Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: The Grateful Golden Dragon (3)
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“Geum-yong, I believed in you.”
“Kkyu? Kkyuuu! Kkyuuu!”
As I picked him up and showered him with kisses, Geum-yong squirmed, trying desperately to escape.
But I paid him no mind, continuing my barrage of kisses.
He had a history of swallowing a Mythic item, and considering all I'd fed him, I expected him to bring back a high-performance Mythic item at the very least.
But the reward Geum-yong gave me was beyond my wildest imagination.
[You have obtained the Golden Dragon's Reward, Orb of Wishes s.]
An Orb of Wishes, no less.
The strange letter 's' tacked onto the end was a little concerning, but it was undoubtedly an Orb of Wishes.
“Oh, you little charm! How can you be so cute?”
“Kkyuuu...”
Deciding that was enough praise for now, I let Geum-yong go and opened my inventory.
Since it was a Labyrinth day, I had emptied my inventory, so it was easy to find.
A small orb, about the size of my pinky nail.
It looked a little different from the one I'd seen in the Summoner's Shop, which made me slightly anxious, but I took it out anyway.
[Orb of Wishes s (???)]
[An orb containing a mysterious power that grants most wishes.]
Huh?
It was an Orb of Wishes, but the description was slightly different.
The original Orb of Wishes was supposed to grant *any* wish.
But the one my Geum-yong brought me said *most* instead of *any*...
What was the standard for "most"?
No, before that, how do I even use this thing?
The description didn't include instructions, so I anxiously put it back in my inventory.
If it activated just by thinking while holding it, I could end up wasting it on something trivial.
Who should I ask?
Since it's an Orb of Wishes, even the Lord, who stopped at the 80th floor, probably wouldn't know.
Misha, neither...
Would my companions know?
The others might not, but Bio just might... Ah!
I thought of someone who would most likely know.
As I pictured the Summoner's Shop, my vision shifted, and a green meadow spread out before me.
“Mr. Hyeon-ung?”
The cat beastkin with glasses, the Summoner's Shop assistant.
Since he sold the Orb of Wishes, he would surely know how to use it.
“Hello.”
“Isn't today your Labyrinth day? Did you forget something...?”
He looked a little surprised, probably because I rarely visited on Labyrinth days.
“Something just came to mind.”
“If you require information, it may cost Jewels, depending on the importance of said information.”
“Huh?”
“I can't just give out information for free, can I?”
He wasn't like this at first, but as time went on, his greed for Jewels became more blatant.
“It's not that big of a deal. I just wanted to ask about the Orb of Wishes.”
“Don't tell me you've already saved up enough Jewels to buy an Orb of Wishes?”
The assistant's eyes widened as if they would pop out of his glasses.
“No. I don't have the money to buy one right now.”
“Then why...”
Should I tell him the truth?
It wasn't a weird item like the shoes, so it should be fine to tell him, but I still felt a bit uneasy.
“Even if I can't buy it now, I might in the future, right?”
“Well... I suppose so. What is it you're curious about?”
the assistant asked again, his voice devoid of interest.
“The Orb of Wishes doesn't have instructions. How do you use it?”
“Information like that won't cost you any Jewels. After you purchase the Orb of Wishes, you hold it, make a wish, and then give it to me.”
“I have to give it to you?”
“Only my clan can unlock the mysterious power contained within the orb.”
So you had to use it through the assistant.
“Then let me ask one more thing.”
I took out the Orb of Wishes s from my inventory.
“M-Mr. Hyeon-ung?”
He looked even more shocked than before, so he must have recognized it at a glance.
“Is the method for using this one the same?”
I hadn't mentioned it because I was uneasy, but if I had to use it through him, I couldn't hide it.
“Y-Yes. Where on earth did you get something so precious...?”
“That's none of your business. The description for this one is a bit different. Do you know anything about it?”
“Since it's not an item purchased from the shop...”
“It's not?”
“W-Well, normally I would have to charge you Jewels for that information, but...”
“But?”
I stared at him intently, repeating his last word to add a bit of pressure.
“Unlocking an Orb of Wishes s benefits me as well, so just this once, I'll tell you for free.”
****
When I arrived at the plaza, it felt more crowded than ever.
Sensing someone approaching from behind, I turned to see Tae-soo smiling awkwardly.
“You must have eyes in the back of your head, my friend.”
“I'm not a monster.”
“I know. Anyway, you're a bit later than usual today, aren't you?”
“I had something to take care of this morning...”
Listening to the assistant's explanation and asking questions took up more time than I'd expected.
Still, I'd cleared up most of my questions.
I just hadn't decided what to use it for, so I hadn't used it yet.
It wasn't that I had no ideas, but I was short on time. And since this was an item obtained through a great deal of money and other items, I couldn't just make any wish just because I was in a hurry.
“Oh, Geum-yong is here. I haven't seen him in a while. How's this little devil been... Ack!”
It seemed Tae-soo was trying to greet him with a pat, but Geum-yong chomped down on his finger.
He pulled his hand back immediately, but Tae-soo looked distressed.
“D-Didn't you say I'd be safe for a while? He just took 3 Gold from me a moment ago.”
I took out 3 Gold from my inventory.
“I haven't fed him his share for today yet... Here you go.”
I'll have to feed Geum-yong as soon as I get into the Labyrinth.
“Wait, now that I think about it, hasn't it been a month today?”
“Ah, that's right.”
“So he got his reward and started sucking up money again. What was the reward?”
“Ah... It was just a good piece of equipment.”
If I had to pick the person I was closest to in Elsia, it would definitely be Tae-soo, but this time, I couldn't tell him the truth.
“Oh, really? Can I maybe see it...?”
“Ah, it's a bit difficult to show you here. I'll show you later.”
Seeing his disappointed expression made my excitement die down a little.
*'Perhaps you wish to return home? The Orb of Wishes s can also allow you to return to your reality, Mr. Hyeon-ung.'*
It wasn't as omnipotent as the one-billion-Jewel Orb of Wishes, but the Orb of Wishes s could still send me back to reality.
Of course, I had no particular desire to go back, but Tae-soo's situation was different from mine.
“Alright. But this time, I plan on staying on the 43rd floor...”
“You can go up to the 44th floor, you know.”
I'd already cleared up to the 44th floor during the last Labyrinth break.
“No, we got a lot of new members this time, right? Many of our clearing party members left to take care of them.”
“That sounds tough.”
“Well, since we've accepted them, we have to work together. They're all good people, though. I interviewed them one by one, and they seem to have good character. Ah, here.”
He suddenly tossed something at me, and I caught it. It was bubble gum.
“Oh, did you buy this through Elsia-Pong? Thank you.”
“I can see why you didn't recruit anyone. That one piece of gum costs 5 Silver.”
I didn't give up on recruiting because of money, but a pack of gum for 5 Silver was a bit shocking.
One Silver was roughly equivalent to ten thousand won in the modern world.
Of course, that probably included shipping fees...
“It is expensive. Still, let's have a ramen party or something after this Labyrinth run.”
“A single pack of ramen is 10 Silver, you know.”
Looks like he's already bought and tried some.
“I'll probably be relying on you more often in the future, so it's no big deal.”
“Oh, can we have the spicy mixed noodles too?”
He asked, gulping as if his mouth was already watering.
“Of course. I like them too.”
I passed the time chatting with him, and when I checked my pocket watch, there were about five minutes left.
In five minutes, I would be able to see my companions.
Was it because I'd been busy?
This break felt a little longer than usual.
I want to see them all soon...
“Hey, my friend, look over there.”
I looked where Tae-soo was pointing and couldn't hide my astonishment.
“No way, are they really trying to enter together like that?”
The place he pointed to was filled with the members of Peace Middle School, a fledgling guild—or rather, a large temporary party—composed entirely of 35th Batch Summoners.
“Hey, hey, look at those guys.”
“Pfft, what are they doing?”
“Aren't they the ones from the 35th Batch who made their own guild?”
Not just us, but almost every summoner in the plaza had their eyes fixed on them.
They must have all tried the equipment gacha, as each one held a weapon, but the majority of them lacked proper armor.
Ah, of course, it wasn't their poor equipment that was drawing attention.
It was because they had tied their torsos together with ropes.
It was like they were a string of dried fish.
“Tae-soo, can they actually get in together like that?”
“You think that would work?”
So it doesn't.
“Good grief. As the guild in charge of training, I'm so embarrassed I can't even lift my head.”
“Huh?”
“Anyone who doesn't know better might think we taught them they could get in together by doing that, right?”
Now that he mentioned it, that was entirely possible.
“Still, they put some thought into it.”
“Thought? I just told you it won't work.”
“Not the ropes, I mean choosing the first time slot to come.”
Usually, the Labyrinth is most crowded during the first time slot.
Even if you run into a monster right away, there's a high chance someone else will be nearby.
“Is that all? Didn't they just come early?”
“That could be it. Still, I hope not too many of them die.”
I didn't have any special feelings for them, but I'd seen them around for three days. It would be a shame if they died in vain.
“Well, I did tell the guys in charge of the new recruits to help them out if they looked like they were in danger.”
“Oh, as expected of you, Tae-soo. I respect that.”
“Respect? It's nothing. It's just that it would feel a bit unsettling if the faces I saw for three days during training just died pointlessly...”
It seems he felt the same way I did.
“It's the first floor, so it shouldn't be too dangerous, right?”
“I don't know. In the Labyrinth, monsters aren't the only thing you have to worry about. The students might be fine, but their 'Principal' called the other guild executives 'barbaric,' so he might get targeted.”
That's true.
Plus, in the Principal's case, who knows how much he has left, but the information that he had a lot of Jewels must have spread.
There was a high chance he'd be targeted by player killers.
“It's a shame, but he made his choice, so he has to take responsibility for it.”
“Right. That's how it is in Elsia. Well, I guess I won't see you inside the Labyrinth this time. See you in ten days.”
Just as I was about to say I'd come by on the last day to drop off some items, my vision was engulfed in a blue light and changed.
The musty air of the Labyrinth.
This time, I didn't run into a monster like before.
I was hoping I might get to fight a floor boss again like last time...
It was a little disappointing, but encountering a floor boss every single time would be ridiculous.
I considered summoning my companions right away but decided to summon Red Hare first.
I had a request from the Lord, and the Harpy Queen was probably waiting eagerly for me.
I planned to summon my companions on the 51st floor.
I climbed onto Red Hare's back and used the Thousand-Mile Horse skill.
My vision shifted, and a familiar landscape came into view.
I patted its neck once and opened my inventory to take out the companion cards.
I took out the pouch containing the Hero-grade companion cards.
As I was taking out the cards, huh?
There was one more Hero-grade companion card than...
[Succubus Princess Elaine]
Ah! The name jogged my memory.
It was the companion I got from synthesis last time.
At my current level, I could summon one more person.
Since I hadn't summoned the others yet, should I give it a try?
Not that I'm expecting anything strange just because she's a succubus...
It's just... since she's a demon, she might not get along with the others, so I just want to see what she's like.
“Succubus Princess Elaine.”
A crimson light flashed, and a slender beauty with pink hair was summoned.
She had small horns on either side of her head, black wings, and a tail, looking almost exactly as I'd imagined.
“Hello?”
I offered a casual greeting, just as I did with my other companions, but she flinched and took a step back.
“W-Who are you?”
Oh, this is a first. How refreshing.
“My name is Oh Hyeon-ung. I'm the one who summoned you.”
“You summoned me? Why?”
“Uh... huh? Well.”
How am I supposed to answer that?
I summoned you because I got your companion card.
At first, I thought it was just her concept, but her personality seems a bit strange.
“T-There has to be a reason, right? For now, don't come any closer.”
She took another step back, which felt a bit unfair.
Is she like Milli, someone who doesn't like being summoned?
“You don't have to be scared.”
“M-My mom said all men are dangerous.”
This wasn't the image of a succubus I was familiar with...
“I'm fine. You don't have to worry.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah. If you're really uncomfortable, do you want to go back?”
“Ah... no. I don't want to go back. Are you upset?”
Not at all.
Compared to someone else, this was child's play.
“Not at all, you just seemed uncomfortable. I have to summon my other companions, too.”
“You can summon them. Ah, wait, are all your other companions men...?”
Her expression was filled with tension.
“There are more women.”
“That's a relief. To be honest, this is my first time talking to a man...”
Uh... um...
A succubus who's never even spoken to a man?
That's like a vegetarian tiger.
It seems Elsia has a really weird take on the succubus concept.
“Hurry and show me your other companions!”
“O-Okay.”
I was just going to check on her and send her back...
She might be a demon, but she seems so innocent. I guess it'll be fine.