Chapter 235 Fraud
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: Fraud
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Jeong Yoo-shin stepped onto the cavern floor.
The cool air, unique to a cave, penetrated his helmet and lingered in his nose.
He could feel the breathing of his party members behind him.
He quickly took out a flint and lit a torch.
Fwoosh.
The torch flared up, illuminating the dark cave.
Immediately, Armin stepped forward and chanted a summoning spell.
[Living Armor]
[Living Armor]
[Living Armor]
Light flashed, and three suits of plate armor appeared.
Armin closed his eyes and muttered something.
Clank. Clank.
The empty suits of plate armor moved in an orderly fashion. One stood in front of Jeong Yoo-shin and another stood behind Armin and Kenneth, both holding torches high.
The last one stood next to Jeong Yoo-shin and Karin.
Jeong Yoo-shin looked at the summons here and there and then nodded.
"You can summon three of them? That's reassuring."
"Actually, I can summon about two more!"
"That's amazing."
At Karin's compliment, Armin's lips twitched. At that sight, Kenneth's face softened.
"Should I summon more?"
"No. This should be enough. We need to save our magic."
"I understand."
"Let's go."
Jeong Yoo-shin slowly moved his feet.
The party members walked toward the dark cave.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
One day. Two days. Three days. Four days.
A week passed, and they arrived on the 10th floor.
Ash Village, in the form of a small village in a cave, was the place where Saint Ezdras's first seal was located.
Explorers would rest here for a while and exchange magic stones or loot for supplies.
They would also soothe their tired minds and bodies at the tavern by drinking cheap alcohol brought in by the Merchant's Guild.
Jeong Yoo-shin and his party spread out their sleeping bags outside the village and lit a bonfire.
It wasn't quiet as there were quite a few explorer parties around.
Jeong Yoo-shin sat down in front of the bonfire and took off his helmet.
His hair, damp with sweat, flowed down.
Jeong Yoo-shin swept his hair back and glared at Armin.
"W-Why are you looking at me like that?"
Armin looked up at Jeong Yoo-shin with a frightened expression.
"Armin, you’re a capable friend."
Jeong Yoo-shin reached out and ruffled Armin's hair.
"W-Woah!!!"
The flustered Armin screamed.
Thanks to Armin, they easily cleared the floors in a week.
It was to the point where he felt it was so unfair how he had struggled so far.
With a single summon, Armin's summons would take care of scouting, tanking, and rear defense.
Was that all?
If there were traps or strange objects, he could just send a summon to check them out.
When they camped, the summons would keep watch for them, so there was no need to stand guard.
Anyone who knew how much fatigue accumulated from standing guard would have clapped their hands and rejoiced.
Armin gave a proud smile.
"Believe it or not, I'm one of the most promising talents of the Mage Tower!"
Indeed, he was an intermediate-rank low explorer despite his young age.
Jeong Yoo-shin had been curious about what Mathias was thinking when he had sent such a young friend his way.
He had thought that the boy was trying to catch him off guard and extract information.
However…
Looking at Armin's behavior, it didn't seem like he was trying to monitor his every move.
It was all just following him around out of pure curiosity.
If he was an elder of the Mage Tower, he wouldn't have sent a naive kid.
It might have been a sign of reconciliation.
Could it be that Mathias had really sent Armin because he thought the boy was a necessary talent to conquer the 20th floor?
In any case, Armin was a very capable friend.
However…
It was a pity that he was interested in Eru.
Kenneth unpacked his things and looked at Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Skar."
"Got it."
Jeong Yoo-shin spread his hand.
[Eternal Ark]
A huge coffin emitting a golden light landed on the ground.
Thud!!!
The gazes of the people camping around them were momentarily focused.
Their faces had surprised looks due to the coffin that had suddenly popped out of thin air.
But Jeong Yoo-shin didn't care, merely opening the coffin and putting his hand inside.
He took out a huge iron pot and food ingredients.
Fatty pork and jerky.
A little dry bread and cheese.
He also took out a few potatoes, carrots, onions, and tomatoes.
Kenneth took the ingredients and skillfully prepared them.
He first put the fatty pork on the heated pot.
The pork was fried until crisp, giving off a savory aroma.
Kenneth quickly prepared the vegetables, put them in the pan, and stir-fried them.
He added a little water, broke the bread and jerky into small pieces, and threw them into the pot.
When the soup thickened due to the starch in the bread, he cut the cheese into small pieces and added it in.
After waiting a little, a delicious smell wafted out.
Kenneth scooped up a little soup with a ladle, tasted it, and nodded.
"Not bad."
Jeong Yoo-shin was the first to receive a bowl full of soup.
Hot steam rose from it.
It was a luxury he couldn't have even dreamed of in his novice explorer days.
He would have had a hard time even just experiencing this if it weren't for the golden coffin he had received from the elf queen.
Even when he got caught up in various things in Labyrinth City, he hadn't stagnated.
He was definitely getting better in every way.
Jeong Yoo-shin scooped up the soup and put it in his mouth.
It was delicious.
A soup where the salty broth from the well-cooked vegetables and jerky blended well.
Eating the warm food relaxed his tense body and mind.
He slowly ate the soup and looked at Kenneth.
His cooking skills were amazing.
Did he say he had honed his cooking skills while running an orphanage with little means?
It didn't seem like a lie.
Eating the warm food reminded him of Tarman's group.
Anne, Marie, Karl, and Dean.
The party he had been with when he first entered the labyrinth.
The friends who had stayed in Labyrinth City and worked for Dean, who had gone to the Mage Tower after being afflicted with madness.
Fate had brought them together, and they had run an inn together.
He had given them money to see Dean on their vacation and sent them to the city where the Mage Tower was.
How were they doing now?
"Armin."
Armin, who had been diligently eating, raised his head.
"Yep!"
"Do you know someone named Dean?"
"Ah! I know him! Isn't he the man who was afflicted with madness?"
"How is he these days?"
Armin scratched his head.
"He's just living."
"Tell me in a little more detail."
Armin wrinkled his forehead and tilted his head this way and that.
"It's the usual. He spends most of his time sitting blankly while afflicted with madness. What more is there to say?"
"That's true. But there should be other people around Dean."
Armin nodded.
"That's right! They come to see Dean-hyungnim every day and take care of him. That red-haired noona and the fierce-looking ahjussi are very devoted! Ah! And there's a pretty priestess noona too."
The red-haired one would be Anne.
The fierce-looking man, Tarman.
The priestess should be Marie.
He had sent them on vacation, and they were taking care of their friend.
He vowed to raise their salaries when they came back from vacation.
"By the way, how are you planning to overcome the 'law' of the Mountain area?"
At Armin's question, Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his head.
The law of the Mountain area.
Gaze.
He had read a book about it, but it was still confusing to him.
In the Mountain area, a 'hideous thing' would appear in the sky for a certain period of time, and if you looked at it, you would go mad and become a wreck.
He had tried to imagine it, but it was difficult.
Because it was completely different from the 'laws' of the labyrinth he had experienced so far.
Up until now, the laws had been formless and had only forced a certain action.
But…
On the 20th floor, the 'law' had a form.
He had gone back and forth to the central library several times and repeated his research.
Because he had no idea what that 'hideous thing' looked like.
He had found illustrations of the 'hideous thing,' but most of them were messy, like a child's scribbles, and were hard to recognize.
Still, he had found one commonality in the various pictures.
The 'hideous thing' was in the shape of a black sphere and had a huge eye.
Jeong Yoo-shin thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.
"First of all, as long as we don't look at that 'hideous thing,' we won't go mad, right? I don't think we need to worry too much."
"That's difficult."
Kenneth shook his head and continued.
"As you know, the monsters that appear in the Mountain area are all tall. They're big and strong, and there are many that fly."
"Right."
"What are you going to do if monsters come out and attack us while the hideous thing is in the sky? It won’t be a minor attack either. Most of them are fatal attacks that’ll separate your bones and flesh if you get hit once."
At Kenneth's question, Jeong Yoo-shin nodded.
It was a valid point.
"First of all, when that hideous thing or whatever is in the sky, we should hide in a shelter with a roof. When it's not there, we'll advance through the floor. We'll plan our route around the shelters, and we'll end the battles quickly. That’s my plan."
The Mountain area was several times wider than the other areas, so it took a long time to move from one place to another.
No matter how well the plan was made, the key was still how quickly and safely they could fight.
"Leave the navigation to me. I've already prepared everything, so you don't have to worry too much."
Karin said with a smile full of confidence.
The party members finished their meal while chatting about this and that and then spread out their sleeping bags in their respective spots.
Jeong Yoo-shin loosened the straps of his walker boots and the clasps of his armor, then laid down and closed his eyes.
The sound of explorers talking echoed around him.
They were drinking and talking, fighting over the distribution of rewards, and looking for people to replace their dead party members.
The sound of people's voices tickled his ears like a lullaby.
Jeong Yoo-shin closed his eyes and entrusted his body to the darkness.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Jeong Yoo-shin, who had slept soundly for the first time in a long time, got up.
Kenneth was already preparing breakfast, and Armin was still fidgeting in his sleeping bag.
Karin was nowhere to be seen.
Jeong Yoo-shin threw off his sleeping bag, stood up, and stretched.
No matter how much he had improved physically by leveling up, camping on the bare ground in armor for a week was still pretty difficult.
He asked as he stretched his stiff body.
"Where's Karin?"
At Jeong Yoo-shin's question, Kenneth raised his head.
"She said she was going to the village pub for a bit to gather information."
"Yeah?"
Jeong Yoo-shin shook Armin awake and started breakfast.
From a distance, Karin approached them.
"Any news?"
Karin sat down next to Jeong Yoo-shin.
"No. There weren't any particular rumors."
Jeong Yoo-shin and his party members finished their meal, tidied up the area, and then headed for the transfer stone.
When they reached the end of the village and placed their hands on the transfer stone, a red portal and a blue portal were created.
"Tsk."
Jeong Yoo-shin looked down at the Bracelet of Unity on his wrist.
The Bracelet of Unity he had bought at the Explorer's Guild Headquarters.
He had it checked several times just in case. Still, he was anxious.
The memory of the hard time he had in the Swamp area made him grit his teeth.
Karin came over and held Jeong Yoo-shin's hand tightly. She didn't say anything, but he felt reassured.
"Let's go."
Jeong Yoo-shin and his party members arrived in the Swamp area.
Contrary to Jeong Yoo-shin's worries, there were no major problems this time.
Not even a single crisis showed itself.
Armin's summons swept through the Swamp Ghouls as if slaughtering them.
11th floor.
12th floor.
13th floor.
14th floor.
The party members advanced without hesitation and stood in front of the 15th-floor transfer stone.
Armin had a bewildered expression.
"Skar-nim."
"What?"
"How can you know so much about the Swamp area?"
"I learned it naturally while rolling around to survive here."
Armin's expression became dumbfounded.
Among the knowledge the barbarian knew, there were also some that weren’t in books.
He used various medicinal herbs to block the poisonous insects that lived in the swamp.
He tore off a strangely shaped tree root and chewed on it.
He advanced without hesitation, even in a terrain covered with a thick, blood-red fog.
Even their guide, Karin-nim, looked at the barbarian with a surprised expression.
Was the rumor that he had survived alone in the Swamp area true?
It was terrifying.
Whether he knew Armin's thoughts or not…
Jeong Yoo-shin tilted his head.
It was as if he were dreaming.
'We're clearing the floors this easily?'
Karin's overwhelming navigation skills.
On top of that, Armin's versatile summons.
And Kenneth, who had a detection ability to find monsters that Armin's summons couldn't sense and was also good at cooking.
They didn't encounter many monsters, their luggage was light so they didn't waste any stamina, and their condition right now wasn't bad.
Could he be this lucky?
Even a cheese-strat clicking party wouldn't be this easy.
Armin's summoning magic especially was a great help.
Jeong Yoo-shin stood in front of the 15th-floor transfer stone and placed his hand on Armin's shoulder.
"Armin."
"Y-Yes!"
Armin, who was nervous at the prospect of going to the Mountain area, let out a squeak.
"Let's be a permanent party. You have talent."
"Eh?!"
"Is there something you don't like?"
"N-No! Not at all! It's an honor!"
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled and placed his hand on the transfer stone.
"When we get back, I'll put in a good word for you at the Mage Tower."
Whoosh.
A red portal and a blue portal were created in front of the transfer stone.
And Jeong Yoo-shin stepped forward first.
A flashing vision and a sense of floating.
And then…
A huge mountain range and a high sky spread out before his eyes.
Jeong Yoo-shin summoned the golden coffin, set it up, and drew his black iron greatsword while looking around.
A terrain with sparse trees and wild grass, like a plateau in Northern Europe.
It was a place covered with a damp fog.
The sky was dark, but there was no ominous aura.
The party members began to come out of the open portal one by one.
"Wow!"
Armin let out a sound of admiration and turned his head this way and that.
It was a wide area.
Karin immediately took out a map from her backpack and looked at it for a while.
Jeong Yoo-shin checked the ground first.
It was sloped. There were small stones, rocks, and grass.
Even if he was wearing walker boots, there was a high probability that he would misstep during a battle. Of course, it wasn't a place where movement was as restricted as in the Swamp area.
Jeong Yoo-shin stood up and looked up at the sky.
He didn't know when the hideous thing would appear.
First, he had to find a shelter and move quickly.
Karin folded the map and put it in her pocket.
"The shelter is quite close to here. Let's go quickly and get reorganized first."
"Alright."
At that moment.
Boom!!!
Boom!!! Boom!!! Boom!!!
"Guwoooooo!!!"
From a distance, two huge monsters came running at them while roaring.
He recognized them at a glance.
Mountain Trolls.
Unlike normal trolls, they boasted an overwhelming defense because of their stone-hard skin.
Thud!!!
Kenneth lowered his iron bow and fixed it to the ground.
"Is it finally time for battle? I'll take the left."
He took out a huge arrow from his back and nocked it.
Jeong Yoo-shin held the black iron greatsword with both hands and stepped forward.
"Alright. I'll take the right. Armin, protect Kenneth with your summons. Karin, stick with me."
Armin glanced at Jeong Yoo-shin's black iron greatsword.
"I understand! But Skar-nim?"
"What?"
"That greatsword… Can you really use it?"
"I can."
"Really?"
Not only Armin, but also the other party members looked at him with doubtful eyes.
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled faintly.
"I'll show you. Don't worry and focus on the battle."
"Yes!"
Kenneth immediately drew the bowstring to its limit and released it.
Thwoooong!!!
The huge arrow flew toward the Mountain Troll's head with fierce momentum.
Paaaaaaaaaa!!!
Baaaaaaam!!!
The arrow hit the troll between the eyes, pierced its skull, and scrambled its brain.
The thick tip of the arrow protruded from the back of the troll's head.
The Mountain Troll collapsed on the spot.
Instant death.
Jeong Yoo-shin immediately ran toward the remaining Mountain Troll.
The troll swung down a huge tree trunk.
Whoooosh!!!
The tree trunk, tearing through the air, descended toward his head.
If he got hit properly, it would be over.
Still…
There was no fear in Jeong Yoo-shin’s eyes.
'This kind of thing is only scary the first couple of times.'
Jeong Yoo-shin quickly sidestepped.
Kra-boooom!!!
Along with a pile of dirt, wild grass and broken stone fragments flew into the air.
Thwack, thwack, thwack!!!
They also hit his helmet.
Jeong Yoo-shin held his breath and gripped the black iron greatsword with all his might.
The target was the troll's right leg.
He planted his feet firmly on the ground and twisted his waist with all his might.
Creeeeak!!!
The sword was so heavy that he gritted his teeth.
He swung it with all his might.
From bottom to top.
A diagonal slash.
Whoooooooosh!!!
Screeeeeeech!!!
The black, pillar-like sword crushed and tore the troll's leg bone apart.
It was truly an overwhelming destructive power.
The party members' eyes widened like lanterns.
Thud!!!
The leg, torn off at the bone, rolled on the ground.
An enormous amount of blood gushed out from the cross-section.
Splaaaaat!!!
"Guwoooooo!!!!"
The Mountain Troll screamed and twisted its body, but it lost its balance and fell to the ground.
Kuuuuung!!!
The ground shook violently, as if the monster was heavy.
Karin quickly ran out and stood on the head of the struggling troll.
[Weakness Detection]
An imprint she had gotten in her last labyrinth exploration.
The troll's eyeball and the nape of its neck glowed red.
Karin swung her dagger, stabbed it deep into the troll's eye, and scrambled its brain.
When the troll swung its hand, Karin dodged here and there and stabbed her dagger in again.
Once. Twice. Three times.
The dagger repeatedly dug into the same spot.
The troll, its eye pierced, thrashed a few more times and then stopped moving.
Death.
Not even 5 minutes had passed since the battle began, but it was over in an instant.
Jeong Yoo-shin patted his throbbing waist and laughed.
"This is manageable."
"Isn't that a crazy greatsword? No, a troll leg the size of a tree trunk, just ugh."
"Did you really swing that?"
The party members gathered around Jeong Yoo-shin, their jaws dropped.
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled widely and stroked the greatsword.
"Did you think I was talking about a quick battle for nothing? I've prepared everything."
At that moment.
Clang.
The blade, which had been broken diagonally, rolled on the ground.
Clatter.
The black iron greatsword had broken in two.
"What...?!"
"Huk."
Jeong Yoo-shin was so dumbfounded that he stared blankly at the blade of the black iron greatsword.
"What is this?"
Shit.
‘Did I get scammed?’
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T/N - This chapter is quite a bit longer than normal, so enjoy!
Lol, those dwarven blacksmiths got scammed hard, and the MC suffered too because of them. He better get a refund from them. But I remember them saying that the sword came from a deeper part of the labyrinth. I wonder if it’s true or is it just part of the scam?
Also, damn, Armin is OP. Well, Summoners usually are. Especially the ones with humanoid summons. Armin even got Living Armor summons, so they follow commands without complaint and come with heavy defenses. I hope Armin stays permanently in the MC’s party.