Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Giant and Erudite (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
[From now on, the Trial of Harvested Hearts will begin.]
I stared at the information window floating on the water's surface.
I wasn't the only one who could see it.
“The, the Trial of Harvested Hearts? What is that?”
Jo Gwangsu, standing beside me, grimaced.
It was the same for most of the other Indomitable Guild Hunters.
We had already completed the mission to protect the Pigmalets.
But instead of a portal to exit or head deeper, a new mission had appeared.
Besides, those Chinese characters were floating next to the words ‘Harvested Hearts’.
They were adding to an unexplainable sense of anxiety.
“Kkyuit!”
And suddenly, the Pigmalets in front of me began to move.
They started to huddle together between me and the surface of the lake where the status window floated.
“What are you guys doing….”
[The Pigmalets, saved from the hands of the slaughterer, express their gratitude to you. You have taken in the poor souls who had lost hope and were adrift.]
My question was drowned out by the dungeon's resounding voice.
[Now, they will protect you. Only those who pass the trial may proceed.]
“Ah.”
Only then did I understand the whole situation.
收心.
The character '收' for 'gather,' and '心' for 'heart.'
“W-what kind of bullshit is this! The mission is over! Send us back now!”
Jo Gwangsu shrieked.
Of course, not a single Pigmalet stood before him.
And Jo Gwangsu's pathetic cry was also drowned out by a calm yet imposing voice.
[With the souls you have gathered, endure the trial. A 10-minute countdown will now begin.]
At the same time.
Kwaaaaaa!
A pillar of water shot up from the center of the lake that had reflected the night sky.
As if alive, it began to suck in all the surrounding water, gradually expanding its territory.
The pillar of water spun like a hurricane, widening its radius.
I knew at once what would happen if I were swallowed by that domain without any protection.
Chwaaaak!
A cold stream of water grazed my cheek.
The water pillar, having swallowed the entire lake, finally began to devour the land as well.
I instinctively stepped back.
Anyone would have, seeing the overwhelming presence of the hurricane that filled my vision.
Thud!
But after taking only a few steps back, I hit a solid wall.
When I turned, I saw the same forest I had wandered through searching for Pigmalets.
But it was impossible to move in that direction.
An invisible wall blocked me from the forest behind.
“Kkyuit!”
Suddenly, I heard a cute cry.
The Pigmalets were looking back at me.
As if telling me to trust them.
Kwaaaaaa!
And the water pillar, now a hurricane, crashed down upon the Pigmalets and me.
“Huh…?”
In that moment, a miracle occurred.
The ferociously raging storm covered the space where the Pigmalets and I stood, as if by magic.
It didn't crash down on us.
It literally covered the space where I and the Pigmalets stood, like a blanket.
Gono and I stared around us, mouths agape.
It felt like being inside an aquarium made entirely of glass.
We were in a space enclosed by a faintly glowing blue dome. Above it, seaweed and unfamiliar aquatic creatures swirled chaotically in the current.
A blue dome.
“You guys are protecting us.”
I said, gazing at the Pigmalets huddled before me.
A blue energy was flowing from their bodies.
That energy was being absorbed directly into the dome surrounding us.
“Kkyuit!”
One of the Pigmalets cried out as if in response.
“Uwaaaagh!”
And from the other side, a scream echoed.
The hurricane had begun to crash down on the other Hunters.
Most of the other Hunters who had been standing around the lake were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, only Jo Gwangsu, who was closest, and the healer who had saved five Pigmalets were visible.
“Damn it, what is this? Why can't I get out? What is this thing!”
Jo Gwangsu was kicking frantically at the invisible wall.
Then, the moment his eyes met mine from within my dome, he scrambled over to me.
“Hey, help me! Let me in, too!”
He pounded his fists on the back of the dome.
“H-help me! I-I was wrong! Please, let me in! Please, save me!”
Of course, the blue dome surrounding me and the Pigmalets didn't let him in.
Chwaaaak!
“Gyaaaak!”
In the end, a blade-like stream of water struck, tearing one of Jo Gwangsu's eyes.
He clutched his bleeding eye and retreated, pressing himself flat against the invisible wall.
But I couldn't keep watching Jo Gwangsu scream in terror.
Thump!
The sound of a small body collapsing came from in front of me.
I turned my head to see a Pigmalet, who had been at the very front, collapsed on the ground.
“Gono!”
“Kiruk!”
Gono nodded and brought the fallen Pigmalet over in a single bound.
The little creature's eyes were closed, and it was panting heavily.
Even so, a blue energy was still flowing from its body.
Only then did I realize.
“…Right. You guys are enduring this too.”
The Pigmalets were using their own life force to maintain this dome.
Thump.
The sound came again.
The Pigmalets, having exhausted their strength, were collapsing one by one.
I turned my gaze away.
If this was happening to me, with sixty of them working together, I couldn't imagine what it was like for the other Hunters.
“…”
The healer's dome was a short distance away.
Of the five Pigmalets protecting her, three had already collapsed.
The soft-hearted looking Hunter was stroking the fallen Pigmalets and casting healing spells on them.
[7 minutes, 19 seconds.]
The dungeon's voice echoed faintly from afar.
There were still over seven minutes left.
I can survive.
But most of the others will die.
Not just Jo Gwangsu and the other Hunters screaming against the wall.
But also that healer, hugging her Pigmalets.
And even these many Pigmalets protecting me.
‘Is this really the only way?’
Just standing by, not caring how many Pigmalets die or how many people around me drown.
Is this really the best option?
‘Come to think of it.’
Suddenly, something flashed through my mind.
Something I'd forgotten while I was busy taking care of the Pigmalets abandoned by the Hunters.
‘A hidden mission.’
The information provided to me by the Lord's Castle.
There's a hidden mission in the 'Lake'.
I explored every corner of the field while gathering the Pigmalets, but I didn't find anything special.
The garden said I could move forward after passing the 'Trial of Harvested Hearts'.
In that case, the hidden mission…
‘…is hidden within the Trial of Harvested Hearts.’
Usually, hidden missions are found when you think contrary to the given situation.
When everyone is trying to escape, you face it head-on.
That was the opposite I'd thought of.
I took the silver-rimmed glasses from my pocket and put them on.
Then, I activated a skill.
[Sage's Eye]
Staring at the center of the hurricane, beyond the dome.
[A monster to which the count applies has been detected. Would you like to activate Sage's Eye? Upon activation, 1 count will be deducted.]
Bingo.
The fact that the count applies means it's at least a B-rank monster.
“Activate.”
[Jen Karuk]
[Type: Named Monster]
[Rank: 6-Star (MonMonMak Standard)]
[Stats: Strength 25, Agility 35, Stamina 30, Intelligence 90 (MonMonMak Standard)]
[Skills: Cataclysmic Wave Lv.1, Cataclysmic Tempest Lv.1, Ancient God's Tear Lv.5 - Active]
[This is Jen Karuk, the Lizardman High Priest. He was the last Lizardman to encounter the ancient god. He is also the last hero of the fallen Lizardmen.]
I took off the glasses and grinned.
‘In 'MonMonMak,' Named Monsters were like special units.’
Among the hired monsters, units that survived over 100 waves had a certain chance to be promoted to 'Named Monster'.
Unlike other monsters, they could use special skills and benefited more from items.
And a Named Monster like that is hiding in there.
“Then there's only one answer.”
“Kiruk.”
Gono, as if understanding my words, hoisted his club onto his shoulder.
But I shook my head at him.
“No, Gono. You can't do it alone.”
“Kiruk!”
“You don't have any resistance to water.”
“Ki… keruk.”
Gono lowered his club, looking dejected.
It was true.
No matter how many good items Gono was decked out in, they were all only effective on a normal field.
Besides, even in MonMonMak, goblins were extremely vulnerable to special fields or types of magic.
In this situation, Gono was no more than an ordinary goblin.
[Deal with the Lord]
Then now was the time to hire a new monster.
[Activating Deal with the Lord Lv.1.]
The list of hireable monsters scrolled down.
Without hesitation, I chose one from the list.
[You have paid 420 Gold to hire an Ogre Berserker. Current Gold: 430]
A fist-sized crack appeared above my head and spat out an orb.
An orb swirling with a light brown light.
As soon as I caught it, I threw it straight ahead, beyond the dome.
The orb flew past the dome and immediately began to sink.
Crackle!
The orb reached the bottom and was surrounded by countless bubbles.
[Summoning Ogre Berserker!]
And along with the information window.
A giant, nearly three meters tall, emerged from the bubbles.
But I didn't get to see the Ogre Berserker appear from the water.
Because in that time, I was focused on another pixelated window in front of my eyes.
[Using 1 Premium Gacha Ticket.]
I stared at the spinning random box and muttered.
“It's a bit of a waste, but.”
Unlike Gono, who was summoned slathered in all sorts of items as a special perk.
The ogre was summoned literally bare-bodied.
So I had to slap some new items on it one way or another.
But the problem was.
‘In MonMonMak, their AI was so bad you couldn't use them even if you wanted to. Don't tell me it's the same in reality?’
Ogres had racial traits of magic resistance and immense physical strength, but due to their abysmal intelligence, they often missed the monster waves.
In other words, their item efficiency was absolute crap.
“Please, let the real-life version have some intelligence.”
That's the only way using a gacha ticket would be meaningful.
Woooong!
The spinning random box before my eyes finally began to emit a light.
The color… was gold.
A brilliant golden light!
“Did I get an S-rank!”
Yes!
A golden light means it's at least A-rank or S-rank!
Soon, the light subsided, and the spinning random box came to an abrupt halt.
[Would you like to check the item's information now?]
But the moment I checked the message that appeared before my eyes along with the brilliant golden light.
“?”
I froze, completely blank.
[Archmage Gandolph's Hat - S-Rank]
[A memento of the great archmage who saved a certain world from destruction. How powerful would a mage-type monster become if they wore this? It's frightening to even imagine!]
What is this.
What the hell is this?
“Grooooooar!”
The summoned berserker's monstrous roar from beyond the dome pierced my ears.
Just its simple war cry was enough to send the streams of water crashing down on the ogre flying outwards.
It was literally the epitome of a ferocious berserker.
And yet.
[Intelligence Stat +30. The monster wearing this becomes a little smarter.]
You want me to put this on that crazy bastard?
“Uwaaaagh!”
Suddenly, Jo Gwangsu's scream echoed from behind me.
The exhausted Pigmalets were also collapsing one by one.
There was no time to hesitate.
It was an S-rank item, after all.
There were no penalties, and a huge stat boost was a good thing no matter what.
Even if it was no different from giving a magic staff to a unit that's pure strength!
“Fuck, is this any time to be a picky eater? Just use it!”
[The Ogre Berserker equips Archmage Gandolph's Hat!]
“Groooo—!”
And along with the status window.
“Oh?”
The berserker's roar, which had been shaking the entire field, cut off as if it had never been.