Emperor! Can You See Stats!?

Chapter 147: Entry

After that, the journey of the Heavenly Dragon Clan, including Cains, went smoothly.

They arrived at Nakyang, where the main branch of the Righteous Alliance was located, in less than three days.

Nakyang was one of the largest cities in the western region of the Hwan Empire, and it was incomparable to the small villages they had often visited before.

“Phew. Well then, I’ll go to the Righteous Alliance first and deliver the goods and come back.”

The head of the bureau, Jang Daein, who had been restless before arriving, greeted Cains and hurriedly headed to the Righteous Alliance.

Socheol looked at him with a slight suspicion.

‘The goods that are targeted by the high-ranking members of the Demon Sect and have to be delivered directly to the Righteous Alliance…’

“Brother, are you worried about something?”

“No, not at all. Anyway, we should also go to the Lovers’ Union as soon as possible while the head is away! They say it’s better to pull out a horn while it’s hot.”

“Understood.”

Cains and Socheol chatted as they headed to the city of Nakyang.

***

Some time later, Jang Daein stood in front of the office door of the Righteous Alliance with a sigh of relief.

“Leader, the head of the Heavenly Dragon Clan has come to deliver the goods.”

“Tell him to come in.”

Creak.

Jang Daein opened the door and entered, and politely greeted Shin Jaseong, the leader of the Righteous Alliance and a master swordsman known as Baekhakgeomseon.

“It is an honor to meet you, Leader Shin.”

“Haha… I’m just an old man. Please sit down. I’ll have some tea for you.”

The leader Shin Jaseong welcomed him with a smile like an immortal, but Jang Daein had no leisure in his mind as he had gone through a life-threatening situation.

He quickly took out a small wooden box from his bosom and placed it on the table.

“The goods are here.”

“…”

Shin Jaseong stared at him with curiosity and offered him some comforting words.

“It seems that you have faced quite a crisis, haven’t you?”

“Haha… Isn’t this much sacrifice necessary for the justice of the martial world?”

He said so, but Jang Daein was unhappy inside.

He had lost twelve first-class expressmen, and the amount he had to pay Cains was also considerable.

Shin Jaseong consoled him with a warm tone.

“There will be compensation for this incident from the Righteous Alliance later. I guarantee it with my name as the leader.”

“I don’t know what to say when you say that, Leader Shin.”

After some formal conversation, Shin Jaseong gently lifted up the wooden box that Jang Daein had handed over with both hands.

Then he uttered a faint exclamation.

“Hmm.”

Even though it was summer, the box was hot as if it had been heated by fire. It would be hard for anyone who didn’t practice martial arts to carry it on their body.

“It’s definitely a divine artifact. I’ve received it for sure.”

Jang Daein bowed his head silently and wondered inside.

He didn’t really know what he meant by a divine artifact.

He had a habit of evaluating the value of goods as a merchant.

He thought it was a code name for transportation at first, but it seemed that the original name of that thing was a divine artifact by looking at Shin Jaseong’s expression.

‘If it’s something that a high-ranking member of the Demon Sect would covet, it must be extraordinary. Let me see… What kind of treasure in this world would be called a divine artifact?’

“Haha… What are you thinking so hard about?”

Shin Jaseong’s gentle words brought him back from his thoughts to the office.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was thinking something unnecessary.”

“Haha, you must have suffered a lot because of this thing.”

“I’m ashamed. If you receive the goods yourself, there is no need for me, a lowly merchant, to interfere.”

Shin Jaseong added another word with a nonchalant look as he saw Jang Daein bowing his head repeatedly.

“A divine artifact is literally a divine artifact.”

“What do you mean?”

“How many treasures are recorded as divine artifacts in all the ancient books? “

“…!?”

At first, Jang Dae-in thought he was joking. But when he saw Shin Ja-seong staring at him with a calm expression, his face turned pale with shock.

“Could it be…”

Shin Ja-seong spoke in a relaxed tone.

“That’s right. Inside this is one of the four divine weapons that belonged to Lee Cheong-mun, the peerless master of the martial world two hundred years ago.”

“Wow!”

Jang Dae-in was a merchant, but he had also dipped his toes in the martial world, so he knew the legend of the four divine weapons.

The four divine weapons were, as Shin Ja-seong said, the four weapons that Lee Cheong-mun used two hundred years ago.

According to the legend, each of those divine weapons had the power to destroy mountains and split seas.

It was a nearly forgotten name now, but people at that time also called him the master of the four directions.

“That’s… that’s amazing. Haha…”

Jang Dae-in took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. It was natural for him to be flustered.

‘If the four divine weapons really existed, it would be a huge event that would turn the martial world upside down. Why is he telling me, a mere merchant, about this?’

Moreover, if it was such an item, it would not be enough even if it was guarded by a strict security and escorted by the experts of the alliance. Why did he send it secretly through the courier service?

Seeing him rolling his eyes, Shin Ja-seong chuckled.

“Hehe! It’s not confirmed yet that it’s a genuine divine weapon. It’s just that in a few days, the alliance will have a meeting to determine whether this is a divine weapon or not. By then, it won’t be a secret anymore.”

“Haha… I see.”

Shin Ja-seong changed the topic after saying that much.

“Let’s leave the old story aside and tell me what happened on your way here. I heard you were attacked by the evil sect…”

Jang Dae-in came to his senses when he heard that.

That’s right, there was something about Caines, the mysterious expert with colorful eyes.

He opened his mouth to tell him everything.

“Well…”

***

“The preparations for the ship are all done.”

“Then we can leave now?”

“…Yes, grandmaster.”

Namgoong Il-cheon still felt a bit awkward facing Eurius because of his previous martial arts performance.

But during the time they prepared the ship to cross the South Sea Road, there were many changes between Eurius and the righteous alliance.

First of all, Eurius was able to show his face in the leadership meetings like this one.

He broke Namgoong Il-cheon with Je Gal-se’s guarantee, and no one could deny his position.

There was also his presence.

“Snort! So you came here to volunteer for the exploration of Bidong?”

“That’s right. I have some reasons.”

Gu Gae Gu-cheon-geol had somewhat resolved his doubts about Eurius over these few days, but he still looked at him with a slightly curious expression.

‘Well, even in the Western Continent, the legend of Lee Cheong-mun is famous, so maybe he’s interested?’

Left evil.

Namgoong Il-cheon took out a map from his bosom and spread it on the table.

“First of all, this is the unconfirmed map of Bidong that was discovered this time.”

“Unconfirmed?”

“I’ll explain it to you.”

Je Gal-un-hyeon explained when Eurius showed his question.

“Actually, this clash with the evil sect was caused by this map.”

“Oh…”

A few months ago, this mysterious map came into the hands of the righteous alliance.

The map showed the location of the island and the terrain of Bidong in detail, but it did not indicate what was there.

“It’s suspicious indeed. How come a map of an area that hasn’t been properly investigated suddenly appears?”

“That’s right. And there was another problem. Rumors.”

“Rumors?”

Je Gal-un-hyeon smiled bitterly and continued.

“There were only two copies of that map, and they each went into the hands of the righteous alliance and the evil sect. And then rumors about Bidong spread throughout the martial world.”

“Is that the legend of the Wall of Ankeuma or something?”

“You seem to have heard of it.”

“I got into unnecessary trouble because of it.”

As he looked at the grumbling Eurius, Jegal Unhyeon chuckled and opened his mouth again.

“Since you know, I’ll skip the explanation. Yes, this map shows the location of the Wall of Ankeuma, where the legacy of Lee Cheongmun, the Investigator, is rumored to exist in Bongmado.”

At that point, Eurius’s eyes lit up.

“Never mind the suspicious part, isn’t this a trap?”

“The Alliance also judged that there is a high possibility of that.”

An unidentified map, a rumor that suddenly spread.

And the fact that the side that obtained the map was hostile to them, and that they were the largest forces in the martial world, the Righteous Alliance and the Magyo.

Eurius looked somewhat disappointed.

“Tsk! Then there is a possibility that Lee Cheongmun’s legacy does not actually exist?”

“That may not necessarily be the case.”

“…!?”

But Jegal Unhyeon seemed to have a different idea.

“I can’t be sure that it’s Lee Cheongmun’s legacy, but I’m sure there’s something in there.”

“The reason?”

“First of all, the mechanism inside was too elaborate. Both Righteous Alliance and Magyo sent their first exploration teams and couldn’t even return alive. The survivors were trembling with fear, saying that the traps inside were really vicious.”

Eurius nodded his head. It seemed that sending two superhuman experts was not just because of a quarrel with Magyo.

“And the area is huge. Even if they expanded the existing cave, it would be almost impossible to create such a large underground space with human power.”

Hearing that, Eurius added a word.

“So you’re saying it’s a place where players have intervened?”

“I think there is a high possibility of that.”

“Hmm…”

“As I hear it, do you have an interest in players?”

As their expressions became serious, Gucheon Girl casually intervened. He wanted to know Eurius’s identity, so he often asked questions like this.

“I’m more interested than others.”

It was a dry answer, but Gucheon Girl pondered for a moment after hearing it.

‘He’s a nobleman of high rank, interested in players, and has excellent martial arts skills…’

As half of the people gathered in the hall fell into silence, Namgoong Ilcheon, who was stuck in between, was at a loss.

He was supposed to be the leader of this Righteous Alliance, but he looked rather pitiful.

“Leader, can we resume the meeting now?”

“Ah! I was thinking too deeply. Please continue.”

Eurius answered coolly and the meeting finally reached a conclusion. The summary of the conclusion was as follows.

One, they take a boat to Namhaedo.

Two, they divide the people who will enter the Wall and those who will guard outside to prevent Magyo’s attack in the middle.

Three, they take the items obtained from the Wall to Righteous Alliance first and decide who owns them.

The third clause was mostly added with Eurius in mind, but he didn’t care.

‘Anyway, even if there is a legacy, I can just learn it by acquisition.’

Things went smoothly like that, and Eurius and Righteous Alliance boarded a boat to Namhaedo.

He frowned as he boarded the boat.

‘The weather is really bad. Do I have no connection with the sea?’

He honestly didn’t like taking a boat because of his shipwreck experience.

Whooosh!

Clang!

And even the weather was like this. The wind was strong and it started to drizzle.

It wasn’t bad enough to prevent them from sailing, but for Eurius who had been swept away by a typhoon, it was enough to cause trauma.

“The weather is very fickle this year. The fishermen said that it would be sunny for a few days until you arrived.”

Jegal Unhyeon shook his head as if he was amazed by that and Eurius observed the state of the waves from the bow.

“It doesn’t look like a very faraway island. There shouldn’t be any trouble.”

Woong woong!

Eurius, who was standing on the deck, felt a strong vibration from his waist and slightly lifted his Yellow Dragon Sword.

“What’s going on?”

[…]

He looked at the Yellow Dragon Sword, which gave no answer, with a puzzled expression.

“Come to think of it, it’s been strangely quiet since we came to the Eastern Continent.”

The Yellow Dragon Sword had stopped talking at some point after they arrived in the Eastern Continent. But Eurius didn’t think much of it, since it wasn’t very talkative before either. He put the sword back in its sheath.

“Normally, it would at least curse at me. Maybe this damned sword is finally growing up?”

***

Half a day later.

Eurius and the Alliance of Justice were standing at the entrance of a cave located inside a rocky cliff.

This was the secret cave that was marked on the map.

Namgoong Ilcheon bowed his head politely to one of his companions.

“Thank you for being our guide, Senior Gu No.”

“I came here for that purpose, so you don’t have to tell me!”

Gu Cheongeol snapped back and tapped around the entrance with his wooden staff.

He also lay down flat and sniffed the air.

This was the real reason why he came to the Eastern Continent.

He was not only a master of the Open Boat, but also a renowned expert in various mechanisms and tracking skills. He was called the best in the martial arts world for these abilities.

He was an indispensable talent for breaking through this secret cave, which was full of traps.

After finishing his investigation, Gu Cheongeol started to report with a grumpy face.

“There are some people who entered an hour ago. They must be from the Demon Sect. There are no special devices at the entrance.”

Namgoong Ilcheon’s face became slightly anxious when he heard that.

“Thank you for your hard work. We need to enter quickly. We can’t let the Demon Sect get ahead of us.”

He looked at Eurius with a worried expression.

“We don’t know if there will be an attack while we explore the secret cave, so one of you, either Eurius Grandmaster or Je Gal Woonhyeon, should stay behind.”

There were three superhumans, so one of them had to stay behind to guard the entrance. Je Gal Woonhyeon spoke up casually.

“Then I’ll stay behind. There won’t be any trouble if you and Master go together.”

“…!?”

Namgoong Ilcheon honestly thought that there might be some argument here, but surprisingly, Je Gal Woonhyeon backed off easily.

“Are you okay with that, Grandmaster?”

“It’s not a difficult task. I’m fine.”

Eurius agreed readily, since he had already talked to Je Gal Woonhyeon beforehand.

He had to act together with them and build trust if he wanted to win their hearts.

It was a wise choice to conserve his energy at the entrance in case of an unexpected attack, and Je Gal Woonhyeon was already a reliable subordinate whom he could leave alone.

“There’s another benefit to this.”

This was what Je Gal Woonhyeon said. As he made his decision confidently, the people of the Alliance of Justice looked at Eurius with admiration.

“He’s going into a dangerous place where he might clash with the Demon Sect, and he’s leaving behind a superhuman like Je Gal Woonhyeon Grandmaster for us…”

“He may look a bit odd, but he’s extraordinary in both martial arts skills and generosity.”

Martial artists respected the strong by nature.

And he showed them his magnanimity by leaving behind a superhuman subordinate for the sake of the remaining people of the Alliance of Justice.

They couldn’t help but admire him.

In this friendly atmosphere, the Alliance of Justice finally entered the secret cave, led by Gu Cheongeol.

The number of people was about fifty elite experts, centered around Eurius, Namgoong Ilcheon, and Gu Cheongeol. They thought that more than that would be rather hindering when moving fast.

The experts of the Alliance of Justice who stepped into the secret cave cautiously exclaimed as soon as they entered.

“Is this the secret cave?”

“It’s amazing as I heard. How did they make such a spacious cave?”

The entrance of the secret cave was narrow, but the inside was widened by human power, making the width of the passage very wide. And on the ceiling, there were expensive night pearls lined up, illuminating the inside.

“I don’t doubt Senior Gu No’s skills, but please be careful.”

“I know.”

Guchunghul stepped into the cave with a tense expression, flaring his nose. This place was so dangerous that it almost wiped out dozens of experts sent by the Jeongdomaeng.

Namgoong Ilcheon, who was also staring intently at Guchunghul’s investigation, looked at Eurius next to him with a slightly puzzled expression.

“Grandmaster? Is there a problem?”

Eurius, who had been looking around with a strange expression as soon as he entered the cave, said.

“No, I just have something to think about.”

Eurius casually glanced around and suddenly shouted at Guchunghul, who was busy investigating.

“Guchunghul! Move three steps to the side!”

“Huh?”

Guchunghul frowned, wondering why that damn lord was doing that again. But an order was an order. He obediently moved three steps.

But Eurius’s instruction was not over yet.

“From there, two more steps forward!”

“…!?”

The people of the Righteous Alliance, including Guchunghul, tilted their heads, wondering why Eurius was doing that.

‘Is he playing with me? Ugh…’

Guchunghul stepped forward two more steps without much thought. But at that moment, Eurius’s voice rang in his ear.

“Watch your head!”

“Huh?”

Shiiik!

Guchunghul looked up at the ceiling. And he was startled.

“Gasp!”

The ceiling cracked open and a small jar fell down like an arrow toward his head.

But Guchunghul was a master of divine arts, recognized in the martial world. He spun his body in an instant without any preparation and dodged the jar.

“What is this…”

Chiiiik!

“…!?”

Surprisingly, as soon as the liquid in the jar touched the floor, it corroded and melted the floor. Judging by how it melted the hard granite in an instant, if it had hit a person, it would have dissolved them without leaving any trace.

“It’s hwagolsan!”

Hwagolsan was one of the most deadly poisons with acidity, and it could melt a person without leaving a corpse even before they finished drinking a cup of tea.

Guchunghul widened his eyes and looked at Eurius. How did Eurius detect the trap that he didn’t notice?

But Eurius didn’t answer and smirked.

‘It seems like we’ve come to the right place.’

Others couldn’t see it, but now his eyes showed a detailed map of this cave.

[The quest ‘Black Tortoise’ begins.]

[A map is given. Avoid the traps and clear the cave.]