I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 99

A month had passed since the Diablo Clan settled in their base.

Under normal circumstances, the system would have suggested challenging the next trial after a month. However, even after a month, no such message appeared.

“Because the Tabula’s Wolf had disappeared.”

No matter how sophisticated the system was, like a game, it did not have the ability to restore vanished NPCs.

Even if the Tower, as Se-woon remembered it, wouldn’t leave players unattended like this, it didn’t matter. He was planning to move to the next floor soon anyway.

“Wow, it fits perfectly!”

“As expected, the elder’s equipment is incredible.”

“What material is this? It’s so light.”

Before departing to the next floor, clan members donning the equipment handed to them by Go Chang-seok.

The intriguing point was that each member’s equipment differed slightly from one another.

“Haha, I didn’t make these to sell them off anywhere. Since I know who’s going to use them, I made sure they fit just right.”

“It must have been quite tedious to craft each one individually.”

“Tedious? Not at all! Since there’s a perfectly good forge, I made them properly. Honestly, this past month has been more energizing than my time on Earth!”

This was because Go Chang-seok had crafted each piece of equipment custom-fit to everyone’s unique traits.

A left-handed warrior received a left-handed longsword, and a warrior whose strength lay in agility got lightweight armor.

The size, grip, and blade shape were perfectly tailored, and all the equipment was guaranteed to be at least C-rank in performance.

Had such custom-made gear been commissioned in a forge with gold, the cost could have been astronomical—not to mention, not many could have afforded it.

“We’re all set!”

“This ability is incredibly convenient, don’t you think?”

– The Constellation, ‘Black Bird,’ nodded as if it were only natural.

– The Constellation, ‘Giant Bird,’ checked the surroundings to ensure nothing was forgotten.

The cleanup of the base was complete.

Players who had not yet left the base came to bid farewell.

Having grown close since the last party, they shared a heartwarming moment, promising to meet again.

During this time, Yoo Seo-ah, who had finished organizing, approached Se-woon to speak.

“What was the first trial on this floor supposed to be?”

Thanks to Se-woon’s efforts, the Diablo Clan acquired the ‘First-Floor Trial Clearance Qualification.’ They were heading to the 2nd floor without even getting to see the trial.

Naturally, curiosity arose about the initial trial.

In answer to her question, Se-woon gave a light response.

“It must have been something like a wave.”

“That could be it. Honestly, when you think of ‘trial,’ that’s the first image that pops into mind.”

Though his answer was largely conjectural, it was based on Se-woon’s experience.

The first trial on the 1st floor was similar to the opening chapter of a Tutorial—a survival in a monster wave.

The problem was, the trial wasn’t for the entire clan but rather for each player individually.

“It was a trial to filter out those who passed the Tutorial purely by luck rather than skill.”

This was why Se-woon had been so hard on his clan members during the Tutorial.

No matter how hard one tried to protect the weak and powerless, such individuals were bound to fail at this first trial.

“Even if it wasn’t this, everyone would pass by now.”

The Diablo Clan had passed the Tutorial as the first rank, proving their exceptional strength.

Se-woon’s contributions were significant, but even without them, each clan member was stronger than most 1st-floor players.

Even Go Chang-seok, despite not being a combatant, could have easily passed the first trial.

In truth, even if one’s skills weren’t stellar, go Chang-seok’s equipment alone would allow them to win most battles.

“Everyone, please take one of these! This is for external wounds, and this one is for antidotes.”

“Thank you!”

“I’ll make good use of it, ha-Neul.”

Lee Ha-neul distributed the medicines to the people. These were medicine bottles crafted from herbs Se-woon had obtained from the Shimmering Hill.

Having personally tried them before, he knew they performed as well as most potions.

“If anything happens, contact us through the clan chat!”

Clan chat. It was a shorthand for clan chatting.

Se-woon had specifically paid points to unlock this feature, which allowed communication even when distances were great.

The only restriction was that users had to belong to the same clan, but besides that, it was more advanced than the communication stones Se-woon had made.

As things wound down, people’s eyes naturally turned to Yoo Seo-ah.

Once Se-woon nodded, she took a deep breath and raised her voice.

“As you all know, what we’ve gone through so far was merely ‘the Tutorial.’ Now that we’ve entered the Tower, the trials will become more difficult.”

The crowd nodded in agreement.

Having successfully navigated that grueling Tutorial, a mix of tension and confidence showed on everyone’s faces.

“Unlike before, you might have to challenge a trial alone or face completely unexpected trials.”

This was a piece of advice derived from Se-woon’s conversations with her. While players were now used to moving en masse during the Tutorial, trials in the Tower were different.

There were floors designed for group challenges, but others required solo or paired attempts, requiring a variety of team sizes. She included this in her speech to instill caution.

And finally.

“But we can do it.”

Her serious expression brightened. Following her lead, the faces of the previously tense people also became cheerful.

“Just like we’ve done until now, we’ll continue to overcome everything ahead of us.”

“Wow! So cool!”

“Let’s gooo!”

She had endured much through numerous journeys in the Tutorial, but now she emerged as a fully-fledged leader.

Just as the cheers began to die down, Se-woon stepped forward to her side.

It was time to leave the base.

“Everyone, please keep doing as you have been.”

“Oooh, clan Leader!”

“Blood Wolf! Blood Wolf!”

“Hyung, let’s go together!”

Even the cheers of ‘Blood Wolf’ felt familiar by now.

With those thoughts, Se-woon used his trial pass first.

– You pass the trial of the first floor through outstanding achievements.

– You will now enter the 2nd floor’s trial.

Fwoosh!

With a bright light, Se-woon’s body disappeared.

Soon, Yoo Seo-ah and other clan members were engulfed in light, and the Diablo Clan completely vanished from the base.

* * *

“Should this be called a promotion…?”

Tutorial’s Supervisor, Tuning, muttered as he adjusted his tie in front of a mirror.

Since Se-woon had passed the Tutorial, Tuning had been extremely busy without a moment’s rest.

From the summoning of the Starving Ogre boss, ‘Krak Katlak,’ to the fall of Golden Castle and Drakan’s defeat without even reaching the castle walls—each one alone was a jaw-dropping event that needed reporting to the Tower.

The result…

– Effective immediately, player ‘Jung Se-woon’ is designated as an irregular of the Tower.

– Tutorial Supervisor ‘Tuning’ is appointed as the Special Task Force Team Leader.

The Tower had offered Tuning a job transition.

Honestly, it was more like a forceful relocation than an offer. Being responsible for the ranking reward issue, Tuning could not refuse.

Clearing his throat, Tuning straightened his posture and stepped into the Tower’s management office.

Whether it was a good thing was uncertain, but in terms of rank alone, a Team Leader in the Tower was certainly higher than a Tutorial Supervisor.

Upon entering the office, a man with dark circles under his eyes greeted him.

“Ah… who are you?”

“Tuning. I was appointed today as the Special Task Force Team Leader for player ‘Jung Se-woon.'”

“Oh… ah! Jung Se-woon! That damned…”

“Sorry?”

“No, never mind. I see, you’re the one, um, the player’s designated handler.”

Upon hearing Se-woon’s name, the man’s expression brightened as he hastily started to pile the documents on his desk and handed them to Tuning.

Tuning had no choice but to accept the files, not entirely knowing the situation.

“What is this…?”

“These are the things that player committed upon reaching the 1st floor.”

“I’m sorry?”

“He cleared the pests from the Shimmering Hill and achieved the 5th-Circle.”

“Looks like he found a hidden piece again. And he reached the 5th-Circle.”

Tuning clicked his tongue. As expected, just like in the Tutorial, Se-woon seemed to be making huge waves in the Tower as well.

However, there was simply too much paperwork to attribute that solely to those actions.

Exhaling, the man continued to recount the recent events.

“There are plenty of minor incidents, but the most significant would be that the player hunted down the Tabula’s Wolf.”

“The Tabula’s Wolf? That was supposed to be…”

“Correct, it was a forced element to prompt players to challenge trials rather than staying at the haven.”

“Then what happens to the players still at the haven?”

“Naturally, they’re still there. I’ve just come back from reporting this to the superiors. They instructed to swiftly create another forced element.”

“… Thank you for your hard work.”

“Haha! Hard work, nonsense! It’s fine. More than that…”

Quietly approaching, the man placed a reassuring hand on Tuning’s shoulder.

Of all the emotions, unease was the first to creep into Tuning’s heart.

“You’ll be the one truly working hard. Just by looking, it seems that player will be causing quite a few incidents.”

“Haha, I was the Tutorial’s Supervisor, you know. I’m confident in handling the job.”

“Even so, doing all that work alone is no easy feat.”

“Sorry? Alone? The task force team should have staff…”

“Did you not know? The Special Task Force is comprised of just one.”

Thud.

Tuning’s heart sank at the man’s words.

This couldn’t be happening.

No wonder there hadn’t been any mention of his excessive ranking reward mistake.

“Ahem. The title ‘team leader’ sounds nice, but you’re basically shouldering the work of an entire team by yourself.”

Being assigned solo to the task force was a punishment more severe than any formal reprimand.

Seeing Tuning lost in thought, the man placed another stack of files atop the ones Tuning held.

“Cheer up. I heard an unexpected number of Constellations are interested.”

With that, the man quietly placed a can of coffee on top of the pile of papers that Tuning was holding.