Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: The Lord of Kramis's Vault (1)
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A giant turtle crumpled like paper under the hammer Rina swung.
[You have defeated the Giant Turtle.]
“Kkyuing!”
Goldie darted toward the flattened turtle carcass.
[You have acquired Giant Turtle Shell x1.]
[You have acquired Breath of the Ocean x1.]
[The Golden Dragon, Agnus, has consumed the Breath of the Ocean.]
He really has a nose for items.
“Buurp!”
After a satisfying burp, he slowly walked back, unlike the dash he'd made to eat.
I wasn't upset about the item Goldie ate.
My inventory was full even after entrusting some items to Tae-soo.
It was better for Goldie to eat what I couldn't carry anyway.
He could only eat up to 300 gold a day, but there seemed to be no limit on items.
“Good work, Rina.”
“Hyeon-ung, shouldn't we rest now?”
“That's what I was thinking.”
We've been moving nonstop since lunch.
The closing time for the labyrinth should be approaching.
“Hyeon-ung, should I set up a spot over there?”
When I nodded, Alpen went under a shady spot, took out the mat he was carrying on his back, and spread it on the ground.
He had woven it from the leaves of nearby palm trees; his craftsmanship was quite impressive.
As soon as I took off my shoes and lay down, everyone gathered cozily around me.
“Mister, are you really coming back in just one day?”
It felt like she had asked me that a hundred times, no exaggeration.
“I told you I am.”
Labyrinth entry days are the 1st and 21st of every month.
You can take a ten-day break from the 11th to the 20th, but there's no break for the early-month labyrinth.
I heard that's why quite a few people rest at the end or beginning of the month.
Of course, I had no intention of resting.
“You must be annoying Hyeon-ung. Is it really that sad to be apart for just one day?”
“N-No, it's not.”
“Yes, it is. It's written all over your face.”
Watching Timi and Rina bicker brought a smile to my face.
“What are you smiling at, Mister? Are you happy to be away from me?”
“Why wouldn't he be? It must be tiring for Hyeon-ung to put up with all your whining.”
“Not at all. I enjoy being with you all.”
I meant it.
It would be even better if we could be together outside the labyrinth...
Of course, there was the Chairman and the other members of the Golden Lion Guild, and I had gotten somewhat closer to them this time, but the emotional distance remained.
“Could you check the time?”
“Check labyrinth closing time.”
[10 minutes and 13 seconds remaining until labyrinth closure.]
“Just ten minutes left.”
“Kkyuing!”
“I'm jealous of Goldie.”
“Me too.”
“But you'll see me again in a day, right?”
Still, they all looked less disappointed than last time.
As we talked, the time flew by.
The labyrinth began to shake, and my vision changed.
[You are currently ranked #1 among surviving summoners for reaching the lowest floor of the Kramis Labyrinth. You have acquired the title Pioneer.]
The now-familiar Pioneer title notification window appeared.
[You have acquired a Random Item Box.]
Ah, right. There was this, too.
“Kkyuing!”
Only Goldie was left.
A sense of emptiness washed over me, and I felt my energy drain, but this time I had little time to waste, so I quickly made my way to the Kabisa.
“Mr. Hyeon-ung! You've returned. I've been waiting for you.”
So I have someone to welcome me back after all.
It was a bit sad that he was a bushy-bearded man and a snob who'd do anything for a tip.
Still, it was better than no one.
“Yes. Have you been well, Luke?”
“Same as always for me. About tonight's party, are you perhaps...”
I only have one day, but it seems there's a party tonight as well.
I suppose there are quite a few people who aren't entering the labyrinth the day after tomorrow.
“Ah, I'll be skipping this party too. I have plans today.”
While we were having breakfast, Tae-soo invited me to the Golden Lion Guild's guild hall for dinner tonight.
He said they were holding a party to celebrate both their return from the labyrinth and the conquest of the 42nd floor.
I refused since I'm not a guild member, but he insisted, asking how they could have a party without the main star, so I accepted.
I had to pick up the items I'd left with him anyway.
The items I'd entrusted to him were all rare, so I planned to give him a few as a storage fee.
If there was anything he wanted to buy, I'd sell it to him.
“Luke, could you bring a meal to my room in about twenty minutes?”
“Yes, of course.”
I entered the Kabisa.
I had already paid last time, so I went straight up to my room.
The thought that home is the best came to mind, but it felt empty without the companions I was always with.
Don't be so sentimental.
I'll see them the day after tomorrow.
I heard a knock just as I got out of the shower. Perfect timing.
Room service must have arrived.
“Mr. Hyeon-ung, your meal has arrived!”
He's overdoing it.
Still, he did welcome me earlier, so I gave him a large silver coin and sent him on his way.
A hearty stew full of large chunks of meat and vegetables, a steak, a fresh salad, and warm, freshly baked bread.
The meals prepared by the Golden Lion Guild members were good, but they couldn't compare to the Kabisa's.
After filling my stomach, I was overcome with the desire to flop onto the bed, but I exercised some self-control, emptied half my inventory—mostly equipment—and left the room.
“Kkyuing!”
Ah, and of course, Goldie was with me.
Not because he's cute, but because if I left him in the room, the little magic dragon would eat all my items.
The first place to visit was the general store right in front of the Kabisa.
[Arnold's General Store.]
“Welco... Huh? It's the mister who bought me snacks!”
It was the owner's daughter, Latina.
She has a good memory.
“Hello. Is the owner in?”
“Just a moment. Dad, a customer is here!”
After a short wait, Mr. Arnold emerged from behind the curtain at the counter.
He must work out regularly; his muscles seemed even bigger than last time.
“Welcome. You're here early today.”
“I have to enter the labyrinth again the day after tomorrow.”
“Oh, so you're not taking a break?”
“No. I have quite a lot today.”
I took out all the miscellaneous items, except for Blaky's Heart and the equipment I needed to show the lord.
“Did you join a guild? This is an incredible amount for one person... and they're all high-quality materials...”
“Not exactly, I just happened to gather this much.”
“It'll take some time to sort and calculate all this. Have a seat and wait. Latina, bring him a cup of tea.”
As I sat on a sofa in the corner of the shop, Latina brought over a steaming cup of tea.
The temperature was just right, and it smelled wonderful.
“How is it? It's made from herbs my dad picked himself in the mountains.”
When I think of herbs, I usually picture something like traditional medicine, but this tea had a pleasant aroma and a slightly bitter taste that suited my palate.
I considered giving her a tip, but then a better idea came to mind, and I opened my inventory.
It should be in here... Ah! Found it.
[Assorted Cookie Box]
It was a paper box with a transparent plastic front, revealing layers of stacked cookies.
It was an item I had purchased to reset the daily login rewards.
“Here.”
“Huh? Are you selling this too?”
“No, that's a gift. They're cookies.”
"Wow, thank you!”
“My goodness, you didn't have to...”
“It's not that expensive.”
It didn't have any special effects, and I'm not a big fan of sweets anyway.
“Thank you so, so much. Um, is it okay if I try one right now?”
I nodded at Latina, whose bright expression looked like she had the whole world in her hands.
“Wow, this is so delicious!”
“I'm glad.”
“No, really, I don't think I've ever eaten anything this tasty in my life. Dad! You have to try one, quick.”
It was heartwarming to see her run to her dad and hand him a cookie.
“This has a very refined taste. Wasn't it expensive? Such a precious gift...”
“It really wasn't expensive. Besides, I don't really like sweets.”
“You're the best, Mister!”
Hearing the word "Mister" reminded me of Rina.
I wonder if Rina would like them?
Come to think of it, my companions said they didn't need to eat, but they never said they couldn't.
It would be nice if they could at least taste things.
I'll have to buy another one to reset the login rewards anyway, so I should share some with Rina and the others when I go back to the labyrinth.
After about five minutes of sipping my tea, Mr. Arnold called me over, saying he was done with the calculations.
“That'll be 4 gold and 19 silver. As for the rest, you'll have to take them to the Magic Tower, the tailor, and the blacksmith yourself...”
The remaining items must be like the troll hide and blood from before.
“Could you just buy them here?”
I planned on visiting the Magic Tower to use the VIP shop, but I wouldn't have enough time to visit all the other places.
“Really? Then I'll just add a small service fee to my margin. This will only take a moment.”
A moment later, Mr. Arnold handed me a heavy pouch.
[You have acquired 19 Gold and 87 Silver.]
“That's quite a sum, isn't it?”
I didn't even pick up that many miscellaneous items because I was running out of space for equipment, yet it came to this much.
“If you had sold them yourself, you would have gotten 20 gold.”
Wow, he really didn't take much of a cut.
13 silver was nothing compared to the hassle of going to all those places myself.
“I see. I'll be back again.”
“Thanks for stopping by. Get home safe.”
“Mister, I'll make you tea next time, too!”
Latina came all the way to the door to see me off. It seemed the cookies had earned me a lot of points.
I spent more time at the general store than I'd expected.
I considered going to my next destination tomorrow, but I decided it was better to go now and quickened my pace.
After a brisk twenty-minute walk, I arrived in front of a massive castle gate.
It was the castle of Lord Almonde, the most powerful man in Kramis.
“Halt. What is your business?”
“I'm here to see the Lord.”
Just like last time, after they confirmed I was the Pioneer, the captain of the guard led me inside.
I wondered if I'd have to go through the butler again, but thankfully, this time I was led directly to the Lord.
The Lord greeted me with the same friendly demeanor as before.
“Welcome. I thought you'd come by tomorrow, but you're quite early.”
“Haha, I have to go back to the labyrinth the day after tomorrow, so I hurried a bit.”
“Ah, that's right. Pioneers are certainly different. Have you finished the homework I gave you?”
“Of course.”
I answered confidently and took Blaky's Heart from my inventory.
“It really is Blaky's Heart. You've worked hard.”
As he spoke, he took an orange orb from his pocket and handed it to me.
[You have completed the Lord of Kramis's mission. You have acquired 100,000 Contribution Points.]
Wasn't there another reward?
“Ah, I'll tell my butler. On your way out, stop by the vault and take one item you like.”
[You have acquired Lord of Kramis's Vault Item Selection Ticket x1.]
“Thank you.”
“If you're so thankful, how about you take over my position as Lord?”
“Uh, about that...”
“Never mind. I was just kidding.”
It didn't sound like he was just kidding...
The way he keeps offering it makes me think there's some hidden reason behind it. I'm glad I refused last time.
“I see. Is there anything else you need?”
“Ah, you must be busy if you're going to the labyrinth the day after tomorrow. I understand. I need you to collect some feathers from the Hypoel on the 51st floor. The Imperial Palace needs them.”
[Lord of Kramis's Mission
Collect Hypoel Feathers on the 51st Floor.
Reward: Varies based on the number of Hypoel feathers collected.]
Thankfully, it's not a floor boss this time.
Not that it would matter much even if it were a floor boss.
“Understood. I'll collect as many as I can.”
“Good. I'll be waiting. Don't forget to grab an item on your way out.”
“Yes, sir.”
I bowed and left the room to find the butler waiting for me.
“Follow me.”
He spoke without even looking at me, turning on his heel. His attitude was as arrogant as ever.
We left the building with the office and walked deeper into the castle for about five minutes.
Instead of the guards I saw at the entrance, knights in uniform were stationed everywhere.
As expected of the vault, the security was tight.
After entering and walking a short distance, a massive metal door tinged with blue light came into view.
“I will inform you of the rules before you enter the vault.”
“Yes.”
“You may take exactly one item. You have thirty minutes.”
“Understood.”
“I wasn't finished speaking.”
He wasn't just arrogant; he was downright obnoxious.
Even the Lord doesn't act like this. The butler's acting like he's the master.
“My apologies.”
“Be warned. The moment you touch anything, it will be considered your choice.”
“Um, so without any explanation...”
“Am I supposed to provide an explanation?”
“The Lord said it was a reward...”
“You should be grateful just for receiving a ticket to the vault. How impudent to ask for an explanation. My orders were simply to let you take one item and leave.”
...He's really prickly.
And completely inflexible.
If I'd known this would happen, I would have asked Lord Almonde for more details.
No, if I'd asked him to come with me, he probably would have.
I guess I have no choice but to pick based on the item's color... Ah! A great idea just came to me.
“Understood. Please open it.”
The butler took a round sphere from his pocket and held it to the door, which then split open to both sides.
There were no lights inside, but that wasn't a problem.
The vault was brighter than the outside, illuminated by the light radiating from all sorts of items.
Wow, this is a work of art.
There were no green items at all, and only a few blue ones.
Most were red, and there was even the yellow glow of legendary-grade items.
This truly was the vault of the supreme ruler of Kramis.
“Do you have time to stand there gawking? Your thirty minutes start now.”
Thirty minutes is more than enough.
I took Goldie out of my pocket.
“Kkyuing? Kkyuing! Kkyuing!”
He looked around and began to struggle, crying out more frantically than usual, but I had anticipated this and held his two legs tightly.
“Kkyuing! Kkyuing!”
“...What is that thing?”
“He's my pet.”
My Goldie has an uncanny ability to sniff out expensive and powerful items.