Chapter 62
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Pikemen
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A week later, Hye-rin noona and I visited the Black Bears' Odae Mountain branch for a tour.
"Everything ready?"
"For now, yeah. But we're just here to observe, right?"
"Better safe than sorry. Stay fully geared up."
Ever since the All-Kill Guild incident, Hye-rin noona had gotten a lot more cautious. We double-checked our equipment and headed to the entrance.
"People from Santa Maria Guild?"
A muscular young man was waiting at the entrance. He extended a hand with a confident smile.
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Kim Shin-woo, team leader of the Black Bears' Odae Mountain branch."
Kim Shin-woo eyed our faces with interest. His gaze lit up when he saw my helmet-covered face.
"You're the infamous Lizardman Hunter, aren't you?"
"Lizardman Hunter?"
"Since your identity's unknown, that's what the media's calling you. Got a preferred title?"
"Oh, no. This is fine."
Lizardman Slayer would've sounded cooler, but Hunter wasn't bad.
"And your identity... planning to keep it hidden again?"
"Yes. Personal reasons."
"...I don't know the details, but you can hide your face—you can't hide your skills."
Kim Shin-woo clearly doubted the rumors about me.
It was understandable. To them, a 4-star hunter had just popped out of nowhere. Hard to believe.
I stayed quiet, figuring it made sense, but Hye-rin noona jumped in.
"You're right—skills can't be hidden. We'll watch closely. See if Black Bears lives up to the hype."
Hye-rin noona looked a bit pissed. Kim Shin-woo narrowed his eyes at the provocation.
The two locked eyes for a moment.
"Interesting. Follow me."
Their stare-down ended with Kim turning away first.
He smirked like it was laughable, but since he broke first, call it a draw.
"Noona, thanks for backing me up, but aren't you sharpening the blade a bit much?"
"We need to show we're not pushovers. That's how you avoid being looked down on. This 'tour' is basically an invite for you. We've got nothing to fear."
"I-is that so?"
I nodded like an idiot and followed Kim. In the distance, the 2-star gate and Black Bears guild members came into view.
The first thing that caught my eye was the long spears they carried.
"Those are pikes. Crazy long."
"Yeah. At least five meters."
They looked just like Macedonian pikemen. I could guess how they'd handle centaurs.
Set up the front line like a palisade, rain arrows from behind.
'One thing's for sure—their weapons outrange anything else by a mile.'
But the real question was whether these pikemen could withstand the impact when a centaur charge hit.
Centaurs were massive. Heavy, fast—insane momentum.
'Like getting rammed by a fully loaded semi-truck.'
I was eager to see how Black Bears would counter that force.
"Pretty big group, huh? Almost thirty people."
Ten with pikes, ten with bows. Ten porters hauling weapon carts.
Even without porters, twenty hunters.
"Forgot? Higher gate ranks mean more optimal entrants."
"Oh, right."
I recalled the academy lesson.
Higher-rank dungeons spawned more monsters, wider passages.
2-star passages could fit ten abreast, easy.
"Unit, form up! Step in sync—march!"
Black Bears lined up like an army, moving in perfect formation.
Feet, arms—everything synchronized. Elite guild discipline shone through.
"They do drill training too?"
"No way it's that intense."
Noona tilted her head, puzzled, when Kim Shin-woo turned and chimed in.
"Drill training's basic."
"Wait, really?"
"Absolutely. Santa Maria's guild master might not know, but the industry's changed a lot."
"What do you mean?"
Hye-rin noona bristled at the subtle dig. Kim shrugged.
"It's professionalized now. Our members train to move as one body."
"As one body?"
"You'll get it once the hunt starts. Plenty to learn, I guarantee."
'An army moving as one...'
I'd done academy drills, so I knew what he meant.
In group fights, people unintentionally get in each other's way. Friendly fire happens.
Other guilds space out to avoid it—but that wastes group strength.
Trained units don't just avoid interference; they synergize, covering weaknesses.
The whole exceeds the sum of parts.
"Our guild specializes roles from recruitment. Frontline pikemen pump vitality for clashes; archers focus strength and agility."
Kim boasted, clearly pleased with his team's training.
"But that weakens individuals."
"The solo-hero era's over. Synergy between roles hits harder than any solo sum."
I'd seen it myself—goblin essence raid, mixing orcs and goblin throwers worked great.
'Hmm, orcs have decent vitality. Give 'em pikes, form a pike wall—might hold a centaur charge okay.'
Lost in thought, I spotted over a dozen centaurs approaching.
"Team leader! Centaurs!"
"Pikemen forward!"
Pikemen knelt in a line, angling spears into the ground. Dispersing impact.
"Archers ready!"
Archers nocked arrows behind them. Sharp eyes, calm. They trusted the line.
"Centaurs are top-tier 2-stars. Open plains plus lance charge? Effectively 3-star difficulty."
Kim explained flatly as the centaurs spotted us.
"Kiyooo!"
A dozen centaurs charged, spears forward.
Thud thud thud!
Earth-shaking lance charge. Black Bears huddled tighter.
"But to us, it's a walkover. Archers—loose!"
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Arrow storm—over half centaurs dropped instantly. Survivors impaled on the pike wall.
"Urgh!"
Pikemen took a beating. Direct impacts left cuts and bruises everywhere.
Thick armor and maxed vitality kept them alive, though.
"Porters! Potions here!"
Rear porters rushed vials from carts, splashing pikemen carefully.
Wounds closed fast, bones knitting. Green potion—lizardman blood derivative.
'2-star potions run three mil each, and they're hosing them down...'
Black Bears money showed.
"Impressive, right?"
"Not really. You sacrificed the pikemen to win."
Hye-rin noona frowned at their injuries. Kim didn't flinch.
"They agreed to it. Not dead, are they? Hunters can't fear this."
"It's unfair. They always take the hits."
"They get the most EXP—and better pay."
"Still, broken bones every fight? Too much."
"Low levels. Past vitality 80, they tank centaurs fine."
"Whoa, vitality 80?"
Even I was shocked.
2-star hunters, one stat over 80...
'Hyper-specialize, and that's possible.'
But Hye-rin noona still looked unhappy.
"Fine. Don't like it, but can't dictate another guild's policy."
She breathed deep, glaring at Kim.
"But you know this builds armies, not one-man armies."
"That's..."
"Why you haven't cleared the labyrinth boss. Why you want our guild member. Right?"
"...Sharp insight. Nailed our weakness on the head."
Kim smiled bitterly.
Specialized soldiers shone in groups, crumbled in isolation worse than balanced teams.
Weak against solo breakthroughs like labyrinths or tough bosses.
"True. Over-specialized hunters are half-measures."
Kim admitted freely, then proposed.
"That's why we want you. If you're really 4-star, you'd help big time. Since it's out—join us."
He raised a finger.
"Join, and Hongcheon branch is yours."
"Huh?"
"Hongcheon: two 2-stars, twelve 1-stars. All yours to use."
Branch leader = regional king.
"W-wait! You authorized to promise that?"
"Guild master's approval."
"What about the current leader?"
"Pull him to HQ. He's trouble—due for recall anyway. You fill the vacancy."
"Hmm."
Stunned by the offer. Caught noona's eye—she looked troubled.
"I'll think it over."
"Take your time. During the tour. Gotta lead now..."
Kim moved ahead. Expected noona to grill me, but she stayed silent.
"Noona? You okay?"
"Sigh. Wonder if this is right."
She rubbed her forehead, sighing deeply.
"Huh?"
"That offer? If it'd come to me, I might've taken it. Tempting as hell."
"..."
"But blocking you— is that right? Feels like I'm holding you back over some flimsy bond..."
She bit her lip, guilty. I clenched my teeth too.
"I'm not joining Black Bears."
"What? Don't say that for me. I'm fine. Think carefully."
"No. Decision made."
"Why..."
"I need someone to hold me back. Remember? The left one."
"The left...? Oh!"
I unwrapped the bandage slightly, showing my blackened fingertips, then rewrapped.
"Something happened again?"
"Still okay. But I feel the left one's presence growing. Its 'malice.'"
When it appears again, the one to grab me—
Only Song Hye-rin.