Chapter 258: Ratia's Trial

Hamon dropped two items.

"Let's see here." Kang Oh picked up the crystal embedded black staff. It was the same staff that Hamon had used.

[Roaring Wave Staff Steeped in Evil]

A staff used by Tidecallers, those who command both the sea and nature.

This staff contains the power of Tidecaller Hamon, also known as the Butcher of Silverland.

+ Roaring Waves: Doubles the power of water spells.

+ Evil Wave: Just holding the staff increases one's notoriety. Allows you to use Evil Wave (Active/Spell). The greater one's notoriety, the more powerful the Evil Wave.

Rank: AA.

Abilities: Magic Attack Power +400, Mental +10, Magic +100, Charm -20.

Minimum Requirements: Level 350, Mage-type class.

"Hehe, Mr. Financier." Kang Oh politely presented Eder with the staff.

The staff's special ability, Evil Wave, seemed to have great synergy with a Lich! But after looking over the details, Eder returned the staff to him.

"I don't need it."

The Roaring Wave Staff was much worse than Eclipse's Scythe. He obviously didn't need it.

"Tch."

"Let me take a look." Sephiro snatched the staff.

Meanwhile, Kang Oh looked over the other item. It was Hamon's robes, the ones with the blue wavy pattern.

[Wavy Pattern Robes Steeped in Evil]

Robes worn by Tidecallers, those who command both the sea and nature. Only an Intermediate-Rank Tidecaller can wear these robes.

These robes were worn by Tidecaller Hamon for a long time, so they are imbued with evil power.

+ Wave Pattern: Reduces the MP cost of water spells by half.

+ Evil Song: Just wearing these robes increases one's notoriety. Allows you to use Evil Song (Active/Spell). The greater one's notoriety, the more powerful the Evil Song.

Rank: AA.

Abilities: Defense +200, Mental +10, Magic +80, Charm -20.

Minimum Requirements: Level 350, Mage-type class.

"This too?" Just in case, Kang Oh passed Eder the robes. However, it had the same result.

"Yes. I don't need this either." Eder passed Sephiro the robes, and he immediately looked it over.

"You don't need it either, do you?" Kang Oh asked.

"No, I don't. To think it'd increase your notoriety just by wearing it... It's defective," Sephiro said.

"Then I'll ask Mr. Man Bok to sell it for me. I'll split up the profits later."

Ever since he'd met him, Kang Oh had disposed of all of his unneeded items through Man Bok.

"Will those defective goods even sell?" Sephiro asked.

"They will. Players that don't care about their notoriety or criminals that actually want their notoriety to increase will buy it."

Countless people played Arth. Some of them habitually PKed others, while others were criminals who stole and performed other such criminal activities.

"Mm. I see." Sephiro nodded his head.

"Do you think these items will open the next door?" Eder asked.

"Don't know. Let's take a look around. There might be something else here," Kang Oh said.

This was a hidden dungeon. There had to be a treasure house here, which stored all of Hamon's riches.

A short while later...

"Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Sephiro. Please take a look at this," Eder called.

"Did you find it?"

"Yes. I think this is it." Eder cleared the thicket, revealing a square rock. He then pushed the rock off to one side, revealing a secret room.

"Good job, Eder." Kang Oh patted his shoulder and immediately entered the room. "Wow!" Kang Oh exclaimed.

There were piles and piles of gold coins! Magic materials lay on the rack, while grimoires and rare books were stacked on the bookshelf.

'Haha, this is what being a Dungeon Hunter is all about.'

Finding huge rewards after clearing a dungeon was what made it all worth it.

"Ooh."

"Woah."

Eder and Sephiro, who'd come inside after, were amazed.

'It's a good thing I fought for my share!' Sephiro looked at the riches, recalled his 15% share, and clenched his fists. 'Yes, yes, yes!'

"Let's begin collecting everything," Kang Oh declared solemnly.

A short while later...

They cleaned the place out. Kang Oh had taken everything, leaving behind only dust.

"How much came out of it?" Sephiro asked.

"About 900 gold. Selling all of the materials will get us around 2,000 gold," Kang Oh said.

"2,000 gold! We've hit the jackpot." Sephiro beamed.

"We did." Kang Oh smiled too.

This is why you clear dungeons!

* * *

They decided to split the loot later. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder returned to Saharamant, humming.

"Now then."

Kang Oh lifted Hamon's staff, while Sephiro lifted Hamon's robes. The two simultaneously pushed the center door.

[You are not qualified.]

The staff didn't work.

However...

"It says I'm not qualified," Sephiro said. He'd been pushing the door while holding the robes.

"Hmm, is it this then?" Kang Oh pulled out a hardcover book from his inventory. It was called Hamon's Wicked Grimoire .

Though it was called a grimoire, it didn't actually teach you how to use magic. Thus, he assumed it could be used to open the next door.

Kang Oh pushed the door once more.

Creak.

He was proven right. Hamon's Wicked Grimoire was indeed the key to the third door!

The door opened all the way.

'So you need an item that contains the boss's name.'

"Not too hard, is it?" Kang Oh said, staring at Sephiro and Eder.

Beating Hamon had been too easy. It had been completely one-sided. It was even easier for Eder and Sephiro, who had fought ordinary monsters instead.

"It's not."

"I'm still going strong."

Eder and Sephiro replied simultaneously.

"Then let's go through the third door!" Kang Oh yelled.

"Let's go!"

Kang Oh's party immediately went through the third door.

[You have entered the dungeon, Ratia's Trial.]

Whoosh.

The wind blew, sweeping through Kang Oh's hair.

There was a cliff in front of them, so large that they couldn't even see the top. The wind had come from the top of the cliff.

"You don't think we have to scale this cliff, do you?" Sephiro said.

Kang Oh took a look around. He didn't see anything besides the cliff. Moreover, the word 'trial' was part of the dungeon's name.

"I think we do have to climb it," Kang Oh said.

"Mm. We'll be screwed if we get attacked by flying monsters like wyverns or gryphons along the way," Sephiro said concernedly.

"Indeed," Eder agreed.

"Ah, that's right. Can we leave this to you, Mr. Kang Oh?" Sephiro stared at him.

"What do you mean?"

"I watched you go up Draka's Nest. Can't you do the same thing? Fly, then rest, then fly again."

"Hmm."

"You can just summon Mr. Eder when you're at the top."

"Then what will you do?"

"I'll be waiting in Saharamant."

"We can't have that." Kang Oh shook his head. He couldn't allow Sephiro to just sit around and do nothing.

"Ugh. Then what do we do? You want us to ignore our best option here and climb the cliff?"

"No. I'm going to be flying. Do you remember that time we flew into Kainshell's boss room?" Kang Oh asked.

"Ah, yes. How could I forget. I hung onto you while you flew up there... You wouldn't!"

"I would." Kang Oh smiled wickedly.

"Aah." Sephiro looked like he'd cry.

"Then let's go." Kang Oh pulled out Blood and used Devil Trigger. His red bat wings stretched out completely. "Please hold on tight."

"Ugh." Driven by necessity, Sephiro hung off of Kang Oh's neck.

"Eder, you just wait here. I'll summon you once I reach the top."

"Alright."

"Tasha, please fly me up to the top," Kang Oh said.

"That thing's in the way, so we won't be able to fly for very long. At best, maybe a minute. We obviously won't be able to fly that fast either." Tasha's voice echoed in his head.

"Mm. Then just get me up as high as you can. If we repeatedly fly and then rest, we should be able to get up there eventually."

"Fine." Tasha forcefully flapped his wings.

Flap! Flap! Flap!

Kang Oh and Sephiro began to rise into the air.

However...

Whoosh!

A powerful gust of wind blew, violently shaking his body. Obviously, Sephiro was in way worse shape.

"Uhahk!" he screamed.

"Tasha!" Kang Oh said.

"The wind's too strong. I can't fly properly!" Tasha said desperately.

Whoosh!

The gale blew once more. Kang Oh lost balance and plummeted to the ground.

"Guaaahk!" Sephiro felt himself fall and shrieked.

Flap, flap, flap, flap, flap!

Tasha violently flapped his wings. Because of that, they were barely able to stay in the air.

However...

"We can't keep flying like this! We have to land."

Flying was no longer possible.

"Let's go back."

Ultimately, Kang Oh and Sephiro were forced back to their original position. Their plan had completely failed.

Kang Oh let Sephiro get off and attempted to fly once more. However, this attempt would end much the same; the mighty gale wouldn't allow him to progress any further.

"Tch. I think it's set up so that you can't fly yourself to the top." Kang Oh, who'd returned to their starting point, scowled.

Now, their only option was to climb up the cliff by hand.

"I guess it can't be helped." Kang Oh stretched out. He was really going to climb up the cliff.

"Phew." Sephiro sighed and stretched out too.

"I'll be waiting here," Eder said.

"Yeah. I'll summon you when I reach the top." Kang Oh nodded his head.

"Be careful."

"Yeah. Let's go." Kang Oh began scaling the cliff.

"Ok!" Sephiro gritted his teeth. 'If I can't avoid it, then I just have to do my best!'

He immediately followed after him.

* * *

Climbing the cliff wasn't a difficult task.

After all, this wasn't reality. The two of them weren't climbing the cliff; their in-game characters were. The same in-game characters that could perform inhuman feats due to their tremendous stats!

Obviously, Kang Oh and Sephiro scaled the cliff at a speed impossible for their real life counterparts. However, they soon realized why it was called a 'trial'.

The fierce wind proved to be a major issue.

Whoosh!

The ferocious, quick wind swept through them. Kang Oh and Sephiro's bodies violently shook.

'Grr!' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and glued his body to the cliff. He then tightened his body and waited for the wind to pass.

However, Sephiro had let go. The stone his right hand had been holding onto had broken off!

"Uhaaaahk!"

Sephiro plummeted to the ground!