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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
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Chapter 149: Benevolent Meddling
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â–¡ First Discovery: Unknown (estimated to be at least several hundred years ago)
â–¡ In the past, prestigious families occasionally entered for exploration purposes, but now, with the existence of magic weapons and Demon Realm Cores widely known, many people reside in Keplan for entry.
â–¡ According to the Alliance's monster classification, those ranking level 2 and above are classified as High-Ranking Demon Realms.
â–¡ (Important) Recently, the frequency of Demon Realm appearances has increased exponentially.
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I walked, recalling some of the records about the Demon Realm that Kant had told me.
Section 37 was located quite a distance to the east.
"35, 36... There it is."
After moving a considerable distance from the central area, a section marked with "37" finally appeared in front of the barrier.
Alliance mages were busy working beyond the barrier.
A man who appeared to be the person in charge looked over at us.
"Are you here to enter?"
"That's right."
"Your affiliation?"
"Samael Clan, Crazy Mage Squad."
"Please wait a moment."
The person in charge went inside the temporary branch office and came back out, nodding.
"Stand by. It will open soon."
I looked around for a moment and then plopped down on the dirt floor.
My subordinates also sat on the ground and scanned their surroundings.
There was no one else around.
"Commander. There's no one here at all? Are we the only ones?"
Zion tilted his head and continued,
"It was so chaotic earlier, but it's quiet here. What a shame."
I looked at Zion and said,
"If you're so disappointed, have a duel with Palge."
"I need to conserve my energy. But it really is quiet here."
I nodded in agreement with Zion.
It certainly wasn't like this just a while ago.
At its worst, it was like a lawless zone; at best, a chaotic marketplace.
There were squabbles between those waiting to enter, and in some extreme cases, there were even those trying to start duels.
Some people were giving up their entry in exchange for money.
This problem arose due to the restrictions on the number of people allowed in.
Since entry into the Low-Rank Demon Realm was on a first-come, first-served basis, popular areas were experiencing this kind of trouble.
"Perhaps... is this a trash-rank Demon Realm?"
I shook my head at Palge's question.
"Level 4 isn't trash. I checked."
Among those aiming to enter, Demon Realms ranking level 5 or lower were classified as trash.
This was because they offered almost no contribution points and had virtually no chance of yielding decent weapons, making the cost-benefit ratio unfavorable.
The Demon Realm we were about to enter was classified as level 4, so it wasn't that bad.
"Then why is no one here?"
Suddenly, I turned my gaze to the left.
A group of people carrying various equipment was walking to the right.
The stocky man, sweating profusely as he walked, looked over at us and suddenly shouted,
"Oh? Is that you?"
"Mr. Chano?"
Chano approached with a hearty laugh.
"Haha! Mr. Chano? We've met twice now, that's fate! Just call me 'hyung'. What are you all doing here?"
I was seriously debating whether I should continue conversing with this nosy man, but someone beat me to the punch.
"Ooh! Nice to see you, Chano-hyung. What brings you here? Are those your companions?"
The business manager's move was quite swift.
Chano responded with a hearty laugh,
"These are my mercenary corps members. We're on our way to the Demon Realm."
"We're also about to enter the Demon Realm."
"I heard you haven't been in Keplan long, but you're quick to act. Which section are you entering?"
Zion pointed across with his finger.
Chano asked, puzzled,
"Here?"
Zion nodded.
"Could we ask you something, Chano-hyung?"
"Go ahead."
"Why is it so deserted here? Earlier, other places were so crowded that fights were breaking out, but I'm wondering why there's not a single ant here."
Chano furrowed his brow slightly, examining the barrier carefully before saying,
"Section 37, huh? If this is the Demon Realm that opens here... Hmm."
Suddenly, Chano approached the barrier, peering inside and exchanging a few words with the person in charge. Returning to us, he said,
"Do you have any particular reason for choosing this place?"
I replied,
"We were looking for the Demon Realm with the fastest entry."
Chano slapped his knee and exclaimed,
"I knew it! I knew it!"
"Is there a problem?"
"The Demon Realms in the 30s section rarely offer good quality. Of course, it's not always the case, but it's almost a pattern. It's been like this for the past six months without fail."
Zion interjected,
"What rank Demon Realm are you entering, Chano-hyung?"
"Level 4."
"This one's Level 4 too, isn't it? It's the same!"
Chano pointed his index finger at Zion's eye.
"That's exactly it. That's the problem."
"Hey, why are you pointing at me, Chano-hyung?"
"Listen carefully. Even within the same level, the difficulty can vary greatly. Look inside the barrier. Doesn't the Demon Realm look like a tomb? The entrance is eerie."
Indeed, as Chano said, the Demon Realm visible inside the barrier had a bulging top, like a tomb.
"Popular level 4 Demon Realms are usually swarming with the lowest-grade monsters. It's easy to rack up contribution points there. But in places like this, there are hardly any low-grade monsters. Instead, there's a high chance of encountering a small number of troublesome, higher-ranking monsters."
Now I understood.
I said to Chano,
"So you prefer Demon Realms with a large number of weak monsters."
"Exactly. There's no appeal in entering a place like this."
"How did you learn about all this?"
"Experience, experience. Veteran mercenaries like me know these things."
Suddenly, Zion started clapping.
"Indeed. Amazing. As the Samael Clan's Business Manager, I'm truly impressed. Chano-hyung's insight is remarkable. If it weren't for you, we would have been completely unaware of such crucial information."
"Now that you know, aim for a different Demon Realm. Personally, I think the 50s section is manageable."
This time, I shook my head.
"We can't do that."
Just then, we heard a shimmering sound and looked up to see the survey team emerging from the barrier after completing their inspection.
A moment later, the man who appeared to be in charge approached and said in a business-like tone,
"All clear. Enter when you're ready."
I nodded, and as if waiting for that signal, my subordinates, led by Arin and Makan, rose from their spots.
Chano raised his voice.
"Didn't you hear me? It's dangerous! Wait and aim for a different Demon Realm."
I looked at the meddling Chano and said,
"Thank you, Chano-hyung. Your intentions are good. You remind me of Deputy Commander Daisy from our Khaoto branch. I'll say hello if I see you next time."
I entered the barrier with my subordinates.
I didn't feel any resistance while passing through.
While casting magic caused a strong rebound, it seemed to be designed not to affect people passing through.
However...
As soon as we passed through the barrier, a landscape completely different from what we saw outside unfolded before us.
Saaaa—
The sky was an ashen gray without a single cloud.
It felt like we had arrived at the end of the world.
Arin walked at the front as if she were used to this.
Directly ahead, the tomb-shaped Demon Realm was visible.
Reaching the entrance of the Demon Realm, I sharpened my senses and scanned the surroundings.
No matter how much I looked, I couldn't sense any demonic energy.
"Shall we enter right away?"
Arin looked back at me just in front of the dark entrance.
"Once we enter, we can't leave until we obtain the Demon Realm Core or defeat the highest-ranking monster."
"I know. Let's go in."
I made eye contact with each of my subordinates, my gaze finally landing on Palge.
After a brief staring contest with Palge, I said,
"Go in first. I'll enter last."
The entrance to the dark tomb loomed before us.
As each of my subordinates stepped into the entrance, they disappeared as if being sucked in.
"Is that really safe?... Gah!"
I kicked Palge in, sending him in last, and was about to enter myself when...
"Wait! Stop! Stop!"
Chano came running madly from behind with his short legs.
He stared at the entrance for a moment and muttered in a dejected tone,
"Did they all go in already?"
"Is there a problem, Chano-hyung?"
"I was a bit late because I had to talk to the main unit, and now this..."
Chano suddenly said with a serious face,
"This won't do. I have to go with you. You, come in with me."
"What?"
"If you go in alone and encounter monsters that are too much for you to handle, you'll all be wiped out. I couldn't just stand by and watch after seeing this. Hurry!"
Mana swirled around Chano's body.
I stared at him in disbelief for a moment, examining him closely.
His main weapon was an axe.
A crude 4-star Mana Core.
He wasn't completely incompetent, but he wasn't skilled enough to be swaggering around either.
"What are you doing! Didn't you say you were the commander? Let's go in together. If you don't go in, I'll go in first."
Chano had crossed the line.
Normally, I would have told him to get lost for such presumptuous behavior.
He wouldn't be of any help even if he came along.
But for some reason, I didn't want to do that now. As I've said many times, I do whatever I feel like doing.
I followed Chano into the entrance.
* * *
The first thing I saw was pitch-black darkness.
I immediately conjured a fireball to illuminate my surroundings.
Footprints were imprinted on the ground.
"Oh, I see you're a mage."
Chano muttered with a slightly impressed look.
"You don't seem to be from the Magic Tower, though."
"You're right."
"If you manage to get out of here alive, don't wander around alone. Find some comrades. There are many places that welcome mages. At least if you travel with knights, you won't be in danger. You're welcome to join our mercenary corps, too."
While talking to himself, Chano looked around, sniffing the air and carefully examining the footprints on the ground.
"Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be a very complex Demon Realm."
I set off with Chano, following the footprints.
It was an environment where monsters could jump out at any moment, but unexpectedly, there was no sign of any attack.
"Hmm."
Chano, who was walking ahead, stopped.
"How long has it been since your subordinates entered?"
"Not more than a few minutes."
"This isn't good. I've never seen a Demon Realm without a single monster. I have a bad feeling about this. Let's head to the center."
Chano immediately changed direction and started walking elsewhere.
I couldn't hide my growing boredom because, as he said, there wasn't a single monster in sight.
I was itching for action.
Chano suddenly stopped, raising his right hand.
"Hmm..."
Following Chano's gaze, I saw huge footprints, several times larger than a human's.
They looked like bear paws.
Examining the flow of mana, Chano lowered his voice and said,
"It's not a low-grade monster. With footprints this size, it's likely a mid-grade monster."
Chano took the axe off his back and gripped it with both hands.
He moved slowly, step by step.
Strange footprints were scattered around us.
"Be careful, Ruin. It seems like we've been in here for about five minutes. Now's the crucial time. Stay alert. First, we need to find your subordinates. After that, I'll lead the way. We should be able to reach the center in about an hour."
I noticed Chano's voice trembling slightly and asked,
"Is something worrying you, Chano-hyung?"
"It might not end with mid-grade monsters. If there's a mid-grade monster right at the entrance, the one in the center could be a high-grade monster, or even a mutated one if we're unlucky. Even I can't underestimate a mutated high-grade monster..."
Just then, the ceiling of the Demon Realm suddenly split open like it was cut by a knife, and a gray light burst out from the sky.
My vision suddenly brightened.
"Wh-what's this?"
My subordinates appeared as if they were falling from the sky.
Zion was clutching something in his hand.
"Commander? What are you doing here? Why didn't you come in?"
I looked around in bewilderment.
The scene before my eyes...
It was exactly the same as before we entered the Demon Realm.
Behind us, I could see the multicolored barrier and the Alliance's temporary barracks.
I was trying to grasp what was happening when I closed my mouth.
There was a man even more surprised than I was.
Chano's jaw dropped as he looked around, his expression like...
...someone who had been hit in the back of the head with an axe handle, lost his memory, and become a three-year-old child.
"Section 37, Demon Realm closed."
As the Demon Realm Core was destroyed, a voice imbued with mana automatically echoed throughout the area.
Then, Chano muttered in a low voice,
"...It hasn't even been 10 minutes since we entered?"
Then, Chano saw the color of the magic core in Zion's hand and started drooling.
"Mutated? There really was a mutated mid-grade monster?"
Suddenly, Chano looked around and shouted,
"Who the hell are you people?!"
Before I could say anything, Zion stepped forward.
"Remember this clearly from now on, Chano-hyung."
Zion clasped Chano's hand.
"I am the Business Manager of the Samael Clan."
[TL/N: For People Confused about the demon realm, here's some basic idea about how everything works— 1. The Demon Realm is apparently not just a place but are dungeons (figuratively) 2. The higher the level of a said demon realm the lower in rank it is, essentially it's like 1>10 (random no but you get the picture)
If guys have any doubts or it seems like I am wrong somewhere, feel free to ask me about them in the comments or in discord :)]
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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