Chapter 103
Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Floor 40 (2)
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The black mage looked at the leg in his hand.
[…Sand?]
Right after realizing it, an explosion erupted before he could react.
KABOOM-!
[Urk!]
A sand blast detonated at close range.
The black mage screamed and tumbled backward.
Holes riddled the body made of shadows.
His leisurely demeanor had vanished completely.
[A dying man pulling cheap tricks…!]
The black mage glared at me.
"Dying? Who is?"
I stood up from the ground as if nothing had happened.
Sand gathered toward my body from all directions.
My severed leg and arm were regenerating.
Not a single drop of blood had been spilled.
[…You weren't hurt from the start?]
I shrugged.
"Everything below my heart is sand."
My body could be detached and reattached at any time.
The severed leg had ultimately been bait.
[You coward using shallow tricks…!]
The black mage spat curses in rage.
I snorted.
"Coming prepared with counters after studying up ahead isn't cowardly?"
He had no response to my words.
I gave him no respite.
"It's not over yet."
I formed another sand bullet in my right hand.
This time, it wasn't aimed at him.
I fired it at the ground beneath my feet.
Pfft-!
The sand bullet shattered upon impact with the floor.
The black mage, unable to grasp my intent, stayed on guard.
But it was too late.
A change swept the battlefield right after.
The thick black mist blanketing the floor began to dissipate.
[What…!]
The black mage was stunned.
My vision was different now.
Everything was crystal clear.
The cores of mana maintaining the mist on the ground.
I'd fully understood their entire structure through continuous observation.
The barrage of shots that seemed like wasted ammo had actually been destroying each magical core one by one.
"Now it's your turn that's done."
I extended my hand.
To seize control of the ground once more.
This time was different.
Now that I understood his magic, any further contest of strength was pointless.
I wrenched away control of the ground entirely.
The floor surged toward the black mage.
He reflexively scattered his body into mist again.
"Yeah, I've seen plenty of that too."
I sneered and mimicked his magic exactly.
My one arm turned to sand and dispersed into the air.
"Guess I'll call this technique Desert Storm."
The desert storm began mixing with his black mist.
Next came the struggle for control of the magic.
With our understanding now on equal footing, I no longer yielded.
The black mage could no longer maintain his misty form.
[Urgh…!]
His body was forcibly materialized.
Perhaps due to the magic being canceled against his will, he vomited black blood and dropped to his knees on the ground.
Victory was decided.
"Thanks for teaching me something good."
Finally, I scraped together holy power and fired a bullet at his head.
CRUNCH!
The black mage collapsed without even a scream.
"Huh?"
His fallen body turned to liquid and flowed away.
The robe and items were left behind as the liquid spread like blood in all directions.
Of course, I had no intention of letting it go.
This wasn't just any foe—it was a black mage who wielded death.
He'd surely have one or two resurrection methods.
"Come here."
I carved a nearby rock into a sturdy flask.
Then, I manipulated the surrounding sand to seal him inside the flask.
[You bastard—!]
It seemed I'd hit the mark.
I heard a mental scream echoing out.
I fastened the flask to my waist.
I'd figure out how to deal with him later.
"Sharon, did you get the footage?"
"Yes! I didn't miss a single moment!"
I called Sharon over and retrieved my phone.
The video, as she said, had captured me right up to the end.
Satisfactory footage.
"That's unexpected?"
"Pardon?"
"I figured when I collapsed midway, you'd try shooting your bow to save me or something."
My collapse had been impromptu acting, so I couldn't warn Sharon.
I'd worried she might stop filming and do something foolish.
"Looks like you've grown, Sharon."
"There's no way the Wise One could lose. I believed in you."
"Ahem. It's not quite that…"
I cleared my throat, suppressing the corners of my mouth trying to curl up.
Why was I so weak to flattery and praise?
I really shouldn't be this easygoing.
"Let's check the items he left behind."
The guy had turned into liquid nudity and tried to flee.
Thanks to that, the black mage's items remained right there.
I approached and picked them up one by one.
The first was a small skull-shaped wand.
[Wand of the Necromancer]
[Grade: Epic]
[Mana +50]
[Black Magic Power +200%]
[The curses of the dead follow you.]
"Epic? Epic? Hey, carry around some good stuff!"
Epic, my ass.
I didn't deal with such trashy items.
The options were dubious too.
Black magic power? Where would I even use this?
I shook the flask vigorously.
[Aaagh—! Aaaah—!]
A mental scream echoed.
"Sharon, keep shaking this."
"Yes, got it! Like this?"
Shake shake shake shake shake.
Sharon shook the flask with both hands.
I turned my gaze downward.
"Now, let's see, next item…"
The second item was a black robe.
[Memento Mori]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Can raise the dead.]
"Legendary? Sharon! You can stop shaking now!"
I read the description with a delighted expression.
[Warning: This item is cursed.]
[You are always exposed to the threat of death.]
[Luck: -200]
"…No, shake it again."
[Aaaagh—!]
What the hell was this guy carrying around?
No wonder he died to me.
"No, let's rethink this."
For someone already somewhat free from death, this item had no penalties.
The black mage might have been such a being.
It was a reasonable guess, considering he didn't die after I blew off his head and immediately liquified.
"If I can fully sand-ify my body someday, I could wear it then."
If not, I could give it to Super Recovery.
He had plenty of extra lives anyway.
I carefully stowed the robe.
The final item was a worn parchment scroll covered in unidentifiable characters.
"It's not registering as an item?"
No status window appeared for the parchment.
I'd thought it was a magic scroll, but maybe not.
I unrolled it, but of course, the text was illegible.
"Sharon, do you recognize these characters by any chance?"
I showed the scroll to Sharon, who was still shaking the flask.
Just in case.
Sharon took the scroll and furrowed her brow.
"No, it's my first time seeing these characters too. But…"
Sharon paused for a moment.
Her eyes narrowed.
As if recalling a forgotten memory.
"…Somehow, it feels like I can read it."
Sharon began reading the characters on the scroll aloud, stumbling at first.
The language flowing from her lips carried a strange resonance.
"Whoa, wait! Stop!"
Suddenly, mana began madly gathering around the parchment.
Even though Sharon hurriedly stopped, the anomaly didn't subside.
The parchment turned black, then crumbled to dust on the spot.
Sharon turned to me with a pale face.
"S-Sorry! I did something stupid…"
"No, hold on."
My eyes, which could see mana flows, caught something else.
A single beam of light shot from the crumbled parchment fragments.
Toward the gate in the back.
The purple vortex distorting space began roiling violently.
"Ugh, my head…"
I felt a headache assaulting me again.
Sharon seemed the same; I saw her clutching her head.
[Wh-What have you done—!]
Was the black mage feeling the same pain?
Fascinating.
Flash!
Moments later, the gate contracted to a single point of light and vanished without a trace.
At the same time, all the ominous energy filling this underground space lifted as if it were a lie.
"There was a way to close the gate?"
If true, this was a major discovery.
Gate.
An unknown phenomenon that appears where a tower collapses.
It periodically spits out monsters.
Towers had been observed spawning diverse monsters never seen inside.
Gates from collapsed towers already dotted the world.
Just look at North Korea—it was destroyed by a gate.
And we could close them?
I addressed the flask.
"What was that scroll?"
[Hah, you think I'll tell you?]
He hadn't come to his senses yet.
Shake shake shake shake shake shake shake!
I shook the flask even harder.
[Agh! Aaagh—! I-I'll talk—.]
"Tough nut, huh? Still holding out?"
[Aaagh—! Wait, let me—!]
The black mage's mental fortitude was strong.
I'd have to interrogate him properly back home.
"Guess I need to buy a centrifuge."
Spin him in that for a day, and he'd snap.
I carefully stowed the flask.
"Nothing else to pick up…"
Business here was done.
I recalled Super Recovery, then climbed the long stairs back to the surface temple.
Clear air tickling my cheeks and warm sunlight.
This was probably the end of the floor.
Clear rewards would come soon.
"Well, I'll be off then. Got time for a proper goodbye this round."
Unless a tower re-climb ticket dropped again, it would be a while before I returned.
I bid farewell, hoping Sharon had collected the faith donation box well.
A hint of reluctance crossed her face.
"May I ask when you might return?"
"Who knows? Not up to me."
I answered honestly.
"But you should be fine without me now? No threats left here."
Even so, Sharon's expression didn't brighten.
She hesitated, then seemed to muster courage and spoke.
"Even if there's no crisis, please come back."
"Why?"
"It's…"
It was the moment Sharon was about to continue.
A familiar system message appeared before me.
[Congratulations on clearing Floor 40 EXTREME difficulty.]
[First Clear Bonus applied!]
['Ruler's Flag' has evolved into unique item 'Sand Flag'.]
[Flag's Territory Declaration evolves one step!]
[Can freely teleport to where the flag is planted by consuming faith.]
"Village return scroll? Not bad."
I nodded in satisfaction.
The messages didn't end there.
[Ranking 1st Bonus applied!]
[Acquire 4 copies of 'Sand Flag'.]
"Huh?"
Four identical flags appeared in my hand.
I knew what came next.
The message meant I'd be forcibly ejected from the tower.
Reflexively, I tossed one flag to Sharon.
"Take this! Plant it somewhere highly visible!"
"？!"
Sharon hurriedly caught my flag, looking baffled.
She opened her mouth as if to ask something, but it was too late.
The familiar sensation enveloped my body.
In an instant, I was expelled outside the tower.