RTGR 104

Chapter 104 ….

A dense forest.

A landscape packed with trees and rocks.

“No different, huh?”

Given that this was supposed to be a hidden field, and the name sounded grand, Do-hyun had expected a scenery unlike a typical warrior’s habitat.

But it was no different from the bland, briny rock forests he knew.

The only difference was that the mist was slightly thicker and there were no orcs in sight.

“They said monsters don’t tread here.”

Because the space was distorted by the aura of death, low-intelligence orcs wouldn’t enter. That was the supposed rule.

If that’s the case, what’s the point of the “First-Time Benefit” reward…? Well, those rewards were always applied similarly, so he could only chalk it up to bad luck.

“Ugh… Master, I don’t like this place.”
“Rizariza…”

“Hm? Why?”

“It feels eerie. Chilling… or something like that.”

But that seemed to be only Do-hyun’s perception. Judging by Jihad and Eliza, who looked as horrified as if they were walking through a graveyard at midnight…

“So there must be something here.”

It was certain from their sensitive reactions.

After leading the tense pair for a while—pushing through bushes and inspecting rocks—about ten minutes into the exploration, Do-hyun finally furrowed his brow in frustration.

“Nothing! There’s absolutely nothing here.”

“That’s weird… it definitely felt eerie.”
“Eliza!”

Eliza echoed Jihad’s words, but contrary to their feelings, they found nothing. Not even a fragment of destiny—he began to doubt whether the traces of the Destroyer would even exist in a place like this.

“Not a single animal, let alone monsters…”

Having experienced multiple hidden fields in Demrok, this was the first one Do-hyun had encountered that was completely empty.

At this point, he could probably even play cards in the middle of it without issues…

“Huh? Not bad, actually.”

Playing cards in a hidden field? The thought had a certain appeal.

Jihad, listening beside him, shook his head at Do-hyun’s absurd speculation that this could be a third “sweet spot.”

“Eh…”

“Eh? You sighed just now?”

“No.”

“You just haven’t experienced the thrill of playing cards. It’s addictive…”

“I don’t know… Master, wait a second.”

Jihad, who had been protesting in disbelief, suddenly looked serious.

Glancing over, Do-hyun noticed Eliza also looking tense, her head slightly raised above her pouch. Do-hyun, following their lead, held his breath.

“…What is it?”

“Master, someone’s there.”

“Someone? Here?”

Could there really be someone in a hidden field they discovered for the first time?

The thought that immediately sprang to Do-hyun’s mind was the Destroyer, Gaimon. If someone was here, it was highly likely to be him.

Swiftly, Eliza ducked into the bushes and covered her mouth with her paws.

Peeking forward cautiously, Do-hyun saw exactly as Jihad said—someone was there.

Do-hyun was on a slight hill. Below was a small cave, and in front of the cave stood a man in armor.

Seeing him, Do-hyun’s eyes widened in surprise.

“…Jerdik?”
“Why the hell is he here?”
“Eliza!?”

A handsome man in shiny silver armor and glossy blonde hair. That irritatingly familiar face confirmed it—Jerdik.

“Why is he coming out here?”

Could it be that he was the Destroyer Gaimon?

Thinking back, Jerdik was also a paladin who enhanced his body with divine power, like an aura. He always attended the council, so it wasn’t impossible…

“Hmm.”

It didn’t make sense that those who had acted so strictly like sub-division leaders had all been acting.

As Do-hyun’s mind spiraled in confusion at Jerdik’s unexpected appearance,

“…This must be the last spot. If he’s not here, then he’s hiding in the city.”

Muttering to himself, Jerdik checked the time on his pocket watch and clicked his tongue.

“No time. Better confirm quickly and head back.”

And with that, Jerdik entered the cave.

Only then did Do-hyun and his companions exhale the breaths they had been holding.

“…My heart hurts.”
“Rizariza…”

As the two timid guardians calmed themselves, Do-hyun organized his thoughts.

“He must also be looking for traces of the Destroyer. That’s why he ended up here.”

A credible guess. Gaimon had annihilated Jerdik’s family, and Jerdik had lived solely for revenge. He had displayed the greatest rage during the measurement ritual.

“As a bodyguard to the Gildeti Councilor, he would know this place.”

To serve as a councilor’s bodyguard, one needed connections and strength. Moreover, Jerdik wasn’t just any bodyguard; he had the potential to become the next head of the paladin order, so it made sense for him to know.

The question was Do-hyun’s position.

“…Should I confront him?”

It wasn’t strange that Jerdik was here. But was it safe for him?

If an outsider knowing the Abyss caused a reaction, how would Jerdik respond to someone in a hidden field that even NPCs didn’t know about?

“Hopefully he won’t try to kill me immediately.”

Clearly risky. There were no detection orbs here; there was no way to explain his presence. This wasn’t a place one could stumble into accidentally, nor could he sell the Gamilion.

[Remaining Time: 00:14:28]

Even so, he couldn’t just wait for Jerdik. Time was short, and their goals overlapped—both were after traces of the Destroyer.

If there was only one trace and Jerdik took it, the quest would fail.

“No choice.”

Do-hyun made his decision. Activating Eliza’s bracelet:

[Using ‘Faint Stealth’]

“Master, what are you doing?”
“Rizariza?”

Jihad and Eliza looked concerned as Do-hyun became semi-transparent.

“Stalking.”

“…Stalking?”

“Following him secretly, just taking the traces. If luck’s on our side, it’s ours for free.”

“….”

If anything appeared, Jerdik would delay, letting them seize the traces. If they encountered the Destroyer, they’d just fight together. No one could demand an explanation at this point.

“…Perfect plan.”

“Right?”

“Yeah… it’s a little dirty, but flawless.”
“Rizariza.”

Eliza nodded in agreement. Smiling faintly, Do-hyun stepped forward.

“I’ll go in alone. You two stay here and keep watch.”

“Eh? Alone?”

“You can’t use stealth anyway.”
“Rizariza…”

Eliza, who normally used the ability herself, seemed a bit down, but a gentle pat on her head cheered her up.

“…Alright. Honestly, I felt something ominous there anyway.”

“…Really?”
“Yeah, so be careful.”
“Rizariza!”

It seemed something was there. Jihad might not know, but Eliza wasn’t one to exaggerate.

“Better get in there before he gets the traces.”

And with that, Do-hyun entered the cave.

As with any normal cave, it was dark inside.

Not completely pitch-black, though.

“This isn’t bad at all.”

Compared to when he broke through the mist to reach the hidden field, this was nothing.

[Glowstone]

Description: Usually attached to cave walls, emits light in darkness.

Here, glowstones were scattered on the ceiling and walls. Not bright, but roughly like street lamps in a dark alley at night.

“No traces visible yet.”

Carefully scanning his surroundings, he found nothing. The Eye of Truth didn’t activate. No insects or monsters appeared either—the cave was silent.

“How far did he go?”

It had only been a few minutes, but Jerdik had gone deep enough that Do-hyun couldn’t see him.

Just as he wondered if Jerdik had exited through another opening, a chilling voice echoed:

[…You followed this far.]

The scratchy, splitting tone reverberated heavily, making it impossible to determine direction.

Instinctively, Do-hyun realized:

“…The Destroyer.”

The voice belonged to Gaimon, the Destroyer—unmistakable. The kind that preyed on humanity’s fundamental fears.

“Was I discovered?”

Swallowing, Do-hyun scanned his surroundings.

“Stop—Nenome!!”

The furious shout ahead made him instinctively hide.

There he saw it: Gaimon, corrupted by the Abyss, melting grotesquely, surrounded by unstable shadows. Behind him, Jerdik pointed his sword at Gaimon’s back.

“Don’t think of escaping. I remember that disgusting horn on your forehead. I’ve replayed it in my mind countless times, dreaming of the day I’d kill you.”

Jerdik’s voice, full of vengeance, made Do-hyun’s eyes widen.

“Whoa… what’s happening?”

It felt like a dramatic soap opera. Do-hyun had inadvertently witnessed a scene of a paladin’s desperate revenge.

Gaimon spoke:

[…This is troublesome. I wasn’t planning to kill you.]

“…Kill? You? Don’t get the wrong idea. The one killing is me, not you.”

[…Is that so…]

Muttering, Gaimon slowly turned around. Even as the sword pressed against his neck, he didn’t flinch.

Jerdik’s emotions, fueled by ten years of vengeance, surged even to Do-hyun watching from behind. The moment these two men finally faced each other had arrived.

“…What?”

Jerdik froze, disbelief written across his face. Trembling, he even withdrew his sword from Gaimon’s neck and stepped back.

“What… what’s happening?”

Do-hyun’s curiosity surged. What could Jerdik have seen to provoke this reaction? No matter how he moved his head, Gaimon’s face was obscured by Jerdik. Only glimpses of unstable skin confirmed something was off.

“This… this can’t be…”

Jerdik, aghast, shouted in anger.

“How… how could you betray us!”

[…]

“Betrayal?”

So he was indeed someone who attended the council—and someone close enough to Jerdik to feel betrayed.

[…Betrayal… perhaps it’s more accurately described as pity.]

“Ah… ah…”

[…I bear no ill will toward you. It’s unfortunate. You happened to encounter me in human form… perhaps it was always your fate to die.]

From the beginning, he had never been on Jerdik’s side—just a flicker of sympathy.

Realizing this, Jerdik’s eyes blazed with fury. Clenching his sword, he spat out a cruel curse:

“Die… I will kill you. I won’t let you die peacefully. I’ll cut your flesh piece by piece to feed the wolves, tear off every nail and claw…”