talking about the monsters trying to enter the castle.”
Isabella whispered.
The entrance to the castle was bustling.
It was incredibly crowded with monsters trying to enter.
However, the ranks of the monsters were truly diverse.
But it was hard to imagine that monsters would ‘line up’ to enter the castle.
‘Intelligent monsters.’
They are different from ordinary field monsters.
These are evolved monsters.
Just as the carrion crows evolved by eating players, these monsters have evolved in various ways to see the ‘hidden path.’
From regular monsters to boss monsters.
Even mythic species occasionally mixed in.
‘Why do so many monsters gather in Kramdel?’
Even I, who am well-versed in Pangea, do not know the exact reason why they gather in Kramdel.
I’ve heard that this place is a paradise for monsters.
Gurrrr!
‘... The glutton is reacting, so it’s definitely true.’
Even though I am pretending to be the king of carrion crows, the glutton is reacting.
It seems that the core of evolved monsters is the glutton’s main food.
But I can’t be swayed by just one characteristic.
If I cause trouble here, I might not be able to escape.
The teleportation book doesn’t work here.
Naturally, there is no warp inside the castle either.
This means I have to do my business as quietly as possible and get out.
‘There are three lines.’
The problem is that there are three lines.
One for regular monsters, one for higher-ranked monsters, and one for mythic or legendary species to pass through freely.
After all, monsters are more class-conscious than humans.
After a moment of thought, I joined the regular line.
An endless queue. Judging by the rate it’s decreasing, it seems I’ll have to wait a whole day, but there’s no other choice.
“Half-dragons and ‘Kings’ should stand in the second line.”
Then the ‘cactus flower’ in front of me said.
The cactus flower is a level 3 monster that appears in desert areas.
【Lv.5】
But the cactus flower in front of me exceeded that standard.
The original cactus flower is a monster with almost no intelligence.
This is also an evolved species.
“Thank you for letting me know, caw.”
I briefly greeted and moved to the second line.
The second line was much shorter.
It seems possible to enter the city within half a day.
“Do you, a carrion crow, dare to stand in front of me? Move aside.”
When I turned around, there was something wearing a black, pointed hood.
A being from the abyss known as the ‘Chaos Hood.’
【Lv. 8】
It seems the story about abyssal monsters being in Kramdel is true.
Of course, no one knows what’s in the abyss, so it’s not impossible for such a unique entity to exist.
‘Ignoring it is the best option.’
What could be the reason for all the monsters lining up so orderly in a place where all kinds of monsters gather?
“Do you dare to ignore me?”
The voice of the Chaos Hood became sharp when I blatantly ignored it.
“No fighting. If you fight, you’ll end up like that.”
In front of me, a burning skeleton, the ‘Fire Skull,’ pointed to the center of the city wall.
In the center of the city wall, various statues were displayed.
“The gate’s owner, Medusa, turns them into stone.”
All the monsters turned to stone by Medusa.
The way they are displayed as if for decoration is quite tasteless.
‘Medusa is a Super Elite Raid Boss Monster.’
Medusa is a level 11 Super Elite Raid Boss Monster.
A monster among monsters that requires at least 12 Transcenders of the 1st rank or at least 3 Transcenders of the 2nd rank to defeat.
It’s a level 11, but it’s an absolute being that can be considered even higher.
The level of a monster is determined by its standard, unlike players.
‘The more modifiers a monster has, the stronger it is.’
For example, if a regular monster is level 11, a level 11 player can hunt it alone.
If a monster has the ‘Boss’ modifier, at least two level 11 players are needed, and if it has the ‘Raid Boss’ modifier, four players are needed to face it.
An ‘Elite Raid Boss’ monster requires eight characters of the same level, and a ‘Super Elite Raid Boss’ monster requires 12 characters to coordinate and tackle it.
There are no higher standards than the White King or the Demon King.
‘One of the White King’s four lieutenants, definitely.’
Moreover, Medusa is one of the Four Heavenly Kings who follow the White King.
A being that everyone fears.
The Fire Skull turned its gaze to the Chaos Hood and said,
“Hood. A mark, appeared, on your cheek.”
“What?”
A mark from Medusa was already floating above the Chaos Hood.
A warning and a curse from Medusa.
“Hiiii!”
The Chaos Hood spun around in a panic.
Indeed.
Ignoring it was the right choice.
There was a reason why the prominent monsters lined up orderly and there was no fighting.
If Medusa, who never lets go of those she curses, is guarding the gate, they would have to behave.
If I had reacted to the Chaos Hood, the curse of Medusa would have been etched on my cheek.
... What an interesting place.
“‘Star Guardian’!”
“There are two of them!”
At that moment, the surroundings became noisy.
‘Star Guardian?’
The familiar sound made me turn my head to the center of the commotion, where two ‘legendary’ and ‘mythic’ species were approaching the gate.
One was a phoenix, a legendary species with a body blazing with blue flames.
The other was a mythic species, a snake so long that its end couldn’t be seen.
“That snake...?”
Isabella, surprised, stared at the snake with wide eyes.
I was equally surprised.
... Why is Dramut here?
Being called a Star Guardian means he entered with the same qualifications.
But wasn’t it that Star Guardians couldn’t leave the vicinity of the stars?
Such a question was brief.
In an instant, the phoenix and Dramut entered the city.
The Fire Skull said,
“It seems the rumor about a new star is true.”
“What’s a new star, caw?”
“The rumor is that the thirty-third star has appeared in Kramdel.”
What does that mean?
There are thirty-two stars in the continent, which hasn’t changed in five years.
The same is true when looking at the history of Pangea.
But the thirty-third star?
‘The 32 pieces the goddess broke into are the stars, right?’
Does it mean there was a hidden part somewhere?
I stroked my chin.
Dramut, who never leaves the sanctuary, appeared in Kramdel.
Moreover, the monsters were talking about the ‘thirty-third star.’
But I don’t understand.
However, my curiosity is bubbling up.
‘If it’s true, I can’t miss it.’
I need to gather some information.
If I can secretly contact Dramut, that would be good too.
*
Inside Kramdel.
Surprisingly, the inside is not much different from a human city.
But there is a particularly noticeable feature.
“Come to the ‘Purification Hot Spring’ to cleanse your body and mind! Today only, half price!”
“Your unstable body needs purification! We will serve you kindly at the ‘Kind Hot Spring’!”
Steam rising from various places.
It seems all of it is steam from the hot springs.
But this is the north. The outside is covered in snow, yet there are hot springs?
The monsters that came here seem to go to the hot springs first, suggesting that is their purpose.
‘It’s changed a lot since I came to Wilhelm.’
I once infiltrated Kramdel to hunt the White King in Wilhelm.
Just a year ago.
Back then, there weren’t so many monsters in Kramdel.
And there were no hot springs.
A significant change occurred in just one year.
“Are you a half-dragon? We have a half-dragon at our hot spring now. How about a mixed bath?”
A goblin wearing a white helmet approached Isabella.
The goblins promoting the hot springs all wore white helmets.
The monster rat that gave directions wore a black helmet. It seems the color of the helmet has different meanings.
“Half-dragon, caw?”
“Yes. The half-dragon that was said to be extinct. It’s a great opportunity for the same species to bond, don’t you think?”
The option activated by wearing the Michel set is the half-dragon.
But the half-dragon is just an option that gives the half-dragon wings.
It’s not a real half-dragon, so it’s called a ‘half-dragon.’
Think of it as a half-celestial dragon. But the real half-dragon has been extinct for a long time.
‘... It’s a human.’
Therefore, it’s a human.
Like Isabella, there is a human who has infiltrated Kramdel wearing the Michel set.
It might be a player.
‘I need to check.’
After all, I am the king of carrion crows now.
It’s enough to make Isabella think I am a real half-dragon.
“What do I need to pay, caw.”
“Ah, you must be new to Kramdel? ‘Evolution Fragments’ for 10 minutes.”
“Evolution Fragments, caw?”
“This.”
A faint golden light envelops the goblin’s body.
Eventually, when the goblin takes the golden light, a tiny amount of gold dust floats on its hand.
‘... A fragment of the broken Golden Rule?’
Fragments of the broken Golden Rule are being used as currency here.
That’s strange. Weren’t the fragments of the Golden Rule only for players?
Most importantly, they are called ‘Evolution Fragments’ here.
‘The fragments of the Golden Rule are the cause of evolution, it seems.’
Evolved monsters.
Thus, they gained intelligence and became stronger.
I never thought the cause would be the fragments of the broken Golden Rule.
In other words, just like the carrion crows, all the monsters here possess fragments of the broken Golden Rule.
‘They can also be traded...’
The fragments of the Golden Rule can be traded.
The Golden Rule shop came to mind.
Perhaps, it’s a similar context.
Trying it with the same feeling as using the fragments in reality, the light of the Golden Rule began to rise around me.
“Oh?”
“Not bad for a carrion crow.”
Instantly, the surrounding monsters’ gazes focused on me.
The remaining time of the Golden Rule is about 19 hours.
That seems to be a large amount here.
Like the goblin, I touched the light of the Golden Rule and took a fragment.
“Is this enough, caw?”
“Welcome, both of you!”
*
Cheng Hot Spring.
A decently sized hot spring located a bit away from the center of Kramdel.
I don’t know why they all have such names, but this size is sufficient to uncover the secret of the hot spring water.
After paying at the lobby and being guided, I entered deeper and saw the hot spring.
Among the many monsters enjoying the hot spring,
“... Hm? Half-dragon?”
A man with the wings of a half-dragon was enjoying the hot spring with snow maidens at the center.
The man frowned when he saw the newly arrived Isabella.
Of course, I also frowned when I saw the man.
‘Human.’
As expected, that guy is a human.
【Lv.10】
A level 10 powerhouse!
A lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
A hairstyle that looks like it was struck by lightning, golden in color.
Even the special top-tier mystery that surrounds him in the form of static electricity.
No matter how I look at it, he is a guy who can’t help but stand out, and he is definitely someone I know.
And the shock of seeing him was even greater than the shock of seeing Dramut.
‘... Why is he here?’
I couldn’t have seen it wrong.
I couldn’t have mistaken those features.
Like Isabella... a character I raised.
‘Lightning Absolute Hunter.’
Isaac of Lightning Absolute!
He had quite a few treasure-grade items and was at max level, but he had done so many bizarre things that he couldn’t even log in.
If he logged in, he would be immediately killed by named NPCs.
That unfortunate character is now looking at me right in front of my eyes.