I Entered a Gacha Game That Had Been Abandoned for 10 Years

48 – Absolute Ruler of Darkness (1)

She had seen the executioner’s sword before.

…To be more precise, the absolute ruler of darkness had seen a real ‘executioner’s sword.’

Unlike the one she had originally received as a gift from him, the real weapon possessed a power that could overcome a vividly distinct difference just by holding it.

And compared to the executioner’s sword gifted to her by the absolute ruler of darkness, there were substantial differences in reality.

Of course, it didn’t mean that the absolute ruler of darkness didn’t cherish the executioner’s sword he received from her.

No, on the contrary, in some aspects, the absolute ruler of darkness was well aware that the value of the executioner’s sword he gave her was far lower than the one held by other heroes. Yet, she considered the executioner’s sword even more precious.

That was because the executioner’s sword was originally crafted by him for the absolute ruler of darkness.

Therefore, for the absolute ruler of darkness, the executioner’s sword received as a gift held a value lower than any other executioner’s sword, yet it was a remarkable and precious weapon to her.

Thus, she could understand.

‘This is undoubtedly—’

The executioner’s sword currently in her hands was undeniably hers.

As she clarified this in her mind, numerous thoughts flashed through the mind of the absolute ruler of darkness.

For her, the current situation was one that she could not comprehend at all.

The executioner’s sword she possessed had already been mistakenly destroyed by her own idiotic mistake when he left.

Therefore, the absolute ruler of darkness, who had been staring at the executioner’s sword with trembling eyes for a while, soon turned his gaze towards the lord’s mansion in the Lapengarn territory.

“…”

In truth, she wanted nothing more than to storm into the lord’s mansion right now.

She wanted to find out who had put this executioner’s sword up for auction and confront the one who submitted it.

However, the thoughts of the absolute ruler of darkness did not translate into action.

She knew that the lord of Lapengarn territory always kept the secrets of the exhibitors who submitted items to this grand auction.

Even if she were to rush in and threaten the lord of Lapengarn right now, she would not be able to obtain any information.

After all, the lords of Lapengarn were those who, by such beliefs, had expanded their modest commercial territory into something so vast.

However, knowing this fact did not make the absolute ruler of darkness’s curiosity and questions disappear.

She gazed silently at the Lordship Castle of the Lapenghan Territory for a while.

####

Lately, among mercenaries and adventurers, there had been some peculiar rumors circulating.

“…So, according to you, the Lord of Lartania will open the door to the labyrinth in two days?”

“That’s right.”

“Is that really true?”

“It seems so.”

“Hehe, that’s quite a remarkable thing.”

“What will you do then? Are you going to Lartania Territory?”

“If the labyrinth is opening and you don’t go, wouldn’t you be a fool? We should hurry and go right now…!”

It was a rumor about the Lartania Territory, the rumor being that the Lord of Lartania is opening the labyrinth.

“Hmm, to be honest, it’s hard to believe. Why would the Lord of Lartania open the labyrinth in the first place?”

“I think the same. There’s nothing to gain by opening the labyrinth anyway.”

“I heard that if you go into the labyrinth, kill monsters, and come out with magic stones, you’ll be taxed on the magic stones you bring out.”

“Tax?”

“Since it’s a commodity within the territory.”

“I heard it’s around 40%, if I’m not mistaken.”

“40%?… Is it not just that you can only bring out 40%, but you only have to give 40%?”

“That’s right.”

“Well, if you think about it that way, it’s unbelievably profitable, isn’t it? We could earn much more than we do by working hard to guard and subdue. Even if you think about it, the numbers just match up too well, don’t they?”

“Honestly, I think so too.”

Of course, most mercenaries viewed the rumor with a negative perspective, thinking it was an absurd and baseless rumor.

Even if there was a 40% tax, the rumor was an incredibly favorable story for mercenaries and adventurers.

Knowing well that the world doesn’t always turn in a positive direction, mercenaries were skeptical of the rumor.

“But still, it’s too good to be true. How about going once to confirm the rumor?”

“It’s not like I had anything else to do. This works out well.”

“I might as well go too.”

In the end, mercenaries and adventurers are beings led by money.

Thus, upon hearing the spreading rumor, they began to gather in the Lartania Territory.

About two days later, on the day the Lord of Lartania announced the opening of the labyrinth.

—-

Territory of Lartania.

Territory Development: 332

Population of Territory

[Human: 2631 people]

Owned Buildings

[Lord’s Castle LV1 >>> Upgrading 99%]

[City Walls LV2]

[Residential Zone LV2]

[Blacksmith LV3]

[Barracks LV2 >>> Upgrading 32%]

[Tavern LV2]

[Market LV1]

[Lumber Mill LV1]

From Noble mtl dot com

[Restaurant LV1]

[Tannery LV1]

[Quarry LV1]

[Trading Post LV1]

Owned Troops

– Normal soldiers 200 [There are soldiers that can be upgraded!]

—-

Kim Hyunwoo had just confirmed that the Territory Development had exceeded 300 when he turned his gaze towards the mercenaries who were gathering noisily.

“My Lord.”

As Kim Hyunwoo turned his gaze in response to the voice, Elena was there.

“Ah, Elena.”

“I have already followed your intention, my Lord, and have stationed the soldiers on the first floor. It seems that all the mercenaries have also gathered. Is everything alright?”

Elena entered the Lord’s office and spoke with a slightly anxious expression.

In truth, her anxiety was only natural.

From her perspective, Kim Hyunwoo’s actions could only be regarded as something strange, as she knew nothing about them.

In her eyes, what Kim Hyunwoo was doing amounted to nothing more than distributing the most valuable resources obtainable in the territory to mercenaries.

“Of course, the fact that the mercenaries had filled the territory, and the inns attached to the commercial district were bursting, was true.”

Originally, it was only natural that it seemed wasteful to sell expensive resources in the territory, and Elena’s thoughts were not entirely wrong.

However, the reason Kim Hyunwoo could confidently smile was because he had a way.

A way to continuously summon monsters that usually appeared periodically in other territories.

Kim Hyunwoo raised a window in front of Elena, who was anxiously looking at him.

It was the cash window activated by Loria’s Arteil.

In other words, a Satan’s cash window filled with the BM that Kim Hyunwoo had dreadfully desired appeared before him.

[Chakram’s Soul – 87,220 won [Stone]]

[Mountains’ Power Gauntlet – 142,200 won [Stone]]

[Yallan’s Wooden Figurine – 98,000 won [Stone]]

[Shalyai Mamur – 55,500 won [Stone]]

“Whoa.”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

As soon as he opened the cash window, Kim Hyunwoo couldn’t help but sigh at the gift list that popped up and the prices that came to mind, unknowingly experiencing PTSD from ten years ago. He dismissed Elena’s concern, smoothly moved the window, and soon said, “Found it.”

—-

Grow your hero in the labyrinth package!

Try growing your hero in the labyrinth! In your labyrinth, monsters will fill it without rest, and your hero will grow as quickly as the monsters that fill it!

[From the moment of purchasing the package, the number of labyrinth monsters will always be maintained at a constant level!]

[Labyrinth hunting bonus experience 20% / Magic stone drop rate -20%]

[20-day pass] [5000 Red Stones]

[30-day pass] [7000 Red Stones]

—-

The essential package that would create the labyrinth city he envisioned.

And,

[“Grow your hero in the labyrinth package!” has been purchased.]

Without hesitation, Kim Hyun-woo, who had purchased the package to raise a hero in the maze,

“Well, let’s go to the square now.”

He smiled and headed to the square with Elena.

####

When Kim Hyun-woo finally stepped into the square,

The absolute ruler of darkness, who had returned to the Kalan Kingdom with Kalan’s five swords that were waiting outside the territory, stared intently at the execution sword, then placed it into her own darkness.

In truth, she still didn’t know why the execution sword, which seemed to belong to her, was exhibited there.

Moreover, she hadn’t discovered who had submitted the execution sword, and therefore, the mind of the absolute ruler of darkness remained complex.

However,

She decided not to care about it anymore.

Ultimately, what mattered to the absolute ruler of darkness now was not how the execution sword appeared, but the fact that by obtaining it, she could return to him.

From the beginning, that was the only thing that mattered to her.

…In fact, if she were the original absolute ruler of darkness, she would have thoroughly investigated every small doubt until the end. However, she had already fulfilled all the conditions to meet Kim Hyun-woo, so she no longer wanted to divert her gaze elsewhere.

More precisely, she no longer wanted to delay meeting him any longer.

Therefore, she deliberately turned her gaze away from how the execution sword was submitted.

She also decided to discard the thought that the execution sword in front of her belonged to her.

Thinking about it, she had seen a few weapons that were incredibly similar to her execution sword but had inferior performance.

Similarly, since the absolute ruler of darkness knew that her execution sword had surely been destroyed and disappeared, she reached a conclusion.

The execution sword in her hands was not hers but another execution sword that was remarkably similar to hers.

The absolute ruler of darkness, who wanted to meet Kim Hyun-woo quickly, chose not to calmly unravel the truth anymore.

‘Surely, I must have said it’s a shame that I’m not there…!’

She lifted the impatient hand full of anxiety in her heart,

“Master, are you leaving immediately…?”

“Yes.”

In response to the absolute ruler of darkness’s prompt answer, Lorial wore a somewhat bewildered expression.

At least, in the years she had observed the absolute ruler of darkness as her disciple, she had never seen her so anxious.

At least from what she knew, her master always judged any situation very coolly.

Although Lorial wore a perplexed expression, it seemed that the absolute ruler of darkness had already made all the decisions.

“I will go to the Larthania territory.”

With all the gifts she had collected so far, she began to head towards the Larthania territory.