Chapter 133
Chapter 133
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: Heroes' Competition
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The moment the darkness of the Magic Portal swallowed me whole, a crushing pressure tore through my body like it was being ripped apart.
It felt bizarre, as if time itself was twisting and space melting away. My vision went pitch black, and the Holy Sword's urgent voice echoed in my ears.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Snap out of it, Yuseong! I don't know what trick that bastard pulled, but this is the Magic Portal!" 'Got it, quit yapping.'
I gritted my teeth and clung to consciousness. A faint light flashed in the darkness, and suddenly my body was hurled into the void.
Thud! I twisted into a landing roll just before hitting the solid ground, protecting myself.
'Damp cave terrain. No enemies within a 30-meter radius.'
The Thief's Divine Realm scanned everything around me.
But maybe because this was the special space of the Magic Portal...
My detection range cut off sharply beyond 30 meters.
I drew the Thunder Dragon Sword and the Holy Sword.
"Where... is this place?"
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "I don't know what that guy wants... but this isn't some walk in the park. The Magic Portal's danger level is pretty high. It's likely a space made to test you." The Holy Sword's voice was sharper than usual.
I placed my hand on the sword's hilt and scanned the surroundings.
A faint wailing sound echoed from afar.
It was an eerie noise, like wind howling or a beast's roar.
'...This doesn't feel right.'
The interior of the Magic Portal.
They said it was connected like fragments of the Labyrinth.
At my current level, up to the 15th floor should be safe.
But anything beyond that would be tough.
'...Should I use the Holy Sword again?'
With the Holy Sword's power, I might manage somehow.
But the downside was I couldn't use it for a while afterward.
'No, my instincts say it's fine.'
Ever since falling into the Arcadia Fantasy world, my gut feelings had been spot on.
It told me this place was perfect for me.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "...If it's your instincts, I trust them." I narrowed my detection range.
Everything within about 30 meters felt as tangible as touching it with my fingers, as clear as seeing it with my eyes.
'...Now I get why it's 30 meters.'
A rectangular space.
Extremely bizarre place. At the edge of my senses, something like an entrance came into view.
'A stage-style labyrinth, huh.'
I walked deeper in.
I didn't let my guard down, preparing for any surprises.
As I entered, a presence appeared.
Krooooaaar—!!
A scream-filled wail.
The moment I heard it, I furrowed my brow.
It felt like it was clawing at my mind, some eerie sensation.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Undead." ⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "A Banshee-type with mental-attack screams. Brace your mind." I had no idea how to do that.
But it wasn't completely clueless. I circulated mana internally, fortifying my head.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Good job." As if that was the right answer, the Holy Sword praised me.
Deeper in, I identified the source of the eerie wail.
Clank, clank.
The sound of metal striking the floor.
A massive skeleton clad in enormous plate armor.
But its appearance was off.
'Injured?'
Its entire right arm was torn off in a grotesque manner.
Because of that, it couldn't keep its balance properly.
The Thief's Divine Realm analyzed it instantly.
'Something sharp, like teeth, ripped it clean off?'
Even stranger was that the wound was fresh.
I focused the Thief's Divine Realm.
Analyzing the foe. And the eerie power emanating from it.
'...Pitch-black ink.'
It was that guy.
The bizarre bastard who summoned the Magic Portal and kidnapped me here.
I let out a hollow chuckle.
A bit irritating, but first and foremost, I felt grateful.
'I was just about at capacity anyway.'
Normally, I couldn't properly run the Labyrinth and gain exp, but...
Thanks to bumming a ride on Black Hope before, it added up to a hefty amount.
'I don't know your goal...'
But if it was making me stronger, I'd play along for a bit.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Don't get close. That's a Death Knight." 'Death Knight.'
It was a bit different from the one I'd seen in the Labyrinth before.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "It devoured grudges and evolved half a step, so it's different. If it summons soldiers, this one doesn't need to clumsily call minions." 'Weak point?'
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Holy power, obviously. But you can't use that here." The Holy Sword was sealed right now.
And there were no priests around who could wield holy power.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Like other undead, excluding holy power, it wields its natural counter. That thing's grudge is extremely dangerous." 'I know.'
I pulled out my bow from a distance.
'Shadowless · Phantoms. Triple Penetration Stack.'
Three shadows identical to me emerged from my shadow.
Against Ghotash, I couldn't use it properly because of the space-transcending attacks.
Screeech.
I drew the bowstring taut.
I released the arrow at full draw. Three black lines shot out with a whoosh!
Kagagagagak!!
But something translucent blocked the arrows' path.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Barrier-type Gift. Not made from grudge, so it's one it used in life." 'Effect?'
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Reduces power of arrows and ranged attacks, blocks with the barrier... or something." The Holy Sword stared at the Death Knight with a hollow voice.
The Death Knight's neck was pierced by Shadowless, its head flying off, the armor and remaining arm crumbling to dust.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "What kind of monster is this...?" 'Barrier, huh...'
The Holy Sword looked at me in disbelief, but I was lost in other thoughts.
Armor to protect the body.
I could produce a similar effect.
Just...
'...Lately, it feels like something's missing.'
I've been steadily raising proficiency.
I didn't want to skip training, so I pushed through relentlessly.
Same in the Cradle, and even now in the Eastern Continent.
But more than that.
I closed my eyes, feeling a soul-satisfying fullness rising.
'...Level 6 with this.'
And what appeared was...
"...?"
I stared at the sword dropped where I'd slain the Death Knight.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Come to think of it, I didn't mention? Unlike the Labyrinth, drops are better in the Magic Portal." '...'
The Eastern Continent was a world where Labyrinths had fully emerged.
Monsters everywhere posed threats to survival, sure.
'...This is some serious honey pot.'
Plus drop rates across the entire continent?
This was broken...!
*
Fresh air greeted me as I emerged outside.
The half-moon floated lazily in the sky, and the lake was still there.
'...Has much time passed?'
The moon's position hadn't changed much.
Seemed like not that long had gone by.
No presences nearby.
'This is a big deal.'
The reason was simple.
Leveling up had skyrocketed all the accumulated power.
'...Just my physical abilities alone doubled at minimum.'
I clenched my fist.
Just that motion made the surrounding air tremble eerily.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Simple. Exp is devouring souls. You transcended your realm. Beyond human, approaching transcendent... or godlike." 'No new Gift correlation, so this is pure physical boost.'
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "...Kh, heh." Mentioning the new Gift made the Holy Sword thrilled.
That guy.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Performance aside, it's a fantastic Gift for you, right?" 'Yeah.'
Honestly, it couldn't get better than this.
I clenched my hand.
Crackle—black lightning sparked wildly.
A phenomenon from my overwhelming fighting spirit.
'...Fighting spirit and magic power at least tripled.'
Ridiculous growth rate.
Yet it moved exactly as I willed.
Thud.
Someone collapsed 100 meters away.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "Don't leak your fighting spirit so much. Yours is brutally fierce right now. Just like the Gift's name." '...'
I reined in my fighting spirit and opened my status window.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 90 💨 Agility: 100 ✨ Magic Power: 100 💪 Stamina: 90 🧠 Spirit: 100 👁️ Perception: 90 ◈ Gifts - [Steal Strike (?)], [Thief's Divine Realm (S+)], [Sword Ghost (S+)], [Overlord (S+)], [Extreme Thunder God · Violet (S)], [Bow Master (A+)], [Elf Compounding (A)], [Synthesis (B)] ◈ Skills - [Shadowless · Phantoms (S+)], [Hidden Space (B)], [Dragon Poison Technique (B)] ◈ Techniques - [Hero's Orthodox Breathing (Lv 15)], [Swordsmanship (Lv 70)], [Archery (Lv 70)], [Footwork (Lv 65)], [Hand-to-Hand (Lv 50)], [Throwing (Lv 50)], [Dragon Poison Technique (Lv 50)] These were my stats now at Level 6.
'Unbelievable.'
The biggest jumps were nearly doubled.
Maybe because I'd stagnated at Level 5, training endlessly day and night.
A truly terrifying growth spurt.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "...No matter how many times I see it, it's absurd. Being able to check your status anytime without a Gift card." 'Lets me judge objectively.'
As I replied to the Holy Sword, I checked the new Gift.
'The new fighting spirit and spirit correction Gifts, Battle Soul (S) and Battle Demon (S), merged into this.'
The Gift called Overlord.
[Overlord (S+)]
◇ Absolute correction to fighting spirit, spirit, magic power.
◇ Maximum intimidation on those deemed enemies.
◇ Maximum favorability on opposite sex with dangerous tastes.
...No matter how many times I look, it's perfect.
'If not for that last line.'
I buried my face in my hands.
Maximum favorability on opposite sex with dangerous tastes?
Thankfully, no such women around me.
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "You really think so?" Lucia flashed briefly in my mind, but Chloe—worse—came next.
'...Should be fine, right?'
It had to be.
As I despaired, I sensed someone approaching.
Not the Ermé I was looking for.
'Veronica?'
This girl, a Saintess with no combat power, couldn't even catch me at Level 4, now searching for me?
A bit ridiculous.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No, I just wondered if a weakling like you should wander around so defenselessly."
"Hah?"
Veronica narrowed her eyes triangularly at my words.
But she said nothing more.
I smirked and approached her.
"Ack, stay away!"
Veronica shrieked.
No, why?
"You look like you just leveled up. You're dangerous right now, so stay away from me, okay?"
I backed off at her words.
"...Not too far, though."
"Got it."
A bit dazed, I followed her words.
She'd been secretly supporting our party from behind, so this much was nothing.
She grumbled, but she was core firepower for our clan.
"Why are you out here, anyway?"
"... "
Veronica furrowed her brow at my question, hesitating.
Then she finally spoke.
"Just... a bad feeling."
"Bad feeling?"
About the inn?
With Volkan there, how could it be?
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "...A Saintess's premonition is pretty reliable. If she feels uneasy, something might happen." I recalled times with Veronica.
'...No way.'
⚙ HOLY SWORD ⚙ "I want to refute your bias, but listen to the Saintess on demonic matters. Her holy book might have reacted." 'Guess I should take her back safely then.'
I grabbed Veronica by the scruff and moved.
"Ah, stop! I said stay close—wait, no!"
Veronica snarled like a wildcat.
"At least carry me princess-style if you're hauling me around."
She wanted princess carry, huh.
I scooped her up princess-style, closing the status window—then froze.
'What.'
Why had Steal Strike's rank changed?