[The Busan Manhae Guild also refused to provide support.]
With both S-rank Hunters opting to remain within their own territories, could the Cheonhwa Guild truly manage an S-rank Gate on their own?
–: Cheon Yiryeong is also S-rank, so perhaps it’s possible… But I do feel uneasy. Even Dangjin had one S-rank Hunter deployed, and that Gate still broke.
–: Those bastards clearly want to avoid stepping into a dangerous situation.
–: Is it really a surprise that Hunters prioritize protecting their own sectors? It’s hardly a new development.
****
Title: Is anyone here from the Manhae Guild?
Author: One-Second Swordsaint
Isn’t this just too much?
An S-rank Gate is hardly a trivial matter.
I genuinely believe they’re doing this out of fear that if a Gate appears in their own territory later, this precedent will lead to them losing their share of the Gate rewards. This is absolutely not right.
[Ruinous Hunter: So what? Having one S-rank Hunter should be enough, why are they requesting support from Busan and Daejeon, lol.]
–[One-Second Swordsaint: If Seoul is encroached upon, everyone here will be in danger. Is this truly the time to be bickering over such things?]
–[Ruinous Hunter: Perhaps this is an opportunity to take in some refugees, then.]
–[One-Second Swordsaint: Are you out of your mind? Who the hell are you?]
–[Ruinous Hunter: Are you so foolish as to come looking for me? If you’re so desperate for support, then perhaps you should go yourself.]
–[One-Second Swordsaint: I’m going, you bastard. I’m still preparing, trying to grow a little stronger in this Tower, and you’re infuriating me.]
Reality and the Tower.
The galleries of both worlds were engaged in a heated debate concerning the S-rank Gate.
After news broke that Cheon Yiryeong’s requests for S and A-rank Hunter support from Busan’s Manhae Guild and Daejeon’s Guardian Guild had been rejected, despite her efforts to ensure a safer and more certain subjugation, the city of Seoul issued an advisory for citizens to evacuate to other regions in preparation for any unforeseen event.
Even without the advisory, countless individuals were already departing.
‘I should be thinking about stopping it, not running away; fleeing won’t solve anything.’
If a Gate breaks, causing an encroachment proportionate to its rank, malevolent energy would spread, extinguishing all life within the affected land.
Only awakened Hunters could possibly endure this death-ridden land, which was said to transform into a living hell, teeming with animals and people mutated into monstrous creatures.
Moreover, even after a breaking, these Gates would continue to exist, sporadically disgorging more monsters.
Ultimately, the government was forced to erect barricades along the encroached perimeter, deploying Hunters and military forces to barely contain the threat.
Yet, everyone anticipated that if such a calamity were to strike Seoul, the ensuing devastation would become uncontrollably vast.
With my academy temporarily suspended, leaving me with nothing to do, I decided to enter the fourth floor of the Tower.
I, too, wished to help, unwilling to see my home reduced to ruin, but with nothing I could immediately contribute, my priority was to rapidly grow stronger.
Thus, I entered the fourth floor.
[Goblins Annihilated (Reward: Experience)]
This time, the scene was that of a dungeon, and from a long, straight corridor, boisterous shouts echoed.
“Kat, kahak—kararak.”
“Karararara—”
Five goblins appeared. This seemed like a normal number, but one peculiar red creature was among the horde.
Feeling a flicker of unease at the sight of it, holding a suspicious staff high and brandishing it while chanting what sounded like a spell, I—
“Fireball x3.”
—simply obliterated them.
Engulfed by the rapid succession of fireballs, the magic-wielding goblin collapsed without even a chance to react.
You acquire experience.
You acquire quest experience.
‘Who do these lower-floor trash mobs think they are, trying to set the mood?’
In the corridor, where the flames had raged, only two magic stones remained, the goblins themselves having vanished without a trace.
“(๑╹ڡ╹๑)”
…And Dal, flying off to farm items—no, snacks.
Pew-pew! Is there a Hunter who earns no money even after climbing the Tower?!
That person is me.
Damn it, I’ll let it slide because it looks so adorable eating.
Surely, by consuming magic stones, it will grow, won’t it? I’d be crestfallen if it turns out to be just maintenance costs or, worse, if it simply gets fat.
Still, the compensation I received from Cheon Yiryeong had remained largely untouched, so my daily life remained unaffected.
‘I could probably cast two more fireballs.’
Estimating my remaining mana, I rested briefly to recover after clearing the fourth floor, then immediately re-entered the Tower, heading for the fifth.
I intended to push through to the fifth floor and claim its special rewards while I was at it.
Since it was a floor boss, I made sure to give Dal firm instructions before proceeding.
The moment I was teleported, an acrid smell of charcoal assailed my nostrils, mingling unpleasantly with the damp air.
[Hidden* Goblin Lord Extermination (Reward: Skill)]
‘Goblin Lord…? That naming doesn’t sound ordinary, and the quest reward is even a skill.’
I had a premonition that the fifth floor would not be easily overcome.
‘This place…’
The familiar appearance of a cave, with ash-covered trees in a deep hollow within, and a single red goblin standing at its center.
Standing in the center of the ash-covered village, as if in silent mourning, the creature was truly enormous.
It was over three times the size of a regular goblin, uniquely armed with both a staff and a massive glaive wielded in its hands.
Seeing no immediate movement from the creature, I promptly opened the Tower Gallery.
Title: Urgent* What’s that red goblin on the 5th floor?
Author: Pikkeosot
It’s incredibly huge and looks utterly ferocious. Is that the floor boss?
It’s not, like, super strong, is it?
[One-Second Swordsaint: They must be talking about the Hobgoblin Shaman. It’s tricky because it buffs nearby goblins, but it’s easier to defeat if you target it first. Initially, lure the surrounding goblins and circle around.]
–[Pikkeosot: It’s just one, though?]
–[One-Second Swordsaint: There aren’t any regular goblins around? It usually leads about four of them.]
‘…It seems like they’re talking about something different from what I’m seeing.’
Somehow, the Shaman One-Second Swordsaint is describing sounds like the goblin I saw on the fourth floor.
Yet, what stands before me is the creature the quest window designates as a ‘Lord.’
Gulp.
Perhaps it was its sheer presence, but unlike the generally scrawny regular goblins, this one’s muscular, crimson body exuded an unparalleled intimidation.
Moreover, the way it wielded an additional weapon made it look as though it would tear me limb from limb if I approached carelessly.
‘No, why am I getting scared again?’
‘It’s only the fifth floor, after all.’
‘What could that paltry creature possibly do against four or five fireballs? Besides, I have the dependable Dal by my side, too…’
‘It hid.’
Even Dal, who had effortlessly decimated regular goblins, seemed intimidated by the Goblin Lord, cowering behind my legs.
‘You’re supposed to protect me from the front, not use me as a shield!’
Sighing, I gripped my brush, intending to deliver a fireball before the creature could make a move.
‘Overreacting, aren’t we~ One spell, and it’s all over~’
As flames began to coalesce in the air, the Goblin Lord, sensing the anomaly, let out a shriek and turned, its crimson eyes fixed upon me.
However, my preparations were already complete, and without hesitation, I unleashed a fireball.
Aim, and fire—
As the searing flames hurtled swiftly towards it, the Lord initially moved to dodge, but then seemed to give up, raising its glaive to block the attack instead.
With a ‘Boom!’, it exploded, and a burst of flames erupted; not merely watching, I unleashed a torrent of fireballs in quick succession.
‘Did I get it?’
The flames subsided, revealing the end of their destructive path.
The Goblin Lord, who had driven its massive glaive into the ground as a shield and hidden behind it, rose, its crimson eyes glowing.
Despite the severe burns that sizzled across its exposed skin, the creature glared at me, beginning to mutter.
Sizzle—
Its glaive, glowing crimson as if freshly forged from a smithy, scraped against the ground, while the bells adorning its staff rang out with a clamorous din.
“તમારા શ્વાસ રોકી રાખો.” (TL Note: Gujarati for “Hold your breath.”)
“Gasp?!”
The moment its crimson eyes shone with an unnatural intensity, I, who had been preparing another fireball, was seized by a sudden, alarming shortness of breath.
Moreover, my vision blurred, tinged with red, and my head grew light, a sensation of floating enveloping my body.
‘A curse…?’
‘What kind of low-level floor boss uses a curse like this…’
I fought with all my might to cling to consciousness, yet it felt as though my mind could simply drift away at any moment.
Splash—!
Then, a chillingly cold sensation washed over me, jolting my eyes wide open.
Before me was Dal, who had conjured streams of water to form a defensive barrier, shielding me from the Goblin Boss.
“⁝( `ᾥ´)⁝”
With one small hand, it maintained the barrier, while with the other, it splashed water onto me, patting my cheeks sharply.
Dal’s spherical water barrier appeared precarious, threatening to tear and collapse at any moment under the Goblin Lord’s glaive.
“I’m… awake. Thank you.”
Though I was drenched like a drowned rat, thanks to Dal, I had broken free from the Goblin Lord’s curse.
Yet, seeing the creature up close, its immense size overwhelmed me, and I bit my lip.
‘My mana is precariously low, having been interrupted while casting fireballs… now, I truly only have one shot left.’
‘The moment it blocks or dodges, I’m dead.’
‘Relying on Dal seemed too much; it was already struggling just to maintain the current attack. All it could do was hold the barrier.’
‘I need to end this in one decisive blow, somehow…’
It was then that Dal’s barrier caught my eye.
A dome-shaped barrier.
‘Since it’s a wall made of water, the antithesis of fire, couldn’t it momentarily contain the exploding fireball?’
“Dal, I’m going to lure that monster in, then cast a fireball inside this barrier and escape. Can you hold it for just a moment?”
“(„• ֊ •„)੭”
“Good. Then, go outside and slightly loosen the barrier directly in front of it. I’ll lure it in and then get out.”
Understanding my words, Dal moved outside and cautiously began to manipulate the barrier.
The barrier slowly opened, appearing to collapse.
Through the opening, the hideously distorted creature entered, baring its enraged fangs.
“You’re truly hideous.”
“Kala-rak! Ka-hat!”
The creature shrieked right in front of me, its cries piercing my ears.
As I stood still, it seemed to believe I was still under its curse.
Without letting it notice, I subtly retreated, swiftly wielding my brush to conjure a fireball.
“It’s showtime, you bastard.”
With a ‘Whoosh!’, the moment the flames extended their greedy tongue, I swiftly darted out of the barrier.
Instantly, the interior of the barrier, where the fireball had detonated, was engulfed in flames, appearing for a moment like a luminous red gem.
“Kaaaah! Kyahaaah!”
Amidst the Boss’s shrieks, the barrier sizzled, emitting powerful bursts of steam.
Dal struggled with all its might to hold on, but eventually, the back of the barrier gave way, and the trapped flames erupted forth like a deluge.
“દેવી કૂતરો….” (TL Note: Gujarati for “Goddess dog.”)
The Boss, its entire body charred black, muttered something,
—then collapsed backward with a ‘Thud!’, crumbling into fragments.
“Did I finally defeat it this time…? Dal, you saved my life.”
“- ̗̀ (⌯ˊᗜˋ⌯) ̖́-”
Feeling an exhaustion so profound it felt like death, I simply picked up the large magic stone that had dropped from the Goblin Lord and exited.
Hidden Boss, Goblin Lord, defeated.
You acquire experience.
You acquire experience.
You acquire experience.
You acquire experience.
Lv4! Your level rises. All stats increase.
Lv5! Your level rises. Skill levels increase.
Fireball (B-rank) → Flame (A-rank)
You acquire quest reward skill, Camouflage.
You have completed a painting with unique colors. You have learned elemental combination. You acquire the skill, Crimson Flame Orb (A-rank).
Crimson Flame Orb (A-rank)
