Shotgun? That Thing's Pretty Damn Good
“Uh… Vice President. So, what you're saying is, you're going to tackle this headache of a gate solo?”
The voice of the guild's gate operations department employee trembled slightly. I nodded with a smile.
“Yeah, skipping the super low ranks—something around B-rank would be perfect.”
The employee broke out in a cold sweat, glancing back and forth between the monitor and my face. Even if I was Roijir Guild's real power player, specially hired as vice president, they must be wondering if this was really okay. But what could they do? Rank was everything in a company.
“Uh… well, there are a few on the waiting list… Are you sure you're okay with this?”
“Of course. You won't get in any trouble, Agent. I got the guild master's permission, right?”
Only then did the employee show me the tablet.
“In that case, this one might be good for you.”
“Oh? Where's this?”
“It's a B-rank gate by rating, but the terrain inside is so vicious that hunters avoid it like the plague—not the monsters, the environment.”
“What kind of terrain?”
“A swamp. Your feet sink right in, killing all mobility, so the actual difficulty feels A-rank or higher. That's why everyone's putting off the raid.”
The employee looked at me with worried eyes and asked again. “Shall I look for somewhere else…?”
That's when Ariel, perched on my shoulder, muttered.
“Swamp? Perfect. Mud's nothing. It's worthless against the wind.”
I chuckled and told the employee, “Nah, if everyone's avoiding it, this is the one.”
“Alright, proceeding with raid registration. You're all set… If it gets even a little tough, don't push it—bail immediately, Vice President.”
“Don't worry.”
I left the department with light steps. Ariel, floating invisibly over my shoulder, spoke in a pouty tone.
“Just us two?”
“Yeah, Taesoo hyung and Ayoung are tied up raiding gates with other parties. They're busy, so this time it's a date—just you and me, Ariel.”
“D-date?!”
“Why so surprised?”
“N-no!!”
What was this? Why the girly reaction?
“A-hem! Let's get going!”
Piercing through the dimensional barrier into the gate, a nauseating rotten stench hit my nose, followed by sticky humidity. A dense forest evoking the Amazon rainforest, every inch in sight a black mud swamp where feet sank deep. Just walking drained stamina in chunks—a hellish environment worthy of the title “hunters' graveyard.”
“Whoa, this place looks seriously gross. Prime mosquito breeding ground.”
“Not exactly scenic, huh. Sticky and gloomy—right up Norias's alley.”
Ariel, floating in midair, surveyed the surroundings and clicked her tongue.
“Norias?”
“Yeah, the Earth Spirit King. No idea what he's thinking. Gloomy and damp like this swamp. That's why even spirit mages don't like him.”
Whoa, even the great Spirit Kings gossiped like petty kids. I barely stifled a laugh and took a step forward.
“Must be nice floating around as the wind spirit. My shoes are already caked in mud.”
“What're you saying, contractor of a Spirit King? You can do it too.”
“Oh, really?”
“Debating spirit arts with someone who can't even do the basics gives me a headache.”
Well, even without wind power, this swamp was no issue for me. Using the Dragon Word ‘Cheok’ to blast mana downward repelled the mud surface continuously, letting me glide like I was skiing without sinking.
But adding wind power on top…? Oh!! What was this? Floating felt amazing.
Ariel, seeing it, surprisingly praised me.
“Hmm, not bad—you're staying upright without sinking, better than expected. Let's see… Ah, yeah. Not just wind. Hmph, that's a cheat. Didn't you come to try spirit arts?”
“Wind's trickier to handle than I thought.”
Pleased, Ariel puffed up. “Of course! Wind's the freest of nature's forces!”
Ariel suddenly snorted and scrutinized the rotten trees and swamp intently.
“Hmm, but something's off.”
“Why?”
“No, more like… this place feels weirdly familiar.”
“Familiar?”
“Yeah, I've definitely seen it somewhere…”
Ariel rested her chin, deep in thought. On a hunch, I asked, “Gates don't generate random terrain—maybe they copy specific regions from the Ereinia continent?”
“Could be. I don't know what the Blue Spear of Ruin is up to exactly… But this doesn't feel like just any Ereinia spot…”
That's when it happened. Bubbles boiled on the rotten swamp surface, and a dozen hideous magic beasts shaped like massive crocodiles lunged at us, jaws gaping wide.
The moment I saw them, Ariel's eyes lit up.
“Aha! Now I get it. Defirado! That's the place.”
“Defirado?”
“Yeah. An abandoned land from ages ago, where a hero slew and sealed the Demon King. The swamp called Defirado—gateway to the demon realm.”
“Demon realm?!”
Wait… so this was real Ereinia? Whether copied or connected, a Spirit King wouldn't bullshit.
“No clue what the system's scheming… but Ereinia and Earth aren't totally unrelated.”
Scholars pondered gate origins endlessly, but an eyewitness nailed it instantly. Not important now, though. These crocs first.
I drew my spear and gripped it tight. “Doesn't seem truly connected. Gates cap size—you can't exit beyond a point. Gotta handle these guys first, right?”
“Yeah, we can think later.”
Ariel shook off her worries and shouldered her toy guitar like a weapon. Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
“That game you mentioned?”
Ariel brought up Doom out of nowhere.
“Yeah, why?”
“Blasting heavy metal while shredding demons with a crude shotgun, right? That footage was fun.”
“Oh, you watched? Doom guy might be stronger than you, Ariel.”
“Maybe, if he really rips that many demons.”
Why was she conceding…? “Hmph! But I'm not weaker. Behold the great wind's power. Shotgun, huh? That sounds doable with wind authority.”
“Whoa! Actual shotgun?”
“Watch closely.”
Ariel leaped into the air, extending her small, cute hand toward a house-sized croc charging her. A faint mana ripple. But the result? Not cute.
BOOM—!
A cannon-like roar erupted as hundreds of hyper-compressed razor-sharp wind pellets fanned out from her fingertips.
“KYAAAACK!”
One shot. The wind buckshot shredded the croc's tough scales like paper, riddling its body with holes, turning it to minced meat in seconds.
“How's that? Feels like your shotgun, right?”
“……No… that's insane?”
I couldn't close my gaping mouth. This was her nerfed power as Spirit King?
Ariel haughtily tilted her chin. “Let's hunt! Play that noisy music like promised! Time for monster massacre!”
“Got it!! BGM incoming!”
I pulled out my smartphone, cranked the volume max, and blasted adrenaline-pumping death metal.
Ziiing—! Boom boom! Bang bang!
The tiny speaker strained, but Ariel frowned.
“……Tch, that mosquito buzz kills the vibe. No boiling blood like this.”
Outdoor phone limits were pathetic. “…Physics, can't help it. Should've brought an amp.”
“Gimme.”
Ariel snapped her fingers; my phone floated up. A massive wind vortex swirled around her.
The Wind Spirit King perfectly tuned air density and vibration. Using wind as a giant amp—ZIIIZIIING—!! DOODOODOO—! KWAAANG—! ZIIING—!!
The puny sound exploded into a swamp-shaking roar.
Wind amp for real! Bass pounding skin, screeching guitar riffs, brutal drums!! Like dropping into Doom's hell with maxed speakers—pure thrill.
This felt exactly like being in the game!
“How's that!! Now the excitement kicks in!!”
Ariel's voice drowned in the blast. “HAHAHAHA, insane!! Perfect!! Let's go!!”
The music boiled my blood. Was I more hyped?
I spun my spear and launched into the swamp. Ariel finger-gunned and charged.
“It's a bet, contractor!! Whoever shreds more wins!!”
“You're on!!”