Chapter 102 : Behemoth (1)
Chapter 102: Behemoth (1)
[You have entered the ‘Beast Race’s Treasure Vault’!]
[Every item is imbued with a powerful curse. You may only choose items as long as the total curse does not exceed the permitted limit.]
The enormous interior, roughly the size of two soccer fields, revealed itself.
From bizarre-looking objects to dazzling treasures adorned with magnificent jewels.
There were well over several hundred different kinds.
The key to this Treasure Vault was choosing items that carried relatively weak curses while still being as useful as possible.
Just then, the soldiers of the Hestia Empire and the Hunters also arrived.
Robert, looking exhausted, approached Kang Yohan.
“I heard about the situation. You encountered the Boss Monster?”
It seemed the passage they had taken had been no less dangerous.
His once-pristine white armor was now completely soaked in blood.
“I apologize. We tried our best to defeat it, but we simply weren’t strong enough.”
“No. It’s remarkable that you managed to hold out with so few people. You even located the enemy’s Treasure Vault, didn’t you? You accomplished several times more than we did.”
So he really was worthy of being the expedition commander.
At least he had good judgment.
“I’m glad you see it that way. It makes risking our lives worthwhile.”
A knight of the Imperial Central Army of the Hestia Empire.
If Kang Yohan could safely bring Robert and the expedition back alive, the rewards would be enormous.
Minor problems like illegal entry would naturally be resolved as well.
It would also provide the foundation necessary to clear the Third Episode.
More importantly...
If he wanted to eliminate the Parasites belonging to the [Colony], he absolutely had to establish connections with the military.
There was a great deal riding on this mission.
“There’s no time! Mages, identify the curses and secure everything we need!”
“Gather everyone from the guilds who possesses the [Appraisal] or [Identify] trait!”
The Hunters immediately sprang into action as well.
“Tch.”
Ito Ryuhei looked displeased, but who cared?
“We should get moving too.”
Kang Yohan spoke to his companions.
Since the total amount of curses was limited, they would have to choose their items carefully.
Incidentally, Rodbrock had been tied up outside the Treasure Vault.
If they let that idiot inside, disaster was practically guaranteed.
“Hehe. This place contains many things that remind me of my glory days. It was about a thousand years ago, I believe. The last time I met someone capable of forcing me to use my full power.”
Kang Yohan simply left Chobok alone as he muttered to himself.
“Jungbok! I’ll search really hard, Master!”
“Hoeeeh!”
Jungbok’s nose had already proven itself at Chungnam National University Hospital, and the Sea Otter Squad specialized in reconnaissance.
“Remember this. Never choose anything on your own. If you find something that looks useful, come ask me first.”
“Hehe! Leave it to us! But you have to give us lots of dog treats and puppy milk tea afterward!”
“Hoe! Loyalty to our Division Commander, comrade!”
The summons saluted before scattering in different directions.
Now then.
Let’s see what’s worth taking.
[You have obtained ‘Emerald That Reads the Past.’]
Acquisition Difficulty: BB
Description: Changes color whenever someone nearby tells a lie. If the gem is destroyed, you can glimpse that person's memories.
[The total curse amount has increased by 0.1%.]
A green emerald.
[You have obtained ‘Sapphire That Stores Memories.’]
Acquisition Difficulty: CC
Description: Stores part of the current scene and can replay it later. (Basic editing functions are available.)
[The total curse amount has increased by 0.04%.]
And a blue sapphire.
These were incredibly useful items despite carrying almost no curse at all.
Good.
That made two worthwhile finds already.
As Kang Yohan continued looking around, he stopped before another display.
“So this is here too.”
Inside the display case was a severed hand wearing a ring.
It was shriveled, with the thumb and index finger reduced to bone, yet somehow looked as though it might move at any moment.
“You know what that is?”
“Wow. Just looking at it gives me the creeps.”
Scarlett and Park Yeri each commented.
“You should never choose that item. It possesses the [Decay] ability, and in the end, it turns the user’s hand into that.”
It would consume at least 30% of the total curse limit.
It was horrifyingly dangerous.
Even so, it wasn’t the most dangerous item in the Treasure Vault.
There was something else that absolutely must never be taken out.
Just then—
[The total curse amount has reached its limit!]
[The Treasure Vault will close in 3 minutes!]
...Huh?
An earthquake seemed to shake Kang Yohan’s pupils.
No.
How long had they even been picking items?
Whoever the lunatic was that caused this deserved to have his head chopped off immediately.
“Hoe! Division Commander! This looked really amazing, so I brought it!”
So this damned sea otter was the culprit.
[Rabbit Foot]
Acquisition Difficulty: S
Description: An accessory made from the foot of a Red Rabbit.
While in possession of it, the owner receives extraordinary luck.
However, if it is ever lost, all the accumulated fortune transforms into a curse and returns to its owner.
(However, the luck granted cannot exceed its Acquisition Difficulty.)
At least it had been made from a Red Rabbit’s foot.
If it had been a White Rabbit’s foot, its Acquisition Difficulty would have been SS, and the backlash from losing it would have reached the level of complete annihilation.
“Hoe. As long as you never lose it, everything’s fine!”
“As expected of our Squad Leader! You’re a genius!”
“Hoeeeh!”
The sea otters proudly puffed out their chests.
As long as it wasn’t lost, it truly was an outrageously overpowered item.
The problem was...
The Rabbit Foot possessed the special property of being ‘guaranteed’ to be lost.
To the point where it felt like deliberate bullying.
Every single owner of the Rabbit Foot, without exception, met a miserable end.
“Haah.”
Kang Yohan pressed against his throbbing temples.
This had become troublesome.
Still, if several conditions were met, it wasn’t entirely bad.
‘Yeah. Honestly, I’ll need at least this much of a gamble if I want to escape from Behemoth.’
Even then, it only increased their chances from roughly 0.01% to about 3%.
But what was done was done.
The only choice now was to revise the plan according to the current situation.
Besides, the important thing right now was proving the culprit wasn’t one of them.
“Speak! Which lunatic did this?”
“We must arrest the culprit immediately and put them on trial!”
The command staff descended into chaos.
If the sea otter got caught, the best-case scenario was being sold to a circus.
The worst-case scenario...
It would become barbecued sea otter on tonight’s dinner menu.
“Ahem! Given the circumstances, I should mention that the Horobi Guild seemed extremely dissatisfied with this expedition.”
“Is that true?”
“Just look over there. That fellow named Ryuhei isn’t even angry despite everything that’s happened. I also heard he attacked one of our own. There are multiple witnesses.”
“If that’s true... then he certainly has serious issues.”
Kang Yohan didn’t forget to stir up political conflict and spread suspicion to divert attention.
Right then—
Roll... Roll... Thud! Thud!
A gigantic, magnificent giant clam rolled between the treasures.
“Hoe!? What kind of incredible luck is this?”
“It’s a huuuuge king clam! Now we have three if we count ours!”
Their expressions were those of lottery winners.
As though all the years they had spent suffering after enlisting in the Sea Otter Corps had finally been rewarded.
The sea otters linked arms and danced joyfully around the clam.
“You... where’s the Rabbit Foot?”
“Of course it’s hanging safely around my neck... Hoeeh?”
It was gone.
Only the broken string remained, dangling uselessly.
At that very moment—
The massive clam tilted.
Then rolled over once.
And crushed the sea otters’ carefully collected clams beneath it.
Crunch!
Even the two clams they had painstakingly gathered shattered instantly.
“T-There’s... no reason to live anymore...”
“This is even more tragic than the Legion Commander announcing a surprise unit inspection on Sunday.”
Had it already begun?
Fortunately, the accumulated luck had only amounted to a clam.
If it had been something far greater, they might have had to prepare to lose part of their bodies.
Then, unexpectedly—
The sea otters began fidgeting around the shattered clam fragments.
Moments later...
They pulled out a crimson pearl.
What were they doing?
The Eyes of the Prophet examined the clam.
[Flame Pearl]
Grade: B
Location Found: Off the coast of Incheon
When used, increases the power of Fire-element abilities by +10%.
Attribute elixir creation.
Something only the finest alchemists in existence could accomplish.
“This... this can’t be.”
Faden Rigger, the blacksmith, stared at the scene in disbelief.
Kang Yohan was just as astonished.
These guys...
He had thought they spent all day saying “Hoeeeh” and obsessing over military clams.
But they had been hiding an incredible talent.
And a full 10% enhancement at that.
At that moment, the sea otters’ status was instantly promoted from burdens to precious companions.
“Park Yeri.”
“Hm?”
“You’re taking responsibility for this from now on.”
Kang Yohan pointed at the Rabbit Foot lying on the floor.
“W-Wait a second. Why me?”
“You have a spare heart. Even if the curse gets you, you can revive.”
This was exactly why he had selected her for the Empire expedition.
She couldn’t back out of her duty now.
“Or... you could stay here and contribute to reducing the world’s carbon emissions.”
Arbor Day was still a long way off.
But the seed inside her body could grow beautifully and bloom into lovely flowers.
“W-Wow... I wonder what kind of luck I’ll get.”
Sweating coldly, Park Yeri placed the Rabbit Foot into an inner pocket.
Then she sewed the pocket shut.
Well.
It was ultimately a pointless effort.
But if it gave her peace of mind, that was enough.
That was when their trivial conversation ended.
“KROOOOOOOOAR!!!”
A monstrous roar shook the entire temple.
[Behemoth awakens!]
[The temple’s highest floor has been opened!]
One declaration of death followed another.
So...
The time limit had finally arrived.
Now it was time to run.
“S-Sir Robert.”
The mage’s face turned deathly pale as he sensed the mana.
He had fought on countless battlefields after reaching the rank of the Third Moon.
But he had never encountered an enemy like this.
The very idea of fighting such a creature was nothing more than fantasy.
If they engaged it...
They would be annihilated without exception.
“We head upward!”
Reading the mage’s expression, Robert immediately gave the order.
The fact that the temple’s highest floor had opened...
Meant it was their only path to survival.
From this point onward, they had to climb with everything they had.
The Rangers quickly searched for a route leading upward from the Treasure Vault.
Immediately afterward, the expedition of several hundred people began moving.
Tap tap tap tap!
They raced through the maze-like interior of the temple.
They were running with everything they had.
Yet...
Why?
It didn’t feel as though they were getting any farther away.
They were definitely running.
Definitely increasing the distance from the abyss.
Yet it felt as though something would seize them by the back of the neck at any moment.
Shiver.
Every hair on their bodies stood on end.
Thump!
Their hearts pounded desperately, refusing to freeze.
“Increase your speed even further.”
“B-But... the rear guard can’t keep up!”
The knights who could manipulate mana were one thing.
But the mages and porters, whose stamina was far lower, had already reached their limit at this pace.
As they continued running, the expedition entered an enormous chamber lined with hundreds of towering pillars.
At that very moment—
[Behemoth activates ‘Mark of Terror’!]
A debuff skill that inflicted [Confusion] and [Morale Reduction] upon its targets.
Those with weak mental resistance fell into panic the instant the Mark of Terror was engraved upon them.
“Ughhh.”
“Aaaah! S-Save me!”
“Cast Dispel immediately!”
“The scrolls! Use Holy-element scrolls!”
But an even greater problem remained.
‘That skill has a limited range.’
Which meant...
The distance between them...
...was shrinking.
‘Tch.’
Kang Yohan glanced behind him.
For now, everything remained submerged in darkness.
There was still no sound of something gigantic pursuing them.
Even so...
The instincts he had honed over countless years continued screaming warnings.
Soon...
Flames and darkness would rise together.
And despair that devoured everything would arrive.
“Monsters ahead!”
As if things weren’t already bad enough, they encountered monsters wandering inside the temple.
Their species was ‘Apomet.’
Creatures with snake heads and human bodies.
With metallic hissing sounds, the Apomets charged while wielding curved blades and shields.
“Kill them!”
Boom!
The knights launched themselves forward.
“Damn it!”
The Hunters also threw themselves into battle without hesitation.
A barrage of magic and skills erupted as the expedition concentrated its overwhelming firepower.
Their strength was overwhelming.
As expected of an elite force, their teamwork was flawless.
As a result, the battle ended quickly.
Barely ten minutes had passed.
The ten or so Apomets were completely annihilated without inflicting a single casualty on the expedition.
“We’ve eliminated them. Now let’s move—”
The mage’s words trailed off.
He couldn’t finish the sentence.
Because he had seen something nearby.
From within the darkness...
Creeeeak!
A grotesque, grating sound echoed through the chamber.
Between the pillars stood the gigantic skeleton of a stag.
And the stench of rotting corpses slowly began consuming the entire space.