Monopolizing Skills to the 666th Floor - Chapter 119
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Skill Devouring to the 666th Floor Episode 119
119. A Justifiable Cause
[You have entered Labyrinth Underground 160th Floor.]
《Type: Annihilation》
《Condition: None》
《Mission: Eliminate 100 Dark Lizardmen.》
[You cannot exit until the mission is cleared.]
After entering the Sinkhole, I found myself standing in a damp Swampland at some point.
‘Dark Lizardmen… They’re not particularly difficult opponents.’
They do have the disadvantage of being tough and having slippery scales that make Weapons less effective, but that’s only by Regular Apostle standards.
‘It’s completely useless against me.’
In the face of overwhelming power, nothing else matters.
Especially when ganging up with numerous troops.
“Come out.”
First, I called Pi Hyeok Jin.
Crack!
I tore at his neck and put him back.
[Health is restored through Blood Supply effect.]
[All stats increase by 10% for 3 minutes due to Buff effect.]
With my stats boosted, the Skill I used was naturally a Summoning Skill.
It was an obvious choice since the level and number of soldiers varied according to stats.
“King’s Army.”
About 50 soldiers summoned before me.
“Oh, there are quite a lot more now?”
Seeing the summoned creatures lined up in orderly formation, equipped with Weapons like Spears, Blades, and Shields, made my heart swell with grandeur.
“Go.”
Since our wills are connected, they understand even simple commands and scatter efficiently.
Soon after, notification sounds begin to ring out.
[Dark Lizardman eliminated 1/100]
[Dark Lizardman eliminated 2/100]
…
…
[Dark Lizardman eliminated 12/100]
It was a strategy that completed itself even while I stood there with my arms crossed.
At the very moment Lee Tae Seong was conquering the 160th Floor.
There was someone watching him with bloodshot eyes.
It was none other than the Three Gods.
[What’s with that ridiculously fast hunting?]
[He’ll set another record this time too.]
[I don’t like how comfortably he’s hunting.]
Usually, when their Apostle set out to conquer the Labyrinth, they would cheer them on, but Lee Tae Seong was an exception.
They had their reasons for what they’d endured from him.
They were so fed up that they would mentally pray for him to get hurt at least once.
[Ugh, so frustrating. When will that human come to the Underworld? When he does, I can properly get my revenge.]
[Wouldn’t it be a big problem if Tae Seong comes to the Underworld?]
[That’s true. He’s the only human who can completely clear the Labyrinth.]
That was exactly the problem.
He was annoying, but they couldn’t touch him.
[He’ll probably come asking for sponsorship after conquering the 160th Floor, right?]
[He will.]
[Last time it was Items, so this time he’ll ask for Skills.]
What kind of Skills would he demand?
Obviously good Skills, right?
[I don’t want to give that human anything good….]
[But we can’t just not give him anything, can we?]
[Right. When an Apostle makes a request, we have no choice but to give it.]
Even the Three Gods couldn’t do anything about the sponsorship system received every time someone climbed 80 floors.
It was the Apostle’s legitimate right.
[How about this? We give him something really crappy. The worst Skill among what we have.]
[Would that work? Tae Seong probably knows exactly what Skills we have, right?]
[I agree with Kairos’s opinion. He’ll obviously request the highest-grade Skill.]
What if he doesn’t like the skill even after receiving sponsorship?
He can exchange it within 24 hours.
Unopened products can be refunded any number of times.
Because of such rules, he thought sponsoring bad skills would be pointless.
Until he heard Orcus’s words.
[If we use the other apostles as justification, it’ll work. If you monopolize skills all by yourself, they’ll complain about how the other Apostles of the Three Gods can survive. Then the system will be convinced and won’t accept exchange requests, right?]
The system doesn’t unconditionally allow exchanges.
There must be valid reasons for it to permit exchanges.
Having to prove qualifications to become an Apostle of the Three Gods followed the same principle.
[So you’re saying we should throw bad skills at him and use valid justification to block exchanges.]
[Sounds like a decent idea, doesn’t it? There’s even talk of wealth redistribution, right? The system will be convinced and reject the Regressor’s exchange.]
One person monopolizing good skills?
That’s not what the system wants either.
The Labyrinth’s system pursues principles and wishes for everyone to grow equally.
If they pressed on that point, it would refuse no matter how much the Regressor requested exchanges.
[How did you come up with such a good idea, Orcus?]
[Impressive. To think such a clever scheme would come from your head.]
[Hehe, I do have some smart aspects.]
Though Kairos’s words could have sounded offensive, Orcus didn’t mind such things.
He was simply intoxicated by the current spotlight.
[The Regressor just finished conquering the 160th Floor.]
[He’ll request soon. To open the Eternal Room.]
[Just as we said, the request came immediately.]
Orcus confidently opened the door.
Having prepared a plan to screw him over, there was no reason not to open it.
[The other party has accepted. One soul enters the Eternal Room.]
Soon appeared the cunning human.
“Hello, Three Gods. You already know why I’m here, right?”
Lee Tae Seong revealed his intentions as soon as he arrived.
Kairos, who had already prepared countermeasures, responded with a bright smile.
[Of course we know. You came to receive skill sponsorship, didn’t you?]
“You know well. I’d like an SSS-rank Skill like last time…”
[Sorry, but human, we can’t give you an SSS-rank Skill.]
When Orcus interrupted, Lee Tae Seong glared.
“Why? SSS-rank skills shouldn’t be running out already, right?”
[Of course they haven’t run out. But giving skills is our choice, isn’t it?]
[Right. We’d appreciate it if you’d gratefully accept whatever we give.]
Harmonion joined in.
Seeing this, Lee Tae Seong, who had been silent for a moment, let out a hollow laugh.
“You won’t give me the high-grade skills I want? Is that what this is about right now?”
[Exactly that.]
Lee Tae Seong chuckled instead of being flustered.
“This is really… not even children, how childish…”
[What? What did you just say?]
“That’s right. People who have the purpose of conquering the Labyrinth are joining forces to mess with me just to maintain some petty pride. Is this the attitude gods should show to humans right now?”
As the atmosphere heated up, Kairos stepped in to calm things down.
[Ahem, Tae Seong. Calm down. There are valid reasons for all this.]
“Reasons?”
[If we give too many good skills to one person, problems arise. The system doesn’t want that either.]
[Right. You’ll probably draw the system’s attention. You might have already drawn it.]
[As a Regressor, don’t you know? Nothing good comes from drawing the system’s attention.]
[That’s why we decided. If we’re going to sponsor, we’ll distribute as evenly as possible. If you monopolize skills alone, how will the other apostles grow? Humans should have conscience.]
[Though I spoke a bit roughly, Orcus’s words aren’t wrong. There are probably apostles who need SSS-rank Skills more desperately than you right now. For their sake too, couldn’t you endure just this once?]
[This is all for you, human.]
[Let’s say it’s our consideration to avoid drawing the system’s attention.]
Each of the Three Gods added their words, strengthening their argument.
However.
“You’re really going too far.”
Lee Tae Seong didn’t fall for it.
“Since I’ve always been the one getting screwed, let’s make him suffer some losses this time? You’re all doing so well.”
[It’s troubling if you misinterpret our intentions like that.]
“Your scheme to sponsor bad skills then block exchanges with the justification that other apostles need them for balance is obvious, yet you call it misinterpretation. Where could there be a clearer intention than this?”
[…]
Harmonion shut his mouth tightly when his ulterior motive was exposed.
“No matter how you dress it up with fancy words, you’re basically saying you’ll give me a bad skill, aren’t you?”
[Hmm… In a way, that’s true, but…]
Kairos fell silent mid-sentence, seemingly unable to think of anything more to say.
This time, Orcus stepped up to bat.
[Human! So what you’re saying is, you want to hog everything for yourself?]
“That’s right. You understand well.”
[Have you ever seen such a shameless human?]
Orcus, who had been angry, soon let out a snicker.
[Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. Whatever you demand, I’ll sponsor you with the most pathetic skill I have. Keep that in mind. Even if you try to request an exchange through the system later, I’ll block it using fairness as justification, so don’t bother with pointless efforts.]
“Would that be possible?”
[Of course it’s possible. What wouldn’t be possible? You know the system well too, don’t you?]
“I do. Isn’t it the most fair judge of all?”
[You know well.]
“That’s exactly why your justification won’t work.”
[What are you talking about?]
“Tell me, who else besides me can kill Amon right now?”
[Huh? Besides you?]
[Hmm…]
[…]
None of them could answer.
“You can’t say, can you? The system is the same. Currently, the system judges that there’s no one who can kill Amon except me. So no matter what justification you bring up, it will comply with my demands.”
[No, sponsoring only you with good skills wouldn’t be fair…]
“Fair? The system was designed to conquer the Labyrinth from the beginning. It desperately hopes for an Apostle to appear who will climb to the 666th Floor and play with Amon, the God of Destruction. The Labyrinth is a game created for that purpose. Isn’t that right?”
[…]
“It’s true that the system fundamentally pursues fairness. But it’s primarily aligned with conquering the Labyrinth. In such a situation, if the Apostle with the highest possibility of reaching the 666th Floor requests an exchange for better skills? Naturally, it would have no choice but to accept, wouldn’t it?”
[Th-that’s a lie.]
“You don’t believe me? Then I’ll leave the Eternal Room, so why don’t you try sponsoring me?”
[…]
Orcus couldn’t bring himself to act on that confidence.
“So don’t waste your time sponsoring bad skills only to have them rejected. Just sponsor me with the skills I want from the start. Understand?”
[Uh…]
[…We’ll do that, Tae Seong.]
[…]
The Three Gods and Lee Tae Seong reluctantly reached an agreement.
[You receive the skill ‘Time Acceleration (SSS)’ to commemorate the God of Time ‘Kairos’s Apostle reaching the 160th Floor.]
[You receive the skill ‘Soul Harvest (SSS)’ to commemorate the God of the Underworld ‘Orcus’s Apostle reaching the 160th Floor.]
[You receive the skill ‘Causality Reversal (SSS)’ to commemorate the God of Balance ‘Harmonion’s Apostle reaching the 160th Floor.]
I received the three skills I wanted.
There was some emotional conflict in the process, though.
‘I expected this. After tearing apart Terra, there’s no way they’d look at me favorably.’
Still, I didn’t expect them to interfere in this way.
‘It’s fortunate that my bluffing worked, otherwise I almost would have received bad skills.’
Actually, everything I said earlier was a lie.
Even though I’m a Regressor, how could I know the system that well?
My heart was pounding the entire time I was speaking, but fortunately they didn’t notice.
‘They seem to think I know everything because of my bold actions so far… but I don’t know the detailed parts like the system very well either.’
Thanks to that, I was able to extract good skills.
I even managed to get an SSS-grade skill from the stingy Orcus.
‘Now that I’ve obtained the skills, shall I try conquering the Hidden Piece on the 163rd Floor?’
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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