Chapter 40: Asura (4)
TL: Myoni
Edited: Myoni, Yoni
Sponsored: Anonymous
The people who were satisfied with the low ranked room decided to stay.
Around 50 people.
They were either people who were satisfied with the skill they obtained or thought, ‘if the low ranked room was like this, how much harder would the mid-ranked room be?’ and gave up.
However, those who had joined a group couldn’t give up now even if they wanted to.
What group would have invested in a beginner for them to only learn a skill from the low ranked room?
Since they had already accepted so much, it was impossible to turn back now.
As there was no group that would take a loss and accepted a useless person.
They would obviously try to gain more than what they have invested.
If they gave up… it would be hard to see anything good come out of it.
Anyways, the only way the people who had already joined a group could relax was when they obtained the skill they needed from the Sky Library or died.
<30 shadows, 5 steel dolls.>
Those were the words that appeared as soon as they entered the mid-ranked room.
‘The difficulty has gone up.’
Muyoung nodded his head.
There was no way that the difficulty would be the same as the low ranked room but steel dolls, was it?
The original number of spirits had more than doubled and another variable was added in.
However, his eyes focused on the condition that was announced about the dolls.
‘It won’t be easy.’
Both the shadow spirits and the steel dolls were very difficult to deal with.
Especially the steel dolls who were almost impossible for beginners with every stat less than 100 to defeat were a distinct monster only the Sky Library possessed.
It was hard against one type. However, two combined together.
Of course, due to the characteristics of the shadow spirits, they were easier to deal with as a group but since the steel dolls would indiscriminately attack their target, they were in a dilemma.
To move alone or move together.
It wouldn’t be as easy to complete as the low ranked room.
‘Despite everything, it’s fortunate that there aren’t too many of them.’
There were only 5 steel dolls.
It was essential to play tag.
The most effective method was to eliminate the shadow spirits once the lights came on and then move alone.
Everyone who could level-headedly look at the situation would have made the same conclusion.
They might not have made it yet but it was only a matter of time.
“It seems a bit cold.”
Suzy blew hot air into her hands.
The lights would come on and off every 3 seconds.
Large bookcases stretched across the walls on either side and countless books were placed on the shelves.
Although, the layout wasn’t different from the low ranked room, the only difference was the temperature.
Though there was no wind, the temperature of the room itself was low.
‘Humidity.’
Due to that, the humidity of the room rose.
Even if the books were protected with preservation magic, there was no way this wasn’t strange.
Being dry was a basic practice of storing books.
Muyoung immediately approached the bookshelf and stretched his hand to check the conditions of the books.
‘It looks like humidity maintaining magic was cast as well.’
Unlike their surroundings, the books and bookshelves had no traces of water.
Was he wrong?
When he slowly examined the bookshelf, he found an especially dark colored book.
‘It’s different.’
The book was wet.
He took it out and checked the book cover.
There was only a single circular symbol drawn on the cover.
“Keep it.”
“Is it okay to take them out as we please?”
“It’s okay as long as you don’t learn it.”
“Mister, I will be a great porter.”
Suzy energetically received the book Muyoung handed her.
Unlike in the low ranked room, she looked like she had adjusted slightly.
‘It looks like I have to check other places as well.’
There probably wasn’t only a single book like this.
It was a small clue, however, if he was to find them, he would be able to complete the puzzle.
Muyoung didn’t become impatient and slowly moved away.
What was the standard of being ‘alone’?
How far of a distance did he have to keep to be considered alone?
The steel dolls were big.
A large build that stood 2.5m tall. With a nose as long as Pinocchio’s, they were human-shaped monsters.
However, unlike their appearance, they were very agile.
If there was more than one person, they would most certainly appear and only disappear after one was left.
If you stood still because you were stricken with fear, then you would become food for the shadow spirits.
‘They aren’t retaliating.’
Muyoung kept far away from Suzy and was progressively experimenting with the steel dolls.
First, he believed that the standard for being ‘alone’ was about 200m.
And if you attacked when you were alone, they would not retaliate.
But their defense was very high. Even Muyoung’s attacks weren’t able to easily damage them.
Anguish was a sword made to kill living creatures. It wasn’t able to penetrate the non-living steel doll’s outer layer.
‘It’s not to the point of being impossible.’
Muyoung was one as well as multiple.
The Prince and the Avengers, the Blazing Spear Soldier and the Sorceress of Lightning.
It was impossible by himself but if many attacked at once, there was a chance to win with a significant reduction in losses.
Tens of undead with overlapping buffs attacked one.
The steel doll didn’t have the ability to endure.
The only problem was, were the profits greater than the losses?
‘There is no reason for me to set myself up for losses.’
However, he shook his head.
His decision was simple.
He didn’t see a big enough advantage.
It was instead a waste of time.
‘I have to quickly get to the high ranked room.’
He only had 3 days.
Every time he went up a room, the difficulty would sharply rise.
Half a day had already passed.
On top of that… the first person to enter the high ranked room would get preferential treatment.
‘A chance to obtain one more skill.’
Although it wasn’t free, depending on one’s effort, they would be given a chance to obtain another skill.
There was no reason to waste time here.
Muyoung waited for the steel dolls to leave before approaching Suzy.
“Mister! A shadow’s behind you!”
The moment Suzy called out looking behind Muyoung, he lowered his position and locked Suzy into his armpit.
A shadow spirit had quickly followed him as soon as the steel doll had left.
There was only one way to eliminate a shadow spirit.
Only after letting it possess someone could he reduce their numbers.
Two shadow spirits were stubbornly following behind Muyoung.
They aimed for Muyoung’s feet from the opposite direction the steel doll left towards.
He was soon able to discover a group.
“Don’t come near us! If you do, we will atta…”
They menacingly raised their weapons as soon as they saw Muyoung but Muyoung looked like he didn’t care as he passed by them.
Soon after, the two shadow spirits chasing Muyoung changed their targets.
“It’s a shadow!”
“Gahhh!”
He put the screams behind him and continued onwards, another steel doll approached them from a different direction.
It was difficult to separate themselves suddenly when they had already been registered as two.
Muyoung increased his speed.
Then Suzy let out a sigh as if she had given up.
“They said that you’re not supposed to carelessly touch a lady.”
As soon as Horus entered, he immediately ran towards the top ranked room entrance and checked the condition.
Because of that, the number of people had been reduced by 10 but he didn’t care.
‘I should have done this from the beginning.’
It was possible to check the necessary conditions to move to the next room this way.
It seemed like if they progressed with the premise of sacrificing people, they were able to quickly and more easily enter the next room.
‘I guess I can easily get the first admission bonus.’
A bonus that would let someone obtain another skill.
Any large guild would most likely know this information.
It was the reason why the Sun Guild only allowed Horus to enter.
It was a certain agreement to let everyone get the bonus without overlapping.
‘Anyways, what are Os?’
Although he had confirmed the condition, he didn’t know what the condition was referring to.
Horus randomly looked around at his surroundings and soon found a book with an ‘O’ on a bookshelf.
“Look for wet books on the bookshelves.”
After Horus sent out an order, people started to move.
The strongest person was Horus and he even had the Sun guild’s support.
However, each of their thoughts were different.
To move to the high ranked room, they needed 5 books.
No one believed Horus would take care of everyone.
On the contrary, didn’t he sacrifice people?
Although they decided that it would be safer than moving alone and they couldn’t leave because they didn’t want to step into the unknown, everyone was busy looking out for their own profit.
If they found a book with an ‘O’, they would conceal it and if they found the skill they wanted, they would secretly return to the low ranked room.
Horus greatly punished those people whenever he spotted them.
“Bastards who hide the books after finding them will die. Bastards that run will die.”
He swung his sword.
Roll…
Without a moment of hesitation, a head flew off.
Submission to power!
People were scared.
It was when they had gathered 4 books.
“It’s heavy. My shoulders hurt.”
“Endure it.”
Horus discovered a party of two.
A young girl and a man were running around together.
The most surprising thing was that the young girl groaned while carrying what looked to be about 10 books.
‘What the hell are those two?’
Horus couldn’t help but doubt his eyes.
The steel dolls and shadow spirits were monsters that made even Horus nervous.
There was no way that avoiding monsters while finding books would be an easy task.
But they already had 10 books?
And with only two people?
‘They were probably lucky.’
It didn’t make sense.
Horus was always the best. Although he wasn’t the number 1 candidate for the next guild master, his pure abilities were better than anyone else.
A person like him leading a large number of people could only gather 4 books, so it was impossible for two people to have already gathered 10.
Thud. Thud.
As soon as people gathered, steel dolls appeared.
Horus indicated two people near him.
“You, you. Go.”
“Pardon…?”
“Grab the steel doll’s attention.”
“I, I don’t want to.”
“If you don’t go, you will die by my hands.”
Swoosh!
Horus raised his sword.
Horus had not lied until now. He had already killed 5 people that actually refused his orders.
Eventually, in front of the tyrant’s acts of violence, the two chosen people grudgingly moved.
However, there wasn’t only a single steel doll.
‘Four…!’
Suddenly, 3 stood in their way.
‘Just where?’
He could understand one but the other three came from the same direction.
They were moving together as if it was already prearranged.
It was the first time three moved together.
A desperately dangerous situation.
“It looks like those dolls followed us. But why are they attacking those people?”
A man and a girl briefly watched Horus without care and passed by as if nothing happened.
Horus who had heard the girl’s words couldn’t help but distort his face.
‘That bastard and bitch are the ones who dragged the steel dolls here!’
No wonder, it was weird for three of them to move together.
Now that he looked at it, it seemed that they followed the two here.
Then they spotted Horus’s large group and prepared for combat.
“W, what do we do now?”
“You guys think about that yourselves!”
Horus couldn’t help but be nervous.
The path was blocked and it seemed like the only way to live was to become the last one standing.
Because if he was the only one remaining, the steel dolls would no longer attack.
The only way was to endure until the rest had all died.
It was pitiful but it was the best decision he could make.
‘I will definitely kill those two!’
Horus ground his teeth as he gazed at the direction the man and the girl had disappeared to.
The bonus was only given to one person.
Muyoung completed the condition and was the first to step into the room.
At the same time, another phrase appeared.
Screech!
Screeeeech!
They were only the size of a small child but they were monsters that possessed sharp claws and wings.
Thousands of harpies were roaming around in the air.
The bookshelves were in disarray so there were many places to hide but it was impossible to hide for 24 hours.
However, Muyoung revealed a small smile.
‘It’s a good chance to make flying undead.’
To Muyoung, danger was the same as a chance.
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