Chapter 141
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 141
Chapter Title: The Newbie's Skills Are Somehow Strange (4)
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So Ye-seo had locked the three squad leaders who'd rebelled against her inside transparent soap bubbles and let out a derisive snort.
"Stay right there and do some reflecting!"
"Come on, Team Leader, it was just a joke! Just a joke!"
"Yeah, I know. I'm joking too."
With that, she turned around casually, grabbed my arm, and started walking again.
Is it really okay to just leave them like that...?
Inside the soap bubbles, they seemed to be shouting and thrashing about, but not a sound leaked out. That was probably her main skill.
I decided not to stir up any unnecessary trouble and quietly followed behind her.
Team Leader's body was starting to get all soft and melty again in the sweltering heat.
I swallowed a sigh inwardly and pressed the cold ice against her skin once more.
"Huuu, so cool~ My team members are such a pain, right? They always treat me like this. I'm the team leader, but no one listens to me. They just ignore me all the time. Do I really look that easy to push around? I can be pretty scary when I get mad too!"
"Yes."
"Right? Don't you find them annoying too? You do, don't you?"
She coaxed me for agreement like a child begging for praise.
I shrugged instead of answering outright.
Was there anything stupider than badmouthing fellow seniors right from the start?
"Tch. You're on their side too, huh."
"One of them is going to be my squad leader, after all."
At my response, she nodded as if she understood, but puffed out her cheeks again anyway.
"Anyway, follow me. Like I said, I'm in charge today."
And so, we kept heading toward the center of Zone 3, where sticky webs draped everywhere like massive spider threads.
Walking through the humid jungle was far more exhausting and unpleasant.
So Ye-seo let out an irritated sigh and changed the subject.
"By the way, have you ever heard about the 'space rules' in rifts?"
"Space rules?"
"Yeah. It's probably not in the academy curriculum yet, but it's a phenomenon that's started showing up mainly in newly discovered rifts. Basically, each rift, each space, has its own unique rules. In some rifts, gravity works in reverse. In others, magic of certain attributes doesn't work at all."
What they called gimmicks.
As I'd mentioned before, it was the first defining feature of Dominant Evil.
"Because of that, the association's saying there'll be major disruptions in future mana stone mining operations. That's why our Team 5's role has become even more crucial. We have to go in first, figure out those damn rules all over again, and develop even more refined strategies."
She kicked at a clump of spiderwebs scattered at her feet with a serious expression.
"For example, the space rule in this Rift 105 is relatively simple. All damage is halved. But instead, that reduced damage gets randomly dispersed to every being inside the rift."
"Meaning if you hit one monster, that damage spreads a little to the others too."
"Exactly. Other than that, they're vulnerable to fire, just like regular spider beasts. The key point is this: even a single attack draws the attention of every monster in the entire zone. Preparing for the swarm that comes rushing in at once is the core of the strategy."
"Hmm, still sounds pretty straightforward."
She frowned slightly, apparently displeased with my nonchalant reply.
"It is here. But not all rifts are this simple. Some of the dangerous ones we've discovered lately have rules that get more complex as you progress through zones, or they apply differently to each hunter who enters—targeting their psychology or weaknesses. In places like that, teamwork and all that becomes completely useless."
This sounded like the kind of content commonly called "ascension" or "roguelike" in games.
Usually an endgame feature where you tackle rifts that change randomly each time, overcoming built-in penalties. Apparently, that's how it manifested in this reality.
"So, you can't just attack whenever a monster shows up. Well, doesn't matter now since the sweep is done."
So Ye-seo yawned widely as if her long, boring explanation was finally over, rubbing her sleepy eyes lazily.
Nod, nod.
Her head started bobbing like a hungry chick's while she stood there.
She looked sleepy.
With drowsy eyes, she gave me some advice.
"Haaam... This Rift 105... among the new rifts... has the lowest difficulty... so it should be fine... for you to get used to it."
"Yes..."
"So, just follow me today... finish the patrol... and go back to play air conditioner for the team... Yawn... I'm giving you special time to score points with them."
She said that and yawned again.
A rainbow-colored soap bubble floated up from her mouth with a pop.
And right then—
Screeeech!
Something sliced through the air with a sharp sound, flying straight toward us at high speed.
Probably acidic liquid spat by a spider beast?
It reached us in mere seconds.
But the purple liquid didn't touch us.
The soap bubble that had risen from So Ye-seo's mouth expanded widely, blocking it like a transparent shield.
The incoming venomous stinger got sucked right into the bubble the moment it made contact.
The transparent bubble instantly turned a deep purple. Then it sank heavily to the ground.
"What the hell? They said the sweep was done! Can't even handle a stray mob properly?"
So Ye-seo grumbled as she looked in the direction the stinger had come from.
Up in the trees hung a spider beast, its countless eyes glaring at us.
With an annoyed look, So Ye-seo snapped her fingers.
Dozens of small soap bubbles flew toward the spider.
The spider didn't try to dodge them. It just raised its front legs threateningly.
And in that instant, the bubbles enveloped its entire body.
Kieeeek!
Trapped inside the massive soap bubble, the spider thrashed wildly, but to no avail.
The bubble didn't burst at all. In fact, the more it struggled, the tighter it constricted around its body.
I could only stare blankly at the scene.
So Ye-seo noticed and smirked up at me.
"My soap bubbles aren't treated as attacks, so the monsters don't bother dodging them. That's why I'm the best in the pioneer team at handling stray mobs."
"...Impressive."
"Right? Right? As expected, newbies have a good eye~"
Even as she boasted proudly, So Ye-seo's body slowly began to slump. With each bubble she sent flying, strength seemed to drain from her.
"But the more bubbles I send... my body gets all... like this... all soft and melty..."
"A-Are you okay, Team Leader?"
I hurriedly supported her as she staggered. Her body felt as light as paper and burning hot.
"Sorry... I'm the type... who needs a lot of sleep... Haaaam... But why am I suddenly so sleepy..."
"Y-Your head feels really hot too."
"Nah, it's not a fever... don't worry... More importantly... the patrol... I leave it to you..."
With those final words, she completely collapsed into my arms and fell asleep.
I could hear her steady breathing: snore, snore.
I hesitated for a moment with her soundly asleep in my arms, then hoisted her onto my back.
What kind of situation is this?
'At this rate, she couldn't even function in daily life, right? Her forehead's scorching too.'
Good thing she said it wasn't a fever...
Thankfully, we hadn't gone too far, so I quickly made it back to where the other team members were.
"Um, seniors."
"Oh, newbie. Back already? Where's the Team Leader?"
Nick looked at me curiously.
I showed him So Ye-seo, slumped and fast asleep on my back.
They all made pitying faces when they saw her.
"She's at it again. You're in for a rough day, newbie."
"Could something be wrong? She just suddenly passed out like this."
"Nah, she probably just felt like sleeping. It's not that severe a case of narcolepsy."
"Yeah. She pulls this every time she doesn't feel like working."
"...I see."
It looked different from what I'd seen.
She definitely seemed drained after using the soap bubbles.
The team members shoved responsibility around, reluctant to take her. In the end, they pointed to a corner with their fingers.
"Hey, newbie. Over there—we set up a tent just for the Team Leader. Lay her down there."
"It's way more helpful when she's sleeping than when she's trying to help."
"......"
Her standing in the team really seemed rock bottom.
At this point, even I started to wonder.
Was it really just her faking it because she wanted to sleep?
I carried her small body to the tent they'd pointed out.
The inside of the tent was steaming hot from the outside heat.
I sighed at the suffocating warmth and carefully laid her on the sleeping bag. Then, I cooled the tent's interior by emitting cold air directly from my hand.
I didn't even bother summoning Da-eun noona's clone.
This much, I could handle alone just fine.
"Hehe... so cool..."
She murmured happily in her sleep.
I looked down at her peaceful face.
White skin, perky nose, plump cheeks.
Sure enough, those cheeks made me think there might be something infuriating about her that just made you want to stretch them out.
I left the sleeping Team Leader in the tent and stepped back outside. I approached Vice Team Leader Nick, who was wrestling with the webs, and asked.
"Um, Vice Team Leader. What should I do now?"
I figured he'd tell me to just play air conditioner.
But his answer completely missed the mark.
"Don't leave the Team Leader alone. Stay by her side."
"Pardon?"
"You never know. Something might happen while she's sleeping."
That was unexpected.
He'd been trash-talking her earlier.
As I stared at him in surprise, Nick cleared his throat and added.
"You don't want to make the Team Leader mad. When she's really angry... it's on a whole different level from her usual grumpiness. Way scarier."
"Ah, I see..."
"You'll find out eventually."
He spun the spear in his hand with a whirl a few times before slamming it into the ground with a thud.
Then he stared straight at me and spoke in a serious tone.
"Newbie. Before you go, I've got a question for you."
"Yes."
"It's the same question I ask every newbie who joins our team."
Hearing that, my body tensed up instinctively. It overlapped with my military days.
I braced for the start of some brutal hazing question.
But surprisingly, it was reasonable.
Not some bullshit like who was the hottest among the squad leaders or the prettiest girl on the team.
"You've heard the basics about this rift from the Team Leader, right?"
"Yes. Including the space rules."
"Good. So, in the current situation, how could we shorten the rift clear time even more?"
It was a deep question about rift strategy.
As I made a hesitant face, he nodded understandingly and explained.
"Skill proficiency and using your brain are different things. Want an example? When we work, we don't take any commands or orders from the Team Leader. Why? Because my judgment—and the other squad leaders'—is way better than hers. Her real value is in that skill. When we don't need it, she's just... like a mascot. Boosting our morale."
Boosting morale? Really?
I barely held back from asking.
Nick tapped his temple and continued.
"That's why I want to see if you've got a brain too. No pressure if you can't answer. Think it over and give it a shot."
"Got it."
In military terms, it was like testing if I had squad leader potential.
In game terms, pulling out the smart characters to form a staff.
One thing became clear after hearing that question.
Team 5's real core was this guy, Vice Team Leader Nick.
'Strategy, huh...'
Truth be told, I already knew the answer.
This rift had such a simple structure and clear rules that devising a strategy wasn't hard.
From the moment So Ye-seo explained the space rule simply, the optimal route was already mapped in my head.
The key was "connections" and "kill zones."
The space rule here was "damage dispersion."
That meant no need to clear each zone separately.
Link all the monster habitats across zones into one.
Then create a narrow, long "kill zone" at the chokepoint.
Lure the monsters to pour out, then sweep them all at once in that tight passage.
Wave defense.
That was the core to shortening clear time in Rift 105.