I Became a Disaster-Class Newbie by Stealing Abilities - Chapter 68

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 68. Dungeon “Jamsil World Tower” (3)
—I’ll give you three hundred million won in cash. Plus ten thousand Magic Tower Achievement Points.
—Fifty thousand Magic Tower Achievement Points and one Artifact.
—Four hundred million and fifteen thousand.
—Fifty thousand Magic Tower Achievement Points and one Artifact.
—Five hundred million and twenty thousand.
—Fifty thousand Magic Tower Achievement Points and one Artifact.
—Are you perhaps a parrot?
A brief volley of back-and-forth ensued….
but they arrived at a reasonable compromise.
By any measure, this was a deal where both sides came out ahead.
“I should remind you, as I’ve mentioned before, that all combat will be conducted under my command. I trust you’ll keep that in mind.”
“That’s not a problem for us, but are you truly certain you can manage alone? There are boss-class Golems among the creatures here.”
“It’s fine. I’ve always worked best on my own.”
“Haha. You’ve certainly got confidence, I’ll give you that. Since we’re traveling together anyway, introductions are in order. My name is Hion Erman.”
An 8-Star-Rank Support Mage.
Originally from Eastern Europe, he had been dispatched to Korea.
“I’m Jung Ju-sang. I run a small Guild.”
The introductions ended there.
The two of them immediately traversed the 77th floor.
Crossing through empty workshops and entering a half-ruined laboratory, a mass of colossal Golems emerged.
“Golems!”
There was no need to shout—I already knew.
Against Golems averaging 50 Anti-Magic Resistance, magical attacks would be woefully inefficient.
‘But they’re relatively vulnerable to physical strikes.’
In other words.
Now was the age of cold steel.
Frost gathered along the blade’s edge.
[3 Stone Golems are destroyed!]
[2 Fire Golems are destroyed!]
Crash-bang-crash!
Thud-boom!!
“Guaaaah!”
“Uoooh!”
As the Ice-Fire Divine Sword unfurled, dozens of Golems fell like rotten fruit.
Movement that ranged freely across the battlefield.
Timing for attack and retreat alike.
Precision in targeting weaknesses—nearly flawless in its efficiency.
“Say, you’re quite the powerhouse, aren’t you? Are you really not a Ranker from some major Guild?”
Erman’s jaw dropped.
Just as I thought. This is why one must demonstrate one’s strength.
“Hmm. Now that I see this, going up might actually be safer and faster than descending. In any case, let me lend a hand.”
[The 8-Star-Rank Support Magic “Longing” activates!]
[All ability stats increase by +5%!]
[Luck stat increases by +10!]
Well, well.
I’d only planned on bringing him along to crack open Artifacts.
But he’s actually useful at this level?
Luck especially—the stat that corrects probabilities and generates variables—was one of the tier-one stats.
Since it was only a support spell, the cost in Achievement Points shouldn’t be too steep.
In return, our ascent speed increased dramatically.
Current floor: 81st Layer of the World Tower.
Gulp! Gulp!
Ju-sang drained his fifth Potion and tore open a Scroll.
[Intermediate Wind Amplification Scroll used.]
[Movement speed increases by +20 for 5 minutes!]
[Intermediate Stone Reinforcement Scroll used.]
[Physical defense increases by +25 for 4 minutes!]
We’d already expended over seventy percent of our consumables.
Still, reaching the 80-layer range before day three was well worth the gold spent.
‘Besides, with Erman’s support spells, we won’t run short on buffs.’
That was when it happened.
“Hick-hick. It hurts. It hurts. Hurts. Hurts. My whole body hurts so much. Why are you fine? Tell me why you’re fine, why do I have to writhe in agony like this alone why why why!!!!!”
A gaunt boy, skin drawn so tight his bones nearly pierced through, shuffled closer, dragging a long butcher’s blade along the floor.
Right. That’s right.
I’d have to deal with this thing to enter Floor 81.
The Cannibal Butcher.
Despite its frail appearance, it was a berserker-class monster that dumped everything into strength and agility.
If this were the true form rather than a weakened copy, maybe some extra caution would’ve been warranted.
But I’d walked alongside genuine madness, not this pale imitation.
Just thinking of those two…
-How exquisite a decoration you’ll make. Upper half and lower half. Which should I freeze first?
-I offer my gratitude to all of you for becoming my precious test subjects again today. Oh! Or perhaps we should all pray together! So you’ll reach heaven after you die!
This creature was cute by comparison.
“From now on, I’ll make it hurt much more. Look forward to it.”
Ju-sang cracked his knuckles.
* * *
Exactly forty-eight hours after the World Tower transformed into a Dungeon.
[Ranking 1st: Eoyoungsa ‘Undisclosed’ – Floor 81 Ascent in Progress.]
The record displayed on the status window threw the entire major Guild community into chaos.
“Floor 81? How in the world are they pulling off something like that?”
“This is driving me crazy. The Imperial Knights must’ve disguised themselves and infiltrated. There’s no other way this makes sense.”
Jusin, Ssaulabi, Arahan, Taesan Group, Jeoksong.
The five Guilds that called themselves the greatest never questioned their unity of pride.
They were Korea’s strongest, they believed…
Without a shadow of doubt.
But the sudden Dungeonification of the World Tower had thrown everything into disorder.
-Hiya, hiya. Your BJ Leca Captain’s back with another scorching topic! Like you all don’t already know—the hottest issue right now is World Tower strategy!
The Cyber Leccas, internet hyenas by another name, seized the bait.
Named streamers known for leaving nothing behind once they sank their teeth into something had gathered en masse.
-Ahahaha. Looks like these major Guilds are getting picked clean by some newbie. For them, that’s practically a catastrophe.
-At this point, Eoyoungsa and the Five should just rename themselves “The Supporting Cast.”
At first, it was merely a matter of earning rewards.
But once pride became involved, each Guild had no choice but to throw their full strength into the effort.
“The Main Attack Squad is inside Gangnam Station Ruins right now, yeah? Pull them out immediately—send everyone here. This is top priority. What, losses? You bastard, you really think losses matter right now?”
“I’ll authorize the release of Holy Relics. Calculate the required Magic Stones and consumables and submit the figures.”
“The higher you go in a tower, the longer clears take. Close the gap by any means necessary!”
Money, personnel, equipment.
They spared nothing and poured it all in.
The Ranger Guild hired an eight-star-ranked Guide, and commissioned experienced trackers with experience operating beyond the walls to pursue.
Yet the gap didn’t narrow.
If anything, it was widening.
[Ranking 1st has entered Floor 83.]
While Attack Parties numbering in the dozens were struggling at Floor 40, a single individual was breezily clearing through heights far beyond that.
“What Guild is Eoyoungsa that they recruited a monster like that?”
“They appear to be new… We have no intelligence.”
“At this point, I don’t care anymore—if only we knew their identity. Running raids together would be incredible.”
Awe that transcended jealousy or envy.
And so, new history was being written in Jamsil.
* * *
Floor 99 of the World Tower.
With Floor 100 tantalizingly close, Ju-sang licked his lips.
Regrettably, today ended here.
Unlike other floors, Floor 100 only opened seven hours after reaching Floor 99.
“We’ll rest here tonight. Thank you for the difficult ascent.”
“Huff, huff. A forced march and whatnot—I was worried for a moment. But it’s more manageable than I expected. Back in my day, this was just a morning stroll.”
With each floor conquered, the bond between Ju-sang and Erman had deepened, and they’d even begun exchanging light banter.
The assistance he’d received had been substantial as well.
The various support spells Erman wove were remarkably effective.
‘Good. Time to adjust my approach a little.’
Ju-sang pulled out the items he’d prepared, one after another.
Premium cheese, dry-aged meat, and dried fruit.
He’d even brought wine to accompany it.
Wine, no less, that he’d received from the High Elf Shanes.
“Ahem. What is all this?”
Erman’s nostrils flared at the fragrant grape aroma.
How could his appetite not stir? Here was a mage whose constitution was already frail, having endured more than two days of hardship, and now he caught the scent of such delicacies.
“Since we can finally see the end in sight, I thought we might hold a final celebration. Besides, there’s no reason to keep rationing supplies anymore.”
Until now, he’d deliberately given Erman only a small amount of water, a handful of nuts, and a few salt blocks.
The hungrier the mage was kept, the more brilliant this feast would shine.
“Ahem! Well then, I shan’t refuse. Come now, pour it properly—not in those timid little dribbles, but generously. That’s it.”
One glass. Two glasses.
As the wine dwindled, Erman’s cheeks flushed crimson.
With each passing moment, his wariness peeled away.
The rapport they’d built over their time together, combined with the knowledge that they would soon leave this place, contributed greatly to softening the atmosphere.
“But tell me, sir—what object was worth choosing this path of suffering?”
When they’d first met, Erman had deflected this question with vague answers.
But now.
“Heh heh. Are you so curious about that?”
His response was different this time.
“It would be a lie to say I’m not curious. If a High-Rank Mage is willing to risk his life, it must be an extraordinary treasure.”
“Indeed. A treasure. An invention I’ve devoted my entire life to.”
Erman drew a small case from within his robes and opened it.
It appeared to be the kind worn as a lens mounted upon the eye….
It was filled with intricate Rune Language and spell formulas.
“An Artifact capable of identifying traits.”
A single phrase, casually thrown out.
Yet the weight of meaning contained in those words could never be conveyed in a single sentence.
And for good reason.
In The Emperor, there were scarcely any methods to distinguish traits at all.
One would need imperial arch-mages to gather en masse.
Or, as the High Elves did, make use of special Holy Relics and invest years of painstaking effort.
Only through such extremely limited means could it be done.
Yet now.
To identify traits without going through any of that process?
This would be a paradigm-shifting event.
“Don’t be so amazed. It’s not complete yet.”
“You mean you need more time?”
“Time, materials, luck—I need them all in mountains of abundance.”
Erman drained the remaining wine in one gulp, then filled the glass again to the brim.
“In truth, the most difficult part is altering the Rune Language inscribed on this. It sounds simple in words, but changing Rune Language is tantamount to changing the very foundation of the spell formula itself.”
A puzzle even renowned mages have failed to solve.
That’s why he’d shown it to Ju-sang.
It was the sort of Artifact that no ordinary person could possibly do anything with.
Naturally, even if someone stole the incomplete lens, there’d be no one to sell it to, and the thief would be easy to identify.
Not a single thief would take interest in such a white elephant.
And yet.
‘I could solve this.’
Ju-sang swallowed hard against his own desire.
Shakespeare’s Fountain Pen.
The item capable of shaking the world’s laws was even now writhing with eagerness to demonstrate its power.
* * *
At that same moment.
Inside a shabby bar on the outskirts of Gangdong-gu, those who’d endured a grueling day were shaking off fatigue with cheap liquor.
“Hey. Have you heard anything about the Dunchon-dong area?”
Dunchon-dong in Gangdong-gu.
A place earned the nickname “Anthill” because dungeons of unprofitable difficulty sprawled against one another.
It was a danger zone that no one visited unless they were desperate or mad.
“After lying dormant for over twenty years, an Outbreak has finally happened there?”
“Think before you speak. If that were true, all hell would’ve broken loose already.”
“Tsk, tsk. Well, if someone fell over right here, their nose would hit the ground.”
The patrons of the bar traded remarks, each adding their own comment.
“No, that’s not it. Apparently someone’s been clearing everything out. They say over twenty dungeons have been closed in just two days.”
“What!?”
“T-twenty?”
It was an absurd story.
Even if the Main Attack Squads of the largest Guilds had coordinated four or more teams to enter together, it wouldn’t have been enough.
Clearing that many dungeons in two days was impossible.
“Are you sure it’s not just a rumor? If it were true, the Empire would have dispatched an investigation team by now.”
“Well, apparently even the security forces won’t go near that area. All the Rangers who ventured close have gone silent. Nothing but creepy rumors and horrifying whispers spreading like wildfire.”
Frozen statues.
Plummeting temperatures.
Sightings of a pale white serpent and a small girl drifting through the night.
All manner of ghost stories and dreadful rumors multiplied and spread in an endless chain.
“Now that you mention it, they say something similar has been happening in Eastern Europe too?”
“Oh, I’ve heard about that. Somewhere near Vatican, right?”
When one side clears ten dungeons, the other clears eleven.
When another side clears twenty, the opposite side clears twenty-one.
As if engaged in some kind of competition.
“The world’s coming to an end. Strange things keep happening.”
“Christ. Enough talk—let’s drink. Drink up. When we die, we die.”
Even for these ephemeral folk, the times were dizzying.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————