Chapter 128. Achievement (4)
It felt like I had been doused in cold water.
I clenched my teeth, shutting my eyes tightly.
“Damn it.”
I resumed the purification process that had halted at some point, but my Chaos Value had already exceeded 60%.
It was higher than when I took the Promotion Test, reaching a realm I had never experienced before.
The urges for violence, impulsivity, and murder weren’t as intense as I feared.
However, the craving for mana was vivid.
It felt like I had become a beast that could think of only one thing.
My sense of self was being swallowed by the instinct to seek mana.
Sensing the crisis, I immediately threw away my spear and crouched down on the spot.
I clutched my head, engrossed in purification.
It was an act that came purely from an instinct not to lose myself.
“Whew, whew.”
For a while, I focused solely on purifying the corrupted mana.
Gradually, the Chaos Value began to decrease.
Once it dropped to the 50% range, I could think again.
Of course, I still felt surges of anger.
I couldn’t help but wonder why this ordeal felt new every time.
Deep in my heart, resentment and hostility toward the Damned System seemed to feed on the corrupted mana and grow stronger.
Yet, it was better to have such violent impulses boiling over.
At least, it didn’t feel like I was disappearing entirely.
It wasn’t a situation where I could feel at ease.
‘There’s only 7 minutes left.’
I had to purify as much as possible before that timer ran out, or the Chaos Value would rise again.
“Hey, K?”
“Hyung? Are you alright…?”
At that moment, Yang Taeho and Kim Yul emerged cautiously as the Divine Canopy vanished.
But purification was urgent, and I glared at them sharply, waving my hands roughly to send them away.
Understanding my gesture, the two stopped and even actively kept other players from approaching.
Thanks to them, I could focus on purifying without any interference.
“Whew.”
By the time only 2 minutes remained on the timer, my Chaos Value had dropped to the 20% range.
I wasn’t satisfied; I had to purify even faster.
On the map, a blue dot was approaching rapidly.
“What the…?”
The one who appeared on the scorched earth was Shamel.
When our eyes met, my Chaos Value was in the mid-twenties.
I was more rational than before, but it was still hard to consider myself in a normal state.
Perhaps I was a bit irritable, or maybe moodier than usual.
Eventually, even my greeting to Shamel wasn’t polite.
“You’re a bit late. I’ve already taken down the general-rank.”
“What…?”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
I was practically taunting as I rested the spear on my shoulder, stepping over the general’s corpse provocatively.
“What lecture are you planning to give today?”
Shamel started pointing her finger at me, her expression crumpling in anger.
And with her loud, resonant voice, she began her tirade.
“You insolent brat! Just because you’ve taken down a general-rank, you’re full of yourself!”
But I, who had been quite fed up with her nagging tendencies, interrupted halfway through.
“I seriously can’t take it anymore. How about acknowledging when someone does well…?”
“Hahaha! Ah, the moonlight is really beautiful, ain’t it?”
“Oh, count sir, you’ve arrived? Yul was seriously so scared!”
Of course, I couldn’t finish my words properly because Yang Taeho suddenly interrupted, covering my mouth, and Kim Yul stood in front of Shamel, simpering.
I angrily removed Yang Taeho’s hand, glaring at him.
“What is this about?”
“Just don’t pick a fight! You’re not in your right mind because of the Chaos, okay?”
Yang Taeho urgently whispered as he tried to cover my mouth again.
‘I didn’t even pick a fight.’
I merely voiced my complaints, yet here I was, being treated as a brawler.
Just as I was about to express my disbelief, more blue dots appeared on the map.
A dozen or so knights arrived following Shamel. They seemed to be a rescue team.
‘How did they get here so quickly?’
The question lingered for a moment before I could surmise the situation thanks to Shamel’s arrival.
‘That old hag was seconded to the 8th Division.’
The day before, the Order’s army had been assembling its forces to retake Callum’s Castle.
Moving troops was inevitable during such operations.
Shamel’s 8th Division must have been on the move, and if their route wasn’t far from the 4th Division, the current situation made sense.
It wasn’t a rescue team sent by individual orders, but volunteers from nearby garrisons who had heard the news and arrived.
‘Even if we held out with a barrier, it wouldn’t have been dangerous.’
Of course, in that case, I wouldn’t have monopolized as much mana.
‘Even with the power-boosted mana gone, the silver rank shouldn’t be a problem.’
I let out a languid breath and lifted my hand to rub my neck.
It was a habit I often did after a hunt ended.
And as always, when my hand touched my neck, system messages began to appear as if they had been waiting.
「The rescue team has arrived.」
「All escort targets are safe!」
「Congratulations! MISSION – Sub scenario: You have successfully escorted them!」
「You have made a significant contribution to the mission’s success!」
「You are awarded 4800 Main Scenario Contribution Points as a success reward.」
It was an official announcement that the nighttime raid had ended safely.
But not everything was over yet.
I glanced to the east side of the map, where thick trees concealed the direction I wished to gaze.
Almost simultaneously, the timer hit zero.
‘Damned.’
My Chaos Value, painstakingly lowered, surged up to near 50% again.
The annoying feeling of being trapped in a quagmire from which there was no escape despite my efforts.
It was truly a filthy feeling.
* * *
Toma swallowed dryly as he glanced sideways.
His gaze reached the outskirts of the campsite.
There, sitting on a protruding rock with a furrowed brow, was K.
After the battle, he seemed to have a conversation with the female knight who arrived with the knights, but he had withdrawn to one side without moving for several minutes.
‘What to do? Should I go check now?’
Toma had joined the escort mission, foregoing the combat mission, with the intent of exchanging a few words with K.
Yet, due to the non-stop travel throughout the day and the nighttime raid, there had been no opportune moment.
Fortunately, the raid ended without any deaths or injuries.
Nevertheless, approaching K remained difficult.
‘Seems like he’s in the middle of purification; wouldn’t it be a disturbance if I went? That’s not good…’
Certainly, having killed numerous 5-star Evolved Species, his Chaos Value must have risen significantly.
Given the probable challenges he faced, it would be inexcusable to interrupt him.
Toma hesitated, pacing in place as he deliberated.
‘What should I do?’
He had envisioned numerous times what a day like today would be like upon entering this game.
Yet, now that K was right before him, he was at a loss about what to do.
‘I really want to thank him, and while I’m at it, maybe make a connection…’
K had contributed more than half to Toma’s safety and stable growth by providing valuable information in the eight guideposts he had uploaded.
Toma wished to express his gratitude to K someday for his significant contributions.
And to take the opportunity to open a channel and possibly foster a friendship.
But…
“Are you going to keep standing here, seeing how things go?”
His party member, tired of Toma’s indecision, prompted him to act.
“Just go and say the thanks. What’s so hard about…?”
“Are you crazy? What if he’s purifying?”
Toma retorted instantly, causing his party member to shake their head dismissively.
“Seriously, whenever K is mentioned…”
Despite the murmured complaint seeming irritated, Toma was too focused to hear it.
He was once again casting furtive glances toward K, gauging the situation.
Toma had his reasons for being so cautious.
‘Honestly, it’s a bit scary.’
The fact that K’s personality was relatively aggressive was widely known.
Approaching with a high Chaos Value wouldn’t be a smart choice.
After observing K throughout the day, Toma’s conviction only solidified.
‘He definitely smiled.’
Toma had been positioned right in front of the Divine Canopy.
In doing so, he had closely watched K in combat against a 7-star Evolved Species.
He could clearly recall the thrilling, serene smile etched on K’s face.
What thoughts could lead someone to smile in a life-threatening situation?
To Toma, K felt otherworldly, creating a sense of distance that couldn’t be overlooked.
Coupled with his overwhelming combat ability, unimaginable to someone like Toma.
‘I couldn’t even see the tip of his spear.’
Observing K brandishing his spear gave an intense sense of intimidation.
It felt as though maintaining a distance would still see him pierced by K’s spear.
To Toma, K’s prowess was incomparable.
This man, possessing a powerful area-of-effect skill that annihilated 5-star Evolved Species.
It was the most overwhelming force Toma had witnessed from any player so far.
‘He is no ordinary person.’
Like a thorn that sticks out no matter where you place it, K would always stand out.
He stood atop a summit unreachable to other players.
‘His influence will continue to grow.’
If they couldn’t become friends, establishing a line of communication at least would be advantageous.
Toma sought eagerly for a chance to make an acquaintance with K.
“When will you stop dawdling?”
Then, the middle-aged woman who had arrived with the knights barked in K’s direction.
“If you’re going on reconnaissance, hurry it up!”
As if resigning to the push, K sighed deeply, rubbing his face dry as he stood.
It was as if someone awaited this exact moment to approach him.
“Hyung, have this. Eating something sweet might help your mood.”
A golden-haired member of K’s party spoke, offering something to him.
Toma keenly observed K’s reactions.
Though his expression remained crumpled, he didn’t drive away the party member.
He even accepted the lollipop and put it in his mouth.
Clearly, the Chaos Value had decreased, presenting a window of opportunity.
‘I owe my life to K, so first things first, express my gratitude.’
Without him, the escort team might have been annihilated by the 7-star Evolved Species.
No, the current version of himself might not even exist.
“Whew.”
With a deep exhale, Toma organized his thoughts and began moving toward K.
But just as he took a single step forward, the golden-haired party member met his gaze and shifted his body subtly to obscure Toma from K’s view.
‘What…?’
The awkward and peculiar positioning made Toma hesitate and stop in his tracks.
Meanwhile, unnoticed by K, the golden-haired party member gestured toward the children’s direction and asked K.
“Are you going to return with them? We’ve cleared the mission.”
Unable to decide his course of action, Toma resorted to eavesdropping on the two’s conversation.
“Since the rescue team has arrived, it’s considered clear. With the knights’ support, it’s harder to let the kids die.”
The logic was sound. No matter the number of players, the presence of a dozen knights took precedence for protection.
‘Fighting off monsters is one thing.’
Defending someone, as opposed to engaging in destructive hunting, was of an entirely different nature.
“So what do we do?”
“What else?”
K, massaging his neck, responded to the golden-haired inquiry.
“We’ll take the kids and head to the rear.”
Then he mentioned they would join the 8th Division afterward.
“I’ve already talked it over with Shamel. We’re also going to make a stop first, so hold tight.”
K concluded, turning around, and the golden-haired member followed.
Toma intended to follow them as well.
He wanted to establish some rapport with K somehow.
“Um…”
As he mustered courage and tried to speak to K,
“Stopping by? Where?”
The golden-haired member subtly closed in on K’s peripheral vision and glanced back.
Toma’s brows twitched.
The repeated interference made it clear.
The golden-haired one was deliberately obstructing any attempts at communication or interaction between him and K.
This caused Toma to hesitate in awkward silence.
“I don’t know.”
“Huh?”
“It’s something I’ll know once I visit.”
“Shall I come along?”
“I’ll go with hyung, so you wait here. I might need your help.”
“Hmm… Alright, come back soon.”
K soon left the campsite with another party member.
Without even a chance to open his mouth and call out to him, they left in a flash.
TL’s Corner:
What’s going to be Toma’s role.