Monopolizing Skills to the 666th Floor - Chapter 34

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

Skill Devouring to the 666th Floor Episode 034

34. Corporate Interest

In the energy business, Magic Stones were revolutionary items.

They could be used as alternative energy for all industries and were highly efficient.

This meant they had wide versatility and excellent cost-effectiveness.

Isaac, the CEO of Koztech, recognized it the moment he saw Magic Stones.

This could be a huge hit.

With this, he could monopolize the energy industry.

‘The problem is that the supply will explode soon.’

He had already received news through his son Joshua.

Apostles conquering Labyrinth 15th Floor were starting to appear one after another.

Soon, Magic Stones would begin flooding the world.

The Magic Stones that only we had would be released to the world?

‘The price will plummet.’

Currently purchasing from Amon at $6,000 each, but price adjustments would soon begin.

‘$1,000. No, it could even drop to $600.’

Not just half, but one-tenth the price.

But the contract with Amon was for fixed prices for one month.

It couldn’t help but be a losing business.

However, Isaac wasn’t dissatisfied.

‘I knew it. That we’d lose money short-term. But to make money, you have to think long-term.’

What mattered was the exclusive contract for new Magic Stones to be provided later.

E-grade, D-grade, C-grade, etc. – the Magic Stones that would come later would be hard to release to the public.

After all, Amon’s conquest speed was unparalleled.

‘When that time comes, F-grade Magic Stones won’t even cross their minds. The new Magic Stones will cause an industrial revolution.’

Though he spoke grandly, it might actually become reality.

His company might also rise to an unrivaled position in the energy industry.

‘The start is good anyway. Despite the high price of $10,000 each, companies purchased the Magic Stones well.’

Various companies in steel, chemical, automotive manufacturing, and other industries showed interest in Magic Stones.

Even IT companies with massive data centers like Gugul and Abazon.

‘I’ve already finished deals with them. Even if prices drop, there’s nothing to regret.’

Of course, they knew too.

That supply would be released soon.

That buying F-grade Magic Stones at $10,000 each would be a loss.

But the real purpose of the deal was something else.

Priority rights.

‘When new grades of Magic Stones are secured later, I agreed to sell to them first.’

They paid $10,000 to deal with Isaac to secure those priority rights.

‘From a long-term perspective, it’s profitable. Very profitable!’

Having exclusive rights meant being able to control the energy market.

Isaac thought that the windfall called Amon rolling in might be the luck of a lifetime.

‘The problem is that companies aren’t fools either.’

Companies know too.

Who’s behind Isaac.

Where he got the Magic Stones and how he could secure them first.

That’s why emails like this come even now.

【Isaac. Will the next deal be E-grade Magic Stones?】

【We definitely have priority rights, correct?】

【If what’s provided next is E-grade Magic Stones, could you tell us the source?】

【I’ll ask directly. Are you acquainted with Amon?】

‘Everyone thinks I received items from Amon.’

Of course they do.

He had about 150 Magic Stones before items were released to the market.

Where else would he have gotten them?

From the person conquering at an unparalleled pace.

‘Amon must be pleased. He’s receiving attention from prominent companies worldwide…’

Isaac replied to the emails.

Naturally, the content was that he couldn’t tell them.

‘Amon is mine alone. I absolutely can’t let him be taken away.’

Still, should he mention to Amon that companies are showing interest?

That would be the right thing to do.

Isaac pondered this.

[You have cleared Labyrinth Underground Floor 49!]

[As a reward for clearing 49th Floor normally, ‘Weak Essence of Resistance’ is granted.]

[12,000 Credits are granted.]

The rewards from regular clears are mostly essence.

Sometimes miscellaneous items drop as well, but very rarely.

That’s why ordinary people can become stronger just by doing regular clears.

It means they get stronger as they conquer floors.

But even that changes pace once you go beyond the 40th Floor.

‘I conquered ten floors and my stats increased by 34.’

Incredible speed.

My Status Window stats have also reached an extraordinary level.

‘Status Window.’

《Name: Lee Tae Seong》

《Race: Human》

《Patron Spirits: God of Time, God of the Underworld, God of Balance》

《Floors Cleared: Labyrinth Underground Floor 49》

《Credits Owned: 160,000》

【Achievement】

▶Labyrinth Hunter(F), Explorer(F), Offense is the Best Defense(F), Wherever I Go Becomes the Path(F), Terminator of Madness(F)

【Exclusive Skills】

▷Time Stop(SSS), Soul Strike(S), Clear Mind Like Still Water(SS), Skill Copy(EX)

【Acquired Skills】

▷Upward Strike(F), Vitality(F), Parasite(S), Neurotoxin(A), Flight(A), Camouflage(A), Dragon’s Breath(A), Prison of Death(S), Cloud’s Protection(S), Mind Control(S), Whip of Seduction(A), Time Regression(SSS), Quick Reflexes(F), Light of Harmony(S)

【Stats】

●Strength: 20 / Penetration: 20

●Endurance: 20 / Agility: 21

●Vitality: 20 / Magic: 21

●Regeneration: 20 / Resistance: 22

Stats that have already exceeded 20.

‘When I rolled a 6 with Dice Roll last time, the numbers that came out were in the early 20s…’

It’s similar to back then.

‘Since stats increase from first clears too, my growth speed is really fast.’

Another reason why I’m stronger than others.

First clear rewards.

Only one Apostle in the entire world can receive them, and they give rewards that can never be obtained through regular clears.

‘If 80% are stat rewards, then the remaining 20% are…’

[A ‘Random Skill Book (F)’ is granted as the 49th Floor first clear reward.]

[The acquired item is stored in your Inventory.]

They come out as items like this.

‘Should I go back and try using it?’

[Would you like to descend to the Next Floor? Y/N]

[Selecting N will allow you to return to Earth.]

My finger touched N.

After returning home and finishing my shower.

‘Let’s open them.’

I took out three rewards from my Inventory.

Random Lucky Pouch (F) received from the 45th Floor first clear.

Shoe Selection Ticket (F) received from the 47th Floor first clear.

Random Skill Book (F) received from the 49th Floor first clear.

I’m going to open all of these.

‘Random Lucky Pouch first.’

As I held the item and decided to use it.

[Using Random Lucky Pouch (F).]

[Item ‘Weak Strength Elixir (F)’ has appeared. Congratulations!]

A satisfying item came out.

‘Permanent stat increases are always right. Use.’

[You have used the Weak Strength Elixir.]

[Strength increases by 2.]

Next, let’s try using the shoe selection ticket.

[Using Shoe Selection Ticket (F).]

[Please choose one of the following shoes.]

└ 1. Light Cloth Shoes

└ 2. Comfortable Leather Shoes

└ 3. Thick Leather Shoes

The choices are still one out of three.

I knew which was good the moment I saw them.

‘Light Cloth Shoes are good in many ways.’

When I selected the item, it entered my Inventory.

[Light Cloth Shoes (F)]

―Category: Shoes

―Durability: 100/100

―Effect: Agility +1

―Usage Restriction: Apostles who have cleared 1st Floor or higher

―Description: Shoes so light they feel like they could fly. Makes you more agile.

The last thing to use is the Random Skill Book.

‘It’s random so I can’t know for sure, but I hope something good comes out if possible.’

It’s better to have even one more skill.

What will come out?

I used it with an excited heart.

Though it’ll probably just be F-rank anyway.

‘It’s better than stat rewards at least.’

[Using Random Skill Book (F).]

[You obtained the skill ‘Deflection (F)’. Congratulations!]

‘Oh? This came out?’

A skill beyond my expectations came out.

▷Deflection (F)

―Effect: When weapons clash, deflects with slight force.

‘A skill that will help on the next floor came out.’

The Labyrinth concept for Floors 50-59 is battle.

It was a mission of random battles against pan-universal species.

‘I need to become even a little stronger. Since I don’t know who I’ll face as an opponent.’

As the saying goes, who knows if an opponent stronger than yourself will appear?

It’s battles between pan-universal species after all.

‘Clear Mind Like Still Water is useless in battle missions too.’

Since the same mission opponents as the past won’t be assigned, memories from before regression are also useless.

I just have to build up skills and prepare.

Though there aren’t any more skills to build up here.

‘More importantly, haven’t I become a Transcendence Net manager yet?’

I entered Transcendence Net to check.

Countless comments were attached to the strategy guide I wrote.

[Author: Amon]

【Title: Releasing Floors 20-29 Strategy Guide.】

[Views: 950,281]

[Total Comments: 4,589]

└Came on a pilgrimage to the holy site. Please let me date a pretty girlfriend.

└Please let me win the lottery jackpot.

└Amon sir. I’m about to enter the 13th floor, please give me some energy!

└เกาหลีดีจังเลย เพราะมีอามอน.

└Amon sir. The strategy guide was very helpful. Thank you for sharing the information.

└Thanks to Amon sir, I held onto my stocks without selling and broke even. Thank you.

└Ah… I thought the world was ending so I sold everything I had…

└ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I held on because I bought in at a low price and it paid off big time!

└As long as Amon exists, the extinction deadline will keep extending.

└The labyrinth has only been around for about a week and there’s already a 512-day countdown to destruction ㄷㄷ is this for real?

└I had a year left on my house contract but now I can relax.

└This is all thanks to Amon sir. Everyone praise Amon sir.

└It seems like Amon is really Korean.

└Amon sir, but why aren’t you posting strategy guides for the next floors?

└Strangely, no strategy guides have been posted from Floor 30 onwards.

└We’ll eventually surpass Floor 30 too, but won’t you post strategy guides…?

└No way. You must be taking a short break.

└Taking a break my ass. You’ve already cleared up to the 49th floor.

└You must be planning to post them leisurely.

There are many comments, but I haven’t become a manager.

Because the view count hasn’t exceeded a certain threshold.

‘Do I need to wait a bit more?’

Transcendence Net has invisible experience points.

You can think of the view counts gained from posting as experience points.

‘Once I exceed a certain view count, my authority will be promoted to manager, but it seems I need to accumulate more.’

There’s nothing to worry about.

The view count keeps steadily increasing like interest.

‘Let’s go eat.’

I put on my coat to go eat jjajangmyeon.

On the way to the restaurant, I stopped by the sinkhole once.

Safety personnel that I hadn’t seen before were stationed there.

‘It’s begun. Government supervision.’

As information spread that the Labyrinth was profitable, not only Apostles but even ordinary people were entering the sinkhole indiscriminately.

There were even ordinary ViewTubers who entered without hesitation for ViewTube filming.

In such a situation, deploying safety personnel was an appropriate measure.

But the government’s purpose isn’t just that.

‘Actually, there’s also the purpose of monitoring Apostles.’

They interrogate the personal information of Apostles entering and encourage registration.

That’s what Safety Personnel do.

Since it’s impossible to know how many Apostles are in each country currently, the government is taking action.

To manage and control Apostles.

‘Some sinkholes haven’t had personnel deployed yet, but they’ll expand nationwide soon.’

That agent is actually an Apostle too.

Because it’s difficult to control sinkholes without power.

‘I’m glad I copied Camouflage in preparation for times like this.’

Since I even enhanced it to A-rank, I can change my identity as much as I want.

It means there’s no worry about being discovered as Amon.

After finishing a bowl at the jjajangmyeon restaurant I usually eat at.

I closed my eyes and thought of the people I had implanted parasites in.

I need to check periodically whether there are any signs of them committing crimes.

Because I have no intention of possessing criminals’ skills.

‘I need to copy skills from people who won’t cause trouble to prevent the misfortune of skills suddenly disappearing.’

But then.

‘Huh.’

No sooner had I thought it than I witnessed someone causing trouble.

‘Her name was Seo Mina, right? The one who tried to rob my Inventory with Mind Control.’

I had already marked her as a person of interest, and now she’s causing trouble?

‘I knew she would do something like this.’

However, it’s not serious enough to cut off the Parasite.

It means she hasn’t failed the interview yet.

‘I should actually help her, shouldn’t I?’

Seeing her in crisis, I thought I couldn’t just stay put.

Most importantly, I also thought of something I could use.

‘The location isn’t far from here.’

I went up to the commercial building rooftop.

Flap!

I spread my wings and soared into the sky.

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