Chapter 91: Paracelsus’s Laboratory (3)

Ding-dong!

<‘Close’ command received.>

<Closing Morgue’s Magical Warehouse.>

The warehouse door slowly closed.

Kikikikik—thud!

The turbid air that had blackened the sky was sucked back into the warehouse in an instant.

Warm sunlight began to illuminate the ground.

A vast site, as if several soccer fields had been stitched together.

Below it, a massive hole gaped open, bottomless.

Jeanne opened her mouth.

“Amazing, Master. The power you wield. It’s as if I’m witnessing an endless source of strength.”

I looked down into the hole and thought.

Yeah, it worked.

I recalled my conversation with Paracelsus.

‘Is there a need to move each chocolate in the box one by one? You can just take the whole box.’

So that’s what I did.

I shoved Paracelsus’s entire laboratory into the warehouse.

The sight was overwhelming.

A massive black hole opened wide and voraciously swallowed the laboratory.

Ding-dong!

<Morgue’s Magical Warehouse is an infinite space that extends endlessly horizontally and has no bottom vertically.>

I’d hoped, but I didn’t expect it to actually store the entire laboratory.

……It really is an infinite space.

Soon, the quest window updated.

Ding-dong!

[Quest]

Retrieve all the stolen cargo.

· Stolen cargo (12,048,109/12,048,109) [Completed(√)]

……

※Upon completing this quest, a special reward will be granted.

Mission clear.

“Handled it too cleanly.”

I succeeded in recovering all 12,048,109 stolen items from the warehouse.

As Paracelsus said, if Maslow found out, his blood would boil.

It was like displaying stolen goods in a case, only for someone to rip off the entire case.

Even including things that weren’t stolen.

Then, new notification windows popped up.

Ding-dong!

<MRG-81547 ‘The First Homunculus’ has been placed in Morgue’s Magical Warehouse.>

<Warehouse management operations have been further optimized.>

→ Repair time for damaged areas reduced by 20%.

Chance of cargo rampaging decreased by 47%.

Low probability of displaying the location of zombie colonies, ‘Filthy Breeding Pits’.

Dozens of improvements filled the system window.

Each one significantly enhanced convenience.

Paracelsus, he’s quite useful.

Another system window appeared.

Ding-dong!

<MRG-81547 ‘The First Homunculus’ has requested approval!>

[Material Request Approval Form]

-Document Number: P80275041

-Sender: Paracelsus

Purpose: Request for essential materials for warehouse repair and reinforcement

-[Requested Materials]

▶Goblin nails: 245

▶Basilisk skin: 3

▶Lava slime mucus: 10

▶Sasquatch molars: 84

▶Hazel tree sap: 500g

▶Leaf mold: 10kg

▶Cat whiskers: 2

▶Mint decoction: 750ml

※Supplying the requested materials will grant corresponding quest rewards.

Submitting the above material request for review and approval.

[Approver]

Chief Executive: Sorcerer Emperor ‘T’ (Seal)

Deputy Executive: Warehouse Keeper ‘Cha Hasang’ (Seal)

※In the absence of Sorcerer Emperor ‘T’, the warehouse keeper may sign on behalf as proxy.

The requested items listed various monster materials.

Among them, the ones at the bottom caught my eye.

▶Hazel tree sap: 500g

▶Leaf mold: 10kg

·Cat whiskers: 2

Mint decoction: 750ml

The ingredients for the elixir I commissioned from Paracelsus.

“He does what he’s told properly. The more I see, the more I like this guy.”

It felt like hiring an excellent management consultant.

Anyway.

The advantages from Paracelsus were just bonuses.

Appetizers or desserts, at best.

The real thing hasn’t even appeared yet.

Ding-dong!

<Sorcerer Emperor ‘T’ commends the warehouse keeper’s achievements!>

<A gift from the Sorcerer Emperor has been delivered to Warehouse Keeper ‘Cha Hasang’!>

Finally, the main dish.

It was time to receive the quest reward.

Ding-dong!

<Sorcerer Emperor’s Gift>

– 1. The Sorcerer Emperor has bestowed mana!

→ All warehouse keeper stats increase by 100P.

– 2. The Sorcerer Emperor has enhanced the warehouse keeper’s influence!

→ Cooldown for skills ‘Open’ and ‘Close’ reduced by 50%.

– 3. The Sorcerer Emperor has bestowed a treasured item!

→ Select one item stored in ‘Erysichthon’s Intestines’.

“Oh, that’s a lot?”

Ding-dong!

<Receive the Sorcerer Emperor’s Gift?

(Y/N)>

I immediately touched the YES button.

Black mana began seeping into my body.

Wooosh.

At the same time.

Ding-dong!

<All warehouse keeper stats increase by 100P.>

<Strength stat increased by 100!>

<Vitality stat increased by 100!>

<Agility stat increased by 100!>

<Intelligence stat increased by 100!>

<Mental Strength stat increased by 100!>

<Stats>

-Strength: 400 <100UP↑>

-Vitality: 400 <100UP↑>

-Agility: 400 <100UP↑>

-Intelligence: 400 <100UP↑>

-Mental Strength: 570 <100UP↑>

All stats exploded upward.

At the same time, a separate notification appeared above the mental strength stat window.

Ding-dong!

<Number of summonable Shadow Knights increased!>

Shadow Knight summon limit: 79

“Nice.”

With the mental strength stat rise, the maintainable Shadow Knights increased.

……Soon, I could build a legion of Shadow Knights.

Next, the second reward was received.

<Cooldown for skills ‘Open’ and ‘Close’ reduced by 50%!>

Skill cooldown: 1h 30m

The warehouse cooldown reduced to thirty minutes.

……The restrictions are easing bit by bit. Not bad.

It felt like I was increasingly recognized as the warehouse keeper.

Soon, the final reward notification appeared.

Ding-dong!

<Select one of the Sorcerer Emperor’s treasured items.>

“The Sorcerer Emperor’s treasured item. Wonder what’s there.”

At that moment.

Crackle—

From a rift in subspace, blood-dripping intestines emerged.

Jeanne’s expression changed.

“Death energy, demonic energy, turbid energy, killing intent. All the negative energies in the world are mixed and flowing out.”

I examined the bloody intestines closely.

Blue veins protruded on the surface, wriggling as if alive.

Ding-dong!

<‘Erysichthon’s Intestines’ containing the Sorcerer Emperor’s treasured item.>

<Receive one of the Sorcerer Emperor’s treasured items from Erysichthon’s Intestines!>

Soon, the intestines caved in, forming a wormhole-like hole.

I peered inside, but saw nothing.

……So, stick my hand in?

I inserted my hand into the intestines.

Squelch—

A warm, sticky sensation enveloped each finger joint.

“Ugh.”

Something touched my fingertips.

A pointed metal tip, a squishy orb, a rod with tingling static, and so on.

Can’t see, so no idea what’s what.

Like a mobile game gacha, relying on luck.

Among the Sorcerer Emperor’s treasures, nothing should be a dud.

Come on, something good. Something good.

I pulled out what my hand touched.

Shwoosh—

Black mana dispersed, revealing a small rectangular box.

“This is…… a ring case?”

A crystal metal box, like one for wedding rings.

Inside the transparent case, a round, flat object.

Flip—

<Eye of Truth>

-Cargo Number: MRG-2417

-Cargo Grade: Observation

The left eye of the Archangel of Truth, Bonferdan.

In the lofty heavens, twelve archangels oversee celestial laws.

Among them, the Archangel of Truth ‘Bonferdan’ observed humans since primordial times.

The only creatures among all life that habitually lie.

Pitiful beings surrounded by ugly, cunning falsehoods, suffering lifelong.

Bonferdan pitied them and plucked his left eye, gifting it to humans so they could discern truth.

Wishing for a peace where lies vanished and only truth filled the human world.

But humans abused Bonferdan’s eye as a tool of desire.

Endless wars erupted over it, turning the human world into a hell of pain and screams.

“Believing in humans. Closer to the Archangel of Folly than Truth.” 

-Featherback-

Now I’m getting eyeballs too.

The item in the case resembled a lens more than an eyeball.

An eye that discerns truth.

An artifact with infinite uses, depending on application.

Well, no immediate use right now.

I stored the Eye of Truth in my inventory.

Then, I stood before the gate to the next floor.

“Shall we go clear the next floor then.”

“Yes, Master!”

We leaped into the gate storm.

***

Ding-dong!

<Entering the 3rd Floor, 「Layer of Belonging Needs」!>

The sensation of mana storm kneading my body was becoming familiar.

……3rd floor means the boss room is really close now.

Just two more.

Clear this floor and the next, and it’s the boss room where Maslow waits.

Soon, my vision gradually returned.

The 3rd floor’s theme was ‘belonging desire’.

A trial related to belonging desire. What could it be?

No clue.

As I thought that, a clear notification rang out.

Ding-dong!

<Welcome to Maslow’s Canyon.>

“……?”

This doesn’t sound good.