Chapter 63
Having reached level 139, Girmu was just one step away from level 140. Beodeul fell into a strange contemplation as he received congratulations from his guild members.
‘I’m really almost at max level.’
He knew that from level 140 onward, the experience required to gain one level would increase significantly, but he still couldn’t shake the feeling that it was right around the corner.
“But…”
Beodeul’s gaze shifted to the calendar on his desk. His schedule was packed starting right after this weekend. It was time for the group assignments that had seemed far off because his presentation slot was quite late.
“Most of my major courses involve presentations too, so finding time will be difficult.”
Regrettably, as expected, reaching max level before the summer vacation update seemed unlikely. He had to prepare for midterms soon as well.
‘At least let me hit level 140.’
Beodeul strengthened his resolve and once again started using hunting buffs.
[General] SaltySalt: Eek, you’re going to hunt more ㅇㅁㅇ????
[General] Girmu: Yesㅎㅎ From Monday it’ll be hard to find time…
[General] Shotgun: Didn’t you just level up??? I thought for sure you’d take a break
[General] Goyounghee: At this rate, you’ll achieve the Slaughterer achievement…
Everyone who had settled down in the hunting grounds to both watch Girmu hunt and celebrate his level-up showed surprised reactions.
[General] Girmu: That’s strangeㅎㅎ
[General] Goyounghee: Hmm?
[General] Girmu: Weren’t you all more serious about my hunting than I was before?ㅎㅎ
[General] Shotgun: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[General] SaltySalt: Ahㅋㅋㅋㅋ that’s true thoughㅠㅅㅠ;;
[General] Goyounghee: You’ve been hunting for over 5 hours since you logged in… without taking any breaks
[General] Girmu: I think the three of you hunted longer than me when you reached max level?
[General] Shotgun: =We three have no right to speak
[General] SaltySalt: Okay…ㅠㅅㅠ
Still, sitting in the same position for so long had made his body stiff.
[General] Girmu: Then I’ll go do some stretching for a moment
[General] Goyounghee: Okay!
While Beodeul got up to stretch, the three people remaining on the map invited Sinu to their party and had a conversation.
[Party] Shotgun: Gireum-nim went to stretch
[Party] Goyounghee: He refreshed his exp buffs too…
[Party] SaltySalt: Looks like he’s going to do another round of huntingㅇㅅㅇ;
[Party] Sinu: Then I’ll have to go after he’s done, I guess
[Party] Shotgun: So cool
[Party] SaltySalt: What should we do in the meantimeㅇㅅㅇ?
[Party] Sinu: ? Why are you asking me that
[Party] SaltySalt: Noooo;;;;; How can you hire a mercenary for title farming and then change the time like thisㅠㅅㅠ
[Party] Sinu: You didn’t have anything to do anyway
[Party] SaltySalt: ㅇㅅㅇ;;;;;;
[Party] Goyounghee: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why do you sound like you’re not even getting your money’s worthㅠ
To obtain the title with the best options currently available, you needed to grind. And not just any grind—an extremely tedious and time-consuming one.
The three people who had been hired as mercenaries for this grind—which anyone would abandon within three days without companions—decided to quietly follow their employer’s wishes.
[Party] Goyounghee: But do we really have to take him away like a kidnapping? If we just ask Gireum-nim, I think he’d just come willingly…
[Party] Shotgun: Then would you help with my alt’s title farming?
[Party] Goyounghee: ♡♡Maybe?
[Party] Shotgun: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ See?
[Party] Shotgun: A normal person would run away first
[Party] SaltySalt: So we’re not normal thoughㅇㅅㅇ…
[Party] Goyounghee: ……
But their unfortunate situation could be resolved with Sinu’s financial treatment. The problem was that Girmu was scheduled to be kidnapped for ‘that’ quest, which everyone avoided…
[Party] Shotgun: Honestly, my conscience hurts a lot
[Party] Goyounghee: I agree… I don’t think I’ll be able to face Gireum-nim afterwardㅠㅠ
[Party] SaltySalt: Later, let’s sincerely regret and apologizeㅇㅅㅠ
[Party] Sinu: You guys are something else;
[General] Girmu: I’m back
[General] Girmu: You three must be bored, you don’t have to stay hereㅎㅎ
As soon as Beodeul returned, the three disbanded the party and greeted him as if nothing had happened.
[General] Goyounghee: Don’t worry about usㅎㅎ
[General] Shotgun: We’re good at entertaining ourselves, so no worries
If that was the case, then fine. Accustomed to the sight of idle veteran players with nothing to do, Beodeul didn’t insist and dedicated another hour and thirty minutes to hunting.
[General] Girmu: I’m doneㅎㅎ
[General] SaltySalt: Ohㅅo
[General] Shotgun: Who’s going to party invite??
Party invite? Just as Beodeul was wondering, a party invitation from Sinu arrived. Though puzzled, he reflexively clicked the accept button.
[Party] Sinu: Girmu-nim, are you done hunting?
[Party] Girmu: Yes
Meanwhile, DanSoGeum, HolYounghee, and Setgun, who had all logged in with their alt characters, joined the party. Before Beodeul could figure out what was happening, Sinu transferred party leadership to DanSoGeum and logged off.
[Party] Girmu: ???
[Party] Girmu: Did Sinu-nim disconnect?
[Party] HolYounghee: ㅎㅎ…
He quickly realized his guess was wrong when he saw the login notification.
[Party] Inu has joined the party.
Party leader has been changed to Inu.
[Party] Inu: Let’s go to Tolik
‘Why does he want to go to the level 60 town?’
He wanted to ask, but the others had already moved without a word. Beodeul followed them, but even there, he didn’t get a chance to ask questions. As soon as Sinu confirmed that Girmu had arrived, he immediately spoke to an NPC and moved to the quest area.
“What is this…?”
Beodeul watched in bewilderment as the cinematic started without any warning.
Gray sky, collapsed houses, and overturned roads. Red-eyed skeletons had breached the walls that no longer functioned and were attacking residents indiscriminately. Crows covered the sky, loudly cawing over the lives that were perishing—children and adults alike.
[Town Resident Arsen]: Guardian of Tolik, please… please save us!
A red skeleton soldier appeared before a woman who was weeping and praying. As the skeleton tried to grab her neck, a brilliantly white shield plunged into the ground, shattering the skeleton’s arm.
“That shield is…”
[Town Resident Arsen]: T-this shield…!
Beodeul widened his eyes upon hearing the NPC’s line that was similar to his own muttering. Pfft, he burst into laughter for a moment, but quickly focused on the cinematic again as a warrior in shining golden armor appeared.
[First Guardian Teriana]: I will protect this place, so hurry and flee!
Her long hair, tied high in a single ponytail, shimmered with a golden gleam. The town resident burst into tears of relief at the sight of the brilliant golden figure from behind.
[Hand Leading Darkness Neptune]: Finally, the first sacrificial lamb has appeared!
But Teriana’s appearance was the spark. The skeleton soldiers rushed toward her as if they had been waiting, and their numbers increased, soon completely engulfing Teriana.
[First Guardian Teriana]: Do you think I would fall to merely this…!
In Tolik, now overrun by skeleton soldiers, she was the only person still standing on two feet.
But the moment Teriana plunged her shield—which she had raised with difficulty—into the ground, a golden light exploded outward. When the light subsided, no one remained in Tolik. No countless skeletons, not even Teriana herself.
“So that’s what this was about…”
Beodeul, who had been completely immersed in the short but high-quality video, found himself standing with his party members on what looked like desert terrain. Before them stood the NPC Arsen, who had transformed from a town resident to the leader of Tolik, with an expression full of regret.
[Leader of Tolik Arsen]: We shouldn’t have left only Teriana behind that day. If I had known she would disappear like that…
[Leader of Tolik Arsen]: We people of Tolik still haven’t forgotten her grace and sometimes search for traces of Teriana here. Will you help us?
Beodeul sighed when he checked the map’s name. “Old Ruins of Tolik – Guardian’s Grave.” It was undoubtedly the exact place where Teriana had disappeared.
But it had been such a long time that the young woman had become an old lady. Could they really find any traces now? Beodeul, who had become serious as he immersed himself in the story, soon changed his thinking.
‘Since it’s a quest, I guess it should be possible.’
Arsen left after making his request. Now only the party members remained in what seemed like a vast, empty plain.
[Party] Girmu: So…
[Party] Girmu: What is this all about suddenly?ㅎㅎ
[Party] DanSoGeum: ㅋㅅㅋ;;;;
[Party] Setgun: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Party] Inu: You need to find Teriana’s hair tie here
[Party] Girmu: Why suddenly…
[Party] Inu: You said you wanted to have ranker specs
[Party] Inu: You should also get the title with the best options^^
Beodeul was Beodeul, but Sinu was no pushover either.
If it was a quest for improving his character’s specs, Beodeul was of course willing to do his best. But something felt off.
‘Normally, he would have asked me to join him first…’
What was the reason for bringing someone here like a kidnapping, without any explanation? Beodeul sensed something was wrong and quietly opened the internet. When he searched for “Teriana’s hair tie,” hundreds of forum posts appeared.
“What is all this?”
The post previews were filled with tears and curses, but what caught Beodeul’s eye was a title that read, ‘Do this quest if you want to quit Story of Guardians.’
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
