I Became a God in the Refrigerator - I Became a God in the Refrigerator chapter 86

86. Beads

The fellow’s attacks didn’t even land.

No, they didn’t even pose a threat.

Even the frail elf Yumina, with clear eyes today, gazed at Duharah beyond the shield.

Kwang! Thud!

With each incoming attack, not just one shield but the entire group of elves’ shields vibrated like chimes.

“Are the elves distributing and sharing damage among themselves?”

[That’s correct.]

It was an astonishing sight.

No matter how strong the fellow was, this was an impossible task.

A single entity couldn’t break through the combined strength of these beings.

Amazement flickered in Muamu’s eyes.

“Wow, impressive! Seems like quite a sturdy barrier has been erected!”

Agreed.

Even the onlooker thought so.

“Ha, hahahahaha…”

He let out a hollow laugh, leaning back against the chair.

“Haah.”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

Although the boss’s attack wasn’t over, the outcome was already decided.

Duharah was being diligently attacked at this moment.

Hidden behind the shields, the elves were sharing damage thoroughly. Through the gaps, swords and arrows imbued with Irina’s sanctity pierced deeply.

The elves’ expressions remained coldly rational, slightly tense, and filled with unwavering determination.

Until the very end, not a single one let their guard down.

Hani’s golem, Sion, and Ednis rushed in to diligently attack the fellow.

And finally, the result was achieved.

[Thud. Thud.]

For a moment, Duharan, who had turned into a hedgehog-like figure, seemed to glare at Irina with his bird-like eyes.

Thump.

Soon after, he knelt down and collapsed right there.

It was the moment when he stopped moving perfectly.

Boss’s attack.

Finally, this floor was cleared without fail.

“To clear the tower so easily like this… Ha, hahahahaha.”

It was an astonishing event.

A nervous laughter escaped involuntarily.

Even the onlookers were taken aback by how effortlessly a floor was conquered.

“In the past, conquering a floor required so much hardship… But this time, there was even energy left over.”

[Preparing for dungeon conquest takes up more than half of the effort. If they hadn’t prepared before conquering this floor, the difficulty would have been very challenging.]

“It really seems so. With thorough preparation alone, conquering the tower becomes this easy. It’s a fact I never knew.”

Of course, this fact could only be known because of Aisha.

If she, belonging to the blacksmith class, wasn’t there, this element would have been completely unknown in the future.

“Hah. Hah.”

Irina gasped for breath as she knelt down.

As she blinked a few times, the golden streaks that filled her pupils gradually faded away.

The enchantments on the shields that brightly illuminated the boss room also dimmed.

“Irina, are you alright?”

“Are you okay?”

“…I’m fine.”

As she tried to get up unsteadily, the surprised elves approached to support her.

“Oh, Irina doesn’t look well.”

Approaching her, Han noticed Irina’s discomfort.

As he got closer, she smiled as if to reassure him.

“Feeling unwell?”

[Fatigue is likely. Using consecutive spells beyond one’s limits based on divine power causes significant mental fatigue for the user. It’s a different energy expenditure from mana-based activities.]

“Is that so…”

Upon reflection, this battle heavily relied on Irina’s contributions.

For Duharan, an undead boss monster, Irina’s enchantment magic based on divine power was so threatening that it naturally instilled fear.

Of course, the presence of the ant shield created by Aisha also couldn’t be ignored for its contribution.

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Han chuckled tiredly.

“When we return, we’ll have to look after Irina for a while.”

***

The 2nd floor of the tower was cleared.

However, this floor, somehow, felt a bit peculiar.

“…Where could the reward be?” Han looked around.

Elves were inspecting the boss room just like him.

They showed no hesitation in examining the items piled up inside the boss room.

As they searched through the debris of the collapsed ceiling, the partially closed-off subway, and the space, items were scattered all around.

Ghouls, who seemed to have died a long time ago, were wearing items of considerable value, and weapons were strewn across the desolate floor and corners.

“These seem to be military-grade. To find swords and spears scattered like this… quite a harvest!”

[Steel Spear.]

[Hardred Armor.]

From weapons like spears, swords, and staves to defensive gear.

Although time had passed, causing colors to fade, these items were invaluable to the elves living in a harsh and resource-scarce world.

As Aisha, exploring the dark with a torch, blinked in amazement.

“Wow! This is a book made of paper!”

“Oh? Really! To find something like this here! And it’s so thin and white! Could this have been a space used by very high-ranking individuals, perhaps?”

They carefully packed the various large and small items from this place into their prepared backpacks.

The elves began to collect the resources they found scattered around.

When they gathered everything, the quantity was quite substantial.

Yumina asked the chipmunk standing by her side.

“Chipmunk. It might be a bit heavy, but could you help carry it?”

[─.]

“Thank you.”

The chipmunk, nodding its head, patiently awaited the touch of the elves filling their backpacks with goods.

“You’re a real porter. Or rather, what should I call you?”

A chuckle escaped.

There wasn’t a separate luggage cart.

Being large and strong yet gentle like that, to the elves, it was simply a reliable escort and comrade.

It was a bit different from how humans, who viewed monsters as inherently dangerous, perceived things.

Regardless, the chipmunk’s backpack soon became heavily laden.

The amount was considerable as well.

This harvest of items was good news.

It would be quite helpful for the elves as well.

Even more so for Aisha.

…But these things, what to call them.

There was a drawback to calling them rewards.

“It feels too stingy to call this the clear reward for this floor…”

As he thought that, there was a moment when Han was carefully surveying the surroundings.

“Oh… come to think of it, this floor seems a bit different from the previous one.”

Perplexed by Irina’s murmuring as if something was off, Idnis asked.

“Previous floor, you mean, something has changed?”

“Yes.”

Irina, nodding her head, glanced around briefly and said.

“There should have been a box… Normally, when you defeat the boss of a floor, you should receive a reward befitting that. Of course, the value of what we secured now is quite modest, but….”

Irina looked around, her words trailing off.

She too seemed to sense something peculiar about the current situation.

However, the space was quite vast.

Moreover, it was so dark that it was difficult to see properly.

Again, this place was undoubtedly a deep underground space, a subway far below the surface.

Naturally, there would be obstacles to exploration.

Of course, there was light, but it was only a few torches held by some elves and the light emanating from the earth golems.

The common areas where light did not reach were so dark that most things were indiscernible.

They had successfully defeated the boss occupying a level, which in itself was rather strange.

Perhaps they had not yet discovered the rewards on this level.

“Oops!”

Yumina, who had been looking around, exclaimed.

It was a moment when she stumbled and was about to fall.

“Eek!”

Han, who was taken aback, quickly reacted and caught her.

Fortunately, he was looking in her direction; otherwise, she might have been hurt.

He chuckled.

“hahahaha. Yumina, this girl almost falls over at the slightest provocation.”

If this fragile girl were to fall, she would get seriously injured no matter where she landed.

“It’s too dark here, so be careful from now on, Yumina.”

“T-Thank you…”

Han gently patted her head.

Yumina responded softly and bowed deeply.

“Hmm?”

Then, he suddenly saw it.

The body of Duraan, the boss of this level, lying in the back.

As he absentmindedly stared at him, he somehow realized that something about his appearance was off.

“Oh. Come to think of it.”

He suddenly noticed.

“Looking at Duraan now, he really looks like a hunter, doesn’t he?”

No, it wasn’t just similar.

To be more precise, they were dressed in a modern style suitable for ‘hunters.’

It felt strange.

“Hmm?”

Then, suddenly.

As Han scrutinized the fallen Duraan, a sense of unease crept into his eyes.

“Hmm… what is it?”

He sensed something strange.

Han carefully examined the face of the fallen Duraan.

What could it be?

Han somehow found Boss Monster, Dura Han’s face not so unfamiliar.

It felt like he had seen it somewhere before.

“…This monster named Dura Han. Why does it feel so familiar as if I’ve seen it somewhere?”

However, it was undoubtedly absurd in terms of common sense.

Knowing the face of a monster that he had never seen in a dungeon before.

It was impossible.

“Am I weird? Just a simple déjà vu phenomenon?”

It was a strange experience that left him puzzled without being able to find any answers.

Han thought so.

Looking back, there was a slightly peculiar feeling about this floor from the beginning.

With a typical earthly background, modern subway systems and items.

Even though the English characters were rusty and ancient-looking, firearms were scattered here and there.

He even examined the motionless ghouls one by one.

“Come to think of it, these ghouls too… I noticed too late because their colors were too faded, but they all look too ordinary in their attire.”

Yes.

Ordinary.

It doesn’t mean they’re dirty and unkempt like typical undead monsters.

From the perspective of Han, a modern man, it meant they were dressed “normally.”

Some wore military uniforms, and some even wore leather armor or monster-themed leather armor.

In their leather pockets, one could even see items resembling radios.

“……”

After a moment of silence, Han suddenly spoke up.

“System. Don’t you have anything to say?”

[……]

…Somehow, the system remained silent as well.

“It seems you can’t answer. Understood.”

[Yes.]

As expected.

A response came as if it had been waiting.

However, from this point, he sensed something.

Based on his past experiences, the system’s silence always had a reason.

“It’s not like you’re playing a prank as usual. It means you genuinely can’t answer.”

At that moment, a brief mark appeared in Han’s sight.

[Would you like to confirm the Boss Monster ‘Dura Han’?]

“What?”

He clicked absentmindedly.

Ssshh-

With a creepy sound, something with a gloomy color began to rise.

It was a bead full of a dark light swirling inside, giving off an ominous feeling.

“What is this?”

“Um… What’s that?”

At the appearance of that peculiar thing, Yumina, who was nearby, along with the surrounding elves, turned their heads with pointed ears.

[This is the reward for this level.]

“This?”

[Correct.]

It was a sudden sound.

It was bewildering to see, but how would it appear to them in person.

However, unlike the system’s description, even Yumina couldn’t see the contents inside the bead.

At best, it was just a symbol.

An unrefined dangerous object (???)

• A bead exuding a dangerous aura. Still unrefined, making it impossible to confirm its contents.

…That was all there was to it.