Chapter 197: 16th Floor (4)

Chapter 197: 16^th
Floor (4)

The
taste of Idelbert’s stew wasn’t good even as a polite comment, but
at least it filled my stomach.

I
swung my axe, consuming the driving force to endure today.

-Slash!
Chop!

Walking
northward, I cleared the waist-high weeds with my artifact hand axe.

I
knew the portal’s location, but getting there was the challenge.

I
was in a dense jungle environment.

The
lukewarm temperature and humidity naturally caused discomfort, and
the weeds sticking to my sweat-soaked body occasionally cut my skin.

After
increasing my wisdom stat, controlling various types of magic became
easier, so I could overcome the unpleasant temperature by regulating
my body temperature with cold magic.

While
the temperature problem was solved, the waist-high weeds still made
the exploration slow and troublesome.

-Rustle,
rustling.

Moreover,
even without wind, sometimes the bushes would shake and make alien
sounds and when that happens, nine times out of ten.

“Hisssssss!”

A
monster appears.

“It’s
a Twin-headed Cobra! Be careful, it’s a monster with excellent
regeneration and deadly poison!”

Idelbert,
who had somehow climbed up a nearby tree, looked down at me and
informed me of the situation.

Five
twin-headed cobras sprang out from the bushes.

Snakes
with bodies as thick as Balkan’s thigh, each with two heads,
slithered in an S-shape while gradually approaching threateningly.

There
were five bodies on the ground but ten heads, quite a grotesque
visual.

Reflexively
tensing my eyes, a targeting reticle appeared in my vision like a
sniper rifle scope.

-Click!

It
locked onto the left head of a twin-headed cobra.

The
weakness detection magic I learned from Idelbert’s spellbook.

Since
it’s a snake with two heads, cutting off both would naturally kill
it, but knowing which side is particularly vulnerable gives me more
room to maneuver.

“Hup!”

-Swoosh!

Lowering
my body almost to the ground, I spun once while widely swinging the
giant axe Bunny.

All
the surrounding vegetation was torn away, instantly removing any
hiding spots for the twin-headed cobras.

-Slash!

I
felt something slightly harder than vegetation being cut at my
fingertips.

“Hisssssss!”

Luckily,
I cut off one of the twin-headed cobra’s heads. Not the left head but
the right one.

Even
after losing one head and draining blood, it continued to move,
writhing its body while maintaining balance with the left head.

-Bulge.
Bulge.

That
wasn’t the end.

The
severed right head started to slowly regenerate and grow back.

There
was no reason to just watch this.

I
immediately rushed in and swung my axe at the twin-headed cobra with
only one head remaining.

“Hisssssss!”

The
twin-headed cobra tried to dodge it with quick reflexes but.

-Whoosh!

Unfortunately,
my body was faster at adjusting the strike point.

-Slash!

The
artifact hand axe made of relic alloy shattered the cobra’s scale and
cut off its left head.

Leaving
the axe stuck in the ground covered in green venom, I turned my body
and swung the giant axe in my other hand.

-Slash!

The
heads of two twin-headed cobras trying to sink their fangs into my
back were separated from their bodies.

I
looked at the four snake heads that fell to the ground with a thud.

Despite
using the weakness detection magic, I ended up cutting off both heads
simultaneously.

The
twin-headed cobras whose necks were cut simultaneously no longer
regenerated and lay their thick bodies limply on the ground.

-Slither!
Slither!

Seeming
to realize the situation wasn’t easy, the remaining two twin-headed
cobras turned their bodies and began fleeing hastily.

There
was no need to chase them.

-Chomp!

“Hisssssss!”

“Growl!”

Because
a pack of Bone Jaguars passing by at lightning speed pierced and
snatched the twin-headed cobras’ bodies with their bone teeth
attached to their jaws.

-Chomp!
Crunch!

“Hisss…”

The
two twin-headed cobras screamed as they were torn apart by the four
Bone Jaguars.

-Grind.

A
Bone Jaguar tearing off the twin-headed cobra’s head and ripping
apart its flesh looked at me.

-Click.

When
our eyes met, the weakness detection magic’s reticle pointed to the
Bone Jaguar’s bone teeth worn like a helmet and its right front leg.

“What
are you looking at, you bastards?”

“Grrrr-“

When
I took a battle stance pointing my giant axe, the Bone Jaguar pack
growled.

After
hesitating for a moment, they soon bared their sharp teeth at me as
well.

***

“The
16th floor has many monsters.”

-Slash!

After
cutting off the last remaining Bone Jaguar’s windpipe, I asked while
wiping the axe blade covered in mixed red blood and green venom with
leather.

“It’ll
be like this until you reach the 20th floor. There are more types of
monsters in one floor than in previous floors. Especially the 16th
and 17th floors.”

Wyvern.
Twin-headed Cobra. Bone Jaguar.

I
had already encountered three types of monsters in just one day.

I
could definitely feel that the variety of monsters had increased.

While
maintaining my weapons, I reviewed the recent battle.

The
weakness detection magic worked efficiently and I didn’t tire easily
even after casting it.

My
overall form in using magic techniques seemed to have improved.

‘Must
be because I increased my wisdom stat.’

Idelbert,
who had been watching Balkan catch his breath while sitting on the
Bone Jaguar corpse, asked.

“Are
you tired?”

He
would have been, if he were an ordinary explorer.

The
16th floor is a place where ordinary explorers wouldn’t dare enter
alone.

Her
disciple had already fought several battles there alone, without a
mage’s support magic, a priest’s healing, a tank’s protection, or a
swordsman’s follow-up strikes.

He
had to face stronger monsters by investing more concentration,
stamina, and strength in each battle.

The
quality of experience gained was different from when profit-seeking
explorers faced weak monsters in groups.

As
a result, Balkan grew more significantly with each battle.

By
the recent battle, he handled multiple enemies as if accustomed to
fighting alone, and cleanly responded to ambushes as if he had eyes
on his back.

Who
would think this man had been an explorer for less than a year after
seeing that battle?

Idelbert
laughed inwardly.

The
man who declared he would become strong, essentially announcing he
would destroy her virginity, was growing rapidly just as she had in
the past.

“Ha.
No way.”

While
Idelbert was thinking this, Balkan snorted and stood up abruptly.

He
had taken her words as a provocation.

‘What
do you take my stamina for?’

There
was still plenty of energy left.

Just
as he was about to dust off his knees and use his axe to support
himself to stand up to walk towards the portal again.

[Sniff
sniff.]

Bunny,
who had been silent for a while, made a strange sound.

[…I
smell something delicious]

[What?]

[I
smell magi. It’s nearby.]

The
smell of magi? Does that mean there’s a monster possessed by magi
nearby?

Balkan
closed his eyes and broadened his perception range for more precise
detection.

[I
don’t feel anything speci-]

-flesh,
grr, mast…

-Flinch.

He
opened his eyes wide at the voice that suddenly pierced his mind.

Balkan
blankly stared at where he felt the voice coming from.

Then
he noticed the Bone Jaguar corpse lying limp on the ground.

After
clearing away the interfering corpse, he saw the damp mud with cut
weeds above.

-Thud.
Thud thud.

“…Disciple.
What are you doing?”

Idelbert
cast a puzzled look at Balkan who suddenly started hitting the ground
with his axe.

“I
heard a strange voice from down here.”

“A
strange voice? This is just ground…”

Idelbert’s
tail, which had been relaxed as she spoke nonchalantly, suddenly
stood straight.

“…Oh
my.”

Her
consistently composed face stiffened slightly.

Her
gaze also turned to the ground where he had been hitting with his
axe.

“Step
aside for a moment.”

-Slash!

When
Idelbert swung her fist toward the ground, the damp mud and weeds
splattered everywhere with a thunderous sound.

Below
where the mud had burst away, a stone plate with a hole in the shape
of a fist became visible.

“…What
is this?”

“It’s
a relic warehouse.”

“Huhhhk…!”

Balkan
hastily swallowed his breath.

He
first checked if anyone nearby had heard. No one was there.

Finding
a relic warehouse felt like winning the lottery.

Despite
spending quite a long time in the Labyrinth, he had never found a
relic warehouse, the highlight of the Labyrinth where you could
definitely obtain relics.

Finding
the entrance to a relic warehouse depends purely on individual luck.

Moreover,
they say most relic warehouses in the upper floors have been cleared
and disappeared.

Despite
his pounding heart, he swallowed and calmed his breathing.

Let’s
think calmly.

‘I
don’t know the detailed contents about relic warehouses.’

They
say certain relic warehouses have rules that only apply there.

His
steps hesitated slightly as he was about to enter without any
knowledge of such things.

Moreover,
the strange voice from earlier, whether human or monster, also
worried him.

[Are
you sure the smell of magi is coming from here?]

[Certainly.
Hey! Don’t underestimate my sense of smell.]

Bunny’s
claim about sensing magi couldn’t be ignored either.

Just
as he was wondering if he should enter now.

-Slash!

Turning
his eyes at the sound of something breaking, he saw Idelbert, who had
swung her fist again to widen the passage, entering without
hesitation and beckoning to Balkan.

“Follow
me, disciple.”

Balkan
nodded.

Come
to think of it, there was no need to worry.

Master,
who is more reliable than anyone in terms of pure strength, is by my
side.

Honestly,
if not now, when would I ever get to enter?

Even
the cheapest relics cost dozens of gold coins…

-Gulp.

His
mouth watered completely.