The grown Authority of Gluttony exceeded Se-un’s expectations.
As written in the message, the Authority of Gluttony no longer required a medium or had a one-time use limit.
There was no need to worry about equipment to use as a medium, nor was there a need to check what relics were left.
He just had to pick up and use whatever caught his eye or hand.
Kwagwagwagwang!!
“Kkeueueueuk-”
Outers fell miserably to Se-un’s hand.
An exhilaration beyond imagination.
Thanks to that, he even cleared out the Outers that Kashallakka was dealing with.
Although it couldn’t be denied that it was a degraded version, it felt like the power was lacking compared to Mamon’s true Authority of Gluttony.
If Mamon’s treasures were replicas of the genuine articles, Se-un’s treasures were replicas of replicas, so it couldn’t be helped.
‘Still, I need to restrain myself.’
Even with the Authority of Gluttony, it wasn’t like there was no price to pay.
It wasn’t mana or internal energy, but it drew power from the vessel of the soul.
You could call it a kind of tier?
A feeling similar to divinity, yet different.
Divinity could also be used as a substitute, but divinity had to maintain the power of destruction, so mental power was consumed extremely quickly as much as it was used.
Now that he realized the aftereffects, it seemed like it was okay to use it appropriately, but he should refrain from wasting it.
After the Outers were cleared out, and while having a short conversation with Kashallakka.
[A notice has arrived from the management office.]
A message appeared in front of them.
Before they could wonder what it meant, the message stretched out and the notice continued.
[Notice to the challenger of the 92nd floor, Player ‘Jeong Se-un’ and Player ‘Kaion Della Kashallakka’.
Due to an unforeseen accident, part of the 92nd floor’s challenge has been damaged.
In this case, the principle is to return all players of the challenge to the shelter and provide a small reward.
However, this management office has determined that the two players are qualified to pass the challenge.
Also, thanks to the help of the two players, the challenge was able to be stabilized.
This management office acknowledges that the two players have succeeded in clearing the 92nd floor and will provide a small reward.]
“Keuheung?”
“Succeeded in clearing?”
“Then, does that mean there’s no need to clear the 92nd floor separately? That we can go straight to the 93rd floor……”
– The trial of the 92nd floor, ‘Conflict,’ has been successfully completed.
A trial completion message appeared as if answering Kashallakka’s words.
A tremendous amount of contribution points came in as a reward for the trial and a reward from the system, but in reality, contribution points were no longer needed.
For Se-un, it was just a so-so feeling.
“Keuooooooo! To pass even the 92nd floor! Already the 93rd floor!!”
Kashallakka was excited, stomping her feet and flapping her wings.
Well, she had been staying in Shainel until now, unable to pass even the 91st floor.
It was no wonder she was so moved to have passed not only the 91st floor but also the 92nd floor.
‘It’s a shame, but…….’
Se-un looked around.
The trial of the 92nd floor, Conflict.
He knew how many hidden pieces existed in this place because he had roamed the entire 92nd floor to find the Manmajeon [a secret society or hidden organization].
However, he couldn’t waste time looking for hidden pieces now.
Just the fact that the 폐왕 [Pye-wang, a term for a failed or deposed king, often used metaphorically] sent Outers to interfere with Se-un showed how urgent the situation was.
There was only one thing needed now.
‘Speed.’
He had to climb the tower quickly so that the 폐왕 [Pye-wang] wouldn’t expect it.
There was no need to cling to hidden pieces that wouldn’t be of great help right now.
“Let’s go quickly, Kashallakka.”
“Keu, Keuheung. Let’s do that!”
After only recovering the stamina consumed in the battle with the Outers, the two immediately moved to the next trial.
From now on, there was really no time to waste.
* * *
The trial of the 93rd floor. A place Se-un was setting foot in for the first time.
He was worried, but perhaps because of the instincts he had as an adventurer, he was also curious about what kind of place it would be.
The theme was.
– Welcome to the trial of the 93rd floor.
– Theme: Disease
It was disease.
A theme that made one feel instinctively uneasy.
Befitting the theme, the 93rd floor, where Se-un and Kashallakka arrived, formed a bizarre backdrop.
“Keuheung, it’s making me feel unpleasant.”
“I agree.”
An unidentifiable stench of rot wafted from all directions.
The trees were rotten, and rats and insects crawled on the muddy floor.
The skeleton of an unknown creature floated half-melted in the rotten swamp.
‘Even the air is unusual.’
A forest as hazy as if fog had spread.
The problem was that all of this fog was disease itself, made up of poison, germs, and viruses.
Even without touching anything, it felt like you could get sick just by breathing.
“Kashallakka, are you okay?”
“Don’t underestimate the immunity of a dragon. This level of toxicity doesn’t even tickle me. I’m more worried about you.”
“I think I’m still okay too.”
Among the immunities gained from the Demon God’s blood was immunity to poison and disease.
Thanks to that, he didn’t feel much burden even while breathing in the poisonous fog.
As he looked around like that, he roughly grasped what themes the trials from the 91st to the 100th floors were made up of.
“……A world that is being destroyed. Or, a destroyed world.”
“Keuheung? What do you mean?”
“These trials. They are all being destroyed in different ways.”
“It seems like that’s the case when I hear it. If that’s the case, is this a place destroyed by disease?”
Dimensions destroyed by conflict, strife, and disease.
The dimensions so far seemed to be dimensions ahead of destruction, but they weren’t as blatant as now.
Perhaps all the future trials will be like this.
Even so, the strategy was not yet anticipated.
‘Surely they don’t want me to detoxify all these diseases.’
Se-un recalled the trial of the 91st floor.
Before his regression, Se-un succeeded in clearing it by stealing the contract from the earth side and giving it to the sea side.
And this time, he succeeded in clearing it by combining and breaking the contracts of the two factions with Kashallakka.
It was a completely different method, but the common point was.
‘Stopping the conflict.’
Whether it was one side’s victory or both sides’ peace, it ultimately stopped the conflict between the two factions.
Wasn’t the strategy for the 92nd floor also to stop all disputes by using some method?
If that was the case, then this trial was also simple.
Eliminating this disease by any means.
Se-un thought of the source of the disease as that method.
Of course, he had no idea what the source was, and he didn’t even know if there was a single source for these many diseases, but for now, that was the most realistic guess.
“Are you planning to clear it separately this time too?”
Kashallakka asked, flapping her wings as if she was about to leave right away.
Se-un hesitated for a moment, then shook his head this time.
“Let’s do it together.”
“Keuheung? What’s wrong with you.”
“Just in case. You also helped me with the Outers.”
“Helped? I just trampled on them because I didn’t like them.”
“Anyway. There’s something I suspect…… but still, let’s not move in the same direction. That’s more efficient.”
“Good. What are you talking about that you suspect?”
“The source of the disease.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know.”
“Keuheung, I can’t help it. I understand. I’ll burn everything that looks similar.”
He told her what he expected the strategy to be, but it seemed better to move separately.
Se-un watched her fly far away and began to move.
‘By the way, what criteria did she use to decide on the direction.’
It’s not like Kashallakka has a pathfinding skill.
No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t help but think that she flew away without thinking, following her feelings.
‘First of all…….’
Se-un recalled the source of the disease and used the Compass of Journey.
Of course, there was still little information that could be known with the Compass of Journey.
Even though it was the pinnacle of detection skills, the Compass of Journey, it was impossible to find the source of the disease, which may or may not exist in this vast place.
So from now on, he had to calmly explore the 93rd floor and learn information about the source of the disease.
Just like when he searched the Manmajeon on the 92nd floor.
Taat!
Se-un spread his wings and flew into the sky.
Searching from the air was still the best way to scout and investigate the surroundings.
However, the moment Se-un flew up.
“Kkeeeeeek!”
A giant grotesque bird with dozens of eyes gleaming flew towards him.
Green saliva dripped from its beak, and black powder scattered from its feathers, making it seem like you could get a serious infection just by brushing against it.
Seogeok-
Still, perhaps because its combat power wasn’t strong, its body was cut in half by Se-un’s sword.
Puwhaat!
The problem was what came next.
“Poison?”
It wasn’t like he had struck it with a blunt weapon, he had just cut it cleanly, but immediately its body burst open, scattering green blood everywhere.
It was an attack that Se-un couldn’t have predicted, so some of the monster’s blood splattered on his body.
Cheueueueu-
Se-un’s equipment rotted.
All the equipment he was wearing now was either obtained as hidden pieces or made directly by Go Chang-seok, all S-grade or higher, but such equipment was rotting.
It was an unexpected situation, but Se-un saw this and immediately.
Cheolkeok.
He took off the infected and rotting glove and threw it into the air.
In addition, he immediately took measures such as cutting off the shoulder part of the armor where the blood had splattered.
This was because he thought that even with the immunity from the Demon God’s blood, it would be difficult to avoid such direct infection.
But besides that grotesque bird…….
“Uweeeeek.”
“Teoteuk, Keuk. Kaak. Ack!”
Infected monsters rushed at him non-stop.
After realizing that blood was dangerous, he put up a barrier with magic, so there was no great danger, but the blood that rotted even the barrier made of mana was very threatening.
In addition, the fog was especially thick in the sky, making him cough, so Se-un had no choice but to land on the ground.
“It’s not at a level where even a dragon would be okay.”
He was worried about Kashallakka.
But now was not the time to worry about others.
Perhaps because they heard the commotion in the sky, rotten monsters were also rushing from the ground.
Perhaps it was a little easier to deal with monsters in the forest than in the wide-open sky?
‘Hunting doesn’t seem to make sense.’
– The constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ savors the food, saying that the tangy taste is excellent.
– The constellation, ‘Hungry Prince,’ enjoys his stomach rumbling and picks up the next tray.
Beelzebub was satisfied, but it didn’t seem like hunting monsters would help clear the trial.
The most important Compass of Journey was also unmoved.
So Se-un took out a new card.
“Ars Goetia [a grimoire or textbook of magic, detailing the evocation of demons].”
Cheolkeok-
The key turned and the abyss unfolded.
The aura of the Demon King, which he was now quite familiar with.
“Respond, Woman Riding a Camel.”
Puhheuheuh-
Along with Se-un’s call, the sound of a camel spitting came from the abyss.
The outline of the Demon King gradually revealed.
“The 56th ranked Demon King, Gremory.”
– Oh my, is it finally my turn?
Somehow a familiar tone.
Her identity was…….
– The constellation, ‘Nocturnal Owl,’ gazes.
– The constellation, ‘Nocturnal Owl,’ smiles, saying that the two look quite good together.
– Oh, sister, don’t tease me~.
She was the younger sister of Lilith, the Demon God of Lust.