Chapter 124 – 18th Floor. One-Two

The center of the 17th floor had become a complete mess.

The two knights left behind stared at each other blankly before poking their heads into the huge hole to look down.

“They’re gone…”

“Hmm…”

Through the seemingly endless hole, they could see ledges that appeared to be the floors of several levels, and down the center were the rapidly falling giant monster and aaaa, or Shin Yuhyun—a name they didn’t yet know—following behind.

“So what should we do now…”

Albert, the seasoned knight who had become like a duck’s egg floating in Nakdong River, needlessly scratched the back of his helmet, while Blue Tongue rolled her eyes, looking around.

Then, as if suddenly reaching a realization, her gaze turned to what had originally brought the monster here.

The giant crystal pillar.

Inside the pillar, which had barely cracked despite the spear thrust intended to break it, one being clearly made its presence known.

A wraith in the form of a witch.

She was a figure of fear to Albert, who had been a criminal in the underground sewers, and a nighttime companion of interest to Blue Tongue.

Severa was in the process of becoming one with countless souls inside the crystal pillar.

Given a little time, she might truly become a vessel for all million souls—such was the incredible speed!

But as if unwilling to wait, undead who hungered for souls since they lacked their own began to emerge from among the debris.

“It seems we have work to do, old human.”

“So many labors in my twilight years!”

“You certainly do look like you’re about to die soon.”

“…”

Albert and Blue Tongue, sensing what they needed to do, raised their weapons without hesitation.

With a huge impact sound, the silver flash became a line rushing toward the undead.

The pleasant floating sensation as wind brushed past my cheeks.

Despite my feet hanging in empty air, I felt a thrill and a cerebral burning exhilaration that made my already light mouth corners rise even more sharply.

“YOU!!!”

“Haha! I can hear you without shouting!”

Levand and the corpse mass falling past the 18th floor to the 19th, then the 20th—the end of the gallery.

I gave the middle finger to Levand, who glared at me with bloodshot eyes as if he would kill me.

Though I don’t know what this gesture means, he seemed to understand it was insulting, as his eyes rolled back in rage—quite amusing.

‘Now I understand why he called for a short battle.’

I reach into the mimic and pull out bombs and explosion-type potions without restraint. It’s a bit regrettable, but they were close to junk that just took up space with no use for a while, so there was no reason to hesitate.

Levand’s face, which had been forming hand signs as if trying to do something, changed again to a watchable expression as dozens of bombs poured out from the mimic’s mouth.

“Hnngg…!”

“Why so angry? It’s just a minor prank!”

Levand deployed magic to counter the bombs.

While mocking him, I didn’t stop observing his falling form.

The lower body of the corpse mass.

Something strange and hard to describe was attached to its already hideous legs.

Something that hadn’t been there when I had briefly seen the lower body before.

And I knew what it was.

‘Mushrooms.’

The structure of the 18th floor wasn’t much different from the 16th or 17th.

Only the theme differed—glass boxes displaying specimens with mushrooms growing on them, extending in rows like the exhibition halls of the 16th floor or the glass cases with torso statues on the 17th.

Inside those glass boxes, taxidermied specimens covered in mushrooms were twitching and moving.

The identity of what had come along when Levand crossed over to the Infinite Gallery of Knowledge, as known from the flavor text.

It was mushrooms.

Kwaaaaaaaang—!!!

The corpse mass plunged headfirst into the 20th floor, making a huge noise and falling silent in the darkness.

Woooooooooooooooooooong———

Along with a noise like a massive machine activating, shaking the entire Infinite Gallery of Knowledge, a hot wave of air whooshed up from beyond the pitch-black darkness, brushing past my body.

Though brief, I quickly propelled myself out of range before the next heat wave could come, feeling as if my entire body would be roasted by the tremendous heat.

“Damn, that’s hot…! But he probably can’t escape while busy blocking the bombs.”

Normally, enemies that fall all the way to the boss room die instantly.

Actually, rather than instant death, they become incapacitated for combat, but in the sense that they no longer pose a threat, it amounts to the same thing.

‘Whether from fall damage or killed by the boss, the reason is the same here.’

In the Infinite Gallery of Knowledge, there’s nothing that could be called a boss fight.

Instead, or perhaps as a replacement, what exists where the boss room would be is a ‘Furnace.’

“One Necromancer Levand roast coming up!”

Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!!!!!!

Flash. Explosion. Extreme heat.

I was helplessly blown away by the aftermath, as if the sun had been moved to this place, scraping along the 18th floor and smashing all the glass exhibition cases.

Crash—!

I gritted my teeth against the stinging pain as glass fragments scattered everywhere, refracting light to create a dreamy scene, though I couldn’t appreciate it due to being randomly cut by glass and feeling the pain of fragments embedding themselves in various places.

“ARRRRGHHH!!!”

Actually, I couldn’t grit my teeth, but what could I do?

Anyone would scream like a little girl if glass shards got between their finger joints and under their nails.

As I shed tears from such pain that couldn’t be shared with anyone, the column of flame that had been illuminating the entire Infinite Gallery of Knowledge subsided with a large sizzling sound from below, spreading the disgusting smell of rotting meat burning.

“Whoof..!”

I exhaled the hot air that had filled my lungs.

The somewhat moist breath evaporated in the heat, mixing and entangling with the toxic air of melted glass and fungi.

===========================================

Name: aaaa

Level: 22

Health: 232/353 ■■■■■■■​□□□

Magic: 84/139 ■■■■■■□​□□□

Hunger: 83/130 ■■■■■■■■​□□|□□□

Thirst: 61/130 ■■■■■■□□□□​|□□​□​

Temperature: ◁■■■■■■■​■□□▶

Strength 15(+4) | Dexterity 15(+3) | Constitution 15(+3)

Mental 08(+5) | Perception 09(+3) | Charm 17(+4)

Status: Poisoned(99t), Bleeding(49t), Burned(49t), Tinnitus(10t), Stunned(3t), Superior Flight(36t)

《Skills》

『Warrior’s Courage』『Thief’s Luck』『Vanguard’s Momentum』『Battle Command』『Elite』『Hero III』

《Blessings》

『Mental Barrier』『Magical Nature』

《Magic》

『Onahole Creation』​

===========================================

‘My status is absolutely fucked.’

It seems the air on the 18th floor remained bad even after being disinfected with fire, as just one breath gave me poison with an enormous duration, bleeding from glass fragments embedded all over my body, burns from the heat, and more.

Additionally, tinnitus filling my ears like I’d been hit directly by a flash grenade, and a fuzzy feeling tormented me.

‘Fortunately, I didn’t get fractures or organ damage. Lucky me.’

I’m not sure if I can call it fortunate when I’m seventy, no, one hundred percent full of injuries, but at least I can stand, so it’s fine.

“Haaa..! This won’t have killed him…!”

I looked at the hole creating heat haze as I squeezed my dusty lungs.

There, as if confirming my prediction, something completely burned to a charcoal lump appeared, riding an even larger mountain of charcoal.

Crack, crack crack—

As the cracked black surface broke off like a shattered mask, revealing hate-filled eyes beneath.

Severa must not have collected all the souls yet, as Levand’s immortality was still functioning.

“What now? Your ride is no longer usable.”

“It was a minion that stayed by my side for 150 years… and you’ve taken it away again. Please do not hope for forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness? What did I do wrong?”

But what I had aimed for was getting rid of that annoying giant zombie.

It was a worthwhile exchange for four superior scrolls and dozens of bombs.

“You say you’re hungry after disposing of your car? Compensate for all this.”

“With that open mouth…!”

I looked around.

Completely ruined exhibition cases. Broken and melted glass. Mushrooms burning black and emitting toxic smoke. Taxidermy and fossils shattered by shock waves and heat.

“Do you really know about the lower floors?”

“I have no interest in the realm where that cursed thing has settled. Besides, what I want is up there.”

“Really? From now on, you’ll hate your past self.”

Making an expression that asked what I was talking about, Levand watched as I pulled out a potion I had picked up on the 16th floor.

With a splashing sound, the green liquid in the glass vial shook.

“18th floor. The mushrooms existing in this area are diverse, but they’re actually one colony.”

I tilted the vial slightly.

Splash—

Following the principle of gravity, the potion that fell to the floor moistened the corrosive soil made of rotten mushrooms piled up and decomposed.

“What are you suddenly…”

“They’ll grow anytime if there’s nutrients.”

So in line with the concept of absorbing nutrients, if you throw away food or rations on the 18th floor, mushrooms grow in that spot and become enemies after a short time.

“And the entity that takes leadership of the colony is the one that absorbs the most nutrients.”

Squelch, squish.

Levand’s face finally changed to one of horror, but it was already too late.

“What I just poured on the floor is elixir. The ones that have been eating each other for dozens of years probably don’t have much nutrients. Then one elixir should be enough to summon an individual that takes leadership, right?”

Of course, my rambling was close to conjecture.

But the method of throwing elixirs or several high-quality potions on the floor was indeed the way to summon the mini-boss of the 18th floor, the Clump Lord.

Crack—

A mushroom rapidly rising from the floor begins to take on a human form.

Though it looks like it would collapse with just one sword swing, Levand seemed to sense its power, as his expression rotted.

“Kill each other.”