• Chapter 29 – Lost Land (12)

The red glow indicating the presence of demon worshippers flooded Dojun’s vision.

More than half the people in the area were lit up in crimson.

“This isn’t Altheon Castle. It’s the Devil’s Den.”

“…It was that bad, huh.”

Albedo gave a faint, bitter smile, as if he had suspected as much.

By all accounts, surviving such a situation should’ve been impossible.

Yet, the strange part was how these red-lit individuals were trembling in fear, despite their overwhelming numbers.

“Is Albedo really that strong?”

Dojun asked the viewers.

When the demons invaded the capital, all the low-rankers were wiped out by Albedo alone.

Basically a one-man army.

Technically, he’s not invincible, but these small fry don’t stand a chance.

┗ But… he’s here too.

┗┗ True. This could go sideways fast.

While chat buzzed with vague warnings, a sharp shhhing cut through the air.

Albedo’s sword, pristine and masterfully forged, slid from its sheath.

“Marquis Delphiero—no, demon worshipper. Do you have any last words?”

“Damn it all… The plan was so close!”

Delphiero’s face twisted with frustration.

But this wasn’t a matter that would be resolved by apprehending just him.

Albedo, unlike Dojun, couldn’t see who the demon worshippers were.

“Sir Albedo, you’ll need the ring.”

As Dojun reached to remove it, something felt off.

“Guys… I can’t take it off.”

Uh oh.

Isn’t he supposed to give that to Albedo so he can nuke the whole place?

This is bad, lol.

Of course [Lost Land] wouldn’t let you cheese the system that easily.

Albedo sighed and shook his head.

“Once activated, the ring doesn’t come off until the effect ends.”

Dojun frowned. Meanwhile, Delphiero’s eyes gleamed with new hope.

“Disciples! Kill that adventurer and take the ring!!”

Ding!

Main Quest Updated

◉ Main Quest – Protect the Ring

The ring given to you by John is the only known demon detector capable of identifying infiltrators.

If you can protect the ring, the demons’ plans will be significantly disrupted.

Avoid the incoming demon worshippers and escape!

“Adventurer! Run to the north gate! Ignore the pests—I’ll cover you as best I can!”

No sooner had Albedo spoken than one of the cultists lunged at Dojun with a dagger.

SLAASH!

The attacker was sliced clean in two before he even got close.

Not only that—Albedo launched a wave of blue energy at Delphiero, forcing him and others to scatter and giving Dojun a clear path.

“When he says he’s covering me, he means it.”

With that level of power, Dojun could rely on him.

He dashed forward through the opening, Albedo following close behind.

“Don’t let them escape!!”

Delphiero screamed, firing a flare into the sky.

“That signal must be summoning other cultists.”

Right on cue, enemies flooded in from all sides—every one of them glowing red.

But Dojun didn’t flinch. He just kept running.

SLASH! SLASH!

Anyone who appeared in front of him was effortlessly mowed down by Albedo’s blade.

Even though Dojun had been an elite assassin in his past life, his current physical stats were woefully lacking.

He could fend off a few attackers, but not indefinitely.

The key to this quest was simple:

“Trust Albedo. Don’t stop running.”

Any hesitation would lead to a swift and brutal death.

Glancing back, Dojun saw a swarm of red-glowing cultists chasing after them.

It’s like a Zerg rush!

Just watching this is terrifying. Those cultists are totally unhinged.

Uehara Phantom, run!! If you get caught, it’s over!!

ㄴ Did he just say Uehara? lol

ㄴㄴ Could be “over” in… other ways, boy~ ♥

The objective seemed straightforward if you understood the quest’s intent.

But Dojun wasn’t the type to put full trust in [Lost Land].

“There’s always a catch. This game isn’t known for being merciful.”

If it were easy or linear, no one would’ve offered a 100 million won prize.

He relied on the instincts that had kept him alive through countless deadly missions in his past life.

“There’s something else coming.”

He kept his focus sharp, scanning ahead.

At last, the north gate came into view.

But it was firmly shut.

Albedo, noticing the tension on Dojun’s face, stepped ahead.

“Leave it to me.”

He slashed forward—an immense blast of blue energy flew toward the gate.

BOOOOOOM!!

A deafening explosion rocked the area.

“Go! Break through and head for the capital!!”

Dojun kicked into a sprint, but just then—on top of the gate—a new presence appeared.

And this one shone brighter and darker than the rest.

“That aura… It’s different. This one’s a major threat.”

Suddenly, something formed in the air and shot toward Dojun at high speed.

“Watch out!!”

Albedo shouted.

“A spell.”

Timed perfectly with the cultist wave—Albedo couldn’t intercept it.

A normal player would’ve been hit.

But Dojun spun to the side, evading with precision.

Watching from behind, Albedo exhaled a relieved breath.

Standing atop the wall was a man in a white robe with a staff adorned with a large blue gem.

“Rikel!!”

Royal Court Mage Rikel.

Albedo wasn’t the only pillar of power in the kingdom.

Rikel was his equal—a powerful mage known for his betrayal during the final capital battle in [Lost Land].

He was a well-known demon worshipper and infamous for backstabbing players when they least expected it.

Rikel looked surprised that Dojun had dodged.

He floated gently to the ground using magic.

“To evade that… You’re no ordinary adventurer.”

“You’re in league with the demons, too!?”

Albedo’s face twisted with rage.

Rikel returned the glare with cold disdain.

“Albedo, I never liked musclebound fools like you. Humans are weak. Finite. They must evolve. Rebirth into a higher species is essential.”

“Still spouting that mad nonsense, I see.”

“Albedo, if you accept the blessing of the great demon Diabolos, you’ll see things differently. I’ll give you one last chance.”

“Shut the hell up!!”

Rikel clicked his tongue in disappointment.

“Shame. With your strength, you could’ve been Diabolos’s left hand. I, of course, would be the right.”

“I’ll cut you down where you stand!!”

Albedo vanished in a flash, rushing toward Rikel.

But the mage left a fading afterimage and reappeared a distance away.

“Seems I’ll need to toy with you first. Delphiero!”

“Yes, Lord Rikel!”

“I’ll handle Albedo. You go after the ring.”

“Understood!!”

Now Dojun was the primary target.

If he got caught—it was game over.

“Trust me and run, adventurer!!”

Albedo roared.

This was no longer a simple chase.

Dojun had to actively evade and create a path forward while Albedo blocked only the deadliest of threats.

That was the only way this quest was even remotely fair.

“But is this really enough?”

Once they reached the capital, the story would move to counterattacking the demon invasion.

Dojun guessed that capturing or eliminating the traitors was the key to earning the [Ancient Jewel], a reward not given in the default route.

“Which means… Delphiero and Rikel probably have one.”

Sure, he could follow the story and take them down later.

But Dojun never liked waiting.

“Why take the long way around?”

As an assassin, he’d always opted for risky shortcuts if it meant a faster resolution.

And now was no different.

“This seems doable.”

“Adventurer! If that ring falls into demon hands, humanity will be lost! Protect it until I return to the capital!!”

Albedo shouted again.

Dojun nodded and sprinted toward the gate without hesitation.

“This is the turning point.”

The fall of Behera Castle had been due to internal betrayal—not overwhelming force.

With the ring, the humans could identify infiltrators and change the tide of war.

This was the core of the Lost Land’s opening storyline.

He has to escape now.

Clearly, this arc’s about protecting the ring.

Yeah, and once he has it, mistakes don’t cost as much thanks to save points and revive coins.

This is the key moment.

Everyone watching believed Dojun would make it out.

“Die!!”

A cultist lunged from the side.

Dojun dodged the dagger, plunged his own blade into the man’s throat, and kept moving.

He cut through the chaos, finally reaching the broken gate.

But then—blue light flashed.

A teleportation spell—Rikel appeared before him.

“Wind Cutter.”

Albedo tried to intercept, but Rikel slipped away and fired the spell at Dojun.

“This is where Albedo usually saves me.”

But Dojun didn’t slow down.

Instead, he sped up, charging straight toward Rikel.

At the exact moment of impact, he twisted his body and evaded the spell with pinpoint timing.

Both Rikel and Albedo stared in shock.

“He dodged that!?”

“He dodged that!?”

“The proper way to play this was probably just slipping past Rikel here.”

Dojun had been analyzing their battle patterns even as he ran.

And now—he’d identified a weakness.

“Let me give you all a tip. Rikel needs 1.5 seconds to cast a spell, 2 seconds to cast Shield, and 2.5 seconds for teleportation.”

???

What is he talking about lol

Dude stop talking and just RUN

At that moment, it had been less than a second since Rikel appeared.

And Dojun was less than 2 seconds away.

“Not enough time to kill him in close combat.”

Rikel was focused on Albedo and hadn’t even registered Dojun as a threat.

That opened a fatal window.

Instead of running past him, Dojun pulled a dagger from his coat and threw it.

WHIPWHIPWHIP—THUD!!

The dagger spun through the air and embedded itself deep in Rikel’s forehead.

His eyes widened in disbelief.

He collapsed—dead—without ever understanding what happened.

“Killing a mage is simple. Just get to them before they finish casting. Easy, right?”

Even Albedo, stunned silent, stared at Dojun with his jaw hanging open—along with the entire chat watching in real time.