Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Bad Luck
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Strictly speaking, the World Tree is pretty great.
Just look at how it boosts everything mana-related.
My mana reserves feel much more solid now.
I tested it out with Camouflage, and while it didn't cover the full cost, the recovery rate had noticeably improved.
The amount that used to last an hour now stretched to about an hour and twenty minutes.
And somehow, my elemental magic felt a bit stronger too. Is this tied to mana affinity?
"...The fruit will grow, right?"
The World Tree is a tree, after all.
And its base is mana grass, so surely it'll produce something.
The problem? This thing is bigger than most saplings, yet it insists on calling itself a sprout.
If this is a sprout, fully grown it'll reach the cosmos or something.
At this rate, who knows when it'll mature enough to bear fruit.
'No way I have to keep fertilizing it forever?'
Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind.
What if this World Tree is buffing my mana just to keep me playing nutrient dispenser?
If it's treating me like mana sap, that's downright insulting.
But I can't just abandon it now either.
Human greed knows no bounds, and we repeat the same mistakes.
Curiosity crept in about how many fruits it might yield once grown.
Mana grass fruit is A-rank material, and this is made from four of them—still a sprout! At least S-rank, right?
A combo of escapism and delusion.
And amid it all, I was even thinking that if fruit comes, I could plant more to grow a whole grove of World Trees. I'm hopeless.
That's for later anyway. Time to get to work.
I transferred straight to the Tower and flopped onto the familiar beanbag.
No high-rank gates yet, so time to tackle floors.
Plus, I needed to stack up on main quest progress.
Title:
Author: Angry Picasso
You know what this means without me saying it, right?
Bad luck? Even if it's B-rank level trouble at worst.
What is it? Not just more of the same monsters like before?
Making a whole new post means the bad luck is rough, huh.
Title: 19
Author: Snowman
Monsters up to the 19th floor: 4 types. Giant Mantis, Giant Ant, Walking Mushroom, Branded Beetle. The issue now? They come in random order. Especially watch out: If Walking Mushroom is first, you're screwed. It spews poison, and antidote grass only farms from 16th floor onward, so hitting it right away is a headache. And if those damn ant bastards show on 19th, consider it impossible. If you reach 18th without ants, give up on A-rank and just grind low gates for a living. 20th is Lizardmen... That's all.
That's the stack for when you become a main character and I ban-beam you!
Start with a one-hour taste ban, but stack enough and it's permaban city.
FYI, Trash Hunter gets a one-day reserve the moment he mains.
Anyway. Ants over mushrooms on 16th would be nice, right?
Decent odds, so I dove right in.
Ah.
Bad luck.
Title: ?
Author: Angry Picasso
Probabilities rigged or what?
Mint Choco Kimchi +1 stack.
Forget that—what's with a whole mushroom field when it's supposed to be one?
Giant mushrooms nearly my height formed an underforest. Only one real among them?
They all look identical. How am I supposed to find it?
Antidote grass first—its unique color made it easy to spot.
Deep purple antidote grass deep in the colorful mushroom woods.
But it's too far... Gotta push through the mushrooms?
I picked up a stick from the ground and poked one. Spore dust puffed up.
Poison, right?
"Seol-ah."
I blew the spores far away with wind and pondered.
To get the antidote, I have to mess with the mushrooms somehow.
Even fake ones spew poison if touched lightly, so no easy attacks.
Flying in? Forest too dense, and canopy blocks vision up top.
Burn the whole thing? Mana drain too high.
Said straight to 20th, but emptying mana at the start is trouble.
...They said find it.
Need to ID the real monster, so I sketched the forest's mana in my mind's eye.
Lush earth energy climbs trees, flows back down through them, seeps into the ground.
Mushrooms fixed to earth absorb that tree energy as nutrients.
Mycelium spread like roots underground.
That one can't move.
I zoomed my view on the mushroom forest, focusing on mana linked to the earth.
Found it. Right edge.
A mushroom without mycelium roots into the ground, unlike the rest.
Crimson Flame Jewel.
I fired my most pinpoint skill at its spot, avoiding other mushrooms.
But before it hit fully, the Walking Mushroom sidestepped massively.
"Ssssss!"
It stood abruptly, spewing spores.
Left upper body—including cap—half gone, yet it screeched and charged.
Mushrooms along its path spewed spores, fogging the forest instantly.
I fired two Flames staggered at the rushing beast and summoned spirits.
"Dali, water barrier! Seol-i, wind wall in front!"
Water blocked spores, wind pushed the foggy spores back.
Meanwhile, the half-melted, burning mushroom ate the second Flame and finally collapsed.
+ All Stats +1
+ Bonus! Mana Stat +1
Spore-choked air felt gross, so I bailed quick.
Bad luck aside, quest reward plus World Tree extra made it satisfying.
Prior floors excluding hiddens were easy? Guess 15th was basically tutorial.
Whatever. Tower, so you rigged it against me—what're you gonna do!
What can you even do?
I'm geared with S-rank equivalent skills and items!
Passed the worst bad luck draw they warned about, so no waiting—I headed to the next floor.
The giant mantises hiding in bushes got exposed by Seol-i's fierce wing gusts, then Dali clammed their heads off—first time in ages.
My babies, so reliable.
Even better, Dali split a magic stone for Seol-i, who was just cracking hers post-hunt.
"Pbek!"
"(• ▿ ‹ )-⋆｡·"
Warm sight, but hit me: my magic stone spending just spiked.
Now gotta cover Seol-i's share too.
...Gonna think twice about making more spirits.
Cleared 17th easy compared to 16th, straight to 18th.
Ants here, right?
Bad luck twice in a row? That's picking a fight.
Right, Tower?
Ah, come on!
Tower! We've been cool till now!
Why you do this!
Quest shattered my hopes.
Far off, massive black beetles bipedally roamed—two of them.
Unique trait: huge horn on forehead glowing red-hot like molten iron.
Branded Beetle.
True to name, affectionately branding each other's hard shells with horns.
Fire resistance obvious.
Bad matchup for me, mostly fire magic main.
"Then, time to try that energy I just comprehended."