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＜ 17. The difference between you and me (4) ＞ After leaving the
71st floor, the path to advance was divided into two paths .
“ It’s a fork in the road …”
Emilia took out a map. Andrea accepted it, and the party huddled around .
The only thing I could buy from the shop on the 66th floor was an intermediate level map. Because of this, it was impossible to know exactly which monsters appeared or what events were taking place just by looking at the map. It was fortunate that it was possible to distinguish between normal monsters and elite monsters, but .
While looking at the map, Andrea had no choice but to twist her eyebrows .
As we have already experienced, the dungeon’s guide could arbitrarily control which rooms appeared. In that respect, the left path was a path where Arpan’s malice was clearly felt .
” Wow, this is gross …”
Trisha sticking out her tongue. Emilia and Marco felt the same way .
Rows of question marks representing event rooms. The road on the left is an event room where all the rooms up to the 80th floor are unknown what will happen .
In other words, if you enter the left path, you will never get the reward of the battle .
Andrea glared at the map with a serious expression .
‘ With the map I have now, I can’t tell what events will happen in the event room… There won’t be only positive events that can replace the rewards of battle. No, if it were Arpan, it would have been packed full of beggarly events …’
The risk was too great. In the worst case scenario, you could go all the way to the 80th floor while experiencing trap rooms or events that give out curse cards. It’s a fork in the road where you can go the way you want, but it was no different than forcing you to head to the right .
However, the road to the right was also a spectacle in its own way. A path where you can reach the 80th floor only by defeating elite monsters three times. Excluding the event room on the 76th floor and the rest area on the 79th floor, the road was filled with only battles .
‘ Of course, with the strength of the party, elite monsters aren’t that burdensome …’
Andrea glances back at Marco. Marco, who was looking at the map, also expressed his opinion .
“ Why don’t you go the right way, Andrea? I think it’s better to go with a certain reward than not knowing what will happen. If you’re a monster, don’t worry because I’m there .”
It was a reassuring remark, but Andrea still couldn’t get rid of the feeling of doubt .
“ It’s not that I doubt Marco-san’s fighting ability, I think that’s right too… I don’t like it because Arpan seems to lead me to the right too openly. Due to his twisted personality, he would definitely want me to get into trouble with my own choices rather than openly putting him in danger. I’m worried because now seems to be the turning point …”
After making it impossible to choose the left path, preparing a more terrible hardship on the right path. If it was Arpan, it was enough to do. The party nodded in agreement in silence .
But on second thought, it wasn’t without the possibility that there was another twist there to arrange worse events on the left path. There is no basis that it will be worse except for the heart, so it is a problem that does not know the answer in the first place .
Still, the countless event rooms were so reluctant that the party’s opinion leaned toward the right path. Of course, the final decision, as always, was up to Andrea .
Andrea makes a difficult decision after thinking about it for a while .
“ Go right. You never know what kind of troublesome enemies you’ll come up with, but you’re sure to be rewarded anyway. And… In fact, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be an easy road no matter where you go .”
After examining Arpan’s personality over and over again, the conclusion Andrea came to was ‘Wherever you go, it will be equally difficult’ .
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Neither one is better, but Andrea and the others are agonizing over the futility of choosing the easier path. I wondered if that wasn’t the intention of Arfan to suggest such a fork in the road .
The couple let out a deep sigh. Either way, the decision was made, so it was time to move .
Trisha led the way to the right with a rainbow lantern. The rest of the people following in a row .
The sound of regular footsteps blended into the darkness, and Andrea and the others advanced into the depths of the dungeon. Without knowing what lies ahead …
*
“ Priest, behind you!”
“ Ki-yi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-yi-yi-i-i-yi’ !”
A monster with an eagle’s head fluttering in white feathers, a sturdy horse’s body and huge wings flew towards Emilia. Frightened, Emilia reflexively used the card she was holding in her hand .
“ An unbreakable barrier !”
bang !
“ Kikkiik !”
The monster couldn’t avoid the barrier that suddenly rose from the floor and hit its head hard. While staggering, Trisha aimed the point of her bow at the monster .
Whee ae ae ae !
Puck !
“ Queek !”
It wasn’t even a card-enhanced arrow, but the arrow pierced the skull neatly. The trait of ‘Chaser’ is to increase the damage inflicted on beast-type monsters by 30%. Thanks to that, I was able to deal fatal damage to the monster I was facing, the Hippogriff, even with a rough shot .
Kwap !
“ Queek !”
Meanwhile, Andrea twists the Hippogriff’s neck lightly with one hand. Since the characteristics of the ‘tracker’ are shared with the entire party, Andrea was also able to easily defeat the hippogriffs .
With this, the seven hippogriffs that ran madly as soon as they entered were all sorted out. Now there is only one left. Andrea looked up at the sky .
There was a griffon, a monster twice as big as the hippogriff, with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion .
Unlike the Hippogriff, which rushed indiscriminately, the Griffon was loftily flapping its wings in the sky, watching the chaos beneath its feet. He seemed to be proud of his dignity, saying that he was different from other lowly monsters .
However, the end was not very noble .
“ Tricia, are you ready ?”
“ Yeah. Wait a minute .”
Trisha, who had already written ‘Shooting Master’ and ‘Continuous Load’ and was ready, drew cards and used them. Intensely condensed tension dwelled in the tendons of the wyvern that were being pulled taut. After aiming, Trisha releases the bowstring .
Whoa- oh !
Wooong !
In the far sky, pieces of meat flew along with the piercing star. It was as if a red firecracker exploded. Gryphon fell without even leaving a final word and turned into a clot of blood .
The battle ended just like that. A fight that ended so easily that I was rather puzzled. After Marco returned after chasing the Hippogriff over the hill and crushing it, the group headed for the exit .
It’s not a story limited only to him, but Andrea was quite worried right before entering this floor. Because I thought that Arpan must have written something .
It was written that normal monsters would appear on this floor, but maybe there are monsters comparable to elite monsters. Or is it that some strange pattern is added or a normal monster from the 80th or 90th floor appears ?
All those worries were for nothing. The hippogriffs and griffons we met this time were ordinary normal monsters that you could meet on the 70th floor .
‘… Then, did you try your hand at the reward ?’
There was also the possibility that the gold was given outrageously, or manipulated to give unnecessary cards or junk. Following the aisle, a treasure chest came out. Andrea opens it with a bad feeling .
A griffon’s beak and a decent amount of gold. It was just not a bad reward. Andrea looked at Trisha and Emilia’s rewards as well .
Trisha got a potion of annihilation and a normal buff, and Emilia got a pretty decent card .
‘[ Rare] Earth binding ++ (2 cost): Divine, buries the enemy in the ground so they cannot move .’
Considering that it was a normal monster, it was much better than the average reward. At least it was clear that Arpan wasn’t playing around with the reward .
But it was still too early to be relieved. The 73rd floor is where elite monsters appear. If he had written something down, there was a good chance that he would have written it in earnest from there .
‘… At least among the elite monsters that appear on the 70th floor, there are no monsters that pose a great threat to us. Dullahans, Manticores, Imp Lords… I know all the strategies, so there are only monsters that can fight against them. Then again… Are there elite monsters of a higher floor than here ?’
I couldn’t figure out the answer just by guessing. The quickest way to find out the answer is to go and bump into it yourself .
‘ Still, I’ll have to prepare thoroughly. Because there are enemies that can’t be defeated just by hitting and pressing like now …’
Andrea explains to the party about the elite monsters on the 70th floor. In preparation for an unexpected situation, I was familiar with the patterns and strategies of elite monsters appearing on the 80th floor .
In the middle of explaining, I arrived at the entrance on the 73rd floor before I knew it. Before entering, Andrea took off her gauntlet and unlocked the ‘Eternal Training Ring’. It’s not too late to check what type of enemy this is and equip it right before fighting .
Soon after entering the room, the wide space that comes into the eyes. A lantern hung from the ceiling in the middle of the darkness, and the flames swayed precariously as if they would go out at any moment. Three large dark green cubes nestled beneath it .
The moment she saw it, Andrea felt goosebumps all over her body .
Andrea had taken into account that elite monsters on the 70th floor and higher floors could also appear. However, he overlooked the fact that there are elite monsters that can appear anywhere .
‘ Damn it. Arpan, you son of a b*tch …’
It could appear anywhere, so it wasn’t that strange that this elite monster appeared right now. However, it was not like a coincidence that we were facing ‘now’ .
Andrea had already encountered this elite monster before. He was extremely weak and his whole body was in a state of disrepair, so at that time he was an easier opponent than anyone else. But paradoxically, he was a more difficult opponent than anyone else now that he was stronger than he was then .
Three green cubes wriggling in unison. Trisha, who had experience with this monster before accompanying Andrea, also became contemplative. Only Emilia was confused, not recognizing what kind of monster it was .
“ Andrea-sama, what kind of monster is this …?”
Boom !
There was no need to explain. Because the swollen cube exploded, and the beings inside it revealed themselves .
A hunter with straight black hair tied up in a ponytail, a little blond priestess holding a long staff, and a man wearing a jet-black coat and equipped with gauntlets of a vicious figure .
It was as if the whole of Andrea and the others were reflected in a mirror .
“ Eh …?”
Emilia’s face became bewildered. Andrea tapped her on the shoulder to come to her senses .
“ It’s a doppelganger. Not only are they the same in appearance, but they are the same as us in terms of equipment, cards, and abilities …”
I wanted to give you some more concrete advice, but I just couldn’t find the time. Because the doppelganger was already drawing cards .
Since the conditions were the same for each other, a very small difference could have made the difference between winning and losing. Andrea swallowed the words she was about to say and urged the group .
“ First, draw a card first !”
Emilia frantically drew a card from the deck. Tricia, who had already drawn a card, looked at the signs of her doppelgangers. It looks like this side missed the timing to attack first while watching them draw cards. The two groups formed a strange confrontation .
An instant moment. A feeling of tight tension. Silence suddenly fills the room .
It was inevitably a silence that could not last long .
The doppelganger, who had been glaring at Andrea, used a card in an instant .
＜ 17. The difference between you and me (4) ＞ End