Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Labyrinth 21st Floor (2)
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Back when I lived on Earth, I'd seen a video like that on NooTube once.
A person jaywalking across an eight-lane highway without looking, getting smashed by an oncoming truck and dying on the spot.
The guy hit by the car didn't just get crushed—he literally exploded, bursting apart like a balloon. It was a video that got taken down right away for violating terms of service, but that scene stuck in my head and messed me up for a while.
And now...
"Ugh, fucking hell..."
I stared at the monster—or what used to be one—scattered everywhere after exploding just like that, and dry-heaved.
When I'd used it on that variant ogre on the 20th floor, it had just pushed it back a bit, so I hadn't gauged the power properly. But this...
"Grrgh..."
-Crunch! Cruuunch!
I gently massaged the grotesquely twisted finger bones so they wouldn't heal crooked, admiring the scene I'd caused.
I'd thought I'd test the max power once, so I poured in as much mana as possible. I had no idea it'd straight-up burst the monster. And this is with reduced side effects? My hand's still wrecked.
"...Even if we make a sword, won't it be unusable?"
A sudden wave of anxiety hit me. I'd come to the 21st floor for Labyrinth exploration, sure, but finding ore for a new sword was a goal too.
But seeing this power now, I worried that even a new sword would snap if I swung it with this force.
"Maybe we can't add regeneration too? Should I grab more troll hearts? Or ask the Magic Tower or Alchemy Guild for that..."
"Oink?"
"Oiiink!"
"Wasn't talking to you guys."
Looking at the monsters swarming around me, I realized another downside to the Berserker's Gauntlets + [Limit Break] combo I'd just used.
This thing is loud. All the monsters came running.
"Hey. Hold up."
-Fwoooosh!
Before I could even speak, the swarming monsters all breathed fire at once.
"Almost fucked up there."
"Oink?"
I muttered as I watched the monsters spewing fire in all directions. There were nearly ten of them now, and Sensory Block had clearly hit every single one.
At level 4, it only worked on five targets, but one level up and it's doubled... Skills usually feel like they grow sharply at level 5, but this time it's hitting hard.
Roughly speaking, the natural flames of the 21st floor don't hurt me at all. A single weak monster's fire might singe my skin a bit, and a group attacking could be dangerous... Something like that? If it gets bad, I'll chug the fire-resistance potion I brought just in case.
"Oink!"
"Yeah, yeah. Got it."
I slowly stabbed my sword into the monster right in front of me. The stabbed one just stood there, while the one next to it thrashed in agony. Then a thought struck me, so I tested something else.
"Oiink?"
"Hm... Does it weaken with multiple targets?"
I blocked the pain on the one in front with Sensory Block, then imagined using Sensory Transference on the whole swarm and stabbed. But their reactions were meh. They seemed annoyed, but not like they'd been stabbed.
This time, to be sure, I Sensory Blocked two and Sensory Transferred to the rest, then stabbed.
"Oiiiink!"
"Hm... That the idea?"
I can expand Sensory Transference targets, but the sensation spreads thin. Conversely, I can block multiple and dump all their senses onto one via transference. That's how I took down the 20th floor monsters.
It seems insanely useful if used right...
"But mana-starved."
Even with my mana regen skyrocketing at Mana Breathing Lv. 6, that sucked a massive amount instantly. For this many targets, one or two casts of Sensory Block and Transference is my limit, depending on numbers. Gotta hunt for mana-boosting elixirs or something.
"Anyway, testing done..."
Confirmed Sensory Block works on 21st-floor monsters, so I can move away from the portal now.
If it hadn't, I'd retreat to the 20th for safety. Good to go.
I stored the increasingly hot sword in my inventory and pulled out a pickaxe instead.
"Time to mine?"
I used to play a ton of MaXcraft back in the day. Any diamonds?
-Boom! Boom!
"What the hell is that noise?"
"Someone mining with bombs? So crude..."
The five dwarf adventurers who'd come to mine ore on the 21st floor clicked their tongues at the explosions echoing from the flame zone. Dwarves were big players here, so weird shit? Blame a dwarf.
"Could be monster hunting. Maybe a Flame Golem?"
"Think so?"
The dwarves lightly chatted and drew their weapons. Flame Golems were among the stronger 21st-floor monsters. If one was ahead, they'd back off.
But knowing their marked vein was here, they couldn't give up easy. They crept over the hill to check the noise.
And when they reached the vein zone...
"...A human?"
In the distance, a black-haired human was vigorously swinging a pickaxe into the ore.
"...What? The explosions stopped."
"Sounded like it was from farther away? No, right here..."
"You say that now? He's gonna mine our whole vein!"
"So what? He's alone. Talk nice, mine together..."
Party leader Boyle, optimistic, sheathed his weapon to show no hostility and approached slowly.
-Clang! Cliiing!
'Nice technique. [Mining] looks average, but the precise power control is top-notch.'
Up close, the human's mining skill shone. Looked like a pro 21st-floor miner.
Miners don't clash much, so maybe smooth talk...
"Ugh, annoying."
'Huh?'
Close enough to hear voices, the human muttered.
"Gotta do it like before."
'What?'
The human suddenly set down the pickaxe. Thinking a break, Boyle raised open hands and approached.
"Hey, human miner. Mind a chat..."
-Cruuunch!
"Huh...?"
Up close, the human's arm suddenly swelled. Like an orc's [War Cry]. Smiling, he slammed the swollen fist into the vein.
'Wha—insane!'
-KABOOM!
The explosion rang out—the same one they'd heard. Fist hit vein, but the vein exploded? No...
-Riiip!
'Wh-what!'
No, misread. The fist exploded. Huge impact cracked the vein, but the hand was total rags. Then the human—or whatever—stuffed something burning in his mouth, and the mangled fist reformed.
'M-monster!'
No human regenerates like that. Ate something, but no potion does that. And he just swallowed fire.
Boyle paled and bolted to his shocked party.
"Re-treat!"
"What was that? Looked like the human punched the vein... What noise?"
"Not... not human!"
"What?"
'What? Why did they suddenly backed off?'
Sensing the presences closing in, I had rushed to finish my mining by using [Limit Break] on the vein, but they retreated.
It felt like they cursed me out. Oh well, I then ate the meat in my hand.
-Fizzle. Fizzzzle.
"Mm. Now that's a fire flavor."
Meat from the fire-breathing monster I'd hunted earlier. Ifrit Boar, I think? It was Pig-shaped and tasty-looking, so I sliced and grilled some of its meat. The fire wouldn't go out, so is it meat or fuel?
Anyway, I shoved it in my mouth, my tongue was burning bit by bit—so I got no taste through my burned tastebuds. So this must be the flavor of fire.
-Gulp.
"Grrgh..."
I swallowed the burning meat; I felt it torch my throat and stomach. They say spicy is felt through the pain receptors right? Then does this counts as spicy?
[Regeneration Lv. 6], [Attribute Resistance Lv. 6]
"Hrngh..."
I spat black smoke from my mouth, feeling the meat digest as my stomach regenerated, and grinned in satisfaction. Smoking from the mouth like this—I just keep on eating, could I maybe learn how to breathe fire with this?
...Eating weird shit has been messing with my head. I gotta chill. Not saying I won't eat more. I'll definately keep scarfing them down, maybe train [Attribute Resistance] through them?
I shook my head to clear my nonsensical thoughts, I scooped up the scattered ore into my inventory. [Mining] lets me detect veins—its very nice—but no clue on what's inside those veins, so I'm just smashing them blindly. With my fist.
I started with a pickaxe, but a golem-looking monster showed up. It blasted flames piercing my [Attribute Resistance] and its body was super tough. I couldn't grabbed my sword, so I punched it, then suddenly...
[Mining Lv. 4]
'Huh?'
In combat, my fist missed and grazed a vein—then I felt [Mining] trigger. After I killed the golem, I looked at the punched vein: it showed that I had way better efficiency with using my fists than using a pickaxe.
Surprisingly, Berserker's Gauntlets was unscratched despite pounding those veins. The power amp is beyond expectations; this gear's a steal. How much do you need to buy this? Having a few of them would make me unstoppable.
The jewels might shatter—but who cares? I'm not a pro miner...
"But nothing catches my eye..."
I grumbled at the mined ore. My worry: the new sword vs. my Berserker's Gauntlets + [Limit Break]—Berserker combo. Can this flimsy ore (that can't even take my fist) handle it?
'I wish I found an ore my fist can't scratch...'
I grabbed some golem bits just in case. It tanked my punches, although it's a golem—maybe I can make a weapon from it?
I pulled some stone shards from my knuckles and wandered till [Mining] pinged another vein. Ore's pricey now—so I should mine while I can.
"Kyaaah!"
"That's...!"
Not far from where Ian walked, three female adventurers faced a massive lizard monster crawling from the lava.
"Keeeyaaah!"
"A salamander...!"
Lena, who'd reached the lava lake her instructor mentioned with Hiss and Corona, swallowed hard in tension. Easily the strongest 21st-floor monster she'd seen.
But if they took its heart...
"Let's go, Hiss. Corona."
"Yeah!"
"Buuurn!"
Starting her cast, Lena faced the salamander.
It's blazing fiery breath, scales like hard ore, ogre-like bulk from the 20th floor...
'Just as planned.'
Lena gritted her teeth, tore her prepared scroll to chant, Hiss [Stealthed] for the rear, Corona drew her double axes and bellowed a war cry.
"Oh. Vein detected."
But why's it moving? Is it a golem monster?