Episode 38
038. Bedlam
The acidic mucus also served as a lubricant, making the Earthworm’s body flexible and allowing it to burrow freely underground. What if that mucus were neutralized and hardened? The creature would become defenseless for a time, unable to escape into the earth.
‘I can solve Parakel’s quest and Dusar’s quest simultaneously. A classic case of killing two birds with one stone.’
Parakel seemed to view the Corrupted Earthworm merely as a pesky obstacle to be driven away. Ironically, the item Parakel provided became the key to solving Dusar’s quest.
‘Even if I made it, I couldn’t have produced an item of this quality. This makes things easier.’
The city quest from Dusar. And Parakel’s profession quest. Perhaps they could be solved simultaneously.
“I hope I’m not burdening you with a trivial task… I’m a bit worried.”
“Not at all. I’ll definitely return within three days.”
“Good, don’t push yourself too hard!”
Only three days remained. Without further delay, Golden Hand set off straight for the deepest part of the Kratum mines.
Thud!
Clang!
Clang-clang-clang!
The lively sound of hammers echoed throughout Kratum, wherever one went. But recently, shadows that didn’t fit this vibrant city had begun to seep in. They didn’t visit forges or trade minerals. They just huddled in dark alleys and tavern corners, waiting for something.
At ‘The Rusty Pickaxe’, a tavern located in the most remote part of Kratum, a man slammed his mug down roughly at a corner table and growled.
“Damn it, he’s still sneaking around like a rat.”
His nickname was ‘Nachael’. The elite field commander of the Asura Guild. His snake-like, slender, and cunning eyes scanned the players passing by outside the tavern window.
“Boss, aren’t you being too sensitive? Their objective is probably the same as ours anyway.”
The guild member sitting beside him spoke casually. But Nachael snorted derisively.
“The same objective? Not a chance. They’re just a pack of hyenas competing over prey.”
“How are we any different? Our target is… him too, right?”
“Did we come here to recruit him? Get your head straight! Don’t forget our objective.”
As he said this, Nachael’s gaze turned toward a group of players walking boldly across the street. They were uniformly armed with gleaming armor and well-forged weapons. As if they had no intention of hiding their affiliation, the two characters ‘Yeokcheon (逆天, Reverse Heaven)’ were clearly emblazoned on their chests.
“Yeokcheon bastards… They have an incredible nose for the scent of money, but they’re idiots who stubbornly insist on frontal assaults.”
Nachael clicked his tongue. The Yeokcheon Guild. Led by Kang Moo-jin and backed by the immense financial power of HS Group, a mega-guild solidly holding the server’s number one ranking. Their movements were always unrestrained and bold, as if there was nothing money couldn’t solve.
“There’s another group besides them, right? The Mirae Group folks.”
“They’re the most annoying. If they charged in openly like the Yeokcheon guys, they’d be easier to deal with… But despite having tons of money, they act so damn sensitive, tsk-.”
Mirae Group. They weren’t a guild but a corporation. A massive capital that entered Leption, viewing it not as a mere game but as a new market. Their intelligence analysis and fund mobilization capabilities were enough to make even the Yeokcheon Guild nervous.
Asura, Yeokcheon, and Mirae Group. Three colossal shadows with different colors were now engaged in a covert intelligence war in Kratum, all aimed at a single target.
Their primary target: Golden Hand.
The eye of the storm currently shaking Repion. The mysterious player who crafted the unbelievable legendary-grade greatsword ‘Moonlight Venomous Serpent Greatsword’. The problem was, his whereabouts were obscure. After making a spear for a player in Kratum, his trace had vanished, nowhere to be found.
“Damn it, where did he disappear to? Did he enter the mines?”
Nachael scratched his head in frustration. Despite using all their intelligence networks, Golden Hand remained elusive, like a mirage. Then, an Asura guild member rushed into the tavern.
“Boss! We found him! Golden Hand’s whereabouts!”
“What? Found him? Where is he?”
“The Ash tooth Mine! We just got a sighting report that someone saw the golem he uses, Iron Walker, at the mine entrance!”
Nakchal’s eyes lit up. He shot up from his seat and commanded.
“All units, move to Ash tooth Mine. We must arrive before the Yeokcheon or Mirae Group bastards. We absolutely cannot miss him this time.”
The shadows of the Asura Guild began moving silently. Catching their movement, the Yeokcheon Guild and Mirae Group also mobilized almost simultaneously. All eyes in Kratum turned toward the Ash tooth Mine. Toward the single blacksmith presumed to be there.
The place Golden Hand headed to was the massive ‘Ash tooth Mine’, the largest in Kratum. The closer he got, the more curses, screams, and threats from those trying to extort items mingled, creating a din louder than a market floor.
“Ah, that son of a bitch stole my ore vein! Get over here!”
“Did you rent this spot? If you’ve got a problem, let’s fight! Who do you think you are, punk, with your low level!”
“Healer needed! 10 gold per heal! No prepayment! Absolutely no scams! Please trust me!”
“That guy’s a scammer! He ditches the party after getting healed! I got fooled yesterday!”
“Damn it! That ‘Ore Merchant’ guy said he was selling ore, then dumped a bunch of junk items and ran! If you see him, tell him I’ll break his pot!”
This place reeked of sweat, dust, rusty iron, and blood—a foul odor that assaulted the nose. The entrance of the Ash tooth Mine, where players gathered, was nothing short of pure bedlam.
Ash tooth Mine.
True to its name, the mine entrance was covered with grotesque stalactites shaped like the sharp teeth of a beast. Located on the outskirts of Kratum, this mine spawned monsters ranging from low to mid-level. Thus, it was one of the popular hunting grounds for players who had just arrived in Kratum.
“Iron ore grinding party! Mentally strong players only!”
“Recruiting guild members! We aim for a family-like atmosphere… Ouch! Don’t step on me!”
“Recovery potions for cheap! Just chug one of these… you know? It’s amazing!”
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The noise, dust, and screams erupting everywhere. The chaotic scene at the extremely crowded Ash Tooth Mine. Golden Hand shook his head.
‘There’s no way the Earthworm would appear in a place like this.’
The Corrupted Earthworm reacted sensitively to vibrations in the earth. But the irregular vibrations and noise created by hundreds of players running around chaotically like this? This environment would only drive the creature deeper underground.
‘We need rhythmic, consistent sound and vibration. Like the sound of a giant heartbeat.’
In his past life’s memory, the crucial point in tackling the Corrupted Earthworm was the Acid Neutralizer. But another point just as important was ‘luring’ it.
‘We have to find it first before we can fight or do anything with it, right?’
It moves through the earth like its own home. If the creature doesn’t show itself, tracking it as a player is nearly impossible.
‘Even if we start mining near the entrance like this, with these players around, it’ll never appear. We need to go deeper, to a quieter place.’
So, Golden Hand pushed through the chaotic crowd and headed for the deep, rarely-visited parts of the mine. There, he planned to start mining with his own rhythm to draw the creature out.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Iron Walker lowered his massive body as much as possible, following behind Golden Hand. The surrounding noise gradually faded, leaving only the intermittent sound of water droplets trickling down the damp cave walls.
Then, a shadow shot out from a crevice in the cave wall. A lizard with skin texture that perfectly blended with the surrounding rock, made of basalt.
[Basalt Skink Lv.28]
“Walker!”
Iron Walker blocked his path with a massive steel arm. An immediate reaction, as if prepared even before Golden Hand’s shout.
Crunch!
Sharp teeth scraped against Iron Walker’s armor, sparking fire, but couldn’t even leave a scratch.
‘Willful Insight!’
In Golden Hand’s vision, the skink’s soft underneck, in contrast to its hard shell, glowed as a red dot. He vaulted over Iron Walker’s shoulder, swinging his hammer.
Thwack!
[Successfully struck a weak point.]
[Critical hit confirmed.]
[Defeated Basalt Skink.]
[Your level has increased! Lv.25]
[Acquired ‘Basalt Fragment’.]
[Acquired ‘Tough Lizard Hide’.]
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But stopping the first ambush was brief; this time, the ground rumbled.
Grrrrr-!
From right beneath their feet, a giant worm with drill-like jaws erupted, kicking up a cloud of dust.
[Rockworm Lv.33]
It tried to wrap around Iron Walker’s leg and drag it underground, but against the colossal Iron Walker, such an attack was futile.
“Walkeeeeer!”
Iron Walker lifted its foot and simply stomped down.
Squelch-!
[Defeated Rockworm.]
[Your level has increased! Lv.26]
[Acquired ‘Rockworm Carapace’.]
[Acquired ‘Chitinous Tooth’.]
[Iron Walker has reached Lv.2.]
[You can now equip additional parts on Iron Walker.]
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