New Raid: Lennon on the Brink of Rebirth
“Kyooooot-!!”
Splash-
The free time in the Hot Spring Dungeon had begun, and the experience team members dove into all sorts of baths. Reactions erupted from them almost immediately.
Not just "the hot spring water feels great!" but each one spouting something different, as if they'd each experienced unique effects...
“Graaaah!!! My knee joints that've been tormenting me for ages don't hurt at all!!! This hot spring's effect is insane!!”
“……My God, I've had hearing loss in one ear from twisted qi and blood aftermath, but now I can hear... What the hell is this?”
“...This is bad. Ever since the shelter, I've been chowing down on meat and had chronic constipation, but jumping in here got my bowels moving... Suddenly gotta take a dump. This hot spring's effect is no joke, huh?”
“What...? That bubbling earlier wasn't...”
“This is nuts...”
Everyone figured the hot spring reactions were just part of the show.
Booom-!!
Suddenly, an enormous surge of energy burst from one bath, drawing all eyes there.
“...This is!!!”
Goseongji sensed something serious and rushed over, letting everyone witness the scene.
Crack- Crunch-
Through the splashing water, Lennon, seated in meditation, was undergoing rejuvenation, his muscles and bones optimizing.
Everyone in the bath rushed over at the ominous event.
“No way...!!”
“Hmph!! Lennon's broken through the wall!!”
“That guy's definitely got blocked meridians... The hot spring fixed that too?!!!”
One experience team member broke through the wall in the hot spring—an absurd situation. Viewers who thought it was all WWE-style faking realized it was real, and reactions flipped.
Of course, Goseongji, watching the scene, had questions. He asked Dragon Mask Padak, who was there as the daily safety officer.
“What the hell just happened?”
“...Rare cases where blocked meridians make breakthroughs hard. The hot spring probably fixed his constitution, letting him break through...”
“I-is that it? But rising realms that easily? Even if the hot spring's great...”
Dragon Mask Padak crossed his arms at Goseongji's question.
“No, he'd have broken through ages ago with a normal body. The hot spring fixed what held him back—it's a stroke of fortune.”
*
Back in my room, watching Goseongji's broadcast, Padak's explanation cleared it up for me too.
“Whoa... so that's what happened...”
...Seems like him too, kinda like my congenitally blocked mana pathways in my heart—guy had meridian issues.
Of course, viewers were hyped regardless, fixating only on the realm-up from the hot spring, Padak's explanation be damned.
*
The splashing subsided, and Lennon's rejuvenation ended.
“...Hoo.”
Felt like shedding chains that bound him for ages.
Before, he'd routed mana around blocked qi and blood; now, no blocks, and circulation speed was ridiculously faster.
...Now I can reach upper layers too.
Never dreamed of master realm via hot spring...
Especially with his mana-handling constitution.
As Lennon pondered, Vera's Dad congratulated him.
“Congrats, you've broken the wall.”
“Ah... thanks.”
Congrats poured from the crowd surrounding the bath.
“Hey Lennon! Don't leave me behind! I'll catch up soon!”
Hugo, who once helped each other in mid-layers crisis.
“No way... That guy's hitting master first...”
Leighton, who'd kept coming to compete since early explorer days.
“Lennon, good for you!! Good!! Hahaha!!”
Even old mage Jens, always pitying his constitution.
Vera's Dad, arms crossed, watching fondly, spoke.
“Now you get it? Dungeon Hwang's greatness.”
“...Gotta admit. Dungeon Hwang is a god.”
“Hahaha!! Right!!! Lennon, saw booze in the building! Let's celebrate with a drink?”
“Yeah, let's go! Bro Vera!!”
“You bastard!!!! Where you sneaking off to!!!!”
Suddenly, a furious Yeomje appeared.
At Yeomje's sudden arrival, Dragon Mask Padak questioned.
“Yeomje, weren't you off today?”
“This scum dirtied the hot spring!!!”
Yeomje pointed at Lennon, who looked down at his anger.
......Rejuvenation aftermath flushed waste; the hot spring was filthy sludge now.
“...Ah.”
“Graaaah I absolutely cannot forgive defiling this sacred hot spring!!!!!!”
“B-but enlightenment might fade...”
“Shut it!! Coulda stepped out after a few steps but you wrecked it...!!!”
As Yeomje scolded Lennon...
Booom-!!
“Noooo!!! Shiiiitpaaaal-!!! Again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“That one's breaking through too!!! Let's check it out!!”
“Ooh...!! This bath is a fortune bath now!!!!”
After that day, a rule banned rejuvenation in baths.
Pollution fixed by Yeomje's true heart domain snaring and incinerating waste.
Anyway, hot spring experience ended successfully, with 3 team members breaking through.
*
That evening, I asked Dragon Mask Padak my question.
“...Dragon Mask, is breaking the wall usually that common?”
Prize winners fewer than before, under 20 team members, yet 3 leveled up? Even with great elixir bath, too many.
Lennon had serious issues, fine, but the other two seemed perfectly healthy.
“Probably used various baths fixing bodily lacks, harmonizing the body. Good harmony eases breakthrough conditions.”
Dozens of baths = dozens of elixirs.
One filled their gap, enabling breakthrough? Makes sense.
Seems I can raise explorers' overall level easier now.
“Anyway, elixir bath easing master wall means explorers' levels will skyrocket. Hope combat skills keep up.”
“Dungeons getting harder, should be fine. See progress in next raid.”
*
Post-experience, I posted a notice.
About new boss raid dropping Golden Tickets as rewards.
New dungeon raid experience set for 5 days later.
Three giant versions of low-layer monsters prepped...
Raid Management Office started applications.
[Giant Rock Lizard Raid]
[Giant Mud Crab Raid]
[Giant Giant Spider Raid]
*
Next morning after posting.
Bang bang-
— Hey!!! Disciple!!! Let's apply for new raid experience!!!
“...Again?”