Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Monster Wave (5)
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The garrison camp had been completely burned to the ground.
"The slash-and-burn folks would be drooling at this sight."
Charred black ashes were scattered here and there.
Those would make excellent fertilizer.
Of course, since it was synthetic fibers that burned rather than actual forest, it was anyone's guess if they'd really help.
The garrison camp lay hollowed out, with only the skeletal frames of tents remaining.
Even the ones that looked somewhat intact were riddled with holes.
It was doubtful they'd serve their purpose properly.
"...Park Sun-woo."
Once the battle ended, Jin Yu-han, the tank from Training Team 1, approached me.
The teams that had been holding each point were returning one by one.
"Holy shit, what the hell?"
"Where's our tent? Is that our tent?"
"Where the hell are we supposed to sleep now?"
The hunters, witnessing the devastation, let out sighs and muttered complaints.
Some scanned their surroundings with murderous glares, searching for the culprit.
"Who the fuck set the fire?"
"Fuck, no monsters on the 10th floor use fire. This doesn't make sense."
"Why pull this shit in a dungeon, you assholes."
The hunters' eyes turned to me.
Jin Yu-han, leader of Training Team 1 and the strongest member of the Milky Way Guild's 12th training batch, was glaring at me right in front of everyone.
He seemed to have half-realized I was the one responsible.
"All team leaders, gather up."
Jin Yu-han called for the team leaders.
The ten leaders assembled in the empty clearing of the garrison camp.
With no proper seats for the meeting, they had to stand awkwardly and exchange words.
"I have a question for Park Sun-woo."
Jin Yu-han was trying his best to remain polite.
I had a word for the likes of him.
"Yes, we failed to hold back the monsters."
I shouted it loud enough for the other hunters staring daggers at me to hear.
"Because Training Team 4 got breached! That's why the garrison ended up like this!"
My fault.
Fuck, I couldn't hold them off, so this happened.
Training Team 4 failed in our duty, and now you all get to sleep out in the cold on the dirt.
"Wh-what...?"
"That's your excuse? Do you have any idea how many people are here?!"
"That fucking bastard!"
The hunters' faces flushed red and purple with rage.
After fighting tooth and nail for thirty straight minutes, this was the result?
The garrison in ruins, all supplies gone up in smoke?
They had every reason to be furious.
"You call that an explanation?"
"Training Team 4 couldn't hold? Is that something to brag about? Were the other teams idiots who had to fight for their lives?!"
"What are you gonna do about it? No tents, no food. How the hell are we surviving ten days, you bastard?!"
The hunters unleashed their fury at me.
Even from a distance, their shouts rang clear.
My skin prickled.
Killing intent was palpable even from afar.
The team leaders glared at me too.
Their eyes weren't kind.
Everyone was blaming me.
Jin Yu-han addressed me.
His face twisted in a bizarre expression, like he was holding back laughter.
"Why did you run? You know holding your assigned points keeps the garrison safe. So why...?"
His lips twitched, nostrils flaring.
His handsome face contorted comically.
Jin Yu-han seemed to be enjoying this.
No need for political maneuvering when I was digging my own grave.
Of course he'd be thrilled.
'But come at me together.'
I am the lion.
My total stats had surpassed level 80.
No hunter in this 10th-floor dungeon could beat me.
The Milky Way Guild training teams were around level 50.
Generously, bottom-tier D-ranks.
They were rabbits.
The little rabbits huddled together, glaring at the lion.
Even if they mustered their killing intent, rabbits were still rabbits.
Fundamentally different.
Could their intent truly threaten a lion?
"You assigned the most dangerous spot to the weakest Training Team 4, knowing full well they couldn't hold it. You must have anticipated something like this."
If anyone planned to clear the 10th floor, they should've swapped Training Team 1 and 4's points.
That might've made it feasible.
But Training Team 1 took the comfy spot.
This was their penalty to bear.
Jin Yu-han scoffed in disbelief at my words.
"Then you should've said something back then. That Training Team 4 couldn't handle it."
The other team leaders seemed to agree.
Why stay silent during point assignment, only to whine after the mess?
That vibe.
"Yeah, you're right."
Thinking about it, sure.
"Fucking spot on."
I clenched my fist and smashed it straight into Jin Yu-han's face.
Crack-!
"Huh?!"
The surrounding hunters panicked at my attack and tried to intervene.
But they couldn't stop me.
It was a sudden ambush, and my stats were too high for them to keep up.
"You're the raid leader, aren't you, you fuck?"
"Guhk!"
Splat, thwack-!
One-two punch to Jin Yu-han's nose bridge.
Followed by an uppercut.
Jin Yu-han collapsed.
Couldn't do a damn thing, just embraced the dirt like a loser.
His stamina stats couldn't block my strength.
"S-stop! Enough!"
The team leaders rushed to restrain me.
I shoved them aside forcefully and closed in on Jin Yu-han, smashing his face again.
Crack-!
"Grah...!"
Jin Yu-han's face was utterly wrecked.
His straight nose was smashed flat, several neat teeth knocked out.
Maybe a concussion—he was twitching, limbs splayed out.
I looked down at him and said,
"No, fuck. I took the blame like you wanted. Raid leader bitch whining why I didn't speak up then."
Then I turned to the team leaders surrounding me.
"You all think he's right too? That it was my fault for not speaking up?"
"......"
"Someone had to take that spot. Logically, the strongest team, right?"
The hunters listened in silence.
Some seemed to be mulling rebuttals.
I ignored them and continued.
"Who's the strongest here? Me, obviously. Confident I could crack all your skulls."
"......"
"So I went. Strongest guy takes the toughest spot. Natural, right."
I sacrificed for you all.
Just failed, that's all.
"Couldn't do it alone."
I scanned the near-ruined garrison.
Completely incinerated to ashes.
"Barely survived... and the raid leader spouts bullshit. Easy-point freeloader."
Jin Yu-han was trembling violently.
Eyes rolled back—clearly not right.
"Didn't Training Team 1 get the most support from Milky Way Guild? Yet here you are, sucking honey from the easiest spot?"
"......"
"You guys aren't pissed? While other teams bust their asses, Team 1 chills in a narrow pass hunting easy?"
The team hunters started whispering among themselves.
"Honestly, it's bullshit. Thinking about it, he has a point..."
"Never liked them from the start. Why'd Team 1 take the west?"
"Knew it'd go down like this. Handing north to Training Team 4? Bound to breach."
Hunters agreeing with me multiplied.
Thanks to turning Jin Yu-han into half a vegetable—proved my strength.
My words carried weight now.
"Th-this... Team 1 leader might die."
One team leader spoke up.
Already switched to polite speech.
I dismissed his concern.
"He tried to kill Team 4. If he dies, he dies."
"Pardon?"
"This is the Tower. People die here all the time."
Jin Yu-han tried to kill Training Team 4.
Any reason to keep him alive?
"...Then it's basically Team 4 leader who killed him..."
"......"
Too many eyes watching.
Over eighty hunters had witnessed this.
Unless I planned to kill them all, better keep Jin Yu-han breathing for now.
"Argh, fuck. Why's this bastard so weak? Just a few hits and he's a vegetable."
I kicked his side.
A crisp breaking sound echoed.
"Kek, kek!"
Jin Yu-han started making weird goblin noises.
Foam bubbled from his mouth.
Something even Blue Lobster or Green Crab never did...
"Tsk tsk."
I pulled out a potion.
Splashed a Top-Grade Recovery Potion on his face—one that heals most wounds short of death.
"Supporters, hit this fucker with some heals."
"......"
"If you can't save our Yu-han, I'll have to kill you all."
Me going to jail beats slaughtering eighty.
Guilt?
Extreme individualism leaves no room for that shit.
The supporters rushed over.
Terror on their faces as they poured heals into Jin Yu-han.
About ten minutes later.
Jin Yu-han opened his eyes.
He stared blankly at me, then looked around.
Then muttered,
"Wh-where am I?"
Slurred speech, dumb tone.
Anyone could tell something was wrong.
Other hunters sighed too—not just me.
"We're fucked...!"
"He's a vegetable? What now?"
"Ahem."
The team leaders looked at me.
I declared confidently.
"He's alive. That's what matters, right?"
"......"
Then a Team 1 member burst out yelling.
"D-do you know whose son Jin Yu-han is? You're all fucked, you shitty bastards!"
"......"
Honestly, no clue what he meant.
"Want me to make you like him?"
"...Hic."
Didn't want to end up like Jin Yu-han, apparently.