Chapter 169

* * * * *
As the bookcase closed, Ming Hu watched Prominus follow behind him and thought.
“Wake up message… what’s changed?
When I summoned Prominence, I was told that he had awakened. He wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but it had to be a good thing. Ming Hu opened the pet window to check Prominence’s information.
“…Huh?”
After checking the information, Ming Hu had no choice but to stop walking.
-…?
-…?
When Ming Hu stopped walking, Karot and Prominus, who had been following behind him, stopped walking and looked at him in wonder.
Sigh
Ming Hu stopped walking, turned around to look at Prominence, and once again checked Prominence’s information.
Name: Prominence
Level: 1
Power: 3000
Agile: 3000
Health: 3000
Stamina: 3000
Wisdom: 3000
Control: 1000
The information in the prominence has changed significantly.
“I didn’t even take my supplements… 10x?
Ming Hu has never fed Prominus a single elixir, and yet Prominus’ stats have increased tenfold from before.
‘Levels are… still…’
The problem was, his level was still at 1. Ming Hu turned away from the information window to look at Prominence to see what had happened.
-What is it, my lord?
Praminus asked when Ming Hu looked at him. Ming Hu looked at Prominus with a puzzled expression.
“How did you… get cut?”
You had never summoned a Prominence before. This was your first summoning.
-Ah…
At Ming Hu’s question, Prominus looked a little surprised, but then he opened his mouth to say, “Of course.
-You recognize your master.
I couldn’t help but notice the change in the stats.
-I practiced in subspace.
“…Water lilies?”
-Yes.
“Training?” Ming Hu was speechless at Prominence’s answer. It was then.
[Quest “Defeat the Vicious Slime!”] has been canceled].
“…?”
Ming Hu stared at the message with a puzzled expression. Why would the quest be canceled so suddenly? Ming Hu opened the quest window to confirm that the quest was indeed canceled.
“It’s real.”
The “Defeat the Rampaging Slime!” that appeared in the quest window a moment ago has disappeared. There are two ways a quest can be canceled: first, if someone beats you to it, and second, if the NPC who gave the quest dies.
“That’s weird.”
This quest was obviously the first one he had ever gotten, and he had just gotten it. There was no way someone else could have gotten it first. That left only one thing: the man who gave it to you was dead, and that was also strange. Why would a man suddenly die?
“Did I miss any slime?”
Ming Hu wondered if he had missed any slimes, but since he didn’t pay much attention to catching slimes, he wasn’t sure if he had or not.
-My lord, is something wrong?
That’s when Prominence asked.
“Nope. Let’s go.”
The quest was canceled anyway. At Prominence’s words, Ming Hu decided to forget about the quest and started walking back to the second building.
-Lord.
“Huh?”
Ming Hu questioned Prominus as he called out to him, but Prominus drew his sword and continued, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.
-Multiple monsters are approaching from the front.
Stop!
At Prominus’ words, Ming Hu stopped walking. He glanced at Prominence and looked ahead, but all he could see was a dark passage.
Sigh
Ming Hu looked at Prominus again. It didn’t look like a joke. He was not the type to joke, and his expression was far too serious. Ming Hu looked at Prominus and said, “You’re right.
“How far forward is too far?”
-500M.
“…”
Ming Hu was speechless at Prominus’ words. It was hard to believe that he could detect an enemy 500 meters away in this dark passageway.
“Thank you. Let’s go.”
-No, my lord.
Ming Hu, Karot, and Prominus began to walk again, when Prominus opened his mouth again and spoke.
-My lord, may I take care of the monsters?
It didn’t matter who caught him, so Ming Hu nodded, and Prominus smiled broadly. It wasn’t long before Ming Hu realized that Prominus hadn’t been lying.
Zap…zap…zap.
Footsteps began to be heard up ahead, and soon the culprits were revealed.
-die…is….
-in…between.
The source of the footsteps were the human slimes. Ming Hu looked at Prominus with a slightly surprised expression. Prominus was swinging his sword, and the sound that followed caused Ming Hu to panic.
Whip
Poof! Poof! Poof! Pow! POP!
I heard a familiar sound.
“…?”
Ming Hu stared at Prominence in bewilderment, then slowly turned his head to look ahead with an expression of disbelief.
“…”
The approaching human slimes were all gone. Surprisingly, even the core had been cleanly smashed.
-That’s it, my lord.
Prominus said to Ming Hu with a satisfied smile.
“Uh…uh, good, let’s go.”
-Yes, my lord.
Ming Hu, Karot, and Prominus started walking again, and soon they reached the second building the man had told them about. Just as the man said, there were human slimes roaming around in the second building, and Ming Hu could see Prominus attacking once again.
Wham!
Poof! Poof! Poof! Pow! POP!
Ming Hu thought as he turned his attention from the human slimes, who were gone in a flash, to Prominus.
‘I didn’t know he was so strong…’
The old you wasn’t this strong when you fought Prominence.
“Is it because of the awakening?
It was clear that it was probably related to arousal.
-My lord, there’s a man upstairs… I think it’s Earl Lawton.
At Prominence’s words, Ming Hu began to walk with Prominence at his side to where Count Lawton was being held.
-This is the place.
Soon, Ming Hu arrived at a door that was firmly closed. Ming Hu grabbed the doorknob and turned it to see if it would open. It was locked.
“Is it far from the door?”
Ming Hu looked at Prominence and asked.
-It’s coming toward the door.
Prominence said.
“W-who are you?”
Just then, a grave voice came from inside.
“Are you the Earl of Lawton?”
“I-It is! Have you come to rescue me?”
“Yes, could you please open the door for me?”
“That’s because… There’s no lock on the inside.”
At Lawton’s words, Ming Hu thought for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak.
“Stay away from the door.”
“…Okay.”
Ming Hu heard Lawton’s footsteps retreating from the doorway. Ming Hu turned to Prominus and said, “I’m sorry.
“Smash.”
Scoop!
Prominus struck the door with his sword at Ming Hu’s words. The door snapped in half and shattered.
Jumbled
Ming Hu stepped through the door and entered. In the distance, a man who looked far too old to be the emperor’s friend stared at him. Ming Hu looked at Count Lawton and said.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Lawton, who was far away, quickly approached Ming Hu at his words. Ming Hu began to retrace his steps back the way he and Lawton had come.
“Is this from… Alkan, did he send you this?”
Lawton glanced at Karotte and Prominus, then at Ming Hu.
“Yeah, I think you’ll have to ask a guy named Vegas for the details.”
“Haha, so my brother knew I was gone…”
“Were they brothers?
Ming Hu could tell from Lawton’s words that Vegas was Lawton’s brother. Just then, Prominus opened his mouth and said.
-Lord, we have a human approaching from about 400 meters ahead.
“Is that him?
At Prominence’s words, Ming Hu wondered if this was the same man who had given him a quest, only to have it canceled and thought he was dead. He thought to himself.
-But… he has a similar aura to Karot. Not the same man we saw earlier.
But when Prominus continued, Ming Hu could only shake his head. If not the man from earlier, then who else would be here, someone with a similar aura to Karot?
Sigh
Ming Hu looked at Karot, who followed him in silence. Karot also looked forward at Prominence’s words, then back at Ming Hu.
-Master, I think you’re an enemy, and if I have to kill you, do you mind if I do?
Ming Hu nodded at Karot’s words. A moment later, the human that Prominus had spoken of appeared before Ming Hu. He was indeed a sharp-looking man.
“Hahaha, Count Lawton, you’re not dead yet. I was just on my way to kill him, but it worked out…Rich?”
As he spoke, smiling at the Earl of Lawton, he noticed Karot and frowned. Then he looked at Ming Hu and said
“What’s yours?”
But Ming Hu had no intention of answering the man’s question. It was clear by the way he spoke that he was an enemy, and Ming Hu opened his mouth to speak.
“Karot, kill him.”
-Yes.
Karot raised his staff at Ming Hu’s words and pointed it at the man.
Snap!
At the same time, a black orb appeared around him and exploded. The man quickly cast a shield as the black orb appeared, but the explosion shattered the shield and struck the man. That was the end of it.
whisk
The man collapsed to the ground. At the same time, black energy emanated from his body and began to fly towards Karot. At the same time, a message appeared.
[Karot absorbed energy and gained 50 hit points].