Chapter 59
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: No-Kill Mission
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This was the first blue sky I'd seen since entering Babel.
The 83,291 survivors, including Ju Gonghyeok, had ascended straight to the 5th floor.
A grotesquely vast plaza that could easily accommodate hundreds of thousands.
Encircling that plaza were eight unique cities.
The unique cities came in various mobile forms: pedestrian types with countless bridges attached, caterpillar tracks like chariots, massive drill-equipped underground movers, and more.
"Welcome back."
"How strong was the Heavenly Knight, Representative?"
The current sole flying unique city, 'Deus.'
The personnel lined up before it draped a cape over the shoulders of their returning leader, Christina, welcoming her warmly.
"The Heavenly Knight was already gone. But Ben-Hur, the kids from the Korean side made it up."
"That makes 37 in total now."
"Right, Ben-Hur. They'll probably be a huge asset. They survived against the Heavenly Knight, after all. Or..."
She turned her head slightly, glancing toward where Gonghyeok stood.
"Maybe one of them even repelled the Heavenly Knight."
Personnel from other cities were also chatting away, catching up after so long.
"Any direct combat or calculation types among the newbies who came up this time?"
"We need a mutation type on our side too. We've been trying to produce plastic in-house lately."
"How much food do you think 'Company' and 'Legion' brought to this gathering? Two or three monster ranches aren't cutting it anymore."
"We need to borrow some electrical ability users too. Can't compete with Company."
"More than that, Lucas said this time, at the angels' request, he went to hunt the first Heavenly Knight ever and spotted some pretty useful guy."
Not just her—the ten support troops who returned from the 4th floor were all eyeing Ju Gonghyeok.
They didn't think he'd repelled the Heavenly Knight, of course.
But the newbie standing alone amid what must have been a bloodbath with unknown casualties left a striking impression.
"Hia~"
"What are those huge things? Monsters?"
Overwhelmed by the majestic unique cities in their varied forms, the 80,000 newbies huddled together when an angel appeared before them.
A sturdy male angel—Sandalphon.
"My name is Sandalphon. I oversee part of Babel's operations. My role is to check that demons aren't breaking rules or using exceptional means."
He swiped his finger through the air, and a string of numbers etched themselves in white light.
"Code 011a01wc1k10—that's the number to call me. I can't assist your journey, but if there's any unfair rule-breaking, summon me anytime."
"Excuse me, angel sir, I have a question. Those cities over there..."
Another Sandalphon appeared before a young man who stepped forward eagerly.
"Those are unique cities. The 5th floor has no missions to begin with. It's where you'll make your lives."
"Our lives, you say?"
"So we don't have to do missions anymore? We can just settle here?"
"And those people up ahead..."
As questions burst forth like a dam breaking around him, thousands, then tens of thousands of Sandalphons materialized before them.
"There's still time. Ask away, slowly."
'Still?'
Some hunters caught the implication in his words, but most grabbed their own Sandalphon and unleashed a barrage of questions.
Gonghyeok stepped back from the crowd and clapped lightly.
"Lilianne. Congrats on becoming a Heavenly Knight."
"Congrats to you too for surviving the 4th floor."
Lilianne appeared behind Gonghyeok, where nothing had been, and kneaded his shoulders.
One of her horns bore a ornate golden ring signifying Heavenly Knight.
-Stay away! This is that lecherous succubus!
"Aya!"
A silver fork suddenly sprang from his collar, jabbing wildly at Lilianne's hand.
Nathaniel emerged from his inner pocket and planted himself proudly on Gonghyeok's shoulder.
-This person here is the angels' proxy, sworn to clear Babel!
-You're already a degenerate mess, and I won't let a demon like you drag him further into depravity!
Lilianne pouted at the little angel's glaring axe-eyes.
"Nathaniel, I heard the angel hierarchy's getting revised—from Seven Archangels to Eight?"
-I heard some succubus is brazenly gunning for Demon Duke?
Lightning crackled between their eyes.
Lilianne narrowed hers and leaned in to whisper.
"Hey, I brought what you asked for last time."
"Didn't really ask, but thanks for the effort."
As she slipped a small bundle into Gonghyeok's hand, Nathaniel speared it with his fork.
-Another shady deal! My eyes can't be fooled...
The pierced bundle spilled clothes: palm-sized dresses and the underwear Lilianne had coveted from Nathaniel.
The succubus grinned slyly and seized his arms.
"A girl needs her modesty. Try them on right now..."
-Let go, demon!
Leaving the two bickering, Gonghyeok yawned.
Sandalphon's explanation was wrapping up, and things were about to progress.
"On this 5th floor, before entering unique cities, there's a bonus mission prepared for all hunters—a big opportunity."
"This bonus mission is hosted by me, an angel. Killing and looting are absolutely forbidden. And every participant will gain something, be it a job, weapon, or avatar."
Veteran Babel hunters surrounding the plaza shouted.
"Do it no matter what! What you get there changes your life ahead!"
"No need to force aggressive picks! Any useful job or combat class makes life bearable!"
"Better hone your strengths than go half-assed!"
The newbies on the 5th floor exchanged glances at the advice-laced warnings and nodded.
"Then, let's move."
A white door appeared in the plaza, and the 80,000 hunters headed toward it.
Hard dirt crunched underfoot, revealing a vast floor littered with rings and metallic cubes rolling about.
One hunter picked up a rolling metal piece.
Examining it, he realized it was a cubic die.
"Now, everyone~ Please listen to Heavenly Knight Lilianne's explanation~"
Lilianne materialized in the air, brimming with excitement as she began.
"This is the mission 'Dice Room' made by Sandalphon—anyone can get rewards here. Let me explain the three doors on the floor."
Her tail pointed to the three doors embedded in the ground.
"From the left: Door of Jobs, Door of Materials, Door of Evolution.
The Door of Jobs gives skills matching the die roll's job.
The Door of Materials gives items like weapons, armor, accessories.
The Door of Evolution evolves avatars or raises levels.
Once you enter a door, no coming back out. Inside, you can roll up to three dice. And the dice..."
She summoned gold, silver, and bronze dice in her hand, enlarging one.
"See this gold die? Each face has a random number from 1 to 100, right?
Higher numbers mean better rewards. Floor dice might have all high numbers on six faces, or vary wildly.
Plus, gold die 10 might reward less than silver die 30."
Hunters picked up floor dice one by one to check.
"Now, final summary... First, no killing. Second, no looting. Third, no talking. Muttering to yourself is okay, but no conversations~"
The rules floated in the air.
Rule 1. No killing, looting, or talking between hunters.
Rule 2. Up to three dice rolls inside doors.
Rule 3. Dice include gold, silver, bronze, and more, each face numbered.
Rule 4. For maximum fairness and equality, skills and avatar abilities sealed (stats excluded).
Rule 5. Time limit 6 hours. Choose after.
"Oh, and about no killing..."
Her finger pointed skyward.
There, two immense eyes—size impossible to gauge—gazed down at the hunters on the ground.
Closer look: a face shape, below a neck, and beyond the horizon, white toga draped like aurora.
"Woo~ So huge, right? I got grabbed by those brutish hands once—no resisting."
Sandalphon's eyes turned her way; Lilianne broke into cold sweat and waved it off.
"One tip: Check the massive sand pit on the field. Lots of rare dice there. Anyway, start♡ I'll be back in 6 hours."
Lilianne vanished into a floor door in a flash, and hunters bolted out.
"This is freebies galore!"
"Gold, gold, gold, gold."
Most rushed for the sand pit and gold dice; only a few remaining hunters cautiously scanned around.
Gonghyeok spotted Soma Sangai piggybacking Yeonsi among them.
Soma greeted silently with prayer hands; Gonghyeok picked up a die.
Clack.
Gripping the bronze die hard, one face detached.
He disassembled it face by face into six bronze plates, then reassembled them into a single die.
[Achievement 'The Man Who First Disassembled a Die' achieved]
[Reward: 1 indigo coin granted]
Showing the disassembly and reassembly to Soma, Gonghyeok muttered lightly.
"Get it?"
Soma nodded with a short 'Ah' of admiration.
Yeonsi on his back whispered faintly in her listless voice, 'Oppa really is a genius...', then they picked up dice and vanished together.
Watching their backs, Gonghyeok loosened his throat and scooped up dozens of dice.
"Been a while since I did some solid good deeds in bulk."
He dismantled the gathered dice and scattered them ostentatiously into the air for other hunters to see.
Some hunters thought, 'What the hell is that idiot doing?' while hurriedly picking dice, but more and more exclaimed in awe, reassembling their own.
Some hunters, seeing what Gonghyeok did, realized:
'These dice aren't solid blocks—they're made to be separated.'
'And with enough dice, you can manipulate the eyes.'
'Disassemble, gather the highest numbers, reassemble...'
Selecting only the highest number from each die to complete a cube.
That was one of the intentions the angels hid in this 'Dice Room.'
"Yeah, yeah. Use your heads, folks."
He pulled fresh sea cucumbers and anemones caught on the 3rd floor from inventory and plopped down nearby.
-To think the walking bundle of nonsense is doing something decent for once. I, Nathaniel, can't hide my proud tears.
As Nathaniel wiped tears while holding his fork one-handed, Gonghyeok calmly grabbed the floating fork.
"Like the fork that much?"
-Wait, you don't mean...
"Spirit possession. Fork."
-Summoner? I-I hate sticky demon food like that...
"Only used you as a spoon on the 3rd floor, so seems you haven't wised up yet."
-Couldn't you at least cook it first?
"Best raw."
-You trash, I hate yoooouuu─!
He passed the time chewing Nathaniel's screams instead of a cigarette.
[Chapter 59 - No-Kill Mission] End