Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: The Sea and the Treasure
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The dungeon of the necromancer, Noma.
Gobang, encountered the Super Monster Hydra in a place he never expected.
He knew it the moment he saw it.
There was a certain feeling.
All nine heads were familiar.
It was that thing from back then.
Even if it had grown due to necromancy.
The Super Monster Hydra also recognized Gobang.
Because this human was the one who had driven it to the brink of death.
Gobang remembered.
The memory of that time.
The trauma etched into his soul.
Was it because of the pain of his entire body melting from the acid breath?
No. That wasn't it.
He had always endured physical pain in his life,
and as a warrior of the Great Plains, what was shameful about dying while confronting monsters?
Wasn't it something to be proud of, rather?
Gobang's trauma was for another reason.
The betrayal of the comrades he had trusted.
While wandering the continent alone, he had met the hero Arius and his party.
Arius accepted him, a foolish barbarian, as a comrade.
How grateful he was for that generous heart.
So he traveled all over the continent with Arius.
They hunted magical beasts and monsters, completed requests, and shared friendship with the other comrades.
But it was a misunderstanding.
From the beginning, he was not their friend.
In the end, he was discarded.
"Barbarian warrior, just keep the Super Monster Hydra's attention on you."
"Then we'll quickly finish it off."
"Don't worry about healing spells. We'll definitely save you."
Gobang faced the Hydra alone.
The creature's vicious acid breath.
Its sharp claw attacks.
But he endured to the end.
Waiting for his comrades to help him.
Finally, pinned by the Hydra's claw and unable to escape, he looked back to ask for help.
The comrades he had always fought with were sitting calmly in the back, sneering and mocking him with sinister smiles.
"What are you looking at? We had no choice."
"With nine heads, we could be in danger if we're not careful."
"I don't want to get hit by acid breath."
"Sorry, but take responsibility to the end."
"Thanks for everything until now, I won't forget it."
"Let it use up all its acid breath and weaken, then we'll capture it."
"Arius, you're a genius as always."
"How can he be compared to that dumb barbarian brat?"
"That guy was perfect as a meat shield after all."
That was it.
The barbarian warrior of the Great Plains.
He was nothing but a meat shield.
Of course, he was still a meat shield now.
But the meaning was completely different.
The matured Super Monster Hydra.
Himself, grown larger through Gigantification.
This was doable.
Wasn't he the one who had ascended to SSR thanks to the Summoner's grace?
He wouldn't let a single drop of acidic poison splash on his master.
Ssssizzzzle!
Acid breath was spewing simultaneously from nine heads.
He could dodge it.
But rather than dodging, he advanced.
That was the fighting style he had used until now.
Crossing his arms into an X-shape to block the breath, Gobang leaped nimbly onto the Hydra's back.
Hiss-ss-ss!
The flesh on his forearms melted away.
Acrid smoke also billowed up.
But his skin regenerated quickly nonetheless.
Gobang powerfully thrust out his hand.
Crunch!
One of the Hydra's heads was grabbed.
Holding the upper and lower jaws with both hands,
he exerted force and tore it apart.
Riiip! Tear! Removing one neck,
"Krrraaaarrrk!"
The eight remaining heads howled.
This thing's weakness was clear too.
The heads were connected to each other, and thus felt the pain together.
But he had to hurry.
This thing also possessed regenerative abilities.
The lost head would soon regenerate.
He grabbed another head, Riiip! Tear!
"Grooooooowl!"
The Hydra didn't just attack with breath.
Swish! Just now, a sharp claw attack left a long wound on his chest.
"Gah!"
"Die!"
It was a fierce struggle.
Acid breath was flying from the remaining seven heads.
Dodge if possible, take the hit if not.
Had he improved a bit?
But the other two heads were also regenerating.
The battle wasn't decided easily.
Both the monster and himself had grown equally.
Gobang glanced towards the direction where his comrades were.
What were they doing?
His Summoner was stomping his feet with an anxious expression as he watched.
The Assassin, stepping with a side step, ready to dash out at any moment.
His soulmate Bardin, was clutching his flail with trembling fists.
Sergeant V with her sharp gaze was aiming her magic gun in a standing shooting stance.
Princess Gyeon Dal-rae was kneeling with hands clasped together in prayer.
All of them were sincerely worried about him.
If he said just one word here, they would all come running.
It was reassuring.
They were his true comrades.
And now,
Gobang's trauma was healed.
The scars engraved deep in his soul.
Completely.
It would be okay to die here.
He could die content.
Gwang-ma still hadn't killed the necromancer Noma.
He was just leisurely watching the fight between the nine-headed monster and the barbarian Gobang, taking his time.
"Is that the monster you created?"
The necromancer Noma couldn't answer.
He couldn't even open his mouth.
"You dared to challenge a Summoner, relying on just that? Tsk tsk, pathetic creature."
Gwang-ma chuckled derisively.
"Hmph, well, I suppose I can understand. With your pitiful abilities, you'd have no choice but to rely on monsters to preserve your wretched life."
Twitch, twitch. Noma's lips were trembling.
His complexion flushed bright red.
Unbearable agony.
The excruciating pain of muscles tearing and bones shattering was occuring within his body.
It was the punishment this old man, like a demon king, had inflicted on him, calling it "sinew-twisting, bone-crushing,"
He couldn't writhe.
He couldn't even move a muscle.
He desperately wanted to die.
He wanted to escape this hellish suffering in an instant.
"Though I am bound by a taboo and cannot speak to our Summoner, there is something I can say to you."
What taboo now?
"The Tower is dualistic. The malice (惡意) that seeks to collapse the Tower and lead the world to ruin, and another, the benevolence (善意) that uses the Tower to change the world and bestow abundance. These two coexist."
The Tower?
Did he mean the Demon Tower?
"Look at our Summoner. Why do you think that noble person gained power? It must be the latter, of course, for he is a savior."
Was he talking about the young man who looked the weakest as the Summoner?
"Thanks to that reason, when the Summoner climbs the Tower, it even opens events like this. Thankfully so."
Gwang-ma, who had been smiling contentedly, slightly frowned and continued.
"But as I said earlier, the Tower is also a sign of destruction. When the malice operates, it tries by all means to eliminate our Summoner."
"Of course, it's more outside the Tower than inside. The probability of death inside the Tower isn't that high, after all."
He felt like he was going crazy.
He couldn't hold on like this.
"Right. The true ordeal is outside the Tower. Isn't that so? The dangerous place is always the outside."
Outside?
Then why was I defeated inside?
"Does it hurt? Endure a little longer. I'll make you comfortable soon."
When?
"You'll find relief when the monster you created dies."
Was he talking about the Super Monster Hydra?
Please die quickly.
The necromancer Noma earnestly waited for the Super Beast to die.
But why wasn't it dying?
That thing had to die for him to die too.
If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have attached things like dragon bones and scales.
"It will be over soon."
Meanwhile,
Huff! Huff! Whoosh!
Kosak, diligently practicing his side steps, spoke.
"When do we go in? Backstab, side stab ready, sir."
"...Just a moment."
Joo-hyuk was also gauging the timing.
He planned to charge in the moment Gobang showed even a hint of weakness.
But he was still fighting so vigorously,
and how could he ignore Gobang's earnest plea to handle it alone?
'If I intervene here...'
Gobang might be disappointed.
He might think I didn't trust him.
'But what if he dies like that?'
He would be in a state of being unsummonable for 100 days.
Only his soul would exist in that world, unable to come out to reality.
He wouldn't even be able to eat the meat he loved so much.
He bought meat, why couldn't Gobang eat it?
If he couldn't come out, there's no meat either.
Time flowed slowly.
To intervene or to trust and leave it to him.
At that moment!
"Oh! Gobang just looked at us, sir."
"...Did he?"
"He must be asking for help, sir. We must go now, sir."
"Hmm, that, well..."
Sigh, is this right?
The Ordinary Guy's nature was smoldering up again.
After his mind wavered back and forth about 12 times a minute,
Joo-hyuk finally made a decision.
"Coffee Auntie... no, Dungeon DJ Princess."
"...Speak, my lord."
"Switch on!"
"I shall play the Celestial Ritual Music."
Simultaneously,
"The rest of the Summoned, to the Super Monster Hydra..."
He didn't need to finish the sentence.
They had already sensed what Joo-hyuk's will was.
Squeak! Bardin dashed out like light, holding his flail.
"Light!!! My soulmate!!!"
Whoosh! Swish-swish-swish!
Kosak also left afterimages with his Shadow Step and was already perched on the Hydra's back.
"Gobang, bro's here."
Sergeant V advanced while firing her magic gun.
"Assault forward mode, acid breath interception."
Bam! Bam-bam! Bam-bam-bam!
Her magic gun bullets, guided with precision, lodged into the throats of the Hydra heads that opened their mouths to spew breath.
And, slowly, slowly.
Thump! Thump-thump!
Clang! Clang-clang!
Ching! Cha-ching!
Princess Gyeon Dal-rae walked leisurely, pushing the handcart from which the melody of the Celestial Ritual Music flowed.
The Super Monster Hydra was being shredded by various weapons.
How could it possibly hold on?
"Kiiiiieee!"
One by one, the heads disappeared.
Finally.
"Kiiiiiiieee..."
Only the torso remained of the Hydra.
'Oh!'
An +α reward appeared too.
Good.
'I'll get one more skill.'
And Razix, who had been missing, came rolling over, tumble-tumble-tumble.
"Huh?"
With skilled hand movements, he began skinning the Super Monster Hydra.
But what about the necromancer Noma?
Was he difficult to deal with?
Joo-hyuk turned his head towards Gwang-ma.
Right then! Crunch!
The necromancer's head burst under Gwang-ma's touch.
Somehow, the necromancer's expression looked peaceful.
'...Huh?'
Another Liberation Rune Necklace.
'Do these drop this easily?'
He heard you could acquire them as clear rewards too, but isn't this too generous?
The Tower-Exclusive Holy Water of Divine Power was the same.
This was the second one too.
'Do they only drop from the 71st Floor and above?'
The Liberation Rune Necklace definitely only dropped from the 71st Floor and above, he was told.
But the Holy Water might not be the same.
Since the 70th Floor clear benefit lifted restrictions on potions like elixirs and potions on all floors of the Black Tower.
Anyway, had Razix finished skinning the Hydra?
"Wheeeew!"
"Oh! Truly the foremost servant. Your skinning skills have reached the pinnacle."
"A waste, sir. Should have left a few heads, sir."
"The torso alone is sufficient."
It was all skinned.
They could take the hide too.
Poof!
As soon as Joo-hyuk exited the Tower, he released all his Summoned.
He asked for their understanding in advance, saying he would call them again later.
What to do in the meantime?
Go outside, of course.
He turned off his smartphone too.
Vice Commissioner Jeon Gwang-il might call to congratulate him on the 72nd Floor S+++ grade clear and all, but was that important right now?
Both the 71st and 72nd Floors had been very tough.
For Joo-hyuk, for Gobang, and for the other Summoned.
They needed healing right away.
There's nothing better than the sea for a city dweller's healing.
Mountain stream enthusiasts might be disappointed to hear it,
but Joo-hyuk got in his camper van and sped off onto the Yeongdong Expressway.
His destination was the coastal road along the East Sea beach.
Perhaps because it was a weekday, there weren't many people or cars.
Thus, he arrived at a quiet sandy beach by the sea around evening.
There, Joo-hyuk summoned his Summoned.
He would summon Gwang-ma-nim later when the meat was grilled and the drinks were ready, since his summoning time was short.
"...The sea, sir?"
"Seeing the blue sea, this maiden feels peace."
"Warrior likes it too."
If Gobang liked it, that was good enough.
"My lord, it's been a long time since I've seen the sea."
"Sergeant V, Veronica Caliber, I wish to sleep on the sandy beach."
"Hoooo..."
They all sat on the sandy beach and gazed at the sea.
The gradually darkening night sea.
The sound of crashing waves.
Seizing the calm atmosphere, Joo-hyuk asked Gobang.
"Mr. Gobang."
"Speak, Summoner."
"...Are you okay? It must have been a big shock. Have you overcome the trauma?"
At that, Gobang smiled faintly.
"I overcame it."
That was a relief.
He seemed fine.
"Were you disappointed that I interfered when you tried to handle it alone?"
"Not at all! Sorry for my selfish wish and for defying Summoner's command."
"Ah, don't worry about that."
"I will not do so again."
The other Summoned also wore content expressions.
Bardin nodded his head, and Gyeon Dal-rae's eyes welled up with tears.
On the other hand, Kosak wore a scornful expression,
"Trauma? A big guy like you? In this Kosak-nim's dictionary, there's not even the letter 'T' for trauma. Got it? That's the difference between you and me!"
Right at that moment.
Suddenly, Veronica sprang to her feet.
She approached Gobang sitting on the sand, grabbed his head with both hands, and hugged him tightly.
Squelch.
Gobang's head was buried in Veronica's chest.
"You overcame it well. I saw many comrades suffering from PTSD during my service too. You are an excellent comrade of mine."
Ahem, cough, hmm.
Kosak's pupils spun round and round.
Soon after, he crawled on his knees towards Veronica with a soulless expression.
"Sergeant V."
"...."
"I may seem very cheerful on the outside, but deep down, I am an assassin, sir."
"So?"
"More than anyone, I have suffered from PTSD..."
"Get lost!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Around this time, a question.
"Mr. Gobang, we defeated the Hydra, but there's still something left."
"Huh? What's left?"
"The fake hero Arius, the king of the Norton Kingdom."
"...."
Jolt!
Gobang's expression changed.
"Of course, it's not certain. We'll have to go in to know, but the 73rd Floor mission might be linked too. For example, something like defeating the fake hero Arius."
At those words, Gobang smiled brightly.
"If such a mission appears..."
Was he going to say he forgives?
Thinking of Gobang's usual self, that might be the case.
Since he overcame his trauma.
"I will show them merciless retribution. I'll roll them into a ball and launch them in to the sky. I will savor the sweetness of revenge."
"...."
In many ways, Gobang had changed a lot.
Well, what's more unsatisfying than forgiveness?
Revenge was the best.
Anyway, let's heal, heal!
Staring blankly at the sea, and lighting a bonfire to stare at the fire.
A wide table was set up.
Eight chairs too.
He should summon Gwang-ma-nim soon.
But before that.
"Mr. Razix, you have the hide you skinned earlier, right?"
"Huh?"
"Spread it on the sand. For Sergeant V to sleep on."
"Ho!"
Whoosh!
The Hydra's enormous hide emerged from the subspace backpack.
It was incredibly large.
Much larger than the living room of Joo-hyuk's penthouse.
But while taking out the hide, a few pebbles tumbled out with it. Picking them up, they were high-grade magic stones.
"Did you find these in the dungeon?"
At Joo-hyuk's words, Razix, as if remembering something, hit his head with a thump!
"Ho!"
Razix fumbled to take off his subspace bag,
then turned it upside down and shook it over the Hydra hide.
Then, thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud!
"...Huh?"
A cascade of items poured out.
It poured endlessly.
Thud-thud-thud! Thud-thud! Thud-thud-thud…
'What is all this?'
An immense, uncountable quantity of high-grade magic stones.
Various metal ingots, potions and elixirs,
shimmering gemstones,
Was that all?
Swords and shields, bows and crossbows, staffs and wands, and other weapons.
Helmets, armor, boots, gauntlets, greaves, and other defensive gear.
They piled up.
Piled high.
Piled up like a mountain.
"In...insane!"
Razix had looted the entire treasure vault of the necromancer's dungeon.