Chapter 196

Seonghyun looked at the female user whose companions called her Embris.

He looked at her as if he truly didn't know her.

‘I've really never seen her before.’

But she said she wasn't hitting on him?

Isn't that usually a pick-up line?

If not that, then why would she use a line like "Have we met somewhere before?"

As Seonghyun tilted his head in confusion, Helena, who was beside him, giggled.

With a playful look in her eyes and a teasing voice, she said.

“Heeey~ You're popular~”

“Ah, really!! I’m not!!! I-It’s just that I thought I’d seen you somewhere…”

With even Helena making such a playful comment, the woman called Embris waved her hands in denial and returned to her seat, her face flushed beet red.

As the minor incident occurred, the users inside started to chuckle one by one.

It was a laughable situation.

The more they laughed, the redder the user named Embris's face became.

And in that moment, Seonghyun realized something.

‘Ah, did she realize I'm the Demon King?’

No, if that were the case, she would have asked if he was the Demon King.

That didn't seem right.

‘Then what is it?’

Seonghyun thought for a moment.

Hearing her nickname, something clicked.

‘2nd place?’

Wasn't the name of the leader of the party that took 2nd place in the recent large-scale event also Embris?

He did a quick search just in case.

It came up immediately.

It was confirmed that the name of the 2nd place party was Embris.

E-World was a game where duplicate nicknames were possible, so it could have been a coincidence.

‘But I think it’s the same person.’

At least, that’s how it seemed to Seonghyun.

Although little was revealed on the surface, seeing the atmosphere around them and the composition of their 4-person party, it certainly looked like a party of skilled players.

It seemed Seonghyun wasn't the only one who felt that way.

Helena looked at Seonghyun and said.

“They're pretty good.”

“Mm. I think so too.”

-Hueh?

As Helena and Seonghyun said that, Fiora tilted her head as if to ask, "Really?"

Well, from Fiora's perspective, she thought even she herself was weak right now, so that reaction was understandable.

What about the level of the other parties?

There were no particularly outstanding parties.

They were from the Moore Merchant Guild, the top merchant guild in the city, so they were bound to be skilled.

But beyond that, there were no other parties that stood out to Seonghyun and Helena.

In any case, as they waited longer, two more 5-person parties entered, bringing the total number of people to thirty.

“Oho, he's finally coming.”

“Are we finally going to see the head of the Moore Merchant Guild?”

“It's so hard to even get a look at his face.”

As a few users chattered, someone walked out onto the stage-like area at the front of the room.

An NPC who appeared with several NPC guards.

A young man with a neat fashion sense that somehow exuded a sense of power, though his clothes were not flashy or old-fashioned, appeared.

A man who seemed too young to be the head of a merchant guild.

He looked to be in his early to mid-twenties at most, but he possessed a charisma that could captivate the entire room at once.

A few users who met his gaze unknowingly gulped.

From the users' perspective, he was just a game NPC, but he seemed to emit an aura that made it impossible to treat him casually.

Even Seonghyun was inwardly impressed as he looked at the man.

‘In the memories, he seemed like a child who still needed protection…’

Was it because, in a parent's eyes, their child is always someone who needs protection?

He hadn't thought he would have this much capability, so he couldn't help but be even more surprised.

But it was still too early to be surprised.

The man, who was practically a noble running a major merchant guild that ranked among the top not just in one city, but in the entire fifth region, looked at those gathered and personally bowed his head as he spoke.

“I ask of you, foreign adventurers, please find my father who has gone missing in the Pentamir Forest Labyrinth.”

He personally bowed his head and made a request for his family.

With such a humble posture.

At the sight, which even felt sublime, some in the other parties couldn't help but sniffle.

It seemed the bridge of their noses was tingling.

Seonghyun felt a similar emotion.

It was only natural, as he had the memories of his father, Vitor.

He felt slightly assimilated, a sense of pride welling up.

To think the son he had only seen as a young boy had grown up so much.

He felt that emotion, but he could clearly distinguish it.

In any case, as the parties gathered there heard his story, a message appeared in the air.

[The Unique-rank Linked Quest, 『Disappearance of the Former Head of the Moore Merchant Guild』, has been generated.]

『Disappearance of the Former Head of the Moore Merchant Guild』

(Summary)

→The former head of the Moore Merchant Guild and father of the current head, Jarod Moore, has gone missing in the Forest Labyrinth.

Find his traces.

The first quest was generated.

The quest was to find his traces.

“I’ll be counting on you.”

At Jarod’s words, the party members gathered there shot up from their seats and left.

Some, feeling Jarod's sincerity, left saying they would hurry and find the traces.

Others set out to find them faster than anyone else.

However, Seonghyun did not leave and remained in his seat.

The reason?

[You are in possession of the Quest Item, 『Vitor Moore's Identification Pass』.]

[You have cleared the Unique-rank Linked Quest, 『Disappearance of the Former Head of the Moore Merchant Guild』.]

[You were the first to clear it.]

[Additional rewards will be given.]

[You have acquired a vast amount of experience.]

[Level Up!]

[You have become Level 152.]

“I was told that the person who remained here is someone who has already found my father's traces.”

The merchant who guided him here beforehand had given him a hint, so Seonghyun had remained.

He never imagined he would be able to clear the first quest right away like this.

At Jarod's words, Seonghyun nodded, stepped forward, and handed Vitor's identification pass to him.

Accepting the pass with a bitter expression, Jarod spoke in a low voice.

“…My father always carried his identification pass, no matter what. He used to say that with his pass, he could borrow a fortune.”

Hearing the words filled with memories of Vitor, Seonghyun nodded as well.

The words he used to say like a habit, that his credit was his most formidable card.

Because of that, Jarod spoke to Seonghyun, as if he had steeled himself.

“Something may have already happened to my father.”

Cold words.

But within them was an emotion as hot as a thousand fires.

Sensing this, Seonghyun remained silent.

“I apologize to those who were just here, but we need to select skilled individuals. We plan to accept only two more parties who return quickly.”

It seemed to be a quest of considerable scale.

Well, one could guess that just by looking at the number of parties that had gathered initially.

A quest for three parties.

As Seonghyun was thinking this, Jarod spoke in a boiling voice, suppressing his anger.

“Because revenge is impossible with mediocre players.”

“I see.”

“I’m sorry, but could you please wait until the others return?”

“Of course.”

As Seonghyun replied, Jarod bowed his head in gratitude.

Then, saying he would reward him generously, he handed over a considerable amount of gold.

[You have acquired 10,000 Gold as a reward.]

‘Woah.’

‘So this is a Unique-rank quest.’

He had obtained 10,000 gold from the very first reward.

To get a huge sum of about 100 million from a single quest.

It was truly befitting of a major merchant guild.

‘If he's giving me 100 million to wait, then of course I'll wait.’

As Seonghyun agreed…

“Then I will return once the other parties have arrived.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Thank you for your generous understanding. Well then.”

Jarod suppressed his anger and returned to his duties.

And Seonghyun, leaving Jarod behind, returned to his seat.

Then.

“Hmm, revenge is never a good thing, but there are some acts of revenge that must be carried out.”

“That’s true.”

-Th-That's right. Y-You also have to know how to forgive.

Fiora chimed in after Helena and Seonghyun spoke.

Anyway.

“I wonder who will show up? The girl who hit on our Seonghyun, and which other party?”

At her playful words, Seonghyun let out a smirk and replied.

“Hmm, who knows.”

“Whoever comes, they won't be better than you, Seonghyun.”

They chatted as they waited quietly.

They were sure that the 4-person party would definitely come, so they wondered which other party would arrive.

2.

The users moved quickly towards the Pentamir Labyrinth.

However, there was one party that was overwhelmingly faster than the others.

While the others were still arriving at the Pentamir plaza, this party had already reached the entrance of the Forest Labyrinth.

It was the Embris party.

Embris, who had been unwittingly cast as the girl who hit on someone, was suppressing her frustration and leading the way faster than anyone else.

Seeing their leader like this, her companions exchanged wary glances.

‘Did we tease her too much?’

It felt like they might have, but when else would they get a chance to tease her?

“But Embris, why did you really do that?”

“…What.”

Embris replied curtly to her companion, Chaco.

She was on high alert, thinking they were about to tease her again.

But Chaco looked at her and said.

“I’m not Menma, so there’s no way I’d tease you. I’m just curious. Normally, you would have just stayed put, so it was surprising that you went out of your way to talk to him.”

“That’s right. Normally, even if a guy she liked walked by, Embris would just be like, ‘Wow, he’s hot~!’ and leave it at that. Talking to him was a bit surprising.”

“That user was pretty handsome, though.”

Embris shot a glare at Menma and Usagi, but Chaco calmed her down.

“I really felt like I’d seen him somewhere before.”

“Hmm, when?”

“I don’t really know… but I really felt like I’d seen him.”

If Embris said so, it meant she had really seen him before, but it was strange that she couldn't remember.

Embris usually remembered everything.

In any case, as they were talking, Menma said while running.

“He seemed pretty skilled, right?”

“But why isn't he coming?”

“He might be slower than us, but he should still be faster than the other parties. Shouldn't we have seen him by now?”

As they all wondered, for some reason, Embris spoke.

“That user’s party didn’t move from the start. Maybe they’re starting later than us?”

“What? They’re taking it easy on us?”

“Is he living up to his handsome face?”

“This is a little pride-wounding.”

At Embris’s words, they all laughed as if their pride had been hurt.

Then, thinking they needed to show him what they were made of to feel better, they moved even faster.

The four of them moved like shadows melting into the labyrinth.

It wasn’t something that was possible just by having high stats.

It was a skill that could only be displayed when one could fully utilize their abilities.

In that situation, they were able to find something as they quickly scanned the labyrinth.

Wheel tracks that looked as if they had crashed into the labyrinth wall.

However, they were faint, and it was a trace they might have missed if they hadn't looked closely.

Just in case, she touched the bushes that formed the labyrinth wall where the tracks were, but there was no reaction.

After checking that far, a system message appeared in the air.

[You have acquired a clue.]

[Return to the Moore Merchant Guild and report.]

A clue acquired in less than 30 minutes.

And so, they hurried back to the city.

Convinced that they had to be in 1st place.

When they returned to the Moore Merchant Guild and went back to the place where they had first gathered…

“Oh, 2nd place is here.”

“Helena, please.”

There was Helena, provoking them by calling them 2nd place, and Seonghyun, trying to stop her.

“…”