Chapter 165
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Alcatron
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The search party, led entirely by Frannan, poured into Alcatron.
They carefully made their way down the long, stretched-out stairs, watching their step to avoid slipping.
[The next adventure begins.]
[Adventure 22 begins.]
[Adventure 22. Alcatron]
Thanks to your exploits in the Mist Hills, the expedition reached its destination without issue.
But the expedition hasn't succeeded yet.
Half of the search party for "Scales Bernoulli" entered Alcatron a full day ahead, and your group followed behind.
Something feels ominous here.
Even so, you have no choice but to do what must be done.
Find the Scales.
Goal: Confirm the Scales' safety.
Warning: This adventure is extremely dangerous.
Warning: Conditions change moment to moment.
Warning: This is expected to be a long haul. You may not get proper rest.
Time remaining: "Unknown"
'Time remaining... "Unknown"?'
It wasn't that there was no time limit—it existed, but it was unknowable.
Kang Seol frowned as he descended the stairs.
Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed from behind.
Kuuuung!
"Kyaaa..."
Thump!
Mael clamped a hand over Carmeli's mouth.
"Quiet. We don't know what might happen here. No shouting."
Carmeli turned to Bitter.
"That was you just now, right?"
【...】
Bitter had no reply.
"Q-quick, say it was."
Kang Seol turned and answered.
"Not Bitter. The door closed. Or rather, vanished is more accurate."
"The entrance... vanished? So we're trapped?"
"Who knows. They say Alcatron only reveals itself at night, so the door probably won't open until nightfall again."
"So we need at least a full day to get out..."
Kang Seol asked Mael.
"Mael, during the excavation, what size was this place estimated to be?"
"I just remember it being a super-massive ruin. I wasn't with the Relic Society back then, so I only saw reports. The excavated area wasn't that large."
"Meaning even partial excavation made its scale impossible to gauge?"
"Yes, exactly. But... now that I think about it, something's off."
"What?"
Mael tilted his head, deep in thought, and Carmeli clung to him.
"H-hey, quit fooling around. What's off?"
"......"
"We're here! Stairs are done."
"Keep your voice down. Trying to summon monsters?"
Mael seemed lost in thought.
Kang Seol asked him.
"Mael, have monsters ever appeared here?"
"Old corpses were found, but no monsters. But..."
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Not certain yet. Let's go farther."
Step... step...
It had been ages since Kang Seol's footsteps echoed so loudly.
'Feels like making noise alone in an empty auditorium.'
Which meant Alcatron was massive.
Frannan said.
"Haven't seen a single other soul yet. Far to the excavation site?"
"......"
"Hey, Mael?"
"We passed it."
"...What?"
Mael's expression turned grave.
"We passed the excavation cutoff point long ago."
"...You're joking."
"This space we're walking through was supposed to be full of bedrock and debris. Yet... we can keep going."
He added quietly.
"Like someone cleaned it up, knowing guests were coming..."
Thud.
A sudden earthquake made everyone murmur.
"W-what was that?"
"I wasn't the only one who felt it, right?"
"Something shook."
Frannan raised a hand and spoke.
"Everyone, prepare."
"Huh?"
"Something... is coming."
Kugung!
[Spatial distortion occurs.]
[Your body loses its freedom.]
[You become isolated.]
[Hidden adventure "The Lone One Dies" activates.]
'Damn it! What the hell!'
Ziiiiiing—
Kang Seol thrashed to resist the teleportation, but it only accelerated, his body engulfed in light and vanishing.
Drip...
Drip...
Moisture pooled on the ceiling dripped onto his forehead.
Just one drop, but the height made it sting, and it was ice-cold.
"Ugh..."
【Hey! Quit sprawling out and get up already!】
"What... the hell happened?"
Kang Seol came to his senses and shot up.
You've become isolated.
How to interpret this issue can be decided after meeting the others.
For now, no information obtained.
Goal: Find the other search parties.
Warning: This adventure is extremely dangerous.
Warning: Conditions change moment to moment.
Warning: This is expected to be a long haul. You may not get proper rest.
Time remaining: "23:15"
"The Lone One Dies?"
Kang Seol scowled like someone who'd read an ominous letter, scanning his surroundings.
'But why isn't any light from the space itself?'
It was strange.
No, the strangest was the search party scattered by some unknown force, but he lacked the means to uncover the cause now. He needed to handle the urgent matters first.
Snap!
Whoosh...
Kang Seol lit a torch from his inventory.
'Everyone should have emergency torches, but no reactions mean...'
This place should be flickering with light right now.
The lack thereof implied some reason.
"Light doesn't spread beyond a certain distance?"
[New information on "The Lone One Dies" acquired.]
[Others' lights can't be seen from afar, it seems.]
'...What is this?'
The phrasing evoked an escape room game. Kang Seol scratched his cheek in disbelief and pondered.
"Wah—!"
"......"
"No reaction, as expected."
Someone had appeared beside Kang Seol and shouted to startle him.
But Kang Seol was more shocked by something else.
"...Who?"
Uh, excuse me, who might you be?
S-sorry. Mistook you for someone else lol...
Lmao awkward... who is it?
A strikingly handsome man—perfect, even—wearing a shabby robe stared at Kang Seol in surprise.
"...You can see me?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Impossible... I'm a ghost."
"...Pardon?"
"You just arrived at Alcatron, right?"
Lmao he's a ghost (fainting)
Pffft still Jammin kids pulling pranks like this (can't breathe)
Ah! Scared me! Fine, say I was scared lol (sleeping with mom tonight)
Kang Seol was curious about the man's identity, but more about the secrets he knew of this place.
Still, he asked the former first.
"Who are you?"
"No need for formalities... treat me casual! We're friends, right?"
"...Depends on your answer."
"Strict... Bet you hear 'stiff' a lot? I'm a ghost, see? Ghost!"
The man swiped his hand through Kang Seol's body—it passed right through.
"...You really are."
"Right? Believe me now?"
"What's your name?"
"Name? Don't have one. No one here noticed me before you. Why need a name?"
"Fair enough..."
"But you could give me one?"
"Me... name you?"
"Yeah! You're the only one who'll call me anyway!"
"How about Tori? Easygoing."
"Tori?"
"Tori for loner."
Despair! Snowman's naming sense is despair!
If you have kids, name 'em at Philosophy Academy!
What's wrong with Tori? Heh... heh... I like it...
Your teacher's name seaweed soup by any chance?
Tori beamed and nodded.
"Great, good meaning! I'm Tori from now on. So, friend! What can I help with?"
"Tori, how'd you become a ghost?"
"How? I didn't do anything. Woke up and bam, ghost."
"Hmm... No memories from life?"
"None! Maybe I'm a mutant ghost!"
Kang Seol chuckled in disbelief, mulling over the conversation.
"......"
"What?"
"Earlier... you said 'the guys here'?"
"Yeah! The guys here! So?"
"Here... anyone besides us?"
"Obviously?"
Tori's eyes widened.
"It's a prison. Gotta be prisoners!"
"...Mael was right."
Confirming the ruin's purpose as a prison eased Kang Seol's mind.
'Prison means all inmates inside are long dead. It's such an ancient site.'
"The prisoners inside? All dead, right?"
"Nah. Why would they be?"
"......"
"They were locked up until recently, then rumble-boom-shake, and they all busted out of their cells."
"Damn... then..."
Tori pointed into the darkness ahead.
"There, one of your friends is being chased."
"What?"
"Hurry or it'll die."
Flash!
Kang Seol dashed forward.
Screeech... screeech!
Ukkik!
'Monkey cries?'
No one would mimic monkeys leisurely, so the source was a real one.
Only one monkey in the group.
'Indulger!'
Ukkiiik!
The monkey spotted Kang Seol, clutched a large paper, and leaped into his arms.
[You are no longer isolated.]
Ukkik!
Uk!
Indulger gestured frantically behind.
'Something... is there.'
Shhh...
An insect two or three times human-sized emerged.
"Mantis?"
Tori sidled up.
"Oh, that guy."
"You know it?"
"1st floor prisoner. Bad temper."
"...1st floor? This isn't the end?"
Kang Seol's Insight Eye activated.
Kishiiiit!
"...You're kidding."
"What?"
How could Insight Eye fail to read a mere imprisoned monster, and why was its grade Rare, rivaling bosses?
Kishaaat!
The giant mantis slashed with its foreleg and charged.
Whirlic!
[Sorcery Absorber "Lightning Jamad" assumes Night Raven form.]
[Absorbing "Lightning Jamad"'s stats.]
[Job: Brawler active.]
But no matter Rare grade or high level, it was no match for Kang Seol as Night Raven.
Clang!
Kang Seol effortlessly dodged the downward strike and slammed his right arm into the mantis's chest.
Crunch!
The shell was tough, but with a bit of pressure, his fist sank in like crushing tofu.
Cracklecracklecrack!
Lightning spread through the mantis's body.
Kiiiiiiiiii!
Boom!
The mantis's eyeball burst from the shock.
Thud.
It collapsed neatly before Kang Seol.
[1st Floor: Defeated Malkurium.]
Ghost Tori gawked at the mantis corpse.
"...Malkurium the mantis, huh. What was that '1st floor' bit?"
"Whoa... you're strong? Malkurium went pop in one hit."
"Answer: '1st floor'—are there more levels?"
"Didn't know? Alcatron has multiple floors. You just reached the 1st."
"What..."
"More importantly, your eyes..."
"Eyes? Mine?"
"Yeah, changing weirdly. Turning bright red."
"...No way. Here?"
Throb...
Kang Seol squeezed his eyes shut as pain like his eyeballs might pop hit.
His eyes had shown signs since the Labyrinth of Penance.
Insight Eye had built proficiency reading powerful foes.
And just now, reading Malkurium pushed it to the limit.
"Scream if you want. No one's nearby."
"...U, uwaaaaaaaaagh!"
Immense pain surged through Kang Seol.
[Insight Eye undergoes major change.]
[Progenitor's blood intervenes in the process.]