Chapter 347: The Hidden Place on the 19th Floor (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 347: The Hidden Place on the 19th Floor (1)
Jinhyuk stared intently into the Homunculus's eyes.
Her blue pupils sparkled so brilliantly he felt as if he were being sucked into them.
Hmm...
No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one name he could give her.
Jinhyuk slowly opened his mouth.
"Frey."
"Frey...?"
"Yeah. I'm going to call you Frey from now on."
"It's a... nice name. I like it."
Frey nodded slightly.
Seeing her mistake it for having some special, profound meaning... made him feel slightly guilty.
Frey (pray).
It was a reference to the "pray meta."
A name chosen to commemorate a miracle that had actually succeeded in an RNG-heavy trash game.
'At first, I was going to call her Mincho, short for mint chocolate, but Frey is definitely better. It sounds more sophisticated, too.'
It was a relief that Frey liked the name.
But right then—
Vroooom!
Braham's Ring on his right hand vibrated violently.
At the same time, a scorching heat on a completely different level than before enveloped his entire body.
Could this reaction be...?
Whoosh!
Emerging amidst the flames was Alice, her eyes glaring sharply.
"Alice?"
"You... you... you stupid contractor! Why did you pick up another thing like this?!"
Alice shrieked, a scream so loud it felt like it could bring down the entire hotel. It was a sharp, high-frequency screech that made his ears ring.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Frey tilted her head.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong. And Alice, calm down and listen to me. Hey, put that skewer away. What do you think you're doing in a sacred hotel?"
If the True Ancestor's unique ability were unleashed here, the hotel would be reduced to dust. Not to mention, it would definitely make the 9 o'clock news.
"Explain. Short. Summarize it in three lines."
Alice barely swallowed her rising anger.
Needless to say, she was holding back. If it exceeded three lines, or if he failed to convince her within that limit, she looked ready to destroy the Earth.
"Frey is strictly a combat support member. A highly exceptional one at that. Furthermore, as a Homunculus, she doesn't need to absorb nutrients through eating, so you don't have to worry about your food portions being reduced."
Jinhyuk rattled off his explanation like rapid-fire. It was an incredibly logical and objective summary.
However...
"D-did you think I was acting like this because of food? Do you really... think of me as nothing more than that?"
"Huh? You weren't?"
He had thought her greatest happiness was stuffing her cheeks full of food. Wasn't that why she was so vehemently opposed to adding another mouth to feed?
Jinhyuk's eyes widened in surprise.
At his reaction, Alice's silver hair stood on end.
"You idiot!"
This was bad. The magical power rising from the depths of the abyss was immeasurable.
"Al... ice?"
"Die!"
Boom!
The entire hotel floor was engulfed in a massive blaze.
* * *
The 19th Floor of the Tower of Trials.
Amidst the spectacular sight of a massive, roaring waterfall, several figures began to appear one by one.
"You're right on time," Jinhyuk said, waving to the approaching man.
"Damn it. Why on earth did you choose a place like this? You could have at least given me a map from the start. I've been wandering around for hours," Cheon Yu-seong grumbled, venting his frustration.
The wet rocks were quite slippery. Moreover, this location was so remote even for the 19th floor that getting here couldn't have been easy.
On the other hand, Teresa looked around in wonder.
"Still, thanks to you, Jinhyuk, we get to visit such a scenic spot."
A gentle mist rose from beneath the waterfall, creating a beautiful rainbow. Nearby, adorable monsters of a species they had never seen before gathered in small groups, playing together.
Just looking at the scenery, one might mistake it for a famous overseas tourist destination.
"By the way, Jinhyuk, who is the person next to you?"
Teresa pointed to the girl standing beside him. She had long, flowing blue hair and held a short spear. She was someone they had never met before.
"Her name is Frey."
"She's... not a Player."
"Nor is she a Resident. The energy radiating from her body is foreign. A summon... or perhaps a doll?"
Quick-witted as always.
"That's right. She's a Homunculus. A being created through alchemy. I happened to run into her when I went to the upper floors."
"I see... So you weren't just slacking off."
Cheon Yu-seong nodded, finally understanding.
"So that's why Alice isn't showing herself. I wondered why she wasn't around. That explains it."
"Huh? Yeah, she told me to leave her alone for a while. But how did you know that?"
"Sigh. You dense fool... Forget it. I shouldn't even bother talking."
Cheon Yu-seong clicked his tongue, looking even more exasperated.
It was while they were exchanging pleasantries and engaging in casual chatter.
Clack, clack.
The sound of hooves began to echo from afar.
Are they finally here?
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed. The others also turned their heads toward the sound.
A moment later, a familiar figure emerged from between the trees.
Four legs. A woman's upper body, and a deer's lower body. It was Uasis, a Resident of the Dryad race.
He had already met her once at the masquerade ball. For this raid, he had specifically contacted her and requested her presence.
This was because the ruins on the 19th floor were a place one couldn't even enter without the permission of a Resident belonging to the Third Faction.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Player Kang Jinhyuk. And it has been a long time since I last saw the rest of you," Uasis said with a bright smile.
"Thank you for taking the time to come. If you had said no, we might have had to give up on the raid entirely."
"Not at all. We also needed to investigate this place recently, so the timing worked out perfectly."
An investigation? Here?
"Was there... some kind of problem?"
When Jinhyuk asked cautiously, Uasis's expression darkened slightly.
"Do you remember when a massive wave of magical energy swept through the entire Tower recently?"
If it was a magical wave encompassing the entire Tower... it had to be when Shub-Niggurath and the Black Goats broke through to the lower floors from the 50th floor.
"Yes, I know of it."
"At that time, something changed in these ruins as well. It must have been affected by that highly foreign magical energy."
Uasis stared past the waterfall with a complex expression. Though Players couldn't sense it, she, as a member of the Third Faction, seemed to feel the dissonance.
"Let's go inside. I can guide you halfway."
Uasis walked toward the waterfall.
Rumble!
A dark cave was visible through the cascading sheets of water. This was the entrance to the ruins.
However, entering this place required meeting specific conditions.
'I also tried to go in without thinking in the past and died multiple times.'
Uasis picked up a small stone and threw it into the cave.
Then—
Skrrrrt!
Marks resembling centipede tracks began to etch themselves onto the surface of the stone.
"If you try to just walk in, this is what happens. Though, thanks to this, we've been able to avoid external interference."
"Then, what must we do to enter safely?"
"Please wait a moment."
Crackle!
Uasis channeled mana into her staff made of wooden vines. Runic words manifested along the blue mana, and the materialized energy spun smoothly around the cave entrance.
At that exact moment—
[The 10-Star Barrier 'Seal of Water' has been deactivated!]
[The SS-grade Curse 'Vortex of Ruin' has been lifted!]
[The optical illusion and hallucination effects have vanished.]
Status windows popped up one after another.
The obstacles surrounding the cave entrance disappeared all at once.
As expected, Uasis's presence was essential to conquer these ruins.
Though he didn't know how the interior might have changed due to Shub-Niggurath... they would soon find out.
With Uasis leading the way, everyone stepped inside the ruins.
And just like that, darkness swallowed their vision.
* * *
A scorching, hot wind lashed against their skin.
"Ugh!"
"Where is...?"
Cheon Yu-seong and Teresa covered their faces with their hands.
Even standing still, the air was suffocating, and it felt as if their entire bodies were burning.
A desert... no, it was a place even hotter and drier than that.
"..."
Only Frey scanned the surroundings with an expressionless face.
"This environment might be a bit difficult for Players. The temperature rises up to 70 degrees Celsius during the day and drops to minus 100 degrees at night. You can protect your bodies to some extent with mana, but you will need to pace yourselves carefully."
Indeed.
They would have to stay here for at least a week. Managing mana and stamina was an essential requirement.
But right then—
"Something is here," Frey, who had been scanning the area, spoke up.
Half a beat later, Cheon Yu-seong also sensed the presence.
"In the sand. There are about ten of them. Are they predators native to this place?"
"They're Sandworms. Since they're living near the entrance, they're likely bottom-feeders pushed out of the food chain, so you don't need to worry too much. They'll burst out exactly three seconds after you feel the vibration under your feet, so let's all aim for that moment."
"How do you... know all of that, Player Kang Jinhyuk?"
As Jinhyuk explained fluently, Uasis's eyes widened in surprise.
"I've cleared a dungeon with a similar environment on the lower floors of the Tower."
"Ah... But between that place and here..."
"They're coming!"
At Teresa's shout, the sand shook violently.
Rumble!
One second, two seconds... three seconds.
"Graaaah!"
"Screeech!"
Massive mouths gaped open from the parting sand. Sandworms with hundreds of teeth attempted to swallow the group whole.
However, they had chosen the wrong prey from the very beginning.
[Unique Ability 'Song of the Sword' has been activated!]
Slash!
The Sandworms' bodies were instantly sliced into pieces.
"A mountain of obstacles right from the start. This is why following you is always exhausting," Cheon Yu-seong muttered, lightly flicking his sword to scatter the green fluid coating the blade.
"Screeech!"
The Sandworms immediately switched targets.
Sand erupted in all directions, an attempt to obscure their vision and attack in the confusion.
Of course, that attempt was also futile.
[Unique Ability 'Blessing of the Stars' has been activated!]
Hummmm!
Light descended from the heavens. The sacred unique ability engulfed the Sandworms alive.
Sizzle!
Before they could even scream, the Sandworms' bodies turned to ash and vanished.
"It seems our desert journey won't have a single dull moment."
Despite their grumbling, they were reliable companions. The monsters inhabiting this place were far stronger than those elsewhere.
Perhaps... with this party, they could easily reach the depths of the ruins.
Some areas would be challenging, but with proper preparation, it was entirely possible.
Jinhyuk's gaze drifted toward the far reaches of the desert.
'The Crown Abandoned by the Heavenly Demon should be somewhere around here...'
While conquering the ruins was important, his primary goal was retrieving the crown.
Finally, the time had come to lay his hands on one of the most crucial sacred relics in the Tower of Trials.