episode_0062

An entrance to a building that had been closed for a long time.

There, Rohan’s kick ──Koo-ung! It struck like a battering ram.

The rusted hinges broke, exposing the interior.

Inside the building, the lights were dead and the only light was sunlight streaming through the windows.

Thorny vines litter the floor and walls like unkempt electrical wires.

However, it is different from the monsters we have encountered so far. It is quiet and does not attack even when it is within a close enough range to be recognized.

Zion looked at the picture with a question in his mind.

“Are they vines that can’t parasitize on things?”

“Well, maybe it’s already parasitic.”

Rohan used his memory to quickly find the part that would serve as a clue.

He pointed to a poster on the wall as if he was looking at it.

That which has been done as it should be done. Only the letters that will hint at what will happen in the future remain as if by miracle.

The central management system we are talking about here is on a different level of technology than the equipment Rohan remembers from his previous life.

The ultimate system that doesn’t just detect problems and abnormalities and contact the administrator.

The central management system here aims to make the entire building unmanned and capable of handling problems on its own.

“If that’s the case… That would be the worst case scenario.”

“Haaa···.”

Even though Zion and Clara didn’t know much about the facility, they felt something from the word itself, so they raised their heads and checked the tall building.

Because this building itself might just be a giant monster.

““···.””

From the moment you think about it, it’s hard to shake off the feeling that you’ve voluntarily walked into the mouth of a monster.

Rohan also felt the atmosphere of those girls who had changed so much.

“Clara. Zion.”

“Huh···?”

“Don’t worry too much. I’ll get it back to you somehow.”

“···.”

A strange sense of stability that is too good to be dismissed as mere bluff.

I have a vague feeling that Rohan will do something about it, and my heart feels light.

“The only proper light inside is the sun, so if possible, I’ll move toward the window. When searching areas where light is hard to get in, I’ll use the flashlight on my phone.”

At that time, I was planning to borrow Clara’s smartphone, which had relatively ample battery life.

Clara nodded, saying that it was okay, and Rohan readied his dagger with a signal to depart.

Enter the building from the very front.

widely!

Rohan put his foot inside.

Kirik! The security camera at the end of the hallway moved with a rusty sound. As expected, they recognized the intruder the moment they entered.

The thorny vines that were lying there swayed and then lunged like a snake with its mouth wide open.

“Tsk···!”

Lohan, who clicked his tongue, lowered his center and swung the dagger that was dyed red like a scorching hot blade.

Zion and Clara also quickly cut down the vines rushing in from various directions.

Bam! Crunch!

Thick thorny vines swing like blind blades.

This vine wouldn’t even cut unless you applied enough force. It was tough and hard.

[+3P]

[+3P]

[+3P]

··

··

‘I only cut the vines, but each one is worth 3 points. As expected, they’re on a different level.’

Rohan frowned at the thorny vines that made him spurt blood the moment they brushed past.

The problem isn’t that it’s the first wound you get in the dungeon.

In fact, it’s funny to even call this a wound.

The real problem was that the thorns of the vines were tearing through the sturdy Academy uniform while also tearing and cutting through the magically reinforced skin.

‘I definitely need to be on my toes from now on.’

Each of these vines is sharper and more dangerous than any sword.

Crisp! Get it!

Focus on ignoring the points accumulating.

How many times did he swing the dagger that was dyed red with heat? As the number of vines that filled the hallway began to decrease, his vision became clearer.

Rohan opened his mouth, moving his arms while keeping his gaze fixed forward.

“Zion.”

“Speak. I am listening.”

It’s not something that’s specifically mentioned in the game, but I have a vague guess that the security camera that moved when you first entered might be the monster’s field of view.

It is possible to process all the vines like this.

However, this method was worth trying for the future.

“Hey, take care of the camera at the end of the hallway.”

Bam! Bang!

As soon as Rohan finished speaking, a gunshot rang out.

“!”

And then came a reaction beyond expectations. The thornbush twitched and then stopped.

Rohan dug deep without hesitation and swung his heated dagger with a great swing.

Zion and Clara also quickly killed the vines that came into their sight.

“Ugh!”

Cut off the last stem that is standing upright like an angry snake.

Bang! A wet sound. Thick thorns rolled across the floor.

[+3P]

A clear signal. Only then did Rohan let out his breath.

“Hoo!”

“Oh, brother! Blood···!

Rohan responded lightly to Clara’s flustered voice and cut off the magical power flowing into the dagger.

“It’s just a scratch, so it’s okay. Anyway, it’s sharp, so both of you be careful.”

““···.””

Rohan turned his head away from the two silent people with complicated expressions and looked at the end of the hallway.

“I was just wondering if the camera had a field of view. Fortunately, it worked.”

“That was a good insight.”

“I want to set it on fire, but I don’t think normal fire will work on plants.”

“Yeah···! It was so hard···!”

Plus, these guys will activate the fire extinguishing system inside the building.

The building itself is already a huge plant, making it difficult to bring it down.

Even though I was thinking about how to eat raw, I was forced to choose the honest path when my ultimate goal was to find the monolith.

“Let’s leave the basement for now. Let’s go up together.”

“No objection. It would be suicidal to search separately.”

Rohan moved briskly. Clara nodded to Zion’s words and followed him.

Rohan and his party didn’t even glance at the elevator they passed by.

It won’t work in the first place, and even if it did, using it here would be crazy.

First, I opened the emergency exit slightly, but it was a place with no light.

Because it was narrow and full of thorns that were suffocating, Rohan and his party chose the wide stairs in the center.

‘It’ll take some time to get to the 35th floor.’

Only Rohan knows that fact.

This building has 40 floors including 5 underground floors. The leader is located on the top floor, 35th floor. He also holds the Monolith.

··

··

As we climbed the stairs, thorns poured down.

There were some parts of the battle that were easy because Zion used his pistol to destroy the security cameras as soon as they appeared.

In places where plants were so dense that they obstructed the view, the battle had to be continued forcibly.

Zion and Clara were still unscathed, but Rohan’s wounds were increasing one by one.

There was bleeding in the status window and the girls were looking at him with concern. Rohan drank a 100 point health potion and bought another one.

Time passed quickly as the battle continued inside the building.

I looked at the timer and it was already 50 hours.

We filled our bellies with combat rations and took turns napping in a corner of the 20th floor.

59th hour.

It starts taking longer and longer to climb the floors.

It wasn’t that there was a problem with Rohan’s party. The thorn vines were becoming more aggressive and were starting to show signs of trying to counter Zion’s guns.

Despite such a struggle, Zion’s bullets pierced the camera without fail whenever they found a gap.

62 hours have passed.

The building, which had lost its eye that had been observing the intruder, sent its other eye as if in anger.

This time, it was different from the security cameras.

Clank! Clank!

A heavy, mechanical sound that makes you feel its weight.

The robots recognized the three who had entered the 30th floor and stood up from their seats.

“I guess it’s a security robot installed inside.”

It’s a parasitic monster that I’ve seen many times outside, but it’s the first time I’ve seen it inside a building.

This was also a signal that we would now meet a real enemy.

─ Chi, chi, chi, intruder… born?

─ Do you need any information? I’m giving directions… Ip, Ip, here.

Of course, none of the robots are completely normal. Their heads spin around dizzily with displays and their voices are filled with horrible noises.

It feels completely ruined with thorny vines growing inside.

Rohan dyed his dagger red and reminded the two of them.

“Did you notice that those thorny vines were tougher than the ones you saw outside?”

“Yeah···!”

“The feeling was boring. Then, the monster itself is likely to have high durability.”

It is as Zion guessed.

The species of monster that the thorn vine parasitizes is the same as the monster seen from the outside.

However, to explain the difference easily, it is easy to understand that among the Parasitic Ivy, those are elite or named.

An entity with superior health and attack power, even if its level is the same.

They are stronger than regular monsters, but weaker than the leader.

“Let’s deal with those before more come from the other side.”

“Good.”

“Okay···!”

There is no need to say any more.

The two girls moved in their own directions, and Rohan ran forward.

─ Three, Sentry···! Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning··· start.

The display that had been spinning around with a strange sound became fixed.

Then the robot’s arm is assembled into a gun.

Even before it took full form, Rohan guessed what kind of weapon it was.

‘Minigun?’

With Rohan’s magic power, something like a pistol could probably be neutralized within a few seconds.

But that’s different.

Knock knock knock knock──!

Rohan increased his running speed and quickly closed the distance.

A wave of thorns pours out from the robot’s body, as if to block its approach.

Rohan knows he must break through, though.

He threw himself onto the ground, kicking his body while covering his face with both arms.

──Kuung! The tiles on the floor shattered and Rohan’s body shot out like an arrow. He passed through before the thorny vines could gather and fill the gap.

When I got in front of the robot’s nose, my whole body was torn and blood was flowing out.

Seeing that the minigun assembly was just finished, Rohan reached out and grabbed the robot.

‘Granting weakness.’

[ Grants the target a physical attribute weakness. ]