Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: The Hero Challenges!
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Beren welcomed the next day in the city.
From his inn room, after finishing all preparations, he stood up and gathered his weapons.
Before parting with his companions at the beach yesterday, he inspected the weapon he had received from the dwarf.
'The quality is top-grade... or so. As expected from dwarven make, it's pretty good.'
Now, before entering the main dungeon, it was time for the most important process.
"Eh? Is this your first time entering the dungeon?"
"Yes."
"Then take a look at this!"
No matter what you do, information is the most important.
Beren, who bought the information compiled by the Raid Party—the hottest organization in Laiter right now—quickly absorbed all the details—
"Uh...?"
"Hahaha, everyone reacts the same way when they see this info booklet."
The booklet was unusually thick.
And the text was packed densely without any gaps.
Now Beren realized one reason why his juniors couldn't reach Balak.
He pressed his forehead, worrying if he could memorize it all.
"Honestly, for first-timers, it's better to just hear a rough explanation and dive in. That dungeon forces you to learn by taking hits."
"Um... could you possibly explain it to me?"
"Of course!!"
The excited Raid Party member, seeing the fresh newbie, enthusiastically and kindly explained the current dungeon layout.
"You can think of the Abyss Pit as consisting of a total of eight rooms. Of course, there's debate on whether to call them 'rooms' or 'floors'... but since the werewolf in the rest area calls them 'rooms,' we've been calling them rooms lately."
"So how huge are they that people mistake them for floors?"
"Too big to explain in words. Some are as large as entire regions. To put it simply, let me see..."
The Raid Party member handed Beren a paper with brief info on the eight rooms.
"Is it okay to give this to me for free?"
"It's free because it's super simplified. Let me start from the entrance."
The first room was a long, narrow passage riddled with traps.
The second room had sentries and was an iron labyrinth where paths constantly shifted.
The third room was the Trial of the Dolls.
"That's the entrance. The biggest issues here are the first and third rooms—they're infamous, so you probably know about them?"
"I've heard they're famous for weeding out the weak."
"Even if you pass those, you'll die without doing anything in the fifth room. Anyway, the mid-game rooms..."
The fourth room was a rest area with a shop and bank.
The fifth room was cooler than a dragon—
"Not stronger, but what did you say?"
"Hahaha... you'll see when you get there."
"Hard to imagine."
Anyway, the Raid Party member briefly explained the later rooms too.
"So the sixth room has enhanced gravity and various brain-teaser traps, the seventh has thousands of magic bullets raining down. The final eighth..."
"Is where the Abyss Pit's boss, Balak, resides."
"Could you explain about that boss too?"
"Of course."
After hearing about Balak, Beren!
"Oh."
"Wow~ Most people call it bullshit when they hear this, but you're overflowing with challenge spirit."
After obtaining all the info, Beren stood alone at the dungeon entrance amid the Raid Party member's cheers.
With his long-lost burning challenge spirit, he entered the dungeon depths.
**********
Beren's eyes automatically went to the mini-dungeon portal at the entrance.
But that wasn't his goal today.
Today was challenge, not healing!
A formal challenge to the infamous Balak!
As he steeled himself and entered the Land of Madness,
he noticed many people gathered to one side.
Curious, Beren headed over and discovered a device, while overhearing the chatter around him.
"Today's challenge is at 3 ascensions."
"2x gravity?! How are you gonna fight the dolls like that?"
"That's for that-me-when-it-happens to handle."
It was the ascension system, created at Balak's request!
The ascension system looked just like a kiosk from the information age.
It was unfamiliar to people of this era,
but thanks to the neutral voice from the kiosk kindly explaining, anyone could use it.
Beren had heard about this device before.
However, he was a man who knew the romance of starting with the vanilla version!
He decided to save it for his next try and quickly headed inside.
As the hero who reached Balak solo before the dungeon revamp,
Beren—superior even to Herim at her peak—found the trap-filled Land of Madness laughably easy.
Of course, finding the way in the next room, the Iron Labyrinth, was an issue.
But—
KABOOM!
"Are you okay?"
"He one-shotted that?!"
Like the knights who previously sought encounters in the dungeon, he ended up helping other challengers in the labyrinth.
Thanks to them, Beren smoothly broke through the Iron Labyrinth.
At the end of the Iron Labyrinth, he considered challenging the dolls together with the others he met this time.
But you could challenge it solo?!
How could he resist!
The others showed a bit of regret,
but since they reached the end thanks to Beren, they cheered his decision.
Soon, entering the mid-boss room alone, Beren was startled to meet a being similar to the Anima he had encountered before.
"You're... Anima?"
"Hero, my name isn't important now. Think about why you've come here."
"...You're right."
"Are you prepared?"
"Always."
Thus, the two warriors clashed.
In this fight, since Beren sparred with Anima!
"Kommedesto!"
"Huh?"
"Hnngh!! Hngh!"
he was taken aback by the mid-boss fighting so dirty.
Now understanding why this place was called the heroes' graveyard, he had to endure the absurdity alone.
Still, his overwhelming base stats meant whenever the mid-boss showed even a slight opening, he attacked and kept up the pressure.
KABOOM!
Clang!
"Hoo, impressive adaptability."
"That's my strength. Now, let's continue..."
"Regrettably, solo challenges have very short clear times. And there are people waiting, so aim for next time."
"Ah, no, it's over already?!"
"Remember, this place itself is the trial."
Fully grasping the mid-boss's words, Beren nodded.
He entrusted his body to the teleportation magic.
Whoooong!
Ping!
Now he arrived at the dungeon rest area.
"My body..."
Beren was shocked that a debuff pierced his magic resistance,
but since this dungeon was utterly ridiculous anyway, he let it slide.
Looking around the rest area soon after, he felt like he was healing inside a mini-dungeon.
There were even a few people, so he exchanged greetings and info with them.
"Ah, first time here?"
"Then head to the tavern before the shop!"
"T-Tavern?"
"The tavern manager and waitress are here right now, so asking them your questions isn't a bad idea."
He had heard rough info outside,
but Beren felt out of place knowing the dungeon had shops starting from the entrance and even a tavern.
Still, following their recommendation, he entered the tavern and saw a human-looking figure and a werewolf.
'Strong.'
Beren found this dungeon truly amusing.
***************
Ferguson, receiving the man's intense gaze upon entering his shop, welcomed Beren warmly.
"Welcome, hero."
"...Pleased to meet you."
"Hm... You're really different from the others, hero."
"Pardon?"
"For example, that strange 'power' that changes your appearance."
Beren was impressed that Ferguson pierced through the miracle hiding his identity.
But the moment he saw a woman standing rigidly beside Ferguson, a question mark popped up in his head.
"Why is she like that?"
"Hahaha... She's new here and nervous. Carel, say hello."
"Ah, h-he!! H-h-h-helloooo!"
Beren wondered why Carel looked so pale,
but since Ferguson sent her to the kitchen, he couldn't ask directly.
"First time here, hero, so tell me if you need anything."
"Uh, then... give me the strongest thing you've got."
"Ahem, got it. Bottle straight-up?"
"Sure."
Ferguson instantly saw Beren didn't know much about alcohol.
With alcohol snobs already regulars,
Ferguson smoothly pulled out some potent liquor.
"Kuh~ This is dozens of times better than any I've known? Can I get another bottle?"
"You haven't done ascensions, so you could reach Brother Balak right away, but drink in moderation."
"I don't want to ruin the experience either. Brother, huh... you're pretty close with this dungeon's boss?"
"Someone I'd follow even in death. You'll see when you meet him anyway."
"Pfft, really looking forward to it."
After hearing various tips from Ferguson, Beren gained assorted buffs, visited the shop and was surprised to see Ophelia,
and checked out the mini-games in the dungeon rest area.
"This is..."
"Ah! You must've come from the tavern manager!"
"Really friendly guy. But what's that board?"
What Beren saw was a scoreboard.
[ 1st: Roland : 784 points ]
[ 2nd: Lionel : 654 points ]
[ 3rd ㅡ
.
.
.
Seeing the traces of the bunny Gongdu who became regulars here before, Beren grew curious about the mini-game after hearing the explanation.
But since playing it would cancel all buffs, he saved it for later.
"But since it's your first time, you can get free buff potions again, right?"
"M-My stomach's full, no more..."
"Oh..."
That's right! You can't chug potions endlessly in reality!
Having already downed about ten buff potions, Beren would spew rainbows if he took another.
Soon after, he arrived at the Mecha Glow Dinosaur Park.
The body-suppressing debuff vanished, letting him fully feel the premium buff potion's power.
Feeling like his prime body had returned,
he gained a new goal.
'The buff potion lasts one hour?'
'Yes.'
Clear all rooms in 30 minutes.
He wanted to sightsee the other rooms properly,
but with the time limit, he aimed for next time.
Releasing all his restraints, Beren dashed through the massive park at full speed
and spotted the Spinosaurus by the water—!
He paused.
"Oh."
Beren instantly understood the Raid Party member's words.
He briefly fantasized about raising one in the palace,
but now he had to push forward!
Swallowing tears, Beren drew his sword.
At the same time, the Spinosaurus's neck was severed in one stroke...
"Kyao—!"
"Ooooh."
...not!
He was moved by its transformation into a mecha Spino.
But he pressed on—!
"Kyaoooo—!"
"Ooooooh!"
This time too, without its neck being cut, it turned into a glow mecha Spino, shocking him greatly.
Beren really, really didn't want to kill the Spino now.
But he had already resolved himself.
"Definitely next time..."
"Kiii..."
Slash!
Beren felt like he'd lost a close friend.
Afterward, the gravity-enhanced jump map gimmick testing patience and perseverance was no big hurdle for Beren, inheriting Spino's will.
Of course—
Ding!
Boom!
"Eh?"
He failed the O/X quiz a few times and got sent back to the start, but he reached the top.
Now only one room left to the boss room.
Entering the room with thousands of magic bullets pouring down, with his prime body restored,
he cleared it smoothly except for the insanely tough final stretch.
He safely arrived in the forest where pink petals swirled.
Arriving at the boss room faster than expected, Beren steadied himself briefly, then walked to the area with the largest tree.
And!
"You've finally come."
"Huh, so the rumors were true?"
Beren had finally reached Balak.