Chapter 130
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: 33. 12th Floor (6)
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Crack!Snap!
The Weak Point Detection spell's effect was tremendous.
Starting from where Bunny had slammed into it, cracks began to spiderweb outward.
Just like hammering a nail into glass, fissures spread across the entire ice tree.
Once glass cracks, its fate is sealed. The ice tree was no different.
Crack!Craaack!
The initial fissure summoned even larger ones, and in an instant, they collapsed into ruin.
What would happen to the monkey perched atop a tree if it suddenly toppled?
"Cherruk?!!"
The snowfield kobold let out a panicked shriek and yelled urgently.
Whiiiish!
At that moment, another arrow whistled through the air.
It wasn't aimed at me this time.
Thuk!
An arrow tied to a rope embedded itself in the thigh of the snowfield kobold tumbling from the tree.
Another snowfield kobold perched on a different ice tree had fired a rescue shot.
Twang!
The rope went taut, yanking the struck kobold's body back.
"Where do you think you're going!!"
I immediately drew my artifact axe, channeled mana into it,
and hurled it at the second snowfield kobold while shouting.
"Gigantify!!"
Kuuuung!
The axe ballooned in size in an instant and spun lazily toward the ice tree.
"Cherrruk!"
The second snowfield kobold freaked out, released the rope, and fled.
The first one, now with just an arrow in its thigh, plummeted straight to the ground.
Splat!
The thick snow cushioned its fall, miraculously keeping it alive. It stared up at me with a dazed expression.
"Felt good splitting logs with that smirk, huh?"
"Che, cherruk!"
Along with the snowfield kobold's scream,
Crack!
blood sprayed across the white snowfield.
Its skin was white, but the blood was red.
The thrilling sensation coursing through my hands heated my mind. I quickly assessed the battlefield.
Two ice trees hit by Ellie and Lamel's fireballs were half-melted, with two charred and shriveled snowfield kobolds at their bases.
Joey Hogg and Juwel, limited in countermeasures from atop the trees, were guarding the priestess and mage.
We'd faced four in total, and one had fled.
"Not many of them."
Kobolds live in packs like goblins.
Snowfield kobolds are no exception.
They band together in groups of at least five, up to thirty. Yet only four had ambushed us.
"Scouts, probably. The main force will come hunting us soon."
That was the only reason pack hunters would send just a few fighters ahead.
To probe our strength before the real fight.
The party nodded at Joey Hogg's analysis.
"Shouldn't we move fast? I hear snowfield kobolds are great at climbing trees and archery. Another situation like that one could be dangerous."
Lamel voiced his unease.
Dozens of snowfield kobolds raining arrows from high ground.
Definitely a risky scenario.
"Hmm... No. In a cave like the upper floors, maybe, but in this open terrain, running blindly could be worse."
In a straight tunnel, a shield blocks everything.
But in an open-world game—not a side-scroller—you have to watch front, back, sides, and diagonals.
If we bolted into the open and they surrounded us with arrows from afar?
With no cover and low mobility, we'd be at a severe disadvantage.
We needed to neutralize their advantages and boost our survival odds.
An idea flashed through my mind.
"Ellie. Lamel. How many more Fireballs can you cast?"
"Five. More than that risks mana exhaustion."
"Two's my limit from here."
I pondered their responses.
'Will it work?'
The power had looked sufficient earlier.
"Balkan. Got something in mind?"
Joey Hogg asked. I nodded and outlined my rough plan.
"Primitive, but solid."
"Just replaying that last fight, right?"
"Simple and straightforward— it'll work."
The party approved unanimously.
We quickly finalized the strategy and sprang into action.
Lamel and Ellie stacked spells for instant casting, while I used Weak Point Detection to memorize vulnerabilities on nearby ice trees.
As we prepared for the snowfield kobolds' assault—
Cherk— Cherk—
They entered my activated perception range.
"Incoming."
The party nodded in unison.
The best defense is a good offense.
Time to teach these foolish raiders their place.
***
"Cherk! Checheurk!"
The snowfield kobold that ambushed Balkan's party and barely escaped raced back to the pack to report.
A specimen a full head taller than the others, born from a 14th-floor male explorer's seed.
The leader snowfield kobold immediately rallied its forces to hunt the prey.
"Cherk. Che!"
The thirty snowfield kobolds bowed to their leader and obeyed.
The snowfield beasts nimbly climbed trees and traversed the ice tree forest.
"Cherk. Checheurk."
The leader sneered at the six distinct footprints etched in the snow.
They weren't skilled enough to erase them.
The scattered traces alone gave a rough estimate of the prey's caliber.
How many meals had they claimed here before?
A near wipe of the scouts was no big deal.
Just six prey? His pack could handle that easily.
Not arrogance—pure confidence from experience.
"Cherk!!"
A lead snowfield kobold spotted a lone prey and cried out.
A short, shield-bearing female. Dwarf Joey Hogg.
"Che!!!"
At the leader's shout, the thirty snowfield kobolds darting between trees halted as one.
Some trees held two, others up to six.
They swiftly nocked arrows.
"Ruk!!!!"
The leader swept its arm, commanding fire.
Whiiiiiish!
Whiiiish!
Twenty arrows tore through the frigid air and wind, loosed in unison.
As Joey Hogg activated her artifact shield in horror, the leader sensed something off.
Fewer arrows headed for the squat dwarf than expected.
"Cherrruk!"
"Checheurk!"
Screams erupted from the rear kobolds.
The left ice trees were melting under fireballs,
and the right ones creaked ominously, tilting.
"Che, cherk?"
Panic was brief; the leader grasped it quickly.
The base of the ice trees—a blind spot when charging ahead.
The insolent prey had hidden there, baring fangs to hunt them instead.
Ambushed by prey.
Its pride as a snowfield hunter was crushed.
Grind!
The leader gnashed its teeth in fury, glaring at the prey.
Left: two fireball mages and a guarding swordsman.
Right: an axe-wielding male and a powerless priestess.
Best to crush the weak first.
Born from male explorer semen, the leader had always instinctively despised and crushed males.
Dull males. Sperm sacks. Inferior beyond breeding.
A few arrows to stuff and serve them, and the pack would thrive.
Krrriiing!
The bowstring drew back, arrowhead aimed at the male's gut.
Blue mana granules gathered on the tip.
Then.
Boooom!
The spinning arrow sucked in ambient chill instantly.
Power incomparable to the others.
An ice arrow infused with snowfield frost.
It would freeze the target solid—even their axe—hurtling viciously at the male.
Yet the male didn't dodge.
He just stared blankly at the incoming arrow.
The leader grinned in victory.
"Bunny."
As expected, too slow to react—
"Eat."
Crunch!
"...Cherk?"
The leader blinked in disbelief, rubbing its eyes.
Its keen eyes, spotting prey from afar, had seen it clearly—yet it was unbelievable.
The axe blade split into jaws and swallowed the ice arrow whole.
But the shock didn't last.
"Spit it back."
Boooom!
At the male's command, the axe gaped again and regurgitated the ice arrow.
Splurt!
The ice arrow pierced the leader snowfield kobold's skull.
A hole between its eyes froze over, body went limp, and it tumbled from the ice tree.
"Cherk! Chechecheurk!!!!!!"
"Cherrrruk!!!"
The leader's sudden death cracked the kobold pack.
Chaos clouded their focus on the prey.
Balkan wouldn't miss it.
"Wipe 'em all out!!!!"
Fireballs from the left instantly melted trees and kobolds.
Balkan swung his massive axe and the similarly enlarged artifact axe freely, rampaging through the ice forest.
Craaack!Snap!!!
Every axe strike to an ice tree's weak point toppled it, sending kobolds crashing into snow.
Crack!Snap!
He confirmed each kill personally.
Trees shattered with each swing, red blood staining the pristine snow.
Sizzle!Thud!
Ice shards flew as trees burst.
Skin tore, chunks embedded in flesh, but Hitollis's healing miracles kept him going in a trance, axe whirling.
"Cherk. Che. Checheurk...!"
He pursued a retreating snowfield kobold, face pale with terror.
It scrambled backward on all fours, scraping snow—until its back hit an ice tree base.
No escape.
"Che, cherk—"
The snowfield kobold wailed despairingly, staring ahead.
Blood-splattered helm, hulking muscles.
A male larger than itself, wielding an enormous double-bladed axe.
No.
More savage than kin, fiercer than any layered beast.
A barbaric warrior.
Craaack!
Flesh parted with a wet sound.
The kobolds' cries fell silent.
"Hoo..."
Balkan steadied his breath and turned.
No white snowfield remained.
Only blood-soaked crimson filled his vision.
His hands trembled.
How long since he'd slain so many?
Brain burned, heart pounded.
Battle adrenaline made his body radiate heat that could melt winter's bite.
"I-is it... over?"
"Th-thought I was done for. Dozens of arrows at once... Got another bar story."
"Forget that—what the hell was that magic, Balkan?! How'd you send the arrow back?!"
"O-Oppa... You okay...?!"
He gave a wry smile at the regrouping party.
Survived again, at least.
***
One leader snowfield kobold soulstone.
Three regular snowfield kobold soulstones.
Forty intact special snowfield kobold poison arrows.
Miscellaneous byproducts like snowfield kobold hides.
"Insane. So many soulstones...!"
"Their arrows are top quality. Fetch a good price."
"Harvest matches the grind!"
We packed the worthwhile loot, ditched the junk, and stowed rewards in bags.
After healing potions and a one-hour breather, we pressed on.
"Snow's falling."
"Waa... So pretty... Oppa, look together."
The snowfall over the snowfield was breathtaking, but no time to gawk.
"Night's coming soon. Gotta find shelter before it gets colder."
"Right. Move quick. Caves or igloos from prior explorers."
For cold resistance and safety, we needed a spot.
Mid-layers introduce day-night cycles to the labyrinth.
Unlike the ceilinged upper floors.
Checked the wristwatch Diana gave: 17:00 already.
The kobold fight had delayed us.
Sky was darkening.
"Hoo..."
"Hoo. Hou. Meow."
Party marched in formation, huffing warm breaths against the chill.
12th floor's bite pierced winter gear.
This cold now? Night would freeze us solid—hypothermia or worse.
Sleeping outside? You'd die for real.
With Joey Hogg's firewood, we needed a cave pronto to light up and thaw.
"Atchoo!"
Sniff.
Ellie sniffled, cheeks rosy.
I handed her my worn insulated fur coat.
"Wear this at least. Ellie."
"I-I'm fine. Oppa'll be cold too... Sniff... "
"Got a miracle from a certain priestess. I'm good."
"I-I can warm up with Fireball if needed..."
"No. Can't waste mana on that—who knows what'll hit next."
"...Sorry then."
First extreme for Ellie, so extra care versus others.
"...Oppa's scent... Hehe."
She smiled brighter in my sweat-soaked fur.
But three hours in, no decent rest spot.
Now 20:00.
Deepening freeze slowed us; faces paled.
Abyssal dark made scouting a yard ahead tough.
"M-maybe dig a burrow and hide inside...?"
"Crazy? Just bury ourselves alive?"
"B-but moving more's risky. Beasts rampage at night..."
As we debated ditching shelter for desperate digging—
"Th-there! Light! It's light!"
Ellie pointed afar, yelling.
Eyes turned.
Nearby cave.
Warm light leaked out.
"W-wait. Could be outlaws?"
"No choice anymore. Delay further and we're done."
I shook my head at Joey Hogg's worry.
Only shelter nearby.
Pass it, and no guarantees on the next.
Miss this? We might be cold corpses by morning.
Had to mooch warmth somehow.
If talks failed with hostiles, kill 'em.
"I'll take point—just in case. I'm in best shape."
"Sorry. Can you?"
Joey Hogg's hands shook too much for her shield.
I led cautiously toward the cave, party alert but not too close.
"Anyone there!!!"
Shouted near entrance; rustling inside.
"Wh-who's that?!"
Small, cute voice.
Kid? No way a normal one here.
"Explorers Balkan and Joey Hogg's Union party! Mind if we share the cave—"
"...B-Balkan?!"
Cute voice panicked instantly.
Another presence stirred inside.
Two total.
"R-really?! Your name's really Balkan?!"
Odd. They knew me.
Still, I nodded.
"Yes! Explorer Bal—"
"Master!!!!!!!!!!"
Thud!
A woman burst from the cave like a bullet, tackling me.
I hit the snow; she mounted me.
Shing!
"O-Oppa!"
Party armed; Ellie's shocked cry.
But my eyes fixed on the woman straddling my crotch.
Moonlight revealed her.
Black bob cut, chaotic purple eyes.
Perfectly soft medium tits, wide sturdy hips.
In this cold: white fur top, black rag, short denim shorts—like a slut.
Smile brimming joy and mischief.
Pet collar still around her neck.
"Missed you so much! Master!"
Once ambushed to eat me, reformed, swore loyalty.
Dog-perv-slut-maso-slave.
Kakchi was there.