Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: ACT.5 Disintegration (3)
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The demon, who had been whistling and surveying the area, was at a loss for words.
The bodies of the Death Bites, turning to smoke and vanishing, momentarily obscured his face.
The demon, his eyes glowing with a red light, opened his mouth as if barely suppressing his rage.
[What have you done, you insects. Was it you? You? You're the one who killed all these bastards?]
“If we can't escape, then of course we have to kill them all to survive. We just overcame the obstacle you designed. Is there a problem?”
[You call that an answer—!]
The demon, about to lash out, paused and stared intently at my face.
An unpleasant feeling crawled over my skin.
It was a stark reminder of the old saying that nothing good comes from a demon's smile.
It took a special kind of talent to make me feel anxious even when I knew what was coming next.
[Fine. You're not wrong. You overcame it well. Very impressive! You did better than I thought!]
“What are you plotting now, demon?”
[Kekeke. Pointing a sword that can't even reach me is pointless. Why don't you put that away? If I get too upset, I might just pop your head.]
“…”
After glaring at the demon for a long moment, Kim Ji-hyeon slowly lowered her sword.
Just as the demon said, it was better not to do anything that would needlessly provoke him.
[Tricks only work once. They won't work a second time.]
With the words that he would grant them just one more day, the demon vanished again.
A heavy, stagnant atmosphere prevailed.
They had successfully repelled the monster attack, but it wasn't over yet.
And he had left them with the warning that the next one would be more difficult, so the mood was understandable.
‘They don't know how significant that one day is.’
Some might think they were just trapped for another meaningless day.
But there was something that could only be done during the day gained after perfectly repelling the first assault.
As I thought about it, I shook my head against a sudden wave of fatigue.
Just then, Lee Seon-yul cautiously approached.
“Another invasion tomorrow… Se-hyeon-nim. Do you happen to have a plan this time as well?”
“No. Tricks probably won't work next time. There will be various types of monsters.”
The air freshener only worked on Death Bites.
Although the monsters that appeared in the early stages were limited, there was no trick that worked on all the different types.
Besides, it was impossible to hold out during the second assault anyway.
A quest designed for failure had already been cleared once; there was no way it would be allowed a second time.
[The quest has been changed.]
[Time until exit is unlocked: 20:00]
A timer suddenly appeared on the stadium's electronic scoreboard.
Until the second invasion tomorrow, we were still unable to leave this place.
“Se-hyeon-nim. When you gave the reconnaissance report earlier, you said the monsters seemed likely to raid the stadium.”
Lee Seon-yul, who had been deep in thought, posed a sharp question.
“Could it be that the demons are the masterminds behind all of this?”
“…I’m not sure about that.”
“I see. Haha, my apologies. You've been so remarkable, Se-hyeon-nim, that I thought you might know about something like this. Of course, that's unlikely. It's something we haven't found a single clue about for many long years…”
Lee Seon-yul gave a bitter smile and moved toward Kim Ji-hyeon.
They were probably going to discuss how to prepare for the second raid the demon had mentioned.
Unfortunately, this time, I truly had no advice to give.
Originally, the invasion was supposed to end after one wave.
Everyone in the stadium would fight against the swarming Death Bites, but only a few would survive, and a significant part of the stadium would collapse, ‘forcing’ them to abandon it and move on.
But if the first invasion was repelled, an extra day was granted, and a second invasion was announced.
‘An event that's impossible to clear, but in exchange, it allows you to get the hidden reward.’
The invasion had only one purpose.
To drive out the survivors who were settling in this place.
But since we had stopped the invasion, the next one would be an ‘unstoppable attack.’
Even so, this was the only way.
Because the hidden reward was the key to conquering the powerful monster that would appear later.
The fact that the demon would forget to collect his fee was just a bonus.
[As an interim reward, all survivors will receive 600 coins.]
[Additional rewards will be given based on your contribution.]
[4400 coins have been awarded.]
[The trait, ‘Accustomed to Battle (D),’ has become ‘Accustomed to Battle (C).’]
5000 coins.
It was a little more than I expected.
On top of that, a trait evolution.
It had only changed from giving +3 to all stats to +4, but that alone was good enough.
At just C-rank, it was already +4 to all stats.
A smile naturally formed on my face as I imagined what it would be like at S-rank.
I used all the coins I had to raise my stats, then stretched.
‘Well, today’s work is done. Time to get some shut-eye.’
First, recovering my depleted stamina was the top priority.
***
When I opened my eyes, it was late morning.
‘I must have been more exhausted than I realized.’
Come to think of it, I hadn't had a moment's rest.
So much had happened in such a short time.
“Hyung!”
Just then, Min-woo, who was passing by, ran over with a bright face.
“Hyung, you were so cool yesterday! I was curious, so I watched in secret, and wow, it was amazing. It was like watching a fantasy movie!”
His eyes were sparkling.
Seeing him look at me as if I were an object of admiration, I gave a wry smile and changed the subject.
“What’s that?”
“Ah, these are materials to reinforce the stadium.”
Min-woo tapped the well-trimmed wooden beams.
Were they planning to build a palisade?
It was better than nothing, but it was a meaningless effort.
“I have something else to do, so if anyone asks for me, tell them that.”
“Yes!”
After Min-woo’s energetic reply, he left, and I also got up.
Then my focus shifted to one spot.
“Su-ji. Are you okay?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Jo Min-ah was taking care of the female student who had escaped with them.
Her name was Su-ji, wasn't it?
I hadn't paid any attention to anyone but the twins, so I had no idea.
[Using the skill, ‘Extreme Eye.’]
[Character Information]
Name: Jeong Su-ji
Gender: Female (15)
Strength: 1 Stamina: 8 Agility: 1 Mana: 0
Unique Ability: (No unique ability possessed)
Traits: Absolute Good (C), Protective Instinct (D)
Skills Possessed: (No skills possessed)
Her traits were quite interesting.
Absolute Good made it easier to receive support from angels.
Protective Instinct was a trait that affected those around her.
It was a self-defense mechanism that stimulated their protective instincts, making them prioritize her safety.
If someone who hid their true nature and acted the part had this trait, they could have divided the group from within and devoured them, but with the Absolute Good trait, that wouldn't happen.
As for raising her stamina… did Jo Min-ah pass on my advice?
She wasn't talented enough to warrant any extra attention, so I quickly lost interest.
[Time until exit is unlocked: 12:48]
Rounding down, that was about 12 hours.
Plenty of time.
Since my ‘Accustomed to Battle’ trait had ranked up, I should be able to handle it with ease.
I moved to the temporary shelter I had dug yesterday.
Then, with all my strength, I stomped on the ground in one spot.
*CRASH!*
The ground collapsed, revealing a hidden tunnel.
This place, which had already been half-dug for construction, was actually hiding a secret.
[You have discovered the hidden dungeon, ‘Ant Nest.’]
[Monsters in this hidden dungeon have a chance to drop coins when defeated.]
[The ants are waking from their slumber.]
A dungeon that could only be cleared in the interval after successfully defending against the first raid and before the second one began.
There wasn't enough time before the first raid, and after the second, we would move far away, so there would be no reason to return.
Since it was hidden and had a virtual time limit, its reward was excellent for the early game.
*Click.*
Ants the size of Death Bites raised their mandibles, wary of the intruder.
Ant Mutants.
Their individual combat power was similar to Death Bites, but they were a bit trickier because you had to enter their nest directly.
Well, in the end.
*CRUNCH!*
An ant was still an animal.
They weren't tough enough to withstand a single blow from me.
[Monsters in this hidden dungeon have a chance to drop coins when defeated.]
[You have acquired 100 coins.]
How long would it take to clear this place?
Ten hours?
No, that was too long.
Eight hours would be enough.
The number of ants had increased, as if they had called for reinforcements.
But for some reason, I found myself smiling.
***
After I cleared the dungeon and came out, the earth gathered on its own and filled the hole.
It was structured so that once cleared, no one could ever enter again.
[Queen Ant's Neurotoxin]
A greenish liquid sloshed inside a small leather pouch.
There wasn't much, so I couldn't use it many times, but it was enough.
Items obtained were generally used in the very next chapter.
I, too, planned to make crucial use of this neurotoxin in the next chapter.
I put the pouch of poison in my inventory and turned my gaze to the people.
Their faces were a mixture of hope and anxiety.
Lee Seong-chan, who still hadn't completely overcome his fear, stood out among them.
The twins weren't in great shape either, but their will to fight seemed full.
The kids are better.
I clicked my tongue briefly and scanned the players.
How many of them would survive?
It was so random even in the game that it was hard to guess.
Moreover, there were the variables of real people.
What was certain was that most of them would either die, unable to escape in time, or fail to reach the ‘safety zone’ even after getting out.
[Time until exit is unlocked: 00:05]
As time passed and twilight began to fall, the timer suddenly turned red.
Almost simultaneously, the roars of all sorts of monsters could be heard.
The expressions on Lee Seon-yul and Kim Ji-hyeon’s faces hardened at once.
What monsters came in the second invasion again?
Half of them were E-rank, but there were quite a few D-rank monsters too.
I remembered it being trickier because there were flying types.
4 minutes. 3 minutes. 2 minutes. 1 minute.
A minute passed like a second, and the moment the timer finally hit 0.
*KABOOM!*
The gates, which had been barricaded with all sorts of things, were instantly shattered, and monsters swarmed in from all directions.
The palisade was utterly meaningless.
It was instantly destroyed by the overwhelming numbers, and the monsters began to ravage the terrified people.
“Aaargh!”
“H-Help me!!!”
A person who had been thinking positively just moments before, believing they could survive, collapsed in a bloody mess. Another screamed a sound that didn't seem of this world as they were torn apart alive by a pack of monsters.
“That damn demon…! Is he planning to kill us all here, no matter what!”
Kim Ji-hyeon bit her lip hard.
With her eyebrows fiercely knitted, she leaped into the heart of the monster swarm.
*SWOOSH!*
Every time her sword moved, sharp gusts of wind shimmered and cut down the monsters, but there was no end to the number of monsters pouring into the stadium.
[You have acquired 100 coins.]
I glanced at the situation at the stadium entrances.
The number of E-rank monsters was significantly decreasing, while the number of D-rank monsters was gradually increasing.
I had earned a decent amount of coins while dealing with the monsters. It was about time to leave the stadium.
[The price for the ‘Demon’s Shop’ will be paid.]
[For a certain period, a random stat will decrease by a value between 1 and 10.]
[Stamina will decrease by 9 points for 1 hour.]
I let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.
What insane timing.
The price paid for using the Demon's Shop could be immediate, or it could come more than ten chapters later.
Even the nature of the price was completely random.
Losing the most crucial stat, stamina, at this timing was a heavy blow, but the stats I had raised beforehand were sufficient to achieve my goal.
“I… I can’t hold on any longer…!”
“Oppa! Isn't there anything we can do!?”
What do you mean, ‘what do we do’?
The second raid was an event blatantly designed to make us leave the stadium.
Staying until the end would gain us nothing and only put us in more danger from the endless stream of monsters.
I answered immediately.
“We're escaping the stadium! Follow me!”