Chapter 256: Chapter 256

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 256

Free City, Rease.

The center of the City of Peace had been in ruins for a long time.

No survivors.

The surface swarmed with mutated monsters exceeding Level 300.

“Danger…!”

Upon entering Rease, Yeo Min-Ji gasped and shouted in alarm.

At that moment—

Swish.

Jeong-hoon swiftly swung Leviathan, decapitating the monster.

“Kehek!”

Despite the sudden ambush, his response was calm and precise.

“Let’s clear out the monsters here first.”

With a single remark, Jeong-hoon initiated the Heavenly Demon Lord's Step, beginning his assault on the monsters.

It was necessary to exterminate all the monsters in the City of Peace before advancing to the next section.

As he led the attack, Yeo Min-Ji moved to the frontlines alongside Jeong-hoon, engaging the monsters.

[The Mutated Orc activates Intimidation.]

True to its Level 300+ status, the monster unleashed its special ability.

However, its Intimidation was powerless against someone as formidable as Jeong-hoon.

He continued eliminating the monsters effortlessly.

“Bong-Goo, let’s move together.”

Yeo Sunwoo paired up with Kim Bong-Goo, the fellow Shadow King.

Meanwhile, Jeong-hoon’s mother, having already prepared for the assault, sniped the head off a Mutated Orc attempting to corner Jeong-hoon and Yeo Min-Ji.

“Oh, trying to overwhelm us with numbers? But what’s this? I won’t lose in a battle of sheer numbers.”

Ha-Jin, the Dark Lord who had completed his fourth class advancement, summoned a large number of Dark Soldiers.

It wasn’t just ordinary soldiers.

Among them were shielded warriors, soldiers wielding bastard swords, and knights exuding an aura far beyond comparison.

The army numbered a staggering 500.

With Ha-Jin at the center, the 500 knights and soldiers advanced, hunting down the Mutated Orcs.

‘Ha-Jin’s gotten a lot stronger.’

Though Ha-Jin had only recently completed his fourth advancement, his ability to command 500 knights and soldiers was remarkable.

It was clear—once he grew further, controlling even twice as many would be inevitable.

As Jeong-hoon watched with satisfaction, he turned his attention to an approaching Orc, unleashing his stance.

Swish.

“Ki-hek!”

Striking the Orc’s vital point, he swiftly severed its throat, killing it instantly.

Within less than an hour, the monsters infesting the City of Peace were completely eradicated.

“There don’t seem to be any more monsters.”

“Yes. Let’s rest for a bit before proceeding to the next section.”

“There isn’t a single NPC here. Has it been completely destroyed?”

Jeong-hoon nodded.

“Seems like it. Judging from the state of things, it’s been a long time since this place fell.”

The buildings had been completely destroyed and corroded—a clear sign that a considerable amount of time had passed.

“Then, I guess it’s the same story elsewhere,” Yeo Min-Ji remarked.

However, if Jeong-hoon’s memory was correct, there were still NPCs here—albeit only guides on the path to find the Death Knight.

“We’ll see when we get there.”

Jeong-hoon gave a nonchalant response and cast a top-tier healing spell on the group as they rested, ensuring their physical and mental recovery after the battle.

***

After the break, Jeong-hoon led the group to the City of Warriors.

Guarding the city entrance wasn’t an NPC but a monster, which Jeong-hoon swiftly dispatched before entering.

“There aren’t any monsters in sight,” Ha-Jin observed.

“Yeah, weird,” added Kim Bong-Goo, scanning the surroundings cautiously.

Unlike the outskirts, the city’s interior was eerily quiet.

“Alright, let’s start filming,” Jeong-hoon announced, activating his camera.

“Huh? Why start filming here?”

“It’s quiet, isn’t it?”

Though Jeong-hoon gave a simple explanation, his real reason was different:

‘This is where the NPCs reside.’

The City of Warriors was familiar territory to him, having visited it both before and after his regression.

As Jeong-hoon began filming, he strode confidently toward the Sanctuary of Warriors.

Even on the way to the sanctuary, not a single monster appeared.

“This silence feels almost unnatural,” Yeo Sunwoo remarked.

“Indeed,” Yeo Min-Ji replied, staying vigilant as they approached the sanctuary.

At last, they arrived at the Sanctuary of Warriors.

The sanctuary was almost identical to how it had appeared in the game—except for one notable difference: the presence of NPCs where none should have existed.

Not just one or two NPCs, but nearly thirty of them stood within the sanctuary.

“N-NPCs?” Yeo Min-Ji stammered, her eyes wide with surprise.

===

[NPC Information]

- Nickname: Lattin von Rudheim

- Level: 220

- Role: Leader of the City of Warriors

===

At that moment, a man named Lattin von Rudheim drew his sword.

“Who are you people?”

His eyes were filled with suspicion and wariness.

The other NPCs followed suit.

When Lattin drew his sword, they did the same, aiming their blades at Jeong-hoon and his group. Their reaction was entirely understandable.

“We’ve come to help.”

A single, abrupt statement of intent.

But it was enough.

For a brief moment, Lattin’s eyes wavered.

“Don’t be ridiculous! First, tell me where you’re from and why you’re here!”

“Does that really matter right now? The fact that we’re here means we’ve already cleared out the mutant monsters outside. Isn’t that proof enough?”

“……”

The room grew restless at Jeong-hoon’s words.

After all, the City of Warriors was surrounded by hordes of monsters. To reach the city, outsiders would have had to fight their way through.

“What will you do? Should we just leave?”

Jeong-hoon flashed a knowing smile.

“...N-No, that won’t be necessary.”

After a brief hesitation, Lattin lowered his sword.

Above his head, a question mark began to blink.

[General Quest: Fallen Rease]

- Requirement: Enter the Sanctuary of Warriors

- Reward: Unlock the next quest

- Description: Defeat Lattin in a duel.

The quest required defeating Lattin in a duel.

Jeong-hoon accepted the quest without hesitation.

“I’ll ask again. Do you need our help?”

“...Can I confirm something first?”

“Confirm?”

“Yes.”

Lattin nodded and swung his sword.

However, to Jeong-hoon’s eyes, his movements were agonizingly slow.

Whoosh—

Thud!

Before Lattin could complete his swing, Jeong-hoon grabbed his wrist.

“Ugh!”

Lattin grimaced in pain, his expression tightening as the grip on his wrist intensified.

“Is this enough?” Jeong-hoon asked calmly.

“Y-Yes! Yes! Please let go!” Lattin pleaded, visibly in pain.

Only then did Jeong-hoon release his grip, and Lattin slumped to the ground.

“You didn’t let go of your sword until the end. I commend you for that.”

As expected of the current leader of the City of Warriors, Lattin displayed unwavering resolve, never relinquishing his blade.

Jeong-hoon was quite satisfied.

He cast a healing spell on Lattin, whose pained expression quickly relaxed.

“How is this possible…?”

Realizing that he had just been healed, Lattin was stunned.

Jeong-hoon smiled warmly.

“Now, shall we continue our conversation?”

“...Yes.”

Above Lattin’s head, an exclamation mark began to blink.

[Quest Completed]

[You can now proceed to the next quest.]

The exclamation mark disappeared, replaced once more by a blinking question mark.

[General Quest: Fallen Rease]

- Requirement: Defeat Lattin in a duel

- Reward: Unlock the next quest

- Description: Collect 1,000 Mutant Ogre Tusks and 1,000 Mutant Owlbear Claws.

The next quest involved hunting monsters to gather specific materials.

The reasoning was clear—their equipment was in a dire state.

Even the sword Lattin had drawn was severely corroded, its rusted blade looking ready to shatter at any moment.

“As you can see, our equipment is far from functional…”

“I understand. So, you wish to forge new weapons and armor?”

“Yes, but we lack the necessary materials. Could you help us gather them? Of course, we will ensure you are properly rewarded.”

“Understood.”

Jeong-hoon readily agreed.

“Thank you so much!”

Lattin’s face lit up with gratitude.

Given their rude behavior—ambushing them and then immediately requesting a favor—he hadn’t expected such generosity.

“Well, let’s head out.”

Since Jeong-hoon, as the party leader, had accepted the quest, there was no reason to linger in the sanctuary.

As he turned to leave, the others silently followed, though not without some reluctance.

Once outside, Yeo Min-Ji leaned closer to Jeong-hoon and whispered,

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” Jeong-hoon asked, feigning confusion.

“I mean, it was an ambush. You could’ve taught them a harsher lesson…”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The City of Warriors’ leader hadn’t even offered an apology, yet immediately requested help gathering materials. To Yeo Min-Ji, their attitude was unacceptable.

“Oh, it’s fine. That’s just how it’s designed.”

“Designed?”

“Yes.”

Jeong-hoon let it slide because their role was predetermined.

They were nothing more than stepping stones—guides to lead him toward the ultimate goal of defeating the Death Knight.

“Hmm… well, if you say so, Hoon, then that must be the case.”

Yeo Min-Ji didn’t press the matter further.

After walking for quite some time, they reached the border of the City of Warriors.

Beyond the border, countless monsters glared at them, their predatory eyes fixated on the group.

The monsters desperately wanted to cross over, but the border’s barrier prevented them. For now, glaring was all they could do.

“Well then, shall we begin the hunt?”

The monsters watching them hungrily were Mutant Ogres.

[Mutant Ogre Tusks: 0/1,000]

They needed to collect 1,000 tusks.

Had Jeong-hoon been alone, it might have taken a while, but with six people—including himself—in the group, the task would be significantly quicker.

The ground was littered with tusks the size of a human head, sharp and menacing, marking the spots where the ogres had fallen.

The quest’s settings ensured that the tusks would drop upon the monsters’ defeat.

“Hoon, we’ve gathered all 1,000!”

Yeo Min-Ji called out as she picked up another tusk.

Jeong-hoon nodded in approval.

“Great. Let’s move on to the next target.”

Unlike the City of Peace, the City of Archers was swarming with monsters, an unending tide.

This was due to the respawn mechanics—once their numbers dwindled, more would appear to replace them.

Thus, the team needed to push forward relentlessly, gathering materials as they went.

“I’ll clear the way!”

Ha-Jin declared, summoning his Dark Knight soldiers to carve a path through the horde.

“Got it.”

Thanks to Ha-Jin’s efforts, the group easily crossed the border into the City of Archers.

On the other side, Mutant Owlbears roamed, their sharp claws gleaming menacingly.

“Are those the ones we need to hunt next?”

Jeong-hoon’s mother was already aiming her sniper rifle at one of the owlbears.

Jeong-hoon nodded.

“Yes, defeating them will drop the claws we need.”

“Understood.”

Bang!

Before Jeong-hoon even finished speaking, the crack of a gunshot echoed, and an owlbear fell, its head pierced cleanly by the bullet.

The rest of the owlbears, moving in groups, scattered in confusion. Jeong-hoon seized the opportunity, launching himself into the fray with his Heavenly Demon Lord's Steps.

[Lv.305 Mutant Owlbear]

Although the owlbears were Level 305, they were far weaker than Jeong-hoon. With each swing of his Leviathan blade, heads and claws flew through the air.

“Humans! Kill them!”

“How dare you! How dare you!”

The enraged monsters fought back, but they were no match for Jeong-hoon’s precise and overwhelming strikes.

Meanwhile, Yeo Min-Ji efficiently finished off any owlbears that weren’t quite dead yet.

“I’ll hold the rear!”

Ha-Jin deployed his Dark Knight soldiers to fend off pursuing ogres.

“Guild Master, we’ll handle the rest of the owlbears over here.”

“Very well. Proceed.”

Yeo Sunwoo and Kim Bong-Goo split off to hunt down the fleeing owlbears, ensuring none escaped.

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]