ดาวน์โหลดแอป
74.24% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1751: Inquiry

บท 1751: Inquiry

Since it would take a short while for everyone else to catch up, Gandr decided to perform his duties as a Scout by inquiring about methods to acquire Points, the specifics of party formation, residency, and, most importantly, her Special Test.

Though she would normally only go over the basics, Marble had a positive impression of the youth standing before her. He was friendly and charismatic, so, with nothing better to do, she decided to humor him, explaining, "As you walk around the Town of Beginnings, you'll notice various buildings with the symbol for the Test Administration. Though it requires points to purchase a License, these are places where you can accept various odd jobs. The most profitable jobs you can take are those related to the subjugation of specific Shinheuh. You are only allowed to earn points from Shinheuh you have obtained a License for so make sure you purchase the pertinent maps and gather as much information about specific regions as possible..."

Hearing Marble's explanation, Gandr's smile became notably wry as he asked, "So, in other words, you need to spend points to earn the right to obtain points...?"

Nodding her head in affirmation, Marble plainly stated, "If we allowed people to hunt freely, there would be no Shinheuh left in the surrounding regions. Though there are no penalties from killing a Shinheuh you are not assigned to hunt, trying to sell the materials without a License will get you in a lot of trouble. Also, in order to receive credit for a subjugation, you must record the killing with an Observer or a Lighthouse. Without this proof, any Shinheuh corpses you bring into the Town will be confiscated at the checking station."

Surprised by how comprehensive their system was, even with just a basic explanation, Gandr had a helpless expression on his face as he mused, "I guess I won't be able to rush off and kill one of the Kings then~."

Though she was amused by Gandr's words, Marble only offered a hint of a smile as she nodded her head and stated, "The License to hunt a King costs between 7,000~10,000 Points. You also need to have proven yourself to the Test Administrator just to earn the qualifications. Though it varies from person to person, most of us require you to complete our Special Test and hunt 10 Elite Shinheuh before attempting to challenge a King. Lastly, since I know you're going to ask, my shop is located near the Eastern Gate. Most of the Administrative businesses and offices are located near the walls in order to prevent any hordes of Shinheuh from overrunning the Town. As for my Special Test, it is pretty simple. I will wear a badge on my back. So long as you can survive my assault for ten minutes or steal the badge from my back, you will have passed my Special Test. Don't worry, for the sake of fairness, we are only allowed to use one Baang of Shinsu for everyone taking the Special Test."

Keying in on Marble's final statement, Gandr's ears twitched excitedly as he asked, "Does that mean a Party can accept the Special Test together?"

Nodding her head, Marble answered, "That is, indeed, the case. However, to prevent every Regular in the Town from ganging up on a single Administrator, you are limited to one person filling each of the Positions. In other words, unless you have someone with a Special Position in your group, there is a five-person participation limit. You have to be careful though. If even a single member of your Party is eliminated, everyone will fail. Each attempt also costs 1,000 Points per member, so you have to be very careful if you want to attempt a Special Test...."

Imagining every Regular in the Town teaming up against the chibi standing before him, Gandr could understand the need for such a restriction. Being a Ranker didn't necessarily mean you couldn't be defeated by a Regular. Rather, the only real benefits the status provided, other than a considerable amount of experience, were increased Shinsu Capacity and Shinsu Resistance.

Though she was only around the size of a tall Pallum, Marble, like most of the Rankers Gandr had met, had a phenomenal amount of Shinsu within her body. Her usage of this energy was limited by the Contract with the Guardian, but, compared to someone like him, with a Shinsu Capacity nearing 72,000, Marble's was like a lake compared to a tiny pond. It was impossible to be certain, but, going by volume and density, her Capacity was more than 100x his own...

Seeing Gandr fall into deep thought, Marble was slowly beginning to lose interest. She didn't really have anything else going on right now, but, if he was just going to stand there, she had no reason to stick around. She also wanted to leave before the other Regulars arrived, so, after idling for a few seconds longer, she stated in her signature monotone, "I will be going now. If there is anything else, you can find me near the East Gate. Meeting with a Ranker also requires Points though, so, unless it is something important, you should try and exchange information with other Regulars."

Sensing the subtle change in atmosphere, Gandr adopted an apologetic smile, but, rather than try to keep her around, he bowed politely and said, "Thank you for the information, Ms. Marble. Sorry for any inconvenience I might have caused you..>"

Feeling a little better, Marble nodded her head in approval before turning around and adding, "One last thing before I go...make sure you always have at least enough Points to stay in the Town for an entire day. If your Point value ever reaches 0, you will be ejected into the Middle Tower without any warning. Also, don't trust the lending services here, even if they are operated by an Admin. Oh, and make sure you stay away from the South-West Quadrant. Even if there are no rules against it, a boy your age should not wander into that place..."

Before Gandr could aks what was located in the South-West Quadrant, Marble took off with even greater speed than they had arrived. If her pointed ears weren't covered in a thin layer of brown fur, he might have seen the very tips turn red. Fortunately, even without this tell-tale sign, Gandr could guess what must be located in the region simply be deferring to Rule 3: 'Gambling and Prostitution are legalized, but only within marked regions.'

Though the average Shinheuh wasn't particularly powerful, they often traveled in extremely large groups known as 'schools'. A school of Shinheuh could easily have more than a hundred members, so, unless you were confident in your strength or belonged to a capable Party, it was difficult for the average Regular to make a living through defeating Shinheuh. As a result, they had little choice but to rely on performing odd-jobs, brokering information to newly arrived Regulars, gambling, and, as could be expected, prostitution.

Imagining a bunch of Regulars selling their bodies just for a chance at moving on the next Floor, a tired sigh escaped Gandr's throat. He knew prostitution was the 'oldest trade in the world', as it was 'very' profitable, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. The fact it preyed upon the weak and easily exploited always bothered him, but, more than anything else, he hated how so many people just accepted the existence of such a system.

Shaking his head, Gandr reminded himself that it wasn't his responsibility to 'fix' everything that was wrong with the world. There would always be bad things to balance out the good, so, rather than seek out and try to help out every living person that might need his help, his time was better spent dealing with those who had created the system in the first place. Though he would certainly help those he encountered along his journey, he would never get anywhere if he stopped to help 'everyone'...

---

With Lighthouse travel limited by the control, intelligence, and spatial awareness of the user, there were very few Regulars who could compel the floating cubes to travel at high speeds. Despite this, they were still very convenient when you wanted to get an overhead view of your surroundings and bypass obstacles. They also had an ability that functioned similarly to Vahn's Map Function, allowing the Light Bearer to compile a detailed map just by sweeping over a new region.

Fortunately, though his capabilities were a far cry from Phae's, Khun was actually a very talented Light Bearer, so, after around twenty minutes had passed, the group touched down near the large Inn where Gandr was waiting with a total of four Room Keys, one for the girls, two for the boys, and a single bedroom for Vahn. This would cost them an additional 400 points, but, considering staying in Town for a single day cost 240, per person, it wasn't that bad.

After accepting his own key, Vahn turned to the rest of Team Wolf Pack, a smile visible on his face until he set eyes on the green-skinned man standing near the back of the group. This caused his expression to turn into a glower, but, refusing to even acknowledge the existence of the man, he, instead, advised, "We'll get situated into our respective rooms later. For now, we will gather in my room to hear what Gandr has to say."

Since it was the plan of action that made the most sense, none of the members of Team Wolf Pack voiced any complaints. The only person who was left feeling troubled was Parakewl, as, the moment he tried to enter alongside the rest of the group, he was sent tumbling back by an invisible wave of pressure. Then, before he could rise to his feet, powerful nausea overwhelmed him as he suddenly found himself in the middle of an unfamiliar street.

---

Though the room was almost completely empty, bereft of even a single piece of furniture, it was surprisingly spacious. The interior was an impressive 300 square meters, and, likely to accommodate the larger residents of the Tower, the ceiling was more than 9 meters from the floor. This was made possible by the existence of Compression Technology, something that was incorporated into nearly every aspect of a Regular's life.

Seeing how massive the room was, Endorsi couldn't help but remark, "Well, at least we don't have to worry about things being cramped. Still, they could have at least provided beds...I don't even see a closet or a bathroom. Seriously, this is more like a carpeted prison cell than an actual room..."

Finding Endorsi's remark rather amusing, Gandr couldn't help but laugh before going on to explain, "Everything on this Floor costs Points, even information. I'm certain you could complain to the staff, but, unless you are willing to fork over your Points, they aren't likely to care. Luckily, we don't really have to worry about things like that. Isn't that right, Master~?"

With the attention of everyone shifting to him, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation before making a sweeping gesture with his hand. To the surprise of everyone present, even though they had seen him produce several things from thin air, the interior of the room was quickly populated by various expensive pieces of furniture. This included a large circular table that was surrounded by fourteen chairs, the largest and most opulent one obviously belonging to him.

Though most people didn't pay attention to such minor details, Shibisu and Khun quickly noticed the addition of a fourteenth chair. This caused the latter to frown deeply, but, before he could ask, his tensions were eased when Vahn brought out the Little Garden, producing Hwa Ryun instead of the woman he had been expecting.

Understanding the question in everyone's mind, Vahn gestured towards Hwa Ryun with the intent to introduce her. Before he could, however, Hwa Ryun instantly bent the knee, her head lowered in reverence as she boldly declared, "I am prepared to be of service..." in a resolute tone.

Doing his best to prevent his expression from cracking, Vahn maintained his smile as he explained, "This is Hwa Ryun. Many of you know her as a Wave Controller candidate, but her true identity and status are that of a Guide. She is also a member of my Familia, so, while she is unable to participate in any actual Tests, you can trust her advice to make your climb a lot smoother. Now, before we get any further off-topic, let's all have a seat and listen to what Gandr has to say..."

Hearing that Hwa Ryun was a Guide, nearly everyone present, with the exceptions of Rak and Baam, showed expressions of surprise. After all, Guides were extremely rare within the Tower, and, so long as you had one on your team, you could overcome most obstacles with extreme ease. Their ability to read the paths within the Tower was tantamount to foresight, and, though they could not explain the finer details of what they had seen, following their advice virtually guaranteed success.

Realizing just how 'comprehensive' Vahn's planning was, Khun's appreciation and fear of the man compounded exponentially. It was like the former had 'everything' within his grasp, and, though he seemed to be providing them with every conceivable advantage, Khun couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable dancing in the palm of his hand...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Capitalism, Ho~!','A Very Persistent Pickle...','Meanwhile, Vahn be like, "I have no idea what is going on..."')

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh


บท 1752: Plan of Action

With Gandr's perfect recall ability, he was able to detail all the rules and regulations of the 3rd Floor without a single mistake. This earned him some credibility with the more detail-oriented members of the group, chief among them being the duo of Shibisu and Khun.

Using the information provided by Gandr, Khun was the first to propose, "I suggest we form two teams, one to gather information within the Town and another to scout the surrounding area. Since there is a requirement to spend ten days outside the Town, it is best to get it out of the way as soon as possible."

Though he didn't disagree with Khun's proposition of splitting into two teams, Shibisu ended up shaking his head, crossing his arms as he said, "The Rules say nothing about what happens outside of Town. There are probably settlements or encampments where we can gather some information, but, considering the heavy cost of living on this Floor, there are bound to be a lot of people prepared to rob other Regulars. If there wasn't some kind of danger waiting outside of the walls, there wouldn't be so many people walking around the Town..."

Hearing Shibisu's point, Khun emulated the man's action of crossing his arms, both closing their eyes as various thoughts danced across their minds. This caused an oppressive silence to descend upon the group, at least until Hwa Ryun remarked, "You are thinking too much like a Regular. We are not in the same boat as everyone else on this Floor. We have the Blessing of our God and the support of numerous Irregulars. Our priorities should be completing Quests, obtaining Variable Experience, and doing everything within our power to increase our fame."

With Hwa Ryun's reminder, a look of realization donned on Khun's and Shibisu's faces. Since the previous evening's events were 'very' strange, it hadn't even crossed their minds to make use of the tremendous boon Vahn had given them.

Unable to restrain himself, a light chuckle escaped Khun's throat before he stated, "You make a fair point. With that in mind, the best course of action would be to consult the Quest Board and plan our actions from there. We have more than enough Points to remain in the Town for a few days...that is assuming our gracious Benefactor is willing to provide us with food and other supplies...?"

Responding with a curt nod, Vahn went on to reply, "Once we are finished here, I will help get everyone settled into their respective rooms. This Inn will serve as our base of operations until we get a better grasp of the situation. As for food and other basic supplies, let me know what you need and I can most likely provide it. For anything more advanced, you will need to prove yourself or complete a Quest. I am not here for your convenience."

Even if he made no effort to sound intimidating, the impression he had cultivated over the last month caused everyone to tense up in response to Vahn's words. This created an opportunity for Phae to step in and mediate, her elegant laughter drawing everyone's focus to her as she playfully remarked, "Don't let him scare you. My Lord is a big softie who enjoys pampering his Children quite a bit. Still, I would rather you come to me before troubling him. So long as you have a legitimate need for the thing you are requesting, I'm certain I can convince my Lord to provide it~."

Without needing to pretend, Vahn's expression became somewhat helpless in response to Phae's words. They might have been spoken by 'him', but it was becoming increasingly clear that both she and Gandr were gradually developing their own Egos. All they really needed at this point was a catalyst to spur the awakening of his Mind Innate. From that moment on, he would become a being comprised of many consciousnesses, all working in perfect harmony to achieve the same goal...

Seeing the helpless look on Vahn's face, all remaining tensions completely drained away as Gandr added, "Phae is right! Master has always been a kind man. Just don't get too carried away and it shouldn't be a problem. After all, we're all part of the same Familia now. It is only natural that we help each other out~!"

Inspired by Gandr's words, Baam put the final nail in the coffin by adopting what could best be described as a 'sun-like' smile. It was so radiant that it naturally attracted the attention of everyone at the table as he happily chimed, "That's right. We should all do our best. So long as we work together, there is nothing we can't overcome...!"

With Baam seated right next to him, Khun was the most affected by the boy's aura, a helpless sigh escaping his lips before he adopted a confident smile and said, "With that in mind, we'll go with this plan of action: Shibisu and I will compile a list of everyone's available Quests and try to organize them in a manner that will allow us to efficiently stockpile Variable Experience. While we handle that, I would ask that Gandr, Anak, Hatsu, Aleksai, Nare, and Chunhwa form three teams to scout our immediate surroundings. As for everyone else, you will help set up the rooms and arrange camping supplies. We'll be aiming to complete this Floor within two weeks so prepare for an extended stay outside the walls once we gather information."

Though Rak had been designated as the leader of Team Wolf Pack, everyone knew that Khun was in charge unless countermanded by Vahn or Phae. The former had the highest authority within the team, for obvious reasons. As for the latter, she was the most respected member of the entire party. She also spoke on Vahn's behalf, so, while their 'God' ultimately held the highest position, it could be argued that Phae possessed the greatest authority...

---

With Anak following close behind, Gandr immediately made his way over to the East Gate in order to ascertain the location of Marble's Administrative Office. The Ranker had clearly taken a liking to him, so, before she could simply forget him among the endless sea of Regulars that passed through the 3rd Floor, he wanted to capitalize on their burgeoning friendship.

Fortunately, though there weren't any signs designating which Rankers occupied each of the buildings, Gandr's sense of smell allowed him to track Marble to a small building located very near the actual gate. This indicated that she had a relatively high status, but, considering she was an adopted daughter of the Ari Family, this wasn't particularly surprising.

Though she had followed along silently thus far, Anak couldn't resist asking, "What is this place?" the moment she saw Gandr's smile. In response, the latter turned to her, his smile becoming a mischievous grin as he asked, "Feel like passing a Special Test with me? We'll have to fork over 2,000 Points, but it'll be worth it just to see the surprise on everyone else's faces~."

Before Gandr had even finished speaking, a vicious smile had spread across Anak's face. She enjoyed fighting, but, even more than that, she enjoyed being the first person to complete an objective. She could easily imagine the annoyed expression on Endorsi's face when the latter learned what they had done, so, without any hesitation whatsoever, she answered, "Hell yeah! Let's do it...!" in a motivated tone.

Following Anak's exclamation, Gandr led the way into a massive colonial-style house. There, a number of other Regulars could be seen speaking with various uniformed Receptionists. This reminded Gandr a lot of the Guilds back in Danmachi, but, rather than look like Adventurers, the majority of the people present within resembled vagrants with relatively modern clothing and virtually no equipment...

After standing in the shortest line for a few minutes, Gandr and Anak came face-to-face with a skeletal man with ghostly flames where his eyes should be. Despite this, none of the people in the surroundings paid him any attention, as, compared to the more 'peculiar' races within the Tower, a skeletal man with burning eyes wasn't particularly rare.

Though he had no muscles to facilitate facial expressions, the skeletal man was somehow able to give off the impression he was smiling as he as mused, "My, what an adorable duo. Tell me, young ones, what brings you to Ms. Marble's Vocational Office? Would you like to purchase a License?"

Before Anak could lambast the man for effectively calling her a child, Gandr preempted her by producing his Pocket and saying, "We would like to take Ms. Marble's Special Test. Please inform her that Gandr has come alongside one of his friends."

Hearing Gandr refer to her as a friend, the very tip of Anak's tail began to waggle despite her expression remaining a moderately annoyed deadpan. As for the skeletal man, he seemed legitimately surprised, somehow giving off the impression his brows were raised as he said, "Oh my! It's been quite some time since anyone attempted Ms. Marble's Special Test! You must be quite confident in your skills, young man!"

Since the man hadn't exactly kept his voice under control, nearly everyone within the office, both Staff and Regulars, shifted their attention to the child-like duo standing at the counter. This caused a few of the older-looking Regulars to scoff, but, as appearances meant very little within the Tower, most people expressed more curiosity than disdain.

Noticing the scene he had caused, the skeletal man performed a series of apologetic bows before guiding Gandr and Anak to a private waiting room. Then, after around twenty minutes had passed, a petite figure appeared at the entrance to the room, her expression displaying mild annoyance as she said, "I thought the name Gandr sounded familiar. Let me tell you this right now, kid. If you think I'll go easy on you just because I was nice to you before, you're in for a rude awakening."

Rather than display any signs of fear of perturbance, Gandr just smiled back at Marble as he said, "Ms. Marble is mistaken. Both Anak and I really enjoy fighting against strong opponents, so, rather than say we are underestimating you, it would be more accurate to say we are looking forward to a tough battle."

Though she didn't completely believe his statement, Marble nodded her head in response to Gandr's words before shifting her attention to the green-skinned girl at his side. She could tell that the latter had a very strong body, and, though she gave off a very 'unrefined' impression, Marble's instincts told her the girl was a diamond in the rough.

After briefly considering the matter, Marble decided she would use this as an opportunity to teach the duo a lesson. She had an appreciation for talents, and, though she often pretended it didn't bother her, Marble took exception to the fact she was often regarded as a child. This made her a little lenient towards any Regulars who appeared on the younger side, as, better than most, she knew how annoying it was to climb the Tower with such an appearance.

Having made up her mind, Marble half-turned towards the room's exit before saying, "Let's go. There is a training arena located within the basement. The walls there were produced by the Workshop so we don't have to worry about damaging the rest of the building during the Test. Since the two of you have already paid the fee, I have no reason to refuse your request."

Without waiting for a response, Marble promptly exited the room, her hooved feet making a loud clopping sound as she departed. In her wake, Gandr and Anak exchanged glances with each other, both smiling excitedly before quickly following after her. Neither showed even a hint of fear, and, though she knew her skills were no match for a Ranker, Anak believed Gandr wouldn't have invited her if he didn't believe she could pass alongside him. This gave her a strong desire to meet his expectations, not because she wanted his recognition, but because she didn't want to be left behind as he continued growing stronger...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hwa Ryun be like, "Bruh, we already have cheats turned on..."','Nothing to see here. Just a talking skeleton. Move along~','Don't abandon Cucumber (o x o)...')

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh


Load failed, please RETRY

สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์

ป้ายปลดล็อกตอน

สารบัญ

ตัวเลือกแสดง

พื้นหลัง

แบบอักษร

ขนาด

ความคิดเห็นต่อตอน

เขียนรีวิว สถานะการอ่าน: C1751
ไม่สามารถโพสต์ได้ กรุณาลองใหม่อีกครั้ง
  • คุณภาพงานเขียน
  • ความเสถียรของการอัปเดต
  • การดำเนินเรื่อง
  • กาสร้างตัวละคร
  • พื้นหลังโลก

คะแนนรวม 0.0

รีวิวโพสต์สําเร็จ! อ่านรีวิวเพิ่มเติม
โหวตด้วย Power Stone
Rank 200+ การจัดอันดับพลัง
Stone 98 หินพลัง
รายงานเนื้อหาที่ไม่เหมาะสม
เคล็ดลับข้อผิดพลาด

รายงานการล่วงละเมิด

ความคิดเห็นย่อหน้า

เข้า สู่ ระบบ

tip ความคิดเห็นย่อย

คุณลักษณะความคิดเห็นย่อหน้าอยู่ในขณะนี้บนเว็บ! เลื่อนเมาส์ไปที่ย่อหน้าใดก็ได้แล้วคลิกไอคอนเพื่อเพิ่มความคิดเห็นของคุณ

นอกจากนี้คุณสามารถปิด / เปิดได้ตลอดเวลาในการตั้งค่า

เข้าใจแล้ว