Episode 240: Lecture Series -1-
The fog is thick.
A column of fog rising like a cumulonimbus cloud is devouring the world like a mushroom cloud.
[Warning! Warning!]
The private plane control magic spirit displayed a red dot.
[This is a magic detector blocking area. Magic radar and magic communicators will also be disabled. We recommend that you avoid the foggy area.]
“How wide is that?”
[It is approximately 10,000 square kilometers based on satellite photos.]
“Hiya, it’s spacious.”
The area of Seoul is approximately 600 square kilometers.
It would be similar if compared to Gyeonggi-do.
I stuck out my tongue and looked at the foggy area ahead.
A region of fog that rises from the ground and reaches the sky, taking over the stratosphere where I am.
It’s absolutely not natural.
It was the result of divine intervention.
Even though that god is a mad spirit and a mere level 8 deity that is embarrassing to call a god.
‘Isn’t there any need to take risks?’
Lake Nasser in southern Egypt.
An artificial lake created by the construction of the Aswan Dam.
Originally it was about 5,000 square kilometers in the world, but in this world it has doubled in size.
It’s because of the goddess of the river.
Because of his madness, he would emit magical fog at any given time, causing the Egyptian government and the Temple of Osiris to declare Lake Nasser a no-go area.
“Let’s go to Aswan.”
The only place in this vicinity where administrative power still exists is Aswan.
Where the Aswan Dam is located.
I pushed the joystick in that direction.
The magic spirits were busy communicating, blinking their lights.
[Entry permit, landing permit, and stay permit have been issued. You can land at Aswan International Airport. It will be stored in the Aswan International Airport hangar during your stay.]
It’s a superhuman privilege.
If I were an ordinary citizen, I would have had to go through a separate immigration inspection even if I came by private plane.
There is one thing that needs to be corrected though.
“Hangar? No need for that. I’ll store it myself.”
[Yes? Yes. Okay. I will reply accordingly.]
Step by step.
The magic runway unfolds.
There is no need to land carefully from a distance or do anything with the auxiliary wings.
Because the magic spirits took care of all the difficult things.
As the speed slowed down, I threw myself from the Sky Harpy.
I went down to the runway in advance and took the sky boat out of my pocket.
After deploying to maximum size, that is, the size of an aircraft carrier, landing is completed.
As I was about to fold the sky boat and put it away, the magic spirit sent a message.
[They say they will prepare a welcoming ceremony at the city hall.]
“Welcome party? Why?”
[The Guardian of the Stigmata and the Knight of Paul left a message saying that it was an honor and that he would like you to attend.]
This one’s a bit mechanical.
The Red Cougar Magic Spirit would have analyzed the reason and told you.
I looked into it carefully.
The reason why the city hall is hurriedly preparing a welcoming ceremony.
It’s obvious.
It’s because of the goddess of the river.
It’s also because of the lecture series.
I may not be able to subdue the river goddess, but I can capture and kill her followers.
Since the Osiris Cult periodically subjugates the Ganges, it is highly likely that they will ask me to do the same.
Then I must attend.
If I go into that fog alone, it will be a waste of time.
Even if you don’t do the lecture group subjugation, you still need one quest item.
“Okay. Tell them I’ll be there. Where should I go?”
[They said they would send a limousine.]
While we were talking, a long, black limousine quietly approached.
That long limousine you only see in movies.
It looked more luxurious than the one I rode in Brazil last time.
“Hello. I am Ahmed Abdallah, who will be serving you, Master Geomseong.”
A dark-skinned man greeted me politely.
Aswan City Hall seems to have put a lot of effort into it.
The man was a superman.
That’s also level 3. The level where you’re treated as a true superhuman.
“We will escort you comfortably to the viewing.”
“Thank you.”
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The inside of the limousine was comfortable and pleasant.
Champagne worth tens of millions of won was sitting in an ice bucket, dripping with a cold mist.
Mulberry!
I opened it and tasted it.
The refreshing and sweet taste delighted my tongue.
‘Not as good as nectar.’
Nectar is really delicious.
Even before I could enjoy the taste, the magic rushed through my body as if it were going to break it.
I took just one sip of champagne and put down both the glass and the bottle.
But the champagne liquid in the glass is not moving at all.
The magic suspension applied to the limousine absorbs and dissipates 100% of all shocks.
Boom! Boom!
The magic cannon fired a salute.
As the fireworks soar high, people walking along the street look back to see what’s going on.
Even a military band was mobilized.
Each blew a trumpet and beat a drum, and the knights gathered together and raised their S-shaped single-edged swords.
“Salute to the Guardian of the Stigmata, the Knight of Paul, the Seer of the Divinity, the Sword Saint of Asia!”
“salute!”
“Welcome to Aswan, the Walls of Egypt!”
Clap clap clap clap!
It’s quite faithful considering it was prepared in a hurry.
Hundreds of people were clapping their hands enthusiastically.
He doesn’t seem to be in a bad mood.
His face and eyes were filled with curiosity and welcome toward me.
I felt a little proud.
‘I guess I’ve become famous.’
When the Seoul terrorist attack was prevented, it was only known within South Korea.
After capturing the Phantom King in Sao Paulo, it feels like I’ve spread out across the world.
Well, it did save tens of millions.
He also preached fervently in the Mamaquila Order and the Poca Order.
I bowed my head politely.
“Thank you for welcoming us.”
“Hahaha! You are so humble, you are the epitome of a hero. Your Majesty! Welcome back to Aswan. Please come inside.”
The Aswan market pulled me in.
City Hall Banquet Hall.
The food and drinks were piled up like a small mountain, with a little extravagance.
On one side, an orchestra played enchanting melodies, while in front of it, naked dancers danced lazily.
It’s pretty.
As my gaze lingered on a dancer for a moment, the mayor whispered and smiled sinisterly from the side.
“If you wish, I will take care of you during your stay.”
“Okay.”
“If one isn’t enough, then all of those dancers… … Oh, do you need Mido too? Then the boys too… … .”
“I told you, it’s done.”
What is this author talking about?
The mayor coughed in vain as he gave him a stinging look.
Then he started yelling at the poor orchestra.
“What are you doing! The guest of honor is here and you’re playing a song like that!”
The music has changed.
From a soft, seductive and alluring feeling to a grand and brisk march-like style.
The dancers all leave and more instruments come in.
Music that fills your ears richly.
I’m a man, so I felt a little disappointed, but I forced myself to pull myself together.
‘This is not the time to be obsessed with women.’
The saint’s fangs came right up to the neck.
A time when every day, no, every minute and every second is regrettable.
You should think about running until your feet break. You can’t just be blinded by women and do nothing.
If you don’t want to die, don’t look away.
And the market would have been kind enough to give me a woman?
They do that because they are after something.
“The music is great. Can we play along with you?”
“yes?”
No permission is required.
I took out the Manpasikjeok from my golf bag.
[Play][Verb][Song]
[Magic Soul][Thor’s Training Method][Deep Breathing]
Take a deep breath.
Blow the dragon’s song on the flute.
My vast and magnificent magical power was contained in my deep, deep breaths, shaking the banquet hall.
Enough to overwhelm a professional orchestra.
As much as their careers and skills were completely crushed.
But that wasn’t the case.
Didn’t break them.
Instead, it just blends in.
Harmoniously and seamlessly blending together.
Like a single flower mixed in a bouquet.
No, like a bouquet of colored paper that makes the flowers stand out.
“her…….”
After a moment of ensemble playing, the mayor took on a dreamy expression.
“I didn’t know that Mr. Geumseong had such an artistic soul.”
“You are too kind.”
Why did you suddenly blow the whistle?
To bring the atmosphere to me.
We held a welcoming banquet as prepared by the mayor, met local leaders, had a drink and socialized…
Where do we find time for that?
“Mayor, there is a reason I came here.”
The mayor nodded heavily.
“That would be so. Why would the swordsman, the knight of Paul, come to Aswan for no reason? I also have an idea of the reason.”
A market where you can wave your hands lightly.
People are flowing out like an ebb tide.
The orchestra, the guests, the guards, and the knights all disappeared from the banquet hall, leaving only me and the mayor.
A soundproof and dustproof barrier was also deployed to create a completely sealed room.
The market looks at me with eyes that say it knows everything.
“Didn’t you come here to catch those fish?”
huh?
what?
Ah… … That’s not wrong.
A clan of rivers living in the fog.
They look like fish people.
If you catch it, it will give you some useful materials.
In the game, it was updated in later episodes so it wasn’t very useful.
“I guess so.”
I gave it a proper tempo.
If you say you’re going to the river goddess to get a drop of blood, she’ll be suspicious.
She’s level 8. She’s the goddess of the river.
There is no way for a level 7 player to go alone and defeat a level 8 boss.
The Cult of Osiris is fundamentally hostile to the River Goddess, so we must not give them any reason to be suspicious.
“also!”
The market has succumbed to its own slump.
“I knew you would. After all, there are a lot of things left over after you kill them. If you purify and extract their body fluids, wouldn’t they become ingredients for nectar? Since you quickly reached level 7, you must need a lot of nectar. If you collect and refine their cores, you can make magic stones that are perfect for enchanting.”
“Aha. So that’s a local specialty?”
“That’s true, but they’re not easy to find. I don’t know if you know, but their level is high. There’s a paladin garrison here, but all they can do is defend against their attacks.”
“You’re not going to punish them?”
“We only do it once in a while, locally. They are too powerful in the fog. What can we do when they are protected by evil spirits? There is no wise spirit like the Mamaquila Order. The Pope cannot move it himself… … We have to wait for Life and Death to send down a saint one day.”
Even if a level 8 saint appears, it will be difficult.
The area in the fog is ruled by the river goddess.
The power is greatly amplified.
Among the level 8 bosses, it was said to be as powerful as a saint.
It’s hard to conquer without using special methods.
“That might be dangerous.”
“Yes. But would he be worse than that Ghost King? If you are the Sword Master who single-handedly defeated that Ghost King, then catching a few ugly fish-men would be no problem.”
My body feels warm, it feels warm.
It can’t be helped.
The market profits greatly just by hunting for the lecture crowd.
Those are all achievements.
What if they sell by-products in Aswan?
Or process it?
Then it would be a huge hit.
Kang’s followers are as valuable as the high-level demons of the Great Labyrinth and the high-level alien species of the Great Rift.
The hunting difficulty is much higher, so it’s not easy to catch them.
“I think so too.”
I told the market what it wanted to hear.
“I need some water attributes anyway. That’s why I came here instead of going to the Great Labyrinth or the Great Rift.”
“Somehow! That’s right! If you want to make a water-attribute artifact, there’s no material as good as their magic core in the entire world! Welcome. Welcome. I’ll be here to support you with all my might while you’re here, Sword Master!”
The mayor felt in his front suit pocket.
The hand goes up to the forearm.
That was also a space expansion pocket.
Then, he took out his right hand and found a small flashlight in it.
That’s it.
The reason I matched the market’s long and short term.
The reason why I followed the welcoming ceremony without firmly rejecting it.
The mayor handed me a flashlight.
“This is an artifact created by the Osiris Cult. It nullifies fog within the range of the flashlight.”
In the fog, my ears can’t hear.
This is truly the power of God.
If you want to explore the fog or make contact with the river’s forces, this flashlight is a must-have.
The market clenched both fists.
“Please sweep away all those hideous seeds of evil. You don’t know how much harm they cause. Droughts come often and crops dry up, and floods sweep away houses. And that’s not all? Dozens of citizens die every year, caught in the fog’s magic and walking into the lake. Whenever you catch one of them, cut off its nose and ears and we’ll give you a small reward. One million dollars per animal, that’s our sincerity.”
A million dollars?
If you calculate it at the exchange rate of 1,300 won, it’s 1.3 billion?
It’s trivial. In the original world, it’s almost like winning first prize in the lottery.
It’s like this even without the corpse.
The significance of the Gang clan was that great. The hatred that the Aswan citizens held toward the Gang clan was also enormous.
“I will do my best.”
“Thank you. I will only trust you, Master Geomseong.”
“Let’s set off right now. Can you give me a sturdy boat? You don’t have to give me a good one. If we fight, we might sink.”
“I’ll give you the best. And don’t worry. If that boat sinks, I can just buy it back. Just catch lots of fish.”
Let’s go right away.
I boarded the large boat alone.
A completely manual boat, without any magic spirits or artificial intelligence.
Over, over, over!
Equip the knight and run.
A boat entering the fog.
In the world that was spreading out in a blur, I could only see the faint ripples in front of my flashlight.
And then there’s this weird sound.
[Huhhhhh… … .]
[Sigh… … .]
[Ugh, ugh, ugh… … .]
It sounds like a ghost crying.
It reflects in the fog and echoes from all directions, making it impossible to determine its epicenter.
I ignored everything and ran.
Just in a straight line.
Straight towards the center of the lake.
with a splash!
Now I can even hear the sound of splashing water.
After hearing that, I stopped the engine.
The lake becomes quiet in an instant.
Silence fell.
The crackling sound of the water and the splashing sound are no longer heard.
Instead, one by one, bright blue sparks emerged from the thick fog.
Angwang.
One pair each.
Like a carnivore.
Dozens of them are floating on the water, staring at me.
I shone a flashlight.
A terribly ugly and repulsive being appears.
Not just a simple fish person.
With a face crushed and crushed like a deep-sea fish, with a bunch of sharp, vicious thorns hanging from it instead of hair, it is looking at me with its blue eyes rolling.
A true servant of the evil spirit.
A shape created with all the hatred and anger in the world.
“Kyaaaaak!”
“Keeak!”
“Keeeeeeet!”
The fish people open their mouths.
The monstrous mouth, like that of a seven-eel eel, stretches out.
A sight that I’m afraid will appear in my dreams.
My instincts are whispering to me.
Run away.
Those monsters are coming soon.
But instead of running away, I lit a fire.
The highest.
Golden flames.
Instead of attacking them, we carve letters into the air.
[Hello]
The fish people stare blankly at me.
After a long standoff, one of the fish-men waved his hand.
The river water rises and paints a picture.
A very crude drawing.
Upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn’t a painting.
It was a letter.
[Hi]
A group of rivers whose oral structure is completely different from that of humans.
The only way to talk to them.
It was a direct conversation.
