STGB Chapter 404

Episode 404 Dilemma (1)

Yellow light coming out of the traffic light ring means only one thing.

It means that something bad will happen soon, but if you overcome it, it will lead to positive results in the end.

‘Could it be… is there another traitor?’

The first thought that came to my mind was this.

During the interrogation, I didn’t hear about the accomplice, but there could have been one more spy from another faction that even he didn’t know about.

It may mean that if you don’t catch him, a negative event will happen, and if you don’t catch him, it will be a positive thing.

‘……Well, maybe it wasn’t because of the spy that the light came on.’

As we stand in a position responsible for the lives of many, we keep the worst possibility in mind, but we decided not to be too buried in it.

Because nothing is certain yet.

Just don’t let go of the string of tension and continue to observe your surroundings more carefully.

“The character has entered a special area.”

“Field effect – Glacial eyes are granted.”

After clearing the camp the day after the execution, we entered a deep pit that seemed to have led to the inner core.

A field with a large cylindrical structure.

It was in the form of going round and round as if taking the stairs on the side road on the outer wall, but the level of difficulty is quite high as it is the last gateway to the 8th floor.

The appearing monster itself is not much stronger or stronger than the roads it has passed through…

「Abnormal status [Immortal Whisper] is granted.」

A vicious curse that resurrects as an undead when it dies and makes it team kill.

「A status abnormality [Opportunity deprivation] is granted.」

In addition, the so-called “countdown” called the golden time is also removed.

「All healing and recovery effects work in reverse.」

Crucially, even this dog-like debuff is added.

‘……What if the natural regeneration works in reverse?’

Even small wounds never heal here.

No, rather, it constantly festers and deteriorates.

And the speed increases as the character’s natural regeneration power increases.

A place that could be seen as a tanker’s grave.

‘How many shield baba were lost here…….’

Well, I don’t even want to think about it.

I don’t know, but I’ve probably burned hundreds.

That is, until he finally figured out a strategy.

“I think it’s more spooky here.”

“Erwen, stop talking and watch your surroundings. Witchbeasts will appear soon. As I said before—” “You

mean to be careful not to get hurt? Hehe, I got it.”

“…….”

Since the width is narrow, the entire expedition is divided into teams and follows like a train.

Here, the proportion of remote dealers increases.

This is because almost 90% of the monsters that appear are flying objects.

“It’s a gargoyle…!”

A real gargoyle, not the 8th grade monster ‘Gargoyle Statue’ seen in Bloody Fortress.

“There is even a Death Knight!”

A death knight riding a gargoyle and wielding a spear.

[Hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee hee!]

Banshee queens who spread debuffs in the air and various spirit system undead monsters, etc.

Flying monsters that were like counters to melee dealers appeared one after another, but they were all intercepted before they came near us and turned into a group of lights.

「James Carla cast [Piercing Light]」

「Titana Aqurava cast [No. 1911 Faveler’s Broken Pocket Watch] has been used.」

「The cooldown for 5 minutes disappears.」

「Erwen Fornaci di Tersia has cast [Synthesis of Elements].」

Archer Almighty Magician, etc.

In the first place, there were many long-distance series in the composition of the expedition itself, and there were as many as four priests, so there was no shortage of firepower.

「Niaro Campbell casts [Healing Wave].」

「Benjamin Orman casts [Emergency Regeneration]…….」

「…….」

1.5x damage to undead. Entering divine spells applied as .

Of course, not all the monsters that appeared were undead, but there was no big problem.

Anyway, the dill is stuck enough.

「All healing and recovery effects work in the opposite way.」

Since you can’t heal allies anyway, the priest’s position here is just a ranged dealer.

「Killed Gargoyle + EXP 6」

「Killed Ghost Horse + EXP 4」

「Killed White Wyvern + EXP 6」

「Killed Blue Flame Bird……」

「…… 」

High heal factor and monsters melted by wide-area divine spells.

The melee dealers focused on defense and dealt with various monsters climbing the cliffs.

And…

“The battle is over!”

“Resume movement after resting for 10 minutes!”

After one wave, I quickly finished reorganizing and went down.

How much more time had passed like that?

After overcoming several waves without a single casualty, we finally reached the first hill.

At some point, the narrow slope ends.

A wide rock ledge protruding from the cliff.

And…

“You’re going crazy. You shouldn’t get hurt fighting that number?”

Hundreds of monsters filled it up.

It was unavoidable because the cave on the cliff over there was the glacial eye respawn area.

“What are you complaining about? We’ve been resting up until now, so now we have to work hard.”

If ranged players were active on slopes, now was the time for melee dealers to use their bodies.

“According to the formation!”

“Focus on every moment! Unless you want to continue your journey while watching your rotting arm for the rest of the week!”

After finishing the line formation, gather the warriors at the front and build a shield wall.

And…

“Let’s go!”

Somehow push the monsters away to secure space.

From then on, a melee ensued.

While the warriors risk injury in front to block the enemy, the long-range series pours out firepower.

The battle difficulty itself was on the low side, probably because the power was overwhelming.

But nonetheless.

“Damn that arm……! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…”

Injuries occurred.

***

The number of injured is four in total.

Three of them can be classified as minor injuries, and they are only scratched, so they are not likely to lead to death.

First of all, according to schedule, we can reach the 8th floor in the next 6 days.

As long as you don’t get another injury over there, even if the wound rots and festers, you should be able to hold out until it can heal.

The problem was the other person who was seriously injured.

“I am… Am I going to die like this?”

Rick Jugersta.

Pyke A melee dealer on the James Carla team whose numbers have been reduced by one due to Neldine’s absence.

James Carla shouted with a serious expression beside him as he struggled, clutching his bony thigh.

“There’s no way I’ll die! It’s never going to happen, so don’t worry!”

Yes, the two of them were old friends.

“Shuitz! We have to turn the expedition right now and head up!”

“why?”

“Why why? What does that mean? If we leave it like this, we will never be able to make it to the eighth floor.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his urgent voice. Did this guy come out like this even when others were injured?

Well, I don’t know, but I think I judged it coldly.

Just like the Acura bar right there.

“I’ve already spent an entire day coming down. That means I’ll have to spend two more days total to go up and back down.”

Twenty-eight people in total waste two days just to save one person.

Well, there’s nothing wrong with this alone.

But…

“I’m sorry, Sir Carla, but we only have enough food for the next five days. Even now, at the end of the day, we’ll have to starve ourselves.”

As Kaislan said now, it is not only time that is sacrificed to save one person.

It is life.

Even if you starve for one day, you won’t be able to continue your journey by starving for three days.

“Oh, thanks to whose team a traitor came out?”

But is he a paladin?

What a sarcasm…

“Enough of the traitor, let me ask you one question. Did Lord Carla think this expedition would succeed without any sacrifice?”

To that question, James Carla was speechless, and Kaislan continued to speak coldly.

“Besides, there will be injured people in the future, so what will we do then? Do we have to go upstairs every time?”

Again, James Carla said nothing.

hard.

He just gritted his teeth and couldn’t hide his resentment.

The reality of having no one to help was so harsh.

“Why don’t you rather make it easy for you to return to God’s arms? If it’s difficult for Carla-nim, I’ll help you.”

Jun’s suggestion to remove the oxygen respirator altogether.

James Carla, trembling pitifully at this, looked at me and asked.

“Suits. Are you of the same opinion…?”

I neither denied nor affirmed.

“Isn’t Kaislan saying something wrong?”

In extreme circumstances, this is usually the case.

There comes a moment when you must make a choice and sacrifice something.

But…

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

What is he saying now.

“Okay, isn’t it time for that yet?”

We can’t let one of our precious members die.

Well, I could die during the expedition, but.

At least that’s not the case here.

“……yes?”

I shrugged as I saw James Carla looking up at me with a bewildered face.

“We neither go up nor leave our comrades here to die.”

At my words, each team leader made the same expression.

‘What the hell is this bastard talking about again?’

Just such a face.

Ttsk tsk This is why beginners.

“We keep going down.”

It’s time to write a strategy.

***

‘Glacier Eye’ was the field I avoided the most.

As I said before, until I found a strategy.

「All healing and recovery effects work in reverse.」

Not a short period of time, but a long, week-long journey.

In [Dungeon & Stone], there is only one meaning that such a crazy penalty was added.

I decided that the means to overcome must be hidden somewhere, and I finally found it after countless attempts.

It was a simpler method than I thought.

“Distortion magic… you mean?”

“Yes, in all battles from now on, I will use distortion magic against demon beasts.”

“Even so, wizards are very tired from using ‘preservation’ magic. But why do you want to increase the burden here?”

Yes, the core of the strategy is ‘Distortion’.

Monsters affected by Distortion do not spit out manastones and essences, but instead, their corpses do not disappear and are preserved when defeated with a certain probability.

Wyvern Leather .Adamantium.Troll

‘s blood, a raw material for potions.

Various

materials that go into upper spirit imprints are typical by-products mined using ‘Distortion’.

And…….

‘Monsters that appear in the Eye of the Glacier are all Hunting is possible in all other floors.’

That was the reason why it took me a long time to find out that distortion was the answer. You said you

used ‘distortion’ to collect by-products in a place where you couldn’t use ‘subspace’ and didn’t have enough inventory? You

could catch it more comfortably on another floor?

This was a very inefficient action. Well, as

always , this damn game hides the answer to such an action

When I explained the strategy, everyone burst out in exclamation.

Even though it was the first time I heard it, no one doubted it.

“The Marquis’ intelligence is amazing. Shouldn’t it be the power of the royal family? How can you know of an ‘arrangement’ that even an explorer who

flies and crawls like this doesn’t know?” Just like I thought there would be another strategist on my team when I turned on detective mode and caught the traitor.

They thought the source of this strategy was elsewhere.

‘… …Wouldn’t it be better to misunderstand like this?’

Hmm, I think that would be better.

There’s nothing to be gained by showing off, right?

In our Confucianism, humility is also a virtue.

“That’s it. We’re all tired today, so we’ll camp here and start again tomorrow.”

Thinking that James Carla’s friend would last for a couple of days, we spent the night on the ledge and resumed our journey early the next morning.

And… …

「Leard Ashed cast the 6th grade space-time magic [Upper Distortion].」

「McKelley Raiders cast the 6th grade time-space magic [Higher Distortion].」

「Versil Gowland cast the 6th grade time-space magic. I cast [Upper Distortion]…” As a result of continuing the hunt by pouring countless ‘Upper Distortion’

, which has a 1.5 times higher probability than normal ‘Distortion’.

could make out

“Shu Shuitz! Is this what you said at that time?”

Soon, James Carla, who ran ahead of everyone else, searched the corpse and found a bead, and I quickly fed the bead to the injured before it melted

. Okay,

then one person was revived with this… ”

Hey … what are we going to do with the remaining by-products?

”

It should be there, but it’s impossible to increase the load more in the current state.

Of course,

it’s better to

just throw it