Chapter 237: Mythical Being (4)
“It’s… It’s a frame-up!”
Unexpectedly, Kim Hyunsung had said that this spinning wheel was shit because it was a bit suspicious, but it didn’t make entirely any sense in terms of probability.
Perhaps I just wasn’t lucky enough, but I had to stop the mythic-grade being from popping out at any cause.
‘Nonsense.’
The one called the Ancient God’s Fragment was now trying to pop out, making a rumbling sound. I didn’t know if it took this long for the seal to be released or if Max had delayed it for a while, but I knew that he would annihilate us all once that guy was released.
“The odds are being manipulated!”
I didn’t know what I was talking about, either. I only knew that I felt scared.
However, manager Max seemed to be interested in my bullshit.
If he respected the Crack Guardians, he wouldn’t be happy about this museum being insulted.
-I know what you mean. The odds are not manipulated. Everyone has a chance of one in five hundred.
“From our position, there is no way to believe if this is true or not. Isn’t that right?”
It was Ahn Ki-mo who had spoken.
‘Nice, Ahn Ki-mo.’
I knew he would be useful in this kind of situation, but I couldn’t even imagine that we would be good together. The plan was obvious. He needed to distract him while I tried to think of a way to escape.
Fighting a mythical-grade monster was not an option.
The level difference was so big that it was impossible even to assume that we had a chance of fighting. It was like attacking a tank with a slingshot.
Even assuming that Kim Hyunsung had several aces up his sleeve, we would not get out of this unscathed.
As Ahn Ki-mo finished speaking, he turned to me. I nodded and spoke again.
“Ahn Ki-mo is right. You said there had been no manipulation, but where is the evidence that your words are not false?”
-Is there any reason for me to answer your questions?
“Of course, there is. You did not call this place a dungeon, you called it a museum, and you called us explorers, not attackers. If this museum is a dungeon, there is no reason for you to convince us, but if this museum is not a regular dungeon and the arrangements made by the Crack Guardians are correct, an explanation is a duty, not an option.”
-Duty, not choice… You make an interesting argument.
“It would be fun from the manager’s point of view, but it’s a very important issue for explorers. We did not come to attack the dungeon. We are here to experience and explore the museum. Isn’t that right, everyone?”
“Yes. That’s right. Absolutely right.”
Ahn Ki-mo was the only one who answered. However, I knew everyone else had begun to latch onto the same idea.
-I understand your position. Although to my eyes, it appears to be just an act not to proceed further, but… since it’s been a long time since welcomed guests came, I think I do need to give you an explanation. I don’t know how to explain it, but… would you be convinced if I quantify the results of the explorers who have visited the museum so far?
He was more quick-witted than I thought, and he looked offended.
The crack museum he loved was on the verge of falling into a bad reputation, so it was only right that he would want to remedy this.
Our points of view had to be different. Though we thought of this place as a dungeon, he saw it as a museum. For him, this was a gift from the Crack Guardians for the continent’s humans and a place where numerous histories had been recorded and stored.
“I wonder if there is any evidence that you didn’t manipulate the numerical data as well. Where is your original body in the first place? It is a dummy that guides us, not you. If you are really the manager and not the owner of this museum…”
As I spoke, I knew I had no choice but to think that it shouldn’t be done this way.
‘I would only be dragging time in the first place.’
It was already confirmed that he was not the Dungeon Master. The system’s focus here was the exploration of the museum, not the death of the manager, Max.
His death would not mean anything for the dungeon. It would be impossible to resist the system itself with ordinary human power.
If it were possible to resist, the players before us would’ve already destroyed this place. Even the Cursed Shrine where I met Juliana could also be stabilized after bombarding magic from the outside.
In summary, there was only one way to attack the dungeon.
‘Follow the rules.’
If it was impossible to resist the system, there was nothing else you could do.
‘Damn.’
Of course, I didn’t want to die in a place like this.
Meanwhile, the manager, Max, had begun speaking once more, but I couldn’t seem to tune in to his words. I couldn’t even afford to answer.
Rather, it was Park Deokgu who was more angered than me. I watched him slightly in awe as he continued to shout. Ahn Ki-mo readily assisted him.
“Where is the evidence that this is true, as Hyung-nim said?! It was a little weird from the beginning! Saying weird things about exhibiting Hyung-nim and Hyung-ssi as soon as we first met. Isn’t that a strange intention?”
“That’s right!”
“If you haven’t said that from the beginning, then perhaps… I don’t know about the cause-and-effect ratio being distorted and blessed with mana, but it doesn’t make sense to believe in a dungeon manager who says he will exhibit a normal person in a museum!
‘You’re doing well, pig.’
He certainly had the qualities of an agitator. The tone of the voice itself could somehow make heads nod.
-That’s the rule. As a manager, I can’t say that I have no greed for rare objects at all, but there has been no probability manipulation.
“Saying that you’re greedy, doesn’t that say it all? If you really had the quality of a manager, you shouldn’t say that in the first place! I don’t know what the Crack Guardian is, but it sounds really weird that a manager, who was made by them, who has defended the continent, would display the people living on this continent!”
-That’s a humanistic way of thinking. It is not you who make up the continent. Rather, humans are close to cancer on this continent.
I understood what he was talking about.
I’ve heard such a thing before on Earth. It was not the humans who the Crack Guardians protected. It was probably the continent itself they had been guarding.
“That’s the way the Crack Guardians think? If so, why are you trying to test against humans? Why give them the weapons that humans use as a reward?! Isn’t your opinion, not the Crack Guardian’s, that humans are cancer?”
-That’s the guardians’ will…
“Who made this museum to watch in the first place? In my opinion, you’re deprived. Of course, the Crack Guardians regret putting someone who doesn’t know what kind of fruit comes out of his farm as a manager! Wouldn’t a guy like this try and manipulate the system?”
‘Well done.’
Though Deokgu’s words were offensive, they certainly fit the situation.
In the first place, I knew that when Deokgu was angered, he tended to rely on strange logic to support his claim, but he was doing a lot better than I had initially thought.
The others were gradually raising their voices as if they agreed. It was mainly the women’s team included in Park Deokgu’s harem.
“Right! It’s strange, no matter how I think about it. There are only ten rare-grade items, but we pick one of them. And what’s with the mythic-grade monster? It is certainly strange to think about the fact that a legendary-grade was picked from the very beginning.”
“Right. Deokgu-ssi, you’ve said it well!”
Ahn Ki-mo was raising his voice, too.
“What we don’t believe is you, the manager, not the Crack Museum!”
“Ah, yes! Absolutely, Ahn Ki-mo! After all, the educated ones are different! Anyone can see you look like a scammer… you can’t manage anything properly! I think Hyung-nim could do better if he were the museum manager! Hyung-nim as the museum manager!”
Their conclusion was definitely weird, but they were at least giving me ample time. This gave me enough time to talk with Kim Hyunsung and Park Yeon-joo.
“What do you think we should do, Kiyoung-ssi?”
“There is no option to fight. It must be avoided. You have to think about this in another way. For now, it would be best to do business with a museum custodian, but I don’t think the authority given to Max is enough to override this system.”
“Oh, the first time you spoke up was to take time.”
As Park Yeon-joo realized this, she nodded and spoke once more.
“Then, the choices we’ll encounter are…”
It was Kim Hyunsung who answered her.
“It is impossible. This is completely different from catching a legendary monster. Of course, if you are to head into an unavoidable situation, you should consider that, too… I don’t want to recommend it.”
“Yes. I know it won’t be a fair fight in the first place. But I don’t see any other options.”
They now understood my concern. We had to find another option.
‘Although it is ideal to do business with the manager…’
-Whatever you mean, whatever you say, I am the manager of this museum. All I do is maintain and manage. In the first place, the probability of manipulation is out of my authority. Unfortunately, there is no way to block the options that have already come out. Although I have been delaying the emergence of mythic-grade being for a while… He will probably appear here soon.
‘I knew it.’
-The time to release the seal is only one hour. If more fragments are released, the seals of the Guardians may be released. So this test will be about holding on, not fighting.
“This scammer!”
-I told you I’m not a scammer. I thought you were good people, but it turned out that you were rude customers. I can also understand why you were so unfortunate and chose a mythical-grade being. The Crack Guardians didn’t want people like you getting artifacts from this place!
“Once again, that’s bullshit.”
In the meantime, Max had begun to tremble, looking very much upset. His offended expression only grew when our thirty voices rose as one, criticizing every aspect of him and his beloved museum.
This transaction was impossible in the first place. As expected, it was impossible for him to act outside of the basic system.
‘It’s not even a manipulation.’
It was simply bad luck.
I had begun biting my nails. Although I knew I had to do something about it, I literally choked when I saw the creature slowly appearing in front of my eyes.
‘Shit.’
The Ancient God’s Fragment continued to stare at us.
It was difficult to express the feelings one would feel when they saw someone on a totally different level from them. Jung Hayan was also biting her lips tightly, and Kim Hyunsung nervously held his sword. Even Dialugia looked nervous.
‘One hour? We won’t last that long.’
I knew everyone was also thinking this way. However, there was no choice but to rebel, so all that was left to do was prepare.
That was when an absurd thought entered my mind.
If we went through this the traditional way, we would surely die. However…
[Part of the seal that held the Ancient God’s Fragment is removed.]
The moment I heard the message, I spoke.
“Prepare for battle.”
-Good luck.
“It will completely unseal. However, don’t attack the monster. Attack the blue chains that trap the Fragment.”
-Huh?