Chapter 128: 24th Floor. The Poisoned City (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: 24th Floor. The Poisoned City (1)
[User: Hehe.]
[User: Ehehehe.]
[User: Haaah.]
[User: Heh.]
[Oliver Kang (29th Floor): Ah... I guess they cleared the 24th Floor. Good work. I look forward to the day you return.]
[Choi Min-seok (27th Floor): It’ll probably take some time, won’t it? Someone I know still hasn't regained their senses even after two months.]
* * *
[Pixie's Faint Miracle]
Rank: Mid-Rank
Proficiency: F
Cooldown: 5 minutes
[A pixie’s prayer brings a minor miracle into the world.]
[Cost: 2,000 Starlight]
"This."
Kang Jun-hyeok pointed at the skill.
"What exactly does it mean by a 'miracle'?"
[Oh, that skill? It’s simple.]
Pixie lightly raised a finger.
[I want an apple.]
It was a prayer born of a simple desire.
No sooner had she finished speaking than an apple materialized out of thin air and fell into her hand.
Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened.
"The realization of a prayer?"
[Exactly.]
She munched on the apple. It was an ordinary-sized fruit, but since she was so small, the sight of her hugging it with both hands while eating was quite cute.
[Fairies are a race born of illusions. Since ancient times, many people have wished to meet a fairy. That accumulated belief and desire turned us into beings that bring luck and miracles. Though, it’s really more of a feeling than anything else.]
A typical fairy couldn't control that luck. At best, they were just slightly luckier than the average person.
[But who am I? I’m Pixie, you know?]
She was a special fairy who traveled the world and collected all things in existence. Her power and status were enough to twist the laws of the world.
[I can materialize that luck and those miracles—at least partially.]
If she wanted an apple, an apple fell.
If she wanted water, a drizzle fell.
If she wanted fire, a flame flickered to life.
That was Pixie's miracle. Kang Jun-hyeok stroked his chin.
"Then what’s the limit?"
[...Well, that’s pretty much it.]
Pixie let out a small grunt. She could make an apple fall, summon a spark, or call down a light rain. She could even treat minor injuries.
But that was the extent of it. She couldn't summon a feast, nor could she cause a storm or a fire that consumed the world. She couldn't bring a dying person back to life. It was, quite literally, just a small miracle.
[I can only do trivial things. For ordinary people, that alone is a sufficient miracle, but it probably won't be very useful to you, right?]
It was as Pixie said. It didn't seem worth purchasing at the cost of precious Starlight.
However...
Kang Jun-hyeok quietly examined the skill.
‘A small miracle.’
And the cooldown was only five minutes.
Under the right conditions...
‘The 30th Floor.’
The floor where one must listen to tens of thousands of prayers. It could be used there.
Having finished his calculations, Kang Jun-hyeok nodded.
"Fine. I'll buy this skill next time."
[...Really? What are you thinking this time? I’m looking forward to it.]
Pixie wore an intrigued expression at the unexpected choice. Closing the shop, Kang Jun-hyeok opened his Lowest-Grade Active Skill Boxes.
[Active Skill: Ground Leveling]
Rank: Lowest-Grade
Proficiency: F
Cooldown: 1 hour
• You can make the ground flat.
[Active Skill: Plant Growth]
Rank: Lowest-Grade
Proficiency: F
Cooldown: 5 minutes
• You can make plants grow at a rapid pace.
[Active Skill: Wall Clinging]
Rank: Lowest-Grade
Proficiency: F
Cooldown: 1 hour
• You can cling to a wall for 1 minute.
Seeing the skills, Kang Jun-hyeok let out a dry laugh.
"Yeah. This is more like it."
Why didn't players buy lowest-grade skills? It was because skills like these, which were almost impossible to find a use for, were the norm. It was just pure luck that he had obtained somewhat useful ones until now.
Still, the remaining two weren't bad.
[Active Skill: Sound Amplification]
Rank: Lowest-Grade
Proficiency: F
Cooldown: 1 hour
• You can greatly amplify the sounds you make.
[Active Skill: Shining]
Rank: Lowest-Grade
Proficiency: F
Cooldown: 30 minutes
• Your body emits light for 30 minutes.
Kang Jun-hyeok tapped the floor lightly, as if knocking.
"Sound Amplification."
THUMP! THUMP!
A massive sound echoed. It sounded like someone pounding concrete at a construction site. It was loud enough that people living nearby might mistake it for heavy machinery.
Sound was one of the most primal concepts. If he could amplify the sound of a light tap to the level of a construction hammer, it could be used in various ways.
And then, Shining.
"Shining."
Kang Jun-hyeok’s body began to glow. It illuminated the surroundings brightly, as if he had become a human lamp. It was a literal light source, useful in places where vision was obscured.
"This much isn't bad."
Finally, all checks were complete.
Kang Jun-hyeok spent his remaining time practicing his Divine Power. Since it had been a while since he used this power, he needed time to adjust.
Three days later.
Kang Jun-hyeok entered the 24th Floor.
What he saw there was a small city. Of course, it wasn't an ordinary city. The entire place was completely shrouded in a thick, smoke-like fog.
[24th Floor Quest]
• Save the drug-addled city for one month.
* * *
Kang Jun-hyeok approached the city.
In a normal city, there should be guards at the gates. Naturally, this city had guards as well.
But the guards were in no fit state to do their jobs.
As if high on drugs, they were sprawled on the ground, drooling. They didn't react at all even as Kang Jun-hyeok walked right past them.
Creeeeak.
He pushed open the gate and stepped inside. Along with an eerie silence, the fog rushed toward him.
Immediately, he felt the pungent aura of narcotics.
This wasn't just fog. The drugs had been dispersed into the air, floating through the city in the form of a mist.
The toxins entered the body through the nose, beginning to melt the lungs and paralyze the brain. They broke down human receptors and induced a state of forced euphoria.
Players were no exception. Most players would get high the moment they entered the city and end up sprawled on the ground like the guards. Many suffered from severe withdrawal and aftereffects even after returning to Earth because they had been addicted to the mist for a full month.
However, Kang Jun-hyeok had the Mental Immunity skill.
As long as he had that skill, which had reached Proficiency B, he wouldn't be affected by mere drugs.
[The proficiency of Poison Resistance has increased.]
• The proficiency of Poison Resistance has increased.
• The proficiency of Poison Resistance...
Of course, as the addictive toxins accumulated in his body, the proficiency of his Poison Resistance skill continued to climb. Kang Jun-hyeok whistled as he strolled through the city.
The goal of the quest was to save this drug-addled city. To do that, what must be done?
Kang Jun-hyeok looked at the tall building in the very center of the city. The Mayor was there.
First, he had to meet the Mayor.
Kang Jun-hyeok moved his feet. Since everyone was high and incapacitated, he was able to enter the Mayor's office without any interference. There, a middle-aged man was staring blankly into space, lost in a drug-induced stupor.
"Mr. Mayor?"
"...Eh, ueh."
The Mayor didn't even realize Kang Jun-hyeok was there. He tried taking him outside the city, but nothing changed.
Waking up the drug-addled Mayor—that was the start of the quest.
The problem was that most players were blocked from the very beginning. It usually took two or three weeks just for the Mayor to regain his senses naturally, so most players couldn't progress any further. It was the first "wall" of the 24th Floor.
That was why Kang Jun-hyeok raised a finger.
Hummm.
A golden light flickered. Divine Power materialized.
One of the core effects of Divine Power was the purification of all pollution and filth.
The light enveloped the Mayor, purging the drug addiction from his system. The Mayor's hazy eyes gradually regained their focus.
"...Uh, huh?"
"Are you awake now?"
"W-who are you?"
"I am a traveler," Kang Jun-hyeok said calmly. "I visited the city during my travels and found everyone out of their minds. What happened?"
"...It’s because of the criminals," the Mayor explained, biting his lip.
Criminals lived in the city's underground. They had conducted drug experiments in an attempt to overthrow the city. Fortunately, the authorities had found out in advance and sent soldiers to stop them, but the cornered criminals had opened the storage tanks.
The result was this mess. The drugs had consumed the city and addicted everyone.
"Ah. What on earth is happening..."
"I will help you."
"T-thank you!"
The Mayor nodded readily. Thanks to the power of the Persuasion skill, there was no need for useless conversation.
"First, we must go underground and close the tanks. But the path to the underground is quite complex. I wish I could guide you, but since it’s filled with drugs, I don't know if it’s possible..."
This was the second wall of the 24th Floor.
"You don't need to worry about that."
Kang Jun-hyeok lightly raised a finger. A golden light rose and enveloped the Mayor. The Mayor's eyes widened.
"I have shielded your body with Divine Power. You will be fine while we head underground."
"Y-you were a priest serving a god! May I ask which one?"
"I'm sorry, but I cannot mention that."
"Ah. I understand! Glory to the Great God!"
The Mayor made a fuss as they moved through the city. As he headed toward the underground entrance, he kept glancing at Kang Jun-hyeok.
"Um... Priest."
"You can call me Kang Jun-hyeok."
"Are you alright, Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok?"
Unlike him, Kang Jun-hyeok was not protected by Divine Power. He was exposed to the drugs with his bare body.
Kang Jun-hyeok replied flatly.
"It’s no problem."
"I-I see."
The Mayor nodded quickly. Following the Mayor's guidance, they descended into the depths.
Entering through a hidden passage, they found numerous people collapsed on the floor. In the center of the room, a massive tank was constantly spewing gray smoke.
[The proficiency of Poison Resistance has increased from F to E.]
• The proficiency of Poison Resistance has increased significantly.
Just facing the tank caused his proficiency to skyrocket. That was how potent the aura was.
"M-my goodness!"
The Mayor rushed toward the tank in a panic.
"We have to close it! We have to close it! But how do we do this..."
The smoke-spewing tank was connected to incredibly complex devices. It was impossible to tell what to touch or manipulate to shut it down.
Ignoring the panicked Mayor, Kang Jun-hyeok stared at the machinery.
It was a complex system—at a level incomparable to Earth's fighter jets or tanks. Unless one read the technical manuals nearby, the solution was unknowable.
This was the third wall of the 24th Floor.
That was why Kang Jun-hyeok [Observed] the devices one by one.
The intricately tangled mechanisms that required expert knowledge... the process, the operating principles, the reasons they functioned... and even the answer.
All of it flowed into Kang Jun-hyeok’s mind.
Kang Jun-hyeok moved. Leaving the Mayor behind, he approached the console and began to tinker with the controls. The Mayor was startled.
"Mr. Kang Jun-hyeok! You shouldn't touch them recklessly if you don't know what you're doing! If something goes wrong, the tank might even explode—"
Whirrrr...
With a mechanical hum, the device ground to a halt.
Kang Jun-hyeok lightly dusted off his hands.
"It’s done."
"...Huh?"
The Mayor could only blink in stunned silence.