Chapter 170: The Frog's Request
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: The Frog's Request
After finishing the rearrangement of the Underground City, the first thing I did was head to the Plaza Section to identify potential monster spawn points.
"This looks like a good spot."
In the center of the Plaza Section stood a half-collapsed building. Its interior was completely trashed, and it had no ceiling—only the surrounding walls remained. If I reinforced these walls and spawned monsters in the center, I could establish a systematic leveling process.
The most important thing is quick and easy mana adaptation.
Adventurers undergo mana adaptation by killing monsters. Through this process, they enhance their physical capabilities and obtain abilities.
Mana adaptation is essentially a form of leveling up. Normally, this process takes an incredibly long time. Even I, who had slain a Minotaur, a Chimera, and a Manticore, hadn't reached level 10 yet.
Of course, dying midway caused my experience points to evaporate, but regardless, reaching level 10 was no small feat. Even among current Silver Badge adventurers, few had undergone mana adaptation more than ten times. Perhaps it was different for adventurers of the past, but modern adventurers weren't particularly high-level because their overall quality had declined.
Regardless, to quickly raise the level of these adventurers and send them to the 6th floor, I believed it was necessary to have them undergo mana adaptation through systematic hunting here.
Actual combat skills can be honed below the Layer Division. For now, the priority is to level them up as quickly as possible to increase their survivability.
Consequently, the Underground City's academy would also be built in the Plaza Section. I planned to train adventurers here and send them further down once they were ready.
Of course, there are even better leveling spots.
The Snake Nest.
I knew from Olivia that it was the optimal place for leveling. I had also already cleared the prerequisite: building a rapport with the Frogman.
"It's been a while, Frodo."
"Kkuruk. You've changed beyond recognition. I assume you're the one who changed the Labyrinth?"
"Yeah. That's right."
Upon hearing that the Frogman had appeared in the Plaza Section, I went to find him and met a very dusty Frodo. He had likely been resting in the Lake Section when he got caught in the sudden rearrangement, leaving him covered in debris.
"I'm planning to enter the Snake Nest soon. Will you open the way for me?"
"Kkuek. Understood. That was our promise, after all."
Frodo the Frogman soon pulled a small key from his pocket.
"This is a key my tribe has protected since ancient times. Kkuruk!"
"Is it some kind of relic?"
"Exactly. Kkuek! This can open any door as long as it has a keyhole. Insert this into a keyhole and turn it, and you can reach the Snake Nest. An ancient evil is sealed within the Snake Nest. Kkururuk! If you go too deep, you'll be devoured."
"An ancient evil?"
"Yes. A monster that can't even be compared to the idiots in this Underground City lies dormant there, so you must be careful. Kkuruk."
"What exactly is sleeping there?"
"My ancestors said... Kkururuk... it seems to be a being that was once worshipped as a god. My tribe sealed that monster, isolated the location, and then created this key. Because it uses ancient technology, it's impossible to imitate or duplicate this key. Only this single key can grant entry. Kkuek."
"I see. It's a key to a sealing ground."
"Indeed. If some meddling scholars got their hands on this, they'd surely crawl deep inside claiming they're seeking ancient knowledge. Kkuek. You must stop them from entering. It's fine to profit from the Snake Nest, but curiosity is dangerous."
"I understand. I'll keep that in mind."
"Well, even if you did wake it up, I feel like someone like you could probably sweet-talk it into becoming an ally. Kkurek."
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing. Just a feeling. Here, take the key. With this, I am finally free of my duty! Kkueeek!"
Frodo dusted off his hands as if a great weight had been lifted. I tucked the key he handed me into my subspace pocket. I planned to visit the nest later with the members of the Platinum Badge party.
"Oh, by the way, Frodo. Do you happen to need a house?"
"Hmm? A house? A nest?"
"Yes. Whether it's a nest or a house, you're planning to stay in the Underground City anyway, aren't you?"
"That's true. It's damp here, and the mana is reasonably plentiful. Kkurok."
"Then why not just settle down? You could even do some business while you're at it."
"Business, eh? Do you know what I want?"
"What do you want?"
"I want nothing."
"Uh..."
"As they say, business is for those who want something. I am already satisfied."
"Then just give me some items for free."
"Does that even make sense?! Kkuek! Have some shame!"
"Haha... Is there really nothing you want? I'd love for you to sell some goods, Frodo."
"I told you, nothing! No, why are you so desperate to get something from me?! Kkuek. I gave you everything already!"
"Well, you know, like a Spirit Beast's Heart. Or something like that. Something rare."
"Good grief. Kkuek! You're so greedy, you're the type of human who'd strip someone's very soul bare."
"...."
How did he know? That I strip souls bare. This frog is sharp.
"D-Don't look at me like that! Kkuek... I don't have anything on me right now. But with my skills, I could make what you want. Kkururuk."
"The skills you possess?"
"Yes. I have a technique called 'Reprocessing.' It's a skill that makes the useless useful, and the ordinary special. Kkuek."
"Just hearing about it makes it sound like an incredible skill."
"It is an incredible skill. Kkuek. I developed it, and I'm the only one who can use it."
"So, can you make a Spirit Beast's Heart with it?"
"Of course. If you bring me the hearts I specify, I can combine and reprocess them into a Spirit Beast's Heart."
"What?"
In other words, it was the same principle as taking several 3-star items and combining them to create a 4-star item.
"I can make it for you as long as the materials are provided. However, in exchange for providing my skills to you for free, I'd like to assign you a few requests."
"Fine. I'll do whatever you need."
"Then I want you to bring me the 'Traveler's Sarcophagus' from the 6th floor."
"What kind of sarcophagus?"
"The Traveler's Sarcophagus."
"What is that?"
"It's one of the relics hidden on the 6th floor. It's like a long-distance shared chest. Kkuu."
"A long-distance shared chest? Like a Bluetooth chest?"
"Blue? Blue what? Brutus? I don't know what that is, but if you link the Traveler's Sarcophagi, you can share items between the connected ones. Kkuek."
"Wait, it really is a Bluetooth chest! You're saying we can send and receive items from a distance? Wow..."
"Exactly. I left one on the 7th floor. If I get one more, I can link it to the one I left behind."
"So you really did come up from the 7th floor... But what if we find one more?"
"If we have three sarcophagi, we can send one to the surface and link the Surface, the Underground City, and Utopia. They would function as a single box."
"...."
That meant if I put a monster carcass in the sarcophagus, someone above could automatically take it. Setting everything else aside, the fact that it allowed for the transfer of matter across different floors made its performance absolutely insane.
"Is it on the 6th floor?"
"It's in the Necropolis on the 6th floor. It'll be hard to find. It's tucked away among thousands of other sarcophagi. Also, the Necropolis has its own guardians."
"The Gravekeepers?"
"Yes. They are on an entirely different level than the Gravekeepers in the upper levels."
The 6th floor contained various caves: the Crystal Cave, vertical shafts, and the Necropolis, among others. Furthermore, the monsters crawling out of these places each possessed at least one bizarre ability. According to the information Olivia gave me, the Gravekeepers of the Necropolis could read their target's thoughts.
In short, they dodged before an attack even landed.
"You need erratic movements. Or you have to attack with numbers that overwhelm the Gravekeeper to succeed. Kkuek!"
"I figured. I know."
If there was one Gravekeeper, there had to be at least two attackers. A Gravekeeper could only read one person's thoughts at a time. If two or more people attacked, the mind-reading would get tangled, making the raid easier. Of course, there was also the method of simply crushing them with superior speed and power.
"Kkuek. If you bring me the sarcophagus, I'll use Reprocessing to make whatever item you want. However, you must ensure the materials are supplied."
"Understood. Let's do that."
"Good. And I'll build my house somewhere in the Garden here."
"Sure. Go ahead."
Frodo said he would live in the Farm Section, where the garden and lake were combined. It seemed he planned to build a simple hut and settle in.
I didn't know Frodo had an ability like that.
I had learned about the existence of the Traveler's Sarcophagus and the fact that Frodo could create rare items through Reprocessing. These were things I couldn't have known through Olivia's game knowledge alone.
Now then, it's about time...
I should go see where Abram is. An hour has passed, so the souls of the sinners should be thoroughly tattered by now.
"Abram. What on earth did you do?"
"Huh? Oh. Just, you know... the usual. Healing them, torturing them... The sinners' bodies are perfectly fine."
"They certainly look that way. Hah. Impressive."
Being a professional interrogator, his torture skills were truly beyond belief. In just one hour, the minds of the seven individuals had been completely shattered. Since there was no specific information I needed from them, he had apparently shown no mercy and broken them entirely.
"Well, I'll be heading back out. I haven't finished cleaning up below the Layer Division yet."
"Ah, right. Good work."
"See you."
Abram stepped out of the tent, mentioning there might still be monsters lurking below the Layer Division. I looked down at the sinners collapsed on the ground, drooling, and addressed the Platinum Badges.
"Take your pick. I'll put you into whichever body you want."
The preparations to welcome the Platinum Badge party were complete. Once I gave them their bodies, it would be time to go meet Arachne.
It was time to enter the Snake Nest and the Spider's Den.