[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
Chapter 378: Utopia (2)
The place where the Utopia Dungeon had been discovered was a certain back hill on the outskirts of Sirin.
Distance-wise, it wasn’t even that far from the White Tower.
‘There was a dungeon in a place like this?’
It was strange enough that it had gone undiscovered until now.
As he approached the dungeon entrance, he saw a crowd so dense it made his jaw drop.
“They say even guys whose growth has stagnated can break through their wall just by going in here once and coming back out.”
“No, so what exactly are the escape conditions?”
“No clue. Every person who ca back out says sothing different.”
“They say the top reward is an artifact from Oscar Sage. Isn’t that the kind of thing worth whatever price people are willing to pay?”
“The White Tower Master even put a bounty on that staff himself. One hundred million Bell.”
Hundreds of tents had been set up around the dungeon entrance like temporary lodgings.
Of course, there probably weren’t many mages or knights among the tent owners.
If they were those kinds of people, they’d be staying at hotels in nearby Sirin instead.
‘rcenaries, adventurers, and… quite a few shady-looking bastards too.’
An enormous number of people had gathered regardless of profession or age.
That likely ant this newly discovered dungeon, ‘Utopia,’ truly had excellent effects.
Fweeeet!
Along with whistle blasts, shouts rang out from all around.
“You can’t set up tents over there! That’s too close to the entrance!”
“We’ll be checking identification for those standing in the entrance line! Anyone with a criminal record can’t enter!”
The ones controlling the crowd were mages from the White Tower.
“Hmm?”
One of them recognized him and walked over.
“Oscar?”
“It’s been a while, Senior.”
Verdi Nakwind.
The young talent said to be on the verge of reaching Level 7 swept his gaze over Oscar from top to bottom before letting out a hollow laugh.
“At this point, soone at my level can’t even gauge your realm anymore. You monster.”
“I hear that pretty often. How’s your condition?”
“Since you treated , I haven’t felt mana reflux symptoms even once. Though there have been tis I woke up from recurring nightmares.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Only then did Verdi grin and ask:
“So you ca to challenge Utopia too?”
“Well. I’m not sure whether this should be called a challenge or a rescue mission…”
“Ahh! I see. So you were the one the White Tower sent to rescue them.”
With a look that said he understood, Verdi turned toward the dungeon entrance.
“If it were up to , I’d like to go in and help too, but once you escape, re-entry isn’t possible.”
“Hmm? Then does that an I can only rescue one person too?”
“No. If it’s not your own personal the that you cleared like mine, then it should be fine. Invasion is considered a different concept.”
Invasion?
What’s that?
Seeing the look in Oscar’s eyes demanding an explanation, Verdi scratched the back of his head.
“To explain simply, it ans entering soone else’s the. Fran, Killian, and Veronica invaded my the too.”
“What’s the benefit of doing that?”
“You just get to experience beforehand what a the dungeon is like and how it feels. Rather than hearing more details from , it’ll be faster if you go inside and hear it from the guide. They explain it thoroughly.”
“Understood. Anything I should be careful about?”
“Hmm.”
After pondering for a mont, he spoke cautiously.
“About the rescue. Personally, I think you should approach it a little more carefully.”
“What do you an?”
“You know better than anyone, but the three who went in with are all overflowing with talent. Talented enough that I thought they might surpass soday. But the fact that people like them still haven’t escaped ans there’s a high chance their thes turned out extrely difficult.”
Oscar felt like he understood what Verdi was trying to say.
“You’re worried I’ll recklessly try to rescue them and end up trapped myself.”
“Yeah. It may sound cold, but from the White Tower’s perspective, you’re more important than those brats.”
“I’ll go in first, see what kind of rescue this actually is, and make my decision carefully.”
“That’s enough for .”
Nodding his head, Verdi personally guided him all the way to the entrance.
Naturally, there was no need for him to stand in line to enter.
Verdi was the chief administrator here.
“I hope you achieve a good result.”
“I’ll be back.”
The instant he passed through the blue-glowing dungeon entrance, the scenery changed.
‘This is….’
Just monts ago, he had been on a mountainside crowded with people, but now he was inside so sort of room.
Judging by the interior structure, it seed to be a small cabin.
At that mont, soone opened the door and stepped inside.
“Welco, Challenger.”
Oscar silently stared at the other person.
An old man wearing a tattered robe.
Naturally, it was a face he had never seen before in his life.
‘But strangely….’
He didn’t feel the peculiar sense of distance one normally felt when eting a stranger.
Rather, the old man felt familiar.
That feeling was so unfamiliar that Oscar stared at the old man for quite a while.
“Ahem.”
Perhaps burdened by the gaze, the old man scratched his neatly trimd beard with his index finger.
“You’re staring so intently it’s making embarrassed.”
“Who are you, sir?”
“I am the guide. The one who explains this dungeon to you.”
Oscar slowly nodded.
“I’d appreciate that.”
“First of all, this place is Utopia.”
“That’s a rather grand na for a dungeon.”
“To so people, it may feel like a dream paradise.”
The old man smiled warmly before continuing.
“This dungeon was created to help challengers grow. By providing personalized the dungeons for each individual, it develops the areas they most need.”
“Who created this dungeon?”
“That is a secret.”
“…Saying it like that just makes you sound suspicious.”
“Then don’t trust or my words. Trust those who have already left the dungeon. Surely they weren’t all hypnotized as a group.”
That was true.
Even Verdi, whom he had spoken with just earlier, seed completely normal.
“A challenger may choose one of three actions in this dungeon.”
The old man raised three fingers.
“One is challenge, another is invasion, and the last is forfeiture.”
“You don’t need to explain forfeiture… what’s the difference between challenge and invasion?”
“A challenge ans entering the personalized the dungeon prepared for you. If you fulfill the conditions presented there, you’ll receive your reward and imdiately leave this place.”
“And invasion?”
“You may participate in another person’s the dungeon.”
From the sound of it alone, there seed to be no reason not to invade.
The troublemakers from the Special Affairs Departnt had also invaded Verdi’s the, after all.
“Are there penalties for invading?”
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
“First of all, in the invaded the, you cannot provide any assistance other than verbal advice.”
“…What?”
That ant even soone with overwhelming strength couldn’t simply clear the the in another person’s place.
“As I said, the dungeons are customized for each individual. Their purpose is to develop the abilities that person most needs. If soone else were to accomplish it for them instead, what aning would there be in that?”
Only advice was allowed, huh….
Oscar felt like he now understood why Verdi had told him to think carefully.
If things went wrong, he could end up trapped forever regardless of his own strength.
“What happens if an invaded the is successfully cleared?”
“The owner of the the escapes the dungeon, while the invader returns to this cabin.”
“…That’s all? There’s no reward for succeeding in an invasion?”
“What’s so remarkable about entering another person’s the, giving so backseat advice, and watching for a bit that it deserves a reward?”
“No, but you’re still risking your life.”
At least one thing was certain now.
Whoever created this dungeon was absolutely terrible at balancing.
“Sir, then who the hell would invade? People would just clear their own thes quickly and leave.”
“If they don’t want to, then they don’t have to invade. If one insists on finding value in it, then perhaps simply getting to preview the format of a the dungeon itself could be considered a reward.”
That’s a reward?
Letting out a hollow laugh, Oscar rubbed the corners of his eyes.
“Then if soone forcibly invades, does the owner of the original the suffer any disadvantages?”
“None at all.”
That was enough.
If those troublemakers suffered losses because he invaded their thes, it would leave a bad taste in his mouth.
At that mont, sothing occurred to Oscar, and he asked:
“By any chance, can you tell what the highest number of invasions soone has done so far is?”
“That’s not difficult. Fifteen tis.”
“…Fifteen tis?”
Soone invaded that many tis despite there being absolutely no benefit?
Could that person also have been acting as a rescue team like himself?
As Oscar fell into thought, the old man grinned and said:
“And that fellow still hasn’t escaped this dungeon.”
“…….”
The old man looked at Oscar’s uneasy expression and asked:
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
“Ah, I’d like to check the dungeon reward information.”
“That’s simple enough.”
The old man pulled a catalog out from inside his robes and handed it over.
‘What is this, so kind of boutique shop….’
The catalog consisted of only two pages.
[0~25 Points]
· Basic Calculation Support Talisman
· Fatigue Dispersion Bracelet
· Sensory Amplification Necklace
· Concentration Fixation Ring
[26~50 Points]
· Mana Circuit Stabilization Potion
· Sensory Enhancent Necklace
· Earring of Savagery
· Eyes That Pierce Through (Magic To)
[51~75 Points]
· Combat Sense Correction Bracelet
· Thought Acceleration Necklet
· Boots of Sprint
[76~99 Points]
· Golem Summoning Ring
· Mana Circuit Stabilization Elixir
· Thought/Calculation Speed Enhancent Elixir
· Sun-Slayer (Swordsmanship Manual)
· Owl’s Cloak
[100 Points]
· Oscar Sage’s Artifact
└【Windless Zone】Granted
“Hmm?”
While reading the catalog, Oscar tilted his head.
“…You really own all these artifacts?”
“Of course. As I said, this dungeon was created from the beginning for the purpose of developing challengers. It’s a dungeon into which the Master poured trendous effort.”
“What’s the Dungeon Master’s na?”
“I cannot tell you that part.”
Whoever it was, he was grateful.
After all, they had created a dungeon like this in Sirin of all places.
‘Just from a glance, these artifacts aren’t worth rely a coin or two….’
There were two possibilities.
Either an unbelievably rich man, or the greatest thief of the age.
‘No, considering he stole my Windless Zone, doesn’t that confirm he’s a thief?’
Nodding to himself, Oscar spoke.
“I understand. Is there any secret to earning a high score?”
“I cannot tell you that. However… I can tell you what is generally accepted as the standard.”
Generally accepted standards, huh.
If he imagined himself as the grader, the criteria that ca to mind were obvious.
‘Clearing speed is probably the most important thing.’
The other conditions likely just added or subtracted from that.
The guide opened his mouth.
“I have told you everything I can tell you. I sincerely hope you obtain what you desire from your Utopia.”
“I’ll do my best.”
The guide left the cabin, and Oscar followed after him.
Though the gap between them was barely one or two seconds, the old guide was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, what appeared before Oscar’s eyes was an enormous number of doors.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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