The Canyon Trap
Yoo Ji-sung walked for a while, using the information he had gathered through the signals. He clicked his tongue as he looked at the eleventh-floor screen he had pulled up.
Tsk… Looks like I can’t lure them anymore.
The resistance could be manipulated through conversation because they still had their reason. Monsters, however, could only be placed on desired floors; he couldn’t control them completely. They were far more driven by instinct than by intellect. Even after becoming the Tower’s master, he hadn’t been able to erase the hostility Markrun’s faction had planted in them toward Conquerors.
Using Roa to draw them in only works up to Marin. Once they’ve solidified their forces, they won’t fall for ordinary bait. So I’ll have to use the Conquerors instead.
In the center of the monster army, a creature let out a piercing roar. A massive Hop Goblin, radiating a ferocious aura, was commanding the horde. A gigantic greatsword rested in its hands, a crimson gem embedded in the blade’s center. The army was enormous, and the monster holding the floor’s key was just as powerful. It seemed enraged by the reports of defeat pouring in from every direction.
“By the way, brother, I’m still not sure if this is really going to work like you said. Things have gone smoothly so far, but…”
“Of course it will. We’re still sailing smoothly, and it’ll stay that way.”
Yoo Ji-sung brushed off Dong-cheol Ma’s concern. To execute this operation, he had to clash with numerous party leaders in the conference hall. Before the monsters could get any closer to Marin, they would lure them into a battlefield of his choosing and wipe them out in one stroke—that had been his proposal.
“We went along because you sounded so confident, but I can’t help worrying. The meeting ended with your victory, sure, but if we fail, Marin gets overrun. That’ll put you in a real bind. Plus, I think I’ve already been marked! If the plan flops, the guild’s going to treat me like a total screw-up!”
“Oppa! Why do you keep saying such nonsense!”
“Aagh! That hurts, damn it!”
Yeah. Hit him harder. More.
Yoo Ji-sung silently cheered A-reum Jeong on while letting out a low breath.
“Don’t worry about Marin. They’re monsters—slaves to instinct. The reason they’re marching on Marin is obvious: they know it has the highest concentration of Conquerors and villagers.”
“We’ll use the Conquerors to divert their attention and guide them into the gorge,” Su-ho Jang said.
“Exactly. Even the most saintly person gets angry when they’re slapped. But these aren’t people—they’re monsters driven mad by the Red Moon. A couple of light jabs and their eyes will roll back. After a straight punch, do you really think they’ll keep their heads? Gorge or no gorge, they won’t care.”
Yoo Ji-sung flashed a sly grin. To the monsters, the gorge was simply the narrow pass a short distance from Marin. Right now, multiple parties were clearing monsters starting from the gorge entrance. They had left behind just enough monsters to relay information to the main force before retreating deeper into the gorge—all according to Yoo Ji-sung’s instructions.
“You’re a terrifying man. Using the gorge to completely erase the monster army… How did you even come up with that?”
“My family’s a bit unusual. I picked up some influence from them, and I’ve always been interested in strategy. You see tactics like this all the time in history and movies, right? That’s how I thought of it.”
“Unusual family… Even with an interest in strategy, I wonder if anyone could just say something like that in that kind of meeting.”
Yoo Ji-sung shrugged at Su-ho Jang’s words.
“All I can say is that I’m not exactly the cautious type…”
“True. I already knew something was off the moment I saw you hunting monsters alone despite having a magic-class job.”
Su-ho Jang turned his gaze away, signaling he wouldn’t press further. But two other stares still clung to Yoo Ji-sung, far more unsettling.
“Dong-cheol? A-reum?”
“Unusual family? Was that really true?”
“Ji-sung oppa? Was that for real?”
“Well… it wasn’t that grand of a family. Haha…”
Yoo Ji-sung forced an awkward smile. At the sight, Dong-cheol Ma and A-reum Jeong’s eyes sparkled like they had just discovered treasure. The words “unusual family” and “clan” seemed to have stuck to their tongues, and the weight of their gazes was becoming unbearable. Still, he couldn’t abandon the setting he had created to foster a sense of kinship with Jin-ho Lee.
I can’t tell if they’re stupid or just naive. What kind of person comes up with a strategy like this on the spot? Of course it’s possible—because my experience is on a completely different level from yours.
Roa was the same. She had grown used to fighting monsters, but she still lacked when it came to crafting strategies. She was cautious, overly defensive. She only bought time against the approaching monsters without knowing how to exploit that time.
Passive. Unable to properly assess the strength of allies and enemies. And she values each life far too heavily. That’s why she ends up suggesting such foolish plans and digging our own graves together.
If this had been Yoo Ji-sung’s first run, he might have followed Roa’s words. But he had spent ten years grinding through the Tower, dealing with Conquerors day in and day out. There was a world of difference between merely knowing tactics and having executed them repeatedly while accumulating real experience.
Ignoring the two pairs of sparkling eyes, Yoo Ji-sung opened his mouth. Far in the distance, fireworks of various colors exploded at staggered intervals.
“The monster army that was heading for Marin has completely turned toward the gorge. The reinforcements are joining them there as well.”
“That’s pretty impressive. I couldn’t make heads or tails of those signals no matter how long I stared.”
“As long as there’s at least one person who can read them, we’re fine, right?”
“Still… without you, we’d be in trouble.”
“That’s why we have Su-ho oppa!”
Dong-cheol Ma and A-reum Jeong’s gazes refused to leave Yoo Ji-sung. He coughed awkwardly and looked away into the distance. Su-ho Jang, who had been watching him, let out a sigh and followed his line of sight.
From the hill, the two of them could see the monster army.
“An enormous number. Even though the eleventh floor is vast, I never imagined there would be this many monsters. I can’t even count how many Conqueror forces have already been wiped out.”
“Since the dead monsters revive as undead, their numbers haven’t really decreased much.”
“Tsk! That’s exactly why you have to smash their skulls! Brother! Are we joining them in the gorge like this?”
All eyes turned to Yoo Ji-sung. Their gazes made it clear they would follow his judgment rather than their own. Their trust felt like a powerful weapon in his hands. Though they were fated to part ways eventually, they would become a tremendous force someday. His lips twitched upward, so he forced a more serious expression instead.
“I’m not sure…”
“Something’s bothering you, then.”
Su-ho Jang stepped in. He couldn’t hide the overwhelmed look on his face after seeing the monster army. Yet Yoo Ji-sung, who had witnessed the same sight, seemed to be thinking of something else. That was why he had to ask.
“Instinct isn’t something we can ignore. There’s no guarantee they’ll obediently walk into the trap. I was wondering if there’s a more certain way to lure them into the gorge.”
“More certain… Judging by your expression, it looks like you already have an idea.”
“I do, but…”
“If it’s your plan, I’ll go anywhere! Even if it’s a pit of fire, what does it matter? If it’s your idea, we won’t die!”
“I feel the same! I’ll trust whatever you think, oppa!”
Yoo Ji-sung pulled up the entire eleventh floor in front of him and covered his mouth with one hand. Had he really earned this much trust from them? The thought crossed his mind. But if they were willing to believe in him this much, doubting them wouldn’t be right either.
Good thing I covered my mouth. My lips kept trying to curl up—it was driving me crazy.
“It might be really dangerous, you know?”
“This is going to be our final battle anyway. As an honorary member, I’ll help. After this, it’s unclear if we’ll even get to travel together again.”
“Hey, brother! Why say something so unlucky? Of course we’ll keep traveling together!”
“Dong-cheol oppa is right!”
Yoo Ji-sung composed his expression and looked at his party members. They nodded as if telling him to speak freely. Seeing their reaction, he steeled his resolve.
If you trust me that much, I’ll put you through the wringer. Even if you’re dull iron now, keep swinging and you might become a legendary blade someday.
Contrary to his inner thoughts, Yoo Ji-sung wore a grave expression.
“Then I’ll tell you my plan. But you need to be prepared.”
Let’s go completely insane! Let’s rack up contribution points and climb the rankings! Ah, first place is definitely Jin-ho Lee’s!
Yoo Ji-sung decided to bestow trials upon the lambs staring up at him.
* * *
At the entrance to the gorge.
Six men and women stood at the narrowing mouth of the canyon while a massive monster army advanced toward them. Countless monsters let out wild roars upon spotting them. Drooling, eyes filled with killing intent, they slammed their weapons into the ground in threat. Individually weak, the collective pressure of their combined presence bore down on the six.
“This isn’t right. This is really…”
“O-oppa? Is this really okay?”
“Yes. There’s no other way.”
Yoo Ji-sung nodded at the flustered Dong-cheol Ma and A-reum Jeong. To carry out this plan, he had called Roa and discussed it with her. She had tried to stop him, calling it madness, but the other three had insisted on following his words—driven by heroic impulses, pride, and the trust they had placed in him. Yet now, with the operation about to begin, their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
“A fish biting the hook doesn’t mean you’ve caught it. When it bites, you have to tempt it more surely to reel it in.”
“Th-that’s true, but… I don’t know if we can lure them with just us…”
“There are people coming to support us. The monsters are slowing down as they approach the gorge. Their instincts are warning them of danger. It’s a good thing we stepped in.”
“…Still, isn’t that way too many?”
Monsters poured down the hill in an endless stream. The sight made fists clench involuntarily. Even Su-ho Jang couldn’t hide his tension, let alone Dong-cheol Ma and A-reum Jeong. They had cleared medium and large-scale monster groups, sometimes cooperating with other parties. They had gained the confidence that they could wipe out any eleventh-floor monsters, but this was different. Forget possible or impossible—this was simply insane.
At that moment, Tom Reynolds, greatsword slung over his shoulder, let out a sigh.
“You’re a more reckless man than I thought.”
“It’s my strategy. If it means drawing them in for sure, I’ll do whatever it takes. Besides, you can see it, right? If that many monsters reached Marin, it would’ve been a massacre.”
Yoo Ji-sung grinned at Tom Reynolds’ words. In the end, he had no intention of dying to them. If things got truly dangerous, he could just escape to the administrator’s room. For now, he simply marveled at the spectacle he had orchestrated across the eleventh floor and looked forward to the battle that would follow.