LIGHTNOVELONLINE [Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
Chapter 72: Time Attack (2)
4.
No one was surprised when El Pam’s party appeared at the Gafor guild’s Ariant branch.
Rather, they thought it was natural.
‘I knew it, they finally gave up.’
It was obvious what would happen to someone who tried to climb an insurmountable mountain.
“That will be the proof.”
However, the situation changed the moment El Pam drew his sword.
“Proof that we succeeded in the raid.”
At those words, Salman froze.
‘That’s nonsense!’
The situation was far beyond the realm of common sense.
That’s why…
‘I see.’
Salman was able to quickly regain his composure.
‘They’re trying to deceive me!’
There was no way that something beyond common sense could be true.
‘Just like back then.’
Moreover, in Salman’s eyes, El Pam had already committed a great deception.
Therefore, Salman did not pay attention to the sword that El Pam presented.
He said with a cold look in his eyes.
“That proof, is it real?”
It wasn’t a question.
Salman’s eyes and expression clearly said that it was fake.
El Pam smiled at that conviction.
From El Pam’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse Salman’s provocation.
“You seem to think it’s fake, but if it is, I’ll give you 100 million mesos.”
Far from refusing, El Pam made an offer.
“On the contrary, if it’s real, I’ll receive 100 million mesos.”
Salman’s conviction deepened at that offer.
‘As expected, he’s bluffing!’
The fact that El Pam mentioned this astronomical amount was clear evidence that he was lying.
Therefore, there was no reason to be afraid of this offer.
“Alright, let’s see…”
Salman was about to boldly accept the offer.
“Stop.”
It was none other than Prince Kashan, who had been watching the situation, who stopped Salman.
Salman froze at his appearance.
Prince Kashan then gave Salman a sharp look.
It was a warning.
A warning to say and do nothing more.
“El Pam.”
With that same look, Kashan spoke to El Pam.
“This is Prince Kashan. Show some respect.”
5.
“Show some respect.”
Upon hearing those words, El Pam bowed his head and said.
“I am the adventurer El Pam. It is an honor to meet you, Prince Kashan.”
Prince Kashan’s eyes narrowed at the sight of El Pam humbling himself without hesitation.
What if a handyman suddenly claimed to be Prince Kashan?
Common sense dictates that one wouldn’t believe it.
At the very least, they would be surprised or flustered.
“Do you know me?”
Yet, El Pam’s reaction was impossible unless he knew Prince Kashan. El Pam answered the question.
“I don’t.”
“You don’t? But you react like that?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Of course… why?”
“If you are not Prince Kashan, then I am just acting foolishly, but if you are the real Prince Kashan, then my life is in danger. There is no need to weigh the options.”
Upon hearing that answer, Prince Kashan acknowledged it.
‘His sense of survival is absolute.’
That El Pam was extraordinary.
In fact, that was the reason why Prince Kashan stepped forward.
Prince Kashan had no intention of revealing his identity unless it was absolutely necessary.
The problem was Salman.
‘Yet, he throws gambles without hesitation.’
Usually, adventurers with a strong survival instinct act conservatively.
They don’t use provocative or risky moves.
However, El Pam, despite his excellent survival skills, willingly gambled with his opponent.
And Salman fell for it.
That’s why he had to step forward.
The most reliable bet in a gamble is one’s own life!
And if you’re someone with excellent survival skills? Your bet is worth twice as much as others.
If things continued like this, it was clear that Salman would not only lose mesos but also suffer even greater losses.
Of course, that was the biggest reason Prince Kashan stepped in.
“So, how long did it take?”
‘If it’s really true.’
If what El Pam’s party brought was proof of the raid’s success, then Prince Kashan had no reason to hesitate.
‘This is the talent I’ve been looking for.’
If that were the case, Prince Kashan would have revealed his identity anyway.
‘If it’s not.’
If it wasn’t, if it was a lie, then the story was simple.
‘I’ll just kill them.’
The price for humiliating a prince on the territory of the Ariant Kingdom was nothing less than beheading.
“It took 12 hours, 15 minutes, and 22 seconds.”
El Pam calmly answered Prince Kashan.
“Impressive.”
With those words, Prince Kashan gave Salman a look.
“If that’s true.”
At the following words, Salman quickly regained his composure and went outside with the sword El Pam had brought.
To confirm its authenticity.
Meanwhile, Prince Kashan sat down in the seat where Salman had been sitting.
“Your abilities are impressive.”
The expression on Prince Kashan’s face, now seated, began to exude the dignity of a prince, the dignity of one sitting in an overwhelming position.
His dignity was quite intense.
Most adventurers would be intimidated.
Of course, El Pam was not impressed.
“Thank you,”
El Pam said calmly.
“As promised, you can give me 60 million mesos.”
He calmly demanded what he wanted from Prince Kashan.
It was a dangerous act.
The person in front of him had the status and ability to take El Pam’s life without reason.
However, El Pam wasn’t particularly worried.
‘I don’t know what Prince Kashan is aiming for, but…’
One thing was for sure.
‘The fact that he’s acting even after revealing his identity means he’s doing something that’s worth risking his position as a prince.’
The desperate one here was not El Pam, but Prince Kashan.
‘It must be something absurd. That’s why Prince Kashan wants a madman.’
And he was desperate enough to want a gamble that was close to a reckless move.
‘That’s why he was killed.’
That was why Prince Kashan remained a dead man in El Pam’s memory.
‘By the Queen.’
Prince Kashan was close to Abdullah VIII, and that’s why he was eventually killed by Queen Areda.
‘It’s coming soon.’
Moreover, that time, the time of Prince Kashan’s execution, was a year later in El Pam’s memory.
The year before the monsters from beyond the Mystic Gates rushed into Maple World.
That was why.
‘Although I don’t know the details…’
El Pam didn’t have much information about Prince Kashan.
Most of El Pam’s connections were made after the monsters escaped from the Mystic Gates, after Maple World became a monster paradise.
Until then, El Pam was just an average mage adventurer. He didn’t have the luxury of making great connections.
And there was no reason to.
It was the golden age for adventurers before the monsters escaped from the Mystic Gates.
Unique and legendary items obtained by adventurers through repeated Mystic Gate raids began to overflow, making adventures easier and rewards sweeter.
With only the Purple Mystic Gate raid left, adventurers were at their peak, and they couldn’t see anything else.
They could only see the Mystic Gates.
‘I know one thing.’
However, El Pam knew one thing about the incident that would occur between Prince Kashan and Queen Areda.
‘Queen Areda killed the Seventh Prince Amir in the Mystic Gates, and Prince Kashan wanted to raid the Seventh Prince Amir’s tomb.’
What the incident was that caused the rift between them.
Actually, he found out about this later.
‘Prince Kashan failed.’
After Prince Kashan died.
‘Queen Areda made sure to finish it.’
To be precise, after Prince Kashan was executed by Queen Areda, she personally led the raid on the Seventh Prince’s tomb to prevent such a thing from happening again.
Gathering a lot of skilled adventurers.
El Pam knew that process well.
He couldn’t help but know.
‘I participated in that operation.’
Because he was the adventurer who participated in the final stage of that operation.
Of course, he didn’t know it was the Seventh Prince’s tomb at the time.
He was only interested in the bounty offered by Queen Areda, the most powerful figure in the Ariant Kingdom.
And even after he found out the truth later, he wasn’t very interested.
After that, he was too busy trying to survive against the monsters that escaped from the Mystic Gates.
He had no reason or time to care about the story of the already dead Prince Kashan.
Anyway, thanks to that…
“You seem to like money a lot.”
“Yes, most things can be bought with money.”
“Really? Then I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse. Conquer a Mystic Gate.”
The moment Prince Kashan said those words, El Pam knew immediately where it was.
‘It’s the Seventh Prince’s tomb, and there must be evidence inside. Evidence that the Queen killed the Seventh Prince. That’s what Kashan wants.’
“Bring me what I want from inside.”
What Prince Kashan wanted.
‘If it was just about retrieving it, he wouldn’t have given a time attack challenge. There must be a time limit.’
“The rank is Yellow, and the number of people who can enter is 99. You have one week from here, and you must finish everything within that time.”
That there would be a time limit for this Mystic Gate raid.
‘One week is the time to deceive the Queen’s eyes. If you go beyond that time and catch Queen Areda’s attention, it’s over.’
“If you fail, you’ll die even if you come out of the Mystic Gate.”
And why there was a time limit.
It was all within El Pam’s expectations.
Therefore, El Pam wasn’t interested in the details.
“What do you think of my offer?”
“I accept.”
And there was no hesitation.
From the beginning, there was no choice for El Pam to make.
‘He’ll kill me the moment I refuse.’
From Prince Kashan’s perspective, this was a project that could put his life at risk if it reached Queen Areda’s ears. There was no way he would let El Pam go after hearing about the clues.
If that was the case, even showing hesitation here was meaningless.
‘This is a life-or-death matter for Prince Kashan. He can’t entrust his life to someone incompetent. I need to show him that I’m trustworthy.’
On the contrary, showing a bold decision would be pleasing to Prince Kashan.
‘Therefore, at this moment, El Pam was focused on only one thing.’
“However, since it’s difficult, I have no intention of compromising on the reward.”
What will you give me?
Prince Kashan gladly answered the question without hesitation.
“If you succeed in the raid within a week, I’ll give you Unique rank items. One for each person.”
El Pam didn’t react to that answer.
It was certainly a surprising offer.
If there were 99 people entering, and if all 99 survived, it meant giving away 99 Unique items.
However, El Pam knew.
‘The moment we raid it, we become enemies of Queen Areda.’
How risky this offer was.
‘Five Unique items aren’t enough to tip the scales.’
Therefore, if the reward was inadequate, El Pam was prepared to consider other options.
‘It’s better to become a fugitive.’
Escape!
In fact, this wasn’t a bad option.
‘Prince Kashan is going to die anyway.’
If he held out for a little while, Queen Areda would take care of Prince Kashan.
‘If necessary, I can just speed up the process.’
If needed, El Pam was even considering siding with Queen Areda.
It wasn’t a difficult decision.
Both Prince Kashan and Queen Areda were greedy for the throne.
The moment the monsters escaped from the Mystic Gates, neither of them would matter.
El Pam, who had witnessed the sudden collapse of Jeddah, Ariant’s proud port city, knew this futility all too well.
At the same time, El Pam knew that life was more important than anything else.
He was prepared to do anything to survive.
“And if you bring me what I asked for,”
Prince Kashan said to El Pam.
“I’ll give you a Legendary item.”
An offer he couldn’t refuse.
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]