Chapter 42

The problem was the White King.

The guardian deity of the north.

The only monster Wilhelm couldn't kill.

'I can do this.'

He changed his mind.

When he changed his mind, his body responded, and when his body responded, his attitude naturally changed.

He had deceived the Four Guardians. Could he not deceive the White King?

The most important thing was not to shrink back.

If the heart of the Iron-Blooded Overlord could control his emotions, 'Randolph the Eternal' made every one of his actions carry weight.

The fact that he could destroy the mystery at any time also gave him a certain amount of leeway.

The answer would come from how the Four Guardians treated him after he destroyed the mystery of the Imugi.

'They are on guard.'

Against me.

Not just being vigilant, but watching me closely.

Destroying the mystery would be unfamiliar to them as well.

If it was a Transcendent capable of such a feat, they would think it could do even more extraordinary things without hesitation.

Perhaps even killing them.

'The stronger the monster, the greater the impact of the mystery.'

Of course, this situation was entirely natural.

The mysteries of humans and monsters are used for entirely different purposes.

Humans use names as proof of identity, while monsters use mysteries as proof of identity.

For humans, a mystery is merely a proof of position, but for monsters, it is everything.

The difference between regular monsters and boss monsters lies in the presence or absence of a mystery.

In games, you inevitably encounter monsters that look exactly the same.

But even among identical-looking monsters, some are treated as more powerful due to effects.

Not just effects, but powerful weapons that bring unique additional effects to bosses.

Without a mystery, most monsters would be indistinguishable.

'It's like starting by cutting off one hand.'

Removing a monster's mystery means just that.

It's almost the same as fighting without one hand.

The higher the rank and the stronger the monster, the greater the impact of the mystery.

If the highest-level mystery of a monster like the Four Guardians or the White King were destroyed, it could result in a level-down phenomenon.

"An unusually shaped corpse crow, huh."

...At that moment.

In an instant, without any notice, the White King appeared before me.

A half-human, half-demon standing two meters tall, wearing a white tiger mask.

With a robust body, white fur, a tail, and ears, this was indeed the White King.

Fortunately, he didn't seem to have screamed.

I was breaking out in a cold sweat, but fortunately, it was a misunderstanding.

This place was indeed a deathtrap. If I didn't stay alert, I could die without even realizing it.

That was because...

【Lv. 15】

It was an absurdly powerful monster.

'...Was it always this high level?'

Moreover, the White King wasn't even a Super Elite Raid Boss.

It was above that.

A being of the same rank as a Demon King, without a proper name.

Thus, gamers called it the 'Final Boss' or 'Named Boss.'

I didn't know the White King's level.

There was no information about it anywhere.

After all, even Wilhelm's attempt to subdue it had failed.

However, with my head held stiffly, I met the White King's gaze.

'It works.'

I was certain the moment I faced him.

'The hidden trait is effective.'

Surprisingly, I wasn't trembling.

Despite the fact that I should have been completely seen through and decapitated.

The effect of the hidden trait was working on the White King.

The White King couldn't see through me, and that's why I was still alive.

This also meant that the 'Thick-skinned' trait from the hidden trait was possible.

<The 'Giant's Antimagic' negates the 'White King's Eye.'>

<The 'Iron-Blooded Overlord's Heart' negates the 'White King's Aura.'>

"......You're quite rude, caw."

He went beyond just probing and used a skill.

He was trying to see through me.

But it didn't work. The hidden trait even nullified the White King's skill.

With a frown, clearly expressing his displeasure, the White King's eyes gleamed.

At the same time, the Four Guardians' pupils were shaking violently.

The White King seemed very annoyed that a mere corpse crow was talking about 'etiquette' so boldly in front of him.

"Hmm. You're certainly an unusual one."

The White King gave an honest evaluation of me.

An unusual one.

'That's enough.'

Such an evaluation was very favorable.

The White King was unpredictable. That's why I had chased him for a month.

If the White King, who was unpredictable, called me 'unusual,' it was the highest praise he could give.

"You passed through the Mythic Vessel?"

"It was nothing, caw."

I shrugged.

Of course, it was far from nothing.

At the end, I really thought I was going to die.

But there was no need to tell that story.

If I didn't say it, no one would know.

"Five trials, not four?"

The White King stroked his chin.

He was talking to himself, reflecting.

The White King. The fourth challenge he abandoned was the Vessel of Completion.

The stage where the myth was completed. However, there was more than that, which was puzzling.

"......How did you break it?"

The White King couldn't understand.

The Mythic Vessel he challenged was of an absurd difficulty, not meant to be broken.

He completed three stages but was certain the fourth, 'Completion,' was impossible from the start. The tower had set it up that way.

Yet, the corpse crow in front of him had surpassed 'Completion.'

The fifth. Transcendence, or perhaps something even greater.

"What was the final trial?"

"Tell me, caw?"

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

What was the reason the White King met me?

He was a being who was thoroughly uninterested in worldly affairs.

'He's desperately curious about the Mythic Vessel.'

His curiosity about the secret he couldn't overcome, which he didn't even know existed, brought him here.

But it was more impressive that the White King, who reached the third stage, was honest.

I had managed it through a loophole, but the White King had faced the trials as they were.

'Real monster.'

Fighting ten thousand enemies of the same level, gaining a tremendous trait with each stage, and clearing three stages was only possible because it was the White King.

"What do you desire?"

"If you give me the remaining fang, caw?"

As soon as I finished speaking,

Shiver!

The bodies of the Four Guardians began to tremble.

Pure anger. They were looking at me as if they wanted to kill me.

...Did I go too far?

"Hmm. That's difficult. But how did you know I only have one fang left?"

The White King said, truly sounding troubled.

The mask was to hide the one remaining fang.

The fang torn out by Sir Wilhelm.

But how did I know a fact that no one except Wilhelm and the Four Guardians knew?

'I mustn't let him know I'm Wilhelm.'

I am Randolph. I must be thoroughly Randolph.

Otherwise, I would be breaking the promise. The White King and the Four Guardians would spare no effort to kill me this time.

"Could you not know, caw?"

It would be strange not to know.

It was better to be bold than to give a half-hearted explanation.

If I left it to the realm of imagination, they would fill in the gaps themselves.

Thus, they would mistake me for an even more dangerous and impressive being.

"Hmm. The Four Guardians brought you here for a reason."

The White King fixed his gaze on me.

A being the Four Guardians couldn't judge.

Even with his own eyes, he couldn't figure me out.

From the moment I appeared, he showed no signs of surprise, no signs of being shaken, and not even a lack of composure.

His eyes seemed to know everything.

He even guessed that I was missing one fang.

Even Medusa couldn't see through his mask.

'The Seer...'

The one who saw the end of the Mythic trials.

Indeed, a being the Four Guardians had given up on understanding.

If he had shown any surprise or reaction when he first appeared, he would have been disappointed. But the corpse crow in front of him showed no such signs.

His heartbeat was calm and steady, and there was no trembling in his pupils or skin.

'To delve deeper, I must transform into my true form.'

The White King pondered for a moment.

By transforming into his true form and using skills, he could see deeper into the abyss.

Then he would know if the barrier blocking his magic was due to the species' rank or something else.

But the White King shook his head.

Talking about etiquette meant he had read even the subtle use of skills.

The corpse crow had the ability to detect the activation of skills.

Moreover,

'I destroyed the mystery. The Vessel of Mystery granted the power to destroy mysteries.'

The White King knew the corpse crow had destroyed the Imugi's mystery.

He couldn't have had that ability from the start.

It must have been obtained from the Vessel of Mystery.

That meant the tower recognized the corpse crow as the 'King of Mysteries.'

What did that mean?

'The species rank itself is higher than mine.'

Mysteries were also indicators of species rank.

In other words, the species value of the corpse crow was higher than his, higher than anyone else's.

A high species value didn't necessarily mean strength, but if he completed the final Mythic trial, he was not to be underestimated.

The White King felt a strong emotion surge in his chest.

'...It's competitiveness.'

It was competitiveness.

The trial he couldn't obtain, couldn't achieve.

The one who broke it and stood confidently in front of him.

His body was heating up.

But it wasn't just competitiveness he felt.

'I am also afraid of the mystery I possess.'

The White King was perfectly in sync with his mystery.

A connection on a different level from other monsters.

It felt like skin, like the tissue of skin.

But the mystery he possessed was stiffening and sending warnings at the sight of the corpse crow.

Perhaps it was afraid of a being that could destroy him.

This was the first time.

'Truly fascinating.'

Now, he had to acknowledge it.

The corpse crow in front of him was definitely a being of some substance.

"What is your name?"

The White King asked for my name.

Realizing his intention, I clenched my fist and said,

"Randolph, caw."

"I heard you were looking for me. Why?"

"For the same reason you are here, caw."

"You mean the reason I'm in Kramdel?"

"Yes, caw."

I was certain.

The White King was not interested in Kramdel.

No, he was detached from worldly affairs.

Whether Kramdel fell or not, he didn't care.

He only pretended to care for the sake of the Four Guardians who trusted and followed him.

Yet, he was in Kramdel now.

The White King eventually nodded.

"......The 33rd star, you also wanted to know about it, didn't you?"

"Yes, caw."

"But the authority over the stars belongs only to the 'Star Guardians.' Even I don't have the authority to interfere with the Star Guardians."

Star Guardians.

They were powerful monsters that protected the stars.

But even the mighty White King seemed to be on a different level from the Star Guardians. The fact that he couldn't interfere in Kramdel showed that.

Indeed, as I saw at the entrance to Kramdel, they seemed to be treated differently from ordinary monsters.

The White King spoke again.

"Do you know what the Star Guardians are looking for?"

"I do, caw."

Only I knew for sure.

Dramut.

He was here too.

And perhaps... the five stars Wilhelm possessed. The Star Guardians of those stars might also be here.

"That place is sealed by a Unique-level mystery. Yet, you say it's easy?"

"It is, caw."

Sealed by a mystery.

The White King had given up on finding it because of that.

On the contrary, it was a good thing.

"......Very well. Then I will temporarily give you the position of the fifth main force. It will be more convenient for you to act in Kramdel."

"White King...!"

The Four Guardians were shocked and stood up.

The White King shrugged and asked,

"Can I give away my position?"

"No, no matter what, giving the position of the fifth main force to a stranger is out of the question!"

The Great Earth Dragon raised his voice.

I also spoke with a tone of dissatisfaction.

"Why should I be under you, caw?"

"I can't just let a dangerous being like you go."

The White King explained, as if to prevent any misunderstanding.

"And the main force is not a position under me but an equal. They merely respect me, but in reality, the one leading Kramdel is the main force, not me."

Equal status.

But what concerned me more was the statement that he couldn't just let me go.

A being whose allegiance was unknown.

It meant that if I didn't fight, they would give me a title.

And it also implied that if I refused, they were prepared for battle.

Then what remained for me now was...

To drive a wedge of a different dimension.

"Indeed. If we fight, Kramdel will disappear from the map, caw."

As I said, the eyes of all the Four Guardians were filled with shock.

The Four Kings

Insanely arrogant.