Chapter 348: The Hidden Place on the 19th Floor (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 348: The Hidden Place on the 19th Floor (2)
The Crown of Hegemony.
A sacred relic that only the most violent and combative could possess, this crown had always brought massive upheaval to the Tower.
After all, more than half of the major incidents in the Tower's history had coincided with a change in this crown's owner.
That was why.
Jinhyuk was moving faster than anyone else to get his hands on it.
If the factions of the upper floors caught wind of this information, they would undoubtedly swarm the 19th floor like a hornets' nest.
And currently,
Within the desert dunes of the 19th floor...
Two shadows stood facing each other.
"..."
A slender build standing two meters tall.
A cheerfully upturned mouth.
At a glance, he looked like a famous movie star.
However, that was merely a means to blend in and avoid suspicion when wandering the human realm.
The true form hidden beneath that shell was far, far from cheerful.
Nyarlathotep.
A messenger and herald serving Azathoth. Excluding the Administrators, he was the only deity from the 50th floor who could freely float between the Tower's floors.
In front of him...
Stood an elderly gentleman wearing a fedora and a monocle.
His white beard suited him perfectly.
It was none other than Rick Hennessy, the master of the merchant group and a middle manager of the Tower.
"Coming all the way down here so soon after finishing my work was a mistake. It would have been better to send a proxy or use another Administrator."
Rick did not hide his displeasure.
"Keke. My, my, it seems I've upset the great Rick Hennessy."
Nyarlathotep sneered mockingly.
Shrugging his shoulders, he sank into a plush sofa in the middle of the room.
He did not forget to pour himself a full glass of fine wine.
"Care for a sip? Ah, wait, you don't drink anything but that strange coffee of yours, do you?"
"I'll pass on the alcohol. More importantly, answer me, Nyarlathotep. Why did you leave the Crown of Hegemony unattended instead of retrieving it immediately?"
"Ah... that?"
Faced with the sharp question, Nyarlathotep toyed with the wine in his glass with his finger.
Slurp!
In an instant, all the wine in the glass was sucked up through his finger.
"I wanted to retrieve it quickly too, but Mother said we should leave it as a form of entertainment."
"Are you saying she wanted to show some courtesy to the Heavenly Demon?"
"Hardly. It was probably just simple curiosity. In the first place, the residents of the lower floors can't even be considered opponents in front of Mother."
"That is true."
Rick nodded in agreement.
"More importantly, is that human going to be okay? Kang Jinhyuk, was it? I know he's a human you favor, but he's interfering with our plans much more than expected. If the arrow of suspicion ever points toward you, it will be a headache."
"I have built up a sufficient rapport with Kang Jinhyuk. The target of his focus will be strictly limited to Hastings. I have already leaked information about him through Gabriel."
"Oh? You've even won over Eden?"
"No. She doesn't know the truth. She simply believes that Hastings is the mastermind behind everything."
Rick lightly waved his hand in the air.
Wuuuung!
An unimaginable space, unlike anything seen before, split open, revealing countless items.
"A fine aroma."
Rick deeply savored the taste of his coffee.
"Whew! Seeing it again, your subspace ability is truly magnificent. I suppose Mother's words about you owning the Tower itself weren't an exaggeration at all."
Nyarlathotep whistled and added a comment.
"Keke! By the way, Hastings would faint if he found out. He firmly believes he's the only one chosen by us, you know? You should have seen him groveling."
"He needs to believe he is managing everything. It is best for me to remain one step behind."
"True, true. That makes it easier to control things more securely, too."
"That is enough idle chatter. Make sure to retrieve the crown this time, Nyarlathotep. If things go awry any further, you too will pay the price."
"Don't worry. I've already recruited some highly capable individuals. You, on the other hand, make sure the Necronomicon doesn't fall into that human's hands. That book... sigh, I wish it would just disappear forever. It's really quite a nuisance."
"Understood. I will take separate measures regarding that."
"Great. I'm counting on you, our eternal partner."
Nyarlathotep refilled his wine glass with a delighted expression.
* * *
Whoosh!
A sandy wind howled alongside a scorching heat.
The storm, thick with fine grains of sand, was threatening in its own right.
In fact, even most of the monsters inhabiting this area burrowed deep into their nests and didn't show so much as a hair while the storm raged.
"It really is incredible."
Cheon Yu-seong muttered, looking outside.
The temporary base they had reached under Uasis's guidance.
The cave, filled with stalactites, served as an excellent shelter to escape the storm.
"I'm so glad we can store food brought from the outside in our subspace inventory on the 19th floor. Since we won't be able to leave until the storm stops anyway, I'll treat you all to a wonderful French meal in the meantime."
Teresa rolled up her sleeves, eager to show off her skills for once.
Well-marbled beef, Mediterranean sea urchin, and lobster. On top of that, premium red wine.
One after another, ingredients that were clearly extraordinary appeared.
As she paired scallops and shrimp with a spicy tomato arrabbiata sauce, a mouth-watering aroma tickled their noses.
At this point, it was hard to tell whether they had come to clear a raid or film a mukbang.
He could even feel Alice, who had been completely sulking, clamoring from inside her ring.
If things go well, I might be able to coax her out of her pout.
While the cooking was busily underway, Jinhyuk approached Uasis.
"Uasis."
"Yes?"
"I have something I'd like to ask you. Do you have a moment?"
"Ah, yes, of course. What is it?"
Uasis, who was curled up in a loaf position with her four legs tucked in, smiled brightly.
"It's about the place we're planning to head to next."
"You mean the Dunes of the Sun."
The hidden place of the 19th-floor ruins, the 'Dunes of the Sun'.
It was a place where the sun never set, 365 days a year.
As if proving the saying that it was where all light gathered, the temperature rose drastically the further one went inside.
'They even say the deepest part is comparable to the sun itself.'
He had visited this place in the past, but had failed to reach the deepest depths.
At the time, he didn't have a goal like the crown, and there had been something far more interesting to do than conquering the Dunes of the Sun.
"I need a map showing the rooms inside the dunes."
"...A map?"
"I understand it has been passed down through generations of the Dryad race. As a tool for the guardians of the forest to smoothly carry out their duties."
Due to the nature of the dunes, objects with strong mana tended to be sucked inward.
If the crown was there, it would currently be in the deepest part of the dunes.
To find the crown within the limited time, a map detailing the interior was absolutely necessary.
"Really... there is nothing you don't know, Player Kang Jinhyuk. How do you know the secrets of our clan in such detail?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. Besides, what's important isn't the source of the information, but what we can resolve with it... that's the key."
Uasis hesitated for a moment at Jinhyuk's words.
Normally, she would have had to uncover the source of the secret even if it meant drawing her weapon.
She had to determine if there was a spy inside, or if there was a leak somewhere.
But those things were not the top priority.
At least for now, just as Jinhyuk said, they had to utilize the given information to complete the mission.
"I understand."
Uasis pulled out a flower tucked into her hair.
Wuuuung!
The petals scattered and gradually grew in size...
Soon, a massive map made of petals appeared.
It detailed all the rooms and locations within the Dunes of the Sun.
'Good.'
Jinhyuk clenched his fist slightly in satisfaction.
With this, finding the crown would be much easier.
But right then.
"...Huh?"
Uasis suddenly snapped her head up.
"What's wrong?"
"T-That is..."
Her expression rapidly crumbled.
Deep bewilderment was etched in her trembling pupils.
It was only natural.
Even as they spoke, the Dryads she had stationed outside the waterfall were being slaughtered.
"My sisters... all of them... Just who would do such a cruel thing..."
Uasis muttered blankly.
While it was tragic that her companions had all died, there was an even more serious issue.
Jinhyuk's mind raced.
'These aren't just players or residents who came looking for the ruins.'
If they were, they would have tried to talk to the Dryads or given up on the raid.
While the ruins were undoubtedly attractive, that was only when the return on investment made sense.
There was no reason to slaughter the forest clan just to get inside.
Unless...
There was something they had to obtain, even if it meant risking everything.
'Hastings... did he know about the crown?'
Nothing else made sense.
They had to hurry.
They had to move... right now.
* * *
The meal was postponed, and Jinhyuk instead explained what had just happened to everyone.
"I understand the situation. But you want us to go through that storm? Are you out of your mind?"
"Jinhyuk..."
Cheon Yu-seong and Teresa expressed their reluctance.
"...The survival rate will be less than 3%."
Frey also calmly delivered the harsh reality.
Setting aside the fact that their vision would be completely blocked, if they pushed through those blades of sand, their bodies would undoubtedly be torn to shreds in less than thirty minutes.
After all, there was a limit to protecting oneself with mana.
"It's fine. Actually, there's a way to move through it."
"There's a way? Is that true?"
"Yeah. There are a few limitations, but... since things have turned out like this, we have to at least try."
Jinhyuk gathered a droplet of water from the tip of a stalactite.
Crackle!
As he infused it with runic mana, the droplet began to glow with a blue-green light.
"What kind of limitations are there that kept you from mentioning it until now?"
"It only works if your mana or internal energy is extremely deep. I... should be fine, but I was worried it might not work for the rest of you."
"That... is something I cannot let slide."
Cheon Yu-seong narrowed his eyes.
"It sounds like you're implying I'm inferior to you... Is that really what you mean?"
"No, it's not that I'm looking down on you. I'm just worried about that one-in-a-million chance."
"Tch! That itself is looking down on me!"
Cheon Yu-seong snatched the water droplet away.
And immediately, he activated his 'Body-Protecting Aura'.
A faint light emanated, and Cheon Yu-seong's body was completely enveloped in Aura.
Combined with the effect of the water droplet, a fairly decent-looking armor was formed.
"Watch closely. I will break through that storm before you do. Just make sure you don't fall behind and keep up."
Cheon Yu-seong confidently marched into the sandstorm.
"Aren't you going, Jinhyuk?"
"Let's wait a moment. Let's just watch for a bit first."
Teresa asked, but Jinhyuk showed no intention of moving.
Instead, he observed Cheon Yu-seong with a cautious expression.
A moment later.
"Aaaargh! Damn it! Is this thing really supposed to work? I-I feel like I'm going to die!"
Cheon Yu-seong's screams echoed from beyond the storm.
Hmm.
As expected, it was too much.
If even Cheon Yu-seong was in this much pain, it seemed they would need a stalactite much older than this one.
"Now that I think about it, I believe there's a path we can take through the inside of the cave. It's been so long that my memory is a bit hazy, but that way should be much safer."
Jinhyuk quickly changed course.