“Il-wol said he would share Yeon-hee’s knowledge, so I can guess why he’s hesitant to use items.”
Joo-ah nodded, as if she fully understood my intentions, and continued speaking.
“But, you know, we’re not trying to be the kings of the hunters, right? Let’s take it easy. Okay? Please? Got it?”
*Chirp—*
Hearing Joo-ah’s words brought a slight feeling of emptiness, but I found myself nodding involuntarily.
“Yeah, I’ve been so focused on Jo Gi-man that my goals have gotten way too high. What’s so bad about using some items? I really…”
I don’t need to force my ways onto the party members. They probably have their own goals too.
“I appreciate how sometimes they help me open my mind.”
Noticing my positive reaction, Joo-ah let out a small sigh of relief and suddenly seemed to have another thought, clapping her hands together.
“By the way, it seems Apex isn’t coming today, right? Are they really planning to work starting tomorrow as they said?”
“I think so. Still, those guys always keep their promises.”
“Yeah. It’s funny that villains keep their promises, and we should too.”
“… Ouch… I-I won’t be late again…”
As Joo-ah said that, as if addressing someone, Ham Eun-young sounded on the verge of tears, expressing a wish to disappear.
“Four consecutive late arrivals. Seriously, just catch a taxi and be done with it, yet here I am on public transport… what a weirdo. But seriously, is this the entire boss battle team?”
As I observed the hunter team we were grouped with, a sigh escaped me.
Yesterday, the level seemed slightly low, but today was worse. Why are hunters who can’t even carry a wolf den clustered around such a mid-level boss battle?
– Did Lee Yeon-hee register? Did she?
– Nah, usually that rabbit beastman or the girl next to her does the registration.
– Can we trust the info on the internet?
– If we don’t trust hunter site info, what else is there to believe?
– Right? Ugh, a thousand orcs! They say getting caught means you’ll get ripped limb from limb; that’s a bit nerve-wracking.
– I’m scared too. It feels a bit reckless, but we need rewards this big. I hope we get a second awakening.
– Everyone’s getting a second awakening nowadays.
– Please, oh god…!
Listening to the two hunters nearest to us, it seemed they wanted to ride the bus with us.
“Hmm… does it even matter? They’re just hurting themselves. It’s a good thing for us.”
Of course, it would be a good opportunity for us to easily eliminate the ones we dropped, but can we really achieve meaningful growth that way? It seems like we are miscalculating things a bit.
“Just challenging dungeons of a higher grade doesn’t create special events…”
Even if the system has some loose ends, it wouldn’t allow something like this. They might gain immediate benefits like levels or monetary gains, but they’re restricting their future growth.
“Registration finished! But I unexpectedly ran into some familiar faces.”
“Uh? Who?”
After finishing registration, Bae Joo-ah pointed with her finger at the members of the assassination group ‘Veil’ who we almost fought during the mimic event.
Their nicknames were Heuk-a, Cheong-a, and Jeok-a but they were formidable enough that even I was careful around them.
Among them was a big guy larger than Lizardman 1, his name was Heuk-a, who always perched on the shoulders of another. While his power seemed controlled, the magic energy emanating from him was considerable.
“Heuk-a… that guy is truly impressive. In terms of potential, he may even surpass Ah-rin.”
I remembered he was stronger than other party members, excluding me at that time, and he still maintained that gap.
Considering that we are growing rapidly, it was surprising. They were also likely growing as fast as us.
Moreover, they seemed to have a hidden trump card. The ability they mentioned was comparable to Baek Ah-rin’s Lightning Step.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones risking our lives here…”
As we stared at them, I saw Heuk-a hesitate, as if debating whether to raise his hand. What a cute guy.
They looked at us and began chatting among themselves.
– Tsk… starting the first boss battle with those guys.
– What the hell? Those people are completely different from back then, right? How did they level up so quickly? I heard they’ve been here since yesterday; how did we end up one day behind?
– Chill, Jeok-a. Back then, they outclassed us in overall combat power. If they completed the mimic event, their growth is definitely justifiable.
– I should have pointed them out back then! Tsk!
– What happened in just a few days… I guess wasting time two days ago at ‘Abandoned School’ really hurt!
– Damn Wraith… ugh, just thinking about it gives me the chills.
It seems they had quite a tough time with a non-physical monster race. Their matchup was indeed the worst.
They were exchanging ideas on how to narrow the gap in combat power. With that kind of talent and motivation, they couldn’t help but get stronger.
“It feels like they view us as rivals… but I don’t have time to get caught up in the whims of kids.”
Competing with kids like them might disrupt the rhythm we’ve carefully maintained.
So I walked ahead to block their gaze, pointing at the opposite position with my hand.
“Ah… this time, I get what Il-wol is saying. We shouldn’t get entangled with them uselessly, right?”
“Is that so… Il-wol, sometimes you can be scary, you know? Is there a person inside you?”
*Tap!*
We stood up and created as much distance as possible from them. When I looked back, Heuk-a had his eyes glued to Ah-rin’s back. Seems like he’s interested in our Ah-rin. My senses don’t lie.
Regretting leaving Heuk-a behind, we soon entered the boss battle. Out of the 100 participants, our party and ‘Veil’s four-member party were notably strong, while the rest fell significantly short.
The four-member group had already gained quite some recognition. I could tell as hunters began to gather around them.
“Other hunters should at least provide some minimal care…”
A few hunters looked weak enough that they might fly away if a gust blew.
If possible, it makes sense to preserve valuable hunter manpower. It wouldn’t do to waste talents that have reached D rank and above.
The battle began, and while it was a chaotic scene like yesterday, one thing changed—the formation.
Our party and the Veil party were stationed at opposite ends, and the wing-like formation spreading to the sides was more organized than yesterday.
People seemed to try to stay as close to us as possible, thinking they might get some leftover benefits.
Thanks to that, controlling the battle became much easier. I casually tested the shield Yeon-hee had created around her neck during the boss battle.
Based on my tests after getting hit by the shield a few times…
“This is… going to be a huge help. It reduces physical attack damage by about one-third. Amazing.”
While equipment or artifacts negate attacks below that threshold, the shield Yeon-hee created reduces damage by a certain percentage before the attack even lands.
Using this alongside high-quality armor would maximize defensive effectiveness and could significantly boost our overall strength.
I remembered when Yeon-hee was attacked during the promotion exam, and thanks to Lime’s power, she avoided major damage. If she aimed for that kind of effect, she has already succeeded.
“I wonder… can this be applied to the other party members too?”
Even though it’s labeled as a summoned creature exclusive ability, if Yeon-hee sets her mind to it she can surely create variations. Of course, I’m not sure if she’s even thought that far. Surprisingly, Yeon-hee doesn’t pay much attention to anyone other than the summoned creatures and me.
*Tap!*
“How’s it? Is it useful? Is it alright?”
*Nod, nod—*
“Yay! I knew it! Good! Now only expanding is left.”
As I pointed to my neck and gave a thumbs up, Yeon-hee jumped up and cheered. It’s rare for her to show such intense reactions, so I realized how much effort she put into this.
As Yeon-hee hopped and cheered, everyone was puzzled but had smiles on their faces.
It seems even if not as much as Ham Eun-young, people were happy to see usually silent Yeon-hee express her feelings.
Today, I took a step back and played the support role. Though as a supporter, I was essentially playing a commander, others might just see me as a crazy skeleton randomly launching bombs and fireballs at awkward times and places.
*Rumble…*
*Thud!*
The last remaining Orc Intermediate Warrior was finished off by Heuk-a. That guy seems to lack some strength, just like Ah-rin. He dragged it out longer than necessary.
“Thank you, everyone. It’s been a while since we had no casualties. Please assist those who fell beside you on your way out.”
The voice of a management staff echoed.
The boss battle ended in the blink of an eye. The presence of ‘Veil’ and us…
Having a party to rely on made a world of difference compared to yesterday.
– Eliminate 10,000 enemies in stealth using dagger-type weapons. (542/10,000)
– Eliminate 10,000 enemies using attribute skills. (649/10,000)
Starting with Skeleton Bombs and Fireballs, finishing with daggers became more common, and soon the gap between the two quests significantly narrowed.
I’m also realizing how good the trait [Obsession] is.
I can completely ignore loot farming, allowing me to fight with much more ease than before. Thanks to that, I could subtly take care of the surrounding hunters as well.
*Clink—*
‘This is heavy.’
The weight of the mana stones in my leather pouch is considerable.
The mana stones I earned today alone amount to ten million won. I didn’t have much fun with the runes, but this income was satisfactory enough.
“Hmm…”
As we headed towards the exit after the boss battle, four members of ‘Veil’ walked up to us.
They didn’t seem to be coming to threaten us, and they didn’t step ahead either. Still, I pulled out a Skeleton Bomb and concealed it in stealth, just in case.
“Uh… long time no see.”
A boyish looking man named Heuk-a shyly greeted us. It was surprising for him to suddenly approach after saying we should stick together next time.
“Hello? But we haven’t met for many days, right?”
Ah-rin perked her ears up, revealing her vigilance. The guy showed friendliness while the girl showed caution. With flower petals blowing from somewhere, it was quite the dramatic scene.
‘Spring is nice, huh?’
Since this wasn’t a world I had ties to, all I wanted was to go home.
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