Tower (5)

The hidden piece he had as the goal was <Detective King>.

The requirements were very simple.

<Kill 32 protectors by yourself and then collect the corresponding marbles which aren't the treasure.>

There were marbles behind the protector.

128 in total since there were 128 of them.

Only one of the marbles was a shining marble and the ones who didn't shine were normal marbles.

If you collect 32 of them then they will trade it for the Philosopher's stone.

'It's easier to work my way up although my current stats can probably handle the strongest groups, there's a need to lessen unexpected situations.'

Though it was easy when said, the difficulty of the dungeon of the Protectors wasn't that easy.

He activated his invisibility and tracked down the weakest group. He found them moments after, they hadn't gotten far, as persons who'd gotten to this stage naturally they were still wary of each other and other groups who'd possibly ambush them.

The ideal situation was to pick them off One by one. He took out a small package with silver nails glistening from the daylight.

<Fran's projectiles>

They were meant to be used as bullets with your fingers as the gun. Even with runes and skills they were hard to use. The trick was the muscles in your hands and fingers. Practicing Tai Chi, he was naturally familiar with both muscles and meridians.

Swip

Swip

Swip

Small rapid movements were lowly echoed as each nail pierced into the back of someone's neck.

The nails has the added effects of stealth and pierce skills which would immediately kill the weaker ones and the one's with low resistances and perception along with weak artifacts would have their block maneuver, pierced from his added strength of over 60% of overall basic runes.

...

<Another Protector has died! Congratulations!>

The people who had accomplished the dungeon made a tired expression as they heard the noise resonating throughout the island.

People cursed out loud.

"What is this. They don't give out anything…. despite it being so hard"

There were quite a bit of beasts on the way.

They had given quite a bit of runes and artifacts for the 10 people to share.

As if they were telling them to hunt them instead of going to the dungeons of the protectors.

But then they won't be able to finish the 2 dungeons the team needed to accomplish a day.

And that was the reason why everyone proceeded towards the dungeon even while they were smacking their lips.

They had some expectations actually.

So many runes and artifacts were dropped but the dungeon of the Protector was said to be even harder.

It was obvious that they expected an even greater amount of rewards.

But the result was only a huge amount of disappointment.

They had broken through the dungeon after a long time but the amount of dropped runes and artifacts were minimal.

And they so were hard that it was hard for them to accomplish two a day if they wanted to do it without taking any injuries.

If this was the case then they could only focus on killing the dungeons of the protectors.

"Damn… but there's nothing we can do. We all die if we don't find the treasure."

"Yeah true…"

If they were unlucky then the treasure will come out when they hunt the 128th protector.

If they aren't able to find the treasure while leisuring about then they won't even be able to get the reward.

They would just all die.

"Ugh. Let's go."

While they were complaining and spitting words out one at a time, one of the people walking in the front turned around and spoke.

"Can I say something?"

Everyone looked at the person standing in the front.

"Have you noticed we haven't run across a single group and the defeat of a protector is announced like before but we haven't heard more than 5 including our own nor have 5 flares been fired."

Everyone suddenly noticed that this was the case, the others weren't doing anything at all, one or two other groups had probably killed their protector or protectors from the notifications but it was far from what they agreed.

"....Do you think... They are plotting against the rest of us and have already succeeded to some extent."

Their bodies ran cold as they thought of the 20 strongest who set the pace. Had they teamed up and done in another team or...teams? Were they going to be next?

Everyone nervously looked at each other. This was the natural assumption in a situation such as theirs, No one in their right mind would think that one man had already done in two teams by his lonesome and they were the weakest remaining.

A playful nonchalant gaze looked at them from above.

'They're the last of weak ones, the strong ones should be slightly difficult but not all that hard, especially with this.'

He glanced at the <Seven Stripe Cape> he had gained from a dead adventurer, it defended against seven different types of weapons, along with his ring, earrings, boots and blades some colorless level adventurers with inferior runes couldn't touch him even if they worked well together.

...…..

Vicente cleaned off his katana with a shake while collecting runes and gathering artifacts, The scenery was beautifu

Kudududuk

"Hooh."

Vicente stretched his body as he looked at the back of the protector that he had smashed.

'It's more convenient to move about alone as I thought, and with the slight increase of runes from the 49 others it was definitely easier to kill '.

<Another protector has died! The treasure hasn't been found but be strong!>

The fairy's voice resonated all around as Vicente touched the marble he had attained after killing the protector.

'It's a blank as I expected.'

A marble which did not give off light.

But this was actually more important for Vicente than the actual treasure.

As Vicente touched it, it got absorbed like a rune into his left wrist and turned into a symbol.

'It's the first one.'

If this pace was to continue then collecting 32 in 2 weeks wouldn't be hard, in fact he'd get there in 4 days. Even sooner if you factored in the 6 he got from killing the other groups.

Since he will be able to get through about eight in a day if he didn't go overboard.

But on the other hand, it was hard for him to do more than eight.

Since going overboard meant that the strength he had remaining to use the next day will decrease.

They might really not be able to find the treasure if the other's don't crush through the dungeons well.

He was confident in his luck valued at 35 that he will gain the reward in the 32 marbles for his hidden piece.

He continued his journey with slight leisure as it was still possible to not get the glowing marble until the 100th protector.

At first he wanted to stop thinking and become a machine until he fully matured but he had rethinked this and decide to make it a gradual process. He'd start acting out more with each skill he learnt.

Kuueeek!

Kaa Caa kaaa!

He stabbed a bird smoothly with barely any force, letting the blade flow with each stab and allowing its movements to push itself on his blades.

The faces of those he killed flashed, their bloody eyes looking hatefully at him each time he swung his blade threatening to blow his consciousness -Was what he thought would happen but honestly he didn't remember a single one of their faces even if he tried,with those from the home he came here with being the only exceptions.

Even then he didn't remember much as he always had an selective memory, he didn't think that'd apply to killing but he was wrong he was the same in that aspect, hating everything about this world would not be beneficial in the long run.

This was a world he could get infinitely stronger, why shouldn't he enjoy this opportunity to the fullest? Why shouldn't he? He would and nothing could stop him.

He didn't smile but his body felt even lighter than before like he weighed nothing at all and had no worries to burden his soul.

He wielded both katana's while using a pre natal sword style with his Tai Chi and sixth sense as the base, the stepping stone and his other equipment would not necessarily stay with him throughout his journey so he only added them as variations.

For now, this was his style of fighting, he took out a change of clothes which he got from the convenience store, from his pouch, a white kimono with black lines running across it. With a black goldish sash tying his waist.

He lunged at a protector who was swinging it's ginormous sword at him.

He didn't plan to spend too much time in this room.

His thoughts wandered back to that time just recently that caused him to sigh in disappointment each time.

***********************

Back in the room within, The gorge of Snakes, the room of Hidden treasure.

Corpses were beginning to lose the last of their fleshly attachments , quite literally.

This takes us back to a few hours ago.....

Mazen, who was apart of the group had just finished looting all the treasure he could carry, as he cheerily jumped about on his toes a bit he froze, it was so. sudden that thing.

Keeeeeekk!!

A beastly howl echoed,

'A beast?, No that direction is....!'

The howl while beastly and ear splitting was from behind him, it was one of his companions, screaming exasperatedly as he was in his final throes of pain, an odd poison like symptom looking rash was on his skin.

But oddly enough, they didn't see anything.

"Shit!! Damnit what is it, where is it!!!"

"Poison? from where!?"

"Don't go near him, it might be contagious."

They grasped their weapons while clutching their treasures tightly, glancing about haphazardly.

Shinichi was doing so as well, but no to their extent of panic, he was panicked , yes but he kept his mind and body calm and still, rapidly thinking.

Sssrrrkkk

An odd hum came from somewhere,

Ominous,

Ghastly,

Horrific.

But these damned walls were reflecting the sound so it was hard to pinpoint!

Suddenly he felt his trait activate, Library.

Horrified by the fast info, he looked down slowly in horror to find his treasure, no that thing in the form of a treasure showing its human like mouth and vicious tongue.

Sssskkjk

Ga

It was too late, still in Shock, he and everyone else we're swooped upon like a victim of an assassination attempt in assassins creed or sekiro. It was so swift, so silent, they only felt their heads being enveloped by the mouths of the parasite chameleon like trickster predator. It's mouth decorated with fangs that seemed to be carefully planted in a straight pattern.

Instant death.

Excluding those final moments of brain activity,

'How stupid of me...

Shinichi felt his thoughts fade to an end.

Vicente came to the scene soon after.

The beings who were consuming hurriedly stopped and played mice.

But even without his Sixth Sense stat, his perception and common sense instantly found the cause.

Bash!!!!

As he killed a group all at once, runes fell like mangos. He even got a skill but he didn't bother looking before storing it to sell later like the others. Most of which were already gone from those he had peaceful transactions with but ending up killing anyway and getting a 30-60% return rate.

"How unfortunate."

If Shinichi had lived , he could have been a worthy tool, ally or even friend. However if he was the type to die Like this then he wasn't worth the trouble, incompetent and misguided he was, for someone like him to die here of all places.

"Sigh.... at least I got a fair rune pickup and drops. It wasn't a total bust."

Shinichi..... whatever or was it whatever Shinichi? He was but a flame that got put out before it could burn, unworthy of the wave that he would bring to the tower, to the abyss.

Still though..... Vicente looked at the devious beasts at his feet and admitted that they were slick.

"Carnivorous predator Goons, a plant type parasite with terrifying non combat ability, weakness, syncle fluid, fire and water together,and cloud mushrooms."

This was the identity of these creatures now dead- he probably would have said something like this if he was the Reincarnator Kang Hansoo , sadly he was just the Reborn Vicente Von Vongola and he hadn't a luck of clue to what these things were other than they looked like alive worm like penises fused with parasites from the anime Parasyte.

He was beginning to truly understand how vague his knowledge was. He was like a person who went back to medieval times before the common era, he knew as much as an ordinary person but he hadn't the materials he needed, his only advantage was that he knew that there was a solar system with other planets and such matters, totally irrelevant and not useful.

Of course, everything was useful and it depended on the user nevertheless, this adequately summarized the him of now, a frog at the bottom of the well who knew of not just the sky but the sea and all its creatures, and even what laid beyond the sky.

But his frog body couldn't use that knowledge to escape could it? At least not now.

He had a long way to go but the journey was worth it.

Just imagine, you dreamed of the most exquisite body any woman could ever have, and one day , you suddenly had that body all to yourself but you found out that she was different than you expected.

What would you do?

The COMMON thought would be f*ck it, I don't care nothing's perfect and GODDAMN I'm lucky!!!! Then you'd savour, admire and do everything you ever wanted and truly appreciate that body.

Vicente was doing the same thing as a previous psuedo fan/otaku of light novels, manga, webtoons, anime and the like. He enjoyed the air, the sunshine, the smells ; a few were disgusting, the people- though he killed them it wasn't anything personal, the heat, the animals and the m-

'...'

'F*ck You moon, I hate you.'

The light suddenly enough enveloped his body, exposing his position.

'You little bitch'

A few light pillars were visible in the distance,

''Hah. You're only helping me one eyed giant pebble."

He rushed to the light pillars smugly but his face became crumpled each passing moment, the pillars despite being many and him being one had the brains to run and already began for a while now , him still chasing from kilometres away, he. continued his chase while chanting and ancient mantra that was present during ancient times.

'F*ck You moon F*ck You moon F*ck you Moon F*ck you moon F*ck you....n@:-)@'

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And here we were in the treasure room doing treasure hunting,

"You know, I think we could all get along i mean sure I cut off your tail but it was an accident, let's be friends."

Vicente lovingly caressed the soft fur of a creature that looked to be the mixture of a Boar and Koala with a dose of savagery included.

He got a cute grunt in response and the chemistry soared between them, his luck , charm and charisma were truly omnipotent and gr-

Rawwerrrrrrrr!!!!!

The cute grunt that was like a baby boar's only existed in the illusion of Vicente's mind and the boat had been Maliciously glaringly at him all along.

Like it was saying,

"Kono yaro, you make that face and behave as if you weren't the one who invaded my piss marked gleeosp (boarala language: territory), you even had the guts to cut off my beloved tail and now you want to talk peace, taste my tusks and talons, flea bitten white sag with limbs!!!!"

Boarala rushed at him and he did the same, a few seconds after the passed each other.

Boarala looked back at him.

"You bastard!....."

Gysshhhhh

Thump

Blood spurred from his body like a geyser and he fell down with a loud thump, dead.

Vicente flicked his blade that drew blood when cutting , flashing a few drops of, THE few drops that is.

"He was sure grumpy."

The monsters here were living breathing organisms with their own traits( not Traittt trait, just plain old trait).

They were like them, unwilling thrown into this world although this Otherworld was for humans only so only they got runes to grow stronger because their race was a tad too weak so this was the fattening up before the abyss. The monsters were in a different situation.

He talked to them but it was similar to talking to pets or animals to him, Shoo goat, get lost mutt stop pissing on peoples front lawns, here kitty kitty- similar to these situations though reflecting on them, they might just be from people a few points away from disturbed on the scale.

Skkkkkkk

*looks at him*

*He looks back*

A slimy realistic giant slug like tsunade pet like thing with a tad of six tails looking face and body was looking at him from a few trees away.

"Hah"

He hmphed arrogantly.

"Ooook caww what an arrogant chap, they bout to get it onnnn"- thinks the owl looking from his perch,

Vicente glared at it while the surroundings changed.

His battle stance and imposing aura were emanating to the fullest, he was like a sharp unsheathed blade, his heroic brows shimmered in the moonlight as he prepared his mighty-

"Cawwww!!! Oootttt oooott (Make up your mind bird what are you)"

Vicente was emanating his battle intent but his feet were carrying him in the opposite direction- he was running away!!!!

"Ewww how Gross and slimy looking"

The best response was to run, similar to being targeted by a gay person, senile old man, nosy old hag and the like, he didn't fear them just, wasn't compatible. He also wasn't compatible with gross disgusting looking and slimy things.