Chapter 150: Forty-Second Floor, Secrets of the Ant Nest (1)

I had deliberated for a short while before jumping, coming to the conclusion that entering the hole wouldn’t be dangerous. Unfortunately, once I was in motion, descending turned out to be more troublesome than expected.

The sinkhole, spanning three meters in diameter, had initially seemed spacious. However, the hole didn’t maintain a consistent width. Before I could descend far, the tunnel began to narrow. Coming close to colliding into the wall, I kicked off the side nearest to me, only to be sent careening toward the opposite side at an alarming rate.

This vicious cycle repeated, naturally slowing my descent. At this rate, I wouldn’t even need to use Kashatum’s Sky Shoes to safely land.

Roughly thirty seconds later, my expanded senses finally detected ground below. Just as I prepared to land, the downward force of gravity on my body abruptly vanished, before reversing momentarily.

For an instant, I was weightless, fleetingly suspended in a state of zero gravity. Then, the air around me shifted entirely.

A dense, humid air clung to my nostrils, its clammy, oppressive, and heavy feeling invading my senses. It felt as though I had stepped into an entirely different world.

As the reversed gravity dissipated, I landed softly on the ground.

“Su-Yeok! This is strange!”

Doppy leaped from my arms, glancing around tensely. He had hunched his shoulders uneasily, his neck barely visible between his contracted shoulders.

A reddish, sulfuric glow faintly illuminated the dim corridor ahead. Unlike the rough, natural tunnels of the ant nest above, this passage had been neatly carved into a rectangular shape. Its polished lines starkly contrasted the chaotic burrows above, causing the new space to seem foreign and unnatural.

At that moment, a notification window appeared.

[Secrets of the Ant Nest. Time remaining: 2 hours 59 minutes.]

The message only displayed the optional hidden mission’s title and the challenge timer, with no further explanation. It seemed like the Tower of Ordeal liked to keep these descriptions cryptic, as the second floor’s option hidden mission had displayed a similarly short message, and the twenty-first floor hadn’t even had a description.

Remaining cautious, I contemplated the title.

Secrets of the Ant Nest. What secrets?

Given how carefully constructed the space beneath the nest seemed, I was confident that it had been artificially made. By extension, the ant nest above was likely also deliberately placed there.

The disappearing cocoon, the magically-adept ants...

Even the system had labeled them as “Demonic Ants.”

This potentially implied the presence of a demon or a warlock. No, perhaps a lich[1] made the most sense, given how artificial this space felt.

While I hadn’t faced a lich before, I had fought a warlock on the ninth floor. At that time, they had only been powerful enough to resurrect dead hounds.

However, high-ranking warlocks or liches were known to wield curses and other types of black magic, which would present a far greater threat to me.

I needed to proceed carefully. Though I carried a curse-cleansing scroll—recommended by Ha Hee-Jeong—I shouldn’t ever underestimate the Tower of Ordeal. Any lapse in vigilance could lead to disastrous consequences. Ideally, I would activate Flash Strike and attack before my opponent had the opportunity to act.

Time to move.

Just as I prepared to take a step forward, faint movements from the far end of the corridor caught my attention. I detected six presences. Though their identities remained unclear, they were undoubtedly enemies.

The sinkhole’s thunderous quake likely drew their attention, so it was only natural that they came to investigate. Thankfully, I had descended quickly enough for me to arrive first.

Before they entered my line of sight, I cloaked myself in Shadow Veil, opting to observe the situation before engaging.

If the boss turns out to be a warlock or lich, eliminating them from the shadows would be best.

Necromancy or curses—either would become a significant problem if I didn’t target the original caster immediately.

Gesturing for Doppy to remain silent, I pressed myself against the wall. Moments later, grotesque figures emerged from the further down the corridor.

The creatures were bipedal, their dark crimson skin gleaming faintly under the dim light. Spiral horns, reminiscent of a ram’s, jutted from their heads, while razor-sharp claws emanated from the tip of their fingers. Though they lacked wings, they appeared uncannily similar to demons depicted in illustrations. They didn’t look weak, either.

As they approached, a notification appeared above their heads.

[Low-Rank Fiend[2]]

I had primarily anticipated a warlock or lich, but reality veered slightly in another direction. These fiends were likely the minions of some higher-level fiend or demon.

Now only steps away, the fiends sniffed the air, their faces twisting into grimaces.

“There’s the scent of blood...”

“It’s from those measly ants.”

Fuck.

Though I had used a deodorizer before entering the ant nest, I had forgotten to reapply it after the battle in the queen’s chamber. Even though I hadn’t engaged in melee combat then, the sheer number of dead ants meant their blood had pooled on the floor and soaked into my boots.

Cursing internally, I readied my axe, prepared to strike at a moment’s notice.

The tension was palpable.

Suddenly, a few drops of blood dripped from the sinkhole above, splattering audibly onto the ground.

Splash.

The fiends instinctively looked up, gazing toward the source.

“Blood dripping all the way down here? Looks like there’s trouble above.”

“I thought it was just a minor mistake, like Lord Shogal said... Fucking idiots! This is why we shouldn’t rely on such trash!”

Relieved that they hadn’t detected me yet, I listened carefully to their conversation.

“No, the barrier outside the nest was Lord Shogal’s doing. This isn’t the ants’ fault. Someone’s targeting us.”

“What should we do? Go up and check?”

“If they’ve breached the barrier, they’re no amateurs. Heading up recklessly would be a mistake.”

Lord Shogal...

From their discussion, it was clear that Shogal was in charge. Completing the hidden mission would likely require confronting and defeating him. The missing cocoon was probably in his possession as well.

“Going up ourselves would be foolish. They could be lying in wait above.”

“Exactly. Lord Shogal only ordered us to punish the ants for their mistakes. If there’s an intruder, we need to inform him first.”

“Fine. Four of us will stay here. Bell and I will report to Lord Shogal.”

“Sounds good.”

“Don’t cluster up too tightly. Someone could drop down unexpectedly.”

“You worry too much. If they do, we’ll just kill them.”

One of the fiends conjured a spear of mana beneath the sinkhole, while the others prepared fireballs in their hands, mirroring my tactics from earlier. Intelligent beings truly did think alike.

The two fiends tasked with reporting turned to leave. Keeping my movements quiet and deliberate, I began to trail them at a safe distance.

From the fiends’ reactions, Shogal didn’t know of the intrusion, despite the sinkhole’s commotion.

Also, the barrier they had mentioned matched the one near the ant nest’s entrance. Since I had been summoned directly into the nest by the tower, the barrier had remained intact, leading them to assume the ants were at fault.

“The scent of blood is getting stronger.”

“Looks like they’re cleaning things up above.”

“Bell, hurry up with the report. They’ll be down soon!”

“Got it!”

The two fiends quickened their pace.

Following them while still reeking of blood would be a massive blunder. Hanging back momentarily, I quickly reapplied deodorizer.

Once I finished, the fiends turned a corner. Thankfully, the corridor didn’t form, so I hurried to catch up. The passage was well-constructed and organized, a nice change from the chaotic sprawl of the ant nest. Interestingly, it was lined with countless doors.

Hanging around the doors were other fiends, and I wondered if the doors contained even more.

It would have been a real hassle to fight them first.

There weren’t an overwhelming number of fiends, but it was still far from insignificant. If I had fought here, I would have been surrounded in moments.

Before long, we reached a grand golden door radiating a warm glow. The two fiends cautiously stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Moments later, a sinister voice slithered out from within, “What is it?”

Even though the pair weren’t visible to the fiend inside, they still bowed deeply. Their exaggerated deference, even with how urgent their news was, spoke volumes. Shogal wasn’t just a leader to them, but someone they feared.

“We’ve come to report on the matter of the opened passageway.”

“Come in.”

The golden door creaked open of its own volition, revealing a room that appeared similar to a laboratory.

At the center of the room, I spotted the cocoon from earlier. It floated in a tank of crimson liquid, with writhing, black tendrils pierced into it.

Following the tendrils with my eyes, I located their source—fallen humanoid figures. The tendrils were embedded into their heads, and each being had limp, bird-like wings draped over their sides.

Are they draining energy from these creatures to feed the cocoon?

No, I didn’t have the time to ponder at this moment. The fiends entered the room, and I quietly matched their steps, slipping in behind them.

Shogal stood before the tank. His sharp, predatory gaze fixed on the two fiends as they approached.

[Mid-Rank Fiend Shogal]

Not a warlock, lich, or a demon, but just a fiend.

He resembled the low-rank fiends I had encountered earlier, but with some distinct differences. His features were more defined, his skin a richer crimson, and a sharp, rigid tail jutted from his lower back.

“Have you disciplined those useless idiots properly?”

“It... it wasn’t a mistake. Ant blood is dripping down the passage. We believe an intruder has entered the nest.”

“Are you certain? Did you check for yourself? No one can bypass my barrier without setting off a warning.”

Gulping audibly, the minion paused before responding, “We haven’t gone up, but the hallway near the passage reeks of ant blood. It’s unlikely to be anything else.”

“Workers sometimes evolve into queens and fight among themselves. Are you sure it wasn’t just that?”

At Shogal’s words, the fiends swallowed nervously, clearly terrified. Even from where I stood, I could feel the pressure Shogal emanated. Shogal’s personality became clearer by the second—a mixture of cruelty and absolute confidence.

I caught Doppy’s gaze and gave a subtle signal. I would deal with Shogal while Doppy took care of the two fiends. Boosted by Flash Strike, Doppy would have no trouble dispatching them.

Doppy signaled his readiness confidently, and I began carefully positioning myself beside Shogal.

“We believe that since the blood has fallen to the bottom of the passage, it’s not just a simple case of internal conflict.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll check it myself. But if it turns out to be nothing, you’re all dead.”

The fiends froze, terrified and unable to respond.

Something about the way Shogal carried himself felt off. Despite being told an intruder had breached his territory, his arrogant expression hadn’t wavered. If anything, he seemed more focused on terrorizing the fiends in front of him than addressing the potential threat.

How confident is he in his own strength?

“Why aren’t you answering? If a lowly fool like you wasted my time, there will be consequences.”

As his lips curled into a wicked grin, I activated Flash Strike.

The fiend’s response stretched unnaturally, as though his voice had gone through a filter. “I... under... stand...”

I didn’t summon lightning immediately. Unlike Flash Strike, channeling lightning caused a ripple in mana, which could tip off someone as powerful as Shogal.

Steadying my breath, I swung my axe blindingly fast, aiming to sever his neck in one decisive strike. I wasn’t familiar with mid-rank fiends, so I couldn’t risk a half-hearted attack backfiring on me.

As the blade neared his neck, I unleashed a surge of lightning.

Shogal flinched and turned instinctively, but he was too late. My axe sliced cleanly through his neck, sending his head flying into the air.

Wait... what?

Something felt wrong; the impact hadn’t relayed the expected resistance of flesh and bone. Instead, it felt as though I had sliced through water.

An instant later, Shogal’s severed head and body dissolved into a swirling crimson mist.

I froze, momentarily stunned, but my screaming instincts warned me I had to move. Doppy had already decapitated the second fiend, his blade cutting cleanly through the target. With our ambush compromised, my priority shifted to protecting Doppy.

I moved in front of Doppy, standing guard as I turned my attention back to the mist.

Time resumed its normal flow, and the red vapor began to coalesce. Shogal reformed, and he stood there in perfect condition, completely unharmed.

“So, there really was an intruder? And they made it all the way into my chamber? Worthless trash! What have you been doing?”

He spat on the corpses of the dead fiends before turning to face me. His arched brows and furious expression betrayed the depths of his rage.

He growled ominously, his tone dripping with malice, “A human and a goblin? Just the two of you?”

I gritted my teeth as frustration bubbled inside me. Even though I had infused my strike with Lightning Essence, I hadn’t managed to leave a single mark on him.

How am I supposed to deal with this?

As I wrestled with my thoughts, Ryun broke the silence calmly and deliberately.

“You... will... need... my... help...”

1. An undead creature that commonly appears in fantasy role-playing games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. They were generally wizards or magic-wielders who sought immortality before death. ☜

2. A term often used in fantasy to describe a demonic being. ☜