2: Find the Forbidden Ingredients
ACT 2 Find the Forbidden Ingredients
-You are Oberium’s saviour!
-Praise the hero!
The soldier ghosts lined up in front of the barracks and raised their swords. Then the crowds of resident ghosts gave shouts of joy.
-Ark-nim, hooray!
-Hooray for Hero Maban’s descendant!
He only discovered it later, but the skin of the dead was nothing but a container for the soul. When Karma swallowed their souls, the residents of Oberium were released from their restraints. Thanks to the purification, the skin of the dead was shed. Ark looked into the eyes of the ghosts. The eyes of the ghosts who escaped from the curse looked like a cartoon character. The sparkling eyes of the ghosts really didn’t fit the situation. Anyway, all of this was thanks to Ark defeating Karma. The King remembered Ark’s voice from when he used Miracle Nursing. After everything was put in order and Buksil and Baekgu came from the outskirts of town, they naturally got the hero treatment. Buksil looked at the sea of cheering ghosts and muttered.
“Hehehe, do you see? You’re a hero.”
“Don’t you have any shame?”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Didn’t you come running to receive the heroic treatment?”
“Why are you talking like that? Why shouldn’t I have done that?”
Buksil was dissatisfied with Ark’s cold words and complained.
“Ark-nim managed to pass safely through the crypt because I supported you with my eyeball. In addition, who was the one videotaping while I accompanied you?”
Baekgu naturally nodded along.
“Yes, you really would’ve been in trouble without my Master’s eyeball.”
Ugh, he didn’t have anything to retort to that. He definitely knew that he would fail without the eyeball.
“Ugh, as expected you’re the only one who understands. Baekgu.”
Buksil and Baekgu tearfully hugged each other. They really like to sit down and play. While Buksil and Baekgu were angry at him, Ark had no energy to waste on such trivial things.
‘I have to finish organizing things here. Now all that’s left is……’
Ark looked at the King with eyes that shone even more than the ghosts. It wasn’t his intention but Ark had finished Karma and lifted Oberium’s residents from the curse they suffered for hundreds of years. Wasn’t that a heroic deed? So he should receive compensation according to his heroic deeds. The ghost king seemed aware of Ark’s attention and approached.
-You did something really important.
“You’re overpraising me.”
Ark deliberately answered. Although he was their hero, there was no need to show off too much. At such a time, modest was more suitable. It was natural that his image would rise favourable with the NPCs. The ghost king then continued with the words he expected.
“No, no. It is not too much praise. You’re actions are deserving of that praise.”
“You don’t have to go that far…..”
-You still don’t understand what you have done for us. You can’t even imagine. You can’t imagine how painful our existence was for hundreds of years. We spent that whole time in endless despair.
The King looked down from the balcony with a painful expression. He had sat on the throne for hundreds of years and looked over the ruins of Oberium. When Oberium was cursed by the Rwigenberg, the King sat on his throne and cried tears of blood as he watched the end of his kingdom. The rage, despair and guilt boiling in his heart caused the King to be caught by the dark aura and he became that dishonourable existence. He stayed on the throne and saw the same image for hundreds of years, causing him countless pain. It was the really dreadful part of the curse magic. The King’s haunted voice as he gave the explanation made even Ark solemn.
-Although the curse has been released, that pain is still fresh in my heart. No, my sense of guilt has deepened even more after remembering everything.
“Then what I did…..”
Ark’s insecure expression made the King laugh and shake his head.
-You don’t have to make that expression. A King whose kingdom falls to ruin must naturally accept the pain. If I can’t withstand the pain then my citizens won’t be able to stomach it either. Now the curse has been released. The dark aura which bound us is gone. Although I want to give you some compensation for saving Oberium from the darkness, I don’t have anything to give…..
Ark had sincerely felt anger at the darkness which invaded Oberium. In the end he managed to defeat the darkness but he couldn’t even receive a single cent? When he heard the story about the dark curse, he had felt sincere anger. But no matter how angry he was, he couldn’t return the treasure they lost. Then the King murmured something like he was thinking aloud.
-If there was treasure left then I would be able to compensate you properly.
‘What the? Now you say that? Is that right?’
Ark frowned and stared at the King. It was obvious that the King couldn’t afford to give even one penny. Ark had been full of expectation and suddenly deflated.
‘Damn, saying such useless words….well, it’s not possible. Anyway, I didn’t do it with the intention of saving them…..I should just be satisfied with this good feeling.’
Ark sighed and scratched his head. Anyway, he wasn’t going to receive any compensation for this situation. Although he would usually feel angry, looking at the ghosts he couldn’t feel that emotion.
-Ah, that’s right. There is that method!
Ark had half way given up but his eyes once again widened at the King’s words.
‘Oh, what the hell? This reaction? Should I expect something? There must be something even though the place is ruined!’
Ark looked at the King with eyes sparling with expectation. But he was surprised at the King’s next words.
-In fact, Oberium had the custom of burying the dead warrior’s equipment with them in the crypt. The location of the crypt was a secret and unaffected by the darkness so it should be untouched. It’s been hundreds of years but it might still be worth a look. The ancestors will understand the handling of grave goods if it is for this purpose, so I’ll release the seal on the crypt right now…..
“W-wait a minute!”
Ark shouted like a person running from fire. The riches contained in the crypt? Hadn’t Ark already robbed all of them? The crypt currently bore Ark’s mark all over it. Just like Buksil had drawn on the grave stone in the swamp, Ark had also tried the same thing in the crypt. And the only person who has recently visited Oberium was Ark. If the King found such traces in the crypt then it would be tiring. If it was discovered, Ark’s reputation as a hero would fall! In the worst scenario, there was the possibility that the Oberium ghosts would turn into enemies.
‘Besides, the grave goods became new after being affected by Karma’s time magic. If they were taken away…..no, it can’t be!”
When Ark suddenly exclaimed, the King instantly tilted his head to one side.
-What’s wrong?
“T-that is……”
Ark stuttered for a while.
“You’ve seemed to have misunderstood something.”
-I misunderstood? What is it?
“It’s true that I saved Oberium. But I was only acting upon Hero Maban’s will and never wished for a reward. Of course, I couldn’t possible decline if I was offered compensation. But I’m not a shameless person who would take away someone’s burial goods. Please listen to my words.”
“Yes, Ark-nim is absolutely not that type of person. Receiving the burial goods of people who have already passed away? People who would steal things like that are trash. Don’t you agree Ark-nim?
Buksil laughed and shot a sharp glance at Ark. Although his blood pressure rose, Ark awkwardly laughed and nodded.
“T-that’s right. I never hoped for a reward for my assistance.”
Racard, Buksil and Baekgu all made expressions like they wanted to vomit at Ark’s shameless words. This place was Razak’s hometown so he just sighed from the corner. But the King couldn’t understand and just nodded with admiration.
-You really are Hero Maban’s descendant! Yes, Hero Maban was just like you.
The King murmured with an expression like he was recalling some memories.
-Although my memories are fragmented after I died, I still have some remaining. Before my kingdom ceased to exist, I took great pride in its military. It was good enough that people of the next generation would remember our honourable fight against the darkness. After this city became ruins, no one dared to visit here where the cursed magic overflowed. Unlike my expectations, we have been forgotten by history.
“…..”
-But only one person. There was one person who remembered us. Hero Maban….. He didn’t forget about us. He dedicated his life finding a method to save us. All his attempts ended in failure and he disappeared somewhere…..
Ark’s face changed at the King’s words. Hero Maban had sacrificed his life to save the abandoned souls!
‘Money was power’ was Ark’s motto but he felt a deep emotion that was new after listening to the King. It was pride that he inherited Hero Maban’s profession.
“I can’t tell you in detail but Hero Maban was here until he died.”
The King nodded at Ark’s words.
-Yes, it is something like that. It isn’t necessary for you to say that, we already know that Hero Maban tried everything to save us. If the dark forces weren’t opposed here then we wouldn’t even go down in history. Our souls would’ve been corrupted from the regret and fallen into a rage. The reason our curse was released and we recovered our memories is because of Hero Maban. He will remain a real hero in our memories. Therefore we can’t feel regret that we fought against the darkness.
“And this is the descendant of the respected Hero Maban.”
Buksil whispered as he looked at Ark with pitying eyes. After hearing such words, Ark also became a little embarrassed. Anyway, the King turned his head and looked at the soldiers lined up. The soldiers nodded with a look of pride. Then the King caught