Chapter 8: Rank Ascender (8)

I continued to focus on consuming no matter what they said.

Since I had experienced this before, I knew how I had to progress from now on.

And if I earned more experience, I would be able to speed this process further.

"Sssss."                                                                       

[Level Up!] [Lv.98 / Power: 0.098]

When I had eaten for an hour, annoyingly, some of the other creatures took notice.

-Hey, why are you eating this disgusting filth so well?                                                 -Do you like eating this junk?

-No, that can't be it...                                                                                           -Wait! Do you all think that it knows how to dilute this filth?            

-It's smaller and ranked lower than me. How could it?

Something similar had happened on the first floor as well.

When I had not used my breaks at the Rich Pit, the higher-ranked creatures thought it strange.

They asked why I was trying so hard.

They didn't know.

Consistent effort and constant immersion brought forth explosive growth.

Of course, I wasn't going to explain all of that to these creatures.

[Propagate a social movement of constant consumption. Reward: Dilution.]

"SSSssss."

At the Mobius Superstring's new mission, I couldn't help but burst into laughter, or whatever the version of laughter was for this creature.

What an odd mission.

The Superstring had wanted me to preach about constantly eating to creatures addicted to resting.

"SSSssss."                                                                                                      

The Dilution ability would allow the user to consume this excrement without feeling any agony.

-Are you laughing right now? Do you think this is funny? Should I eat you?

-No. This is a secret, but let me tell you how to get the Dilution ability.

-SSss. Really? Are you serious?

The one thing that every creature on the second floor desired was this Dilution ability.

An ability that would allow them some solace every time they ate.

I had to lie on how one could get the ability.

-Yes, of course.

I communicated with my pheromones to the creatures that had gathered to listen.

The creatures were all waiting to hear me talk.

If it were any other situation, they would have ignored my words.

However, they had all seen me eat this terrible filth, so they couldn't help but give me the benefit of the doubt.

-Do you know why I continually eat this disgusting crap?                                            -No. Why do you go through all that pain voluntarily?

-Hurry! Tell us how to obtain the Dilution ability.

The dimwitted creatures asked impatiently.

I calmly told them.                                                                                                          -It is because I ate continually that I was able to gain the ability.                                 -What? Is this true?

The creatures slithered their forked tongues in disbelief. I nodded my head firmly.                                                           -Yes. It is the truth. You don't have to believe me if you don't want to.

I continued to eat again.

Maybe that felt more convincing to them.

The creatures sat silently for a while then started to talk among themselves.

Of course, I eavesdropped on all their pheromone conversations.

-Could it be true?                                                                                                         -Can it be that the most simple action allows one to learn the dilution ability?

-It doesn't seem to be a lie. Look. It keeps eating, and nobody is telling it to.

-Oi, how long do we have to keep eating this filth? When will we develop the dilution ability?

When the creatures asked again, I answered, feigning annoyance.

-I don't know either. You have to continue to eat a lot and constantly.

They had no idea that I was trying to start a social movement.

-Damn it! What in the twisted snake's tail!

All of the creatures were furious. However, they couldn't let go of the ray of hope of gaining the ability.

A repetitive action that was only a little less constant than breathing.

That was what eating was.

If only they could get rid of the pain that accompanied the act, the quality of their lives would improve drastically.

-Is that why only the creatures of the Rich Pit had the ability?                                       -Figures. No wonder only a few had the ability.

-It makes so little sense that it actually makes sense!                                                          

The creatures convinced themselves and started to eat.

"SSSSS!"                                                                                         "SSSssssssss!"

Soon, the creatures stopped whining and they began to do the thing that they abhorred the most.

Although they showed signs of disgust on their faces, they didn't waste a minute.

[Level Up!] [Lv.112 / Power: 0.112]

In the meantime, I began focusing on eating again.

By some stroke of luck, I had happened on the best method of spreading this movement.

It was being natural and shameless.

If I acted first, a couple of creatures would approach me, curious about my actions.

"SSSSssSs."                                                                                                         -Are you all crazy? What are you doing eating all this filth?

-It can't possibly taste good......                                                                                

"SsSsSS!"

When I continued my feasting, more creatures came up to the creatures I had fooled.

They looked at them strangely and asked them about their bizarre behavior.                                         -Answer us!

The new creatures were ranked higher than them, so they had no choice but to stop eating.

They told the creatures about the information that I had made up.

"SSSssss!"                                                                                                                     -What! Is that true?                                                                                                              

-Really?                                                                                                             -No way! To think that continually eating was the key to attaining the ability!

In a way, I hadn't lied.

If we considered the Dilution ability as an ability naturally acquired by the superior beings of this floor, then the natural path to obtain the ability was through eating and raising one's rank.

The only difference was that what I could achieve in a few days would take these creatures decades or centuries.

[Karmon - 2nd floor - Rank 1,175,144,217.]

Oh. Well, it would take them longer than their life span with this rank.

It was virtually impossible for them.

I felt sorry for these monsters that would have to rot on the second floor.               

[Level Up!] [Lv.145 / Power: 0.145]

However, my feelings of sympathy were brief.

I continued to eat, embodying gluttony itself.

Another small crowd of creatures approached me.

-What's wrong with you? Did you hurt your head? Or maybe your taste buds?

They all reacted similarly in shock and awe.

I was dutifully and eagerly doing the one thing that they all despised.

I stuck out my forked tongue and repeated the words I had said to other creatures.

-I don't care if you don't believe me. I'm just telling you the secret that I have gleaned from experience.

New constant consumers were created in this manner.

*

Another five hours passed.                                                                                                 

[Level Up!] [Lv.512 / Power: 0.512]

I had achieved quite a bit in the time that I had.

Although, I was still far from facing the creatures of this floor's Rich Pit.

"SSSsSSSs."

I had achieved something great in another way.

Now there were hundreds of constant consumers.

And the numbers were only growing.

The scary part of a rumor is that it spreads like wildfire.

And so did the rumor I had started.

-You! Why are you eating like that?

-Well... The thing is...

The other creatures had spread the word about this 'method' of obtaining the dilution ability without me saying anything.

The creatures I had first deceived had told others about what they had learned.

Then those creatures, in turn, had told more creatures and so on.

The number of creatures I saw with my own eyes constantly consuming as I wandered around in search of food was in the hundreds, and soon it would be in the thousands.

[Time left to survive: 2min 12s]

"Ssssss."

Well, there was one small problem.

The creatures around me were so fervent in their eating that I was running out of filth to consume.

I had to constantly move around to find something for myself to eat.

"SSSSssss."

[Target - 2nd floor - Rank 10,512,314.]

"Sssss!"

While I was moving, I happened upon a high-ranked creature.

Its ranking was quite insignificant.

It was just higher than mine.

However, the difference in size was overwhelming.

On the first floor, Uz had only been about twice the size of the other creatures.

And even that had been threatening.

However, this creature was at least three times as long as I, which was 10cm.

It was that much larger, longer, and broader in every way.

-Move!

"SsSSSsS!"

Unfortunately, the creature ranked 10,512,314, deemed my presence on its path as annoying and slapped me with its tail.

I was swept off easily and began to roll down the flat surface.

"SSSsSSs!"

I tried to stop myself, but the force was too great.

[Activate Power 2 - Awakening.]

I tried to use my Awakening ability to help me stop, but it was no use.

Using awakening while being ranked in the billions wasn't very helpful.

KRSSSSSSHHH!                                                                                                            Oh no!

Unlike the first floor, the bottom of the second floor was full of holes that led to the first floor.

They were the holes through which excrement fell onto the first floor.

And I was headed straight for one of them.

"SSsSSsS!"

I was at the risk of falling through one of the holes.

I had to come up with a plan quickly.

*

Before I fell down the hole, I found a creature about the same size as I was. Initially, I had decided not to cannibalize any creatures on the second floor because they could talk.

"SSsssSSs!"

However, I couldn't help but do it for my survival.

I clamped down on one of the creatures to stop my descent.

-What are you doing!?

"sSSss."

I finally came to a half and could move away from the pit.

The intensity of the bite was strong enough to pull the creature towards the pit.

-Are you crazy? Did you bite me because you want to die?                                                         -I was about to fall into the pit.

I looked down the hole where the filth was flowing down.

The fall would have killed me instantly.

Or I would have been buried in the filth.

-That's none of my business. Maybe you should have just fallen down the hole because now I'm going to eat you.

The creature was similar in size to me even after I had activated the Awakening ability. This would not be an easy fight.

"SSSSS!"

The creature slithered towards me with its mouth wide open.

I went near it and bit down on its side.

-You scoundrel!                                                                                                                      This time, the creature wrapped itself around me and began to tighten its grip, much like a boa constrictor squeezing its prey.

Kkrrrrick!

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"SsShrah!"

I felt the soul-crushing pressure on my body.

It felt like my digestive system was being destroyed.

-Damn! Stop it!

-Never! Today, you die! Don't worry. I won't throw your body down the hole. I'll eat you instead!

The creature that was tightening its grip on me had no intention of letting me go.

I was in trouble.

The creature had the upper hand, and I didn't know how to free myself from its clutches.

I was being given a class in combat on the second-floor.

"SSssSS!"

I bit down on the creature again, but the creature looked unbothered.

-I'll teach you how to acquire the Dilution ability!

-Don't lie to me! If you knew how to do that, you would be at the Rich Pit living it up!

This time, the lie about obtaining the Dilution ability didn't work.

It may be because I didn't have the nonchalance from before.

I could feel my breath being squeezed out of me.

"SSSHraack!"

I rolled my body towards the pit before I crossed the point of no return.

-What are you doing!?

Worried about falling, the creature momentarily let go of me.

It focused on regaining its balance.

-Why don't you see how the first floor is like!?

I slipped out of its vice-like grip and smacked its head with my tail.

The shocked creature was swept down along with the cascading current of filth and fell down into the pit.

"SSSHSHSHHAAH!"

The frightened scream was immediately buried in the sounds of the fecal waterfall.

"SSSsssSss.

Letting out a sigh of relief, I collected myself.

It seemed that I had taken a lot of damage.

I quickly started to eat again.

[Level Up!] [Lv.542 / Power: 0.542]

"SSSSshaha."

It was as I had expected.

My body would heal, and my injuries would get fixed once I leveled up.

This was confirmed once more by the Mobius Superstring.

[Your body is restored to its premium state when you level up.]

So, that was why I was always in a great mood, and my body always felt refreshed.

My body was in its best physical state, and I experienced a small high every time I leveled up.

No wonder it was like a drug.

I had barely managed to get myself out of a sticky situation.

Not only had I been almost taken out by a much larger monster, but I had been almost killed by a monster that was in the billionth rank like I was.

What a Dungeon-like experience.

"SSsssSshh."

It had been a close call, but now that it had passed, it was only a story to tell.

I began eating the waste around the pit.

I had learnt my lesson: don't go near the larger creatures.

It wasn't just a difference in rank.

It was the difference between life and death.

There were pits leading to the first floor everywhere.

No matter how trivial this existence was, it would all be over if I died.

I may not be able to wake up in the morning anymore.

[Level Up!] [Lv.554 / Power: 0.554]

Kkrrrrrrrrrrr.

When I had collected myself and was focusing on leveling up, the ground began to tremble.

Was there a creature on this floor that was big enough to make the ground quake? No.

I had experienced this earlier too.

Fooom!

Bang! Boom!

GWAAAAAAAA!

It was a sound I had heard once before.

I looked down from the hole to see the golden capsules that I had seen before on the first floor.

In addition to the number 130, there was another capsule with the number 135 printed on it.

A VIP from the 135th floor had gone down to the first floor, surprisingly.

How many floors were there in the dungeon?

"SSssSsSs."

Being careful not to slip and fall through the hole, I looked down.

Among the creatures from the 130th floor, creatures from the 135th-floor stepped out of their capsule.

"Roar! I'll give you one hour. Find the Mobius Superstring, now!"

"Yes, Sir!"

"You saw me roast the other guy alive. Don't think that it won't happen to you. I'll give you one hour as an opportunity to correct your mistakes."

"Hurry up! Find it!"

"Go! Go! Go!"

The figures from the 130th floor swung their mana lanterns as they ran around.

Countless creatures died under their feet like they had before.

[Time left to survive: 1min 51s]

It was a good thing that I had ascended to the second floor.

Otherwise, I would have been caught right away.

It was becoming more evident that the Mobius Superstring was a special substance and being.

Not only did it have transcendental power, but creatures from high places were looking for it.

"Kraaaah! Where is it!? I need it to become King!"

The creature from the 135th floor was covered in fur and was about 180cm tall.

It had three large horns on its head and was wearing a suit of black armor.

It had large bat wings, and flames that blew from its mouth.

It was the image of the devil himself.

[Dirox - 135th floor - Rank 2012.]

Wow.

Even on a floor as high as the 135th floor, this monster was ranked in the 2000s.

Thanks to the Rank Instinct, I could peek at its rank.

It was a relief that I wasn't on the first floor with it.

It wouldn't think of coming to the second floor, would it?

"SSSss!"

Suddenly, an intense pain shot through my brain and I shut my eyes.

It was the first time I had felt a headache this severe.

What was happening?

I still had some time before I needed to eat.

[Trying to resynchronize]

[The Mobius Superstring has been synchronized with the present.]

It was an odd message.

"Ssss!"

When I looked back down at the first floor, I was surprised by what I saw.

[Jeon Jun-guk - Member, National Assembly, Bright Future Party - Rank 2.]

I was surprised to see this description of the creature from the 135th floor.

It had changed from the information I had seen earlier.

"Krr?"

Sensing my gaze, the creature from the 135th floor looked up.

I quickly crawled away from the hole.

I had an uneasy feeling.

The creature named Dirox had looked straight at me.

It must have sensed my gaze.

[Activate Power 2 - Awakening.]

I tried my best to distance myself from the pit.

I knew the creature had wings.

I didn't know if it could fly up to the second floor.

Why had I seen it say 'assemblyman'? Was my Rank Instinct broken?

[Escape from the VIP from the 135th floor. Reward: level up.]

As if to confirm my fears, the Mobius Superstring ordered me to run away.

Whoooosh!

Sure enough, I heard the sound of a strong gust of wind scattering excrement everywhere from behind me.

I looked back to see that Dirox had flown up to the second floor.

Fortunately, I had been able to crawl away from the pit with my swift second-floor body.

I wasn't in immediate danger.

"KRAAAA! Have you already ascended to the second floor?!"

I got goosebumps at Dirox's loud cry.

It was obvious that it was talking to me.

"KRAAAAAAAHHH!"

Whoooom! Dirox began to spit fire everywhere.

"SHSSSSSHS!"

"SSSSSSSHEEEEE!"

Not only did the filth and excrement covering the first-floor burn to a crip, but so did any creature in its path.

-Run! A monster has come up from the first floor!                                                                                        -It can spew flames from its mouth! Run!

"I'll find you, even if I have to burn this entire floor! Where are you?!"

Fortunately, Dirox was not holding a mana lantern.

Whoosh!

The monster sprayed its flames everywhere and killed thousands of innocent creatures in its path.

[Jeon Jun-guk - Member, National Assembly, Bright Future Party - Rank 2.]

I thought it was strange, so I looked at Dirox from afar.

It still showed that it was an Assemblyman named Jeon Jun-guk.

It didn't make any sense.

"SSsssSssS!"

Was he like me?

And he was somewhere as high as the 135th floor? And as high as a member of the National Assembly?

"Krrk?"

He felt my presence once again.

Maybe there was something that connected us together.

"Hahaha. Are you really on the second floor?"

I quickly turned my eyes, but Jeon Jun-guk figured out the direction I was in and began to stomp towards me.

"SSssSSs"

I quickly mixed in between the other fleeing creatures and moved away from Jeon Jun-guk.

Fortunately, many of the creatures I had transformed into constant consumers were there and blocking his line of sight.

"You little snakes!"

Vhoosh!

"Skraaagh!"

Jeon Jun-guk breathed out flames again.

I felt heat creep near my tail as I continued to slither away.

If things went wrong, I could be caught up and burnt to a crisp.

I wouldn't just be killed by a freak monster from the 135th floor.

I would be murdered by a politician from the Republic of Korea.

Now, that would just be the worst thing ever.

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