Chapter 164: 34th Floor. Treasure Hunt in the Desert
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 164: 34th Floor. Treasure Hunt in the Desert
[Title: Wow, damn.]
[I thought I was going to burn to death. No, wait. I thought I was going to freeze to death.]
* * *
Vroom—
The private jet touched down smoothly on the tarmac. As soon as the stairs lowered, a blonde woman, Olivia Turner, hurriedly disembarked.
There was no need for formalities or customs. People caught sight of her and scrambled to clear a path. Normally, she would have offered a gentle smile and a word of thanks, but she didn't have the luxury for pleasantries right now. With a brief nod of acknowledgment, she sprinted through the city.
After running for some time, she reached a small, secluded playground.
Kang Jun-hyeok was waiting for her. Upon seeing her approach, he stood up from the bench.
"You've arrived."
"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting!" Olivia panted.
As soon as she had received Jun-hyeok’s message, she had boarded her private jet and flown straight to Korea. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a small bag.
"Here is the item you requested."
"I see."
Jun-hyeok opened the pouch to check the contents. Inside, gems shimmered with a brilliant radiance. Each one was of the highest quality and substantial size. A satisfied expression crossed Jun-hyeok's face.
He had exhausted his entire supply of gems to clear the 33rd Floor. He needed to restock, but he had already tapped out most of the high-grade gems available on the Korean market.
However, the international market was a different story. He had contacted Olivia to see if she could procure some for him, and she had delivered in less than a day.
"Confirmed. Thank you."
"No, not at all. I'm the one who should be thanking you," Olivia replied, shaking her head.
Jun-hyeok turned around. "Follow me."
"Yes."
Jun-hyeok led her to a nearby mountain—or rather, what used to be a mountain. Olivia faltered as they arrived at the site.
"Is this... really a mountain?"
"It used to be. It collapsed while I was testing out various powers."
Whenever Jun-hyeok gained a new ability, he tested it here. As a result, the mountain had been completely leveled, reduced to a wasteland of ruins. Olivia swallowed hard.
"Well then, come at me."
Jun-hyeok gave a light beckoning gesture. With a serious look in her eyes, Olivia drew her rapier.
The deal between them was simple: in exchange for the gems, he would spar with her.
She had accepted the proposal instantly. To get a chance to spar with the Perfect Player for the mere price of some gems? There was no reason to refuse.
"Here I come!"
Swish!
The rapier lunged sharply toward Jun-hyeok's throat. He leaned back slightly to dodge the point and threw a counter-kick. Olivia hurriedly twisted her body to evade.
"Your movements have improved since last time."
"Thank you!"
Olivia stepped forward, thrusting toward Jun-hyeok's head. Instead of dodging, Jun-hyeok caught the blade with his bare hand. He twisted his wrist, and Olivia’s body was wrenched along with the rapier, sending her tumbling to the ground.
"Ugh!"
"Against an opponent with overwhelming strength and speed, attacking a vital point directly like that makes it easy to be countered. You need to aim for smaller openings or create a gap in their defense first. Again."
"Yes!"
Olivia grit her teeth and stood back up.
An hour later, having reached the limit of her stamina, Olivia slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.
"P-please... just a moment of rest..."
"As you wish."
Jun-hyeok’s breathing wasn't even labored. Olivia looked up at him with eyes full of awe.
"Not bad. It seems you've been training hard."
"...Even so, it's only 'not bad' compared to you." She gave a bitter smile. "What you said before... I think I finally understand. You knew from the very beginning."
Jun-hyeok had told her once: You all are weak.
He wasn't speaking based on his own standards, but by the standards of the universe. She finally realized the weight of those words. Jun-hyeok shrugged silently.
"On the Community, people are constantly talking about special abilities. But we have nothing."
The Players of Earth had no Internal Energy, no magic, and no superpowers. They were merely ordinary humans. Every time she checked the Community, she couldn't help but feel discouraged. Jun-hyeok nodded in agreement.
"We are indeed lagging far behind. But that doesn't mean we can't catch up."
"...I suppose so."
Kang Jun-hyeok. The Perfect Player of Earth. Even on a galactic scale, his strength would likely place him among the top-tier Players. Despite being a fellow human, he felt worlds away.
After staring at Jun-hyeok for a moment, she asked tentatively, "Could I... ask for some advice?"
"Hmm."
Olivia's talent was exceptional. Even in the context of the entire universe, she would be considered high-rank. However, her flaw was that she could never focus on herself; she was always looking after others, and in his past life, she had sacrificed herself for them. She was someone whose potential had been cut short far too early.
After a moment of thought, Jun-hyeok spoke. "Will you follow my advice without complaint?"
"Yes, yes! Of course!"
"Then focus on the thrust. Just that one thing."
"A thrust... you mean?"
"With your whole heart and soul, perform ten thousand thrusts a day with a perfect stance, without a single moment of distraction."
"Uh... but if I do that..."
"You won't have time for anything else," Jun-hyeok answered simply.
At that answer, Olivia had a realization. She was spreading herself too thin trying to lead.
"...Yes. I understand." Olivia nodded with a firm expression.
"Whether you follow the advice or not is your choice. Now, it seems you've rested enough. Come again."
Jun-hyeok raised his hand. Olivia stood up.
* * *
The next day.
Olivia departed with staggering, exhausted steps. The Master of All Weapons spoke up.
[You are merciful. You gave that child exactly the advice she needed.]
"If I received gems, I should at least do that much. Besides, I have a personal curiosity."
Kim Ha-young, in his past life, had died a meaningless death. But in this life, he had become a follower of Yulsir and achieved remarkable growth. He had become a completely different person.
So, what about Olivia? How would she, and others like her, change?
'Whether they succeed or fail, I have nothing to lose.'
After watching her leave, Jun-hyeok returned home. Three days after clearing the 33rd Floor, he entered the 34th.
[34th Floor Quest]
• Find all the treasures in the desert within one week.
The 34th Floor quest was incredibly simple: find treasures in a vast desert. Of course, simple didn't mean easy. The desert was nearly the size of a major metropolis.
Furthermore, the environment was harsh enough to deal constant damage to Players—hot enough to sear skin during the day and cold enough to freeze eyelids at night. Under these conditions, finding treasures within a week without any clues was a task bordering on impossible.
There wasn't just one treasure, either. Even Players who somehow managed to find five or more treasures failed to achieve a Perfect Clear.
But for Jun-hyeok, it wasn't that difficult. His defense stat was 79; the desert's extreme temperatures couldn't touch him. Finding the treasures was also a non-issue.
[Pixie's Treasure Intuition]
He possessed Pixie's skill, which revealed the locations of hidden riches. He activated the skill, and if there was no reaction, he moved to another sector and activated it again. In just three days, Jun-hyeok succeeded in finding every single treasure.
"Is it here?"
This was the location of the final treasure.
[Digging]
Scrape, scrape—
After digging more than ten meters into the sand, a chest appeared. Upon opening it, he found a pair of shoes and a lump of strange metal.
[34th Floor Quest Cleared.]
• Rewards will be determined based on your performance.
• Checking achievement rate...
• Check complete.
• Achievement Rate: 100%
• Perfect Clear. Congratulations! Additional rewards will be granted.
• The effect of the Title: Perfect Player has been added.
• 5,614 Gold has been granted.
• You have obtained the Perfect Clear reward: Desert King's Shoes.
• You have obtained the Perfect Clear reward: Scorching Cold Iron.
• Players who have Perfect Cleared the 34th Floor: 1
• You are the only one!
[Universe Announcement]
• Please offer your congratulations, citizens of the universe! A Perfect Player for the 34th Floor has appeared. This is a feat that no one has achieved until now!
[Feat +3]
Having returned to Earth in an instant, Jun-hyeok checked his rewards.
[Desert King's Shoes]
• Type: Shoes
• Rank: Mid-Rank
• Stats: Strength +3, Speed +3, Defense +15
• Description: The shoes of a king who is said to have ruled the now-abandoned desert. Though they were buried in the sand for an age, their luster has not faded.
"Not bad."
The defense value was quite high. However, the Kraken's Shoes he was currently wearing had the unique ability to cling to any surface. Considering that utility, he felt it was a waste to swap them out. Jun-hyeok smacked his lips.
'I need to find an Enchanter soon.'
[Scorching Cold Iron]
• Rank: High-Rank
• Description: Originally ordinary iron, it gained special power after being subjected to alternating extreme heat and cold deep within the desert sands for thousands of years.
A high-rank material. Jun-hyeok immediately went to see the Blacksmith. Upon receiving the Scorching Cold Iron, the man looked intrigued.
"A metal forged by the passage of ages. What do you want?"
"Please make me a pair of bracers. Use the meteor iron I gave you before as well."
The bracers he currently used were the Slime Worm Body. They had an ability that absorbed damage below a certain threshold, but as the enemies grew stronger, that ability had become largely meaningless. At this point, it was his most outdated piece of equipment.
The Blacksmith nodded. "Understood. Come back in a week."
"Thank you."
Pixie, who had received the memories of the floor, summarized it in one sentence.
[Boring.]
A floor that was simply a treasure hunt. From her perspective, it was incredibly tedious. At least, perhaps because he had used Treasure Intuition, he was able to obtain about 150 Starlight.
The added effect of the Perfect Player title was a permanent resistance to heat and cold. After finishing his checks, Jun-hyeok stretched. The 34th Floor had been easy—he had already known that.
The problem was what came next.
The 35th Floor.
It was one of the floors that boasted the most notorious difficulty. It wasn't because of a single boss, but because it was purely mechanically difficult to clear. It was extremely tricky and required almost omnipotent capabilities. It was a floor that even he, in his past life, had failed miserably.
'I have to prepare as much as possible.'
Jun-hyeok mentally organized his tasks. Three days later, he entered the 35th Floor.
The setting was a massive cavern. Moss grew along the walls, and dew dripped into a small, pristine lake. In the center sat a giant nest. And inside the nest was an egg the size of a house.
[35th Floor Quest]
• Become the Dragon's Guardian and help it grow perfectly.
The 35th Floor was, quite literally, about raising a Dragon.