Chapter 169
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 169
Chapter Title: The 31st Horse Overturns the Game Board
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Psssh...
Hunting.
[Coco's special ability: Wild Gift activates.]
[Coco gifts you part of the prey Sharp Hoof's stats.]
[You receive Wild Gift.]
[Intelligence increases by 2.]
Kieeeek-!
Hunting.
[Coco's special ability: Wild Gift activates.]
[Coco gifts you part of the prey Chilly Iisa's stats.]
[You receive Wild Gift.]
[Agility increases by 2.]
"Haa..."
Huff... huff...
Kang Seol had been steadily expanding his search range across Alcatron's underground fourth floor using Coco over the past few days.
'It's been three days already, and still no word.'
The expedition had set out with over a hundred members.
With that many people, at least one should have reached the fourth floor by now, but there was still no sign.
Kang Seol had a hunch about why.
'Something happened up above... or they're regrouping.'
Alcatron was vast.
Vast was an understatement; it was ridiculously expansive.
For a scattered expedition to regroup in such a place was a slim chance at best.
'At least... gathering at the path down from the upper floors would be the easiest way.'
Regroup above and head down.
The expedition leaders, having tasted the prisoners' strength, had likely come to the same conclusion.
'I would've done the same.'
He wanted to head up and join the expedition too.
But linking up from below was tricky right now, so he was doing the best he could under the circumstances.
Huff... huff... huff...
"Good job, Coco."
Huff... huff...
Kang Seol stroked Coco's scruff.
Even looking this docile like a pet dog, Coco was a top predator on Alcatron's fourth floor.
"...Have you gotten a bit bigger?"
Whether from all the feeding or not, Coco's frame had grown slightly larger than before.
Of course, Coco could adjust its size at will, so bulk wasn't everything, but it had probably grown for real.
'Since I've definitely grown too.'
Kang Seol's stats were skyrocketing right now, thanks to hunting down the prisoners that infested the fourth floor.
Coco's special ability "Wild Gift" had become the driving force behind his rapid growth.
'And if it were just that, I wouldn't have grown this much.'
His Monster Cooking proficiency had also climbed steadily.
With rare prey everywhere, dishes made from their byproducts granted permanent stat boosts just from eating them.
Stats get copied over!
Pretend to hunt hard, pretend to pick tough adventures, show off, and I'll beat the crap out of you with a stick.
Snowman is invincible.
Coco is a god.
Great teamwork, folks. Take this and head out.
'In the end, it's a win-win for Coco and me.'
Kang Seol's stats were now so high they'd dwarf even top-tier returners.
'At least three times... no, four times stronger?'
He figured as much himself, given the insane growth.
Huff... huff... huff...
But as Kang Seol stared at Coco, his expression was somehow unsatisfied.
'To awaken my combat sense, nothing beats fighting myself.'
Coco's fights boosted stats, but since Kang Seol wasn't swinging, he missed out on real battle experience against strong foes.
That was his biggest regret.
'Not that I've been slacking.'
Over these three days surviving the fourth floor, his gains went beyond cooking.
Whoooosh...
Crunch... crunch...
Like a magician pulling doves from a hat, dark crimson energy rippled from his hand, transforming into over ten crows that scattered in all directions.
Kang Seol had been researching ways to handle his bloodspawn during this expedition.
Having used the power effectively so far, he experimented to see if it could grow further—and got positive results.
[Insight! Bloodspawn awakens a new ability.]
[Bloodspawn awakens Stealth.]
Shh...
The crows vanished into the air like swimmers.
In this pitch-black space, crows armed with stealth and Foresight were stealth recon drones.
'Gotta think of combat uses later.'
Handling bloodspawn had sharpened his focus beyond before, but its battle impact was still unknown.
Anyway, the crows revealed one thing: this place was insanely huge.
Tori, the reluctant resident here, agreed.
"This place? Yeah! Super big. Probably way bigger than the first floor underground?"
"Does it widen out the deeper you go?"
"Yeah. Probably?"
Pyramids came to mind for Alcatron-like structures.
'Better think of it as a cone. But even then, this widening is excessive...'
Kang Seol wondered how such a place even existed.
Without Tori, he'd have died several times over.
'Can't let my guard down since arriving.'
The deal with Phrannon felt off somehow.
It was supposed to let him reclaim the scales and leave. But right now, nothing positive came to mind.
'The scales are probably already dead.'
Missing in a death trap like this? Even a grand archmage had high odds of being gone.
But once here, to turn back, he'd need to check the bottommost floor. Tori had said as much.
Patrol time had run long today.
'Bedtime already? ...Ugh, no.'
Sleeping here always brought weird dreams.
In them, a voice from behind a curtain spoke.
- ......
Strange, alien tongue. He asked Karen and Karuna after waking—they didn't know it either.
"Still, patrol made good progress today."
He'd found the door to the third floor, but couldn't get close.
Too many prisoners lurking nearby.
That was the main block keeping him from linking up above.
'Starting tomorrow, lure them out bit by bit and thin the numbers.'
No matter how long it took, he'd do it.
A man clutching his bleeding gut slumped against the wall, glaring at the troll and woman.
"What... are you?"
"Just an expedition passing through."
Mael answered the man's question.
"Hey, why just pass by... leaving a wounded man..."
"Hadn't been asked yet. Figured you'd snap at unasked help."
"Who'd snap first, you... ugh... krrgh..."
The man gnashed his teeth in frustration.
He was the Iron Lion Guild Leader.
Mael turned to Chameli beside him.
"See? We were right."
"Yeah... the Iron Lion Leader I knew wasn't like this."
The Iron Lion scowled at Chameli's words.
"Diocesan Lord, snap out of it. Trolls are humanity's enemies! They'll snap and devour us anytime. I vouch for it!"
"The Iron Lion Leader's gripped by prejudice. That's excessive fear—delusion."
"Ha... prejudice?"
Grrrr!
The Iron Lion growled.
"If trusting my own experience is prejudice, I'll live prejudiced forever!"
"What... your experience...?"
"My family... all eaten by trolls."
"......"
"My father was a merchant, shrewd enough to trade with border troll tribes. And that shrewdness doomed us."
"No way..."
"Yes. The tribe we traded with captured me and my family, took our goods—and our lives. I barely escaped and survived. Get it now? Trolls... are like that."
Then Mael approached the Iron Lion slowly, growling like a beast.
"Grrr..."
"M-Mael?"
"Grrrr..."
"See! He's showing his true col—"
Shunk.
Mael stuck a finger in his mouth.
"Something stuck in my teeth. Oh, a fang. There, out. Molars are such a pain."
"Mael... you scared me."
"Haha, I'll warn you next time."
"Diocesan Lord, don't fall for it! That thing's—"
Mael shoved his face close to the ranting Iron Lion.
"Don't misunderstand, human. Hate our kind all you want, but don't force it on others."
"What?"
"Clerics and thieves don't weigh the same—nor do all trolls."
Slap!
Mael slapped something onto the Iron Lion's gut with a sound.
"Gaaah! What the—"
"Good listening herbs. But a sedative kind, so sleep it off. Calm that temper too."
"You..."
Shh...
The Iron Lion's eyes closed.
Mael hoisted him up.
"Let's go."
Step... step...
Soon, they found the entrance downward.
"You're late."
"Phrannon? And Yohimba..."
"We're here too."
The space bustled instantly.
Nearly forty people gathered here.
"Looks like you're the last. Can't wait longer."
"How long have you been waiting?"
"Ten days."
"......"
"Lucky the third floor didn't pull weird tricks, or we couldn't have gathered. But... the others didn't come with you?"
"Who... oh!"
Phrannon's face hardened.
"My disciple."
"...Phrannon. I have news."
Mael relayed what happened on the second floor.
"What? That quake dropped my disciple into that black pit? Puhaha!"
"Yes, regrettably true."
"Nah, he's alive."
"Pardon?"
"You know him. Cockroach-level vitality."
Mael chuckled.
"True. Me too..."
"Hey, my friend! You made it?"
"Yohimba!"
The dwarf Yohimba, skin weathered, toddled over and gripped Mael's hand.
"Whew, tired of debating archaeology-illiterates. Mael, thanks for surviving."
"Likewise."
"I'll share all my findings and plausible theories here!"
"Perfect! How great is this!"
"We're in a magnificent space now!"
Phrannon signaled.
"Hey, you two. Read the room. Lots died."
"Ah..."
"R-Right."
Forty souls. Less than half the starters.
But not time to quit.
Bloodshot eyes gleamed.
Pupils mixing despair and madness. They headed down.
"A bit late, but let's descend."
"Move out! You know, but deeper means deadlier foes! Trust your comrades, stick tight! Stragglers... die."
Step... step...
The aura thickened downward.
"This... is demonic energy."
"Incomprehensible place."
"Just records from here would upend the world."
"Haha, if we can get out..."
Phrannon's face stiffened.
"Incoming."
"Prepare!"
Hiss...
Hiiiiiss...
The moment they touched down on the fourth floor, a massive eye pair fixed on them.
A gigantic serpent.
Its silhouette alone terrified the group. The aura was ominous.
And this behemoth charged them at blinding speed.
"Damn... unheard-of monster. Quite the welcome."
"Not one... there's another. Two."
"Charging us. They sense us?"
"Everyone, battle stances—"
"No! Run! They're fleeing too!"
"Fleeing? What—"
"Back up now! Something... something's coming!"
Flaaash-!
A flash, then screams.
Kaaaaaaaagh!
Gaaaargh...
"Two down already! If monsters fall, we're next!"
Hiiiiiss...
The giant serpents terrifying the expedition were caught by the unidentified black mass from behind.
Crunch!
Hiss...
Craaack!
Torn to shreds in seconds, flesh scattering.
Phrannon judged.
Show backs now, and it's a wipe.
"...Too late. Everyone up."
"Phrannon!"
"I'll buy time. First..."
A voice from the dark.
"This voice... Phrannon?"
"Gods... that voice! You're alive! Get over here!"
Shh...
Kang Seol emerged.
After days on the fourth floor, he smelled of well-fed meat, hair glossy.
Kang Seol cocked his head curiously.
"Pardon?"
"Back up top! Once it finishes eating..."
Grrr...
The black, hulking mass loomed before Phrannon suddenly.
"...we're next."
"Next? There is no next."
Kang Seol stepped forward, hand out.
"Coco, come."
"What are you—"
Huff... huff...
Shh...
The giant wolf shrank to just bigger than human size.
"...Your doing?"
"Yes. Finally cleared the entrance prisoners. The others? You alone?"
Shouts and wails mixed from behind.
"Can't let His Holiness die here!"
"Sacrificing for us alone..."
"Die together if we die! We said no falling behind!"
The fleeing expedition, brows furrowed, turned back en masse.
Phrannon told Kang Seol,
"Hear that? Say I handled it."