Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Floor 2 Treasure Chest (2)
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Inside the hidden passage on the dungeon's second floor.
At the end of the corridor were three rooms.
The rooms on either side were where elite monsters respawned.
Defeating those two elite monsters would automatically open the room with the hidden treasure chest.
I first peered into the room on the left.
At the far end of the space supported by four massive pillars stood a Lizardman slightly smaller in size.
It clutched a staff adorned with an unknown skull and was deep in slumber.
Lizard Shaman.
The elite monster of the underground second floor, wielder of curses.
The room on the right was much the same, structurally minor differences aside—the Lizard Shaman lay there with eyes closed, sleeping.
"Hoo."
I didn't step inside the room. Instead, I slowly drew up my mana.
Waking the shaman would immediately erect an illusory wall at the room's entrance.
Blink couldn't pass through walls, illusory or not.
Trying to force my way out would mean bashing my head against it, and those illusion barriers lasted quite a while, hindering movement.
Fighting inside the room indefinitely wasn't an option either.
The narrow interior and huge pillars made dodging attacks tricky.
Worse, the Lizard Shaman in the opposite room would hear the noise, wake up, and start hurling curses from behind.
Monsters weren't blocked by the illusory walls, so only the person trapped inside would suffer.
Woooong—
I channeled the gathered mana through my staff.
The smoothly deployed Mana Bolts, combined with the ones I'd prepped earlier, totaled sixteen in all.
Lizard Shamans always wrapped themselves in a mana shield.
Once pierced, the shaman's actual body was frailer than a regular Lizardman's.
I considered using a scroll but decided against it—too much experience lost.
Elites and bosses dropped a ton of it.
"Alright then."
Shwooo—
With a flick of my wrist, all sixteen Mana Bolts launched in unison.
Gliding smoothly through the air, they slipped into the room and slammed into the Lizard Shaman's shield simultaneously.
Bang!
The first Mana Bolt struck the barrier, shattering like glass.
But it was far from over.
Pabababak—
The flying Mana Bolts hammered the shield one after another.
On the fifteenth bolt—
Kang!
A dull thud echoed as the shaman's shield shattered.
- Kruk?
The struck shaman jolted awake in surprise, leaping from the floor—but it was too late.
Puk—
The final Mana Bolt pierced its body, and the Lizard Shaman collapsed without so much as a cry.
[Elite: Lizard Shaman defeated.]
[Experience gained.]
I dismissed the floating window right away.
One more to go.
- Grrr...
From behind, the shaman had already rushed to its room's entrance and was glaring at me.
Spotting me, it slammed its skull staff into the ground with force, and the shaman's mana erupted outward.
At the same time—
Bubble!
The floor around the shaman turned into a pitch-black swamp, bubbling and boiling.
Area Curse: Swamp of Decay.
Touching that swamp slowed movement and inflicted ongoing decay damage.
I immediately recovered mana via rune and Blinked backward.
Shwooo—
My body skipped through space, vision shifting in an instant.
Chiiik!
[Touched by Swamp of Decay.]
[Status: Decay]
"......"
The range was wider than expected—one foot had dipped into the swamp.
A stinging pain shot through it, but not as bad as I'd feared.
The Lizard Shaman scanned around for my vanished form, then leveled its skull staff at me.
Black mana gathered over the skull, and from its tip extended a massive hand.
Curse's Grasp.
Caught in that hand, one's mental strength drained massively—bottoming out could even damage the soul.
A potent curse under the right conditions.
Clack!
The reaching palm halted well short of me.
For all its power, the range was short, and it was deceptively slow.
- Keeik!
Realizing the distance, the shaman crossed its own Swamp of Decay toward me.
Immune to its own curse, but slowed nonetheless.
I quietly recovered mana, biding my time.
I'd seen all its patterns now, so soon...
- Gruk!
Just then, emerging from the swamp, the shaman slammed its staff into the ground once more.
- Crak!
The floor split, radiating purple light.
From the widening cracks, things began crawling up one by one.
Necromancy, raising the dead.
Twenty Lizardman zombies, flesh rotting from the floor up, clambered forth.
Low-level parties would bail and reset the dungeon at this point.
Even zombies, but twenty Lizardmen while dodging the shaman's curses? Total party wipes most of the time.
- Keehik!
The Lizard Shaman let out a triumphant cackle, certain of victory.
It advanced with the rising zombie horde.
But.
"Took you long enough."
Suppressing a smirk, I raised my staff and aimed at the zombie frontline.
Channeling mana—
Pajik—
Two orbs of thunder rose into the air, linked by tendrils of blue lightning.
"Thanks for the kindling."
With a predatory grin, I hurled the twin thunder orbs into the zombie horde's center.
The moment the orbs touched the lead zombies—
Pajijijik—!
The world turned blue.
Piercing the front row, the lightning chain leaped to every zombie before they could react.
- Kruk?
The shaman's laughter twisted to panic.
Too late.
Amplified and condensed through twenty zombies, the full bolt surged toward the Lizard Shaman.
Kang!
- Kyeeeeek!
Its shield shattered in a flash, the shaman's belated scream drowned out.
Vision went white.
In the blinding blaze, the Lizard Shaman vanished into ash alongside its summoned zombies.
[Elite: Lizard Shaman defeated.]
[Experience gained.]
[Level up!]
[16 → 17]
Clank—
With both Lizard Shamans down, my level rose another notch.
At the same time, the center room's door slid open.
The locked space holding the treasure chest.
I stepped inside.
A chest-sized nook perfectly fit the treasure chest within.
"Gorgeous."
I opened it immediately.
Mana Circulation Ring
[On activation: Grants wearer Rapid Mana Recovery (High)]
[Usable once per day]
"Oh."
The Mana Circulation Ring restored enough mana for mid-third-circle spells in just five seconds.
A powerful artifact, restrictions aside.
And... fingers numbered ten per person.
No plans to sell, but on the black market? Around 5,000 platinum.
I started to slip it on but tossed it into my inventory instead.
No point advertising it.
If black market auctioneer Bess saw, she'd nag me to sell.
"Alright then."
Finally, I used the staff's mana stone resonance to collect the dropped magic stones.
Then, tearing a return scroll from my inventory, I warped back to the dungeon entrance.
---
The next day.
Before heading to the dungeon as usual, I swung by the bustling streets for some simple food.
Unlike last time, I now had a hefty 535 platinum to my name.
Pocket full, browsing the stalls was a delight.
Skewers and snacks lined the roads, mingled with the aroma of fresh-baked bread.
Circling slowly, I ducked into one shop.
"Two lunchboxes, please."
"Right away!"
Hefty slabs of meat packed each box for one platinum apiece.
I stowed them all in my inventory.
Grab a bite when hunger hit.
Alright then.
Leaving the shop, I cut through the streets toward the dungeon.
Staff complete, time to tackle floor 3.
From a bit of yesterday's research, floor 2 had two treasure chests total.
Dawn Guild and Azure Dragon Guild split them.
Three hidden chests on floor 2: two guilds took one each, I snagged the last.
No reason to linger.
Boss hadn't respawned yet either, so floor 3 it was.
Second-circle magic made floor 3 comfy, but my current setup should manage.
One issue... floor 3 introduced ranged attackers.
Taking hits meant burning runes on health recovery, slowing hunts.
Maybe time to find a priest.
In a pinch, Ilana's Bubble could shield like a barrier.
Such were my thoughts.
"Um, ex-excuse me......"
Someone tugged my sleeve and spoke up.
Glancing back, a purple-haired woman beamed at me.
"Long time no see......"
Ilana. It was her.
Only a day since last time—was it really "long"?
Still... nice surprise.
"Long time no see."
"Um, y-yesterday... sorry for just leaving without a word......"
"No worries."
Not even a proper party—what's to apologize for?
"Ah, uh, um......"
Ilana hemmed and hawed, lips flapping indecisively.
Her eyes darted between me and the ground, face etched with worry.
Getting stifling.
"Ilana."
"Y-Yes?!"
"Let's hunt first."
I'm busy here, lady.