Chapter 256: Episode 256

Chapter 68: The Mana Crystal

[The Tartan Raid Party has been annihilated.]

The raiders, teleported by the Forced Location Shift, were all dead. The Mercenary King had aimed to conquer the dungeon, but he met a futile end fighting not dungeon soldiers, but enraged beastmen.

“As expected of you, Sir Taehyun,” Edchan said, his voice filled with awe. “This butler, Edchan, is once again left speechless with admiration.”

“With this, the pests are gone. And I managed to inflict some damage on the beastmen as a bonus, so it’s a clean finish,” Taehyun said. “You need to drop by Balak for some training every now and then. Your senses must have dulled a bit after sitting in the labyrinth for so long.”

“It would be an honor. But what do you plan to do about the labyrinth?”

“I’ll have to go check on it after I finish what I started,” Taehyun replied. “I’ll be back, so just clean things up here.”

“Understood!”

Taehyun checked the report on his soldiers’ losses and stood. Although he had lost some of the Pargal clan and other S-rank soldiers, Edchan was a supporter who had only ever managed the labyrinth. He couldn’t reprimand the man for defending the dungeon in his absence. With that, Taehyun once again used Hyuk Lee’s dungeon to travel to the East.

—

[You have entered Ramus, the home of the beastmen.]

A section of the village had been devastated. The Mercenary King’s hidden skill must have been incredibly powerful, as dozens of beastmen lay dead. The chieftains, caught off guard by the raiders’ sudden appearance, had clearly been unable to respond in time.

“You demon baaaaastard!” Pinyas, the chieftain of the fox tribe, shrieked with fury.

Taehyun casually ignored her, revealing his entire army.

“Kumakuma!”

“Have I finally been given a chance to use Permanent Freeze on an enemy?”

“Black Mist is on standby at all times.”

He had brought everyone—not only the main forces that had been fighting on the Revived Plains but all his other units as well. With S-rank soldiers flanking him on both sides, it was a force capable of waging a full-scale war. The tables had completely turned from when he was their prisoner. Taehyun fiddled with the Skill Steal item and leveled his gaze at Hasla.

“Now it seems the tables have turned, don’t you think?” Taehyun said coolly. “Do you really think you can stop all this power by yourself?”

“…What is it that you want?” Hasla asked, his voice strained.

“Ah, before I answer that, you need to answer my question first. Why did you lock me in prison instead of killing me right away? There must have been something you wanted.”

“I merely intended to use you as a hostage to exterminate the demons,” Hasla admitted with a dry laugh. “But to think it would lead to this. I suppose I’ve grown old. Hoho.”

Using a demon to take revenge on demons. Sequestered in their jungle, he was completely unaware of the power struggles among the Demon King candidates. For the great chieftain of the beastmen, it was an incredibly foolish plan. However, having been treated like a monster for no reason, Taehyun couldn’t care less about their circumstances. He took out a contract and brought up the Guide.

“I will take the Guide’s Test,” he declared. “Not the test that guy Kaid took, but the true test to become the Guide. If I pass, you will all be subjugated to Balak.”

“I do not know what kind of dungeon Balak is, but you are ignorant,” Hasla scoffed. “Do you believe a demon can become the guide for other races?”

“We won’t know until I try, will we? How about it? I won’t attack you right now. Just let me take the test. I’ll even write in the contract that I will withdraw if I fail.”

“Hoho. Don’t regret it.”

At last, the great chieftain agreed. Some of the other beastmen immediately protested, but it was no use. Hasla was already approaching to sign the contract.

’Hamolten has no choice but to protect the Forest of Silence, but you all are a different story,’ Taehyun thought with a vicious smirk. ’I’ll work you to the bone for the rest of your lives.’

It was obvious what kind of trials awaited him. Taehyun looked at the chieftains standing behind Hasla, immensely pleased.

—

[Source of Magic]

An ancient temple lay hidden beneath Ramus. Within it rested the Mana Crystal, a source of immense magical power.

“The Mana Crystal will present you with a test,” Hasla explained. “Come closer.”

“Hmm. So this is the Mana Crystal.”

“If you try any tricks, you’ll be swallowed by its magic, so be careful.”

“We signed a contract. You don’t think I’d do that, do you?”

Golden mana pulsed through the chamber. Just standing near the crystal, he could feel the tremendous waves of power. Taehyun placed his hand on its surface and began the test.

[Pride of Fire]

A rune word materialized in the air—the clue for the first test. Hasla stroked his beard and began to interpret it with a smug air.

“Hoho. The first trial is to bring the representative of the dwarves. It will take a very long time to find the dwarves hiding somewhere in the West. With this, your test is as good as failed.”

“Hmm. The representative of the dwarves, you say?”

“There’s no point in thinking about it. Hurry up and leave Ramus…”

“Raviz, summon the shorty.”

Just as the great chieftain was about to render his judgment, Tuperus appeared inside the temple. He must have been in the middle of crafting an ancient artifact, as he held parts and a hammer in his hands.

“Dammit! I’m busy as hell! Why’d you summon me again, you demon!”

“T-Tuperus?” Hasla stammered.

“Huh? Hasla, what are you doing here? And where is this place?”

“Hah. What in the world…”

As representatives of their respective races, they knew each other. Taehyun pointed at Tuperus and explained the situation.

“Oh, he lives in Balak. He’s been a great help in many ways. The dwarves of the Rough Rock tribe are more amazing than I expected.”

“Hmph. Indeed,” Tuperus preened. “The pride of our Rough Rock tribe is something even a demon can appreciate. Balak only runs because of us.”

“…The first trial is passed,” Hasla conceded, his voice tight.

With Tuperus himself acknowledging it, there was no taking it back. Hasla acknowledged the Pride of Fire and announced that the first trial was complete.

—

[Guardian of Nature]

Soon, the rune for the second trial appeared. This time, the clue was related to nature, the opposite of fire. Hasla’s stern expression relaxed, replaced by a confident smile.

“Hahahaha! This time, something you can never achieve has appeared. The Guardian of Nature refers to the High Elves. There’s no way those fastidious High Elves, holed up in the South because of slave hunters, would ever leave their forest. This time, you will surely admit defeat, demon!”

The elves had hidden themselves in the Forest of Spirits to escape the wars of men. There was no way they, protectors of the World Tree, would ever step outside its bounds. Worse, their extreme hatred for humans and demons alike made it unthinkable for one to ever belong to a dungeon.

“The High Elves, not the Elder?”

“Just elves are tricky enough, but where would you find High Elves? Enslaved elves don’t count, so just give up and go…”

“Raviz.”

Just as the great chieftain was waving his hand dismissively, a woman with pointed ears appeared in the temple. She must have been sitting in a tree picking fruit, as she held a ’hemil’ in one hand.

“Oh my. Where am I?” Neru asked, blinking.

“This is the ancient temple of the beastmen. I summoned you because I suddenly needed you. You weren’t busy, were you?”

“Ah, Sir Taehyun, you needed me! Thank you for calling for me. By the way, who is that beastman?”

“Say hello. This is the great chieftain of the beastmen, Hasla. He’s a very distinguished leader.”

Hasla’s expression, so relaxed just a moment ago, hardened into a mask of disbelief. Taehyun curled his lips into a smirk. Although she wasn’t the High Elf representative, Sapaella, Neru was a Guardian of Nature all the same. Neru, despite hearing his title, paid Hasla no mind and offered the half-eaten fruit to Taehyun.

“Please try this. Unlike other hemils, this one is perfectly ripe and very sweet.”

“You already took a bite out of this one.”

“Is there a problem? I was sure you would be happy if I gave you a gift.”

“Ugh. I get it, just back up a little.”

Now he was being ignored by a High Elf. Hasla stared blankly at Neru’s strange display of affection, completely dumbfounded.

—

“Alright. What trial could be left?” Taehyun asked. “The hobbits are extinct, so there can’t be any other races.”

“…Ahem. Just place your hand on the Mana Crystal,” Hasla grumbled.

Following the dwarves, the High Elves were also revealed to be part of Balak. With only the beastmen left, there was no one else to summon. Yet Hasla refused to quit, giving another instruction. Taehyun found it absurd but decided to play along.

[A Pure and Innocent Being]

The third rune appeared. Unlike the others, this clue was completely ambiguous. It didn’t even seem to be a race from the continent. Hasla glanced at Taehyun and then shouted.

“A pure and innocent being is a fairy! The Fairy King, no less! I wonder if you…”

“Mederia, have the Fairy King descend.”

“I understand.”

The Fairy King Pesilin could be temporarily manifested through Mederia’s special ability.

“Did you call for me?” a shimmering voice echoed.

A pure and innocent being that could even speak had appeared in the temple. Hasla, who had been watching with forced confidence, stared with his mouth agape in shock.

“Alright. The pure and innocent being is done with,” Taehyun said. “Are you going to acknowledge me as the Guide now…”

“Not yet, not yet!” Hasla insisted desperately.

“Tsk. Go on, keep trying.”

The trials were now demanding beings from other dimensions, and the difficulty was escalating absurdly.

[A Celestial Being]

The fourth rune appeared. Like the Fairy King, it was a being that couldn’t exist on this continent. He didn’t need Hasla’s interpretation to know it meant an angel. Taehyun’s expression hardened as he glared at the old beastman.

“Are you kidding me? Is this Mana Crystal really giving the tests itself?”

“O-Of course! Although they are not a race from this continent, fairies and angels are other races as well. Now. What will you do? It’s impossible for a demon to bring an angel into their dungeon. You should give up and leave Ramus now.”

“You’re sweating bullets,” Taehyun pointed out. “Nervous?”

“Ahem. It’s unusually stuffy in the temple today,” Hasla blustered. “I can never get used to the heat of the East.”

A beastman who had lived his entire life in the jungle complaining about the heat? He was a terrible liar. Taehyun glared at him for a moment before laying down an ultimatum.

“This is the last one, right? If I summon an angel, you have to immediately acknowledge me as the Guide. Otherwise, I’ll destroy this place as stated in the contract.”

It was the final clause. If he displayed sufficient qualifications but was still not acknowledged, he would declare all-out war. Hasla managed a stiff nod.

“I-Isn’t that obvious? This is, without a doubt, the final trial. Now, hurry up and summon an angel, demon!”

“Raviz!”

He had already figured it out. Hasla was making up the trials himself. Now that he had declared with his own mouth that this was the final trial, he had no more excuses left.

[A-rank hero guardian, Pioneer of Space Raviz, casts Great Summon.]

[Crybaby Eclat, who was inside Balak, is summoned into the temple.]

Soon, an angel with a pair of brilliant wings appeared. Eclat must have been in the middle of eating cake, as she held a fork and beamed with happiness.

“So sweet… huh?”

“Eclat. Come here.”

“H-Hueh. Where am I?”

Taehyun pulled Eclat close and gestured to her back. They were the sublime wings of a true angel, not mere decorations, and a unique holy power radiated from them. There was nothing more to argue about. Hasla collapsed onto the floor, his face a mask of utter despair.

“A demon… with an angel. Impossible.”

“You can’t believe it even when you see it with your own eyes?” Taehyun sneered. “Go on. Keep making up runes with your stupid trick. You’ve got nothing left, do you?”

“Oh… Guide.”

“Yeah,” Taehyun said, his voice dripping with contempt. “I’m the goddamn Guide, you bastard.”

It was the moment he was acknowledged not as a demon, but as a Guide.

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