Chapter 131: 7th Floor, Tundra, the Land of Bitter Cold (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 131: 7th Floor, Tundra, the Land of Bitter Cold (2)
A red mark carved into the rock.
It was a mark left by the Ice Trolls, a tribe of the snowfields.
‘As I thought, it was them.’
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
Normally, the Ice Trolls should have been settled in the 'White Mountain' to the west of the 7th Floor, not here.
Yet, those bastards had expanded their territory. All the way to this place.
‘It's not simply because their population grew.’
Jinhyuk's gaze shifted back to the mark.
He could see the drawing of a mask unique to the Ice Trolls.
Sure, up to this point, it wasn't a big deal. It was a common sight among the countless troll tribes in the Tower.
The problem was the shape of the mark.
Three red lines at the top of the mask.
In other words...
‘It's a pattern used only when the greatest warrior is born to the tribe.’
In other words, a named-grade monster had been born.
If the Dangun Guild had been completely wiped out, a remarkably powerful warrior must have appeared. Perhaps someone far stronger than anyone could imagine.
It was then.
Twitch.
Something registered in Jinhyuk's senses.
It would still take some time for them to arrive here, but they would show themselves before long.
They weren't trolls. Judging by the amount of mana, the direction of approach, and their numbers, they were highly likely the players who had been guarding the entrance earlier.
And as if to prove his prediction...
A moment later, five men and women approached, pushing through the snow.
"Ugh. I can't feel my arms and legs... Oh!"
"W-We found him!"
"Player... Kang Jinhyuk!"
"Phew. I seriously thought I was going to die. I'm so glad we met so quickly."
Seeing them shivering with pale, blue faces, it was clear they had gone through quite an ordeal to get here.
Then again, at this temperature, just standing still would drain one's stamina rapidly.
Jinhyuk could guess why they had come here, but...
He feigned ignorance and spoke playfully.
"I thought you said we shouldn't enter the forest. What brings you all the way into these depths?"
"Haha. Well... we didn't want to come either, but we couldn't just let Player Kang Jinhyuk go in alone. Of course not."
"We thought you'd at least need a guide."
He didn't know who was supposed to be guiding whom.
‘Even if I drank three bottles of soju, I'd still find the way better than them.’
Still, their timing wasn't bad.
The fact that they had come meant that the Dangun Guild's main raid team would also head into the forest.
"I actually have something to discuss, but before that, you all need to warm up first."
Seeing their consciousness flickering from hypothermia, their condition looked worse than he thought.
At this rate, they might end up filming Frozen with ice dolls.
Jinhyuk activated 'Fire Element'.
Whoosh!
As a fireball the size of a soccer ball flared up, the snow began to melt instantly.
A space large enough for a few people to rest was cleared amidst the snowdrifts.
Good.
Now, it was time for 'Glacial Shaping'.
Jinhyuk lightly waved his hand.
Crackle...
A thin barrier of ice completely enveloped the players.
It was shaped like an Igloo.
While it wasn't a cozy shelter, it would serve as a temporary haven to block the howling wind.
"My goodness..."
"To think he could chain magic so seamlessly."
"Thank you. As expected, having an S-rank player around is so reassuring."
"...It's gotten incredibly warm."
Exclamations of awe escaped everyone's lips.
Naturally, since the temperature had risen by more than ten degrees.
Color was finally returning to their faces.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, Player Kang Jinhyuk, we can catch our breath. I'm Kwak Dae-ho."
He briefly introduced himself as Kwak Dae-ho.
His genial impression, looking to be in his early thirties, was quite memorable.
[Kwak Dae-ho, Age 33.]
[Unique Ability: ...]
[Skills: ...]
A status window not even worth listing.
He was around B-rank, and none of his unique abilities or skills caught Jinhyuk's eye.
They were all just inferior versions of skills he already possessed.
The others were of a similar, mediocre level.
‘There's absolutely nothing of value to take from these guys.’
Jinhyuk deactivated 'Gluttony's Eye' and got straight to the point.
"No need for thanks. Instead, tell me how far away the Dangun Guild is right now."
"Pardon? W-What do you mean by that...?"
Kwak Dae-ho looked startled, his voice trailing off.
Seriously, why are all these people such terrible actors?
At least a sly old fox like Rick knew how to hide his true intentions.
"I have a pretty good idea of what's going on. Didn't they send you here to stop me from getting the Phoenix's Feather first? Raid Leader Jang Eun-seok probably forced you to come even though you didn't want to. As low-ranking members, you didn't have much of a choice."
"..."
Hit right where it hurt, Kwak Dae-ho shut his mouth tight.
"I'm not trying to blame you. In fact, a much bigger headache has come up than just securing the feather."
"A headache?"
"Yes. Do you see that tree over there?"
Jinhyuk pointed toward the tree from earlier.
Everyone's eyes followed his finger.
"There's a strange pattern drawn on it."
"It looks like some kind of African tribal mask..."
"It's a mark used by Ice Trolls. Seeing the blade shape added to the top of the mask, it was likely left by the 'Frostblade' tribe."
"I-Ice Trolls..."
"I've heard of them. They're mid-sized monsters known to be the most ferocious on the 7th Floor."
They primarily live in packs and possess relatively high intelligence, making them extremely difficult to deal with.
Needless to say, their individual combat power was outstanding.
Although Kwak Dae-ho and the other players didn't know about the specific tribes or marks, they had heard plenty about how troublesome trolls could be.
"Are you saying this is their territory?"
"Yes. It seems they've expanded their territory. Probably thanks to a major victory in a war against neighboring tribes."
At Jinhyuk's words, a female player who had remained silent chimed in.
"T-Then shouldn't we head back immediately? If we restrict access like we've been doing and don't trespass into their territory, there shouldn't be any problem."
It was a reasonable suggestion.
The reason the Dangun Guild members kept dying was because they had carelessly set foot in this forest.
In other words, as long as they didn't approach the trolls' land, their lives wouldn't be in danger.
However...
"No. The problem is a bit more complicated than that."
Jinhyuk shook his head.
Monsters intelligent enough to form tribes don't just stay quiet if you leave them alone.
In fact, in the past, when a force of this scale was established in the Tower of Trials, the monsters chose one of two paths.
Either they expanded their territory massively to covet other floors of the Tower...
Or...
They turned their gaze outward, targeting the world outside the Tower.
One of those two events was bound to happen.
‘The Phoenix's Feather is also one of the materials used to open a Gate. In other words, what they're aiming for isn't the 8th Floor, but the outside of the Tower.’
A phenomenon commonly known as an Outbreak.
In fact, Amsterdam in the Netherlands had almost turned into a sea of fire due to a similar phenomenon.
Back then, even though much weaker gnolls and goblins had emerged, the damage was so immense it was hard to quantify.
And now, we're talking about Ice Trolls, a far higher-tier species.
‘The number of casualties could become impossible to estimate.’
The United States, Europe, China, India, Africa, Korea, Japan...
It was anyone's guess where the Outbreak would occur.
And there wasn't much time left.
As Jinhyuk explained the current situation, the faces of the five players turned increasingly pale and grim.
They realized the situation was incredibly serious.
Since these words were coming from none other than an S-rank player, they had no choice but to believe him.
But right then...
Twitch!
Something registered in Jinhyuk's senses once again.
A completely different mana signature from before.
He felt footsteps lightly brushing over the snow and a steady, controlled breathing.
As the crunching sound of snow grew louder, the players inside the igloo also realized something was approaching.
"Is it someone from our side...?"
"Shh!"
Jinhyuk quickly silenced them.
Before they knew it, a dagger glowing with a green light was gripped in his hand.
It was 'Pentagris's Fang', which he had brought from the Elf Forest.
"...Is it an enemy?"
Kwak Dae-ho swallowed hard.
"Probably."
An affirmative answer.
At those words, the air inside the igloo shifted instantly.
Realizing a battle was imminent, their hearts began to pump blood rapidly through their bodies.
And at that exact moment...
Whoosh!
With a sound that tore through the wind, a two-meter-long spear came flying.
Crash!
Boom!
Spears embedded themselves halfway through the ice wall.
They were throwing spears.
And they possessed enough power to pierce a wall made of Glacial Shaping, temporary though it was.
But before they could even process the shock, more spears battered the wall in rapid succession.
Thud! Crash!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the wall.
It wouldn't hold much longer.
It was clear as day that a few more hits would send the spears flying straight into the players inside.
"Get outside and find cover! If we stay here, we're sitting ducks!"
Kwak Dae-ho quickly barked orders.
"Damn it!"
"Ha-young, drink a potion and get ready to cast immediately! The moment we locate the enemy, we counterattack!"
"Understood!"
Dash!
Leap!
The players rushed out of the igloo in perfect order and took up their formations.
As expected of members of the Dangun Guild, their judgment and response were swift.
* * *
The wind howled fiercely.
A violent blizzard whipped up.
They could sense something moving between the trees, but the poor visibility made it impossible to pinpoint the exact location.
At least, at the level of Kwak Dae-ho and the other players.
"Damn it. Where the hell are they shooting from?"
"I don't know. I think it's from the top of the hill, but there are too many possible vantage points."
"Phew. We're completely cornered like rats in a trap."
The moment one of them poked their head out from behind a boulder...
Swoosh... Crash!
A spear flew in as if it had been waiting.
Sparks flew brilliantly as the spear deflected off the rock.
That was a close call.
If he had stepped out even a fraction more, his head would have been obliterated instantly.
"Tsk! Those bastards. They're tracking our movements perfectly through this storm."
They couldn't see the enemy, but the enemy had them in plain sight.
Now they understood why not a single scout sent before them had returned.
How could anyone survive when the enemy was sniping them with mother nature at their back?
And yet...
Someone calmly stepped out from behind the boulder.
It was Jinhyuk.
"P-Player Kang Jinhyuk! It's dangerous!"
Kwak Dae-ho cried out in a panic, but it was already too late.
Multiple spears rained down simultaneously.
With a slight tilt of his head...
Jinhyuk casually tilted his head to the left.
A spear grazed past, a mere three centimeters from his cheek.
Neither exaggerated nor rushed.
He moved within a radius of barely half a step.
Thud! Thud!
The missed spears plunged into the snow.
More spears flew in succession, but the result was the same.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
He didn't block or deflect them with a sword; he simply predicted their trajectories and dodged.
At this absurd sight, the onlookers' jaws dropped in sheer disbelief.
To perform such acrobatic dodges with zero visibility...
They couldn't tell if they were dreaming.
"Uh..."
"This is real, right?"
"Is this... what an S-rank is? He's... seriously insane."
A few of them actually pinched their thighs.
Did they realize that throwing any more spears was futile?
No more spears came flying.
Moreover, as if by magic, the blizzard ceased.
The howling wind died down, and their vision gradually cleared.
Beyond a small, snow-covered hill...
The Ice Trolls, their eyes glowing with a blue light, came into view.
Up to this point, it was exactly as everyone had expected.
However...
"W-What on earth is that..."
"What is that thing...?"
Sharp gasps echoed from all around.
A freezing chill spread through their entire bodies.
Cold sweat poured down the players' spines.
They couldn't help it.
For among the trolls standing before them, a completely unexpected entity revealed itself.
"...You really never let me get bored."
A complex smile played on Jinhyuk's lips.
To be honest, even he was quite surprised this time.