The Game of the Greatest Black Mage
Chapter 141

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 141

Upon seeing the female ghost, Seonghyun first opened the quest window.

He needed to find out what kind of quest it was, after all.

『Bloodstains in the Alley』

→《Rare-Linked》

→You have discovered a bloodstained floor in a secluded alley of the city Pentagrid.

Considering the city's peaceful state of security, this trace implies that something terrible has happened to someone.

However, no body was found, and aside from the traces of the crime, clues are scarce.

Identify the owner of this trace and uncover the hidden truth.

Obtain clues about the murder.

→Restriction: One who has discovered the bloodstains in an alley of Pentagrid.

→Reward: Experience points, next quest.

‘Hmm.’

From what he’d heard, this quest appeared if you visited this particular alley.

A quest that was surprisingly easy to obtain for a Rare-rank one.

But most people supposedly gave up because no one could even find a single clue.

That certainly seemed plausible.

How could anyone find additional traces of a murder just by looking at bloodstains in an alley?

Seonghyun also searched, just in case.

But there were only signs of the murder itself; no footprints or any such traces left by someone were visible at all.

It was understandable why most would give up.

However, Seonghyun was different.

A female ghost with a haggard appearance.

He could see her.

At the very least, he possessed an advantage on a completely different level than others.

Since all ghosts in the game were NPCs, this female ghost had to be the murdered NPC.

Anyway, as Seonghyun looked at the female ghost, her eyes welled up with tears as if she were about to sob.

She must have suffered a terrible injustice.

But upon seeing Seonghyun, she seemed to gain some composure and spoke calmly.

“Sob… Meeting such a noble person like you, it feels as though all my sorrows are being comforted.”

“May I try to find out what happened to you?”

Although he phrased it as a question, he was already preparing to absorb her memories if she agreed.

It was much faster than listening to her story.

Perhaps the female ghost instinctively sensed this, as she shyly nodded her head.

The thought of having one’s memories read could be a bit embarrassing, but the ghosts were uniformly well-disposed towards Seonghyun, so not a single one had ever refused.

As Seonghyun thus absorbed the memories of the female ghost who had consented:

[You have accomplished something impossible at your current level with an ‘Unknown Power’.]

[Intelligence +5, Wisdom +5 will permanently increase.]

‘Oh?’

Seonghyun was somewhat surprised by the higher-than-expected stat increase.

To think she was so easily murdered when she could grant such significant stats.

Wasn't that a bit puzzling?

However, as he checked the memories flowing in like a panorama, he understood.

‘Ah.’

The fact that she was an incredibly skilled alchemist.

She had a laboratory in the Labyrinth and was conducting research when she ran out of materials and returned to the city for a moment.

That’s when she was murdered.

Horribly, at that.

It was quite a painful memory.

But Seonghyun paid it no mind and delved deeper into that memory.

He was wondering if there were any clues.

‘Hmm.’

-This is what happens when you carry things like this around instead of leaving them in the lab, Melisia.

-Keuk, g-give it back… L-Lint.

‘They knew each other?’

Seonghyun immediately searched the victim, Melisia’s, memories and recalled the man named Lint.

And then he understood.

“The underworld?”

-Heh, hehe. D-Despite how I look, I’m an alchemist who operates in the underworld.

“Aha, so that’s how it was.”

An alchemist operating in the underworld.

That’s why she had built her research lab in the Labyrinth.

The man named Lint was also a member of that underworld, and he had been particularly close to Melisia.

That’s why Melisia had trusted him.

Yet, such a terrible thing had happened.

Because Melisia had focused solely on research, her combat abilities were lacking.

She had no choice but to fall helplessly to Lint’s surprise attack.

“Hmm.”

He had found out who the murderer was.

The problem was.

‘The quest ultimately requires obtaining clues, right?’

Going to find Lint immediately was an option, but…

‘If I go to Lint without clues, meaning without evidence, and say, "You're the culprit!", it wouldn't hold any water.’

The quest also said to acquire clues.

‘It seems that for this quest, I’ll have to find clues first rather than Lint.’

-M-My memories end here, but… I-I know the tavern Lint usually frequents, or the place where he used to destroy evidence after taking on a request and dealing with a target!

“That sounds like a promising lead.”

He nodded at her words.

He certainly had memories of that place.

It seemed he could go there directly and look for clues.

Just as Seonghyun was about to make his move.

The ghost Melisia spoke to Seonghyun.

-Thank you! If you find my belongings on him, you can have them all! Ah! You can also have everything in my research lab!

“Oh.”

An additional reward outside of the quest.

‘This is more satisfying than I thought.’

Seonghyun thought so and smiled.

‘Then, shall I head to the place where this Lint fellow supposedly destroys evidence?’

He shouldn’t stand out.

‘I’ll just summon Fiora and go.’

-I-I have been summoned. L-Lord. Th-thank you for calling me.

Watching Fiora, who had been summoned thus, Seonghyun moved from his spot.

5.

Finding destroyed evidence is no easy task.

Especially if it’s in a river.

How could it be easy to dive in and find a piece of evidence amidst a blurry underwater view?

Of course, it wasn’t.

Seonghyun too had thought it would be an ordeal.

Puhwaaak!

-L-Lord, i-is this it?

Fiora, who shot out of the river, proudly holding a dagger.

She had transformed into a mermaid and gone down to the riverbed to retrieve the dagger.

It was definitely the dagger from Seonghyun’s memories.

Seeing it, Seonghyun smiled.

‘Would this be enough of a clue?’

He thought, and checked.

[Quest Item, 『Bloodstained Dagger』, has been acquired.]

‘As expected!’

Fiora was the best.

“Fiora, you’re the best!”

-Hehehe.

Fiora, not knowing what to do with herself at Seonghyun’s praise.

And then, another system message popped up before Seonghyun’s eyes.

[Rare-Linked Quest, 『Bloodstains in the Alley』, has been cleared.]

[You have gained experience points as a quest reward.]

[You have gained the next quest as a quest reward.]

[Rare-Linked Quest, 『Traces of the Bloodstained Dagger』, has been acquired.]

“Oh.”

The quest cleared immediately!

He definitely loved this.

Seonghyun read the messages with satisfaction.

And immediately opened the quest window.

『Traces of the Bloodstained Dagger』

→《Rare-Linked》

→While investigating the bloodstained floor in a secluded alley of Pentagrid, you determined the victim was stabbed to death with a sharp object and set out to find the murder weapon first.

In Pentagrid, a city with good public security, places where one might dispose of a murder weapon are not common.

In one such place, the quiet bank of a river that runs through Pentagrid, you found a bloodstained dagger.

It is not yet certain if this dagger matches the bloodstains in the alley, but with your sharp intuition, you realize they are connected.

Find out who possessed this dagger.

And if you find out who it is, find that person.

→Restriction: Possessor of the 『Bloodstained Dagger』.

→Reward: Large amount of Experience Points, Random Box (Rare).

As expected of a Rare rank, the reward was quite decent.

Whether it was decent by Seonghyun’s standards was unknown, though.

In any case, it wasn’t bad.

Getting a reward like this was something, at least.

Besides, he liked the part about a large amount of experience points.

This was definitely fitting for an area with many quests.

‘They said the quest efficiency was good.’

It seemed to be true.

Seonghyun, now on the quest to find the culprit, said to Fiora with satisfaction.

“Fiora, let's go find the culprit now.”

-Hehe. O-Okay, Lord.

Fiora emerged from the river and transformed into a firebird.

She evaporated the moisture from her body in an instant, flew to Seonghyun's side, and changed her form again.

Fiora's appearance had grown taller, making her look more like a young woman than a girl.

Seonghyun walked on with Fiora, who had changed into a human form similar to other users or NPCs.

According to Melisia's memories, there was a place where Lint stayed to look for clients.

He’ll look for that place, and if he’s not there…

‘I'll have to visit his house.’

He didn’t know if the guy who killed his long-time friend out of greed would still be there, but…

Wasn’t it best to rely on memory for now?

There was the quest, too.

‘He’ll surely be there, though.’

How long had they walked?

They were able to reach the street from Melisia's memories.

It was certainly a more menacing place than other alleys or streets.

Some burly figures could be seen here and there, and a few vicious-looking NPCs were also visible.

‘The atmosphere is completely different.’

They called it the underworld, and it really was.

‘So there are places like this even in a city said to have good public security.’

Well, places like this always existed even in modern times, so…

It wasn’t that strange.

Anyway, as Seonghyun walked down the street like that,

“Haven't seen a stranger on this street before.”

“Hmph, probably looking to make a request, I bet?”

“This will be interesting.”

The burly figures chattered, each making a comment.

However, Seonghyun paid them no mind and walked past them.

He wondered if they might try to pick a fight, but…

They didn't particularly do so.

Perhaps they knew there was nothing to be gained from messing with a stranger.

They left Seonghyun alone.

Thanks to that, he was able to safely arrive at the tavern that Lint, according to Melisia's memories, often frequented when looking for clients.

-I-Is this the place!?

“Yeah. Let's go in.”

-Ye-Yes.

Fiora, understanding, firmly cast strong perception-jamming on herself.

This was precisely why everyone's gazes had been solely on Seonghyun as they walked down the street until now.

Seonghyun too, if he had set his mind to it, could have raised his stealth or secrecy to pass by unnoticed, but he deliberately hadn't.

‘Besides, a new event might have occurred.’

Anyway, as he entered the tavern like that, quite a few gazes focused on him.

“Hmm?”

“A stranger?”

“Huh, to find this place, must be skilled?”

“What brings a stranger all the way here?”

Not everyone was looking with eyes full of curiosity.

Some, as if holding hostility towards strangers, openly showed it and glared at Seonghyun, while some paid no attention to Seonghyun, whether he was a stranger or not.

And among those who paid no attention, a familiar face was seen.

Seonghyun smirked and lightly stomped his foot.

Kwajik!

Leaving a deeply dented footprint on the wooden floor, Seonghyun shot out like a cannonball.

Everyone was flustered by Seonghyun's sudden movement, and some, who had been wary, immediately raised their weapons.

However, Seonghyun, paying them no heed, kicked off even faster and rushed towards the familiar face among the NPCs.

The fellow, flustered by the swift movement, swung a fist at Seonghyun, but Seonghyun lightly dodged him.

Then, as soon as his fist missed, the fellow took out a dagger from his bosom and swung it rapidly to slash wildly at Seonghyun.

However, Seonghyun grabbed and twisted the fellow’s wrist, snatching the dagger and checking it.

“Hmm, it's exactly the same, as expected.”

“Kuaaak! Wh-What is this?!! Stranger!!!”

As the man, unable to make any significant movement due to his twisted wrist, screamed out,

the moment other NPCs tried to move to help him.

“This dagger is identical to the murder weapon. What do you say? Feel like confessing? Lint Spencer?”

“H-How do you know that?”

Seonghyun took out the bloodstained dagger, and upon seeing it, Lint’s eyes shook violently.

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

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