Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
The City of Dionysus (1)
Majesty Yu Jae-ha narrowed his eyes.
“A Rulebook?”
Although it was only a voice, this was the first time the Rulebook had spoken to them first.
“What the hell? Where are you?”
[As if I'd tell you that. First, would you hear out my proposal?]
“What is it?”
The voice continued.
[I'd like you to stop interfering with this city. No more than this.]
Ju-Heon remained silent.
[I'll compensate you. With something quite valuable. Unlike last time, I'm not being forced into it—I’m making the offer first.]
[What do you think? Not a bad deal, right? ♥]
At that moment, Majesty Yu Jae-ha coldly cut in.
“Don't listen to it. It's plotting something again.”
The Rulebook's tone instantly changed.
Its voice hardened.
[Shut up, Yu Jae-ha.]
It addressed Ju-Heon directly.
[Don't listen to him, Seo Ju-Heon.]
[That Majesty... turned his friends and family into dolls. You'll end up the same way.]
An icy silence settled over them.
[Don't act like some great creator... after throwing me away.]
The corner of Majesty Yu Jae-ha's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly.
Silence lingered.
Ju-Heon glanced sideways at Majesty Yu Jae-ha.
Jae-ha did not avoid his gaze.
Nor did he deny it.
He simply stared quietly into the distance, as though looking at something long buried in the past.
Ju-Heon watched that expression for a moment before looking away.
[Damn perfectionist.]
Jae-ha said nothing.
His expression never changed.
Then—
“Rulebook.”
[Yes?]
“So what's the reward?”
The Rulebook fell speechless for a moment.
Majesty Yu Jae-ha also looked at Ju-Heon.
Ju-Heon's expression remained completely casual.
“I asked what the reward is.”
[You like raiding relics, don't you? Then I'll tell you about a world that's perfect for invading.]
“Hah.”
“Then give me back my daughter.”
[T-That's not within my authority.]
“Then let me enter Amaterasu's Cave.”
[Are you insane?!]
“Why?”
[...You're basically a level 1 trying to challenge a level 100!]
“So?”
Flustered, the Rulebook answered.
Ju-Heon's eyes sharpened as if telling it to stop talking nonsense.
“Then give me back my subordinate's heart.”
[U-Unfortunately... one of the Executors has already taken that heart.]
[…Ah, right! That's actually for the best! You can't go there at your current level anyway, so I'll tell you about an easier world instead...♥]
Ju-Heon chuckled.
“I think you've got the wrong idea.”
[Huh?]
“You hate me.”
“But this time, you offered compensation first.”
“Then why are you trying so hard to stop me?”
[...Because the city's getting completely destroyed. It's ruining the scenery.]
“The scenery?”
Ju-Heon smirked.
Then his eyes turned cold.
“So that means...”
He slowly looked around the city.
“The Rulebook actually cares about appearances?”
[...]
“You're offering compensation before I even ask.”
“That means there's something in this city.”
“You're trying to keep me from digging it up.”
[…There's nothing like that.]
“Liar.”
[There isn't.]
The Rulebook was at a loss for words.
[...Seriously, this guy.]
Ju-Heon grinned.
“So there is something.”
“Guess I'll go rip out the Core.”
[No! I'll give you the reward, so just go back to your original world!]
[...]
Ju-Heon smiled.
The Rulebook fell silent.
Ignoring that silence, Ju-Heon turned to Majesty Yu Jae-ha.
“So every world has something hidden in it.”
“Do you know where this world's Core is?”
Those bastards are desperate to stop me from reaching Amaterasu's Cave and the other worlds.
Sure enough, for the first time, the Rulebook's voice rose sharply.
Majesty Yu Jae-ha stared at Ju-Heon for a moment before slowly curling his lips into a smile.
“…I think I do.”
[Go back to your original world! I'll even give your world a protective relic—]
[W-Wait a second—!!]
Just as expected, the Rulebook was flustered.
For the first time, it truly panicked.
Ju-Heon spoke.
“Then tell me who the Supreme Divine Relics are.”
[!!!]
The Rulebook was visibly shaken.
Even Majesty Yu Jae-ha looked surprised.
It made sense.
Relics all had strengths and weaknesses. Once you knew their identities, you could begin figuring out how to counter them.
And the identities of the Supreme Divine Relics were unknown even to all the Majesties.
“You're asking for that...?”
[...Their identities are beyond my authority—!]
“Then I'll rip this world's Core out.”
[...]
“I'll give you three seconds.”
[…Fine. I'll tell you secretly. But don't touch this city.]
“Deal.”
[Ra, Vishnu, Enki, and Nüwa.]
The corners of Ju-Heon's lips rose.
That was enough.
Now he simply needed to obtain relics capable of exploiting their weaknesses.
“Now for the next reward.”
[W-What?! Wasn't that enough already?!]
“Should I smash the Core after all?”
[W-What do you want?!]
“Tell me one thing.”
“The Executor who took Yu Jae-ha's heart.”
[Fine. I'll tell you exactly one thing.]
[Bitrain!]
“Bitrain?”
[He's one of the Twelve Executors! He has a fragment of Yu Jae-ha's heart!]
“Good. Then the next reward.”
[Hey! Why are you asking for another reward—]
“Why? Because you only told me about one Executor.”
[Huh?! You said one was enough!]
“Come on. That doesn't balance the books.”
[This is driving me crazy!]
“Since you only told me about one of them... for the very last reward, tell me why you came to this city yourself.”
[...] I really can't tell you that!
“Then the Core—”
[…It's because of the Nile!!]
“The Nile?”
The one mentioned in Julian's law book?
Ju-Heon chuckled.
“Good. Since you answered with a riddle and only said 'the Nile'—”
[I'll just explain what the Nile is, so stop—]
“Oh, now you're trying to tell me something I didn't even ask about.”
“So for the final, final reward—”
Damn it, stop already!!
[Noah's Powder Fire Extinguisher] (Small Treasure-Class Relic)
Durability: 981/1000
- Recreates the Great Flood that regresses civilization.
Meanwhile, the city was in an uproar.
All because of Ju-Heon.
“Hahahahaha! Then this means I can legally smash public property now!”
CRACK!
A streetlamp split apart.
Glittering gemstones came crashing down.
[The function of the Pillar (Civilization) has been reset.]
[Durability: 0/83,784,783]
The Rulebook had gone silent.
Meanwhile, Ju-Heon swung a bright red fire extinguisher and smashed another streetlamp in the plaza.
It looked like an ordinary extinguisher.
But the emblem of the Ark was clearly engraved across its surface.
“Nice! Look at that durability dropping! You're next!”
Watching him, Majesty Yu Jae-ha frowned.
“…You're using something meant to put out fires as a club?”
“You psycho.”
Ju-Heon spun once before charging toward another structure with the extinguisher raised.
When he'd fought Satyr, he'd been deadly serious.
Anyone could feel the rage driving him as he searched for his daughter.
But now...
Why was he acting like such a delinquent?
...Is he hiding his anger?
“More importantly, didn't you promise the Rulebook you wouldn't destroy the city?”
...No.
That couldn't be it.
Just then, Ju-Heon spoke.
Then he flashed a shameless grin.
“I'm not destroying it.”
“This relic was made by you, wasn't it?”
“So that means you're destroying it.”
“Not me.”
“Just bear with it. This is all for Julian's restoration.”
“Hah. As if that ridiculous argument would ever—”
...Seriously?
He's actually shifting the blame like that?
Jae-ha rubbed his forehead.
Sure enough—
[Wait! Wait! WAIT!!]
“That's right.”
“I promised I wouldn't destroy the city.”
The Rulebook's voice descended from the sky once again.
Ju-Heon slung the extinguisher over his shoulder and grinned.
[You promised you wouldn't touch the city!]
“I'm not destroying it.”
[What are you talking about?!]
“A relic made by Yu Jae-ha is destroying everything.”
“I'm just holding it.”
[…Do you seriously think that makes sense?!]
“Logically, it does.”
[IT DOESN'T!!!]
“Yu Jae-ha's the one destroying everything.”
[…This guy, I swear!!!]
Ignoring the Rulebook completely, Ju-Heon happily continued wrecking the place.
“Hahahaha! You're next!”
The Rulebook screamed.
[It was a promise! A promise!!]
[I gave you everything you wanted! Why are you still smashing things?!]
“Oh, right.”
Ju-Heon finally stopped.
If things worked out, he'd probably be able to upgrade the Egyptian relics he possessed.
“You still haven't explained what the Nile is.”
[…I told you I was about to!]
“Did you?”
“I don't remember.”
[Seriously!!!]
[The Nile... is a transportation relic!]
“A transportation relic?”
Ju-Heon's eyes turned cold.
Just as he'd expected.
He'd figured that if he kept destroying things, the Rulebook would eventually come back.
And while it did—
He intended to squeeze every last piece of information out of it.
“What does it transport?”
“And for whom?”
[That's...!]
BANG!!
At that exact moment, Ju-Heon's fire extinguisher slammed into a transport vehicle.
Majesty Yu Jae-ha sighed.
“Speaking of which, what exactly is the Nile?”
“A relic?”
“You've really done it this time...”
If it was called the Nile...
It was almost certainly no ordinary relic.
The transport vehicle's door swung open.
Ju-Heon glanced inside.
There were people.
People?
Every one of them was unconscious.
Unlike the NPCs who had collapsed in madness...
These people had been bound.
Their wrists bore branded markings.
They're grading people like livestock?
And sending them through the Nile?
Ju-Heon picked up the wrist of one unconscious child.
The child looked about the same age as the daughter he'd seen in his dream.
[E-Rank / Awaiting Transport via the Nile]
[D-Rank / Awaiting Transport via the Nile]
[C-Rank / Awaiting Transport via the Nile]
[F-Rank / Disposal]
Ju-Heon's gaze turned icy.
Majesty Yu Jae-ha walked over and inspected the transport vehicle.
Ju-Heon stopped walking.
“...They've been selling people in this city?”
“What?”
Still holding the child's wrist, Ju-Heon froze.
E-Rank...
The day his daughter disappeared flashed through his mind.
She had never even been born...
Yet somehow she had been transported elsewhere.
“Rulebook.”
[…Yes?]
“You said the Nile is a transportation relic.”
“Then... was my daughter transported the same way?”
[…That's—]
“Answer me.”
She was transferred somewhere else.
He'd never understood what those words meant.
He'd suspected some relic had been responsible...
But—
The Rulebook said nothing.
For the first time, Ju-Heon's eyes became frighteningly cold.
“Tell me where the Nile is.”
“…The Nile.”
[...]
Ju-Heon slowly stood up.
Silence was answer enough.
He picked up the fire extinguisher.