SWNOVELXO Chapter 27
Episode 27: The Place Where All Wisdom Converges
– Swoosh!
“Ugh… I’m dizzy.”
【Really? I didn’t feel anything…】
Do spirits not get affected by this kind of thing?
“But weren’t you sulking?”
【… Hmph.】
– Ding!
『Quest』
『The Light That Calls the Prepared』
『An unknown energy from the Defector’s Key is calling you. Move to the place guided by the Defector’s Key.』
『??? Entry. 1/1』
『Reward: None』
Fortunately, it seems I’ve entered the correct gate.
‘If I mistakenly choose, it’ll be troublesome since I can’t exit the Black Gate midway.’
I wouldn’t exit even if I went through the Blue Gate anyway.
I need to grow.
– Ding!
『Quest』
『The Sleepless One』
『Grant peace to the one who can never fall asleep.』
『Peace. 0/1』
『Reward: None』
Immediately, the next quest filled my sight.
I really don’t understand their mindset for not giving any rewards.
‘But… never able to sleep..?’
It seems like an undead type monster will appear.
Despite being a field-type dungeon, it’s quite dark ahead.
Is that why they were selling lanterns in the shop?
【What are you doing, constantly bumping your face into something?】
“Oh, sorry.”
It wasn’t that it was dark ahead; I was just putting my face in strange places.
She always sat on my left shoulder, but today she was on my right.
“Why are you on the right today? I’m so used to the left that I didn’t even know you were there.”
【Is that the end of your excuse for pushing your nose into my butt?… I wanted to feel the right side a little too.】
That’s right.
It was simply a matter of preference for the ride.
By the way, the front was dark yet bright.
Even though there was no visible light source, the dark atmosphere made the front visible.
In that case, why was a lantern added to the shop?
It seems difficult to speculate with the current information.
‘I’ll just think of it as an exploration tool.’
【… Sigh…】
“Seriously, why are you sulking? I really have no idea.”
It’s not something to be said upon entering a dungeon, but time flows slowly in the Black Gate, so it might not be a waste of time.
【… You really don’t know?】
“Yeah. If I knew, I’d have done something for you.”
‘I’m not a mind-reading sorcerer… huh?’
Thinking about it, I do have the ability to gain information.
‘Should I give it a try?’
【Muttering to yourself again…】
I used my skill on Chaewon.
‘King’s Insight activated.’
– Ding!
[Checking the soul’s information.]
[Info]
Name: Han Chaewon (23)
Type: Maiden Ghost
Characteristic: A soul deeply filled with resentment.
– Current State –
If you can relieve her resentment, she can achieve enlightenment. / Currently absorbed by the masterless King’s Sword, even if her resentment is relieved, she cannot achieve enlightenment.
She currently has great disappointment in her master.
==========
But do ghosts age?
It seems they just formally provided that information.
She has great disappointment in me.
This system is letting me know that I am ‘Han Chaewon’s’ master.
How dare she sulk at her master?
I wanted to say that, but this isn’t the Joseon era.
I didn’t want that kind of master-servant relationship either.
【You’re really a bad guy.】
I don’t even know what I did wrong.
“Sorry.”
【Is your situational awareness really that low?】
“Sorry.”
【Do I have to say why I’m sulking out loud?】
“Sorry.”
Chaewon spoke to me haughtily like a queen.
“Sorry.”
【I haven’t even said anything yet! Want to keep playing around?!】
“Ah.”
I got caught apologizing mechanically like a vending machine.
I genuinely don’t know what I did wrong, so how can I sincerely apologize?
【… You keep muttering to yourself without telling me anything…】
Ah, was that it?
When using the skill, I was reciting the skill name inside my head, but thinking about it, she can read my thoughts without me needing to say anything.
‘Then can’t I just think about not letting her read my thoughts?’
【What?】
“Oh, no, I’m really sorry this time.”
It’s not easy to control my thoughts.
“But… it’s hard to talk about it now.”
【Hard to talk about it?】
“I’ll tell you later. It’s a really important secret. My whole life is at stake here.”
【.. Really? If it’s like that, then I’ll forgive you this one time.】
That was easy.
**********
We continued to roam this field-type dungeon.
But all around us was nothing but graveyards.
The quest content is like this, making it a truly eerie place.
It looks like zombies could pop out from anywhere.
【Hey, look over there!】
“Where?”
【Behind!】
I turned around at her words.
– Clatter.
“What is this?”
As I turned back, a white creature was walking in a place that was a bit close yet far.
– Clatter. – Clatter.
No, it wasn’t a creature.
“Skeleton?”
【Ah… what is it? At first, I was surprised, but it just looks like a weak skeleton?】
The skeleton was holding a small round wooden shield in its left hand and a crudely made short dagger in its right.
I immediately grabbed the sword on my back and dashed toward the skeleton, swinging down from the upper right.
It was the first time using this sword in battle, and the feeling was really good.
Even though it looked quite old.
– Scrape!
The wooden shield held by the skeleton split in half.
This clean cutting power.
The sword was fitting perfectly in my hand.
– Clatter!
【Ah! The skeleton is attacking me!】
– Clang!
I deflected the skeleton’s dagger coming from the right.
– Splat!
Without taking a break, I raised my sword again and cleaved the skeleton’s head in two.
“Not even a practice opponent.”
The skeleton crumpled down helplessly.
【Didn’t we enter too easy a place?】
“Is that so… The gate level didn’t show up.”
I felt a little growth.
I am no longer a powerless D-rank.
– Wham!
I was about to delve deeper into the dungeon.
But suddenly, from the graves, and even from the normal ground, other skeletons’ hands shot up.
【W-What the… the weak ones are scaring me…】
But the problem was that the number of skeleton hands was not in tens.
“Crazy…”
【I feel like I should run away…】
Counting the skeletons that broke through the ground, even roughly, there were more than 10,000.
If this was a game world, the amount would be so overwhelming that it would lag.
‘If I don’t run now, I’m going to die!’
I sprinted forward with all my might.
Because in front, back, left, and right, there were skeletons everywhere.
In that case, finding the boss room before being surrounded and dying could also be one strategy.
– Crunch!
I slashed the skeletons blocking my way with my sword.
The skeleton with broken ribs quickly restored to its original state.
【W-What? That one’s different from the one before!】
The first skeleton I dealt with didn’t return because I smashed its skull, which means it wouldn’t come back.
Still, it takes even a moment to regenerate, so it buys time.
I began knocking down skeletons like dominoes—not with the edge of my sword, but with the flat side.
– Whoosh!
This was a strategy possible because each individual was weak.
While being strong in numbers, they were not so in a one-on-one situation.
Thus, while this strategy wouldn’t completely destroy the skeletons, it could open a path.
I dashed madly, piercing through the skeletons, moving forward.
– Slash!
“Ugh!”
A skeleton’s dagger swung and cut my leg.
Grabbing my injured leg, I stubbornly pushed forward.
I should correct what I said earlier.
10,000 skeletons?
That was an amusing situation I encountered.
100,000.
If exaggerated, it felt like there were a million skeletons filling the surroundings.
The white creatures were everywhere.
I wanted to escape this hellish place.
That thought crossed my mind.
How could such a massive number of skeletons emerge?
【Hey! Look at your left arm!…】
Hearing Chaewon’s words, I looked at my left arm.
There was a skeleton hanging on it, dangling alongside me.
– Bam!
Without hesitation, I smashed its head with the handle of my sword.
I kept running.
Ignoring the throbbing pain in my leg.
I was getting increasingly tired.
The thought of wanting to rest filled my head.
I was sleepy.
【Hey, there’s a strange church-like building up ahead!】
It’s real.
I focused on what Chaewon said and straightened my mind.
It wasn’t a church, but it was a peculiar place that looked like one.
But I shouldn’t judge by its appearance, just like my sword.
Right now, there was no option but to run toward it.
It was getting worse.
The wound I received from earlier.
The increasing number of wounds on my body filled my face with cold sweat.
Was that shop’s bandage meant for this very moment?
No, that can’t be it.
It’s an attack I allowed due to my mistake.
If it were someone else…
【Why are you slowing down when we’re almost there? Hurry up! We’ll get caught!】
Skeletons were no longer visible in front of me.
Only the peculiar building remained.
To survive, there was no other choice.
“B-But… why is it on a hilltop of all places?”
I climbed the steep hill and finally arrived in front of the odd building.
The building had one door made of black stone.
【Is it the era where doors are made of stone? Who’s in charge of this?】
– Clang, bang!
Without the leisure to respond to her joke, I opened the door as soon as I entered and slammed it shut.
It was so close that at the moment I closed the door, the hands of the skeletons got caught in the gap.
I was able to catch my breath by the narrowest margin.
“Ha… Haa…”
I breathed heavily as if I were oxygen deprived.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say I inhaled half of the oxygen in this space with my heavy breathing.
“Ugh… Haa…”
【Are you okay?】
“….. Uh….”
I barely responded.
Then, standing up, I leaned on the wall, limping.
There was a rope nearby that I could touch.
Instinctively pulling the rope lit up the space with bright light.
This unknown space was illuminated brightly.
What I saw before me was—
the place where all wisdom converges.
“… A library?”
It was a library.
This library should be full of books, yet for some reason, there were only damaged books—torn or burned.
Except for two volumes.
Displayed in the deepest part, unlike other books, these were not on the shelves.
They were just lying on top of a desk.
We approached the desk.
【Wow… Now that I see it, isn’t this library made entirely of silver?】
The library was made entirely of silver.
From the desk to the bookshelves.
It was full of silver that felt holy, making me feel sanctified without realizing it.
I picked up a book.
But I couldn’t read a single character.
Because all the letters were in Latin.
But one book had some content, while the other book had none at all.
Just flipping the cover revealed a single line composed of Latin letters.
“Chaewon, can you read this for me?”
I handed her the book that was richly written at first.
【Let me see… Is it Latin?】
Taking the book, she began to read slowly.
“Just tell me the title. Let’s read the rest when we have time.”
【Okay? Then the title of this book is… ‘Vampire Diary’.】
‘A fantasy novel or something…’
So, is this why this space was filled with silver because of the vampire?
I don’t know who, but it seems like a pure soul.
Well… I’ve heard somewhere that vampires are weak against silver.
Silver has traditionally been considered sacred, hence the existence of silverware.
“Okay… then what about the other book?”
【This one says…】
I held my breath and waited for her to speak.
【The Apocalypse of the Betrayer.】
“What kind of book is that? Read the short line inside too.”
【Okay… wait a minute.】
【The true content of this book is found in the most dreadful place of this space?】
“Ha…”
It seems the most dreadful place would be the boss room.
The content clearly hinted at the boss room, causing a sigh to escape me.
“Since you’re not doing anything, at least be the porter. Carry both of those books.”
【Why am I not doing anything? I’m kindly translating for you one by one!】
This journey is only just beginning.