Light of Arad: Forerunner

Chapter 48

Dungeon Area: North Myre’s first dungeon is the Green City, Grozny.

Although it’s named Green City, it is clearly defined as a dungeon, a place where monsters appear.

In other words, the existence of life forms here wasn’t something special for Jinseong.

Since it was a dungeon, monsters were naturally expected. Most importantly, since they didn’t follow a user in, it meant there were countless monsters here that hadn’t been cleared out yet.

Therefore, the reason for Jinseong’s surprise wasn’t due to the black shadow itself.

“…Did it run away? Did it flee? After seeing me?”

It was the fact that something in this place had avoided Jinseong upon seeing him.

Monsters wouldn’t do that.

While some monsters do have attack patterns like hiding in shadows or using virtual ‘teleportation’ to ambush users, what Jinseong saw was clearly not like that.

Whatever had been in the alley between the buildings had run away.

After witnessing Jinseong slashing down the scarecrows.

“You saw that, right?”

“Kkoruk.”

“Hmm… Strange. I only came here to verify if I could enter Green City, Grozny in the first place, but… there’s no way something would run away just by seeing me, right?”

Tat, tat, tat, Jinseong swiftly chased the shadow.

However, it was impossible to immediately identify it, whether it had quickly passed through the alley or concealed itself well.

“I’ve been running for a while now—seems like it knows the area well.”

Eventually, Jinseong paused his pursuit and looked around.

There was another reason why he had come here without following behind a user.

Jinseong’s level was still 34.

At this level, not even meeting the ‘dungeon level requirement’, could he really enter the dungeon?

“From the beginning, the problem had been nagging at me ever since I was at Noire Ferra in the Kingdom of Pennes… At least back then, it was unclear if the concept of ‘following a user’ applied. But this time, it’s confirmed. I can enter. Even without meeting the minimum level.”

Even though Green City, Grozny was the lowest-level area in the current region, it was undoubtedly higher than Jinseong’s level.

Thus, traversing the entire dungeon area of North Myre shouldn’t be a problem.

“Phew… It’s been a while since I felt a little tense.”

Jinseong suppressed his mix of tension and excitement.

By the time all quests in the were completed, users’ levels would reach 50.

In other words, even Green City, Grozny, had a recommended level of over 40, and not only now but also in future dungeons, the level difference between Jinseong and them would be significant.

“Hmm, what could possibly appear here? There’s no boss like a dog trainer here… And monsters related to Diregie are definitely not here either. Duke Uris is near the end.”

The existence in Green City, Grozny, that noticed Jinseong and fled had a certain level of intelligence.

And it was possibly even more powerful than Jinseong himself.

Jinseong cautiously moved forward.

*Poof, poof, poof-!*

How far had he gone?

Once again, a few scarecrows stirred, pulling out their poles and leaping towards Jinseong.

“…Even if I have to be careful, mobs like these—, , .”

Quickly slicing through the air with , followed by practical hits using and .

Though each blow of might be weaker, the scarecrows couldn’t withstand the continuous attacks.

“-I can handle these easily… but still, these things are annoying.”

While fighting off the regular monsters, Jinseong was bothered by the sound of buzzing insects.

For a person irritated by even a single mosquito, the sight of dozens, if not hundreds, of giant insects approaching would be terrifying.

*Whiiiiiiing─────!*

Jinseong tightly gripped the handle of .

It wasn’t because he was nervous.

“, .”

He had already faced similar swarms of small monsters back in the Kingdom of Pennes with the mini Marphasas.

“Kkoruk?”

“There’s nothing here worth collecting, so it’s fine.”

“Kkor, kkor!”

Jinseong smiled, looking at Tako, who pointed at the monsters’ corpses.

*Crrrack-!*

And as if their conversation was a trigger, someone appeared, pushing through the bushes.

“Who—… Ah?!”

“Who are you…? What brings you here?”

A woman with long green hair, matching the name of Green City, Grozny.

Though her gaze was full of caution as she looked at Jinseong, it was Jinseong who was genuinely startled.

Jinseong recognized the woman who appeared before his eyes.

“…Michelle!”

Cypher, Michelle Monahan.

The protector of Green City, Grozny, and the leader who guides all Cyphers.

She was also the figure first encountered as a boss monster in Green City, Grozny.

* * *

Jinseong was taken aback but tried to keep his thoughts in order calmly.

Michelle was certainly someone you’d meet in Green City, Grozny. As a boss monster, no less.

However, there were other characters one had to encounter before meeting her like this.

“No, I’m not a user. If the path I took wasn’t the one users usually travel—.”

Meeting Michelle directly wasn’t something that should never happen. It’s a slight possibility.

So, Jinseong took a breath and spoke confidently.

“I am a [Emergency Anomaly Response Committee] member from the Magic Guild of the Duchy of Bell Meyer. I came here to investigate the plague spreading in North Myre, thinking there might be a clue to another type of cure here.”

Michelle’s eyes widened for a moment.

It was perhaps a natural reaction.

“This was originally what the user would say to Michelle….”

These were the words Michelle would use when she met the user, i.e., the adventurer, and NPC Luije together and guessed their purpose.

Jinseong was brazenly using those words himself.

“There is no cure here. The reason the plague hasn’t spread is….”

Michelle’s voice trailed off as if she were whispering.

Though Jinseong didn’t hear her clearly, he already knew.

“It’s because of Michelle’s telekinesis. Not just Michelle, but all the characters one would meet on the way here, like the ‘Bug’ Deshang and the ‘Druid’ Mia, are Cyphers, since they’re Cyphers.”

Created by the same company, Neople, which developed the game Dungeon & Fighter, Cyphers was another online game.

Despite being two different games, characters appeared almost like cameos due to a sort of intertwining of planes or parallel worlds.

Michelle swallowing her words as she looked at Jinseong was also a reflection of the sorrow of characters with special abilities within Cyphers, living in this place, Arad.

“But how is it that the Magic Guild member is immune to the plague? Even getting here would have exposed you to danger.”

Michelle threw a sharp question at Jinseong instead.

Jinseong flinched but didn’t try to hide it.

“A similar incident occurred in the Kingdom of Pennes, the land of the Dark Elves. After finding the source of the plague there, we developed a cure to some extent and have been using it as a temporary measure. It’s not perfect yet.”

“Pennes Kingdom… Dark Elves….”

Michelle muttered, emphasizing the word “Dark Elves.”

While observing Michelle, Jinseong continued to stay alert to his surroundings.

“Anyway, I have no business here. I don’t need to continue this conversation with Michelle. I can just end it and leave.”

Naturally, that was to facilitate his return.

Michelle Monahan would meet the users, and together, they would handle various tasks.

There was no need for Jinseong to say anything more.

His aim was to provide only accurate information about what they would eventually learn and then withdraw.

“If you cooperated with the Dark Elves… If the Duchy helped them….”

“Mm?”

Michelle then turned her eyes toward Jinseong and spoke.

“Could you possibly help us as well?”

It was a request that left Jinseong utterly shocked.

* * *

“Michelle asking for help?! That’s impossible; how could this happen?”

The struggle to not show his surprise was immense.

Jinseong did his best to manage his expression as he asked.

“What do you mean… by helping….”

“Exactly as I said. Here, in Grozny—the plague hasn’t reached us yet, but it won’t last long. Not just for me but for the safety of my comrades who still live here… If you could provide a safe place for us to stay—whether it’s Hendon Myre or anywhere else—.”

“Ahem, th-that! That’s not something I can decide…right now.”

Michelle quickly asserted her stance even before Jinseong could finish speaking.

Her insistence was strong enough that Jinseong had to forcefully interrupt her.

Michelle still wore a wary expression but with a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she asked Jinseong.

“Then who… or how can that decision be made?”

“That, um….”

Jinseong trailed off, buying time.

He needed to process the situation.

Michelle Monahan, the leader of the Cyphers, asking for help from the Duchy of Bell Meyer?

“That can’t be right. Michelle—Cyphers have always lived persecuted. Whether using telekinesis, controlling bugs, or accelerating plant growth, their powers differ from the magic

commonly used in Arad… Because of such powers they were born with….”

They were abandoned even by their parents.

They created a small community of their own, hiding to avoid the judgmental eyes of the outside world.

These characters were filled with resentment and distrust towards ‘normal’ people who called them witches or treated them as creepy beings.

And now she was asking Jinseong for help?

“Oh. I see.”

When he reached that point, Jinseong finally calmed his racing heart and assessed the situation.

Michelle wouldn’t ask for help. It’s not normal for her to do so.

In this context, if something abnormal was happening.

“…This is corruption.”

It meant they were dealing with a corrupted quest.

Jinseong still had unresolved questions.

If this was corruption, whose quest was corrupted?

Could corruption occur even without traveling with a user?

“I don’t know. But that’s not what’s important right now.”

What mattered was the situation they were already facing.

Michelle had already requested help from Jinseong, an ‘individual from the Duchy’ and a ‘normal person.’

“It must mean Diregie’s plague is that threatening. If that’s the case, I understand. They can’t use their power to contain the plague indefinitely.”

Perhaps Michelle genuinely wanted to ask for help as a representative of Cyphers.

Though her plight was understandable, Jinseong had to clench his lower lip tightly.

“But… no. That shouldn’t happen.”

She shouldn’t be the one to ask for help first.

For the adventurer’s growth. To ensure the future intertwining of Michelle and the adventurer.

But what could Jinseong do?

“Hu, huu….”

Jinseong was already taking deep breaths.

He could instinctively feel what needed to be done.

“Even if I run away now—if I just avoid this situation, Michelle… will eventually ask the adventurer, the user, for help. Just as she did with me.”

And that situation must not happen.

So, what should Jinseong do to prevent it?

Jinseong tightly shut his eyes.

And when he opened them again, his brows were sharply arched.

“Stay away from me, you disgusting Cypher scum.”

“…Huh?!”

He had to make Michelle prioritize antagonizing ‘normal people.’

And he had to take on that villain role himself.