NOVEL WEB Chapter 5: The Task
[You have entered the boss room.]
My sight becoming completely dark for a second,
Soon after, a large room comes into my vision.
‘It’s been a while.’
Now that I’m here, this place feels unfamiliar.
Thinking that everything about me started in this place,
My emotions are very mixed.
‘And it’s been a while since I’ve seen that guy too.’
Two heads shaped like bird heads,
And with wings that look like they belong to a devil.
This place’s boss,
And the fucker that made everything I had change.
“You, what are you…? I am certain I saw you coughing up blood, how are you looking fine?”
“That? It’s tomato juice.”
“…?”
“It’s just red tomato juice, not blood.”
Maybe he thought he misheard for a second, Almaimon was making a very puzzled expression.
If I put the drink in my mouth after I entered the dungeon, I was bound to get caught,
So I took a sip of the tomato juice and held it in my mouth before entering the dungeon.
Due to that, I couldn’t talk once I entered the dungeon,
But I achieved what I wanted.
“How, how dare you lie to me?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
“Unless you think I am a fool who cannot even judge those actions, such a trivial answer would not be possible. You have come to destroy….”
“But you are a fool. You knew too, didn’t you? That I was lying.”
“…….”
The guy is speechless at my answer.
Since he is able to get a rough idea of my emotions with his artifact.
With that artifact, he should be able to tell whether I am lying or telling the truth.
“T-That’s….”
“The Eye of Greed. You can see the answer with that artifact.”
“How do you…!”
As he tries to hide his cards,
Out of frustration and show him I know the cards he’s hiding.
At that, Amaimon makes an expression as if he is astonished.
After making an expression as if he couldn’t accept what he heard,
He asks me additional questions.
“But I still cannot comprehend. The emotional state that you were showing when I checked was the same as that of a person on the verge of death. What kind of combination is this?”
“Ah, that? Well, it’s quite easy after dying 100,000 times. Acting out my death is easier than breathing for me.”
“…That doesn’t make any sense.”
Not once or twice,
It was 100,000 times. 100,000.
The first few times I died, I felt like my mind was collapsing,
By now I am able to act it out so well anyone would think I am dead.
In this case, since he can see through my emotions, it’s a little harder, but that’s it.
Not more or less than that,
Just deceiving him isn’t hard.
Also,
“You know too. The Return from Death skill. Thanks to you giving me that skill, I’ve died 100,000 times.”
It’s a fact he probably noticed to some extent anyway.
He was the one who gave me the Return from Death skill,
So rather, the weird face he is making is just ridiculous.
“…?”
But he just makes an expression that shows he really is clueless.
He looks at me as if he’s never heard about this.
“The Return from Death skill. That fucking skill you gave me 6 years ago.”
“What is it you are trying to say? I do not have such a skill. And, as such, cannot give it to someone either.”
“…What?”
Unlike what I thought that he would have obviously been the one to give me the skill,
Almaimon gave me a completely different answer.
I cannot really tell if it is true or not but…,
‘Does he have any reason to lie to me?’
Would this guy have any reason to actually lie to me?
Even so, this guy is a boss.
First off, there would be a huge difference in basic stats between us,
So in his eyes I’d be nothing more than just an Irregular bug.
He could hide his hand,
But would he try to deceive me by even lying?
‘I should watch out.’
Unlike him,
I don’t have a way to tell if my opponent is lying.
I have to figure it out based on how he says things.
So, first of all,
“Fine, we’ll figure that out later. Don’t you have a task to give me?”
“…You know that much.”
“There’s much more that I know apart from just that.”
“Impudent.”
Just clearing this dungeon.
Unlike regular dungeons where the goal is to defeat the boss,
The conditions for clearing this dungeon are different.
The task given by him.
Only if that task is cleared,
The reward can be obtained.
“You’re amazing, you know? Doesn’t it mean you’re bored if you just hand out an task instead of fighting? Then at least the conditions to enter this room should be easy, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean the conditions are hard? I just give the losers an opportunity. The opportunity to reverse your ruined life.”
“There has to be a limit to how big of losers they are. How many people do you think would die in this kind of dungeon? Even a 5 year old wouldn’t die here.”
The mummies here, they are the monsters with the worst ability you could find.
Even if a 5 year old wouldn’t win here,
At least they wouldn’t face the risk of death.
After all, it’s just like getting hit with a feather.
‘Although, I guess it’s not something I should be saying.’
The first time I discovered this place,
That time I went close to death in this very dungeon, after all.
Of course, rather than getting critically injured in this dungeon,
That was because I ran away to this dungeon after getting hurt really badly.
It wasn’t impossible,
But this is a place that would be close to impossible to find unless you get lucky like I did.
“I am just having fun for a bit anyway. The real reason I am in this place is not for losers like you.”
“What do you mean loser? I’m completely fine. Wouldn’t it be you who’s the actual loser?”
“…Let the task begin.”
It seems I saw straight through him,
Instead of answering my question, he goes straight to the task.
I was worried he would kick me out, since I tricked him to get in here,
I guess he isn’t that petty at least.
“Get up.”
While saying he would start the task,
He casts something that looks like a skill.
And,
‘Indeed, it’s the same procedure as last time.’
Countless humanoid monsters;
Appears to surround me.
Even without having to think about it,
You can easily tell it’s monsters that this guy summoned.
Considering how he summoned all of these in an instant,
It would probably be impossible to deal with him right now.
“Now, these are 100 monsters with the same stats as you. They even have all your skills copied. If you can defeat all of them, I will consider you having passed the task.”
“You’re more generous than I thought.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I’m not even hurt right now. I thought it would be harder, but the level of difficulty is quite appropriate. Don’t you think it’d be better to increase the number dramatically?”
The same task I faced when I first entered this dungeon.
Of course, back then my physical condition was at its worst,
I was killed by monsters who used the same skills as me.
‘But not this time.’
In the first place, back then I had not even learned proper martial arts.
Now I’m just built differently than I was before.
Moreover,
‘I don’t have skills.’
As I was reborn, all my skills were wiped clean.
In other words, the monsters this guy summoned can’t use any skills either.
Therefore, inevitably, it will only be hand-to-hand combat.
For who I am right now,
These are the best terms of all.
“You are overconfident. Average people would have a hard time against 5 monsters. Where does your confidence even come from?”
“I mean, why do you even need to use the word “confidence” in this situation? Or is this the limit to how many monsters you can summon?”
“…Impudence. If that is your wish, I shall do as you ask.
Let’s see how long it takes for your face to turn to despair.”
With those words a bunch more monsters.
The number of monsters shaped like mannequins,
Increases to what looks like about 300.
“Hehe.”
This is obviously a very serious situation,
But I just can’t hold back my laughter.
No, no matter how I think about it, this is too perfect.
“I wonder how much experience I would get if I killed them all.”
“…?”
These are different to the puny, low experience giving monsters I fought earlier.
Just definitely.
Monsters that provide me with experience.
-Slash
I immediately rush forward and slash the front most one.
Since they were my same level,
I swing my sword until the guy is dead.
And,
[Your level has increased.]
[Status window]
Name : Park Si-woo
Level : 2 (1st Stage Awakener)
Condition : Satisfied
[Strength : 1] [Stamina : 1] [Agility : 1] [Magic : 1] [Luck : 1]
(Remaining attribute points are 6.)
Skill :
(There are currently no skills.)
Despite only defeating one,
I can see my level immediately increase.
“This is the real deal.”
In most other dungeons, the number of monsters appearing is around 30.
But 300.
This is not different to getting a buffet prepared for me.
“I wonder how much experience you’ll give me.”
Looking at the remaining 299 monsters,
I put on a wide smile.
Translator’s Note
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