Chapter 138: Awakening (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 138: Awakening (1)
The Dragon Slayer, Regal Vagos, was of the dragon tribe and had been cursed by a dragon after killing the clan's elder dragon chief. Vagos disappeared after the incident but had become active as a member of Orcules ten years ago, terrorizing the holy land of the elves all alone. His main weapon was an arc longsword nicknamed the Dragon Slayer Sword, and it was said that he had a total of six confirmed essences: three rank five, two rank four, and one rank three.
Based on the confirmed essences alone, it seemed he was essentially a typical swordsman with high stats. Since all his skills took the form of strength buffs, his compatibility with his opponents meant nothing as long as he had the right equipment. This information was from ten years ago, so it might have changed to some extent, but the chances of that were slim. After all, how could a criminal erase an essence?
So he must have crawled all the way here because of this one thing.
Dragon Speech was what I was most worried about. But rumor had it that his access to the dragon people's unique skill had been sealed due to the dragon's curse. This was good news. To be honest, I was fucking terrified when I found out that he was of a dragon race.
"That is all I know," Rotmiller finished.
"Okay, thank you. That helped a lot."
Having learned new information about the enemy, I calmly put my thoughts in order. Well, while running toward our destination, of course.
Sprint!
First of all, the Dragon Slayer, Regal Vagos, was an unexpected giant. If it hadn't been for the Guardian of Balance effect, I would have been decapitated before I had even recognized the jewel.
Sprint!
Feeling chills for some reason, I checked the time. It was 8:57 a.m., about three hours since we ran into that bastard. In other words, in nine hours, our game of tag would begin. Of course, that was assuming that he kept his promise.
Just twelve hours, huh?
That was the disappointing part. In response to my proud demeanor paired with a warrior's oath, Vagos had accepted my deal just in case, or perhaps with the thought that there was nothing to lose.
If it weren't for that damn ring, he might have let us have the entire day.
There was a big difference between twenty-four hours and twelve. That was time we could have used to prepare all the items we needed and take our last break.
Whew, nothing is going smoothly.
I couldn't help sighing, but I had to hold on to my determination. Recalling the hopeless situations I'd faced in the past—goblin traps, psychopaths, the Bloody Citadel, the Witch's Forest, the Lord of the Floor, etcetera—I cleared my mind and replaced all those thoughts with just one goal: survive. If possible, all of us together, without fail.
"Bjorn, we're here."
Right when my thoughts reached that point, Rotmiller stopped walking. We had gotten to the dead end before I knew it. We were at the corner of the maze in the direction of eleven o'clock, closest to where the final boss's lair was. Simply put, this was the place where the second mini-boss was located.
Click, rattle.
As Rotmiller activated the mechanism, the wall slid aside to reveal a hidden area.
Whoosh.
The stone chamber lit up with torches as soon as we stepped inside. There was just one difference from the seven o'clock corner where Baphomet had appeared.
"Ugh, I think the other place was actually betterrr."
Instead of goat heads, the stone chamber was filled with piles of corpses with their eyeballs pulled out. I pushed through the stench and dripped a drop of blood onto the magic circle.
[The devil in the labyrinth has detected blood.]
Okay, got one.
***
[You have killed Argos. EXP +5]
[Higher-class mutant bonus. EXP +1]
In addition to the mini-boss rooms, there were many hidden spaces in the Labyrinth of Larcaz. The rewards were different for each one. One-time consumables could be hidden inside, or rare monsters might appear. But what I needed was something else.
Another bust?
After defeating Argos, we searched around and focused on finding hidden rooms. Not only was there not enough time to go beat another mini-boss, but for my plan to work, I had to find that room.
Whew, still, we're doing a good job of finding them.
With Rotmiller at the forefront searching for the hidden rooms, we discovered one every two hours. It was all thanks to his Sixth Sense stat, which had gone up dramatically after the Dragon Slayer's team entered. Those rooms we would have overlooked and inadvertently passed by before, Rotmiller found without fail.
The problem was that the room I wanted hadn't appeared yet. Time continued to pass, until the twelve hours I was promised were coming to an end.
"Wait, stop. I sense something strange." Rotmiller stopped the group and searched the surrounding walls for a hidden room.
Slide.
It was a 100-by-150-foot stone chamber without a single monster or hidden treasure. After checking the inside, I closed the stone chamber again.
Found it.
Finally, the first thing we needed to pull this plan off had been assembled. I stopped the team. "Everyone, take a break. I will stand watch."
"Break? What could this room possibly be?"
"If we survive, I will explain everything. So just do as I say."
"...All right." Even the dwarf set aside his questions at the determination in my voice. No, rather than setting them aside, it was probably that he had chosen to trust me and not ask.
"Phew..." As my tired colleagues closed their eyes, I let out a long breath. The other guys weren't really a problem, but lying to Rotmiller was already giving me a headache. From summoning the mini-boss by dropping blood onto the magic circle to just now, saying "I read it in a book" wouldn't be able to explain everything.
Anyway, I'll think about how to handle that later.
I took one more long breath and shoved aside my worries about the future. I was sure I could lie somehow, if only I returned alive. I decided to focus solely on the present moment and organized my thoughts for the last time.
Earlier, Rotmiller had asked, "I thought you said there might be a portal in the center of the map? Are we not going there?"
My reason for not going to the portal was simple: that guy would be there for the next twelve hours. If we went there and Vagos thought we were trying to escape, the twelve hours we had earned would go to waste. I decided it was best to use our time to make preparations instead.
He must've started looking for us too.
The agreed-upon twelve hours were over. Fortunately, our initial preparations had been completed on time. Thanks to that, I was able to take a break until he arrived, but the situation was still grim.
"Ugh, I think the other place was actually betterrr."
Instead of goat heads, the stone chamber was filled with piles of corpses with their eyeballs pulled out. I pushed through the stench and dripped a drop of blood onto the magic circle.
[The devil in the labyrinth has detected blood.]
Okay, got one.
***
[You have killed Argos. EXP +5]
[Higher-class mutant bonus. EXP +1]
In addition to the mini-boss rooms, there were many hidden spaces in the Labyrinth of Larcaz. The rewards were different for each one. One-time consumables could be hidden inside, or rare monsters might appear. But what I needed was something else.
Another bust?
After defeating Argos, we searched around and focused on finding hidden rooms. Not only was there not enough time to go beat another mini-boss, but for my plan to work, I had to find that room.
Whew, still, we're doing a good job of finding them.
With Rotmiller at the forefront searching for the hidden rooms, we discovered one every two hours. It was all thanks to his Sixth Sense stat, which had gone up dramatically after the Dragon Slayer's team entered. Those rooms we would have overlooked and inadvertently passed by before, Rotmiller found without fail.
The problem was that the room I wanted hadn't appeared yet. Time continued to pass, until the twelve hours I was promised were coming to an end.
"Wait, stop. I sense something strange." Rotmiller stopped the group and searched the surrounding walls for a hidden room.
Slide.
It was a 100-by-150-foot stone chamber without a single monster or hidden treasure. After checking the inside, I closed the stone chamber again.
Found it.
Finally, the first thing we needed to pull this plan off had been assembled. I stopped the team. "Everyone, take a break. I will stand watch."
"Break? What could this room possibly be?"
"If we survive, I will explain everything. So just do as I say."
"...All right." Even the dwarf set aside his questions at the determination in my voice. No, rather than setting them aside, it was probably that he had chosen to trust me and not ask.
"Phew..." As my tired colleagues closed their eyes, I let out a long breath. The other guys weren't really a problem, but lying to Rotmiller was already giving me a headache. From summoning the mini-boss by dropping blood onto the magic circle to just now, saying "I read it in a book" wouldn't be able to explain everything.
Anyway, I'll think about how to handle that later.
I took one more long breath and shoved aside my worries about the future. I was sure I could lie somehow, if only I returned alive. I decided to focus solely on the present moment and organized my thoughts for the last time.
Earlier, Rotmiller had asked, "I thought you said there might be a portal in the center of the map? Are we not going there?"
My reason for not going to the portal was simple: that guy would be there for the next twelve hours. If we went there and Vagos thought we were trying to escape, the twelve hours we had earned would go to waste. I decided it was best to use our time to make preparations instead.
He must've started looking for us too.
The agreed-upon twelve hours were over. Fortunately, our initial preparations had been completed on time. Thanks to that, I was able to take a break until he arrived, but the situation was still grim.
The success rate is less than 10 percent.
This was the highest probability I could calculate with a cool head. Of all the essences this bastard had, only six were known. There were two or three unknown essences that remained variables, and the biggest stumbling block was still Karui's high priest.
Squeeze.
I took out the brilliant red jewel and held it in my hand. I had swallowed it as a hostage, but as soon as it was safe, I used Giantization to vomit it out. It was the final reward of the Labyrinth of Larcaz, and the item that the notorious criminal with the alias of Dragon Slayer must have been desperately looking for.
Restrained Wish.
I would have preferred not to use it now, if at all possible. This item had to be paired with a rank-four guardian essence for maximum effectiveness. But if I died, I wouldn't be able to use it anyway.
I guess I have no choice but to use it.
I made a decision. I didn't know how things would play out in the future, and if not now, this item might never be used. This quiet, like the eye of a storm, would come to an end soon. It was better to prepare in advance if possible. Plus, even if I wanted to use it later, I wouldn't have the time to do so.
It's a bit of a waste, but...
I gripped the jewel tighter.
Crunch!
The jewel split, emitting a brilliant red light.
[You have used Restrained Wish. You will now be moved to the Room of Balance.]
When I came to, I was standing in an unfamiliar place.
Whoosh!
A single flame rose to light up the space. I took a step and looked around. It was a stone chamber reminiscent of the Tower of Heavens. The flames floating in the air shimmered with bluish light, illuminating three stone gates at the end of the room.
This is cool.
So it looked like this in real life. In the game, all you had to do was manipulate the keyboard and make your choice.
[Select the essence you want to replace.]
I carefully studied the unique murals painted on each stone gate. They weren't colored in, but it wasn't hard to recognize them.
Step.
The first was a terrible monster with a mass of rotten arms and legs.
This must be a Corpse Golem.
Next was a figure in the form of a man with sharp fangs and sharp claws, with red jewels representing its red eyes.
This is a Vampire.
Finally, there was a muscular warrior roaring with a gigantic flag serving as a backdrop.
This must be an Orc Hero.
Each door represented one of the essences I had absorbed so far. There were no instructions whatsoever, but it was clear what I had to do. If you opened the door, the corresponding essence would be replaced. Restrained Wish was a gacha-type item that changed an essence of rank four or higher into a random essence of the same rating.
Step.
Without hesitation, I proceeded toward one of the doors. I'd already decided what to choose.
Orc Hero.
Obviously not that one. It was only rank five, but it was a core essence that belonged to my final build.
Corpse Golem.
Pain tolerance was surprisingly useful, but it didn't help me much in terms of abilities. I had been saving this one to erase it later when my essence slots got full, but I was going to pass on it for now. Why would I do something as wasteful as use Restrained Wish on a rank seven essence?
Vampire.
A moment later, I stood in front of the stone gate with the shape of that particular monster drawn on it and reached out my hand. It had skill sets and stats that suited a tank. In addition, since it had been obtained by killing a rift guardian, it was a rare essence with all three skills attached. However, thanks to that, there was no hesitation in my decision. Restrained Wish had a hidden element.
[You have chosen the essence of a Vampire. This essence is of a guardian. The rank of the selectable essence has risen.]
If you offered a guardian essence, the rating of the essence that could be selected went up. Put simply, it was possible to obtain a rank-three essence by offering the essence of a rank-four guardian.
That bastard is probably thinking the same, considering he came all this way for this one thing.
I had been the same when I played the game. Whenever I consumed a guardian essence that was high in rank but not suitable for my character, I went to the Labyrinth of Larcaz and aimed for a gacha. But a rank-five guardian? To think I would use this item just to give it away.
Sigh...
I erased my lingering disappointment and walked through the open door. Before I could even take a few steps, the straight passageway ended, and three stone gates appeared past the burning flames.
Whoosh!
As this item had a balance theme, each of the three stone gates had a physical, mental, or special ability-type monster drawn on it. Up to this point, everything was the same as usual. But what was this?
[You have offered an essence that is currently possessed by no one. The Guardian of Balance has recognized its rarity and presents a new option that matches its value.]
I froze mid-mural inspection. The first option was a skeleton wizard holding a staff in one hand and a box containing a red jewel in the other: the rank-four monster, Lich. It was a typical special ability-type monster that possessed a passive skill called Soul Chest and several destructive active skills. No problems there so far, it was just that I didn't understand the jewels embedded above the door.
...Rainbow?
Just a second ago, the Corpse Golem door had had a black jewel, and the Orc Hero door had had a green jewel. I assumed this meant the color of the essence. But a rainbow? Wouldn't that be the same color as the jewel on top of the Vampire's door, which was a guardian's essence?
Then is this really another guardian essence?
I quickly checked the rest of the doors. There was a drawing of a rank-four monster, Soul Colossus—a spirit-type monster with no stats such as Strength or Agility, as all of its stats were centered on the spirit. The color of the jewel on the door signified a guardian. Of course, this could just be luck. Very occasionally, a guardian essence popped up as an option.
This can't be a coincidence.
After checking the last option given to me, the physical-type monster, I had to acknowledge it. This was far from luck. There were still things about this game that I didn't know existed.
Whoosh!
The jewel reflected in the flickering flame was red. In other words, it was not the essence of a guardian. But what did that matter in this situation?
Step.
I walked toward the door like a man possessed. It was unbelievable, but the mural on the door could mean just one thing.
Step.
This was a rank-three monster, and a boss-level monster that worked alone. To put it simply, this was a monster that could only be defeated by conducting raids made up of rank-three and rank-four adventurers. It was the monster that boasted the best specs among overworld monsters in terms of physical ability.
Ogre.
I opened the door without hesitation.
Hallelujah.
The success rate is less than 10 percent.
This was the highest probability I could calculate with a cool head. Of all the essences this bastard had, only six were known. There were two or three unknown essences that remained variables, and the biggest stumbling block was still Karui's high priest.
Squeeze.
I took out the brilliant red jewel and held it in my hand. I had swallowed it as a hostage, but as soon as it was safe, I used Giantization to vomit it out. It was the final reward of the Labyrinth of Larcaz, and the item that the notorious criminal with the alias of Dragon Slayer must have been desperately looking for.
Restrained Wish.
I would have preferred not to use it now, if at all possible. This item had to be paired with a rank-four guardian essence for maximum effectiveness. But if I died, I wouldn't be able to use it anyway.
I guess I have no choice but to use it.
I made a decision. I didn't know how things would play out in the future, and if not now, this item might never be used. This quiet, like the eye of a storm, would come to an end soon. It was better to prepare in advance if possible. Plus, even if I wanted to use it later, I wouldn't have the time to do so.
It's a bit of a waste, but...
I gripped the jewel tighter.
Crunch!
The jewel split, emitting a brilliant red light.
[You have used Restrained Wish. You will now be moved to the Room of Balance.]
When I came to, I was standing in an unfamiliar place.
Whoosh!
A single flame rose to light up the space. I took a step and looked around. It was a stone chamber reminiscent of the Tower of Heavens. The flames floating in the air shimmered with bluish light, illuminating three stone gates at the end of the room.
This is cool.
So it looked like this in real life. In the game, all you had to do was manipulate the keyboard and make your choice.
[Select the essence you want to replace.]
I carefully studied the unique murals painted on each stone gate. They weren't colored in, but it wasn't hard to recognize them.
Step.
The first was a terrible monster with a mass of rotten arms and legs.
This must be a Corpse Golem.
Next was a figure in the form of a man with sharp fangs and sharp claws, with red jewels representing its red eyes.
This is a Vampire.
Finally, there was a muscular warrior roaring with a gigantic flag serving as a backdrop.
This must be an Orc Hero.
Each door represented one of the essences I had absorbed so far. There were no instructions whatsoever, but it was clear what I had to do. If you opened the door, the corresponding essence would be replaced. Restrained Wish was a gacha-type item that changed an essence of rank four or higher into a random essence of the same rating.
Step.
Without hesitation, I proceeded toward one of the doors. I'd already decided what to choose.
Orc Hero.
Obviously not that one. It was only rank five, but it was a core essence that belonged to my final build.
Corpse Golem.
Pain tolerance was surprisingly useful, but it didn't help me much in terms of abilities. I had been saving this one to erase it later when my essence slots got full, but I was going to pass on it for now. Why would I do something as wasteful as use Restrained Wish on a rank seven essence?
Vampire.
A moment later, I stood in front of the stone gate with the shape of that particular monster drawn on it and reached out my hand. It had skill sets and stats that suited a tank. In addition, since it had been obtained by killing a rift guardian, it was a rare essence with all three skills attached. However, thanks to that, there was no hesitation in my decision. Restrained Wish had a hidden element.
[You have chosen the essence of a Vampire. This essence is of a guardian. The rank of the selectable essence has risen.]
If you offered a guardian essence, the rating of the essence that could be selected went up. Put simply, it was possible to obtain a rank-three essence by offering the essence of a rank-four guardian.
That bastard is probably thinking the same, considering he came all this way for this one thing.
I had been the same when I played the game. Whenever I consumed a guardian essence that was high in rank but not suitable for my character, I went to the Labyrinth of Larcaz and aimed for a gacha. But a rank-five guardian? To think I would use this item just to give it away.
Sigh...
I erased my lingering disappointment and walked through the open door. Before I could even take a few steps, the straight passageway ended, and three stone gates appeared past the burning flames.
Whoosh!
As this item had a balance theme, each of the three stone gates had a physical, mental, or special ability-type monster drawn on it. Up to this point, everything was the same as usual. But what was this?
[You have offered an essence that is currently possessed by no one. The Guardian of Balance has recognized its rarity and presents a new option that matches its value.]
I froze mid-mural inspection. The first option was a skeleton wizard holding a staff in one hand and a box containing a red jewel in the other: the rank-four monster, Lich. It was a typical special ability-type monster that possessed a passive skill called Soul Chest and several destructive active skills. No problems there so far, it was just that I didn't understand the jewels embedded above the door.
...Rainbow?
Just a second ago, the Corpse Golem door had had a black jewel, and the Orc Hero door had had a green jewel. I assumed this meant the color of the essence. But a rainbow? Wouldn't that be the same color as the jewel on top of the Vampire's door, which was a guardian's essence?
Then is this really another guardian essence?
I quickly checked the rest of the doors. There was a drawing of a rank-four monster, Soul Colossus—a spirit-type monster with no stats such as Strength or Agility, as all of its stats were centered on the spirit. The color of the jewel on the door signified a guardian. Of course, this could just be luck. Very occasionally, a guardian essence popped up as an option.
This can't be a coincidence.
After checking the last option given to me, the physical-type monster, I had to acknowledge it. This was far from luck. There were still things about this game that I didn't know existed.
Whoosh!
The jewel reflected in the flickering flame was red. In other words, it was not the essence of a guardian. But what did that matter in this situation?
Step.
I walked toward the door like a man possessed. It was unbelievable, but the mural on the door could mean just one thing.
Step.
This was a rank-three monster, and a boss-level monster that worked alone. To put it simply, this was a monster that could only be defeated by conducting raids made up of rank-three and rank-four adventurers. It was the monster that boasted the best specs among overworld monsters in terms of physical ability.
Ogre.
I opened the door without hesitation.
Hallelujah.