Light of Arad: Forerunner

Chapter 24

Would the Iron Wolf Knights be the ones to react first?

“S-Savior!”

“You’re that guy from back then-.”

“Ah, ah, Vice-Captain. Don’t get so emotional. No matter what, he’s still G.S.D’s disciple.”

The knights, each showing different expressions, turned to look at Jinseong, but the only one remaining calm was Aganzo.

“The Mage Guild…? Did Sharan send you? What happened with G.S.D?”

“Ah, I’m currently staying with the Mage Guild due to my master’s orders, and also because Sharan asked me to help out. Given the current situation, I’ve been asked to assist with the investigation.”

Jinseong spoke without hesitation.

Though there were a few embellishments in the details, it wasn’t a lie, nor was it incorrect.

“Did the Queen inform the Mage Guild? Hmm.”

Aganzo briefly doubted the rapid response, but Jinseong pushed forward.

“Yes. Given the situation with the Apostle Lotus transferred to Behemoth, we can’t just overlook it. If it’s just about conducting investigations quietly in the background, I can handle that. However, since it might be challenging alone, I’d like to work alongside Lenny.”

His primary goal was Lenny.

If Lenny were to board Behemoth now, the probability of players spotting her would increase.

In other words, by keeping her with him, he could ensure she wouldn’t appear on the players’ “monitor screens.”

Another reason was to be prepared for any unexpected situations.

“Moreover, if I travel with Lenny, I can quickly wrap up the investigation that Sharan mentioned, and we can share various findings with all of you afterward.”

Jinseong’s true goal was to make arrangements so that he could act independently without always being with them.

No one could object to such a reasonable proposal.

“That sounds good, Aganzo. All you and I need to focus on is clearing the path for the adventurer. We can leave the investigations and other bothersome stuff to this guy. It’ll be efficient, don’t you think?”

Commander Van Balschut added positively.

“Plus, we’ll get to see his true skills.”

He cast a subtle glance at Jinseong.

“Indeed. If he’s G.S.D’s disciple, we can trust his skills. And if he has Sharan’s guidance for the investigation, he should be able to uncover any clues we might miss. Thanks, I’ll count on you.”

With Aganzo’s nod of approval, the matter was settled.

Lenny glanced at Jinseong and reconfirmed her assignment.

“Y-You want me to work in the rear with Jinseong… sir, Commander?”

“Yes. In case we get mentally dominated at the front, we need someone in the back to take care of the situation. Not just this ‘disciple,’ but you too, Lenny.”

“Yes, sir! If the Commander gets dominated, I’ll stab you right away to wake you up! Of course, alongside Jinseong… sir!”

Whether she was clarifying her mission, expressing her enthusiasm, or something else entirely was unclear.

“Sigh. Fine, go ahead.”

“This might be tricky, Van.”

Both Van and Aganzo sighed simultaneously, but Jinseong had achieved his goal.

Not only did he manage to involve Sharan in the discussion, but he also gained some level of approval from Aganzo, which meant his range of action would likely increase.

“What’s with this delay? Didn’t you say it was urgent? Don’t keep people waiting; hurry up!”

Kagon grumbled at the sight of Jinseong, Van, Aganzo, and Lenny, though it was short-lived.

The Magata suddenly shot into the sky.

A giant creature, soaring through the clouds…

A whale? No, it was far too massive to be just a whale.

Behemoth soon came into view.

* * *

‘…So, this is how it happens here?’

While most of the NPCs were in awe of Behemoth’s majesty, Jinseong was surprised by something else.

Having visited Sky Castle, he had a point of comparison.

‘In Sky Castle, there was a female grappler player. She climbed up the steps… like a literal “doll” with dead eyes, ascending together with Seria.’

The game *Dungeon & Fighter* couldn’t depict every single step the player ascended in Sky Castle.

This could be attributed to the “compression” Nemer had mentioned, the gap between the reality of Arad and the game.

But now?

‘Behemoth’s a dungeon region where you take an airship like Magata. Is that why I don’t even see the player with the dead eyes sitting aboard the ship? And the NPCs mention adventurers, but they don’t question the lack of their appearance.’

There was a difference.

As Jinseong mulled over this, he came to a vague realization.

‘Well, in the game, Behemoth’s the only place where you just enter the dungeon without using an airship. For now, it works out for me.’

There were other dungeon regions and maps like airships or sea trains later on, but those were all represented in the game *Dungeon & Fighter*.

When the time came, it might be possible to see at least a shell-like figure of the adventurer during these transitions, Jinseong surmised.

Whoooosh───!

As they neared Behemoth, the winds grew fiercer.

Kagon frowned.

“Just so you know, I’m leaving Behemoth immediately. I can’t stay here because of the magic from Sky Castle. Send a signal when you need me to come back.”

Magic from the Grand Magic Circle installed in Sky Castle, created by Bakal, was still emitting power.

At Kagon’s warning, Aganzo nodded.

“According to Ophelia, the Apostle Lotus is in the center of the temple. We should first land on the outskirts and assess the situation.”

As the airship neared the outskirts and found a spot to land, Jinseong had to stifle a laugh.

‘It appeared! A player showed up!’

The moment Van and Aganzo’s feet hit the ground, a female archer player had appeared beside them.

For some reason, it gave Jinseong a strange feeling.

‘As expected… this world must be linked to the game.’

While there were players enjoying *Dungeon & Fighter* on one hand, Jinseong was fighting for his life in this real world.

‘But somehow… hmm, something about this….’

Jinseong gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

There was fear and terror, that was undeniable.

But there was also a thrill and excitement that couldn’t be experienced from just a monitor and keyboard.

Right as Van, Aganzo, and the female archer player landed on Behemoth, someone appeared before them.

“Three-eyed masks, resembling Behemoth… GBL cultists’ masks. Could they be survivors?”

“Ahh, those who oppose Lord Lotus… must die!”

A brainwashed GBL cultist charged at them, but Van swiftly countered and cut him down.

“If we leave them be, we’ll die. It’s better to put them out of their misery than let them be controlled by the Apostle.”

“Van’s right. If we can’t help them, this is the best we can do.”

As Aganzo agreed, the female archer player finally started moving.

In the dungeon region of Behemoth, it was now time for Jinseong to carry out his mission: follow the player.

* * *

The interior of the ancient ruins made of stone was far more expansive than it appeared from the outside.

Jinseong examined the debris and broken remnants of the ruins as he quietly spoke.

“Lenny, be careful. Even though the adventurer, Van, and Aganzo have passed through here, we still don’t know what dangers remain.”

The adventurer, Van, and Aganzo had each gone in different directions to investigate.

If Jinseong followed the adventurer’s path, there wouldn’t be any particular danger since players had to defeat all monsters before moving to the next room. However, it was a different story with Van and Aganzo’s paths.

More importantly, since he wasn’t immediately following them but leaving a gap, there was a higher chance of encountering enemies.

‘And that’s not the only problem. Lenny, with her personality, might scream out of nowhere or catch up to the player too quickly, and…’

If that happened, the main scenario quest could become even more complicated.

Just having Lenny here had already “contaminated” the scenario, and Jinseong couldn’t afford to escalate the risk further, hence his warning.

“You can just call me Lenny… like earlier.”

However, the red-haired knight seemed more concerned with something Jinseong hadn’t expected.

“Huh? Earlier? When did I do that?”

“Yes, before we boarded Magata… when you made that suggestion to the Commander.”

Jinseong was confused by Lenny’s calm tone.

Had he really said that? He didn’t even remember addressing her that way. How did she recall that?

Unable to grasp what Lenny was thinking, Jinseong tried to apologize.

“Sorry if it upset you. I apologize.”

“No! Why would I be upset? You’re my savior. It’s quite the opposite!”

But Lenny’s reaction was different from what Jinseong had anticipated.

She wasn’t upset because he addressed her as “Miss” instead of “Knight” or anything like that.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

“Actually, I wanted to ask if I could call you Jinseong.”

Her cheeks were as red as her hair.

Now it was Jinseong who was flustered.

After all, she was still a knight.

“Huh,

what?”

“How old are you? Have you always been close with adventurers?”

Her sudden barrage of questions was a testament to her knightly training in exploiting moments of weakness.

Jinseong couldn’t even respond.

How old was he supposed to say he was?

Had he always been close with adventurers? Before he could formulate a reply, Lenny kept chatting.

“G.S.D. is someone even our Commander and Vice-Captain respect. How did you end up becoming his disciple?”

When the opponent shows an opening, exploit it.

When they show weakness, take advantage of it. And then…

“Actually, what I really want to ask is… do you have someone you’re seeing?”

Deliver the finishing blow.

Jinseong could only blink in shock.

Even the most oblivious person would have caught on by now.

‘No way… Lenny… But if that’s the case… uh….’

Gulp.

Jinseong swallowed nervously.

This place was reality. For Jinseong and the “NPCs” from *Dungeon & Fighter*, this world was real.

That meant relationships could develop in ways he couldn’t predict!

‘Sure, there was that affection system in-game, but that’s not the point—what matters is—.’

Lenny.

Someone expressing interest in Jinseong.

The problem wasn’t that Jinseong didn’t know her personality or background well.

If anything, it was the opposite.

Jinseong looked at Lenny.

Her shyness had vanished as she now gazed directly at him, seemingly determined to observe his every move.

But Jinseong couldn’t meet her eyes with a smile.

The first reason was because of what he knew about Lenny.

“The fact that you aren’t wearing a ring means you’re not married-.”

“Dieeeeee!”

“Get down!”

“Ahh!”

A brainwashed GBL cultist had suddenly appeared by Lenny’s side.

Jinseong shoved her aside and charged forward.

What he drew from his waist was the hilt of his sword.

It had no blade. That was to be expected.

Though the Mage Guild had financed the purchase, Jinseong hadn’t bought an ordinary sword from Kagon.

Whoooosh──────!

As the air vibrated, a green light extended from the hilt Jinseong held.

A lightsword.

Jinseong swung the lightsword at the GBL cultist.

“!”

The ‘beam saber’ sliced through the GBL cultist, glowing brightly as it did.

And in Lenny’s eyes, a similar light was beginning to shine.