“Haa. Haa. Haa.”
“Fuu. Fuu. Fuu.”
It took us a full two days to reach from the first room on the fifth floor to the seventh room. There was not a single person among us who was unexhausted, and everyone was looking worse for wear. From head to toe, we were covered in dirt and the remnants of demons we had slain, mixed with their flesh and blood. Despite casting cleaning spells over and over, the stains that were firmly embedded just wouldn’t go away.
“Ugh.”
“This is really tough.”
“Grrr… ugh…”
Some groaned in discomfort, and Rakis wrung out his handkerchief, soaked in sweat. Among our party, Mia, who was the most fatigued, collapsed onto the floor of the room and fell straight asleep. The filthy ground, littered with remnants of battle, seemed to bother her not in the slightest.
“Let’s get some proper rest and then push forward. There's no team coming behind us, so we don’t need to rush,” I decided.
The demon's lair was a dungeon that had recently fallen into disfavor, unlike the Nightmare Forest. The reason was that despite the high difficulty in tackling it, the rewards were shockingly low. In truth, this was a common misconception. Everyone believed the mid-level demon, Plehre, was a boss monster, so the meager loot made no sense to them.
“Hmm…”
I reflected on the past two days’ harvest. Other than a brief moment to rest my eyes, we had been busy clearing demons non-stop. Each room was about the size of several soccer fields, making our progress slow. Still, we had killed many demons, and our levels had increased significantly. I had also managed to collect quite a few magic gemstones. Although artifacts, which had a low drop rate, were scarce, magic gemstones had appeared regularly. Thanks to this, not only I but also my teammates were looking forward to fattened wallets.
How much time had passed, I wondered? After checking to see that all the other team members were asleep, Rakis walked over to me, a little weary.
“My lord, I’m sorry, but I too would like to rest. The fatigue is quite severe.”
“Go on and rest. I’ll keep watch, so don’t worry about security.” I reassured Rakis and helped him settle into sleep. Thanks to Gorjas’s necklace, I no longer needed sleep myself, allowing me to use my time freely.
Ten minutes later, everyone except me was fast asleep. In this dismal environment, each of them seemed to have found their own way to fall into a deep slumber.
“It’s time to prepare for the final battle.”
Confirming that everyone was asleep, I pulled out top-grade magic gemstones from my bag. Each gemstone had a value of 1,000 gold. To put it in terms from my past life in South Korea, that was around 1 billion won.
“Money has its own power.”
I planned to use tricks based on wealth, a method I called “Cash Magic,” during the final raid. I wanted to show my team the power of gold coins clearly.
First, I took out Bullet’s magic tool. Made from the rare mineral, Stellar, with a hardness greater than magic gemstones, it was a tool that allowed me to craft gemstones anywhere, anytime.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
I began to industriously craft the gemstones. Though I was scratching the surface of gemstones worth billions, my heart was calm.
“Having harvested well over a hundred top-grade magic gemstones in the Paradiso, it’s no surprise I’ve grown numb to it.”
Thinking back to my previous life made me chuckle. Those were memories of an irreversible past, yet they felt as fresh as if they were yesterday. Even though I lived an ordinary salesman’s life before perishing, in this life, I wanted to end it brilliantly and grandly. To do so, I knew that there was still a long way to go.
Just looking at what lies ahead for my mastery of magic, I still had four stages to reach class nine, known as the peak. I had only acquired one territory so far, and a kingdom or empire was still a distant dream.
“I will undoubtedly become the protagonist of this world.”
I made this vow once more. After my meetings with Kaikur and the Red Queen, my desire to be the protagonist had grown even stronger.
To leap to the next level, the upcoming raid against Gapajis was absolutely essential as a stepping stone!
The next morning dawned. Of course, it was still underground, so there was no sunlight, but it was around the time one could guess was morning. After finishing their preparations, Jared’s group entered the eighth room.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
As soon as we entered, the first thing Jared did was place top-grade magic gemstones at the three entrances leading to the eighth room. Even though the figure of Gapajis sleeping in the throne behind us was visible, Jared paid it no mind and quietly went about his tasks.
“Now, who’s going to try it first? Chloe, do you want to give it a go?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Settle in on top of these.”
Following Jared’s instructions, Chloe positioned herself atop the three magic gemstones he had placed. Jared had drawn a line within a radius of 10 meters around the gemstone, marking where buffs would be granted through the magic gemstones.
“How is it? It’s a magic circle that will maintain healing and haste and strength spells until all the magical energy of the gemstones is depleted.”
“Oh, I can feel the buffs coming in continuously without any variation.” Chloe nodded in response.
Then, one by one, the other team members settled in, and exclamations of awe broke out.
“Wow, this is incredible!”
“Can this really be happening? I can’t believe it!”
Their reactions were second to none in this world. Jared smiled at the responses. He pointed out the buff zone again and said, “Take your positions here, and the three of you will handle enemies from different directions. Once the raid on Gapajis starts, demons will begin to swarm from outside the room.”
Without questioning him, everyone nodded in understanding. No one asked how Jared knew the layout of this dungeon, which he had never visited before.
“Left side is Lena, center is Chloe, right side is Rakis. The three of you take those positions. Mia, assist Lena, while Isabel keeps watch on all directions and adjusts the tempo with her spells.”
“My lord, what about me? I don’t have a role!”
Heiz, realizing she was the only one without a duty, asked, feeling frustrated. Did they mean to make her a bystander after coming this far? After feeling the dungeon’s terror and brutality on this expedition, Heiz burned with determination like never before. She didn’t want to be the kind of passive woman who relied on others to gain benefits without effort.
“Heiz, you’ll be teaming up with me to raid Gapajis.”
“Wait, are you talking about that strategy we practiced during the briefing?”
“Yes, targeting that fellow is key.” Jared pointed towards the throne where Gapajis sat.
With a human-like lower body covered in dark fur and a bull-shaped face, Gapajis’s figure was anything but ordinary. There were deep wounds all over its body, and a black aura emanated from the throne, surrounding him. It seemed to be a natural recovering energy that continued to prompt restoration over time.
“I’ll illuminate the detection lines with Glitter Dust magic, and you can use your agility to reach the throne, alright?”
“Whew! Got it!”
Papap!
As Jared finished speaking, he swiftly teleported next to Gapajis’s throne. However, the downside was that, for now, Jared’s teleportation only applied to himself. To teleport others as well would require reaching class six.
“Heiz, you ready?”
“Just a moment! Let me tie my hair back properly!”
In an instant, Heiz was prepared. She wore a tight-fitting outfit, designed for maximum efficiency, which had been planned by Jared for today’s attempt.
Whee!
Once Jared sprinkled golden dust with his Class Two Glitter Dust magic, various red lines emerged, revealing alarm lines that had been concealed in the space between the entrance and the throne.
One touch would immediately trigger a magic alarm that would awaken Gapajis, acting as a kind of intruder detection sensor.
“I’m coming to your side, my lord!”
And so began Heiz’s grand adventure.
“Wow!”
“Whoa!”
“Wow…”
“Ah!”
Each time Heiz stepped over an alarm line, shouts of awe erupted from the watching teammates.
“Heiz, you look like some kind of contortionist! How can you twist your body so much to snake through those lines?”
Lena stood agape, unable to close her mouth as she watched Heiz’s acrobatics. Heiz’s flexibly bending body maneuvered through spaces no ordinary person could fold or twist through.
But there was one problem.
“Ah, damn this chest!” Heiz exclaimed in frustration. It was her impressively ample bosom, which was excessive compared to her petite body.
“Sis, you didn’t stuff something in your bra, did you?” Lena yelled.
It was hard to believe, but even in this world, enhancements existed. Of course, bras were also part of it.
“Lena, this is all-natural!” Heiz retorted.
In that moment, the air became solemn. After a deep breath, Heiz finally adjusted things, fitting her height into place.
“Let’s go! Let’s go!”
Heiz’s grand adventure continued for over ten minutes. Yet contrary to her initial worries, she managed to traverse the tightly-knit alarm lines skillfully.
Now the true raid against Gapajis was about to begin.
There’s a saying that goes, “Persistent drops wear away stones.” The meaning is that even falling droplets can make holes in rocks. I had kept this phrase in my mind since before entering the demon’s lair.
The reason was one. This phrase captured the essence and key point of the raid against Gapajis.
“Heiz.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“How long can you keep up the intermediate healing of Divine Three?”
“If I use it without rest?”
“Yes.”
“Thirty seconds? I can keep it going for up to thirty seconds non-stop.”
“Thirty seconds… Indeed, Heiz has grown quite a lot. Just a few months ago, I wondered if she could even manage ten seconds.”
“Thanks to the training methods you taught me, my lord!”
As Heiz swelled with pride, putting her hands on her hips, I quickly cast a mute barrier spell around us to prevent noise. A half-awake Gapajis would surely not wake up even with some sound, but since we were so close, it was necessary just in case.
“Alright, follow me.”
I grabbed Heiz’s hand, circling around behind the large throne where Gapajis was seated. I aimed for Gapajis’s head, not his heart or body.
Just like climbing rocks, we quickly ascended using the gap behind the throne. Before long, we reached a sizable platform that could accommodate two adults, right beside which was the top of a sleeping Gapajis’s head.
“Heiz.”
“Yes.”
“From now on, we’re going to pierce the top of Gapajis's head. It’s the moment where my Fire Wall magic and your intermediate healing will create perfect harmony. The flawless blend of attack and healing!”
I drew my blade.
Neither Gapajis nor any hunter in the world could have ever anticipated such an ingenious approach! The curtain rose on the raid against the top of the head.
Chapter 79