I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 84

The location of the Diablo Clan was farther than expected.

As the floor was called the “Sanctuary,” it was quite a distance from the populated residential area.

Se-woon thought he might have gotten lost if it wasn’t for Hedrick’s help.

“This is it! Wow, it’s gotten so much better than the last time I saw it! I’d believe it if you told me it’s an entire village, rather than just a temporary residence!”

The appearance of the fortress was rather impressive.

A fence so sturdy it was beyond the word ‘palisade,’ a gate that appeared to mimic the Golden Castle’s gates, and a watchTower at least 10 meters high—all were part of it.

Even though Se-woon had arrived later in the Tower, not much time seemed to have passed.

Considering that time, it was surprisingly well-completed.

‘It must be thanks to those two.’

Han Ah-reum and Han Da-woon.

The twin sisters had both entered into contracts with the 38th Demon Lord Halphas and the 39th Demon Lord Malphas, respectively.

Their skills were undeniable.

Likely, not only the exterior but also the structures within the fence would be remarkable.

“To think I’m officially visiting the Diablo Clan! It’s an honor! Seeing the rankers I’ve only heard about in person!”

Hedrick excitedly touched his now-calmer cheeks, looking eager as if about to meet a hero.

How many stories must Park Jung-pil have spread to elicit such a reaction?

At that moment, Se-woon resolved to teach that guy another lesson.

“H-Hey, do you think I could officially join the clan, too?”

“We’re going in right now, aren’t we?”

“No, I mean joining as a member! If you accept me, I, Hedrick, will give my utmost effort!”

“Don’t you already belong to a clan?”

“I’d abandon all of them right now if I could join the Diablo Clan!”

“Rejected.”

“What? Uh, why…?”

“How can I accept someone who would so easily abandon their own clan?”

“If I don’t abandon them, I can’t get in from the start!”

“That’s why you’re rejected.”

“… Does that mean you don’t like me?”

“……”

Se-woon ignored Hedrick’s gaze and approached the door.

Although the door was firmly closed and there was no guard, those who were at the high watchTower were the first to notice the guests.

“Two players confirmed in front of the door.”

“No one should be coming at this time, though?”

“But it looks a bit familiar… oh, oh my?”

“What happened?”

Even though he was some distance away from the watchTower, Se-woon’s ears, enhanced by the ‘Kobold’s Keen Ear,’ could hear every small sound.

From the atmosphere, it seemed they had recognized Se-woon’s identity.

Soon, a voice loud enough to be heard clearly without heightened hearing echoed.

“Bl-Blood Wolf!”

“What?”

“It’s Blood Wolf!”

“Are you serious? Quickly, inform Seo-ah!”

“Got it!”

One of the players at the top of the watchTower hurried down the ladder to the ground.

The words were so loud that even Hedrick recognized them, looking at Se-woon with his mouth agape.

“Bl-Blood Wolf? Are you really the Blood Wolf? The Lone Wolf of Blood, Lord Jung Se-woon?!”

“Ha….”

– The Constellation, ‘Bowed Raven’ is desperately holding back laughter.

– The Constellation, ‘Serpent of Envy’ looks at you with pitying eyes.

Se-woon sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead. It was amusing to hear such rumors spread after only a few days of absence. Hearing it right next to him made his hands and feet cringe.

“To think that I crossed swords with the Blood Wolf! Oh, these hands! No, this cheek—I’ll never wash it again!”

“Could you shut up?”

“Yes, sir.”

‘Crossed swords,’ he said. There was not even a moment when swords clashed, yet the memory of fighting Se-woon seemed to have been glorified.

A short while later, the thick castle doors began to open.

As soon as there was barely enough space for a person to enter…

Boom!

With a hefty sound, the doors swung wide open, revealing the sturdy figure of Kang Han-cheol and…

“Se-woon!”

Yoo Seo-ah quickly ran over and hugged Se-woon.

It seems less about being happy to see him after a long time and more about the worry about Se-woon suddenly jumping off a cliff without any explanation.

Ordinarily, he would have backed off immediately, but for once, Se-woon accepted her embrace without protest.

Kang Han-cheol approached, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

“It’s been a while.”

Only after Se-woon spoke did Yoo Seo-ah regain her composure and create some distance.

Soon, dozens of clan members emerged from the wide-open gates to welcome Se-woon.

“Oppa Blood Wolf!”

“We’ve been waiting so long!”

“Especially Seo-ah unnie!”

“Ah, Ah-reum!”

“It’s been a while.”

“See! Didn’t I say he’d come back?”

The quiet front of the door became noisy in an instant.

Behind them, Hedrick stood in a daze, unable to know what to do with his widened eyes and mouth.

“For now, let’s go inside and talk.”

“But who’s this?”

“He guided me here. Let him have a tour.”

“It’s an honor!”

With a booming reply, Hedrick stepped into the clan.

* * *

“Wow, did you build all this in just a few days? It’s truly amazing! It’s comparable to that village over there!”

As expected, the facilities inside the fortress were as excellent as those outside.

Se-woon was impressed by the significantly improved skills of the twin sisters, and Hedrick openly voiced his admiration.

“Ahem! See that drainage system? Not just the buildings, but the layout is perfectly considered!”

“Hey, I calculated all the layouts!”

“Hey, don’t be stingy, unnie!”

“What? Stingy? You little—!”

– The Constellation, ‘Black Bird’ nodded, agreeing it was indeed stingy.

– The Constellation, ‘Giant Bird’ covered the mouth of the Black Bird and restrained both contractors.

The twin sisters’ shoulders rose with pride, tirelessly explaining as they proceeded, showing they were immensely proud.

‘Well, before, they didn’t have proper tools.’

During the Tutorial, they had to build things with only the minimum equipment available through the Points Shop.

The materials, too, were mostly limited to wood or stone, and even with that, the fact that they built basic facilities and even catapults was a testament to their impressive skills.

‘Since entering the Tower, you can somehow obtain a lot of supplies.’

The result was the good materials combined with their skills.

Even on the first floor, as you could see, there were various materials to collect, and merchants in towns sold a diverse range of goods.

As long as you had enough Achievement Points, which represented the concept of currency in the Tower, you could purchase various items.

“Oh! Oh-oh! Is that, by any chance, the undead of the famous Master Executioner?”

Before entering the building, a pile of monster corpses was noticeable in one corner of the fortress.

Se-woon also recognized the familiar monsters.

They were the monsters that attacked the castle during the fifth chapter of the Tutorial.

Of course, among them were the corpses of powerful, named monsters.

Thanks to some work done on them, they didn’t show the rapid decay typical of sea monsters, nor did they emit a terrible odor.

Baek Hyun, who had been adjusting his glasses while examining the suction cups of an octopus-like monster, noticed Se-woon’s presence and turned.

“Ah! You’re back. I’m sorry I couldn’t come out to greet you. When I focus, I tend to lose awareness of my surroundings….”

“It’s alright. What about these?”

“Though my skills are lacking, I thought I might be able to utilize them as undead.”

“Good thinking.”

“Haha, right? Thanks to the Manticore, I realized that such named monsters are not only strong but can also command low-level undead! Of course, it’s more of an instinctive command than a rational one, so it needs improvement….”

– The Constellation, ‘Steed That Tramples Death’ begins to kick with delight at the contractor’s knowledge.

When the topic shifted to the undead, Baek Hyun continued speaking excitedly.

Though he was someone who usually did things silently and quietly, he started talking extensively when it came to the undead.

Seeing this reaction, the 4th ranked Demon Lord Gamigin, who was watching over him, seemed to be pleased with Baek Hyun’s reaction.

Initially, it was just a connection with Gamigin because he showed some potential, but now it seemed they matched extraordinarily well.

“If you need anything, just say so anytime. If I can help, I will support you whenever.”

“No, thanks to you, Se-woon, I’m able to perform my role in the clan. Oh, but if you don’t mind, could we, at some point, have a discussion about the Manticore’s toxicity? It seems quite acidic, enough to dissolve solids….”

Se-woon, as a former adventurer, also found it intriguing, but Yoo Seo-ah intervened to cautiously cut Baek Hyun off.

Apparently, for now, listening to Se-woon’s story was more important.

Realizing this, Baek Hyun smiled awkwardly and stepped aside.

As soon as Se-woon started to walk, he returned to dissecting the octopus-like monster.

In addition to this, within the fortress, various activities were taking place, from cooking to practicing combat.

Truly, it felt like an entire village.

Watching this, Hedrick couldn’t contain his admiration.

“You’ve done well handling everything. It must have been tough.”

“You told me at the end. You entrusted me with the clan.”

Regardless of what anyone said, it was Yoo Seo-ah who led the clan, entered the Tower, and built the fortress.

Everyone here had worked hard, but Yoo Seo-ah’s sense of responsibility was unmatched by others.

Feeling like he had thrown a burden onto her, Se-woon scratched his cheek, embarrassed.

“I didn’t want to disappoint you, Se-woon. Also, I’ve become somewhat accustomed to it now.”

Well, wasn’t it true that it wasn’t the first time Se-woon left the clan?

From the first chapter of the Tutorial, he had been absent, climbing the rocky mountains, then again finding hidden pieces whenever there was an opportunity.

The same happened during the ogre hunt in the third chapter, and while raiding the warehouse in the fourth chapter.

Come to think of it, he was absent in all chapters of the Tutorial.

‘If it weren’t for Yoo Seo-ah, I couldn’t have brought the clan so far.’

Perhaps only a dozen or twenty people might have barely followed.

“Here it is.”

“Oh, impressive!”

“Since it’s where Seo-ah Noona will stay, we built it the biggest!”

“Haha, we also made a room just for oppa Se-woon!”

“You fool, you should have made only one room!”

“Oh no!”

“… Ah-reum, da-woon?”

“Run awayyy!”

“Eek!”

The twin sisters made a fuss and quickly fled far away.

Only Kang Han-cheol and Yoo Seo-ah remained at the scene.

But something seemed amiss.

“What about Park Jung-pil?”

Se-woon expected him to dash out as soon as they reached the fortress, but even after nearly touring the entire place, not a sight of Park Jung-pil could be seen.

When Se-woon mentioned his name, Yoo Seo-ah let out a small sigh.

“Sigh. He’s probably gone to drink.”

“… Drink?”

Turning his head, he saw Hedrick whistling awkwardly, pretending not to notice.

Se-woon realized the rumors Park Jung-pil had been spreading probably circulated because of alcohol.

Still, he was relatively sober during the Tutorial.

Another reason to train him came to light.

“Ever since discovering the bar in town, he’s been attending daily. He should be back around now, though.”

Just as Yoo Seo-ah said that…

“Hyuuuuuung!!”

A familiar voice echoed from the direction of the fortress’s front gate.

Turning around, Park Jung-pil, with a reddened face, was rapidly running towards them. The alcohol smell was noticeable at this distance, showing how much he had drunk during the day.

“You finally show up.”

“Ohhh! Were you waiting for me? This Park Jung-pil, your right-hand man, has been waiting endlessly for you, come rain or shine!”

“Yoo Seo-ah, sorry, but mind if I take a moment with Jung-pil before we talk?”

Though Yoo Seo-ah seemed a bit hesitant as she eagerly awaited Se-woon’s story, she couldn’t help but nod, sensing the intense energy emanating from Se-woon.

Immediately, Se-woon smiled and approached Park Jung-pil.

“Hu-hyung? But why are your fists clenched? Hahah….”

“Kang Han-cheol, grab him.”

“Got it.”

“Wh-what? Let go! Hyung, why are you doing this? I’ve waited so long for you!”

“Let’s have a nice, deep chat, shall we?”

“I’m sorry! Hyuuuunggg”

At that moment, watching the scene unfold, Hedrick realized something.

If Se-woon’s teachings were akin to school lessons, the training he had received felt like only the first period.

No, it was more like…

– The Constellation, “Thief with the Donkey Head,” laughed loudly, as it had expected this moment.

It felt like the orientation before the first period had even begun.