Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Theme 1 Shop
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I stared at the message with a look of awe on my face.
['Poison Fog' has dissipated, fulfilling the clear condition!]
['Theme 1' trial ends.]
[In 30 minutes, you will move to the location for 'Theme 2'.]
I'd dealt with the Poison Fog.
It was proof of my survival!
I felt a swell of pride.
My chest was full, yet my heart was still pounding.
Ah, so this is what it means.
To feel alive?
'But.'
I soon furrowed my brow.
30 minutes?
Moving to the next location in 30 minutes left me with a nagging feeling.
What was this sensation?
This unpleasant itch, like I hadn't finished cleaning up.
Hmm, if I had to put this feeling into words...
Yeah.
Like enjoying a cool beer at a bar on a rainy day.
Then the rain stops, I head out, catch a bus home.
But I don't have an umbrella in hand.
That sense of missing something...
"Ah?!"
I let out a sudden exclamation.
My mind cleared in an instant, like cold water had been dumped over my head.
"Right! The shop!"
The location could completely change when I go to Theme 2.
Better to use the shop now while I can.
According to the intel voucher.
Theme 1 shops appear in various places around after the Poison Fog shows up.
"Ah."
And then.
I realized I didn't need to worry about that after all.
[Examiners appear in various locations around the area.]
The examiners, who had been hiding and watching us.
I sensed them one by one revealing their presence through my Pure Heaven Heart Technique.
And those examiners were surely the shops mentioned in the intel.
Sss!
Right beside me.
Someone appeared with a whoosh! at that moment.
"Whoa, you crazy bastard! Psycho fuck! Speechless asshole!"
From the start, spewing curses left and right—it was someone I'd seen before.
Rank 84, Thunderclap Floa.
"Yeah, that's right! You should've recognized me the moment you spotted me! You're just a total scam character after all. Ha, I'm so flabbergasted I can't even speak."
"......"
And once again, I couldn't help but be shocked.
Just as the me before facing the Poison Fog was different from the me now.
The 'power' I had sensed from Floa back then was worlds apart from the 'power' I felt from her now.
'She's strong.'
She was strong.
You see more the more you know, they say.
Strong enough to make me want to puke.
'A feeling totally different from the Poison Fog?'
The Poison Fog had a攻略able vibe, unrefined.
Floa was clean.
Flawlessly powerful.
"How the hell did you take down that horrific Poison Fog all by yourself? You really just a regular participant? Some hidden ranker? Or maybe not even human—some monster that popped out of a dungeon?"
"As if."
I grumbled curtly.
For starters, she was a 23-year-old from Germany.
Same age as me.
She'd already dropped the formalities on first meeting, so I decided to keep it casual.
If I switched to polite speech just because she's strong.
Wouldn't that make me seem weak to the strong and strong to the weak?
"Fuck! No matter how I think about it, this is way too OP!"
Of course, Floa didn't seem to give a damn about any of that.
"You! With this kind of presence, I guarantee it! The moment you get out of here, you'll climb into the single digits of the rankings in like three years? Ha, I'm dying of jealousy here."
Floa scanned me up and down like I was some exotic animal.
I endured her gaze for a moment before speaking.
"What? Why'd you come instead of the other examiners?"
"What, you got a problem? I called dibs, didn't I? Why, I can't come? I took a penalty because of you anyway—gotta satisfy my curiosity at least."
"......"
Why's the penalty my fault?
Blame yourself for getting caught.
I swallowed those words and got to the point.
"Fine, fine. All good, but what're you doing here? If you're here, do your job. Or at least say what the point of showing up is."
"Job?"
"Ha, didn't you come to sell shop items?"
"Oh, right! Yeah!"
Floa clapped her hands as if she'd just remembered.
I was dumbfounded.
Why's this girl such an airhead?
You sure you're an examiner?
"Ahem, ahem! Yeah! You must've racked up a ton of points, right?"
"Well, yeah, probably. After chowing down that much poison."
How much did I get?
I pulled up the status window I'd set aside for a bit.
[Your Trial Points.]
[Trial Points: 2,100,500]
"......!"
My jaw dropped.
What the hell is this.
2.1 million points?
"Why?"
Did she notice my weird expression?
Floa asked curiously.
"Why, how much'd you get?"
"First, what're the shop items? Pull it up, let's see."
"Huh? Hold on......"
Sss!
After a brief wait, the shop window appeared in my view.
[Ding!]
[Examiner 'Floa' opens the 'Shop'.]
[The currency for this shop is 'Trial Points'.]
[All items limited to 1 per person.]
[List - 10/10]
[1. A-rank Antidote - 1,000 points]
[2. S-rank Antidote - 3,000 points]
[3. Theme 1 Pass Voucher - 5,000 points]
[4. Theme 1 Intel Voucher - 10,000 points] - Purchased
[5. Theme 2 Intel Voucher - 10,000 points] - Purchased
[6. Elixir - 10,000 points]
[7. A-rank Random Box - 10,000 points]
[8. S-rank Random Box - 30,000 points]
[9. World Tree's Root - 50,000 points]
[10. Wish-Granting Scroll – 100,000 points]
"What? That's it?"
I was baffled.
The most expensive is 100,000 points?
I can't even spend all 2.1 million like this?
"That's it? What kinda ridiculous shit are you saying?"
Floa glared at me like I was insane.
"Ha, you little shit! Look at you gaslighting! Looks like you got around 100k, huh? You know that? Ever since Delaila made these trials, not a single participant has ever bought that number 10, the 'Wish-Granting Scroll'. I get you ate a bunch of poison and got a lot, but come on! Be humble!"
"......?"
Just 100k?
In that moment, I was reminded once again of what I'd done.
Devouring the Poison Fog.
That in itself was already insane.
"Whew."
I let out a soft sigh.
"Yeah, yeah. You're right about everything, so just. Gimme everything there."
Points left over.
But shop prices way too cheap.
Plus purchase limits of 1 per item per person.
What can I do?
Buy 'em all.
Honestly, even buying everything won't make a dent.
"What......?"
But Floa seemed plenty dented emotionally.
She asked again like she'd misheard.
"All? You want everything? What kinda bullshit is that from a B-rank hunter trying to be a ranker?"
Roughly meaning, what kinda nonsense is that.
"How many points you even got?"
I answered her honestly.
"Roughly 2.1 million?"
"Crazy?"
Floa was shocked.
"No way! What kinda insane points is that?"
"I dunno either. I was shocked too. Anyway, hurry up. 30 minutes left."
"F-For real?"
Floa, who'd been baffled, soon wore a look of shock.
She must've checked my points directly from my purchase request.
"Cr-Crazy. It's real? Excluding the 4 and 5 you already bought, total...... 209,000 points. Fuck, does this even make sense? Even if I told the guys outside, they wouldn't believe it."
[209,000 points used.]
[Remaining Trial Points: 1,891,500.]
At the same time.
Items floated up before my eyes.
Antidotes, pass voucher, random boxes, World Tree's Root, and the Wish-Granting Scroll.
Honestly, the Theme 1 Pass Voucher was unnecessary for me now.
But I'd bought it just in case.
[Hidden condition fulfilled.]
[You have purchased all items from the Theme 1 shop.]
['Theme 1 Exclusive' VIP Shop opens.]
"......?"
"......!"
Both Floa and I stared at the message in stunned silence.
"VIP Shop?"
I asked.
"N-No idea. First time seeing it too. Fuck. I'm losing my mind because of you right now!"
"Something I've been wondering...... You sure you're an examiner?"
"Shut up! You know how complex the dungeon Delaila made is? We're just helping out for some rewards on the side. Nothing more, nothing less! Plus, I told you! You're the first ever to buy that 100k point item! Why're you bitching at me when you're the crazy one freaking everyone out!"
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, man! Anyway...... Let's check out the shop."
[Ding!]
[Examiner 'Floa' opens the 'VIP Shop'.]
[The currency for this shop is 'Trial Points'.]
[All items limited to 1 per person.]
[List - 1/1]
[1. Reward Probability Amplification Scroll – 1,000,000 points]
"......Reward Probability Amplification Scroll?"
What the heck is that.
Why's it so damn expensive?
"Hmm, lemme read the description for you."
Something must be visible in the examiner's view, as Floa swiped at the air.
"The themes Delaila made are like, after you clear 'em, you get rewards in the next area based on your preferences? Probably amps up the reward odds there....... Crazy, what kinda bullshit......"
"What does that mean?"
"Ah, whatever. It's complicated. You'll find out soon enough anyway, so skip it. My take...... Yeah, buy it for sure. You got points to burn with nowhere else to spend 'em, right?"
"True that."
I nodded.
No real choice anyway.
Expensive as it is, it must be worth it.
I signaled to hand over a million points to Floa.
"Good call."
She smiled and snapped her fingers.
Then.
[1,000,000 points used.]
[Remaining Trial Points: 891,500.]
Wooong!
With a pure white light.
A golden scroll appeared in my hand.
A different vibe from the elegant silver 'Wish-Granting Scroll'.
"Whoa."
Floa shook her head in admiration.
"Man, you're something else. Flexing a million-point item. At this point, it's so absurd I'm not even jealous anymore. Kinda wanna stick around and see how far you go?"
Ignoring her, I sorted and checked the items I'd received one by one.
A-rank Antidote, S-rank Antidote, Theme 1 Pass Voucher—useless to me now.
[Item: Elixir]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Potion]
[Description: Legendary potion.]
[Effect 1: Cures all diseases.]
[Effect 2: Removes all status ailments.]
[Effect 3: Top-tier recovery effect.]
[Effect 4: However, cannot be used on the dead.]
Elixir's famous.
Occasionally drops as rewards in S-grade+ dungeons, sells for big bucks.
'Save this for later, give it to Kim Jin-ah when I get out.'
Auction it off, minimum 10 billion for sure.
World's full of rich folks obsessed with life and death.
[Item: A-rank Random Box]
[Grade: A]
[Type: Box]
[Description: A box that randomly yields an A-rank item.]
[Effect 1: Yields an A-rank item regardless of type.]
[Item: S-rank Random Box]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Box]
[Description: A box that randomly yields an S-rank item.]
[Effect 1: Yields an S-rank item regardless of type.]
Next, the random boxes.
A-rank's whatever, but S-rank's a jackpot.
Especially if it's a weapon.
An S-rank weapon's worth more than Elixir.
'Open these right away later.'
I turned my gaze to the next item.
[Item: World Tree's Root]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Root]
[Description: Fragment of the World Tree's root.]
[Effects unknown.]
A blue, mysteriously glowing tree root.
Weirdly, no effects listed.
Just unknown.
'Stash this for now too.'
[Item: Wish-Granting Scroll]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Scroll]
[Description: Use in a moment of crisis. Something you need most will appear.]
[Effect 1: In a moment of crisis. Ancient Magic aids you.]
"What's this now?"
[Item: Reward Probability Amplification Scroll]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Scroll]
[Description: Scroll that increases the plausibility of acquiring rewards equivalent to 1 million 'Trial Points'.]
[Effect 1: Makes the acquisition probability of the target reward 100%.]
"And what's this?"
I kept reading the descriptions.
No matter how many times I read them, one thought lingered.
'I don't get it.'
I could sorta interpret the effects.
But they didn't quite click?
That kind of feeling.
"......"
As I packed the other items into my bag and fiddled with the scrolls in my hand.
[30 minutes have passed.]
[Moving to the location for 'Theme 2'.]
Finally, the message signaling the end of Theme 1 appeared.