Even as Hyunsoo beat Grout down several times, he had not expected anything enormous.
After all, even highly intelligent monsters rarely piled up treasures of their own.
Even if they did, Hyunsoo had assumed Grout would not give him everything.
But what appeared before his eyes told him otherwise.
Fifteen billion...?
Among the list currently visible, there were three Transcendent skill books.
Blood Cry, Blood Festival, and a power called Dis.
There were also no fewer than two Transcendent artifacts.
The most striking one was Dis, an 8th Class magic book.
An 8th Class magic book was known to sit somewhere between Transcendent and Mythic.
Even among users, there was still only one person who had learned 8th Class magic.
And he’s giving me an 8th Class magic book?
Hyunsoo calmed his pounding heart.
The value of these things would immediately exceed twenty-five billion.
I can’t believe this actually worked.
The biggest reason Hyunsoo was shocked was because he had found a new method.
This means if I meet super-named NPCs from now on and beat the hell out of them, I can keep getting special benefits like this, right?
But the moment he thought that, Hyunsoo realized one thing.
“...He hasn’t given them to me, has he?”
[8th Class magic book. Dis exists.]
Just as the notification said, it “existed.” It was not “obtained.”
Grout explained.
“Vampire Duchess Lela was my mother. I descended to the human world as if fleeing the Demon Realm, and I lived there with her. She was searching for her successor. But before she could find one, she died at my father’s hands.”
“So?”
“Even I can no longer set foot there as I please. After my mother died, that place became her tomb, and monsters swarmed into it.”
“...You’re saying it became a dungeon?”
“In the words of outsiders, yes.”
Hyunsoo felt disappointed.
Well, of course...
The setting Pureum had created was meticulous.
Nothing could be obtained without effort.
Of course, beating Grout down was also his effort(?) in its own way, but what he had hoped for was excessive compared to the effort he had put in.
“What level are the monsters?”
“Strong. Even I could not enter my mother’s tomb again because of them.”
“...You couldn’t?”
Hyunsoo was surprised.
The fact that an NPC like Grout could not enter it in the human world was shocking.
And as he listened to the story, a notification rang out.
[You learn about the hidden dungeon. Lela’s Tomb.]
In other words, it was a hidden dungeon.
Hidden dungeons like this were not revealed to the world.
Most dungeons and fields were publicly known to users.
Users visited those places as their levels rose.
But hidden dungeons were different.
They were hidden.
A hidden dungeon was the kind of place that might never be discovered at all.
A hidden dungeon is an opportunity.
First.
Because no one else knew about it, monopolizing it was possible.
Therefore, the nation of Hyun would become the only nation that knew about this hidden dungeon, which meant they could monopolize it.
Second.
The first clear of a hidden dungeon is special.
As befitted the name hidden dungeon, the things inside it were special, and the EXP gain was generally high as well.
Third.
High-grade artifacts usually appear in hidden dungeons.
Legendary artifacts.
Even Transcendent artifacts could drop.
They did not drop in ordinary hunting grounds and often dropped inside hidden dungeons like this instead.
Like that, the value of a hidden dungeon was endless.
Especially.
If it’s so difficult that Grout can’t easily enter it...?
If it were a quest, it would be at least SS-grade difficulty.
It would be dangerous and difficult, but if it could be cleared?
Enormous rewards will follow.
Of course, the items listed above were likely part of those rewards.
But were the things listed above the only rewards?
No.
They were the “rewards Grout knew about.”
“The fortunate thing is that no one can enter the place where my mother and I left those things unless it is either me or my mother.”
In other words, Grout’s rewards were extras.
“Your mother was a vampire. How did she learn magic?”
“Because my mother was special. She was the only vampire to ever reach the realm of a great mage.”
Grout spoke with a bitter smile.
“Did you think a Great Archdemon would share love with just anyone?”
Now that Hyunsoo heard it, that made sense.
“Vampire Duchess Lela. My mother was someone who stood at the top among the vampire race. When she was alive, she was stronger even than me.”
That, too, was a shocking story.
That means his mother had regeneration and was also a great mage, doesn’t it? That’s insanely broken.
Ares never ceased to amaze him.
New characters appeared every time, and those new characters always surpassed the existing strong ones.
It was probably the reason users could not feel relieved just because they had grown stronger.
But no matter what story he heard.
Ultimately, Hyunsoo had not “directly received” anything.
And when he finished hearing everything, something appeared.
[Hidden Quest: Lela’s Treasure Vault has been created.]
Ring!
[Hidden Quest: Lela’s Treasure Vault.]
Grade: SS
Restriction: One who has received Grout’s map.
Reward: Everything there.
Failure Penalty: Unable to enter Lela’s Treasure Vault.
Description: Lela’s Treasure Vault has now transformed into a sanctuary of monsters. If you defeat the monsters and enter Lela’s Treasure Vault, you will be able to obtain everything she possessed.
The fact that a quest had appeared meant there might be rewards even Grout did not know about.
However, Hyunsoo’s gaze was not kind.
When Hyunsoo slowly raised his hand again, Grout smiled slyly.
“Master, you can no longer strike me. I know something you truly need, and something you will truly like.”
Hyunsoo frowned.
Seeing him say something this arrogant, he still hasn’t learned enough.
Hyunsoo thought, If I kill him about three more times for now, won’t that cut down his arrogance?
But Grout’s eyes gleamed.
“Blood Ore Stone.”
The moment a mineral came up, Hyunsoo flinched.
It was an occupational disease.
“What kind of mineral is it?”
Hyunsoo wore an expression that said he would at least hear him out.
With a meaningful look, Grout said,
“Blood absorption.”
“...?”
“That is the mineral’s ability.”
“What...?”
*****
Blood absorption.
It meant sucking in blood.
But Hyunsoo was not surprised simply because it sucked in blood.
“It is exactly as you expect. Blood Ore Stone possesses a lower-compatible version of Full Bloom’s power.”
“You mean it’s a mineral with the property of absorbing blood to heal the wielder?”
“That is correct.”
“How is that possible?”
An artifact imbued with a recovery ability.
In Ares, that was one of the most valuable things of all.
It was an item difficult to buy even with money.
In reality, close-combat class users went wild over such artifacts.
Even a little.
The ability to heal oneself without receiving help from potions or priests was an absurd power.
But there might not even be a hundred artifacts in the whole world that helped with recovery.
“My mother Lela was abandoned by my father. The reason was that the vampire race was beneath demons. My mother was also a great mage, and she spent a long time researching a way to make such a race superior.”
“She went through countless trials and errors. She tried teaching magic as well, but in the end, she failed, and then arrived at a single result. Vampires are a race that heals itself through blood absorption. It is an advantage others do not possess. She devised a way to maximize it. So she began researching minerals. After long research into such minerals, she created Blood Ore Stone.”
Hyunsoo realized why Grout had brought up Blood Ore Stone.
Would Grout have said all this if there were only enough to make one sword or one piece of armor?
“How much is there?”
“Too much to count.”
“...”
Those words made Hyunsoo’s heart pound.
Blood Ore Stone.
It was a mineral that showed that even if it was Legendary grade, it could rival Transcendent grade.
And if there was too much of it to count.
The executives of the nation of Hyun, Luxiu, Bella, Borne, and the other strong ones.
He could arm all of them with it.
There was no need to make only weapons.
If it absorbed blood on its own, then the people fighting them would have their blood stolen by their armor during battle.
And the people of the nation of Hyun would heal themselves.
Perhaps.
It might become a way to counter the Parion Empire...?
It was a means for the nation of Hyun to surge upward.
Hyunsoo lowered his arm.
“So accept my loyalty now.”
At Grout’s words, Hyunsoo nodded.
However.
“Make a demon’s oath.”
Hyunsoo was by no means easygoing.
A demon’s oath.
The oaths demons made were special.
If they broke one, they walked the path of extinction.
“You must not harm anyone of the nation of Hyun. You must live for the nation of Hyun. And you must do everything I tell you to do.”
Grout’s face twisted.
But Hyunsoo said,
“And depending on how you behave in the future, I’ll craft an artifact for you.”
Grout obtained what he wanted.
And Hyunsoo had obtained something greater.
[Grout performs a demon’s oath.]
By performing the demon’s oath, Grout could no longer defy him, which meant Hyunsoo had gained a loyal dog.
But he was not satisfied yet.
Accepting Grout.
There was someone who would strongly oppose it.
That person was Sage Arte.
Hyunsoo stated the final condition.
“I’ll tell you what you have to do.”
Meanwhile.
The Special User Management Team froze.
[User Hyunsoo learns about Blood Ore Stone.]
[Blood Ore Stone is one of the rare hidden minerals.]
“The existence of Blood Ore Stone has been revealed to the world...”
A hidden dungeon.
The most valuable treasure hidden inside it.
That was what had revealed itself.
And standing among the astonished people was Lee Sejin.
As the CEO of Pureum, Lee Sejin knew one confidential fact.
It was something neither Team Lead Kim of the Special User Management Team nor Team Lead Lee of the Story Team knew.
But now that Blood Ore Stone had revealed itself, Lee Sejin spoke.
“There is one fact even Grout does not know.”
Everyone listened closely.
Grout, who had lived there, did not know?
“Duchess Lela, who created Blood Ore Stone, loved Grout very much, and after completing the Blood Ore Stone, she planned to give it to him as a gift.”
As if fate were cruel.
“Before she could give him that gift, the demon she had shared love with cut off her head, and she fell.”
Remembering that story, Lee Sejin smiled bitterly.
“Right before she died, she crawled to that mineral, hid it, and because she knew she was going to die, she performed one act.”
Everyone focused.
One act?
“She poured all the power she possessed into that Blood Ore Stone.”
“Then does that mean the Blood Ore Stone became even better?”
“That’s right. It means it is an incredible mineral surpassing even Transcendent grade. And that is what we need to worry about right now.”
“...”
“...”
Everyone focused on Lee Sejin’s mouth.
“The possibility that the Master Blacksmith may obtain Super Blood Ore Stone.”
Looking at the monitor, Lee Sejin groaned.
“And what he will make with it.”
*****
“Help Arte’s classes exactly one hundred times. I’ll talk to Arte in advance.”
Grout grew uneasy.
I failed to think of that.
Grout was the one who had locked Arte inside a cage.
Even in Grout’s own opinion, there was no way Arte could forgive him.
So, carrying a massive sense of anxiety, he stood before the Academy where Arte was Principal.
It suits them.
Arte and the role of Principal suited each other rather well.
Soon, Arte came out of the Academy.
Meeting Arte made Grout feel anxious.
Because he had made a demon’s oath, he could not harm anyone of the nation of Hyun.
He could not even say nonsense.
That was why Arte frightened him.
But.
“It has been a while.”
Arte showed no particular reaction.
Rather, Arte nodded with a calm expression.
What is this? Did they forgive me so easily?
Grout was surprised.
Was that possible?
Well.
Humans were originally affectionate and weak to emotion.
They were also said to be beings who easily offered forgiveness.
Things are going smoothly. What a foolish creature ruled by emotional appeals. If it were me, I would have twisted the neck off immediately!
Grout sneered at emotional humans.
“Follow me. We must prepare for class.”
Grout remembered that he had agreed to help with one hundred classes.
Of course, it was a little embarrassing.
If it was an Academy class, he would probably read books aloud, explain something, or perhaps gather certain materials.
He was the Demon of Knowledge.
Master gave me a proper task.
Moving his feet, Grout followed Arte’s instructions with a smirk.
“Lie down.”
He lay down on some kind of iron table.
Soon, Arte used telekinesis.
RATTLE-RATTLE-RATTLE—!
His arms and legs were bound.
Hm? What kind of class is this? Haha.
Grout remained at ease even then.
Were they perhaps going to show the children a demon?
Soon, children came pouring in, and Grout turned his head slightly before going pale.
“Hehe!”
“This looks fun!”
“Woooow!”
Because the children were holding scalpels in their hands.
One child even looked back and forth between the scalpel and Grout, then licked their lips.
“Hehe... I wonder what a demon’s heart looks like.”
“I’m curious about the liver.”
“What about the kidneys?”
“?”
By the time Grout realized something had gone wrong.
“Today’s class...”
Arte took out a saw, looked at the children, and said,
“Is demon anatomy.”
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