Chapter 52
\[Failed the Nightmare Difficulty 4th Floor Hidden Strategy. (2/3)\]
Returning to the room, I thought about what had just happened.
“Teleportation was blocked...?”
Is there some kind of Intrusion Defense Device that blocks Teleportation?
It seemed like a World with highly advanced technology, so it wouldn't be strange for something like that to exist.
It was just a shame that I easily blew a chance because I didn't know.
The only takeaway from the first try was that the Master Code Room could not be entered via Teleportation.
It was as if the tower was telling me not to even dream of an easy win.
\[Would you like to enter the Nightmare Difficulty 4th Floor?\]
Starting the 2nd try right away.
\[Purchased “Special Gacha! (5,000P)”.\]
\[Won “Skill Effect 300% Scroll”!\]
\[Purchased “Special Gacha! (5,000P)”.\]
\[Won “Ability Nullification Part”!\]
After defeating all the golems, the ability nullification came out on the second attempt this time.
Points Held: 25,500P
After defeating the boss, I went out the Exit. I followed the exact same path as before and went up.
“So we need to find a way to increase the reactivity of the magic core there...”
I waited while in Stealth, listening to the conversations of the passing Researchers.
After that, things proceeded the same way. Iskah appeared, and I followed him.
“Come in.”
Since I already knew the objective, I sped through the conversation.
“Answer me this one thing. Are you an Enemy of the Workshop?”
“Yes.”
“If this Workshop were to be blown up entirely...”
“That would be great.”
“...Then it seems we have room to cooperate. Because I plan to blow this Workshop away.”
Just like the first try, I received the quest to copy the Master Code and was given the necessary items.
“Can't I enter the Master Code Room using Teleportation Magic?”
Iskah answered my question.
“You cannot enter that way. A Spatial Coordinate Distortion Device is active in the major facilities of this Workshop.”
...So there was something after all.
It would have been nice if he had told me earlier.
But I hadn't asked, so I couldn't blame him.
I asked one more thing I was curious about.
“By the way, does this Workshop happen to use people as fuel or something?”
Iskah answered calmly.
“Some are used as fuel, and some as test subjects. A human soul becomes a vast amount of magic power when extracted. Didn't you already know that?”
Ah, so that was the setting.
Aside from floating in the Sky, it seemed to be a worldview completely devoid of dreams and hope.
I finished my conversation with Iskah and came out into the Corridor.
I had confirmed the location of the Master Code Room.
Having confirmed that tricks wouldn't work, it was time to attempt the Standard Strategy.
I moved to Sector 1 to find the Workshop Master.
“Excuse me. Do you happen to know where the Workshop Master is?”
I grabbed a Researcher who looked friendly in Sector 1 and asked.
“The Workshop Master? He is probably watching the Magic Core Fission Experiment Demonstration right now. In the 3rd Demonstration Room...”
“Thank you.”
After hearing the explanation from the Researcher, who was as kind as he looked, I moved on.
Struggling to find my way using the internal map, I arrived at the place called the 3rd Demonstration Room in Sector 1.
I approached the Entrance while in Stealth.
However, the Entrance was closed, and Guards were standing there.
I was pacing the Corridor, wondering if I should wait outside the building...
Just then, the Entrance to the demonstration room opened, and people came out.
A white-haired Old Man in a suit, standing alone among the Researchers in White Coats.
As soon as I saw the Old Man, I could immediately tell he was the Workshop Master.
It wasn't just his standout attire, but also the presence beside him.
A woman wearing a Platinum Suit, unlike the other Security Force members in black suits.
Is she the Escort Iskah told me to be careful of?
‘...She's no joke?’
Perhaps because I had enhanced Sixth Sense to +2, I could grasp the opponent's strength more clearly than before.
Similar to the Monster Black Knight I met in the 2nd Floor hidden... No, maybe even more than that?
I could definitely tell that she was much stronger than me.
The Workshop Master was standing in front of the Entrance, talking with the Researchers.
I approached closer with the intention of examining his body. I needed to find the Master Key.
“...!”
*At that moment, the Escort narrowed her brow and looked in my direction.*
Sixth Sense also sent a warning.
Startled, I quickly backed away.
She tilted her head and then withdrew her gaze.
No, fuck...
‘He said I wouldn't get caught.’
Iskah had definitely said there would be no one else who could see through my Stealth Ability.
If I had gotten any closer just now, it would have definitely been dangerous.
She hadn't noticed the Stealth itself, but it seemed I would be caught if I approached beyond a certain distance. Was her intuition just that terrifyingly good?
‘...Doesn't this raise the difficulty too much?’
I didn't even know where on his body the Workshop Master was hiding the key.
Furthermore, if I got close, I would be discovered by the Escort.
It meant doing anything in a Stealth State was impossible.
I stepped back outside the building for now.
I sat cross-legged on a bench outside and continued to ponder.
Snatching the Workshop Master's key in a Stealth State was impossible because of the Escort.
Wait until he's separated from the Escort?
She was his Exclusive Escort, so I didn't know if there would ever be a time they were apart.
Even if there was, I couldn't just keep following the Workshop Master around. I couldn't maintain the Stealth State indefinitely.
...Should I try to eliminate the Escort with a surprise attack using Line of Destruction?
And then take the Workshop Master's key.
“Hmm...”
Whether it was possible aside, I didn't know if I could handle the aftermath of causing such a commotion.
But I had a feeling... it didn't seem like I was supposed to use my Stealth Ability to snatch the key.
Was I supposed to use my head?
Like in a spy movie, was I supposed to cleverly utilize the people around me and take advantage of the situation to get the key from the Workshop Master?
“This is complicated.”
The 4th Floor was somehow more complicated than the hidden routes of the previous floors.
It felt like the Strategy Clue or Guideline was presented too vaguely.
Well, it was natural for the difficulty to increase as the floors went up.
I felt annoyed because it seemed like every slightly convenient trick was completely blocked off.
“...”
Should I dig a little deeper into the trick side instead?
Having thought of something, I returned to Iskah's Room in Sector 6.
Iskah looked at me in surprise.
“...Don't tell me you've already done it?”
“Of course not. I have something to ask you.”
I asked.
“The Spatial Coordinate Distortion Device? Didn't you say I couldn't enter the Master Code Room with Teleportation because of that?”
“I did.”
“Then is there any way to turn it off, even for a moment? Like, isn't there a Central Control Room or Control Room inside the Workshop...”
That device must also run on energy.
...Wouldn't a trick like flipping the circuit breaker work?
I didn't have high expectations, but Iskah gave a positive answer.
“If you mean a Control Room that circulates magic power through the Workshop, there is one in each sector, of course. If you destroy the Central Mana Circuit in the Sector 1 Control Room, the Spatial Coordinate Distortion Device in the Master Code Room will also turn off.”
I asked again.
“Then what if I cause a huge mess in that Sector 1 Control Room and destroy everything... and in the meantime, I enter the Master Code Room with Teleportation and copy the code? Would that be possible?”
“...The Master Code is stored in an Independent Structure, so it will still operate even if the Central Mana Circuit is destroyed. So it would be possible, but...”
Iskah asked.
“You don't have two bodies, so how do you plan to do that? Do you happen to have a Comrade?”
Anyway, that meant it was possible.
I smirked.
---
After recovering Diul's power, which had dropped from constantly moving around in Stealth.
I immediately went to the Control Room in Sector 1.
I stood in front of the tightly closed door of the Control Room while in Stealth.
And I summoned Flee.
Following my command, Flee used Body Slam against the tightly closed door of the Control Room.
CRASH!
The Metal Door that opened to both sides was torn away, and the complex devices and Staff Members inside came into view.
They stopped their work and stared at Flee with horrified faces.
“...Aaaagh!”
WEEEEEE-!
The staff scattered in panic, and the Emergency Alarm rang out.
Security Forces swarmed in from the Corridor in an instant.
Still in Stealth, I looked at the bamboo shoot-shaped Mechanical Device in the middle of the Control Room.
Iskah had said that was the Central Mana Circuit.
“Destroy that first, Flee. And go as wild as you can!”
Flee immediately leaped up and smashed the device in one fell swoop.
I only watched up to that point before swiftly moving to do my job.
I headed to the Master Code Room at my Maximum Speed without breaking Stealth.
While moving, I felt Flee disappear.
Damn... He didn't last as long as I thought.
Are the Security Forces stronger than I expected?
Anyway, I soon arrived at the Master Code Room.
I stood in front of the Entrance and used Teleportation.
This time, Teleportation was cast without me bouncing off.
“Phew.”
It was a success.
Having safely entered the Master Code Room, I looked around.
There was a capsule-like Mechanical Device in the middle of the room.
It was the Master Code Storage Device Iskah had mentioned.
I approached without delay and placed the Copy Tool against the capsule.
The tool stuck to the capsule like a magnet, and a gauge began to fill on the side Display as if something was processing.
I crossed my arms and waited for the copy to finish.
“...”
But how long does this take?
Iskah said it would only take about a minute, but a minute had already passed.
Why does this old man never get anything right...
If the device gets repaired while this is happening, I'll be trapped in here.
“Oh.”
Fortunately, the gauge soon filled up, and a blue light came on the tool.
I grabbed the tool and escaped out of the Master Code Room with Teleportation again.
I could feel that the Sector 1 building was in an uproar.
Slipping outside while in Stealth, I moved all the way to the Sector 6 Building.
After breaking Stealth in a place with no people, I walked down the Corridor as if nothing had happened.
“Mission Clear.”
Wow, this actually worked.
In the end, there's always a way if you look for it.
Now I just had to deliver the Master Code to Iskah. Though I didn't know if that would be the end of it.
I arrived at Iskah's Room.
“Did you succeed?”
I nodded and held out the tool.
“You said it's fully copied if it has a blue light, right?”
“...You really succeeded. Good work.”
Iskah took the tool with a surprised look.
The Clear Completion Message hadn't popped up yet, so I asked.
“What are you going to do now?”
He said he was going to blow up the entire Workshop, so did that have to happen too?
“Follow me.”
Iskah put on his discarded coat and immediately moved somewhere.
I followed behind him.
Passing through the Corridor and going down the Staircase instead of the Elevator, the place we headed to was the Underground of the Sector 6 Building.
There was a long Corridor like the Master Code Room, and an Entrance at the end of it.
Beep-
The door opened when Iskah tapped his card.
Various colored golems were standing inside a spacious area that looked like a Laboratory.
When Iskah took out some kind of Controller and pressed it, the golems began to activate.
Thud, thud, thud...
The golems left through the Entrance and went out into the Corridor. After that, the Entrance closed.
Iskah approached the complex Mechanical Device in the center of the Laboratory and began to operate it.
A core as massive as the golems that had just left was firmly embedded in the middle of the device.
- Commencing charge.
With a mechanical sound, light entered the core.
\[0.01%\]
And the Percentage displayed on the device.
Iskah plugged the Master Code tool I had copied into the device and seemed to manipulate something else, then the voice continued.
- Mana Circuit Management Highest Authority has been approved.
- Transferring all Available Mana to the T5K1 Zone.
Then, the core began to emit a strong light along with a faint vibration.
\[15.6%\]
The Percentage started to rise at an incredible speed.
*At the same time, alarm sounds could be heard from outside.*
“What are you doing? What is this?”
Iskah answered my question.
“It is a core synthesized using Orichalcum, known as the Divine Material. You could call it the masterpiece of my lifetime. It can absorb and stabilize magic power of any nature, and its Maximum Mana Storage Capacity is beyond imagination. Enough to hold all the magic power of this Workshop and then some.
I am currently drawing all the Stored Mana inside the Workshop into this core. Once it reaches 70%, I will detonate the magic power.”
Aha, so that's how he's going to blow up the Workshop?
It was a simple explanation that even a non-expert like me could easily understand.
“...But then won't I get caught up in it too?”
I didn't want to die in an explosion with him.
Would the Clear Complete notification pop up before the explosion?
Iskah took something out of his pocket and handed it to me.
What it was, was an object reminiscent of a small globe.
Two metal rings surrounded a jewel-like green sphere, and complex Mechanical Devices could be seen inside the sphere.
A timer reading \[9:51\] was floating on the surface of the device.
“It's a Warp Device.”
“...A Warp Device?”
“I will detonate the magic power exactly 10 minutes after the storage reaches 70%. I've set this Warp Device to activate in 10 minutes as well, so you can escape through this.”
I see.
Escaping the Workshop through this was probably the condition for Clear Complete.
I tucked the Warp Device into my pocket.
\[35.6%\]
\[42.1%\]
\[49.7%\]
.
.
.
\[50.5%\]
But then, the Percentage that had been rising steadily suddenly stopped.
It didn't go up any further from 50 percent.
“It stopped?”
Perhaps there was a problem, as Iskah's expression also stiffened.
“...There's no way they could respond this quickly. How?”
He fiddled with the device before letting out a sigh.
“The magic circuit for the entire Workshop has gone down. It seems that because you messed with the Control Room, they had already started responding since then. Otherwise, they couldn't have blocked the circuit this quickly.”
“...Huh?”
What was he talking about now?
“Then what do we do? Are we screwed?”
Iskah sighed as if he had given up.
“...It's over. What a shame.”
“No, we filled it up to 50%... Can't we just detonate it with this?”
“It doesn't work that way. We have to cause an overload of magic power, so if it doesn't reach the 70% threshold, the reaction itself won't occur.”
What kind of nonsense is that?
Anyway, it seemed things had gone terribly wrong.
“I am not blaming you. You did your best. Hide yourself until the Warp Device activates, and then escape.”
I bit my lip hard.
Just when I thought I was almost there, something else...
Lingering regret made me ask.
“Is there no other way to fill the remaining magic power?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“...Wait, you said this core absorbs any kind of magic power. Then is it impossible to charge it by shooting magic directly at the core? I know how to use magic.”
Iskah let out a hollow laugh.
“It is possible, but even if it contained all the magic power of this Workshop, it wouldn't exceed 80%. How do you plan to fill the remaining 20%? Even if you were an Archmage, it would be impossible.”
Frustrated, I scratched my head vigorously.
Messing with the Control Room was the problem?
But there was no other way to get in with Teleportation.
...Are they really not going to allow a route that isn't the Standard Strategy at all? Do I absolutely have to get in by stealing the Workshop Master's Master Key?
“This is really pissing me off.”
Just as I was thinking I had no choice but to give up...
An idea popped into my head.
I opened the Shop Window.
\[Shop\]
- Physical Damage +10% (500P)
- Magic Damage +10% (200P)
- Willpower +10% (100P)
- Attribute Conversion (500P)
- Force Field (50P)
- Slow (50P)
- Stop (100P)
- Special Gacha! (5,000P)
Points Held: 25,500P
Special Gacha.
The Skill Effect 300% Scroll, and my strongest Skill, Line of Destruction.
...What if I stacked the scrolls to inflate the power of Line of Destruction as much as possible?
If I did it right, wouldn't it be possible to fill the remaining 20%?
I already had one 300% Scroll from the gacha I did during the boss fight earlier.
\[Used “Skill Effect 300%” Scroll on “Line of Destruction (Epic+)”.\]
I used it on Line of Destruction right away.
And I started the gacha.
With my Points Held, I could roll the gacha a total of five times.
I didn't have high expectations.
It was just a mindset of giving it a try since it would be a waste to just give up.
\[Purchased “Special Gacha! (5,000P)”.\]
Tiririri-
\[Won “Skill Effect 300% Scroll”!\]
Another scroll popped up right away.
Off to a good start.
As the scroll fell from Mid-air, Iskah's eyes widened.
“...What did you just do?”
“Shh. Just a moment.”
\[Used “Skill Effect 300%” Scroll on “Line of Destruction (Epic+)”.\]
With this, it's 9 times.
I quieted Iskah and rolled the gacha again.
\[Purchased “Special Gacha! (5,000P)”.\]
Tiririri-
\[Won “Skill Effect 300% Scroll”!\]
Oh... Oh?
It popped up again.
\[Used “Skill Effect 300%” Scroll on “Line of Destruction (Epic+)”.\]
With this, it's 27 times so far.
I rolled the third gacha.
\[Purchased “Special Gacha! (5,000P)”.\]
Tiririri-
\[Won “Skill Effect 300% Scroll”!\]
“...?!”
It... popped up again? Three times in a row?
\[Used “Skill Effect 300%” Scroll on “Line of Destruction (Epic+)”.\]
81 times.
I rolled the fourth gacha.
Even so, there's no way it would pop up again...
\[Purchased “Special Gacha! (5,000P)”.\]
Tiririri-
\[Won “Skill Effect 300% Scroll”!\]
“...”
\[Used “Skill Effect 300%” Scroll on “Line of Destruction (Epic+)”.\]
243 times.
I quietly rolled the last gacha.
“No way...”
No way? Really?
\[Purchased “Special Gacha! (5,000P)”.\]
Tiririri-
\[Won “Skill Effect 300% Scroll”!\]
“...Kiyaaaaaa.”
I picked up the scroll, feeling a thrilling sensation shoot up my body.
Ah... The dopamine is insane.
Is this it? Is this the true taste of gacha?
\[Used “Skill Effect 300%” Scroll on “Line of Destruction (Epic+)”.\]
Applied the 300% Scroll six times.
A total of 729 times.
Having suddenly succeeded in 5 Consecutive Draws with crazy luck, I managed to inflate Line of Destruction to a ridiculous level.
I said to Iskah.
“Step back.”
“I told you it's useless...”
“Hurry!”
When I shouted, Iskah stepped back for now.
\[50.5%\]
I reached my hand out toward the core.
I used Stop Time and Mental Concentration.
Alright, here I go.
The super-super-super-super-super-super-powerful fully charged Line of Destruction, inflated by a whopping 729 times...
Fire.
“...!”
A Jet-black Ray covered the core.
*At the same time, the Percentage started to rise like crazy.*
\[56.7%\]
\[68.3%\]
\[79.5%\]
.
.
.
It instantly surpassed the original target of 70% and kept going up.
“What...!”
Iskah also dropped his jaw in shock at the sight.
90%... 95%... 100%.
\[100%\]
The Percentage quickly reached 100%, but the Beam still didn't stop.
Kugugugugu!
A violent vibration shook the entire Laboratory.
Iskah, who had been staring blankly, shouted.
“Wait! Stop! Stooop!”
...I-I want to stop too.
There was no way to stop a Skill that had already been cast at will.
Is it going to explode? Am I fucked?
But fortunately, Line of Destruction soon died down before the core exploded.
Kuuuuu...
\[100%\]
The core was now emitting an intense light, much like the sun.
I stared at it and asked.
“Is it a success?”
Iskah, who was breathing heavily, looked at me as if he had witnessed something bizarre, and then nodded.
“...It's done.”