Chapter 105
I stared at the message with a sense of awe.
[Toxin Mist has vanished. Clear conditions have been met!]
[Trial “Theme 1” ends.]
[You will be transported to Theme 2 in 30 minutes.]
Defeating the Toxin Mist—
A proof that I had survived.
I felt proud.
My chest swelled, and my heart was still pounding.
Ah, is this what it means…
To feel alive?
‘But.’
I soon frowned.
Thirty minutes?
In thirty minutes I’d be moved to the next location, yet I felt strangely uneasy.
Why?
This unpleasant feeling—
Like I hadn’t finished the cleanup.
If I had to describe it…
Yes.
Like enjoying a cold beer at a bar on a rainy day—
Then the rain stops while I’m riding the bus home—
And I realize I don’t have my umbrella.
A nagging feeling that I left something behind…
“Ah?!”
I gasped.
It hit me like cold water pouring over my head.
“The shop!”
Once I move to Theme 2, the entire location may change.
I should use the shop while I still can.
According to the information pass—
Shops for Theme 1 appear all around the area after the Toxin Mist shows up.
“Oh.”
And then—
I realized I didn’t need to worry.
[Judges appear throughout the region.]
The judges who had been hiding and observing us—
Their energy signatures appeared one by one in my Supreme Azure Mind Method’s perception.
They must be the “shops” the information pass mentioned.
Swoosh!
Someone suddenly appeared beside me.
“Wow, you crazy bastard! Psycho! You’re so ridiculous I can’t even talk!”
The person cursing at me immediately—
Was someone I’d met once before.
Rank 84, Thunderstrike Floa.
“Yeah, yeah! I should’ve known the moment I found you! You’re a completely broken character. Unreal. I’m speechless.”
“……”
And again, I was shocked.
Just like I wasn’t the same person I was before fighting the Toxin Mist—
The “strength” I felt from Floa now was also different from before.
‘She’s strong.’
Very strong.
You see more as you learn more.
She was disgustingly strong.
A different kind of “strong” than the Toxin Mist—
The Mist felt raw and unrefined, something that could still be countered.
But Floa—
Was sharp and clean.
No openings.
“How the hell did you solo that horrifying Toxin Mist? Are you sure you’re just a participant? You’re not some hidden ranker? Or maybe you’re actually a monster that crawled out of a dungeon?”
“That makes no sense.”
I replied bluntly.
She’s 23 years old, from Germany.
Same age as me.
Since she had already spoken informally the first time we met—
I kept it that way.
Switching to honorifics just because she was strong?
Too weak-hearted.
“Shit! No matter how I think about it, this is broken!”
Floa clearly didn’t care about things like politeness.
“At this rate, I guarantee— the moment you leave this place, you’ll reach single-digit rank within three years! I’m so jealous I might die.”
Like she was studying an exotic animal, Floa examined me from all angles.
I endured her gaze for a moment, then asked,
“What, why are you here instead of the other judges?”
“What, got a problem? I said earlier, I reserved you. Why, I can’t come? Besides, thanks to you I got penalized, so I need to at least satisfy my curiosity.”
“……”
How was that my fault?
You got caught by your own carelessness.
But I swallowed the comment and got to the point.
“Fine, fine. Whatever. But why are you just standing here? Do your job or something. At least tell me why you appeared.”
“Job?”
“Aren’t you here to sell shop items?”
“Oh! Right!”
She clapped as if she had completely forgotten.
I was speechless.
Why is her character so scatterbrained?
Is she really a judge?
“Ahem! Anyway! You must’ve earned a lot of points, huh?”
“Of course I did. I ate a ridiculous amount of poison.”
How much exactly?
I opened my status window.
[Your Trial Points]
[Trial Points: 2,100,500]
“……!”
My jaw dropped.
What the hell.
Two-point-one million points?
“Why?”
Maybe she noticed my expression—
Floa asked curiously.
“Well? How much did you get?”
“Open the shop list first.”
“Huh? Wait…”
Swoosh!
After a moment, the shop window appeared.
[ping!]
[Judge Floa opens the Shop.]
[Currency: Trial Points]
[Each item limited to one per person.]
[List – 10/10]
[1. A-rank Antidote – 1,000 points]
[2. S-rank Antidote – 3,000 points]
[3. Theme 1 Pass Ticket – 5,000 points]
[4. Theme 1 Information Pass – 10,000 points] – Purchased
[5. Theme 2 Information Pass – 10,000 points] – Purchased
[6. Elixir – 10,000 points]
[7. A-rank Random Box – 10,000 points]
[8. S-rank Random Box – 30,000 points]
[9. World Tree Root – 50,000 points]
[10. Wish-Granting Scroll – 100,000 points]
(T/N: Damn. He can buy all of it now lol)
“That’s it?”
I was dumbfounded.
The most expensive item was 100,000 points.
Then how was I supposed to spend 2.1 million?
“What do you mean ‘that’s it’? Are you insane?”
Floa glared.
“You arrogant bastard! What, did you save like 100,000 points and think you’re rich? Do you know? Ever since Delilah created these trials, not a single participant has ever bought #10, the Wish-Granting Scroll. I get you earned a lot from eating poison— but shouldn’t you be a little humble? Huh?”
“……?”
Only 100,000?
Then it hit me again.
I really had done something absurd.
I had eaten the Toxin Mist.
“Ha.”
I let out a small sigh.
“Fine. You’re right. Anyway— give me everything.”
I had leftover points.
And the shop was too cheap.
Plus everything had purchase limits.
What else could I do?
Buy it all.
Honestly, even buying everything barely scratched my points.
“What…?”
Floa looked like she couldn’t process my words.
“Everything? Did you just say ‘give me everything’? That’s not something a B-rank Hunter says, that’s what rankers say!”
She meant—
“What impossible nonsense are you talking about?”
“How many points do you even have?!”
She demanded.
I gave the honest answer.
“About 2.1 million.”
“You’re insane??”
Floa reeled in shock.
“Don’t bullshit me! That’s not a number a sane person can get!”
“I don’t know either. I was shocked too. Just hurry up. Only thirty minutes left.”
“Y-you’re serious?”
Floa checked the points herself—
And froze.
“H-holy shit. It’s real. Excluding what you already bought… that’s 209,000 points. This is unreal. Nobody outside will believe this.”
[You spend 209,000 points.]
[Remaining Trial Points: 1,891,500]
Then—
Items floated before me.
Antidotes, passes, random boxes, the World Tree Root, and the Wish-Granting Scroll.
Honestly, I didn’t need the Theme 1 Pass Ticket—
But I bought it just in case.
[Hidden Condition Achieved.]
[You purchased all items in the Theme 1 Shop.]
[“Theme 1 Exclusive” VIP Shop is unlocked.]
“……?”
“……!”
Both Floa and I stared blankly.
“VIP shop?”
I asked.
“I-I don’t know! I’ve never seen it before! Shit! I’m all over the place because of you!”
“Been wondering… are you sure you’re a judge?” (T/N: HAHAHAHAHAHAH)
“Shut up! Do you know how complicated Delilah’s dungeons are?! We just help out and get paid. That’s it! And I told you! You’re the first person EVER to buy that 100,000-point item! You’re insane, not me!”
“Right.”
“Ugh! Anyway— let’s open the VIP shop.”
[ping!]
[Judge Floa opens the VIP Shop.]
[Currency: Trial Points]
[Purchase limit: 1 per person]
[List – 1/1]
[1. Reward Probability Boost Scroll – 1,000,000 points]
“…Reward Probability Boost Scroll?”
What was that?
What could cost a million?
“Hold on, let me read it.”
Floa skimmed through something only judges could see.
“So— in Delilah’s trials, after you clear a theme, the next location gives rewards based on your choices, right? This scroll increases the probability of getting the reward you want. This is… insane…”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know! It’s complicated! You’ll understand later! For now— I’d say buy it. You’ve got too many points anyway.”
“That’s true.”
I nodded.
No reason not to.
A high price usually meant high value.
I indicated I was purchasing it.
“Good choice.”
Floa snapped her fingers.
[You spend 1,000,000 points.]
[Remaining Trial Points: 891,500]
Vwoooom!
A golden scroll appeared in my hand.
Unlike the elegant silver Wish-Granting Scroll—
This one radiated sheer luxury.
“Wow…”
Floa shook her head in disbelief.
“A million-point flex… you’re unbelievable. I’m not even jealous anymore. I’m just curious how far you’ll go.”
I ignored her and checked the items one by one.
A-rank antidotes, S-rank antidotes, the Theme 1 Pass Ticket— all useless to me now.
[Item: Elixir]
[Rank: S]
[Type: Potion]
[Description: A legendary potion.]
[Effect 1: Universal cure.]
[Effect 2: Removes all status ailments.]
[Effect 3: Highest-tier healing.]
[Effect 4: Cannot be used on the dead.]
Elixirs were famous.
They appeared rarely in S-rank dungeons and sold for astronomical prices.
‘I’ll give this to Kim Jina when I get out.’
Auctioning it would easily fetch over 10 billion won.
The world was full of rich people desperate for cures.
[Item: A-rank Random Box]
[Rank: A]
[Type: Box]
[Effect: Produces a random A-rank item.]
[Item: S-rank Random Box]
[Rank: S]
[Type: Box]
[Effect: Produces a random S-rank item.]
Next were the random boxes.
A-rank was fine—
But the S-rank one was crazy.
If it produced a weapon, it would be a jackpot.
Even more valuable than an elixir.
‘I’ll open it later.’
I checked the next item.
[Item: World Tree Root]
[Rank: S]
[Type: Root]
[Description: A fragment of the World Tree.]
[Effect: Unknown]
A mysterious blue root.
Its effect wasn’t written.
Just “unknown.”
‘I’ll hold onto it for now.’
[Item: Wish-Granting Scroll]
[Rank: S]
[Type: Scroll]
[Description: Use in a moment of crisis. Something you desperately need will appear.]
[Effect 1: Ancient magic assists you in a crisis.]
“What the hell?”
[Item: Reward Probability Boost Scroll]
[Rank: S]
[Type: Scroll]
[Description: Increases reward probability based on 1,000,000 Trial Points.]
[Effect 1: Guarantees a 100% chance of receiving a selected reward.]
“What the hell is this?”
I kept reading.
No matter how much I read—
‘I don’t get it.’
I could guess the vibe—
But not the specifics.
“……”
I stored the items in my bag and rolled the scrolls between my fingers.
Then—
[30 minutes have passed.]
[Moving to the location of “Theme 2.”]
At last—
The message announcing the end of Theme 1 appeared.