abcnovels
Chapter 200 (Part 1)
Chapter 200 (Part 1)
Chapter 200: The Cave of Trials (Part 1)
The first trial can be efficiently tackled with a tank.
‘If you have a provocation skill to draw the monster’s attention or a knight’s protection skill like An Sang-cheol, you can easily block it.’
However, this doesn’t mean it can only be tackled by a tank.
‘The point is to avoid getting hit by the monsters for 10 minutes.’
Before the monsters appeared, Ryu Min raised his scythe and looked up.
He saw the massive stalactites adorning the ceiling of the cave.
Swoosh—
The scythe extended like a whip, cleanly slicing through dozens of stalactites.
“What are you…?”
Boom— Boom— Boom— Boom!
The giant stalactites crashed into the ground, blocking the path of the cave-like iron bars.
Only then did John Delgado, who had been watching in silence, understand the purpose of the black scythe’s actions.
‘Is he seriously planning to block the monsters with the stalactites?’
They were effectively trapped behind the stalactite bars, but the strategy was undoubtedly effective.
“Grrr, arf arf!”
“Hisssss!”
The werewolves and lizardmen trying to enter the cave were blocked by the stalactites and couldn’t get through.
Although they could see their prey, they couldn’t reach them.
The monsters desperately tried to break the stalactites, but it was futile.
The stalactites were heavy enough to be embedded in the cave floor.
They wouldn’t break easily.
‘To cut through such stalactites so effortlessly…’
Seeing how the Black Scythe sliced through them like tofu, it was hard to gauge the damage it could inflict.
“The first trial is as good as done. Let’s all take a break for 10 minutes.”
Following the black scythe’s nonchalant suggestion, people started to sit down one by one.
‘Amazing. I never thought it could be this simple.’
John also sat down, shaking his head in disbelief.
Monsters were snarling and raging just 10 meters away, but they didn’t feel threatening.
The stalactites were so densely packed that there wasn’t any room for the monsters to squeeze through.
After a noisy 10 minutes, a message appeared.
[You have succeeded in the first trial.]
[The accumulated damage of the team is 0.]
[As a reward for success, the door to the next trial will open.]
Rumble—
The cave wall moved, revealing a path that had been blocked.
Turning to look, they saw that the monsters who had been frantically trying to break through the stalactites had disappeared without a trace.
“Let’s go.”
Following Ryu Min, the party moved forward.
John Delgado was curious about the second trial, but the other party members already knew.
They had all heard about it from the prophecy.
After walking about a hundred steps, a large chamber appeared before them.
“Is this the place for the second trial?”
As John and the party approached, a message appeared, confirming their expectation.
– Eliminate 100 golems within an hour
– Success: Open the next trial
– Failure: A party member will be eliminated through voting
[The golems of the second trial are special monsters immune to ranged weapons and magic.]
[You must eliminate 100 golems within the 1-hour time limit to complete the trial.]
[If you fail to eliminate 100 golems within the time limit, you will be considered to have failed.]
[If the trial is not overcome, a party member will be eliminated through internal voting.]
‘Monsters immune to ranged weapons and magic?’
The mission itself was simple, but the level of the monsters was not.
‘So, archers and mages can’t do anything, right?’
Reading the explanation, John suddenly thought of Dark Soul, a member of the Messiah team.
If that sniper had been here, he would have been twiddling his thumbs.
[The monsters will appear in 10 seconds. Please prepare for the monsters’ appearance together!]
As he read the message, the Black Scythe stepped forward again.
“Everyone, step back. I’ll handle the monsters.”
At his words, the party members stepped back without a word.
In this situation, the only person who could handle the monsters was the Black Scythe.
After all, only melee dealers could fight in this situation.
‘[Jeffy] and [Dumb Fools], those two aren’t carrying weapons, so I can’t tell what their roles are…’
Since they weren’t carrying weapons, they didn’t seem to be melee dealers.
There was no need to mention [Democracy], who provided buffs.
‘My summoned creatures can deal melee damage, but…’
The Black Scythe probably wouldn’t let him join in.
‘Yes, it’s better to leave it to the Black Scythe and clear this quickly than to interfere unnecessarily.’
At level 90, he would handle it easily.
Then it happened.
Rumble—
Rock fragments formed towers all around them, creating five golems.
They were over 3 meters tall, larger than expected, but it didn’t matter.
In front of the Black Scythe, they were just pebbles.
Slash! Slash!
Crash—
Two seconds might have passed?
The golems crumbled almost as soon as they formed.
‘I expected it, but I didn’t think it would be this fast…’
The Black Scythe’s weapon was so fast it was almost invisible.
All John saw was the golems collapsing as the scythe passed by.
‘Even attacking from a distance, the golems died in one hit.’
Since the scythe was classified as a melee weapon, it didn’t register as a ranged attack.
John, watching the experience messages, was impressed.
[You have defeated a second trial golem!]
[Experience +1.53%]
[Gold +600]
[Experience +1.53%]
[Gold +600]
[Experience +1.53%]
[Gold +600]
……
……
‘Even in a party, we’re getting this much experience and gold…’
This suggested the golems were much stronger than expected.
Yet, the Black Scythe reduced them to nothing as soon as they formed.
Slash— Slash— Slash—!
Crash—
It didn’t take an hour to kill 100 golems.
It took barely two minutes.
[You have succeeded in the second trial.]
[Your team’s clear time is 00:01:59.]
[As a reward for success, the door to the next trial will open.]
Rumble—
A secret door on one side of the chamber opened, revealing a path.
“Let’s go.”