Chapter 183: Interfloor Alliance (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183: Interfloor Alliance (1)
"Kirik?"
"Kieee..."
The goblins approached as if possessed.
With half-unfocused eyes, twitching noses, and drool dripping from their mouths, they looked hopelessly addicted to something.
Step.
Their steps grew even more unsteady.
At that exact moment—
Thud, thud, thud! Thud!
Men dressed in black robes subdued the goblins in an instant.
Having been struck on the back of their necks with chop-like blows, the goblins collapsed on the spot like puppets with their strings cut.
Seven in total.
With this, the number of captured monsters had already surpassed three digits.
Watching this utterly absurd spectacle from the side, Melena swallowed hard.
Never in her life did she think she would see someone lure monsters with a scent...
At this point, it was beyond ridiculous; she was completely speechless.
"You made that by combining the items you bought from the Coin Exchange earlier, right? Some kind of elixir that makes them lose their minds?"
Melena pointed to a jar sitting in the middle of the passage.
An unidentified purple liquid was bubbling inside.
But the important thing wasn't the color; it was the smell.
A sweet, cloying scent tickled the tip of her nose.
It probably only affected monsters.
"To be precise, only monsters with that crest are affected. It's highly efficient, but it has a clear weakness."
The 'red crest' was essentially a spell that maximized the potential of individual monsters.
High-level shamans often used it because it significantly boosted combat power and eliminated most of their fear, but no technique in the world was without its drawbacks.
If you mixed '527 mg of Mayabi hornet honey', 'pheromones of a three-eyed skunk', and '15 peony roots' and simmered them slowly over low heat, you could make something quite interesting.
An elixir that weakened the power of the crest and induced an illusion, making them feel as if they were walking through a thick fog.
On top of that, he had implemented an 'illusion prison' through a barrier to add the finishing touches...
The monsters coming here were no different from flies flying into a carnivorous plant.
Of course, this method won't work in their stronghold, but it'll be useful for getting there.
This was more than enough to serve its purpose.
Hearing Jinhyuk's nonchalant explanation, Melena gasped in shock once again.
"Who on earth are you? No, putting everything else aside, how do you even know about a method like that?"
"How? I just naturally learned it back when I was diligently researching the Tower."
"That makes absolutely no sense! I played [Tower of Trials] a lot in the past too, but I've never heard of anything like this!"
"That's probably because you only hung out with newbies."
This was a realm of knowledge you could only begin to grasp after hanging out with hardcore veterans who sliced the necks of giant monsters with carrots while wearing nothing but underwear.
"W-Who's a newbie?! I'm also quite well-known in the Demonic Human Association..."
"Oh my, forgive me for not recognizing such a great Demonic Human. I get it, so hurry up and put these collars on the captured monsters."
Jinhyuk tossed several collars to Melena.
They were collars made of crude-looking chains.
"Collars? What are you planning to do with these?"
"We're going to break through the traps."
We went through the trouble of getting volunteers, so we might as well use them.
Once you get your hands on something, the smart thing to do is to put it to use immediately.
Melena, still unable to grasp his meaning, tilted her head in confusion.
"My lord. I have completed everything you requested."
Wolyeong approached and reported respectfully.
Wolyeong's face was slightly flushed with pride at having accomplished his assigned task.
"Ahem. Right. Let's see if you did it properly."
Jinhyuk put on airs as he followed Wolyeong's lead.
A moment later, the three arrived at a spot where something both magnificent and bizarre had been completed.
A lavish golden carriage measuring about two meters.
Its black brass wheels and the engraved emblem of the Heavenly Demon Cult exuded an immense, overwhelming pressure.
"Indeed, it does not fall short of our Cult's dignity in the slightest. Even the Dark Emperor would be pleased with this."
"Since my lord is pleased, this subordinate is deeply honored."
"Well then, shall we get going?"
Jinhyuk climbed into the carriage.
As expected, investing those expensive Coins had paid off.
First of all, the ride was incredibly smooth, and standing on the elevated platform gave him a wide, unobstructed view.
To top it all off, the feel of the leather whip in his hand... yes, it was the taste of 'power.'
This is why everyone wants to climb to the top.
Crack!
The whip left a thin scratch on the ground.
At that,
Ugh.
The elemental spirits of the Five Elements sweated profusely as they lifted the feathers of a 'Giant Bird.'
"T-This is too heavy."
"Master. Our arms and legs are too short... we can't carry something like this."
"Save the spirits!"
"We should have gone back to the Spirit Realm then... Is it too late now?"
"Quiet, all of you. You're giving me a headache, so shut up."
Though they were inside a sunless labyrinth, such details were crucial to keeping up appearances.
After all, giant feathers were a must for a royal procession.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
In front of the carriage, the monsters chained together in a long line began to march down the passage.
* * *
Click!
As a trap was triggered, a massive wall of fire erupted.
Whoosh!
"Kieeeeee!"
The goblin at the very front was instantly reduced to a lump of charcoal.
"This time, it is a formation utilizing fire."
"The traps really are diverse. We would've had a rough time if we had just walked in."
Having witnessed the same scene so many times, Wolyeong and Melena now seemed to take it in stride.
They say humans are creatures of adaptation, and that saying was spot on.
As expected, this is the best way.
Jinhyuk leisurely cracked his whip from atop the carriage.
Breaking through the enemy's traps using the enemy's own minions.
What safer and more efficient strategy could there be?
Boom!
With a deafening roar, another goblin met its end.
"It's safe, but at this rate, it's going to take quite a while, don't you think?"
"I was actually just about to play my second card."
A complete map of the labyrinth was already drawn in Jinhyuk's mind.
He had memorized not only the locations of the major traps but also where large groups of monsters were likely to be stationed.
As Jinhyuk nodded, the members of the Black Wind Society released the chains they were holding.
Clatter!
"Kroooar!"
"Groooar!"
Ogres wearing wedge-shaped helmets on their heads roared in unison and began to charge.
They had no sense of direction.
Given the nature of the helmets covering their eyes, they wouldn't even know where they were heading.
The only thing permitted to them was to run forward with all their might and ram the walls with their wedge-shaped helmets.
That was their sole mission.
Crash!
The wall crumbled, revealing a massive hole in the passage.
The impact was so great that the ogres who rammed the wall either fainted or died, but they had still fulfilled their duty.
"Ta-da! A path has opened."
Jinhyuk spread his arms wide.
Expecting cheers and applause.
Of course,
"……."
"……."
the eyes of those watching him were ice-cold.
It was the kind of look one would give a Demon King who had come to the mortal realm for a stroll.
Even the Gnome and Salamander were gesturing as if choking themselves and gouging their own eyes out.
Hmm. Was that a bit too harsh?
"Ahem. Cough! We're all risking our lives to climb the Tower. Surely you're not trying to argue for 'monster rights' or something, are you?"
"Who's saying anything? I didn't say a word."
"You're cursing at me with your eyes. Like an employee to their boss."
"I didn't do that, Boss."
Melena smiled brightly. Her eyes were smiling, but her mouth was not.
[Lv9 'Gluttony's Eye' has been activated.]
[The target's statement is 'False.']
She was definitely cursing him out. And with some very colorful language, at that.
I need to do some image rehabilitation.
A leader, after all, ought to step up and lead from the front.
Jinhyuk purchased another item from the Coin Exchange.
Unlike his previous purchases, this was a cheap pickaxe costing a mere 200 Coins.
"My lord. Are you planning to step forward yourself? But with that..."
Wolyeong quietly shook his head as he looked at the pickaxe, which seemed on the verge of snapping at any moment.
"If a path needs to be cleared, please order us instead."
"You do not need to exert yourself personally."
The members of the Black Wind Society also tried to dissuade him with troubled expressions.
Of course, it might look pathetic.
No matter how many times one struck a wall—which required an ogre's full-force charge to break—with such a worn-out pickaxe, it wouldn't even leave a scratch.
But,
that was only true for ordinary people.
I'm different.
He had already left a deep impression on the bosses of the 9th floor with his various performances.
Now, it was time to make those heavy-bottomed bastards get off their seats.
Hummmmm!
Jinhyuk activated different skills in each of his hands.
He gripped the blade of the pickaxe using 'Giant's Grasp.'
Meanwhile, flames erupted from his other hand through the 'Fire Element.'
Rumble!
As pressure and heat collided, the surface of the pickaxe began to glow a dark red.
It's a bit tricky doing this after so long.
Since it required controlling precise heat and pressure, it was a technique that players without advanced blacksmithing skills couldn't even dream of attempting.
Even among the rottenest veterans, there were at most two players capable of such a feat.
Finally, he maximized the expected output of all his abilities using a 3-star 'Amplification Barrier.'
The immense mana caused the entire labyrinth to shake violently.
After a few minutes had passed,
Jinhyuk finally reined in the mana he had poured out.
Ring!
[You have crafted a 'Diamond Pickaxe'!]
[Your precise and marvelous craftsmanship will be registered in the 'Hall of Fame' for the entirety of tomorrow!]
[The deity 'Father of Iron and Fire' admires your talent.]
[Some deities of the upper floors express their interest.]
The Father of Iron and Fire was that guy from Olympus.
From the perspective of a guy who did nothing but swing a hammer all day, this must be quite intriguing.
After all, even the most prominent residents of the middle floors did not possess the technology to craft items in this manner.
The subtle harmony of science and skills will surely make their eyes pop.
Smirking, Jinhyuk checked the completed pickaxe.
[Diamond Pickaxe]
Acquisition Difficulty: A
Durability: 1,000/1,100
Attack Power: 550
Description: An item specialized for mining, which can also be useful for breaking through walls in labyrin labyrinths or mazes. Attack power increases by 20% when mining, and by 10% when breaking through walls.
The color of the pickaxe had changed.
Even a layman could tell that the emerald-tinted blade was something extraordinary.
Good.
Jinhyuk swung the pickaxe lightly.
Thud!
Drawing a smooth arc, the pickaxe dug into the wall.
As if scooping out clay, the pickaxe collapsed a wall in an instant.
"My goodness..."
"To think such a divine weapon exists."
Gasps of disbelief escaped Melena and Wolyeong's mouths.
But Jinhyuk, the man himself, merely scratched his head with an awkward look.
"Hmm. I dug in the wrong spot. I guess this isn't it."
One of the core operating mechanisms of the labyrinth was laid bare.
He had accidentally broken into a secretly hidden room.
"Come to think of it, I think that room over there was the system room that manages the types of traps..."
It wouldn't hurt to check it out.
In this manner, Jinhyuk dismantled every trap in sight and smashed perfectly fine paths, turning the labyrinth into an absolute mess.
Still not coming out? Even after this? Even if I do this?
Then,
Rumble!
Suddenly, all the traps stopped.
At the same time, the walls began to rise.
Playtime is over.
Jinhyuk slowly watched the shadow walking from beyond the walls.
It was likely... one of the representatives sent by the boss monster.
However,
"...!"
the moment the representative revealed themselves, Jinhyuk's pupils shook violently.
For standing there was someone who absolutely should not be here—an entirely unexpected figure.