The Tank Who Hits Like a Freight Train
It’s a bit of a superstitious belief, but I’ve heard the saying plenty of times: "If you meet a rabbit in the Tower, that’s the day you’ll succeed in your climb."
“That depends on what you do. Anyway,”
“I’ll take it all.”
The declaration of "give me everything" burst out before I could even finish reciting the item list.
Seo Ian really did a great job training the Awakened. In a way that was absolutely mind-boggling.
“Defense boost, all-stat, strength stat bundle. Just 2,000 T.C.”
It’s just my imagination that the detailed description got shorter. Besides, these are like daily necessities—if you buy them, you’ll find a use for them eventually. Even if you don’t use them today, you can use them later, so it’s never a loss for the buyer.
Thinking that, I handed the elixirs to Yang Mugeon.
“Can I drink these mixed together?”
I don’t know either. I’ve never tried drinking them that way. Let’s play it safe.
“You have to drink them one by one.”
He let out a small sigh and began emptying the elixir bottles one after another.
“Still, compared to the EXP potion……”
“You’d have a harder time finding something that tastes worse than an EXP potion, wouldn’t you?”
The EXP potion. Also known as the ‘EXP-Pot’. I drink those every time I climb the Tower, too. But the taste? It’s god-awful. And bitter, to boot.
“Fair point.”
He gave a small nod, finished doping with a capsule recovery potion, and pulled his helmet on. Then, he reached for the shield and sword he’d set down on the floor…….
‘Wait, where did the sword go? Why are there two shields?!’
It was only for a split second, but Seo Ian’s dual swords flashed through my mind.
CLANG!!
Yang Mugeon slammed the two shields together with a menacing sound. Black sparks flew, flowing like lightning along the dragon patterns engraved on the shields.
“That looks cool.”
“This is my main weapon.”
“But why are there two shields? Where’s your weapon?”
There were two things Mr. Hwang Gyubeom said when he recommended Yang Mugeon. The first was, ‘He has a kind heart.’ I’m not so sure about that. For one, he doesn’t answer well, and I could tell he was a man of very few words. And the second: ‘He’s a tank with rock-solid offense and defense.’
I’m not sure about the offense, but he did look ‘rock-solid’.
‘Anyway, no matter how much I think about it, I can’t remember him at all.’
According to Mr. Hwang, he’s an A-Rank or higher Awakened. That means I must have met him in the Special Floors. But there’s absolutely no trace of him in my memory. Maybe it’s because I was too flustered during my first attempt at the first Special Floor, and for the second, I was so blinded by the goal of clearing it that I didn’t have the luxury of looking around.
“Weapon?”
Yang Mugeon asked, lifting his shields. Could it be that those are his weapons? No way, right?
“Those are shields, aren’t they?”
“If you can hit with them, they’re weapons.”
Absolutely not. This guy is going to be a huge problem. He’s acting like he’s about to say a pen is a weapon next. I came here to find a tank. He was the only one recommended. A sense of foreboding washed over me.
“I hope I can clear it today.”
‘Hope?’ Why is he lacking confidence after downing all those elixirs?
“Are you not confident?”
I said it to provoke him. I wanted to see him speak in full sentences.
“I’m strong. I’ll show you. Why I haven’t been able to clear this place for over two months……”
Yang Mugeon, without even finishing his sentence, shot toward the boss like an arrow.
Immediately.
BOOOOM!!!
On the still-dark hill, a massive light, as if dawn were breaking, exploded, and smoke billowed up. The explosion was so huge that a fierce wind whipped up as if we were standing right next to it. Leaves and dust, as if they were gifts for a spectator, brushed past my cheeks.
“…But, a tank isn’t supposed to fight like that, right?”
Looking at Mr. Hwang Gyubeom, a typical tank, the combat style should be ‘block and hit.’ Not swinging two shields and charging forward with such force.
It was just ‘novel.’ He didn’t look like a tank; he looked like a runaway freight train. A silent runaway freight train. Still, watching him longer, he was definitely a tank. He didn’t dodge; he stood his ground firmly on both feet.
“Actually, this might be better…? A tank that deals damage is killing two birds with one stone, right?”
His combat style. I liked it very much. And with that, everything else started looking good, too. In my heart, I had already stamped the approval papers. Anyway, it was a fascinating sight. It was too good to watch alone, so I turned on my phone’s video recording and tucked it into my chest pocket.
And that was when it happened.
Party member's Mana is falling below the threshold!
Mana (Yang Mugeon): 0.1%
A warning sound popped up.
“No, why are you triggering an alert that even Hong Jehun doesn’t?!”
You’re a tank for heaven’s sake?!
“Oh my, our tank is quite high-maintenance!”
I hurriedly ran up the hill. I hadn’t brought up the guild talk yet because I was still testing the waters. But if he gives up and leaves today because he’s out of mana? Doesn’t that mean he has to come back tomorrow? I don’t mind him coming back tomorrow. But I’d have to time my arrival to match his, and that’s a real hassle.
“Mr. Yang Mugeon!!”
“Ha….”
Eyes mixed with resignation and frustration shone from inside his helmet. Yang Mugeon killed his offensive and switched to a full defensive stance. Wait, is he starting the exit procedure right now?! That won’t do!!
“Why can’t you clear it? Aren’t you giving up too easily?”
I said it to provoke him. Yang Mugeon gestured with his chin toward the boss’s head. The boss had 30% HP left. Then, it sparked with black energy. It hadn’t seeped into the dragon pattern on his shield.
“Since this seems like an emergency, I’ll take payment later. 1,000 T.C. Plus a condition.”
The price is double the purchase cost. You can’t clear it? Nonsense! Unless the boss is a giant insect type, that kind of thing shouldn’t happen to our guild members. The same goes for prospective members. And what would the ‘plus condition’ be? Joining the guild, of course.
“Give it to me.”
I tossed the mana recovery potion (10%) I’d bought for Hong Jehun to Yang Mugeon first. Yang Mugeon, who had hurriedly lowered his stance, lifted his helmet. He reached out at the perfect timing, caught the mana potion rolling inside his shield, skillfully popped the cap, and shoved the bottle into his mouth.
“Hmm. I guess it doesn’t taste good.”
That was certain. Yang Mugeon’s brow was crumpled mercilessly. But soon, as the effects kicked in, the look of resignation began to fade from his eyes. In its place, a cold, firm resolve filled them.
KRAAAK!!!
The boss’s massive claws tore through the air with a sharp whistling sound. One shield blocked it rigidly. And another shield squeezed through the gap, thrusting toward the boss’s solar plexus. The moment the shield touched, the dragon pattern on it glowed, and a massive explosion occurred.
BOOM!!
“Ugh, again!”
The shockwave was intense. Instinctively, I raised my hands to protect my eyes and leaned my center of gravity forward so I wouldn’t be blown away. When the light subsided, I opened my eyes properly. A pitch-black figure came into view. It was Yang Mugeon. He slid his helmet up and gave a faint smile.
“I guess the rabbit urban legend is true after all.”
Yang Mugeon approached me. First, the mana potion payment was settled.
“And about that condition, Mr. Yang Mugeon. Do you happen to be in a guild?”
He shook his head.
“Then, would you be interested in joining Outlaw? They’re looking for a tank, and I can write you a recommendation letter.”
There’s a difference between bringing someone in and having them knock on your door because they want to join. In the contract terms? No, I’d conscientiously match the contract terms to the rest of the guild members. I’m not planning to rip him off. Usually, black-hearted companies shine for a moment in the beginning, only to have all their talent leaked to latecomers later. As a guild leader, I have to prevent that. So, what’s the difference between bringing someone in and having them want to join? It’s about who has the ‘choice.’ Bringing someone in means the choice shifts to them, but if they want to join, the choice shifts to me.
“Outlaw, you say…… the dual-sword user…?”
He’s talking about Seo Ian. But why is he bringing up Seo Ian all of a sudden? I felt a bit uneasy. It feels like Seo Ian has a lot of fans and antis. It would be troublesome if Yang Mugeon was an anti.
“She had a certain stability for someone tanking with swords.”
He was talking about the Special Floor. In truth, it was Hong Jehun who had showcased a more spectacular feast of skills that day. Yet, seeing Yang Mugeon only bring up Seo Ian, it just goes to show that you only see what you want to see. It seems the aggro-keeping Seo Ian showed had left a deep impression.
“I’ll take that recommendation letter.”
“Yes.”
I wore a triumphant smile behind my mask.
“There’s something I want to learn by meeting that dual-sword user in person.”
“…What exactly?”
Please, don’t pick up any bad habits. This seems like important information, but Yang Mugeon had shut his mouth again.
At that moment.
“Squeak.”
A sound came from below my legs. It was a cute black sea otter.
“Reward, squeak!”
It must be Yang Mugeon’s Tower Merchant. It felt quite soft for a tank’s Tower Merchant.
“I’ll deliver the recommendation letter to Awakened Kim Uju separately. You’ll be contacted.”
He nodded.
“Oh, and Mr. Yang Mugeon. Outlaw currently has melee and ranged damage dealers. That’s why they’re looking for a tank. It would be better if you lowered your attack power and increased your defense.”
A tank that deals damage is excellent. That’s the reason I’ve taken a liking to Yang Mugeon. But that doesn’t mean he should neglect tanking just to prioritize damage. Outlaw already has solid damage dealers. Yang Mugeon looked at me for a long time before nodding. Then.
“But my trait increases defense in proportion to my strength stat and attack power.”
It’s the first time I’ve heard Yang Mugeon speak at length. But wait, then isn’t it more beneficial to raise strength than defense? At that moment, Mr. Hwang Gyubeom’s hearty laughter flashed through my mind. Followed by the echo of ‘Because he’s a tank with rock-solid offense and defense!’
‘Huh. So that’s what he meant…!’
* * *
“Rackcho~.”
A quick Churu offering. A satisfied Rackcho.
“It’s a reward, nya!”
◈ Contribution: 2%
◈ Reward: 1,500 T.C.
“Rackcho. The encouragement effect seems a bit stingy lately.”
I sold plenty of potions and even handed over the mana potion that was supposed to be a carrot for our sub-leader Hong Jehun, and I only get 2 percent?
“And my level doesn’t seem to want to go up, either.”
“That’s because you’ve developed so much, Uju-nim. As your physical level increases, the rewards for the same floor inevitably decrease, nya.”
Well, my level is already 88. An achievement reached in just three months since Awakening. I know this is exceptional. People who climb fast usually take about a year on average to reach level 50.
“Then that means I have to go to higher floors? Or maybe Special Floors.”
“That’s right, nya! But Uju-nim! You called Rackcho quite late today, nya!”
“I had some business.”
Rackcho’s eyes sparkled at those words. I took a feather toy out of my inventory and dangled it in front of Rackcho. I have to tell him. And while I’m at it, I should give our fat cat some exercise.
* * *
The next day. I visited the Association. In the lobby, I scanned my registration card at the automatic terminal as I passed the entrance. A mechanical voice, which seemed to have been updated with audio, rang out clearly: “Welcome!”
“Yeah, yeah, good to see you too.”
As I muttered that, I heard a snicker from behind me—I don’t know when he’d spotted me and followed.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Guild Leader’s face. What brings you to the Association?”
“Oh. I was just looking for you, Park Siwoo.”
We moved to a quiet breakroom and sat down across from each other. I took out my phone, played the video of Yang Mugeon catching the boss from yesterday, and showed it to Park Siwoo.
“He’s our new tank. I signed the contract this morning. With this, can’t we cover the Special Floors to some extent even if only the Outlaw guild members group up?”
Park Siwoo lifted his head from the phone.
“Hmm. Do you really think so?”
Why is his reaction like that?
“Is it not?”
If it’s the observant Park Siwoo, he might have discovered something I missed. I wanted to get his advice before pushing my opinion. After all, he’s the only brain in Outlaw.
“The imprint discharge is spreading too much….”
“Hmm?”
Our eyes met. I scratched the back of my head and gave a sheepish smile. Our Enchanter. He expects me, a relatively new Awakened, to know too much. But he’s our guild’s brain. He glanced at my eyes and started adding an explanation.
Park Siwoo manipulated the phone, rewinding the video a bit and pausing it.
“Look, Guild Leader. You see the pattern engraved on this shield, right? That’s an ‘imprint’.”
“Oh….”
“Imprints can be engraved on items using Imprint Stones. I understand why you wouldn’t know. They’re rare, and because they consume an extreme amount of mana, Awakened tend to avoid them, so there isn’t much information available on the market.”
That’s right! I’ve studied a fair bit since I Awakened.
“Anyway, if you engrave an imprint, you can condense mana within it to strengthen specific effects. It’s also possible to let that mana mature for a certain period and then release it. It’s a method that can deliver unexpectedly powerful burst damage.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“…It’s good if you use it well. If you use it well!”
At those words, I instinctively twitched an eyebrow. It sounded like he was saying Yang Mugeon wasn’t using it well.
“As you can see in the video, the mana flow is unstable, so the explosion spreads.”
Park Siwoo explained, replaying the scene where Yang Mugeon caused the explosion.
‘Why is this? What’s the problem? What does it mean that the explosion spreads? And wait, isn’t an explosion supposed to spread?’
I was sinking into a swamp of questions. At that moment, I felt a light tap on my shoulder and looked up.
“Let’s go to the training ground for a moment. I can show you this in person.”