Chapter 199
Chapter 199
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 199
Chapter Title: More Classic Than Expected
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"More classic than I thought."
It was Ye-rin's brief assessment after climbing to the first floor and surveying the interior.
Though she hadn't voiced it aloud, it was the thought shared by all the party members.
Hunters selected for a level 6 mission gate raid team had plenty of experience in level 5 gates, meaning this setup was something they'd likely encountered at least once before.
"What kind of monsters do you think will come out?"
Jeong-hyeon asked.
The layout of the first floor resembled the 'Dragon's Tomb' gate he had raided with the Sea Guild in the past.
A dimly lit interior sufficiently illuminated, entrances that seemed to advertise incoming monsters, and a heavy stone door that was visibly sealed.
Probably, once they cleared all the monsters on this floor, that stone door would open to reveal stairs to the second floor.
Creak—
As soon as they all reached the first floor, the stairs back to the zeroth floor sealed shut with a door identical to the one ahead.
In any case, if they could roughly guess the monsters on the first floor, it would greatly aid the raid, but who could really know for sure.
No one offered much response to Jeong-hyeon's question when a tentative voice rang out.
"Um... I think I know."
"?"
Turning around, Jeong-hyeon saw Seo Hwi-gon standing there, hesitantly gauging his reaction.
"How?"
"Well..."
No, correction.
He was actually gauging the reactions of Ye-rin and Jeong-hyeon.
His demeanor seemed to plead, 'Please make sure that person doesn't hit me even if I speak.'
The intimate 'conversation' with Ye-rin must have been quite shocking.
Jeong-hyeon glanced at her, and Ye-rin shrugged as if to say, 'What did I do?'
"It's fine, go ahead."
"Phew, thank you. Hoo—"
With Jeong-hyeon's permission, Seo Hwi-gon let out a sigh of relief and suddenly took a deep breath.
'What on earth is he about to say that requires this?'
It was incomprehensible to Jeong-hyeon and the others.
He just needed to say what monsters would appear—why prepare so dramatically?
"......Keep it short."
At that moment, Ye-rin furrowed her brow and made a curt demand.
Seo Hwi-gon, who had puffed up his cheeks, flinched and glanced at her before nodding and speaking in a somewhat deflated tone.
"Right, straight to the point then. According to Europe's strongest guild 'Triangle,' level 6 mission gates are classified into seven types, the most common being extermination types—like the level-based format we're in now. In these gates, 149 monster species have been reported, and the most probable on the first floor are goblin variants."
"......"
The party members stared at Seo Hwi-gon in bewilderment.
He mumbled as if he had much more to say but had forcibly shortened it.
Considering his usual verbosity, this was probably condensed.
'Does he even know what "straight to the point" means?'
If this was with head and tail trimmed, how long was the original?
Then, Won-ho spoke up.
"So, basically, some kind of goblin."
Truly straight to the point.
'Goblins, huh...'
The information itself was useful, regardless.
He didn't care about Europe's whatever—the statistics said so, so high chance here too.
"Manager, what goblins mainly appear in level 6 gates?"
"Hmm... There are many goblins, but the trickiest are hobgoblins."
"Then those it is."
Jeong-hyeon nodded as if there was no need to think further.
Hobgoblins.
They were so infamous that even Jeong-hyeon knew of them well.
As Ye-rin said, they were the most troublesome among goblin variants.
Some were fiercer, but that very ferocity made hobgoblins trickier.
Their intelligence was top among goblins.
They didn't speak human language, but their cunning surpassed most humans, so first-time parties needed experienced ones familiar with their tactics.
Novice parties against hobgoblins often got wiped out.
KeeEEEE—
Then, a distinct monster cry faintly reached Jeong-hyeon's ears.
"They're coming now. Everyone, battle ready."
At Jeong-hyeon's warning, Ye-rin and Won-ho—who had hunted with him at least once—immediately assumed combat stances and stepped forward.
In contrast, Ji-myeong, Seung-jun, and Seo Hwi-gon reacted a beat slower.
Seung-jun and Seo Hwi-gon, usually in the rear, were less fazed since they rarely sensed enemies first, but Ji-myeong's confusion was greater.
'Just how sharp are his senses...'
In thousands of hunts, Ji-myeong had always been the first to detect monsters.
He knew Jeong-hyeon's reputation meant he was exceptional, but not this stark a difference.
Having reached level 7 and tasted strength beyond previous level-ups, it hit harder.
Of course, the hesitation wasn't long enough to show.
By the time Ji-myeong drew his sword and readied himself, he too sensed the approaching monsters.
"About 40 in total? Quite a few. Definitely goblins."
But Jeong-hyeon was already relaying impossible intel.
Not just counting them at that distance, but identifying the type too.
Was he some human radar?
Ji-myeong didn't know yet.
That those who had hunted with Jeong-hyeon already saw him that way.
Not just radar, either.
"Enemy incoming."
With Jeong-hyeon's words,
"Kyaaak!"
Dozens of yellow eyes gleamed in the darkness simultaneously, and the next moment, goblins emerged from the entrance into the open area.
Heads two sizes larger than regular goblins, armed nearly as well as humans.
The front line wore half-plate mail-like armor and wielded large shields covering their bodies—divided into soldier types, perhaps.
Behind them, spearmen with spears nearly twice their height, and at the rear, crossbowmen.
A solidly formed unit at a glance.
They were the goblin kings: hobgoblins.
"Hobgoblins, right?"
"As I said, Triangle's data—the top U.S. guild—states goblins are most likely on the first floor. Oh, and hobgoblins are biologically the highest goblin variant, average height 160cm range, average weight—"
"Quiet."
"......"
"That data covers floors two and up too, right?"
Seo Hwi-gon lit up at Jeong-hyeon's acknowledgment, but Ye-rin shut him down.
Not just talkative—he knew specifics few memorized.
Hobgoblins were famous, but not to that detail.
NYU Law grad, perhaps.
Anyway, to Jeong-hyeon's follow-up, Seo Hwi-gon nodded instead of speaking.
'Pretty useful.'
Verbose issue aside, helpful in such areas—good to confirm.
As Jeong-hyeon appreciated Seo Hwi-gon's unexpected value, Ji-myeong sweated in the unfamiliar atmosphere.
"Uh... hobgoblins."
"Yes? Oh, right. Hobgoblins."
Even trying to call attention, Jeong-hyeon just tilted his head as if it were obvious and confirmed.
That the ones before them were indeed hobgoblins.
Of course, Ji-myeong wasn't bragging about spotting them first.
'Why so relaxed!'
Hobgoblins.
The goblin kings.
They should be tense and strike preemptively, but this leisure—what?
Jeong-hyeon hadn't even drawn his main weapon, the pickaxe.
Fine, if just Jeong-hyeon, but...
"First time seeing hobgoblins? Heard you have tons of level 6 gate experience."
"No, it's not that..."
Even Ye-rin beside him asked puzzled.
'Do these people not know what hobgoblins are?'
Even for the first wave, level 6 gate monsters.
Hobgoblins weren't to be taken this casually.
They'd killed countless top hunters.
Physically weaker than other level 6 monsters, but cunning intelligence compensated.
Just watching, they methodically prepared for battle.
Hobgoblins wielded crossbows despite being monsters, already loaded, aimed this way.
Waiting for their first move, probably.
The situation was tense, explosion imminent, yet the leaders stayed silent.
Only Seung-jun, from Somyeong Guild like him, tensed with mana raised for spells.
"Come on, do something!"
Unable to endure, Ji-myeong shouted.
He always threw himself fully into raids.
Never seen or imagined such leisure before monsters, especially in level 6 gates.
Meanwhile, at Ji-myeong's near-plea, Jeong-hyeon hummed and nodded.
"Fine. Thought we had more time, but if the hunter says so, let's start."
Saying so, he drew three daggers from his waist simultaneously.
Then pointed at the left-side goblins and instructed Seung-jun.
"Can you hit those with about ten Fire Spears?"
"Yes, leave it to me."
"Good. Fire on my signal."
"Fire Spear might lack the power..."
Ji-myeong turned to dissuade him.
Having hunted often with Seung-jun, he knew its power well.
Fire Spear was a straight-line projectile spell from the caster.
Even fire magic's destructiveness couldn't pierce those sturdy goblin shieldbearers.
At best, disrupt their guard.
Standard tactic: Fire Rain or Fire Wall for overhead attacks, not direct shots.
"That'll suffice."
But Jeong-hyeon smiled reassuringly, cutting him off.
As party leader, he'd tested Seung-jun's skill, so he knew.
'Planning to break the shields with Fire Spears?'
Drawing daggers suggested collapsing the front line and targeting crossbowmen in the gap.
Narrow opening, but good if precise.
"Manager, you get it, right?"
"What, explain more?"
Suddenly addressing Ye-rin, who nodded as if no confirmation needed.
'What?'
Ji-myeong's mind confused again.
Couldn't grasp Jeong-hyeon's intent.
"Here we go!"
Amid that, Jeong-hyeon's signal dropped.
Whoosh—
As ordered, Seung-jun's Fire Spears manifested and flew left.
Next, Jeong-hyeon's daggers should fly.
'Wh-what is this?'
The scene unfolding before Ji-myeong made him doubt his eyes.