Ordinary Art Factor [EN]: Chapter 173

That’s it.

It’s just mana to pour into the magic circle anyway. Never mind.

I got up and went to the spot I had tested earlier, carefully examining the geometric figure.

If I released the mana, which is the stat of the summoned target, until now, from now on, if I release the darkness stat here like this… Oh, hooray….

‘S… Spa… Aah!’

Starting with the geometric figure in front of me, a dazzling blue light spread all around,

“That’s it, it’s done. The magic circle is activated!”

“Oppa, don’t touch anything else! Stay right there!”

“My… Lord!”

“Hyung-nim, wait! I’m coming.”

The jerks who were watching me from a distance were startled and started running towards me.

What’s the rush, you bastards, running with your eyes on fire… Huh?

What was this?

Next to the geometric figure where I first released the darkness stat, a small inverted triangle-like thing was emitting a mysterious light.

Ah, this is the starting circuit center axis that Psy mentioned earlier to activate the movement pattern….

“I told you not to touch anything!”

Damn it, who keeps talking down to me!

No matter how close we are… Huh?

I didn’t touch anything! Really!

I was just standing still, and the darkness stat was leaking out on its own!

But why does the white light keep covering my eyes?

‘S… Spa… Aah!’

“Oppa!”

“Hyung-nim~.”

“M…y Loooord!”

White light poured down from all directions, and the shouts of them calling me echoed strangely from all around.

Shit, this is fucked.

‘Wooong… Wooong. Wooooong.’

“Ugh, my head!”

My head hurts like it’s breaking. Someone is crushing it with a big hammer in my head… Huh? Why am I lying here…!

“Ah! Goddammit! I don’t want any more lucky encounters!”

I thrashed and squirmed on the dungeon floor, expressing my resentment for this shitty phenomenon. Even though I am the most important protagonist in my life, aren’t too many events happening to me?

Why does this always happen to me… Huh? I think I heard a strange notification earlier?

[Ding! Absorbed a fragment of the Primordial Dungeon Mineral. Mineral Fragment 1 increases.]

[Ding! Absorbed a fragment of the Primordial Dungeon Mineral. Mineral Fragment 1 increases.]

[Ding! Absorbed a fragment of the Primordial Dungeon Mineral…]

See? The notification is still ringing repeatedly.

Why is the mineral fragment suddenly increasing… Mineral? Mineral fragment?

What are you talking about? Mineral fragment!

I got up in a hurry and looked around me.

Huh… Hehehe….

I roughly guessed, but 300 Probes that I couldn’t confirm. Those guys were spinning around me like crazy, handing me mineral fragments, and then scurrying to the front to mine minerals again.

So, you guys were the culprits!

“… Deactivate all Probe summons.”

I deactivated the Probe summons for now.

I’m overwhelmed by the constant notifications, but right now, it’s a priority to look around. The mineral, which is the dungeon clear reward, isn’t going to run away on legs anyway.

Hmm….

Looking around roughly, there is a huge magic circle drawn on the floor centered around where I was lying, and it is a wide space of about 30m in size. The ceiling is about 5m high, and the surrounding walls and ceiling are sparkling, so it seems that a huge amount of mineral chunks are scattered around, and behind it is a structure similar to an altar with several steps on top… Huh? A chest?

On the altar, there was a large box with a chest-like appearance that strongly aroused curiosity.

A loot?

Indeed, I think I’m the protagonist.

Like an event prepared for me, everything just clicks into place. Hehe.

I carefully went up to the altar and examined the chest made of an unknown material.

A square metal box, 1m wide and 1m long.

Well, I don’t care about the material, the problem is what’s inside… How do I open this?

“What kind of box doesn’t have a lid! If it’s an event for me, just give it to me with a ‘짠! [Korean onomatopoeia for ‘ta-da!’]’ Why do you always make it difficult in strange places?”

I looked all over the top and sides of the chest, which seemed to be a dungeon clear reward box, but I couldn’t see any gaps or special devices to open it. Only geometric pattern figures protruded in relief, making it rough to the touch.

“Hmm… Is this also engraved with some kind of magic circle? Do I have to open it with mana or darkness stat? If so….”

I grabbed the chest, which I guessed was a reward box, with both hands and released the darkness stat that made me move here.

…….

“Ah, is that not it? Then this time with mana….”

It seems like it’s not the darkness stat. Then, of course, it will react to mana.

I started concentrating mana in both hands instead of the darkness stat.

…….

“Damn it! If it’s not darkness or mana, then what the hell is it!”

The result is neither.

There must be a way to open this… The problem is that I don’t know it at all.

Should I examine the patterns on the outside?

Hmm… I’m terrible at magic circles… Damn it.

After a while.

No matter how much I look at this damn reward box, I don’t know how to open it.

I gave up on examining the geometric patterns on the outside of the chest for now.

There’s no reason to waste my energy on something I can’t even understand.

Then what’s the second method?

I got up again, grabbed the chest with both hands, and struggled to lift it for a long time, and shook it from side to side… But it didn’t budge.

Hmm… Is it attached to the altar floor?

If so, I give up on turning this over.

Damn it, what kind of reward is this!

If it’s a reward event from the organizers for me, they should just give it to me after confirming that I’m here, why do they always create this last step to bother me?

If you’re going to give it to me, just hand it over coolly! Why make the process so complicated… Please, let’s go easy, easy~.

…….

No matter how much I think about it, the only hint to open this is the geometric pattern engraved on the surface.

The problem is that I don’t know anything about magic circles.

If the organizers knew my personality, they would have prepared a secondary solution… What is it?

It doesn’t make sense if I can’t open this because I didn’t bring Psy… Should I just break it?

Maybe it was made to be smashed from the beginning?

Come on. It felt very solid to the touch, how can I break this without a weapon? Thinking intuitively, that doesn’t seem right.

Then, after all, this geometric pattern is the best hint to open this… Huh? Wait a minute! Hint? Hint!

Open? This?

Open it.

If it’s the word open, then the key to solve it… Key!

“Summon all Primordial Keys!”

[Ding! Summons 3 Primordial Keys.]

That’s right. Definitely right!

Of course, I don’t remember the notification, but when I came here, screamed, crawled on the dungeon floor, and destroyed that huge stone pillar, the Mature Tower, or when the cave collapsed, I lost my mind, I acquired 3 Primordial Keys without knowing it.

I don’t know why there are 3 or what they are used for, but maybe this key is the key to open this!

Originally, these useless, unnecessary traps are given at the same time as the solution.

If there is a lock, there must be a key to open it.

Moreover, it’s an event from the organizers for me… Maybe the most likely candidate among the things I have in this situation is this.

First of all, it’s a key.

Then it will be used to open something. Hehehe.

I carefully examined the Primordial Keys summoned with white light.

I don’t know if all 3 keys are used or only one is used, but first, I have to plug this somewhere and turn it… Where do I put this… Hmm… Damn it!

It feels like if you solve one difficult problem, an even more difficult problem is placed in front of you.

First, let’s find a hole, a hole.

I started glaring at the hateful reward box, the chest, in front of me.

Hmm… First, I found one hole.

The problem is that the size of the key and the shape of the hole hidden by the geometric pattern are different.

The Primordial Key, which looks like a golden key made of gold, has a round key entrance, but the hole in the pattern is an inverted triangle.

Input and output are different, so there’s no way there will be a result… Is there?

Since the geometric pattern itself is a magic circuit, I took one of the Primordial Keys to the inverted triangle hole with a hopeful heart, and something changed.

A little bit of blue light flowed out of the inverted triangle hole, and it felt like it was responding to the key. And this is… Wow….

A circle goes into a triangle… I see. I’m such an idiot.

The magic circuit is a science that destroys common sense… I know that now. Damn it!

Whether the entrance is a triangle, a square, or a pentagon, in this dungeon, you don’t have to worry about that… Oh, oh.

‘Wooong… Wooong. Clank.’

“It, it opened!”

I was a little embarrassed and dazed, watching the situation because of the phenomenon that destroys basic common sense and basic concepts, but the blue light connected to the Primordial Key gradually became clearer and spread throughout the chest, and finally the top opened.

The moment I’ve been waiting for.

What will the reward be?

Maybe it’s because it’s my first experience? I’m so nervous.

What? What is?

This kind of chest and this kind of space, this kind of experience is really my first time!

‘Elixir of Darkness (1/3)

Source: Primordial Dungeon, Grade: Absolute Grade,

Effect: Destroys the subordinate seal within the dungeon’

‘Fire Wall (Absorbable) Skill Book, Time: 60 minutes/60 minutes

Source: Primordial Dungeon, Grade: Absolute Grade,

Effect: Fire Wall within the range of recognition

Damage: Fire Mana +200%, Critical +50% additional’

‘Ice Tornado (Absorbable) Skill Book, Time: 120 minutes/120 minutes

Source: Primordial Dungeon, Grade: Absolute Grade,

Effect: Ice Tornado within visible range

Damage: Ice Mana +250%, Critical +70% additional’

“Ha… I’m going crazy!”

One pottery bottle the size of my fist and two books that look like thin notebooks.

That’s the end.

When I first saw only this in the 1m wide and 1m long chest, I was so disappointed, but after seeing the state of the items, I couldn’t close my mouth for a while.

The skill book I’ve only heard about.

It is the legendary skill book that is said to come out only after being born as a dirt spoon [born poor], living a lifetime, dying, and then being reborn as a gold spoon [born rich] and winning the lottery 8 times in a row.

Moreover, it is an absolute grade.

I heard a rumor that a foreign 3rd grade dungeon skill book was sold for how much?

The amount was so unbelievable that I forgot.

Ah, that’s what it was like back then. Of course, I have the financial resources to buy a few now. If there is a skill book.

A skill book is a cheat item that inflates the stats of an Awakener if the job matches, and it raises the skill to the highest level up to the limit of their mana without having to risk their lives by entering a dangerous dungeon and clearing it.

For example, if you give this Fire Wall skill book to a Fire Wizard, that is, Ji-hye….

“Hmm… This feels like a serious problem?”

Thinking about it carefully, this is not something to open carelessly.

It’s not from a 3rd grade dungeon, not even a 2nd grade, but a skill book of absolute grade.

Moreover, the attack range is not limited, and there is additional damage to the mana percentage and even critical damage… Hmm… This is really a problem?

I put the two skill books in my inventory for now.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that this is not something to handle carelessly.

Judging from the grade, effect, damage, and time, if this gets into the hands of the support guild team leaders… I don’t think I can handle it either.

Of course, there is no guarantee that they will stab me in the back, but you never know.

They are already growing rapidly, and if they absorb this cheat item on top of that, they will literally be walking nuclear bombs.

Imagine a Fire Wall and an Ice Tornado swirling within the range of recognition, within the visible range. If it’s more than double the mana and more than 50% critical… Whew… It’s terrifying just thinking about it.

I can’t have such a dangerous thing next to me. I’ll have to keep this for myself for now.

If I carelessly release this into the world, it’s like giving a three-year-old child a light Excalibur [legendary sword] super ultra-jjang [Korean slang for ‘the best’] toy sword that cuts even rocks like tofu [bean curd, implying easily], with additional damage, strength, and stamina.

If it’s next to me like that, I’ll get my head cut off by the sword they swing.

I don’t want to take that risk.

Now all that’s left is one pottery bottle the size of my fist.

Elixir of Darkness? One of three? Or do I have to collect all three?

There is no damage in the status window, and the effect is to destroy the subordinate seal within the dungeon. Subordinate seal, subordinate seal… I remember hearing it somewhere….

Huh?

Maybe Therapy?

Hmm….

No matter how much I remember, the word subordinate existence in the dungeon that Therapy said back then is related to this.

The aroma therapy I asked with an old man’s gag, no, just Therapy.

A humanoid dungeon unit I met in the 1st grade Bio Dungeon in Osaka, Japan.

I don’t know if it’s a humanoid dungeon unit, but it recognized my skill, Sarah, and was the first unit to speak to me first during the dungeon clear, and prepared a place for me, a humanoid unit similar to Sarah but without wings, Therapy.

And the subordinate seal in the dungeon that she said.

That’s right.

So, this Elixir of Darkness destroys that subordinate seal?

So, you’re saying to go to the 1st grade Bio Dungeon in Osaka, Japan, where Therapy is subordinate, and destroy the subordinate seal? Then what happens?

Does the prince give the princess a deep kiss and wave goodbye, and that’s the end?

Or, since this is one of three, or there will be two more in the future, does that mean I have to do that twice more in the future?

Are there two more princesses?

No, am I even a prince?

Damn it! I’m suddenly annoyed?

“I won’t do it! I said I won’t do it! If it’s a clear reward, act like a reward, how dare you give me work to do? Go fuck yourself!”

If you’re the organizer, you should just prepare a reward and that’s the end, how dare you force me to cast [perform a task]?

Why me?

Why do I have to proceed with the forced cast at the organizer’s whim?

Moreover, I’m not a prince from some rural kingdom riding a strong and long-lasting white horse.

Am I crazy?

No, let’s say I save her, Therapy, who is subordinate to a dungeon like a princess, after a hundred concessions.

Then what? Let’s go our separate ways?

No way.

I have to have something left.

I suffer as much as I suffer, and I help a difficult woman pretending to be cool and chic, and we say goodbye to each other?

No way? I’m not that cool of a guy~.

I’m a really resentful, really petty, stingy guy~.

So I can’t do that. I won’t do it!

And our country is a polygamous country, ah, no, a monogamous country. You stupid system developers!

If you’re going to plan an event, you have to plan the things that will happen after that in detail and meticulously… Keueueum [coughing sound].

After a while.

I put the Elixir of Darkness in my inventory for now and looked around.

It’s to see if there are any additional rewards that I don’t know about.

The mineral walls and ceiling are sparkling and emitting a dazzling light. If there are minerals, there must be gas, but no matter how much I look, I can’t see a space that emits water vapor.

Hmm… Is there a hidden space somewhere?

Then, oh ho… This time, a hide-and-seek game?

…….

Hide-and-seek is bullshit!

No matter how much I looked, there was no secret space.

Well, the dungeon clear itself was so difficult, so if they had to prepare another event here, the organizers’ heads would have been steaming [overworked].

I understand. I understand.

Then is it time to mine the dungeon clear reward mineral?

I’m too lazy to move myself, so I’ll have them do it… Hmm… Eueueum.

Ha… This is also a problem.

A separate reward place to move to with a magic circle, a limited space.

Since they don’t have the darkness purification item, no, since I did something stupid from the beginning and moved here alone, I have to take care of this myself… It’s so annoying?

I don’t know how deeply the mineral is embedded in the surrounding walls and ceiling, and I don’t know how much there is, but I definitely don’t have the confidence to mine this alone.

No, I have the confidence to mine it, but it’s actually annoying.

And above all, the space is too narrow.

If I summon the Zealots and work hard, I can mine all of this someday, but if I calculate the efficiency of the work and the resulting income… What calculation, it’s all annoying.

“I guess I’ll just leave the minerals alone. Or tell the team leaders to mine it themselves. Hehe. Then I’ve taken everything I need, so shall we go out now?”

Huh?

I’m going out now?

Uh… So… Hmm….

How do I get out of here?

“…….”

Indeed, I was a genius.

It didn’t take me a few minutes to realize that I could go back to the magic circle I was moved to here… Hehe.

I don’t know who drew it, but if they left this kind of reward here, they must have been going back and forth from the outside to here, so I can use the magic circle drawn on this floor again to go outside.

Just like when I came in, if I release the darkness stat into the pattern that Psy told me… Huh? So… That moving pattern is… Uh… Again… Uh, it’s not here?

There was definitely a round pattern near the magic circle outside… That’s strange. Did I misunderstand? Is it on the other side?

Tilting my head, I moved to the other side and examined the magic circle pattern drawn on the floor.

Hmm… So… It’s not here either.

Uh… If the left, right, left, and right are reversed, it’s not 180 degrees, but… So….

…….

“How long has it been since he went in, why isn’t he coming out yet? Is he monopolizing it all by himself?”

“There’s no way Hyung-nim [term of respect for an older brother or male friend] would do that, right? He doesn’t bother with things he doesn’t need.”

“Then why is it taking so long?”

“How would I know? I’m nervous too, so shut your mouth, okay?”

“Can’t I even ask? If you had stuck by his side from the beginning, this wouldn’t have happened!”

“Then what about you? What did you do? You were the first one to run away when Hyung-nim’s skin started turning black.”

“You’re talking nonsense. What about you?”

“I’m better than you~?”

Yeah.

That’s what you guys are like.

You rub your hands together in front of me, and then badmouth me behind my back. I knew you would do that.

But Gil-soo, you seem to be crawling up more and more?

Where did the taciturn and prudent Gil-soo go? Are you a double personality?

“You two oppas [term of endearment for older brothers or male friends], stop it. You didn’t used to be like this, but why are you so eager to fight each other these days?”

“This guy started it first?”

“What did I do! You started it first!”

“Ah~ Please! Stop it! This is not the time for this. We need to check the situation of why Oppa isn’t coming out!”

“Could something have happened? Maybe he was moved to a completely different place than the clear reward place….”

“Hmm… I think that could be the case. There’s no guarantee that this magic circle will move you to a place that gives rewards… Uh, uh? G, Guild Leader?”