Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: 32. Pharaoh (2)
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3.
There were all sorts of reasons why adventurers were thrilled about the Mystic Gate.
One of them was that you could gauge the difficulty before even stepping inside.
The entry limit made that clear.
And that very difficulty boosted an adventurer's value sky-high.
“The Mystic Gate changed everything, and skilled adventurers' worth shot through the roof. Why? Simple. They're like the jokers in poker—wild cards that let you ignore the difficulty.”
Skilled adventurers had become unbeatable aces.
In truth, the average survival rate for adventurers in the Mystic Gate was low, but for the skilled ones, it was extraordinarily high.
It would be weirder if they died.
Sure, they occasionally bit the dust, but usually it was from pushing too far—adventures aimed at boosting their fame even higher.
Naturally, no one turned down the chance to adventure through a Mystic Gate alongside a skilled adventurer.
Unless that adventurer was their rival.
But things were different now.
“Thunderbolt!”
Crackle!
Rik's display of otherworldly power left Pirr and every other adventurer watching in stunned silence, far from joy.
'What the hell is going on?'
It was utterly beyond specs.
Literally.
'Over three hundred Mummy Dogs all by himself?'
Mummy Dogs were brutal monsters that even one was a nightmare to take down, yet Rik was massacring them.
'Was Thunderbolt always this kind of magic?'
And not just any magic—the notoriously tricky lightning attribute, which Rik wielded with effortless freedom.
'A mage pulling this off solo?'
He hadn't even needed help from his companions.
Mages were supposed to cast and unleash spells under the support of fellow adventurers—that was the ironclad rule of adventuring. Yet Rik had ignored it entirely, slaughtering the monsters on his own.
It was only natural that awe turned to outright shock for the onlookers.
'Impressive.'
Rik himself was among those shocked.
No—truth be told, in this moment, no one was more shocked than Rik.
'I never imagined this was possible.'
Rik knew his own talents well.
He could handle lightning.
But it wasn't absolute.
Think of it like this:
Most people couldn't last ten seconds on a wild horse, but some could at least ride one.
Riding it and truly mastering it were worlds apart.
'Zeus's Ring—it's an insane item.'
Yet Zeus's Ring bridged that gap.
That was why Rik was so stunned.
The moment he started truly wielding lightning, the power he unleashed went beyond even his wildest imagination.
Of course, there was one exception.
'As expected.'
El Pam wasn't surprised in the slightest by what Rik was showing.
There was no reason to be.
'Worthy of the Lightning Emperor.'
He'd felt Rik's power—Zeus's Ring-enhanced power—deep in his bones.
In any case, that was El Pam's take.
“My god.”
Dibo and the rest of El Pam's party were floored.
Even more so than the others.
“Hey, doesn't it look like he's handling it better than our leader?”
“Goldie, what are you talking about? Our boss is better!”
“Better my ass. You can see it with your own eyes, can't you? Rik's Thunderbolt moves like a serpent. Compared to that, our leader's feels like a damn earthworm.”
“Hey! Where do you get off spouting that nonsense? Our boss is the best!”
“Wanna bet on it? See who handles it better?”
In lightning magic, at least, Rik was outshining El Pam by a mile.
“Okay, you're on! I'm betting!”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, I'm putting my money on Rik! You bet on the boss, Goldie!”
“You joking?”
Even Dibo had to admit Rik was superior.
That was no small thing.
In El Pam's party, trust and faith in El Pam ran deeper than anywhere else.
And they knew his abilities better than anyone.
Yet here they were, admitting Rik was better.
“Damn, I hope this is a joke.”
Of course, it wasn't exactly welcome news for El Pam's party.
“Boss, why the hell did you give him something like that?”
El Pam himself had turned the already famous Rik into an even bigger monster.
To that question, El Pam replied.
“He'll make better use of it than I would.”
It wasn't wrong.
“And thanks to him, we're breezing through this Mystic Gate without a single fight.”
Rik's performance had made their Mystic Gate run incredibly smooth.
El Pam's party hadn't even fought once!
Moreover, El Pam knew.
'Rik will keep fighting, even just to adapt.'
He wouldn't shy away from battles.
“But still, just handing it over doesn't make sense!”
Naturally, El Pam's companions couldn't easily accept it.
And El Pam couldn't explain the full story.
“Could it be...”
That's when Dibo ventured a cautious question.
“You can get it back, right?”
“Once it's given, taking it back feels off.”
El Pam's response made Dibo and the others' faces harden once more.
At that point, El Pam murmured softly.
“Unless there's a special reason.”
His eyes narrowed as he spoke.
But no one caught the meaning in that gaze.
Nor did they have the luxury to.
“We press on! Keep that in mind— this is the Mystic Gate handpicked by the Phantom Thief himself! Danger could strike at any moment!”
Pirr's command had everyone tightening their resolve as they continued.
But no real dangers arose.
Crackle!
Thanks to Rik's dominance, they advanced with ease.
“That's the gate to the second floor.”
4.
When adventurers got together, one topic always came up.
“So, who's the strongest adventurer out there? Mages? Warriors? Thieves?”
There was no answer.
“Pirates, obviously! Think about Captain Kairin! Nothing survives in front of her gun!”
“Ridiculous. Pure power? That's Grand Sage Hines! He can use every spell there is!”
“You're all talking nonsense. Who's guarding Empress Cygnus closest right now? Knight Commander Mikhail!”
But with no better stories to tell, these debates would eat up a full day.
Eventually, one spin emerged.
“Something I've always wondered: among mages, who's the strongest?”
“Right now? Hines, obviously.”
“No, not that. Between fire, ice, and all those attributes—which one's the strongest?”
What attribute made the strongest mage?
The answer came quick.
“Lightning, no question.”
It was obvious.
Fire, ice, poison—those were easier to defend against than you'd think.
Lightning was different.
Just a touch could deal lethal damage.
That's why lightning mages were treated far better than other mages of the same caliber.
“Thunderbolt.”
Crackle!
Rik was proving it right now.
Crackle!
He swept through monsters with the overwhelming might of lightning magic.
“The longer it goes, the sharper he gets.”
Even more astonishing: Rik's skill wasn't fading—it was improving over time.
“A genius is a genius.”
Dibo and El Pam's party finally had to concede.
“Thanks to him, this'll be a cakewalk.”
“Cakewalk? We literally have nothing to do.”
Handing Zeus's Ring to Rik instead of El Pam had been the right call for raw firepower.
That was paying off now.
“Gate!”
They found the exit to the third floor.
“No one's dead!”
Not a single casualty.
It was a miraculous feat.
Even for veterans, out of a hundred entering a Mystic Gate, ten deaths before the third floor was standard.
No—surviving with just ten losses was considered a huge win.
And the environment these adventurers faced was no picnic.
Right off the bat, the first floor had thrown hordes of Mummy Dogs at them—hellhounds to any adventurer.
Yet here they were at the third floor with zero deaths?
“As expected of the Lightning Master!”
And it was all thanks to one adventurer.
No one was shocked by that fact anymore.
There was only one feeling left.
'With Rik, this Mystic Gate is in the bag.'
Certainty of success!
And the excitement for that certainty burned hotter than ever.
It made sense.
'This clears the Phantom Thief's mission.'
The reward for this Mystic Gate was tied to none other than the Phantom Thief—the hero vanished centuries ago.
Whatever it was, it'd be legendary in their lives, no, in Maple World adventuring history.
Pirr was no exception.
Even he, the coolest-headed adventurer around, harbored zero doubts right now.
'We'll clear it, no question.'
Everyone was convinced of victory.
Everyone but one.
'Too easy.'
El Pam wasn't buying the success just yet.
'For something prepared by the Phantom Thief.'
El Pam had never met the Phantom Thief.
But he'd heard plenty.
He knew the man.
And as the Last Adventurer, he knew exactly how the Phantom Thief had met his end in that chaotic era when monsters burst from the Mystic Gates.
'He's more calculating than anyone.'
The Phantom Thief that El Pam knew never did anything sloppily.
His actions brimmed with mischief, but everything he pursued came with flawless plans and preparations.
'This has to be a test.'
Given the Phantom Thief's nature, this Mystic Gate was likely a trial.
A test to see if they could truly handle his real request.
Obviously, the Phantom Thief's standards would be sky-high.
Crucially, El Pam knew.
'The Phantom Thief has special eyes.'
One of the Phantom Thief's greatest gifts—the thing that propelled him into the Six Heroes—was his eyes that pierced straight to the essence of things.
Through those eyes, the Phantom Thief could see.
'What boss monster lies in this Mystic Gate.'
Things no one else could.
In other words, the Phantom Thief knew.
What monster lurked here.
It meant they couldn't dare assume success.
El Pam's hunch became reality soon enough.
“We're heading to the third floor.”
At Pirr's order, the adventurers crossed over without hesitation.
And what they saw was:
“A jungle?”
A dense jungle choked with undergrowth.
“Not bad.”
Most adventurers smiled at the jungle.
Compared to deserts, snowfields, or swamps, a jungle was a laughably easy stage.
“This'll be smooth sailing.”
Even Dibo felt the same.
“Isn't it, boss? Huh?”
But when Dibo turned to El Pam, he was different.
El Pam's face wasn't frowning or tense.
It looked much the same as always.
Just one thing was off.
'Boss's eyes?'
They were darker than before.
Dibo knew what that meant better than anyone.
'Something's up.'
Time to tighten the reins.
Besides El Pam, one other had sensed something in this place.
“Pirr?”
Hero Tracker Pirr's face held no trace of the relaxed smile he'd worn before crossing the exit on the second floor.
“Everyone, listen up.”
Instead, his expression was rigidly set as he spoke.
“There are Pharaoh Snakes here.”