The Wall and the Approaching Threat

The Acid Tentacler (3) Dohyun's injured right arm was fully healed, and the wall construction continued until nightfall. During that time, Hana Yoon's group returned from their hunt and set up a base camp around the wall. In an instant, the desolate road began to feel alive with the presence of people. Once the base camp was complete, they finished the day's work on the wall as well. Still, raising it two meters in a single day was impressive progress. At this rate, finishing on time seemed feasible, so Dohyun decided to ease up on the urgency. Resting properly after hard work was just as important.

Time passed, and after dinner the base camp was filled with a weary atmosphere. Everyone except the guards had gone to bed when Dohyun quietly called for Daon, as if hiding something.

"Daon, about what we talked about earlier…"

"That… Yes…"

To anyone watching, it looked like the two were sharing a secret that couldn't be overheard. It almost seemed as if they were secretly dating. They spoke carefully, making sure no one would hear, but their efforts were in vain—someone had seen the scene.

Seorin, who happened to pass by, felt her blood boil at the sight.

What are those two doing in a situation like this…!

From Seorin's perspective, the two of them looked like they were dripping with honey. Complaining that they were dating even in such a crisis… It left a bad taste in her mouth. Watching them head toward a secluded spot, she muttered quietly to herself.

He said he has a girlfriend…

In the end, Seorin who had followed Dohyun and Daon ended up looking like a stalker. If the two were dating as friends, she should have been happy for them, but she simply couldn't stand it.

"Why are they going so far just to do that…!"

At the end of the path Dohyun and Daon had taken, they began doing something by the light of a flashlight. Seorin had followed them, but she didn't have the courage to actually watch what they were doing. She leaned quietly against the wall, sweating despite the lack of heat, and could only barely make out the sounds the two were making.

"Uuuuugh――!!"

"Ugh― Oppa…"

How rough are they being…?

The two were intense. At least, that was how it seemed to Seorin. The sounds continued, and Seorin kept listening. Then a question occurred to her. Wait a second… Thinking about it, wasn't this strange? Normally, when people did that sort of thing, the guy wouldn't be the one making those kinds of groans. At least, not from anything Seorin had seen online.

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Some kind of weird play…?

Maybe Daon was being forced into some perverted act? Having reached that conclusion in an instant, Seorin angrily looked over to see what they were doing. What she saw was something she could never have imagined, and she froze in shock.

"Ughhh――!"

Dohyun gritted his teeth and endured. He was cutting into his own flesh with his own hands… Daon watched with a reluctant expression but didn't look away. In the end, she used Heal to treat the self-inflicted wound.

"……Oppa, do we really have to go this far?"

"I almost lost the will to fight after just a little acid touched me… To prevent that, I need to raise Pain Tolerance even a little more! And in the upcoming fight… there are going to be a lot of injuries. We desperately need your ability!"

What the two were doing wasn't what Seorin had thought at all.

"Oppa… I'll do my best…!"

"Thanks… Sorry for making you do this…"

"No, I can do anything…… For you, Oppa…!"

"……"

Seorin watched blankly as they continued. One person cut their own flesh, and the other kept healing them afterward. The area was soaked in blood. Before they could notice her presence, Seorin quickly slipped away from the spot.

"……"

Stopping in front of her own tent, Seorin hesitated for a moment before setting off again. Her destination was the tent that served as both Hana Yoon's office and quarters. While everyone else had turned off their lights and gone to sleep, Hana Yoon's tent was still brightly lit. Standing in front of it, Seorin called out.

"It's Han Seorin…… Can I come in……?"

A reply came immediately from inside the tent.

"Come in."

Hana Yoon had been reviewing strategies while everyone else slept, and Seorin realized that aside from herself, everyone was seriously fulfilling their roles. Without preamble, Seorin made her request to Hana Yoon.

"Please let me join the hunting party starting tomorrow!"

"You want to join the hunts……? We'd be glad to have you, but why so suddenly……?"

Seorin possessed an unparalleled ability among the group. There was no doubt she was one of the greatest assets in the fight against the Acid Tentacler. Since she already had something others could never catch up to no matter how hard they tried, she didn't actually need to push herself so hard.

"Because I want to get stronger! ……I want to be helpful to everyone!"

It was a lie. The person she wanted to be helpful to wasn't everyone. She didn't say it outright, but Hana Yoon seemed to have figured it out from Seorin's expression.

"Like I said, you're welcome to join us. And it would be good if Dohyun's sister came along too."

"I'll talk to her about it."

"Alright, I'll be counting on you starting tomorrow!"

"Thank you!"

Seorin left the tent right away, and Hana Yoon briefly pictured the afterimage of Seorin as she departed. Then she muttered to herself.

"I need to work harder too… The competition is getting too strong!"

Work continued on the second day as well, with everyone giving their all without exception. On the second night, they completed the outer frame and stairs of the wall, filling the interior tightly with soil. On the morning of the third day, they finished the final touches, and the wall was complete.

"To think a wall like this was built in just three days……!"

"The exterior is a bit crude……"

"So what if it's crude? As long as it does its job!"

With the wall complete, the flame of hope among the people burned even brighter. At the same time, a cold wind blew. It was the third day. This meant it was the day Hana Yoon had predicted. It wouldn't be strange if the Acid Tentacler appeared at any moment.

"Now we're going to fight……"

"I'm scared……"

"It looked no joke in the photos."

"Level 35 all of a sudden? My highest was a level 12……"

"Who wouldn't feel that way……"

"Still, having those people here makes me feel a bit safer."

What the people saw were Dohyun's group and Hana Yoon and Jaehoon standing atop the wall. The six of them had prepared for battle without a single gap.

"The scouts went out, right?"

"Yeah… They'll run back at full speed to warn us the moment it gets close."

Hana Yoon had sent several subordinates out on reconnaissance. The moment the Acid Tentacler approached, they would sprint back to alert everyone. Since it wasn't visible yet, there was still time, and Dohyun checked his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Status Window one last time. He had spent all his Coins without leaving any behind.

He had borrowed a small amount of Coins from Hana Yoon and her subordinates. Raising the power of the majority was important, but with time running short, they had decided to focus on strengthening a smaller force. Of course, that also meant they would have to work harder, but no one refused. Since everyone else was doing it, there were naturally some who had no choice but to go along with it.

Dohyun's Material Storage had leveled up, allowing him to store up to two tons. His Pain Tolerance, raised every night with Daon, was now level 3. Dohyun also checked the Status Windows of his companions one by one.

Among the group, Hana Yoon was the only one whose stats were on par with Dohyun's. Her Basic Greatsword Arts was actually higher level.

Sohyun had also grown steadily and was an indispensable force. Jaehoon was the same.

Jaehoon's Command Execution was a skill that enhanced agility and endurance when receiving orders from a superior.

Daon had also steadily raised the level of Heal, and now she could quickly treat most wounds.

Seorin's Word Magic, which had been slow to level, had finally increased.

"Can you feel the level up?"

"Not really yet… I'll find out this time!"

"I'm counting on you!"

Everyone had raised their stats significantly, but whether they could deal proper damage to the Acid Tentacler was still unknown. In that sense, Seorin's magic was the only breakthrough they had. From now on, it was an indefinite wait until the Acid Tentacler appeared.

——Just as everyone's concentration was about to waver, silhouettes of people running from afar came into view. The first to notice was Jaehoon.

"It's the boss's scouting party!"

"So it's finally here……. Everyone, prepare for battle――!"

At Hana Yoon's resounding command, everyone on the wall focused, and so did the support personnel behind the wall. Hana Yoon and Dohyun exchanged nods. It was a signal that each was ready.

The running people came close enough for their voices to carry.

"The monsters are coming―!"

As they said, what appeared first wasn't the Acid Tentacler, but ordinary monsters. It was the same phenomenon that had occurred when Dohyun and Hana Yoon first encountered the creature. Lower-level monsters were fleeing from the higher-level one. Before the monsters reached them, ropes were lowered ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to pull up the scouts. Having completed their important task, they retreated to the rear.

Dohyun looked at the monsters. Their types varied, but their levels were in the mid-teens. None of them could break down the wall. Still, they needed to be dealt with before the Acid Tentacler arrived. Hana Yoon gave another command.

"All units, prepare to fire!"

Everyone waiting on the wall was an archer. They aimed the crossbows purchased from the Coin Shop at the monsters in accordance with Hana Yoon's order. She also gave the signal to shoot.

"Fire!"

When the monsters came within a certain distance, arrows were fired all at once. The archers' stats weren't particularly high, but the power of the crossbows was tremendous. The monsters fell one after another. They could handle these without issue. That is, until it revealed itself.

"It's finally here!"

Dohyun spotted the Acid Tentacler in the distance. As expected, its massive size made it clearly visible even from afar. It was rushing over with its dozens of legs moving frantically, as if it were in a great hurry. Everyone else saw it too. Its mere appearance was enough to dampen their high morale.