Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Caught You, Tag!
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Whoosh!
A powerful surge erupted from far away.
It was so ferocious that the sheer force sent my hair whipping around.
'Hmm.'
I narrowed my eyes.
The poison had been neutralized just fine.
But now the real challenge began.
She must still be out of it from the nerve toxin and hallucinogen the old man and I had concocted.
I had to track her down before she could escape.
I squeezed my eyes shut completely.
Wooong!
The Azure Heart Technique activated at once.
Energy radiated from my body in all directions, swimming through the space like fish gliding through the ocean depths.
Each strand pulsed with life as it searched for Floa.
Or rather, it tried to search.
'Damn, it's a total mess in here.'
Normally, the Azure Heart Technique would let me pinpoint anyone with energy easily.
But Floa's energy was nothing like that of ordinary hunters.
'What is she, some kind of invisible rogue?'
It was everywhere—east, west, south, north—like she was taunting me, her presence flickering wildly all over the place.
And that wasn't all.
Rumble! Kraaack!
Her epithet, "Thunderclap," lived up to its name, meaning the roar of thunder.
Even just scanning was enough to have deafening roars assaulting my eardrums.
If this were a real fight instead of tag, the noise alone would've kept me from battling at full strength.
"Not bad, sneaking that poison past me. I'll give you props for that."
Floa's voice echoed from all directions right then.
"But if you thought that little trick would be enough to catch me, you've got another thing coming."
Kraang! Kraaack!
Lightning crashed down everywhere.
Everywhere except right on me.
The ground around me split open like there was an earthquake.
"You punk. Don't chicken out. You know she can't hit you directly."
'Yeah, I know. I know, but...'
"Shut up and head right forty-five degrees. Run!"
'What? Got it!'
I couldn't find her on my own.
I had to admit it.
The gap between me and a ranker was still insurmountably huge.
"Losing a bet I placed? As your master, I can't stand for that. Win, no matter what. Go win."
But honestly, that didn't matter.
The old man was right there, solidly backing me up.
His power was basically my own opportunity and firepower, right?
'Yeah, I've gotta win. Especially with you guiding me, sir.'
Paat!
I kicked off the ground hard.
I tore through the shattering rocks and splintering trees like a madman.
"Hup!"
Some chunks thudded dully into me, others sliced into my skin, but I didn't slow down.
If anything, I pushed harder with every step.
'Faster. I can heal later.'
A fierce glint entered my eyes for the first time in ages.
Poisonous intent filled them.
Yeah.
I didn't know why, but...
Overcoming tough spots like this made me feel truly alive.
Vitality surged through my body, energy coursing anew.
"You rascal!"
Tadadak!
"She juked right. Steer more to the right! Yeah! A bit more! More!"
No need to think.
Just follow the old man's directions from beside me.
"That's it! You're doing great! The distance is closing!"
I glared straight ahead.
Focused solely on dodging obstacles while charging forward.
Pshk!
A grazing rock shard tore my cheek, blood spurting out.
'Amazing.'
Was this what they called immersion?
Sharp debris flying everywhere seemed to unwind like tape unspooling in slow motion.
And my body? It felt like floating weightless through space.
Fleeting moments stretched into eternity.
'Guys, quit hunting treasure and get over here.'
I swung my staff, summoning the bones into my hand.
'Come help. Surround this whole area.'
"My lord!"
"Master!"
Creak!
The crew, who'd been working far off, rushed to my side.
In that brief time.
They read my emotions perfectly, nodding as they scattered in all directions.
"Y-You bastard! How the hell are you tracking me? You hacking or something?"
Floa's panicked voice rang out.
"N-No! This won't work! What the— these bones? Why are they so persistent? And why are there so damn many?!"
Her voice, which had echoed from everywhere until now, came only from dead ahead.
She was right in front of me.
The tide had turned completely.
Honestly, at this point, it was like eating cold porridge—easy pickings.
"Heh, see that?"
The old man chuckled contentedly beside me.
"It's 'cause none of them have poison resistance. That stuff... even peak-me would've struggled hard against it. It's that innovative. She'll suffer more as time goes on. Probably sees ten of you by now."
And that wasn't all.
Skeletons blanketed the area.
Everyone except Demir had called their own minions, who called theirs.
The space filled with them, all radiating massive presence.
They formed a spiderweb-tight formation, not letting even an ant slip out.
With over sixty of them...
Floa must be seeing over six hundred.
And then.
Swish!
The staff in my hand had morphed into a spear.
A God-Slaying grade spear, no less.
Its edge was anything but ordinary.
"Floa!"
No matter where you're hiding, there's no escape now.
Your only way out is killing me.
But you know it, and I know it.
No need for that.
'I can feel her.'
This close, I could sense exactly where Floa was hiding.
Drenched in hallucinogen and nerve toxin, unable to muster proper energy.
"Quit whining and come out already."
I called out to her.
"I can antidote you. Why tank it raw like that?"
Pzzt!
At that instant, electricity sparked in midair.
"You fucker!"
Floa finally revealed herself, glaring daggers at me.
"You... what the hell are you? What did you do to make this ridiculous...!"
She looked wrecked.
Her skin had turned a sickly blue-green.
"And what's with this poison? Is this the same crap you survived in that poison fog? Graaah! Ptui! *Cough, cough*!"
Floa hacked and spat blood like she was dying.
"That's not even worth calling poison. This is way worse. Come here."
I approached and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Wooong!
I channeled energy, releasing the poison I'd siphoned from the fog.
"Y-You bastard! What the hell?!"
"Shut up, I'm detoxing you."
"Urk!"
Floa bit her lip in agony.
'She's tough.'
Was it the fog's poison?
Or the old man's recipe?
Either way, I was stunned.
A nerve toxin that worked on a top ranker.
'I'm really getting strong.'
It hit me for real now.
Once I absorbed all of Delaila’s trial rewards and stepped out into the world...
'Ranker for sure.'
I'd be on par with people I'd once seen as mountains.
Confidence welled up.
Wooong! Wooong!
The antidote worked like a charm.
Her blue-green skin gradually normalized.
Color soon returned to her face.
"Phaaa, haa! Haaa... Finally feel alive."
"You good?"
"Good? I nearly died. Fuck. Is this for real? Me, the great Floa, losing to a participant?"
"Looks that way."
I smirked at her.
"Remember the slave bread?"
"...What about it."
She flinched.
Thought I'd let it slide, huh?
I smiled faintly.
"No need to freak out. I don't want anything right now anyway."
Later.
When I needed something, I'd cash it in.
"But a ranker like you won't welch, right? If you are, say so now."
"...Fuck. What're you gonna do about it?"
"Nothing much."
That was the truth.
The bet was just between Floa and me.
No legal binding or enforcement.
If she played dumb and told me to buzz off, I'd have no recourse.
"But from now on, whenever I think of Germany's 'Floa' the ranker, I'll picture some lowlife thug who laughs at promises. Won't think positively of you, that's for sure."
"...What?"
My own brand of boldness.
I'm going places.
If you wanna burn that bridge now, go ahead.
And surprisingly...
It seemed to land.
"..."
Her expression turned serious, unlike before.
Floa was genuinely pondering.
"F-Fine."
"Huh?"
"Fine! Later, whatever you ask—one favor, that's it!"
A favor.
Hey, that's a steal right now.
Just having pull with ranking 84 was a huge win.
"Anyway, we'll talk details after surviving the trial! Grab your perks, you damn punk. Ugh, thinking about the penalties you cost me."
She grumbled, flicking her hand.
[Ding!]
[Examiner 'Floa' opens the 'Shop.']
[The shop's currency is 'Trial Points.']
[All items limited to 1 per person.]
[!Warning!]
[This is the last shop. Spend all your points.]
The perks from Theme 1 appeared.
The shop opened.
[List - 10/10]
[1. B-Grade Distance-Shortening Scroll - 1,000 points]
[2. A-Grade Distance-Shortening Scroll - 3,000 points]
[3. S-Grade Distance-Shortening Scroll - 5,000 points]
[4. B-Grade Distance-Extending Scroll - 1,000 points]
[5. A-Grade Distance-Extending Scroll - 3,000 points]
[6. S-Grade Distance-Extending Scroll - 5,000 points]
[7. Elixir - 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]
"Hmm?"
My eyes darted around.
Same ten items as before.
"Distance-Shortening? Distance-Extending?"
What the hell?
I furrowed my brow.
"Sigh."
Floa let out a breath.
"Snagging perks this early? Trial's basically over for you."
"What's that mean?"
"Distance-Shortening Scrolls shrink the remaining distance to Giant Castle by percentage. Normally, you'd solve secrets while treasure-hunting to earn them. But hey, if you can force out an examiner, the trial's pointless anyway, right?"
Oh.
That was it?
Not walking it raw.
Treasure-hunting was the key?
Hints leading to using those scrolls—that was the trial's solution?
"Then what's Distance-Extending?"
"Extends the distance—for other teams, not yours. Exclusive to the shop."
"Huh."
"Choose wisely. Warning again: shops only up to Theme 2. After that, nada. Hoarding points now? Useless."
"...Yeah?"
I glanced at my remaining Trial Points.
[Your Trial Points.]
[Trial Points: 1,314,500]
How many relics had the skeletons looted on the way?
Added to the old total, it came to a whopping 1,314,500 points.
Meaning I could buy everything out, like last time.
No need to agonize.
"Alright, gimme everything then."
"Yeah, figured. What a monster."
Floa shook her head in exasperation, nodding.