Chapter 344: Balak (4)
<Underground Level 11, 'River of Flow'
This is a strange place indeed.
Time passes faster for creatures that move faster, and slower for creatures that move slower.
This is a law that holds true in the normal world, but in this tower, the phenomenon is especially noticeable.
Vikir moves at breakneck speed, and each time he does, his stats are boosted by the effects of his items.
-Ding!
['Agility' stat increased by '1'...]
[Stamina stat increased by 1 to...]
[Your 'Physical Resistance' stat increased by 1 to...]
[Magic resistance stat increased by '1' to...]
[Reflexes stat increased by '1' to...]
.
.
Vikir's stats were rising at an incredible rate as he moved more violently, more violently, and more destructively.
kkadag-
Vikir dodged a flying arrow with a simple tilt of his head.
An extremely frugal move, an evasion without waste.
Not only has his reflexes blossomed, but he is also growing, so something like this becomes possible.
Natural Gifted.
An extremely rare talent, possessed by only a few individuals throughout human history.
Vikir, an all-rounder, was naturally born without it, but that all changed when he entered the tower.
All the innate and natural things he had been denied simply because he was unlucky, he could now claim them all here.
jjuuug-
His vision expanded, then contracted, then expanded again.
The passage of time was strangely distorted.
It feels like he's living on a different time axis than everyone else.
It's as if everything is moving slowly on purpose.
'...Even though time is passing several times faster, it seems as if it has stopped. Is this the realm of the gifted?'
Stepping forward to avoid the arrows that almost stopped in front of him was as easy as walking around a boulder or tree that stood still.
And with each passing moment, it was getting easier and easier.
That's because his reflexes stats kept going up.
'It was originally an item I got to increase my 6 stats and 3 special stats by 1, but I never thought I'd hit the jackpot in a place like this....'
The levels in the Hell Tree are random and have different locations and characteristics, so I never thought I'd find a place where time warps so quickly.
Even the windfalls were not like this.
Once your stats go up, they never go down.
They stay the same whether you're in the tower or outside.
Of course, if you leave the tower, you won't be able to see your stats.
'If I were to leave the tower, I could... really reach the 8th Form. Even without the help of a saint!'
The Baskerville 8th Form is more powerful than any officially recognized sword form.
Even Hugo, the iron-blooded swordman patriarch of Baskerville, could only reach seventh dan after a lifetime of training.
'... But that would have been the story when I left.'
In order to escape the tower, you must first focus on reality.
...teoeog! bing-geul-
Vikir grabbed the arm of the warrior charging at him with his dagger and twisted it back.
Crunch-
With a crunch of bones, the Balak warrior fell to the mud.
...pongdang!
Warriors who fell into the mud often dropped golden candies.
"I guess it's because they're ship owners, so their level is high, right? The dropped items are also of a high level."
Vikir said as he picked up the golden candies that had fallen into the mud.
The warriors cowered in fear at the sight of such force and the fluency of the Balak's language.
Meanwhile, Vikir checked the golden candies in his hand.
'...I wonder if I should have just switched to regular candies instead of collecting golden candies, then my maximum gain would have been much higher, not just 798.'
But that's too short-sighted.
The golden candy levels you up, and it increases your stats in %.
Therefore, its effect could be maximized only when used at 'critical moments.'
With achievement rewards and other considerations, it's best to save the golden candy for later.
Crunch-clunk-clunk!
Vikir craned his neck from side to side.
Vikir's vision had improved to the point where he could see his reflection in the dewdrops on the tips of the pine needles in the distance.
He seemed to have grown several centimeters taller.
His arms and legs were longer.
His body had put on several years of age as a result of moving so much faster than anyone else.
'I'll probably end up back to the age I was before I regressed.'
Not a bad idea. Because I'm more familiar with that side than the image of a young boy.
It seems like the surroundings might be a little less noisy.
peoeog- udeug! kwagig!
Vikir continued to swing his sword.
His snake-like aura slices through the flying arrows and targets the archers behind him.
Balak's warriors ducked and dodged, but Vikir's blows tore through rocks, logs, and other obstacles in their path.
"Is he a shipowner, too? That can't be right!"
"How can a novice have such power! We're no match for him!"
"Damn it! This is out of standard! What are those fairies doing!"
"Sah, the hunting leader must come, Otherwise...!"
Even the brave and warlike warriors of Balak eventually lost their will to fight.
...Bang!
Vikir grabbed one of the fleeing warriors by the scruff of the neck and slammed him to the ground.
Whirl-
He twisted his body just before hitting the ground, minimizing the impact.
Still, it was enough to immobilize him for a while, but at least he was spared from being knocked out.
A moment. Vikir was a little surprised.
Not because the fallen warrior was an elderly man with graying hair who looked to be the oldest of the group.
'This guy uses Baskerville style, doesn't he?'
Vikir had taught Balak's warriors the basics of Baskerville style when he had lived among them.
However, Balak's martial arts were far more advanced than the Baskervilles', and the more experienced warriors hadn't bothered to learn Vikir's techniques.
'...What happened?'
Vikir scratched his head.
But even as he wondered, Vikir's hands slowly grabbed the enemy's wrists and elbows and twisted them.
udeug! ppudeudeug!
Vikir said as he snapped the arm of the oldest warrior he had just captured.
"This is what you'll all look like if you try to fight me."
If the oldest and strongest warrior was like this, there was no way the others could resist.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Balak's warriors were speechless.
Helpless. An entity outside the norm that hadn't been on the floor before had suddenly appeared and was exerting overwhelming force, and they were helpless, even if they were normally warlike and brave.
Then. There were voices interrupting them.
"It's bad, you barbarians!"
"I understand. You've never seen anything like this before. I feel thrilled when I see it, but you must be so appalled."
"But how did you get so strong, or were you always strong?"
"Oh, yeah, you were the one on the rooftop smelling like rum on entrance day, I recognized you!"
Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, and Bianca appeared from behind Vikir.
"Hey, look at the size of their food pouches, Vikir! Don't stop me! I'm not going to let them take my...!"
"I got everything back. The ones we farmed and hunted to death."
"Hmph- my tomatoes, radishes, and cabbage! I worked so hard to grow them!"
"Aaah! I even found my salted pork! Ugh, I risked my life to go to a Daylily colony to get salt...."
But Vikir reached out and blocked the path of Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, and Bianca.
Vikir's gaze was on something other than the recovered food.
...Sparkle!
Something shone from the ear of the warrior they had just captured.
It was definitely an earring.
Glass bead earrings with some traces of modernity on them.
And with Vikir's enhanced vision, he could make out the words etched into the surface of the glass bead, so worn and tattered by the elements that they were now barely more than a faint color.
'Made in CindyWendy studio'
It was obviously one of the first items CindyWendy had selected for trade with the Balak, a trinket for the Balak's infants.
'Why is she wearing this?'
Vikir scratched his head.
PING-
An arrow flew from the front.
It flew with a force and speed that not even Vikir dared to ignore.
"...!"
Vikir deflected the arrow with the back of his sword.
A dull thud of pain echoed through his wrist.
Vikir dropped the warrior he had captured and stepped back, and a new warrior appeared in the center of the battlefield.
A woman with long, flowing hair.
She looks to be in her early thirties, but the aura she exudes is decades older, fierce and seasoned.
For a moment, Vikir thought she reminded him of the Balak chieftain Aquila.
'... This woman is going to be a little tough.'
For the first time, he broke out in a cold sweat.
The female warrior in front of him was such a powerful opponent that even Vikir, who had all six of his stats in bloom, couldn't guarantee a victory.
She wasn't quite the Ryumajin he'd encountered on the previous floor, but she was certainly a more difficult opponent than Cerberus, Blood Daylily, and the Black Sea King.
Vikir was tensely holding the tip of his sword.
...teoeog!
Something surprising happened.
A female warrior, the most senior of the group, stepped forward and knelt down on one knee in front of Vikir.
"Greetings from the hunting grounds of Balak."
Tudor, Sancho, Piggy, Bianca, and all of Balak's warriors, even Vikir, were stunned.
Vikir stared into the face of the woman kneeling before him.
A woman who looked to be about middle-aged, with a strength that reminded him of Aquila.
When you've had a relationship with a warrior of this caliber, it's hard to forget.
"...?"
Vikir thought hard, hoping there was something he didn't remember.
And then.
"...!"
Vikir's eyes widened at the sight of a familiar face.
It is something that can only be seen once the dignity of a seasoned veteran has been removed, a legacy that has been gained through countless experiences and the passage of time.
It's the face of a child.
'...I wonder if I can get a glass bead?'
It was an old memory with a little girl who wanted to turn a caterpillar into a glass bead.
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