Ordinary Art Factor [EN]: Chapter 111

‘Ooooooh~ Oooooh~. I’ve been waiting. You, chosen by the goddess.’

What… what is this? Did I just hear something?

“Mages, magic attack!”

“Hold! Hold the current position! Mages, stop the magic attack! Stop it!”

“Hold! C1, hold!”

“Guild Leader!”

“Hold! Everyone, hold!”

“C1, C1!”

“Everyone, hold! Hold the current position!”

All the guild members and the dungeon clearing team are looking at me.

The bio dungeon unit, the humanoid unit, which had been slowly walking towards me, seems to be talking to me.

‘I’ve been waiting. You, chosen by the goddess. Come with me.’

That’s right. This voice echoing in my head.

I don’t know if it’s Korean, English, or French, but I can understand it. I can feel it.

‘Shuttle production, shuttle production, shuttle production!’

Apart from the voice echoing in my head, I continuously ordered shuttle production from the Land Core [a structure that produces support units].

I need to buy time. Time.

Even just 10 minutes, or 8 minutes.

Ignoring my trembling heart, I slowly, slowly moved forward.

“G, Guild Leader!”

“Everyone, hold! Maintain formation!”

“Maintain formation! Hold the current situation!”

“C2! It’s C2!”

C2 is the code word to prepare for a sudden attack in the current situation.

Of course, like the guild members, I’m just as anxious.

I need to buy time first.

The dungeon unit spoke to me for some reason, so I plan to buy some time by responding to it, even a little. If it goes well, that is.

Slowly approaching, I examined the humanoid dungeon unit.

170cm tall. An armor-like covering made of an unknown material wraps around the entire body, large wings are spread behind the back, and like a normal woman, the curves are appropriately defined.

Two arms and two legs, balanced eyes, nose, and mouth, and long wavy hair that reaches down to the waist.

Except for the pale complexion, blue eyes, and large wings behind the back, it’s like a sexy woman doing cosplay.

A pure, innocent, beautiful, seductive, and decadent atmosphere intertwines, enveloping the surrounding space, and magic explodes from that space.

It’s an extremely dangerous unit that I absolutely cannot face even if I attack right now.

My own self shrinks endlessly, and I feel precariously close to disappearing from that space.

“Ugh. What do you want?”

I opened my mouth first.

‘Come with me.’

“Where to?”

The extremely dangerous dungeon unit—no, the winged woman who looks like a unit—is asking me to go with her.

Ignoring my body, which is shrinking endlessly at the question echoing in my head, I asked.

‘Take my hand. Then you will know.’

Holding hands isn’t difficult.

Even though there’s a blue blade in that hand.

I need to buy time first. Time.

I carefully reached out and took the winged woman’s blue blade.

* * *

The world has changed.

The dungeon has changed.

Time changes, I change, and everything around me changes.

I don’t even know where I am.

I can’t know, and I can’t even recognize it.

In the world of bio units, the winged woman I just saw is sitting on a huge chair in a huge castle with a languid expression.

She sips a green, blood-like liquid from a luxurious glass, and when she gives an order to a wingless woman, the woman bows her head and retreats.

Blood-red skies and red land, bizarre plants and bizarre bio units.

There were units I had never seen before, and Zerglings [a basic melee unit], Hydras [a ranged unit], Lurkers [an upgraded Hydra unit that attacks from underground], Ultralisks [a powerful, heavily armored unit], Wyverns [a flying unit], Mungdunguri [a siege unit], and Sky Lords [an air-to-air unit], and Spore Towers [a defensive structure] are visible endlessly beyond the horizon.

Hundreds, thousands of Spore Towers, including a huge Spore Tower.

What looked like a castle was an enormous Spore Tower of unimaginable size.

Time flows.

Time flows, whether it’s years, decades, or hundreds of years.

The vivid Spore Tower dries up and falls, and a small Spore Tower metamorphoses again in its place.

Zerglings swarm in groups, Hydras metamorphose into Lurkers, and Ultralisks run around.

When all living things show off their existence, the sky opens and blue light pours down.

With a tremendous roar, heaven and earth flash.

Countless Zealots [a melee unit] chop up Zerglings with long gauntlets, and Zealots are incinerated by the Hydras’ poison spines.

The Dragoons’ [a ranged unit] cannon fire pours down on the Spine Crawlers [a defensive structure] and Hydras, and the siege tank’s bombardment covers the sky. Through the acrid smoke and red firestorm, hundreds and thousands of Wyverns and Guardians [a long-range air unit], and Mungdunguri cover the rear.

A tremendous number of Torukans [a powerful air unit] tear apart Ultralisks and Lurkers, and the magic mist of the Magic Worms covers the horizon.

The sky burns, and the earth dries up with red blood.

The huge Spore Tower burns, and wingless women cover the Torukans with their bodies.

And then the replication of the Corrupted Warrior.

The blue eyes of the woman with huge wings, who wielded a blue blade and sliced Torukans, turn red, and the echo of a ghostly cry resounds from the depths of the sea towards the world.

The echo, which stirs the heart just by watching, sweeps around.

The woman with red eyes, who had been launching a ghostly cry towards the sky from the burning giant Spore Tower, disappears from that spot, and the world changes, and darkness comes.

In the pitch-black darkness where nothing can be seen, a ghostly cry flows, and someone says.

‘Ooooooh~ Oooooh~. I’ve been waiting. You, chosen by the goddess.’

Red and blue firestorms sweep around and cover the world.

All time that denies existence stops.

‘A faithful servant of the goddess Idea. Please save her.’

The world changes, and recognition begins.

* * *

[Ding! Level 1 is increased due to accumulated availability. 10 personal stats are granted.]

[Ding! Level 1 is increased due to accumulated availability. 10 personal stats are granted.]

[Ding! Level 1 is increased due to accumulated availability. 10 personal stats are granted.]

[Ding! Level 1 is increased due to accumulated availability. 10 personal stats are granted.]

…….

[Ding! A hidden skill has been activated. Name the skill and register it.

Skill Name: ? (Absolute Rank)

Condition: Servant of the goddess Idea, choice of Sarah Matilda.

Effect: Absolute command of bio dungeon units.

Damage: Bio dungeon activation/deactivation]

Countless notifications ring out, and finally a message appears that a hidden skill has been activated.

“…….”

“Oppa! What are you doing! There’s a multi [multiple enemies] right in front of you!”

“…….”

“Overlapping Spine Crawlers! Overlapping Spine Crawlers! Th, they’re moving!”

“Spore Tower! Spore Tower is moving!”

“500m ahead! 450m! It keeps coming closer!”

“B1! Retreat! Retreat!”

“There’s no space behind us. We’re surrounded!”

“Shit! A2! Warriors, jump out! Buy time! Guild Leader!”

“…….”

“Damn it! Mages, magic attack!”

“Mages, magic attack!”

“Idea’s Wrath! Wall of Fire!”

“Idea’s Tears! Wall of Ice!”

“Idea’s Lament! Dew of Sorrow!”

“…….”

Am I dreaming?

Have I finally gone crazy?

Is this situation also a hallucination?

“G, Guild Leader!”

“Order standby!”

“Order standby!”

“Guild Leader!”

“…….”

Reality doesn’t feel like reality.

The team leaders and guild members shouting around me, and the moving multi in front of me, all seem like illusions.

There’s a way to check.

“Status window!”

[Ding! Checking your status.]

[Art Factor/Warrior: Han Ji-won (Lv-99)

Nationality/Affiliation: Republic of Korea/Support Guild, Age: 40, Height/Weight: 180cm/77kg,

Agility: 43, Endurance: 36, Strength: 37, Stamina: 38, Intelligence: 36, Luck: 34, Enchant: 34,

Inventory: 7/10

(Zealot (Defense+Attack 200%, 1,160), Dark Assassin (4), Torukan (100), Corrupted Warrior (1), Dran (101), Upgraded Zergling (Attack 100%, 388), Magic Worm (15))

Buildings: 11

(Force, Battery, Gateway, Dracon Core, Gas Mine, Upgrade Core, Land Core, Stargate,

Black Core, Light Core, Land Spore Core),

Crystal: 0/990, Personal Stat: 690, Summon Target Stat: 13,801 (Probe),

Possessed Artifacts:

Minerals Shard (Absorption): 1,160, Gas Shard (Absorption): 1,160, Idea Pouch (Absorption): 1, Idea Awl (Absorption): 2]

[Skill Name: Heaven and Earth Storm (3rd Grade). Time: 480 minutes/480 minutes

Condition: When 100 or more Lightning Shamans use wide-area lightning

Effect: Wide-area lightning within the recognized range (Bio Dungeon +200%)

Damage: Wide-area lightning +200%, Critical +50%]

[Skill Name: Intensive Storm (4th Grade). Time: 480 minutes/480 minutes

Condition: When 1,000 or more Zealots attack simultaneously

Effect: Strengthen physical attack power according to the target (Armor Dungeon +100%)

Damage: Attack power +100%, Critical +25%]

[Ding! A hidden skill has been activated. Name the skill and register it.

Skill Name: ? (Absolute Rank)

Condition: Servant of the goddess Idea, choice of Sarah Matilda.

Effect: Absolute command of bio dungeon units.

Damage: Bio dungeon activation/deactivation]

“… Ugh. So I wasn’t crazy after all. Skill name, Sarah Matilda!”

[Ding! Would you like to register the skill ‘Choice of Sarah Matilda, Servant of the Goddess Idea’ as Sarah Matilda?]

“Yes.”

Primordial white light, the birth of heaven and earth, a vast white light where nothing can be seen.

At the same time as the answer, a pure white light spreads out from my body in all directions.

“Keah! Wh, what is it!”

“G, Guild Leader!”

“Oppa!”

“Hyung!”

[Ding! Absolute command of bio dungeon units, skill Sarah Matilda has been activated.]

[Skill Name: Sarah Matilda (Absolute Rank). Time: None

Condition: Servant of the goddess Idea, choice of Sarah Matilda.

Effect: Absolute command of bio dungeon units.

Damage: Bio dungeon activation/deactivation]

“A1, A1!”

“Protect the Guild Leader!”

“All-out defensive formation!”

“A1 situation! Warriors, all-out defense!”

As the pure white light that blinded my eyes gradually disappears, the team leader-level guild members try to form a defensive formation.

Perhaps they recognized the pure white light as an attack skill emitted from the moving Spore Tower.

Yes. It all started with her.

“Sarah Matilda!”

[Ding! Using skill ‘Sarah Matilda’.]

The alien space collapses, and the 170cm tall, pure, innocent, beautiful, seductive, and decadent woman in fluttering white clothes appears. Looking extremely human.

“Am, ambush. It’s a surprise attack!”

“G, Guild Leader!”

I’m being called out a lot today.

“I think we need to deal with that first. What should I do?”

I asked her, who I don’t know if she’s my skill, the denial of her existence, or the servant of the goddess.

“You know.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“… I see. Then.”

I raised my right hand, facing the palm towards the giant Spore Tower, and opened my mouth.

“Go in.”

The space twists and time stops.

And the giant Spore Tower enters my inventory.

It disappears.

“…….”

“… Wh, what is it?”

“… Wh, what just happened?”

“… Clearly, the Guild Leader raised his hand like this….”

[Ding! Cleared dungeon level 1 bio dungeon. Calculating contribution. 19 minutes 59 seconds, 58 seconds, 57 seconds, 56 seconds…]

“…….”

“… Th, that notification just rang? That we cleared the dungeon?”

“I, I also got the notification?”

“So, now… the Guild Leader raised his hand like this and said something, and it’s cleared? Right?”

“Cough, cough. I, I can’t breathe. H, heal me.”

“… O, Oppa!”

Jihye’s trembling, loud shout breaks the silent space.

“… What in the world is going on?”

“Ji-won, what… what on earth is happening?”

“G, Guild Leader. Just now, an announcement clearly said we cleared the dungeon. Did you hear it?”

“Oppa! What did you do just now? Did you cast an illusion spell on us? Or some kind of magic circle? Don’t just smile, explain it!”

As the dazed guild members start to come to their senses, the team leaders and Hongchan hyung [older brother/friend] approach me, making a fuss about asking what’s going on. Well, the other guild members are the same.

The other Awakened from the local defense guild or party, who are experiencing such a spectacle for the first time, are now sitting on the dungeon floor, pretending to be mutes.

Anyway, about this skill that doesn’t seem like my skill… how should I explain this?

Let’s just gloss over it.

“Say hello. This is Sarah Matilda.”

“… What affiliation are you with?”

“Are you a close-range bodyguard we don’t know about? Affiliated with the Dungeon Management Bureau?”

“Are you a foreigner? The name sounds American or British?”

To the guild members’ pouring questions, Sarah Matilda, the skill that doesn’t seem like my skill, says one word.

“… Secret.”

Huh? Wh, what is it?

What is this absurd answer?

A moment later.

“So, it’s a skill?”

“Yeah.”

Hongchan hyung asks,

“Is it really a skill?”

“Uh.”

Han Deuk asks,

“Doesn’t seem like a skill, though? Doesn’t make sense, sir.”

Gilsu’s question and answer.

“Oppa, just say it’s a hidden mistress. No need to explain it so awkwardly. I understand everything.”

Jihye’s nonsense.

“The idea of a skill manifesting as a person is unheard of, ridiculous. I’m really disappointed in you, Guild Leader.”

Kim Eunhee’s nonsense 2.

“A skill is something that arises from the overlapping of an Awakened’s traits or from special circumstances. Guild Leader, you need another explanation.”

Mihye’s persuasion.

“No! I blindly believe in my lord’s golden rules! My lord is the one who can embody a skill into a human form and manifest his own body….”

‘Thwack!’

“Ugh! Ugh!”

Psy rolls around on the dungeon floor, saying he’s going to die.

Hmm, was my strength a bit too much? No way. Ahem.

“Okay. Only those who believe will believe, and those who don’t want to believe don’t have to. Anyway, we’ve cleared it, so let’s get the clear rewards. Northeast, 57.45km away, there’s a multi-mineral, southwest, 89.34km away, there’s a second mineral, and northwest, 117.68km away, there’s a main base mineral. Total mineral quantity 764 tons 567.675kg, total gas quantity… Why? What’s wrong?”

As I’m explaining the dungeon situation, the entire guild, including Hongchan hyung, stares blankly at me. Like watching a monkey in a zoo.

“That’s right.”

Sarah Matilda agrees among them.

“Oppa! How many fingers do you see right now?”

Jihye moves two fingers back and forth in front of my eyes.

Hmm, I think I misspoke. Ahem.

A moment later.

“H, how did you know?”

“Eh, probably just guessed.”

“Right?”

“Yeah.”

“Shall we mine the minerals?”

“Yes.”

“Understood.”

“All shuttles, land!”

I casually ignore their words and land the shuttle in front of the multi where the minerals are buried.

After instructing Han Deuk to mine the clear reward minerals, I head to the open space behind, and Sarah Matilda follows.

It’s also to mine the level 1 dungeon gas, but there’s a reason to have a long conversation away from the eyes of others.

“My lord! Please, to me too….”

“Stay with the others.”

“… Yes. Understood.”

I leave Psy, who was trying to follow, on standby and stride away.

Sensing slightly behind me, the skill Sarah Matilda follows demurely.

We, we have a lot to talk about, right?

6 hours and 40 minutes after entering the level 1 Bio Dungeon in Taebaeksan, Gangwon-do.

“Ha… is this even happening?”

“I know.”

“No matter how I think about it, this isn’t right, is it? A contribution of 98.876%! What’s the difference between this and soloing alone!”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

“Are we just baggage handlers who mine clear reward minerals? Workers? Something like that?”

“I agree.”

“We also have the right to acquire a certain portion of the clear rewards….”

‘Thwack!’

“Argh! Hyung-nim!”

“If you stay still, you’ll at least be in the middle. I’ll take care of you when we get out of the dungeon. Stop grumbling.”

“T, thank you. Hyung-nim!”

“I respect you, Guild Leader!”

“Okay, did you mine everything?”

“The warriors are mining diligently, but there’s so much that it will take a day.”

“Wow. What, mining minerals takes longer than clearing the dungeon? I see. Let’s camp here tonight.”

“Yes, Guild Leader. But, that person?”

“Matilda? Why?”

“No, she suddenly disappeared.”

“Mind your own business. She’s my skill.”

“… H, Hyung-nim. You should definitely go to the hospital when you get out of the dungeon….”

‘Thwaack!’

“Argh! Argh! Hyung-nim!”

18 hours and 30 minutes after entering the level 1 Bio Dungeon in Taebaeksan, Gangwon-do.

After setting up a large tent near the first multi and having dinner, we set up a guard team and took personal maintenance time and rest.

Of course, it’s a rest for the warriors who worked hard mining minerals, not because of the dungeon clear.

The guild members, mid-sized guild members, and local defense party Awakened look at me with reverent, questioning, hazy, and strange eyes.

I stare intently at the bonfire that crackles and brings light to the dark space, lost in thought.

The guild members and other Awakened were surprised, but I was also very surprised. At first, I thought I was seeing things or had finally gone crazy.

It was only when I checked the status window and the skill Sarah Matilda manifested that I could recognize everything and believe that what I saw was not an illusion.

I absorbed a huge amount of gas fragments in the open space behind the multi where the minerals were buried and had a long conversation with Sarah.

I asked about things I was curious about, what I had to do, and how the dungeon would change in the future, but since she’s my skill and subordinate to me, what she knows is just what I already know, nothing different.

It was just a confirmation process.

Why did the *jong* [seed/species] of the goddess Idea choose me?

I’m not a hero who will save the world, and I don’t have any special abilities.

I was born into an ordinary but not ordinary family and lived an ordinary life.

I just happened to go on a honeymoon and absorb something like a mineral fragment and Awaken… Huh? Wait.

Was there a notification when I Awakened back then? What was it?

I definitely did something… I can’t remember.

No. That’s okay. It’s meaningless.

No matter how much I worry and think about the past, there’s no answer right now.

I have no way to meet the goddess Idea, and even if I did, I don’t think she would answer if I asked why I should save your *jong* [seed/species].

First, let’s think positively. Positively.

I don’t know who the *jong* [seed/species] of Idea is, or where they are.

Let’s just think that I got the best, most amazing skill.

That’s how I’ll survive.

That’s how my head won’t explode.

That’s how I can think a little more rationally.

If not, I’m really going to go crazy.

If the goddess Idea is a real god, she wouldn’t have given a mandate to a lowly creator to save her *jong* [seed/species].

To me, who is nothing, insignificant, unremarkable, just ordinary.

On this day when absurd things happened, the night in the dungeon deepens like that.

With the bonfire spitting out red baby flames.

2 days 7 hours and 10 minutes after entering the level 1 Bio Dungeon in Taebaeksan, Gangwon-do.

Finally, all the minerals in the second multi have been mined.

Of course, I also absorbed as much gas as possible from the rock crevices behind the minerals.

Since a huge amount of gas was buried, I filled the inventory with the highest-grade units as much as possible. Moreover, the increase in ability weighting during the last *폭풍* [pokpung – storm/rapid] level-up is incomparable.

Level 32 soared to 99, and I received 690 personal stats, and the summon target stats were 13,801. I exceeded the standard for a level 1 Awakened, which only exists arithmetically.

If I remeasure the Awakened grade after leaving the dungeon, it will probably be a mess. Ahem.

When I distributed the 690 stats I had to agility, endurance, strength, stamina, intelligence, luck, and enchantment, my body doesn’t feel like my own.

If I kick off the dungeon floor, I feel like I’ll jump out to where I recognize, and I can beat up the guy I learned basic swordsmanship from Gilsu so badly that dust will fly on a rainy day.

All physical characteristics have increased more than 3 times compared to before, my height has also increased by 2cm, and my weight has decreased by 1kg.

Even if I touch my chest slightly with my hand, there are firm muscles… Let’s not show it. They’ll think it’s weird.

As expected, level-ups with words like *폭풍* [pokpung – storm/rapid] and *광폭* [gwangpok – frenzy/violent] are very good. Ahem.

3 days 1 hour and 40 minutes after entering the level 1 Bio Dungeon in Taebaeksan, Gangwon-do.

“Oh my god!”

“It’s a mineral mountain. A mountain!”

“S, so that’s all minerals. H, I can’t even speak.”

“The multi was a joke. Damn it! When are we going to mine all that!”

“I’d rather fight Hydras or Ultras, I never thought I’d come into a dungeon and wrestle with minerals. Ha….”

Ignoring the team leaders’ meaningless monologues, I gave the order.

“There’s no more after we mine the main base. Let’s mine it quickly and get out. Tomorrow, rest at home….”

“Hyung-nim, how are we going to mine all that in one day? It’ll take at least two days.”

“All special Awakened, including healers, priests, and buffers, support the warriors. Get out as quickly as possible.”

“… Guild Leader. What’s wrong? Isn’t the dungeon cleared?”

“I’m just annoyed. And bored. What kind of mineral takes 3 days to mine!”

“… Then, why don’t you help! If we tell the mages to stick around, we’ll mine faster.”

“Ah, should I? But if the mages are all over the place mining minerals, it’ll just be slower. Okay, just the warriors mine.”

“… Hyung-nim, don’t you have a warrior class! You mine too!”

“Originally, the head of a group doesn’t move carelessly. Rejected!”

I roughly chew on Gilsu’s words and move to a quiet place, avoiding the mages who are trying to set up a tent.

The minerals will be mined mainly by warriors with the support of special Awakened, and the mages with surplus manpower will take care of setting up tents, fetching water, and lighting fires.

I just have to perform the important task of observing, managing, and supervising them… that’s an excuse. I’m bored.

Hmm, I have nothing to do.

Should I call my skill, Sarah, and joke around?

Tall height, voluminous body, sexy voice and innocent eyes, Western style.

Since she’s subordinate to me anyway, can’t I do this and that?

Ah, don’t misunderstand.

I’m just thinking of asking about this and that about future high-level dungeon clears… Ahem.

“Sarah.”

“Yes.”

Oh my gosh!

At least make some noise before appearing… Ah, she’s not human, so she can’t make noise?

Anyway, she suddenly appeared in front of me, no, the skill, no, the skill is a skill, but she is… Ah, my head hurts. Let’s not think about it.

“I have something to ask.”

“Yes.”

“Who gave you the name Sarah Matilda?”

“That person.”

“That person? That goddess Idea?”

“Yes.”

“You are her *jong* [seed/species]?”

“Yes.”

“Then, where is that goddess Idea?”

To my question, Sarah pokes my chest.

What are you doing?

“She’s here.”

Huh? What?

“She’s there.”

“… In my chest?”

“Yes.”

Son of a bitch! I’m going crazy.

I have a crazy bitch in my chest that I don’t even know about, I’ve lived a long life and I’m seeing things.

“Okay. Then, why are you saving you?”

“You know. I exist but I don’t exist.”

“…….”

Hahaha, son of a bitch! Is this Twenty Questions?

I drank alcohol, but I didn’t get drunk. A man and a woman who are flirting slept together, but they are not dating. Something like that?

Huh? Does that sound right?

Why does my head feel like it’s going to explode when I only talk to her?

“Then I’ll ask differently. What state are you in right now?”

“I am in a state of manifesting the thoughts that have been awaited for a long time.”

I’m going crazy!