Episode 156 No. 471 Correspondence Table (6)
After a short rest, the group crossed the third hill and reached their destination.
“Thank you for your hard work. Here’s the reward I promised.”
Kang Pyo-du handed over a heavy pouch to each of the ronin standing in line.
The faces of those who opened the pouch half in doubt and half in disbelief were filled with joy because the inside was completely filled with silver.
Soon the line got shorter and it was Go Hyun-woo’s turn.
“Here you are. You really worked hard.”
However, the object he handed us was not a pouch, but four small, faintly glowing boxes.
[Corresponding Table Random Box (D)] *4
And naturally, Go Pyo-du moves on to the next Ronin.
No one in the room seemed to find this strange.
Go Hyun-woo let out a bitter laugh.
“Every time this happens, I realize that all these things that seem so different from reality are actually illusions created by the dungeon.”
“It’s a sad thing.”
What would it be like to be a puppet in an endlessly repeating puppet show?
Go Hyun-woo said while looking around carefully.
“It’s a bit sad and a bit disappointing. But they’re comrades who have been through thick and thin together, so it’s amazing that they’re forgotten once the dungeon resets.”
“That’s not necessarily true.”
“… … ?”
Even if there are no direct dungeon connections, such as a countermeasure country-countermeasure line, in the case of dungeons that are tied together as one large story, my actions can have a large or small impact on the subsequent dungeons.
for example,
“Kim A-woo.”
The relationships built with characters like Jwidol and Eokul-i continue.
I asked them.
“Yes, brothers. Are you leaving?”
“For the time being, I’m going to focus on training. I thought my skills were not lacking in anything, but this time, I felt quite a bit.”
“I hope that both of you will achieve great success in your martial arts.”
“Thank you. See you later, Kim A-woo.”
After exchanging a brief farewell, Jwidol and Eokul left without looking back.
Go Hyun-woo couldn’t take his eyes off their backs as they walked away for a long time.
“How strange… … .”
“what?”
“Those two people. Their airways themselves don’t seem that strong, but I would say their vessels seem large… … It’s hard to define.”
I smiled brightly.
“You have good taste. You will become legends in the future.”
“Is that true?”
“okay.”
Although Jwidol and Eokul are not main characters, they appear quite often in related dungeons.
He is what is called a super supporting actor.
Moreover, his skills are still quite useful, and as the story progresses, he becomes even stronger.
“Later, he even got a nickname. Ronin Invincible.”
“Oh… … !”
“Remember it well, because we will see each other often.”
“How could I forget?”
Go Hyun-woo’s eyes sparkled with interest.
– Krrrr… … .
At that moment, the sound of something collapsing rang in my ears.
As the raid was completed, the dungeon began to slowly collapse and reconstruct.
I have to get out before it’s too late, but there’s still work to be done before that.
“Aren’t you curious about what’s in the carriage?”
“Of course I was curious. But Brother Kim has a mischievous side too. Why did you leave that out in the strategy book?”
“I should save this for last. I’ll tell you now.”
The identity of the object.
The countermeasure bureau was already in a state of considerable turmoil when we first participated in the temporary recruitment, but they still tried to gather ronin and transport the items by any means necessary, even at the cost of increased expenses.
And what about the Demonic Cult?
Not only did they deploy guerrillas to manipulate the target, but they also mobilized a powerful military group called the King of Hell to try to steal the target.
And in the process, as the resistance of the Ronins was stronger than expected, they did not even hesitate to engage in wheeled combat while continuing to suffer damage.
What is the true identity of the substitute that makes you go to such lengths?
“… … !”
Go Hyun-woo was focusing all his attention on me, as if he was very curious about the next answer.
But there was one last thing I needed to show you.
I took out the random boxes from my inventory one by one and gathered a total of four in one place.
“There are a total of 7 random boxes that can be obtained from [Correspondence Table].”
The maximum number of items awarded by Kang Pyo-du as a clear reward is 4.
If a carriage is damaged or there are casualties, the number will decrease accordingly.
Additionally, when you defeat King of Hell, 2 are dropped as a bonus, and 1 is dropped from Jo Pyo-du.
Instead of dropping items, the lord will give you a piece of Jangbodo if you grab him by the collar and threaten him.
“And when you collect four of them and open them inside the dungeon,”
– Click,
As I opened the cover of one of the random boxes, black smoke rose from inside.
The smoke covered the rest of the random boxes, and they changed shape here and there as if kneading dough.
After a while, when the smoke cleared, there was another box in the place of the four random boxes.
A very old piece of pottery with cracks here and there.
The amulets were stuck all over the place and were even tied with gold strings.
[Bonmaham (B)]
Go Hyun-woo’s gaze deepened.
“Is this the true identity of the object?”
“okay.”
“Hmm, it looks unusual at first glance. What is it used for?”
“It’s literal.”
Sealed magic box.
It is a porcelain that has been pressed down and sealed to condense magical energy to its limit.
It is not only useless to ordinary people, but it is also harmful, but to those who have mastered magic, it is like an elixir of time.
“And there was a lot of stuff like this in the carriage.”
“Indeed. Even if there was only one, it would be enormous, but if there were many, it would be understandable why the Demonic Cult would rush in with their eyes wide open. They will never give up in the future either.”
“Never.”
In this event, since Go Hyun-woo and I were guarding the target, King Yeom had no choice but to retreat.
They are the kind of guys who will even risk death for the sake of their goal, but if the difference in power is too great, it’s just a dog’s death.
However, this is literally just a temporary retreat, and the Demonic Cult’s attacks will continue.
Also, the next raid will bring a strong master who can deal with me and Go Hyun-woo.
Go Hyun-woo spoke as if he was talking to himself.
“If we do that, the Sealed Demon will end up in the hands of the Demonic Cult.”
“That’s how it is in the story. We can’t always intervene.”
“If there are many Seals, then creating one armed group would not be a problem… … But would that be enough?”
The Demonic Cult has already been defeated in the Great Battle of Jeongma, has been torn apart into numerous groups, and has sunk below the surface.
That’s why the seal was taken away.
But the question is whether the situation can be reversed by creating a new armed force in a very weak state.
I shrugged.
“Of course not.”
“What are they trying to achieve?”
“You got one thing wrong. They don’t need a military group. They need a focal point.”
“… … !”
Go Hyun-woo raised his eyebrows as if he realized something.
Because we focused on the large number of seals, we only thought about using them to create a ‘military group’.
“What if we focused the magic of all those seals on just one person?”
“… … A truly great master will be born.”
“Yes. The Black Death Room is similar.”
We came out secretly using tricks and only took the money, but the original story of Heuksabang is as follows.
The Black Snake and the White Snake took control of the Black Snake Area, and were capturing the youth of the area to teach them the great law of the Demonic Cult.
With just this half-completed Great Law, he was able to obtain a body close to immortality, and in fact, he was able to take several direct hits from the Inferno Fist without even flinching.
But his ultimate goal is not to become stronger himself,
“They are casting the Great Law on the masters who will complete it.”
“Indeed. Now the picture is starting to form.”
A demonic cult that is scattered throughout the Central Plains and active in secret.
What they all wish for is the same.
The return of the one and only absolute master who will unite the divided demonic sect once again.
“And group the dungeons related to this together—”
The Feathered Serpent Altar and Temple are tied together as one large story called ‘The Descent of the Feathered Serpent through Human Sacrifice Ritual’.
Therefore, the related dungeons are grouped together and called the [Feather Serpent Descent] series.
Likewise, dungeons including the Black Sand Room and the Countermeasures Room are grouped together—
“—It’s called the [Cheonma Jaerim] series.”
* * *
As we exited the teleportation portal, Shin Byeong-cheol emerged from hiding and greeted us.
Yawning with your mouth wide open.
“Ugh— I came out.”
“What time is it now?”
“Six thirty.”
Because it was a dungeon that took longer to clear than regular dungeons, I entered it yesterday afternoon but it didn’t finish until the morning.
Still, it came out a little earlier than expected.
I exchanged glances with Ko Hyun-woo and nodded almost simultaneously.
“I think it would be perfect to have a quick snack, eat breakfast, and then go to class.”
“I think one small circumference of the heavens would be enough.”
“Are they really crazy… … .”
Shin Byeong-cheol was astonished at the excessive behavior of the practitioners.
You must have been fighting fiercely in the dungeon, but you came out and had a lucky breakfast.
On top of that, you even provide mentoring in class.
Go Hyun-woo answered with a solemn attitude.
“The road to becoming a master is long and arduous. This is just a part of the long journey. Isn’t that right, Brother Kim?”
“What Go Pyo-du said is correct.”
When I struck the janggu, Shin Byeong-cheol shook his head.
“I see. You two are really good at killing each other. You must be happy.”
“Haha, don’t be like that. I also have some news that will make you happy, Hyung Shin.”
“… … What is it? No, what is it, customers~?”
Since the news that would make Shin Byeong-cheol happy was almost certain, his tone immediately became more friendly.
As expected, what came out of Go Hyun-woo’s inventory was an E-rank random box obtained during the last countermeasures.
“Thank you for your hard work since early in the morning, Shin Hyung.”
“Oh my, customers, thank you for all this. Thank you. Thank you.”
Shin Byeong-cheol rubbed his hands together with a big smile on his face.
Then he quickly takes the random box and asks while holding the lid.
“… … Open it right away?”
“It’s up to Shin Hyung to decide when to open it, but… … is that okay?”
Last time, I opened it right after receiving it and a Grade F wooden cup came out.
But Shin Byeong-cheol smiled confidently.
“Hey, what you did back then was just a fluke, this is the real thing. Look carefully. I’ll show you exactly… … . Did you see the rainbow-colored gold?”
Shin Byeong-cheol opened the random box forcefully.
– Click,
[Corresponding Table Teacup (F)]
“… … .”
Shin Byeong-cheol blinked his eyes, looking down at his teacup.
I quietly patted his shoulder.
“Your collection has grown.”
“life.”
