Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: The Twelfth Trial
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Content: Survive in the Poison Forest!
- Zone 166 Participants: 4,991
“Hmm, 4,991 people...”
Manager Kim muttered upon entering the twelfth Trials' Arena.
Watching that, Manager Kim recalled what Hae-jin had told him.
『First, take the Thousand Poisons Immunity Pill from the previous Trials' Arena, then search for a cave and find a venomous creature.』
Hae-jin had said that capturing a venomous creature was necessary to achieve the hidden trial in this stage.
Recalling that, Manager Kim opened his inventory.
Inside was the 'Thousand Poisons Immunity Pill' obtained as a reward from the previous Trials' Arena.
He took it out and consumed it immediately.
[Item! You have used 'Thousand Poisons Immunity Pill.']
[Your constitution changes to 'Thousand Poisons Immunity' for this Trials' Arena.]
[You gain immunity to a thousand poisons.]
Upon using the Thousand Poisons Immunity Pill, Manager Kim saw the system window stating he was now immune to a thousand poisons.
That was when it happened.
“Hm?”
He sensed a presence nearby.
Wondering what it was...
‘Hae-jin said there wouldn't be any other players in this Trials' Arena.’
Hae-jin had explained that this stage was about 'fending for oneself.'
You had to clear it alone, without teaming up with other players.
In other words, the presence he felt now wasn't human.
Manager Kim quickly pulled a dagger and gauntlet from his inventory.
He used to wield two daggers, but thanks to Raffaello's equipment crafting, he'd acquired a more efficient weapon set.
With two daggers, he had to handle both offense and defense with them alone.
But replacing one dagger with a gauntlet allowed for more flexible defense and counterattacks.
Having obtained the dagger and gauntlet crafted by Raffaello, Manager Kim equipped them and waited.
For the entity that had revealed its presence to him moments ago.
And then he saw it.
‘A mantis?’
The giant mantis that Hae-jin had encountered first appeared before Manager Kim as well.
Manager Kim stared at the mantis.
It cautiously extended a leg and approached.
‘It's on guard.’
Perhaps because it had been detected, the mantis approached slowly, warily.
Unlike Hae-jin, who had been defenseless, Manager Kim had immediately assumed a combat stance.
So it seemed to be looking for an opening.
Manager Kim was just as wary of it.
He had no experience fighting this monster, so he didn't know its strength.
Thus, Manager Kim and the mantis slowly closed in, each on high alert.
As they gradually drew nearer, Manager Kim thought...
‘It has fewer openings than expected. Should I wait?’
He considered letting the mantis strike first, then countering.
No matter how guarded it was...
‘It's just a bug, no matter how big.’
Thinking that, Manager Kim waited.
He judged that the insectile mantis wouldn't overcome its instincts and would charge first.
Sure enough, his judgment was correct.
Unable to wait any longer, the mantis lunged first, just as he predicted.
“Kieeeek-!”
Shiiik-!
The mantis swung its foreleg swiftly.
It was faster than expected.
But only 'faster than expected.'
Manager Kim thought it was quick, but it was still within his ability to respond.
Kakang-!
He blocked the mantis's first strike with his dagger.
Immediately, the mantis swung its other arm.
Shiiik-!
Seeing it, Manager Kim swiftly blocked with his gauntleted hand.
Kakang-!
The saw-like blade on the mantis's opposite arm clashed against the dagger, producing a metallic scrape.
But this time was different.
With the dagger, he'd simply blocked, but blocking this attack with the gauntlet allowed him to seize it.
Grabbing the mantis's leg with the gauntlet, Manager Kim gripped it tightly.
As he did, he activated the skill embedded in the gauntlet itself.
‘Ogre Power.’
[Skill! You have used 'Ogre Power.']
[Strength increases.]
Ogre Power.
As the name implied, it was a skill that granted the power of an ogre.
This wasn't Manager Kim's personal skill; it was the unique skill of the gauntlet currently seizing the mantis's foreleg.
Called the 'Ogre Power Gauntlet,' it was an item Raffaello had crafted after reading fantasy novels in Korea, inspired by famous games or stories.
Having activated Ogre Power—the skill on one of the Ogre Power Gauntlets—Manager Kim felt it.
The sensation of his strength surging.
Without hesitation, he clamped down hard on the mantis's foreleg caught in the gauntlet.
Kkuak-.
“Kieeeek-!”
The mantis writhed in pain from its foreleg being crushed in Manager Kim's grasp.
But he didn't stop there.
He wrenched the foreleg clean off, twisting with all his might and yanking back.
Paaak-!
“Kieeeek-!”
In agony from losing one foreleg, the mantis tried to retrieve its other arm—which had been blocked by the dagger—for revenge.
But...
Pak!
“Ki-ek?”
Manager Kim snatched the recovering foreleg with his gauntlet.
Discarding the one he'd just torn off.
Seizing the other foreleg as well, he ripped it away without a second thought.
Paaak-!
“Kieeeek-!”
Now bereft of both forelegs, the mantis glared at Manager Kim in pain.
Feeling its gaze, Manager Kim said impassively...
“Curse and rage all you want—without weapons to attack, there's nothing you can do. Just accept death, bug.”
Though he'd said that, the mantis still had one weapon left.
With both forelegs gone, it was all or nothing.
The mantis's remaining weapon was simple.
Its mouth.
“Kieeeek-!”
Desperate to retaliate somehow with its last weapon, its jaws.
But compared to its forelegs, the mantis's oral attack was laughably slow.
Sure enough.
Manager Kim severed the mantis's neck with his dagger.
Seok-!
Reaching its rear as he decapitated it, Manager Kim shook the fluids from his dagger and said...
“Slow.”
After dealing with the mantis, Manager Kim picked up the dropped items and began exploring the Poison Forest.
He needed to catch the venomous creature Hae-jin had mentioned.
Manager Kim recalled the name of the venomous creature Hae-jin had told him about.
‘Human-Faced Spider.’
Human-Faced Spider.
A spider with a human face.
There were two types.
One had markings on its body resembling a human face—this was the male.
Conversely, the female had a face identical to a human's.
Moreover, the female could consume a male's yang energy and transform into the form of whatever woman he found beautiful.
Depending on its age, it could grow to the size of a massive beast, and even then, the Human-Faced Spider could fly using its webs like a magic carpet.
Of course, possessing deadly venom, it was classified as a venomous creature among spirit beasts, and its silk was used as material for heavenly silken threads.
Anyway.
Hae-jin had explained this and given a stern warning.
『Note that the Human-Faced Spider's deadly venom isn't blocked by Thousand Poisons Immunity. You'd need Total Poisons Immunity for that. So if you fight one and judge it too tough to capture, run without hesitation. Getting hit by its venom could mean you won't survive this Trials' Arena.』
Hae-jin had emphasized it repeatedly.
Never engage a Human-Faced Spider if it seemed unwinnable—flee without looking back.
Everyone had some skill, so no one would fall to its venom or webs early in battle, but as fatigue built up over a prolonged fight, evasion would become impossible.
Which meant certain defeat against it.
Recalling that warning, Manager Kim set out to find a cave.
He scoured the Poison Forest depths, hunting countless monsters along the way.
Soon enough, he found it.
“Is that it?”
Manager Kim, who had been moving nonstop, came to a halt.
Across from where he stopped was a cave.
Eerily ominous to anyone who saw it.
It had to be the place.
The cave housing the Human-Faced Spider Hae-jin mentioned.
Manager Kim approached the cave slowly.
But he sensed no presence.
‘Can't it sense me?’
Soon, he shook his head.
‘No, considering what the Leader said, it's likely no pushover.’
There was no way the venomous Human-Faced Spider couldn't detect Manager Kim's presence.
Yet even as he neared, no presence emanated from inside.
Manager Kim knew what that meant.
‘It wants me to come in.’
He'd heard Human-Faced Spiders were quite intelligent.
So it knew he was there and was deliberately luring him inside.
But Hae-jin had advised on this too.
『No matter how much it hides its presence, don't go in to fight. No need to battle on its turf. Raffaello made Flame Explosion Potions for everyone—throw them inside the cave. The Human-Faced Spider will come out on its own.』
Flame Explosion Potion crafted by Raffaello.
He'd heard it exploded on impact, turning the surroundings into a sea of fire.
Hae-jin had said to think of it as a Molotov cocktail.
Recalling that, Manager Kim took them from his inventory.
Three per person, and Hae-jin said to throw them all into the cave.
‘If it doesn't come out and just roasts itself inside, all the better,’ he'd said.
Thinking that, Manager Kim hurled the three Flame Explosion Potions crafted by Raffaello straight into the cave.
“Burn to death, spider.”
Saying that, he tossed the three potions in rapid succession.
The sound of the potions entering and exploding echoed from within.
Kkang-kkang-kkang!
Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang-!
Hwarrrruk-!
After the three glass bottles shattered, explosions followed, filling the pitch-black cave interior with flames.
Manager Kim thought...
‘Burn up in there. Yeah.’
If it died from the Flame Explosion Potions, no need for a tiring fight.
So he hoped the Human-Faced Spider would just incinerate itself inside.
But his hope was dashed.
Hwarrruk-!
Something burst through the flames.
A massive, beast-sized spider—black with white stripes—leaped from the cave.
A spider with a human face.
Seeing it, Manager Kim thought...
‘It really has a human face. So this one's a female?’
As he processed that, enraged by the Flame Explosion Potions, the Human-Faced Spider charged straight at Manager Kim.
Seeing it, Manager Kim said...
“Better this than testing the waters—now that's more like it!”