Chapter 483: Pilgrim (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 483: Pilgrim (1)
When you find yourself in an unexpected situation, the first thing you should do is take a breath. You couldn't run around like a headless chicken—you had to stay level-headed and get as firm of a grasp on what was going on as you could. That way, you could at least avoid the worst-case scenario. Of course, there might be better options to take depending on the context, so this was just a general rule of thumb to avoid making an irreversible mistake.
All that was to say, I took a moment to close my eyes and let out a deep exhale.
Peek.
After regaining some of my lost composure, I slowly reopened my eyes to examine my surroundings and gather information. I was just beyond the entrance of a cave. A faint light spilled through the entryway, silhouetting numerous soldiers deep in conversation. Surrounding them was a translucent curtain of sorts that seemed to be blocking their voices from my ears.
It was a lot like watching TV with the sound off. However, their furious expressions told me that whatever they were discussing was urgent.
Still, there was one major problem here.
Shit.
I didn't see my comrades. And that wasn't the only thing missing.
Seriously, what is this?
I didn't see my equipment anywhere either. Everything I'd been wearing and had on me was gone—including Demon Grinder, the expensive shield I bought, and various Numbered Items—and in their place, I now wore a worn-out piece of cloth that was little more than a rag. The weapon in my hand seemed to be an awl made out of monster bones.
Only then did I notice perhaps the biggest problem.
...This is goddamn ridiculous.
All the heavy-duty equipment I was wearing had disappeared, and yet somehow, my body didn't feel lighter in the slightest. It felt heavy—far heavier than normal, even. But instead of falling into a blind panic, I calmly took stock and treated each observation as an objective piece of information.
[All your stats have been fixed at 15.]
The first piece of information I gathered was that my stats had dropped—not to those of the average adventurer but even further down to those of an ordinary person. The Bjorn who was usually full of vitality and capable of lifting a carriage at any given moment had completely disappeared. All I was left with was a heavy fatigue in my bones that made it tough to even walk.
[All of your essences have been sealed.]
My second observation? My abilities had been sealed. Ogre, Vol-Herchan, Bayon—all of my skills, including the high-rank essences that formed the basis of my shield barbarian build, were inaccessible.
...I can't open my sub-space either.
The same went for the sub-space I acquired after we killed the Order of the Rose.
I sighed. My head was starting to spin, but I managed to pull myself together before I could fall apart, focusing on gathering more information and making sense of it.
"Hey... Outside... Strict laws of the Empire... Judgment...!"
The translucent curtain that had been blocking out all sound gradually faded, allowing me to finally hear bits and pieces of what the soldiers were saying.
Empire...?
Upon closer examination, the soldiers' uniforms were familiar. I'd seen similar soldiers in Doppelganger Forest before, hadn't I? Whatever the case, I needed to stay focused and alert.
"For the Empire...!"
Observation three: these guys were imperial soldiers.
"Captain, the barrier's power is fading!"
Observation four: the barrier they apparently put up at the entrance of the cave was weakening.
"Prepare yourselves! It's time to judge the evil pilgrim!"
Observation five: I was apparently a pilgrim, aka one of the people considered a traitor to all races, who fought alongside the Witch during the war waged against her.
After taking in all of these pieces of information and sorting through them, I knew what I had to do.
If I get caught, I'm dead.
In other words: I needed to get the hell out of here.
***
When you fought against the Lord of Terror, Dreadfear, with five or fewer people, all participants would be dragged to a new map during the fourth phase. The Endless Pit of Solitude was a secret area enshrouded in complete darkness. There, you would have to face Dreadfear, who would whip out all sorts of new attack patterns and skills that were much more powerful than the ones he used when you fought against him in a large group. No longer restricted by the spatial limitations of the Crystal Cave, he would morph into a massive giant while token mob monsters swarmed you from all sides. On top of all that, multiple high-rank and lethal abilities would be fired at you, and they were nearly impossible to avoid.
However, I wasn't all that worried about attempting the raid. Each one of his skills had a clear attack pattern, and there was a built-in escape method, though it could only be used right before the labyrinth closed. I had made sure to have basic safety measures in place just in case.
...But still, I wasn't expecting this.
'This' was something I had experienced countless times during my playthroughs of Dungeon and Stone. After all, there were countless hidden elements in the game.
Yeah, this probably is a hidden element.
The sixth piece of information I gathered was that a hidden element I'd been unaware of had been triggered.
While I gathered my thoughts, my steps quickened with renewed urgency.
Step, step.
The more I walked, the more sweat trickled down my forehead. It rolled down my skin, gathering into beads and then dripping onto the floor.
Drip.
I was currently stuck in a fragile body that only felt slightly better than mine used to when I was stuck in the hospital as Hansu Lee.
"That bastard! Where did he run off to?!"
The soldiers continued to chase after me, but I didn't fall into despair. There was no reason to because I firmly believed that no matter how unreasonable a new feature might seem at first, there wasn't a single hidden element in Dungeon and Stone that was unbeatable.
This was proof of that.
"How is he able to move through this dark cave like it's nothing?"
"It must be one of the powers he gained in exchange for selling his soul to that evil witch."
So the cave was dark to the soldiers. When I looked around me, the crystals scattered across the walls were shining so brightly that I didn't even need a torch to see in front of me.
Observation seven: pilgrims apparently had several advantages over ordinary people.
It was great that I had a visual advantage over them, but that wasn't even the best part.
"For the Empire...!"
Observation three: these guys were imperial soldiers.
"Captain, the barrier's power is fading!"
Observation four: the barrier they apparently put up at the entrance of the cave was weakening.
"Prepare yourselves! It's time to judge the evil pilgrim!"
Observation five: I was apparently a pilgrim, aka one of the people considered a traitor to all races, who fought alongside the Witch during the war waged against her.
After taking in all of these pieces of information and sorting through them, I knew what I had to do.
If I get caught, I'm dead.
In other words: I needed to get the hell out of here.
***
When you fought against the Lord of Terror, Dreadfear, with five or fewer people, all participants would be dragged to a new map during the fourth phase. The Endless Pit of Solitude was a secret area enshrouded in complete darkness. There, you would have to face Dreadfear, who would whip out all sorts of new attack patterns and skills that were much more powerful than the ones he used when you fought against him in a large group. No longer restricted by the spatial limitations of the Crystal Cave, he would morph into a massive giant while token mob monsters swarmed you from all sides. On top of all that, multiple high-rank and lethal abilities would be fired at you, and they were nearly impossible to avoid.
However, I wasn't all that worried about attempting the raid. Each one of his skills had a clear attack pattern, and there was a built-in escape method, though it could only be used right before the labyrinth closed. I had made sure to have basic safety measures in place just in case.
...But still, I wasn't expecting this.
'This' was something I had experienced countless times during my playthroughs of Dungeon and Stone. After all, there were countless hidden elements in the game.
Yeah, this probably is a hidden element.
The sixth piece of information I gathered was that a hidden element I'd been unaware of had been triggered.
While I gathered my thoughts, my steps quickened with renewed urgency.
Step, step.
The more I walked, the more sweat trickled down my forehead. It rolled down my skin, gathering into beads and then dripping onto the floor.
Drip.
I was currently stuck in a fragile body that only felt slightly better than mine used to when I was stuck in the hospital as Hansu Lee.
"That bastard! Where did he run off to?!"
The soldiers continued to chase after me, but I didn't fall into despair. There was no reason to because I firmly believed that no matter how unreasonable a new feature might seem at first, there wasn't a single hidden element in Dungeon and Stone that was unbeatable.
This was proof of that.
"How is he able to move through this dark cave like it's nothing?"
"It must be one of the powers he gained in exchange for selling his soul to that evil witch."
So the cave was dark to the soldiers. When I looked around me, the crystals scattered across the walls were shining so brightly that I didn't even need a torch to see in front of me.
Observation seven: pilgrims apparently had several advantages over ordinary people.
It was great that I had a visual advantage over them, but that wasn't even the best part.
Grrr! Grrr!
No, the best part was the monsters living inside the cave. Not only were they not attacking me, but they actually seemed to be protecting me from the soldiers.
Stab!
Not that they lasted very long against the imperial troops, of course. Still, if it weren't for these monsters trying to protect me, I knew for a fact those soldiers would have caught up to me and cut my head off by now.
Grrr!
...What a strange feeling. I never thought the day would come when I'd owe my life to a Goblin.
Step, step.
Thanks to my ability to find my way around, I was able to successfully keep my distance from the soldiers.
I wonder how everyone else is doing...
As I continued to make my way through the cave, I thought about what might have happened to my teammates. They most likely ended up all alone like me. And now that I thought about it, this cave looked similar to the Crystal Cave on the first floor, aside from the fact that I wasn't used to it having an entrance.
...If the layout is the same, then there should be entrances in the north, south, east, and west.
The gears in my mind started to turn even faster as I tried to connect all the dots. Just outside the entrance near me, I could make out what looked to be the Goblin Forest beyond the translucent curtain enveloping the many soldiers.
"This way!"
Hah, I was hoping I'd be able to take a break.
Step, step.
I doubled over to catch my breath. After a short break, I forced myself to stand again and continued venturing further into the cave. I knew that I couldn't keep running away like this forever. Survival was about making active choices and adapting to new circumstances. I'd already chosen to run away to survive, so I now needed to decide my next plan of action, and fast. What should I do?
Team up.
Joining up with my teammates was the first option that came to mind. Quite a few special events in Dungeon and Stone first separated the party members then had them reunite later on. Seeing as we were probably all separated right now, there was a high chance this was a similar concept.
The problem is... we might all die before even meeting up with each other...
Erwen should be fine for now since she had the basic skills needed to navigate through the cave. The problem was Ainar, who was terrible with directions, as well as Versyl Gowland, who was only good at magic.
...I'll have to worry about that later.
Now wasn't the time to get hung up on things like that. Besides, there was no telling if or when we would be able to find each other in this massive cave. The next thing on my list of priorities had to be the more pressing questions.
What's the condition for clearing this level?
If this really was one of Dreadfear's fourth-phase patterns, then what did we need to do to beat it? Get rid of the soldiers? Maybe obtain something at the heart of the cave? Or did I need to head outside the cave instead?
The options were endless. Even though I'd dealt with many hidden levels before, I couldn't come up with an exact plan on how to handle this situation yet. I still lacked information.
A clue... There must be some sort of clue.
In the end, I needed to be more active and attempt to find clues.
Grrr! Grrr!
No, the best part was the monsters living inside the cave. Not only were they not attacking me, but they actually seemed to be protecting me from the soldiers.
Stab!
Not that they lasted very long against the imperial troops, of course. Still, if it weren't for these monsters trying to protect me, I knew for a fact those soldiers would have caught up to me and cut my head off by now.
Grrr!
...What a strange feeling. I never thought the day would come when I'd owe my life to a Goblin.
Step, step.
Thanks to my ability to find my way around, I was able to successfully keep my distance from the soldiers.
I wonder how everyone else is doing...
As I continued to make my way through the cave, I thought about what might have happened to my teammates. They most likely ended up all alone like me. And now that I thought about it, this cave looked similar to the Crystal Cave on the first floor, aside from the fact that I wasn't used to it having an entrance.
...If the layout is the same, then there should be entrances in the north, south, east, and west.
The gears in my mind started to turn even faster as I tried to connect all the dots. Just outside the entrance near me, I could make out what looked to be the Goblin Forest beyond the translucent curtain enveloping the many soldiers.
"This way!"
Hah, I was hoping I'd be able to take a break.
Step, step.
I doubled over to catch my breath. After a short break, I forced myself to stand again and continued venturing further into the cave. I knew that I couldn't keep running away like this forever. Survival was about making active choices and adapting to new circumstances. I'd already chosen to run away to survive, so I now needed to decide my next plan of action, and fast. What should I do?
Team up.
Joining up with my teammates was the first option that came to mind. Quite a few special events in Dungeon and Stone first separated the party members then had them reunite later on. Seeing as we were probably all separated right now, there was a high chance this was a similar concept.
The problem is... we might all die before even meeting up with each other...
Erwen should be fine for now since she had the basic skills needed to navigate through the cave. The problem was Ainar, who was terrible with directions, as well as Versyl Gowland, who was only good at magic.
...I'll have to worry about that later.
Now wasn't the time to get hung up on things like that. Besides, there was no telling if or when we would be able to find each other in this massive cave. The next thing on my list of priorities had to be the more pressing questions.
What's the condition for clearing this level?
If this really was one of Dreadfear's fourth-phase patterns, then what did we need to do to beat it? Get rid of the soldiers? Maybe obtain something at the heart of the cave? Or did I need to head outside the cave instead?
The options were endless. Even though I'd dealt with many hidden levels before, I couldn't come up with an exact plan on how to handle this situation yet. I still lacked information.
A clue... There must be some sort of clue.
In the end, I needed to be more active and attempt to find clues.
Thud.
I skidded to a halt and hid behind a crystal emitting a bright light. Hiding in such a well-lit area made me anxious, but I did my best to try and overcome that anxiety. The soldiers chasing after me seemed to have a harder time seeing when the crystals were brighter, so if I wanted to land a surprise attack, this was the place to do it.
I waited, counting the seconds as I hid behind the crystal.
Step, step.
Suddenly, soldiers holding torches appeared down the path from me.
So there's three of them...
It would have been easy for me to deal with that number if I were my usual self, but with this new weakened body of mine, I would be in trouble.
Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump.
My heart started racing in my chest, and my mind was flooded with panicked questions. Should I attack them now? Or should I wait for a better opportunity? The time to make a decision was quickly approaching.
...If it's just three of them, it might be worth the risk.
I would probably never find a group of soldiers with fewer than three men. Not only that, but these soldiers weren't all that strong in the first place. Based on how they fought the Goblins, I would say they were second-floor adventurers at most. That meant they weren't much different than a regular person, and a regular knife would be enough to kill them.
Clench.
Still hidden behind the glowing crystal, I steadied my breath and tightened my grip on the bone knife in my hand.
Step.
Then, the moment the three soldiers passed by my hiding spot, I sprang forward, aiming first for the soldier furthest back and shoving the tip of my knife deep into his neck.
Stab!
"...Argh!" He let out a loud, choked noise. Before I even pulled my knife out of his throat, the other soldiers walking in front of him whipped around to look at me.
"...You!"
They looked stunned to see me. I kicked the man's body away as I pulled my knife from his throat, leveling it in front of me. Now, I no longer had the element of surprise.
"...Ugh!"
I stepped forward to aim at another soldier's neck, but my blade was too short. Because of his leather armor, I wasn't able to land a deep stab. Instead, my knife had gotten stuck in his armor and I couldn't pull it out.
I have to give up on the knife.
I let go of the handle and ran at the soldier barehanded. Technically, I didn't need a knife to kill them.
Grab!
I grabbed onto the wrist of the soldier I had failed to stab, taking advantage of his panic from nearly dying seconds ago and jumping onto him to grapple him from behind. From there, I had a perfect view of the bare, unprotected skin of his neck.
Chomp!
I bit down with all my might. As long as you successfully ripped out a good chunk of neck flesh, your opponent would normally go slack and bleed to death.
"T-Troan!"
All right, that was two down. Now that this was a one-on-one fight, I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders. Though the soldier's specs and equipment far outclassed mine, this wasn't the type of battle that would be decided through numbers.
"Fight me, you bastard." The battle experience I'd accumulated over the years put me on a completely different level than a soldier who panicked after being ambushed in a dark cave.
"...Y-You—!" The last soldier nervously thrust his spear at me. I didn't hesitate to step to the side and avoid it, yanking on the spearhead as I did to knock him off balance.
That was the end of the battle.
Smash, smash, smash!
The second he stumbled to the ground, I quickly leaped on top of him. I lifted his head and smashed it against the floor several times until his body finally stopped moving.
Ptui.
I stood up and spat out the remaining blood and flesh in my mouth. Maybe it was because it had been so long since I'd fought so scrappily, but I felt more mentally exhausted than I did after fighting a rank-three monster. I gulped in the air as I tried to get a handle on the adrenaline rushing through me. Luckily, I wasn't injured during the fight, but this was no time to rest.
I need to hurry up and finish farming.
After a hard-won victory, there was always a prize waiting for you at the end.
***
The soldiers all had the same armor: a leather vest with a piece of cloth on top that was emblazoned with the emblem of the empire.
I'm wearing the biggest one, but it's still a bit tight. At least the weapons are better.
Even though none of them had weapons to my size or taste, all three of them had a different kind, meaning I had more options at my disposal. There was a mace and shield combo, a spear, and a two-handed hammer. The weapon I was going to pick was obvious.
The mace and shield are my classic starting weapons, after all.
The two-handed hammer was a tempting replacement for the mace, but I gave up on it. It would be impossible for me to hold it with one hand at my current strength.
Just in case, let's bring the bone knife as well...
With my weapon decided, I rifled through their belongings, grabbing any necessities like bread and drinking water and putting them in my stolen backpack. Then I hurriedly hid the looted soldier's bodies behind the crystal and left.
Step, step.
Even though they were small for me, the shoes made it much easier to walk. This was the power of civilization. After killing three soldiers with just one bone knife, I started to feel a lot better.
Now that I have some equipment, let's capture one of them alive and get some information.
With that thought in mind, I began to search for my next target. It didn't take me long, fortunately.
Four of them...
This party had one more person than the last, but that wouldn't be a problem.
Fwoosh.
I approached them while holding a torch that I didn't even need in order to see. Instead, I needed it to unlock a hidden ability that came with wearing this equipment.
"Hey! I got separated from my party. Can you help me?"
Since I was wearing a soldier's uniform, there was no way they'd be able to figure out who I was.
...Huh?
Well, that should have been the case, at least...
"B-Beware!"
In a surprise twist, the soldiers all immediately pointed their weapons at me and put distance between us. How the hell did they clock me the moment they saw me? I didn't know, but I filed that tidbit away for later.
"It's a pilgrim! A pilgrim...!"
Observation eight: the soldiers could somehow distinguish pilgrims from ordinary people.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
[You have killed 5 soldiers. All of your stats have risen by +1.]
Observation nine: whenever I killed the soldiers, I got stronger.
All right, I think I've gotten a feel for how this level works.
I now had the hang of it.
Thud.
I skidded to a halt and hid behind a crystal emitting a bright light. Hiding in such a well-lit area made me anxious, but I did my best to try and overcome that anxiety. The soldiers chasing after me seemed to have a harder time seeing when the crystals were brighter, so if I wanted to land a surprise attack, this was the place to do it.
I waited, counting the seconds as I hid behind the crystal.
Step, step.
Suddenly, soldiers holding torches appeared down the path from me.
So there's three of them...
It would have been easy for me to deal with that number if I were my usual self, but with this new weakened body of mine, I would be in trouble.
Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump.
My heart started racing in my chest, and my mind was flooded with panicked questions. Should I attack them now? Or should I wait for a better opportunity? The time to make a decision was quickly approaching.
...If it's just three of them, it might be worth the risk.
I would probably never find a group of soldiers with fewer than three men. Not only that, but these soldiers weren't all that strong in the first place. Based on how they fought the Goblins, I would say they were second-floor adventurers at most. That meant they weren't much different than a regular person, and a regular knife would be enough to kill them.
Clench.
Still hidden behind the glowing crystal, I steadied my breath and tightened my grip on the bone knife in my hand.
Step.
Then, the moment the three soldiers passed by my hiding spot, I sprang forward, aiming first for the soldier furthest back and shoving the tip of my knife deep into his neck.
Stab!
"...Argh!" He let out a loud, choked noise. Before I even pulled my knife out of his throat, the other soldiers walking in front of him whipped around to look at me.
"...You!"
They looked stunned to see me. I kicked the man's body away as I pulled my knife from his throat, leveling it in front of me. Now, I no longer had the element of surprise.
"...Ugh!"
I stepped forward to aim at another soldier's neck, but my blade was too short. Because of his leather armor, I wasn't able to land a deep stab. Instead, my knife had gotten stuck in his armor and I couldn't pull it out.
I have to give up on the knife.
I let go of the handle and ran at the soldier barehanded. Technically, I didn't need a knife to kill them.
Grab!
I grabbed onto the wrist of the soldier I had failed to stab, taking advantage of his panic from nearly dying seconds ago and jumping onto him to grapple him from behind. From there, I had a perfect view of the bare, unprotected skin of his neck.
Chomp!
I bit down with all my might. As long as you successfully ripped out a good chunk of neck flesh, your opponent would normally go slack and bleed to death.
"T-Troan!"
All right, that was two down. Now that this was a one-on-one fight, I felt a weight being lifted from my shoulders. Though the soldier's specs and equipment far outclassed mine, this wasn't the type of battle that would be decided through numbers.
"Fight me, you bastard." The battle experience I'd accumulated over the years put me on a completely different level than a soldier who panicked after being ambushed in a dark cave.
"...Y-You—!" The last soldier nervously thrust his spear at me. I didn't hesitate to step to the side and avoid it, yanking on the spearhead as I did to knock him off balance.
That was the end of the battle.
Smash, smash, smash!
The second he stumbled to the ground, I quickly leaped on top of him. I lifted his head and smashed it against the floor several times until his body finally stopped moving.
Ptui.
I stood up and spat out the remaining blood and flesh in my mouth. Maybe it was because it had been so long since I'd fought so scrappily, but I felt more mentally exhausted than I did after fighting a rank-three monster. I gulped in the air as I tried to get a handle on the adrenaline rushing through me. Luckily, I wasn't injured during the fight, but this was no time to rest.
I need to hurry up and finish farming.
After a hard-won victory, there was always a prize waiting for you at the end.
***
The soldiers all had the same armor: a leather vest with a piece of cloth on top that was emblazoned with the emblem of the empire.
I'm wearing the biggest one, but it's still a bit tight. At least the weapons are better.
Even though none of them had weapons to my size or taste, all three of them had a different kind, meaning I had more options at my disposal. There was a mace and shield combo, a spear, and a two-handed hammer. The weapon I was going to pick was obvious.
The mace and shield are my classic starting weapons, after all.
The two-handed hammer was a tempting replacement for the mace, but I gave up on it. It would be impossible for me to hold it with one hand at my current strength.
Just in case, let's bring the bone knife as well...
With my weapon decided, I rifled through their belongings, grabbing any necessities like bread and drinking water and putting them in my stolen backpack. Then I hurriedly hid the looted soldier's bodies behind the crystal and left.
Step, step.
Even though they were small for me, the shoes made it much easier to walk. This was the power of civilization. After killing three soldiers with just one bone knife, I started to feel a lot better.
Now that I have some equipment, let's capture one of them alive and get some information.
With that thought in mind, I began to search for my next target. It didn't take me long, fortunately.
Four of them...
This party had one more person than the last, but that wouldn't be a problem.
Fwoosh.
I approached them while holding a torch that I didn't even need in order to see. Instead, I needed it to unlock a hidden ability that came with wearing this equipment.
"Hey! I got separated from my party. Can you help me?"
Since I was wearing a soldier's uniform, there was no way they'd be able to figure out who I was.
...Huh?
Well, that should have been the case, at least...
"B-Beware!"
In a surprise twist, the soldiers all immediately pointed their weapons at me and put distance between us. How the hell did they clock me the moment they saw me? I didn't know, but I filed that tidbit away for later.
"It's a pilgrim! A pilgrim...!"
Observation eight: the soldiers could somehow distinguish pilgrims from ordinary people.
Whack! Whack! Whack!
[You have killed 5 soldiers. All of your stats have risen by +1.]
Observation nine: whenever I killed the soldiers, I got stronger.
All right, I think I've gotten a feel for how this level works.
I now had the hang of it.