Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: No Spoons Allowed (2)
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Shahabut plummets.
Elaine is controlling it just enough to glide and prevent a straight freefall, but even with its wings spread, it's only descending slowly—it can't stop the drop entirely.
"...Whew."
Still, one reassuring detail catches my eye at the top of the screen visible in this 'controlled state':
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Storm Dragon Shahabut. The creature's health bar is plummeting toward zero.
The rectangular bar, once filled to 100%, keeps dropping: 4%, 3%...
Kee-shaaaak!
Even mid-fall, flames erupt from its scales.
The firebombs hurtle toward Elaine, who's descending relatively slowly, but I twist the controller's directional pad, veering her off course.
Flap.
The flames graze her wings, but Elaine takes no damage.
Unlike before, right now in this moment when I'm controlling her, Elaine's health falls under the domain of this screen world I'm seeing.
Whoooosh.
After dodging all the flame attacks, I glance at Shahabut's health and casually release my grip on the pad.
"Can I leave the finishing blow to you? Or should I do it?"
[Elaine: Let's go together, Master. Just press 'Ultimate.'] Following Elaine's words, I set the pad down on the floor in a safe spot.
The instant all contact with the pad ceases—
Flash!
The wings behind Elaine vanish like smoke, and the screen shifts in a blink.
Until a moment ago, it had been like a 3D filter overlaying a 'game' onto reality. But in that split-second 'pop,' the raw, unfiltered real world comes into view.
A phenomenon I'd experienced conquering Ouroboros.
A phenomenon I'd already confirmed while controlling Elaine.
It's hard to sum up this ability in one word, but one thing is crystal clear about it:
'The moment I take control of Elaine, reality instantly turns into a game.'
Gamification of reality.
Realization of games.
I can summon game entities into the real world, or overlay a game onto reality like this.
Sounds pretty convincing when I put it that way, but focusing purely on the ability's mechanics, it has clear pros and cons.
When Shahabut tried to smash the tower floor with a meteor, I took control of Elaine to keep the ground from collapsing.
And so, the tower didn't crumble.
The battlefield became a game 'object' called a field—one that couldn't be destroyed, allowing Elaine to hold firm.
Of course, that led to the flames hitting the floor and exploding, but I mitigated that by timing Elaine's 'evades' perfectly.
Bonus: Kiharu's heals too.
Kyaaaak!!
Was Shahabut yelling at me to focus on the fight while I pondered my own ability?
The plummeting dragon spews flames wildly downward.
Smaller than the previous blasts, but fierce enough to incinerate Elaine on contact, they come hurtling in.
An angle impossible to dodge in a game.
No floor beneath—just options to glide on wings or drop straight down.
But Elaine right now exists in 'reality.'
Thwang!
Elaine plummets like a bullet.
Head pointed downward, sword aimed at the target below, accelerating even faster.
My job? Just one thing.
At the precise timing Elaine signals while falling at hypersonic speed through the enemy's attack—
'Now.'
Click.
Before I even press the ultimate button, Elaine's already dropped right in front of Shahabut's red gem, poised perfectly for the strike.
The pre-ultimate motion.
Any other stance, and it'd force-correct the moment I hit the button—but Elaine anticipated it, zero delay.
Slash.
A cutscene plays as Elaine unleashes her cleaving strike at the red gem.
Kiaaaaaaaaak!!
As the red gem shatters, I snatch the pad back up tight.
Flap.
Wings unfurl behind Elaine once more.
But now, no red health bar appears at the top of the screen.
Bosses at 0% HP who keep their bars up usually signal a phase 2 event.
"Did we...?"
[Kiharu: Got 'em, nyang?] "No."
I nearly echoed Kiharu's words without thinking, but fortunately, my worst fears didn't come true.
"...Phew."
Rumble rumble rumble.
The tower collapses.
Its upper sections already gone, now the entire structure shakes.
The same phenomenon from the Mungyeong Saejae Dungeon—the tower's dissolution—unfolding right before my eyes.
'Any other S-Rank boss, and it'd have been tough.'
The raid was easier than expected.
No mid-bosses or trash mobs on the way up from the base, and I'd already studied Shahabut's patterns.
'Gotta thank that traitorous A-Rank hunter who leaked the strategy video.'
Having that intel made it possible.
Without it, even in Seoul, I wouldn't have openly declared 'I'm raiding it' in front of everyone.
[Elaine: Master. Shall we just exit the tower like this?] Elaine asks, gliding slowly on spread wings.
With the boss down, all that's left is to leave—but she seems to have something to say about 'right after the clear.'
[Elaine: What's the situation outside?] [Kiharu: Can't check from here, nyang. If S-Rank hunters are outside...] "That's just it."
My earlier worry didn't pan out.
"Just gotta prep for interviews, looks like."
[Elaine: Pardon?] [Kiharu: If S-Ranks are waiting outside, don't we just evac right away, nyang?] [Elaine: Weren't we going to unsummon and vanish in front of everyone?] "I've got that covered too..."
I flick my eyes to the TV showing live news, muted with subtitles only.
"Did we clear it too fast?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [About 10 minutes ago, Seoul. Blue House.]
"I-is this for real?!"
The president jumps in shock, staring at the TV.
"What the hell is this?! A cosplay maid is raiding Ganghwa Island's S-Rank Tower?!"
Not even 'planning to raid'—it's ongoing.
"Hey! You telling me I found out from the damn news?!"
[W-we're looking into it right now...!]
"It's a disgrace! The NIS Director didn't know about th—argh!!"
The president slams down the phone, tearing at his hair.
"America! Why didn't those bastards tip us off?! Huh?!"
"They probably wanted a solo clear. Don't wanna risk interruptions, right?"
"What?"
"Don't wanna risk interruptions. Right?"
Blue Lightning smirks snidely at the president.
"That big bro died 'cause some A-Rank wannabes shoved their way in for credit, messed with the mechanics, and got him killed."
"I didn't approve that!"
"Sure, sure. Your party's next prez candidate did. Anyway—"
"This isn't the time for that crap!"
The president bellows at the four S-Ranks sitting calmly before him.
"Get to the helipad! Now! They'll chopper you straight to Ganghwa—go raid that tower!"
"I-I think we should head somewhere else than Ganghwa..."
The frailest-looking woman timidly raises her hand.
"A cosplay maid can probably handle a storm dragon easy enough..."
"You can't say that right n—!"
"Mr. President."
Kim Min-jung rises slowly from her seat.
"Can you handle the fallout?"
"Fallout?"
"Yes. We don't know the internal situation, but if there's no major reaction from her side, we can force one scenario."
Kim Min-jung slips a hand into her inner pocket, pulling out black leather gloves and sliding them on.
"Barge in. She's mid-raid, so we 'rush to assist.' Best time is when it's 'too late.'"
"When it's too late, it's already the worst timing—don't you get it?"
"...Blue Lightning. That implies 'so start now.'"
"I'd go with Lady Sua's suggestion myself."
Park Da-ram points to the timid woman, Jung Soo-ah.
"Like Sua says, better to raid Jeju instead. If the maid succeeds, Ganghwa's tower vanishes—win. If she fails, oh well."
"You can't say that righ—!"
The president scratches his head furiously, then sighs at the ceiling.
"...Even if it's a wasted trip. At least one of you four has to go support the Ganghwa raid. Otherwise, they'll complain later...!"
The S-Ranks don't budge an inch.
"Mr. President. I'll go."
Only Kim Min-jung points outside.
"Prepare one fighter jet. Have it fly low over Namsan Tower, trailing a cable—I’ll grab it and fly to Ganghwa."
"Y-yes...! As expected of [Iron Blood]!"
The president claps, relieved, beaming at her.
"I trust you! Hurry and—"
[Br-breaking news!!] On the live news broadcast.
[G-Ganghwa's tower!!!] ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Rumble rumble rumble.
The tower crumbles.
Like a holographic illusion, the massive, translucent spire sparkles and begins collapsing in a shower of light.
"Oh my god...!"
"For real? Wow, I can't believe I'm seeing this live...!"
"B-brothers!! Over here, live stream!! I didn't come all this way for nothing!!"
The crowd at the outpost cheers the tower's demise in their own ways.
And then, they start spotting her one by one.
"H-hunter!!"
Over there.
A lone black-haired office lady walking slowly from the tower's direction.
She pulls a pair of black sunglasses from her bulky bag, slips them on, and gives a modest bow to the cameras with a faint smile.
"Oomul has been handled."
Did her head tilt slightly side to side? Or was it a trick of the eye?
A gaze seeming to search for someone waiting outside flickers from behind the lenses, making the crowd scan the surroundings hopefully.
"No way...!"
"M-Master...?!"
"...No other S-Ranks, huh."
"Ah."
They weren't looking for some mystery man.
"It's fine. I waited inside, but handling it solo was the right call after all."
"Y-you waited...? D-do you mean you waited for the S-Rank hunters?!"
"......Heh."
With a gentle—or perhaps confident—smile, the black-haired woman waves briefly.
"Well then. Hope to see you all on the next raid."
Flash.
Amid a burst of vanishing light, she disappears from the road.
"...She didn't just dunk on the other S-Ranks for not showing and dip, right?"
The mutter fades into the air alongside the S-Rank hunter's evaporation.