Seong didn’t bother asking why the ghost kept poking its head in and out between the crystal pillars.
He wasn’t curious.
He didn’t want to know.
The ghost seemed relieved that no questions were asked—if Seong had inquired, the ghost would have felt compelled to answer.
Seong, however, regretted acknowledging it at all.
He should’ve ignored it.
After seeing such bizarre behavior from a ghost for the first time in his 22 years, the words had slipped out before he could stop himself.
The ghost, clearly embarrassed, gave an awkward cough.
"Ahem! It was... a peculiar gesture for such an esteemed individual like yourself to witness."
"..."
Seong didn’t reply, but his frosty glare spoke volumes.
It conveyed a clear disinterest in engaging further.
The ghost flinched, as if the icy gaze had pierced its translucent form.
"I—I swear, I’m not usually like this..."
"..."
"Please, could you not look at me with those eyes...?"
The ghost’s dejected expression made Seong sigh softly.
Judging by its attire, the ghost seemed to have been a high-ranking knight in life.
Despite its spectral form, the armor it wore and the sword at its side were anything but ordinary.
How had someone of such stature come to this?
The thought lingered, but Seong had no intention of voicing it.
Instead, he redirected the conversation.
"What is this place?"
"This is the Crystal Palace, a fragment of a brilliant age long past," the ghost explained solemnly. "It once served as the royal court. But time has dulled its splendor, and now it’s nothing more than a faded memory."
"Ah..."
Though the knight’s words carried a somber tone, Seong couldn’t fully immerse himself in the sentiment.
The memory of the ghost’s earlier antics kept resurfacing.
He really shouldn’t have acknowledged it.
But since it was too late to undo that, he decided to make the most of the situation.
The ghost’s martial appearance suggested it might possess valuable skills and knowledge about the palace.
Extending his hand toward the ghost, Seong prepared to absorb its memories.
The ghost, as if understanding his intent, closed its eyes and stood still.
Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.
In an instant, a flood of memories and experiences rushed into Seong’s mind.
[Using your ‘Unknown Power,’ you have achieved what is impossible at your current level.]
[Strength +5, Agility +5 permanently increased.]
A total stat increase of 10 was remarkable.
For comparison, defeating Barfur the beast had only granted an 8-point boost.
“I thought it was just a fool... turns out I was wrong.”
The memories revealed the ghost’s true nature: in life, it had been a stern and dignified knight.
Perhaps its strict demeanor in life had led to its eccentricities in death.
Still, its prowess and honor as a great soul remained undeniable.
Seong couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret.
Though he had initially dismissed the ghost as a bumbling fool, he now saw it for the remarkable being it truly was.
"At last... I’ve found peace. I never imagined my techniques would be passed on. Leaving them behind fills me with immense joy. Thank you."
The ghostly knight, Bendix Pale Moon, spoke these final words before its spectral form burned away, fading into nothingness.
As Bendix’s figure dissolved, Seong felt a pang of disappointment.
If Bendix had joined his legion, it would have been a significant boost to his forces.
But Seong respected the knight’s wishes.
After all, the knight had entrusted him with its techniques.
Its lingering regrets were resolved, and there was no longer a reason for it to remain in this world.
Not all ghosts were bound by regrets, but those like Bendix, who stayed due to unresolved matters, would ascend once their wishes were fulfilled.
Though it was bittersweet, Seong let the knight go.
“Hmph. It wasn’t embarrassed to the point of ascending, right?”
Shaking off the thought, Seong refocused on the task at hand.
Bendix’s memories had provided invaluable information—not only enhancing his swordsmanship but also revealing new secrets.
He even felt a subtle change in his body, as if it had adapted to the knowledge.
“This is incredible intel.”
Thanks to Kahku’s memories, Seong already knew about the ancient royal guardian golem protecting the treasure chamber.
The golem was a raid boss, scaled down to level 70 due to its age and decay.
Before, that was the extent of his knowledge.
But Bendix’s memories had filled in the gaps.
In life, Bendix had been the captain of the royal guard, holding a position far above that of the ancient golem.
This rank granted him detailed information about the golem, including its weaknesses and the fact that it was an Ego Golem.
Even more valuable, Bendix had revealed a secret passage to the treasure chamber, one the golem was unaware of.
“Things are turning out better than expected.”
With this newfound information, Seong could proceed faster than planned.
Recalling the location of the secret passage, Seong muttered, "The entrance should be around here..."
3.
Oh Jin-hyuk, a junior staff member, was splitting the workload originally handled by Lee Won-sang, who had become swamped with tasks.
The sheer volume of work assigned to Lee Won-sang, a highly capable senior colleague, was too much for Jin-hyuk to handle alone.
Despite his efforts to focus, the text on the screen blurred before his eyes.
How did my senior even manage all this?
Jin-hyuk couldn’t help but wonder if it was humanly possible.
“Is he going to work himself to death at this rate?”
Recently, Jin-hyuk had noticed Lee Won-sang often rubbing his chest. Was that an early sign of overwork?
It worried him.
No matter what anyone said, Lee Won-sang was both his mentor and someone he deeply respected.
“I have to do what I can to help him!”
Knowing that the workload would pile up, Jin-hyuk had come to work early to get a head start.
While he couldn’t do everything, he tackled tasks he was capable of, gradually chipping away at the backlog.
As the pile of work dwindled, he felt a sense of pride.
With that mindset, Jin-hyuk began monitoring the assigned players.
Among them, one stood out the most: Seong.
Seong was undoubtedly the most extraordinary player in recent times.
In fact, the current chaos among the seniors was all because of him.
Curious about what Seong was up to now, Jin-hyuk pulled up the live feed.
On the screen, Seong strolled through the magnificent Crystal Palace, its radiant beauty on full display.
"Wow..."
Even through the monitor, the grandeur of the palace was breathtaking.
What would it feel like to walk through a place like that even once?
Jin-hyuk wondered, his mind wandering.
But where is he going?
He recognized the location—this was the ancient royal palace that could only be accessed via the Treasure Goblin Kahku’s Treasure Map.
He remembered seeing Seong clear the map quest just the night before.
Already inside? Incredible.
But something seemed off.
Instead of heading toward the main hall, Seong was taking a different path, one filled with crystal pillars.
To Jin-hyuk’s knowledge, there was nothing down that path.
If Lee Won-sang had seen this, he would have been horrified.
He knew exactly what lay beyond that direction.
Had Won-sang noticed, he would’ve tried to intervene, perhaps even offering additional rewards to dissuade Seong.
But Jin-hyuk, unaware of the implications, simply watched with wide eyes, captivated as though watching a livestream.
"Oh? Did he just find something? Whoa!"
He even clapped in amazement when Seong uncovered a hidden door leading to a secret passage.
Does he even realize he’s supposed to be monitoring players?
Jin-hyuk was diligent about everything else but seemed to lose all composure when watching Seong’s gameplay.
As Seong reached the treasure chamber without defeating the raid boss, Jin-hyuk gasped.
"Whoa! He got into the treasure chamber before fighting the raid boss? Isn’t this a record?"
A notification popped up on-screen, awarding Seong the title Tomb Raider.
Pre-reward before the raid? What is this concept?
Jin-hyuk was both stunned and impressed.
“But wait, if he already emptied the treasure chamber, what happens to the raid boss rewards?”
Unable to contain his curiosity, Jin-hyuk kept watching, forgetting to report the anomaly to Lee Won-sang.
“I’ll report it after I see how this plays out.”
Had Won-sang heard this, he might have exploded in frustration—or worse, torn Jin-hyuk apart himself.
4.
The treasure chamber wasn’t a mountain of gold but rather an armory.
High-grade weapons and equipment lined the walls, at least five in total.
"Wow..."
Even Seong couldn’t help but gape in awe.
How could anyone remain indifferent in the face of such treasures?
As he admired the collection, countless messages appeared.
Every item was at least Epic grade, with some reaching Unique grade.
Unfortunately, all of them were meant for melee classes, leaving Seong with nothing usable.
Even so, they would fetch a fortune at auction, allowing him to buy items better suited to his needs.
But the rewards didn’t stop there.
[For being the first in Eternal World to infiltrate a raid boss’s treasure chamber, you have received the title 『Tomb Raider』.]
Although tempted to check the title immediately, Seong held back.
He had already cleared the treasure chamber, claiming all its rewards before dealing with the raid boss.
The chamber was indeed worthy of Kahku’s greed.
But Seong’s curiosity lingered.
“What happens if you defeat the raid boss after emptying the treasure chamber?”
Normally, raid boss rewards were themed to match their setting. For example, the royal guardian golem’s treasure chamber was filled with melee weapons and gear befitting its role.
Similarly, defeating Anemore had yielded wind-themed rewards.
But what if the treasure chamber is already emptied?
Seong smirked, eager to find out.
The secret passage he had discovered was part of his plan all along.
The treasure chamber, normally accessible only after defeating the ancient royal guardian golem, was now behind the golem.
“So, the guardian’s back is facing me right now.”
With that thought, Seong opened the treasure chamber’s door.
The enormous golem turned, its massive frame visibly startled.
"H-how did you get there?! I-intruder?!"
Even golems could express shock, it seemed.
But Seong didn’t give it a chance to recover.
He immediately activated his strongest skill.
Summoning spectral Giant Killer Bees from the Netherworld, he unleashed the Ring of Wind’s effects.
A powerful gust swept through the chamber, pushing the golem off balance.
Normally, a being of its size wouldn’t budge, but the amplified knockback sent it staggering.
As the golem struggled to regain its stance, the treasure chamber door slammed shut behind it.
The bees, coated in a green mist, began to crackle and ignite.
BOOM!
The explosion was a symphony of Corpse Explosion and Toxic Detonation, engulfing the golem in a fiery inferno.
The ancient guardian, overwhelmed by the onslaught, emitted a distorted roar as it crumbled under the relentless assault.