Chapter 194
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 194
Chapter Title: Adventure 25-1. "Like Owner, Like Rat"
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The maze was a trap you could never escape from the start, and lurking behind it are massive tomb rats.
Tomb rats establish territories in ruins and ancient graves, absorbing the magic from treasures within.
Right now, bloated tomb rats are pouring endlessly from their domain. They must have spotted fresh prey after a long time.
What was the owner of this place thinking, unleashing so many tomb rats? Or did even the owner not realize they'd grown this much?
Resist—if you don't want your final memory to be watching your flesh torn to shreds and fed into rats' mouths.
Goal: Repel the tomb rats or escape.
Time Remaining: Approximately 2 days
‘…They just keep coming without end.’
Humans feel fear even toward beings far smaller than themselves.
Toward insects that spread their wings and fly at you, or rats swarming in sewers.
It's an instinctive revulsion.
Because even the smallest things in the world often carry weapons that threaten life.
And when those rats grew to such enormous sizes, the disgust only intensified.
The incessant, grating squeak… squeak… sounds were just icing on the cake.
Kang Seol read the info on a rat that looked far larger than the others behind him.
Tomb rats burrow into the earth, targeting graves and ruins. That's why they're also called grave-robbing rats. They behave this way because they can easily absorb the magic embedded in treasures.
This specimen shows exactly what happens when a tomb rat keeps absorbing magic.
Basic Abilities: [Rat Pack Total Assault!], [Strut 2], [Swallow Treasure 3], [Transmit Disease 5], [Gnaw 5]
Special: [Persistent: Horrid Stench 3]
Squeak… squeak…
I'm logging off for a bit.
Ugh… I'm gonna puke. I endured spider swarms, but this…
This is scary in a whole different way….
Screeech!
[Gigantified Tomb Rat uses Rat Pack Total Assault!]
[Slightly extends the range of all Horrid Stench within a certain radius. On successful Gnaw, 100% chance to transmit disease.]
Squeak squeak!
The rat pack charged at Kang Seol.
It felt like massive boulders rolling in. The ground trembled.
Urr looked troubled.
- Hmm… The ground's unstable. We should avoid a big fight if possible.
Shing—
Whoosh…
Karen and Coco positioned themselves on opposite sides to protect Kang Seol.
The reason Kang Seol didn't step in himself or summon Karuna was because Urr and Karen were in agreement.
Karen wanted to test the power she'd gained upon reaching transcendence, and Urr saw the need for that process.
Of course, Kang Seol thought the same, so it was decided.
Karen glanced at Coco.
“And why'd you come out?”
Wag wag…
Coco just stared blankly at her question, wagging his tail.
“Whatever.”
Whoosh…
Flames erupted across Karen's body.
The heat was intense.
“Not bad, huh?”
Karen seemed to agree, murmuring as she looked at her palm.
“Here goes…”
Fwooooosh—!
Her slash came with a strange sound.
For a fierce sword swing, it was surprisingly subdued.
Like flowers shattering in a spring breeze. Not entirely wrong—her flames scattered in all directions.
Screech! Squeak!
[Experience accumulated.]
[Fully grown tomb rat defeated.]
…
[Experience accumulated.]
[Fully grown tomb rat defeated.]
…
[Accumulated experience reaches maximum.]
[Rolling for Ability Point Acquisition Dice.]
[Dice shows 3.]
[Ability Point acquired.] x3
“Oh…”
The experience from slaying these miscellaneous monsters had finally maxed out. It converted into 3 ability points as per procedure.
For completing 24 adventures, the reward felt meager, but as a bonus, it was decent enough.
‘My adventures haven't focused much on monster extermination.’
Compared to other warriors who hunted monsters year-round, Kang Seol prioritized single powerful beasts over hordes. Those had separate rewards.
Whoosh…
Grrr…
This time, flames surged from Coco, not Karen.
Karen's were impressive, but Coco's were hellfire incarnate.
Screeeeech!
Whoosh…
Where Coco passed, flames roared like a wildfire.
Trails in the air lingered as fire. Beautiful yet eerie.
The trails were vivid, but Coco himself was a blur.
Kang Seol turned back to Karen.
[Karen uses Star of Fire.]
[Generates heat while spinning; absorbs heat in range.]
[All flame attacks +150% range.]
[During spin: up to +300% range; -50% damage taken; distributes 500% damage per rotation.]
[Perfect form.] [Spin speed +50%.] [65 rotations.]
Kiririririring—!
The sound of rats being shredded by blades.
Frontline rats met steel before flames—and should be grateful for it.
Kwaaaaa—!
A crimson fire pillar erupted, sweeping the pack like a typhoon.
Most rats burned to bone, caught in the vortex.
…Was Karen always this strong?
Even Karuna was surprised, honestly…
Maybe we've gotten too used to her and overlooked it?
Traveling with her would be kinda scary lol
It's fine, we've got Jamad lol
Oh lol yeah, perfect pair then.
Whoosh…
Coco gathered flames in his mouth.
Fwoosh!
They flew toward Karen, clashing with her sword—or rather, she batted them away.
Fwoomph!
The purgatory fireball scattered wildly upon impact.
BOOM—!
Screech!
BOOOOM—!
Squeak!
Screams echoed with each explosion.
She marveled at the sheer power of purgatory flames.
“You're pretty good, huh?”
Huff huff…
The horde was gone—stench and flesh mostly vanished.
Coco lunged at Karen.
“Eek…”
Karen flinched as the fire mass leaped at her chest but soon smiled, realizing the change.
“Well, look at that?”
Coco transformed into pure flame, wrapping around her.
Kang Seol's eyes widened as Coco merged into Karen's flames.
‘Did Urr plan this?’
Surprise Appearance had devoured massive ability points with no sign—until now, through Karen.
“This is…”
- Yeah, spirits are power itself. They seep into all order and rules.
Whoosh…
Karen's flames shifted to Coco's hue—darker than purgatory fire, pitch black.
“Ugh…”
She groaned in pain.
No wonder—even at a distance, Kang Seol felt immense heat; for her, it was unbearable.
She closed her eyes.
Squeak…
Screech…
The gigantified tomb rat snarled, backing away as smaller rats surrounded it.
Squeak! Squeak squeak!
But they kept retreating. No approaching that heat.
Then Karen opened her eyes.
When Karen opened her eyes, pitch-black flames enveloped her.
She spat flames from her mouth.
“This thing's scorching hot! Get ready, pup.”
Whoooosh…
The Red Knight spun her sword once, transferring the black flames from her body to the blade.
The sword surged forward, ablaze in darkness.
A cannonball-like shot, wolf-shaped, slammed into the gigantified tomb rat.
KWAAAAAAAAANG!
Black explosion. No screams or flesh left—just heat and death.
[Gigantified tomb rat defeated.]
[Bonus reward granted.]
……For real?
Rat: Raaaaaaaats!
Wait, it gets stronger every time it's summoned?
I dunno… Seems that way…
Calm down and stop crying, explain.
Karen neatly finished things, shaking off flames as she hugged Coco.
“You're amazing, you know that?”
Huff huff…
Coco leaned into her briefly before returning to Kang Seol's shadow.
“Ah…”
Karen stared blankly, looking shocked.
Business over. That's it.
Bad boy Coco…
Kang Seol was greatly satisfied with Surprise Appearance's potential.
‘…Thought it'd create an ultimate technique or something.’
Dark Heat Shot's power was tremendous.
Not hard to use either. Probably handy when ultimates weren't feasible.
Urr glanced at Kang Seol slyly.
- Satisfactory. Your knight syncs well with the wolf.
“……”
Kang Seol eyed Urr's shadow space puzzledly.
This new guy's an elite…
Trouble if he rides Jamad's coattails…
Newbie too competent… problem.
Exactly! This guy's annoying!
Anyway, with the situation resolved, Kang Seol sighed in relief.
“Let's get out of here first…”
Thud…
Urr sighed.
- Hoo… Dodge. It's collapsing.
“…Feels like I've been through this before.”
- Coincidence. Me too.
Kwaang—!
Crash!
The cliffside began crumbling.
No more undergrounds… ever.
Everything collapses lol
Kang Seol looked at Karen.
She protested urgently.
“It wasn't me!”
Jamad asked.
- Hm… Then whose fault?
“Obviously Coco's! Right, Coco?”
Huff huff…
“See? He's nodding!”
Urr said.
- Coco refuses to answer.
“How do you know?!”
- I understand most languages, high or low. Simple intent is easy.
“Coco, really?”
Huff huff…
- This mutt thanks you for venting his grievance.
“…He didn't say that much.”
- …That last bit was my opinion.
“So it was just yours?”
Kang Seol ignored their bickering and searched around.
It bore fruit immediately.
“Found it.”
“What?”
“The exit.”
“We can leave now?”
“Not quite—the exit to the storeroom.”
“Hm?”
“No way sluggish rats like these opened the storeroom door, so I checked for rat holes. Bingo.”
The party followed the long rat tunnel.
Kang Seol peeked out first, muttering.
“Hm… Troubling. It's active.”
“Why? What's—”
Karen stopped mid-sentence, gaping at the sight.
Thud… thud…
Thoom…
A massive golem circled the central pillar slowly. A large door loomed on one wall.
“Can't we just go through that door?”
Kang Seol shook his head.
“Need the golem's permission—or stop it temporarily.”
“That so? Hard?”
He replied matter-of-factly.
“Yeah. Hard.”
The main reason Gorum's treasures stayed safe so long.
‘Giant Outside the Rat Hole’