Chapter 8
Chapter 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: The First Cell
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A cluster of about seven European-style buildings.
A single spider scurried restlessly through the center of the small village, so quaint it resembled a small campground.
-Wh-where is this? I was just fighting with those damn humans. Why am I in a place like this…?
The tarantula, Anetium, trembled from an unidentifiable sense of dread.
She didn't know where she was, but from the moment she opened her eyes, a chilling sensation had been running down her spine.
Yes, as if she had fallen into the stomach of some colossal creature.
-And why has my body gotten so small?
Her body, which once boasted a frame over five meters tall, had now shrunk to the size of a large dog.
Was it because of the fear slowly creeping up on her?
Muttering to herself, Anetium suddenly sensed a presence and whipped around.
Discovering a boy in a silver, featureless mask standing blankly behind her, Anetium growled and shouted.
-Grrr, were you the one who brought me here? Who are you? And where in the world is this place?
The boy in the featureless mask brought a finger to his mask and said,
“Shh. He is coming.”
-He? What nonsense….
Before she could finish, Anetium leaped back like a scalded rabbit.
A heavy pressure weighed down on her shoulders as an immense presence washed over her.
An oppressive aura, like the sun rising from darkness or the feeling of falling from a cliff at the mercy of gravity, enveloped Anetium.
Paralyzed by an indescribable terror, Anetium shivered like a drenched puppy.
*Shhh.*
Witnessing the shadow that bloomed before her, Anetium's compound eyes quivered.
The shadow's silhouette vaguely resembled a human form, but Anetium dared not think of it as human, nor could she gaze upon it directly.
A halo, like the midday sun, radiated from behind the shadow.
To look at it felt like being blinded; to approach it felt as if her entire central nervous system would be incinerated.
Only then did Anetium realize.
She was in the presence of a god, or a being comparable to one.
-Kiiiing….
Anetium whimpered mournfully and pressed her head to the ground. Her throat tightened with a suffocating fear, and her mind, as if broken, couldn't even form words.
She instinctively understood. Subjugation and obedience were the only attitudes she could take before this being.
Lee Si-woo looked down at Anetium and twitched an eyebrow.
He was puzzled by the spider prostrated at his feet the moment he logged in.
Lee Si-woo asked the Butler.
“What is this spider?”
At the sound of his voice, which resembled a thunderclap powerful enough to shatter eardrums, Anetium shrieked and rolled on the ground.
-Kkieeek!
Unaware that his voice sounded like a nearby thunderclap to the spider, Lee Si-woo let out a dry laugh.
He found the situation utterly bizarre.
The boy in the featureless mask, the Butler, spoke.
“That is the slave Anetium, whom you devoured outside, my Lord.”
“Anetium? You don't mean… that giant spider?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
Lee Si-woo tilted his head.
“That's strange. In my memory, the spider was enormous. At least, large enough to make its current size seem cute in comparison.”
“Even a mountain giant would become as small as a mere human here, and a whale from the sea would become trivial enough to fit in an aquarium. It wouldn't do for the master's dignity if those dwelling in your stomach were to look down upon you, my Lord.”
Lee Si-woo gave the Butler a reproachful look along with a faint sigh.
He was uncomfortable with the Butler's incomprehensible ramblings about this place being his stomach and giants shrinking.
Sensing the meaning behind his gaze, the Butler said,
“I may have been overusing abstract expressions… but there is no term more fitting than 'stomach.' Those consumed by Gluttony are sent here to provide their knowledge, souls, and labor to you, my Lord.”
Pausing for a moment to gauge Lee Si-woo's reaction, the Butler continued with a faint laugh.
“Neither dead nor alive. Eternally.”
Lee Si-woo tried to ignore the ominous nuance in the Butler's voice and asked,
“Provide knowledge, souls, and labor… In what way?”
The Butler clapped his hands, and a translucent window appeared before Lee Si-woo's eyes.
[Lv2 Cell Anetium has been added. Please assign a location.]
-List of Assignable Facilities
【Mine】
【Library】
【Hall】
As an information window, like something out of a simulation game, appeared before him, Lee Si-woo scanned it, nodded, and said,
“If it's 'Cell,' it must mean a biological cell… Huh, are they called this because they've become the flesh and blood of Barathrum after being devoured?”
“That is correct. Of course, unlike ordinary cells, they possess intellect and emotions… but that hardly matters. What's important to you, my Lord, is whether they are useful or not, not trivial matters like ethics. Isn't that so?”
His words were meaningful, seeming to provoke and test him at the same time.
However, Lee Si-woo ignored the Butler's words with a cold expression and asked,
“What is the Mine?”
The Butler could have been offended by Lee Si-woo's way of arbitrarily ignoring topics he didn't want to discuss, but he spoke as if it were nothing.
“As they say, seeing is believing. It will be easier to understand if you see it for yourself, so I shall guide you to the mine.”
As Lee Si-woo began to follow the young Butler, Anetium, startled by his presence, had a fit.
Seeing the large dog-sized spider trembling and rolling on the ground, the Butler said,
“As you can see, those who are devoured by Barathrum or invited here cannot even dare to raise their heads before you, my Lord. Even now, they are experiencing a terror akin to an ant looking up at an elephant. However, it will be cumbersome to make her work like this, so it would be best to show some magnanimity.”
“Even if you tell me to suddenly show magnanimity…”
To Lee Si-woo, who trailed off as if troubled, the Butler said,
“It's not difficult. Simply think to yourself that you pity that spider and wish to make her comfortable, and it will happen naturally.”
“Hmm…”
When Lee Si-woo did as the Butler said, the spider's constantly trembling body stopped.
Then, she cautiously looked up at Lee Si-woo, her expression clearly much more at ease.
The halo that had been shining behind Lee Si-woo was gone, and in its place, an aura that soothed both mind and body emanated from him.
Was it because a tranquility, like sunshine breaking through the clouds after a storm, had calmed her mind and body?
As Anetium came to her senses and began to cautiously observe Lee Si-woo, the Butler said,
“Miss Spider, that's enough gawking. Follow us. It's time to work.”
* * *
A massive mountain not far from the village. The group entered a cave at its base and soon came to a wall.
Surveying the dead-end cave, the Butler abruptly kicked Anetium's rear.
-Kieek! Y-you ill-mannered little human brat! What do you think you're doing!
“What are you doing? Get to work.”
-Work? This piece of shit brings me to a place like this and then spouts nonsense!
The Butler pointed at the wall with his index finger and said,
“What else is there to do in a mine? Now, start digging into that wall and carry all the debris out of the cave in a cart. If you find anything that looks like an ore, bring it to the village immediately.”
Anetium stomped in fury and shot back.
-This crazy bastard… You want me to dig through a wall? Are you completely insane? Bullshit! You think I'm crazy enough to dig through a wall? I can't! No! I won't!
The Butler spoke to Lee Si-woo in an indifferent tone.
“As I expected, she doesn't listen to a word I say. It seems you will have to step in, my Lord.”
“What should I do?”
“It's simple. Just look at her with displeasure, as if thinking, 'How dare this insolent creature disobey my Butler?'”
Shrugging at the Butler's malicious, thug-like tone, Lee Si-woo did as he was told.
At that, the spider, who had been consistently defiant toward the Butler, shrieked in terror at Lee Si-woo's gaze.
Trembling like a mouse before a cat, the spider, unable to bear the fear and pressure crushing her entire body, pressed herself against the cave wall and began to scrape at it with her front legs.
-I'll do it! I'm doing it! So stop! Please stop.
Intrigued by Anetium, who was spouting a jumbled mix of informal and formal speech in her terror, Lee Si-woo asked,
“Stop what?”
-D-don't look at me. Those eyes! Don't look at me with those eyes, and d-don't talk to me either. Just… just leave me alone. I-I'll do everything you ask!
He didn't know the principle behind it, but it seemed that in this world, his gaze and voice left a very deep impression on Anetium.
Just then, a reddish-brown piece of metal fell from the wall being relentlessly chipped away by Anetium's front legs.
The Butler picked up the metal fragment that rolled to his feet and said,
“It's copper.”
Lee Si-woo looked around with an indifferent expression.
A copper vein inside the world of a smartphone was quite fascinating, but that was all.
“So it's a copper mine. Well… I'm not sure how useful it would be to get copper from a place like this.”
“No. It is quite useful.”
“In what way?”
“Do not be deceived by appearances. While this may look like ordinary copper… its essence is different. What the Cells mine in this place is not some useless mineral, but your potential, my Lord.”
“Potential?”
The Butler silently pressed the piece of copper to Lee Si-woo's chest. With a crimson aura, the copper seeped into Lee Si-woo's body.
In that moment, Lee Si-woo could feel it—subtly, but clearly. His body felt slightly lighter, and his condition improved.
“The minerals from this mine are closely related to your physical body, my Lord. The more copper you mine, the more robust your body will become, and your life force will grow even stronger.”
His interest piqued, Lee Si-woo's eyes sparkled.
“Does that mean my physical strength will increase the more of this copper I obtain? As if I've trained, even without training?”
“Yes. Not only will your physical durability, strength, and stamina all increase, but just as time enhances the fertility of land, the copper will make your body more 'fertile'.”
Finding the Butler's words interesting, Lee Si-woo lightly licked his lips.
“You mean… just as crops grow well in fertile land, my training will be much more effective.”
“You are quick to understand. That is correct. So, rather than training the body, it would be more accurate to say it raises your body's innate abilities and limits. Now, please examine your right index fingernail.”
Following the Butler's words, he examined his right hand and saw that his index fingernail had turned a copper color.
“My nail… is copper?”
“Because the piece this spider mined was so small, only your nail has changed for now. But the more copper you mine, the more your entire body, from head to toe, will gradually turn to copper, becoming harder and stronger.”
Lee Si-woo said with a wry smile.
“It's good that it's a good thing, but… I'm not fond of drawing too much attention. Besides, my entire body turning to copper? Are there any side effects?”
“There are no side effects whatsoever, and you can control the Mineral Body phenomenon, so you need not worry… However, in emergencies such as a surprise attack or a battle, it will inevitably be revealed, so you must be careful.”
“If it's controllable, then there's no problem. It's silly to whine when my body is getting stronger, so I'll have to accept that much. By the way… is copper all that comes from this mine?”
Beneath the mask, the corner of the Butler's mouth twitched. He had detected the deep disappointment in Lee Si-woo's question.
As if delighted by the desire dripping from Lee Si-woo's voice, which sounded as if it would be a disaster if copper was all there was, the Butler replied.
“No. If you go deeper, you will find silver and gold. And naturally, the more valuable the mineral you mine, the higher the limit to which your body can be strengthened. However, it is unfortunately impossible to mine higher-tier minerals right now.”
Lee Si-woo asked, not hiding his disappointment.
“Why?”
“Higher-tier minerals are found deeper than this… As you can see, with this spider's flimsy legs, she can barely manage to develop the entrance area where copper is found, let alone the deeper parts. We are in dire need of many capable miners.”
“In other words, I need to use Gluttony more often? Hmm… But I still don't know how Gluttony functions or how to utilize it.”
The Butler took a pill from his pocket and offered it to Lee Si-woo.
“What's this?”
“This is a Knowledge Pill, refined using the energy you just obtained. Taking this will grant you basic knowledge of Barathrum, allowing you to learn about Gluttony, as well as the Mine, Library, and Hall.”
Just from the name 'Knowledge Pill,' it seemed like an upgraded version of the Common Sense Pill.
Perhaps because he had taken a Common Sense Pill before, Lee Si-woo accepted the pill without hesitation and swallowed it.
After swallowing the pill, Lee Si-woo gently closed his eyes, savoring the knowledge swirling in his mind.
The Butler casually remarked to Lee Si-woo.
“Also, thanks to the energy obtained from the spider, Barathrum's system has been upgraded from Tier 0 to Tier 1. Please check.”
The Butler clapped his hands, and a translucent system window appeared before Lee Si-woo's eyes.
「Tier 1」
Facilities: 【Mine】 【Library】 【Hall】
Functions: Invisibility Mode, Internal Ringtone Mode.
Cells: 1/5
After checking the system window, Lee Si-woo nodded and said,
“Invisibility Mode and Internal Ringtone Mode… Good features. The smartphone becomes invisible to others, and only I can hear the ringtone. This will make it easier to move around from now on.”
“Yes. It will be easier for you to utilize Barathrum from now on. Ah, but of course, it's not good to be too complacent. Perceptive people may still find it suspicious. Well, this is also a problem that can be solved with a future tier upgrade, but as you know…”
“There's not enough energy?”
“Yes. So, it may be presumptuous of me as your servant, but for the prosperity of this land, you will need to work harder, my Lord. There are still many facilities that have yet to be unlocked.”
Lee Si-woo gave a wry smile.
“I'll have to be diligent in my 'predation activities,' I see. Ah, by the way, the limit for Cells is five? That… seems a bit too low.”
“Indeed. Therefore, you must refrain from indiscriminate predation simply to secure energy. While it may bring immediate benefits, it will lead to a decrease in future value. Of course, you can increase the Cell limit through tier upgrades, so it is not good to be too timid either…”
“Do the best I can, as much as possible? Understood. I'll handle it.”
“Yes, I am sure you will do well, my Lord. Now then, my Lord. It is time to tour the other facilities… Where shall I guide you?”
Lee Si-woo smiled brightly and said,
“Let's go to the Hall.”
The Butler replied, a faint laugh in his voice.
“An excellent choice.”