Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: My Little Brother is Too Strong
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My little brother is too strong.
“Your brother? Are you serious? It has five attributes. I think you’re saying that because you haven’t faced it yet, but that thing… even if the entire coalition came…”
Chil-seong looked utterly unconvinced, but my brother Tae-soo’s expression was different.
“Chil-seong, that’s enough. If my brother says he can do it, he can do it.”
I knew the guild master would believe in me.
“Of course. I won’t disappoint you.”
We all descended from the altar, and I saw that many people had left.
It seemed to be because Tae-soo had ordered them to use their teleportation stones before we went up.
“Should’ve come down a bit sooner. Everyone who’s left, gather at the front and form up!”
At Tae-soo’s command, the guild members looked very flustered.
“G-Guild Master?”
“We’re not retreating? This boss has five attributes…”
“My brother said he can handle it. There will be no retreat. This time, we will defeat the floor boss and advance to the 43rd floor.”
They formed up in perfect order again, but I could see the anxiety on their faces.
“Excuse me, brother? You should have the guild members step back a bit.”
“Huh? What do you mean…”
“I can do it alone—ah, not alone. My companions and I are more than enough.”
“But still…”
“Didn’t you say you believed in me?”
Tae-soo still hesitated, clearly anxious, but when I pressed him again, he agreed to intervene if things got dangerous and had the guild members fall back.
I think there were over sixty people before, but now only about twenty remained.
A little disappointing.
Ah, of course, not because we lacked the support of the Golden Lion Guild.
But because there were fewer people to witness my prowess.
“Everyone, you can help me out a little this time, right?”
After talking such a big game, I had no intention of holding back.
“Help you, Hyeon-ung? Just say the word.”
“Understood. I’ll take one of the heads.”
“I’d love to! One head is mine.”
Timi, Hanna, and Rina all nodded and answered spiritedly, one after another.
I was confident I could handle it alone, but since I’d already put on a show of gravitas, I wanted to deliver an overwhelming result.
“Kkyuing!”
Sigh, Golden Dragon, you need to learn when to butt in.
“Golden Dragon, it’s okay.”
“Kkyuing! Kkyuing!”
“Um, Hyeon-ung, should I take one too…?”
Alpen’s face was etched with worry.
“Alpen, you just hold on tight to the Golden Dragon.”
“Huh? Hey, mister, that leaves two heads. Should I take both?”
Come to think of it, Rina was right. With Alpen out, we were one person short.
“I’ll do it.”
“No, I’ll…”
“No, just take one each.”
I had leveled up to 40 this morning before coming down.
I took a card out of my inventory.
“Milli Bright, the Master Archer with the Eyes of a Seven-Colored Hawk.”
With a flash of red light, Milli appeared, holding a massive bow.
“H-Hyeon-ung? You’ve summoned me again.”
“Milli, it’s been a while. A monster is about to appear, and it has five heads. Can I ask you to take care of one of them?”
“Yes! Understood.”
Just then, in the sky above the altar, five orbs merged, and a colossal monster materialized.
[The Ruler of the 42nd Floor, the Five-Headed Elemental Drake, has appeared.]
As its name suggested, it had five heads, each a different color, likely representing a different attribute.
Its form resembled a dinosaur from the movies, but it was easily over 15 meters tall—no, including the heads, it was probably over 20 meters.
“Well then, shall I go first…?”
As I was about to say I was going, a golden flash zipped past me.
*Thud—*
The red head on the far left was severed and fell to the ground.
“Hanna, you cheater, going first!”
Hanna?
The moment I realized the golden flash had been Hanna, white flames erupted from the green head next to the red one.
“I won’t let you take second place too!”
With Timi’s sharp cry, the white flames expanded, completely incinerating the head… no, it would be more accurate to say it erased it.
“Th-Then I’ll take third.”
A streak of red light cut through the air and struck the blue head in the center.
*Boom—*
Upon impact, a massive explosion erupted, and the head vanished without a trace.
“M-Milli?”
“Oh… oh, was that too loud? I thought an exploding arrow would be best… I’m sorry.”
So Milli is a heroic companion too.
“It’s fine.”
Thinking I couldn’t fall behind either, I was about to charge, but the sky darkened, and a white hammer that looked to be at least 10 meters long appeared in mid-air.
Just as I was thinking it was too big, the hammer fell, exploding in a flash of light.
*Kra-koom—*
[You have defeated the 42nd Floor Boss, the Five-Headed Elemental Drake.]
[First Kill Achievement for the Five-Headed Elemental Drake: All Attribute Resistance +10%]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have successfully completed the quest to defeat the Floor Boss Monster, the Elemental Drake. Agility +1]
As I suspected, the hammer had been too large. It seemed both remaining heads had been caught in its range.
“Rina? We were supposed to take one head each. You should have left one for Hyeon-ung.”
“I was in a hurry and couldn’t control my strength… Sorry, mister.”
“N-No, I’m fine.”
It was a little surprising, but it’s not like Rina did it on purpose.
I was the one who asked for help in the first place.
My hand gripping my sword felt a bit awkward, but I was really okay.
“Um… hey… brother? I just got a notification that we defeated the floor boss…”
Tae-soo looked incredibly bewildered.
It was only natural, since we had annihilated it in less than a minute after it appeared.
“I know. It died pretty quickly. Ah! Brother, did you complete the quest?”
I had received the quest completion notification, but since I’d technically killed it alone, there was a chance they hadn’t.
I hadn’t considered that possibility.
“Quest? Ah! It’s completed. I got the pass and the stat point, too.”
I was worried, but that was a relief.
It seemed to be a shared quest, so as long as you were on the 42nd floor, it was completed for everyone.
Still, since more than half the guild members had retreated to the 40th floor, we would have to fight it again.
“But still, to do it in less than a minute after it appeared, how…”
“It just sort of happened. It wasn’t as tough as I thought… I was lucky.”
I was about to say it didn’t seem very strong, but I quickly changed my words.
Even I had to admit that would have sounded too arrogant.
“You’re just that strong, I suppose.”
“Haha… not at all. It’s all thanks to having good companions. I didn’t even do anything.”
And I literally hadn’t. I hadn't even swung my sword once.
“Isn’t that also a part of your strength?”
“Haha… by that logic, wouldn’t that make you, who has a brother like me, quite capable as well?”
“You’re still as smooth with your words as ever. This is no time for talk. Let’s hurry and collect the loot.”
Right.
I glanced over at Alpen just in case, and thankfully, he was still holding the Golden Dragon securely.
I walked over to the carcass of the Elemental Drake, which was now just a torso.
The hammer at the end had been so massive that the upper half of the body was half-crushed.
In this state, I probably wouldn’t get much leather…
Thinking I should tell them to control their power better next time, I placed my hand on the corpse.
[You have acquired Elemental Drake’s Leather x14.]
[You have acquired Unique-grade Grimoire: Extinction Ray x1.]
[You have acquired Blessed Weapon Enhancement Scroll x2.]
[You have acquired Blessed Armor Enhancement Scroll x3.]
[You have acquired Random Stat Orb x2.]
[You have acquired the Five Spectrum Gloves.]
[You have acquired the Five Spectrum Ring.]
The rewards were quite substantial.
I’d have to check the equipment, but a unique grimoire, five blessed enhancement scrolls, and two random stat orbs.
I didn’t get rewards this good even when I first defeated the 43rd floor boss.
Maybe the five-attribute version appeared just to give out such great rewards?
I opened my inventory and took out two familiar orbs first.
“Random Stat Orbs, I see.”
“Um, brother, is it okay if I take these…?”
“Why are you even asking? You defeated it alone, so it’s all yours.”
“Really, is it okay…?”
Well… he was right, but he and the Golden Lion Guild members were the ones who gathered the essences…
“Besides, me, Chil-seong, and most of the other executives have already consumed ten of those.”
In that case, there was no need to hesitate.
I swallowed them in one gulp.
[You have consumed a Random Stat Orb. Luck +3]
[You have consumed a Random Stat Orb. Strength +2]
It was a shame one didn’t give the maximum value, but this was still excellent.
I immediately took out the ring and gloves as well.
[Five Spectrum Ring (Unique)
A brilliant ring with five colors that shift constantly.
It is imbued with the power of the Five-Headed Elemental Drake.
Health +5, Agility +5, Strength +5, Luck +5, Mana +5
Special Effects
5% chance to inflict Burn on target.
5% chance to inflict Frostbite on target.
5% chance to inflict Bleed on target.
Increases owner’s Defense by 5%.
Increases owner’s Regeneration by 5%.]
The stats were a little underwhelming, but three status effect options and two buffs were excellent.
Most importantly, I could wear up to ten rings.
[Five Spectrum Gloves (Unique)
A pair of brilliant gloves with five colors that shift constantly.
They are imbued with the power of the Five-Headed Elemental Drake.
Defense +15, Health +10, Agility +10, Strength +10, Luck +10, Mana +10
Special Effects
10% chance to inflict Burn on target.
10% chance to inflict Frostbite on target.
10% chance to inflict Bleed on target.
Increases owner’s Defense by 10%.
Increases owner’s Regeneration by 10%.]
The gloves had the same options as the ring, but with higher values.
They even had the same name. I wondered if there was a set item effect and equipped both at the same time, but nothing changed.
A bit of a shame, but I guess they weren’t set items.
“So those were the two pieces of equipment that dropped.”
“Ah, yes. They’re both unique.”
“B-Both unique? Congratulations on the great find.”
He even clapped, happy for me as if it were his own achievement.
I thought he might ask for at least one of them…
But Tae-soo’s face showed no sign of disappointment or lingering desire.
I kept the ring and took off the gloves, handing them to Tae-soo.
“You should use these, brother.”
“N-No, brother, it’s fine. What is this? I have a conscience…”
He waved his hands, looking incredibly flustered.
“I may have defeated the boss alone, but didn’t you and the other guild members go through the trouble of gathering the essences?”
“Still, to just give away a unique item like this…”
“My hand is getting tired.”
I forced them into his hands, and he reluctantly accepted, only to be startled a moment later.
“No, brother, these gloves are too good… I can’t accept something like this.”
He must have checked the options.
“Take them back. It’s not right for me to receive such a great item just for gathering a few essences. We wouldn’t have even been able to defeat it without you, anyway.”
Sigh… I had no choice.
I had to reveal the truth.
“Brother Tae-soo, the thing is, the gloves I was already using are better than those…”
“I-I see.”
He looked very taken aback.
I didn’t want to say it because it sounded like I was bragging…
“Still, you could get a lot of money if you sold them…”
“Should I? If no one in the Golden Lion Guild needs them, then I guess I have no choice.”
“No, that’s not what I meant, but…”
“Then please, think of it as a gift from me and put them away.”
“Hyeon-ung…”
I flinched for a moment.
He had promised not to call me by that pet name.
He must have been so moved that he forgot, but this was troublesome.
Because I wasn’t done yet.
I opened my inventory again.
“A lot of Blessed Scrolls dropped, too. Here.”
I gave him two weapon and two armor scrolls.
“No, really. These gloves are more than enough. You should use the Blessed Scrolls for yourself.”
He insisted he absolutely couldn't accept them, so I had no choice but to put the Blessed Scrolls away.
“Then would you at least like to take some of the leather?”
I took out all the Elemental Drake leather.
“No, no. If you take fine leather like this to a tailor in the city and pay for their services, they can craft excellent armor…”
I knew that from the basic training.
“Even so, it probably wouldn’t be as good as the gear I’m using now…”
“I-I suppose you’re right. But I’ll pay you for the leather.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Don’t refuse this. You know how stubborn I am.”
I knew the guild master’s stubbornness better than anyone.
He pleaded that he wouldn’t see me again otherwise, so I agreed.
“Then, shall we head to the 43rd floor…”
“The 43rd floor? Shouldn’t we gather the essences again first?”
“Hmm?”
Tae-soo tilted his head, not understanding.
“I saw many of your guild members left earlier. Don’t they need to come with us?”
“No. You have your own schedule to keep…”
“I’m fine.”
If I promised to help, I should see it through properly.
“Then we’d feel too sorry…”
“I was planning on sticking with you until the labyrinth closes anyway.”
Besides, there were only three days left until the labyrinth closed.
But Miter’s Blessing and the drop rate event lasted for a week.
If I went to the 44th floor now, I’d be losing out on four days.
“Hyeon-ung!”
He must have been moved, because he rushed at me, but I sidestepped to avoid him.
*Thump—*
He fell flat on his face.
“Oof, my back… Brother. That’s too cruel.”
Thankfully, he didn’t seem badly hurt, but his face was full of disappointment.
“Are you alright? My body just moved on its own…”
I approached and extended a hand to help him up.
“Right? You didn’t do it on purpose.”
Actually, I did.
Even if it was the guild master, hugging another man was a bit…
****
Today marked the 10th day in the labyrinth.
Yesterday, we defeated the 42nd floor boss once more and ascended to the 43rd floor together.
There were about four hours left until the closure.
After spending all my time with just my companions, being with the Golden Lion Guild made time seem to fly by faster.
Experiencing it firsthand, moving in a large group like this was actually quite nice.
Of course, I never felt particularly lonely when I was with my companions, but I couldn’t talk with them about my original world.
“Hyeon-ung, come and eat.”
“Yes, thank you. You all stay here. I’ll be right back.”
I followed Mi-jeong to the Golden Lion Guild’s camp, and a delicious smell wafted from the entrance.
A little further in, several large pots were simmering over a campfire.
Around it, the Golden Lion Guild members were gathered in small groups, all eating.
“Oh, Hyeon-ung, you’re here?”
“The soup today is amazing. Hurry, have a bowl, and then have some more.”
Eating together like this was wonderful too.
My companions didn’t eat food.
And since the Golden Lion Guild had so many members, they even carried large cooking utensils and cooked proper meals each time.
Normally, when the food in my inventory expired, I’d have to make do with dry rations and jerky, but for the past three days, I’d been able to enjoy warm meals.
“Dojun! Want the rest of my bread?”
“Aren’t you going to eat it? Well, thank you.”
That couple feeding each other was an eyesore, but honestly, I was envious.
Even if you weren’t a couple, having people you could trust and rely on in an environment like this must be incredibly reassuring.
Of course, I had my companions, but I couldn’t meet them outside the labyrinth.
If I hadn’t experienced this, I probably wouldn’t have given it much thought…
But after spending three days together, I was starting to grow interested in the guild.