Numerous types of trials existed in the Deep Realm. Adventurers would challenge the trials suitable for their level, and Murmu was no exception. Having risen to fourth place in the Deep Realm rankings after Vassago’s death, Murmu was challenging a trial at the Sea of Death.
What lay before him was an endless expanse of ocean, its water filled with poison. Any ordinary adventurer would dissolve instantly upon contact.
The muscles in Murmu’s right arm bulged as a purple aura started to swirl, turning his fist a deep violet.
This was Armorize, a skill that adventurers needed to master to survive the Core. Murmu had learned the seventh level of Armorize after defeating the Rainbow Bird at the eightieth checkpoint in the Tutorial Zone.
With Armorize enveloping his fist, Murmu delivered a powerful strike, slamming it down onto a floating Laikie. The creature flailed in pain before diving back into the ocean.
Laikie was a huge mythical creature resembling a whale. It was the offspring of Laikar, which lived on the first floor of the Core. Although it was just a juvenile version of the powerful Laikar, Laikie’s strength was formidable, making it almost impossible for anyone except Deep Realm Rankers to face it.
After all, it too was a mythical creature.
Murmu sprinted through the air as if stepping on invisible footholds, chasing after Laikie. Spotting a massive shadow beneath the surface, he didn’t hesitate. Arching his body like a bow, he used the momentum to dive into the water toward the shadow.
He unleashed a flurry of punches on Laikie, knowing that prolonging the fight meant death by the poisonous water. He wasn’t keen on taking that chance.
Each punch left deep dents in Laikie’s massive body.
Roaring in pain, the beast thrashed violently and attempted to counter with a tail swipe. Murmu narrowly dodged before launching his ultimate attack: Qi Blast, a skill honed through countless physical modifications.
Laikie’s weakened body couldn’t withstand the Qi Blast and shattered into pieces. Its lifeless remains floated to the surface before dissolving into the poisonous water as the thin magical membrane protecting it dissipated.
[You have cleared Laikie’s Trial.]
[A random artifact will be rewarded.]
“This... this is...!” Murmu’s face lit up with a wide grin.
Wei Zhongqi was peacefully sleeping in a hammock when Murmu’s excited voice broke his calm.
Murmu vigorously shook Wei Zhongqi to wake him up. “Wei Zhongqi! Wake up!”
Groggily, Wei Zhongqi opened his eyes and climbed out of the hammock. Yawning a little, he squinted at Murmu, who looked as excited as a kid with a new toy.
“Look at this!” Murmu held up two sheets of parchment.
Wei Zhongqi immediately recognized the artifact: the pages of the Book of Transfer, a consumable artifact that allowed its user to travel to any location.
“You got the Book of Transfer?” he asked.
“I got it after passing Laikie’s Trial. Haha!”
“Congratulations. So, why did you wake me up?”
Murmu hesitated, nervously glanced at Wei Zhongqi, then spoke cautiously, “I-I need some money.”
As Wei Zhongqi was trying to process the absurd request, Murmu pulled out a flyer from his pocket. It looked like it was from a fried chicken restaurant.
“Ah, I see.” Wei Zhongqi understood. This guy wanted to try the food called “chicken” and came to ask for money to buy some.
But what to do? Unfortunately, Wei Zhongqi also had no Earth money on him.
“Sorry, but I don’t have any money either.”
“W-what?!” Murmu slumped in despair, his head hanging low.
Although he had no money, Murmu couldn’t resist his desire for chicken. In the end, he decided to visit Earth anyway. However, he wasn’t without a plan—he intended to borrow some money from Kiriel, who was supposedly working on Earth.
Murmu arrived at the food stall where Kiriel worked, but the stall’s entrance was zipped shut, and a notice was posted on a piece of paper: Closed Today.
The words were in Korean. Murmu, who had taken basic lessons in Kiriel’s Korean class, tried his best to decipher them. However, after only a week of learning, he couldn’t even distinguish consonants from vowels properly, let alone read the sentence.
Murmu sighed heavily. Suddenly, he turned his gaze toward a man who was staring at him. Thinking this might be a stroke of luck, he decided to talk to him.
“Hey, what does this say?” Murmu asked.
The man was none other than Do-Jun. Although it was Saturday, he was heading to work for an urgent task. Sensing an unfamiliar presence near his home, he had returned to investigate.
Do-Jun read the scribbled message on the paper. “It says ‘Closed Today.’ It means they’re not open for business.”
Murmu sighed deeply again. His plan to borrow money from Kiriel had fallen through. Taking out the chicken flyer from his pocket, Murmu gazed longingly at the glossy, sauce-covered fried chicken, swallowing hard.
“Human, is this ‘chicken’ really that delicious?” he asked Do-Jun.
“Well, I’d say so. You’ve never had it before?”
“No. I came from the Deep Realm, and this is my first time on Earth. I was planning to borrow money from Kiriel, but he’s not here...”
Do-Jun considered his options. If Murmu had any malicious intentions, he would have immediately taught him a lesson. But it seemed that all Murmu genuinely wanted was to taste some Korean fried chicken.
Watching Murmu sigh repeatedly while staring at the flyer, Do-Jun chuckled. He had planned to explore a Fissure today, and he decided to show some kindness while doing so.
“Would you like a job?” Do-Jun asked him.
“If you help me out, I’ll buy you some chicken.”
Murmu’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and Do-Jun smirked at the sight.
[Welcome to the Fissure Management System.]
[Fissure in Sangdo-dong-002, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, has been registered.]
A new Fissure had appeared a few days ago. It was presumed to be a B-rank Great Fissure. It was a valley where trolls showed up. Do-Jun was taking pictures of the scenery with his SpacePad.
Watching from the side, Murmu asked, “Alright. What do you need me to do here?”
“While I conduct the exploration, please eliminate any trolls that pose a threat to me. Simple, right?”
“Trolls... you mean those guys over there? Alright, I’ll kill every troll in this place.”
“No, leave the ones that aren’t bothering us,” Do-Jun said.
Murmu didn’t quite understand but nodded anyway.
Do-Jun started mapping by tapping the screen.
“By the way, the monsters here are really weak. Compared to the ones in the Deep Realm, they’re nothing more than specks of dust,” Murmu commented.
“You’re quite strong, huh?” Do-Jun responded.
“Of course. I’m ranked fourth, after all.”
“Impressive,” Do-Jun muttered indifferently. He wasn’t particularly interested in rankings, whether first or fourth.
“I used to be fifth, but after Vassago—who was fourth—died, I moved up a rank. I heard Vassago was killed on the seventh floor of the Core, probably by the King of Earth. That’s been the talk of the Deep Realm lately. Ah, I’m rambling, aren’t I?”
Despite knowing he was rambling, Murmu added, “Anyway, be wary of the king of Earth. Although you probably know better than I do, since you live here. I’m keeping a low profile to avoid being noticed by him. Once I’ve had my chicken, I’ll head back to the Deep Realm. I don’t want to end up like Vassago.”
As Murmu chuckled and shrugged, three trolls hiding behind trees appeared. Do-Jun, still busy mapping, walked forward without a care, ignoring the trolls. Following Do-Jun’s instructions, Murmu started his “work.”
To show off his strength, though unnecessary, Murmu activated Armorize. His right fist turned a deep purple.
The ground beneath him caved in. As Murmu swung his fist at the trolls, they vanished completely, leaving no trace of their bodies.
“Hehe, what do you think?”
“I feel safe,” Do-Jun replied.
Murmu puffed out his chest with pride.
Five chickens coated in batter were dropped into a vat of boiling oil. Murmu watched the scene with wide-eyed curiosity, like a child discovering something new. He turned to Do-Jun.
“A-are you seriously buying me five chickens?”
“Yes. You’ve worked hard today.”
“Wow, you’re an amazing guy!”
Changshin Chicken was a chicken spot near Do-Jun’s house, and Murmu had been holding their flyer. Soon, the shop owner carefully packed the five fried chickens and placed them on the table.
Do-Jun paid 65,000 won and received the chicken.
“Oooooh!” Murmu couldn’t hold back his excitement as he received the chicken.
The aroma was mouthwatering, and even though he wanted to eat it immediately, he decided to save it for the Deep Realm, where he could share it with Wei Zhongqi.
“Thanks a lot, human.”
Do-Jun smiled faintly.
Murmu pulled a scroll from his pocket and handed it to Do-Jun.
“Human, if you ever come to the Core, call for me. I can’t go to the Tutorial Zone, but if you make it to the first floor, use this. I’ll come to you right away. The Core is a dangerous place; it’ll be hard for you to manage alone.”
After checking the artifact’s options, Do-Jun placed the scroll in his briefcase. “Thank you.”
“Alright, I’m heading back to the Deep Realm. See you next time.”
Murmu tore the Book of Transfer, opening a dimensional gate to the Deep Realm.
As Do-Jun lightly waved, he said, “Send my regards to Wei Zhongqi.”
“Sure! I’ll pass on your—wait, what?”
Murmu wept with joy. He had already devoured an entire chicken, yet he couldn’t stop himself. He thought visiting Earth was the best decision he had ever made. All the while, he never stopped chewing.
“Where did you get the money?” Wei Zhongqi asked him.
“Oh, I met a human on Earth. I helped him out in exchange for these chickens.”
At least it didn’t seem like Murmu had caused any trouble.
“He was a kind human. I even gave him a Scroll to help him if he ever comes to the Core. If he uses it, I’ll go help him right away. Oh, by the way, I think that human asked me to send his regards to you.”
“Regards? To me?” Wei Zhongqi felt a sudden wave of unease wash over him.
“Yeah. He said to send his regards to Wei Zhongqi. Strange, isn’t it? How does that human know your name? Do you know any humans on Earth?”
“Murmu. You said you met... a man...?” Wei Zhongqi asked cautiously.
He knew only one human man on Earth.
Wei Zhongqi began explaining calmly. “Well... I think—”
Struck by the realization, Murmu dropped his drumstick in shock.