Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: 2nd Floor Entry #2
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A post uploaded by someone in the Boss Mob Gallery.
📰 Hey Ugly Green Guy, Come Take a Look [0] 💬 Comments — Ugly Green Guy Fuck, don't call me by that name. — Anonymous Response came right away? Lolololol — Anonymous You actually like it deep down. — Ugly Green Guy I said don't!!!!!!!! Leaving behind the 2nd floor's owner wailing over his own nickname, the Boss Mob Gallery began buzzing with activity once more.
- So what's the hidden piece on the 2nd floor? That's what decides if you graduate or not.
Their sole focus was graduation.
Getting ejected and vanishing outside was far less worthwhile than graduating and seeking out their true identity.
That was why they'd decided to support the newbie.
— Ugly Green Guy Honestly, I don't know either... — Anonymous ? — Anonymous ??? — Anonymous Don't bullshit us lol — Ugly Green Guy For real;; I just respawned here not long ago, so I don't even know how things work. A single unexpected factor that even the tower's bosses hadn't anticipated.
The lower floors were so ridiculously easy in difficulty—
that the boss mobs respawned way too quickly.
📰 ??? That Make Sense? Nickname: Paper Enthusiast* - How long ago did you join Boss Gallery? — Ugly Green Guy Speaking for myself, it's been about three months. — Anonymous Damn, it's piping hot fresh;;; — Anonymous Fuck, this guy's a newbie too. — Anonymous But seriously, not knowing your own hidden piece or graduation conditions? — Anonymous Just buy sleep, this is insane. 📰 Makes Sense Not to Know - If they knew, they wouldn't have respawned on a lower floor lol The lower floors get cleared so fast, so the hidden piece conditions are simple (as far as I know). That's why graduations happen frequently there, and bosses keep changing. — Anonymous Is this for real? — Anonymous But hey, no rule saying you have to clear the 2nd floor hidden piece or die. — Paper Enthusiast*) That's true though;; — Anonymous Come to think of it, new trolls or shitposters always pop up on lower floors. — Anonymous Oh, lower floor, it's you again? 📰 Lolol Useless AF - On a lower floor, doesn't know his own hidden piece, and ugly as fuck ㅇㅇ This guy's just pure goblin incarnate. — Ugly Green Guy For real fuck why's everyone on my ass — Anonymous You should've done better lolol — Anonymous Prime chance to get attention from the newbie, but you're fucking it up. — Anonymous For real, was just starting to sweet-talk him into cooperating, but you blocked it from the jump. — Anonymous Lower floor rep lololol 📰 Stop Whining Fuck - Clench your ass and try to remember!!! No past life memories popping up? Even if your race is greenskin hierarchy-obsessed idiots, you gotta have at least some bare minimum;; — Anonymous If he did, he wouldn't be eating shit like this lol — Anonymous But yeah, no big deal for just the 2nd floor. Kinda unsatisfying though. — Anonymous True lol — Anonymous But teasing him is fun lolol — Anonymous These fuckers are just dopamine addicts lol — Ugly Green Guy Fuck... 📰 Anyway Nickname: Paper Enthusiast* - No conditions coming to mind right now, right? Then we skip the 2nd floor hidden piece for now. If anyone remembers other hidden pieces from higher floors, keep the bait going with that and roll on. 📰 Fuck Look at This Gallery Bait Lol - Is this really the Boss Gallery I know? Boss mobs personally gathering info on foot for one puny human? It's embarrassing, let's all just honorably eject ㅇㅇ; — Anonymous Who the fuck is this guy? — Anonymous At least stay quiet and we might split half... — Anonymous Right vibe to post this? Wanna get smacked by the mods? — Anonymous Idiot lol — Anonymous Bosses who wanna quick affinity build for graduation get my upvote lol — Anonymous For real lolololol The gallery's activity, which newbie Kim Do-yoon hadn't checked yet.
Their own operation was just getting started.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Kirik!"
"Do-yoon!"
Han Ji-hyeok stepped forward first and called out to Do-yoon.
"Yes!"
Do-yoon reacted instantly, thrusting his shield forward as he charged into attack range.
-Clang! Claaang!
Furious goblins pounded on Han Ji-hyeok's shield.
Beyond the grating noise, he could see the monsters' ugly faces.
-Kwachik!
Do-yoon smashed his shield into the forehead of the frontmost one, almost like a greeting.
"Gek...!"
A goblin warrior tumbled away, spraying dark red blood.
Confirming it twitching and unable to rise, Do-yoon turned his gaze to the next target.
'No Acidic Digestive Fluid.'
Might be useful in one-on-one, but in team play, it risked harming allies.
So he'd chosen...
"Hyung-nim!"
"Got it!"
At Do-yoon's call, Han Ji-hyeok shoved a goblin back, creating distance.
"Kiruk?!"
The suddenly isolated goblin panicked and looked at Do-yoon.
"What're you staring at, you ugly fuck."
Do-yoon swung his sword straight into the goblin's nape.
His slashing and thrusting skills were still lacking.
So he'd gone with the method that packed the most power in the short term.
📰 Goblins Are Way Too Weak Compared to Humans. - So don't bother with fancy tricks, just slam it into the nape ok? Like chopping firewood. Using info he'd seen in the gallery, he'd taken down one goblin.
"Gruk..!"
He retrieved his sword from the goblin as it spat bloody foam and collapsed.
-Kwadeuk!
The blade came free with the sound of breaking bone.
Still-warm blood dripped from the tip: drop, drop.
The unfamiliar metallic stench assaulted his nose, but it was oddly bearable.
'Thanks to mental training, maybe.'
Or perhaps the rough fieldwork had inured him to it.
Complacency led to accidents—he'd seen plenty of workers get hurt on site.
"..."
Do-yoon flicked his sword to shake off the blood and dashed back to Han Ji-hyeok.
Two goblins down.
Two left.
One was marked by Han Ji-hyeok, the other...
-Fwoosh!
「Fireball」.
Cha Yun-ha's flames surged toward the goblin archer.
Do-yoon didn't bother watching the aftermath.
Instead, mid-stride, he kicked the ribs of the goblin scraping at Han Ji-hyeok's shield.
-Wooduk!
"Kwek!"
The breathless goblin sprawled out.
It didn't get back up.
"Whew."
"Nice. Your movements are even smoother than before."
"Right?! At this rate, you'll catch up in no time!"
"A-hyeon. Stay sharp."
"Ah, yes."
Jo Ha-rin gave Jeong A-hyeon, who was ramping up the pace, a subtle warning glance.
Do-yoon eyed Jeong A-hyeon, who immediately toned it down, then checked on Han Ji-hyeok, who'd been holding the goblins at bay.
"You good, hyung-nim?"
"Course. This much is a breeze, even for me."
"Probably wouldn't break a sweat against 100."
"100 might be pushing it."
"Can't?"
"Just creepy."
"Fair."
Jo Ha-rin accepted it without protest.
The hunters, in peak condition, finished the fight and headed straight for the boss room.
"Takes about two hours from here."
"Got it."
"We'll run into more on the way. Stay focused."
Do-yoon nodded at Jo Ha-rin's advice.
He wanted real-time info from the gallery if possible,
but right now, following his fellow hunters' lead came first.
Reality.
Do-yoon was clear on his priorities.
"Do-yoon."
"Yes."
"That supporter skill. Used it again?"
"Yeah. Gave me goblin weak points and how to handle them."
"Good."
Han Ji-hyeok replied with approval.
If Do-yoon was learning monster counters independently, the rest could focus purely on supporting him.
Meaning they could specialize in either training or backup.
"Let's keep pushing."
Led by Do-yoon and Han Ji-hyeok, the hunter team pressed toward the boss room.
Of course, they kept hunting the goblins that popped out along the way.
Having gotten the hang of it from the first fight, the subsequent ones were even easier.
'...'
But only Do-yoon was oblivious.
To the four hunters' subtle gazes boring into his back.
Mid his skilled goblin handling, with one left, he glanced back at Jo Ha-rin.
Her reaction matched Han Ji-hyeok's.
This was his first time past the 1st floor, a totally alien experience.
Yet Do-yoon moved like he owned the place.
Was this what combat support looked like?
Do-yoon was adapting at an astonishing speed to meshing with the hunters' rhythm.
"Kyaek!"
The goblin impaled through the nape let out a pitiful wail.
But the hunter mercilessly hammered down repeatedly.
-Kwachik! Kwachik!
Finally severing its head from its body.
"Phew!"
Even the relieved exhale afterward.
'He's insane.'
'What kind of adaptation is that.'
Impressions of Do-yoon's performance welled up in the hunters' minds.
Even if the 1st floor slimes didn't seem truly alive.
Goblins breathed, harbored malice—they were different.
Not outright murder, but repeating it would naturally scar the psyche.
"Do-yoon-ssi."
"Yes?"
"Any headaches or hysterical laughter or anything?"
"Pardon? Nah, I'm totally fine."
But what they'd overlooked.
Was that Do-yoon had grown somewhat accustomed to their ghost-seeing stares too.
As if it were only natural, they'd arrived at the 'boss room' before they knew it.
"Short break, then we go in."
The other hunters were in top shape.
They were used to tower runs, and the 2nd floor mobs were laughably weak by comparison.
A total one-sided slaughter.
Even frontline Han Ji-hyeok and Kim Do-yoon looked unscathed.
'Gotta check the gallery quick again.'
During the brief rest, Do-yoon put some distance and opened the gallery.
📰 At 2nd Floor Boss Room - Goblins really are weak af lol Staying sharp to the end! — Anonymous Whoa, already? — Anonymous Not slow? — Anonymous How should we know; it's our boss mob? — Anonymous Oh right, our boss mob huh? — Anonymous ?? Who this fuck now — Anonymous Now suffering identity crisis lolololol — Anonymous Hard to gauge from hunter POV since it's first time. — Aged Wine is...*) Hoe...! Newbie-chan is impressive...! — Anonymous We're all newbies to him too ㅇㅇ;; — Anonymous Boss Gallery's collective first love ㄷㄷ — Anonymous Boss Gallery divides into before and after newbie ㄷㄷ — Anonymous This is a cult at this point? — Anonymous For real lololol "What the hell."
Dizzy from the gallery's chaotic drip-fest, Do-yoon scanned other posts.
His main goal: talk to the boss room owner, Ugly Green Guy.
'Hidden piece.'
He wondered if the hint he sought was here.
Han Ji-hyeok had said there was no greater reward for a hunter.
Bigger rewards! More growth!
Do-yoon devoured the gallery, brimming with anticipation.
But what came back was...
📰 Newbie, Gotta Just Clear 2nd Floor "Ah." It was disappointing enough to draw a sigh. - 2nd floor and other lower ones are too easy, so other hunters already monopolized and left ㅇㅇ... The current 2nd floor boss is a noob who just entered the tower, knows jack shit. Skip 2nd for EXP farm. — Anonymous ...But you love us, right? — Ugly Green Guy Yes sir... — Anonymous Oi fuck bow your head more — Ugly Green Guy (Goblin deep-bowing meme) — Anonymous Sigh fuck lower bosses got sins. — Anonymous Newbie hold breath and come to mid floors ㅇㅇ; We'll treat you right. 'Can't be helped.'
Nice to have, but not essential.
Safely clearing floors was solid mid-tier success.
'Clear first.'
Do-yoon steeled himself and stood.
"Do-yoon. Ready?"
"Yes, hyung-nim."
Confirming readiness, the hunters approached the boss room.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 「Entering the 'Boss Room'.」 ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 「Boss: Defeat the Goblin Warlord to clear the floor!」 A build a full head taller than the goblins so far.
At last, the goblins' warlord appeared before the hunters.
"Kerurruk!!"
'Nice to meet you.'
The owner of that disgustingly ugly meme face from the gallery.
His real-life fan meet with 'Ugly Green Guy' was underway.