Chapter 200: 16th Floor (7)

Chapter 200: 16^th
Floor (7)

With
a sharp startup sound, a massive axe containing radiant light was
swung violently.

-Pak!

“Kieeeeek!!”

As
the light axe struck down on that grotesque hand protruding from the
boss room doorway, the relic warehouse shook with a terrible scream.

As
I tried to maintain balance on the ground that shook as if an
earthquake had struck, three additional hands similar to the one I
had just struck down extended out.

These
hands were both similar and different from each other. They only
shared the commonality of being hands, but their appearances were
completely different.

One
hand was full of calluses like a trained human’s, while another was
sharp like a wyvern’s leg. There was also a hand with skin as hard as
a golem’s.

Though
an eerie and spine-chilling sensation rose up, there was no time to
pay attention to it.

Unlike
the first hand that had targeted the red-haired full plate armor
woman, the three hands that emerged afterward stretched out targeting
me.

-Pueok!

I
kicked the full plate armor woman away from the door, and swung the
axe again as calmly as possible.

-Seogek!

Lifting
the massive axe upward, I cut off one hand that had extended right up
to my nose. Though it was a human hand, the blood was black.

-Kaang!

With
the artifact hand axe in my opposite hand, I shattered and deflected
the hand made of wyvern scales.

Just
as I was about to deal with the third and final hand.

-Kudeudeuk!!

The
remaining golem hand grabbed my wrist.

I
ended up dropping the artifact hand axe due to the unexpected grip
strength.

-Huuung!

With
the sound of wind, my field of vision changed instantly.

The
massive stone slab door of the boss room that had been quite far away
just moments ago was now right in front of my nose.

The
golem’s hand had pulled my arm with tremendous grip strength.

A
grip strength strong enough to lift and pull a body full of muscles
into the air.

-Kuung!

“Keuph…!”

Though
an impact like ramming full force into the boss room door struck my
left arm and leg, there was no time to writhe in pain.

As
I engaged in a test of strength, planting my feet against the door to
avoid being dragged into the boss room, I could roughly gauge the
opponent’s capabilities.

‘Strength
is equal. Agility is just slightly lacking.’

Unfortunately,
on my part.

It
had been a while since I’d encountered someone who could match me in
pure physical ability.

-Tteud-
Tteudeuk-

The
muscles around my shoulder screamed due to the monster’s hand that
kept pulling my arm like in a tug of war.

-Ttudeudeuk!

“Kieeeeek!”

But
it seemed the one inside the boss room wasn’t much different.

As
much as it was pulling me, I was also pouring all my grip strength
into trying to tear off the monster’s arm.

The
creature’s scream that spread through the relic warehouse once again
caused an earthquake.

It
was an opportunity. I immediately raised holy light in my hand.

-Kiiiiiing!

As
the dazzling divine power that began to spread in all directions with
a sharp startup sound settled in my hand.

“Kieeeeeeeek!!”

The
monster inside the boss room howled much louder than before. The
demonic energy attached around its hand began to writhe and suffer.

-Ttudududududuk!

Simultaneously,
the sound of something being completely torn off was heard. I felt
it. Like pulling in a great catch at the seaside.

I
immediately swung my arm upward.

-Chwaaaaaaak!

With
the sound of something pouring down, my body that had been planted
against the boss room door fell backward due to the rebound.

As
I fell, I saw the great catch I had pulled up along with spraying
streams of blood in the air.

It
was a massive arm clumped with demonic energy.

While
it was one arm in the broad sense, it was also four arms at the same
time.

Arms
of monsters and humans that had branched out, no, had become attached
like branches around a central arm as large as a wyvern’s wing.

At
that moment, I could understand why the red-haired woman in full
plate armor had continued to retch while recalling what had happened
in the boss room.

It
wasn’t guilt or the pain of losing her party. It was purely that her
stomach couldn’t handle it.

‘Anyone
would be like that seeing something like this.’

This
wasn’t something humans could bear to see. It was unspeakably
disgusting and horrific.

Perhaps
because I had witnessed such a horrific monstrosity, I let my guard
down for a moment.

Immediately,
I felt a grip strength grabbing my right ankle.

Looking
down, an arm identical to the one I had just torn off was grabbing my
ankle.

Right.
Since I tore off one arm. There would be another pai-

-Kuuuung!

The
thought didn’t complete.

The
arm that immediately pulled me into the boss room threw me against
the boss room wall.

-Kwang!

“Keheuk…!”

As
my back hit the wall, I let out an empty breath.

It
felt like all the air in my body was being expelled.

Perhaps
because the impact transferred to my head as well, everything looked
red.

Through
my reddened and blurred vision, I could see the scene of the boss
room.

The
boss room was smaller than the central area of the relic warehouse
where I had just been.

It
felt like an empty warehouse.

There
were no objects or structures to hide behind, and only the being
proudly revealing itself there caught my eye.

My
eyes instinctively narrowed.

If
I had to summarize my impression upon facing that being in one word,
it would be disgusting.

A
grotesque life form large enough to have a good match with a wyvern.

A
body that writhed like black slime, constantly changing its form
moment by moment.

Traces
of monsters and humans scattered above it.

They
were wyvern scales, bone fragments of what seemed to be a jaguar, and
pieces of someone’s unknown skin.

An
appearance like a chimera made by combining all sorts of monsters and
humans.

“Sa,
greu, ju, se…”

A
broken voice was heard from what appeared to be human lips around the
chimera’s mouth.

Those
lips seemed oddly familiar.

The
magician who had been a member of the red-haired full plate armor
woman’s party seemed to have had such lips.

From
those lips attached to the chimera came words like radio static that
the magician might have shouted before dying.

Perhaps
the voice I had heard above the relic warehouse was this voice.

“Kieeeeek!”

A
harsh cry of a completely different voice was spewed from the
monster’s mouth next to those lips.

-Buluk.
Buluk.

The
left arm I had torn off earlier began to slowly recover, creating
black bubbles. Though the speed was slow, did it even have
regenerative abilities? Crazy bastard.

Before
I could even let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity, I saw the right
arm that had thrown me here coming at me again.

It
was not one tightly clenched fist filled with killing intent, but
simultaneously four.

The
other arms attached throughout – the wyvern’s claws and golem’s fists
– also flew at me with tightly clenched fists.

Sticky
demonic energy rippled at the end of the fists.

The
demonic energy, which had become even fiercer after being illuminated
by the holy blessing, seemed determined to put all its effort into
annihilating the target before it.

‘Can’t
dodge it.’

I
could instinctively be certain. No matter what I did now, I couldn’t
dodge this attack.

Did
I have to dodge it?

No.
I shook my head at the thought that suddenly occurred to me.

I
had already gotten the hint. I could endure without dodging.

The
only question was whether I could do it.

Whether
I could replicate that technique Idelbert had demonstrated.

‘I
have to.’

I
must. If I fail, I’ll be crushed by those fists and turned into a
rag.

With
trembling hands, I reached into my pocket and took out the small
grain that was sitting there.

A
blue grain shaped like a pea.

It
was the one-time potion that was supposed to amplify the mana within
the body, which I had received after saving Fusilini and Aldente.

-Crunch!

As
I chewed and swallowed it, my eyes immediately widened.

But
it didn’t stop there.

[Blessing
of the Time of Judgment]

–
Once a day, take the time of judgment.

–
Activates unconsciously when unrecognized mortal danger approaches.

–
Wisdom +3, +10 when conditions are maximally satisfied

Condition:
Enter the time of judgment.

As
I activated the blessing of the time of judgment, time immediately
began to flow slowly.

The
third sentence attached to that blessing: when conditions are
maximally satisfied, Wisdom +10.

Until
now, I hadn’t felt any special effect, but at this moment, I
instinctively knew that my mana control ability had reached its peak
in my life.

[Wisdom:
(6+28-5)]

Wisdom
stat total 29.

An
incredible number that differed by only 1 from my highest stat,
Stamina 30.

Though
it was a number that had temporarily spiked thanks to the potion, its
effect was certain.

An
unfamiliar and alien sensation different from usual tickled my entire
body.

The
world looked different.

Instead
of normal vision, a world full of blue particles greeted me.

I
saw a world full of mana. Is this how magicians view the world?

I
could also feel the flow of mana within my body.

Mana
spreading from my heart circulated throughout my entire body.

After
completing one rotation and being filtered, I looked at the mana
gathered at my fingertips.

Blue
mana, transparent like ice, filled with cold energy.

That
mana, cleaner and purer than any I had cultivated while training with
Idelbert, enveloped my entire body.

And
at that moment, the world regained its original speed.

-Jjeoeoeoeoeok!!!

Finally,
the chimera’s fist made contact.

***

Idelbert
watched her disciple with bated breath.

At
this moment her disciple had stepped into a new realm.