Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: The Arena and the Treasury
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The basic mission for the 73rd floor was to hunt Battle Chimera Hounds.
The additional, optional missions were to deal with the Royal Guards, the Knight Commander, and even the King.
But the high-difficulty and ultra-high-difficulty optional missions even came with a clue: "conditional conquest."
What kind of condition could it be?
I'd find out when I got there.
"Gobang."
"I hear you, Summoner."
"Do you know a person named Jornte?"
"I know him."
"...Who is he?"
"He was a comrade of mine in the past."
I thought so.
One of the guys who gave Gobang his trauma.
Would he be okay?
"If he's someone you know and it makes you uncomfortable..."
"It's not uncomfortable. I want to meet him quickly and break his back."
He's fine, then.
Let's handle the basic mission first.
Battle Chimera Hounds.
He didn't even need to go looking for them.
"Sniff, sniff, grrr..."
"Woof! Woof!"
"Grrrk!"
The hounds appeared, sniffing the air.
Their bodies were as large as Siberian tigers.
Crimson red eyes.
Drool dripping down.
Steel-modified, gleaming metal jaws with teeth as sharp as blades.
Their claws were the same.
It was as if sharp, pointed daggers had been embedded in place of claws.
If bitten or slashed, chunks of flesh would be torn off.
Their torsos also revealed lumpy, bulging muscles, as if they'd been injected with steroids.
But the hounds didn't charge recklessly.
They sniffed with their noses, advancing and retreating repeatedly, approaching with an extremely cautious posture.
'They're a bit different.'
The chimera packs on the 72nd floor had nothing but an instinct to attack.
They just charged and rushed in headlong.
"They are completed chimeras."
"...Completed?"
"When synthesizing a chimera, the most important core is intelligence. High intelligence is necessary for autonomous situational judgment."
As expected, our Gobang is a chimera expert.
"No matter how strong they are, if they're stupid, they're useless. Like I was in the past."
"..."
There was a somewhat bitter tone.
"When enhancing intelligence, an essential material is a soul. Usually, human souls are used the most. Because they are clever."
That meant those chimera hounds were also synthesized using human souls.
A heinous act.
Who could have made them like that?
Of course, it would be the necromancers like Kate and Norma, and the King of the Norton Kingdom who gave the orders.
"Still, a dog is a dog."
"That's true."
Kosak pointed at Hyeolrang, who was carrying Razix on his back, and continued.
"A dog should be dealt with by a dog. It's time for Hyeolrang to earn his keep."
"Isn't Hyeolrang our servant mount?"
"Worker Razix, you've gotten fat. You need some exercise. Just look at that flabby belly."
"...Ho, hoe?"
Razix seemed shocked by the merciless body evaluation.
'Hmm.'
Actually, Joo-hyuk agreed.
Razix had indeed gained weight.
He might roll well being so round, but what if he gets an adult disease?
'Should I get a large hamster wheel at home so he can exercise?'
Also, Hyeolrang couldn't just be a mount.
Having him participate in the conquest was a good idea too.
He was Level 71, but still only Stage 1.
A summon's level is linked to the player's, but substantial ability increases are achieved through stage evolution.
Since Hyeolrang hasn't been in a proper battle yet, he's still stuck at Stage 1.
"Alright. Let's deploy him."
"Hoooe..."
The moment Razix got down from Hyeolrang...
"Earn your keep!"
Kosak kicked Hyeolrang's butt towards the Battle Chimera Hounds.
"Gyaaak!"
Wait, if you kick him like that...
"He needs to be raised tough."
The kicked Hyeolrang fell into the pack of hounds.
"Kekekek!"
"Grrrl!"
"Kyak!"
"Kyaaak!"
The Battle Chimera Hounds bared their steel teeth and charged as if they'd been waiting.
"Gyagyaak!"
Hyeolrang was under concentrated attack.
He was still just Stage 1.
On top of that, he was outnumbered.
His neck was bitten, his legs were bitten, his butt was bitten...
Finally, Hyeolrang, covered in blood, tucked his tail and tried to run away.
"Uh..."
"Why is he so weak?"
Right. He's no match.
Thud! Razix slumped to the ground and wailed in a pitiful voice.
"Hoooooe..."
It seemed he had grown quite attached.
Joo-hyuk hurriedly shouted.
"Let's finish the conquest quickly."
Thump thump thump thump!
Gobang rushed forward.
Bardin, who had climbed onto his shoulder, was ready to be swung naturally.
"Light!!!"
Instantly! One of the chimera hounds attacking Hyeolrang leaped towards Gobang's head.
"Kung!"
At the same time, another hound charged at Gobang's ankles.
"Grrrk!"
Was that all?
Another hound aimed for his flank.
A well-coordinated joint attack.
Crunch!
A chimera hound bit and clung to Gobang's forearm.
The steel teeth sank into his skin, fresh blood flowing.
But it was no use.
It would regenerate soon anyway.
Crunch-crunch-crunch!
Instead, the biter's teeth shattered.
"Light!!!"
Gobang grabbed Bardin and swung him.
Wham! Whack! Thud thud!
Simultaneous attacks from the torso and the flail.
Slash! Slash-slash-slash!
Followed by Veronica's concentrated fire.
Rat-a-tat-tat!
Kosak also hurriedly ran over and rescued Hyeolrang, who was on the verge of death.
"Kiiiiing."
Roll-roll-roll. Razix ran over, saw Hyeolrang's miserable state, and sobbed.
"Hoooeeng..."
He might die at this rate.
Before he died...
"Summon Release: Hyeolrang."
Poof! Did he survive?
Checking the status catalog, he wasn't in an unsummonable state.
I saved him before he died.
"Phew."
That's a relief, at least.
"S-sorry, Worker Razix."
"Hoek!"
"I won't do it again..."
"Hoeek!"
"No, what did I do wrong..."
"Hoeng!"
Tsk tsk.
I thought he hadn't been causing trouble lately.
You should join up with the other summons and fight together, not just kick him out there!
Anyway, Hyeolrang's vacant spot...
"Designated Summon: Mad Demon."
Whoosh! Filled with Mad Demon-nim.
"Summoner."
"Welcome."
"You called me sooner than I thought."
"I figured we had enough time... Please come with me."
"Hohoho, this old man is honored."
Already feeling reassured.
Royal Guards? Knight Commander? The King?
They're as good as dead.
This is someone who wipes out entire nations.
'Sending Hyeolrang away and getting Mad Demon is a great trade.'
Still, it wouldn't be easy.
Those things bit Gobang's tough forearm and even wounded him.
Plus, they used coordinated attacks. For ordinary players, even the basic mission of the 73rd floor seemed difficult.
'Of course, except for us.'
+ All Stats Increased
🎁 Reward: Magic Stone 1.3kg / High-Grade Magic Stone 6kg
The basic mission was just a light warm-up.
Now for the real optional mission.
Of course, continue.
But then?
"Hey, Bong Summoner-nim."
Kosak, who seemed to have had some kind of argument with Razix, quietly approached and whispered.
"What is it?"
"Worker Razix keeps asking me to go somewhere with him..."
Where?
Don't tell me...
"You're not planning to beat up our worker somewhere no one can see, are you? I saw you two fighting just a moment ago."
Kosak was startled.
"Eeek? Why would I hit our worker? I'm not. Absolutely not."
I couldn't quite believe him.
Let's check with Razix directly.
"Do you really have business with him?"
"Hoe."
"Really?"
"Hoeng!"
Did he smell an item or something?
Then I should send him off.
"Take good care of our worker. If even a single hair is harmed..."
"Ayoo! I'd rather bash my own head in and die than let anything happen to our illustrious worker."
Well then.
As Joo-hyuk nodded, Kosak and Razix disappeared somewhere.
It's fine if they're gone.
Mad Demon-nim was here.
"Proceed."
The time had come.
Joo-hyuk opened his inventory and took out a Potion of Courage.
A potion that maintained a strong spirit and prevents being swayed by external influences for 10 minutes.
Gulp.
Doping complete.
'Is it working?'
He felt like he had more courage.
Right then!
Clank, clank, clatter, clatter!
Bang! Bang! Bang...
The prison cell iron doors opened one by one.
Knights clad in heavy armor, wielding swords and shields, emerged from inside.
Norton Kingdom Royal Guards
'...Huh?'
But the knights' appearances were strange.
Their faces and body types were all identical.
A right arm as large as their own torso, lower bodies resembling horse legs, a giant single eye taking up half their face.
They weren't undead.
It seemed as if they had modified their own bodies, or had them modified.
"They are human chimeras."
"..."
"A troll's arm was transplanted. The eyeball is from a cyclops, the lower body from a warhorse."
They modified their own bodies?
Why?
"Isn't it to gain power? If one enters the path of heresy without proper training, a price must be paid."
Horrifying.
Can you even call them people?
Their eyes looked hollow too.
"Excuse me?"
No answer.
Just, shhh, shhh,
They drew their swords with their monstrous right arms and pointed them forward.
Whoosh!
Sword aura enveloped their blades.
At the very least, they knew how to handle aura.
'The optional missions' difficulty has increased too.'
Fifteen knights using sword aura.
And they were moving in an organized manner.
No orders were needed.
The summons and the chimera royal guards clashed as they were.
Crash! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Joo-hyuk gripped his Thunderstorm Cudgel.
I should jump into the conquest.
What does "conquest" mean?
I have to kill the knights.
But, he hesitated!
His body wouldn't move.
They were human.
Even if they were just souls that died once in the past, if they hadactual flesh and blood bodies now, then they were human.
Even after drinking the Potion of Courage, it was still like this.
Even armed with a strong spirit, it had no effect.
In a way, it's natural.
They were never related in the first place.
Courage and killing.
If you're good at killing people, does that mean you have courage? If you can't kill people, are you a coward?
"That's right. It has nothing to do with courage."
The Mad Demon, who had approached without notice, spoke quietly.
He must have seen me drink the potion.
"Courage is needed to uphold one's convictions, not yield to power, and possess an unyielding will. On the other hand, killing..."
Mad Demon pointed a finger at a royal guard.
"...just requires experience. Once you go through a single rite of passage,"
Tzup!
A mass of ki flew from his finger and pierced the royal guard's eye in an instant.
"...the next kill becomes very easy. Like swatting a mosquito buzzing on a summer night with your palm."
The royal guard with his single eye pierced collapsed.
Thud!
"Summoner."
The Mad Demon patted Joo-hyuk's shoulder.
"...Yes."
A warm energy flowed into Joo-hyuk.
"Do not rush. You don't have to force yourself to be stained. Is a person who cannot kill someone a weak person? On the contrary, the opposite case might be even stronger."
That's true.
But it's already too late.
I've already set foot on this path.
Is only direct killing considered killing?
Indirect killing was also killing.
Making the summons do the dirty work while he acted high and mighty from the back was shameless.
A rite of passage?
That's nothing.
'It's not like I can't do it either.'
Joo-hyuk drew up his mana.
And he tried to rush forward, but...
'...Tsk.'
The optional mission was over too.
I hesitated and missed my chance.
'Next time, for sure.'
Anyway, the ticket drops well.
How many was that already?
Then!
Ding!
The reward is 10x?
But there's a condition attached.
I'll find out when I try.
"Proceed!"
Right at that moment!
Screeeak!
A single point of light entered from the ceiling.
What's that?
Screeeeeeak...
It's opening.
The ceiling was opening.
Like a nightclub dome roof.
Conditional Conquest Established!
You have entered the Palace Colosseum.
Mid-conquest withdrawal is impossible.
Ultra-High-Difficulty Optional Mission will also proceed automatically.
Mid-conquest withdrawal is impossible.
'Wow!'
It was a trap.
I thought it was a prison, but it was actually the underground of a colosseum.
The ceiling opened completely.
Beyond it, spectator seats were visible.
Judging by their attire, most seemed to be nobles or wealthy merchants.
And at the very top, an old king with a brilliant crown on his head, resting his chin on his hand with a bored expression.
The King stood up.
With a vile smile, he raised his thumb.
The direction of his thumb was turned from sky to ground.
"Kill them all!"
A roar erupted.
"Wooooooah!!!"
The frenzied spectators.
"Kill them!"
"Tear the intruders to shreds!"
"Fresh blood!"
Simultaneously.
Thump!
A giant wielding a large axe dropped from above into the arena.
Palace Royal Knight Commander Jornte
Clomp clomp.
A knight in iron armor, his size was comparable to Gobang's enlarged form.
He wasn't alone.
Grrrrrl, over thirty more hounds and...
Over twenty more knights also entered the arena.
"This is amusing."
The Mad Demon smiled brightly.
Meanwhile.
Roll-roll-roll-roll, Razix rolled quickly down a dark passage.
Poof! Rat-a-tat-tat!
Kosak closely chasing behind him.
"Worker Razix, please go slowly."
"Hoe! Hoooooe!"
"Aha, you say if we're late we can't take it all?...What?"
"Hoooooe!"
"Ah, understood. I'll follow quietly."
Still, Kosak was pleased.
Seeing Razix exercise so diligently.
Following Razix, he entered the palace.
Passing through maze-like corridors, subduing any soldiers they encountered on the way.
Suddenly! Razix stopped abruptly.
"Hoooe!"
He tapped the floor with his short feet.
"Hmm."
Kosak examined the floor intently.
"There's a mechanism. It's a secret passage. Does it smell of items?"
Razix also nodded.
"Ayoo, our worker, so this is why you brought me. Is this Kosak not an expert in disarming mechanisms?"
Kosak grinned and pulled out his twin daggers from his pocket.
Then he pressed his ear tightly against the floor.
"Let's see, break here,"
Stab! The dagger pierced into the stone slab.
"Slice here."
Swish,
"Slice there,"
Swish,
"Break these two spots too, then..."
Whoosh! The floor opened.
A pitch-black hole came into view.
A sloped passage like a slide.
"Hoe!"
"Don't mention it!"
Roll-roll-roll-roll, Razix and Kosak rolled down the opened passage.
They went down for quite a while.
And then stopped again, this time tapping the wall knock knock.
"Does it smell from here?...Disarm the mechanism?"
Nod nod.
Stab stab! Swish, swish!
Another door opened.
This time, it looked a bit different.
Not a narrow corridor, but a fairly wide underground passage.
Ahead, a huge iron door guarded by four sentry soldiers.
"Shall we deal with them?"
Nod nod.
Poof!
Kosak appeared behind the soldiers in an instant.
Thud thud thud thud!
One hit each to the back of their heads, and the soldiers collapsed on the spot.
"I didn't kill them like before. The soldiers aren't guilty, after all. Believe it or not, this Kosak knows when to kill and when not to kill."
"Hoe."
Razix tapped the iron door tap tap.
Meaning, stop talking and just open the door.
"Is this Kosak not a master lockpick? There's a locking spell too, but this is child's play."
Tap tap! Clickety-clack!
After fiddling with the entire iron door a few times,
Clunk.
The sound of a lock disengaging, accompanied by...
Creeak,
The iron door opened.
Kosak and Razix went inside.
"Hoooooe..."
Razix had an ecstatic expression.
"Eeek?"
Kosak was startled.
No wonder.
The entire room shone resplendently.
The Norton Kingdom underground treasure vault.
It was over twice as large as the necromancer dungeon's treasure vault.