I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 103

– Welcome to the 4th floor trial.

– Theme: Passing through the Cave

– Time Limit: 10 Hours

– During your climb, you encountered a companion.

– You are currently affiliated with the Diablo Clan. The companion you encountered was chosen randomly within the clan.

The companion encountered during the climb. This is a kind of story.

I don’t know why it’s structured this way, but there were many instances like this while ascending the Tower.

Right now, it’s simply encountering a companion, but depending on the floor, there are various stories that directly relate to the trial.

For example, it might require cooperating with someone or gathering allies.

‘This cave is probably the only passage to the top of the mountain.’

Even if a treacherous cliff appears, it seemed like one could go straight to the top of the mountain, but as far as Se-woon knew, there were no branching points in this trial.

Even players with wings due to their species would have to pass through the cave on the 4th floor.

The problem is who the companion is…

Honestly, Se-woon could handle the trial alone, so he hoped that Park Jung-pil wouldn’t be the one to cause a commotion.

As he stepped into the cave, the blazing sun disappeared, and darkness rushed in all at once.

At the same time, he felt a presence beside him.

“This is a pleasant surprise.”

“Elder.”

“To think the randomly selected companion would be you. It seems my luck is quite good.”

The player who appeared beside Se-woon was none other than the blacksmith of the Diablo Clan, go Chang-seok.

Like the golden armor previously given to Kang Han-cheol, he too was clad in full plate armor.

A sturdy-looking full-body armor, a helmet with only the necessary openings, and intricately crafted iron boots.

In his hand, he held a battle hammer that looked similar to the one Se-woon had used to smash the stone bridge. Its surface gleamed as if it had just been polished.

“Haha, being stared at like that is a bit embarrassing. This is equipment I prepared, thinking there might come a time when I’d have to fight for myself.”

“It suits you well. Was it difficult to climb up here?”

“I was a bit worried, but it turned out to be manageable. Honestly, the heat was the most troublesome part.”

Well, even if his combat experience wasn’t extensive, his strength and stamina from years of blacksmithing would likely surpass that of most players.

Wearing such equipment on that kind of body would make it difficult for most monsters to even scratch him.

And if anyone were hit by that fearsome battle hammer, it wouldn’t matter where they were struck—whatever part was hit would be utterly crushed.

“By the way, it’s darker than I expected. If we go a little further, we won’t be able to see anything at all.”

Perhaps because they were still near the entrance, a bit of light seeped in, but deeper inside, even the outlines of the walls were entirely obscured.

While Se-woon could secure his vision using the ‘Eyes of the Night Owl,’ it was a situation that could pose significant difficulties for other players.

Acknowledging this with a small nod, Se-woon began preparing a new spell.

– Opened the Treasury of Greed

[ Light ]

– The most basic light magic of the White Tower, capable of illuminating surroundings or disrupting an enemy’s vision depending on its output.

“Oh!”

A white orb of light floated up from Se-woon’s hand.

As expected of a 1st Circle spell, it consumed barely any mana, and once its position was set, Se-woon’s hands were freed, making it an efficient spell.

The light, guided by Se-woon’s mana manipulation, rose above his head and floated forward a short distance before stopping. From now on, it would illuminate the path ahead.

“Magic really is fascinating every time I see it.”

“Let’s move forward.”

“There’s no need to go out of your way to protect me. I can handle myself, you know.”

Go Chang-seok gripped his battle hammer tightly and followed behind Se-woon.

Indeed, the monsters on the lower levels didn’t seem capable of inflicting even minor injuries on him.

Even if they tried to ambush him with claws, they’d probably end up breaking their claws against his armor rather than penetrating it.

“There’s a torch here. Should we grab one?”

“This is more efficient than a torch, so I don’t think it’s necessary.”

“Haha, it really does seem convenient in many ways. I’d love to learn something like that myself.”

As they pressed on through the darkness and rounded a sharp curve, they came across a single torch.

Normally, one would have to grope along the walls to reach this point and then use the torch to continue navigating. That was the standard approach for this trial.

If the torch were to go out, the difficulty of the trial would escalate to an extreme level.

This was one of the reasons why the second-floor trial was designed for two participants.

Carrying a torch alone would place too many restrictions on progressing through the trial.

“It’s still quiet. Considering the last two trials, I doubt we’ll get through this one peacefully.”

“Ch-ch-ch-chh—”

“They don’t seem like the quiet type either.”

“Hm?”

“Over there.”

A faint noise reached Se-woon’s ears, amplified by his heightened hearing, a sense superior to other players’.

As Go Chang-seok looked at him in confusion, Se-woon moved the light forward and increased its brightness.

The light revealed the gleaming, smooth exoskeleton of something reflecting its glow.

“Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

“Do you dislike bugs?”

“Not particularly, but if you’re standing face-to-face with a centipede that large, anyone would react the same. Except you, of course.”

The monster was an arthropod with dozens of visible legs, exposed in the light.

While it resembled a centipede, its body was rounder, with a semi-cylindrical exoskeleton rather than the flat plates of a centipede.

On Earth, millipedes weren’t particularly aggressive creatures…

“Ch-ch-ch-chh—!”

“Be careful—!”

Thud.

But not here.

As soon as it spotted Se-woon, the monster scurried rapidly across the floor, its glossy legs churning. Se-woon drove Durandal into the gap between its exoskeleton plates.

No matter how thick the exoskeleton was, the gaps between them were still soft, vulnerable tissue.

The millipede, over two meters long, had its head severed cleanly.

Even without its head, its body twitched violently in surprise before Se-woon kicked it aside toward the edge of the space.

“… I was worried for nothing. Looks like you don’t need my help after all.”

“No, I think I’ll need a little help.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think that one was alone.”

“Ch-ch-chh—”

“Ch-ch-ch-chh—”

The eerie sound of hundreds of legs skittering across the floor filled the space, and dozens of monsters emerged into view.

The gleaming exoskeletons of the monsters reflected the light in a way that was deeply unsettling.

Go Chang-seok, despite grimacing, lowered the visor of his helmet and tightened his grip on the battle hammer.

“Just finished polishing it, and now it’s going to get dirty again.”

“Ch-ch-chh—!”

The centipedes charged, their hard exoskeletons leading the way.

Ordinarily, their target would be the light source—in this case, the torch carried by a player.

This setup typically required the front player to defend the other who carried the torch.

But now, Se-woon was using magic instead of a torch to illuminate the surroundings.

As a result, the monsters naturally directed their attacks toward Se-woon, who stood at the front.

Thud.

Swish—

The monsters had their heads severed the moment they entered Se-woon’s attack range, without even a chance to react.

There was no need to use martial arts.

Though their exoskeletons were hard, durandal easily pierced through them, even if his aim was slightly off.

While a few managed to slip past due to their sheer numbers, it didn’t matter.

Crunch!

“Ugh, this sticky mess is going to take some effort to clean off!”

Go Chang-seok muttered, swinging his hammer. With each blow, the bodies of the monsters burst apart violently.

Despite being considered tricky monsters—attacking torches and being resistant to most ordinary blades due to their tough exoskeletons—they were no more than oversized bugs in the face of Se-woon and Go Chang-seok.

Then, one of the monsters near the rear began to bloat, its abdomen swelling before spewing something from its mouth.

Fwoosh!

A yellow gas spread like mist the moment it was expelled.

Even from a distance, the stench was unbearable.

Having encountered this attack before his regression, Se-woon immediately recognized it.

Not only did it emit a foul odor, but it also functioned like tear gas—making it nearly impossible to keep one’s eyes open, irritating the airways, and leaving the throat burning if inhaled.

Before the gas could reach them, Se-woon extended his other hand forward.

– According to the mysteries of the Green Tower, the speed of ‘Breeze’ is enhanced.

A refreshing gust of wind blew from behind, pushing the yellow gas away.

Startled by the sudden wind, the monster attempted to release another foul-smelling cloud, but Se-woon’s blade moved even faster.

Thud.

In the end, the monster’s stench got stuck in its throat, unable to escape, and with that, the brief battle came to an end.

“I’d love to clean this off right away, but it’s going to take quite a bit of time to fix up.”

“Let’s finish the trial first.”

“I know. The more time we save, the more merit points, we can earn.”

Go Chang-seok glared at the sticky fluids clinging to his battle hammer in disgust.

Se-woon understood that Go Chang-seok valued his equipment, but when facing monsters, they couldn’t afford to waste time constantly cleaning their gear.

– The Constellation ‘Hungry Prince’ enjoys the deep, rich bodily fluids of insect-like monsters, savoring their taste.

After using the Power of Gluttony, Se-woon resumed his journey.

Fortunately, the cave continued on as a single path for a while.

Although various monsters, including those resembling stink bugs, ambushed them, they posed little threat.

As they progressed further, they eventually reached a fork in the road.

“Hmmm, a fork in the road… Do you know the way? I’m hopeless at finding my way around.”

Standing at the center of the fork, Se-woon closed his eyes and focused on his senses.

Hearing, smell, touch—his enhanced senses, bolstered by various treasures, detected every subtle trace and change in the environment.

“Probably this way leads to the exit.”

“Oooh, impressive. I don’t feel anything at all.”

Se-woon pointed to the path on the right.

Based on the subtle differences in temperature and the flow of the wind, the left path appeared to be blocked.

Go Chang-seok, eager to head down the right path, was about to move when Se-woon stopped him.

“Let’s go the other way.”

“Hm? Why? I thought you’d be aiming to exit the cave as quickly as possible.”

That was a reasonable assumption.

After all, Se-woon’s goal was also to earn merit points, through high rankings.

But, as had been the case so far, rankings weren’t determined solely by “speed.”

“I think there’s something down that way.”

A hidden piece Se-woon had discovered before his regression.

He felt that now, he might be able to open the door he couldn’t back then.