Monopolizing Skills to the 666th Floor - Chapter 39

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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 039

39. Labyrinth Underground 50th Floor

“Phew, never thought I’d be acting like a gangster in my lifetime.”

Just a moment ago, I burned all the debt-related contracts that were in the office before leaving.

With this, Park Se Hee’s younger brother, Park Se-jun’s debt has disappeared.

The same goes for countless debtors who had made unfair contracts with the loan shark company.

“Now Park Se-jun won’t be beaten to death by gangsters because of debt. I gave them a thorough education before leaving too.”

Just in case, I also threatened the gangsters.

I told them not to get involved in loan sharking anymore, and not to harm others either.

If I hear even a rumor that they caused trouble?

‘I told them I’d send them to where Park Do Hwan is.’

Since they witnessed the corpse dissection performance firsthand, they won’t dare act recklessly.

‘With this, Heeseong Capital is gone. I’ve also protected Park Se Hee’s younger brother.’

Now there’s no future where Park Se Hee gets ruined.

Seo Mina’s loan problem has been resolved too.

‘I locked the office door, so Kang Hee Seong’s corpse won’t be discovered for a while.’

Let me just take Kang Hee Seong’s phone and deal with the body later.

Right now, going home and washing up is the priority.

Beep beep beep beep― Beep!

After arriving home, I washed off the blood on my body with a shower.

I threw Kang Hee Seong’s clothes in a garbage bag and finished preparing to go out again.

‘Now I should slowly head up to the 50th Floor.’

Park Do Hwan’s death left one Parasite slot empty, but it’s fine.

I don’t need to replicate even one skill.

More importantly….

‘I need to test it. Whether I can monitor parasitic organisms even when I implant them in other species during battle.’

I wanted to test whether Parasite works on other species too.

That’s why I deliberately left a slot empty.

Flap!

I spread my wings and soared into the night sky.

When I moved to a nearby sinkhole, someone was guarding it.

It was a safety officer.

‘They’re monitoring people even at this hour. What a thankless job.’

Probably an officer assigned to the night shift.

Since I knew that sinkhole surveillance was conducted 24 hours a day, it wasn’t particularly surprising.

It wasn’t difficult to enter either.

‘Even with an officer there, there’s a way to get in.’

I folded my wings and landed, then my face soon transformed into a different face.

“Hey kids. It’s dangerous, so go over there.”

“Can’t we just take a look once?”

“Tsk. I said go, didn’t I?”

When I frowned, the middle school students who were trying to look at the sinkhole reluctantly turned around.

“Now they won’t even let us look.”

“So strict, so strict.”

Those voices reached my ears, but I had no choice but to endure it.

Isn’t that the sorrow of being a civil servant?

‘Sigh. To think I have to work night shifts too.’

As the situation of civilians recklessly entering sinkholes continued, the government belatedly drew their sword.

They decided to deploy safety officers at every sinkhole across the country.

All civil servants who had awakened as Apostles were assigned to sinkhole surveillance.

Gu Jang Seung, who was a 9th-grade civil servant, was assigned to the night shift for this area.

‘It was good becoming an Apostle… but to think I have to do this kind of work just because I’m a civil servant.’

He wanted to quit, but thinking about his overdue card payments, he couldn’t do that.

At least the night shift allowance was some consolation, if you could call it that.

‘There probably won’t be many people coming in at night.’

The safety officer’s duties were largely two things.

Restricting civilian access and recording the personal information of Apostles.

The latter was the government’s policy to keep track of the number of Apostles.

‘I just hope I don’t run into any crazy bastards…’

As long as it’s not an Apostle who suddenly attacks using skills, he could handle night duty just fine.

‘Or maybe someone trying to sneak in.’

He’d heard there were people who secretly entered, finding the government surveillance inconvenient.

They seemed burdened by having to record their personal information.

Monitoring and finding such people was Gu Jang Seung’s mission.

‘It’s not difficult. Even if I miss someone, there are CCTVs.’

Even though the Sinkhole was wide, the entrances were limited.

Moreover, CCTVs were densely installed, so there was no way to enter secretly.

Just then, he saw someone approaching the Sinkhole.

“This is a restricted area. It’s dangerous, so please stop.”

“Ah, I’m trying to enter that Sinkhole.”

“Are you by any chance an Apostle?”

“Yes.”

Finally, he met his first Apostle since starting work.

“I’ll give you this Record Sheet, so could you please fill in your personal information? Please write your name, resident registration number, contact information, address, cleared floors, sponsor spirit, and skills.”

“Skills too?”

“Yes. Just write a brief description.”

The discomfort was obvious, but it couldn’t be helped.

It was government policy.

But Gu Jang Seung didn’t know.

While he was talking with the other Apostle, someone had entered the Sinkhole.

‘I made it in safely.’

I infiltrated the Sinkhole while the security guard was talking with another Apostle.

Thanks to my Camouflage that lowers recognition rate, he wouldn’t even know I entered.

‘There were CCTVs, but they’ll be processed as noise, so no problem.’

Looking around, only white space stretched out.

This was the location for this mission.

As soon as I thought that, a message appeared.

[You have entered Labyrinth Underground 50th Floor.]

《Type: Battle》

《Condition: Alone without help from others》

《Mission: Win in a 1-on-1 Arena battle.》

[You cannot exit until you clear the mission.]

Floors 50-59 were battle-type missions.

One of the missions that continued to appear afterward.

It was a relatively simple mission where you only needed to beat one person per floor in 1-on-1 duels, but the opponents weren’t easy.

‘Since it’s duels with pan-universal beings.’

Battle opponents were diverse.

Labyrinth conquerors from other dimensions, servants of Transcendent Spirits, demons, legendary heroes from the past, beasts, monsters, even artificial life forms.

All kinds of beings participated in Arena battles.

‘Sometimes even allies meet each other.’

In the past, I had the bewildering experience of meeting fellow Twelve Apostles.

Since we knew each other, it wasn’t easy to point blades at one another.

‘Whatever the case, one of the two had to fall for the game to end.’

It meant you couldn’t return to Earth unless you settled things.

No matter who the opponent was, you had to kill them.

‘Fortunately, you don’t actually die.’

You could feel pain, but only the battles here were judged as a virtual world.

It was essentially a virtual space created by applying real-world data.

Therefore, your life was guaranteed.

At worst, you’d just return to Earth again.

‘Instead, points would be deducted.’

The criteria for choosing opponents in duels followed the MMR system.

Opponents of similar levels were matched based on duel scores.

‘The basic MMR score given is 1,000 points. Win and you accumulate points and earn BP.’

What’s important here is BP, Battle Points.

A type of currency only given in Arena battles, where you could earn more BP the more consecutive wins you achieved.

‘However, points and BP only increase up to 6 consecutive wins, after that it’s fixed.’

What’s good about collecting BP?

You can use the Arena Shop.

‘If the Dimensional Shop is an item store that sells equipment, potions, belongings, consumables, etc…’

The Arena Shop is a store that enhances the user’s power.

Direct enhancement is possible, such as immediately raising stats upon purchase or increasing skill effects.

‘In other words, skill equals wealth.’

So I need to collect both Dimensional Shop Credits and BP.

That’s the shortcut to becoming stronger.

But even this kind of battle isn’t entirely fair.

‘This is a mission that’s far too disadvantageous for supporters.’

Can supporters who only received Support Skills rather than combat skills really subdue their opponents?

‘It would probably be difficult.’

It’s obvious they’ll lose, have their MMR reduced, and return to Earth.

The conquest floor will still remain stuck at the 49th Floor.

In other words, if you can’t win, you can’t advance to the Next Floor.

That’s why supporters have no choice but to lose MMR through consecutive defeats.

That’s what makes this such a difficult mission.

‘Would other missions be any different?’

Since most of the Labyrinth consists of missions to defeat enemies, combat skills are advantageous for conquest.

‘But supporters have the advantage when it comes to survival. That’s why the existence of supporters is important.’

The reason supporters decrease as you go higher is also because of this.

Conquest is difficult with only Support Skills.

Of course, for me, supporters are optional – I can do with or without them.

I don’t expect help from others.

I’m sufficient alone until the 666th Floor.

[Arena Battle Rules]

1. This is a 1-on-1 matching battle.

2. Wounds are replaced with light, but pain is the same as reality.

3. Time limit is 10 minutes, and overtime results in a draw.

4. Victory condition is when the opponent’s life is severed.

5. Victory grants points and BP, defeat results in point loss.

[Now, before the duel, we will confirm the participant’s information.]

Soon, a cluster of light scanned my body up and down.

[Participant’s information has been confirmed.]

[First Arena entry has been confirmed.]

[Arena information will be added to your Status Window.]

When I opened my Status Window, this had been added at the bottom.

【Arena Battle】

◎Rank : Beginner

◎Universal Ranking : 35,732,991,299th

◎Earth Ranking : 10,000,426th

◎MMR : 1,000 points

◎Arena Record : 0 wins 0 draws 0 losses

◎Grand Arena Record : 0 wins 0 draws 0 losses

◎BP Held : 0

‘Looking at the Earth ranking, there must be about ten million Apostles.’

Rankings are based on points.

Coming first doesn’t make you 1st place.

‘If I win just one match, I’ll immediately become 1st place.’

Arena Battle has ranks.

Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Warrior, Hero, Supreme, Superhuman, Master, Conqueror, up to Champion.

As MMR points increase, rank also increases.

‘Initially it’s 1-on-1 matches, but when you reach Supreme rank, 3-on-3 duels open up. Then you can earn even more BP.’

Before regression, my win rate wasn’t high so my MMR stayed in the 1,900s.

Supreme rank was my limit.

‘This time let’s raise the win rate. I should at least reach Conqueror.’

Conqueror – if I’m lucky, maybe even Champion is possible.

Under the premise of avoiding defeat as much as possible.

[We will begin random matching with participants of similar MMR scores.]

[Please wait a moment.]

Finally, the battle begins.

It’s a simple mission requiring just one victory, but this is the Record Layer where Achievement is at stake.

Since records are measured by how quickly you achieve victory, I can’t let my guard down.

‘I need to do my best. Whoever the opponent may be.’

[Matching opponent found!]

[Your duel opponent will appear before you in 10 seconds.]

[Prepare for battle.]

The start of the first battle.

In the past, my heart would have been pounding, but now I’m calm.

Because I already know who the first opponent is.

‘The first battle opponent on the 50th Floor is predetermined. From the 51st Floor onward it’s random.’

My Pre-Regression Self was shocked upon seeing that opponent.

Anyone would have been.

‘I was really surprised at first. I never dreamed such an opponent would appear.’

But now it’s different.

Since I know everything, there’s nothing to be surprised about.

[3…]

[2…]

[1…]

My first battle opponent was none other than—

[The duel begins!]

[Time remaining until duel ends: 9 minutes 59 seconds]

My Pre-Regression Self.

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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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