Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 011
Chapter Title: Red Portal (2)
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Regin's magic began pouring mercilessly toward the Dark Goblins.
Manan let out a hollow laugh as he watched the Dark Goblins get swept away.
“……Ha. So you’ve been working me to the bone all this time when we could’ve caught them this easily?”
“You held back on using my scrolls for a moment just like this.”
Work to the bone?
It was just efficient role division.
Regin smirked and finished off the approaching Dark Goblins.
Over a dozen were charging in, but their numbers meant nothing as they were all swept away by magic, turning into corpses.
“This is…… what scrolls are. No, a spell crafter. Insane, for real.”
Every class had its strengths and weaknesses, but there was no better job for mob hunting.
Due to DAT’s nature, mob hunting was tough even on lower floors until your specs were decent.
‘The only class that can pull it off almost regardless of situation…… the one that can unleash all its prepared firepower at once.’
Regin smiled as he gazed at the pile of Dark Goblin corpses.
Hack and slash.
The thrill of sweeping through monsters clean.
That was what hooked him into playing spell crafter for the past two years.
‘Doing it for real hits different.’
The way to survive in this DAT.
Maximize the strengths of the spell crafter class.
‘And eliminate its weaknesses.’
His gaze naturally drifted to his wrist.
Infinite Inventory.
……The cheat item that covered every weakness of a spell crafter.
‘Unlike DAT, farm every material drop without waste…… and make even more scrolls.’
So he could tear through them mercilessly, just like now.
“Damn…… how many mana stones is that? Just these would cover my room for a month. The rest I’ve never seen before, but they should sell for something, right?”
“Just grab the mana stones.”
“What? Why? Isn’t that a waste? It’s Dark Goblin hide. Even just for rarity, people would buy it.”
The corpses vanished, leaving mana stones and neatly bundled hides on top.
This part was just like the game.
Corpses popping up when you least expected, NPCs talking like real people.
It threw you off sometimes, but moments like this confirmed it was built on a game foundation.
‘Tempting as hell, sure.’
But they weren’t materials useful for crafting scrolls.
Not a farming priority.
And above all, there wasn’t time to pick up every single one.
“Manan.”
“Yeah?”
“Plug your ears.”
Regin spoke as he stared at the sight ahead.
Unlike before, a forest blooming with dozens of Mandragoras came into view.
Even passing quietly would be tough.
“……Why are those bastards acting up?”
“They heard the hunting noise. They communicate among themselves too…… so they probably all know there’s an intruder now.”
“……What?”
Even from afar, you could see them writhing differently than before.
Dark Goblins were cute compared to those things.
No, Dark Goblins were set up as their servants from the start.
……Meaning those were several times trickier.
“No chance of sneaking through quietly. We break through at once. Drag it out, and we’ll lose our hearing and everything else.”
From now on, the Mandragoras would scream with all their might.
― Kieeeek!!
Just like this.
It happened in an instant.
The eerily silent forest filled with shrieks.
“A-at this rate, I can’t even cast…….”
Manan grimaced, clamping his ears shut.
“Just block your ears good.”
Regin grinned at Manan despite the noise.
Told you, didn’t I?
Efficient clearing meant strict role division.
“From here on, I’ll carve the path.”
Now it was Regin’s turn.
No casting time needed.
Didn’t even matter if noise dulled his focus a bit.
“Sweep fast and push through. Run!”
Pababak!!
Regin and Manan broke into a full sprint.
At the same time, Regin’s hands tore through scrolls nonstop.
‘Noise pollution……’
Was the downside.
Attacks poured from the scrolls toward the forest’s Mandragoras.
Over a dozen Mandragoras fell like leaves in the wind.
Not leaving a single one behind. Regin kept his hands moving like a judge handing out eviction notices.
* * *
How long had they run?
The forest’s center.
Ahead, an empty space amid the trees came into view.
And in its midst, right before their eyes as they ran, yawned a wide hole leading underground.
“There. That’s where we need to go!”
“……Aren’t there too many Mandragoras on the way?!”
“Blast through!”
Manan had adapted to the noise somehow and was casting spells alongside him as they ran.
Thanks to that, their breakthrough speed surged.
……The problem was, the farther they pushed forward, the more Mandragoras appeared.
“Just drop into that pit below! I told you no Mandragoras live inside!”
One solution.
Dive into that visible pit.
Regin and Manan now had to sprint desperately to reach it.
“……Hoo. Let’s go! Damn it. Any more of this screaming and I’ll lose my mind!”
Manan wanted out of this Mandragora field even if it meant burning all his mana and collapsing.
The deafening roars tormented them relentlessly.
“Phew! Those bastards won’t leave us alone either?”
Krurrrruk―!
Kieeeek―!
Mandragoras were bad enough. Now Dark Goblins who spotted them came charging from all sides.
The structure closed in with more monsters the deeper you went toward the center.
“Don’t stop running!”
One.
Two.
Regin’s hands never stopped, moving with lightning speed.
The monsters’ numbers dwindled fast.
Low-level trash that folded to basic scrolls.
Plus, as a caster who could spam AoE from the start, they were prime EXP fodder for Regin.
“Next!”
Regin cleared the surroundings at breakneck speed.
Frankly, past calm now—he was getting a little hyped.
A good game needed to feel easy, have killer effects, and solid impact.
Regin’s performance right now nailed all three.
That’s what he sank two years into!
‘No clogging up here or spell crafter’s pointless!’
The rush of foes crumpling to a single scroll!
That was the most addictive reason Regin couldn’t quit researching spell crafting.
“Manan! Fire!”
“Huh?”
“Focus on fire magic!”
On top of that, Regin knew every stage and monster strat.
He unleashed fire scroll barrages, thinking of the optimal play.
‘Mandragoras are one organism connected by roots.’
They seemed solitary, but they were linked together.
The fruits had individual minds, but roots formed their community.
‘If played right……’
Fire could spread further.
Regin targeted roots obsessively.
The relentless aim paid off.
Fwoosh!!
Like a fuse lit, flames raced along roots, incinerating Mandragoras.
Dark Goblins rushing to help turned into fireballs too.
Kieeeek!
Krueeeek!!
Mandragoras and Dark Goblins wailed in agony.
The pitch shot even higher.
High enough to make pro singers back off, bursting from their mouths.
“Ugh…….”
Of course, the louder and shriller their screams, the more fatigued Regin and Manan grew.
Even Regin got irritated from prolonged exposure.
Same for Manan.
‘Can’t delay any longer.’
“This way!”
“Huh?!”
“This way’s faster!”
Manan got the message from gestures.
Push forward quick.
They gritted through the stress, ramping up hunt speed.
Meanwhile, Mandragoras dove into dirt to douse flames or severed linked roots.
Some panicked, crashing into each other in chaos.
A literal hellscape.
Like damned souls thrashing in fire.
The crimson sky made demons feel right at home.
Amid that pandemonium.
“……Here!”
……Regin and Manan reached the hole surrounded by Dark Goblins.
The passage to the Rafflesia chamber.
Krurrrruk!!
Karak! Kararak!
Unknown Dark Goblins swarmed from behind.
Manan’s HP had dwindled from accumulating scratches.
At this rate, both were in danger.
Normally, you’d regroup fully before entering.
“Jump.”
“Huh? Can’t hear shit!”
“I said jump?”
“You said fall?”
“What?”
“What?”
Beee―
Their ears were shot, mangling communication.
“Sorry.”
“Huh? Urk!!!”
Regin gave up talking.
Kicked Manan’s ass into the hole.
Then hurled himself after.
Toward the pit at the forest’s heart, free of Mandragoras.
* * *
Splosh!
“Gah!”
“Cough!”
They tumbled down a slide-like tunnel.
……How far?
About two minutes of rolling, it felt. After a long drop, they hit bottom.
Impact wasn’t bad.
A bed of woven vines cushioned Regin and Manan.
“Huff…… huff…… Almost went to see Grandpa! Hey, why kick me with your foot outta nowhere?”
“Whew, if not, we’d be shredded by Dark Goblins by now. Don’t wanna get skinned alive, do ya?”
“What? You wanna skin me?”
“What’d you say?”
“Argh, can’t make out a word. Mandragora screams still echoing.”
Beee―!
Tinnitus rang in Regin and Manan’s ears.
Regin had hit a club once—nothing on this.
Construction site……? That felt about right.
‘No, double it for accuracy.’
Like jumping from a club party at a construction site to dead silence.
They panted roughly, waiting for the ringing to fade.
“Here.”
Whoosh.
Catching his breath a bit, Manan handed over a red glass vial and a blue one from his bag.
HP-restoring Red Potion and MP-restoring Blue Potion.
“Let’s down these together. Head’s all fuzzy.”
“Thanks.”
Gulp.
A sip, and sharp pain washed over his body.
“Guh…….”
……Like pouring strong disinfectant inside!
Hot sensation swept through scrapes and wounds.
“Feels better after drinking though……!”
“……Guh. Yeah. Better than going deaf.”
Not sure if it worked on tinnitus or just placebo.
But sounds normalized around them.
“……Ah, living again. So where are we?”
“Rafflesia’s underground lair.”
“……Haha! Right. Came all this way for that Rafflesia.”
“We’re almost there.”
Regin wiped potion from his lips with his hand, stood, and helped Manan up.
A path led deeper in.
“Follow this?”
Roots lined the path thickly toward one spot, glowing faintly.
Like guiding lights.
Step. Step. Step.
They followed the roots inward.
“So noisy up top…….”
“Dead quiet here.”
Honestly, suffocatingly still.
Only footsteps and breaths echoed.
“Crazy…….”
“That’s…….”
They froze.
Regin and Manan halted, faces struck with awe.
Not sure if it fit after a life-or-death fight, but.
“Why’s it so beautiful…….”
“Yeah.”
A stunning sight.
Soft green and blue lights blended into a dreamlike haze.
There, amid diverse flowers, a massive plant stood majestic and proud.
Regin knew what it was. Manan, seeing it first, sensed its nature instinctively.
“Rafflesia…….”
“Yeah. That’s the flower we came for.”
The giant bloom, Rafflesia.
It pulsed like it breathed.
“……That’s the heart of this forest.”