Chapter 80: The End of the Monster Wave
Ten trolls would be tough for even America to handle right now. Why? Because my sister said so. She mentioned that the U.S. had barely taken down one troll by mobilizing all their high-level hunters. And now there were ten of them.
"We might be the only ones who can take those down, huh?"
I nodded at Seon-woo's words. The funny thing was the trolls themselves. They were wary of us and not charging in. The intimidation radiating from the orcs was suppressing them to that extent. It was similar to how the orcs had surrendered. We currently had nearly a hundred orcs as prisoners. Aside from a couple who couldn't get their heads straight and charged only to die, most had surrendered. The trolls, who could be considered a higher species, not rushing in was probably the same situation. They instinctively knew they weren't the predators here.
"Think we could... tame those?"
Capturing trolls alive wasn't easy. They were berserk creatures, hard to control. But unlike our territory's trolls, these ones were only around level 30. I was surprised such low-level trolls existed, and as I pondered what to do with them, Go Yeon-ju approached and asked.
"Wh-what do we do about those trolls?"
"Ah, I'm thinking about it. If we play it right, we might capture them alive and extract their blood."
"Pardon?"
Go Yeon-ju stared at me with wide, shocked eyes, as if she'd misheard. She looked pretty in a way, but not in that feminine sense. Anyone else would find her adorable and lovable.
'Am I broken or something?'
The thought crossed my mind briefly. But that wasn't important right now.
"Kar-dok."
Krak!
"Can you capture those?"
Kar-dok held up five fingers.
"Kill five and capture five? Can't do all of them?"
Krak! Kar! Kookook!
So, Kar-dok was saying we'd need to kill about five to make the rest submit willingly. He knew better than me, so I nodded.
"Alright, capture five then."
Krak!
Kar-dok saluted and led the orc knight squad charging toward the trolls. Their charge was far more impressive than anything in novels. The trolls tried to block, but it was futile. Even the gray wolves the orc knights rode were higher level than those trolls. How could they possibly hold?
In the first charge, five trolls lost their lives. The orc knights then surrounded the remaining five and said something to them. Probably offering to spare their lives if they surrendered. We had no intention of accepting them as territory residents. They were livestock, plain and simple. We'd extract fresh blood daily. It might sound cruel, but if it helped, so be it. We'd feed them nutritious food rich in iron and draw blood with minimal pain. That should suffice, right? Sure, it was selfish, but as lord, I was prepared to stomach that much irrationality for our territory.
"Those trolls are kinda pitiful."
"This much? It's only gonna get worse for them."
"Huh?"
"Planning to keep them alive and milk their blood ongoing."
"Why?"
"Troll blood makes potent medicine. Regenerates organs, for example. Oh, and we can make potions from it like in novels. Feels like the gates faithfully recreate those details."
Did fantasy novel authors invent those worldviews? Probably the pioneering ones did. Later authors built stories within those frameworks. It wasn't an exaggeration to say first- and 1.5-generation writers shaped modern fantasy. The gates reflected that faithfully. So what came first? Were gates always there, glimpsed unconsciously by writers? Or did gates mirror human consciousness? But that didn't add up—the gate worlds matched Korean fantasy novels. America had different ones, Europe too. Even Japan varied.
"What're you thinking so hard about?"
"Oh, nothing. Just a sudden curiosity."
"Is it over now?"
"Dunno. No message yet."
That was when it happened. Something emerged from the back mountain—a massive minotaur. Observation showed it at a whopping level 55. Serious enough that even I'd need to join the fight.
"Time for us to step in."
Si-yeon drew her sword. "Yellow, launching!"
"Don't. Please, no."
"Hmph, have fun with it. You'll end up enjoying it too, bro. Pink sis is official now."
Si-yeon's wicked grin made Go Yeon-ju's face stiffen. Then Seon-woo yelled beside her.
"Blue, launching!"
"You jerk!"
"What? It's fun."
I felt an urge to crack their skulls open as I glared, but their eyes sparkled back at me expectantly. They wanted something from me—something I'd hate doing.
Nyaaang.
"What? Gotta think of the kids' morale? It's not hard, but... it's embarrassing."
Nyaaang!
"For your one friend and little sister, you wouldn't be that stingy? Sigh. You make it hard to argue."
I looked at Hoya, really asking if I had to. Hoya was firm: absolutely. Si-yeon and Seon-woo stared too. Under the pressure, I finally caved.
"R-Red... launching."
Pfft! Hoya covered her mouth with a paw, laughing. She'd tricked me on purpose. Playing right over my head.
"You little—!"
Hoya vanished in a flash. Sighing at her, I said, "We'll pick names later. After Pink's official."
Go Yeon-ju's face paled. In for a penny, in for a pound—we'd all die together.
"Let's go."
"Yeah."
"Right."
I led them to join the orc knights against the minotaur.
"So this guy's the monster wave boss, right?"
It reeked of "I'm the boss." But its legs trembled despite the aura. Maybe it understood speech like that sly one.
"Hey, know the minotaur from the mine? The guardian there, Ande."
It flinched.
"Would be nice if we could settle this peacefully. Otherwise, I gotta kill you. No need if we don't have to... You can tell, right? No chance against us."
Its eyes quivered. Big head made them look especially clear.
"Listen carefully now. Answer right. Friends with him?"
No reply. I drew my sword—mithril-forged. I could slice it in three minutes flat. Sensing my intent, it nodded frantically.
"You'll be my subordinate from now on. Cool? Speak up if not. Minotaur stew it is."
It rolled its eyes, then nodded and knelt. Submission.
"Just checking—are you this gate's guardian?"
No.
"Wanna be from now on?"
It beamed. Being a guardian must be a big deal for monsters.
"Your name's Jeju now."
Nod nod.
Ande guarded the mine gate; this one, Jeju Gate. The moment I decided:
Do you wish to appoint the Minotaur 'Jeju' as the guardian of 92AC?
"Appoint."
Light briefly emanated from Jeju's body, then absorbed back in.
"Your owner's Go Yeon-ju over there. Obey her orders. Cull monsters periodically."
Ummuh!
Jeju thumped its chest: no worries. I wondered if it was reliable, but system-appointed guardians should be fine. This gate probably lacked one before.
"What? This anticlimactic ending?"
Seon-woo grumbled; Si-yeon asked Jeju, "Any other minotaurs nearby? My sword's itching!"
Jeju peeked at her in fright, hiding behind me. Surprisingly timid. Where'd that boss vibe go? Still, with its level, Jeju Gate should stay safe awhile.
And then:
You have successfully repelled the monster wave in 92AC.
A new resource has appeared in 92AC.
Probably the reward for stopping the wave.
"Si-woo."
"Yeah, saw the message?"
"Yes. And this guy."
"Guardian. He'll handle most monsters from now on. Or it's tail stew."
Go Yeon-ju's face stiffened again.
"You eat minotaurs?"
"Didn't know? Eating them grants skills."
"Wait, really?"
"Of course. Why would I joke?"
She nodded; no reason for me to kid anyway.
"Kar-dok!"
Krok!
"Clean up surroundings, sort captured orcs. Accept suitable ones as residents."
Krak!
Post-war's the real battle. They'd be key spoils, foundation for our growth. Lucky they weren't rebellious—eyed the knights enviously. Like our squad might've been without acceptance.
"Si-woo, you're so different from the start."
"Huh? How so?"
"You're an insane hunter. And the residents too."
I nodded; it probably looked that way. Then Jeju Gate hunters approached.
"Th-thank you... Grand Lord."
Crawly embarrassment. Grand Lord fit, but celebs calling me that felt weird.
"Sure."
I eyed them—mostly big-name idols. No wonder hearts floated in Si-yeon and Seon-woo's eyes.
"Details with my sister and friend. Gotta talk with Go Yeon-ju."
Their grins split wide. I'd tell Si-yeon for sure. Traitors get punished.