Published at 20th of January 2024 9:52 am

Chapter 289: 50th Floor (3)

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Translator/Editor: Ryuu

"Expose your neck! You wicked heretic leader!"

The hunters swung their swords.

Upper left. Upper right. From behind. Blades aimed at my life came from three directions at once. Clang! In a panic, I raised Shiny to parry the most urgent strike first.

"I'm telling you, I'm not a bad guy!"

"Truly a cunning heretic's silver tongue."

The apparent leader among them snorted contemptuously.

"Don't listen to his words, everyone. Mahos said his tongue is more dangerous than his sword. He said that the heavens turn upside down once he starts his rhetoric, and the earth gets deluded. Truly, a tongue born of the devil! Beware, he might charm us unwittingly."

"But who exactly is that!?"

The hunters I confronted swallowed hard.

They looked at me with eyes full of fear.

"He's terrifying…!"

"He just has a simple and innocent face. Behind that naive facade, such wicked evil lurks… How frightening!"

"Are you all blind or what? Huh?"

Even amidst the battle, the fight continued.

The skills of Mahos' disciples were, well, not particularly awe-inspiring. If it had been in the old days, I might have struggled, but frankly, their Aura control was far inferior to mine.

['The Lonely Seeker' is interested in your realm.]

['The Eyes Dwelling in the Labyrinth' doubts if you are really a beginner.]

Three, six, twelve - even when they attacked in formation, it wasn't too tricky.

Unlike ordinary martial arts, Aura is a martial art of dominating space.

As long as I had enough Aura to dominate space, no matter how many enemies there were, it only got a bit more bothersome. I was just stunned by the absurd quest content, but I was not really in trouble.

"What is this…! Is this truly the prowess of someone who just arrived on the 50th floor!"

The Mahos disciples seemed shocked by my performance. They continuously changed formations, employing various techniques, but I remained unshaken. As their attacks piled up, the disciples grew more anxious.

"It's impossible. He must have made a pact with the devil!"

Not a devil, but I do have a ghost as a pet.

"How could he have reached such heights by normal means! He must have walked the path of evil arts!"

Well, I did improve my skills with some abnormal skills...

"Call for reinforcements! This heretic leader controls the dead. He summons the spirits of those he killed from hell and uses them as his soldiers!"

"Hah!"

"He was called the King of Death for a reason! Truly evil!"

Hmm.

Sort of right but not entirely correct either...

"Hurry up. He can't cast his summoning spell right now as we're fighting him, but if there's even a moment's gap, he will! We must subdue him before we all die!"

.......

Really?

'Sword Emperor.'

-What?

'I just realized something.'

I easily twisted and countered the twenty simultaneous Aura assaults from the disciples. I countered each Aura strike, turning it back on the disciples.

"This can't be!"

The disciples were astonished.

'What if, and I mean just hypothetically, what if, to others, I really look like a bad guy…?'

-Is that even a question?

Guardian Spirit replied as if it was obvious.

-You totally give off the vibe of an absolute evil boss.

'Why!?"

-Look, Zombie. Think again why I call you a zombie.

'Because you're a psycho with a twisted personality...?'

-There are many reasons why I call you a zombie, but one of them is to mock your lich-like nature.

'Lich?'

-Yes, lich. An undead sorcerer. Gaining power by sacrificing their own life and using the corpses they killed as subordinates – that's a lich. To those who don't know you, you're just a minion of evil.

I was stunned.

'That's ridiculous! I'm a hero! I've been certified as a hero since the 11th floor. Isn't that right, Shiny?'

[.......]

[Shiny acknowledges that you are indeed a true hero.]

Wait.

Shiny hesitated for a moment before answering. Am I imagining it?

['Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' recognizes your extraordinary skill.]

['Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' expands the quest range.]

[Warning! The scope of the quest involving you is expanded to the entire city!]

As I was subduing Mahos's disciples one by one, an ominous alarm rang. It was a message I had never heard before. But I could tell it wasn't good news for me.

"There he is!"

As expected, hunters began pouring in from the city direction.

"There's the lich!"

"Capture the devil's minion!"

"Oh, Mahos! Protect us!"

Surprisingly, all the hunters knew how to use Aura. Whether their level was high or low, they each used light-body techniques and approached rapidly. Dozens of hunters were leaping around with movement techniques, like a swarm of jumping cockroaches.

It was a scene scarier than any horror movie.

'Here, knowing how to use Aura is a basic for hunters!'

Even more terrifying was the sight of dozens more people following them.

"Oh dear."

I managed to suppress a laugh.

Of course, I could easily defeat them using [Ghoul Reincarnation].

But.

'If I use [Ghoul Reincarnation] here, I'll definitely be labelled the Lich King for real…'

I sighed inwardly. I might escape the immediate danger, but it would cause more headaches later.

There were probably forces watching this fight from afar.

If I flaunted the might of controlling the undead in such a situation, I would indeed be marked as the evil boss of the 50th floor.

Eventually, I came to one solution.

'Let's run!'

It was a very simple answer.

'Why fight these guys when there's no benefit for me? There's no need for unnecessary battles.'

-Giggle. Wise decision.

I focused my Aura on my thighs, hamstrings, calves, and soles. Then, taking advantage of a brief moment when the Mahos disciples were catching their breath, I leapt high from the ground.

"What!?"

"The lich is escaping!"

Sorry to say it, but the encirclement formed by Mahos' disciples was frankly weak. From my perspective, who developed the Demonic Formations Art with Uburka, it was just a cooperative attack filled with numbers. They practised the same martial art but didn't share the same mind, so despite dozens of them cooperating, their Aura movements were disjointed.

'After all, our Earth Spirit Tribe enjoyed the Blood Flower Drama for generations, hundreds of years, to learn the Demonic Formations Art. It's hard for ordinary hunters to mimic such formations.'

Feeling proud of my people, I left the battlefield.

"Chase him!"

The Mahos disciples clumsily pursued. But by the time their leader started to say 'Cha-' and finished with 'se!', I was already far away. It happened in an instant.

Among them, a few hunters of decent skill pursued me. But only for a moment. Within six seconds, I heard their cries of astonishment fading behind me.

"Good heavens! How can anyone be that fast...!"

"It's no use! Contact the other branches! We'll lose him if this continues..."

Their voices of astonishment faded away into the distance.

'Maybe I should move more cautiously.'

After shaking off the pursuit, I didn't stop. I darted back and forth across the wasteland, running as if entering the city, only to change direction abruptly. I visited each entrance to the city from all directions - north, south, east, and west.

'This should keep me from getting caught.'

I even took off my coat and tucked it under my arm. Although it was a temporary measure, I messed up my hair to change my style and fixed it with Aura.

'Okay.'

From a distance, it would not be easy to recognize me just by my appearance. Unless it was my comrades who knew me well, the disciples of Mahos would have no clue.

'Is this good enough?'

Twenty minutes passed.

['Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' sighs.]

['Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' acknowledges the failure of the quest.]

It seemed my prediction was correct as new messages were updated.

[The quest involving you is changing!]

[Difficulty is being adjusted.]

[Linked quest is proceeding.]

[The quest is revealed.]

I glanced at the text appearing before me.

+

[King of Death Pursuit Order]

Difficulty: A+

Objective: Sadly, the King of Death has broken through the encirclement and fled. The brave warriors surrounded and pushed him to the brink, but failed to catch him as he used his reserved power to escape in the end!

If the King of Death enters the city and hides, the 50th floor will face a great calamity. He is more toxic than a pandemic and more vicious than the black plague. He is a villain beyond any human-made remedy.

Hurry and find the King of Death, and inform your comrades!

Warriors, only you can protect the peace of the city and uphold justice! Other forces have already noticed the King of Death's potential and are attempting to approach him. If the wicked ones collaborate with the King of Death, a tremendous calamity will ensue!

*However, you cannot participate in this quest.

*You are the [target of the quest].

+

What should I say?

I could nitpick endlessly, but I'll refrain for now. Anyway, it's clear that I'm increasingly being portrayed as a villain straight out of a legend...

"Seriously, what kind of nonsense is this?"

I ripped one knee off my pants. Rrrrip! I rolled up the torn pant leg and wrapped it around my neck like a scarf. Adjusting the scarf to cover up my mouth, I managed a decent disguise.

"Why are you tormenting an innocent person? Is this how all Constellations behave?"

-Their tendencies are different, but their characters are similar.

"What do you mean?"

I entered the city.

[Your body begins to be eroded by Void Poison.]

[Your current erosion progress is Lv.1.]

[The Void Poison is neutralized by your Aura!]

[Erosion has stopped.]

At the city entrance, there were slums and bustling markets.

I easily blended into the crowd.

The noisy sounds of people talking, buying, and selling enveloped me, allowing me to comfortably chat with Guardian Spirit.

-Remember, I said Constellations are like game masters. They are literally GMs. Each one has its own distinct temperament.

"Masters…"

-And those who serve the Constellations can be seen as players. The master opens a session and issues quests, and the disciples of that Constellation decide whether to participate or not. Is this quest suitable for my level? Can I really accomplish it?

Before long, I spotted a familiar place.

An open-air pub.

There was no building, no walls, just tables, chairs, and a bar where the owner stood. The very same outdoor pub where I had an unofficial chat with the Constellation Killer, using a cheat to visit the 50th floor.

-But as I said, each Constellation has its own unique tendency.

"What about Mahos?"

I asked as I sat down at the bar.

-Mahos is a combat enthusiast.

Guardian Spirit answered promptly.

-His quests are simple. An enemy appears that must be defeated. If not defeated, the world is in danger. So, defeat it. Oh, it escaped? Chase it. Oh, you defeated it? Here's your reward. They're damn simple.

Makes sense.

Hearing Guardian Spirit's explanation, I got a rough idea of what kind of Constellation the 'Warhorse of the Eternal Plains' was.

-That blondie you caught… Goldencup, right? At the Apostle level, quests get more complex, but those cases are rare. Most disciples are basically combat fanatics.

"Hmm."

-But these simple-looking quests are surprisingly popular. Actually, they might be the most popular ones. Mahos, if nothing else, ensures solid rewards. A fight worth the difficulty and valuable items. With these two, it's easy to lure disciples.

I ordered an iced tea from the owner and sipped it.

"I understand what you're saying, but why do the Constellations do this?"

-Haha.

Guardian Spirit smirked knowingly.

-Because it's the easiest way to receive worship.

"Huh?"

-You've never served a Constellation, so you don't know. Think from their perspective. Constellations are deliberately creating quests and rewards for you hunters. It's just to make your life more interesting.

I tilted my head, not understanding Guardian Spirit's point.

The Guardian Spirit opened his mouth as if he knew I wouldn't get it.

-Think about the Holed-Up Head Librarian. From your perspective, he unnecessarily threw you into a doomed world for his own amusement, watching you struggle and suffer, right? But think the other way around. The Head Librarian collected 'worlds' to give you quests.

"......."

-Even for Constellations, do you think that's easy? Scouring worlds in ruin, selecting apocalypses suitable for you among them. That's hard work.

"That's......."

I was shocked.

I had never thought about it that way.

-Zombie, do you think Constellations go through all that trouble just because they think hunters are cute? To see you suffer and die? Generally, Constellations are way stronger than normal hunters. They could kill you with a gesture.

"…That makes sense."

-So, in a way, Constellations are 'dedicating' themselves to you. Well, each one has its reasons for issuing quests, but the primary goal is the same.

Guardian Spirit explained.

-Worship.

Worship.

-You'll understand if you ever serve a Constellation. Completing quests and receiving rewards, you gradually feel like you're becoming a [hero].

"......."

-Your life becomes fun. You feel like you're no longer just yourself but someone meaningful in this world. Someone immensely superior, a Constellation, is creating events just for you and acknowledging your existence… Hah. It's addictive, like the high of an RPG.

…I see.

I had never walked the path laid out by Constellations, so I fundamentally differed from the hunters who surrounded me in the wasteland.

-That's why the bond between Constellations and their disciples is incredibly strong. Disciples naturally worship Constellations that recognize and reward them. They adore and love them. This worship is akin to the purest form of faith, fueling the Constellations' existence...

At that moment,

Boom!

The glass on the table shook, the ground trembled, and other tables around me spilt trays and dishes.

I instinctively looked in the direction of the explosion.

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