Chapter 173: 38th Floor. Fairy Village (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 173: 38th Floor. Fairy Village (1)
[Subject: Save the fairies of the 38th floor. Sounds nice on paper. Almost like a fairy tale.]
[But has any player actually pulled this off? I once had a spear thrust between my toes. It was cute since it looked like a toothpick, but it still hurt.]
[Abichanoko (44th Floor): Should I even call them people? The Fairy race succeeded in entering the village, but everyone keeps their mouths shut about the quest details. It’s a curious floor in many ways.]
* * *
An Imugi was, in the end, nothing more than a monster that had failed to become a dragon.
Since its only abilities were scattering weak curses and poison, it was no match for Kang Jun-hyeok.
Ultimately, the biggest obstacle was the deep-rooted faith built over hundreds of years and dozens of generations. It wasn't something that could be torn down overnight.
And so, he slowly seeped into their lives. He played the part of a constellation and helped them. Borrowing the name of a god, he aided the people with minor miracles.
It was a display of selfless grace.
The Imugi had likely reigned over them as a god by handing out punishments. Slowly, the hearts of the people began to lean toward Kang Jun-hyeok.
The Imugi didn't just sit idly by, either. It released miasma and curses to attack the villagers who were attempting to betray it in favor of Kang Jun-hyeok.
And Kang Jun-hyeok had been waiting for exactly that.
“Behold. The being you believe to be a god so easily harms its own followers. That is no god. It is a demon ruling over you through fear.”
[Glory of the Lost God.]
Light illuminated the world.
It brought purification and peace to his allies.
And to his enemy, it brought a terrifying heat.
The curse sweeping over the village was erased in an instant. Furthermore, the villagers were cured of all their minor ailments.
“That is no god. It is a demon,” Kang Jun-hyeok declared firmly. The power infused in his voice resonated with the villagers.
It took only one week.
That was all the time needed for the people to abandon centuries of faith and harbor hostility instead.
“I shall go and deal with that demon!”
“We will be waiting, Kang Jun-hyeok!”
“Oh! Our new god!”
Kang Jun-hyeok ascended the mountain. There, the Imugi waited, its eyes full of raw malice. It thrashed its body violently, trying to bite him.
“Sorry.”
Kang Jun-hyeok stepped forward, closing the distance to the Imugi’s flank. He raised his fist and pressed it against its belly.
“So, goodbye.”
[High-Output Gauntlet from Somewhere.]
The power contained in his fist exploded. The Imugi’s body shook violently. It was sent flying, snapping dozens of trees before slamming into a boulder. The rock shattered, unable to withstand the force.
Rumble...
With a vibration that shook the mountain, the Imugi went limp.
With a single blow, the Imugi was dead.
Kang Jun-hyeok returned to the village and announced that he had dealt with the beast. The villagers welcomed him with open arms.
“Hooray! The demon is dead!”
“Praise Kang Jun-hyeok!”
[Proficiency in Glory of the Lost God has increased.]
[Proficiency in Acting has increased.]
[Proficiency in Persuasion has increased from C to B.]
[Divine Power +1]
[37th 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.]
[5,123 Gold has been granted.]
[You have obtained the Perfect Clear reward: Imugi's Inner Core.]
[Players who have Perfect Cleared the 37th Floor: 5.]
[Universe Announcement.]
[Please congratulate them! Everyone in the universe! A Perfect Player of the 37th floor has appeared.]
[Feat +2]
He wasn't the only one to achieve a Perfect Clear. There were five in total.
The difficulty of the floor itself wasn't that high. If it was just the strength of an Imugi, top-tier players could manage to defeat it.
The only real problem was the villagers' faith, but for exceptional believers like the Saintess, that wasn't a particularly difficult condition to overcome.
Of course, even so, it was a floor that usually took at least a month, and sometimes up to half a year.
Kang Jun-hyeok had cleared it in just one week.
That wasn't a simple miracle; it was the power of a skill.
“It’s already B-rank.”
[Passive Skill: Persuasion]
• Rank: Lowest-Grade
• Proficiency: B
• Speech and actions that make others accept your opinions. Beings of the Tower become significantly conscious of your words and actions. They will listen to whatever you say. Even if you say something absurd, it will carry credibility. Your arguments persuade them.
The power of the Persuasion skill was formidable. Reaching B-rank made it little different from a form of brainwashing.
Unless he was dealing with a mortal enemy, he could practically force someone to be persuaded. Thanks to this skill, there were quite a few cases where he had succeeded in a Perfect Clear.
“I’m really glad I got this early.”
In the process of clearing the floor, the Scripture of the Lost God was also moderately filled.
The Perfect Player title granted +1 to all stats when facing monsters.
The reward was an inner core. Without hesitation, he consumed it immediately. As heat rose in his stomach, the power moved to his Dantian.
[Internal Energy +5]
Internal Energy +5.
Kang Jun-hyeok, who momentarily felt it was a bit lacking, soon let out a chuckle.
Increasing a stat by 5 was by no means easy. Moreover, his current internal energy was in the 60s—a figure far superior to most Murim experts. He should have been surprised that it rose by as much as 5, but instead, he had thought it was "only" 5.
My senses have definitely been warped.
The rewards for a Perfect Clear were so powerful that he had come to think of a 5-point stat increase as "only." Kang Jun-hyeok stretched his body and called Pixie.
[It’s boring.]
[50 Starlight.]
Since the floor itself offered nothing new to her, the amount of Starlight was understandable. The 37th floor was generally dull. As a floor that had been Perfect Cleared before, all information about it was widely known.
However, the 38th floor was the opposite.
No one had Perfect Cleared it. Not only that, there was almost no information about the floor at all.
There was only one thing he knew: that fairies lived on that floor.
Kang Jun-hyeok looked at Pixie and spoke.
“The next one is the 38th floor.”
[Right. Has it been about two years since you entered the Tower? You’re really fast. Others haven't even made it halfway in that time. The 38th floor, huh? What was there again?]
Pixie, who was tapping her chin, suddenly made a sound as if she had remembered something. Then her expression stiffened.
[...Ah. It was that floor. Hmm.]
“Do you know something?”
[Hmm, hmm, hmm...]
Pixie had a very strange expression. It was a face that looked as if she were embarrassed, or as if she had recalled a past she didn't want to remember.
[...I can't tell you. To be precise, I don't want to tell you. You'll find out if you get a Perfect Clear. Personally, I hope you don't.]
“A shopkeeper putting a curse on a player, I see.”
[Ugh. I don't know. See you later!]
Pixie disappeared as if she didn't want to talk anymore. Kang Jun-hyeok frowned.
“What was that about?”
Is it a floor related to her, like I am? But it’s a strange reaction. It’s closer to embarrassment than unpleasantness.
“I’ll find out when I get there.”
Three days later, Kang Jun-hyeok entered the 38th floor.
It was a single, vast forest. And before him stood a small kingdom.
It was a kingdom of dollhouses, as if made in miniature. Small buildings were clustered closely together.
Suddenly, voices of caution rang out toward him.
“Human! I don't know how you got here, but go back!”
“This is the Fairy Village. No outsider dares to intrude!”
Beings the size of an adult man's forearm appeared. They had wings. They looked exactly like something out of a fairy tale.
They were the Fairies.
[38th Floor Quest.]
• Help the crumbling Fairy Village.
* * *
The 38th floor was a floor where one had to save the Fairy Village. The quest itself was very ordinary, something he had done several times before.
However, there was a big difference between those floors and the 38th. The difference was that the opponents were fairies. Kang Jun-hyeok raised both hands to show he had no ill intent.
“I am not your enemy. I came to help you...”
Zip!
An arrow of mana sharply grazed Kang Jun-hyeok’s cheek. A fairy shouted loudly.
“Leave this place at once!”
The fairies' faces were filled with deep suspicion. They seemed to have no intention of listening to Kang Jun-hyeok’s words from the start.
This is the problem.
Fairies. They were a race of fantasy. Most people living on the same planet as them had never even seen one.
That was because they were so intensely guarded against the outside world. Having been bullied for a long time due to their small and cute appearance, they had closed their hearts to other races.
The fairies allowed no one into their village. Even players were no exception. Most players had their quests end without ever entering the village.
Of course, not everyone failed. Since there were fairies among the players, some had succeeded in entering the village.
But no one ever spoke a word.
As if they had made a pact, the fairies remained silent about the 38th floor. It was a floor with absolutely no information in the truest sense. Toward the fairies who were staring at him with hostility, Kang Jun-hyeok spoke again.
“I am not your enemy.”
He persuaded them with strong will.
“I came here to help you.”
Persuasion at proficiency B was close to brainwashing. No matter how much they tried to be wary and reject him, it forced them to listen to his words and feel conflicted.
The fairies' eyes began to waver.
“You are in a difficult situation right now. I can help you. Please, open your hearts to me.”
“Ah, ugh.”
“Hmm...”
The fairies began to deliberate. Just as they were about to slowly open their mouths, having organized their thoughts, another fairy flew in from behind them.
“What’s going on?”
“Ah.”
“Chief?”
The fairy called the Village Chief frowned upon seeing Kang Jun-hyeok.
“...Why has a human come here?”
“I-I don't know.”
“He says he came to help us.”
“Help? A human helping us?”
“Yes. I intend to help you.”
He spoke with strong persuasion. However, the wariness on the Chief’s face did not easily fade. Kang Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue inwardly.
A powerhouse of the First Rank.
Naturally, Persuasion was not omnipotent. The stronger the opponent and the deeper their wariness, the less effective it was. This was especially true if they had reached a Rank.
After a moment of thought, the Chief spoke.
“I appreciate you coming to help, but this is our fairy business. Go back.”
The attitude was light, but at the same time, firm. Eventually, Kang Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue and made a decision.
I guess I have no choice.
“The reason you reject me is because I am human. But what if that weren't the case?”
“What?”
“I have a very close relationship with all of you. I will show you the proof.”
[Pixie's Wings.]
Wings unfurled from Kang Jun-hyeok’s back. The fairies were aghast.
“Wh-wha-what?!”
“Those wings!”
“How?!”
“I am no ordinary human. Is this enough for you to accept me?”
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled broadly. On the outside, he looked perfectly composed, but inside, he was secretly anxious.
How will this turn out?
Pixie was definitely strong. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the strongest fairy. But Kang Jun-hyeok didn't know her past. Perhaps to the fairies, she was a traitor or a mortal enemy. Her path to gaining such power couldn't have been smooth.
Fairy wings were like human fingerprints, with great differences between individuals. They would be able to recognize Pixie's wings immediately. But since the Chief had personally rejected him, he had no other choice.
Kang Jun-hyeok observed the fairies' faces. They were staring at him blankly. Just as he thought things were looking bad and began to quickly think of his next move—
The fairies' faces suddenly brightened.
“Oohhhhh!”
“You are that person’s agent!”
“Finally! Finally, you've come! At last! She has moved to clean up her own mistake! Wahhh! We’re saved!”
In an instant, they surrounded Kang Jun-hyeok, raising their arms and beginning to revere him.
“...Mistake?”
At the strange words, Kang Jun-hyeok muttered with a frown.