Monopolizing Skills to the 666th Floor - Chapter 3

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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 003

3. Clear Rewards

There are three types of rewards you can get when clearing a labyrinth.

Normal clear reward.

First clear reward.

Record clear reward.

I plan to monopolize all three of these.

‘To do that, I need to hunt a bit faster.’

Catching them one by one doesn’t satisfy me.

I brought a sturdy tree branch and dug into the dirt.

I kept digging.

A pit large enough to bury a person was created, with dirt piled high on one side.

‘This should be enough. Now, shall I look for some Dark Slimes?’

Just then, three or four of them spotted me and came bouncing over.

‘Dark Slimes love dark places, after all.’

As I moved toward the Gloomy Forest, I saw another group.

Over here, over there.

I wandered around everywhere, luring Dark Slimes.

I gathered twenty of them like that.

Countless Dark Slimes bounced their bodies enthusiastically to devour me.

It might look like a dangerous situation, but I didn’t feel even a fingernail’s worth of tension.

‘This is Herding Hunt that I’ve done countless times. There’s no reason to be nervous.’

But this isn’t enough.

I can’t stop here; I need to gather more.

I continued searching for black slimes.

30, 40, 50…

The number of jellies following behind increased noticeably.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

An incredibly large procession of Dark Slimes.

In the midst of this.

[Transcendent ‘Shadow Hunter’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

[Transcendent ‘Shadow Sniper’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

[Transcendent ‘Mother of Clouds’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

Proposals came flooding in like a tide.

‘I definitely caught their attention. Well, I’m probably the only one doing Herding Hunt with an ordinary person’s body.’

But these were all proposals from transcendents I had no interest in.

I rejected them as they came.

My goal was to receive a proposal from the Three Gods like before.

[Would you like to become God’s Representative’s apostle… rejected.]

[Would you like to become Outlaw of the Wasteland’s apostle… rejected.]

[Would you like to become Evil God’s Consul’s apostle… rejected.]

Perhaps my rejections drew even more interest, as more apostle messages came than before.

I rejected those as well, naturally.

‘This is annoying as hell. Block all proposal messages.’

[All proposal messages have been blocked.]

[Blocked messages will not be visible.]

I used a command that no one had told me about to completely block the messages.

Of course, they’re only invisible to me, so the transcendents don’t know.

Whether their messages are being blocked or not.

‘I’m not interested in transcendents. I need to become an apostle of the Three Gods like before.’

However, in this life, I won’t be controlled like a puppet.

I’ll thoroughly use the gods instead.

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

I continued the herding, and when the number reached 99.

Whoosh.

I finally stopped herding and changed direction.

I moved to the location where I had dug the dirt earlier.

The 99 Dark Slimes followed, unaware it was a trap.

“I prepared this for you guys.”

I dropped the Tree Fruit I had picked earlier into the pit.

Then the Dark Slimes that had been chasing me jumped into the pit on their own.

To eat the fruit.

‘These guys are crazy about fruit, so they won’t even notice me.’

As expected, the Dark Slimes rushed at each other desperately, each trying to eat first.

Squirm squirm squirm.

As they wriggled in the narrow space, they merged into one.

The creatures gradually piled up, growing larger in size.

When they finally all merged together into one.

Swoosh!

I completely covered it with the dirt I had piled up.

Then.

Crack crack crack!

The Dark Slime hardened like tanghulu candy.

I jumped straight into the pit and stomped on it.

Crunch! Crunch!

It was big so I had to stomp on it several times, but that’s fine.

Catching one big one counts as catching multiple smaller ones.

[Dark Slime Defeated 100/100]

[You have cleared Labyrinth Underground 1st Floor!]

The moment Tae Seong entered the Labyrinth.

People around the world saw a message.

[Someone has set foot on Labyrinth Underground 1st Floor for the first time.]

[Time remaining until extinction: 29 days 23 hours 58 minutes 06 seconds]

└Did anyone see that message just now?

└I saw it. It was a message saying someone entered the Labyrinth.

└Who went in so fearlessly?

└Is it an apostle or something like that?

└They already received a transcendent’s selection and entered?

└What are you all talking about? You’re having a conversation I don’t understand.

The reaction was lukewarm at first since the transcendents hadn’t chosen anyone yet.

But after some time passed, the internet was buzzing.

└A transcendent called Butcher of the Land chose me… what does this mean?

└Mine was a transcendent called Escaped Test Subject.

└Some weird message asking if I want to become Death’s Warden’s apostle is showing up in front of me. It’s not just me, right?

└How did you all get chosen by transcendents?

└What’s good about becoming an apostle? Someone please tell me.

└Did anyone accept a transcendent’s proposal? Please give me a review.

└Is today April Fool’s Day? Why is everyone acting like this? I haven’t seen a single message.

As transcendents gradually began sending messages, more people realized the severity of the situation.

As message sightings increased, they recognized this was reality, not hallucinations.

└Sharing my experience after becoming an apostle. I got a status window and my strength increased a bit. Feels like I evolved one level. Most importantly, I can use Apostle Exclusive Skills.

└In game terms, you got a class?

└Really? You can use skills in real life?

└My friend became an apostle and it’s real. I saw them use skills firsthand. So jealous…

└Whose apostle did you become? Can you prove it?

└What’s going to happen to the apostles, guys? Please let me know. ㅠㅠ

└Check this link ☞http://www.viewtube.net/watch?v=xgQ7RqNg☜ It’s all organized there.

└You apostle bastards, stop chatting here and go clear the Labyrinth. For humanity’s sake.

└I became an apostle but the guy above has such a shitty attitude that I won’t clear it. Screw off.

└The guy above is probably lying. No way a god would send a message to such a loser.

└I also got a proposal from some transcendent but I rejected it.

└Why?

└It’s scary. What if I die after entering the Labyrinth…

└We’re all going to die in 30 days anyway. Better to fight than that.

Now accepting it as reality, they discussed countermeasures for the current situation.

└If you became an apostle, hurry up and enter from the 1st floor to clear it!

└Jump into a sinkhole? Isn’t this suicide?

└They said sinkholes are passages to the Labyrinth. You probably won’t die anyway.

└How many apostles have entered now? Are they clearing the 1st floor?

└If I were an apostle, I would have entered immediately for humanity’s sake. Bastards.

└Bullshit no. You’re such a coward you would have just stayed in your room.

└Why are you fighting each other? We’re all going to die if we can’t clear it.

└I need to think about clearing this quickly to save time tsk tsk.

└Has anyone entered after the first person? What’s the situation? What does the Labyrinth look like?

└Since we’re not apostles, we can’t know anything.

└Should we install CCTV at each sinkhole? So we can check how many people entered?

30 days seemed like a rather tight timeframe, so there were many voices of concern.

However.

[Someone has cleared Labyrinth Underground 1st Floor!]

[Labyrinth Underground 2nd Floor is now open.]

[10 days have been added to Earth’s extinction countdown.]

[Time remaining until extinction: 39 days 23 hours 10 minutes 19 seconds]

└??????

└Huh??

└What?

└Did you see that message just now?

└Someone cleared the 1st floor?

└Already?

└It hasn’t even been an hour yet.

└Did the person who entered first clear it?

└Holy shit, amazing.

└Oh yeah~

└We got 10 days of breathing room.

└Phew, that’s a relief.

└Still, it’s only 10 extra days. Barely makes a difference.

When someone’s strategy message appeared, everyone reacted with relief.

Though they were still anxious, they didn’t know.

That Tae Seong’s real strategy was just beginning.

The idea of using fruits that Dark Slimes like to gather them into one group.

I never thought of such a method in the past.

I only tried to hunt them with skills obtained from the Three Gods.

‘I was so clumsy back then. Struggling against these kinds of creatures.’

I eventually cleared it, but never achieved a record clear.

Nor a first clear.

‘This time will be different. I entered faster than anyone else.’

Sure enough.

[You will receive ‘Extremely Weak Essence of Strength’ as a reward for clearing Floor 1.]

A red aura appeared before my eyes and was absorbed into my body.

[You have absorbed Extremely Weak Essence of Strength.]

[Strength increases by 1.]

The status window wasn’t activated so I couldn’t see the numbers, but.

‘Still, my stats are rising.’

I could feel it as proof.

The difference in strength compared to before.

[You are the first to clear Labyrinth Underground 1st Floor!]

[You will receive ‘Random Skill Book (F)’ as a first clear reward.]

There are various rewards for achieving first clear.

Sometimes you get random skill books like just now, sometimes essences, sometimes items.

‘First clears let you grow far faster than others.’

In the past, I even gave up rewards just listening to the Three Gods’ words, but….

‘No more giving up. I’ll monopolize everything myself.’

A book materialized before my eyes and disappeared somewhere.

[Acquired items are stored in inventory.]

It went into the inventory.

But as a civilian, I can’t open it to look.

Once awakened as an apostle, I can use the status window, inventory, and everything else.

‘I don’t need it yet. I can clear enough without becoming an apostle.’

More importantly, since I have something to propose to the Three Gods, I need to show more performance.

To demonstrate what I can accomplish as a civilian.

The rewards didn’t end there.

[Floor 1 Clear Time: 47 minutes 47 seconds]

[You have cleared in the shortest time!]

[Achievement unlocked as record clear reward.]

The hunting time was short, but digging pits and herding took some time.

[Achievement ‘Labyrinth Hunter (F)’ has been unlocked.]

[If a new record is set within 10 days, you must return the Achievement.]

[If no new record holder appears, you permanently acquire the Achievement effect.]

▶Labyrinth Hunter (F)

―Acquisition Path: Labyrinth Underground 1st Floor

―Effect: You can skillfully set traps and better detect monster locations.

―Time until permanent acquisition: 9 days 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds

Achievements only give rewards when specific records are achieved.

But they’re not given for every floor.

Floors 1, 10, 20, 30….

They’re given whenever the first digit of the floor number changes.

‘Floor 1 is an exception since it’s the first.’

Naturally, I didn’t get the Floor 1 Achievement in the past.

‘Even after becoming an apostle of the Three Gods, I had Sacrifice-Related Skills from the start. I didn’t know how to group Dark Slimes either.’

Currently, since this is the first clear, my record is the shortest time.

‘Achievement effects apply even if you’re not an apostle, which is nice.’

However, if someone else sets the shortest record, the Achievement effect transfers to them.

But only records set within 10 days are valid.

If you successfully defend the title until then?

You permanently receive the Achievement effect.

‘At this level, there’s no way it’ll be taken away. It took quite a while even to figure out the Dark Slime’s weakness.’

Of course, the Dark Slime doesn’t have just one weakness.

It’s also weak to light.

That’s why in the early days, people used the method of shining their Phone Flash to make it harden.

‘But hardening it with dirt is five times faster.’

Unless they know the method, no one will be able to break my record.

[Clear record will be registered in the Hall of Fame.]

[Please set the name to be registered.]

The name isn’t that important.

It’s just for show.

It doesn’t matter what I choose.

But to become stronger.

‘Amon.’

I have to use everything I can.

[Registered under the name ‘Amon’.]

【Labyrinth Underground 1st Floor】

【Conqueror: Amon】

【Clear Time: 47 minutes 47 seconds】

‘My actions now will become the foundation for removing the penalty of the unique skill I’ll obtain later.’

That’s why I registered under the name of the destruction god Amon.

Otherwise, why would I use the name of someone I have to kill?

‘The Three Gods won’t like it, but the conqueror’s name isn’t visible to them. In a way, they’re outsiders who interfered with the game.’

The Three Gods cannot interfere with or see the system.

All they can do is twist the rules or create and sponsor apostles like other transcendents.

‘It means humans aren’t the only ones participating in Amon’s game.’

There’s no need to trust and rely on such Three Gods.

Why would I trust the Three Gods who can’t even check others’ status windows and don’t know what missions will appear on the next floor?

I must trust only myself and move forward with the knowledge I accumulated before my regression.

[Would you like to descend to the next floor? Y/N]

[If you select N, you can return to Earth.]

Go or stop.

Before choosing, let me check the messages first.

‘Disable proposal message block entirely.’

[Proposal message block has been lifted.]

[Previously blocked proposal messages are now visible.]

Soon after, a parade of messages appears in succession.

[Transcendent ‘Son of Thunder’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

[Transcendent ‘Fallen Angel’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

[Transcendent ‘Plague-Stricken Lab Rat’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

[Transcendent ‘Great Mage’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

…

…

…

The messages are endless.

‘Quite a lot came. Did every transcendent there is send one?’

Not even an hour has passed since the Sinkhole appeared.

I must be the only person to receive this many messages.

‘I’m probably also the only one who didn’t respond.’

This should be enough to draw attention.

None other than the attention of the Three Gods.

[God of Time ‘Kairos’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

[Will you become Kairos’s apostle? Y/N]

[God of the Underworld ‘Orcus’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

[Will you become Orcus’s apostle? Y/N]

[God of Balance ‘Harmonion’ has proposed that you become their apostle.]

[Will you become Harmonion’s apostle? Y/N]

As expected, I could also see the proposals from the Three Gods I wanted.

‘In my previous life, I was in a position to be used… but in this life, I’ll be the one using them.’

I raised my finger and touched the N part of the message.

All three of them.

—————
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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