Seven pairs of eyes, plus one unexpected guest, are all fixed on me.
They want an answer.
A finger points at the bubbling lake.
“We have to go in there.”
The cherry blossom festival is over now.
Game on!
Bang!
Ishihara’s gunshot shatters the awkward silence.
The Alligator Men float belly-up like dead fish.
But there are far more Alligator Men leaping off the surface than there are dead ones.
If this continues, we’ll be drowned in sheer numbers.
I strap on the hunter watch I prepared earlier.
“Is it under the water?”
The first to react is Ishihara Daiki.
His question, fitting for a dumb thug, shows genuine curiosity.
Well, even if that’s the character setting, this is ridiculous.
Sigh.
The rest of the group turns their attention to me.
Nishizawa Eri seems to want nothing to do with this, glancing at me with disdain.
I survey the lake.
The tourists who were enjoying the boat ride have long vanished.
I point at the Alligator Men still crawling out of the water.
“The place where the stampede occurs is the lake’s surface. Naturally, the gate that’s the source of the stampede must be at the bottom of the lake, right?”
Stampede.
A term referring to the bizarre phenomenon where otherworldly beings rush out of a saturated gate, according to the original setting.
To localize it in the style of Korean web novels, you could call it a Monster Wave or Dungeon Break.
This is the name of the phenomenon happening in the lake right now.
“······So you’re saying we need to dive down and tackle the gate to stop the stampede.”
Olivia chimes in.
She nods earnestly, her expression serious.
A stark contrast to her usual aloof demeanor.
It’s a wonderful display of her hero’s responsibility.
If only she was like this every day.
As I indulge in this pointless thought, I agree with Olivia.
“Yeah, Olivia’s right. The only way to wrap this up is to dive in.”
“Divin’, huh… I guess there’s no other choice.”
Our protagonist, Kurosawa Yuji, grips the hilt of the Japanese sword he was wearing at his waist with a determined expression.
“Black-haired, not my favorite person, but… emergency situations call for cooperation.”
Nishizawa Eri sneers at me with a low voice, glancing my way.
Her eyes still brimming with contempt and dissatisfaction, but she’s also a student of Shuo Hero Academy.
From the content of the original volume three, it’s clear she wouldn’t act out even in a crisis like this.
I was fully aware of that.
In the original volume 3, Nishizawa Eri, isolated with the protagonist in the ruins, said something similar.
Saying she would collaborate reluctantly.
“I don’t like you either, you know? Don’t get cocky just because you have some orders to follow, Nishizawa Eri.”
But that’s that.
I don’t need to consider her circumstances.
She seems like a brat who surpasses Shinozaki Rin.
“Tsk······.”
Nishizawa Eri clicks her tongue and turns her head away.
Just wait and see, slave bread.
“Everyone should have gotten it by now, right?”
The others, excluding Ishihara, nod their heads.
Bang.
A gunshot rings in my ears.
“They’re multiplying more and more! It’s not enough alone!”
Ishihara sweats bullets while shooting with a thug’s tone.
As he said, the number of Alligator Men is steadily increasing.
I expected this situation already.
“Han Seo-Jin.”
“Yes, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
Upon receiving the command, Han Seo-Jin gracefully kneels while maintaining her balance on the shaking boat.
“Clean up those alligator heads.”
The Alligator Man is a B-rank interdimensional species.
Typically, hunters handle such low-level foes, what we call ‘minions.’
Now that the strategy is set, it makes sense for Han Seo-Jin to tackle the minions.
Ordinary interdimensional species below S-rank are handled by supporting hunters, while those ranked at Zeta or above are managed by primary heroes.
This is the basic law of how this world operates, as stated in the setting book.
“I will follow the order.”
Han Seo-Jin bows and presses the button on her Hunter Watch on her wrist.
Click, clack.
A blue light bursts from the Hunter Watch and attaches to her body, transforming into a bodysuit.
The basic equipment of hunters from this world, a degraded version of a non-magical powered armor. It’s the Hunter Suit.
Once Han Seo-Jin finishes wearing the Hunter Suit, she instantly disappears from the duck boat.
Boom.
A gray blur streaks across the water’s surface.
Han Seo-Jin uses her gift, Speedster, her super speed ability.
[Kick!]
[Screech!]
[Thud!]
Bang, bang!
With every flash of gray light, the number of interdimensional creatures decreases exponentially.
“What in the world······.”
Ishihara’s eyes widen.
Even if she’s rotten, Han Seo-Jin is an SSS-rank hunter, among the highest tier of hunters.
Handling B-rank interdimensional beings is a piece of cake for her.
That’s exactly why she was brought along.
In the original story, she struggled heavily with Yuji and Olivia’s stamina and magical consumption while dealing with all those Alligator Men in the water.
Describing the minions took up a lot of volume in volume 1.
‘It was the pinnacle of stretching out the content.’
Since it’s a printed book, they can afford to stretch the content.
It’s not a pay-per-chapter format, so they can’t just drop it.
“Alright, let’s switch to combat mode and dive in. Dive in.”
I clap my hands to catch the attention of the group, off in Han Seo-Jin’s performance.
According to the setting, the combat mode of powered armors grants users survival capabilities to withstand any extreme situation beyond the gate.
Diving isn’t a big deal.
“Got it, Kim.”
Splash.
The protagonist, Kurosawa Yuji, is the first to switch to combat mode and dives into the water without hesitation.
Followed by Bella, Ishihara, Olivia, and Rin, diving in sequence.
“Throwing a girl into the water… Worst. Trash…”
“If you don’t shut that mouth, I’ll have you taken to the disciplinary committee for your bad attitude, so keep that in mind.”
“……”
Indeed, the whip is the answer.
Finally, the plunge of Nishizawa Eri is complete.
[Durandal Online]
Switching to combat mode.
Black full-body gloves cover me, and a magic field envelops the gloves.
‘This is insane.’
I didn’t go underwater during the special training.
But it has to be done.
Taking a deep breath, I throw my body into the lake.
Splash!
The clear lake water envelops me.
There’s no cold sensation.
I open my eyes.
The underwater environment comes into view.
Swaying aquatic plants, fish, and various pieces of litter are visible.
[Entering underwater environment.]
[Starting oxygen supply.]
The magic field and full-body gloves protect me and supply oxygen.
“The gate is at the bottom of the lake. Find it.”
I send a communication through the combat wireless network connected to the portrait weapon.
Flashing! Flashing!
Before I know it, Han Seo-Jin has descended into the water, her gray flash gliding through at high speed.
The alligator men rising up spit their blue blood, polluting the clear water.
[Well then, Kim.]
[I don’t like being underwater, but since you’re the commander, I’ll follow your orders for now!]
[Got it, Kim Deok-Sung.]
[I’ll follow the orders of my master’s master.]
[Understood.]
Various voices resonate in my ears.
Nishizawa Eri remains silent, true to her nature.
Yeah. It’s better for her to stay quiet. It’s so much nicer that way.
Well, it’s all good.
So far, everything is going smoothly.
Everything is going according to plan.
Swish.
Cutting through the cold water, I continue heading toward the lake’s bottom.
[I found the gate. Here, I’ll share the coordinates with everyone.]
The protagonist’s voice rings in my ears.
Looks like he finally found the gate.
[Entering the input coordinates to display in my view.]
Durandal automatically indicates the gate’s location in my line of sight.
My view shifts downward.
The bottom of the lake.
A menacing swirling black hole gapes wide.
[Measuring gate grade.]
[Measurement complete.]
[Epsilon grade gate.]
[Recommended to have at least 5 heroes for the raid.]
Durandal’s monotonous notification continues.
It matches exactly what I saw in the original work.
Recommended to have over 5 people for the raid.
An Epsilon rank difficulty, one rank above Zeta.
This is why I brought all the resources I could to the cherry blossom festival.
‘There’s no way I can roll around alone like a fool protagonist.’
I’m a selfish scoundrel, after all.
[Olivia, Kurosawa, Ishihara, Rin, Nishizawa and I will enter the gate.]
[And Bella and Han Seo-Jin will…]
After giving my last command, I enter the gate.
Now, the real game begins.
*
Inokashira Park.
At the deepest part of the lake bottom gate. Hidden room.
High-tech equipment fills the space that is at odds with the murky underwater cave terrain.
A fierce-looking man with spiky red hair and black sunglasses sits, staring at the monitor.
An A-rank villain, Vulture.
“Hehe, kiki-kik! What a beautiful sight.”
On the multi-monitors installed in the hidden room, the alligator men rush out toward the gate, and the boss of the otherworld, the gigantic toad King Toad, sleeps soundly in the depths.
The scene shows the alligator men trudging along and the boss, the massive toad king, King Toad, sleeping in the depths.
“A gate creation device, huh? The boss really has made the ultimate toy. Heh, heh, heh!”
Vulture chuckles.
His golden fangs sparkle in the glow of the monitor.
“Ah, New World League. The best organization ever! Heh!”
There’s ecstasy in Vulture’s gaze.
He kills people.
The pleasure of murder is something the foolish people of the world couldn’t comprehend.
What’s wrong with the strong playing with the weak like toys?
Isn’t it the rightful privilege of the strong and the nature of survival of the fittest?
Yet, the world fails to acknowledge his aesthetic.
Only one person does.
The leader of the New World League, the boss, understands and embraces him.
“Ahhh…”
Vulture’s hands tremble with excitement.
The boss.
The sole savior of this world, enveloped in holy light.
Just thinking of his greatness sends shivers of pleasure down Vulture’s spine.
At that moment.
[Intruder detected.]
An alarm rings in Vulture’s ears.
“Ah, who are these bastards! Damn it!”
Vulture growls, interrupted from his reverie.
Which fools dare to intrude upon his happy time imagining the great boss?
Behind his sunglasses, his blood-red eyes gleam menacingly.
On the monitor, the intruders appear.
Six cadets, switched to battle mode.
“Hold on, hold on, hold on! Zoom in on them!”
[Zooming in.]
The intruder’s image enlarges.
Vulture’s gaze locks onto a black-haired pretty boy.
“Son of the Sword Master, Kurosawa Yuji, French Knight Princess Olivia, Samurai of the Cold Wind Shinozaki Rin, National Beauty Kunoichi Nishizawa Eri…”
The secondary targets that the boss would appreciate handling are etched in his blood-red eyes.
Vulture’s hands tremble with excitement.
“Oh, they’ve crawled into their own grave. Heh!”
Vulture draws his bludgeoning weapon, the Excursoner, from his waist.
Swish.
The blunt blade of the Excursoner glimmers in the monitor’s light.
“Slurp.”
His tongue licks the blade of the Excursoner.
“I wonder what your blood tastes like. Heh, hehe!”
Vulture’s eerie laughter fills the hidden room.
Kill, kill, kill.
He passes through the gate.
Along with a queasy sensation, his sight changes.
A cave with dripping water unfolds before him.
Exactly like the scene from an animation.
“Urgh! Gulp! Gulp!”
Following him through the gate, Ishihara spits up water.
What a drama queen.
She looks around.
Nishizawa Eri still doesn’t meet anyone’s eyes and crinkles her face.
Olivia is crossing her arms, and the protagonist pats Ishihara’s back.
And there’s Shinozaki Rin.
“What’s the plan moving forward, leader?” Rin asks.
Honestly, they don’t really need to act.
By now, Vulture, in the control room, must have noticed their intrusion and will soon use the interdimensional signal to send the boss monster, King Toad, and the alligator men toward the entrance.
But with everything being transmitted to Vulture in real time, there’s no need to attract suspicion by acting like they’ve noticed his presence.
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