Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Layered Gate - 3
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Ssslruk—
One by one.
Just like vegetative patients miraculously coming back to life.
Starting with my shout, they began to rise.
Everyone wore dazed expressions.
Faces that had no idea what had happened to them.
Among them, Choi Geonwoo bellowed out a command that echoed throughout the area.
“What are you all doing?! If you're back to your senses, focus on the enemy in front of you!”
“Hup!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“Concentrate your firepower! We hit it all at once!”
Everyone gripped their weapons and charged in unison.
Seeing this, Kuluvak let out a 'Krr...?!' and took a step back.
I couldn't just stand still either.
I roughly wiped away the tears that had nearly spilled over.
With my eyes fixed solely on Kuluvak's movements, I continued the briefing.
“It's going to shoot ice again! Mages! Prioritize protecting the vanguard! Vanguard, keep pushing in!”
“Okay!”
As the mages, led by Jinsol, began chanting their spells,
thin, translucent barriers formed around the charging vanguard.
Tingtingtingting—!
The ice shards fired by Kuluvak dealt no damage at all, scattering harmlessly away.
“Left arm! Swing it inward! Yena, dodge to the right!”
The moment its first attack failed,
it tried to swing its thick, massive ice arm.
But even that was nullified by my foresight.
“It's wide open!”
Kim Yena's gauntlets glowed red.
A massive tiger appeared, wrapping around her from behind.
Kwaaaaaaang—!
One strike.
In a single blow, the gigantic figure staggered.
Her unique skill, huh.
Nothing else could explain that level of power.
- Krrrrr...!
Finally unable to hold back, Kuluvak summoned its clones again.
But it knew it couldn't use lightning like before.
In other words, those were decoys to buy time.
Which meant Kuluvak was running critically low on leeway.
We couldn't give it any more breathing room.
“Yena, draw the clones away and create distance! Archers and gunners, only deal with the clones!”
“Got it!”
Following my orders, Kim Yena struck the clones.
She then leaped away, putting significant distance between them.
The clones, their attention stolen, chased after her.
I see.
Those clones after all.
They followed Kuluvak's commands, but each had their own intelligence.
- Kr?!
Kuluvak seemed flustered as it tried to call the clones back.
But it was already too late.
Paaaaaah...!
Seizing the opening, Jinsol gathered mana from the very back.
Choi Geonwoo, who had been focused purely on defense.
Silver and blue mana converged on their sword and staff respectively.
“Now!”
Targeting that split-second opportunity, they unleashed their firepower in one go.
Choi Geonwoo's sword pierced toward the center of Kuluvak's upper body.
The massive lightning bolt from Jinsol engulfed Kuluvak's form.
- Kuaaaaaaaaah!
At the same time, the sturdy ice shell protecting Kuluvak's body.
It cracked with a crunching sound.
And finally, from the shattered chest, a blue-glowing crystal-like core was revealed.
“Uncle! Right there!”
At my shout, Choi Geonwoo charged without hesitation.
The light had dimmed a bit from before.
But it was more than enough for the finishing blow—a sacred silver glow.
It shot out like a laser, piercing straight through Kuluvak's core.
Paaaang—!
The massive ice statue shattered into fragments, scattering everywhere.
[Cleared the 2nd layer of ‘Stormy Snow Mountain’.]
The moment the message appeared before my eyes, I collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
＊＊＊
“Waaaaah!”
“Hayang!”
“We survived thanks to you!”
“No, seriously, are you insane?! What was that just now?!”
“Right! My paralysis suddenly lifted!”
“Hey, forget that—let's give our little goddess the hero's carry first!”
After clearing the 2nd layer like that.
All the party members rushed over and hoisted me up on their shoulders.
Whoa, the sky's spinning.
More than that, did hero's carries go this high?
It feels like I'm touching the sky.
If I fall like this, won't I die from the drop?
“Un-Uncle...! Save me!”
“Pfft, you look great up there, why?”
“It's not great!”
I sent an SOS to Choi Geonwoo.
But for some reason, he just laughed and offered no help.
Ugh, that's so mean.
“We'd all be dead without Hayang. Admit it?”
“Admit. When I was paralyzed, I thought we were done for.”
“Me too. When Hayang fed me the potion, I thought I'd live, but the second I realized it wasn't working, my life flashed before my eyes.”
“Whoa, that must've been chilling. Dude.”
“Don't even talk about it.”
Even amid the victory cheers and chatter.
The main topic was all about me.
Hearing such excessive praise right to my face.
Embarrassment hit me before joy did.
But I couldn't just squirm in embarrassment forever.
There was still something left to do.
“Um, Uncle. There's a place we need to go. Can everyone come with me?”
“Checking the 3rd layer? Got it.”
“No, not that.”
“Hm? Not that?”
Of course, we should check if there's a 3rd layer.
No, there definitely is one.
Because right under my feet, a red trail stretched out.
Leading to beyond the iron door we couldn't enter before.
It had been the same when we climbed up to this 2nd layer.
In other words, the existence of a 3rd layer was obvious.
But right now, something even more important remained.
“Yeah, looks like there's a treasure room nearby.”
“What? A treasure room?”
“I saw it last time with Yujin. It's probably real.”
The treasure room.
Just like before, a golden aura stretched along the wall beside the iron door.
“Everyone, move out immediately! Objective: treasure room search!”
“Yes?! A treasure room?”
“There's a treasure room here?!”
“Master, is that true?!”
Without a hint of doubt at my words, Choi Geonwoo issued the order.
The party members instantly formed up in ranks.
They really want to see that treasure room, huh.
Well, who could blame them.
Even in the Rift Gate I went to with Jeong Yujin, we'd gotten amazing loot.
Who knows what kind of rewards a Layered Gate's treasure room holds—it's unimaginable.
Plus, Jeong Yujin said treasure rooms are super rare.
Maybe some of them are seeing one for the first time ever.
“Which way?”
“That way. Can you break the wall first?”
“Step back a bit.”
“Okay.”
I pointed at the wall, and Choi Geonwoo unleashed his sword energy right away.
Golden aura poured out even stronger from beyond the collapsed wall.
We followed it slowly, but there was still no clear path.
Still, we diligently smashed through walls with magic, creating openings.
We moved along in search of the treasure room.
“Haa, this seems endless...”
“Is it really there?”
“No way Master would lie.”
“But how did Master know about the treasure room?”
“Wasn't it Hayang who figured it out?”
“Huh, maybe?”
On the way, I overheard a slightly startling comment.
But I pretended not to hear and kept marching steadfastly.
Finally, we reached a dead-end wall.
And before it sat a massive chest all by itself.
The party members' eyes doubled in size at the sight.
“Oh, is that the treasure?!”
“Whoa, the chest is huge!”
“That size? We can split it among ourselves easy!”
Their eyes glazed over with greed.
They all rushed forward to open it.
“Stop!”
I held them back, reaching out my hand.
Yeah, they can't see it.
The thin purple lines surrounding the chest right now.
“Jinsol, can you destroy the spots I point out in order? As weakly as possible.”
“Huh? Yeah, sure.”
“Then, first...”
I started to point at the first visible spot, then paused.
Come to think of it, I can't reach that high.
What to do?
If I point wrong and they break the wrong thing, it'll be a disaster.
“B-Before that, can you lift me up with magic?”
“Sure, like with Kang Jinhyuk. This bubble can float to a certain height freely.”
“Okay.”
Somehow, being trapped in a bubble like a spy felt weird.
Honestly, though, I'd thought it looked fun watching Kang Jinhyuk bounce around earlier, so I was intrigued.
Because bouncing around in a giant soap bubble?
It tickles the inner child.
“Whoaaa!”
Trapped in Jinsol's magic bubble and floating up lightly,
an exclamation escaped my lips.
Hehe, this is kinda fun.
I might ask for another ride next time.
But for now, focus on disarming the trap.
“Here, here, a little poke there...”
As I pointed with my hand, Jinsol destroyed the mechanisms one by one.
The visible purple lines vanished.
Finally, nothing guarded the treasure chest anymore.
“You can open it now.”
“R-Right.”
The party members, who had been silently watching my actions.
Once I gave permission, they hurriedly hid their bewildered faces and flung open the chest.
“Wooow!”
“Whoa, insane...”
“Dude, so many items?!”
“How many is this?!”
Exclamations burst out everywhere as the chest opened.
It wasn't filled with jewels like the last treasure room.
But it was packed with items that looked precious at a glance.
“Hey, quick, pull out the appraisal scrolls!”
“Gotta be at least one or two Legendaries, right?!”
“One or two? Way more!”
The party members beamed as they rummaged for scroll-like papers.
Meanwhile, I walked up to the chest.
“This one's good for you, Jinsol. This for Jaeseong... Oh, this one's only for Uncle. It's a Legendary.”
I handed items back one by one, recommending who should take them.
Suddenly, the room fell silent.
“Um, Hayang. What are you saying?”
“Huh?”
Then Jinsol, as representative, asked with wide eyes,
as if she had no clue what I was doing.
What do you mean...?
“I'm distributing the items?”
“......”
At my answer, everyone stared down at me in stunned silence.
Choi Geonwoo, standing like a statue beside them, averted his gaze with a 'let's not say anything' look.
Did I do something wrong?
Ah, maybe distributions aren't supposed to go like this?