Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Golden Goblin's Treasure
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It wasn't just in Elsia; there was something I’d been thinking about since I was very young, long before I came here.
When I watched cartoons as a kid, the hero would always wait for the enemy to finish their grand entrance.
Not just their entrance, but their transformations and fusions, too…
It was as if there was an unwritten rule that attacking during such moments was cheating, so they’d always wait patiently, get thoroughly beaten, and find themselves in a bind.
Of course, the hero would win in the end, but I always found that part so frustrating.
Why go through all that trouble when you could win so much more easily by just attacking then?
Of course, it might be because the window of opportunity is short.
In fact, when I encountered the Emperor Mimic last time, its appearance only took a few seconds.
But what if you had the ability to react in that short amount of time?
“Wrath of Light.”
A sacred white light enveloped me, and my whole body surged with vitality.
Wrath of Light was a skill embedded in the Knight’s Stigma. It had a healing effect that could be used once a day, but it was also a buff that increased attack and defense power by 30% each.
“Hyeon-ung?”
“Mister?”
I figured that with my current abilities, it was entirely possible. I charged forward.
*Whoosh—*
The moment I cut through the air and drew close to the light, I slashed diagonally through the purple glow.
Oh, and of course, I infused the blade with a ton of mana.
*CRASH—*
The blue mana that erupted from my sword swallowed the purple light.
[You have defeated the Emperor Golden Goblin.]
[You have acquired the ‘Emperor Golden Goblin Slayer’ achievement. Luck +3]
Just as I thought, *It actually worked*, my companions approached me.
“Hyeon-ung, you’ve gotten incredibly strong.”
“I don’t think I could have blocked that last attack even if I defended with all my might.”
“Mister, what have you been doing on the outside?”
“Hyeon-ung, you were so strong. It’s a little pitiful that it died the moment it appeared…”
Hanna, Timi, Rina, and Milli spoke in turn, all wearing looks of astonishment.
All except for one person: Bio.
He was staring at me intently with a slight frown, his gaze cold.
Was… was that a mistake?
“I-It was a surprise attack, that’s all. I got lucky.”
“No, but your speed was incredible.”
“That’s right. The power was easily comparable to the strongest magic I can use.”
“That was like at least thirty bomb arrows’ worth of power.”
Guys, now is not the time for that, you know?
“No, I used Wrath of Light and gathered all my mana into one shot, so… Whew, I’m exhausted.”
“Oh, come on, Mister, you’re perfectly fine. Being too humble isn’t good, either. Right, Bio?”
I quickly pretended to be tired and slumped to the ground, but that Rina is just so clueless.
“Your skill is the same, but your output has increased significantly, has it not?”
“Wh-What are you talking about? I’m dead tired…”
“I thought something seemed different. A new…”
“What’s different? I’m a steadfast man who never changes.”
Bio scanned me with suspicious eyes, and my mouth went dry… wait a minute.
[You have acquired 1968 gold.]
At the sudden notification, I quickly checked my pockets, but Geum-yong was gone.
I turned my head and saw the little guy standing where the purple light had fallen.
“Hey, you little brat, stop!”
I shot up much faster than before and dashed toward Geum-yong, but the notification window appeared even faster.
[You have acquired the Magic Sword Dainsleif.]
[The Golden Dragon Agnus has consumed the Magic Sword Dainsleif.]
“*Burp!*”
Geum-yong let out a burp, just as he did after eating any other item, and flopped onto his back.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up.
“Kyuu?”
He blinked his big eyes and tilted his head as if he didn’t know anything. This little brat couldn't read the room either.
“Why would you eat that!”
It must have been a mythic-grade item…
The gold drop was pretty substantial, but there was only one item, and the light that appeared when the Emperor Golden Goblin was summoned had definitely been purple.
I was sure I’d heard the name Dainsleif in some myth before, and this little guy just swallowed it whole…
“Kyuuiing…”
“Don’t you ‘kyuuing’ me! Spit it out! Right now, you little brat!”
I held Geum-yong upside down and shook him.
“Kyuuiing…”
“H-Hyeon-ung?”
“Mister, do you really think he’ll spit it out just because you do that?”
Hanna, Rina, and the others all tried to stop me.
“It was a mythic item, I’m sure of it!”
I kept shaking Geum-yong.
Truthfully, I knew.
It was spilt milk, a train that had already left the station. Doing this was pointless.
Honestly, I wasn’t even that angry.
It was a shame I couldn’t even check it, but I could think of it as an investment.
Ten days had already passed, so if I just waited another three weeks, Geum-yong would reward me with an even better item.
“F-Fine. You’re going to kill the golden dragon. Calm down.”
Nice.
Even Bio was defending Geum-yong with a concerned expression.
Half of my reaction was genuine, but the other half was an over-the-top performance to avoid Bio’s questioning.
“F-Fine. If even you say so, Bio…”
I put on my most bitter expression and released Geum-yong.
The moment I let him go, he ran over to Hanna, buried himself in her arms, and glared at me.
“Kyuuing!”
That little brat is so infuriating.
“Geum-yong, you were in the wrong, too.”
“Hey, I told you not to eat just anything, didn’t I?”
“Kyuuiing…”
As Hanna and Rina scolded him sternly, he put on a sullen face and hid inside my armor.
“Mister, are you okay?”
“No. I’d like to be alone for a bit…”
I said bitterly, and they all looked worried.
“Mister, what do you mean you want to be alone? You’ll find another good item.”
“That’s right. I’m sure you’ll find an even better one, Hyeon-ung.”
“I’ll hunt harder. Cheer up.”
“I will assist as well.”
I was grateful to them all, but my attention was focused entirely on Bio.
*Please just let it go*, I thought as I bowed my head and let out heavy sighs.
“Hey. Everyone is encouraging you, so cheer up… I will also hurry the friend I entrusted my sword to. The sword you were using before was good enough, was it not? The friend I left it with is quite skilled…”
Fortunately, my acting seemed to have worked.
“Yeah. Bio… thanks.”
“Don’t thank me. Are we not companions?”
Seeing Bio speak so awkwardly made me feel a little guilty, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Um… Bio? If you need to talk to your friend, shouldn’t you be going?”
“Ah, right. I will be on my way, then. Keep your spirits up.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Bio disappeared.
Phew, that was a close call.
I thought for sure my boots would be confiscated, but I was saved.
No, it was too early to relax.
To make sure Bio was really gone, I took out a companion summon card from my inventory.
“Alpen, the greatest beastmaster in Maldina.”
Alpen appeared in a flash of blue light.
“Hello, Hyeon-ung.”
Seeing Alpen’s bright greeting put my mind at ease.
“Yeah. Alpen, you’ve been well? What’s everyone doing? Let’s hurry to the 44th floor.”
“Hyeon-ung?”
“Mister?”
“…You’ve recovered your spirits quickly.”
As I suddenly brightened up after seeming like my world had ended, all my companions stared at me with strange expressions.
“I’m not sad. That was all an act.”
“A-An act?”
“Hyeon-ung? What do you mean by…”
“Ah, I knew it.”
It seemed Timi had a rough idea, but the others were completely clueless, so I briefly explained the situation.
“Couldn’t you tell just by looking? You should have played along.”
“Ah, we were so clueless.”
“I had no idea.”
“I know my acting is pretty good, but you guys are too much.”
“…What do you mean, too much? How were we supposed to know if you didn’t say anything? Poor Geum-yong.”
Rina grumbled.
Poor Geum-yong? What was so pitiful about him?
He was nestled in Hanna’s arms, sleeping as peacefully as could be…
It truly was a dog’s life—no, a dragon’s life is the best life.
If he didn’t reward me with a proper item in three weeks, I was really going to boil him.
“Kyuuing!”
****
“I think it’s about time.”
“Should we just move on?”
Maybe I miscalculated the time. I suggested we wait another 30 minutes and lay down on the ground.
“Hyeon-ung, would you like to use my lap as a pillow?”
Timi approached with a gentle smile, but before I could answer, Rina pushed her away.
“You vixen, at it again! I told you not to hit on my mister!”
“What did I do? Anyone would think you’re the only one who was summoned. I’m Hyeon-ung’s companion, too, you know?”
“I met him first.”
“Does the order really matter? The emotional distance between us is more important than time. Isn’t that right, Hyeon-ung?”
“W-Well. I wouldn’t know.”
Here we go again.
It had already been five days since my companions and I arrived on the 44th floor.
The 44th floor was a vast, primeval jungle, and the monsters that appeared were mainly plant-types like the Giant Flower and the Great Wood.
They were a bit tricky, constantly spraying sleep powder or paralysis powder and camouflaging themselves as ordinary trees.
Ah, of course, not for us.
Rina’s blessing nullified all paralysis and sleep powders.
Besides, no matter how tricky they were, they still died in one hit.
And above all…
“Hyeon-ung, why do you only take Rina’s side… Oh! There it is.”
I looked in the direction Timi was pointing and saw the 44th floor’s boss, the Grand Wood.
A giant blue tree, about the size of a four-story building.
“See, my calculation was right. Let’s hurry up and get it…”
I was about to stand up as I spoke, but Timi was one step ahead.
Dozens of white orbs, each the size of an adult’s head, rained down on the Grand Wood like meteors.
*KA-BOOM— KA-BOOM—*
Explosions erupted as the white orbs struck the Grand Wood directly.
Soon, white flames spread rapidly, instantly engulfing the floor boss.
[You have defeated the 44th floor boss, the Grand Wood.]
“Since it was the last one, I took care of it. You should rest a little more, Hyeon-ung.”
Timi said with a bright smile.
The 44th floor was the perfect stage for Timi, the master of flame magic.
Based on our experiments from fighting the floor boss several times, the Grand Wood, despite being a tree-type, had considerable magic resistance.
It had withstood Rina’s holy magic five times and even deflected Milli’s fireballs with ease, but it was helpless against Timi’s white flames.
“Kyuuing!”
Geum-yong, who had been on Alpen’s lap, approached the thoroughly roasted Grand Wood.
[You have acquired Grand Wood’s Branch x12.]
[You have acquired Weapon Enhancement Scroll of Grace x2.]
[You have acquired Armor Enhancement Scroll of Grace x2.]
[You have acquired Orb of Traits x1.]
[You have acquired Holy Angel Robe.]
An Orb of Traits, it’s been a while.
And the item is a Holy Angel Robe again.
It’s not as good as the Spirit Form, but it’s an excellent unique-grade item with pretty good options.
Though this makes three of them now.
“Kyuuing!”
Geum-yong came back and leaped onto Hanna’s lap.
“Hyeon-ung, Geum-yong didn’t eat it again, did he?”
“Yeah. He didn’t eat it this time either.”
Before, if an item of rare grade or higher dropped, Geum-yong would eat it first and ask questions later, but these days, he wouldn’t even eat unique items if he’d already had one before.
It was convenient, but I was a little worried.
I wondered if it was because I scolded him last time, so I even tried taking out items and offering them to him, but he would only stare at them without eating.
“I’m worried.”
“Worried about what?”
I was a little concerned at first, too, but he still eats gold just fine.
It’s good that he doesn’t eat everything and brings it all back, but I’m worried he’s just becoming a picky eater.
“Hyeon-ung, now that we’ve beaten the floor boss, let’s head to the 51st floor.”
The next floor was the 45th, but the Lord of Kramis had asked me to collect some monster feathers on the 51st floor.
The Blessing of Miter lasted for a week and wasn’t over yet, but we decided to split our time and hunt for five days at a time for efficiency.
We could just keep pushing to higher floors, but I didn’t want to miss out on the benefits we could get from the lower ones.
I summoned Red Hare and moved to the 50th floor.
Of course, our position was right in front of the portal leading to the 51st floor.
“*Hee-hing!*”
“Thanks, Red Hare. You can go back.”
I was about to go through the portal right away but stopped just in front of it.
“Aren’t you going, Hyeon-ung?”
“I’m going to enhance my boots a bit more before we go.”
I opened my inventory and took out all the Armor Enhancement Scrolls of Grace.
Sixteen in total.
Maybe it was just a feeling, but it seemed like they succeeded more often when I saved them up rather than using them one by one, so I had been collecting them.
I took off my boots and immediately tore a scroll, but huh?
“Hyeon-ung? Hyeon-ung!”
“Mister!”
“Hyeon-ung?”
Unlike the previous times I enhanced them, a blindingly bright white light washed over me.