Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Underground 2nd Floor Treasure Chest (1)
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The next day.
I stepped into a building with a real estate sign hanging in one corner of the city's bustling district.
"Welcome. Looking for a place to stay?"
The middle-aged man seated at the counter gave me a quick once-over.
"I'm after something suitable for long-term living."
"Long-term, huh... Lucky timing. We've got a cheap room available. It's an inn room—200 gold a day."
He had me pegged as a beginner adventurer, clearly.
I cut him off.
"Not an inn. I want an independent space. Somewhere quiet, ideally."
"You're a picky one for a young guy. Those aren't cheap—are you sure you've got the gold?"
Without a word, I pulled a pouch stuffed with platinum coins from my inventory and set it down on the counter.
Clink. The heavy jangle brought a grin to his face.
"That's my budget."
"Hah! Should've led with that! Had me thinking otherwise."
He let out a hearty laugh and gestured for me to follow. I trailed after him, checking out a few properties. The first was a lavish two-story mansion—the kind nobles might occupy. Monthly rent: 500 platinum. Way too conspicuous. Pass. The second sat near guild buildings in a noisy commercial strip. Too loud. Pass. Finally, we arrived at the last one.
"What do you think of this? It's a bit off the main drag, but that means it's quiet—and there's a guard post nearby."
It was the second floor of a plain-looking stone building. But inside, it was surprisingly spacious: a decent living room, bedroom, and even a simple cooking setup. Fully equipped. Best of all, opening the window revealed a serene alley view instead of the clamor of the marketplace.
"Rent's 125 platinum a month, deposit 500 platinum."
A million twenty-five a month... five million deposit. Not cheap on my earnings, but the money from selling the Bell of Silence covered it easily. Gotta invest properly in a rest spot.
"I'll take it."
"You're decisive! I'll get the paperwork ready right now."
He pulled out a ledger and scribbled away, then handed me a copy.
"Take your time reading it. Ask if anything's unclear. Sign when you're good."
I filled in my name and basic details, then handed it back. After that, I paid the deposit and first month's rent.
"625 platinum."
"Hold on a sec."
He weighed the pouch on a scale and logged it in the ledger. I took the key he offered and headed back to my shack to grab my meager belongings before moving to the new place.
"O."
No more creaky door—instead, it shut with a solid thunk. No damp moldy stench—just a faint, pleasant wood aroma. I flopped onto the bed. Not exactly plush, but no squeaks. Finally, a proper place to crash.
"Nice."
I rolled around on it for a bit before remembering something I'd forgotten. I opened my status window.
The Dimensional Forge tab was glowing—turns out it had finished without me noticing.
I tapped it to check the details.
『Imperfect Branch of the Ancient Tree』
【Grade: Unique】
— A branch where the ancient tree's final leaf has bloomed. It has not fully blossomed.
「All magic channeled through the staff is amplified by 50%.」
「Assists control of all magic power.」
[!] The Abyss Fragment stirs.
「Mana Crystal Resonance can now be used.」
— Attracts all mana crystals within a certain range.
"O......"
A small staff appeared before my eyes: a thick branch with a single leaf dangling from it.
Generously measured, it was wand-sized—a half-formed staff at best.
The Primordial Tree: Eldea’s Final Leaf must not have had much power left.
I reached for the claim button first.
Shhht. Like a hologram materializing, the staff appeared in my hand. "Handy." It fit perfectly in one hand. Inspecting the branch, I spotted holes dotted along it. Faint red light, like tiny gates, flickered within. The Abyss Fragment seemed perfectly embedded inside. Alright then... time to test it out. I got up from the bed and headed straight for the dungeon.
"......"
Arriving on the 2nd floor, I felt oddly empty and blankly scanned my surroundings.
I pulled up the map for no real reason and checked around.
Quite a few areas were revealed, but over 90% remained shrouded.
"...Busy today, huh."
She usually popped up like a ghost the moment I hit the 2nd floor, but not today.
Habits are scary—I'd partied with her just a few days and already gotten attached.
After waiting about five minutes, I gave up on her and slowly pressed deeper into the dungeon.
"Anyway, I need to find that treasure chest."
All for the best.
There were three treasure chest spots on the 2nd floor total.
Sorry, Ilana, but I couldn't exactly share those locations.
I headed straight for the first one.
The labyrinth dungeon was massive, so it took a good while to walk there.
-Grrr. How long had it been? A Lizardman crawled out from a crack in the wall. Perfect timing—I needed to test the staff anyway. I drew the branch from my inventory and aimed at the Lizardman. Then, as always, I cast Mana Bolt. -Hummm. The cast went off buttery smooth. Not only that, control was far more precise—mana consumption dropped to half. The staff's control assist was doing its job perfectly. As expected, a mage shines with a staff. It was wand-sized for now, but still. I gave the branch a light swing, firing the Mana Bolt at the Lizardman. -Kik... With a short screech, it collapsed to the floor. Unlike last time, one shot took it down. The 50% magic amplification had doubled the power, roughly.
My level rose by one at the same time.
I'd been grinding steadily, so my exp bar had been nearly full.
I used Mana Crystal Resonance to draw in the dropped mana crystal.
Snap—it jumped right into my hand. Straight to inventory. Then I activated a Basic Mana Recovery Rune. My body filled with mana again, like I'd never used any.
"Ah."
Runes had a 15-second cooldown. But Lizardmen respawned in about 30 seconds. Therefore...
"Hunting's hit a singularity."
I fired a Mana Bolt into the air and let it float. Then I wandered the dungeon interior, hunting for hidden monsters. When a Lizardman showed up... Shwoosh—-Kiik? It barely reacted before my floating Mana Bolt pierced its skull. The fallen mana crystal got yanked in via Resonance immediately. Rinse and repeat. Just walking around netted exp and mana crystals—an auto-hunt system complete. Sometimes multiples spawned together, but no issue. I could prep 10 Mana Bolts in sequence. Enough to clear them all. Sit, recover with a rune, and mana topped off quick.
"Alright."
I floated one Mana Bolt and walked deeper in. Shouldn't take long to reach the first treasure chest spot.
"Hoo."
I halted before a passage leading into the dungeon's underground waterway.
The treasure chest was hidden somewhere ahead.
The entryway into the waterway was a dark, dripping tunnel.
My footsteps echoed loudly inside as I stepped in.
It led one way, but curved in a semicircle.
Pitch black—I kept a hand on the wall for guidance.
Splash. Splash. Puddles soaked my shoes. From the midpoint, I started prepping Mana Bolts one by one. The treasure spot in the underground waterway was where an elite monster respawned on the 2nd floor. In other words, if the elite was still alive, the chest probably hadn't spawned yet. How far had I gone? Faint light leaked from the tunnel's end. But I didn't go there. Instead, I focused on the wall right in front of me.
"Hoo......"
This wall was an illusion. A painful one that transmitted tactile feedback. I'd confirmed before: low-level characters took massive mental strain passing through, plus actual HP loss. And the Illusion Pain debuff to boot. I steeled my mind slowly. At my current level, it'd hurt like hell no matter what. But I'd get through. I backed up a bit. Then— Thud— I charged at the wall full tilt. And...
"Argh!"
A solid wall blocked my torso. Or so I thought.
"Aw......"
Rubbing my throbbing nose, I hauled myself up from the floor. Luckily, I'd passed the illusion unscathed—a dim corridor stretched ahead. No visible wounds, but my body ached like it was covered in bruises.
"Hoo."
Just illusionary pain—it'd fade with time. More importantly now...
"Should be around here."
I groped the side wall and slipped my fingers into a small groove, tugging lightly. Whoosh! A torch on the wall ignited. Flames spread like a chain reaction, flooding the interior with light. A wide corridor unfolded before me. Not super long, but broad.
"No signs anyone's been here."
Good—I'd nailed it this time. No one could see through this entrance. Even the Labyrinth Lords would have to bash their heads against that wall. They probably wouldn't writhe from the Illusion Pain like me, though. I advanced slowly down the corridor. Alright then... time to hunt that elite.