No Way to Win an Argument – Floor 37
On the 37th floor, twice as many as the previous floor—40,000 strong—lay in wait for the players. Seeing the goblins camped out on the plains was exasperating, but the players didn't care.
"Mages? Right here should work."
Having retaken Floor 26 and finally hitting Level 30 each, the party members had acquired powerful traits.
"Grant us the Grace of the Earth!"
Five of the twenty mages in the party had unlocked the Earth Transmutation trait. It turned the ground into soft clay for a moment, which they could harden at will—a ridiculously overpowered effect. Thanks to that, fortifying the position was done in a flash. What would've taken ten hours with shovels before was over in seconds.
"Drones are ready too."
The scout handling reconnaissance had picked the Suicide Drone trait. As the former president of a drone club, she'd naturally gained drone-related abilities. Now she could summon five autonomous AI drones that exploded on impact.
"Just need the gunners ready."
"Already done."
The six gunners replied with confident faces. Their trait was perfect for area denial: Shotgun Spread, where every projectile shattered into fragments on impact, spraying shrapnel. Needless to say, it was broken. Every machine gun bullet acted like a shotgun blast.
"Then let's get started without delay."
"Yes, sir!"
Viiiiing—!
The suicide drones slammed into the goblin lines with a deafening whine.
Massive explosion!
Roaring blasts echoed. Smoke and flames engulfed the goblins, throwing them into chaos.
"Status effect too?"
"Yes. All regular monsters within 100m of the drone blasts fall into Confusion."
"Fucking broken..."
After the five drones detonated, it was the artillery's turn. They wielded what were called howitzers—player traits boasting insane firepower, exploding midair and branching into multiple streams.
"Feels damn good!"
By the time the goblins regrouped, they'd suffered catastrophic losses.
"Commander! Intruders with gunpowder weapons..."
"No choice! Send the wolf riders!"
"But those riders..."
"I know, it's a waste of our elites. But staying put means annihilation! Use their mobility as a shield and push forward!"
Once the blasts died down, goblin cavalry atop massive gray wolves charged ahead. The wolves' speed was monstrous—they were monsters native to the 30s floors. At least 5,000 strong. The most dangerous unit on Floor 37.
"They took the bait right away? Idiots."
That's why countermeasures were obvious among players.
"Pick them off one by one while they're bogged down."
The mages hadn't just built walls—they'd laced the front with traps, softening the ground into a 10cm mud pit. Annoying for humans, fatal for meter-tall goblins. The moment the wolves slowed, machine gun fire rained down.
"What the hell is this...? Shaman! What are you doing?!"
Riders shredded in seconds, followed by infantry casualties. Shamans stepped up for heals—a fatal mistake.
Hyunwoo, who'd been waiting to expose their key forces, burst from the fort.
Amodius's Scythe trait: "Flight" activated.
Hovering in the sky, Hyunwoo targeted only shamans. His speed was blinding, and the valkyries' spear throws from his summons were brutally effective.
"Hit..."
Even if infantry chucked spears at him, the scythe's life drain nullified it. After about ten minutes, every precious shaman—one per thousand—was wiped out.
"Done!"
Hyunwoo returned casually, beaming innocently. That smile unwittingly charmed those around him.
Whoa... he's seriously cute.
As terrifying as he is in battle—thank god he's on our side. But that smile's like a fairy's...
No girlfriend, probably...?
Tch, should join his fan club when we get back? They do signings every three months, I think. Q&A weekly too.
Gotta confess for sure.
Before long, Hyunwoo had become indispensable in the party—both in combat and beyond.
Leveled up again. Even in a party, EXP poured in because they'd annihilated the goblins.
"Floor 37's key is assassinating commanders. Minimize goblin elites and pick off the ones spawning per section."
"Ah..."
"Pure EXP? Way more than the giants. Pennies make a mountain."
It'd been a while since I'd learned techniques under Master's guidance.
"Alright, quiz time. Surrounded front and back by enemies—what's the counter?"
"Uh... take out the front as fast as possible?"
"Wrong."
The instructor drew a glowing blue sword from his waist, spun his hips, and swung. Simultaneously. It looked like he'd sliced the front dummy. But my eyes caught both front and back dummies cut.
"Answer: slice them both at once."
I quickly grasped the technique. Using flexible waist torque, he cut the front dummy, then rotated to cleave the rear one.
"Forget slicing one by one. Swords aren't linear attacks."
"Huh...?"
"Sometimes a point."
The blade tip flashed like a spear thrust. The dummy's chest pierced and crumpled.
"Sometimes a plane."
Swords are linear by form. But the instructor connected lines into a plane. Fast, faster. Perfectly efficient trajectories. Plane attacks dominate space—up, down, left, right, anywhere.
"At my level, even this. You're not ready. Your body's too weak from the level gap."
No way I'd even try mimicking that. Seriously...
"Your body's honed enough now. Time to teach blunt swordplay."
"Blunt sword...?"
"I told you? Swords divide into swift and blunt. You're swift-focused. Time to adapt to blunt."
The instructor's lecture helped immensely. I even knew how to grow stronger now.
"Anyway, winter and it's this hot? Whew, look at the sweat. Ugh..."
"You moved a lot, Instructor."
"Hot, so hot... Ugh! Can't take it."
Suddenly, the instructor stripped naked. In this weather...?
"What are you—"
As biting winds howled, she elegantly bared her pristine nude form.
"Hah, finally breathing. So refreshing."
"...Have you lost it?"
"Why? You saw it this morning anyway."
"Stripping like that in winter is weird enough! Beyond that!"
"God, so chatty."
She grabbed my arm, yanking me forward. No resisting her strength. I was dragged straight to the bathroom.
"Getting whinier by the day. You look so meek."
"Here we go again. Call me Instructor and you shut me up with sex—fix that habit."
"Why should I?"
"Well..."
She didn't let me finish, swallowing my cock to the root.
"Ah!"
"What?"
"I mean, that's why."
"Why do I have to?"
Her lips curved in a smug grin, always right. That face pissed me off so much I went speechless.
Argh, seriously!
She pistoned relentlessly, growing more infuriating—and lewd. Her thick sweat scent, her aroma, melted my body soft. The more it built, the more I craved it...
Keep this up and she'll think she wins.
Always ends arguments by fucking me when she's losing. Gotta fix that.
"Kiss?"
"...Yeah."
Smack—!
Lips sealed. I surrendered naturally into her embrace.
"That's right, good boy..."
Let her think she won today. Just today...
"Pwahhh, Hyunwoo. Bath time?"
"Clothes soaked from you, so yeah, I need one."
She climbed off. I stripped willingly, filled the tub, and soaked first. Then she joined, our bodies entwining naturally.
"Ah, this is it, fuck."
She seemed utterly content. I couldn't understand it, but whatever.