100 Floors All Master - Chapter 174
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
All Master of 100 Floors Episode 174
38th Floor. Fairy Village (2)
“Waaaah!”
“Finally, The One’s representative has come!”
Kang Jun-hyeok was guided to the Fairy Village.
That wasn’t all. A festival was held to welcome his visit. The Village Chief handed Kang Jun-hyeok a drink with a joyful expression.
“Here! Take it!”
“…Thank you.”
“Don’t use formal speech! You are The One’s representative!”
“Mm. Thanks.”
Kang Jun-hyeok accepted the drink. Since it was a cup made for fairies, one sip was enough to finish it. When he smiled and drank, the fairies laughed heartily and rejoiced.
“By any chance, could you show us the wings once more?”
Pixie’s Wings had a 60-minute cooldown. Since it wasn’t very long, he could activate it again. When Kang Jun-hyeok spread Pixie’s Wings, the fairies showed ecstatic expressions.
“Ahhh…”
“It really is The One’s wings!”
“How beautiful!”
“Hooray!”
‘What?’
Kang Jun-hyeok was bewildered.
He had expected their attitude to change somehow when he showed the wings.
But he hadn’t expected them to completely drop their guard and show such pure goodwill and respect.
Fairies are hostile toward other races.
They’re difficult to approach even with the power of Persuasion Skill.
Such emotions were completely dissolved just by showing the wings once.
[So that’s what the mistake was. What did she do.]
[This looks interesting.]
Manbyeonggi and Eldyria maintained calm attitudes as if the fairies’ behavior was natural.
Kang Jun-hyeok quietly raised his drink.
And the next day.
After the festival ended, fairies were sprawled carelessly along the roadside. Kang Jun-hyeok accepted the Village Chief’s invitation and spent the night at his house.
Since it was a fairy’s house, he had to squeeze his body just to barely fit inside.
“Sorry! We don’t have buildings for humans. I’ll have a new reception room built for you right away!”
“There’s no need for that. I’ll return immediately once my business is finished.”
“Ah! I see. Hahaha! The One hasn’t forgotten us! To be honest, I thought we had been forgotten! It was so long ago!”
Kang Jun-hyeok quietly asked the grinning Village Chief.
“By any chance, could you tell me about The One?”
“Huh? You received The One’s wings, didn’t you? What do you want me to tell you?”
“The One gave me the wings, but didn’t provide detailed explanations about herself.”
“Ah. Well, she is quite moody. I understand.”
The Village Chief began explaining with a dreamy expression.
“그분은 정말로 대단해. 페어리라는 종의 한계를 넘어선 분이시지. 얼마나 대단하냐면, 그분은 무려 —–로 불린다고?”
There was noise, making it inaudible.
It was expected. Since Pixie had abandoned herself, her name, achievements, and Achievement would all be erased. The Village Chief continued speaking after that, but none of it could be heard.
So he read emotions instead.
He observed the expression of the Village Chief who was speaking words covered in noise.
What showed on the Village Chief’s face were emotions of worship and reverence.
It wasn’t simply the emotion shown toward a king or ruler.
If anything, it was emotion directed toward a god.
But fairies don’t worship anything. They originated from fantasy and live as fantasy. They were beings distant from worship. At least that’s what he knew.
But if what he knew was wrong.
“…Such a person she is!”
“I see. I heard you well.”
Kang Jun-hyeok nodded roughly. The Village Chief looked at Kang Jun-hyeok with sparkling eyes.
“She’s very busy! So honestly speaking… I thought she had forgotten us! But she didn’t forget! She sent a representative for us! That’s The One for you!”
“Sorry.”
Kang Jun-hyeok raised his hand.
“What exactly is the problem?”
“Huh? Didn’t you hear from The One?”
“She only told me to help, but I didn’t hear details about the problem. She seemed somewhat embarrassed.”
“Mm… That’s possible. This is The One’s mistake after all. The One is ultimately a living being, not a god. Then follow me.”
The Village Chief spread his wings. Kang Jun-hyeok nodded.
He followed the fairy toward the deep part of the forest.
“I heard it was collapsing, but I don’t particularly see such signs.”
The Fairy Village was perfectly fine.
If anything, it was closer to prosperous. Life overflowed and dense mana rippled through the atmosphere. The Village Chief scratched his head.
“For now, yes. It’s a miraculous place that can’t be seen anywhere else. But before long, this place will die out. Look. Do you hear sounds of insects or beasts?”
“…Mm?”
Kang Jun-hyeok’s expression changed.
Dense forests were supposed to be home to countless lives including insects.
But no sounds could be heard in this place.
Kang Jun-hyeok, who had been puzzled, soon realized.
‘The mana concentration is too dense.’
That was why creatures couldn’t live in this place.
As they went deeper into the forest, the mana in the atmosphere began to thicken.
No. It went beyond simply thickening. It became tangible, making movement difficult. The Village Chief frowned and moved his hands to barely create a path.
“It’s gotten denser than before. At this rate, we won’t last even a month.”
“This is.”
“It’s the blessing The One bestowed upon us. And it’s also The One’s mistake.”
They arrived at a clearing in the forest.
There was a tree there.
Naturally, it wasn’t an ordinary tree. The circumference of its trunk was measured in kilometers. It was almost comparable in size to the World Tree. It soared high into the sky with no visible end.
But its appearance was nothing.
“Mm.”
The tree contained mana so dense it was difficult to breathe. That was spreading throughout the entire forest.
The Village Chief began explaining.
“Fairies live by eating mana as their main food. But the mana in this forest was endlessly insufficient. We were living in hardship. Then one day, The One came to our village.”
She pitied the village’s condition and decided to help them. She planted a tree she brought from somewhere in the forest clearing.
“That tree absorbs surrounding mana, then amplifies it and releases it again. The tree became enormous in an instant. It grew magnificently and gave us mana. The collapsing village came back to life.”
That was certainly Pixie’s grace.
If it had ended there, it would have been a beautiful tale.
“However, she made one mistake. This tree has no end to its growth.”
The tree grew endlessly. It devoured surrounding mana, amplified and scattered it, then devoured that mana again. In an instant, the mana throughout the forest area became so dense that life could barely survive.
“Weak creatures like insects and animals have already all fled. We can still endure for now, but… that’s reaching its limit too. If the tree grows any larger from here, even we won’t be able to endure and will be driven out.”
The help meant to save the village was instead killing the village.
[So that’s what the mistake was. This kind of thing.]
[To bestow grace without setting limits on it. To make such a basic mistake. It’s laughable.]
Manbyeonggi and Eldyria muttered as if they found it amusing. They seemed fully intent on teasing her when they met again. Kang Jun-hyeok let it go in one ear and out the other as he asked about something puzzling.
“But it’s still a tree, isn’t it? Couldn’t you limit its growth by cutting the roots or pruning the branches?”
“That’s correct. We tried to do that too. But… The One is a very great being.”
The Village Chief raised his hand with an ambiguous expression.
“He placed one safety measure in case external threats came to the tree’s abilities.”
Whiiiing!
An arrow of magic flew toward the tree.
A first-tier attack. It contained the power to shatter and pierce even magically protected castle walls.
Ting.
But before it could even touch the tree, it was lightly deflected like a toothpick. The remnants of magic gathered together to form a single shape.
Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened.
“That’s…”
Golden hair.
Eyes that shone brilliantly.
It was an opponent he knew well.
It was Pixie.
A translucent Pixie appeared in front of the tree.
“It’s The One’s phantom. It tries to eliminate all those who would attack the tree. Even I cannot dare oppose it.”
For that very reason, they couldn’t touch the tree and were slowly being crushed and crumbling under the magic pressure.
Kang Jun-hyeok let out a bitter laugh. Why they had so refused outsiders’ approach. Why all the Fairies who had entered the village and progressed through the Quest had kept their mouths shut. Now he understood everything.
The great and mighty Pixie.
She received the respect and worship of all Fairies.
The 38th Floor was a floor that had to cover up her mistake. From the Fairies’ perspective, it was content they could absolutely never speak of.
“Then what I need to do is simple.”
Eliminate Pixie’s phantom guarding the tree. That was what he had to do on the 38th Floor.
“Please, I’m counting on you. If you need help, just say so anytime!”
The Village Chief bowed his head and left. Kang Jun-hyeok stood alone before Pixie’s phantom.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you like this.”
She was extreme. At first, she had seemed half-dead and blackened, then became lively after seeing his potential.
In contrast, the phantom before his eyes was expressionless.
That had its own strange beauty. Pixie certainly possessed beauty like the very essence of fairies.
“Who would have thought I’d end up fighting like this.”
[This should be interesting.]
[Worth watching indeed.]
Manbyeonggi and Eldyria muttered in interested tones. Kang Jun-hyeok drew his spear.
[One-Point Pierce.]
His body accelerated in an instant.
The air burst apart and the ground shook. He thrust at the tree at a speed that transcended sound.
Kaaaang!
Just before reaching the tree, he was blocked by a translucent barrier.
Pixie’s phantom stared at him with quiet eyes. Kang Jun-hyeok smiled faintly.
“Hello.”
Kiiing.
It moved its hand. The magic in the atmosphere materialized and spread around her. It tried to crush and pulverize the space where Kang Jun-hyeok had been.
[Crack Movement.]
Swoosh.
Kang Jun-hyeok, who had moved through a crack to escape, gathered his strength.
‘Pixie.’
The Tower’s Shop Owner.
A being who received the worship and respect of Fairies.
Even Kang Jun-hyeok didn’t know her true strength. But he had a level of speculation.
‘Transcendent.’
Strength like a god, beyond the category of hierarchy. A powerhouse who could shake the universe.
She would possess that level of power.
He was now trying to fight against the phantom of such a being.
That’s why Kang Jun-hyeok smiled joyfully.
“This is a good opportunity.”
How much could his current self stand against an opponent of that level.
He had estimates, but there was a world of difference between that and actually clashing directly. Kang Jun-hyeok stepped forward.
“Come at me, Shop Owner.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————