Chapter 241: Call of the Underworld 1
Chapter 241: Call of the Underworld 1
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Mon-Fri
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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Gust of Wind magic creates a powerful whirlwind that disperses gas or fog and causes flying creatures to crash.
Like most magic that can be described as "summoning XX," Gust of Wind can also be called a spell that summons whirlwinds. And most mages extend these whirlwinds from themselves towards their opponents.
In short, controlling the spell to flow towards someone else from behind a Vacuum Stone falling through the air, as Han Se-ah did, was a feat like a right-handed person writing mirrored letters with their left hand at a 180-degree angle.
'Is Han Se-ah a god?'
Her control, not achieved through regular training but partly as a reward for clearing a quest resulting in reaching a higher realm, was unbelievable.
Han Se-ah, who showed such prowess, is now
"Huh, it's so dizzy"
"Hanna? You need to close your eyes and rest."
"Yes"
Carried on my back without even being able to put the Vacuum Stone into the inventory, due to mana exhaustion from backlash after pouring excessive mana into Call Lightning and then using up all remaining mana on Gust of Wind.
I was right to think she used too much mana when calling lightning
'Is Han Se-ah an idiot?'
Since mana circulates within the body like vitality, using it all up can lead to aftereffects, similar to how running out of physical strength can cause dizziness and vertigo.
Han Se-ah, who always kept about 30% of her mana reserved since her novice adventurer days upon my advice, had never experienced mana exhaustion before.
Instead of spamming Magic Missiles, she hunted using Spark and physical attacks with her staff.
A typical mage would feel a throbbing heart and severe pain along with dizziness as if seasick, but Han Se-ah only manifested dizziness, like a hangover debuff.
Suffering from a mana exhaustion debuff, she babbled to her viewers.
"Ah, my arms and legs won't move properly because of mana exhaustion, and I can't even move my jaw properly. I can't even open my inventory."
-There's the Han Se-ah I know
-Just when she was doing well, she returns to that familiar state
-I also want to be spoiled by riding on Roland's back, look at his broad shoulders haha...
-Cut the video at the part where she's zapping lightning and pulling the Vacuum Stone, and it'll go viral as the world's number one
-So, what now?
Holding a Vacuum Stone wrapped in cloth in my left hand as if carrying a watermelon, and carrying Han Se-ah with my right, we retreat in this odd manner for a reason.
Unable to enter the unknown space of the harpy's nest with a leader who couldn't even speak properly due to mana exhaustion, we naturally changed plans and headed towards the stone dwarf city on the 41st floor.
The monsters let us pass without any particular reaction.
Leaving the cloud-covered tall peaks behind, we entered a suitable cave for rest without being attacked by the black harpies.
"So this is the Vacuum Stone? It's quite unique with its crimson color."
"Are we supposed to use it as it is, or does it need processing?"
"I guess so? The stone dwarves all seemed like outstanding craftsmen."
Fortunately, the inside of the cave was flat enough that Han Se-ah's help was not needed.
Unable to open her inventory due to mana exhaustion, Han Se-ah and the rest of us sat down on the floor and examined the Vacuum Stone together.
The Vacuum Stone, though said to be precious by the stone dwarves, looked somewhat cheap.
It was a reddish rock, resembling oxidized iron ore seen in science textbooks.
Since it's a rock, not a gem, it's a round, rough, red stone that nobody would find beautiful.
Though curious about what changes when mana is infused, recklessly touching it might result in the stone drilling through the cave floor and disappearing underground, which would be quite disappointing.
Curiosity would have to be restrained until the stone dwarves could solve it.
"Uh, we probably shouldn't mess with this, right?"
"Since we'll see the stone dwarves use it, let's wait a bit."
Katie and Grace, thinking similarly, twitched their fingers while looking at the Vacuum Stone placed on a cloth for sealing magical items.
After all the trouble of the party leader collapsing from mana exhaustion to obtain it, the item looked somewhat unimpressive, which perhaps made it even more intriguing.
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Raei Translations
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The mana exhaustion debuff, thankfully not intended to keep a player bound all day, lifted sooner than expected, allowing the Vacuum Stone to slip into the inventory.
After spending a night in a cave on the 42nd floor, the Vacuum Stone's appearance caused quite a stir among the stone dwarves.
While Old Bobo merely nodded his head, the younger stone dwarves all opened their mouths as if in chorus.
"Wow, this is really a Vacuum Stone?"
"The squishies brought a Vacuum Stone!"
"Is that a Vacuum Stone? I've never seen one before."
Not sure about its value, but it's definitely rare, as most of the youthful-sounding stone dwarves had only heard about the Vacuum Stone and were seeing it for the first time.
Their reaction, curious yet not daring to approach, only talking excitedly, was quite impressive.
After all, the Vacuum Stone is a nefarious item that decomposes surrounding rocks and soil.
It's similar to how few would approach a furnace upon seeing it for the first time.
Or perhaps it felt like standing right in front of a massive grinder.
Only Old Bobo gently caressed the Vacuum Stone with his stone fingers as if assessing it. He had no facial features, but as befiting a race of craftsmen, his stone hands were incredibly delicate.
"Definitely, this is a Vacuum Stone from Granny Pipi's mountains."
"But that place isn't somewhere you can go and come back in a few days by squishy steps, is it?"
"Didn't the squishy say our mountain range had moved somewhere?"
As Old Bobo appraised the Vacuum Stone with his mouth firmly shut, the chattering stone dwarves continued. The conversation about the Vacuum Stone naturally drifted towards stories related to Granny Pipi.
I thought the city was nearby, but it turns out it's a distant place with which the squishy merchants conduct yearly exchanges.
The stone dwarves, who have never left the mountain range, say that according to various races like humans, lizardmen, and elves, it's a distance that would take several months by carriage.
It's no wonder they're surprised that we've traveled back and forth twice in less than a month.
-So squishies are humans, ssh-ssh are lizardmen, and long-ones are elves?
-So when will the real elves show up? Not stone ones, but real ones, please.
-Could this mean there's a tunnel from the 41st floor going all the way down to the 50th?
-But these guys talk so much lol. Aren't stone races supposed to be a little more reserved?
"Huh what about stone races, you otaku... But yeah, they do talk a lot. See how Grace and Katie are so overwhelmed they just have their mouths open?
At least Irene seems calm. She's used to dealing with kids."
As Han Se-ah said, while Grace and Katie were overwhelmed by the sheer volume of chatter, Han Se-ah, who had increased her tolerance for chatter through Antenor, was letting it go in one ear and out the other while communicating with her viewers.
Of course, the viewers wouldn't just sit still, egging Han Se-ah on that there might be important hints, but Han Se-ah wasn't one to be bothered by mere nagging.
Instead, she cheekily challenged the viewers to figure it out themselves, leaving even the sharp-tongued viewers speechless.
"Hey, squishies. Thanks for bringing the Vacuum Stone. But I have another favor to ask. Well, more like a request. You said you're adventurers, right?"
"Yes, we're adventurers."
As time passed, Old Bobo, having made a big decision, nodded to himself and approached Han Se-ah.
Of course, there's no way a player would refuse a quest.
What was thought to be a side quest turned out to be of main quest level, considering the situation.
If a tunnel from the 41st to the 50th floor is indeed opened as the viewers fantasized, its impact would be enormous.
Old Bobo continued to speak, seeing Han Se-ah smiling as if to say, "Just tell us."
"I don't fully trust what you've said... but it's strange that the caravans fighting the Demon King haven't come. Both squishies and elves maintain the front lines with goods from our city."
If they were a race living outside, they might question the eternally fixed climate of the outside world 24/7, 365 days a year, and believe our story, but unfortunately, stone dwarves live their entire lives underground.
So, it seems they still can't believe their city has teleported to another dimension.
"So, we have to move. We're thinking of drilling a passage to another city. Will you escort us? Some unwelcome guests come if we make too much noise beneath the mountain range."
"Of course!"
And so, a new quest began to unfold.