Chapter 77
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Floor 7 (1)
Late afternoon, a guest arrived at the royal palace garden.
Kalben Erdaim.
The margrave guarding the kingdom's borders and swordsmanship instructor to the second prince passed through the garden without so much as a glance around.
"Margrave Erdaim."
A familiar voice called out.
Erdaim halted his steps and slowly turned his gaze forward.
There stood Alberic, the newly appointed captain of the second prince's personal guard.
"What brings you here?"
Erdaim fell silent for a moment at Alberic's words.
He furrowed his brow, as if Alberic's presence was utterly distasteful.
"Alberic. Step aside."
"I am the captain of the guard now, Erdaim. His Highness appointed me himself, and you must show me respect."
"I've only come to see my student."
"If you wish an audience with His Highness, you should have gone through me first. Return another day."
"Alberic. You're under a grave misapprehension."
Erdaim heightened his aura, as if ready to draw his sword and sever Alberic's head at any moment.
Yet he continued walking forward slowly.
"Do you truly believe you have the authority to bar my way?"
"His Highness appointed me."
"Alberic. Has the second prince declared himself king?"
"......"
The second prince, Roderick, had killed the first prince and usurped the throne.
Yet for some reason, he delayed the coronation and spent his days merely holding audiences in the throne room.
The black mages chafed at the prince's indolence.
"I serve only Prince Roderheim."
Erdaim recited the name of the late king as he brushed past Alberic.
"That filthy black mage scum dares..."
Erdaim muttered under his breath in disgust.
He traversed the long palace corridor and pushed open the door to the audience chamber.
Inside sat the second prince on the throne, flanked by three black mages who had recently seized key positions.
"Er—Erdaim! What is the meaning of this?!"
"Bodman. Walter. Blueheim. Leave us."
"Hah! To act like this before His Highness..."
"Do as he says."
The prince, who had been silent until then, finally spoke.
"B-But Your Highness..."
"Handle your affairs as you wish. I shall remain here."
"......"
Prince Roderick stamped the seals on the documents the trio had brought and handed them back.
After exchanging uneasy glances, the three slunk away.
Erdaim approached the prince without sparing them a look.
"Roderick. Why do you keep those vermin close?"
"We share the same ambitions."
"Ambitions?"
Erdaim looked up at Second Prince Roderick upon his throne.
"The first prince's faction is already withering. Bolstering those wretches' power further won't help you defeat the witch anyway."
"The witch is no concern. Just yesterday, something new bloomed."
Roderick gazed toward the southeast.
The direction of Labyrinth City.
"...Then why not cut them loose? Do you truly believe in the existence of this evil god they worship?"
"Master. I need the god they believe in. There is no greater vessel to be found."
"Roderick. Come to your senses. Gods are mere illusions."
Erdaim pleaded, but Roderick gazed at him with pity, as if he were pathetic.
"It is no illusion. To stand against them, I need a vessel. This frail shell cannot even face them."
"...Roderick."
Erdaim stared straight at the second prince.
The Roderick he remembered had no thirst for the crown.
One day, he had suddenly fallen into madness as if possessed by another soul, allied with the black mages, and beheaded the first prince.
Under the black mages' direction, the first prince's supporters were purged one by one.
"What is it you truly desire?"
Erdaim asked the second prince quietly.
Though the prince was derisively called a puppet of the black mages, there was something off about the way he faced Erdaim—not quite like a man dancing to their tune.
But the second prince merely shook his head.
"It is impossible for one of mere beastly station."
He looked upon the oblivious Erdaim with sorrowful pity, nothing more.
After thirty minutes, the trade lock released.
But my troubled mind wouldn't settle easily, so I spent the night running various experiments to verify the cash system.
First, I confirmed whether cash expenditure was truly the cause.
Testing that was simple.
[4th Circle Shop]
— Price: 1,000 cash per use
[Purchase 1,000 times?]
— 1,000,000 cash payment
As I moved to confirm the purchase, I felt something drain from my back, and the transaction completed.
The sensation was so faint it was nearly imperceptible... but once aware of it, subsequent attempts were easy to notice.
It matched the feeling from auction house trades—something leaching out from inside my body.
Back then too, it had pulled from my back.
My guess? My body is like a piggy bank right now.
Losing a coin or two is fine, but trying to yank out too much at once tears the hole, collapsing the flesh.
Next... what exactly is cash, and why does it ravage my body like this?
Pure speculation there—no clear answers.
"Ah."
Recalling the prior incident soured my stomach instantly.
My mind splitting in two, body inflating as it escaped...
Without the Body Reconstruction Rune, who knows what would've happened.
Auction house use requires caution from now on.
As long as I don't spend massive sums at once, it should be fine... but if it happens again, it might be irreversible.
I washed my sweat-soaked body.
The cool water cleared my head a bit.
"...I need to think about transcendence too."
Achievable at level 99 with special items.
Reaching it might reveal more.
The required items for transcendence are already public knowledge, so I remember them.
After showering, I returned to the bedroom, swapped the damp bedding, and opened my inventory.
[Grade: Hero]
— Sap from the Primordial Tree. Increases magic power upon consumption.
The elixir bought at auction.
Wary after recent events, but... this was caused by another auction participant, technically.
I uncorked the elixir and downed the sap in one go.
[Consuming Sap of the Life Source.]
— Magic Power +20
— Mana +500
The sap absorbed rapidly, boosting my magic power and mana.
Next, I pulled out the Formless Fragment.
[Grade: Mythic]
— Combines with items to mimic properties.
Lifting the translucent clay-like fragment, it yielded softly to my touch.
I immediately removed the Dragon Heart from my staff.
[Shattered Heart of the Ancient Dragon]
— Magic Power +100
— Mana +2,000
I pressed the Formless Fragment onto the heart shard on my desk.
Molding it carefully by hand.
[Formless Fragment mimics form.]
[Restoration of Ancient Dragon's Heart: 50%]
[Restored Heart of the Ancient Dragon]
— Magic Power +500
— Mana +10,000
[Special: Dragon Heart]
— Mana recovery increases proportional to ambient mana density.
[Order of Circles]
— Instills fear in foes of vastly inferior rank.
With the fragment in place, the Ancient Dragon's heart restored to half capacity.
Stats surged, and a new special ability unlocked.
The special ability Order of Circles excels against instinct-driven monsters.
With my current stats, monsters below elite or boss on floors 1-4 wouldn't even dare approach.
I slotted the restored Dragon Heart back into the staff.
Gripping it again, the massive magic power surge was palpable.
No wonder.
Crunch—
"......"
A grotesque sound emanated from my body, my frame expanding slightly more.
Thanks to my 3rd Circle magic Mana Body+, other stats rose too.
I twisted and turned, checking my condition.
Newly reconstructed, my movements felt smoother than before.
Satisfied, I left the mansion for the bustling streets.
Transcendence needs more levels, so time to hustle.
I'd bought lunch and was heading to the dungeon when—
"...Hey."
Beth called out to me.
"You planning to keep growing forever?"
Beth poked my arm.
Too complicated to explain, I shrugged lightly and chatted with her.
Her guild had settled nicely in Labyrinth City.
Thanks to her diligent networking, her shop drew the biggest crowds despite merchant rivals.
"Things are stable here, so I'm heading out to clean this week. What about you?"
"I'll go."
"Good. Here."
Beth handed me a cipher sheet.
"Use this to check. I'll explain how now."
She gave me the decoding stick with its mechanism.
I knew it already, but listened fully just in case—no changes.
"Alright, show up on time."
With explanations done, Beth returned to her shop.
I made for the dungeon.