Chapter 81
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: A New Invader (2)
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“What kind of fiction are you writing? If an ability that convenient existed, everyone in the world would be a Hunter.”
“That’s why I said it. I’ve been reading a lot of novels like this lately.”
Asha wore a slightly sheepish expression.
It seemed she really thought she had said something silly.
I sighed in relief inwardly and spoke in a deliberately serious tone.
“Anyway, enough nonsense. So, what do you think we should do?”
“How do we handle a wave that has no weaknesses and possesses both proliferation and predation traits? And we don’t even know its star rating?”
“Right. And its star rating is probably 4-stars or higher.”
“...I’d probably just give up and start over.”
When I crossed my arms, saying that wasn't an option, Asha giggled and wrapped her hands around her teacup.
“If that's not an option, then it's better to approach it by nullifying the predation trait.”
Soon, a simple solution popped out of her lips.
“Nullifying it?”
“In terms of difficulty, predation is the bigger problem, not proliferation. If they were just endlessly multiplying, it would be no different from a war of attrition, so it wouldn't matter. But with the predation trait, it's a different story. The wave's absolute power increases exponentially.”
“That's true, but.”
“CrappyGame-bro, when you played MonMonMak, how did you deal with predation monsters?”
“I finished them off with an interception before they could enter the Lord's Castle.”
I'd place monsters with ranged attacks at the front and use focused fire to take out the predation monsters before they entered the castle.
“Right. You didn't give them any chance to use predation. But that's impossible this time, right? The monsters with the predation trait will multiply through proliferation, and our firepower will be spread thin because of it.”
That's right.
That was the problem.
There would surely be monsters that make it inside the Lord's Castle.
That's when all hell would break loose.
Asha nodded, tilted her teacup, and continued.
“Then it would be better to place monsters immune to predation at the front, and while they hold the line, we focus our attacks on the wave's main body.”
“Monsters immune to predation?”
Asha had offered the wisest solution.
But this time, too, there was a problem.
“Do monsters like that even exist?”
Predation isn't magic.
No matter what resistance you raise or what defensive item you equip, you can't block the stat absorption.
But Asha shook her head and tapped her temple.
“No, CrappyGame-bro. You might not know since you always dealt with them by focusing fire from a distance. But there are monsters immune to predation.”
No way.
Predation absorbs the stats of any monster, as long as it's a living, moving thing.
Right.
A living, moving thing.
“Huh?”
In that moment, my mind lit up.
“Just figuring it out now? It's a shame to call you a MonMonMak veteran.”
Basically, all monsters you can hire in the Lord's Castle are classified as living creatures.
However, among the summons that hired monsters 'summon', there are monsters classified as 'machine' or non-living.
Golems.
The very same stone monsters that Im Juntae used in the arena before.
“You're saying I should hire a Golemancer.”
“Exactly. You've never used one, have you, CrappyGame-bro?”
“It's the kind of unit you learn to avoid after just a few games.”
The Golemancer is a humanoid monster with long, spider-like limbs and a wooden mask on its face.
Crucially, it was bald.
As you could tell from its appearance, it was one of the least popular units in MonMonMak.
“Yeah, that's true. They cost a ton of gold, and the golems are only good for taking a single hit.”
In theory, a Golemancer can summon an infinite number of golems.
However, a golem's health is a mere 10, and its attack power is a whopping 3—lower than a slime's.
You might think they're still useful for tanking one hit since they're infinite.
But it costs 50 gold to summon one.
Considering a 3-star ogre costs 400 gold, that's by no means a small amount.
“Plus, they look creepy. By normal standards, anyway.”
Asha drew something on the table with her finger.
Following her movements, I saw it was the exact image of the Golemancer from MonMonMak.
“...What? Did you like Golemancers?”
At this point, I couldn't help but have a reasonable suspicion.
“N-No way! It's not like that! I just liked the concept, it's not like I struggled to clear waves using only them, okay? And I definitely didn't spend hundreds trying to get Golemancer-exclusive items!”
“...”
“It's true...”
She totally spent the money.
At this point, I was beginning to think Asha was the real connoisseur of crap, but hey, to each their own. I decided to respect her tastes.
“I see. I hadn't thought of that at all.”
It was definitely one of the worst units of all time in MonMonMak.
But in a situation like this, the story is completely different.
“Golems are classified as non-living summons, so predation won't work on them. That means it should be possible to stall for time with a war of attrition.”
The cost of 50 gold per unit isn't a big problem either.
I have well over tens of thousands of gold on hand right now.
“So? With this, can I be a MonMonMak veteran too?”
Asha puffed out her chest with a triumphant expression.
“You can. It's a shame. If MonMonMak hadn't shut down, I would've held an event like 'Clear X Waves with Only Golemancers'. With a huge banner that says 'A Mission from Bald is the Strongest'.”
“Y-You don't have to go that far...”
I was just teasing her at the end, but why was she squirming and looking pleased?
Is it because she's a foreigner? I sometimes don't understand her way of thinking.
“Hmm, golems.”
The defense strategy for this wave was established.
Now then.
“Asha, by any chance...”
“Are you asking for a recommendation for a dungeon with golems?”
“...”
*Ahem*, I let out a dry cough.
“CrappyGame-bro's behavior patterns are so obvious. You're hooked on golems, so you're going to check them out yourself, right?”
“Something like that.”
She was slightly off, but not entirely wrong.
“For golems, it's either the Steel Airship or the Yeongwol Ironworks. The Steel Airship is a dungeon where only golems appear. If you're aiming for a big haul of stats or items, then it's the Yeongwol Ironworks.”
“What about the difficulty?”
“The Yeongwol Ironworks is much harder. It's officially an A-rank dungeon, and solo expeditions are forbidden. The Steel Airship... I think it was D-rank?”
If it's between those two, the answer is obvious.
“I'll have to go with the Steel Airship.”
“You're going there? Why?”
But Asha's eyes went wide as she asked.
“What are you going to do there, CrappyGame-bro? It's literally just a few golems and that's it. There aren't any good items to get either.”
It was understandable that she was surprised.
The Steel Airship was one of the few 'tutorial dungeons' designated by the management headquarters.
A tutorial dungeon meant that even Hunters with no practical experience could enter without significant risk.
It was a sort of hunting ground exclusively for beginners.
Therefore, it was the perfect place to achieve my goal.
“Why? Like you said, I just want to see a real golem.”
“What... Are you going dungeon sightseeing or something?”
“Something like that.”
Asha stared blankly, her mouth agape.
“As expected of CrappyGame-bro, you're being a crap connoisseur in real life too.”
“That's a bit harsh.”
“Whatever.”
Asha muttered, turning her head away sharply.
“If it were the Yeongwol Ironworks, I could pester the Captain to go with you, but there's no way with the Steel Airship. If I said I wanted to go there, the Captain would tell me to stop doing useless things and lock me in the observation room.”
“Even if you went, there are only golems, not the Golemancers you like.”
Officially, a monster called a Golemancer doesn't exist in reality.
“It's not because of the Golemancer...!”
“?”
“Never mind. What more can I say?”
Hey, why so down all of a sudden?
“Still, thanks, Asha. Thanks to you, I feel like I've solved a troublesome problem.”
“You're probably the only person who agonizes over a solo crap-game simulation.”
Asha still had a sulky expression, as if something was bothering her.
Hmm, in that case.
I know the perfect item to cheer her up.
“Wait a second.”
I took out a long tea stick from the attic and poured its contents into a teacup filled with hot water.
As I stirred it well with a teaspoon, a familiar aroma began to fill the air.
“Oh?”
Asha, who had caught the scent as if by magic, lifted her head.
I brought the teacup over and offered it to her.
“Ssanghwacha?”
Yes. It was the Ssanghwacha I had stocked up on just in case.
“Ooh, oh...”
Asha's eyes sparkled as she stared at the liquid, which reeked of herbal medicine.
“I'll buy you some from a shop next time, so make do with this for now.”
The effect was incredible.
Asha, who had been pouting for some reason, grinned and nodded.
But she didn't drink it and just stared at me intently.
The reason was... well.
I figured it out soon enough.
“Egg.”
“...Okay.”
***
After seeing Asha off, I immediately contacted the Gate Management Bureau.
The Heukgyeon Guild was merely a sponsor, so they couldn't handle the registration for dungeon expeditions.
So, normally, I would have to visit the Bureau or the Association headquarters myself to apply for an expedition.
- Yes, Hunter Kim Hanul.
“Hello, Branch Manager.”
Shin Seonghun. Thanks to this good-natured public servant, I was able to avoid such a troublesome process.
- Haha, are you already itching for action? You're quite diligent, Hunter Hanul.
“Not at all. A week is more than enough rest.”
- Is that so? It would be wonderful if all Hunters were as diligent as you, Hunter Hanul.
Shin Seonghun responded smoothly before asking.
- So, which dungeon are you planning to clear this time?
“The Steel Airship. Would an expedition be possible tomorrow?”
- The Steel Airship... you say. Do you mean the tutorial dungeon in Ulsan?
His voice was laced with puzzlement.
The Branch Manager was thinking the same thing as Asha.
“That's right. I want to go to warm up. I haven't experienced a tutorial dungeon yet. I'm also curious about its difficulty.”
- Haha, a tutorial is a tutorial for a reason... Of course, an expedition is possible. But since there are many applicants, a solo expedition will be difficult.
“How long would I have to wait for a solo expedition?”
- Hmm... You'd have to wait at least two weeks. It might be different if an expedition gets canceled, but tutorial dungeons rarely get canceled.
Two weeks is too late.
Not only is the 704th wave coming in 11 days, but I also need to be thoroughly prepared before then.
It would be my first joint expedition in a long time, since the Garden of the Abyss.
“Then I'd like to request one for tomorrow.”
- Haha, I understand. This time... hmm. I suppose I don't need to wish you luck. I'll arrange it right away!
After finishing the call with Shin Seonghun, I cleaned up Asha's teacup and fell back into thought.
‘If I can get an item that summons Golemancers or golems, I'll be able to deal with the predation monsters.’
Now, the remaining problem is how to strike the main body while the golems are dealing with the multiplied monsters.
‘Whatever star rating that Idic monster has, it's not something that can be taken down with just a few ordinary attacks.’
I have to mobilize all available forces in the Lord's Castle and take it down with a single, focused volley.
The more time I waste, the more stats Idic will steal.
I need a way to safely move my monsters right in front of Idic.
Except for the ones with ranged attacks, the rest have to get up close to Idic.
‘If I just order them to advance, there's a high chance they'll get caught up in the battle between the golems and the multiplied monsters.’
A means of safely moving them right to Idic's front.
‘Where on earth could I find such a convenient method...’
Just as I was wracking my brain again.
[Notification! The Gnome has completed the crafting of the “Ten-Thousand-Year Frost Carapace.”]
A new pixelated window popped up before my eyes.
Right, I remembered I had commissioned an item to be crafted.
After connecting to MonMonMak, I tapped on the ice that looked like a turtle shell floating next to the Gnome.
And then.
“...Huh?”
[૮( ⁰▱๋⁰ )ა]
My eyes and the Sage's Eye widened at the same time.