#011
Iun left the Wolf King behind and headed for the fallen Goblin General.
‘They told me to retrieve the Fragment of Calamity, so it must be inside his body.’
He drew his dagger and tried to cleave open the creature’s chest.
‘How curious.’
As if it were alive, it pierced through and emerged from the Goblin General’s body on its own.
A black orb the size of a baby’s fist, floating in the air.
It remained there as if hoping someone would take it.
Clack!
Iun reached out and grasped the fragment.
At the same time, the quest completed.
He immediately took it and headed toward the Wolf King.
“This should be able to save you.”
He thought that if it was the same power that had healed the Goblin General’s eyes, it would be more than possible.
-Could it be that you intend to give the fragment to me?
At Iun’s actions, the Wolf King opened his eyes wide even as he was dying and asked in surprise.
“Yeah. It’s the only way to save you in this situation, right?
-You only know its name; you don’t know exactly what it is.
It seemed like important information, but it didn’t matter.
‘Even if it weren’t for the quest, I quite liked you.’
“Right now, you’re more important to me than this stone. So if you want to live, just eat it.”
Iun knelt on one knee, opened the Wolf King’s maw, and forcibly shoved the fragment inside.
-You may regret this, human.
The Wolf King spoke to Iun as if giving a final warning.
“I’ll think about that later; for now, if I can’t save you, I’ll regret it.”
-You are sincere, human.
The eyes of Iun that he looked upon did not waver in the slightest.
“If you understand, then will you eat it already? You look like you’re about to die.”
-Understood.
Gulp.
When the Wolf King opened his tightly closed throat, the fragment flowed smoothly down.
“How is it? Do you feel like you’re getting better?”
-Wait. It hasn’t even settled in my body yet.
Calming the impatient Iun, the Wolf King began to feel the ‘Fragment of Calamity.’
The moment it entered his body, it moved quickly as if it had already decided its target.
The moment it approached the Wolf King’s heart, it turned liquid-like and became one with him.
At the same time, a change occurred in the Wolf King’s body.
“Grrrrr.”
Along with black haze, its silver mane began to turn black.
“As expected, it worked.”
Furthermore, just as Iun had predicted, the Wolf King’s broken neck bone healed. He raised his head stiffly, shook himself off, and began to rise.
“Thank you, human.”
On top of that, like the Goblin General, he became able to speak with a physical voice as well.
Watching a change to the degree that one might think he had been reborn.
“Fascinating. How do you know our language?”
Iun asked the curiosity he had been unable to resolve while fighting.
“It is the power of the fragment. It allows me to obtain information from that dimension.”
“Amazing. Then do you also know about things like computers or phones?”
“They are difficult to understand, but I know of them.”
“Oho? I see. So what exactly did you mean when you said I’d regret it?”
Now that the Wolf King had stabilized, Iun asked with the intention of gleaning some information.
“That is because of the fragment’s true power.”
“True power? You mean besides obtaining information, healing wounds, and becoming stronger?”
Those alone were tremendous powers; what more could there be?
“The most important power remains.”
“What is it?”
“Those who possess the fragment survive the Calamity. And….”
“Wait.”
He had felt it ever since learning about the ‘Fragment of Calamity.’
“How do you know about the Calamity?”
He had wondered if monsters were beings somehow related to the Calamity.
“Could it be that the Calamity sent you?”
“Something like that. We are beings from a world destroyed by the Calamity.”
It was an unexpected answer.
Beings from a destroyed world.
Just like the Master who appeared in his dream.
In other words, they too were victims of the Calamity.
“Then shouldn’t you be thinking of fighting the Calamity together? Why are you attacking humans?”
That was what he couldn’t understand.
Why this was happening when they had a common enemy in the Calamity.
“Do you think that is possible? That you and us could join hands and fight?”
“Huh?”
Well, it did seem impossible to sit and eat together with goblins.
Because we were their food.
“And because of a promise the Calamity made, we are even less able to do so.”
“What promise?”
“If we kill and take over the humans of this place, the Calamity promised to retreat. In other words, it is giving us a new world, having lost our own.”
The being called Calamity.
‘What a cunning bastard.’
It wasn’t just strong; it was smart too.
The Calamity’s goal was clearly the destruction of worlds.
It was trying to accomplish that destruction easily without even lifting a finger itself.
“So the fragment is effective when the Calamity appears?”
“Correct.”
Now he understood why the Wolf King had said Iun would regret it.
In short, a lifeline.
An item to survive the Calamity.
“What kind of being is the Calamity? A human? A monster?”
“It cannot be defined. It appears in different forms in each world. And in the world I was from, it was a dragon.”
“Then we won’t know what form it’ll take on Earth either.”
It was a quest anyway.
No matter what form it took, he just had to kill it.
“Anyway, you’re coming with me now, right?”
To do that, he would gather comrades and grow stronger.
Even if they were not human.
“You don’t need to destroy Earth anymore since you have the fragment anyway, right? The Calamity won’t kill you.”
“Even if I were to die to the Calamity, I had already intended to accompany you. A debt of grace is repaid. I am Ribeda, son of Berka, lord of the Forest of Dawn.”
[Wolf King Ribe wishes to form a contract.]
[If you form a contract, Wolf King Ribe will be bound to you.]
[Will you accept Wolf King Ribe?]
Of course he accepted.
“My name is Iun.”
Making him his third comrade.
[Quest completed.]
[You have acquired the item ‘Beast Master’s Discarded Necklace (A)’.]
The moment he said his name, an item appeared in Iun’s hand.
It was a necklace made of a red string.
‘It doesn’t look like an A-rank item at all? It looks like it’ll just snap.’
He was curious about its abilities.
[Classification: Accessory]
[Name: Beast Master’s Discarded Necklace (A)]
[Description: A necklace the Beast Master used in his prime.]
[Effect: Strength +20, Agility +20, Stamina +20, Mana -20]
[Special: Increased affinity with beast-type beings]
‘Holy shit.’
This was an insane item.
‘These are stats you’d only get after raising more than 10 levels.’
The problem was that he wouldn’t be able to use ‘Hoan’ and ‘Silent Steps,’ which required mana.
However, the stat increase was so tremendous that it made even that meaningless.
“Captain? What about that red string that suddenly appeared in your hand, and can you tell me what this Calamity thing is too?”
Then Gim Chihun, who had been quietly watching the situation, butted in.
‘I guess I have to tell him now.’
Having acknowledged him and Ribe as comrades, Iun began his story.
“My trait is ‘Slave of Quests.’”
***
Having finished his explanation.
“Wow? That’s totally broken? The Calamity or whatever is a problem for later; until then, the safest place is by the Captain’s side, right? Hahaha! I knew you were destined for greatness!”
Gim Chihun grinned widely, baring his teeth in satisfaction.
It was because he was certain that with Iun’s trait, they would be unconditionally safe in this crazy world, even though he and Iun had met because of a quest.
Also, Ribe opened his mouth in surprise.
“It is a tremendous ability, Iun. There was no human in the world I lived in who possessed such an ability.”
As the two said, it was indeed a tremendous ability, something even Iun acknowledged.
“If I fail, I die. You guys have to help me well.”
The risk was just as great.
Of course, now that he had comrades, that risk would decrease.
Now it was time to clean up this place.
“Chihun.”
“Yeah, Captain.”
“Let’s grab those.”
Iun pointed at the armor and sword the Goblin General had used, and the shield strewn at the rooftop entrance.
“You’re going to use them, Captain? The armor probably won’t fit, though?”
“It’s not like I’d use them right now, but it’d be a waste to throw them away, right?”
Speaking thus, Iun approached and checked their information.
They were all D-rank items.
Thanks to the stat increase from the necklace, he felt he could swing the sword and shield to some degree, but.
‘The dagger is still better for now.’
Iun, whose agility was exceptionally high, judged they didn’t suit him.
After stripping the Goblin General of his armor and taking the sword and shield, they headed down to Gim Chihun’s house.
“Damn. I almost threw out my back!”
Thud!
The moment they arrived home, Gim Chihun threw down the shield and collapsed onto the sofa.
“You two rest up.”
Leaving him and Cha Suyeon behind, Iun immediately prepared to go outside.
“Captain. Where are you going? Did another quest pop up?”
“No. There’s a chunk of EXP waiting for us downstairs.”
“Goblins? Don’t tell me we’re going to lure them up the stairs again to fight? Shouldn’t we rest a bit?”
“We have Ribe.”
“Ah? Right?”
Honestly, he wanted to rest, but he couldn’t stand watching that gathered lump of experience just sit there.
“I’ll be back.”
Thus, Iun and Ribe went outside.
“Why did you turn back into silver fur?”
Walking down the stairs, he asked Ribe, who had transformed back into a silver wolf again.
“If it becomes known that you possess the fragment, you will be attacked by all races.”
“Ah? So that’s why the General was hiding it too.”
“Correct.”
There was more he was curious about, but they had already arrived at the first floor.
For now, it was time for a massacre.
***
“Let’s do it here.”
The next day.
The place they had set up was the center of the apartment complex.
Iun and his comrades, having taken off their torn clothes and borrowed Gim Chihun’s clothes, all came outside.
To power-level using Gim Chihun’s skill.
“Brother. Start it.”
“Got it.”
Whiiiiiiiiistle!
A whistle sound spread quietly and softly from his mouth.
He had said the range of ‘Call’ was a 5km radius.
They would swarm in sequentially, starting with the ones nearby.
“Suyeon, if it gets dangerous, use your barrier and hold out. We’ll wrap everything up within 10 minutes.”
Iun and Ribe.
The two of them were enough, something they had confirmed while slaughtering the horde of goblins yesterday.
That was why they had boldly set up camp in this wide-open place.
As if telling them to gather faster and in greater numbers.
And then.
“Kiiiiik!”
“Kikikikik!”
The goblins revealed themselves.
“Let’s go, Ribe.”
“Understood.”
The two charged out without waiting for the goblins.
“Wow? Can goblins be killed that easily?”
Watching that scene, Gim Chihun opened his mouth in admiration.
And for good reason—Iun was burying his dagger into a goblin’s heart with a single movement.
“Impossible for an ordinary person.”
“Does that mean the Captain isn’t ordinary?”
When Gim Chihun asked at Cha Suyeon’s words, she nodded.
“If he were ordinary, would you have followed him? Why ask when you know?”
“That’s true. But ‘that guy’? You should call me oppa, Suyeon.”
“Shut up.”
“Hahaha!”
“Stop laughing and take off those slippers and put on some sneakers. In case you trip and become a nuisance.”
“Are you worried about me?”
“Don’t talk to me.”
The two had gotten off on the wrong foot from the very first button; their relationship wasn’t very good.
Like oil and water, one might say?
In any case, the battle between Iun and Ribe that the two watched ended in an instant despite goblins swarming endlessly.
Not only Iun but Ribe’s overwhelming strength made it possible.
Every time the creature swung his front paw, a goblin’s head was sent flying.
“Did your levels go up?”
Flicking the blood off his dagger, Iun looked at Gim Chihun.
Having caught over a hundred, their levels couldn’t possibly not rise.
“Yeah! I went up 2 whole levels!”
Now for Cha Suyeon.
“Suyeon, yours didn’t go up, right?”
“No. I was just standing there.”
It seemed he would have to find a way to raise both of their levels.
“Director Kim!!”
Then a man ran toward them from the apartment entrance, calling out to Gim Chihun.
A bald, pot-bellied man in his sixties.
“President Kim? You’re still alive?”
“Of course! I was hiding too!”
Gim Chihun and the man seemed to know each other quite well.
“Then keep hiding. Why did you come out? It’s dangerous.”
“How could I hide after seeing this! And that wolf. It’s a summon, right? Its information wasn’t showing.”
“Well, that’s true, but….”
At President Kim’s words, Gim Chihun seemed to understand why he was acting this way and furtively glanced at Iun.
“Let me join you too! You’re the leader of these folks, aren’t you!”
But he had gone much further than expected.
Asking to join was one thing, but to think Gim Chihun was the leader?
‘Well, Hyung stayed still while Ribe and I fought, so it’s a plausible misunderstanding.’
Iun thought it was a sufficiently possible misunderstanding.
In any case, Gim Chihun laughed awkwardly and pointed at Iun.
“Hahaha! My apologies. The Captain isn’t me; it’s him over there.”
“What? Not you?”
“Yes.”
“Goodness….”
President Kim hesitated as if embarrassed, then seemed to make up his mind and approached Iun to speak.
“Might you accept me as a comrade?”
He looked at Iun desperately.
Dozens of people were still hiding in the apartment, trembling in fear and waiting for the army that might arrive at any moment.
Yet this man alone had come outside.
There had to be a reason.
“Why? If you just hold out inside, the army might come. You should stay there.”
He was testing him.
“I want to find my daughter.”
‘So that’s what it was.’
He wanted to find his family, but he had picked the wrong person.
There was no reason for Iun to move to find his family.
But Iun had also misjudged President Kim.
“Naturally, I won’t ask you to help me find my daughter. I simply wish to travel together so that if I happen to see her, I can save her.”
He was a man of decency.
“Honestly, wouldn’t I have a better chance of finding my daughter if I left this place? Please, let me travel with you. You weren’t planning on staying here forever anyway, were you?”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because you are too strong. There are monsters stronger than goblins, and you’re going to go hunt them, aren’t you?”
He was quite sharp.
And more than anything, despite the age gap, the fact that he used formal speech with someone he had just met was to Iun’s liking.
Iun was the type to care about such trivial matters more than expected.
‘He doesn’t seem like a stubborn old codger.’
The problem was his daughter.
The moment he accepted President Kim as a comrade, he couldn’t ignore the man’s daughter who might be somewhere out there.
Of course, that was a story for when he was certain she was someone on his side.
“Sir, as you know, Chihun here is a man who only cares about women, so he’s not of much use in a world like this, right?”
That much was certain.
“Hey, why are you saying that out loud, Captain.”
Gim Chihun opened his mouth as if embarrassed at Iun’s words, but.
“However, I travel with him because his trait is useful to me.”
Iun ignored him and continued.
“So I hope your trait is useful to me as well.”
He had no desire to offer kindness without reason.
President Kim nodded as if he understood everything.
“I understand what you mean. Truthfully, if I could fight with my trait, I would have gone to find my daughter immediately.”
A skill unrelated to combat?
“Nevertheless, it is a skill absolutely necessary for fighting.”
Then did it mean it helped others in combat?
Could it be?
“My trait is ‘Saint of Light.’ My skill is ‘Light of Healing.’ Commonly called a heal.”
Iun’s guess was correct.
A heal, an essential skill for combat. And his trait was holy and radiant at that.
It felt like his wounds would heal like crazy already.
“You can speak casually, Brother.”
Starting from a trust score of 80.