Chapter 167
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: If Caught, You Die
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A pitch-black figure covered from head to toe.
Not only that, but the warden's face lacked eyes, nose, and ears from the start, leaving only its mouth gaping open.
It was grotesque and suspicious.
Kang Seol judged himself safe for the moment, as he was quite a distance from the warden. He first checked the information on the current situation.
Adventure 22-2. 'If Caught, You Die'
Alcatron's other major hazard, the wardens, have appeared. How they were born or their true nature doesn't matter. Just know they're a major pain. Keep that in mind for now.
No information obtained so far.
Objective: Survive.
Caution: This adventure is extremely dangerous.
Caution: This adventure's situation changes moment to moment.
Caution: This adventure will be an epic ordeal. Proper rest may be impossible.
Remaining Time: 「11:55」
'The time's shorter than at first... but clearer than the start, so that's good.'
"Kiiiii..."
The warden shuffled around, looking about.
'The key is to avoid that warden and head down to the lower floor, right?'
Kang Seol pondered briefly, then tilted his head.
'But why avoid it at all costs? A warden's no different from the prisoners here.'
"Kiiiii!"
Paht-!
At that moment, the warden spotted something and charged toward it.
'Fast!'
Its sluggish, worm-like movements had vanished; upon locking onto a target, it pounced like a leopard.
It was in the opposite direction from Kang Seol.
Kiiii!
A prisoner with bandages wrapped tightly around its face spotted the warden and recoiled in terror.
"Kiaaa!"
Kiiiiii!
The prisoner desperately tried to flee, but the warden was faster.
Tuk.
The slightest touch. The warden's long arm brushed the prisoner's body.
Uujik...
Uujijik...
The prisoner's head swelled grotesquely.
Puuung-!
And exploded outright.
'...What the hell?'
Advanced Insight activated.
Hidden warden information analyzed.
New information on 'If Caught, You Die' acquired.
'What kind of monster is this?'
Kang Seol was relieved he hadn't rushed in recklessly and glanced at Tori.
Tori shrugged.
"They have to handle the vicious upper-floor prisoners, so wardens need to be even more dangerous, right?"
"Do wardens roam around normally?"
"No, I've only seen them occasionally... Anyway, never clash with them. At least on Alcatron's upper floors, they're invincible."
"Upper floors? No wardens on the lower ones?"
"Yeah. But even if there were, it wouldn't matter."
"Why not?"
"The prisoners are stronger than the wardens."
"......"
Kang Seol couldn't hide his shock.
'Do the lower floors have drastically stronger prisoners?'
"Speaking of which... looks like whoever orchestrated this got access to Alcatron's deepest control room?"
"Deepest?"
"The control room. The wardens following their will proves it. Puppets or not, manipulating them like marionettes is impossible otherwise."
"Is escaping Alcatron impossible?"
"Dunno, but probably? If they seized control but didn't seal the exits, it doesn't add up."
Kang Seol nodded, another thought crossing his mind.
'Hope Mael and Carmlly are safe.'
Those who'd been with him moments ago—hopefully not facing a warden head-on.
'No helping it. Once you're in this deep, you're on your own.'
He'd asked all he could; the rest he'd learn firsthand.
Like warden details or paths to lower floors.
'Alright, let's see...'
Whirlic-!
Kang Seol's solution: familiars.
Crow familiars of moderate size, scattered in all directions.
'This way, I can track the warden's position easily.'
Caaack...
Flutter...
Six crows flew off in every direction.
'...I can see.'
Not all had clear vision. It was pitch darkness, and the crows could only make out vague outlines.
But the moment Kang Seol activated Insight...
Hwaaaak...
He gained a piercing view over a wide area.
'Short duration and heavy mental strain, so not 24 hours... but still a huge gain.'
Now he could navigate like he had feelers.
"Kiiik..."
A warden near one crow.
'Let's probe a bit.'
Caaack...
One crow circled the warden.
10m distance.
'Closer...'
7m.
Sruruk...
5m.
Paht-!
The warden snatched the crow.
Pujik...
Kang Seol forcibly unsummoned it.
"Kiii?"
The warden looked around in confusion but soon resumed its dumb shuffling.
'Within 5m, it detects me. Just avoid that.'
And steer clear of other prisoners too—lest they draw the warden's attention.
'Odds of running into allies here are low...'
This setup favored encountering wardens or prisoners over allies.
'Better hurry down and regroup.'
Goal set, Kang Seol began scouting.
"Ho... you have tricks like that?"
"I know a little of everything."
"Impressive..."
With crows monitoring all sides, no enemies crossed his path. Unfortunately, no allies either.
'They went down ahead?'
But that was wishful; corpses of would-be allies littered the area.
Kang Seol checked each for familiar faces. Fortunately, all strangers.
Jjit...
A breeze near the forward crow.
'Stairs down?'
But as Kang Seol rejoiced at finding the lower-floor entrance, someone grabbed the crow.
'...What?'
Someone inspecting the clutched crow.
'Prisoner!'
But different from the others.
It was human.
Mouth sewn shut, no voice, but a human face.
As Insight read the prisoner's info...
Pujik...
"Urk..."
The crow burst in the prisoner's hand.
Kang Seol raced to the spot.
"...Found you."
A lone prisoner stood smugly at what was indeed the path down.
'But... doesn't look normal.'
Just one live prisoner amid the corpses.
'......'
The rest were bodies.
'Did this guy come up after the second shift and slaughter the expeditions?'
The sewn-mouth man twisted his face oddly and raised his puppets.
Puppet Master Humer uses Marionette.
Those bound to him move at his will.
Puppets gain enhanced physical abilities.
"Grurur..."
"Uuuua..."
The sprawled corpses jerked upright at the man's gesture.
"......"
Kang Seol spotted a familiar face among them.
- Y-You're... Lady Frannan's disciple, right? It's me, Yoran!
Definitely Yoran, who'd been with them recently.
Unfortunately, he'd found the Floor 2 entrance first.
The puppet wearing Yoran's shell spoke.
"Kill... me..."
Kang Seol's expression hardened coldly.
Tori, watching, warned him.
"This guy's a puppeteer? Be careful! He..."
Whoosh...
Whirlic-!
Whic-!
Black energy erupted from Kang Seol's hands, transforming into twin knights. Karen and Karuna, observing, drew without hesitation.
Sreung-!
Sreung!
Swords slashed at blinding speed.
Sasasak-!
Puhwaaaaak!
The puppets shredded into meat chunks.
Startled, Humer backpedaled, thrusting his hands forward.
Whic...
Seogeok-!
Karuna's blade severed Humer's hands. Exposed, Humer couldn't dodge Karen's follow-up.
Seogeok-!
With disbelieving eyes, Humer's head parted from his body.
Instant kill.
In a blink, a hero-rank Floor 2 prisoner was dead.
Tori gaped at Humer's demise.
"Wha...? Was Humer always this weak? No... Wait, you're a summoner?"
"......"
"Why so pissed...? Oh! That guy. The one we met earlier, right? Tough break. Bad luck running into a Floor 2 prisoner..."
Tori consoled Kang Seol.
Alcatron lower-floor entrance discovered. What will you do?
1. Go down.
2. Don't go down.
…
Just two choices.
Kang Seol slowly headed down.
Alcatron Underground Floor 2.
Wardens lurked here too.
Kang Seol scouted Floor 2 with his reduced crow flock.
Prisoners: all hero-rank or higher monsters.
Not too tough for current Kang Seol, but risking a warden aggro meant caution.
Paht-!
Another crow snagged.
This crow always gets caught lololol
Time for the crows to unionize at this point?
??? : Prioritizing workers' rights...
??? : Harmonious labor relations with summoner...
'What now?'
This foe didn't crush the crow right away. It was an ally, after all.
The crow-grabber: Mael.
"Shh... Snowman? You're safe. Nearby?"
Kang Seol nodded the crow, recalled the others, and rushed to Mael.
"Phew... I was worried. With wardens rampaging..."
"Seen the parish chief?"
"Not yet. Worried, though. More importantly, faced Floor 2 monsters?"
"Yes."
"They were... human. Alcatron might be man-made."
"Likely."
"Most of the expedition will die here. Better hurry and end the culprit."
Kang Seol nodded, swapping info with Mael. Mael's knowledge was scant compared to his.
Mael's eyes sparkled at each revelation.
"Ooh... My theory of an ancient prison fits perfectly! Alcatron's man-made, abandoned or forgotten for some reason. Nasty prank, though—our lives hanging on one person's whim..."
"To resolve this..."
"Scales later. First, Alcatron's control room or..."
Mael nodded.
"Kill the culprit outright."
"Good."
"But first..."
Kung...
"Not again?"
"Please... no."
Kugung...
Kang Seol and Mael scowled, bracing for spatial shift.
Blink.
Blink blink.
"Huh? All good."
"Phew... no shift."
The lamp's despair mocked them.
"......"
Then.
Kwajik...
"...Huh?"
"Huh?"
Kwajijik...
Kwaaaaaang-!
Cracks spiderwebbed the floor beneath them, collapsing. Especially under Kang Seol—no escape.
"Hand! Snowman!"
"Damn..."
Mael fled the spot, reaching out—but missed.
Despair wailed as it fell.
Despair and Kang Seol plummeted.
Whiric-!
Kang Seol could only shift to Night Crow form to brace.
Hidden Adventure 'Alcatron Great Collapse' activated.
Thud...
"Kuhuhuk..."
Kang Seol struggled from the impact.
Shaking the lamp yielded no response from Despair—likely knocked out.
Kang Seol shook his head, rising from his sprawl.
"Ugh... where...?"
3 collapses in a row for real...
Making it collapse now lol
Hekhek...
Hekhekhek...
"A dog?"
Dog sounds approached.
Hekhek...
A real dog. A blackish one approached right up to Kang Seol.
Absurd, but instinct made him pet it.
Stroke... stroke...
"How far did I fall?"
The dog licked his hand happily.
He rummaged his pouch, offering monster jerky.
Chomp chomp...
"Good eater... Hm?"
Kang Seol was deeply baffled now.
Kiiii...
'Damn! Warden! Caught in the collapse?'
A warden struggled up right beside him—likely patrolling nearby when he fell.
'What to do? First...'
Then, the dog he'd petted turned feral.
Grrr...
"Dangerous!"
Kang Seol meant for the dog.
Rush the warden, and it'd burst like the Floor 1 prisoner.
But.
Eujik! Eujijik!
The warden's throat tore out.
"...What?"
The blood-tasting dog growled.
Grrr...
Its eyes turned savage, body swelling larger.
When it dwarfed humans—even Jamad—Insight triggered.
Kiiing-
Wondrous discovery! Mysterious lifeform detected.
The jerky-receiving dog had nearly killed Kang Seol, but Insight revealed:
"Transcendent... rank? And..."
Grrr...
Kyung!
Kyung!
"Floor 4? This is Underground Floor 4?"
Coincidentally, Alcatron's collapse flung him to Floor 4.
Allies remained on Floor 2.
Shocked by the warden's death, Kang Seol recalled Tori's words:
- Upper floors? No wardens below?
- Yeah. But even if, useless.
- Why?
- Prisoners stronger than wardens.
Grrr...
The black dog eyed Kang Seol, advancing slowly.
No way jerky satisfied that bulk. It'd swallow him whole.
'Damn... better go out fighting than cower!'
Swish...
In the tense standoff, Kang Seol drew something from his pouch.
Bought from Janet at the Madness Shop.
Love-Hate Stag's Scent Pouch used.