The air inside the deepest reaches of Winston Castle's dungeon didn't just smell of damp stone and rot; it smelled of stagnant time.
The walls, slick with the condensation of centuries of human misery, seemed to pulse with a low, rhythmic thrum—the literal heartbeat of a World Quest reaching its final, agonizing threshold.
As Arthur stepped past the heavy iron threshold of the lower sanctum, the torchlight from the corridor caught the edge of his silver-white hair.
It cast a long, jagged shadow that seemed to dance independently of his movements, a silhouette of a predator entering its domain.
Suddenly, the world around him froze in a flash of blinding, celestial white light that seared the retinas of anyone nearby.
[Hidden Quest: 'Apostle of Justice' has been created.]
Difficulty: S
Description: The Orator Huroi has been locked in solitary confinement, his mission to inform Earl Steim hanging by a thread. The blacksmith Grid was falsely accused of being his partner in crime. You are the only one who knows the truth. Rescue them for the sake of justice!
Quest Clear Condition: Rescue Huroi and Grid from the deepest dungeon within three hours.
Quest Reward: Title: [Apostle of Justice]. Courage stat opened. All stats +10. Skill: [Unbreakable Justice].
Quest Failure: Level -2. Title: [Coward] (NPC affinity and quest probability will plummet).
Arthur's ruby eyes narrowed as he watched the timer begin to tick down in the corner of his vision. Beside him, Euphemina shifted her weight. She was no longer "Erina" the modest artisan; she was a Duplicator in her element, her mana humming with the stolen frequencies of a dozen high-level mages.
"The timer is tight," Arthur whispered, his gloved hand coming to rest on the hilt of Dainsleif. "Grid and Huroi are being held in the lower sanctum. Rabbit's intel says the Mero Company has reinforced the guard with elite Winston Knights."
"Then let's not keep them waiting," Euphemina replied, a cold, jagged smile touching her lips. "I've got a few 'Epic' surprises for anyone who thinks they can block the path of a girl who just lost her paycheck."
The sound of iron boots on stone echoed from the end of the hall—a rhythmic, heavy clank-clank that signaled the approach of the heavy infantry. A squad of eight Winston Knights, encased in blackened plate armor and carrying towering tower shields, rounded the corner.
"Intruders! Halt in the name of Baron—"
Arthur didn't wait for the sentence to finish. He didn't have the luxury of a parley. He stepped forward, his body moving with a fluid, terrifying grace, his breath hitching in the specific, ancient rhythm of a Great Swordsman.
"Pagma's Sword Dance... Restraint!"
A translucent, blue-white energy erupted from Arthur's feet, expanding like a ripple on a still pond. The air in the corridor grew heavy, almost gelatinous. The knights, mid-shout, froze. Their eyes widened, their muscles locked, and their very existence seemed suspended in a vacuum of absolute, cold pressure.
[The target has been suppressed for 3 seconds.]
Three seconds was an eternity for a candidate of the Sword Saint. Arthur moved like a blur of silver light. He didn't strike to kill the guards. As the third second ticked over, he raised his hand, not his sword.
"Sleep."
A soft, lilac mist followed the freezing wave. The knights, who had just regained the ability to twitch, found their eyelids becoming impossibly heavy.
One by one, the clatter of heavy plate hitting stone echoed through the corridor as they slumped into a magical slumber.
Euphemina whistled softly, stepping over a snoring knight. "Efficient. You're not just a fighter; you're a surgical tool."
"Now, move," Arthur commanded. "The deeper we go, the more the 'system' will try to balance the scales."
After many battles, Arthur and Euphemina cleared first and second floor of the underground Winston castle dungeon. Arthur's motive is sharp, no killing only neutralize.
At the third-level landing, Arthur encountered a man who didn't look like a common guard. He stood alone, his armor etched with the sigil of a rising star. Arthur sighed, his [Restraint] and [Sleep] spells still on cooldown.
"Enough of this," Arthur said, drawing Dainsleif. The massive blade vibrated with a low, hungry growl. He looked at the knight with a strange flicker of respect. "You look like a good man. Don't waste your life defending a pair of parasites like Valmont and Baron Lowe."
The young knight didn't flinch. "I am Knight Leo. I have sworn an oath to protect the Lord of Winston."
Arthur smirked. "Well, that makes things easy. Lord Earl Steim will surely remove Baron Lowe the moment he hears of the treason committed here. By protecting the Baron, you are actually betraying the Earl."
Leo looked at him, dumbfounded. The logic hit him like a physical blow. Then, he slowly raised his sword, which began to blaze with an intense, magical fire.
"A Magic Knight? Impressive," Arthur said, casually sitting down on a nearby stone bench, leaning his greatsword against his shoulder.
"But you can see the situation. My friend Euphemina here can wipe this floor with a single spell. We can wait here until the other guards—those who actually care for Winston—arrive to arrest the Baron. If you fight me, you die a traitor. If you wait, you live as a hero."
Leo's flames slowly faded. He looked at Arthur's level—172—and then at his own—185. But the pressure coming from Arthur felt like facing a Level 300 High Ranker.
"I... I yield," Leo said, sheathing his blade. "Who are you? I was truly ready to die just now, yet you didn't even stand up."
Arthur smiled, standing and patting the knight's shoulder. "No wonder they call you the Northern Nova. You have good instincts. Now, come with us. You're going to help me open some doors."
With Leo as an escort, they reached the fourth and final floor. Arthur used his boot to kick open the door to the primary cell, the wood splintering under the force of his enhanced strength.
Inside, Grid was wriggling on the floor like a giant, soot-stained worm. His hands and feet were bound with heavy hemp, and his mouth was stuffed with a gag that tasted of old wool.
Arthur reached down, slicing the ties with a casual flick of a dagger. He pulled the gag out.
"Arthur!" Grid screamed, his voice cracking with a mixture of rage and relief. "You're late! You're so late! Did you see my dagger? Did you see what those bastards did to my masterpiece?!"
Arthur didn't say a word. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a dark, vibrating object. He tossed it to Grid. It was the [Dagger of Malice].
"Rabbit managed to 'misplace' it during your arrest," Arthur said with a wink. "He's a snake, but he's a snake who knows that a Unique-rated weapon is a bad thing to have on your person when the Earl arrives."
Grid gripped the hilt, and a dark, hungry aura immediately enveloped his hand. "Oh... I feel it. The malice. The beautiful, wonderful resentment. I'm going to kill everyone. I'm going to kill the sun."
"Save the edge for the Baron," Arthur said, turning toward the final door at the end of the hall. "We have one more to collect."
Using the keys Leo provided, Arthur opened the solitary confinement cell. The stench that rolled out was foul—the smell of a man who had been pushed to the absolute limits of human endurance.
Huroi sat in the corner, looking like a literal skeleton draped in rags. He had spent 200 hours in total darkness, counting his heartbeats to stay sane.
"Huroi, it's over," Arthur said softly.
Huroi slowly opened his eyes. The light of the torches seemed to burn him, but when he saw Arthur and Grid, his fractured mind snapped back into focus.
"You... my saviors..." Huroi stuttered, as his wait is finally over.
New system window bloomed in front of Arthur as quest success.
[Quest Success!]
[Title: 'Apostle of Justice' acquired!]
[The Courage stat has opened.]
[All stats increased by 10. Skill: 'Unbreakable Justice' generated.]
Grid and Huroi were also engulfed in light as their own quests completed.
[Quest success!]
[The second class 'Apostle of Justice's Partner' has been acquired.]
[The courage stat has opened.]
[When you are with the Apostle of Justice, all stats will increase by 20%.]
[The skill 'Unbreakable Justice' has been generated.]
[The skill 'Sacrifice for Justice' has been generated.]
[Title, 'One who Overcomes Hardships' has been acquired.]
[Indomitable stat has opened.]
[The skill 'Strong Will' has been generated.]
"Partner of Justice? Me?!" Grid shouted, staring at his status window. "I'm the most resentful person in this game! I hate justice! I want money and expensive items!"
"The system has a dark sense of humor," Euphemina said, patting Grid's shoulder. "Now, 'Partner,' can we leave? I'd like to spend my gold before I die of old age in this hole."
The escape back up through the dungeon was a silent, efficient slaughter of the Baron's loyalist guards. With Grid armed with his Unique dagger and Arthur clearing the path with Pagma's techniques, they reached the castle courtyard in record time.
But as they stepped into the moonlight, the air grew freezing. The courtyard wasn't empty. It was a sea of steel.
Valmont and Baron Lowe stood at the head of a massive formation. Three hundred heavy infantrymen, fifty archers with notched arrows, and twelve heavy knights on horseback blocked the only exit.
"Did you think it would be that easy?" Baron Lowe sneered, his hand resting on a decorative longsword. "You've committed treason, theft, and assault. There is no Earl coming to save you. There is only the law of Winston, and I am the law!"
Valmont stepped forward, his eyes locked on Grid's hand. "Give me back that dagger, boy. It's too exquisite for a peasant like you. Hand it over, and I might let you die in one piece."
Grid looked at the army. Then he looked at Arthur. He felt the 20% stat boost from being near the "Apostle of Justice," but the numbers were still overwhelming. "Arthur... there are a lot of them. Like, a lot lot."
Arthur stepped to the front, the massive blade of Dainsleif catching the moon's glow. He felt the 40% attack power boost from the weapon's hidden properties.
"Let them come," Arthur said, his voice echoing across the courtyard with the weight of a true King. "They think they've surrounded us. They don't realize that they've just trapped themselves in here with a Legend, a Duplicator, and an Apostle."
Arthur turned his head slightly toward Grid. "And Grid..."
"...Yes?" Grid asked, sweating.
"No recording crystal this time. I dare you," Arthur warned, his voice deadly serious.
Grid gulped, remembering the last time he tried to profit off Arthur's combat footage.
"Understood. No recording. Just... Fighting."
"Leo!" Arthur shouted. "Your time has come. Prove to the people of Winston that you are a knight of the North, not a lapdog for a corrupt Baron!"
"Understood!" Leo shouted, his sword erupting in flames as he turned toward his former brothers-in-arms. "I am not fighting for a Lord! I am fighting for the people of Winston!"
"Now, Huroi," Arthur commanded. "Boost the party. Drop the morale of the enemies. Let them hear the resonance of the truth!"
Huroi stepped forward, his skeletal frame suddenly radiating a golden, holy light. His voice, amplified by magical resonance and the power of his Orator class, cracked like a thunderclap across the courtyard.
"REBELS! TYRANTS! YOUR LIES END HERE! THE APOSTLE OF JUSTICE AND HIS PARTNERS HAS DESCENDED!"