Chapter 158: Instead of the Crocodile Swarm 3

Chapter 158: Instead of the Crocodile Swarm 3

TL/Editor: Raei

Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun

Illustrations: Posted in discord.

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The lobby of the guild was unusually full, with people seated at every table.

Top-tier adventurers, who were normally hard to spot, had gathered en masse, chattering away.

This left the usually not-so-busy receptionists looking frazzled.

Ellis, trying to avoid the hassle, naturally approached our table.

The other receptionists had to deal with high-ranking adventurers demanding information, making a ruckus.

Their behavior resembled drunk, unruly customers in a restaurant.

"Hey, any talks with the Magic Tower and the guild?"

"What's the plan for the next supply carriage?"

"Are we going to send mages to research the 30th floor?"

"Are there any magical tools for detoxification in the Magic Tower or the Artisan district?"

Some experienced receptionists skillfully managed the adventurers, deflecting questions they didn't know and answering those they did.

However, that was a skill reserved for the more experienced receptionists.

Most receptionists were merely bullied by the adventurers, with tears brimming in their eyes.

I could understand their anxiety.

Suddenly, there were major changes on the 31st floor they had been exploring all their lives.

Clear ponds had turned into purple poisonous puddles.

Their distress was understandable.

-The guild is a mess.

-Feels like a turning point in the story? The tower's changed a lot.

-Wow an area like that in VR where all senses are implemented

-Meanwhile someone's looking very calm because they have a 5 Saint Candidate.

"Hey, calm? Can't you see I'm stressed? Everything's a mess!"

[Mr. Blind donated 10,000 won!]

Right, your face does look stressed.

"...Your username definitely matches your comment."

Receiving a pouch mixed with gold and silver coins from a thankful adventurer, Han Se-ah returned to our table, enjoying her chat with the viewers.

Just then, the guild's door flung open, and in came the mages.

It seems they heard of the upheaval on the 31st floor shortly after the gate was completed, around the time our party returned to the city.

Excited by the news, they'd raced from the Magic Tower to the guild.

"I heard there's been an incident on the 31st floor?"

"Is there any adventurer who brought samples from the 31st floor?"

"I'll pay handsomely for any mana stones or materials brought back!"The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.

"If there's an adventurer who descended from above the 31st floor, I'm willing to buy their information!"

Adventurers demanding information from the guild, and mages seeking stories from the adventurers.

Most of the senior adventurers sitting at the table would likely pester the receptionists and then leave with just a mana stone request.

"Should we head to the Artisan district? Hanna, can you make an antidote?"

"Well, I was thinking of buying a store one, but if it gets too expensive, I might have to make one. But to make it, I'll need clay from the 31st floor for analysis."

"Hmm, that makes sense. Creating an antidote without a research sample would be impossible. But Rebecca, are you planning to come with us?"

"Of course not. You guys will be wandering the 31st floor. I'll buy a bunch of antidotes and go up first. I wonder if those alchemist bastards have antidotes for horses."

As the guild tables become noisy with talk about requests, Rebecca, who had been grumbling softly, pats Katie's shoulder and stands up abruptly.

She may be foul-mouthed, beast-like, and seemingly indifferent to others' affairs, but she's still the leader of a mercenary group.

Known for deeply caring for her subordinates, she'd likely buy various antidotes and paralysis remedies from the Artisan district and then make her way barehanded to the 40th floor and above.

"And you, if you ignore me and don't greet me the next time we meet, you're dead, okay?"

"Uh, I understand..."

"That's right. I recommended you because you're skilled and have guts. But now that you've switched parties you're ignoring me. How detestable."

It was a highly impolite attitude towards a noble, but strangely it sounded correct and our Northern brat, found herself inadvertently using polite language.

With her characteristic agility, Rebecca pushes past the crowd and dashes out of the guild after giving another firm pat on the hunched shoulders of our Northern brat.

After that, we also stepped outside the guild.

Although Graham's shout had diminished the uproar that resembled a bustling market, the guild's congested space filled with receptionists, adventurers, and mages still felt rather stifling.

"Shall we head to the Artisan district and purchase some antidotes?"

"Hmm, Roland?"

As we headed towards the Artisan district, the same place that was chaotic during the Full Moon Wolf attack, Irene discreetly approached and gently tugged at my sleeve.

It looked a little like she was blocking the way, so the curious gazes of the group turned to her.

Feeling those gazes, Irene's cheeks briefly reddened.

Straightening her shoulders, she opened her mouth,

"Earlier, when I purified those adventurers... At that level, my divine energy might be enough... It's a bit embarrassing to say this, but I'm confident in my purification skills."

"Is that possible?"

"As long as we're not standing in a poisonous pit for days on end, yes."

Irene always quietly assisted the party members from behind without boasting or flaunting her abilities.

But now, she was confidently highlighting her skills.

Because of that, the magnificent pouches of divine power that were concealed under her thick nun's robes briefly stood out.

The viewers went wild, and even I was momentarily distracted, but that wasn't the main point.

It would be natural to prepare antidotes in case of emergencies.

But if she doesn't want us to do even that, there must be a reason.

Normally, the question regarding this would be posed by Han Se-ah, the party's leader.

But why was she, like her viewers, captivated by Irene's figure?

"Do you think this way because the opponent is undead?"

"Yes. Whether these lifeless creations of the Demon King became undead, or if they merely wear the guise of undead, as someone who serves the Goddess, I can't stand idly by. Those cursed beings in that unholy place should be purified."

Irene's voice, now stern and cold, was a far cry from her usual tone.

Even Han Se-ah was taken aback by her icy demeanor.

Hmm, it seems our saint candidate, Irene, might have a character quest.

With Irene following after Grace and Katie, it would be a perfect sequence of 3-4-5.

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