Chapter 9: 1st Floor Hidden (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: 1st Floor Hidden (2)
I can use Mental Focus while time is stopped.
My Willpower also recovers while time is stopped.
The conclusion was simple:
I could use my skills with almost no restrictions!
For magic-type skills, casting time was effectively non-existent. All I had to do was stop time and use Mental Focus. I’d never run out of Willpower, either. If it started running low, I could just stop time and wait for it to recover.
The only remaining constraint was the skill’s cooldown.
Wait... what about the cooldown?
No, surely not. Cooldowns should only decrease as actual time flows. Still, just in case, I decided to check. I waited for a full 100 minutes while time was stopped.
[Willpower: 100/100]
After topping off my Willpower, I resumed time and looked around. Since I’d taken down the Knight Goblin, it was time for the Crossbow Goblin to appear.
“...?”
A small boulder in the corner of the cavern shifted. A Crossbow Goblin crawled out from a passage hidden behind the rock. I had wondered where they kept popping out from; so that was their secret entrance.
I locked eyes with the creature. As it hurriedly tried to aim its crossbow, I stopped time.
Alright, here’s a gift for you.
The moment I finished my Mental Focus and resumed time, I unleashed a fireball. With a violent explosion, the Crossbow Goblin was blown to smithereens.
[Flame Strike (0:27)]
The message appeared the moment I checked the skill’s status. I stopped time immediately.
[Flame Strike (0:27)]
The number didn't budge. As expected, cooldowns didn't decrease during stopped time. Honestly, it would have been ridiculous if that worked too. Being able to use Mental Focus and recover Willpower was already broken enough.
I take it back—magic-types aren't trash at all. Under these conditions, magic-type skills were perfect for me. No, "perfect" didn't even cover it. It was pure, broken synergy.
The downsides of magic-type skills are long casting times and high Willpower consumption... and those downsides had completely vanished. In gaming terms, it was like having an infinite mana pool and every spell being an instant cast. Since Flame Strike had a 30-second cooldown, it meant I could spam a high-tier spell every 30 seconds without limit.
Though the mental fatigue might be an issue.
I organized my thoughts. Come to think of it, the clear message hadn't popped up yet. The reason I came back to repeat this floor wasn't for mana stones, but to find the hidden route. Since the trial hadn't ended, there had to be something more.
[Would you like to exit the Tower?]
The message appeared the moment I thought about leaving. Fine, I could leave whenever I wanted. Let’s look around a bit more first.
The boss room was a sealed cavern. If I went back through the passage I came from, I’d just end up at the starting point. There didn't seem to be any other space...
“...”
My gaze fell on the passage the Crossbow Goblin had crawled out of.
Could it be that?
I walked closer. The entrance to the passage was now more exposed thanks to the explosion. I got down on all fours and poked my head inside. A tunnel led further down, like a rabbit hole.
An underground tunnel?
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to go in. I had a gut feeling that this was it. It shouldn't be too dangerous; I could always escape whenever I wanted, after all.
“Hup.”
I squeezed my body into the hole. It was just wide enough for one person to pass through. I crawled down the gentle slope into the pitch-black darkness. With my vision gone, I focused entirely on my hearing.
I was a bit nervous. I really hoped an arrow wouldn't suddenly fly into my face. Maybe I should have gone down feet-first.
Fortunately, the tunnel ended quickly. A wide, brightly lit space appeared ahead. As I climbed out of the hole and stood up, I flinched in surprise.
It was a cavern with walls pockmarked with holes, just like the one I had crawled through. And someone was sitting right in the middle of the room. For a second, I thought it was another goblin, but it was a human.
A... human? Here?
I tensed up. The figure didn't move an inch.
“...Excuse me?” I called out cautiously.
There was no response. I moved closer to get a better look. The figure wore robes reminiscent of a mage. When I caught a glimpse of the face hidden under the hood, I recoiled.
The face was grotesque, as if the skin had rotted and melted away. The old man with the disfigured face sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. I watched him quietly.
What was I supposed to do? It wasn't a monster, but a person, so I had no idea how to proceed. Do I have to wait for him to open his eyes?
Could this old man be an enemy? I felt uneasy about getting any closer.
That was when the old man opened his eyes. His gaze locked onto mine. A voice like scraping metal drifted out.
“I thought it was noisy outside... Child, for what purpose have you come all the way here?”
I was at a loss for words. Purpose? I didn't really know myself.
“You don't look like the Imperial Army. An adventurer? You've hastened your own death. Since a rat has crawled in, I might as well use you as a test subject.”
“What?”
A test subject? I didn't understand a word he was saying, but one thing was certain: my life was being threatened.
The moment I decided he was an enemy, I backed away and cast my skill. I stopped time, finished my Mental Focus, and launched a fireball at the old man.
BOOM!
Crimson flames engulfed him. Did I get him?
As the smoke cleared, the old man’s figure was revealed. Surprisingly, he was perfectly fine. A translucent film was spread around him.
What was that? A barrier?
“...A mage? How?” the old man muttered, sounding bewildered.
My strongest skill had been blocked. Just as I was wondering what to do next, the old man suddenly shouted.
“Everyone, come out! Kill him!”
A moment later, the sound of dozens of footsteps rushed in. Goblins swarmed out from the holes pockmarked on the cavern walls.
Crazy. What is this?
I was terrified.
Kieeeek—!
Dozens of goblins rushed at me from all directions.
[Flame Strike (0:01)]
Seeing that the skill cooldown was almost up, I immediately stopped time. Fighting a few was one thing, but dozens was a different story. If I got surrounded, I wouldn't be safe from a stray spear or blade. There was no reason to fight a dangerous battle.
I’m going to wait 100 minutes, you bastards.
Once again, I exercised the virtue of patience and waited for my Willpower to fill.
[Willpower: 100/100]
After a long wait, my Willpower was maxed out. I finished my Mental Focus, resumed time, and immediately launched a fireball right into the thickest cluster of goblins.
KABOOM!
Chunks of flesh scattered into the air. The goblins hit directly vanished without a trace, and those nearby were blown away by the shockwave. A pungent, acrid stench stung my nose. It looked like two-thirds of them were wiped out in one shot.
I moved to clean up the remaining stragglers, running around and slicing them down one by one. It was over quickly.
After dealing with the goblins, I looked at the old man again.
“...”
Um, what are you doing?
Amidst the chaos, the old man was still sitting in his spot, eyes closed as if meditating again. The barrier was still active around him, so there wasn't much I could do. Should I go closer and try hitting it with my sword? Either way, it seemed like I had to kill this old mage for the trial to end.
That was when the old man’s eyes snapped open. Simultaneously, a dark energy enveloped the cavern. I tried to back away in surprise but almost tripped. The floor had suddenly turned into a muddy swamp, sucking my feet down.
“W-What is this?!”
As I panicked, the old man cackled.
“You arrogant brat! Did your master not teach you how mages fight? To think you would just stand there blankly until I finished my magic!”
Tentacle-like shadows rose from the black swamp. With my feet caught, I couldn't move. The more I struggled, the deeper I sank. The tentacles squirmed toward me, sending shivers down my spine.
Wait, time out. Just a second.
[Would you like to exit the Tower?]
Emergency exit.
Exit, exit, exit!
As I shouted desperately in my mind, the scenery shifted.
I was back in my room. I panted heavily, gasping for breath.
“Haa... haa...”
I almost died.
[You have failed to clear the Nightmare Difficulty 1st Floor Hidden Route. (2/3)]
[The hidden route will be closed after three failed attempts.]
A message floated before my eyes. So that old man really was the hidden boss.
“That crazy old geezer.”
A barrier, controlling goblins, and the floor turning into a swamp—he was using some bizarre abilities. Given how he mentioned test subjects, was he some kind of black mage? It seemed the difficulty of a hidden route was on a completely different level compared to a normal clear.
Closed after three failures...
I only had three chances. At least the good news was that I could keep my life.
I had to try again. Since I had two chances left, I had to find a way to defeat that mage.
“How do I beat him?”
I sat on the edge of my bed and crossed my arms. My skill was blocked by the barrier. If a barrier could block a flame explosion, it wouldn't break just because I whacked it with a sword. I’d have to do something about that barrier first. With my current tools, it seemed impossible.
“Seohyun, are you up? Come eat breakfast.”
While I was agonizing over it, morning came. Even while eating, my mind was elsewhere.
“Don't pick out the carrots. Eat them all.”
“I am eating them.”
“Do you know how good carrots are for your eyes? Seoa, you take after your mother with bad eyesight, so you have to take care of them.”
My younger sibling grumbled while poking through the braised short ribs. No matter how much she was told not to be a picky eater, it was like talking to a brick wall.
Sigh, that stubborn brat.
Suddenly, something clicked.
‘Did your master not teach you how mages fight? To think you would just stand there blankly until I finished my magic!’
That’s what the old man said. Finished his magic? Does that old man also have to use something like the Mental Focus I use for my skills?
‘He was meditating the whole time until he used that strange magic.’
Maybe that was him using Mental Focus. Then what about the barrier? The barrier was also magic, but he deployed it the moment I launched my attack.
...Ah.
No. The old man definitely had his eyes closed when I first encountered him. Maybe that was him performing the Mental Focus required to cast the barrier? The conversation we had afterward was likely because he had already finished his preparations.
The old man had mocked me for standing there blankly until he finished his magic. In other words: when fighting a mage, don't give them time to finish.
...I think I’ve found a way.
* * *
Taking advantage of the time when my family was out, I entered the Tower again. After lightly dealing with the goblins, I entered the underground passage once more. I crawled as fast as I could.
When I emerged from the tunnel, the mage was sitting there with his eyes closed, just like before. The moment I saw him, I stopped time.
I finished my Mental Focus and cast my skill without a single word.
KABOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the cavern. Only a pile of black ash remained where the old man had been.
Did I get him?
A message appeared before my eyes.
[You have successfully cleared the Nightmare Difficulty 1st Floor Hidden Route.]
I got him. I let out a hollow laugh.
“This actually works.”
As expected, he had been preparing his barrier. Strike first, win first—that was the answer. Now that I knew, the solution was so simple it felt anticlimactic.
[You are fully absorbing the power of the floor.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Level has increased.]
[Moving to the Reward Room.]
The scenery shifted.
[Difficulty: Nightmare]
[Floor: 2nd Floor]
[Level: 15]
[Willpower: 200/200]
[Skill: Flame Strike (Rare)]
My level had skyrocketed again. I felt the power overflowing in my body and clenched my fists. Now, let’s see. What’s the reward for the hidden route?
There were several items around me. I saw a book and picked it up first. It was an old tome with a geometric pattern on the cover.
[Item: Malphadus's Magic Grimoire]
A magic book left behind by the mage Malphadus. Upon use, you can choose and learn one of the following skills:
[Skill: Lesser Mind Control (Rare+)]
[Skill: Teleportation (Rare+)]
[Skill: Corrosive Flame (Rare+)]
[Skill: Shadow Swamp (Rare+)]
[Skill: Life Drain (Rare+)]