Chapter 172
Chapter 172
Chapter 172
The Spirit Forest near the lakeshore.
[On behalf of my entire family, I thank you, Special Envoy Plenipotentiary.]
A deer-shaped spirit bowed its head toward Siegfried.
[Thank you~]
His wife, a doe spirit, and cute baby deer spirits beside him also expressed their gratitude to Zieg.
Along with the spirit's thanks, the request was completed.
Ting-
[You have completed the Mad Mutant Mushroom Quest.]
[Spirit Hippolyta thanks you.]
[Contribution points increased.]
Today's completed request was a subjugation request.
Since mad mushrooms had appeared near the forest where the deer spirit family lived and were attacking spirits, Zieg had eliminated the mushrooms on behalf of the spirits.
The mutant mushrooms with arms and legs had left their original habitat and wandered around everywhere like zombies, spreading poison spores and threatening the spirits' homes.
Their appearance was quite bizarre, delivering considerable shock to Zieg regardless of the monsters' strength.
Zieg shook his head vigorously to erase memories of them and smiled.
"Thanks? Not at all. If there's anything else uncomfortable, please call us anytime. And please spread word about us widely to other spirits as well."
[Of course. I'll inform my friends that we received great help from the envoys dispatched with full authority from Her Majesty. Then.]
Whoosh-
[This is my personal gift. Since I heard you envoys are looking for things similar to this. Please accept it......]
The deer spirit family transformed into clusters of light and soon disappeared.
The gift Hippolyta left behind when departing.
Zieg picked up the seashell-like object containing spirit power and sighed.
"Phew, barely finished one more today."
Zieg released his heavy armor and returned to the Crystal Palace.
"Ah, Zieg's back? Good work."
When he returned to the lodgings, So-yul, who had the day off today, warmly welcomed Zieg at the lodgings.
Zieg handed the seashell containing spirit power to So-yul and shared the contribution point increase and information.
"Bizarre mutants created from the forest's natural objects transforming?"
"Yes. They said this never happened before, but recently strange phenomena have been occurring in all directions."
"Hmm...... I'd say it's the effect of the living environment deteriorating as problems arose in the spirit power circulation. Like the feeling of everyday laws we took for granted collapsing one by one?"
So-yul said that and placed the seashell Zieg handed her next to a bizarre lump on the table.
Click-
The seashell stuck to that lump like a magnet.
That lump was made of all sorts of miscellaneous items clumped together—seashells, tree branches, pebbles, iron ore, etc.
It just looked like trash on the surface, but according to Seo-jin, it was an important clue for finding Excalibur's blueprint.
Tremble-
The lump began to vibrate and emit spirit power as it absorbed the seashell.
They said this emits stronger vibrations the closer it gets to the blueprint.
Since its accuracy increases each time they clump together objects containing spirit power collected through requests, it seemed they could definitely find the blueprint if they kept clearing quests.
"Anyway, the contribution point increase is going smoothly. Rest comfortably, Zieg."
"Understood."
After Zieg went to wash up, other members also arrived one after another.
***
While other members of the Reverse Heaven Society dealt with requests from lakeshore spirits.
Bubble bubble-
Seo-jin was diving deep in the lake, searching for the source of this incident.
The interior of the lake filled with high-density spirit power.
Thanks to his [Homeostasis] trait and the [Sea God's Protection] he received from Pontos in the past, Seo-jin could move without difficulty even underwater.
His breathing was natural, and he wasn't swept away by currents or water resistance.
Also, among the [Sea God's Protection]'s effects was being loved by marine creatures.
Although this was freshwater with freshwater creatures, whether the protection had an effect or not, underwater creatures and monsters showed no hostility toward Seo-jin.
Slither- swish-
They just got startled and fled when 'Leviathan' that Seo-jin summoned circled around like an eel.
Usually, Leviathan didn't listen to Seo-jin's words well.
But when released in this lake, it seemed to like it quite a bit.
And this was probably.
'Because of the demonic energy eroding the lake.'
Seo-jin's hand trembled slightly.
It wasn't that high a concentration yet.
Probably because the amount of spirit power that couldn't circulate and accumulated at the lake bottom was so great that it wasn't even noticeable.
But this demonic energy was definitely changing the ecosystem inside the lake, which would soon change the environment of the entire floor.
'This isn't something an ordinary boss monster or unidentified creature could accomplish.'
A demon administering the 50th floor is definitely involved here.
Of course.
'Just because a demon is involved doesn't mean I can conclude they have intentions to turn this entire floor into wasteland or ruins.'
No matter how evil they are as demons, they're still beings overseeing a floor.
Though they differ according to inclination, they fundamentally want the floor's stable maintenance.
Because the magic power and emotions produced from each floor become one of their power sources.
'The floors are their territories.'
There's no reason to damage or destroy with their own hands a territory that benefits them.
So this incident is probably less about grand malice or plans like the floor's destruction......
It would be better to see it as arbitrarily creating a crisis situation so that climbers like Seo-jin would progress the World Quest.
'......A disaster without malice.'
A being that causes disaster in a perfectly fine world without batting an eye, just to function as part of the climbing system.
In a sense, it's more chilling than a disaster full of malice.
Moreover, a situation like now seemed to mock the course Seo-jin had shown while climbing the tower.
'If I hadn't reached the 50th floor, would this floor have been peaceful as before?'
Seo-jin frowned.
Until now, Seo-jin had climbed the tower while resolving original problems scattered across each floor.
But this incident might have been triggered by Seo-jin setting foot here.
The spirit world that was peaceful under Vivian's reign was suddenly swept up in disaster for the reason of creating quests for climbers.
"......"
Of course, even if not Seo-jin, someone would have climbed to the 50th floor, and this land would be swept up in disaster just like now.
Just as it was before his regression.
Nevertheless, the current situation wasn't very pleasant.
As Seo-jin spent his seventh day searching for the flow of demonic energy in the lake and looking for a solution.
Shaaaa-
The water temperature suddenly dropped.
The source of that phenomenon was none other than Seo-jin's summon, Glize.
[.......]
Glize, who had been released in the lake, approached and made a report.
It was a report that she had discovered a giant monster life form occupying the lake bottom.
Seo-jin received the current location where it was and its approximate appearance.
'A large water dragon.'
It could be considered a fairly fitting appearance for a lake monster.
Perhaps it's the stereotype of a lake monster that climbers imagine.
"Good work. Return now."
Seo-jin reverse-summoned Glize and decided to return to the Crystal Palace.
He had obtained quite a bit of information, and after searching around the lake bottom, he had achieved his intended results.
Slither-
However, he decided to leave behind Leviathan, who was darting around the lake like a fish in water.
Since it usually didn't listen to him so he couldn't even level it up, but here it was happily hunting around.
"Come back on your own."
Sliiither-
Without even answering Seo-jin, Leviathan disappeared into the lake's darkness.
***
"A water dragon?"
"Right."
At the lodgings he returned to.
When Seo-jin shared the information, the members expressed surprise.
Austin stroked his chin and murmured with a satisfied smile.
"If it's a water dragon, the lake monster Nessie comes to mind. It's truly perfect for a lake monster."
Perhaps because it was a legend originating from his homeland Britain, he seemed to know it well.
Strictly speaking, he was from England and Loch Ness is in Scotland, but.
Since the entire 50th floor's concept was based on legends about Britain like Excalibur or the Lady of the Lake, Nessie's appearance wasn't that strange either.
Austin feeling somehow proud.
Meanwhile, Francesca, who was from France, spoke cynically as if feeling a subtle rivalry toward British Austin.
"But that's a hoax, right? Wasn't it a false rumor created to attract tourists?"
"That might be so. But in this 'Tower' where any miraculous thing can happen, doesn't it not matter since the legend of Nessie, where many people's imaginations gathered, became reality?"
"What are you saying? Either way, it's a hoax."
Unlike the grumbling Francesca, the relatively young Zieg and Se-yeon were interested, as if curious about such legends.
"Nessie......"
"It's fascinating."
"In any case, beating down that thing can be said to be the World Quest's objective."
When Seo-jin summarized the situation, Nam-gung Cheon, who was lying on the sofa, spoke.
"If we know the location and identify it, isn't everything finished?"
There's no need to keep pleasing the spirits and clearing requests anymore.
Since they found the culprit of this incident, they just need to go beat it down and it'll be over.
If they deploy the great Supernova, a living strategic weapon, it'll be resolved quickly.
However, Seo-jin slowly shook his head.
"I wonder. It's not a good matchup for me."
"Matchup? You, who beats down even paladins?"
"Right."
As long as a demon was presumed to be involved in the appearance of the monster at the lake bottom presumed to be Nessie, facing it head-on was burdensome even for Seo-jin.
Considering the influence it currently has on this entire floor, there's also the possibility that it's not simply a minion or fragment but a transformed 'main body.'
'Seeing how Vivian, an existence close to being a Spirit King, can't do anything about it, the probability of it being the main body is high.'
And it's still too early to face a demon's main body.
Seo-jin conveyed that information to the members.
"Ah, a demon's main body?"
"That would certainly be difficult for even the leader to handle."
At that information, the members were startled and showed reluctance.
Because the Reverse Heaven Society members had also faced demon fragments several times while climbing the tower.
So they had painfully experienced their danger and viciousness.
Seo-jin nodded.
"Right. It's not an opponent to recklessly charge at just because we learned information."
Even though Seo-jin and the Reverse Heaven Society's capabilities had greatly increased, they weren't at the level of facing a demon's main body.
However, according to the Tower's rules, it's impossible for a demon's main body to function as a boss at the 50th floor level.
At least its rank should have been lowered or its power sealed to be appropriate.
But this only applies when one reaches before the boss monster while normally clearing the World Quest.
If they just charge in because they know its identity and location, they could literally be crushed.
So, they must weaken its power while clearing the World Quest or obtain an artifact with power that can handle it.
On this 50th floor, it's presumed to lead to the latter case.
"Excalibur's...... blueprint, we must obtain it after all."
"Guess we have to obediently clear the World Quest."
Austin and Francesca sighing.
Then, Nam-gung Cheon lay on the sofa shaking his legs and pointed out one uncomfortable fact.
"But what good is just having the blueprint? To make it, we also need the 'sword's original.'"
The sword's original, a legendary material said to be able to forge any sword.
Since the Tower's creation, cases of that item being discovered were truly few and far between.
It's not like they can easily obtain such an item somewhere......
Nam-gung Cheon said that while surreptitiously looking at Se-yeon.
The steel staff Se-yeon currently uses as a weapon.
This was a temporary weapon that Talis made by kneading the 'sword's original.'
Rather than using that precious material as a mere temporary weapon, they could melt that down and make Excalibur.
However,
"No."
Se-yeon hid the staff behind her back and frowned.
This was something Seo-jin gave her and that Master Talis made.
Even if it's for clearing the World Quest, she has no intention of readily handing it over.
Just as Nam-gung Cheon and Se-yeon's gazes sharply collided.
"There's no need for that."
Clunk-
Seo-jin took something from his chest and threw it on the table, saying.
"Because I obtained one."