Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Constellation Gallery EP.49
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Before the day was out, I managed to take down six elite specimens.
It wasn't quick by any means.
'Elite specimens... They don't show up all that often, do they?'
They were easy enough to spot when they did appear.
Thanks to that, I'd cleared the entry conditions in no time.
But that didn't mean they were crawling all over the place.
'Anyway...'
When I'd slain the 'Launcher Goblin' with my sword, the Grave of Ten Thousand Demons had shimmered green. But with the 'Elder Goblin', it reliably glowed blue before fading.
'What the hell does that difference mean?'
An attribute? Or maybe something about what's getting stored in my weapon changes? Or is it tied to achievements?
I had no clue yet. There weren't any obvious changes I could feel right now.
"Are we heading in right now?"
As we arrived at the dungeon entrance, Harin asked.
For some reason, her eyes were filled with worry.
I got it—she'd seen me fighting nonstop without a break.
"Pushing it off after a good night's sleep isn't a bad idea. But I think it's better to knock it out while we can."
I had a gut feeling that it had to be now.
With the event zone expanded all the way to Busan.
Someone else might beat me to claiming the Slayer achievement in a different region first.
'If that happens, the odds of good rewards drop.'
So, move regions as fast as possible.
Ideally today.
That wasn't the only reason, though.
What if the dungeon's location changed every day?
What if it only stuck around for twenty-four hours before vanishing?
Or if someone else got to it first?
'Tomorrow, I might not even be able to get in if I wanted to.'
That said, I couldn't just rush in blindly.
Going in unprepared would be suicide.
I summoned 10 Low-grade Bio Recovery Potions.
Handed them to Kang Harin first, then summoned 10 more.
This time, I split 10 with Tulip too.
Crazy bastards.
"Drink when you think you need to. But there's a high chance it'll hurt like hell. Think it through before you chug."
"...Pardon?"
"I'm not joking. It's not just pain—your mind might blank out for a second. You could get groggy. Worst case, you pass out."
Tulip tilted her head.
"Groggy?"
"Meaning you drink a recovery potion thinking you need to heal up, and it leaves you combat ineffective instead."
Tension rose on their faces at my words.
I wondered if I'd scared them too much, but it was better to plant that awareness now.
If party members chugged one cluelessly and lost their minds to the sudden pain, we'd be screwed.
This was just the basics.
I still had a ton more to brief them on.
I looked at Tulip.
"Don't use any active healing skills unless I tell you to."
"Got it."
Next, I turned to Harin.
"You... uh... stick right by Tulip. Play it as safe as possible."
"...Okay."
Harin's reply was quieter than usual.
Her usual smiling face was stiff with tension now.
'Not just tension?'
I couldn't pinpoint why, but she seemed a bit more down than normal.
Maybe she thought she wasn't pulling her weight.
"Kang Harin. One thing to remember: We're stepping into this place feeling safe because of you."
"Huh?"
"No one else could make this. Not just anyone."
Kang Harin's face flushed an odd shade of red.
"Keep that confidence from here on out. You're more than pulling your weight in this party—hell, you're doing double."
"Okay...."
This wasn't just empty encouragement.
Vitality, defense, even fire resistance.
She was the one who'd crafted those rock-solid attribute items.
"Anyway, tense up from here on. This is our first raid."
"Raid?"
"Meaning our official first dungeon conquest. It'll be different from usual. Could have a boss structure, traps, whatever. Prep for variables."
This was the real deal now.
They needed to feel it in the air.
"From the second we step in, don't relax even if no monsters are in sight."
"Got it."
"And obviously, never move alone. Not even for a second. But dungeons are places that break 'obvious' rules. Watch for that."
"Yep."
"If you end up separated somehow, don't push to find us. If it's safe, hold position."
They all nodded.
But I could see the anxiety mixed in.
"Once we clear the dungeon, everything should snap back to normal, whatever changes. So just hold out, and I promise I'll conquer it and come get you."
Only then did the anxiety ease from their faces a bit.
And finally.
'Summon Random Consumable Box.'
A small box appeared in my palm.
Anything I could open before going in, better do it now.
Vmmm—
The moment I opened the box, an intense purple light burst from within.
The light shot skyward, taking form, condensing into something solid.
"Mister! Isn't that the weapon box from before?"
"This is a consumable box."
"Whoa, first time seeing one."
As Kang Harin watched in fascination.
The light faded, the box vanished without a trace, leaving a single stone floating in front of me.
'Holy shit...'
The shape hit me with instant awe.
A stone I was already familiar with.
Yeah, a rune stone.
'Use.'
The rune stone shattered, a purple aura swirling around my body.
[Gravity]
Adjusts the gravity applied to a designated target.
Can adjust the gravity of one designated entity up to a maximum of 2x.
Type: Active
I tilted my head.
Max one target, up to double gravity?
Double gravity doubles body weight, sure, but it wouldn't crush them overwhelmingly.
'Still, better than nothing.'
More than that, a skill rune stone from the Grave of Ten Thousand Demons.
Were all first-achievement rewards this good?
Was my luck really that good?
I hurriedly opened the last consumable box.
And what came out was...
A High-grade Bio Recovery Potion.
'Fuck. Got my hopes up too much.'
Fuck, if high-grade recovery potions are good, then be grateful for even one rune stone.
Anyway, opened everything I could. Time to head in for real.
"Let's go."
The time we'd spent preparing, our accumulated experience—it would forge new opportunities inside.
*
The dungeon was manageable enough that our preparations felt almost unnecessary.
All but one thing.
"How long are these things gonna keep coming?"
I swung and hurled my sword, watching Tulip's arrows pierce enemy skulls.
Goblins twisting as they fell.
The last one dropped—and it started over.
'Just when we're about to mop up, they respawn and pour out.'
Not the first time.
Fifth? No, sixth time maybe.
The pounding feet of the goblin horde grew familiar, and Tulip's quiver had been refilled who-knows-how-many times.
"Is there even an end to this?!"
"Probably once we kill the boss."
"Then isn't just rushing the boss more efficient? This is an infinite loop!"
Tulip shouted.
I replied while slicing a goblin's throat.
"If we're just talking efficiency, yeah. In terms of stamina or risk, boss-only makes sense."
"Then..."
"But will we get another event handing out Gold like this? No guarantee even if we find another dungeon."
"So we're gonna farm Gold here forever until we die?"
If she could crack jokes like that, it meant it was still doable. Or... maybe not a joke.
"Nah, nothing that extreme. We'll suck it dry moderately and bail. Moving regions today anyway."
Gold was part of it, but Tulip's Archery was visibly evolving.
Range and accuracy were always solid, but now speed was ramping up too.
'Killing with Archery levels it up?'
I recalled her saying she'd felt her range extending just from shooting before.
Same with healing—repeating it unlocked an active skill.
'In that case...'
I narrowed my eyes at the respawning goblins.
"Quickstep."
The word left my lips as I kicked off the ground—the world roared. Vision warped for an instant.
Everything froze.
No, I was faster.
I was a wave of blades; they were paper boats.
One, two. No, dozens in a breath.
One minute was plenty.
'Crank the speed a notch higher.'
Thrust into armor gaps.