We didn't even have time to savor the afterglow of the stage transformation before heading straight north.
As if numerous battles had already concluded there, the ground in the north was littered with corpses and flags.
"Here."
I immediately gathered the scattered flags and handed them to Kim Dokja, who absorbed all of them.
The brown flag quickly turned purple.
"My mental strength is quite strong."
"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Ah, King Heungmu is still here."
Really?
He made such a cool appearance, but he's sticking around so pitifully.
"I appreciate it. I won't forget the General's help."
Really pathetic, isn't it?
"Won't I have one eventually? If I have a child, I'll definitely pass down today's events."
Come to think of it, Kim Yushin... that fox-like character didn't leave things smoothly.
Memories from when I read ORV are surfacing a bit.
I think he coveted Kim Dokja's Sponsor.
"That's difficult."
Seems I was right.
He probably tempted him by mentioning his Stigma, saying he could become the strongest of this era.
As I stared at Kim Dokja pondering, he momentarily made eye contact with me before turning his gaze back to the air.
Wait, I think he looked at me for a second when 'strongest' was mentioned.
"This isn't the Three Kingdoms period. Elder. You're old, so please go in and rest."
"Yeah. You've been here long enough. Why don't you head back? Even if King Heungmu backs our Dokja, Dokja won't become the strongest."
[The Constellation, 'Prisoner of the Golden Headband', bursts into laughter at your remark.]
[You have been sponsored 500 Coins.]
This Monkey King guy. He really likes stuff like this.
"...?!"
"What's wrong?"
Suddenly, I saw Kim Dokja's muscles spasm.
Kim Dokja immediately stepped back to distance himself from the group, but his right hand, out of control, drew Unbroken Faith and pointed it at Yoo Sangah.
"Yoo Sangah-ssi! Get away. Quickly!!"
"Ha, has this elder gone senile?"
"This isn't the time to provoke him!"
"Um."
Kim Dokja glared at the air with a menacing face.
"Stop it."
Kim Dokja paused for a moment, then glared even harder at the air and spoke.
"I said no."
Just before Kim Dokja's sword aimed at Yoo Sangah. Kim Dokja calmed his breathing and closed his eyes.
Immediately after, an aura was seen leaving his body.
The connection between the grudge-holding Kim Yushin and Kim Dokja was severed.
"Are you okay?"
"Do I look okay?"
"Yeah."
At my confident smile, Kim Dokja looked at me in disbelief.
"You weren't worried because I would have stepped in if things went south, right?"
"Well, that's true. Actually..."
I looked at Yoo Sangah hiding behind me.
"Sangah-ssi. You have the means to bind Dokja, yet you hid behind me?"
"Gang-hoon-ssi is more reliable than me."
"That's true, though."
Even if she bound him with thread, it could be broken by Kim Yushin's power.
In a way, this is a wise judgment.
"So, what about you guys?"
I turned my gaze to the Silla forces hiding behind the building.
"Were you still here?"
"W-we were just about to leave! Since the d-direction is the same..."
Min Jiwon looked at us awkwardly.
"Came to help but ended up receiving help."
"Next time we meet, we'll be enemies."
"What? Didn't we become allies now? Usually in dramas, people become close like this."
"That's in dramas."
"Making friends through trust! That's our Hwarang's motto."
Saying that, Min Jiwon smiled brightly and left.
Later, the Queen of Beauty will meet us again.
It probably won't take long until then.
"Let's go too."
After moving further, we joined up with Jung Minseob in front of the Palace Museum.
According to Jung Minseob, a total of nine Kings entered, including the Tyrant and the First Apostle.
There were seven purple flags and two brown ones.
Especially two were dark, probably... the Tyrant and the Apostle.
"This time, only Yoo Sangah-ssi, Gilyoung, Gang-hoon-ssi, and I will enter. The other two, please continue to wait outside. You can hide under the cloak."
"Is that okay?"
"Yes. We only need four right now anyway."
"If you call us anytime, we'll go in."
Grateful for the thought, but they'd probably just be hindrances.
Since the inside of the museum must have become a dungeon now.
[A new Hidden Scenario has arrived.]
< Hidden Scenario – Relic of Trials >
Category: Hidden
Difficulty: FA+5000 Coins
Clear Condition: Clear the 'Relic Dungeon' suitable for the appropriate number of people.
Time Limit: None
Reward: 500
Penalty for Failure: Death
As expected, a Hidden Scenario arrived as soon as we entered the museum.
Dismissing the Hidden Scenario as soon as we entered and looking around, we saw a pure white marble lobby. No presence was felt in the lobby.
Yoo Sangah, perhaps scared by this situation, spoke with a trembling voice next to me.
"I'm too scared to do cultural activities anymore. Before it was a movie theater, now a museum..."
"Hyung, are we here to get that legendary sword too?"
"No, not right now."
Right.
Not right now.
"I choose the 4-person dungeon, the Chamber of Acupuncture Copper Men."
[Entering the 4-person dungeon.]
Before even examining the types of dungeons to enter, Kim Dokja had already chosen the dungeon to enter.
By the way, it was originally odd-numbered, why did it become even?
The 3-person dungeon became a 4-person dungeon.
Is it because of my existence?
...No, I don't think I need to think about it now.
It probably isn't important anyway.
"Seems there are others besides us."
At Yoo Sangah's words, looking around, traces of others were visible.
In fact, intermittent screams were heard from various places.
"Looks a bit unpleasant."
Human-shaped monsters emitting a matte black glow.
Those filling the dungeon were those black copper men.
Apparently... after a certain time, they self-replicate, are hard, and have no nerves so they don't feel pain.
"Move."
I immediately pushed the Acupuncture Copper Men away with repulsion and sent them flying.
But they won't die from just this.
"Those marks on their bodies, acupoints?"
"Correct. Paralysis points, death points... anyway, the colors differ for each meridian point. Acupuncture Copper Men were created to test effects by stabbing acupoints."
Hmm, if that's the case...
I immediately picked up a pile of stones fallen in the dungeon and threw them with force, hitting the Acupuncture Copper Men.
All hits blocking or severing the flow of meridian points.
In an instant, about six Acupuncture Copper Men fell.
"Like this?"
"As expected, you're good."
Kim Dokja immediately activated the Blade of Faith, stabbed the acupoints of the Acupuncture Copper Men, and knocked them down immediately.
After seeing Kim Dokja and my demonstration several times, Gilyoung and Yoo Sangah also got the hang of it and started knocking down Acupuncture Copper Men in their own ways.
Indeed, watching the party grow is nice.
[Your party is the first to hunt 100 Acupuncture Copper Men!]
[You have cleared the 4-person dungeon.]
[You have each acquired 4 Sangpyeong Tongbo as a basic reward.]
[You have acquired the exclusive skill 'Acupuncture Point Attack' as a special reward.]
"Acupuncture Point Attack, huh."
A unique skill of returnees from the Murim world that subdues enemies by suppressing specific acupoints.
It will likely be an essential skill for Kim Dokja, who cannot kill people for the time being.
"What can we buy with this?"
Yoo Sangah muttered, turning the received Sangpyeong Tongbo around curiously.
"Can be exchanged for Coins, and also used as dungeon admission tickets."
"Then..."
"We plan to use admission tickets. Gilyoung and Sangah-ssi, please pay two each. Gang-hoon-ssi and I will pay three each."
"Hing."
I handed three of the received Sangpyeong Tongbo to Dokja.
"Dokja-ssi, don't tell me...?"
"We will enter the Hidden Dungeon where we can obtain the 'Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword'."
Yoo Sangah asked in surprise.
"Didn't you say we wouldn't get the Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword?"
"We aren't going to get the Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword."
Right. What we want isn't something like the Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword.
What Kim Dokja wants is to hunt the Kings gathered to obtain the Four Yin Demonic Beheading Sword.
At Kim Dokja's words, Gilyoung and Yoo Sangah seemed to understand immediately.
"You mean we'll take their flags."
"Then we can kill them all from now on."
Yoo Sangah looked down at Gilyoung in shock.
Funnily enough, Gilyoung looked up at Yoo Sangah with disappointed eyes.
"I'll finish them off."
"Really?"
When I smiled and looked at Gilyoung, Gilyoung slightly turned his head to avoid my eyes.
Cute kid.
"Well, do as you please? Hyung will help from the side."
"Yes, you don't have to worry."
Gilyoung's confident voice.
Kim Dokja immediately hid the flag stuck in his back inside his clothes.
Until now, he kept it on his back as bait, but ahead is a battlefield where we have to hunt Kings. It's not good to reveal who the King is.
On the way forward, we heard a familiar voice and turned our eyes to the air.
[Huhu, everyone is doing well! Seeing so many people performing the 'Hidden Scenario', the meaning of 'Hidden' is lost, isn't it?]
Shameless.
[Some have already achieved the requirements for the 'First Qualification', as expected, this is how it gets fun!]
Seems there's a guy who already made a Black Flag.
Probably... one of the 7 Kings.
[The requirements for the 'Second Qualification' will be revealed shortly, so please look forward to it!]
Kim Dokja immediately turned to the group.
"Let's hurry. The Dokkaebi's 'shortly' is longer than you think."
Kim Dokja immediately fitted the collected Sangpyeong Tongbo into the holes in the lobby entrance one by one.
The door with the Sangpyeong Tongbo inserted opened slowly, and beyond it were several Kings and their subordinates examining the situation around a bonfire.
The hunt begins.
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