Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: A Dampened Battle
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It was the day the Korean Black Tower's 63rd-floor strategy by player Nam Ga-eun was scheduled.
Jeon Gwang-il rushed early in the morning to an item crafting workshop located on the outskirts of Seoul.
Meeting a master craftsman who had dedicated his life to blacksmithing,
"Master, is the repair finished?"
"The sword's material was Orichalcum metal. There was enough Orichalcum so repairing it wasn't a problem, but..."
"Is there an issue?"
"The sword was worn and chipped in many places from the very beginning. Many of the engravings were also worn away, making it impossible to verify the original. So I couldn't fix the existing damage."
"Then what about the new damage that occurred while player Nam Ga-eun was using it?"
"Those parts have been fully repaired."
"Ah! That's great. No problem then."
When acquiring the item, damage that existed from the start was unavoidable.
The newly formed parts could be repaired.
Still, that was something, right?
He also didn't forget to deposit the rental fee to Bong Joo-hyuk.
The first rental was free, but this was the second time renting.
'I should deposit 1 billion.'
In this urgent and critical situation, was 1 billion even money?
Also, it was a benefit received because it was for Korea.
However, if renting to another country, he would demand at least ten times that amount.
Jeon Gwang-il rushed to the Awakening Management Bureau with the repaired sword.
All the staff were gathered in the Bureau's main hall.
Among the staff, he approached player Nam Ga-eun, who was waiting in full gear.
"Here you are."
"Is it completely repaired?"
"Not entirely. It's..."
Jeon Gwang-il relayed the story he heard from the master to Nam Ga-eun.
"Aha! As long as it's the same as before, it's fine. I'll just have to use it carefully."
"Are you really going to attempt the strategy today?"
"I told you. As long as I can withstand the dark aura, the skeletons are just bones."
After meticulously checking that the body camera attached to her chest was working properly,
"I'll be back from the 63rd floor."
"I wish you the best of luck."
"Everyone, cheer up! Go!"
The Bureau staff also cheered her on.
"Fighting! Nam Ga-eun!"
"Come back safely."
"I'll hold my breath and wait until you return."
"Show them the terror of a gym rat."
Waving her hand to each of them,
"See you later."
Fwoop!
Nam Ga-eun disappeared.
The Bureau staff remained rooted to the spot.
Would it really go as hoped?
Then, about two hours later.
Again.
Fwoop!
She reappeared.
"Uh, how did it go?"
Nam Ga-eun smiled brightly and made a V-sign with her hand.
"Clear successful!"
And then,
"Woooooah!!!"
A cheer that seemed to shake the Bureau erupted.
Nam Ga-eun, her nose tingling as if she was about to cry, touched her nose and fidgeted awkwardly.
She knew too.
It wasn't because she was amazing.
'Player Bong, thank you so much.'
If she didn't have the holy sword item he gave her?
It would have been an unconditional tower collapse.
'I should give him a gift too.'
The rental fee was the rental fee, and a gift was a gift.
What do men like?
Jeon Gwang-il was also deeply moved.
With the holy sword, she could likely reach the 66th floor, no, even the 67th floor without much trouble.
Then the 68th floor?
By that time, it would be around when player Bong Joo-hyuk would be ascending to the 60s floors.
He would be even more reliable than the holy sword.
"Player Nam Ga-eun, please give me the body camera."
"Are you going to release this right away too?"
"We need to quell the public's anxiety."
"Yes!"
The situation had been completely turned around.
I had been resting for a long time.
Actually, the 28th-floor strategy was too easy.
Even Kosak had been standing by, watching me rampage.
The 30th floor was a floor where a Twin-Headed Troll appears as the boss.
Maybe it would be a little fun.
'How many should I hunt?'
Thinking about it, there were some good points about Gyeon Dal-rae coming.
Since Kosak couldn't move a muscle.
If I yelled at him, "Summoner Bong, don't you dare move!"
Maybe a furious rebuke would come down, "You bastard! You have no manners!"
'I should gauge the mood and hunt at least ten or more.'
I took out my mace and shield, activated the energy shield, stretched to warm up, and stole a glance at Gyeon dal-rae.
The frail, slender girl standing next to Joo-hyuk.
Although her expression looked resolute, I wondered what abilities she would show.
"Alright! Are you ready?"
"Chung! Coming out to battle after so long fills me with strength. Please watch! I will sweep them all away."
"I'll handle it all. Even if I die, I will protect the Summoner."
Then.
"Ho oh, I thought they were ignorant lowlifes, but their spirit is properly intact."
"Hehe, is, is that so...?"
"You must do your best. If Summoner Bong-nim were to be disappointed, you would receive divine punishment."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Good grief.
What's with that expression?
I'm talking about the proud look on his face for being praised by a fellow SSR.
It was like a rolling stone dislodging a fixed one.
Gobang took the lead.
Kosak followed behind.
Gyeon Dal-rae also stepped forward lightly.
30th Floor Mission
🎯 Objective: Eliminate 80 Trolls (any type) and 1 Twin-Headed Troll.
⏰ Time Limit: Within 13 hours.
📊 Progress: All Trolls 0/80, Twin-Headed Troll 0/1
The mission appeared, and immediately after,
Trolls began to reveal themselves one or two at a time.
But?
'Huh?'
Gyeon dal-rae's actions were strange.
She was taking something out from inside her wide sleeves.
'...A portable speaker?'
She even had a USB memory stick.
A speaker that plays music when you plug in the USB.
Why would a shrine maiden have that?
When Joo-hyuk looked at her with curious eyes,
"I am ashamed. Originally, there should be a skilled person to beat the drum for me, but as I travel alone, I prepared this as a last resort."
"Ah, yes, yes."
I couldn't know where she got it or why she needed it, but.
Anyway, the clear began.
"Uwo wo wo wo wo!"
Gobang roared and charged out,
Kosak with his fluid Shadow Step.
Gyeon dal-rae?
That was the moment.
Dung! Dung! Dudung! Dungdung!
The sound of drums resonated from the speaker.
In sync, Gyeon dal-rae shook her bell.
Ttallang ttallang ttallang...
A strange harmony of drum and bell sounds.
Parreureut!
The sound of a sword also joined the harmony.
It turned out the sword in her hand wasn't for killing monsters but for making sound.
"Heavenly deities and earth spirits, grant your protection to Gongja-nim. All evil things, be gone!"
"..."
So that's why she needed the speaker.
Out of the blue, inside the Black Tower... holding a shamanistic ritual?
Instantly!
Whooosh!
The bronze mirror hanging around her neck glowed like an LED bulb.
A warm wave of energy spread out.
"Ah!"
Mana surged throughout my body.
Strength welled up.
Senses became sharpened.
'This is...'
It was a buff.
One that raises the stats of fellow party members.
It wasn't just Joo-hyuk who was affected.
Gobang's body grew even larger.
Simultaneously, his skin turned dark and dusky.
Even when the trolls slashed at Gobang's skin with their sharp claws,
Taeng!
A metallic sound rang out, and the troll's claws broke instead.
Kosak also went on a rampage.
The aura of his dagger grew longer and denser, and his Shadow Step moved so fast it was impossible to follow with the eyes, flashing around as he slashed madly.
"This is amazing! I'll kill them! I'm going crazy!"
The trolls were also affected by the drum and bell sounds.
But not a positive effect—the opposite.
Exposed to the mirror's light, the sword, and the bell sounds, the trolls noticeably slowed down.
The look of panic was clear in their eyes too,
Even their regenerative ability, which could be considered a troll's most powerful trait, disappeared.
The trolls now weaker than even orcs.
They were torn apart by Gobang and sliced by Kosak.
The drum beats grew faster.
And with it, the bell's sounds,
Dungdungdungdung! Dungdungdungdung!
Charreureut! Charreureut!
Parreureut! Parreureut!
A frantic, driving rhythm.
My body moved on its own, following the beat.
Joo-hyuk finally felt his chest swell with grandeur.
A wellspring of fighting spirit, swelling exhilaration, brimming confidence, the feeling that he could do anything.
Trolls?
Breaking those clay pots is child's play.
Here comes a real man.
I'll catch them all!
At the moment he was about to grab his weapon and charge out,
Grab,
A hand from behind grabbed his collar and pulled him back.
'What?'
Gyeon dal-rae shook her head side to side and said,
"It would be best to leave the fighting to the subordinates. young master Bong should just watch comfortably."
Huh?
This feels like a bad omen.
"Umm, ...I was just going to kill a few and come back."
"A gentleman does not run even in the rain. How could you think to stand shoulder to shoulder with such lowly things?"
"But I'm a lowly guy too, you know? I'm an ordinary guy. A unmanly man."
"That is absolutely not true. You are a noble and virtuous young master Bong. Excessive humility is not good either."
There's no time for this.
If this keeps up, Kosak and Gobang will kill them all.
He tried to break free with force,
Kkwak!
She held onto his collar and wouldn't let go.
"Sigh, I'll just kill one and come back."
"Young master Bong's safety is the most important."
This is frustrating.
The kill count was rising,
The girl was holding him back,
So, having no choice,
"It's an order. Let go of this hand. Now!"
When he spoke in a deliberately firm voice,
"Ah, no, you mustn't."
"I've already decided. I'm going, so whether you scold me or not, do as you please."
"Ah, ah, no..."
Suddenly, the color drained from Gyeon dal-rae's face.
To the point where,
"Uwaah..."
Huh?
'Crying?'
Tears welled up in her large eyes.
'No, why...'
Joo-hyuk was extremely flustered.
When was it that she had yelled at him for eating ramen loudly?
'Is she acting?'
It didn't seem like it.
Tears were actually falling drop by drop.
Was this her reaction when Absolute Obedience and the 3rd Principle of the Summoned collided?
Still, isn't it too much for an SSR grade to cry?
Instantly!
Joo-hyuk met Gyeon dal-rae's eyes.
He realized simultaneously.
The sorrow and fear reflected in her pupils.
'...Damn it! Shit!'
Stupidly,
Why hadn't he realized this?
Summoned beings weren't summons to be evaluated solely by grade.
They were people.
Real humans with emotions and reason.
Was the background description of the summoned beings in the catalog there for no reason?
If they were simple summons, what would be the need for a background?
Kosak died trying to assassinate a Sword Master,
Savage Gobang, although tricked, died bravely facing a super magical beast, the Hydra.
Both died after fierce battles,
Any lingering attachments to life?
They didn't seem to have any.
But Gyeon dal-rae?
Having lost her father, betrayed by the uncle she trusted, her younger brother even killed—when she sharpened herself for revenge knowing she would die, how must her heart have felt?
She must have been afraid.
She must have been lonely.
She must have been in despair.
It must have been the same even after death.
She wasn't a strong girl.
On the contrary, she was incredibly weak.
She was just pretending to be strong to hide her weakness.
A Chihuahua that barks a lot because it's weak.
It reminded him of his younger brother Min-hyuk.
He was like that a lot when he was young too.
"Are you afraid I might die?"
"Y, yes."
"Should I not go then?"
Nod nod.
"Then I won't go. Don't worry."
"I am grateful."
What's so important about killing one or two monsters?
Aren't I just an ordinary guy anyway?
I had momentarily mistaken myself for a real man because of the buff.
I need to return to my true self.
The fight ended quickly.
Faster than when we hunted the Orc Chieftain.
The Twin-Headed Troll died the moment it appeared.
One head was ripped off by Gobang, and the other was sliced off by Kosak.
The moment the mission success message appeared,
Kosak came running over, panting.
Whispering to Joo-hyuk,
"Hey, why is the princess crying?"
"...Some things happened."
"Did you perhaps get scolded by Summoner Bong-nim for being rude to me earlier?"
"As if I would do that. And Mr. Kosak, you did something deserving of a scolding, so why would I get scolded?"
"I'm sad. I want to cry too."
"Cry or don't."
Then!
"You!!! How dare you approach young master Bong with a body stained by monster blood! Step back at once. Shoo, shoo!"
"...Yes, yes, understood."
Pfft,
Now that scolding didn't faze him at all.
Anyway, I should treat them well.
So they can be happy here, at least.
But on another note,
Both Kosak and Gyeon dal-rae,
They tried so hard to prevent me from being in danger.
That effort was truly touching. Heart-wrenching.
And for the first time in a long while,
A nationwide announcement echoed for all Korean players.
🏆 Reward: Platinum Badge granted.
Anyway, that's 30 badges accumulated.
I wonder what the next special privilege will be?
During a National Assembly audit, Chief Park Kyung-su made a surprise announcement.
The successful strategy of the Korean Black Tower's 62nd floor, the immediate announcement of the 63rd-floor strategy the next day, and furthermore, the promise to conquer the 66th floor within a month.
The reaction was explosive enough to overshadow Yu Cheol-min's naturalization.
All day long, TV stations played footage of player Nam Ga-eun's 62nd-floor strategy.
Her figure wielding a massive, ancient-looking sword to cut down zombies, a faint glow repelling the dark aura.
The public was tense.
They would soon find out.
Could player Nam Ga-eun really conquer the 63rd floor back-to-back?
And then,
Breaking news erupted all at once.
The reaction was explosive.
All of Korea's internet forums were a crucible of celebration.
Short videos on SNS, YouTube Shorts, Dills, and TikTok also began to circulate edited one-minute clips of Nam Ga-eun's 62nd and 63rd-floor strategies.
And the final icing on the cake.
A message that rang only for players of Korean nationality.
Player Nam Ga-eun's 2-hour 63rd-floor strategy was already a huge relief.
But on top of that,
Someone, whose identity is unknown,
But definitely a Korean player,
Had their 30th-floor S++ grade strategy record poured on top.
Could the national pride enthusiasts possibly withstand this?