Chapter 184. Skill Synthesis (3)

From what I’ve seen in the dungeon so far, the dungeon was designed for party play. The width of the passageway and the number of monsters that appeared together were the biggest examples. There was no consideration for explorers climbing the dungeon alone.

However, the traps and rewards were also party-based, meaning that solo explorers had more to gain. Traps were more dangerous when a large number of people tried to cross them. There were traps that activated when a certain number of people stepped over an area. For example, there were traps that caused the ground to collapse or traps that rained down arrows. For ordinary explorers in parties, it became even more difficult to dodge these traps as others would panic. Of course, for me, it was hard to say whether these traps could even deal 1 HP worth of damage.

In any case, parties were weak to traps! It was quite cliché for trap experts to die because their party members got in their way!

I had a lot to say about traps, but I had even more to say about rewards. The most common situation explorers would face while climbing ordinary dungeon floors was deciding who the reward from named monsters would go to.

There were also conflicts as to who would rest, who would get the few high-grade herbs and materials, and who would get the extremely rare Epic-grade items dropped by bugged monsters.

The 56th floor was filled with mimics. Just like their name suggested, they mimicked weapons, treasure chests, wardrobes and the like to trick explorers. They devoured unsuspecting explorers that touched them or simply just passed by. Because of their outstanding disguise, it was extremely difficult to tell them apart, and even if one did, they were quite strong so it was hard to face them.

As such, the best way to deal with them was to identify them and quickly attack them while they were still thinking about how to eat you. Of course, this was easier said than done. Fortunately, as everything on the 56th floor were mimics, it was quite easy. If I was suspicious, I just had to stab my spear through it.

If I was in a party, someone might have gotten caught off guard, but there was no problem for a solo explorer like me. I almost didn’t even need a Magic Detector.

“Damn, but even I can’t help it sometimes…”

After I killed a named monster, I instinctively reached out to grab the fancy sword that replaced it. The sword then opened its mouth and bit down on my gauntlet. It was only then that I realized the mistake I made and burnt it with my lightning.

These mimics provoked people’s instincts. People instinctively grabbed treasures, dodged traps, opened doors, opened boxes, climbed stairs, went into holes… Kuhum!

“What’s making me grab things when the Magic Detector is ringing?”

I despaired at my patience. Initially, I was going slow, being wary of any traps, but I decided to change my method. I left Sharana to destroy any traps and charged forward on Ruyue. With that, I escaped from my desires. I was going so fast that I couldn’t see anything!

Suddenly, a stone decoration popped out in our path. Thinking that it was a mimic, I swung my spear to cut it, but the stone decoration grabbed my spear and put a stop to our charge.

[Guaaaaaaa!]

“Ah, it’s a golem!”

Mimics had excellent disguising ability, but poor durability. Golems, on the other hand, were magical creatures made out of stone or steel, and were naturally tough. Of course, toughness was rather subjective. I clicked my tongue and burnt the golem with chaos flames.

[Kuaaaaaa!]

“Sorry, but both mimics and golems are weak as hell…”

‘What if the entire passageway was a mimic? Would it even hurt me if it devoured me?’ The moment I thought that, the Magic Detector vibrated and the passageway began to narrow. So there really was a mimic like that!? Wait, I paid 150,000 gold for this thing, but it noticed even later than me! Loretta cheated me!

“Peika!”

[Do I burn it?]

Peika immediately shot powerful bolts of lightning left, right, up, and below. When they crashed with the walls that were closing in, a loud boom rang out. The mimic was dead. Before its body scattered into particles, Ruyue accelerated and got out of the passageway.

Immediately afterwards, however, a mouth opened up on the floor to devour Ruyue and me. I raised my spear and struck down on the ground. As the Magic Detector continued to ring, I didn’t know exactly where the mimics and golems were. To put it bluntly, it was useless.

In the end, I acknowledged that it wasn’t the best idea to charge forward on Ruyue. I drank a Mana Potion and decided to take a special measure. I dematerialized Ruyue and flew up by using Sharana’s power. I didn’t want to resort to this method because of its large mana consumption, but there was no other choice. Since I couldn’t trust the floor or the ceiling, I could only trust the air!

Even after that, I faced golems pretending to be walls, treasure chests that smacked their mouths, mimics that disguised themselves as the ceiling, which then got out of the way, revealing traps then rained down arrows. Of course, these arrows were also mimics in disguise. In the end, it took me 3 hours to break through the 56th floor. It was quite slow compared to my recent times.

[You became level 57! You obtained the qualification to challenge Beyond’s 6th floor.]

[You obtained 5 bonus stats.]

“Oh, you broke through the 56th floor in just 3 hours! How amazing! … But why are you so out of breath, Shin-nim?”

“First… Huk… Huk…”

I glared at Loretta and demanded.

“I want a refund.”

Loretta didn’t refund the 150,000 gold at all. She instead said she would give me a Queen Elf’s Blessing and tried to kiss me. I of course blocked it with one hand and jumped into Beyond’s 6th floor.

Beyond’s 1st through 5th floors had the First Dungeon’s Orc Lord and Wraith Queen, the 5th and 10th Floor Master respectively. I suspected that Beyond’s 6th floor would have the 15th Floor Master, Dark Ratmen, and my suspicion was spot on. The moment I entered the first hallway, I faced dozens of Dark Ratmen glaring at me.

To be honest, I was reluctant to fight the Dark Ratmen. I had been killed once by a Dark Ratman, and they also used the extremely cheaty Dark Thunder Explosion skill. I still vividly remembered being hit by Dark Thunder Explosion. Now, they appeared in groups!

[Gigigigi!]

[Human meat! Human meat is here!]

[It’s time for a lightning festival!]

Seeing the Dark Ratmen flickering with black lightning, I swallowed my saliva. If they got me, that would be it. With that, I prepared myself to use Divine Speed. If I used Dragon Skin, Diehard, and Divine Speed well, it was probably possible to break through the 6th floor within a few days.

“Alright, let’s… go!”

[Gigigigi! Dark Thunder Explosion!]

They used Dark Thunder Explosion at the same time. I didn’t even think to avoid their attacks. I first summoned Peika and gave her ample mana. I then formed chaos flames and prepared myself to combat any lightning that flew toward me. At the same time, I prepared myself to use Dragon Skin if I received too much damage. After I was done with all the preparation, I charged toward them.

… And in 5 hours, I safely broke through the 6th floor.

“Shin-nim!? You died, right? You must have died, right!?”

“Don’t say ‘die’! Say that my vitality hit zero! Plus, if my vitality hit zero, I wouldn’t have returned to the Floor Shop!”

I was still dumbfounded, but… the Dark Ratmen in Beyond’s 6th floor didn’t hurt at all!

Originally, Dark Ratmen’s strong points were their speed, strength, and their powerful skill, Dark Thunder Explosion. Even though the Dark Ratmen on Beyond’s 6th floor was stronger than the one I faced on the dungeon’s 15th floor, they were still slower than me and had paper-like bodies. They died like flies every time I swung my spear clad with chaos flames. Even when they used Dark Thunder Explosion, my absurd lightning resistance easily shook it off. In fact, Peika became ecstatic and absorbed the lightning. Rather than calling it Beyond’s 6th floor, it was better to call it a power plant for Peika.

I didn’t have to worry about the Dark Ratmen’s attacks at all, and Peika destroyed all the traps with all the lightning she absorbed. It was the first time I simply marched through a Beyond floor.

“Elemental-nim is strangely shiny… Shin-nim?”

“Loretta’s imagination shocks me from time to time, but she only filled her belly with lightning!”

After that, I spent a few days clearing the First Dungeon’s 57th floor, Beyond’s 7th floor, First Dungeon’s 58th floor, and Beyond’s 8th floor. Beyond’s 7th floor had Lizard Knights. As their main method of attack was striking the ground with their spears while they were Dragon Skinned, I simply flew up and charged past them. Unlike in Floor Master battles, I didn’t have to kill all the monsters in Beyond.

The Orc Lords were scary because Warcry affected other Orc Lords and lasted indefinitely with their low cooldown. On the other hand, the Lizard Knights’ Dragon Skin did not affect other Lizard Knights and had long cooldown time. If needed, I just had to wait out Dragon Skin’s duration and kill them off one by one.

Beyond’s 8th floor was even easier. When Lizard Knights used their ground-based attacks, they damaged Dark Ratmen, and when Dark Ratmen attacked, I was fine but the Lizard Knights went epileptic. While they inadvertently fought each other like idiots, I leisurely took care of them one by one.

Climbing the dungeon couldn’t have been easier. If things continued like this, it was entirely possible to conquer the dungeon in 2 years! I became intoxicated in this feeling. I was getting stronger by the day and climbing the dungeon was extremely smooth. Even if I tried to stay humble, I couldn’t help but feel that I could do anything.

[Crown Prince… Please, help me.]

Until one day, I got a message from a friend.

Author’s note:

Toika’s main skill is skipping through all the uninteresting parts! Dududududu!

You waited long enough! Here’s the result of ICDS’s first popularity contest!

1. Everyone’s favorite character?

1st – Everyone’s heroine, Loretta! This is the power of the Cult of Loretta! (122 votes)

2nd – I’m the main character! Kang Shin! Don’t look at the vote difference! (47 votes)

3rd – The main character’s perfect (idiot) duo, self-proclaimed strongest on Earth, Kang Yungoong! (23 votes)

4th – The world’s greatest younger sister! The number 2 heroine, only after Loretta! Made of 99% imagination and 1% love, Kang Yua! (17 votes)

5th – The veiled lightning elemental. For her master Kang Shin, she is infused in his weapon once again! Peika! (16 votes)

6th – The one the author likes! She barely kept her honor! Hwaya Mastiford! (14 votes)

7th – Wait, there are two heroines left, why are you…!? The tsundere blacksmith, the draconian, Lin! (4 votes)

Also, Orc Lord, Ye-Eun, Reaper, Ruyue, Ren, Loro, France’s ranker (Laz Michel), Peruta, the motion-sickness elemental, Ciara, Sumire, succubus, Pepper, mermaid, message noona, etc got less than 4 votes. I (the author) also got 1 vote, thank you! (Someone’s missing, who could it be? I just cry… T.T)

2. Everyone’s favorite heroine?

1st – The person who caused the readers to create the new religion, ‘Cult of Loretta’! The forever-17 elf, Loretta! (200 votes)

2nd – I didn’t think that there would be such a wide margin, but at least she has more hope than the others! Earth’s strongest heroine, Hwaya! (34 votes)

3rd – Is this where she resolves her grudge of not being on the first vote!? The unfortunate heroine, Ludia! (20 votes)

4th – Sorry, Ye-Eun, it’s my fault!! Su Ye-Eun! (18 votes)

Also, people voted for Yua, and some even voted for Shin’s father!!

3. Harem vs pure-love, the winner is…!?

Harem (137 votes) vs Pure-love (128 votes)

Yep, it was super close, just 9 votes. Still, harem wins! This only makes the author’s head hurt. No matter what I do, I’ll get cursed… aaah! In that case, do I go for the virgin-route that got 7 votes!? No, but isn’t the virgin-route too cruel!?

That’s it for ICDS’s first popularity contest. I’ll keep the result in mind for the future. All it did was tell me how great Loretta is… (distant look)

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