Lizardman (2)
Shin Jiyeon, who had been briefing them about the gate, suddenly clutched her own throat with one hand as if mimicking a person suffocating to death, then stuck her tongue out playfully.
The D-rank gate known as Lizardman's Swamp featured Lizardmen as its primary monsters. Among D-rank creatures, they were notoriously high-difficulty and incredibly annoying to deal with. For starters, their basic physiology was close to humanoid, which meant they possessed high intelligence and wielded weapons. Their scales granted them considerable defense. Higher variants could even use magic from time to time.
And above all else, the battlefield they appeared in was brutally unforgiving—a vast wetland thick with mud and water. If you entered without proper preparation, you would sink into the swamp and be completely helpless against the Lizardmen's attacks.
"That's why I prepared these," Shin Jiyeon said, showing Park Jihun and his familiars the items she had grabbed from the guild storage earlier.
"Shoes?"
"They look like boots."
"Kyiiing?"
They appeared to be perfectly ordinary black boots.
"Hehe, they're not just regular shoes," Shin Jiyeon replied to their lukewarm reactions. She puffed out her chest with a triumphant expression and began explaining in detail.
"These shoes are specially crafted using mana stones and magic circle inscriptions... They're magic boots!"
Her introduction carried the energy of a dramatic doong! sound effect, and the group's previously tepid responses immediately shifted.
"Ooh... Magic boots! Proper hunter gear, huh."
"A mana platform... So it's equipment designed to let you move freely across swamps."
"Kyaaheung! Kirutag!"
"Kar seems incredibly impressed by how ingenious they are," Shin Jiyeon translated with a smile.
They were magitech boots created through engineering analysis of mana stones and magic circle formulas—in other words, a fusion of magic and modern technology. Their function was simpler than expected. When infused with mana, they generated a platform beneath the wearer's feet to assist with movement. Essentially, they were support equipment that allowed free traversal across difficult terrain like water or swamps.
Once mastered, they enabled walking through the air or using mid-air steps to charge forward in battle. For such a simple function, their versatility was remarkably high.
"They're a bit pricey, but they're basically essential gear for anyone D-rank and above, so the guild keeps several pairs on hand."
With that, Shin Jiyeon handed one pair each to Park Jihun, Briana, and Kar.
"Hm? What about you, Jiyeon?"
There were only three pairs, and nothing for Shin Jiyeon herself.
"Ah, I can create them on my own, so I'm fine."
"......"
The reason was simple: her mana control was refined enough that she could generate mana platforms beneath her feet without any external assistance.
As expected of a B-rank hunter...
Not every high-ranking hunter possessed Shin Jiyeon's level of mana control, but most hunters C-rank and above could manipulate mana without relying on equipment.
Mana, huh...
Park Jihun had a mana stat as well. It was only 31, but with his multipliers it could reach 65. Still, he had no idea how to actually control it, and learning that skill apparently required a base mana of at least 80 to 90. For now, he would have to make do with auxiliary tools like these magitech boots.
I need to get my base mana over 80 first... Still a long way to go.
This was exactly why magic-type hunters only started appearing at C-rank and above. Still, if he kept subduing females, he figured he would reach that threshold soon enough.
"Shall we head in?"
"Yes. Let's go."
After lacing up their newly supplied boots, they finished preparing to enter the gate.
"Ugh, Master. The shoes are too big and a little uncomfortable."
"Aah. I picked the smallest size... As expected, Briana has such a petite build—your feet are tiny too. Haaah, haaah... So small and adorable..."
"Kyaa, kyaat! Jiyeon?! I-I can't breathe!"
Right before entering, Shin Jiyeon's perverted antics once again tormented Briana, but it was such a familiar occurrence that no one paid it any mind as they stepped through the gate.
You have entered the D-rank gate 'Lizardman's Swamp'.
You may exit through the entrance upon clearing the gate or 30 minutes after entry.
It was his first D-rank dungeon. He didn't show it outwardly, but Park Jihun was actually quite nervous. He had the absurdly overpowered Alpha Male skill, Briana had evolved to D-rank, and they even had Shin Jiyeon—a full B-rank hunter—accompanying them. He had already fought D-rank Forest Orcs. After the Association learned of Briana's rank advancement, they had been so shocked they practically bent over backwards to accommodate his every request. They had even helped falsify the raid party documents, claiming that a four-person team of this caliber was more than sufficient.
In truth, clearing the gate itself probably wouldn't be that difficult. Still, this was a D-rank gate that the Association had officially classified as too dangerous for even a B-rank hunter to carry a team through. Fighting a few rampaging monsters that had burst out into the real world was one thing. Fighting them inside their home territory—the gate itself—was an entirely different beast. Anyone who claimed they weren't nervous would be lying.
But that tension vanished almost immediately as his fantasies swelled.
Lizardmen... reptile girls... cold-blooded... icy skin... Haah, Master's cock feels so hot~
A short while later, the end of the dimensional crack came into view, and an intensely damp humidity washed over their skin.
"Master. It appears we have arrived," Briana announced calmly.
Along with her words, a dark, wet space unfolded before them. Overall it resembled the wetland from Kar's previous gate, but this one felt far stickier, damper, and significantly darker. Black mud swamps dotted the landscape like hidden traps. If the Silver Wolf's wetland had been composed of moss and soil, this place was a world of water and mud. One wrong step and it felt like you would sink into the swamp long before encountering any monsters.
"This is no joke..."
Park Jihun cautiously dipped his foot into one of the mud swamps.
Squelch...
The mud was even softer than it looked. The moment both feet planted down, it felt like you would slowly sink straight in.
"Thank god we brought these boots."
Park Jihun felt genuine gratitude toward the engineers who had developed the magitech boots and toward Shin Jiyeon for thinking to bring them. Fighting in a place like this while trudging through mud would have been utterly impossible.
"There is a button inside the boots. Press it to activate them. However, please be careful—they continuously consume mana while active," Shin Jiyeon explained.
As instructed, he pressed the button inside the boot and immediately felt something slowly seeping out from within his body.
"Whoa..."
It didn't feel like stamina draining. More like a watered-down version of his head spinning. That was the closest description.
They say you pass out if your mana runs completely dry... Is this safe?
The thought crossed his mind, but according to Shin Jiyeon, even someone with only 30 mana could wear them all day. He decided not to worry about it.
"You feel something slowly draining away, yes? That is your mana. These boots are also used for mana sensitivity training, so rookie hunters with sufficient mana often use them while learning mana control."
That meant Jihun and his familiars—who would eventually surpass 80 mana—would benefit greatly from beginning mana sensitivity training right now.
She even considered that when she suggested this place...?
As expected of a veteran B-rank hunter and the guild master of a mid-sized guild. Her resourcefulness was no joke.
"Let's move quickly," Shin Jiyeon said. Without any tools, she created a mana platform beneath her feet and walked across the sticky mud as easily as if it were solid ground.
"......"
Step. Step.
Park Jihun, Briana, and Kar followed behind her.
"Ooh... It really does feel like walking on asphalt."
"I-it's amazing... Human technology is truly incredible..."
While Jihun and Briana were admiring the boots,
"Kyareung! Kyahaaang... Kyaek?!"
Kar, growing overly excited, tried to run on all fours like a wolf. Her hand plunged straight into the swamp.
"A-are you okay?!"
"Kar! You're getting too excited!"
The group hurriedly pulled Kar's arm free from the mud. Her entire upper body was now caked in sludge.
"Kyiiing..."
She looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"Puhaha. You got yourself a nice mud pack. Your skin's gonna glow."
"If your skin gets any better than it already is, I don't know if I can hold myself back..."
"J-Jiyeon, please restrain yourself a little..."
They had momentarily forgotten they were inside a gate and were laughing together when—
"Ssrrrik... Kyahak!"
"...!!"
A sound like a snake flicking its tongue echoed from somewhere. The group instantly shifted into combat readiness.
What emerged before them were three Lizardmen with gleaming blue scales, swimming skillfully out of the very swamp where Kar had been flailing moments earlier.
They had the basic form of lizards, but their scales looked as tough as steel. They stood upright on two legs and gripped long spears in their hands. Each was roughly 170 to 180 centimeters tall—about the size of an adult male.
Lizardman (♂)
Lizardman (♀)
Lizardman (♀)
There seemed to be almost no outward difference between males and females.
"Regular monsters really are just plain Lizardmen," Jihun muttered.
"We'll have to pin our hopes on the named monsters or the boss," Shin Jiyeon replied.
Both of them looked visibly disappointed that the creatures were visually just Lizardmen—especially that the females looked identical to the males. In the end, they were nothing more than enemies that needed to be subdued.
"They're coming, Master!" Briana called out.
Excluding Shin Jiyeon, Park Jihun, Kar, and Briana moved forward to confront the three charging Lizardmen.