Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Go, Stop (2)
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“There’s a party preparing to tackle the end of the 6th floor.”
“The 6th floor?”
Regin tilted his head and looked at Ernia.
In truth, the two of them were nothing more than rookies who hadn’t even fully explored the 5th floor yet.
Challenging the end of the 6th floor?
“There’s a huge gap in our strength. A 6th-floor party is interested in us?”
“It just so happens they don’t have a mage. Don’t you think they’d want to invite the two of you who broke through the Lycanthrope?”
Regin thought it over for a moment before nodding.
‘The end of the 6th floor is definitely a section that needs a mage. Having a skilled one would be ideal, but even at Manannan’s level, she could make a real contribution.’
With that in mind, he subtly glanced at Manannan.
Truth be told, if he were alone, Regin wouldn’t have given that party a second thought.
The 6th floor? It wasn’t somewhere he needed to go right away.
Even if he went there someday, he didn’t need a party for it.
‘But it’s different for Manannan.’
It could be an opportunity for her.
Fortunately, he could see anticipation in her eyes. She seemed pretty interested in the party mention just now.
Of course. Hadn’t she said as much back in the barracks?
Manannan wanted to stay here and keep exploring instead of heading back to the village.
‘It’ll be a chance for her to gain real combat experience.’
Hunting with just Regin was clearly different from hunting with a full party.
It might turn out to be a great opportunity for Manannan.
“Could we meet them?”
“Oh……! Of course! They actually asked to meet you first.”
Ernia nodded, as if she’d thought it was a good idea.
“I’ll make sure to pass it on tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
‘If the party members seem up to par……’
Even if he didn’t join, sending Manannan to grow with them wouldn’t be a bad idea.
“By the way, Ernia.”
“Yes?”
“Was that the only reason you came?”
Regin’s eyes sharpened as they scanned her.
“……Haha. Well, there is something I wanted to confess.”
Ernia gave a wry smile and nodded.
It was just as he’d expected.
He’d noticed how shaken she was when she saw the wound on his arm.
‘……It’s related to a side story.’
He needed to hear it.
In a game where countless NPCs came and went, there could be plenty of stories Regin hadn’t uncovered.
And Ernia was a character who appeared even in the late game.
“The truth is, I’ve seen a Lycanthrope before. A very long time ago.”
Convinced her story would help prepare for what was ahead, Regin took a sip of his beer.
* * *
“I’ve been in the tower for a full ten years now.”
“Ten years……? You don’t look that old. I had no idea.”
“Cleric order members usually start their activities in their mid-teens. That’s when they can wield divine power. It’s also when their divine power grows the most.”
“Ah.”
That put her in her mid-twenties.
“Then……”
Regin asked casually.
“You were around during the 4th-floor conquest too?”
“The 4th-floor conquest…… Not many people know that history. How did you?”
“My master was well-versed in that sort of thing, so I heard about it by chance. Only bits and pieces, though. It’s something I’ve been personally curious about.”
If there was anything DAT hadn’t revealed to him, it would be details like this.
Side stories treated as ancient history.
The history of the kingdom conquering each floor was even harder to uncover.
“If it’s not too rude, could you tell me? I won’t pry if you don’t want to.”
“I’ll tell you. The reason I wanted to confess…… it’s actually related to that.”
“Really?”
“Yes. The kingdom wants to erase it from history. But they haven’t legally banned the story from spreading either.”
Ernia closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, there was a hint of emptiness in her gaze.
“Honestly, it’s a brutal history. It was ten years ago. The kingdom had conquered up to the 10th floor by then. That’s when they learned about monsters that activate if certain conditions are met on specific floors.”
It had only been ten years since the kingdom started conquering hidden monsters.
Of course, exploration had been ongoing for a hundred years before that.
But this was the moment he realized research on hidden monsters hadn’t yielded great results.
“The kingdom’s assault teams started testing various conditions on each floor to find hidden monsters. And when the 4th-floor search began…… the tragedy started.”
The mood suddenly grew heavy.
Even Manannan, who’d been stuffing food into his mouth, stopped moving.
“That monster was the Lycanthrope.”
“Yeah. But…… do you know when Lycanthropes move?”
Of course he did.
He’d suffered endlessly because of that condition.
“For that monster to awaken, a certain number of people have to die on the 4th floor.”
“……”
“It’s a monster that emerges only after a lot of blood soaks the ground. So, how do you think the kingdom figured that out?”
“……How did they?”
At Manannan’s question, Ernia continued with a bitter expression.
“They sent prisoners ahead to scout the forest.”
“……”
“Regardless of the severity of their crimes. They just used people to explore.”
“……Damn. And that’s how they found it.”
“Yes. After so many prisoners died…… the Lycanthrope appeared on top of that. That’s how the kingdom learned people had to die for it to show up.”
For Ernia, who was a new cleric at the time, it must have been shocking.
……Especially since she had to watch it all from inside.
“And to properly gauge the Lycanthrope’s strength……”
“They used more prisoners.”
“Yes. Nowadays, everyone hushes it up, and even in the kingdom, they avoid mentioning it. But those in the know are well aware. How much blood was spilled back then.”
“……”
“I was an apprentice priestess at the time. It was my first mission entering the tower. What should have been an honorable duty was stained with blood.”
Ernia looked down at her hands as she spoke.
“And I couldn’t do anything as people died right in front of me.”
“……”
“They wouldn’t let us heal the prisoners. They said divine magic would interfere with the analysis.”
“……Damn.”
It was gruesome.
It had even forced her to stand by and watch people die.
It wasn’t exactly the side story Regin had in mind, but it was shocking in its own way.
“Of course, not everyone followed those orders. There was someone who deemed the analysis sufficient, sent the prisoners back, and launched the subjugation.”
Ernia continued, sounding a bit proud.
“That was Chimihi. And they succeeded in the subjugation.”
“Ah.”
“She was the first in the kingdom to subdue a Lycanthrope.”
“Impressive.”
“Yes. But that led to her having to act independently, watching her step around others.”
This was familiar territory.
“There’s more complexity than you’d think. I know the nobles and various people gave her a lot of grief.”
Even with a powerhouse like Chimihi, they couldn’t push beyond the 15th floor?
It was due to internal kingdom politics.
“I don’t know much about that side of things. But Chimihi said……”
“What did she say?”
“Climbing the tower requires strength and talent. But to have the right to climb, you need another kind of power.”
Regin downed his beer in silence.
It was the same in the game.
They’d made it impossible to ignore politics.
‘Now that I’m directly involved here, it’ll be even harder to avoid.’
Sooner than expected, Regin would get tangled in these political webs too.
There were routes where you bypassed Chimihi early on and never built a connection.
Speedrun routes designed with her political stance in mind.
Avoiding the unfavorable path.
‘That’s worth considering.’
Regin took another sip of beer as he continued thinking.
Did he really need to focus only on the early game?
Regin already understood the power dynamics between the kingdom and the nobles.
And…… he knew their futures too.
There was no reason to stick to the predefined routes.
‘I could carve out a route that benefits me.’
* * *
The next day.
Around 11 a.m., Ernia brought a few people to the tent.
A standard party: warrior, archer, thief, and cleric.
“Let me introduce you. This is the party leader Bern and his members.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Regin. This is my companion, Manannan.”
“I’m Bern. Warrior—specifically, a gladiator.”
This was the party Ernia had mentioned yesterday.
After introductions, Ernia excused herself.
“I’ve heard the rumors. Nice to meet you. They say you broke through the Lycanthrope and made it up here.”
“Word travels fast.”
“Haha. How could it not spread? A Lycanthrope, no less……!”
As expected.
Regin subtly curled his lip.
‘I can tell exactly who started the rumor.’
Normally, such tales get dismissed as ‘Nah, that’s bullshit.’
But Bern showed no doubt.
It made sense if it came from someone high up.
Someone in a position Bern couldn’t help but believe.
“People who’ve conquered the Lycanthrope and reached the 5th floor…… I’d love to tackle the 6th together.”
“It was just luck.”
“Come on, luck is skill too. I’ve learned you need both in the tower.”
Bern explained his party’s current status and how far they’d gone.
“We made it to the end of the 6th floor last time we entered. We’ve been together three months. Oh, all our members have three months of experience. We met right at the start.”
The 5th floor was a safe zone, but not entirely free of monsters.
Most explorers blitz through the 4th floor quickly.
They level up on the 5th, farm gear—that’s the norm.
After about three months, they head to the 6th and expand their territory bit by bit.
‘End of the 6th in three months……? That’s pretty solid.’
It meant Bern’s party was above average. Or reckless.
‘They anticipated needing a mage and prepared…… so not just reckless.’
Regin quickly scanned them.
Gladiator Bern flashed a friendly smile.
Hearing their plans confirmed they weren’t reckless.
‘Chimihi didn’t mention us for nothing.’
A chuckle escaped him.
‘They’re one of the newbie parties she’s keeping an eye on.’
He immediately realized this was another party Chimihi was interested in.
Neither side had a perfect composition, so maybe match up and see.
‘This level is fine. Definitely a cut above the mediocre ones that wipe on lower floors.’
As he nodded silently,
“Take your time to think it over. Let Ernia know when you decide.”
“Got it.”
Bern, figuring he’d said his piece, politely withdrew with his party.
Regin mentally labeled him a likable NPC.
DAT had a massive world, but it was famous for its distinctive NPCs.
Spotting clean-cut explorers like this triggered his habit of assessing them early.
‘Never know when or where you’ll meet them.’
Would they help his climb? Worth teaming up at least once?
That’s why he started cataloging favorable NPCs.
With that preparation and manners, he was worth considering, Regin concluded inwardly.
“What do you think?”
“Hmm……”
After Bern’s party left, Manannan pondered.
“Honestly, it sounds like a good offer. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to join, Regin. What do you say?”
“Let’s do it.”
“Really?”
“It might be a chance that won’t come twice. You seize opportunities when they knock.”
“……For real? You don’t need to head back to the village?”
Regin shook his head.
“You’re the one joining the party, Manannan.”
“……What? Didn’t you just call it an opportunity? Why are you kicking it away?”
“I meant it could be a big opportunity for you.”
“……So you’re saying it’s not for you?”
Ignoring Manannan’s confusion, Regin continued calmly.
“I’m just off to chase a bigger one.”
Truth be told, a big one had already come.
Infinite Inventory.
Turning its contents into scrolls.
‘That’s the fastest way for me to get stronger right now.’