Chapter 94
Chapter 94
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 94
Chapter Title: Cactus Desert (2)
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30장. Cactus Desert (2)
4.
Adventurers grow stronger as their circles increase.
An obvious truth. That’s why adventurers obsess over acquiring more circles.
But in reality, adventurers who already possess many circles rarely obsess over circle-ups.
“Once you hit 4th Circle, no adventurer stakes their life on circle-ups. Instead, they stake it on items.”
Instead, they obsess over items.
“Of course.”
There was nothing strange about it.
For starters, even just 4th Circle was a level acknowledged anywhere, a truly exceptional realm.
“They also know how hopeless reaching 5th Circle is, and that they lack the talent for it.”
In other words, only a tiny fraction ever reached that higher realm of 5th Circle.
“So they go on adventures.”
That said, if they gave up there, settled for reality, and were content with that level, they wouldn’t qualify as adventurers.
“Adventures to find unique items.”
Thus, a 4th Circle adventurer’s prowess was determined not just by personal ability, but by the unique items they possessed.
“And some adventurers succeed in those quests.”
And among them were exceptional cases.
“Those monsters are on another level. 4th Circle adventurers who can beat 5th Circle ones.”
Special cases where they became off-the-charts existences.
Of course, even those off-the-charts existences had limits.
For one, possessing multiple unique items was extremely rare.
“Well, those monsters usually have extraordinary backgrounds.”
Unless they were the child of a tycoon or a kingdom’s prince, it was impossible without an innate exceptional background.
“And having unique items doesn’t mean it’s over.”
Decisively, having many items didn’t mean you could wield them all.
“Some tools require skill to handle.”
In fact, wielding unique items demanded far more ability than one might think.
Skills become more powerful? Then you need the ability to properly control that immense power.
Moreover, the stronger it was, the more mana it typically demanded.
“The sharper the blade, the more likely you cut yourself if mishandled.”
Decisively, powerful skills were double-edged swords. Perfect when aimed at enemies, but if turned on allies? They became nothing more than guillotines producing horrific results.
“What if they have outstanding ability, experience, and unique items?”
So what if an adventurer fulfilled all those conditions?
Of course, anyone hearing that question—without exception—gave the same answer.
“There’s no such adventurer, right?”
Something not even worth imagining.
In other words, no one had ever described just how powerful such an adventurer would be.
But right now, El Pam was providing that answer, demonstrating it against the cactus monster Cactuses.
“Fire Arrow.”
It started with Fire Arrow.
In truth, that alone wasn’t surprising.
El Pam’s party members had witnessed the astonishing results of El Pam’s Fire Arrow countless times.
However, El Pam didn’t stop at just Fire Arrow.
“Flame Vortex.”
He unleashed the Flame Vortex spell, summoning massive flames.
And that was just the beginning.
“Flame Orb.”
The 3rd Circle fire-attribute spell Flame Orb.
A spell that hurled fireballs forward, boasting considerable power.
Powerful enough to effortlessly wipe out five or six Cactuses in a single cast.
The problem was that it was cast from the hands of El Pam, armed to the teeth with all sorts of unique items.
Roar!
The moment it activated, fireballs the size of an adult man’s torso appeared. Their number was twice that of a typical Flame Orb.
And their power refused comparison to what ordinary fire-attribute mages could produce.
Boom boom boom!
One spell erased not five or six Cactuses, but fifty or sixty!
“Explosion.”
El Pam didn’t stop there, casting the 4th Circle fire-attribute spell Explosion as well.
As the name implied, a spell that caused powerful explosions, one of the strongest fire-attribute spells.
Naturally, the moment El Pam cast it, its power went far beyond “very strong.”
Boom boom boom boom boom!
A massive explosion centered on El Pam as he cast the spell, vaporizing over a hundred Cactuses in every direction on the spot.
It wasn’t hunting.
It was a one-sided massacre, nothing else.
“My god.”
Even El Pam’s party, which had faced countless astonishing scenes, could only gape at the sight.
‘The boss is this incredible!’
And soon, they were filled with awe.
It was a scene worthy of it.
A scene that demanded shock and admiration.
The only one not doing so was a single person.
Boom!
“Explosion.”
El Pam. He didn’t express awe at the scene he’d created, at his own magic obliterating Cactuses unilaterally.
He couldn’t.
‘A meaningless hunt.’
This hunt right now offered adventurers nothing—no point to it at all.
Exactly as it sounded.
For adventurers, monster hunting was a process for growth.
Gaining experience, improving party play proficiency, honing skills, acquiring items, building survival abilities.
But in El Pam’s current hunt, nothing could be expected.
No experience gained, no reliance on comrades’ play, no items to obtain. Before this overwhelming destruction, magic stones wouldn’t even survive intact.
“Flame Orb.”
Just a waste of time and mana.
‘Oz’s disciple died here.’
In other words, El Pam knew.
‘Even if the difficulty exceeds the prince’s tomb, that’s no surprise.’
How dangerous this place was.
This wasn’t the time to discuss training or anything like that.
‘Must clear in 5 days. So save as much time as possible.’
That was why El Pam was conducting this fruitless hunt.
‘Especially in the desert.’
The desert environment especially made it impossible for prior adventurers to leave traces even if they wanted to.
Anything left on sand vanished with a single gust of wind.
Finding the path could take even longer than El Pam anticipated.
‘透視 doesn’t work either.’
Especially in the desert, the effect of El Pam’s透視 was diminished.
透視 had limits too.
Unlike a forest with trees,透視 was meaningless in a desert filled with sand dunes.
Artemis’s Eye would help somewhat, but in the vast desert, its utility dropped.
All the more reason time was precious.
As he continued this meaningless hunt, something soon caught El Pam’s eye.
“The exit to the 2nd floor.”
5.
Welcoming El Pam’s party upon entering the 2nd floor was a dark forest filled with mushrooms.
Screee!
An enormous number of mushrooms—surpassing thousands, reaching tens of thousands—charged at El Pam’s party.
“Explosion.”
Boom!
And those charging mushrooms vanished without a trace before El Pam’s overwhelming firepower.
Overwhelming destructive power.
But in truth, there was no need to demonstrate destructive power.
“Move this way.”
El Pam had no intention of engaging in more meaningless battles.
He simply moved to find the next exit as quickly as possible.
Finding the path wasn’t hard either.
Unlike the desert, those who entered before—the Cygnus Knights—had left plenty of traces from the Sand Painting Unit retrieving their final words.
Thanks to that, El Pam’s party discovered the exit to the 3rd floor in under 12 hours after entering.
Of course, no one was pleased about it.
El Pam’s comrades knew.
‘The boss put on an incredible show, but getting here wasn’t hard.’
In fact, El Pam taking the forefront was due to time constraints.
Because they had to finish in 5 days—that was the only reason for such hunting; with ample time, he never would have done it this way.
However, none of those who entered before had any time limit.
‘It’s not impossible. Even we could’ve.’
Yet everyone had failed.
What that meant was simple.
‘The 3rd floor is hell.’
The reason everyone died lay beyond that exit.
“Took 3 days to get here. Now only two days left.”
Plus, the remaining time was just over 45 hours.
Far from long.
“Moving.”
Thus, El Pam stepped through the portal to the 3rd floor without hesitation.
His comrades followed.
And they faced it.
“A desert, huh.”
A desert filled with golden sand.
‘Finding the exit in two days might be impossible.’
The worst situation.
One forcing time waste in every way.
‘If there’s an exit.’
At least if there was an exit to the outside, they could escape even if time ran out.
But everyone anticipated.
‘If so, it would’ve been cleared already.’
Undoubtedly, this place required hunting the boss monster for the exit to appear.
In truth, everyone had predicted that even before arriving.
Either way, nothing good about it, and everyone wore grim expressions before this bad omen.
“Come on, lighten up those faces and let’s move!”
That was when Dibo spoke with a smile.
To ease the mood.
At Dibo’s words, everyone nodded.
“First off, anyone hot, stick to Kiri here and cool down. I’ll start!”
Everyone smiled at Dibo’s follow-up action.
“Yeah, we’re already here anyway—let’s go!”
“The more dead here, the more good items! Looking forward to it!”
Everyone stepped forward with renewed vigor.
Hurrying to save even a little time.
One exception.
“Boss? Why aren’t you moving?”
Only El Pam stood motionless at the Mystic Gate entrance they’d just crossed.
“Boss?”
In an already time-strapped situation, he was just staring at his feet.
“Any problem?”
That was the moment.
As Dibo asked, El Pam pointed at Kiri with a finger.
“Mano.”
Kyuu!
At the words, a snail Mano emerged from inside Kiri’s armor, near the nape of the neck.
The snail Mano soon landed on the ground and quickly moved to near El Pam’s feet.
Then it looked at the ground under El Pam’s foot with its eyes.
“Ah!”
It didn’t take long to grasp the meaning.
“Something’s there!”
Dibo, who spoke, moved to El Pam’s side and began digging in the sand.
Thud!
After digging about a meter, they spotted a wooden coffin.
Creak!
The moment they opened it, a shriveled, twisted mummy in a robe burning like fire—red—appeared.
Everyone knew the corpse’s identity.
“Bayos.”
Oz’s disciple, Bayos.
The genius who reached 4th Circle in a year.
Seeing the coffin holding his corpse, everyone fell silent for a moment.
And harbored doubts.
“Preparing a coffin—what does that mean?”
El Pam answered the doubt immediately.
“He was that important a figure. So they put him in a coffin and buried him near the entrance. For quick discovery.”
“Ah.”
Hearing that, El Pam’s comrades’ expressions hardened further.
Because they newly realized.
How vital Oz’s disciple Bayos had been to the Sand Painting Unit.
Thus, the coffin held not just the corpse. Several letters were sealed inside too.
One was properly sealed.
“A last will.”
Bayos’s last will.
Detailing what happened here, that he’d been murdered.
The most important item.
“This is.”
Next was a report.
“Information on this 3rd floor.”
“Information?”
“The boss monster is… Deu.”
At El Pam’s following words, everyone’s faces stiffened.
“Deu—as in, the cactus giant Deu?”
Deu.
To mushroom monsters, like Mushmom; to cactus monsters, the leader of the Cactuses.
Similar abilities too.
Produced vast numbers of Cactuses and led the horde.
A powerful existence.
“That insane boss monster appears here? It’s Yellow grade!”
Something not seen in Yellow grade.
El Pam didn’t dwell on it.
‘Deu appearing means they used a martyr.’
He was simply convinced Bayos had been killed by the Black Mage’s followers.
Either way, one thing was clear.
‘My god, this is a disaster?’
With the off-the-charts boss monster Deu appearing, the issue wasn’t clearing in 5 days—it was clearing at all.
Around then, everyone thought.
‘Shouldn’t we change plans?’
‘Forget clearing in 5 days. Not the time. Clearing itself is the problem.’
From now on, ignore time limits.
Focus everything on clearing and survival.
That was the moment.
El Pam, inspecting Bayos’s corpse, paused while looking at Bayos’s necklace, then spoke.
“Plan change.”
Everyone brightened at his words.
‘As expected! Ditching the time limit!’
They’d anticipated and awaited that answer.
To his comrades’ expectations, El Pam replied.
“We leave this place in 1 hour.”