Demon King
chapter-56

3F Breakthrough (4)

How many rare monsters have we fought in that short period?

There was no time to count them leisurely. Lee Chan-yu’s body became bloody and healed repeatedly, and for the first time, I felt that my Advanced Surprise skill was limited. The only hope was that there was still room for growth in the Fairy Tale skill.

However, as its name suggests, the number of rare higher species was extremely small compared to the regular or higher species. There were only hundreds of rare monsters, and their sizes made it difficult for them to gather, so there weren’t many monsters we had to deal with at once.

However, unlike other monsters we have seen in 2F and 3F, the rare monsters did not express hostility to each other. They are different from the monsters we’ve met so far. They seem to be cooperating with other monsters! From now one, we had to fight against monsters with reason.

Dealing with three to four rare high-class species at a time was very difficult, but at the same time, it was a good experience.

As I went through their various skills and techniques, I gradually got used to it and felt myself developing my response.

[Predation after hunting rare high-level species in the Black Palace 3F 500/500]

The quest requirement was satisfied even before the pocket watch’s hour hand turned once. After a half-turn, there was only one monster left in my Detection range.

It was a gorilla covered with light blue hair. It roared and pounded the floor. White frost formed around it, visible through the black fog.

“Quo oh oh oh!”

His fists were the size of a pot, and whenever they hit the floor, huge ice spears rise from the ground randomly within his range. An unpredictable and deadly attack!

Surprise and Fairy Tale were useless against this. He attacked everything in his range mercilessly. He was the most terrifying among the high-ranking species I met here.

“Chit!”

I first reinforced my defense by making full use of the Stone Skin, a skill obtained by eating one of the monsters. However, the drawback was that my movements were slower when Stone Skin was equipped.

It was the only way to not die from the spears.

“Quick!”

However, as I approached it slowly with the whip on my hand, Lee Chan-yu suddenly jumped high in the air, neglecting the danger of being stabbed by ice spears.

It happened in the blink of an eye. It was impossible for him to even think about it if his regeneration level was not above the Advanced level.

It really happened in the blink of an eye. It is impossible to dream if there is no regeneration above the advanced level.

“Kohohohohoh!”

“Captain, now!”

The gorilla emits a terrible coldness that could freeze an opponent just by being near it, and Lee Chan-yu, who jumped at it recklessly, had his lower body frozen in no time. Moreover, two sharp ice spears penetrated his body as he exposed himself in the air.

I do not intend to waste the chance that Lee Chan-yu earned. I quickly took off the Stone Skin, raised Surprise and Fairy Tale, and sped towards the gorilla’s direction.

I made full use of Leap and Beast Charge to increase my speed. The Shadow Step skill acquired from rare higher-level shadow monsters were added to it.

It made my movements stealthier and faster. If the skill level of Shadow Step increases, it would be the perfect weapon.

The gorilla, who had his sights on the falling Lee Chan-yu and his arms raised towards the sky, roared without noticing me right underneath his massive chests.

I felt a terrible coldness as I got close to him, but my higher-level tolerance prevented it from being difficult.

Just before the gorilla returned to its position with its forepaws on the ground, I jumped while maintaining Surprise and Fairy Tale. I put all my power on the blade of Blood Shadow.

Blood Flame, Black Lightning, Power Attack, Speed Attack… If the distribution of power failed even a little, the blade would not be able to take it and scatter all the energy, so it was not as easy as it looked.

I threw the sword with all my strength at the gorilla’s neck. There was no way for him to avoid my attack! In an instant, Blood Flames with the power of Intermediate Flame Magic melted the frost he emitted, and the Black Lightning torched his skin.

“Quo oh oh oh!”

“Haaa!”

The next moment, Blood Shadow pierced its neck. However, the cold air radiating from him became more intense, as if he’s using all energy he had left!

I immediately let go of the sword, landed on the ground, and leaped backward.

Then, it collapsed with a loud thud.

Somehow, we succeeded.

[You gained 72,171 experience.]

[You acquired 86 silver.]

[Beginner Speed Attack becomes Lv 10 and evolves into Lower Speed Attack. The time it takes to activate this skill is further reduced, and the attack speed is increased.]

[You obtained Frozen Armor.]

[You obtained the key to the 3F boss room in Black Palace District 7]

I looked down at my hands, covered in frost. That’s what happened as soon as I let go of the flaming sword. Abnormal Resistance and Regeneration were working in harmony, but I can’t help but shiver.

If even I was affected by the gorilla’s ice, how about Lee Chan-yu?

“Are you alive?”

“Somehow.”

Lee Chan-yu responded as he pulled out the second ice spear from his body. He was used to pain and had excellent self-healing abilities, but his face crumpled in pain as he finally pulled the spear out.

“Your Advanced skills are really awesome, Captain.”

“The same is true of your regenerative power.”

“It came with the body of a werewolf, but yours… you trained to develop your skills to the Advanced level.”

It was true. It would not have been possible for just anybody to produce such a powerful attack like the one I did on the gorilla. Stealthy, quick movement; a single blow that could finish the enemy. It was possible because of my Advanced skills.

Attack skills, magic skills, secondary skills complementing each other for a more intense attack. A synergistic effect wasn’t just using two or three skills at once. It cannot be explained by numbers.

However, there are two problems with the simultaneous use of skills.

The first problem is that it was difficult to learn two similar skills or two skills that have opposite properties.

It is not easy for someone who had mastered Power Attack to learn Speed Attack.

It is not easy for someone who had mastered Leap to learn Beast Rush.

This applies equally to weapon mastery. A swordsman can find it hard to learn archery; a flame magician would find it hard to learn water magic.

Then, masters of a weapon technique will find it hard to learn magic skills.

It was only possible in my case because of Predation. I took the skills of other monsters. It was so natural that I take it for granted, but it turns out that others who didn’t have Predation found it very difficult to learn skills in other fields after learning skills in one field.

The second problem is simpler. There was a high cost to use multiple skills at the same time. It takes up a lot of mana, and in cases such as Power Attack and Speed Attack, it consumes stamina as well. It was hard enough to have multiple skills and harder to use them at the same time.

“Did you get the key, Captain?”

“Yes.”

I checked the inventory to be sure. The boss room key was there. In addition, there was the Frozen Armor obtained from the gorilla.

There was also a glowing armor composite scroll.

That’s just good timing, I thought, as I pulled Blood Shadow from the gorilla’s neck.

“Captain, are you going to eat that ice gorilla?”

“Of course.”

“You are crazy.”

I ate the gorilla on the spot, hoping to learn the ice spear technique, but was disappointed. I just had to be content with learning Beginner Ice Magic.

Soon, it was time. There were no monsters left. The boss battle is waiting for us. There would be no reason to delay what is inevitable.

But before that, I used the armor composite scroll.

[Please select the main armor, five sacrifice armor, and materials. Up to 15 materials can be selected.]

[Armor List:]

[Blood Iron Armor]

[Ezelic’s Leggings]

[Kesia’s Leather Armor]

[Shadow Armor]

[Wolf Vest]

[Frozen Armor]

[List of materials]

[Pelcadia’s Jewel (Red)]

[Pelcadia’s Jewel (Blue)]

[Trickster Eye]

[Werewolf’s Mane]

[Armored Bear Captain’s Leather]

[Ebony Crust]

[Shadow Spear…]

A scroll that combines six armors into one?

At first, I thought it was a Unique armor scroll, a level after Rare, but now…

I remembered Rain telling me about the rank order of rarity. Rare, Unique, then Ancient, Legend, and Epic. Could this be a Legend scroll? No, I received a Legend scroll in 2F. This would obviously be an Ancient one.

“What is that? A composite scroll?”

“Right.”

Without hesitation, I chose Blood Iron Armor as my main armor. Everything else would be for sacrifice.

I didn’t expect that Ezelic’s Leggings, which wasn’t full-body armor, would be considered as a sacrificial armor. Anyway, all the sacrifice armors I have are either Rare or Unique, so I am excited about the result.

I can select up to fifteen ingredients. I picked all the finest materials, except for the Pelcadia’s Gems, and threw them into the synthesis vortex.

Trickster’s Eye. Pitch-black Crustacean. As I threw in the ingredients one by one, Lee Chan-yu watched quietly with a strange expression.

Since I had Lee Chan-yu, the burden I suffered through in 3F was definitely reduced. He was brave and took the initiative to serve as my tank during monster attacks. The defense of Blood Iron Armor was almost meaningless against the monsters in 3F, but thanks to Lee Chan-yu’s help and my own Surprise and Fairy Tale skills, I was able to endure without difficulty.

But I couldn’t be satisfied with that. An emergency can happen anytime.

It became obvious when we fought the Ice Gorilla. Had Lee Chan-yu not moved quickly, I may have been pierced by ice spears by now.

If I had good equipment, it would have been possible to charge without hesitation without worrying about being injured or incapacitated.

After a few moments, light spewed out of the vortex. Then, slowly, the product was revealed, covered in dark red energy.

Cloth?!

I felt blood rush to my face as I saw the product. I definitely chose my main armor to be Blood Iron Armor, which was made of plate mail!

But what appeared now is undeniably made of cloth. The main armor was made of plate mail, but the final product was cloth? I got nervous as I took it and tried it on.

The size wasn’t the problem. It fit me automatically. The same was true with Blood Iron Armor, which I wore since I was a Hop Goblin, and until now that I was a Bugbear.

However, the problem was the fact that the finished product was really made of cloth.

Only

It was curiously glossy, but the material was certainly made of thread- woven with dark red thread, like blood. It was a plain, practical outfit that clung to my body tightly.

I don’t think it looked good on me. There was nothing special in it. Rather, it was even difficult to check my clothes because it was absorbing the light around me…

It was absorbing the light around me.

I realized that absorbing light was not something that ordinary clothes would do.

I hastily checked the information on the clothes I am wearing.

[Baptism of Blood (580/580)- Defense 650. Rarity Ancient. It absorbs light, making it difficult for others to recognize this garment and its wearer. It absorbs blood, restores durability, and grows. Increases movement speed by 30%.]

The armor composite scroll certainly did its job.

Ahead of the boss battle on the 3rd floor, I got an Ancient-class armor that, according to Lee Chan-yu, ‘a thousand people must die to get one’.