Chapter 159: The Monkey King’s Palace (3)
[The vestige of the Monkey King is wary of the intruders. It attempts a curse on the party.]
[‘Curse: Fear’ has been attempted.]
[It has failed.]
[‘Curse: Confusion’ has been attempted.]
[It has failed.]
[‘Curse: Addition’ has been attempted.]
…..
Messages that popped up the moment they entered the dungeon.
They all had dreary faces trying to endure the vestige of the powerful Monkey King.
There wasn’t a limit on the attempts of curses, and if this kept up, they would be in real trouble.
Victoria waved her hand in the air. Then, a light appeared and slowly pushed away the dark energy crowding around them.
[Since the Monkey King has been sealed for over hundreds of years, his vestige is strong. Everyone focus.]
His strong existence had a mind of its own, and continued to contaminate its surroundings with its vestige.
His vestige could only be strong, since he was once a being that battled with the heavens.
And misfortune gave rise to larger misfortune.
The Monkey King’s vestige considered Yeon-woo’s party prey, and tried to pollute them with its color.
As much as the pathways to their consciousness were open, the vestige was trying to enter them.
If you didn’t have the ability to use a skill like Open Speaking, you would’ve died already.
Victoria managed to block the vestiges entrance using her magic.
But from what Yeon-woo saw, it was only a temporary solution.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
[Is this the right way?]
[I think so. For now.]
Rebecca asked Victoria this several times and confirmed again and again.
Their movements were restricted because something might suddenly pop up.
Just like how they weren’t able to search anything from the outside, it was the same inside.
No matter how much they tossed their consciousness over, the vestige of the Monkey King blocked it.
Eventually they were in the same state as when they first entered the 5th mountain, with all their senses blocked off.
Thankfully, they knew the environment they were in, but this didn’t really help at all.
Then, a ghostish sound came from inside. It might’ve been simply wind, but it was clear, like the vestige was crying.
Even if their hearing was closed, they felt as if they could really hear it.
Rebecca clenched her teeth. The same thoughts repeated in her head.
Could they really enter like that? They still had a while to arrive where the last signal Kindred had sent was coming from.
Even the entrance was this hard, just how hard would it be inside?
At first, she had been suspicious, but now she thought that it was weird for Kindred to have died. This place might be their graves as well.
Her god, Cernnunos, had told her to judge between situations where she should step up or step back. Rebecca’s judgement told her to step back.
But her feet didn’t move towards the entrance.
The inheritance of the Monkey King. The treasures that made a simple monkey into something great was inside there somewhere. The Magic Stick and the 72 Arts kept on popping up in her mind.
‘Fine. Let’s just try it. What could happen? Kindred was alone, but I’m different. If something happens…I can leave them, or use this escaping scroll.’
And the skill that Cernnunos had given her was outstanding. God Wit. With this, she could leave anytime she was in danger.
No, she convinced herself she could pull herself out.
And it wasn’t just her who thought this, but also the others.
They all looked like moths flying in the light, knowing they were in danger.
***
Yeon-woo slowly moved and observed his party.
From the continued attack from the Martial King, Rebecca somehow resisted using her skill, and Victoria continued to put up her defenses with her magic.
But from what Yeon-woo saw, they were making a big mistake.
‘They won’t last long that way.’
He couldn’t tell the exact details, but Rebecca was using a significant amount of magic. And Victoria’s runes were almost running out.
If they kept that up, by the time they got to the center of the dungeon, they would be exhausted.
On the other hand, Kahn was different.
He didn’t use a particular skill. Instead, he didn’t spread his consciousness wide and focused it around him to block off the vestige.
Since the person said to be weakest of the three was defending himself best, Yeon-woo laughed.
Victoria and Rebecca seemed to have forgotten the basics during their long training.
The strength of a god and comfortable rune magic. If they had only been researching these do, they wouldn’t have found any dangers.
Even though the basics were the most important.
‘But…..what was this guy trying to say?’
Yeon-woo looked at Kahn’s expression. He still couldn’t tell what he was thinking. And even when he said something, there was no reply. Like he was focusing hard on something.
Eventually, Yeon-woo turned away from Kahn. He would speak when it was time. It seemed like it wasn’t time yet.
Instead, he spread out the territory of his Extrasensory Perception and looked at his environment.
Yeon-woo comparatively had it easier than his struggling party.
[The Monkey King’s vestige is attempting curses through contamination.]
[‘Curse: Mind Contamination’ has been attempted.]
[‘Curse: Negativity Contamination’ has been attempted.]
[‘Curse: Suicidal Urge’ has been attempted.]
[You are in a stunned state.]
[You are able to maintain your composure with the trait ‘Cold Blooded.’]
[You are released from the stunned state. You have gained resistance to ‘Mind Contamination.’]
[You have gained resistance to ‘Negativity Contamination.’]
[You have gained resistance to ‘Suicidal Urge.’]
…..
[You have gained an outstanding resistance to mental attacks with the trait ‘Cold Blooded.’]
[A sturdy mental wall has been built. You are becoming free from the Monkey King’s vestige.]
[The vestige of the Monkey King is completely flustered.]
Trait, Cold Blooded.
A power that allowed him to calm no matter the situation.
This trait that Yeon-woo received when he became a player helped Yeon-woo out several times.
In critical situations, it gave him the motivation to continue, and he gained strong resistance and immunity with this.
His Time Difference was from this, and the resistance to several properties were from this as well.
And as Yeon-woo progressed, he didn’t need this skill for a while, but now it was activated again.
So Yeon-woo was happy he was able to train his trait. At first, he struggled, like his party, but as time went on and he became free from the vestige, he was able to calmly move.
The Yeon-woo tried methods to widen his range.
The territory he could observe was only within 5 meters. He needed to widen this.
Yeon-woo activated his Time Difference and carefully observed the Monkey King’s vestige.
In a way, it was like hail. A strong hail that stormed down from the inside. It was a form that spread out to its sides.
Yeon-woo focused on this characteristic.
‘I can’t press down the vestige right now. Then I need to slowly pass by it and widen my range.’
Yeon-woo began to combine his consciousness that was spread all over. And he pointed its end like a thorn and pierced the Monkey King’s vestige.
At first, he didn’t see how, because it was hard as a rock, but he was able to find its weakness after several times and tunneled into it.
The vestige kept on trying to enter through his consciousness, but he was easily able to flick it off with his trait. Yeon-woo instantly widened his range.
[You have learned the method of using your consciousness in small amounts. You have learned how to protect your mind from outer attacks and pushing away curses.]
[The proficiency of the skill ‘Extrasensory Perception’ has dramatically increased.]
Yeon-woo was able to feel his head clear up.
His consciousness ripped past the vestige and touched the ceiling of the cave, and information flew into his head. His Extrasensory Perception bloomed.
And as Yeon-woo continued to widen his range, he was able to push the Monkey King’s vestige away slowly.
[Huh?]
[Hm?]
[What’s this?]
The other 3 were taken aback at being able to rest from the restless attacks of the vestige.
And there gazes whipped to Yeon-woo. They realized that this was because of Yeon-woo.
Their faces were shocked. Especially Rebecca’s face was full of distrust. Since a player from the lower floors had done something a high ranker wasn’t able to do.
[It’s only because I have a skill that’s perfect for this. Anymore than this is hard for me as well.]
The 3 had unbelieving faces at Yeon-woo’s lame excuse, but just skipped over it. They needed to search the dungeon right now.
Thanks to Yeon-woo, Victoria and Rebecca were able to freely use their skills and move faster.
Meanwhile, Yeon-woo widened his range to where even they couldn’t see, and collected the set up of the dungeon inside his head.
‘The dungeon is a complicated maze format. It’s twisted like a spiderweb. Even if we turn back now…..I can’t even see the entrance anymore.’
The dungeon was twisted underground like a spiderweb, complicatedly. They would need to spend some time looking for the way.
He couldn’t see it yet, but there were traps set up in places, and there were also some ghoul type monsters created from the vestige.
Yeon-woo related his collection and sent all his Monster Portents out. It was so his Monster Portents could enjoy a quick snack while they unlocked the traps.
He didn’t know what danger would come, but he could trust his Monster Portents since he could reach them within his range.
And more than anything, he didn’t want to be bothered by useless things.
[The Monster Portent ‘Chan’ has gotten rid of Little Demon98. He has used the superior skill ‘Predation’ to absorb the soul.]
[The Monster Portent ‘Ka’ has gotten rid of Race13. He has used the superior skill ‘Absorb’ to absorb the soul.]
[Ghost71 has been taken care of.]
…..
[The traps are being unlocked at a rapid pace. 45% of the maze has been deciphered. The dungeon is being subjugated at a quick speed.]
Creepy sounds continued to come from the inside, but his party thought they were just sounds from the vestige and didn’t think too much of it.
Not knowing that obstacles were being taken care of deep inside.
While he was quickly understanding the dungeon, Yeon-woo realized that something was strange.
From some time, he saw strange marks on the ceiling and the walls.