Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Grand Mantis Cleared
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Chapter 137
The lone remaining Grand Mantis did not attack recklessly.
Perhaps because it had witnessed humans—whom it initially saw as mere prey—kill its comrade.
Jeong-hyeon and the rest of the party members also refrained from touching it right away.
They simply maintained a standoff, keeping it in check just enough.
Though he had spoken confidently as if they would wrap up the battle any moment, their side had also suffered considerable accumulated damage.
"Ugh... I finally feel like I can breathe."
"I feel like I'm gonna die..."
U-yeong, who had endured the Grand Mantis's frontal assaults head-on, along with Won-ho, Jeong-hyeon, and Yeon-su, all had no choice but to rely on healer Deok-jin's aid.
Thanks to them, Deok-jin was even more on the verge of collapse.
Compared to the hunters fighting up front—which drew more attention—he might not have stood out, but he hadn't been idle either.
No matter what, a healer couldn't rest until the battle was completely over.
"Kim Jeong-geun Hunter, why don't you rest now? I'll take over."
Meanwhile, having recovered somewhat under Deok-jin's healing, Jeong-hyeon told Jeong-geun to fall back and recover his mana.
It was entirely thanks to Jeong-geun's efforts that he had managed to restrain the Grand Mantis even with the limited firepower of his wind attribute.
Jeong-geun let out a sigh of relief with an expression like he had just been saved, but the next moment, he startled in shock.
His current role was to keep the Grand Mantis in check with magic.
And Jeong-hyeon was going to take that over?
"Yes? Wait, but come to think of—"
"Remember the confidentiality agreement?"
Come to think of it, hadn't Jeong-hyeon not only enchanted with attributes but also refrained from using magic altogether?
During the height of the fierce battle, he hadn't had a moment to notice, but this was astonishing.
Yet Jeong-hyeon cut him off as if he knew what Jeong-geun was about to say and stepped forward.
'What the hell is this guy?'
Jeong-geun backed away in a daze but couldn't tear his eyes from Jeong-hyeon.
Not only his throwing skill, but even watching him swing the mace suggested his basic physical abilities were no joke.
Fine, up to that point, one could chalk it up to personal effort.
But attribute enchantment and magic were completely separate traits, weren't they?
Pew-pew-pew—
'And his magic... isn't half bad either.'
It was just a basic mana bolt.
Whether he was using mana bolts simply because only checks were needed, or if that was the extent of his ability, Jeong-geun couldn't tell.
However, using magic in various ways was ultimately a matter of study.
What mattered was being able to use magic at all.
Moreover, depending on the user's traits, even the same mana bolt could vary greatly in effectiveness.
Though Jeong-geun himself possessed wind-series traits rather than mana sensitivity, he could clearly tell Jeong-hyeon's magical prowess was formidable.
He had indirectly affirmed being a re-awakener when asked earlier, but was this even possible through re-awakening?
On top of that, he wasn't just firing bolts wildly—he precisely targeted spots that effectively controlled the Grand Mantis's movements.
Jeong-geun's mind grew increasingly complicated.
But what was even more surprising was the reaction from his fellow party members.
"Wow, you're fighting so well. Jeong Hyeon Hunter."
"If I could do that, I'd have no regrets."
They were sitting there receiving Deok-jin's heals, casually watching Jeong-hyeon like they were enjoying the show.
"Uh... doesn't this seem a bit weird?"
"Huh? What does?"
Even when Jeong-geun cautiously broached the subject, they responded innocently, asking what he meant.
"No, this doesn't make any sense. How can someone like that use magic too..."
Their natural reactions made Jeong-geun shrink back, wondering if he'd been misunderstanding something all this time.
At that moment, Won-ho—who was known even in Vice Guild for his taciturn nature—spoke up.
"Who cares about that?"
"Yes?"
"Isn't the important thing that we're able to talk like this right now?"
"Well, yeah, that's true."
It was a perfectly obvious statement.
What mattered was that they had faced two Grand Mantises and victory was in sight.
Yet, for someone making such a dismissive remark, Won-ho's gaze on Jeong-hyeon's back had subtly changed.
His eyes, which had held no spark as if he were just living for today, now seemed to harbor some newfound resolve.
U-yeong and Deok-jin chimed in agreement with Won-ho's words.
"Right. Honestly, it seems impossible, but we've just come to accept it. Like, it's unrealistic."
"I've seen it in movies. The ones who dig too deep into this stuff die first."
The two then giggled together.
Unrealistic.
Jeong-geun had to agree with that.
At first, he wondered why Jeong-hyeon made such a fuss about confidentiality.
But after seeing inside, this was practically a fairy tale for hunters.
Perhaps, like the thought he'd had upon encountering the Grand Mantis, this whole thing—including that—was just a dream.
'Yeah, what does figuring it out even get me?'
Deflated by the party's reactions, Jeong-geun decided to relax and not overthink it.
There must be good reason for requesting confidentiality.
Having been saved by Jeong-hyeon at least five times already, he could just chalk it up to a dream.
And just as the party members were admiring Jeong-hyeon's exploits like they were watching a realistic monster movie,
Jeong-hyeon glanced back and said,
"All rested up? Let's finish this."
"Yes, sir!"
The party members immediately grabbed their gear and stood.
It was time to return to reality.
***
The red one met its end more anticlimactically than expected.
From the moment the yellow one fell, it seemed to have completely lost its will to fight.
It didn't use fire magic, nor did it swing its forelegs as ferociously as before.
"I'll circle behind it, so hold the front just a bit longer!"
Given the situation, Jeong-hyeon's instructions were simple.
With no yellow one left to guard its back anyway.
He planned to casually climb onto it from behind and end it in one go.
It wasn't moving well anymore, so scaling its body was easy.
"Yeah. Going out easy isn't so bad."
Having watched the yellow one die pathetically—not only its front legs severed but also losing two hind legs—it might have chosen a painless death.
Thud—thud—
"Kii..."
Even as he smashed around the harad with his mace to pry it loose, it only let out feeble groans without rampaging.
Splat—
And finally, when the red harad was fully severed and fell to the ground.
The Grand Mantis collapsed lifelessly, just like its mate.
'Was the harad sustaining its life?'
He didn't know the exact mechanism, but the harad must have played a crucial role in their vital functions.
With a heavy thud, the red one finally met its death.
[You have acquired 1 coin.]
A modest reward, and
[The proficiency level of 「Excellent Combat Sense」(C) has increased from 4 to 5.]
A substantial one arrived simultaneously.
'Oh.'
Jeong-hyeon marveled inwardly.
It seemed he'd received extra because the weakness he'd discovered first tied into the combat sense effect.
"It's over..."
The party members, utterly drained, muttered something close to groans and collapsed where they stood.
They'd rested briefly earlier, but compared to their built-up fatigue, it was a drop in the bucket.
Who would believe they'd taken down two Grand Mantises in a level 5 gate?
Especially while using magic?
- Grand Mantises in a level 5 gate? Two of them? If you're gonna lie, at least make it believable.
It might be fortunate if they didn't hear such remarks.
"Urgh."
Meanwhile, Jeong-hyeon picked up the yellow and red harads and brought them over to the party.
They were surprisingly heavy.
Staring intently at the harads he'd placed down, Jeong-hyeon asked Deok-jin,
"How much do these go for?"
"Huh? Haha..."
Deok-jin let out a hollow laugh at Jeong-hyeon's question.
It was too mundanely pragmatic coming from a hunter who had practically soloed two Grand Mantises.
Asking the price of harads.
Jeong-hyeon tilted his head at Deok-jin's wordless laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Now Jeong Hyeon Hunter finally looks human."
The other party members burst into laughter at the exchange.
'I'm asking how much, why just laugh without answering? Don't they know either?'
Of course, Jeong-hyeon couldn't relate to the comedy.
At that moment, status windows appeared before everyone's eyes.
[You have cleared the mission of the level 5 gate 'Merrillium Mine's Gems.']
And for Jeong-hyeon, an additional notification popped up.
[The mission gate clear reward from 「Trait Shop」 has been granted.
Reward: 10 coins]
"W-What?"
10 coins?
He'd heard that upon 「Trait Shop」 reaching level 5, clearing mission gates granted separate rewards, but 10 coins?
This was equivalent to clearing a hidden achievement and sudden quest at once—or even more.
'These guys aren't usually this generous?'
As Jeong-hyeon stared dazedly at the status window, Yeon-su asked,
"What's wrong?"
"Oh... nothing."
Jeong-hyeon shook his head with an awkward smile.
The more coins, the better.
He needed 700 for level 6, so he'd gladly take them however they came.
'Well, thinking about it, it's not that much.'
The system was never generous.
It only gave what was due.
In any case, the clear message had appeared for everyone.
The system's confirmation that their business in this gate was done.
No, there was still some business left.
Jeong-hyeon and the party members began looking around.
To find the most important and exciting reward for hunters who cleared a mission gate.
'Artifact, show me an etifact!'
Especially for Jeong-hyeon.
He'd explicitly stipulated artifacts as his share in the contract with Vice Guild.
The others had never even seen an artifact before, so they were probably just curious to glimpse one.
Artifacts were exceedingly rare treasures to hunters.
'I wonder what it'll be... An armor would be nice.'
Jeong-hyeon glanced down at his badly damaged armor, fantasizing.
Damn Grand Mantis—if it was going to die, why not go quietly instead of zapping him? His trusty Demi Drake armor, which had served well, was now quite ruined.
Thinking of Doil and Yujeong proudly presenting it as a masterpiece made him feel even worse.
If an artifact armor appeared and he had no choice but to switch, at least that would save face.
"Hey, over there!"
Then, Yeon-su pointed to one side of the cave and shouted.
As everyone's gazes turned there, sure enough, cracks were forming in the wall, and it began crumbling.
And when the outline of the artifact finally emerged from within.
"......"
The hunters, who had gulped in anticipation of receiving it, could only fall silent.
***
"Vice Guild Leader..."
Meanwhile, outside the 'Merrillium Mine's Gems' gate.
Though 12 hours had passed since Jeong-hyeon and the hunters entered, Vice Guild's vice guild leader Mun Geun-hwa was still waiting nearby, pacing anxiously.
His guild members, who had watched him for half a day, were starting to worry about him instead.
"It hasn't failed yet. Maybe relax a bit more and—"
"Do I look like I can relax right now!"
Even the employee's concerned words about his health only earned him a sharp retort.
The way to confirm failure in a mission gate was simple.
From the moment hunters entered, the black gate turned red and contracted.
On clear, it returned to original size, hunters emerged; on failure, it reverted to black as if nothing happened.
"What's the clear probability after 12 hours?"
"...11.3%."
"Hoo..."
He didn't know the internal situation, but they were dragging it out too long.
Geun-hwa sighed.
11.3%.
Was it worth banking on odds like that?
"Whoa!"
At that moment, the guild staff waiting tensely with Geun-hwa for the clear cried out.
Startled, Geun-hwa looked at the gate.
Swish—
The still-red gate was slowly expanding.
And people began walking out from within.
Deok-jin in front, followed by Won-ho, Jeong-geun, Yeon-su, U-yeong.
Jeong-hyeon last.
"My god!"
It was the return of the hunters they'd awaited desperately.
Geun-hwa forgot his dignity as vice guild leader and rushed toward them.
But.
"...?"
They had clearly cleared a mission gate.
Yet their expressions were oddly subtle.
'Is this right?'
Geun-hwa couldn't tell whether to smile in joy or mirror their seriousness.