Chapter 159: Instead of the Crocodile Swarm 4
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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The 31st floor, which used to have swarms of crocodiles, had transformed into a deathly marshland filled with zombies.
Due to this, I remembered a certain ability of mine.
Thanks to a quest reward, a portion of my mana had changed into divine energy.
When I tested this against goblins in the caves, it didnt seem particularly special.
While reinforcement through mana seemed to lean towards reflecting damage, reinforcement through divine energy seemed to lean towards damage resistance.
However, in this harsh environment, I discovered an additional advantage.
By strengthening my physical body with divine energy instead of mana, weak field debuffs couldn't invade my body.
"Roland, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Just make sure none of you accidentally step on it."
On the 31st floor, the feeling of deliberately stepping on the purple poisonous puddles was rather fun.
I felt like a child wearing boots and stepping into puddles on a rainy day.
The poison was mild; it wasnt strong enough to corrode my armor.
Any poison that seeped through was immediately repelled by divine energy.
It was very different from my party members who were desperately standing on dry ground with uneasy expressions.
"Since we've collected everything here, let's look for a path upwards and check for monsters."
"But with the terrain changed like this, will we find a place to set up tents?"
"Roland, are there safe zones in the marshland?"
"Yes, there are. And we have to hope they remain unchanged."
As we walked on a narrow path about 30 cm wide, we chatted amongst ourselves.
Each breath brought with it a whiff of something rotten, and the sound of bubbling toxic gas could be heard around us.
But it wasn't particularly dangerous when monsters weren't around.
The 31st floor was now a challenge for not just veteran intermediate adventurers but also for senior adventurers.
The narrow path itself wasn't dangerous, even for intermediate adventurers who couldn't externalize their mana.
The same went for our group.The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.
Han Se-ah, a player, was initially a fitness streamer and had demonstrated her talent in her very first battle against goblins and horned foxes.
Grace, who grew up playing in the forests, and Katie, who had been wielding a sword since childhood, were no exceptions.
The only slightly worrisome one was Irene, who grew up in the temple.
Still, thanks to her innate 5 abilities, she seemed to cross the marshland without any problem in non-combat situations.
"Uh, Roland? I feel something splashing in the puddles ahead. It's hard to determine the exact number because they're undead, but I think there are more than five."
As we continued, we encountered the first group of monsters on this floor.
Whether it's because the 31st floor has become a kind of hard mode or because of the nature of the undead, Grace couldn't determine their exact number.
She pointed to a large poison pond.
It wasn't a shallow pond reaching only up to the ankles.
It was so large that one could call it a reservoir or a lake rather than a simple pond.
"Be careful, I'll lead the way. Hanna, can you create a path?"
"I think so. I'll expand the dirt path, and we can act as lookouts from above."
Upon seeing the large pond, Han Se-ah promptly raised her staff.
Because they couldnt line up and fight on a mere 30cm wide dirt path like a train, she had used her skill points from the 30th floor for non-combat magic once again.
As a scout, she felt her lack of firepower the more we climbed.
Even so, expecting a one-shot kill would be unreasonable.
Even among top-notch swordsmen, it'd be a tall order to hack a Moss Crocodile to pieces in one blow.
"Ew, it's spewing poison! ...Really glad I learned shield magic. I can't always rely on the protective barrier for this."
-The shield has basically become an umbrella now, LOL.
-mages are so versatile.
-They're pretty capable. Not as a dealer, but as a support, yeah.
-yeah LOL. When I see a mage play while I'm just slashing away, I get super jealous.
-But she should at least learn one offensive spell. Otherwise, she has nothing to do.
"No, guys. If you've never played a mage, you wont get it. It's not easy. Didnt Teacher Roland mention in the early mage tutorial that using an offensive spell just two or three times depletes your mana? Mages can deal a lot of damage, but it's super limited. Unless you're chugging potions until you vomit, you can use those kind of spells maybe five times a day."
As Han Se-ah shifted from portable light source to mage advocate, addressing her viewers, I raised my warhammer again.
This area seems a bit tough for archers and swordsmen.
If the plains and forests were hunting grounds for Grace, the marshlands distinctly felt like they were meant for blunt weapon warriors and priests.
In any game, isn't it natural for certain maps to favor specific classes?
'Should we change her equipment again? Maybe focus on upgrading her bow instead of her arrows.'
With that thought, I smashed another zombie crocodile's head.
Thanks to the slow movements of these creatures, Grace's arrows relentlessly targeted only the eye sockets.
Even though crocodiles are fast in water, becoming a zombie seemed to have given them resilience while sacrificing their speed.
They now approached at the pace of a toddler's first steps, making it more challenging to miss than hit.
With things like this, Katie and Irene would have little to do.
"...Isn't it fortunate that the mana stones float in water?"
"Yeah, cleaning them with water before storing them in the inventory should be fine, right?"
"Or should we try purifying the mana stones with divine energy?"
Due to the zombie crocodiles that couldn't escape the water before dying, their mana stones floated atop the poisonous puddles, making the aftermath quite straightforward.
...I guess we'll be picking up mana stones for a while.
---
Raei: Hello hello, Author did a q&a! It's pretty long so I put it here instead of the TL notes. It is fairly spoilery? Read below!
Author:
For those interested, just because I mention something in the author's note doesn't mean it won't be addressed in the novel.
As a reader myself, I really dislike that sort of thing. So, I'll always answer based on the novel's context.
I don't plan on doing this often, but since we've crossed the 150th chapter mark, I thought I'd give it a try once.
Q1: Is there a character who can face Roland one-on-one and win? (SMALL SPOILER IN THIS ANSWER)
A1: There might be characters who can match him, but none that can beat him. As depicted in the story, Roland is wary of opponents skilled in martial arts or techniques. This is because he hasn't been formally trained and relies purely on experience, swinging around in a straightforward and unrefined manner.
So, while there might not be a character who can penetrate Roland's defenses, there are those he can't catch. I once chased a rogue around in the RPG game 'Bless' as a paladin, and despite hours of fighting, neither of us could defeat the other. It's a similar feeling.
Q2: Can't Roland splash away the marsh water?
A2: It's possible if he uses mana. As described when hunting the Full Moon Wolf, the force was strong enough to flip the dirt on the battlefield and bury mana stones. Just as a high-ranking mage obliterated orcs with lightning, the destructive power of a senior adventurer who can externalize their mana is comparable to a walking bomb. Of course, as the tank of the party, he wouldn't do such things when team members are present.
Q3: Has Roland's growth stopped? / Is the quest after the 40th floor Roland's? (SMALL SPOILER IN THIS ANSWER)
A3: As many of you have guessed in the comments, after Irene, Roland's quest will be unveiled alongside the story's foreshadowing elements. I also plan to introduce skills he hasn't acquired yet, and the ultimate skill has been predetermined since Roland was recognized as a 'Paladin'. I'll do my best to make the writing as engaging and flavorful as possible.
Q4: What are Roland's physical/magical talents?
A4: Rather than Roland's physical body, the talent of the modern soul inside Roland is average. Unlike protagonists of other game novels who possess prodigious talents and acquire all sorts of skills, Roland was designed to be a character who blindly pushes forward with the superior specs given to his game character.
Frankly, I thought it would be excessive for a modern person to master blunt weapon techniques, shield arts, and martial arts on their own without a proper mentor, even with the transcendent stats of a 6 character.
Kim Seok-hyun, who occasionally appears, will handle the martial arts prodigy part.
