Chapter 117
Chapter 117
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: Malice (4)
While the Haetae Guild's 1st Raid Team was tackling the 50th floor, the 3rd Raid Team also began their assault on the 20th floor.
There was about a day's difference in timing.
Because the 3rd Raid Team entered the Tower a day after the 1st Raid Team.
The Haetae Guild's hunters were strong.
Despite the difficulty being far higher than the 10th floor, Park Sun-woo felt no anxiety about potential danger.
It gave him a sense of stability on an entirely different level from back then.
Kwachik-!
Park Sun-woo smashed the neck of a massive zombie.
The zombie that collided with the Moonstone Shield shattered completely and vanished.
Sung Jae-yoon sized up Park Sun-woo's combat prowess.
He stared piercingly at the back of his head and clicked his tongue.
'A C-rank hunter?'
At present, Park Sun-woo was only slightly better than the lowlifes from the Cheongryong Guild.
He was no match for the Haetae Guild raid team hunters, all of whom had reached B-rank.
'To dare provoke Hae-wan-nim's ire.'
The 3rd Raid Team members were hunters whom Lee Hae-wan had personally recruited and raised.
Their loyalty to Lee Hae-wan was immense.
Sung Jae-yoon hated Park Sun-woo just as much as Lee Hae-wan did.
Provoking him was unforgivable in their eyes.
That was why Sung Jae-yoon wanted to execute the plan flawlessly.
They didn't start right away upon entering the Tower but held back a bit.
It was to let Park Sun-woo relax his guard.
They were hunting together.
The atmosphere made it impossible not to grow close quickly.
"Sun-woo, you're ridiculously strong!"
"No wonder Haetae Guild brought you along!"
The distance between Park Sun-woo and the other hunters shrank.
In less than a day, he had especially warmed up to the Cheongryong Guild members.
"Ahaha, so only a guild on Cheongryong's level can join Haetae in the Tower? The guild I was in before must've been a frog in a well."
"Sun-woo, you're humble too. How could your old guild be a frog in a well? Kkeh."
Park Sun-woo clicked well with the Cheongryong Guild members.
They were all around the same level, so they felt a sense of camaraderie.
Sung Jae-yoon gathered the hunters and gave instructions.
"We'll rotate like this."
Right after finishing a couple of hunts, he gauged the mood and issued the order.
"As long as we don't screw up, there won't be any variables. It's only the 20th floor, after all. Just hold out for a fortnight. Everyone, do your part."
"Let's do this! Heh heh."
At Sung Jae-yoon's words, one Cheongryong Guild member let out a cheer.
It was a middle-aged man over fifty who couldn't contain his excitement.
'Enjoy it while you can.'
Sung Jae-yoon shot him a cold glare.
There could be no witnesses during the process of eliminating Park Sun-woo.
To the Haetae Guild's 3rd Raid Team, the Cheongryong Guild members were targets to be killed as well.
A day passed.
The zombie defense had stabilized.
With shifts for hunting, stamina consumption was definitely lower.
Park Sun-woo was truly appreciating how effective a proven strategy was.
'Way easier than the 10th floor.'
Having adapted, Park Sun-woo darted freely through the zombies.
Once he realized his stats could handle it, he moved without holding back.
Pasak-!
Zombies exploded with every swing of his shield.
The strength and stamina he'd diligently built up were shining now.
After blocking one zombie wave, Sung Jae-yoon approached and handed him water.
"Good work."
Sung Jae-yoon's role was to control the hunters.
He just watched their movements from the rear.
The commander.
Park Sun-woo didn't question that role.
He knew it was necessary.
To handle any potential variables.
Someone had to do it.
"Thanks."
Park Sun-woo drank the water Sung Jae-yoon offered.
Sung Jae-yoon smiled in satisfaction at the trusting demeanor.
The operation was about to begin.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A pitch-black night sky over a gray city.
The height of the 50th floor let them overlook everything.
I'm hunting zombies with the Haetae Guild hunters during the night shift.
I've been wielding my shield nonstop since yesterday.
As expected of B-rank hunters.
Even though the zombies were insanely stronger at night, they dispatched them like it was a warm-up.
They weren't even comparable to C-rank Choi Da-eun.
The skill gap was so wide it felt rude to compare.
'This is comfortable.'
We finished another hunt.
We dusted ourselves off and headed up to the 50th floor.
"Sun-woo Hunter, next wave's in about two hours. Rest up till then."
"Got it."
Sung Jae-yoon patted my shoulder and walked to a corner of the 50th floor.
The Haetae Guild members followed him.
I'd gotten a bit close to the Cheongryong Guild folks, but I couldn't warm up to Haetae at all.
There was this weird wall with the 3rd Raid Team members.
Like they were drawing a line.
'...We've been together a week, and it's still awkward as hell.'
I rested off by myself.
Lanterns were lit everywhere, giving the place a soft glow.
Drurung, kurr-.
In the corner, the Cheongryong Guild guys were huddled together sleeping.
Still a while till their shift.
It felt like standing night watch in the army.
Fighting boredom instead of monsters.
But it wasn't the army.
I had my smartphone now.
Calls were impossible without signal, but basic functions worked.
I opened the basic function, the Taming App.
⚙ Taming App Activated ⚙ Viewing registered female: Han So-ra (Surveillance Amulet attached) I peeked into Han So-ra's perspective among the registered females with the Surveillance Amulet attached.
Nothing could be more entertaining in this situation.
How far had Han So-ra progressed?
Was she up to no good behind my back?
I monitored whether she was focused solely on conquering the 50th floor.
─ ......
She wasn't doing anything bad, or well, she was, but...
I instinctively glanced around.
The eerie atmosphere made me more on edge than usual.
Like a thief feeling guilty for no reason, checking if anyone was watching.
The Haetae Guild hunters were on the opposite side from me.
They didn't seem interested in what I was doing.
They were clustered together, probably discussing the next hunt.
─ Crash!
I focused on the screen.
Something breaking.
The Surveillance Amulet showed only Han So-ra's viewpoint.
The violently shaking screen was definitely her field of vision.
Han So-ra was staggering along, staring at the ground.
─ M-Mask... Guy...
Han So-ra mumbled something.
Calling me in a desperate voice.
'...What the hell.'
I couldn't grasp the full situation, but it was clear Han So-ra was in dire straits.
─ The 50th floor... I'll show you...
Han So-ra laboriously lifted her head.
She looked around as if trying to show me the 50th floor background with her own eyes.
A crater-pocked ground, pitch-black sky, a distant purple planet floating—it was space.
The Tower's 50th floor background was outer space.
─ Cough, cough!
As she took a step, Han So-ra spewed up a mouthful of blood.
She let out a groan like she could die any second.
─ Urk, hng...! Haa.
No time to waste.
I immediately pulled the mask from my Inventory, put it on, and summoned Han So-ra.
No matter where she was in the Tower, she couldn't escape the Taming App's summon.
The background changed in an instant.
"Mask Guy..."
Summoned to the Taming Room, Han So-ra collapsed on the spot, utterly spent.
Before I could even speak, she was about to face-plant.
I rushed over and caught her crumbling body.
Only after summoning her to the Taming Room could I properly check her condition.
Han So-ra was in such a critical state that it was a miracle she was still alive.
Her body was a wreck.
I didn't know what hit her, but no part was intact.
Her bones were shattered, organs failing.
Holding her, I asked,
"...So-ra, what happened?"
"L-Lee Hae-wan..."
"Don't speak."
At my question, she answered in a fading voice.
I regretted making her talk.
Could the Taming App save her?
What if something went wrong?
My mind raced with worry.
'I can't let her die like this.'
An S-rank hunter like Han So-ra dying so pathetically made no sense.
Not even on the 50th floor.
She was one of Korea's top S-rankers...
I laid Han So-ra on the small mattress in the room.
Blood was pouring out, but I didn't show it.
"Haa, haa..."
Han So-ra looked up at me.
Her eyes were different from usual, gazing at me with intense seriousness.
As if she were about to die.
"Mask Guy... I-I have something to say..."
"Don't talk. That's an order."
"......"
Han So-ra struggled to raise her arm.
With her trembling hand, she grabbed my pants.
She was burning her remaining life force on something pointless.
"So-ra, just hold on a bit."
Facing this sudden crisis, my mind wasn't working right.
I opened my smartphone and rummaged through the Taming App.
Scoured the Inventory.
Any useful potions?
The ones from achievements, the ones I'd saved for myself.
'...The potions Han So-ra bought from the black market...'
I pulled them all out.
And started feeding them to her one by one.
"...M-Mask Guy..."
"I said don't talk. Didn't I order you?"
"I have a dying wish..."
I pressed a potion vial to Han So-ra's lips.
I poured it into her like a mother cat nursing.
Han So-ra gulped it down and continued.
"I want to see your face, Mask Guy. At least the face of the man who took my first time..."
"...Talk about that after you survive."
I had zero intention of showing my face.
I didn't want to get on an S-rank hunter's bad side.
The love-hate Mask Guy is actually D-rank hunter Park Sun-woo?
It might ruin the relationships I'd built as Park Sun-woo too.
"After I survive..."
Han So-ra murmured.
The potions worked well.
Bones knit back together, flesh regenerated.
Han So-ra's condition visibly improved.
"Haa, haa... Thanks to you, I survived, Mask Guy..."
Han So-ra looked at me with affectionate eyes.
She was still badly injured, but at least stabilized for now.
I let out a sigh of relief.
Her breathing evened out too.
Only then could I ask what happened.
"What happened? Did the raid team fail on the 50th floor?"
"...It's..."
Han So-ra slowly opened her mouth.