Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: The 65th Floor (1)
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[Oh Hyeon-ung 34th Term
Level: 121
Class: Lucky Pioneer
Titles: Pioneer, Golden Lycanthrope Slayer, Green Troll Slayer, Goblin King Slayer... God Slayer.
Strength: 1023 Mana: 1072 Vitality: 1023 Agility: 1341 Luck: 1495
Remaining Stats: 121
Traits: True Failed Game Master (EX+), Leader's Dignity (EX), Path of the Sword King (EX), Lord of the Desert (Hidden)]
I was stunned.
A few days ago? No, hadn't it been less than a day?
The last time I checked, only my Luck and Agility had been over a thousand, but now all my stats had broken through that threshold.
And this was without using a single one of my additional stat points...
I was happy, but it meant I couldn't use Leader's Dignity anymore.
Creating a guild would increase the pool of stats I could distribute, but for my own stats to rise, a guild member had to have at least one stat higher than mine.
I’d heard that even Chil-seong, the top tanker in the Golden Lion Guild, had less than 500 Vitality. At this rate, making a guild would only benefit everyone else.
First, I decided to check Lord of the Desert.
[Lord of the Desert (Hidden)
Familiars: You can subjugate earth-element monsters and make them your familiars.
Your stats will increase according to the number and abilities of the familiars you possess.]
Oh, I can make monsters into familiars?
It seemed like a great hidden trait, though the earth-element restriction was a bit of a shame.
I wondered if I could summon them outside the Labyrinth.
Next was God Slayer.
I had so many Slayer achievements and titles from defeating new monsters or floor bosses that my status window couldn't even display them all.
They usually just gave a small stat boost. I wondered what killing a god would grant me.
With a flutter of anticipation, I tapped on God Slayer.
[God Slayer
A title given to one who has slain a god.
The holder's attacks are imbued with god-slaying power, allowing them to damage immortal beings.
(The title is enhanced according to the number and type of gods slain.)
Current god slain: Apep, Who Encircles the World, All Stats +200]
“Hyeon-ung?”
“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with your eyes…?”
“No. I’m fine.”
I rubbed my eyes in disbelief, which seemed to have made my companions misunderstand.
It looked like the God Slayer title was responsible for my massive stat boost.
Of course, now that I was learning to use intent, I knew that the stats shown in the window weren't everything, but still…
Not 100, but a whopping 200!
A grin spread across my face.
“Hyeon-ung, why are you suddenly smiling…?”
“Bio, is Hyeon-ung really okay?”
“I think something’s wrong with his head.”
“I’m perfectly fine, you know?”
****
Nine days had already passed since we entered the Labyrinth.
Although we hadn't defeated the floor boss, the Pharaoh, we had completed the quest and were told we could proceed to the next floor.
We were still lingering on the 60th floor.
I had been unconscious for five days, but that wasn't the reason for our delay.
“Rakset, Nix is coming out today, right?”
Nix, who had entered Ra's altar, had yet to return.
He had been sent into the altar the same day we defeated the god. Normally, the process was supposed to take only a day or two.
But it had already been over a week…
Just in case, I had received the Harpy Queen's letter and the video recording crystal, but the Labyrinth was closing tomorrow.
“It is because Ra has much to convey and many blessings to bestow. It would be best to wait a little longer…”
“Can’t we just open this?”
The place where Nix’s altar was located was now sealed by a massive stone wall.
“Kkyuing…”
The golden dragon also stared endlessly at the wall.
He was eating well, but he seemed to miss Nix.
“Stop pestering the Pharaoh. It’s almost over…”
“It’s over?”
“It seems to be almost over. The divine energy I felt from beyond the wall is weakening.”
“Kkyuing!”
After waiting about ten more minutes, the stone door opened.
Before I could even step inside, a red figure shot toward me at incredible speed, but I didn't move to dodge.
It was Nix, who landed on my shoulder and nuzzled against my cheek.
“You little rascal. What took you so long? I was worried.”
“Ppoyo! Ppoyo!”
Rakset had said that Nix would change after meeting the god, but there were no obvious changes to his appearance.
“Kkyuing!”
“Ppoyo!”
The golden dragon flew over and playfully nudged him, and Nix immediately chased after him, playing a game of tag just like before.
Nothing seemed to have changed, but I was relieved to see him healthy again.
“Ra has bestowed a tremendous gift upon him.”
The Pharaoh, who had been watching Nix, let out a sound of admiration, as if he knew something.
“He doesn't look any different. What gift?”
“You will naturally come to know when a crisis befalls you, Benefactor.”
When I asked what he meant, Rakset refused to tell me, saying he couldn't carelessly speak of a god's will.
How cheap.
In any case, we could finally leave the 60th floor.
“Alright, you two, that’s enough. Come here.”
I brought Nix and the golden dragon back to where my companions were.
To be honest, waiting for Nix on the 60th floor wasn't bad… in fact, it was quite nice.
The battle with Apep had been exhausting, but we hadn't fought at all since then.
Of course, that didn't mean we were just lazing around. I had received some training from Bio.
We had even sparred a few times.
“Hyeon-ung, Areh made this for me.”
Elaine showed off a bracelet made of brown grass.
Behind her, the brown-skinned Areh grinned, revealing his white teeth.
“It’s pretty.”
“I’ll ask him to make one for you too.”
“I’m fine.”
My arms and legs were already covered in accessories.
It wasn't just Elaine; my other companions had also gotten along well with the Pharaoh's people.
I, too, felt healed after spending a long-overdue break with the innocent children.
It felt more like being in a city than a Labyrinth.
“Oh? Nix!”
“You’re back.”
Hanna and Timi, wearing crowns of flowers, ran over as soon as they saw Nix.
“Ppoyo!”
Like the charmer he was, Nix flew around, nuzzling his cheek against each of his companions in greeting.
My companions, who had been scattered about, naturally gathered together.
“We’re leaving now.”
“Right now?”
“Mister, isn’t there only one day left until the Labyrinth closes?”
“That’s right.”
“Then can’t we just stay here a little longer?”
Rina was the one who spoke up, but I could tell from their expressions that everyone else was reluctant to leave as well.
Rina was right; there was only a single day left.
“We’ve rested enough.”
In the past, I might have rested for another day.
But now, I had a goal.
“An excellent choice.”
Everyone except Bio looked disappointed, but I didn't change my mind.
However, I did plan to visit the 60th floor for half a day or so if my companions wanted to later.
The Pharaoh had said we were always welcome.
“I will always pray for your well-being, Benefactor.”
“Alright.”
After a brief farewell, Bio approached me.
“Shall we go now?”
Bio snapped his fingers, and my vision began to shift.
[You have achieved the feat of being the first to reach the 65th floor of the Kramis Labyrinth. All Stats +6]
[Miter's Blessing has been activated.
You have visited a new place untouched by other summoners.
All Stats +1. For one week, the drop rate of normal items will decrease significantly, while the drop rate of rare or higher items will increase significantly.]
A familiar notification appeared and then vanished.
Seeing Miter's Blessing made me wonder if I should have stayed on the 60th floor for one more day, but I had decided not to obsess over efficiency anymore.
Still, it might be a good idea to take some time to explore each floor and collect the first-arrival rewards, even if we didn't stay long.
Anyway, the 65th floor?
I thought we would go straight to the 70th…
“This might be a bit much for your current level, so be careful.”
A bit much even for me?
It seemed the difficulty ramped up sharply on the higher floors.
Then again, Apep, though a hidden boss on the 60th floor, had been no pushover.
I acknowledged his warning, but Bio suddenly frowned.
“What’s wrong?”
“A problem has arisen. I must leave for a bit. See you later.”
“Huh?”
Before I could stop him, Bio vanished.
“Hey. He didn't even explain properly. He said it might be too much…”
“Something must have happened at the Sanctuary.”
Ah, right. Bio was one of the Sanctuary's guardians.
“I’m sure he’ll explain later.”
I was a little worried, but I couldn't turn back just because Bio was gone.
“It’s dark, so it feels a little creepy.”
“Elaine, aren’t you a demon?”
“Demons can dislike the dark too.”
It was nighttime, so it was dark, but the blue moonlight provided enough light to see.
“Hyeon-ung, I don’t sense any monsters nearby.”
“The environment is a bit unusual, isn’t it?”
“You think this is unusual?”
“I’ve never seen any of these trees before.”
Ah, I guess my companions wouldn't know.
The dense bamboo and pine trees, the blue grass that came up to my ankles.
These were all very familiar sights from Korea, where I used to live.
“These are common trees where I’m from. The bent ones are pine trees, and the straight ones are bamboo.”
As I explained, a small path appeared before us.
The path gradually widened, but strangely, there wasn't a single monster in sight.
We kept walking, but I had no idea what this theme was… huh?
“Hanna? What’s wrong?”
Hanna, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped.
“I think there are people up ahead.”
“You think there are people?”
The highest anyone else had climbed was Tae-soo’s Golden Lion Guild, and they hadn’t even reached the 50th floor yet…
“Yes. From the sounds, it seems like they’re in a battle. What should we do?”
For Hanna to be this certain, she couldn't be mistaken.
Were they like the Pharaoh's people?
Or maybe they were monsters in disguise, like the Golden Lycanthropes.
“Let’s go check it out.”
It was in the direction we were heading anyway.
We quickened our pace and walked for about ten minutes. Two groups of people came into view, and I was truly surprised.
“They all have black hair like you, Hyeon-ung.”
“Their clothes are strange, too.”
It was only natural for my companions to be curious.
The attire of the two groups before us was completely different from anything in Elsia.
A group in white and blue robes had formed a circle, fighting against masked figures dressed in black.
Everything from their clothes to their weapons felt like something out of a martial arts movie.
“So there were more rats!”
The man who appeared to be the leader of the black-masked group shouted, and three of his men, who had been pressuring the robed figures, broke away and approached us.
“Judging by your clothes, you’re not with them, but you’ve seen something you shouldn’t have.”
“Squad Leader, it’s not every day we see such pretty Westerners. Can’t we have a little fun?”
“We’re finishing this quickly and returning. Cut the nonsense.”
“Tch. Hey, you there. Just consider yourselves unlucky.”
Paying us no mind, they chatted among themselves before all three drew their swords and charged.
Ting—
They charged with bravado, but they were all sent flying back, blocked by a blue barrier Timi had cast.
“It’s sorcery!”
Sorcery? It was just a normal barrier…
They charged again, slashing and stabbing at the barrier with their swords, but it was useless.
Ting— Ting— Ting—
“These aren’t ordinary Westerners. Everyone, be on your guard.”
It seemed they had no knowledge of magic.
My experiences in Elsia had always been based on typical Western fantasy. I had never imagined something like this. How interesting.
“Hyeon-ung, I don’t think they’re summoners…”
“I think you’re right.”
“Then can I take care of them?”
Hanna asked, her expression unusually cold.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I nodded.
If you swing a sword, you should be prepared to be cut down.
Besides, the moment they uttered those vile words about my companions, their fates were sealed.
“I’ll take care of the one in the middle.”
I drew my sword as well.