Chapter 21

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 21

Chapter Title: Layered Gate - 2

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Anyone could tell it was an ice-type enemy, so why was water its weakness?

And one of its main attacks was lightning, no less.

"Frontline, scatter! Ice is falling!"

"...!"

The questions kept piling up until that moment.

A red zone appeared beneath the frontline's feet.

And massive ice shards rained down from above. I shouted urgently.

Without hesitation, frontline tanks Choi Geonwoo and Kim Yena split left and right.

Kang! Kang! Kang!

Enormous ice spears, big enough to skewer a person like a kebab, stabbed down repeatedly where they'd stood.

"We survived thanks to Hayang..."

Kim Yena muttered under her breath, wiping cold sweat from her brow.

Chiiiii...!

Suddenly, steam rose from the embedded ice spears.

Their shapes began to shift.

Into forms reminiscent of miniature Kulubaks.

And each one was connected to the main Kulubak by thin lines of ice.

Mediators drawing power from the Kulubak, maybe.

No time to analyze right now.

"What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the...? Spirits?!"

"Nah, more like clones."

"Doesn't matter—they're small fry. Just smash 'em!"

Soon, the creatures circled us like kids playing a game of tag.

The party members panicked at first.

But seeing enemies no bigger than themselves eased their nerves a bit.

They raised their weapons, shifting to counterattack stances.

- Kuoooooo!

That's when the Kulubak charged all at once.

Its massive bulk blocked our rear.

With no escape, the party had no choice but to fight back.

But my call was different.

"Everyone, defensive stance! Max it out as much as you can!"

"Wha—?!"

They'd been gearing up to strike, so my opposite order threw them off.

A few froze for a second, but thankfully, some followed immediately.

Ze iiiing—

A thin membrane spread around Jinsol like a veil, forming a translucent barrier.

Chwaaang—!

Enormous wings sprouted around Choi Geonwoo's body.

Silver light poured from his shield, enveloping everyone.

Right then.

Pajijijijik—!

Powerful lightning poured from the encircling monsters.

Thanks to those two's protection, we were safe.

Without it, we'd have been roasted in seconds.

'Why's that monster totally fine, though?'

Oddly, the Kulubak—caught in the same lightning radius as us—was unscathed too.

As doubt flickered through my mind.

Swaeok—!

Choi Geonwoo moved.

Incredibly, considering his heavy armor, sword, and shield.

He sliced through the air at terrifying speed, reaching the monster's face in a flash.

At that instant, pure white light leaked from his silver sword.

A massive slash hammered the monster's body.

Kaaang—!

A deafening ring echoed, numbing our ears.

Did it land?

No need to check.

Because...

"...?!"

"It's fine?!"

Despite my buff boosting an S-Rank hunter like Choi Geonwoo.

The thing was spotless, moving without a scratch.

That made any sense?

Come to think of it...

'Conditional Damage Immunity. That's what it said.'

I narrowed my eyes, recalling the Kulubak's info from earlier.

Did it have a skill making it temporarily invincible?

No, even that didn't fit—Choi Geonwoo was too fast.

No time to react and activate anything.

To my eyes, the Kulubak hadn't reacted at all.

In a way, it was careless.

As if utterly confident no attack could touch it.

"Prepare fire attacks! Hit it with everything!"

One party member bellowed, and everyone nodded in unison.

Of course.

Obviously an ice-type monster.

Ice weak to fire? Common knowledge.

The choice wasn't wrong.

But I urgently stopped them.

"Everyone! Focus water-attribute attacks on the monsters! Geonwoo-ssi, I'll make an opening—take the big one!"

"Water?! Why? Fire's better, isn't it...?"

"Shut up and do what Hayang says!"

"Wh-who said no?!"

"Got it. This one's mine."

The party scattered in organized chaos at my words.

As requested, Choi Geonwoo soloed the original Kulubak.

The rest split up to handle the clones.

"Kuh, these bastards tank everything...!"

"What kind of monsters are these...!"

The problem? They shared the Kulubak's properties.

Bouncing every attack the party threw.

Just as I thought.

That bolsters my hypothesis even more.

"Torrent!"

"Backflow!"

While melee hunters blocked the clones' movements.

The two mages finished chanting. Massive torrents engulfed the area.

The Kulubak and its spirits got swept up too.

But no real damage, as expected.

They didn't care at all, circling us again like before.

"It's not working?!"

"It's fine! Geonwoo-ssi, Jinsol-ssi! One more party protection skill, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠please!"

"Yeah."

"Got it!"

With those words.

Pajijijijik—!

The same scene unfolded.

But the result was different.

- Kreaaaaaaaah!

For some reason, the Kulubak that shrugged off everything before.

The monster untouched by Choi Geonwoo's slash.

Now howled in agony like a beast.

"Wh-what?!"

"Did the clones' lightning hit it...?"

"But why? It was fine before!"

Everyone was baffled.

Even the great Choi Geonwoo stared in bewilderment.

Only I smiled confidently, nodding as if to say 'Plan's working.'

'Got it. It's a gimmick-type monster.'

Gimmick.

I'd seen it in a game video Jeong Yujin mentioned after I got my phone recently.

I don't play games, so I didn't know much.

But boss monsters had specific gimmicks.

Like no damage under certain conditions.

Or breaking patterns to avoid wipeouts.

And likely, this Kulubak was one such type.

It took zero external damage.

But its clones' lightning hurt it.

Why fine before, vulnerable now?

Simple.

Both Kulubak and clones were ice beings.

Ice is water's solid state, so you'd think it conducts electricity.

But no.

Unlike water, ice doesn't conduct.

So, made of non-conductive material, linked together.

Bouncing all outside attacks—it seemed unfair at first glance.

'Simple trick.'

Simple, yet tricky enough to stump us.

Plus, a seemingly invincible monster done in by its own clones' attacks?

Hard hypothesis to guess.

Chwaak—!

- Keeeaaaak!

"It's taking damage now?!"

"Arrows are sticking!"

"Yeah, magic's landing. The lightning must disable its invincibility."

After that, it was smooth sailing.

Once hit by clone lightning once.

Did it lose invincibility permanently?

The Kulubak got pummeled helplessly.

This should be straightforward now.

Or so I thought.

- Kuoooooo!

"...?!"

The Kulubak suddenly gaped wide.

Belching a massive storm of lightning and ice.

Not targeted, so my evasion skill couldn't help.

The sudden counter caught some party members in the blast. That's when the issue hit.

"M-my body...!"

"Wait, what's— Kuh?!"

Choi Geonwoo rushed over, shield up, saving me.

But everyone else collapsed like autumn leaves.

Peueok—!

"Guhk...!"

"Yunjae!"

The Kulubak closed in on the downed party, pummeling with fists and kicks.

Bodies flew into walls, sliding down.

Bones shattered audibly.

"Damn it...!"

Choi Geonwoo abandoned guarding me to intervene.

But even an S-Rank struggled soloing a Layered Gate boss.

Why, though?

Did that attack debuff them?

"Paralysis...?!"

My eyes widened at Jinsol's status window.

Status ailment.

First time seeing one.

And clearly marked beside it: Paralysis, with a level.

Everyone else was the same.

The Kulubak ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was level 80, right?

Did its specific attack inflict a debuff equal to its level?

Tuk—

As I pondered, something rolled to my feet.

I looked up to see Choi Geonwoo fighting fiercely, glancing my way.

"Hurry and feed that to the party!"

A potion!

Got it.

I realized instantly and dashed to the nearest, Jinsol.

"Jinsol-ssi, take this...!"

Thankfully, she could swallow.

As I poured the liquid, her throat moved, the green fluid dwindling.

"Ugh, urk...!"

"Wh-why...?!"

But for some reason, she still couldn't move.

Choi Geonwoo gave it, so it should work.

Meaning...

'As I thought!'

Right.

The potion only cured up to Lv.70 ailments.

The Kulubak's debuff was higher.

Lv.70 isn't low.

Choi Geonwoo was 75.

But this was a Layered Gate guardian on floor 2.

Obviously a cut above previous monsters.

Kang! Kang! Tsuzuzut...!

"Damn...! Without buffs, I'd be dead a dozen times over."

Meanwhile, oblivious to this, Choi Geonwoo battled on.

But anyone could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠see he was outmatched.

Buffs let him hold, but barely.

As he got pushed back across the snowfield.

The Kulubak targeted downed party members again.

Choi Geonwoo charged roaring, buying time.

The cycle repeated endlessly.

"Uncle! Right arm swinging from above! Now legs! Back off max distance! Ice incoming!"

All I could do was call out, aiding Choi Geonwoo with my voice.

But it was obviously not enough.

First helplessness since entering the gate welled up inside me.

Something surged in my chest.

I wished they'd stand again.

Please help Choi Geonwoo defeat that monster.

I can't do anything alone.

So please, please...!

"Get uppppppp!"

My full-throated roar blanketed the area.

And for the first time, a new message appeared before my eyes.