The Sea Wind Blew Fierce

The sea wind blew fierce, and Yujun's hair — grown quite long by now — whipped in the gale.

A single flare of light. The sword Yujun swung sheared the last God's Minion's head from his shoulders.

He hadn't even used Flash. His Agility was high past all imagining; even without a movement skill, he could move faster than Blink, and not even a God's Minion, formidable as they were, could keep up with that speed.

He shouted.

"Tapagol!"

"Yes."

The God's Minion resurrected, and from the spot where he had been waiting, Tapagol reached out. Caught in the same instant he came back to life, the minion had no way to answer it.

Then the minion muttered.

"So this... is what that message from the messenger meant..."

"What, you use messengers too?"

He had thought that was a player's privilege. Then again, where would you even find a being who wasn't a player? A God's Minion might be one as well.

"What is this golem doing to me? I can't put any strength into it, somehow..."

"Doing? He's just putting strength into you. That's all."

"...What."

The God's Minion looked utterly dumbfounded. To be pinned so he couldn't so much as twitch, and without a single ability behind it.

Watching that blank, futile face, Yujun smiled. This was the difference that came of volume and mass.

Tapagol... he's so huge he's putting out force beyond his stats.

Yujun's own Strength was far higher than Tapagol's. Even so, he couldn't have done what Tapagol was doing now.

More efficient than pinning him with Space Domination.

The minion was enduring without dying because Tapagol's rank was lower, not because his strength fell short.

"Drag him..."

"Yes. Understood."

These days Tapagol moved on his own before Yujun even opened his mouth. He went out to where the sea ran deep, then stopped.

"Please finish him."

"Yeah. Well done."

Watching them, Paranet was genuinely impressed.

"My... the further this goes, the more of a specialist you become."

"That doesn't sound like a compliment."

"I-it is a compliment! Truly admirable. You'll do anything to secure your own profit, won't you! As a fine Death Knight, I too shall strive to follow your example, Master!"

"...Being a role model for the undead sits a little wrong."

"A good thing is a good thi— urk!"

Yujun rapped Paranet across the skull with one hand, then poured Chaos into his sword and drove it straight into the God's Minion's head.

Shunk.

Needless to say, the God's Minion died in a single blow.

"That makes six. All done."

No minions remained on the deserted island.

"Master."

Paranet called to him with a serious face.

"What?"

"You take down God's Minions with ease, do you not? Then surely you could reach for a god now? Honestly, those minions were no match for you at all."

Yujun laughed, too dumbfounded by that to do anything else.

"Hey. A God's Minion isn't some powerhouse sitting right beneath a god. You think they call them minions for nothing?"

In the dictionary, a minion was someone who played the underling beneath another. An underling. At the end of the day, still an underling. A shred of Divine Realm lodged in the body didn't make them the same as a god. Of course, he might be wrong. It was only a guess.

"Anyway, I'm not at the point where I can take gods lightly. Not yet."

"I feel as though you could defeat anyone, Master."

"I appreciate you thinking so. I'm still short."

Yujun's eyes turned grave. He was looking higher. The stronger he grew, the greater the might of the enemies he met. He had grown quickly enough that there hadn't been any truly great danger — and even so, he couldn't grow complacent, or let himself feel safe.

First, the thing that matters most. Level.

He had to raise his level. How much trouble had a low rank already caused him? In truth, level 456 was quite high by the Continent's measure... but wasn't there a saying? Heaven beyond heaven. The Tower of Infinity held more hidden masters than anyone could count.

Which made it a little absurd.

And yet the Tower of Infinity's players are growing faster than users did back when they played War of the Gods. This isn't a game with extra lives. It's reality.

Why was that? Other races had lived in the Tower of Infinity since long ago, so they were one thing — but the Koreans in Coordination? Why were their levels so high?

For one, the small number of users back then could be a reason. Those who had played War of the Gods numbered only tens of thousands at the start, and later fewer than a hundred remained. Counted by concurrent connections, ten. All of them rankers. Put simply, the overall numbers now were far greater. The players of the Tower of Infinity, and the users who had played War of the Gods — the gap was so wide it felt rude to compare them.

Naturally the Tower would hold more talent, and a higher chance of producing monsters who broke common sense. Among the people he had actually seen, Jo Su-a alone was proof. Human though she was, she had reached level 610, and in five years, which was not such a long time. She was clearly stronger than the members of Coordination, and she had cut down even a Demon God Worshipper strengthened by denied power without much difficulty.

What kind of perk had she been given?

Not that I have any right to talk.

Between the inventory and the Equanimity perk, he had come this far in a matter ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of months.

Still, I want to hit level 500 at least.

Stuck in the special circumstances of an event, he couldn't raise his level — but the moment the event ended, he could raise it whenever he pleased. He gazed quietly at the design inscribed on his left arm.

The Supreme Experience Increase Rune. An item he had obtained by opening a Random Rune Box. Whether it was because his luck was extremely high or not, the effect was so good he half suspected it was the best rune a random box could produce. Experience acquisition rose by a full eighty percent. He was already gaining more experience from an item he had picked up before, and the Supreme Experience Increase Rune was like wings fastened onto that.

Yujun's eyes blazed.

Just let this event end. Just you wait.

Demon God Worshippers, hunting materials for Manuela — the moment he decided he was wasting time, he meant to set all of it aside and raise his level first.

"Where to now? You've caught every God's Minion you were after..."

"I was going to head back to the General Store, but I can't go like this."

"Why not?"

"I'm sure that once you get well clear of the deserted island, they'll hand something out. If I just kill the minions and leave, I'll only be doing everyone else a favor."

"...Now that you mention it, that's true."

He had known, and done it anyway. Because—

The points for killing minions were far too tempting.

But he had no intention of leaving things as they were. Before the other players could profit first, he meant to act, and quickly. Yujun opened his inventory.

"Master. What item is it this time?"

"Wait. Nobita— no. Paranet. You'll see."

He drew several items from his inventory.

There was a figure in a long jet-black cloak drawn down to the ankles. Manuela, a pure-blood witch.

She had not properly taken part in the first event, nor the second, nor the third. Instead, every time she was warped, she explored each place without missing a single spot, gathering material items as she went. And there had been results. She had found three of the materials she wanted, and along the way picked up an unexpectedly precious item — a jackpot, as people called it.

To think materials that exist nowhere on the Continent would be waiting at an event site.

Manuela thought it with a wide, bright smile.

Now I can repay him.

She was overjoyed that she could finally return the kindness she owed Yujun. Their beginning had been poor, an ill-fated meeting, and yet Yujun was now the person she trusted most. Thanks to him she had rebuilt her dungeon, and the bounty hanging over her in the Demon Realm had vanished completely. Regaining her freedom was good, but killing the Demon King had been refreshing in its own right. She had been grateful to Shin Yujun every time, and all her rushing about to gather materials had been for that reason.

A smile spread across Manuela's lips.

Strange. When I go around with Shin Yujun, it's fun. I enjoy it.

Was it simply because he was strong? It wasn't. His way of speaking amused her, his actions made her laugh, and watching him set her heart at ease.

Manuela had lived for thousands of years, yet she had almost never wandered with anyone. Always alone. She had never thought that strange, and she had never once felt lonely. Lately, though, her thinking had changed. Being alone felt empty. She missed him, and that half-witted undead summon.

By the length of time, we haven't even been apart that long. Strange.

She hadn't expected it to turn out this way. The feeling wasn't bad at all. No — it was very good. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠And soon she would be able to see him again.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

As if excited, Manuela broke into a light run.

Yujun made up his mind and used a Mythic-grade barrier talisman. Its option set the barrier's range according to the user's mana — which meant that, so long as he had mana, he could expand that range without limit. The barrier was extremely solid, besides.

Mythic grade for a reason.

A Mythic-grade consumable. The higher a consumable's grade, the more outrageous its effects became, and that stood to reason. Unlike equipment you could keep using, it vanished after a single use. Of course the effect had to be good.

At any rate, Yujun succeeded in laying a barrier over the entire deserted island. If someone's attack power was overwhelming, breaking through was possible — but it would never be easy.

A barrier talisman was a little different from a barrier orb. An orb was simply shattered to use, but a talisman depended heavily on the user's own ability. In short, for Yujun and his frankly broken stats, the talisman was the more efficient of the two.

The problem was how few he had left.

Only about a hundred now. Tsk.

The barrier talismans he favored and used so often. He used to carry three hundred of them.

I was just about to restock when, of all times, the server shut down.

What a shame. Only a hundred left — and what was he supposed to do with a hundred? Whatever the case, the barrier was in place. Yujun gave his summons their orders.

"Tapagol. Wander around in your usual form, and if anyone's attacking the barrier, gigantify ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and deal with them."

"Understood."

The barrier's defense was set to twice Yujun's, so there wasn't truly anything to worry about — but you never knew. A drizzle could still soak a coat. Better to be prepared.

"And me?"

Paranet asked.

"You?"

"Yes! What about me?"

"You..."

What was he supposed to give Paranet? The skeleton was strong, too.

"Go around body-slamming them. If you see players. Not just anyone — only the ones near the barrier."

"Understood! At last you're trusting me with a task! Your faith in me, Master — I have received it well!"

Paranet said it, looking deeply moved.

"..."

He'd only given the order because the thing asked, with no particular meaning to it. No need to say so. It would only hurt him.

Having given them their orders, Yujun set off — toward the General Store, where the scramble to claim a place was only growing fiercer.