Chapter 170
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Gatekeeper Kungkung
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After the entire expedition steeled their resolve and descended to the fourth underground floor, what they encountered were three gruesomely slain prisoners—no, three beasts—and Frannan and Kang Seol gazing down at them impassively.
Huff... huff...
And a dog none of them had ever seen before.
"Wh-what is this...?"
"To take them all out in that brief moment..."
"Frannan! Are you hurt anywhere?"
Frannan turned around with a serene gaze.
"Ah, as you can see."
"Urgh... Our judgment was clouded for a moment. We're sorry."
"No need. Fear itself isn't a sin. Overcoming it, though—that alone makes you admirable."
Frannan spouted words that were hard to quite grasp.
But to the expedition, even that seemed profoundly heroic.
"As expected... of the Saint of the Scales."
"And next to you... Snowman?"
Mael rushed forward and confirmed Kang Seol's face.
"It really is you! You're alive!"
"Mael."
"That was a close one back then. How... Don't tell me you've been surviving down here ever since?"
Kang Seol nodded.
The others murmured among themselves.
"He's been holding out here for over ten days?"
"Seems like it..."
"All by himself?"
"No way... Even as Frannan's disciple, that's..."
Kang Seol drew their attention before the commotion grew.
"Let's move for now. You've all come down to the fourth floor, so you must be intent on going deeper, right?"
Frannan grinned slyly.
"Heh heh... If we're doomed either way, might as well catch a rare sight before we go. Everyone, follow me!"
"Yes!"
Kang Seol led them to his pre-prepared hideout.
Truth be told, calling it a hideout was a bit generous.
The door stood wide open, leading to an empty cell devoid of any prisoners.
This was where he'd held out for over ten days.
Frannan was the first to share intel.
"So..."
It was all information Kang Seol already knew.
Aside from a few other expedition members, no one seemed to know more than Frannan.
1. Alcatron is an ancient prison.
2. Prisoners grow stronger the deeper the floors go.
3. Someone orchestrated events here to drag them in.
That was pretty much the extent of it.
Yet to the others, it felt like profound insight.
"Whoa..."
"As expected of Frannan!"
"We never even dreamed of piecing this together!"
The Scales' mages in particular fawned over him like chicks.
Kang Seol spoke up.
"I don't know much more, but I'll share what I do."
"Go ahead."
He hesitated briefly, then mentioned meeting a ghost only he could see here and gleaning Alcatron's miscellaneous secrets from it.
"No way..."
"A ghost is helping Frannan's disciple?"
The crowd buzzed, but Frannan said nothing. Kang Seol broached the most unsettling topic.
"I suspect the control room might have fallen into the beast's hands."
"Doubtful."
Stepping forward to flatly deny it was Yopimba.
"Did that ghost mention it? That a control room even exists?"
"It just floated the possibility."
"Heh heh... Time to show the true mettle of an archaeologist. Kikiki—hey, you with the torch. Come here."
"Me?"
"Yes. Hurry."
Yopimba pointed at the wall with a finger.
"Hold the torch up to it."
"Yes. Uh... there's something here."
"Heh heh... Right? Everyone see it?"
In the direction Yopimba indicated, something was embedded in the wall.
Kang Seol muttered offhandedly.
"...Lighting?"
"Sharp eyes. Then can you read the text above it?"
"Text where... Huh?"
A tiny, bizarre script was inscribed above the embedded lighting in the wall.
Thump!
'...What’s this? This feeling?'
Kang Seol felt his heart suddenly pounding.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and a wave of dizziness hit him.
'This... it’s like script I’ve seen somewhere before.'
He definitely had.
His body was reacting that strongly. But he couldn’t recall when or where.
"Naturally, this indecipherable ancient tongue can't be read or translated, but kikiki!"
Kiki...
Ugh...
The indulger climbed Yopimba's leg to perch on his shoulder and read the script.
〔Tatatubar.〕
Flash—!
Suddenly, light poured from the wall.
"...Urk."
"L-light!"
Yopimba repeated Kiki's words.
"Tatatubar."
Fwoosh—!
The illuminating light vanished in an instant.
Frannan's expression grew grave.
"What is this?"
"It hit me while watching the wardens. Why are mere guard constructs so powerful? And why would those who command such beings bother with cumbersome control rooms? Clues turned up in unexpected places."
"May I try?"
"Of course."
Frannan touched the wall and spoke.
"Tatatubar."
Flash—!
He repeated the words to extinguish the light, then tilted his head slightly.
"This... it's word-magic. A bit of my mana just drained."
"Exactly. Now you see why Kiki looks tired?"
"To use such advanced incantations just for lighting..."
"Makes you think Alcatron's founders weren't some mega-civilization. Considering word-magic's power."
"Hm... What's your point?"
"The one cornering us now didn't seize the control room—they mastered this place's word-magic. Or maybe they knew it from the start."
"Not entirely implausible."
Yopimba added,
"The way to face Alcatron's demon troubling us might lie here."
"If we can wield it... we could restrain them too."
"Precisely."
Rumble...
Ruuuumble...
"Is there really no other way?"
"To head below without fighting, this is our only option."
"Kungkung or whatever... Makes the ground shake like mad."
Every three days, another predator of the fourth underground floor—Kungkung—rises with its massive body and patrols the area.
They hadn't run into it yet, but first-timers would freak out like they'd seen a ghost.
'A giant, after all.'
Kungkung was a rock giant. Wielding a log-thick as a house, its movements seemed comical at a glance, but the intimidation was real.
Avoiding it was simple.
When it stood from blocking the path and patrolled its full domain, slip through the gap. Of course, the same for escaping back up later.
They'd considered fighting.
But casualties were inevitable.
For an expedition aiming to reach the depths unscathed, no other choice.
Rumble...
Ruuuumble...
"Shh... Quietly, no footsteps."
"Almost there, just a bit more..."
Normally, Kungkung would be snoring here. But for some reason, it was absent, letting the expedition reach the path.
Ruuuuuumble...
Ruuuuuuuumble...
"Huh? Th-that sounds closer than before."
Kang Seol's face hardened.
He'd gotten the news first via crow, so the urgency hit him hard.
"Run!"
"Huh? Yes!"
"Damn it... It's coming! We have to get to the lower floor now!"
The sounds grew louder.
Ruuuumble!
Ruuuuuuuuumble!
Ruuuuuuuuuumble!
"No way... It's coming!"
"What are you doing up front? Why aren't you going down!"
Round the corner, and stairs should be there. They'd assumed as much, given past patterns.
But.
"A door..."
"What?"
"There's a door."
A massive door fit for Kungkung greeted them.
Rumble!
Ruuuumble!
Ruuuuuumble!
"Damn it! What are you waiting for—smash it!"
Vrrr—
Fwoosh!
Boom!
A barrage of spells assailed the sealed door. Pointless.
"Nothing's working!"
"It's absorbing the mana instead!"
Yopimba shouted,
"No way... Decode that huge word-script on the door... Or... Yes, a keyhole!"
"There's a keyhole! The key must be nearby!"
"But that hole's enormous... A key that big wouldn't go unnoticed."
Kang Seol snapped to attention at someone's words.
"Of course... That's it."
Frannan asked,
"What is it?"
"I think I know who's holding the key right now."
"...Ah, that explains it."
Rumble!
Ruuuuuumble!
Crunch...
Kungkung revealed itself before the expedition.
"Grrr..."
A grotesquely huge creature.
The rock giant Kungkung grinned at them.
‘Gatekeeper Kungkung’
How Kungkung ended up in this cursed place is unclear.
Nor how they got such a massive being down here.
But one thing's certain:
Alcatron's creators wanted Kungkung here.
Right in this spot.
Basic Abilities: [Kung! 5], [Kungkung! 5], [Kungkungkung! 5]
Special Abilities: [Rock Eating 2], [Rock Rain]
Kang Seol addressed everyone.
"This thing... isn't a prisoner."
Frannan replied,
"Yeah, this one's..."
"Kwaaaaaagh!"
"A warden. Haha! We got fooled."
Something chained around Kungkung's neck with the irons.
A key.
"No choice—we'll have to fight to get down."
"Everyone, battle..."
Then Kungkung stomped hard.
[Kungkung uses Kung!]
[Deals massive damage to stomped target.]
Ruuuuuuuuuumble—!
"Wh-what the hell is that!"
An earthquake—no, a bomb blast—rang out as the spot Kungkung stomped exploded.
[Kungkung uses Kung!]
[Deals massive damage to stomped target.]
Kabooooom!
Someone failed to dodge Kungkung's foot and got crushed.
The footsteps were so thunderous, even the crunch of bones went unheard.
"Urk..."
"G-gonna puke!"
"Snap out of it! Scatter! Fight scattered!"
"Getting crushed means death! Focus and engage!"
[Kungkung uses Kung!]
[Deals massive damage to stomped target.]
Kabooooooooom—!
"Kyaaaaagh!"
Squeeee—
Despite only three abilities, Kungkung's overwhelming power threw everyone into panic.
"Hup..."
Frannan regained composure first.
Vrrr—
Vrrr—
[Frannan uses Magic Circle: Center Shift]
[Disrupts target's center of gravity.]
[Frannan uses Magic Circle: Whoopsie!]
[Greatly increases impact when target falls. Effect strengthens with target's weight.]
Woooong...
"Frannan?"
"I'm on it!"
[Kungkung uses Kung!]
[Deals massive damage to stomped target.]
The instant Kungkung lifted its foot for Kung!.
Wobble...
"Wh-whoa?"
"Dodge! It's falling!"
Kabooooooooooooom!
A deafening roar as Kungkung toppled.
"Now! Attack!"
But the opening vanished fast.
Kungkung flailed its arms, slamming the ground.
[Kungkung uses Kungkung!]
[Indiscriminately destroys surrounding terrain. Enhanced on rock terrain.]
Kaboom!
Kabooooooooom!
Rocks rained from above like sudden meteorites.
The floor cracked, hurling debris at heads.
Creak...
"Urgh..."
"Hit! I... I'm..."
While the expedition struggled to close in on the fallen Kungkung.
Grrrrrr...
A massive black wolf appeared from somewhere.
"Rip it, Coco!"
[Coco uses Tear Apart]