Chapter 232: Just Kidding
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 232: Just Kidding
“So, I just need to practice handling Horus’s mana for three weeks?”
“No.”
“What? Is there something else?”
We were inside Iris’s magic item shop. Or rather, what used to be the inside; it was now a subspace, sealed off from everyone by Iris’s magic.
“That artifact on your left wrist.”
“Oh, this?”
Iris spoke while floating sideways in mid-air. I wondered if that posture was actually comfortable; I still felt the pull of gravity, but she clearly didn't.
She pointed her index finger at the bracelet-type artifact on my left wrist. It hadn't originally been mine. I’d received it from a crazy exhibitionist mage named Aurora, who possessed slightly larger-than-average areolas.
“Where did you get it?”
“It’s a bit of a long story... but I suppose it’s fine to tell you, Iris.”
Come to think of it, Iris didn't seem to have any friends other than me. She was a vampire living in hiding, so it wasn't like she could easily make any. Usually, information like this leaked because of people with loose lips and wide social circles.
It would probably be fine to tell her.
“I received it from a certain mage in Roanmarie.”
“Why?”
“Why? Well... her friend seemed to be in a bit of trouble, and I happened to help out. I got it as a token of gratitude.”
I wasn't exactly lying. That was the truth, if you ignored the fact that the 'friend' was the actual boss entity of the 1st Stratum of Roanmarie’s Great Labyrinth.
“Where is it now?”
“What do you mean? The person? I wouldn't know. Probably taking a dump at home for all I care.”
“....”
“What?”
“The coordinates.”
“Ah, you mean the coordinates for this artifact.”
She really needed to use subjects when she spoke. It was quite annoying how she looked at me with those half-lidded eyes as if I were the strange one when she was the one who misspoke.
“Right now, it’s set to a cave on the 50th floor... Wait, did I ever tell you what this artifact is used for?”
Now that I thought about it, I didn't recall ever telling Iris about this teleportation artifact. Furthermore, this was a coordinate-setting type teleportation artifact, something not found on the open market.
Then again, Iris was a Vampire Lord, so she was likely proficient in magic. But was human magic the same as vampire magic?
‘Has she lived on the surface so long that she’s mastered human magic too?’
“Let’s go.”
“Go where, all of a sudden?”
“The 60th floor.”
“Whoa, that’s way too sudden.”
She had originally said that if I could just capture Horus and learn to use him properly, I’d be ready to fight the Succubus Queen. What was this talk about suddenly going to the 60th floor?
“Yes.”
“Don't just say 'yes'.”
“Welcome.”
“You still haven't forgotten that command...?”
Regardless, I didn't know much about the 60th floor. The only thing I knew was that if you stood still, you’d become a human popsicle instantly.
Oh, and I suppose I knew that the original owner of the Snowfield Troll blood I’d used so effectively for a long time was on the 57th floor. As for the rest, I only had a vague idea of what the boss entity was like; I hadn't heard anything else.
“You have it, right? The Frost Core.”
“Wait, how did you know about that?”
“You showed me.”
“Oh, right.”
I remembered using it once on the 50th floor when Iris complained about the heat.
“Why the 6th Stratum all of a sudden?”
“Don't you want to win?”
“You said I could win just by using Horus.”
“I said you needed to practice.”
“But I’m asking why we have to go to the 6th Stratum for that.”
Wow, Iris was really impossible to talk to. As expected of a Vampire Lord; with such a frustrating way of speaking, her subordinates probably all died of high blood pressure.
‘A Vampire Lord who causes hypertension. Terrifying.’
“Go and practice.”
“You want me to practice handling Horus’s power in the 6th Stratum?”
“Yes.”
“So that was it. You should have just said so. But why not do it in the subspace? The subspace you made is quite helpful.”
“For various reasons.”
“Hmm, I see.”
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Inside Iris’s subspace, I could travel to any terrain through the illusions she created, and she could manifest countless powerful enemies.
However, the one downside was that no matter how much I devoured, nothing actually entered my stomach. Going to the 6th Stratum would be different in that regard.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Yes.”
* * *
“Ah, Aven. Welcome.”
“It’s been a while, Dahlia.”
I met Dahlia again in the Southwest Guild lobby. Perhaps because it was one of Katrina’s rare days off, Dahlia’s complexion looked even darker than usual.
Even though Katrina was a senior guide who usually spent her time stealing pies from the warehouse or lounging on the desk to tease her juniors, she was still reliable when it came to handling difficult customers.
“Yes... it has. Though I’ve heard your name quite often these past few days, Aven.”
“Haha, did something happen again?”
When I played it off with a joke, Dahlia looked at me with an expression that asked if I was being serious.
“I heard you returned to the surface with a Horus egg....”
“Yeah... well, that’s how it happened.”
“It’s not just ‘how it happened’... That’s something that’s only occurred four times in the last 200 years....”
“Hmm, why is it so hard?”
At my response, Dahlia shook her head with a hollow, weary laugh.
“Phew... Explorer Aven. You are Cobalt Grade... technically, but you are currently undergoing a promotion screening for Palladium Grade.”
“That’s news to me.”
“A letter arrived from the Guild Headquarters a few days ago. They told us to correct Explorer Aven’s grade....”
“Hmm, why is that?”
I didn't remember doing anything in particular. For the Guild Headquarters to suddenly order a grade correction, did some kind of problem arise?
“Entering a Labyrinth Portal alone while a 40-floor Labyrinth Wave was in progress, then eliminating the monsters inside and causing an early termination of the Labyrinth Opening.”
“Aha.”
“It’s not ‘Aha!’ It’s unprecedented! Currently, it’s been misreported that you solo-cleared a 40-floor Labyrinth Opening!”
“Isn't it basically the same thing?”
I had entered that Labyrinth Portal because of what Iris said. She told me she’d show me a way to quickly close an opening labyrinth since we were short on time, so I just followed her lead.
As it turned out, among other explorers, that action was considered synonymous with suicide. Granted, there were an incredible number of monsters inside.
The boundaries between the 20th floor, where the opening was progressing, and the 40th floor, the highest level, had collapsed, causing space to distort whenever I moved. The biggest issue was the overwhelming quantity of monsters, but since very few of them could fly, it wasn't much of a problem for me.
My memory of it ended with me floating in the air for a while, controlling hundreds of Evil Eyes to conduct a tedious orbital bombardment.
When it was all over, I went down and scavenged a few corpses that were in decent condition, but I ended up throwing them away because they were useless.
“Sigh... anyway... you might get a call from the Page of Arcana soon. Your grade is likely to be adjusted upward.”
“I see.”
Dahlia let out a deep sigh, tracing the dark circles under her eyes with her fingertips. Man, I guess an explorer working hard is tough on the guild staff too.
“That concludes the briefing....”
“Ah, then is it my turn to speak?”
“Yes? Is there something you need?”
“I came here for a reason, after all.”
Dahlia tilted her head in confusion and checked the mail receipt log.
“Huh...? I sent a letter to the inn where you’re staying. I asked you to visit as soon as possible because there were many things to discuss.”
“Oh, that’s news to me. I haven't been back to the inn much lately.”
“Then... why did you come to the guild...?”
“To enter the Labyrinth, of course.”
Dahlia massaged her throbbing temples and remained silent for a moment before pulling out the explorer labyrinth entry/exit log.
“Wh-where are you going....”
“The 60th floor.”
“Please.... Just don't go to the 60th floor and solo a boss entity or something....”
“Haha, sorry.”
“Uuuugh....”
* * *
“It’s hot.”
“I told you, this is the 50th floor.”
“Hurry up and go up.”
The 50th floor was still part of the 5th Stratum, so it was hot. Naturally, a brutally cold snowfield region would begin from the 51st floor. Thinking about it, the labyrinth layout was quite malicious.
To go from a desert region where you felt like you were roasting to death straight into a snowfield where you could freeze just by standing still.
It meant that ordinary people had to pile on layers of clothing here on the sweltering 50th floor before entering the snowfield.
If you went up to the 51st floor while drenched in sweat from the heat, you could freeze to death from hypothermia in an instant.
—Crackle...
“Not that it applies to me.”
I didn't need the Frost Core anymore. This entire world was covered in frost.
Whooooosh—
As soon as we stepped onto the 51st floor, a tremendous chill pierced through my entire body. I thought I’d be fine since my body generated a lot of heat in my combat form, but the cold was even more biting than I’d anticipated.
“Iris, are you okay?”
“The cold doesn't really bother me.”
Come to think of it, I’d heard that vampires had low body temperatures. Iris didn't seem particularly bothered by the cold either.
“Hetchyung!”
“What was that?”
I scoured the surroundings to find the source of the sound I’d just heard, but my senses picked up nothing.
“Oh no...! Is there some kind of assassin monster here too...?”
There was no way that sneeze just now could have come from Iris. To have such perfect stealth... as expected of the 6th Stratum.
“Iris, let’s get out of here quickly. I think something is lurking nearby.”
“....”
“Just kidding. Wipe your nose.”