Chapter 59: The Fool's Strategy
That Minotaur seemed like some kind of guardian. The type that only starts attacking once you enter a certain area. In other words, no matter what I did here, it wouldn't attack me.
I pulled out my recurve bow as a test and shot an arrow at it. But the arrow exploded right in front of the beast, just like when a gate resident attacks the gate owner.
"Well, no need to fight it right now, then."
Nyaang?
"I'm not scared. I've got a promise to keep."
Pfft! Hoya snorted at me mockingly. But I ignored her. Why? Because there really was a promise. And I needed a plan.
So I looked around and spotted a pickaxe.
"Guess I just need to pick up Mining now?"
I swung the pickaxe hard at the mithril ore vein. And the system kindly chimed in.
Mining (Active) Level 1 skill acquired.
Sure enough, the system and I were on the same wavelength. I mined diligently, but the Minotaur didn't budge from its spot. So I mined even harder.
"How do I even make something like sub-space magic? That's exactly what I need right now."
Whining to the system wouldn't make it hand over skills. It only granted them when I performed the right actions.
So what action would unlock sub-space magic? Lost in those thoughts, I kept swinging the pickaxe. After about thirty minutes, I stopped.
"This much'll do for now."
Nyaang.
"The instructor's disappointed in me? Where'd you learn that?"
Nyang nyang!
"Si-yeon trained the orcs like that? What, after how much she did? Unbelievable."
I'd always known Hoya was a quick learner, but expressions like that... Was it more surprising that I understood her? Long live Animal Affinity.
"After I judge those who turned Hakashi into that state, I'll fight honorably. Against that Minotaur. Right? Dad doesn't even have pants for his armor yet. You want me to fight like this? Against that well-dressed brute?"
Hoya glanced back and forth between me and the Minotaur, then sighed and turned away. Somehow, that stung in its own way.
"Hey! Keep that up, and I might end up dressing you in armor."
Pfft. If you can, go ahead. Though I doubted she could. It might even cost her her life. But I was Choi Si-woo, the man who knew when to quit.
"Giving up. Let's go."
I retrieved the hourglass at the gate exit and returned to our territory. Then I checked the one I'd left there.
"Whoa. For real?"
"Mithril? That mith-riiiiil?"
Seon-woo stared at me in disbelief. I got it—no one would believe this. Si-yeon, meanwhile, was sparkling like a maniac.
"Me, me! Gimme!"
"Here."
"What? Why so easy?"
"'Cause you're our territory's top blacksmith?"
"Heh, you finally recognize this beauty blacksmith's true value. Wait there. I'll make something."
"Isn't time up?" Seon-woo asked.
"Mithril came from Hakashi's gate. And they'd already turned it into a mine. So, does the Self-Defense Force have mithril? Or not?"
Seon-woo's face turned serious at my question.
"They probably do. Then what were those banzai-charging idiots?"
"My take? There's something fishy."
"Like what?"
"Japan still pulls a lot of 20th-century crap in the 21st. But that banzai charge was weird, right?"
"Eh, I just figured Japan being Japan."
"Plenty think that. But I found a mine, didn't I?"
Seon-woo frowned.
"So? What's your point?"
"Building a mine inside a gate—where modern tools don't work—means grinding through people. But not everyone died. Most laborers survived, obviously."
"So those banzai guys were the laborers? Why would they charge like that?"
"Hypnosis."
"Ah!"
One word, and it clicked. To us, it looked insane—suicidal, even. They didn't even hurt the goblins.
"The Self-Defense Force brass was probably figuring out how to dispose of the laborers. Ready to wipe them out if needed. Then goblins showed up? Problem solved without lifting a finger."
"Yeah, no way guys with mithril charge with that trash gear."
Si-yeon chimed in at our exchange.
"But solving it without lifting a finger? That's dirty."
"Sigh. Si-yeon, coffee time. Here."
"Hm? Why do I feel off?"
"Just your imagination."
"No, it feels bad."
"Added milk. Gotta grow big and strong, right?"
"Whatever."
I distracted Si-yeon with coffee and continued.
"Then the guy named Lan I met talked like they hunted there. Self-Defense Force hunting ground. So they gear up their real hunters for goblin levels, and off the laborers. Like advertising 'Japan's still this kind of country.'"
Seon-woo looked dumbfounded.
"So they deliberately used an idiot strategy?"
"Just my theory, but yeah—high chance."
Japan was the world's laughingstock now. 21st-century hunters doing banzai charges. "Analog-loving nation," they crow. Funny thing: they make top-tier military gear and cars. A top-five economy full of idiots? They're suggestible, sure, but not all. And otakus were born there. Who knows what they'll do with mithril.
"Isn't that a stretch?"
"Maybe. But assume the enemy's at their best when planning. Assume they're morons, and we get burned. This ain't a game just 'cause we have systems and status windows."
"That was peak Choi Si-woo."
"What bullshit?"
"Just is. Anyway, hold off on attacking?"
"Yeah. Got a spy over there too."
"Spy? Friends in Japan?"
"Heh. One goblin from around here was scary smart."
"Karak type, huh."
Krak!
Karak, helping Si-yeon, tilted his head at his name.
"Nah, you're smart."
Krak krak krak!
"Smartest orc?"
He nodded.
"Uwing?"
He flinched. Kro-rak!
"Second to Uwing?"
Nod.
"Sure, whatever."
Karak beamed and got back to work.
"That guy's surviving anything."
"Yeah. Anything else on that gate?"
"Oh, time ratio's 1:2."
Seon-woo shrugged indifferently.
"Decent, but ours is better."
"True. But think about this?"
"What?"
"Gate entrance is here."
"Obviously... Wait, 1:2 with here?"
"Yup. 1:10 with Earth."
"Insane... Could charge exam kids to train. Heh."
"We got one wild exam kid right here."
Si-yeon glared mid-bellows. She always knew when she was dissed.
"What? Why?"
"Nothing. Work. Become a master beauty blacksmith."
"Hmph."
She focused on the bellows again.
"And we need outside intel on Japan."
Seon-woo nodded. He had more hunter connections than me—mine were zero.
"Wait, so Mr. Park developed mines before?"
"Apparently."
More reason to bring Gapyeong folks sooner. Dad said Mr. Park knew mining well.
"Wouldn't deleting the Self-Defense Force's authority be better?"
I shook my head at Dad.
"They'd just go to another gate and hunter up. As long as I don't delete it, they can't enter others."
That's the key. Trip them up from other gates, then yank authority at the clutch moment for self-destruction.
"True, entrance here's blocked anyway."
"Yeah. They're probably desperate searching."
"Schadenfreude."
"Right? And with mithril, they're plotting something."
Japan always boasts as America's top ally. Hand mithril over? Doubt it. US might have some, but not this much.
"If you've got Japan contacts, check lightly. Don't push—could backfire."
"Will do."
"Gonna handle that mine Minotaur first."
"Careful."
"Hoya's with me. Probably won't die?"
Dad hugged Hoya.
"Professor Ho, take care of my boy."
Nyaang! Hoya purred happily at "Professor Ho."
Good enough. I headed straight to Gate 2. Calling it that for convenience—original name's a mouthful.
I came prepared and crossed into Gate 2. Used Observation—no "this is your territory" alert yet. Despite inheriting it. Gotta deal with the Minotaur and claim the mine fully, I figured.
Headed to it. Still standing there.
"Not tired?"
Mmmr. "Shut up," probably.
"I'll let you rest. Forever."
No big upgrades. Si-yeon just mithril-plated my sword in a rush. Boosted its level and mana conductivity hugely.
But I wasn't swinging first. Everyone thinks wrong—I'm a mage!
Lit my lighter before crossing the line, then maxed Fire Control to engulf it.
Mmmr!
Ignored the flames and charged. Was I the one mistaken? I blocked its halberd with my sword.
Thus, battle with the beast began.