Chapter 26
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Gate Anomaly
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"Even though your position changed after re-testing, you've been a close-range dealer all this time. Well, this is your first high-rank gate, so I understand. We only have you as our ranged dealer, Ru-ri, so please stick with the two healers in the back."
"Thank you."
Once their conversation ended, Kwon Dong-nyeon flashed a grin and stepped into the gate entrance.
The rest of the guild members followed slowly behind him.
"Did you hear?"
"Pardon?"
"They say two people were seriously injured here and three died."
"Whoa..."
Han Ji-na kept whispering to Lee Ru-ri.
"Apparently they were all A-rankers, but for five of them to go down... there must be some seriously scary monster in there."
"Th-that's worrying..."
Ru-ri felt a slight sting at Han Ji-na's words, sensing a bit of thorns in them.
'Even A-rankers failed, and now they've got a D-rank mixed in, so she's just worried. Don't take it personally.'
She tried to shake off the negative thoughts, soothing herself as she watched the people ahead and scanned the surroundings.
"Focus."
Kwon Dong-nyeon spoke in a quiet but firm tone, and suddenly everyone's bodies felt lighter.
His blessing felt even more effective than Chairman Han Ho's.
"Director Han, there's more than one gatekeeper."
"This is a headache. Healers, follow Kim Heung-min's lead. There are two gatekeepers."
"Can there really be two gatekeepers?"
Han Ji-na, trailing behind, spoke up.
"We're experiencing ongoing anomalies in the gate. Everyone's safety comes first. Stay focused. Dealers, follow Instructor Kwon's orders. Healers, follow Kim Heung-min's."
At Han Seung-woo's words, everyone exchanged glances and steeled themselves.
"Ru-ri, you okay handling both DPS and heals from the back?"
"Yes! Don't worry about me!"
Han Seung-woo gave her a bright smile in response.
"Alright then. Let's begin."
"Charge!"
At Han Seung-woo's signal, Kwon Dong-nyeon let out a powerful shout and rushed toward the gatekeeper.
Thud!
Bwoooom!
Bam! Bam!
As Kwon Dong-nyeon's defense and attacks kicked off, the six healers began pouring heals nonstop.
Ru-ri raised both hands to check the monster's info.
[S ― Blue Drake: Current Favor <0>]
[S ― Red Drake: Current Favor <1,020,000>]
'Huh? I didn't notice because it was farther back, but the one in the rear is the Red Drake. Its favor is maxed out, so it won't attack me. The problem is the Blue Drake. With Han Ji-na right next to me, I need to build favor discreetly before attacking.'
Ru-ri finished assessing the situation and cast heals toward Kwon Dong-nyeon, who was drawing the drakes' aggro and blocking attacks with his shield, and Han Seung-woo, who was swiftly striking vital points in the gaps.
The night before, Ru-ri had urgently asked Yang Jeong-hyun if she could get her a weapon.
Yang Jeong-hyun mentioned there might be one from Yoo Il-won in the past and led Ru-ri to the warehouse.
In the cluttered mess of items, she pulled out a small staff about the size of Ru-ri's palm from a crevice and handed it over.
"I was planning to donate or sell this after sorting Il-won's belongings, but other hunters said it was unusable. Junior wizards tried it multiple times, but no skills activated. So I kept it since it was his. Give it a try, just in case."
"It's a staff... why wouldn't skills work?"
"Huh? Why? No idea. I even had it appraised for proper performance, but the element was ambiguous, making enchantment tough. After that, things got busy and I forgot about it."
As Ru-ri spoke, Ru-ri's mana flowed into the staff, opening the status window and updating its specs.
"This was a dagger?"
"It doesn't look like a sword at all."
"Exactly. No one knew. That's why the wizards couldn't use it. But Ru-ri, you've been raiding with a sword?"
"Ha, haha... yes..."
"Il-won used this weapon, and things are falling into place just as I predicted. So what weapon have you been using until now?"
"A Conqueror-exclusive called Lizard's Jade Dagger."
"You hid it well. Use Il-won's now. It looks like a staff to anyone. Seems the performance only activates with your mana, so that's reassuring."
"I'll make good use of it!"
With this weapon boasting far superior stats to the Lizard's Jade Dagger she'd used for gate raids, she had zero worries about DPS once favor was maxed.
Splat!
Krunch!
Thud!
"Now!"
The Blue Drake paused its ferocious water jet aimed to breach Kwon Dong-nyeon's shield.
Han Seung-woo seized the moment, dashing in and smashing the Blue Drake's left eye with his knuckle.
"Why did it suddenly stop attacking?"
"No idea."
Han Seung-woo returned to his position and replied.
Only one person knew the reason.
Ru-ri had equipped the Ogre ring that blinds monsters—a trump card she'd saved until now.
The Blue Drake had been afflicted with the Blind debuff probabilistically from her attack.
'Brought it just in case, but it's more useful than I thought.'
Feeling quietly proud inside, she watched Kwon Dong-nyeon and Han Seung-woo reposition and prepare for the next assault.
The one-eyed Blue Drake bellowed and attacked even more ferociously than before.
The Red Drake joined in, spewing fireballs like mad.
Kwon Dong-nyeon handled aggro with defensive maneuvers, Han Seung-woo struck openings relentlessly, and B-rank dealer Jang Ji-eon supported from afar by firing sword beams whenever his mana recovered, chipping away at their HP.
'Why isn't this woman attacking and just sticking to me?'
As Ru-ri alternated between heals and attacks, she suddenly found Han Ji-na's behavior odd.
Then abruptly, a fireball from the Red Drake hurtled toward two B-rank healers.
"Kyaaak!"
With heals to the frontliners slacking, Kwon Dong-nyeon's HP plummeted in an instant.
'Damn, formation's broken. No choice?'
Ru-ri hurled Extinction at the Red Drake with all her might.
Thud!
Her Extinction collided with the Red Drake's long neck, igniting flames, and it roared in agony.
—Kraaaaaargh!
Thud! Thud!
Thrashing wildly, its tail struck B-rank dealer Jang Ji-eon squarely, sending him tumbling down.
"Ji-eon! You okay?"
"I-I'm fine."
Jang Ji-eon struggled to his feet and replied.
"Fall back for now!"
Kwon Dong-nyeon shouted at him.
Jang Ji-eon staggered toward the healers per the order, hiding behind them.
One of the six healers focused solely on healing him.
"Ji-na, it might be good if you moved up front to support now."
"Why me?"
"Because of Ji-eon..."
"No."
Han Ji-na cut her off and refused.
'What kind of person is like this?'
Ru-ri decided to ignore it and resumed healing, bracing for the next threat.
By now, the Blue Drake's favor was nearly maxed.
[Blue Drake's favor has increased by 20,000. Current Favor: 1,020,000]
[Blue Drake's favor is now maxed.]
[(S) Hidden Skill Activated (Success): 1 condition completed. (Remaining conditions ― Total 4)]
[(SS) Hidden Skill Activated (Failure): Conditions not met.]
'Oh! Time to get serious.'
Ru-ri gripped her weapon and cube tightly and strode forward confidently.
"It's dangerous!"
"I need to do some real DPS now! Healers, fighting!"
The healers tried to stop her, but Ru-ri smiled and replied, marching ahead boldly.
Han Ji-na continued watching Ru-ri intently.
Seeing Ru-ri approach, Han Seung-woo startled and yelled.
"Ru-ri! It's dangerous—fall back!"
At his shout, Kwon Dong-nyeon glanced back in surprise, only to be flung aside by a simultaneous tail swipe from both drakes.
"Extinction."
To halt the drakes lunging at the fallen Kwon Dong-nyeon, Ru-ri launched a perfectly sized Extinction.
The drakes recoiled, battered by the repeated crushing flames.
Han Seung-woo wouldn't miss that opening.
In a blur of speed, he crushed the Blue Drake's remaining eye, and by then, recovered Jang Ji-eon unleashed a powerful sword beam at its blinded neck, severing head from body.
The Blue Drake collapsed without a scream.
The surviving Red Drake twisted furiously, aiming its tail at the downed Kwon Dong-nyeon once more.
Ru-ri unleashed her largest Extinction yet, smashing the Red Drake flat.
The situation resolved in a flash.
As the thick black smoke cleared, the charred remains of the Red Drake lay solitary.
"Instructor Kwon!"
Everyone gathered around Kwon Dong-nyeon as he staggered up.
"You okay?"
"Guess I was rusty after so long."
The healers quickly topped off his HP. He recast his blessing to steady himself.
"Two gatekeepers is... a bit much, huh?"
"Similar situation in Beijing."
"Hah."
Kwon Dong-nyeon sighed and shook his head.
"By the way, Ru-ri."
"Yes?"
"Never mind. We'll talk after the clear. Han Ji-na, you didn't support with attacks at all. Something wrong?"
"Scared."
"Next is the boss. If you're not confident, we'll rotate personnel."
"No. I'll support on the boss."
Han Seung-woo eyed her sharply for a moment before softening and continuing.
"Due to the gate anomaly, multiple bosses might spawn. The trick room could be sturdy too. Instructor Kwon, please assess and decide whether to proceed or reinforce and re-enter."
"Got it. Trust me."
"Everyone ready? Let's go."
"Yes!"
Tense, they ventured deeper into the gate.
Thud thud thud, thud thud, thud thud thud.
"Wh-what's that sound?"
The healers behind trembled and asked.
"First time hearing this."
Han Seung-woo replied lowly.
'Sounds like something running around frantically...'
Ru-ri pondered, recalling monster traits from her codex.
'A monster that can't stay still and dashes everywhere.'
Thud thud thud, thud thud, thud thud thud.
'At this speed... Seviatu maybe?'
The moment Ru-ri named it, Kwon Dong-nyeon ahead shouted.
"Everyone back!"
The trailing hunters backpedaled in unison.
Kwon Dong-nyeon roared with focus, maxing his shield's defense to block the charging monster.
Thud thud thud thud thud thud!
Boom!
—Hiiiiiing!
"It's a Seviatu! Super fast—stay sharp!"
Kwon Dong-nyeon kept blocking and yelled.
Ru-ri raised her hands to check.
[S ― Seviatu: Current Favor <0>]
'Spot on. Horse-like but runs bipedally like crazy. Oh, and it teleports too. Suddenly remembering that painful Keres fight.'
"Urgh!"
Kwon Dong-nyeon cried out and fell. The Seviatu vanished instantly.
'Wait... was Seviatu originally that high-rank?'
As she pondered briefly, a rear healer screamed and collapsed while healing.
"Kyaaak!"
Han Seung-woo shouted.
"Everyone to Instructor Kwon!"
Supporting the fallen healer, they all clustered around Kwon Dong-nyeon.