When he changed his mind, his body responded, and when his body responded, his attitude naturally changed.
He had deceived the Four Guardians. Could he not deceive the White King?
The most important thing was not to shrink back.
If the heart of the Iron-Blooded Overlord could control his emotions, then 'Randolph the Eternal' made every one of his actions carry weight.
The fact that he could destroy the mystery at any time also gave him a certain degree of leeway.
After destroying the mystery of Imugi, the attitude of the Four Guardians towards him would reveal the answer.
'They are on guard.'
Towards him.
Not just being cautious, but closely watching him.
Destroying the mystery was something unfamiliar to them as well.
If it was a transcendent being capable of such a feat, they would think it could accomplish even greater things without hesitation.
Perhaps even killing them.
'The more powerful the monster, the greater the influence of the mystery.'
Of course, this situation was entirely natural.
The mysteries of humans and monsters serve entirely different purposes.
Humans use their names as proof of identity, while monsters use their mysteries as proof of identity.
For humans, the mystery is merely a proof of position, but for monsters, it is everything.
The distinction between regular monsters and boss monsters is also determined by the presence or absence of a mystery.
When playing the game, one inevitably encounters monsters that look exactly the same.
However, even among identical-looking monsters, some are treated more powerfully depending on the effects.
Not just the effects, but powerful weapons that bring about unique additional effects characteristic of bosses.
Without a mystery, most monsters would be indistinguishable.
'Like starting with one hand cut off.'
Removing a monster's mystery means just that.
It's almost the same as fighting without one hand.
The higher the rank and the more powerful the monster, the greater the influence of the mystery.
If the highest-level mystery of a monster like the Four Guardians or the White King were destroyed, it could result in a level-down phenomenon.
"An unusually shaped corpse crow, huh."
...At that moment.
In an instant. Without even noticing, the White King suddenly appeared before him.
A half-human, half-demon standing two meters tall, wearing a White Tiger mask.
With a robust body, white fur, a tail, and ears, this was indeed the White King.
Fortunately, he didn't seem to have screamed.
Though he was breaking out in a cold sweat, it was fortunately a misunderstanding.
This place was indeed a deathtrap. If he didn't stay alert, he might die without even realizing it.
Indeed.
ใLv. 15ใ
It was an absurdly powerful monster.
'...Was it always this high level?'
Moreover, the White King wasn't even a Super Elite Raid Boss Monster.
It was above that.
A being of the same rank as a Demon King, without a proper name.
Thus, gamers referred to it as the 'Final Boss' or 'Named Boss'.
The level of the White King was unknown to him.
There was no information about it anywhere.
After all, even Wilhelm's attempt to subdue it had failed.
However, with his head held high, he met the gaze of the White King.
'I can do it.'
He was certain of it the moment he faced the monster.
'The hidden trait works.'
Surprisingly, he wasn't trembling.
Even though he should have been completely seen through and decapitated.
The effect of the hidden trait worked on the White King as well.
The White King couldn't see through him, and that's why he was still alive.
This also meant that 'Impudence' due to the hidden trait was possible.
"......You're quite rude, caw."
He went beyond just testing and used a skill.
Trying to see through him.
But it didn't work. The hidden trait nullified even the White King's skills.
With a scowl, clearly expressing his displeasure, the White King's eyes gleamed.
At the same time, the pupils of the Four Guardians were shaking violently.
The White King seemed very displeased with the corpse crow's bold talk of 'etiquette'.
"Hmm. You're certainly an unusual one."
The White King frankly gave his assessment.
An unusual one.
'Sufficient.'
That level of assessment was quite favorable.
The White King was unpredictable. There was a reason he had been chasing him for a month.
If the White King, who was unpredictable, called him 'unusual,' it was the highest praise he could give.
"Did you pass through the Hall of Myths?"
"It was nothing, caw."
He shrugged.
Of course, it was nothing.
He thought he was really going to die at the end.
But there was no need to tell that story.
If he didn't say it, no one would know.
"Five trials, not four?"
The White King stroked his chin.
He was talking to himself, reflecting.
The White King. The fourth challenge he abandoned was the Hall of Completion.
The stage where the myth was completed. However, he felt there must have been even more challenges beyond that.
"......How did you break it?"
The White King couldn't understand.
The Hall of Myths he challenged was of an absurd difficulty, not meant to be broken.
He completed three stages of trials, but the White King was certain that the fourth 'Completion' was impossible from the start. It was arranged that way by the tower.
Yet, the corpse crow before him had surpassed 'Completion'.
The fifth. Transcendence, or perhaps something even greater.
"Can you tell me what the final trial was?"
"Tell me with your mouth, caw?"
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
What was the reason the White King met him?
If the White King was a being who had no interest in the world.
'He's desperately curious about the Hall of Myths.'
His curiosity about the secret he couldn't overcome, and didn't even know existed, brought him here.
But it was more impressive that the White King, who reached the third stage, was honest.
He managed it through cunning, but the White King faced the trials as they were.
'Real monster.'
Fighting thousands of enemies of the same level, gaining tremendous abilities with each stage. The fact that the White King cleared three stages was only possible because he was the White King.
"What do you desire?"
"If you want the remaining fang, caw?"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Rrrr!
The bodies of the Four Guardians began to tremble.
Pure anger. They were looking at him as if they wanted to kill him.
...Did I go too far?
"Hmm. That's difficult. But how did you know I only have one fang left?"
The White King said, truly sounding troubled.
The mask was to hide the remaining fang.
The fang torn out by Sir Wilhelm.
But how did he know a fact that only Wilhelm and the Four Guardians knew?
'I mustn't let them know I'm Wilhelm.'
I am Randolph. I must be thoroughly Randolph.
Otherwise, I would be breaking the promise. The White King and the Four Guardians would spare no effort to kill me this time.
"Could you not know, caw?"
It would be strange not to know.
It was better to be bold rather than give a half-hearted explanation.
If left to imagination, they would fill in the gaps themselves.
Thus, they would mistake me for an even more dangerous and impressive being.
"Hmm. You're worth bringing to the Four Guardians."
The White King fixed his gaze.
A being the Four Guardians couldn't judge.
Even with his own eyes, he couldn't grasp it.
From the moment he appeared, there was no sign of surprise, no sign of being shaken, and not even a lack of composure.
As if he knew everything.
Even the absence of one fang was correctly guessed.
Even Medusa couldn't see through his mask.
'The Seer... '
The one who saw the end of the myth's trials.
Indeed, a being the Four Guardians had given up on understanding.
If he had shown surprise or reaction when he first appeared, he would have been disappointed. But the corpse crow before him showed no such signs.
His heartbeat was calm and steady, with no trembling pupils or skin.
'To delve deeper, I must transform into my true form.'
The White King pondered for a moment.
By transforming into his true form and using skills, he could see deeper into the abyss.
Then he would know if the barrier blocking his magic was due to the species' rank or something else.
But the White King shook his head.
Talking about etiquette meant he had read even the implicit use of skills.
The corpse crow had the ability to detect the activation of skills.
Moreover.
'He destroyed the mystery. The Hall of Mysteries granted him the power to destroy mysteries.'
The White King knew the corpse crow had destroyed Imugi's mystery.
He didn't have that ability from the start.
It must have been obtained in the Hall of Mysteries.
That meant the tower recognized the corpse crow as the 'King of Mysteries'.
What did that mean?
'The species rank itself is higher than mine.'
Mysteries were also indicators of species rank.
In other words, the species value of the corpse crow was higher than his, higher than anyone else's.
A high species value doesn't necessarily mean being strong, but if he completed the final myth trial, he was certainly not to be underestimated.
The White King felt a strong emotion welling up in his chest.
'...It's a competitive spirit.'
It was a competitive spirit.
The trial he couldn't achieve, the challenge he couldn't overcome.
The one who broke it and now stood before him, exuding confidence.
His body was heating up.
But it wasn't just competitive spirit.
'I am afraid of the mystery I possess.'
The White King was perfectly in sync with his mystery.
A connection on a different level from other monsters.
It felt like skin, like the tissue of skin.
Yet, the mystery he possessed was stiffening and sending a warning upon seeing the corpse crow.
As if afraid of a being that could destroy him.
This was the first time.
'Truly fascinating.'
Now, he had to acknowledge it.
The corpse crow before him was definitely a being with something special.
"What is your name?"
The White King asked for his name.
Realizing the intent behind the question, I clenched my fist and said,
"Randolph, caw."
"I heard you were looking for me. Why?"
"For the same reason you are here, caw."
"Do you mean the reason I am in Kramdel?"
"Yes, caw."
I was certain.
The White King had no interest in Kramdel.
No, he was detached from the world itself.
Whether Kramdel fell or not, he didn't care.
He only pretended to care for the sake of the Four Guardians who trusted and followed him.
Yet, he was in Kramdel now.
The White King nodded.
"......The 33rd star, you also want to know about it, don't you?"
"Yes, caw."
"But the authority over the stars belongs only to the 'Star Guardians.' Even I don't have the authority to interfere with the Star Guardians."
Star Guardians.
They referred to powerful monsters that guarded the stars.
But even the mighty White King seemed to be on a different level from the Star Guardians. The fact that he couldn't interfere in Kramdel suggested as much.
Indeed, as I saw at the entrance to Kramdel, they seemed to be treated differently from ordinary monsters.
The White King spoke again.
"Do you know what the Star Guardians are looking for?"