Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Manners Make the Man #2
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"Kim Do-yoon."
"Yes?"
During the ongoing meeting, the beastkin hunter standing at the center suddenly called out to Do-yoon.
"How much do you know about the 5th floor sector?"
Do-yoon rummaged through the information in his memory at those words.
5th floor, theme stage.
It was where the tower's true trials began, requiring conditions beyond the simple clears they'd handled so far.
— Aged Wine is... Hoeoe...! It's telling you to beware of 'that one' there...! The tower's owner, where Do-yoon now resided—the Wine Lord—had definitely said as much.
"Tower Lord."
"...."
"We have to defeat the boss monster on the 5th floor and find the Tower Lord's object there at the same time, right?"
The 5th floor theme stage was unique; simply defeating the boss monster wouldn't let you proceed to the next floor.
'Object.'
If a floor's hidden piece was a blessing for hunters,
the object embodied their misfortune.
A tiny fragment from the Wine Lord's memories as the tower's master, shattered within.
Hunters had to confront that fragment of the Tower Lord, understand and accept the tower's trials.
That was the core of conquering the 5th floor theme stage.
"You know it well. We need the object to conquer the tower."
"Yes. And that object was probably deployed somewhere in the floor the moment I arrived here."
"Exactly. That's also why we've been waiting here for the last challenger all this time."
The object, presumed to be a fragment of the Tower Lord's memory,
would fully reveal itself once all the hunters in the waiting room gathered.
For the sake of one 'story.'
"The 'True Ancestor' will awaken."
Another name for the Wine Lord slipped from the beastkin hunter's mouth.
To be precise, a false NPC constructed from the True Ancestor's memories.
"To clear the floor, we have to find and secure the object here somehow—the 'True Ancestor.'"
"We do."
Do-yoon felt intense curiosity as he pictured the object residing in this place.
According to the Wine Lord herself, it was one of her dark history moments.
The sight of someone who was the tower's master drew his interest relentlessly.
"Tomorrow, our goal is to search the forbidden zone where the object is located."
"Kuhahaha!! Finally, the real conquest begins!"
"Yeah, finally."
The hunters expressed their expectations in their own ways.
They'd wasted far too much pointless time so far.
Stages without an open forbidden zone were useless, mere outlets to vent frustration and test patience.
"By the way, Do-yoon, you seem to have quite a bit of info on this place."
"Well... people kindly filled me in here and there."
"I see."
The beastkin man marveled at Do-yoon's unexpectedly extensive information network.
'Must have a solid senior hunter on his side.'
Anyway, if it sped things up, it was good news.
The beastkin man turned his gaze from Do-yoon and continued the meeting.
"We have fourteen hunters in total. We'll explore the floor stairs in parties of at least two."
"Kuhahaha!! Good!!"
"...Our goals are the boss room's location and the object's position. Of course, some hunters have been scouting ahead already, but starting tomorrow, we'll push deeper."
'Nice.'
He'd already heard about this floor's monsters from the gallery and senior hunters.
Kobolds.
Not the furry bipedal beasts from typical fantasies, but twisted monsters born from some experiment.
Of course, as long as you didn't let your guard down, they were manageable.
"I have a question."
"What is it?"
As the meeting neared its end, one hunter raised a hand with a sudden doubt.
"Why are you suddenly taking charge of the meeting? Weren't we just supposed to take turns sharing what we'd scouted?"
".....?"
Do-yoon was bewildered by the remark.
'What's this about.'
"Now that you mention it, yeah? Why are you acting like the leader?"
Like someone enlightened by truth, another hunter pointed at the beastkin hunter accusingly.
"Duel it out. Prove it fair and square with skill."
"Hoo, everyone calm down."
As the hunters began twitching toward another outburst, the beastkin hunter perked up his ears atop his head and spoke.
"I just suddenly felt like it. I like the attention."
" refreshingly honest. Fine, you're forgiven."
"Can't argue with that."
"We needed someone to organize things anyway."
'What the hell.'
Do-yoon felt dizzy at the hunters' conversation flowing faster than he could follow.
"Anyway, I think that's the gist of it. Let's start real operations tomorrow."
"Yeah."
The meeting ended, and the hunters returned to their spots, looking forward to tomorrow.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The first day of peaceful conquest.
Hunters formed parties one by one and headed to the forbidden zone, and Do-yoon, left behind, was about to set off too.
"Hold up."
A familiar voice called from behind as he started to leave.
"....?"
Turning around, he saw yesterday's beastkin hunter staring straight at him.
"What."
"Didn't you hear me yesterday? You need a party to enter the forbidden zone."
"Others left without a word."
In fact, the other hunters had deliberately ignored Do-yoon, forming teams among themselves and departing.
Even the hunter named Lakia Bells, who'd spat rudeness at him—
she'd left for the forbidden zone leading her underlings.
Left behind were the beastkin hunter and himself...
'Wait.'
What about that hunter?
He could chalk it up to being on the edge of outcast status, but why was that hunter left alone?
"Team up with me."
"Pardon?"
"Foxes symbolize ill fortune. And I'm a fox beastkin."
"So?"
"No one wants to embrace misfortune. I showed my face at the meeting to build some recognition beforehand, but it didn't work."
Do-yoon started feeling uneasy.
He didn't believe in superstitions about misfortune, but the circumstances were pointing toward one inevitable conclusion.
"I promise. If you take me on your team, I'll definitely be helpful."
"Any reason I should take you?"
"Listen, Do-yoon. You might be one of the strongest among hunters, but the forbidden zone is seriously dangerous."
"Hm."
Do-yoon pondered briefly.
Should he bring this hunter along?
Gallery users always warned to watch out for other hunters.
Just the other day, he'd been accosted absurdly by one.
"Please, I'm asking politely."
But contrary to his earlier showboating, the hunter pleaded like an abandoned puppy.
"If you get annoying, I'm ditching you."
"Smart choice. The best team is complete."
Do-yoon ultimately added the beastkin hunter to his team, entering the stage as a duo.
"Let's go."
The two hunters followed the others toward the forbidden zone.
"Do-yoon, do you know what the forbidden zone is like?"
"Where the object is. It's also the starting point of the 'story' manifested here."
"Amazing. You even heard that much in advance?"
'Talkative one.'
Do-yoon answered curtly to the beastkin peppering him with questions.
"Yeah. I have my ways."
Soon enough, they spotted low-level monsters roaming the floor.
Kobolds.
Human-like builds, but beast heads atop their necks.
"Kruk!"
"....Monsters!"
"Three total. I'll leave one side to you."
"You're taking two alone?"
"Yeah. I can handle it."
Nice to meet them on first encounter.
He'd already been drilled on them endlessly in the gallery.
And that wasn't all.
Past experiences and grueling training room sessions with various hunters bolstered Do-yoon's confidence.
-Shing.
The curved sword drawn from its sheath aimed at the enemies with chilling intent.
Target: the lifeline beyond tough hide.
-Thud!
Do-yoon stepped forward, charging the monsters at high speed.
"Krruk?!"
The startled kobold swung its arm late, but Do-yoon's sword swing was faster.
'One down first.'
"Kek!"
The kobold with half its neck sliced frothed blood and collapsed.
Do-yoon's gaze shifted instantly to the next monster.
Seeing its comrade die in a flash beside it, the kobold stared at Do-yoon in panicked eyes.
"Better than goblins."
The grotesquely twisted body was eerie, but easier on the eyes than goblins crammed with every ugliness imaginable.
"Farewell."
Do-yoon granted the next kobold simple parting words and tower liberation.
'Graduation for these too?'
Good monsters were dead ones.
And these monsters' greatest aspiration was graduation.
So Do-yoon had done a good deed.
-Crunch!
As he mulled that privately, a dull rupture echoed from the beastkin hunter's position.
"Kuurek!"
The skull-smashed kobold tumbled across the ground.
Above it stood the beastkin hunter, iron club in hand, gaping at Do-yoon.
"Th-that. What the hell are you?"
"What. This weapon?"
"...Yeah."
"Got lucky and picked it up on the 2nd floor."
He gave no clear answer. No need.
"Let's go."
Do-yoon strode past the kobold corpses gracefully.
'What speed.'
From his brief glimpse, it was a velocity and reaction time hard to track even with his eyes.
What was going on?
Regardless, the beastkin hunter hurried after Do-yoon marching toward the forbidden zone.
Finally arriving at the forbidden zone, the pair found—
"Hah! Heuk...!"
"What. What are you doing here?"
—hunters panting at the entrance area.
"O-object."
"Object?"
"True Ancestor. The True Ancestor appeared! This can't be. How did it get this far already..."
"If it appeared, just lure it in. Why the terrified faces."
Do-yoon spoke, baffled by their reactions—
"I-it wouldn't communicate. Something's wrong. Things are going off the rails!"
At the hunter's utterly deranged expression, Do-yoon faltered.
"Th-the True Ancestor kidnapped a hunter."
"...What?"
"Called her kin or whatever and dragged her into its territory. Sh-she's definitely dead."
"Who was it?"
The terrified hunter looked up at Do-yoon's question.
Drenched in cold sweat, utterly haggard.
'What happened to him.'
Feeling uneasy, Do-yoon pressed, and the hunter swallowed dryly before speaking.
"...Remember the hunter who picked a fight with you."
"Yeah."
"Th-that woman got taken."
Lakia Bells.
The hunter, perpetually drunk on her own superiority, had retired—announced by another steeped in thick dread.