Golden Carriage (4)
They'd said the Death Absolute Realm had shorter stays the more you used it. But I couldn't waste my first one on that sloth.
It looked like it couldn't do anything but sleep. Proof was how weak the previous floor's mob had been.
"Can't risk permanent damage."
So I chose the fatigue recovery potion.
The fatigue recovery potion let you climb 25 more floors a day.
Put another way... it refilled for free once a day.
In other words, unlike Death Absolute Realm, it recovered. But I wasn't planning to sip it one gulp at a time. I took one swig while collapsed on the floor and gripped the rest of the bottle tight.
"Knight time!!!"
I hurled it full force at the black sloth's face.
Whoosh-!
Shoulder half-useless. Eyes half-closed from drowsiness, vision blurry. No baseball pro could hit from that distance.
But I'd surpassed human physical limits long ago.
Not superhuman enough to kill with a thrown scythe yet... but pitching one bottle? Easy.
Direct hit.
Crash-!
The glass bottle shattered right on Shaman Sleep's face.
Fatigue recovery potion soaked its pitiful mug.
"...We're both Demon Army, after all."
Logic: potions stocked for the Demon Army should work on that sloth too. And its sleep mechanism? Definitely resonance effect. My senses stat screamed that dumb face was the culprit.
But not 100% sure. Too many brainfart theories mixed in. So I uncorked a second potion, took a swig.
While prepping suicide, I checked the sloth's reaction.
Twitch. Its body jerked like a spasm, then its closed eyes snapped open.
And at the same moment—Bang! It dropped from the ceiling.
That instant—
Sleep debuff cleared. Legs and eyelids normalized.
I stood easily, using my scythe as a cane.
The startled sloth glared at me once...
"...Huh?"
Then slowly settled back down and laid its head on the floor.
Shockingly, it chose sleep again.
What a ridiculous senior.
"You need to wake up!!"
Normally you'd shine a light in its face, but...
No need. The sloth fidgeted a few times...
Then opened its eyes again.
"...Pfft."
"Eyes wide open now?"
The potion had chased away sleep completely.
It slowly rose.
The moment it tried anything—
"No exploits!"
I kicked off the floor and leaped.
Whoosh-!
Closed in instantly, swung the scythe.
Slash-! Split the sloth's head in two.
51st Floor: Shaman Sleep defeated
Promotion Reward: 5,000G acquired!
500th floor gallery's 10 months' pay in one go. The path ahead was smooth sailing.
52nd, 53rd, 54th, 55th... and finally.
56th Floor: Failed Creation Death Knight defeated
Promotion Reward: 5,500G acquired!
Bang!
Goal achieved.
"That sloth was the toughest..."
Still took effort.
31 floors climbed.
Insane overdrive.
Midway potion sip, but fatigue piled up again—hands trembling faintly.
Opened hologram status, assets tab.
"Whoa... finally..."
Moving. Hologram time check: 2.5 hours since start.
Now I could buy this run's Golden Carriage top item, the Jet-Black Knot Sash.
Fired up the gallery, posted proof.
Gallery exploded right after posting.
Yeah. Definitely feeling non-human now.
Body senses totally changed.
Someone asked for stats.
Snapped a photo, posted.
Remaining Stat Points: 0
Traits: Unawakened
Skills: None
Weapon: Death Side
Equipped Items: [Magic Path Strength Ring], [Obsidian Insight Ring], [Adventurer's Ring], [Magitech Wall-Blue Earring (Charge: 31%)]
Mana shot up huge.
Earring shows charge—seems +1 mana per 1%. No clue if 100% max or what happens then.
And Magic Path Strength Ring weirdly applies even to mana gains from earring stacks.
Lots of takes on mana stats idling.
But what can ya do.
Monsters dying without using mana power.
Smirking inwardly at that,
Next comments humbled me.
"..."
Hit me again.
"These folks are total monsters..."
They're all level hundreds. Level 56 feels superhuman already—what at triple digits?
My stat feel is based on barely touched strength/agility.
Endless strength ahead.
Gallery blues and trash-talkers, even bullied 100F peeps—untouchable compared to me.
Felt distant. And way higher: 800F+.
High-nick comment from level 800+.
"......"
'Ah. Gimme back my humility.'
I chuckled, replied.
Replied, looked up.
Then.
"Oh, it's here!"
Two horses entered from the entrance.
"Lemme see, my knot sash...."
Whistling, scythe over shoulder, approached carriage.
But.
Hiiiiiing-!!
"Uwak!"
Just as I neared, the black horse reared high, shrieking.
Backpedaled fast. It snorted, shoving its head at me.
Clack clack! Skeleton horse next to it clacked jaws irritably.
"What, why so aggressive."
They blocked the Golden Carriage entrance completely, foaming to bite if I stepped closer.
Couldn't enter like this. Timer ticking down!
Absurd, posted question to gallery.
'Didn't do shit...'
Hastily clarified.
Amid confusion.
Familiar high-nick appeared.
Horses had no choice but to hate me.
Why tho?