50th Floor (1)
《Clear-time ranking break rewards will be provided.》
《You have received Advanced Summon Ticket x100.》
《You have received Rare Summon Ticket x50.》
⁝
The rewards were pouring in. Absolutely pouring in.
I had already received plenty of rewards on the 5th and 10th floors, where the bosses were, but on the 15th floor, had I not deliberately cleared even the Mad Moon gimmick?
Perhaps because of that, all kinds of rewards poured out.
It even gave me 20 Random Rare Armor Option Tickets.
In addition, I also obtained the Skill Unlock Scroll I had received before.
《You have received a Special Skill Unlock Scroll.》
With this, I could unlock Caligo’s next skill.
I had been wondering when I would unlock Caligo’s skill, so this worked out well.
However, the highlight was something else.
And that was—
《Clear grade rewards will be provided.》
The item I received as a clear grade reward.
《You have received a Special Skill Enhancement Scroll.》
It was none other than a Special Skill Enhancement Scroll!
“Wow!”
When I read the item description and unknowingly let out an exclamation, Hertia and Caligo, who were beside me, approached in surprise.
“Master! Are you all right?”
“Honored Sage! Did something happen?”
“Ah, it is nothing.”
“It seemed a little loud for it to be nothing.”
Caligo, you bastard. Why are you reacting so sharply?
“I was merely checking whether there had been a mistake on my part, as your growth seems slower than I had expected.”
“I-I apologize. To think that we have failed to meet Honored Sage’s expectations...”
“...I have no face to show Master.”
“There is no need to be so discouraged. Even if your growth is delayed, I need only establish a strategy suited to it.”
“Master...”
“Khup. Honored Sage!”
I threw them one whip and one carrot each, distracting their attention.
“I will devote myself even more diligently.”
“I will immerse myself in research so that I do not become a disgrace to Honored Sage!”
“Good.”
That was enough for the excuse about the exclamation that had slipped out without my realizing it.
I checked the scroll I had received as a reward again.
‘Can it really enhance a skill?’
【Special Skill Enhancement Scroll】
Description: A scroll containing a powerful force that forcibly enhances one of a summon’s unique skills.
After reading the description, a smile naturally spread across my mouth.
In Legend Seven, each summon had three unique skills.
This applied equally to Apocalypse-grade Hertia and Hero-grade Temina.
This scroll could enhance one of those three unique skills.
However, skill ‘enhancement’ was far more difficult than ‘unlocking’, and it required a great deal more resources.
If I compared it to the price of a Skill Unlock Scroll, would it not be at least 10 times more expensive?
And yet my main summons were not Legendary, nor even Mythic, but ‘Apocalypse’ grade.
Even back when this was a game, the point when I finished enhancing the villains was truly in the very late stages of the game, so this changed everything.
‘Besides, if I enhance a skill, there was one skill I already had in mind.’
That was her first skill, ‘Hertia’s Principle’.
Currently, the skill description of ‘Hertia’s Principle’ was as follows.
【Hertia’s Principle】
Description: When battle occurs, the speed of all summons except herself is fixed at 20% lower than Hertia’s.
Thanks to this skill, I had obtained absolute first-turn priority.
However, even if Hertia held first-turn priority, there was no guarantee that the second attack turn would necessarily belong to an ally.
But if I enhanced this skill, I would be able to control even that variable.
“Hertia. Come here for a moment.”
“Yes, Master.”
“I shall bestow this power upon you.”
“...I shall receive Master’s grace.”
《Using the Special Skill Enhancement Scroll.》
《The unique skill of Witch of the Apocalypse Hertia, ‘Hertia’s Principle’, is enhanced.》
After the enhancement was completed, I read the skill description again, and the added content entered my eyes.
【Hertia’s Principle】
Description: When battle occurs, the speed of all summons except allies is fixed at 50% lower than Hertia’s, and allies are fixed at 5% lower. Hertia can decide the attack order.
‘Done!’
With this, as long as Hertia was present, all of my summons would have absolute first-turn priority.
In other words, it was the same as having four summons using Hertia’s Principle!
‘This is the dignity of the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins.’
Then was the next step unlocking Caligo’s skill?
“Caligo.”
“Yes, Honored Sage!”
“You come here as well.”
“Yes!”
“I shall bestow new power upon you too.”
“Waaah! Does this mean I will receive Honored Sage’s miracle with my body?! Now I can die without regrets!”
Caligo knelt before me with sparkling eyes.
Perhaps because he thought he was receiving power from me, he was extremely excited.
I should have become numb to this kind of fuss by now, but I still could not quite get used to it.
《Would you like to use the Special Skill Unlock Scroll on Death Liberator Caligo?》
《YES》
《Death Liberator Caligo’s unique skill ‘Bloom of Death’ has been unlocked.》
I immediately checked the skill description first.
【Bloom of Death】
Description: Plants seeds of poisonous flowers inside all enemies, causing paralysis for a certain period of time. After the poisonous flower seeds are planted, when allies are hit 10 times or land 10 hits, the seeds bloom and trigger the ‘Poisonous Flower Full Bloom’ effect.
*Poisonous Flower Full Bloom: The planted seeds fully bloom, dealing damage equal to 50% of the enemies’ maximum vitality and maiming 20%. Maimed vitality is permanently lost during that battle.
As expected, it was a nonfiction party.
But to summarize, it was simple.
When he used the skill, the enemies were paralyzed!
Hit them 10 times, and their health was cut in half. Even if they filled their health with potions, it only recovered up to 80%!
As expected, it was an ability befitting a debuffer.
Though he was called a Priest, he was practically a debuffer and sub-damage dealer.
Caligo’s abilities were simply something to plant and enjoy.
If left alone, enemies would die on their own.
“Can you feel the power?”
“Yes, I can feel it! To the point that I am going mad from wanting to test it right now!”
Of course he would want to fight.
However, it would be better to stop here for today.
Not only Caligo, but I also intended to unlock Temina and Iron’s skills.
Then I would have to think about how to arrange the skill links on each floor, so I needed to rest and reconstruct the strategy.
“Temina. Iron. I shall bestow power upon you two as well.”
“It is an honor.”
“M-May I really receive it? Th-Thank you!”
《Using Hero Skill Unlock Scrolls.》
《Temina and Iron’s second skills are unlocked.》
First, Temina’s 2nd skill.
2nd Skill
Description: If an ally has the first turn, creates a Shade of Flame and deflects the opponent’s skill attack once, excluding water attribute attacks. After deflecting an attack, evasion rate increases by 20% for a certain period of time.
It was a skill that protected her own body.
With this, Temina’s stability increased even further.
And Iron.
2nd Skill <I-I Will Do It If I Am a Knight!>
Description: If placed in the frontline, he covers his eyes and charges in a straight line. The enemy hit receives ‘Impact’ and is pushed backward. If placed in the backline, he tears off part of his own body and throws it, stunning one enemy at a 30% chance.
‘Now then, I will think about how to use them later...’
Today, I had unlocked skills, and I had cleared the 15th-floor gimmick dungeon quickly.
“That is all for today. Everyone, return.”
“Yes!”
***
Several days had passed since clearing the 15th floor.
During that time, I had truly moved diligently.
First, I cleared the tower up to the 40th floor.
I could feel the Record Tower narrowing its investigation net around me, but...
‘Well, it does not matter anymore.’
I planned to reveal myself when interest in the ‘unidentified adventurer’ reached the sky.
That was why time had been a little tight recently, since I had been laying the groundwork for it.
After all, even if I said by myself that I was the unidentified adventurer, there would not be a single person who believed me.
That did not mean I wanted to be found by the Record Tower first and dragged around according to their intentions either.
So I personally bought a camera and filmed a new clearing video from the 1st floor to the 10th floor.
Of course, Hertia and Caligo did not appear in it.
This video was only meant to reveal that ‘my own ability is outstanding’. I had no intention of revealing that I was a target to be eliminated.
‘With this... the 10th-floor clearing video is edited too!’
I stretched widely and looked toward the desert where battle was in full swing.
Ah, what was I doing right now?
‘Auto-hunting.’
I entered the tower, told Hertia and Caligo the strategy, and left it to them. Then the dungeon cleared itself.
Meanwhile, I edited the video at the entrance.
Doing two things in one place.
As expected, life became very comfortable when one had capable summons.
Before long, a message appeared saying that the 40th floor had been cleared.
《You have cleared the 40th floor of the Battle Tower, ‘Burning Dunes of Silence’.》
《An unbelievable record!》
《Time Taken: 19 minutes 22 seconds》
《You have broken the clear-time ranking and reached 1st place.》
《Clear Grade: ‘SSS’》
《You have broken the clear-grade record.》
《Level up! Your adventurer level becomes ‘39’.》
‘It is about time to prepare, right?’
From the 16th floor to the 30th floor, the background was Episode 2, and from the 31st floor onward, the background was Episode 3.
Episode 3 mainly had desert terrain, and many monsters such as scorpions and giant worms appeared.
Unlike other floors, these creatures hid their bodies in the sand, so clearing them took somewhat longer.
However, even if it took time, the clear itself was not difficult.
Because I had Hertia.
However, there had been no proper timing to use Caligo’s new skill, so his dissatisfaction was no small matter.
Look at him. Was he not fuming even now?
“Hertia! I said I would attack!”
“Why are you blaming me because you are slow and sluggish?”
“What did you say? ...Fine, why do you not take a shower in my slow and sluggish chemicals?”
“If you can even hit me.”
“Oho? Are you not running away because you are afraid, rather than because you are uninterested?”
“...How childish. Temina. Follow me.”
“Yes...”
“Hey! Are you just leaving after saying what you want?! I am not finished talking yet!”
The reason Caligo was acting like that was, well... jealousy.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that we were currently climbing the tower with only Hertia’s ability.
It was true that thanks to the further strengthened Hertia’s Principle, we were clearing more easily than the earlier floors.
However, after passing the 45th floor and reaching the 46th floor, we had to prepare thoroughly.
From the 46th floor onward, the background was Episode 4. In other words, it was a stage ruled by vampires.
And vampires and their subordinates were truly exceptional in terms of survivability.
From there on, Caligo’s performance was something to look forward to.
However, I could not rely only on Caligo’s ability.
‘It has already been one week since the update notice appeared.’
There were about 20 days left until the main episode update.
If I ran hard until then, could I reach somewhere around the 90th floor?
If I followed my heart, I wanted to sprint straight to the 100th floor, but it was not that easy in practice.
As expected, reaching the 100th floor within a month might be impossible without helpers.
I had to pay attention to my adventurer level, and I had to raise the levels of my summons evenly as well.
In addition, I had to steadily prepare their skills and equipment settings.
Until now, I had proceeded with roughly cost-effective equipment, but from now on, there would be many more things to consider.
That was why these days, I had been looking at the Exchange every day until my eyes nearly fell out.
‘Ah, I just want to give instructions and approve whatever someone fetches for me.’
But that would cost money too.
‘Is there anyone with a deeply ingrained slave mentality somewhere?’
...It seemed I would have to climb farther today to buy time.
That way, I could pick up even one more decent piece of equipment from the Exchange.
Then there was no time to be idle like this.
“Hert, Caligo.”
“Yes! Master.”
“Did you call, Honored Sage?!”
“End the quarrel there. Today, I plan to climb to the 45th floor.”
“...! Understood.”
“Oho! I would be happy even if we went to the 100th floor today!”
“Good. Then clean up. We will enter the next floor.”
“Yes!”
《Entering the 41st floor of the Battle Tower, ‘Sun-Staying Desert’.》
《The 42nd floor of the Battle Tower...》
《The Battle Tower...》