Episode 142
142. Episode 142
He thought that there would be no problem if he just used his internal energy, but moving in the swamp was more inconvenient than Seun had thought.
In particular, as we went forward, the viscosity of the swamp became unbalanced, with some places being excessively viscous and others being submerged like water.
No matter how much you build it, you can’t run on water, so you have to be careful.
Se-Woon, who could no longer bear the discomfort after moving his feet for about ten minutes, manifested the power of greed.
– The Treasure Trove of Greed has been opened.
[ Portrait ]
– It refers to a state of lightness where even if you run while stepping on grass, the grass leaves do not break.
Portrait.
As the name suggests, it is a lightening method that makes the body light and makes movements faster.
As it is a high-level light technique, it is a high-level renewal technique that only those who have reached the level of a master can use. It was a technique that Se-woon was able to use because he had recently gained the internal energy of the second generation.
Taat!
Se-un’s steps became lighter in an instant.
Although it was not originally designed to be used in swamps, its unique light steps proved to be very effective even in swamps.
The sticky swamp no longer held Seun’s feet, and the deep water that had been lurking like a trap was smoothly avoided like the wind.
I had been sparingly using it because it required more internal energy than normal light attack, but when I actually used it, I regretted not using it sooner.
It certainly uses a lot of internal energy, but considering the distance traveled, it wasn’t that efficient.
‘It seems like the right path.’
The toxicity felt on my skin was becoming more and more intense.
The colorful maple leaves that had been hanging on the tree were rotting on the tree without being able to fall.
This is definitely not normal.
If the poison was so strong that the tree couldn’t withstand it, it would be normal for the tree to not grow in the first place.
What this means is that recently, due to some trigger, the poison around them has become so strong that even the trees cannot handle it.
And maybe… … .
‘There must be a reason for this.’
As we continued to progress in the direction of increasing toxicity, the source of the poison was likely to appear.
As he was moving quickly with the light steps characteristic of the portrait, the surrounding swamp suddenly rippled and foamed.
The moment when Se-un instinctively kicked the swamp and jumped high.
“Kururur-!”
– The constellation, the ‘hungry prince’, has finally appeared and he picks up his fork in a hurry.
Something long and thin emerged from where Se-un had been standing.
It was a monster that looked like an eel or an earthworm, and there were no sensory organs such as eyes or a nose on its head.
All there was was a huge mouth filled with sharp teeth.
If I had jumped a little later, I would have at least gotten one of my legs bitten.
‘Certainly, the level of monsters has also become stronger.’
It wasn’t the monster on the 11th floor that Seun had seen before returning.
The monsters that appeared when heading in the opposite direction were, at best, things like knee-high poison frogs or monkeys that threw poisonous berries from trees.
But what about this place? From the beginning, a monster that looked like it could easily swallow a person appeared.
It was clear that stronger monsters would appear one after another as we continued to advance.
“Kuruk, gurur!”
A creature that was either an eel or an earthworm was waiting for Seun to fall with its mouth wide open larger than his head.
Not only were its sharp teeth teeth, but its writhing body covered in mud looked disgusting.
I would rather die than go inside there.
– The first technique of the Blood Wolf Sword Technique, Blood Wolf Claw, is strengthened through internal energy.
Crunch!
Seun swung his sword as soon as it fell, splitting the monster’s body in two.
The creature sank to the bottom of the swamp, spewing out thick fluid without even being able to close its gaping mouth.
As I was shaking off the fluid on my sword, Beelzebub sent me an urgent message, so I immediately used my power of gluttony.
– Preyed on ‘traphole fish’.
– Absorbs nutrients and increases stamina by 2.
– The constellation, ‘The Hungry Prince’, is impressed by the chewy texture of his prey.
– The constellation, ‘The Hungry Prince’, glares at you, saying that this would be the icing on the cake if it was roasted and eaten.
Please bake it.
It was a tiresome suggestion, but after completing the 10th floor trials and resting in Skabe, I never used the power of gluttony once.
But since he had never once complained about being hungry, I thought it would be okay to grant him this request.
– The power of ‘Dark Flare’ is strengthened according to the Black Tower’s magic.
As Se-un had expected, the monsters continued to attack without stopping.
A variety of monsters that did not fit the level of the 11th floor showed off their strength, including crocodiles that looked to be 3m tall and toads that were incomparably large compared to those seen before the return.
Every time that happened, Seun would breathe out flames and end their lives.
Occasionally, some would hide deep in the swamp to avoid the fire, but when Ground Wave was used, they couldn’t stand the vibration and jumped out.
– The constellation, ‘The Hungry Prince’, praises you for your fantastic cooking skills.
Is it like using a slaughterhouse knife to kill a chicken?
It’s a bit of a waste to use magic against an opponent that can be easily swung with a sword while saving mana, but thanks to that, I was able to satisfy Beelzebub’s mouth.
Even though he looked like that, he was the owner of the ‘Power of Gluttony’, so it was good to satisfy his greed whenever he had the chance.
Chiiik-
The sound of something burning, no, melting, could be heard here and there.
The trees that had been rotting with fallen leaves barely hanging on, as if they could not bear to fall just before winter came, no longer had a single maple leaf on them.
The entire tree was rotten, starting from the roots.
By the way, at some point the monsters’ attacks also decreased.
It’s an area where even monsters that breathe poison have a hard time.
‘Let’s take a quick break.’
Seun climbed up a rotten tree that was nearby.
‘Poison Salamander’s Skin’ was the most effective of Mammon’s treasures at blocking poison, but it wasn’t perfect.
Basically, it takes some time to detoxify a strong poison until the power is fully established in the body.
As the toxicity in the air grew stronger, Seun’s skin was also turning green, so he had to give his body time to adapt to the poison.
Woof-
While resting, I recharged my internal energy and mana.
Because of the constant use of the portrait stele due to the swamp and the continued use of ball magic for Beelzebub, it took some time to recover.
Then, something was felt under the tree.
Seun immediately used the stealth technique of Kilker to hide himself and looked down while holding his breath.
‘Lizardman?’
They had the moist skin characteristic of reptiles and smooth scales growing out of it. They walked on two legs and held a spear and shield in each hand and had long snouts like dinosaurs.
Lizardman.
There are many different types depending on where they live, but they are individuals that have adapted to the swamp environment.
Given the swampy terrain, it wasn’t unusual for them to appear, but it didn’t seem to be the case for Seun.
‘Why are they on the 11th floor?’
Lizardmen were originally one of the two races that played an important role from the 12th floor onwards.
It was incomprehensible that such people could be wandering around the 11th floor.
I thought maybe we had already left the green swamp, but that wasn’t the case.
“I can’t see any prey.”
“It feels quieter than usual.”
“Have the animals here reached a point where they can no longer withstand poison?”
“It seems like things are progressing faster than I thought.”
This is a story from the next floor onwards, but since they are closely related to the player’s trials, they use the same language as the player.
Thanks to that, Se-un was able to eavesdrop on their conversation from the tree.
Although the distance was not close, my hearing, enhanced by the ‘Kobold’s Pair of Ears’, was able to perfectly pick up even the sound of their breathing.
“What should I do?”
“Let’s go back.”
“Feed?”
“Don’t let the pigs catch you. Just report first.”
“i get it.”
– The constellation, the ‘Hungry Prince’, is startled and wonders if his presence has been discovered.
Pigs… … . It seemed like he was talking about the Orcs, one of the core tribes that appear from the next floor.
Perhaps Seun mistook the poison for a stronger one after seeing the monsters he had cleared.
And the fact that they’re talking about poison like that… … .
‘I guess I’ll just follow those guys.’
As Seun had expected, the source of the poison was related to the Lizardmen and the Unspoken.
– The Kilker’s stealth technique is strengthened through internal energy.
Seun, who had become one with the blackened dead tree through stealth, began to follow the guys.
It is dangerous to walk and stalk through the swamp.
Because the portrait is a lightening technique to lighten your steps, not a lightening technique to hide your body.
If you make a mistake and sink into the swamp or make even a slight crunching sound, your identity will be immediately revealed.
Whoosh, whoosh!
I remembered the monkey power we used in the tutorial.
That strength was something he used to climb cliffs, but as a monkey, it also helped him a lot in climbing trees.
I ran between the trees, making as little noise as possible.
Among them, there was a tree that had rotted to the very top due to poison, and it almost made a lot of noise, but we were able to overcome the crisis by using the portrait lamp to make our steps lighter.
“How long will it take now?”
“I do not know either.”
“They say the pigs are preparing to attack.”
“If they attack first, we welcome them. If we lure them here, they won’t be able to withstand it.”
I was able to get a rough idea of the situation through their conversation.
It appears that the Lizardmen were growing poison for their war against the Orcs.
‘Then, what about that then?’
Before the return, Seun sided with the Orcs and attacked the Lizardmen.
At that time, the Lizardmen brought and scattered poison so strong that even the Orcs living in the swamps could not withstand it.
It seemed that the poison I saw back then was made here.
Chiiik-
As I followed the Lizardman, the toxicity around me grew stronger.
I thought I had somewhat adapted to the poison with my ‘Poison Salamander Skin’, but as the poison grew stronger, my skin began to turn green again.
But, it couldn’t stop here.
He continued to stalk her, even drinking the antidote that Lee Ha-neul had made for him.
Not that long ago.
‘Ugh… … .’
– The constellation, ‘The Hungry Prince’, sniffs the refreshing scent.
A stench filled my nose.
What on earth is that smell?
It wasn’t a smell I’d smelled before. It was a smell I’d smelled so many times before returning, but I couldn’t get used to it.
That’s right, it was the smell of a corpse rotting away.
“Write it.”
“i get it.”
The toxicity had grown so strong that even the Lizardmen wore something resembling a gas mask made of leather over their faces. They even wore thick gloves on their hands.
A poison so severe that even lizardmen cannot handle it.
In the middle of it… … .
‘crazy…….’
There were piles of corpses so high that they could not be counted, and flowers with roots that had taken root and were squirming around on top of them, emitting a foul odor.
fantasy,
