Chapter 352: White End Point (3)

Chapter 352: White End Point (3): Resurrection

Chapter 352: White End Point (3)

4.

I tilted my head in confusion.

"A madman, you say?"

Villager F: 「Yes, that's right. If you keep going that way, there's a very dangerous madman. You shouldn't approach him! ...Of course, talking to thin air on the middle of the street of Jungin-hwan city, you also seem quite the madman…. 」

This damn guy?

Villager F: 「If you're a bit of a strange madman, the one living over there is a very dangerous madman. He cut down anyone who approaches! 」

"Huh."

Villager F: 「Among us, he's called the [Mad Warrior]. Since he settled there, not a single person has been able to cross to the lands beyond…. Any sort of exchange has pletely ceased. 」

I grasped the situation.

This world stretches only to the sides. When some madman appears and blocks the path, from that day forward, the traffic is cut off.

"Isn't there a detour?"

Villager F: 「There used to be…. But it's been a long time since the madman appeared. It might have easily been over a hundred years. That madman destroyed all the detours that could bypass the area he blocked. Even if we forcefully create detours, he smashes them as soon as he sees them. There's no way to withstand that. 」

Truly a madman.

Originally, even if the path was blocked, it was possible to bypass it by digging tunnels or building sky bridges. 'Tunnels' are exactly what they sound like, paths made by digging underground. 'Sky bridges' are paths created by erecting pillars and laying a bridge. However, the [Mad Warrior] crushed all such detours.

"Is he that strong, the Mad Warrior?"

Villager F: 「Didn't I say? Despite the long time that has passed, it's still the same. Over the years, numerous warriors who challenged the madman have lost their heads. Now, no one dares to challenge him anymore. Thanks to that, the trade between the east and west has pletely collapsed!」

The villager made a gloomy face (· ω ·). The faces of other villagers listening to our conversation were not much different. Actually, they were exactly the same. And so, several villagers simultaneously made the (· ω ·) (· ω ·) (· ω ·) (· ω ·) expressions.

All of them looking at me.

It's kind of scary….

Villager F: 「I don't know how far you plan to travel, but it would be wise to make a U-turn from this village.」

The villager advised with a resigned expression (; -Д-).

Villager F: 「What lies ahead is practically no different from being off-limits. It'd be best to rest for a day and then turn back.」

I gratefully accepted the hospitality and spent the night in the home of one of the villagers.

After a few questions to determine whether I was a dangerous traveler, the villagers seemed to have concluded that I was pletely harmless. They treated me with utmost courtesy as their guest.

"Just need to take care of the Mad Warrior and then I can leave."

Lying in the bedroom provided by the villagers, I spoke to Bae Hu-ryeong.

"It's something that can be cleared anytime. That madman is, so to speak, a monster. A monster of this world. Who knows when another hunter will e up again to the 75th floor, if I just ignore and pass by, it might be decades before anything changes."

Idiot: 「Does it really matter? It's up to you.」

Bae Hu-ryeong replied indifferently.

However, Bae Hu-ryeong has always been a frank person, dead without his honesty. Especially here, where expressions are vividly visible. When Bae Hu-ryeong made a somewhat troubled expression (;ㄱ_ㄱ), it was impossible not to notice, even if I didn't want to.

"Why? You look like a fool."

Idiot: 「No.... Hmm. Let's just say that this Mad Warrior or whatever is considered the strongest in this world. And I don't remember, but I definitely cleared the 75th floor.」

"Yes, well. That might be the case."

Idiot: 「So, it bothers me. If it were me, I would have definitely taken down a guy holding the title of the world's strongest, right? It's puzzling how such a person is still alive.」

"Hmm."

It was a valid point. But since it wasn't exactly impossible, I simply responded.

"I guess he appeared newly after you cleared this place. What's strange about that?"

Idiot: 「Is that so…?」

Bae Hu-ryeong made a face of disfort but couldn't refute my words. It was the most plausible possibility. We no longer bothered about it and slept soundly.

The next day, we headed towards the location where the madman was said to be lurking.

Villager F: 「I told you, young man, you shouldn't go there!」

It seems that whether an outsider had spent the night without any issues was a significant distinction. The villagers were much friendlier than yesterday and tried even harder to stop me.

Villager F: 「I knew it when that young man was mumbling to himself. He's got madness in him!」

This villager's face was like this. (o口Д口o);;

Villager D: 「Right. There's the madness that harms others, and then there's the madness that only harms oneself. This friend belongs to the latter. Tsk, tsk.」

This villager was ( •̀⌓•́).

Villager C: 「Maybe he came here deliberately seeking a place to die…. His loved one must have left him. But lacking the courage to take his own life, unable to muster the courage, he came to this village looking for someone to kill him…. Ah, it must be…!」

Over there, someone was ヾ(.>﹏