Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 96
Chapter Title: The Price of Evolution
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[Due to the effect of the unique skill, <Gluttony>, stats will increase upon evolution in proportion to the gold offered as a sacrifice.]
[You can spend a minimum of 777 gold and a maximum of 7,777,777 gold.]
'It needs gold?'
Lee Shin's eyes widened in surprise.
It seemed to be an effect of the unique skill, but in any case, this was the first time Lee Shin had ever seen gold as an evolution material for a summon.
And what was even more surprising was that Lee Shin already had that much gold.
[Your current gold balance is '10,177,450 gold'.]
An unbelievable amount for a user who had never spent real money!
Considering that ten million gold could be exchanged for a similar amount in real-world currency at the current market rate, it was an absurd sum.
Of course, it was an amount that could never be obtained through hunting alone; in Lee Shin's case, most of it came from Player Kills.
'...Did I really kill that many people?'
The reality hadn't quite sunk in, so Lee Shin searched his memory, but looking back, he had indeed killed a great many.
He'd killed nearly 100 members of the Black Tiger Guild alone, and before that, during the rescue quest for Arin's party, Lee Shin had killed most of them too.
They were all high-level players from mid-tier guilds, so the profits from PK were quite handsome.
However, since Lee Shin had never once been the victim, he simply didn't remember it properly.
If he had suffered a similar fate, he might have hounded the perpetrator until they quit the game.
...In any case.
Confirming he had more than enough gold, Lee Shin immediately began the evolution.
"I'll do it."
[Evolution accepted.]
[Please set the amount of gold to be sacrificed.]
"The maximum amount."
[Please confirm one more time.]
[Are you sure you want to use the maximum amount?]
"Yes."
[7,777,777 gold will be deducted as a sacrifice.]
[The power of greed surges!]
[The evolution of the summon, <Ninety-Ninth Leg of the Forgotten God>, begins.]
*Shudder!*
As nearly ten million gold vanished from Lee Shin's inventory, the tentacle began to tremble finely.
A grotesque sight.
But fortunately, the evolution didn't take long.
In an instant, the tentacle's damp surface withered and dried, and from within, a fresh, new tentacle sprouted.
Lee Shin narrowed his eyes.
'What's changed?'
The newly sprouted tentacle hadn't changed much overall, but its tip was slightly different.
While its original shape had been simply pointed at the end, after evolving, the tip was now slightly split.
Furthermore, there were still more changes beyond its appearance.
*Ting.*
[The power of greed has stabilized.]
[A part of the main body's seal is released.]
[You have acquired the second leg.]
[You have acquired the third leg.]
[The power of the sacrifice accelerates its growth!]
[You have acquired the fourth leg.]
[You have acquired the fifth leg.]
[Evolution complete.]
[The name changes from <Ninety-Ninth Leg of the Forgotten God> to <Leg of the Forgotten God>.]
'Oh?'
In addition to the changed appearance, the number had increased to five!
Perhaps thanks to pumping in a massive amount of gold, a single evolution had brought about this astonishing result.
Letting out a small gasp of admiration, Lee Shin checked the detailed information.
"Status window."
Leg of the Forgotten God
• Grade: C+ (Growth Type)
A creature with a weak will. It relies heavily on its master's intent.
Most of its skills and body are currently deactivated. They can be activated by growing the summon.
"Hmm...?"
The summon's description was mostly unchanged, but there were subtle differences in a few places.
'No will' had changed to 'weak will,' and more importantly, a new skill had appeared.
[???'s Fangs]
• Bites the target to inject a lethal poison. The poison paralyzes the target and increases the damage they receive.
The tentacle's own combat power didn't seem to have increased remarkably, but that didn't matter much.
After all, Lee Shin mainly used the tentacles to bind opponents' feet or obstruct their vision.
On the contrary, viewed as a skill that enhanced those strengths, it wasn't bad at all.
However, there was an unexpected side effect.
To be precise, Lee Shin was fine, but the people around him were not.
*Wriggle.*
"...Ugh."
"?"
Black, damp...
The sight of five tentacles writhing around Lee Shin, with strange tongue-like things flicking from their tips, was an incredibly unsettling scene for most people.
Jeong Yu-ra's reaction was particularly dramatic.
While Arthur and Dokgo merely frowned, she, having a weak stomach, stumbled backward the moment she saw the wriggling tentacles.
And at that sight, Lee Shin's eyes twinkled.
'This could be useful, too.'
When threatening someone, that is.
First, I'll capture them, then wrap them in tentacles... (the rest is omitted).
Depending on the person, it might even be more effective than threatening to kill them.
'I should try it when I get the chance.'
Lee Shin praised himself for the good idea.
"Let's move."
"Yes."
In any case, with the 8th floor cleared and the tentacle's evolution complete, Lee Shin proceeded to the 9th floor without delay.
The passage to the 9th floor had already been found by the Black Tiger Guild, so there was no need to waste time.
-Search.
Lee Shin immediately set out to find the golems.
The enemy appeared shortly after.
[Guardian of the Green Dungeon]
Perhaps because the floor had changed, the golem's color was different.
The golem charged excitedly the moment it saw Lee Shin.
*CRASH!!!*
"!"
Leaping back to dodge the attack, Lee Shin's eyes widened.
Despite being only one floor higher, the golem's defense and attack power had noticeably increased.
But he was only slightly surprised; it wasn't a problem that posed a major threat to him.
The increased attack power didn't matter, as long as he didn't get hit.
As for the defense, the tentacle's new skill proved helpful.
*Whoosh!*
-Intruder!
-Kill!
Golem attacks poured in from all directions.
And through the gaps, a strand of tentacle shot past like a flash of light.
Having used it opportunistically whenever he could, Lee Shin now handled the tentacles as if they were his own limbs.
Harden.
*Stab!*
[The golem's hard exterior reduces the impact.]
[Damage absorbed.]
Just before hitting the golem, the tentacle hardened and pierced ever so slightly into its exterior.
Immediately after, Lee Shin used the '???'s Fangs' skill.
The effect was better than expected.
[Spreading poison.]
[The golem's resistance...]
[A potent venom pierces through the golem's resistance!]
[The target has been poisoned.]
[While poisoned, the target takes 17% increased damage and is slowed.]
The golem's color turned black, and its speed dropped noticeably. The already slow golem became even slower!
But that wasn't what surprised Lee Shin.
'It works on this?!'
Golems are inanimate objects.
'???'s Fangs' was a type of neurotoxin that increased damage taken and caused a 'paralysis effect'.
This type of poison usually didn't work on inanimate objects, so honestly, he had been half in doubt, wondering, 'Will this even work?'
But it worked.
There were two possibilities.
Either the golem was actually classified as a living creature despite its appearance, or the skill Lee Shin used was of an incredibly high rank.
Skills with a high 'class,' like Lee Shin's first secret sword technique, usually came with powerful correction effects.
And these sometimes applied in ways that defied common sense.
Just like how the secret sword's description said it 'silences attacks using a sword,' but in reality, it erased all sounds generated in the process.
The first possibility seemed too unlikely, so it was more reasonable to assume the second reason.
There was evidence to support it, too.
For now, its grade was low, and it was merely in the form of a tentacle, but its true form was ultimately a god.
It wouldn't be strange at all if the skill's class was rated as highly as the Salseong's secret sword technique.
'It'll be something to see once its grade increases.'
Thanks to that, the hunt went smoothly.
Lee Shin's damage increased more than the golem's defense had from its higher grade, so his hunting speed was actually faster than on the 8th floor.
*Slice!*
[You have defeated the golem group.]
[Experience acquired.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
"...Hmm."
After cutting down the last golem lured by Gillaim, Lee Shin paused.
Lee Shin didn't need a break yet, but the two behind him were exhausted from keeping up with his forced march.
'Can't be helped.'
People, like things, break if you push them too hard.
Lee Shin smacked his lips and said.
"Let's rest for a bit."
"...Yes."
"Uh..."
The two, exhausted from hours of continuous hunting, answered in weary voices.
While the two collapsed to rest, Lee Shin checked the minimap.
[Minimap information is updating.]
[55% of the 9th floor has been explored!]
[The master of the dungeon has detected the intruder's presence.]
[The gloomy aura intensifies.]
55%.
They had started at 30%, meaning they'd cleared 25% in just a few hours.
Even with the support of his party members, it was an astonishingly fast pace.
Lee Shin nodded in satisfaction.
Dokgo, on the other hand, was still reeling, unlike Lee Shin.
It was only natural.
The area that had taken the entire Black Tiger Guild days and nights to explore, this person had cleared in a matter of hours.
'In... insane...'
Surprisingly, what he had shown on the 8th floor wasn't his full potential.
His true worth was revealed on the 9th floor.
As Lee Shin grew accustomed to mob hunting, and with the added support of his evolved tentacles, his hunting speed had accelerated even more.
At this point, a question arose that was stronger than respect or fear.
'Just who is he?'
Even by the most conservative estimate, Lee Shin's skills far surpassed those of an ordinary player.
Based on his movements alone, one would believe he was a high-ranker.
And yet...
'...I've never seen him before.'
That made it even more puzzling.
How could a player like this have remained unknown until now?
With his level of skill, it would be harder *not* to become famous, and even if he tried to hide, people around him would have made a fuss...
'Is it because he's a player from the Eteun Kingdom?'
The thought came to him suddenly, but it seemed highly plausible.
The Eteun Kingdom has a significantly smaller player base compared to other kingdoms.
As such, it had many undiscovered hunting grounds, making it a kingdom where one could easily hide if they were determined to do so.
While Dokgo was lost in his own thoughts, Lee Shin stood up and spoke.
"Time to go."
"Yes."
After a sufficient rest, Lee Shin immediately resumed hunting.
How much time passed like that?
After a full day's forced march, just as Jeong Yu-ra's and Arthur's faces had turned pale again.
*Slice!*
"This is the last one."
"Is it?"
Lee Shin sliced through the core of the last remaining golem.
The diagonally severed golem rolled across the dungeon floor, and a moment later.
A message appeared before Lee Shin's eyes.
[You have defeated the golem group.]
[Experience acquired.]
[Level Up!]
[All floors of the dungeon have been explored!]
[The gloomy aura of the dungeon intensifies.]
[You may now enter the lowest floor of the dungeon.]
Gillaim asked.
"Will you go immediately?"
"We have to."
"...!"
"R-Right away?!"
Arthur and Jeong Yu-ra, who had been resting as if dead, shot up in alarm, but Lee Shin's decision was firm.
Besides, only the boss remained, so it wouldn't take long...
And more importantly, Lee Shin wasn't particularly tired.
"This is the last part."
"...."
"Just cast buffs from the back."
"Fine..."
At Lee Shin's words, the two staggered to their feet.