Chapter 469. Unusual (6) |
Chapter 469. Unusual (6)
It's really nice that they respected my wishes.
‘Our judgment is right. If we don't want to die, we need to get out.’
However, as I fled alongside the other hunters, I sensed something off. More precisely, I caught a whiff of a suspicious scent permeating this entire feeding box.
‘By the way, what were you mind-entities thinking—designing this gate like this and expecting Earthlings to clear it?’
A monster's nest so saturated with malice that even an alien could sense it at once. Humans were still creatures incapable of dealing with [Mana Burn]. They couldn't resist the gesture that drained away their mana, and in the process, they suffered pain so immense it forced screams from their throats.
Of course, all Gishmche delight in feeding on the suffering of sentient beings. But if they blanket the entire dungeon with [Mana Burn] like this, the gate will never be cleared—and the monsters will inevitably escape.
‘Something about this feels subtly different from usual.’
I felt uneasy.
I mulled over it for a moment with an unchanging expression. But there was no time to ponder the Gishmche further, since the hunters over there were about to get wiped out, so I ended my private contemplation there.
“Huff... huff...!”
“Just hang in there a little longer. The healing potion will kick in soon.”
After that, I just carried about two injured S-rank hunters—whose speed had dropped due to their wounds—and ran.
By the way, earlier outside the dungeon, they had stared at the lone Asian hunter like some curious creature. Now, it seemed they had learned a lot from the first raid attempt that had just taken place.
‘It's burdensome.’
Above all, it was evident in the eyes of the hunters hanging onto my side. Their gazes were so glossy, it was as if they had just seen their parents amidst a torrential downpour.
“Are you okay?”
“Ugh.”
Finally, we're outside. By the way, I think the way I was holding the mammals was a bit off. As soon as we safely escaped the gate, all the patients I had been carrying simultaneously complained of nausea.
“Are you feeling motion sick right now?”
“S, stomach...”
“Ah— was your stomach being pressed?”
It's a mess. However, even though the situation got chaotic, there was no need to panic. After all, the dungeon is difficult mainly for the mammals, and if the Archmage steps in personally, there's no real reason they couldn't handle it.
‘How am I supposed to deal with that man-eating cooling system...’
While the hunters were being treated, I stood off to the side with my arms crossed, busily working out a strategy in my head.
***
Gulp.
It was the moment when stamina potions worth hundreds of millions of won were being administered one by one to the injured hunters. One of the battered hunters briefly thought to himself.
‘Everything is terrible.’
On the other hand, I also felt that the very fact that such a monster had been given the title “Devil of the Sea” was itself a problem. If they had used a word like “Acorn” to mean “do as little harm to humans as possible,” things might have been different. After all, isn't this something that happened because humans deliberately treated it like a devil in the first place?
‘Isn't that exactly why a horrifying gate, as if made by Lucifer himself, appeared...?’
Grumbling.
The former sports star muttered a complaint for a moment.
“What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden?”
At this, the retired soldier Awakened standing nearby reacted.
“If you've got time to talk nonsense, you should be chugging those mana potions instead.”
Even though they were in front of a hunter representing the nation, they spoke casually because they were close comrades.
“I've already had three bottles.”
“Drink more. More!”
What followed was the face of an adult recoiling while holding the bottle, like a child given plain milk. One hunter swallowed the mana potion with an expression that looked as if he might start crying at any moment.
“This high-grade potion that's started appearing in the new dungeon... doesn't it taste absolutely disgusting or what?”
“Good medicine is always bitter.”
“I'd be fine if it were just bitter. But the more you drink this liquid in the bottle, the greasier it tastes!”
Honestly, just thinking about the cost of the potions ahead made his stomach churn. Having to endure the weird, characteristic taste of the medicine as punishment for a mistake in the dungeon, the hunter couldn't hold back and let his inner disgust show.
“Ugh.”
At the same time, he checked his own wounds again.
—Glance.
His shoulder, which had been badly injured by a lava spike, was fortunately restored thanks to the expensive medicine. Yet, seeing the pale new flesh sprouting, the first thought that came to him was... fear.
‘Even looking back, it's still chilling.’
The nest of [Nuckelavee] was like a hall of traps designed to twist a bipedal human apart. It wasn't caused by some physical phenomenon combining like a typhoon.
It looked as if some sentient ghost deliberately tormented them, which didn't sit well with the Earthlings. What kind of trap completely drains your magic? And of all things, the layout unleashed lava spikes and minions from all directions precisely when your defenses were gone.
“Gates are damn awful things.”
The American hunter was sickened by the gate's malevolence, as if it hungered for death.
“By the way, can someone dry my clothes for me? Everything I'm wearing is soaked and uncomfortable.”
“There's a 50% chance it could burn your equipment. But if you're okay with that, I'll use the skill for you.”
And for a brief moment, they exchanged some casual talk. The former soccer player, whose hair was dyed sky blue, thought this while his clothes were being dried.
“Anyway, setting aside how weird this dungeon is, that hunter is impressive in so many ways.”
What he was currently thinking about was the concept of the Awakened with golden hair.
—Bow!
It took some time to get the translation ready, so he ended up getting hit by the lava spikes in the meantime. Still, he received an astonishing amount of help from the Korean hunter. Honestly, looking back, you could almost consider that person a lifesaver—but that wasn't exactly a pleasant thought for the former soccer player.
‘I spread all kinds of nasty rumors because I didn't want that hunter involved in the raid.’
Kim Giryeo. If he hadn't gone out of his way to tear down that foreigner with a name that's hard to pronounce, would he even need to feel this awkward now?
‘If you call this racial discrimination... well, of course that wasn't my intention, but I really don't have much else to say.’
The American with spiky hair rested his chin on his hand. As had been evident even during the video call, he didn't think highly of Kim Giryeo.
‘Just getting item support in another country would've been better. It feels like only yesterday I was complaining about why the government keeps gathering S-rank hunters who could end up clashing with each other...’
Setting aside work-related reasons, that is.
‘No, actually, it wasn't just yesterday—I really did say that a few hours ago during the meeting with our country's officials.’
The secret would soon be revealed. He personally just didn't like a certain Korean. The S-rank hunters from China, on the other hand, all seemed to work out together at a fitness club or something—each one was solidly built and gave off a reliable impression.
The Korean with the surname Kim looked too frail, and honestly, he'd disliked that about him all along. Kim Giryeo seemed. Not only could he analyze maps modeled by fashion show designers. But now, someone with such a body was going to wade into a dungeon while receiving an enormous amount of deployment compensation...
‘Honestly, how can I easily welcome this?’
Especially since this American was an elite athlete who had trained himself to the extreme, he couldn't look kindly on that appearance at all. He despised lazy people who didn't take care of themselves.
He felt they were an entirely different species from himself by nature, and couldn't understand them at all.
But, surprisingly, when he actually proceeded with the dungeon raid, it was his own overconfidence that ended up holding the Korean back.
‘So there really is an [Appraisal] skill... no wonder you were the first to notice the soul strikes laid by the gate.’
Moreover, the hunter who said they'd just help out turned out to be far more skilled than anyone could have imagined. Not only could they analyze traps instantly, but how on earth someone with twig-like limbs could be so strong was beyond comprehension.
—Is everyone okay?
The first impression of the Asian who joined the raid was terrible. But the more his hunter skills became apparent, the more the Korean's face—with its pronounced cheekbones—somehow started to look handsome...
‘Is this the so-called shaky bridge effect I've only heard about?’
As a result of a life being saved, the American hunter naturally came to trust the foreigner. As a bonus, he even began to respect that particular guest on a human-to-human level.
‘Hmm.’
Meanwhile, while all these thoughts were running through his head, the uncomfortable, soaked clothes had finally dried. The American lead hunter then sprang to his feet, nodding as he prepared for the second raid.
‘Well, so what if the nationality's a little different!’
There was still a slight illusion, but it was fine.
‘He's skilled enough that not even a truckload of [Clairvoyance] could compare. Enough grumbling—let's figure out the best way to handle this. We have to clear the dungeon with him.’
The American hunter finally wanted to genuinely collaborate with the dispatched team. However, his changed mindset ended up causing problems—albeit belatedly...
...
“Get lost!”
Forty minutes later. In front of the [Nuckelavee] spawn gate.
“So you're saying... you want us all to get lost right now?”
The enraged voice of the American man rang out.
“No. I think there was a slight error in the translation of what I said.”
This was an argument that started with the words of the hunter whose hair was dyed yellow. Kim Giryeo had made the suggestion to everyone present as soon as the forty-minute attempt at the second raid ended.
“I just said I wanted to go on a solo reconnaissance, just once.”
The mana-release hunter raised his voice.
“No!”
For reference, he wasn't angry because his own skills had been underestimated. Nor was his outburst due to concern that the reappearance gate of [Nuckelavee], an American asset, would fall entirely into one person's hands.
“You might think I'm being foolish, but at least here, where I'm involved, I can't break the industry's traditions.”
“Tradition?”
“Gates in dangerous environments must always be attempted with a team of at least two people.”
“Anyway, it's just a light reconnaissance...”
“If you pass out in there due to bad luck, how are you supposed to drink a potion on your own? And if the raider meets with an accident, who's going to locate the damaged body?”
There was a somewhat normal reason behind everything.
“Mr. Kim. This isn't a decision made simply to extract information from you.”
“Wasn't it?”
“All hunters in this world have the right to return to their families, even if only after death. Exploring alone without an assistant is something I, as the overall field commander, cannot allow.”
At that moment, Kim Giryeo raised his eyebrows, forcing an expression of surprise.
“Hasn't it been made known in the U.S. that I'm an orphan?”
However, his choice of words immediately gave away that he was a foreigner.
“Ah, come on— show a little flexibility, my friend! After all, what I just said can include anyone important in your life.”
After the conversation had gone on for a while, the American hunter even spoke with exasperation.
“Anyway, your stamina is astonishing, but Kim Giryeo, you're really terrible at everything outside of hunting!”
At this point, most of the raid team was exhausted due to the effects of [Mana Burn]. Yet the dispatched Awakened from Korea, showing no signs of fatigue, was demanding to re-enter. The raid leader shook his head, impressed yet reluctant.
“Anyway, not today. Everyone needs to withdraw to the camp. There aren't any hunters available for emergencies.”
Under normal circumstances, even an alien creature would have given up by this point.
“Please give me just eight more minutes.”
However, Kim Giryeo unusually stood firm in his opinion.
“I'll finish the reconnaissance within eight minutes. And under these conditions, anyone can accompany me as an observer.”
“...Because I won't get caught in [Nuckelavee]'s roar cycle.”
For reference, they had gathered detailed information about the roar during the second reconnaissance. Every time [Nuckelavee] lets out its terrifying scream, the dungeon carries out a total of two “collections.” After the collection ends, there's a brief cooldown before it roars again, with each cycle taking roughly ten minutes.
“Hmm.”
Of course, even if the timing was off and they got caught in the collection, the dungeon wouldn't drain more mana than necessary to keep the hunter alive. As long as they weren't utterly exhausted to the point of being unable to run, this was actually a pretty good proposition.
“Five minutes!”
“Yes?”
“Make it five minutes, and I'll go as your assistant.”
Surprisingly, there was no objection. The American lead hunter seemed free-spirited and rude, yet at the same time, he had complete control over his team. Thus, he was able to manage every situation according to his own intentions.
“Yeah. After all, the second raid attempt failed anyway, so some gamble won't hurt...”
It was fine. All the minor monsters near the entrance had been killed, so no good reason. Besides, the Korean side must have had some confidence to attempt the reconnaissance. So, what kind of problem could possibly arise?
About two minutes later, the American entered the monster's nest alongside the Archmage. The Archmage's team immediately set their pre-planned strategy in motion from outside the dungeon, and their intentions were sound. Though not yet revealed, Kim Giryeo had, for some reason, decided that [Nuckelavee] needed to be eliminated quickly... And since he was about to carry that out, his intentions were genuinely noble.
‘Ugh, it itches.’
The problem was simply that a lowly human like him couldn't keep up with the mindset.
Kim Giryeo scratched his neck reflexively. But when he glanced down, he noticed something on his glove. Blood.
The skin on his neck had been damaged, unable to withstand the mana pressure. Cracked like a lightning-struck tree, the wound soon bled through. It was remarkably similar to the side effects seen in high-grade artificial Awakened.
“This is an inappropriate phrase that cannot be translated!”
Realizing the situation, the American unleashed a string of curses too obscene to speak aloud. By the time his exclamations ended, he was watching the raider with eyes even wetter than during the first raid. It was a gaze filled with pity.