Chapter 102
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Okinawa, Unlucky Event - 2
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“...Wow, what’s with this EXP? This is insane!”
Kim Se-hee marveled at the level-up message that appeared before her eyes after defeating a level 62 monster, an ‘Avatar of Eldjotunn.’
She had just reached level 50. Considering she was level 34 when she was discharged from the military, it was an incredible rate of growth.
"Team Leader Kim, is the EXP gain really that good?”
Park Jun-mo, standing beside her, asked.
"Ah, right. You wouldn't know this thrilling feeling, would you?”
It was a kind of fun that couldn't be experienced through non-level-based growth traits.
"I... only know the feeling of being struck by lightning."
"Hmm, I guess that would be thrilling in a different way."
Park Jun-mo nodded, his expression somewhat dejected.
"So this is what it feels like to get carried. We just have to poke at what President Lee wipes out from behind, and the EXP just rolls in, right?”
‘Carried.’ Such slang was still used from time to time.
At her words, Lee Hyun-wook let out a small laugh.
"That's right. That's why I brought you. To give you a proper power-leveling session."
"I see. I failed to see the bigger picture again..."
In fact, when he had mentioned going to the Okinawa Unlucky Event, she had grumbled under her breath that he was taking them to nothing but dangerous places.
Of course, it was true that this place was incredibly dangerous.
‘Even I would have been in trouble if I'd come in without knowing the strategy.’
*Thump— Thump—*
"Oh, I think there are still a few more."
"You're right. It's not time to relax yet."
Five minutes later, a total of sixteen of them lay sprawled across the road.
In the meantime, the other Players had taken refuge in a building, throwing off their thick winter clothes and surrounding themselves with all sorts of ice magic.
But...
"Ugh, I-I'm running out of mana."
It seemed that cooling the surrounding temperature with ice magic was only a temporary solution; it was impossible to cool the entirety of this boiling air.
They had only prepared for the cold, leaving them defenseless against the heat.
"Gasp, I can't breathe... The exhaustion is getting worse."
"I'm... already at stage two. Ugh—"
The Priest-class ‘Protection’ magic had some effect, but...
"H-hey, can I get a protection spell too?"
"Ah... sorry. It's on cooldown right now."
Even that had its limits.
This ‘Hellish Heatwave’ wasn't just about high temperatures. It systematically applied all sorts of ‘debuffs,’ making it extremely difficult to endure.
Kim Se-hee watched them suffer.
In contrast, the three of them were in the same condition as always.
The reason for that was...
- ‘Effect of the Twilight Clover’ is active. (00:13:11)
It was thanks to a certain item Lee Hyun-wook had prepared.
"...By the way, did you happen to predict this situation too?"
Lee Hyun-wook shook his head at Kim Se-hee's question.
"Hmm, it's not prediction, it's preparation."
"Wow, seriously, sometimes I wonder if you're psychic."
She said it like a joke, but it felt like something more.
Just then, Nagano Taiga approached.
She staggered, drenched in sweat.
Lee Hyun-wook supported her.
"W-what happened? How are you all... how..."
Lee Hyun-wook held out a small potion bottle to her.
[Item Information]
- Name: Essence of Twilight Clover (Small)
- Effect: Upon consumption, grants immunity to heat-related status effects for 30 minutes. (However, it only has a 30% damage reduction effect against flame attacks.)
This, too, was a special item procured by Emilia Müller.
It wasn't from the World Tree this time, but a potion brewed from ‘Twilight Clover,’ a rare magical herb that grew around the World Tree.
It was an item so precious one couldn't help but wonder where he had gotten it, as it was one of the items whose export was controlled by the Republic of Chad.
"Ah... this will surely block this dreadful heat."
"Yes, but I don't have many, so not everyone can use it."
She drank the potion, and her condition gradually improved.
"Mr. Lee Hyun-wook, but—"
"—You're asking how I predicted a situation like this, right?"
The same question Kim Se-hee had just asked came up again.
She nodded blankly.
"As I've said twice before, I tend to be thorough with my preparations."
At his words, she looked down at the potion she had received from him.
To think he carried something like this around just in case. Did that even make sense?
"To call it just preparation... it feels more like you knew this would happen. You even refused to wear winter clothing before we entered..."
She began to harbor some rational suspicion.
In response, Lee Hyun-wook let out a small smile.
"I just... had a hunch. Of course, I didn't predict heat, the exact opposite of cold. But if even S-rank Players were caught off guard at the beginning, I figured something would happen the moment we entered, so I avoided the thick winter clothes. They hinder movement, after all."
"Ah..."
"During my first dungeon raid, I had to block arrows raining down from above the moment I passed through the gate. It's all experience."
As always, he came up with a plausible excuse.
"I-if you had such an opinion, you could have at least suggested it to us..."
"I wonder. Was the atmosphere conducive to listening to what I had to say?"
"..."
"I apologize, but I'm not one to waste my energy on pointless endeavors."
Her face flushed. Yes, even she had to admit... the situation right before entering hadn't been that kind of atmosphere.
"Ah..."
While she was at a loss for words, Lee Hyun-wook turned his body.
And then he began to... dissect the corpse of the ‘Avatar of Eldjotunn.’
*Slice— Slice—*
"Huh? What are you doing now..."
He boldly cut open its scorching chest and pulled something out.
- You have obtained a ‘Blazing Heart.’
The giant's heart was in the form of a red gem.
*Tssssss—!*
And it was incredibly hot. If not for Solidification, he would have been burned despite having consumed the blessing of the Twilight Clover.
‘This is a pretty good material item.’
It wasn't as good as the ‘Agni Crystal’ in his shotgun, the Black Rhino, but it seemed to have a considerable heat output, so it would be useful.
‘This one has an explosive property, so if I coat it with metal and add a stabilizer... I could probably make some kind of guided bomb.’
Perhaps because his dedicated blacksmiths were creating such incredible things, whenever he saw a material item like this, he would first think of how to use it.
‘And as alchemy develops, I might be able to replicate this, right?’
He went a step further, contemplating the future applications of the alchemy he planned to invest in.
Nagano Taiga, who had been watching him, couldn't hold back and asked.
"Excuse me, that... why are you collecting it?"
"Hmm, it's a material item. Farming."
Lee Hyun-wook said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"No, that's not what I mean... That item holds heat, doesn't it? If you carry it on you, it will only worsen the debuff."
"Yes, it would."
"What? Uh, a-and we don't have time for this!"
*Slice— Slice—*
"No, I really don't understand, why are you collecting those?"
Lee Hyun-wook pulled out another heart and raised his head.
"Why... for preparation, of course. This is the fourth time I'm saying it."
"No, what kind of preparation could you possibly make with that..."
She soon realized that it was pointless to keep questioning him.
The important thing right now wasn't to understand him.
‘The important thing right now... is to survive.’
Therefore, she suppressed her curiosity and pride and opened her mouth.
"...In that case, what should we do now?"
No matter how deep the emotional rift between Korea and Japan was, she wasn't foolish enough to think she couldn't rely on a Korean in a situation like this.
***
Lee Hyun-wook distributed the ‘Essence of Twilight Clover’ only to the warrior-class Players, and they decided to support the others as they moved.
At first, he had considered summoning ‘Pridwen,’ but the moment he saw a swarm of insects streaking across the sky, he abandoned the thought.
*Buzzzzz—*
Those weren't just any swarm of insects. They were creatures from hell that melted everything they touched by spewing hot plasma from their rears.
‘And there are Villains here, so it's not a good idea to carelessly let people on board.’
*Thud— Thud—*
They soon entered Urasoe City, Okinawa.
The blood-red sky and the gray heat rising from the ground... the silent city center shimmered as if it were boiling.
"...Our original destination is 'Urasoe Second Shelter'."
At the entrance to the city, the rescue team leader, Nagano Taiga, spoke.
Before the mission, they had heard from Shizuoka Koga, a survivor from the first rescue team, that the first team members had taken refuge in that very shelter.
But then, she shook her head as if to deny her own words.
"...But now that I think about it, I can't believe that."
Everyone looked at her with puzzled expressions.
"Look at this situation. It's the complete opposite of that man's explanation. We believed his words and prepared for the cold... and we were nearly wiped out."
"..."
"And I thought about what 'Loki's Mischief' could be. Loki is a trickster and a master of transformation, right? So maybe..."
Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
"Plausible. Doppelgängers are a phenomenon that appears from time to time."
But in truth, it wasn't just plausible; it was the correct answer.
Shizuoka Koga, the sole survivor from the first rescue team who had come out crying and testifying about the situation inside the dome, was not actually a Player.
‘...The real Shizuoka Koga died inside.’
And the Shizuoka who had gone outside was a ‘Doppelgänger.’
Here, a ‘Doppelgänger’ would imitate the dead. It would absorb the memories of the deceased and use them to deceive Players.
However, since it was an empty shell that couldn't equip items or use skills, experienced Players would quickly notice its existence.
‘But even a brief deception is enough to lead them to their deaths.’
Just like this second rescue team.
The moment the second team entered, it must have vanished into black smoke, causing an uproar outside.
Thus, the system presented trials in various ways.
"But for now, we have no choice but to move to the shelter."
Nagano Taiga nodded at Lee Hyun-wook's words.
It was true that they had no other options at the moment.
Still, a shelter would offset the Hellish Heatwave to some extent.
It was a place where the debuffed rescue team members could recover their stamina.
*Thump— Thump—*
Just then, the ground shook.
"Ah, damn it—"
Nagano Taiga muttered as she drew her staff.
It seemed Avatars of Eldjotunn were lurking throughout the city. They emerged from the alleys, having torn out streetlights and roadside trees.
"I'll take care of them, so everyone please step back."
"Hmph, since the Korean team worked hard earlier, I'll help too."
A cold energy flowed from the tip of her staff.
However, Lee Hyun-wook blocked her path.
"Nagano, no. Save your ice magic."
The single AD-1 floating above Lee Hyun-wook's head moved.
From the subspace at its bottom, something slowly emerged.
*Whoosh—*
The greatsword Morglay descended before Lee Hyun-wook.
As he lightly extended his left hand, Morglay flew as if scraping the ground, roughly striking the ankles of the black giants.
*Crash—Wham—Boom—Bang—!*
With that single blow, seven Avatars of Eldjotunn tumbled down at once.
"—I'm going in!"
Park Jun-mo charged in after them.
*Crackle—!*
A web of electricity spread across the ground, crushing them. The creatures, which should have been regenerating their ankles and getting back up with their incredible recovery speed, were momentarily stunned by the shock. Following that, Kim Se-hee's wind blades shot out and pierced their eyes.
*Groooaaar—!*
The creatures panicked and floundered at the coordinated attack.
"Alright, we've each hit them once! Let's finish them off!"
Just then, Morglay, having circled back—
*Crash—Wham—Boom—Bang—!*
This time, it aimed not for their legs but their heads. From the severed surfaces—their throats—scarlet lava gurgled and erupted, melting the asphalt.
*Tsssssssssssss—!*
At the sight, Nagano Taiga was once again left speechless.
‘What, he could have killed them in one go... Is he sharing the EXP?’
In other words, this wasn't a battle for survival, but literally a hunt.
‘Lee Hyun-wook... seeing him in person, he's stronger than I thought.’
This overwhelming feeling... she was reminded once again how different it was to see a phenomenon on video versus in person.
And she recalled a short conversation she had with her colleagues about him when she heard he had expressed his desire to participate in this operation.
"Seriously, that Lee Hyun-wook guy, doesn't he seem crazy about playing the hero?"
"Right? He seems so excited, can't tell when to butt in and when not to."
"And even if he looks amazing on video, he's probably nothing special in person. An S-rank is trapped inside, who does he think he is, showing up like a hero?"
"Tsk, tsk, kids from that country are always so full of themselves."
...She felt a pang of embarrassment.
‘Yes, I just wanted to dismiss him without knowing anything...’
Lee Hyun-wook once again began to extract the hearts from the creatures.
It was a scene that was incomprehensible to the other Players.
"...By the way, that guy, why does he keep collecting those?"
"I know, right? Ugh, I wish we could just hurry to the shelter..."
But no one raised any objections.
They knew all too well that they could only survive because he was here.
It was then.
"Hey! Look over there!"
In the distance, not a giant, but an ordinary human figure appeared.
"...Huh? Who's there?"
"Could it be, the second rescue team?"
They had encountered Gato Shinichi, a survivor from the first rescue team.
***
The first rescue team was currently staying in a shelter. That didn't mean they had given up on the raid; they were sending out ‘search parties’ in shifts every hour, trying to find a way to clear it.
‘Just as they suspect, a solution exists somewhere on this map.’
And Gato Shinichi, too, had been on one of those search missions when he was attacked by monsters and separated from his party.
"Hah..."
He gulped down some water and looked around anxiously.
"T-there are an unusual number of Avatars of Eldjotunn around here."
"Ah, it's okay. That man over there just took care of them all."
He looked at the person Nagano Taiga was pointing to.
A black metal box floated above his head.
"Ah?"
He realized who the person symbolized by that item was.
"That person, is that Lee Hyun-wook?"
"Yes, that's right."
"No way, why is he here..."
"We all survived thanks to him."
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook approached.
"...You said your name was Gato?"
"Yes, Mr. Lee Hyun-wook. It's an honor to meet you like this."
He bowed politely.
"Here, drink this."
Lee Hyun-wook offered him something.
"Is this that..."
"Yes, it will help you withstand the Hellish Heatwave."
It was the ‘Potion of Twilight Clover's Blessing.’
"I heard you didn't have many of these, is it alright for you to give this to me..."
"Of course. You're the one who has to guide us, Mr. Gato."
The party then followed Gato Shinichi's lead toward the shelter.
"By the way, Gato, is Shizuoka Koga by any chance..."
Nagano Taiga mentioned the ‘survivor's’ name. She was trying to confirm if he was really the messenger sent out by the first rescue team.
However, a completely unexpected answer came back.
"That friend... died the moment we entered."
"What? Are you sure you saw him die?"
"Yes, his body is in the shelter. Why do you ask?"
At his words, she turned to look at Lee Hyun-wook.
"A-as expected..."
It was the moment that confirmed Shizuoka Koga was an imposter.
"Huh? Nagano, what's wrong?"
"Ah, Gato, you see..."
She explained that the man had come out of the dome alone and testified that this place was covered in ‘cold.’
Gato Shinichi's eyes widened.
"What? N-no, is that really true? A-a doppelgänger?"
"Yes, could that be what 'Loki's Mischief' means?"
"If that's true, what a nasty trap. This is crazy..."
Loki, the god from Norse mythology, was said to enjoy playing pranks on others using his transformation skills. The field name <Loki's Mischief> that appeared upon entry, and the current situation, seemed to align with that.
‘But as far as I know, Loki himself doesn't actually appear.’
However, a series of traps related to him would appear.
The doppelgänger, which steals another's appearance, was a prime example.
"Wow... seriously, what kind of messed up situation is this?"
Gato Shinichi muttered as if in anger. It seemed he was rather shocked by the fact that he had been played by a doppelgänger.
Thus, raids sometimes required facing puzzles, and at other times, facing traps of a malicious difficulty.
‘This game that has encroached upon our world is by no means kind.’
Meanwhile, Lee Hyun-wook discreetly observed the members of the <Iron Eagle> guild.
"Ugh..."
"Damn, I feel like a Texas barbecue."
Even if they were Villains, they hadn't known about the environment inside.
Therefore, they suffered just the same and nearly died just the same.
Lee Hyun-wook did not miss the moment they were struggling.
He subtly planted a ‘Fly Eye’ in their bags.
Just then, they came to a fork in the road.
"Isn't the shelter in this direction closer and bigger? The map says there's a Grade 2 shelter just 1km straight down this road."
Nagano Taiga asked, looking at her map.
"...Ah, that shelter has been overrun."
"What? Then what happened to the refugees?"
"That... tch, let's just go."
Gato Shinichi made a bitter face and started walking to the right.
Just then, Lee Hyun-wook suddenly asked.
"By the way, Gato, isn't it a bit hot?"
"...Excuse me?"
Gato Shinichi showed a somewhat puzzled expression.
"I was asking if you needed another potion. It seems like we still have a ways to go to the shelter, and your condition is important, since you're our guide."
"Ah, thank you, but the potion you gave me earlier still has about 10 minutes left on its effect. It would be better to save that one for later."
He bowed his head slightly, as if thanking him for his concern.
"Ah... that?"
Lee Hyun-wook's feet slowly came to a halt.
"That... was just... water."
At that one sentence, everyone stopped.
"...Water, you say?"
Nagano Taiga asked.
"What was in the bottle I gave you was not a potion."
"If you really gave it to him, there's no way he wouldn't know, right?"
Lee Hyun-wook nodded.
"Yes, but a non-Player entity wouldn't be able to tell the difference."
NPCs and monsters can't see ‘system messages.’ That meant they couldn't ‘intuitively’ distinguish the contents of a potion.
"Gato, you're enduring this Hellish Heatwave even after drinking plain water?"
Gato Shinichi slowly turned his head.
And behind Lee Hyun-wook, an airship had appeared at some point.
*Whoooooosh—!*
From it, 30 AD-1s poured out and scattered—beginning to blanket the sky in the area.
Their shadows fell over Lee Hyun-wook's head.
Lee Hyun-wook looked at Gato Shinichi and asked curtly.
"...Bodysnatcher, are you the boss monster?"