Chapter 47
Chapter 47
Mad Black Mage's Tower Strategy
Chapter 47
The Minotaur's Labyrinth.
Like baby ducklings waddling behind their mother, the children followed behind Seo-jin in a single line.
While doing so, they adorably munched on the food that Seo-jin had prepared for them.
Hyeon-wol floated around the children, taking care of each one of them.
"Eat slowly. There's plenty of food."
"Yes, ghost sister."
Since Seo-jin was quite clumsy when it came to dealing with children, Hyeon-wol took on the role of calming the children instead.
Meanwhile, Seo-jin asked the boy who was following right behind him.
"You're not all of them, are there more companions?"
The number of sacrifices offered each month totaled fourteen boys and girls combined.
The children that Seo-jin was currently leading numbered thirteen, so one was missing.
"Yes, hyung. We got separated from Rang-si noona on the way. I don't know where she is right now..."
Seo-jin, whose title had changed from demon to hyung. According to the boy's words, it seemed one had fallen behind.
If she had fallen behind, the probability of death was high, but you never know.
Nam-gung Cheon might have found her and taken her with him.
As her wariness loosened a bit, one girl grabbed the hem of Seo-jin's robe and asked.
"Does the stranger oppa know how to get out of here?"
"Of course. Watch carefully."
Seeing is believing.
Seo-jin decided to show them something interesting to ease the children's anxiety.
"Go forward."
RATTLE-.
A skeleton slowly walking forward following Seo-jin's gesture.
As the skeleton passed over the labyrinth's trap.
THUD-.
The labyrinth's walls moved as if alive and smashed the skeleton to pieces.
Although the skeleton was destroyed, this deactivated the trap. They could now continue forward.
"How's that?"
When they saw how easily he deactivated the trap using the skeleton, the children's eyes sparkled with wonder.
Just as he was smoothly breaking through the labyrinth leading the children like that.
POP-.
He felt one of the skeletons he had sent ahead for reconnaissance explode.
"Must be an enemy."
ROOOAR!
At the same time, a roar echoed through the labyrinth.
As the roar, strong enough to make skin tingle, swept through the labyrinth, the faces of the children behind Seo-jin turned pale.
"Ugh."
Then a bull-headed monster wielding a massive axe appeared from around the corner.
[Minotaur's Scout LV.92]
SNORT-.
The muscular bull-headed monster, a Minotaur, breathing roughly.
"Ugh..."
When it appeared, the children trembled in terror.
It seemed they had encountered it before while wandering the labyrinth.
Seo-jin checked its level and frowned.
'The level difference is quite significant.'
Seo-jin's level, who had climbed the Tower repeatedly without caring about levels, was only 43.
Generally speaking, considering that about ten times the floor number is the appropriate level, Seo-jin's level was only half the appropriate level.
'I should take some time to raise my level.'
Even if level was just a number without much meaning to the current Seo-jin, higher was still better than lower.
WHOOSH-.
The Minotaur's Scout, upon discovering Seo-jin and the children, struck the ground with its massive axe.
CRASH-!
The axe's shockwave split the ground and rushed toward Seo-jin and the children.
If Seo-jin were alone, he would have easily dodged with Mixed Origin Steps, but with the children present, he had to block that attack.
RUMBLE-.
Seo-jin drew up Reverse Heaven's Mana and extended his hand.
[Dimension Wall.]
WHOOOM-!
At the same time, a rippling dimensional barrier appeared in front of Seo-jin.
The shockwave rushing toward Seo-jin was absorbed by the dimensional barrier and disappeared without a trace.
And.
WHOOOM-.
A dimensional barrier appeared again behind the Minotaur's Scout and expelled the absorbed attack exactly as it was.
"...!"
THUD-!
ROOOAR-!!
The creature let out a pained groan after being hit in the back of the head by a completely unexpected attack.
FLASH-.
Seo-jin didn't miss that opportunity and immediately cast black magic.
"Chain Lightning."
CRACKLE-.
Black chains shot toward the Minotaur's Scout like lightning.
The black magic chains tightly wrapped around the creature's massive body, and Seo-jin used those chains to channel black lightning.
ZAP- ZAP- ZAP-.
"KUOOOO!"
As powerful electric current coursed through its entire body from the tightly wound chains, the creature screamed in agony.
A compound magic that could perfectly drive black lightning into the entire body without any power loss.
Though it shared the name with the lightning-type magic Chain Lightning, this was actually closer to Seo-jin's unique black magic that mixed black magic.
CRACKLE-.
The Minotaur's Scout eventually couldn't withstand the successive waves of black lightning and became charcoal.
"KRUOOO."
THUD-.
When the creature collapsed its massive body, the ground shook greatly.
"Wow!"
The children cheered with joy upon seeing the creature fall.
"..."
Seo-jin shook off the residual current remaining in his right arm that had cast the lightning and sighed.
'I'm gradually reaching my limit.'
The Primordial Unity Technique's ability greatly mitigated the cost of using black magic, but even that had clear limits.
Since Seo-jin had climbed the Tower rapidly in an extremely short period, the level of enemies he encountered had also risen drastically.
When enemies become stronger, naturally the frequency and amount of black magic usage increases.
On top of that, having to use more complex and high-powered black magic than before, the backlash inevitably became greater than before.
With that much greater burden on the body, the Primordial Unity Technique's ability and elixirs alone were insufficient to cover it.
'It's natural that trying to hunt in high-level hunting grounds at low level would result in no damage output and only increased consumption.'
Damage could be covered by Seo-jin's talent and the characteristics of black magic.
But the consumed stamina and mana were unavoidable.
Moreover, since this was reality, not a game, the real problem was that his actual body was being worn down.
"Whew."
After catching his breath once, Seo-jin began rummaging through the well-cooked corpse of the Minotaur's Scout.
'This will sell well.'
Seo-jin, who had collected the Minotaur's horns and battle axe, placed his hand on the massive bull head and injected mana.
"Speak with Dead."
Necromancy that converses with the residual thoughts remaining in the body of a recently deceased individual.
[KUUUU...]
Soon a hazy form of the Minotaur appeared and looked at Seo-jin.
After that, Seo-jin was able to hear detailed information about the types of monsters patrolling the labyrinth, their patrol ranges, shift change times, and more through it.
"Good work."
When he cut off the mana injection, the residual thoughts completely disappeared from the Minotaur's corpse.
Then Seo-jin raised the Minotaur's corpse using Summon Dead.
[The free servant capacity of the Summon Dead skill is consumed.]
[Number of subordinates you can command without mana consumption: (3/3)]
"KUUUU."
[Minotaur's Scout]
Grade: B+
LV: 92
Race: Minotaur
Owner: Lee Seo-jin
A scout serving the Minotaur, master of Labyrinthos. Possesses strong stamina and physical defense.
Unique Skills
[Roar]
Causes enemies below a certain level to fall into fear. Feared enemies are incapacitated for a certain time.
[Unstoppable Charge]
Only receives half the effect of crowd control effects.
Seo-jin grinned as he looked at the Minotaur standing majestically before him.
"How generous."
He had gained items generously, obtained information through the soul, and on top of that, made the corpse into an undead to serve as a meat shield.
It was like a giving tree.
Though the grade wasn't high enough to use for long, it was sufficient to serve as a meat shield while in the labyrinth.
Seeing this, Hyeon-wol clicked her tongue.
"Wicked bastard. You loot items, extract information, and now you're even using the corpse?"
"If you're going to say that, use the expression 'resourceful' instead."
Using everything that could be used to achieve the best efficiency. That's what mages are, after all.
Hyeon-wol left the wickedly grinning Seo-jin behind and warned the children.
"You kids shouldn't learn from watching stuff like that."
"Y-yes."
"What are you saying? You should learn this kind of thing early to make life easier."
Use whatever you can use, and when you get a chance to learn how to survive, you should learn it in advance.
That's the sure way to survive in this Tower.
After that, Seo-jin began smooth labyrinth exploration with the Minotaur undead leading the way.
Whenever he saw the corpses of climbers, he revived them with the Lich King's power to use as scouts, and as a result, the number of his subordinates swelled to 33, the maximum number equal to the Lich King's level.
Labyrinth exploration using 33 skeletons, Baduki, the Minotaur's Scout, and Hyeon-wol.
Thanks to this, the exploration proceeded very smoothly, and he managed to collect almost all of Daedalus's Marks hidden throughout the labyrinth.
Only one mark remained.
By combining these and weaving them with threads of mana, a hidden path leading to the boss room would open.
PING-.
Just as the labyrinth exploration was proceeding smoothly, some signal came through the threads of mana that Seo-jin had spread out.
Traces of Nam-gung Cheon, who had entered the labyrinth together with Seo-jin.
Seeing this, Seo-jin smiled wickedly.
"So you were there."
***
"Huff. Huff."
The third day since entering the labyrinth.
STAB-.
Nam-gung Cheon, who had pulled his dagger from a monster's neck, breathed roughly and slumped to the floor.
Defeating level 90 monsters wasn't particularly difficult for Nam-gung Cheon.
He was a high ranker, a strategic team level fighter. Even if 9th floor monsters came in droves, he could eliminate them in an instant.
But now the situation was different.
He was in a state where he didn't even have the strength to lift a finger due to thirst.
Whether level 200 or 300, as long as they're alive, they'll die if they don't eat and drink.
Nam-gung Cheon bit his parched lips.
As for hunger, he could roast Minotaur corpses and eat them after removing as much toxin as possible, but he couldn't drink monster blood.
Moreover, while Nam-gung Cheon himself might be able to endure hunger and thirst for a few more days.
"..."
The image of a frail girl reflected in Nam-gung Cheon's eyes.
'The girl who was a sacrifice can't hold on any longer.'
Unlike Nam-gung Cheon, she didn't have the ability to digest monster meat and excrete toxins, and she couldn't even move properly due to lack of water.
"Sigh."
Nam-gung Cheon leaned against the labyrinth wall and slumped his body weakly.
'Damn. To think I'd die from dehydration in a labyrinth like this.'
This was far from the death surrounded by beauties that Nam-gung Cheon had always wished for.
Was this the price of recklessness?
Just as Nam-gung Cheon was lost in thought while breathing roughly.
THUD-.
Footsteps heard from beyond the maze wall.
Now he could tell just by hearing those footsteps.
They were the footsteps of a Minotaur's Scout that he had killed countless times so far.
"Ha. Shit. Not giving me a moment to rest."
Nam-gung Cheon, who had been leaning against the wall, slowly got up and gripped his dagger.
"Come on. Let's see if I die or you die."
Even if he were to die, he wouldn't go easily.
Nam-gung Cheon looked at the girl sleeping against the wall and put strength into the hand holding his dagger.
"KUOOOO-."
The Minotaur's Scout appeared from around the corner with a roar that had become so familiar his ears were callused.
"..."
But this one looked somewhat different from the ones he had seen so far.
A body charred black as if struck by lightning.
Moreover, unlike the other ones that breathed fiercely and snorted, this one was quiet as if dead.
Looking closely, he could feel mana but couldn't sense breathing or heartbeat at all.
Confirming this, Nam-gung Cheon frowned.
'Undead?'
There was no information about undead appearing in this labyrinth.
Then perhaps.
Just as Nam-gung Cheon's thoughts reached that damned bastard.
"What, you're still lively? Did I come too early?"
That bastard appeared from around the corner and showed his face.