16. Volcano Zone
"Can't you do something about this heat first? It's getting hard to hold out."
I'd been maintaining my composure somehow up until now. At least I wasn't crawling on the floor like the other employees. If I didn't have my Mental Strength Gift, I'd be no different from them.
-Hmph. Fine. I'll cooperate this once. But since I'm sealed in this sword, you're the only one I can help.
"Got it."
Angelica couldn't wield her full power in her sealed state. But even this much was something.
Cursed with Hallucination.
Resisting Phantom Pain.
A hazy something climbed up my hand gripping the hilt and wrapped around my entire body. The scorching heat that had felt deadly eased to the level of a summer heatwave.
-This should do it, right?
"Phew. Now I can live."
-Now, time to uphold your end of the promise and give me something good.
"Not now. We just fought in the lobby and came straight underground."
-Ughhh. Fine. But if you're lying, you'll regret it!
"Yeah, yeah."
Dealing with this sword is no joke. Feeling refreshed, I turned to the side.
"Are you alright, Do-cheol-ssi?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Gwak Do-cheol's entire body was bright red as he nodded. Even knowing the pain was an illusion, the brain recognized it as real—that was the phenomenon at play. The only ways out of this agony were to resist the illusion like me or clear the stage. As quickly as possible.
The two department heads seemed to be enduring through sheer grit. Well, their stats were on another level, so it made sense. Madric Blood shouted decisively.
"Everyone, advance! Don't expect help if you fall behind!"
Thunder Sword Seon Ga-hee made a similar call. Even if those two were impressive, they couldn't carry every collapsing employee. And the other subordinates? Forget it.
In the end, only a few stuck close behind Madric Blood, including me and Gwak Do-cheol. She glanced at me once, then turned away.
"Not bad."
They say praise makes even a whale dance. And from Madric Blood, no less—my lips curled up involuntarily. Is this what it feels like to be a disciple of the Martial Emperor or Wizard Supreme? I shook my head to clear the thought.
Not long after, a monster horde appeared before us. Flame Lizard Men armed with decent spears. -Shaaaar! And flame birds reminiscent of phoenixes. -Piiiek!
They charged at us.
"If it's fighting spear-wielding beasts, I've got this!"
Gwak Do-cheol boldly drew his sword. But he didn't need to do anything.
Blood Impact Epsilon
Bloody Spear
Whoosh! The monsters dissolved into mere puddles of blood under Madric Blood's technique.
"Hmm. You can really see how much stronger she's gotten since then."
He must have been recalling the Jade Legged Blood Hand on Underground Floor 10.
"No choice there."
There was a vast gap between A-rank and S-rank. Sure enough, I caught Thunder Sword Seon Ga-hee sneaking glances at Madric Blood while pretending not to care. Until recently, she'd probably thought she was the strongest in the company—must be rattling her.
-Shaaar!-Piii!
Stab! Stab! Stab! Rumble, boom!
Madric Blood and Seon Ga-hee competed to slaughter every monster that appeared. Thanks to them, fewer employees suffered in the sweltering heat—but the real problem came next.
Soon, the employees halted en masse.
"……."
"Hmmm……."
Even the two department heads stood still, staring at the distant mountain. This Volcano Zone stage was pure mountainous terrain, wide open in all directions. Nothing obstructed the view, making the objective crystal clear: the structure atop the far peak. The so-called Military Factory. That's where the gear equipping these monsters was produced.
"Troublesome."
Madric Blood muttered. No obstacles blocked the path, but they'd hit a bigger snag.
Bubble bubble. A vast lava lake bubbled with rising orbs. Or at this scale, a river?
"Is there truly no other way?"
I told Madric Blood, "None. We have to cross this lake."
The destination was obvious.
"Department Head! There's a stone bridge over there!"
One employee spotted a path. Following his point, I saw rocks protruding above the lava surface. We hurried over and stood before the bridge.
"I'll go first."
As Seon Ga-hee stepped forward boldly, I blocked her.
"Hold on."
She scowled immediately. "What?"
"There's a saying from where I'm from: 'Test the stone bridge before crossing.'"
She crossed her arms, one eyebrow arched. "Not that—what makes you think you can butt in?"
"I'm……."
"Your voice sounds familiar. Radio Guy, right?"
"Yes. Radio."
"So?"
I pointed to the first rock. "Doesn't the shape look off?"
It was perfectly circular. A round rock—what's the issue? The perfection was the problem. It looked artificially carved, too precise.
"Yeah, it does."
"Look further back."
Seon Ga-hee shifted her gaze. The start had one rock, but they increased ahead: two, four, six... Each a different shape. Triangle, square, pentagon... even stars, flames, water drops, and more.
She jerked her chin at me. "Figure it out in 15 seconds."
Stingy with time. I glanced at Madric Blood—she seemed expectant too. Fifteen seconds? Plenty. No explanation needed.
I leaped straight onto the first stone bridge rock.
Thud. Landing lightly, I turned back.
"I'll sacrifice this body to reveal the answer."
In my past life, how many employees died figuring out the pattern? You had to step on the rocks to learn it.
The circle rock let me jump to any next shape. Choices: triangle or square.
Recall. What did I do then? Triangle led only to square next. Square to star or circle.
I eyed the third rock. "Square, pentagon, octagon."
No star or circle there, so triangle it was. The lava lake rocks followed a strict pattern. Wrong step? Rock vanishes, and you're swimming in lava.
No hints anywhere. No wonder employees died.
"Next, obviously square."
Check the shapes step by step ahead. I'd crossed this risking my life before—no Angelica then. The pattern wasn't complex, but monsters harassed from everywhere: sky, opposite shore, even lava depths, trying to knock us in.
-Shaaaar!
Flame Lizard Men thrust spears at me in the lead.
Boom! Crackle.
-Shaa…….
A bolt of lightning from behind finished them.
"Ignore the monsters."
A section chief like me under protection from two department heads—awkward. In my past life, this was employee hell. Crossing this easily? Unreal.
The other employees followed well enough. Reaching the end, I muttered, "Huge change."
Back when I didn't know Safety Planning's special functions or Creature Cards, clawing up from Floor 11. No Sealed Sword, no Floor 14 info. Failed to beat the boss properly, had to blow the factory.
"Gotta change it all."
Stepping across, I looked up at the Military Factory. It sat behind the summit on high ground, faintly visible from here.
"If only that had stayed intact."
Could we have beaten Abyssal Demon King Behemoth? At least avoided near-annihilation by his apostles.
Even clearing Floor 14 back then yielded no rewards post-boss—everyone left empty-handed. Despair set in: what kind of stage is this? Morale plummeted. Would the next floor be the same? They hesitated.
Who could've predicted losing a mere underground factory would hurt so bad? Who foresaw Technology Info Department (later Agency) losing special functions without it? Employees always scraped by with junk gear.
Departments competed but complemented each other. To avoid repeating that madness, we needed that factory.
I stepped forward. "This time, for sure."
Perfectly clear it. Vowing that, I eyed the monster legion pouring down the ridge like a tide.
"Good work, Radio. Not bad."
"Nothing much."
I remembered it all. Time to puff up occasionally. Guess Seon Ga-hee etched me as 'Radio.'
"So many of them."
Madric Blood had approached. "Even if the two of us fought, one could die unnoticed."
"Don't worry. No matter what, I'll protect you. You're essential talent to us, nira."
"……."
This level of praise left me speechless.
"Huff, huff."
"We made it."
The trailing employees arrived.
"I'd love to let you rest, but we must keep moving."
"We can still hold!"
They gritted their teeth. Were these the people who let us at least see Behemoth's face? The thought crossed my mind. But few could fight in this state.
I told Madric Blood, "Thanks, but I'll find my own way to survive."
She'd be too busy in combat. Heading up the mountain, better if I fend for myself.
Her lips curved. "Fine. Do as you like, you cute little thing."
What? Did I mishear?
Then the Sealed Sword vibrated.
-Hmm. Sister trusts you quite a bit, huh? You.
"Huh? What's up? Some scheme?"
-Who's forcing words out of me... Sigh. Know what's on that mountain? Besides the factory.
Angelica caught me off guard. "What is it?"
-Not telling.
"If annoying me's the goal, it won't work."
I knew anyway. Just curious what she wanted.
-Ugh. No fun.
"Maybe better if you'd stayed a full vampire."
-What do you mean by that?
"Nothing."
Gathering her soul fragments and restoring half her humanity filled her speech with playfulness. Her vampire nobility softened her voice nicely, though.
As we neared the volcano base and combat loomed, Angelica raised her hands first.
-...Really not curious?
"Why?"
-I've been dying to know what you promised!
"That's why?"
-Yeah! Didn't expect you'd care that much.
"That thing you mentioned up there."
-What?
"It's what you need."
And me too.