100 Floors All Master - Chapter 248
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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All Master of 100 Floors Episode 248
Floor 54. Universe Mercenary (2)
“Welcome. I am Hael. The Guild Leader requested to meet with you. Would that be acceptable?”
Kang Jun-hyeok nodded as if he had been waiting for this. Following Hael up to the highest floor of the building, he found an office. The man seated there greeted Kang Jun-hyeok with a bright expression.
“Welcome! I am the representative of the Ouroboros Mercenary Guild. My name is Kanok.”
Kang Jun-hyeok nodded silently and took a seat on the sofa.
It was an attitude that could be considered discourteous when meeting a Guild Leader, yet no one pointed it out. Rather, Kanok sat across from him with an expression of acceptance.
“Your… name is.”
“Kang Jun-hyeok.”
“Yes. Kang Jun-hyeok. The reason I called you here is that I have a proposal for you. Would you not consider entering into a contract with us?”
“A contract?”
“Yes.”
Kanok explained.
“Becoming a Mercenary in Ouroboros is not particularly difficult. After all, we lack personnel. As long as you have minimum credentials and possess strength, anyone can become a Mercenary. However… that is where it ends. We cannot show all commissions to unverified individuals. What they can receive are only commissions from those equally unverified.”
The Universe was vast. Even a Mercenary Guild could not control all of them.
For this reason, the Mercenary Guild divided things into two categories.
Commissions that anyone could post and anyone could accept. The Mercenary Guild bears no responsibility for what happens as a result.
And the true commissions—carefully verified and given only to those who had entered into direct contracts with the Mercenary Guild.
“The one you subjugated is foolish, but… possesses considerable power. You subdued such a being in a single strike. That means you are at least a 3rd Tier or higher strong person. You have sufficient qualifications. If you contract with us, I will show you very high-quality and excellent commissions. What do you say?”
Kanok spoke rapidly. His words were filled with the emotion of not wanting to let Kang Jun-hyeok slip away.
It was only natural. A 3rd Tier was not easily found even on Ouroboros Planet. With that level of strength, most would not work as ordinary Mercenaries but would instead be contracted somewhere or move freely. From the Guild Leader’s perspective, this was talent he desperately wanted to secure.
Kang Jun-hyeok nodded.
“Not bad. I’ll enter into the contract.”
“Thank you! Ah. But before that, I need identity verification. Would that be possible?”
“This should suffice.”
Kang Jun-hyeok raised his finger. Crimson Blood Water rippled and rose. The Guild Leader caught his breath.
“…The True Blood of the True Ancestor! And from the Vampire Queen herself! Could it be… a Successor?”
“Will this be enough?”
“Yes, yes!”
Kanok hurriedly nodded. A Successor of the Vampire Queen? It felt like he had struck gold. He grinned widely and brought out a contract.
The contract’s terms were quite stringent. He had to regularly accept commissions, and upon failure, substantial penalties would be paid. He also had to wear a bracelet for location tracking.
But it meant nothing to Kang Jun-hyeok.
Once Floor 54 was cleared, it would all become irrelevant anyway.
“I’ve entered into the contract.”
“Yes! Then I will provide you with the contract fee!”
Kanok handed over a pouch of Gems. Both the size and purity were considerable. Since Kang Jun-hyeok had nearly depleted the Gems needed for Arcana Jam, he accepted them with satisfaction.
“Then I will show you the commissions! Please choose whichever you find suitable!”
Commissions he had never seen before began to appear in the commission window.
[Commission: We plan to settle on Vulcanos Planet and mine Ore. We seek a powerful Mercenary to escort us during this time.]
[Condition: Must be strong.]
[Reward: 20% of mined Ore]
[Difficulty: 3rd Tier.]
Vulcanos Planet.
A world where exceptionally rare Ore existed even within the Universe. Twenty percent of mined Ore would be a substantial amount. I could replace several pieces of my Equipment with such wealth.
[Request: We plan to hunt the Leviathan dwelling in the deep abyss of Subnau Planet. We will bring tools for subjugation, so we simply need you to buy us time.]
[Conditions: Free exploration of the Deep Sea must be possible. You must be capable of facing the Leviathan for ten minutes.]
[Reward: Three items of your choice from the Leviathan’s Corpse.]
Leviathan.
A Monster equal in rank to the Kraken. A 3rd Tier creature. Its scales, Fangs, even its eyes—not a single part lacked value as precious Catalysts. Should I claim three, the Enchanter could craft exceptionally potent enchantments.
The remaining Requests were of similar caliber.
The quality was undeniably different.
Even selecting at random would yield substantial Rewards.
Yet I found myself touching my jaw thoughtfully. Kanok asked hesitantly.
“M-Master, are you not satisfied?”
“They’re not bad. Genuinely excellent Requests. However….”
Something felt off.
After a moment of deliberation, I made my decision.
‘At this level, I should proceed with my original plan.’
Three days after a Player enters the 54th Floor, a certain entity visits the Guild. That entity presents a single Request.
A Request no one could accept—one of the worst possible Difficulty.
That was precisely the Request I was targeting.
* * *
Time passed.
During that interval, Kang Jun-hyeok had not remained idle. He traversed the planet, procuring gems. As a result, he managed to accumulate a substantial quantity.
Kang Jun-hyeok gazed at the Orb brimming with Gems, his expression one of satisfaction. This amount would suffice for quite some time.
And finally, after three days had elapsed.
The door opened.
Ding. Ding.
The Mercenaries who had been searching for contracts reflexively turned their heads. Soon, the sound of sharp intakes of breath echoed throughout the hall.
Crash!
A Chair toppled over. Those seized by shock had involuntarily risen to their feet.
The figure that appeared was draped entirely in an ashen Robe, a golden Mask adorning their face. Their form hovered in the air as though unaffected by Gravity itself.
“Good heavens!”
“The Mysterious Merchant!”
Voices filled with astonishment rang out from all directions.
The Mysterious Merchant.
An entity that appeared without warning, conducted trades, and vanished—one whose sightings had been documented for thousands of years, truly a being of legend. Among Merchants, encountering the Mysterious Merchant was considered one of life’s greatest aspirations.
And Kang Jun-hyeok knew their true identity.
[An Avatar of the God of Trade, I see.]
Manbyeonggi murmured.
Gods fundamentally could not easily intervene in this world.
Since Divine Descent consumed tremendous power, it was customary for them to intervene by bestowing divine will upon Mortal Beings.
However, there were often matters too ambiguous for direct Divine Descent, yet equally awkward to entrust to Mortals.
In such cases, what moved was the God’s Avatar.
The Mysterious Merchant was an Avatar of Justeria, the God of Trade.
Eldyria spoke with a tone of bewilderment.
[Justeria sent one of her Avatars to Ouroboros? I hadn’t heard of this.]
The Mysterious Merchant, hovering gently, approached the reception desk. Hael’s face grew taut with tension as she stammered.
“W-what brings you here?”
[I’m seeking… Mercenaries..]
“Y-you mean Mercenaries? Are you saying you have a contract to offer?”
[Yes….]
“Please wait a moment.”
Hael hurriedly retrieved the documents. As the Mysterious Merchant spoke, Hael’s expression became rigid.
“Are you truly certain you wish to proceed with those conditions?”
[Yes….]
“I-I see. Understood.”
Shortly after, a contract notice was posted.
[Contract: Confidential.]
[Conditions: None.]
[Reward: To be determined.]
[Difficulty: 4th Tier.]
The mercenaries’ faces hardened upon seeing the request.
A request with no information whatsoever.
But that wasn’t the issue. The difficulty was the problem. Someone muttered under their breath.
“4th… Tier?”
“Insane.”
Grand Sword Emperor, Life-Death Realm, Magic King, Enlightened Esper.
Those who transcended the standards of life itself, capable of traversing the Universe alone.
Even across the entire Galaxy, such powerhouses were nearly impossible to find.
The Mysterious Merchant was seeking a mercenary of that caliber.
Naturally, no one moved. Shortly after, Guild Leader Kanok hurried down.
“M-Mysterious Merchant. You’ve posted a request?”
[Yes….]
“I-I apologize, but our Guild has no powerhouses of the 4th Tier.”
Those who reached the 4th Tier didn’t involve themselves in trivial worldly matters. Much less would they take on work as mere mercenaries.
After a moment of silence, the Mysterious Merchant asked.
[It doesn’t have to be exactly 4th Tier… Someone of comparable level would suffice….]
“That’s equally impossible.”
[Then… where could I hire someone….]
“You’re asking me that….”
[So you don’t know….]
The Mysterious Merchant fell silent.
The demeanor suggested genuine difficulty.
Those who knew the truth would find this utterly bewildering.
The Mysterious Merchant was the God of Commerce. An Avatar of Justeria. Finding a 4th Tier powerhouse would be effortless.
Yet Justeria was moving even through an Avatar to recruit someone.
As if concealing her own movements.
After a moment of deliberation, the Mysterious Merchant spoke as if surrendering.
[Understood… I’ll return for now… If you manage to find someone, contact me….]
“Yes, understood.”
The Mysterious Merchant turned to leave.
Just as the Guild Leader was about to release a sigh of relief, a voice rang out.
“Can I take that request?”
* * *
It was Kang Jun-hyeok who spoke. Kanok was startled.
“K-Kang Jun-hyeok?”
“You said it doesn’t have to be 4th Tier, right? That a level equivalent to that would suffice. Then I should be capable, wouldn’t I?”
“Are you serious? That would be quite dangerous….”
Kanok desperately wanted to dissuade Kang Jun-hyeok.
A request from a Mysterious Merchant with no information whatsoever. To anyone’s eyes, it appeared extraordinarily perilous. He had no desire to see this precious 3rd Tier powerhouse he’d finally acquired fall into danger like this.
But Kang Jun-hyeok paid him no mind.
He simply gazed quietly at the Mysterious Merchant.
The Mysterious Merchant did the same. Behind the golden mask, their gaze turned toward Kang Jun-hyeok. After a moment of silence, the Mysterious Merchant spoke.
[Who are you…?]
Pure curiosity resonated in that voice.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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