Chapter 110
Translator: penny
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Merfolk
[Just like that shield gift list from before... Do you happen to be friends with other mages?]
"Well, yeah, I guess? Even if it doesn't look like it, I'm Korea's precious fifth mage, you know. Like a beloved newbie."
I answered nonchalantly.
A deep sigh came from the broker on the other end of the line.
[Oh man...]
"Why?"
[It's just that you seem to be turning into more and more of a big shot I can't handle.]
"Nah, you can do it. You've handled everything fine so far."
[Thanks for saying that.]
The broker's voice turned serious again.
[So, are you planning to bring all the other mages into our company?]
"Nah, not really. The others probably won't want to come... Or maybe not?"
I thought about the other users in the mage gallery.
Magic Firepower wouldn't come anyway since he already has his own guild.
Refrigerator's a researcher, so no need.
Beetle's the number one, so it'd be awkward for him to join anywhere.
...Probably?
"Anyway, this was a really special case."
[What's your exact relationship with her?]
"She's a friend."
[A friend...? Like that internet friend you mentioned before?]
His voice was full of doubt.
It was like he was asking, 'A friend? You? For real?' I couldn't help but protest.
"What? I have real-life friends too, you know?"
[Hmm.]
"...Yeah, she's an internet friend, but aren't internet friends still friends? They're all the same. You shouldn't rank friends like that."
[I didn't say anything.]
"..."
The broker fell silent for a moment, then asked cautiously.
[These people you met online... They're really mages, right? It's not some scam...?]
"No, do you think I'm so clueless I'd mistake a real girlfriend for that?"
[They haven't asked you to do anything weird?]
"Weird? Like what?"
[Like suddenly asking for photos or videos... They wouldn't be nice for no reason, right?]
"Nah, nothing like that."
I burst out laughing as I said it.
"We've met up a few times too. They're all just good people. Don't worry."
I added a few words to reassure the broker uncle.
He still seemed suspicious but didn't press further.
[Got it. Anyway, I was honest with Hunter Shin Seha about our situation. That we're still a new company and don't have the resources to support A-rank hunters yet.]
"What'd she say?"
[She said she wasn't planning to climb the tower again right away anyway, so she'd wait patiently. But her interest in joining seems genuine.]
"Yeah, she doesn't have much choice."
Thinking about it, that made sense.
Shin Seha's team had been wiped out.
The higher you go, the harder it is to find new party members.
Especially since the climb floors have to match.
For her to find a new party, she'd need a team starting from the bottom to reach up to floor 40.
That would take quite a while.
After finishing the call with the broker, I returned to what I was doing.
Opening the fridge door, I saw the black mage elixir in the genie bottle.
Just in case of any escape attempts, I'd sprinkled the area with holy power-infused sand like salt.
"Looks like it behaved itself."
I pulled out the silent bottle and shook it.
[Ugh... Where is this...?]
The black mage must have been in hibernation or something; it barely came to after a few shakes, speaking in a dying voice.
"..."
The super hoover next to me kicked the bottle, which was as big as itself.
It still held a grudge against the black mage who'd one-shotted it back on floor 40.
My sandworm coiled around my finger seemed the same.
[The sandworm recommends drinking that to make it disappear.]
"What? You mean drink this?"
[That black mage is a being of considerable rank. It will surely aid the master's growth.]
"No, that's a bit..."
It was out both ethically and physiologically.
I wasn't the only one shocked by the suggestion.
[Wh-what are you saying! You barbarians, you want to eat me?]
"What, you can hear the sandworm too?"
[That's not the point!]
The black mage in the bottle seemed to snap fully awake and cried out in horror.
[Stop! If you want something, just ask—I'll cooperate fully!]
"Hmm."
I glanced at the blender and centrifuge I'd set out nearby.
Looked like those expensive gadgets wouldn't get used after all.
Kinda disappointing in several ways.
I'd wanted to hear it scream from defeat by cutting-edge science.
'I can use it as exercise equipment later. Like a hamster wheel.'
I nodded. The black mage would love it.
It might complain about the pain a bit, but a good trainer doesn't flinch at a trainee's screams.
[Why are you looking at me like that...?]
"Split routine or full-body training—which is better?"
[What?]
Anyway, I'd secured its full cooperation without much effort.
What to ask was already decided.
The parchment it had that closed the gate.
"There's only one thing I want right now. How to close a gate."
[A gate? Ah, that...]
"Yeah. You used that scroll and it closed. Can you get more like it?"
"Of course. I made it myself, so I can make as many as needed."
As expected.
But if it really made that scroll, one worry remained.
"Can you artificially open gates too?"
If so, and if there were more than one such being...
The world could end any moment.
I wouldn't be able to go easy like this.
[Unfortunately, no. Closing gates is the best even I can do. No one can open them at will to begin with.]
"How do you know?"
[Hmph. How many mages are superior to me? If I can't, no one can.]
"Huh? But I beat you."
[That wasn't my full power...! Damn, if not for this body, a punk like you...]
"Excuses from a loser are pathetic."
[Eek...!]
I could hear the black mage grinding its teeth.
I was dumbfounded.
It had prepped thoroughly to catch me.
What excuses after losing?
"Whatever. Make more of those scrolls then."
[I need a lot of materials.]
"Yeah, figures. Like what?"
[Parchment made from human skin, ink infused with the怨魂 of a hundred thousand souls...]
"Think that'll fly? Make it with other materials."
I cut it off without hearing more.
As expected of a black mage—only gruesome stuff.
No way the parchment I used on floor 40 was made from that crap.
I felt queasy for no reason.
[But that's the most efficient. The fastest too.]
"Talking won't cut it, huh."
Good thing the day to use the gadget came sooner.
I stood, grabbed the blender from the kitchen cabinet, and plugged it in.
[W-wait! What are you doing?!]
I opened the bottle lid and poured its contents into the blender.
[No! Don't!]
Whirrrrrrrrr!
I hit the power button without hesitation.
The blades churned the liquid furiously.
Mental screams echoed through the kitchen.
[St-stop!]
"Feeling like finding another way now?"
[...It'll take time. I don't know what materials exist in this world yet!]
"Trying to stall?"
[I swear on my soul. I won't lie to you. And I'll make the gate-closing scrolls. Definitely!]
"Add one more oath."
No loopholes allowed.
"Don't use any disgusting methods for those scrolls. Make them with decent methods by my standards."
[....]
The black mage went silent, as if pondering.
That silence irked me.
I hit the button again without hesitation.
Whirrrrrrrrr!
[Fine! I swear to that too! All conditions!]
Only then did I let go of the blender.
[But this is true. I need to know this world's materials to substitute. I know nothing of your world.]
"Hmm... Fine, for now."
[So provide me with texts to learn about this world. That's where we start.]
I'd accept that much for now.
[Hey! What are you doing! No! I don't want to go back in there!]
I stuffed it back into the bottle and into the fridge while planning ahead.
First, I'd need lists of materials from the tower and those only obtainable from gates around the world.
"Guess it's time to head to floor 41."
Time to climb the tower again after so long.
***
[Entering Tower Floor 41 (EXTREME).]
"Fishy...?"
A salty sea smell stabbed my nose, along with blinding sunlight.
Before me stretched endless white sands and transparent emerald waters.
"Whoa..."
I let out a gasp of admiration.
A total departure from the dank vibes so far—like a resort.
And most importantly, the soft sand filling my footsteps.
"Finally, a sand field in the tower."
I grinned.
This was basically my home ground.
Confidence surged suddenly.
"I once wanted to go to the beach and build a giant sandcastle..."
A lot had happened since then.
Maybe I'd fulfill that dream today.
With faint anticipation, I looked around.
"Is that a ship?"
Far on the horizon floated a massive galleon.
On one side of the beach, a group sat around a bonfire, resting.
Laughing, chatting, tipping bottles.
Clearly the ship's crew.
"NPCs?"
But I hadn't heard of NPCs like that.
As far as I knew, floor 40s were on a ship at sea, no named NPCs.
Mostly just for aiding navigation.
I approached cautiously.
If they were friendly NPCs, great—but I couldn't assume.
When close enough to make out faces, a few spotted me and pointed.
"Hey, look over there."
All eyes turned to me.
I'd been about to wave lightly.
Then I heard their next words and froze.
"It's a woman!"
"Huh, but isn't she a bit too young?"
One man grinned sleazily and smacked his lips.
"Young? So what? We're not in a position to be picky."
"Besides, young has its own uses. Heh heh heh."
Not your typical crew chatter.
A chill ran down my spine.
I scanned quickly.
A black flag with a skull.
"...Pirates."
The pirates stood and approached me.
I readied for battle, drawing up mana.
Sudden standoff with the pirates.
Guess they were mobs, not NPCs.
Right then—
Rumble rumble rumble—!
The ground shook faintly, and the calm sea suddenly churned wildly.
"Wh-what!"
"Damn, it's 'that time'! Back to the ship, quick!"
The pirates' smug smiles vanished.
They scrambled toward the ship.
They piled into small boats on the beach and rowed like mad.
They reached the galleon in seconds, climbing rope ladders hastily to the deck.
"What the...?"
I stared blankly, then snapped to and tried to chase.
But I couldn't.
Whoosh—!
A sudden tide surged in.
Seawater rose to my ankles in an instant.
"Damn...!"
The beach I'd been on shrank in the blink of an eye.
Like the whole island was sinking.
[Keruk.]
From the rising sea ahead.
Something was emerging.
Splash, splash.
Fish-like heads, bulging eyes.
Sharp fins on backs and arms.
Mermen monsters with tridents.
"Ugh, reeks of fish..."
A dizzying fishy stench.
Over a hundred by rough count.
"Time attack?"
Cold seawater passed my ankles, reaching my knees.
Had to clear them before the island fully sank.
I smirked.
Seemed disadvantageous.
Shrinking footing, enemies from all sides.
Despair for a normal hunter.
But this was the sea.
Endless sand beneath my feet.
"No way I can lose even if I wanted to."
I crooked a finger.
At my will, the entire sea underfoot flipped.
Rooooar—!
A massive sand tsunami cleaved the sea and surged up.
The mermen had no time to react, swept away by the sand wave.
[Kyaaak?!]
[Kweeek!]
Screams erupted everywhere.
Millions of sand grains ground their scales and flesh like sandpaper.
With the first wave, dozens upfront vanished without trace.
"Still half left?"
But plenty remained.
Those not caught charged, hurling spears.
I stood still, sweeping my hand through the air.
A giant sand wall erupted, blocking their attacks.
Tridents embedded in the soft sand.
"Returning them as is."
I snapped my fingers.
Spears shot back from the wall in all directions.
Splurt! Splurt! Splurt!
Tridents pierced mermen heads and hearts.
[Keruk....]
They collapsed without screams, becoming one with the sea again.
I didn't stop.
"Sand Hell."
At my call, the sandworm rose.
Every area ahead—except my tiny foothold—turned into a massive antlion pit.
Rear mermen not yet close felt the sand pulling and panicked.
[Kerok! Kerorok!]
The more they thrashed, the more the pit dragged them down.
The battlefield cleared in seconds.
I watched impassively.
When the last vanished into the sandworm's maw.
The sea calmed as if by magic.
The tide receded slowly.
Back to the beautiful beach.
"Still there?"
I turned to the horizon.
The pirate ship lingered.
Still not sailed, scrambling about.
I walked slowly toward the pirates.