Chapter 276
Chapter 276
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 276
Chapter Title: 62. Appeal to the Strong (2)
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“Ah, a teammate?”
Octavio’s eyes wavered.
Of course, Jeong Youngwoo’s near-solo performance in “Iria’s Agony” was still vividly fresh in his mind, as if it had happened just last night.
But...
“Why are you still lying there? Don’t tell me...”
Octavio took a step into the room.
Clack.
When the other man showed no reaction whatsoever, his eyes widened instantly.
“...Youngwoo-ssi?”
“Yes. I’ve got full-body paralysis.”
“What?!”
Octavio let out a scream-like exclamation before quickly clamping his hand over his mouth.
Because...
「Seven participants have entered the corridor.」
In the meantime, the number of people who had passed through the bedroom section and emerged into the corridor had increased.
They were competitors who might strike at any moment, but also potential teammate candidates.
Since teams could only consist of up to two people, if he wanted a teammate, he needed to start recruiting now.
Making it to the corridor meant they had somehow dealt with the assassins in their bedrooms, so those who arrived first weren’t necessarily the strongest.
“Y-Youngwoo-ssi, if your body’s like that, in this dungeon...”
“I know. The best teammate candidates are out in the corridor right now.”
“...”
“But do you know what?”
“What?”
“I was the first one to clear out the assassins.”
“...?”
Octavio let out a hollow laugh at Youngwoo’s words, then quickly changed his expression.
Come to think of it, the doors to each bedroom only opened after resolving the assassin issue.
So the fact that this door was open was proof that this Eastern man had taken out all those assassins.
While suffering from full-body paralysis, no less.
“...How is that even possible?”
「Nine participants have entered the corridor.」
“No time, so help me up first.”
As Youngwoo rolled his eyes urgently as if to say hurry, Octavio gripped his sword in a reverse hold and approached.
“Just lift me up?”
“Yes. I need to access the shop too.”
This meant Youngwoo had also earned moral points, and finally, Octavio began to take him seriously.
“Every time we meet, you surprise me.”
“I didn’t expect this either.”
“But if you can’t even walk like this, how are we supposed to find the exit...”
Of course, Octavio could carry Youngwoo on his back, but what about fighting then?
It was undeniably a disadvantageous team-up in every way.
Yet Youngwoo remained calm.
“Wait and see. There’s probably a way.”
No matter how twisted Dogo was, they wouldn’t just abandon participants in this absurd situation, Youngwoo thought.
‘They’ve gotta have a new spine or something.’
Soon, with Octavio’s help, Youngwoo made contact with the Dogo emblem, and the shop interface appeared in his vision.
Flash!
[Random Weapon]
=One melee-type weapon will be provided.
|Moral Points: 1|
[Random Armor x2]
=Two pieces of armor of any type except shields will be provided.
|Moral Points: 1|
*Participants who have lost body parts, please refer to the ‘Aid’ section below.
One point for a single weapon, or two pieces of armor for the same price.
It was a fairly reasonable setup.
‘And you can always take someone else’s weapon. If you’re confident in your strength, buy armor first and hunt for armed people—that could work.’
But none of that applied to Youngwoo.
He couldn’t move properly in the first place.
So Youngwoo shifted his gaze to the separately marked ‘Aid’ section at the bottom of the shop interface.
“...”
Additional items that weren’t normally visible appeared.
[Crutches]
=Unbreakable, and can also be used as a weapon.
|Moral Points: 2|
[Wheelchair]
=Collect 5 moral points to use the miracle that restores your body.
|Moral Points: 2|
‘They’re insane.’
Youngwoo clicked his tongue but instinctively knew he’d end up in a wheelchair soon.
With his entire body immobilized, buying crutches would just mean handing them over to Octavio—nothing more.
“Octavio-ssi.”
“Yes. Find something in the shop?”
“You’ll have to push my wheelchair.”
“...?”
Octavio wore another ambiguous expression.
He couldn’t tell if this crazy Eastern guy was joking or serious.
“...You mean it?”
When he asked to confirm, Youngwoo purchased the wheelchair in response.
Whoosh.
With a flash of light right next to the sprawled Jeong Youngwoo on the floor, a wheelchair materialized, leaving Octavio with a look like he might cry.
“Don’t mess with me. This is a huge imposition.”
No matter their prior connection, pushing someone’s wheelchair in this brutal dungeon wasn’t something you could easily accept.
“You’re just gonna leave me here like this? So anyone passing by can stab me at will?”
“...”
Octavio, the Sicily Guardian Sword from the Mediterranean.
He viewed his actions in this dungeon as representing his nation, and his character was far from petty.
That’s why he couldn’t bring himself to leave despite seeing Jeong Youngwoo’s limbs in such a state.
“Teams are limited to one other person.”
“You’re a lucky guy, getting the chance to be my one and only teammate.”
“...”
Octavio was at a loss for words again.
Then he glanced around.
He heard the clash of blades from the far end of the corridor.
“You can’t push it yourself?”
“No. But...”
“But?”
“When the time comes, I can stand on my own.”
“When?”
“When I get 5 points.”
“...Damn it.”
The sounds of clashing steel had grown a bit closer.
Octavio bit his lip, then reluctantly slipped his arms under Youngwoo’s armpits.
“I’ll help. But I have a condition.”
“Name it.”
“No team-up. I want to find my own teammate. Someone with all limbs intact, at least.”
He’d push the wheelchair, but the 5 points for the miracle were Youngwoo’s problem.
“You won’t regret it later? Fine, if you insist.”
Youngwoo agreed to go solo.
Clack!
Finally, with Octavio’s help, Youngwoo sat in the wheelchair.
He still felt more like cargo than a participant.
He was seated, but without someone pushing from behind, he couldn’t move.
“Let’s go. Avoid any fights for now.”
Soon, Octavio pushed Youngwoo’s wheelchair and dashed down the corridor outside the bedroom.
With no map of the castle or even basic layout, following the path was the best option.
And in the meantime...
「Thirteen participants have entered the corridor.」
Most participants had cleared the bedroom section and flooded into the corridor, the announcement stated.
“Hmm.”
Octavio let out a burdened sound upon hearing it, but Youngwoo encouraged him.
“Don’t think of yourself as alone.”
“I wasn’t. I was thinking it’s worse than being alone.”
From Octavio’s perspective, he now had to protect and fight for Jeong Youngwoo too—an extra burden.
But Youngwoo himself was unfazed.
“I’ll definitely be useful. Don’t worry too much.”
“If you’ve got some amazing skill, tell me now...”
As Octavio spoke, someone finally appeared in the corridor ahead.
“Huh...!”
Octavio hesitated, stopping the wheelchair, and the participants on the other side turned at the distinctive wheel sound.
“What?”
“...A wheelchair?”
Like them, it was a pair.
In other words, they had already formed a team.
“You came in here unable to walk?”
One of them said it in all seriousness, while the other threateningly raised his blade, blocking the corridor.
“Let’s take them out quick before others show. No way we get another chance like this.”
He recalled one of the dungeon’s main rules: ways to earn moral points.
「Moral points can be earned by killing other participants, defeating elite monsters, hiding the castle exit, etc.」
Unclear how strong the elite monsters were, so killing other participants was the only way to gauge difficulty.
Everyone was unequipped anyway, so it’d come down to raw stats.
“Let’s go! It’s basically 2-on-1!”
As the blocker shouted boldly, Youngwoo rapidly rolled his eyes and said to Octavio,
“Stab me.”
“Huh? W-Who?”
“Me. My blood melts people. So just three stabs in the chest area. Hurry!”
Youngwoo gave precise instructions, but Octavio just gaped, unable to stab the enemies.
As one of the world’s more sensible and conservative powerhouses, his imagination couldn’t process Youngwoo’s tactic.
“B-Blood... how?”
While Octavio hesitated, the two occupying the corridor closed in.
“Kill the European first!”
“Here we go...!”
Lucky to score early points, the duo excitedly swung their blades.
Swoosh!
Of course, Octavio—who had cleared the bedroom section in the top ranks—wasn’t easy prey.
“Where?!”
He made full use of the narrow corridor—barely wide enough for three abreast—to turn it into a proper 2-on-1 fight.
Clang clang clang!
With the paralyzed man in the wheelchair behind him, three blades clashed repeatedly in the air.
“Octavio-ssi! Why ignore the easy path and...!”
As Youngwoo gasped at the precarious battle, Octavio shouted back without turning, keeping his back to him.
“I don’t like such bizarre methods!”
“Better than dying, right? And if you die, I’m screwed too!”
If Octavio died playing hero, who’d push the wheelchair?
‘Goddamn it. If I had my coordinate scanner, I’d wipe them all out.’
Youngwoo considered leaping into the fray with a self-destruct explosion right now.
As long as his head didn’t get cut off or skull crushed, he could recover somehow.
‘No other way right now.’
Just as Youngwoo resolved to self-destruct...
Thud!
A quick presence emerged from behind the wheelchair.
“Huh...!”
Another participant from the rear.
‘Right, there were over a dozen just in this corridor section.’
Drawn by Octavio’s noisy duel, no doubt.
‘What the fuck, they made a dungeon like this?’
Youngwoo’s patience finally snapped as he ground his teeth and glared at the ceiling. As if waiting for that exact moment, a flash lit his vision.
Flash!
[Dogo] “初心”
<Mission> Don’t forget Dogo’s support.
<Reward> Moral Points 5
A quest from Dogo, the dungeon’s master.
Unclear if from the chairman or the company itself, but the blatant mission made one thing clear.
They were tightening up the lax discipline.
‘No way, these bastards? This whole thing was a setup.’
Youngwoo’s eyes rolled in fury.
Yet his mouth dutifully did what needed doing.
“「Dooooogoooo!」”
The wheelchair supporting him began glowing blindingly bright.
Flash!
—Moral points have reached 5. The cripple’s miracle activates.
It was truly restoring Youngwoo’s body.
“Aaah...!”
His legs already brimming with strength, Youngwoo kicked off the wheelchair and stood.
Immediately, he sensed a blade flying from behind.
Swoosh!
The rear participant had already lunged.
“You crazy bastards, I’ll kill you all!”
Youngwoo caught the extended blade barehanded, snapped it, and hurled the shard at the ceiling.
Clang!
“Please stay healthy so you don’t go mad, Chairman...!”