Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: ACT.19 Gate, and Beyond (2)
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I took the stairs to the second floor.
The atmosphere here was completely different from the first floor.
The curtains were drawn, blocking most of the light, and in the center, a disgusting mass of contamination writhed.
It sloshed and squelched, seemingly rooted to the spot, but that was the behavior it exhibited when searching for prey.
'A Contaminated Slime.'
The name might make you scoff and think it's just a weak mob, but the reality was entirely different.
Underestimate it, and you'd be easily wiped out.
As if to prove that point, unlike the corpse-free first floor, about ten bodies were scattered around.
It was common sense that in tower-type dungeons like this, the enemies grew stronger and the difficulty increased with each floor.
The monsters in this tower shared a common trait.
They were immune to poison and viruses, and possessed excellent self-healing abilities.
In some cases, they even used poison and viruses in their attacks.
The Contaminated Slime fell into the latter category.
Splat!
"Speak of the devil..."
I moved to dodge the purple liquid the slime spat out.
Sizzle!
The wall it touched dissolved with a gruesome sizzle.
If that stuff touched my body, I'd end up just like the corpses at the entrance.
Not even the power of the Dimensional Stone could repel a mass of liquid like that.
Some players probably got careless, thinking their cylinders would protect them, and paid the price.
It melted them down to nothing, bones and all, so there was no way to know how many had fallen victim.
Splat!
The Contaminated Slime spewed out the purple liquid again.
This time, it wasn't a single shot, but three attacks with a slight delay between them.
They weren't particularly fast, so I dodged them easily.
This pattern had to be dodged, not blocked.
Trying to block it with a weapon would cause the contaminated mass to explode, leading to instant infection.
Slosh, slosh.
The slime's body moved more violently.
A clear sign of its displeasure.
Sizzzle...
A white gas began to seep out from the melting floor.
Dodging wasn't enough.
The gas produced by the corroding floor and walls was also highly toxic.
If it spread and filled the room, I'd have to fight under all sorts of restrictions.
It was a race against time.
"In that sense, this Dimensional Stone is practically a cheat."
I smirked and glanced down at the Dimensional Stone on my belt.
The blue light emanating from it was pushing back all the white gas.
The original method, the 'Purification Capsule,' only increased resistance, but this thing could block even that deadly poison.
Fwoosh!!
I infused more mana into my sword, and it erupted in black flames.
Normally, fire isn't a slime's weakness since it's a liquid.
But Black Flame was different.
I instantly accelerated, rushing forward like an arrow, and the slime flinched before altering its body.
Ten tentacles shot out, attacking from different directions.
'They're not all coming at once.'
My eyes darted around, calculating the arrival order of each tentacle, and I swung my sword.
Tentacles burst, were severed, and flew through the air.
The slime let out a grotesque sound and tried to restore its tentacles, but it was impossible.
The Black Flame had encroached upon the severed parts, preventing regeneration.
[Using skill, 'Extreme Eye'.]
'I see it.'
I parried the new tentacles the slime created after giving up on regeneration and stomped my foot.
Thorns of darkness shot up from the ground, piercing the slime and impaling the core within.
It had probably expected me to swing my sword and fortified its front, but the unexpected attack destroyed its core.
'Normally, this isn't an enemy I could beat so easily on my own. I've definitely gotten stronger.'
[The 'Guide of the Sky Road' watches with an amused smile.]
The slime melted away into nothing, and just like before, a hidden staircase revealed itself.
I had cleared the second floor quite quickly, but there was still more to do.
I took out the sack of salt and a few plastic bottles from my inventory.
Slimes are creatures made of liquid, so they need a source of liquid to absorb in order to regenerate.
Because of that, there was something like a fountain on the second floor that continuously supplied water.
Its composition was the same as the stream flowing outside the tower.
Not very useful for drinking or much else, though.
But there was one way.
"Shop."
[1000 coins have been spent.]
[You have obtained the item, 'Light of Purification'.]
After quickly buying the item, I tossed the transparent orb, which emitted a warm light, into the fountain.
The murky water glowed brightly for a few minutes.
Then, the water in the fountain became completely purified, turning crystal clear.
I poured the entire sack of salt into it and stirred to make sure it mixed well.
[Stirring it with your sword because you have nothing else, huh.]
"It won't rust, so it's fine."
Pouring the salt in directly would have also removed the contamination, but the saltwater wouldn't be as effective, so I dismissed that idea.
Purifying the water first and then making saltwater was the correct order.
"...With this, my preparations are complete."
I filled several plastic bottles with the saltwater, placed them in my inventory, and quickly ascended the stairs.
I had to deliberately fight the monsters on the first and second floors for these preparations.
But from now on, there was no need for that.
'No.'
[Using 'Army of Darkness'.]
I immediately acted on the thought that had just crossed my mind.
Now I really had to get to the eighth floor as fast as possible.
However, it felt like a waste to give up the extra rewards from killing the monsters on floors three through seven.
So, I'll take both.
"Alpha."
The soldiers, already lined up in an orderly fashion, were waiting for my command on one knee.
They hadn't knelt before.
A clear sign of Alpha's influence.
"From now on, I will focus on climbing this tower. You will follow me and swiftly annihilate every enemy you see."
[As you wish, Lord.]
Alpha's eyes glinted as it and the soldiers concealed themselves in the shadows.
The moment an enemy's attention was on me, the soldiers hiding in the shadows would leap out and slaughter them.
I gave a faint smile and increased my climbing speed.
***
"Heh heh..."
The master of the Donghae Guild, and the oldest player in Korea.
Choi Dae-han let out a hollow laugh.
'Is this really happening?'
It was horrific.
The King of Disease.
The one who resided at the very top of the tower, the one who had unleashed the virus through the gate.
They were facing just one enemy, yet they were struggling, unable to do anything against it.
Fifty people had already died on the eighth floor alone.
They hadn't even been struck by the King of Disease's attacks.
They had died simply from being on the eighth floor, unable to withstand the potent toxic aura.
And that was on top of those who had failed to dodge the breath attack just moments ago.
'Even with this, those below B-rank can't even endure it.'
Choi Dae-han clutched his cylinder.
When it first activated, it had shone with a brilliant blue light, but now its color had faded, like a lantern about to flicker out.
A pale color, like the complexion of a patient barely clinging to life.
'We've already suffered so many losses just getting to the eighth floor...'
Choi Dae-han's gaze turned to Hwang Chan-jin.
The young man who, miraculously, knew how to defeat every monster in the tower.
On top of that, his power and skill already surpassed that of a low-tier S-rank player.
Without Hwang Chan-jin, reaching the eighth floor would have been even more difficult.
The problem was what came next.
"Kugh...!"
Hwang Chan-jin, having barely blocked an attack from the King of Disease, winced and stepped back.
Anyone could see that his complexion was terrible.
Hwang Chan-jin had been at the forefront of the attack on every floor.
The same was true against the King of Disease.
And because of that, an unforeseen side effect had occurred.
'The cylinder can't handle the King of Disease.'
Hwang Chan-jin's face hardened.
The situation was far too different from the strategy he knew.
'The longer the fight drags on, the worse its performance is compared to the Purification Capsules Gong Yeong-hoon was supposed to make.'
Just confronting the King of Disease inflicted a debuff.
The Purification Capsules were meant to offset that debuff, but the cylinders lacked that capability.
As a result, they were forced to fight while under a significant debuff.
[White Death (S)]
Reduces all speed, stats, and Trait & Skill effects.
Endurance time increases in proportion to the Vitality stat. Exceeding the time limit results in the entire body melting and death.
※Cannot be dispelled
※The effects of this debuff are currently reduced by 50%.
It was superior at blocking the toxic aura and viruses, making the climb to the seventh floor easier, but it was actually a disadvantage when facing the boss, the King of Disease.
Above all, Hwang Chan-jin's own traits weren't particularly useful for fighting the King of Disease.
"Don't try to handle it all by yourself!"
Fwoooosh!
A wave of fire swept through.
The surrounding viruses vanished momentarily, but they quickly began to spread again.
It was a constant cycle.
Lee Min-hwa was visibly exhausted, sweat pouring down her face like rain.
To suppress the virus, she had to use her power relentlessly, but most of it was for defensive purposes, not attacking, so she couldn't deal any damage to the source, the King of Disease.
It was a one-sided battle of attrition, draining only Lee Min-hwa's stamina.
To break that vicious cycle, they had to attack the King of Disease itself.
But it wasn't going as planned.
Hwang Chan-jin gritted his teeth.
'Why?'
Seong Woo-hyeon and Kim Ji-hyeon charged in.
Their coordinated attack was perfectly timed, but the parts they slashed with their swords regenerated instantly, rendering it useless.
Charging in recklessly had only served to drastically reduce the duration of their cylinders, increasing their anxiety.
'We prepared the saltwater properly, so why...'
To face the King of Disease, saltwater was necessary.
Following that information, they had sprinkled saltwater on everyone's weapons before entering the eighth floor.
It had an effect.
But it was a truly minuscule one.
A body that should have regenerated the instant it was cut now had just a slight delay.
It wasn't effective enough to be called the number one strategy item.
"Gack! K-ugh... It, it hurts... Save me..."
Sizzle.
Another player melted away in an instant.
We'll be able to defeat it before the cylinders run out.
That thought had been pure arrogance.
"At this rate, we'll be wiped out! Isn't there anything we can do!?"
Lee Min-hwa cried out, struggling.
Her flames, once destructive enough to fill an entire floor, had weakened to less than a quarter of their former power.
Hwang Chan-jin's mind raced.
The information he knew. His memories.
It wasn't just a problem with the cylinders.
He had followed the strategy exactly as he knew it, yet it felt like something was missing, preventing a smooth clear.
'What did I miss? What the hell was it?'
[How amusing, and how disappointing. Is this truly the extent of your power?]
The King of Disease spoke for the first time.
Its voice was deep and dignified, like that of a king, yet it sounded genuinely pitiful.
[At this rate... Earth, was it? That place has no future either. If you struggle this much against me, you'll never be able to escape ruin. It might be better for you to die here, before you fall into deeper despair.]
"What do you mean by that?"
Choi Dae-han staggered to his feet.
As a bare-handed close-quarters combatant, Choi Dae-han was in the worst condition.
His hands had turned black, looking as if they needed to be amputated immediately, and dark spots had appeared on his exposed skin.
[To you, I must seem like a mere monster. A murderer who has driven the innocent to their deaths, a destroyer trying to obliterate the world you live in. And yet, you use honorifics?]
"Before all that, I see you as a powerful, intelligent being. It is only right to show respect to the strong. I have no intention of looking down on you."
[...Just as I said. Human. Foolish mortal.]
The King of Disease let out a short sigh.
[Ruin is inevitable. It was so where I lived, and it was so in the other places I have watched. This dimension, Earth, will be no different.]
"I won't let that happen."
Craaack!
A massive spear of ice flew toward the King of Disease.
The King of Disease swatted it away with its arm, but its arm didn't escape unscathed.
[Your eyes, at least, are still alive.]
The King of Disease grinned.
Its arm had already regenerated back to normal.
A regeneration speed that even freezing couldn't slow.
An infinite healing ability that defied common sense.
Hwang Chan-jin glared at it, his eyes burning with fury.