Chapter: 08
The 1st Floor was enormous.
Among all the floors of the Tower, excluding a few special locations, it was probably the widest and tallest of them all.
The Tutorial Floor had been about the size of a small city, but the 1st Floor was on an entirely different scale.
Terra alone was a massive city capable of accommodating every player in the world.
And the monster habitats surrounding it were several times larger than Terra itself.
As a result, Eugene had been walking for quite a long time.
“Tch… Maybe I should’ve gotten a mount before heading out.”
It didn’t have to be Uranos [B], the mount he had ridden during his first playthrough.
Even having a single horse would have made traveling much easier.
Even though Eugene knew that perfectly well, there was a simple reason he had set out immediately.
Obtaining even the lowest-tier mount—a horse—took quite a long time.
At least a week, if not longer.
Black Wings [C] was the most important first step in his plan.
He had to obtain it as quickly as possible.
So even if it was troublesome, he had no choice but to run around on foot.
There wasn’t any time to leisurely wait until he had a horse.
“What kind of miserable labor is this…”
After grumbling nonstop while walking…
At last, his target came into view.
A giant deer nearly three meters tall.
Its antlers looked as though they were burning, and pale yellow gas poured continuously from its nostrils.
It looked suffocatingly dangerous.
A Sulfur Deer.
It possessed the largest habitat on the 1st Floor and had the highest population among all monsters.
Because of that, it was also the very first monster most players encountered.
“The numbers are just right too.”
There were four Sulfur Deer within sight.
Farther inside there would be herds several times larger, but this was the outer edge of their habitat, so the numbers weren’t overwhelming.
With the Fire Dragon Blade [E] resting on his shoulder, Eugene casually strolled toward them as though he were taking a relaxing walk around the neighborhood.
As the distance closed, their ears twitched.
They had sensed his presence.
Frrr!
“Look at those damn murderous eyes.”
Naturally, a Sulfur Deer’s eyes looked nothing like those of an ordinary deer.
Its bloodshot white sclera alone was unsettling enough, but each eye contained three separate pupils.
The killing intent pouring from those grotesque eyes was more than enough to make anyone’s legs tremble.
Grin.
Stimulated by their gaze, Eugene smiled.
“Quit glaring at me like that and hand over your antlers quietly.”
Thud!
Neither Eugene nor the four Sulfur Deer waited for the other.
Both sides kicked off the ground at the same time.
The distance vanished in an instant.
The Sulfur Deer struck first.
Its jaws split wide open, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth that looked nothing like those of a grass-eating animal.
If those teeth caught someone, losing a chunk of flesh would be the least of their worries.
The one in front aimed directly for Eugene’s throat.
…This is it.
The moment he focused his mind as the battle began, the entire world seemed to slow down.
It wasn’t a skill.
Nor was it a trait.
This was purely Eugene’s natural talent.
Within that endlessly slowed world, Eugene casually stepped to the side.
Inside and Out as One [E].
A trait whose meaning was that one’s thoughts and actions were in perfect harmony.
The very same trait Eugene had obtained on the Tutorial Floor activated, allowing his body to move at the exact speed of his accelerated thoughts.
In other words—
He became ridiculously fast.
Snap!
The deer’s jaws clamped shut.
Too late.
Eugene was no longer there.
Having already slipped beside it, he swung his arm.
From below to above.
The Fire Dragon Blade [E] shot upward like a dragon ascending to heaven, aiming straight for the Sulfur Deer’s neck.
I’ll wound its throat first, then immediately stab its eye.
The Sulfur Deer was a powerful monster.
Assuming it was weak simply because there were many of them would be a grave mistake.
Aside from the Earth Dragon, it was probably the strongest monster on the 1st Floor.
Its hide and muscles were especially tough, making even scratches difficult to inflict with ordinary attacks.
Even at Level 7, Eugene shouldn’t have been able to cut off its head in one blow.
That would normally require at least Level 10…
Slash!
“Huh?”
Eugene’s eyes widened.
His expectations had been completely wrong.
His first attack had only been meant to injure it before targeting its eye with the second strike.
Yet the edge of the Fire Dragon Blade [E] sliced through the deer’s neck as effortlessly as cutting melted butter.
Thud.
That was the end.
The Sulfur Deer’s severed head hit the ground…
And it died instantly.
“What the…”
Without realizing it, Eugene lowered his gaze to the Fire Dragon Blade [E] in his hand.
“Was this sword really that good?”
Of course not.
It was merely an E-rank blade with absolutely no special options attached.
It was true that it was useful up to around the 10th Floor, but it wasn’t powerful enough to decapitate a Sulfur Deer as though slicing tofu.
Which meant there had to be another reason.
“Ah!”
He suddenly remembered something he had completely forgotten.
“Right… that.”
He had been so absorbed in the sensation of Inside and Out as One [E], something he had believed he would never experience again.
He had completely forgotten about—
God-Blessed Body [S].
An S-rank trait.
■ God-Blessed Body [S]: Greatly enhances the body’s overall abilities.
Because it was described as greatly, its effects were truly extraordinary.
Although Eugene was only Level 7, his body, enhanced by the trait, possessed strength several times greater than normal.
This was his first battle since obtaining it.
Only now did he truly understand just how overwhelming it was.
“This is insane.”
It was already incredible.
But as his level increased, God-Blessed Body [S] would become even more monstrous.
Eugene looked toward the remaining three Sulfur Deer, which had frozen in place while staring at their fallen companion.
“You guys want to die like your friend, or are you going to hand over your antlers peacefully?”
Naturally, the Sulfur Deer couldn’t understand human speech.
They chose the first option.
The battle resumed.
Slash!
Slash!
Slash!
Just three swings.
Not a skill.
Not even a technique worthy of the name.
He simply swung his blade roughly at their necks.
That alone was enough.
Just like the first one, all three dropped their heads and died.
“Hmm. I didn’t think it’d be this easy.”
Of course, Eugene had never believed he would lose from the very beginning.
Whether it was Sulfur Deer, Vampire Bats, or Blue Slimes…
Other than the Earth Dragon, none of them were worth worrying about.
That was true even without taking his skills and traits into account.
After all…
He possessed the experience of climbing all the way to the 100th Floor and personally killing the Apocalypse.
Still, he had never expected it to end this easily.
“Everything’s going perfectly.”
As Eugene let out a sinister grin…
The Sulfur Deer corpses glowed before disappearing.
In their place, the loot they had dropped appeared.
“Oh, nice. Lucky too.”
Not only had he obtained the Sulfur Deer Antlers [F] he had originally been after…
He had also gotten two Coins.
“These aren’t supposed to drop this easily.”
Coins were the currency used when trading with NPCs.
Bartering certainly existed.
But the truly valuable items could only be purchased with Coins.
Obtaining two Coins on the very first hunt on the 1st Floor…
That was exceptionally lucky.
“You hardly ever see these on the lower floors.”
Humming to himself, Eugene stuffed the dropped items into his pockets.
“The antlers are enough. Next up… Vampire Bats?”
At this rate, he might finish everything today instead of tomorrow.
Though it would ultimately depend on how he dealt with the Earth Dragon…
Compared to the Apocalypse…
An Earth Dragon was practically just an earthworm.
“Earth Dragon or Heavenly Dragon… I’ll skin every last one of them.”
For now, though, the Vampire Bats came first.
“But man… this is getting annoying.”
As Eugene resumed walking, he frowned.
The items crammed into his pockets were making it uncomfortable to move.
“I should get an Inventory Space soon too.”
It wasn’t a major problem yet.
But once he accumulated more items, it would become troublesome.
“I’ll deal with Citadel’s matter first, then getting a mount and an Inventory Space becomes the priority.”
Only after losing them did he realize how valuable such conveniences really were.
Holding onto his bulging pockets, Eugene headed toward the Vampire Bat habitat.
Citadel silently sat at his table, staring blankly at the bottle of liquor before him.
“Come to think of it… I never even asked his name.”
That player had appeared out of nowhere, declared that he would restore the forge’s flame…
And then left.
Citadel had nodded along in the heat of the moment.
But the more time passed, the stranger it all felt.
“Can I really trust him?”
He didn’t know.
But one thing was certain.
If that player really could restore the flame…
“I wouldn’t regret giving him Black Wings [C] and Blessing [C] at all.”
The problem was whether he could actually succeed.
Even Citadel himself didn’t know how to restore the flame.
If he had known, he wouldn’t have been sitting here drinking all day.
He would have acted personally.
No matter how difficult or dangerous it was.
But no matter how desperately he searched, he couldn’t discover the method.
And yet…
A player who had only just arrived on the 1st Floor claimed he knew the answer.
“He even said he’d return with the solution by tomorrow.”
He wanted to believe him.
But he simply couldn’t.
Feeling frustrated, Citadel grabbed the bottle and gulped down the harsh liquor.
“Guaaah!”
His throat burned as though it were on fire.
Yet even that failed to ease the suffocating frustration in his chest.
“This won’t do. I’ll see with my own eyes exactly how that guy plans to pull this off.”
The player had left less than half a day ago.
No matter how vast the 1st Floor was, that was still enough time to find him and follow him.
“I’ll ask the Information Guild to locate him first, then borrow a horse.”
Taylor would probably lend him one without hesitation.
Just as he was planning everything…
BANG!
Someone kicked the door open and strode into the shop.
“What bastard dares—!”
Already in a foul mood, Citadel sprang to his feet, ready to explode.
Then he froze.
“Ah, damn it. What a pain in the ass.”
Because the one who had entered while cursing…
Was that very same player.
“What? I told you to wait. Why are you getting drunk and trying to leave?”
Thump.
A dark crimson leather sack landed heavily on the floor.
“Y-you…?”
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to take it?”
Still stammering in shock, Citadel watched as the player casually nudged the leather sack with his foot.
“These are the materials to restore your flame.”
“What?!”
Every trace of doubt and anxiety vanished in an instant.
“Sulfur Deer Antlers [F], Vampire Bat Membrane [F], Blue Slime Core [F], and Earth Dragon Blood [D].”
What…
Exactly was this guy talking about?
Especially that last one.
Had he really just mentioned an Earth Dragon?
“You’re grateful, right? Then hurry up and take me to the forge.”
The player urged him impatiently, looking thoroughly annoyed.
“H-Hey… what are you waiting for? Let’s get this over with.”
