Chapter 126: A Bit Too Large 1
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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Even the most oblivious viewer would have noticed by now.
From the moment I carried Grace around her village, to us sitting side by side whenever there was alcohol, to us eating together, and how Han Se-ah groups us up at every opportunity, it was quite obvious.
Of course, looking at the five members of our party, this pairing seemed standard.
The tank and scout were at the front, while the mage, priest, and the swordswoman were at the back.
However, if you can't feel that something's off when the camera is so overtly focused on the two of us, you might be beyond 'oblivious' and bordering on a concerning level of ignorance.
"Anything nearby?"
"Hmm... It doesn't seem like there's anything around. Judging by the lack of noise, I don't think there are any monsters nearby. Probably another party of adventurers passed through recently."
Setting the hammer aside for a moment, I leaned on my shield like a walking stick, looking into the depths of the caves.
Even if the camera was on us, it primarily focused on Grace's face.
Thanks to that, I could fully see the look on Grace's face as she looked at me, without having to look away from the cave path.
Naturally, the viewers saw this as well.
-What did Roland do that made him so popular with women?
-Just by that expression, shes smitten. LOL.
-Is Roland aiming to be a love guru instead of conquering the tower?
-After the character quest, something must've happened between them.
-Earning money while also enjoying your interests... good multitasking.
"Hey! Fantasy needs fitting drama to be enjoyable, right? How long are you guys just going to spam uwus?"
[HAN3025_9980 donated 50,000 won!]
Then show me as well, the relationship drama between you two*
-Huh? You've made even a foreigner use a translator to donate?
-So all of this was a plot to milk foreign currency? Patriotic Han Se-ah!
-K-Dramas are popular abroad too huh?
-Soon, even the Redditors will learn the term '18'*.
-Fact) Han Se-ah was mistaken for a p*rnstar on Reddit because of the nickname '18'.
"Ack."
"Hmm? Roland, do you need some water?"
"No, I'm fine. The cave's air just isn't something I'm used to."
"True, its damp and musty. And if we werent using magic tools but torches, wed be inhaling the smoke too, right? Thats why everyone prefers to buy magic tools or lanterns, despite their high cost."
The reason Han Se-ah's community nickname '18', which jokingly refers to the combined total of 18 of our party, evolved to 'p*rno girl' is because of these absurd messages from viewers.
Seeing the ridiculous messages from the viewers, I couldn't help but burst into cough-like laughter.
Thanks to my robust constitution, I rarely even coughed.
Yet, when I did, Grace shot me a worried glance.
However, the attention garnered by the term 'p*rno girl' saved me from being caught by the camera drone.
"But once we get to the marshes on the next floor, even though walking becomes tedious, the air quality at least improves a bit."
"It 'improves'? The way you say it makes it sound rather unsettling."
"Well, whether it's the stuffy and damp air of a cave or the humid and sticky air of a marsh, the discomfort is the same. But the marshland does have a more open view, so it feels less oppressive."
"So, it's still only 'better than' the cave?"
Seeing Grace sound somewhat weary from my descriptions, I couldn't help but give her a gentle smile.
In typical RPG games, you start in peaceful plains or a village, but as you advance, don't you move towards lands of destruction or demonic realms filled with all sorts of ominous and terrible terrains?
After the flat plains, there's a dense forest, followed by narrow, dim caves.
If you're not careful, you step into quagmires in the marshlands.
Rumor has it that the levels above 40, which I havent visited, is a high-altitude plateau where even breathing is a challenge.
As Grace and I discussed the treacherous terrains of the tower, Han Se-ah, who was teased a lot because of her "p*rno girl" nickname, set up a tent after a mentally taxing journey.
She then lit a campfire and began preparing our meal.
"...Roland, Grace, come and eat."
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Raei Translations
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The battles on the 30th floor remained relatively unchanged, unless the Blind Serpent intervenes.
While the forest creatures became slightly stronger, the cave monsters increased in numbers, albeit only slightly.
However, uncertain of when the Blind Serpent might ambush us, Han Se-ah, as the party's leader, introduced a new tactical approach.
"Let's have Kaiden lead our front lines instead of Roland."
"I'll be at the very front?"
"Kaiden and I will face the monsters at the front, while Grace and Irene handle our rear. If the Blind Serpent comes while Roland is occupied with another monster, it'll be a problem. So, its better if Roland focuses on the Blind Serpent from the start."
She recommended Kaiden to lead instead of me.
With her 4 ranking, Kaiden was more than capable of holding the front line, except for the sudden charge attack of the Blind Serpent.
That was an attack meant for a tank, not a swordsman, to handle.
Seeing the logic in Han Se-ah's suggestion, the party accepted without objection.
After all, during battles in the narrow cave passages against cave spiders and vampire bats, the vanguards hardly had anything to do.
They just held their positions, watching Han Se-ah trap the monsters and Grace finish them off.
Our strategy hadnt changed much; Kaiden was just at the front now.
So, we began our exploration of the 30th floor without much trouble.
"I hear goblins up ahead. Sounds like theyre fighting with cave spiders?
"We should join and deal with both. We have to check the area anyway."
From a distance, a faint 'kyaaak' could be heard.
Grace, with her keen ears, quickly assessed the situation.
Cave spiders wandering the narrow passages seemed to have encountered a group of goblins who had taken up residence in an open area.
Even if monsters killed each other, the remains werent corpses but mana stones.
Having rested a day after reaching the 30th floor, there was no reason to avoid combat now.
Kaiden, sword drawn, confidently strode ahead.
Until now, she had been in the rear, protecting Irene.
There had been little for her to do.
Unlike creatures like the Moss Wolves, cave spiders and vampire bats were straightforward and would charge directly at them.
Days went by where there was no need to draw ones sword unless fighting against smaller creatures like goblins or kobolds.
Even while portraying a skilled and stoic adventurer, one might still secretly wish to showcase their abilities.
Eager to flex her skills, Kaiden led the way as we entered the open area.
Or, at least, we tried to.
Drrr-drr-drr!
"Wait, what's that noise?"
"What's wrong? Is it a Blind Serpent?"
"It seems like it... but something's off."
Had it not been for Grace's sudden signal to stop, we might have walked right into danger.
With all eyes on her, she gave me a serious look and asked with a firm expression.
Everyone, struck by the gravity in her face we hadn't seen before, keenly listened to our conversation.
"Roland, can you explain about the cave snake again?"
"It's a large snake, about 8 to 10 meters long. As its name suggests, it's blind but has a keen sense of smell. If it catches a scent, it comes looking."
"So you mean its length is up to 10 meters...? To be precise, its length is..."
RUMBLEEEEE!
Before anyone could further question her, a loud rumbling echoed, growing louder.
Everyone immediately realized why.
Along with the rumbling, we felt vibrations under our feet, causing a few stalactites to shake and eventually fall to the ground.
Fortunately, the source of the sound didn't seem to be directed towards us.
Luckily, just as the brawl between dozens of goblins and cave spiders had drawn our attention, something else seemed to have diverted the attention of that ominous rumbling.
"...Once the noise subsides, let's enter the clearing."
I wondered if this is how it feels when a train rushes past you while standing next to the tracks.
It reminded me of a children's song about living by the railway*.
We stood still in the cave corridor until we no longer heard any noise.
The rumbling was alarmingly loud, and Grace's concerned expression made us all the more apprehensive.
Once the surroundings went silent, we ventured into the open clearing.
"Oh my..."
"This...this must be the work of the cave snake, right? ...Isn't it?"
The clearing looked more like the ruins of a destroyed world than a part of the cave.
Like a collapsed basement after an earthquake.
Both stalactites and stalagmites were shattered into pieces, scattering rock fragments everywhere.
On the hard stone floor, there were deep, elongated marks.
"These are... the mana stones. They've been destroyed."
"Were mana stones capable of breaking like this?"
"Theyre solidified from concentrated mana. They're tough but not unbreakable."
Among the debris, mana stones, once monsters we knew as goblins and cave spiders, were crushed or fragmented.
The sheer scale of destruction left our group speechless.
Damn, it was just supposed to be an anaconda-sized snake with a mana-enhanced physique!
Not some excavating transformer that could rip apart the cave's floor and walls.
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This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢