Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Test (3)
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6.
Controlling magic with telekinesis was an incredibly difficult task.
But it wasn't impossible.
Throughout the history of the Maple World, a few mages had managed to achieve this astonishing feat.
That alone, however, wasn't enough to earn the title of Greatest Telekinesis Mage.
El Pam was no different.
The reason he bore that title wasn't simply because he could manipulate magic with telekinesis.
'Up to five at once.'
It was because he could control a whopping five spells simultaneously with telekinesis.
That was extraordinary.
Adventurers willingly acknowledged El Pam as the Greatest Telekinesis Mage because of it.
Of course, if it had just been an impressive feat, El Pam never would have bothered developing it.
'Thanks to it, I could hunt monsters I otherwise couldn't.'
El Pam had honed this ability through grueling effort because it was so overwhelmingly powerful in battle.
In truth, being able to manipulate five spells with telekinesis wasn't just about landing five attacks.
Take bees, for example. Dodging a single bee wasn't all that hard.
You could focus entirely on that one.
'Two create confusion.'
But what if two buzzed around you? Fear was the natural response.
And if five swarmed nearby? Most people would start thinking.
'With five, the enemy can't tell how many there are.'
That dozens of bees were surrounding them.
Once that thought took hold, there was only one conclusion.
'Humans lose the will to fight.'
They'd think only of fleeing.
'Monsters burn with fury.'
Monsters were different, of course. Fleeing wasn't an option for them.
Which made it even more useful.
'No weakness is as glaring as that of a frenzied monster.'
Even a child could predict what a bull seeing red would do.
El Pam demonstrated it against Stumpy.
Whoosh!
Five Fire Arrows swirled around Stumpy like a swarm of bees, orbiting the massive monster. Stumpy swung the branches sprouting from its body like whips toward them.
Each time a branch lashed out in attack, El Pam sliced it cleanly with a Fire Arrow.
One by one. Precisely.
Yet incredibly fast.
Literal pruning.
Of course, Stumpy's branches were whip-quick, and sometimes they swatted the Fire Arrows like flies.
But that was no issue.
"Fire Arrow."
El Pam simply summoned new ones.
Fwoosh!
Stumpy's situation quickly turned dire as it lost branch after branch.
Before long, it had no more branches left to swing at the Fire Arrows.
Just a bare stump of roots remained.
The outcome after that was obvious.
Fwoosh!
Nothing but one-sided attacks.
Roooar!
Stumpy finally let out a guttural scream as it burst into flames.
"Son of a bitch."
Dibo, watching the scene, spat a curse.
It was the kind of sight that left you speechless.
But Dibo didn't just gape in awe.
"H-Hey, those bastards!"
Even in a spectacle that could make anyone lose their senses, Dibo didn't space out.
"Boss! I'll handle those Stumps heading our way!"
He threw himself toward the approaching Stumps coming for El Pam and himself.
He hadn't forgotten.
'I can't screw up this time.'
El Pam's words—don't repeat the same mistake—burned clear in his mind.
Above all, Dibo knew.
'Once the boss is down, the rest is child's play.'
Standing by idly in such a favorable situation was for fools.
"Come on!"
Grooo!
Dibo clashed with the incoming Stumps.
In that fight, he displayed skill with the polearm so masterful it was hard to believe he'd first wielded it today.
'It's been a while.'
Watching him, El Pam recalled.
'Since I've hunted like this.'
Memories of battling monsters with reliable comrades at his side.
But as he reminisced about those distant yet warm times, not even the faintest smile touched El Pam's lips.
The end of those memories—the conclusion to every bond with trusted allies—was always the same.
Sending them off and remaining alone.
So instead of a smile, El Pam sharpened his gaze.
He focused harder.
Heightened his senses.
'Five isn't enough.'
He began manipulating the Fire Arrows with telekinesis more sharply, moving them like knives rather than arrows.
'More than that.'
He started carving up Stumpy's massive body like firewood.
Roooar!
Soon, Stumpy's death cry rang in El Pam's ears.
"Got it!"
Dibo cheered in triumph.
But El Pam was different.
"Now we hunt the remaining Stumps."
The moment the battle ended, the five goal-less Fire Arrows sought new prey.
"Hunt? How many?"
"All of them here."
"What?"
"Time for a massacre."
7.
'A 100-man gate in Sleepywood?'
100-man gate.
Evis's expression darkened at the thought.
Truth be told, this was a golden opportunity.
'Epic items or better are guaranteed.'
100-man gates always dropped incredibly powerful items without fail.
Items whose value far exceeded any price tag.
That was why his face was grim.
'We have no shot at claiming it this time.'
When a 100-man gate appeared, the ten major merchant groups in the port city of Lith held first dibs.
Each of the ten guilds could claim ten slots.
'With the adventurers we have now, producing results won't be easy. No, it's impossible.'
But among the 2nd Circle or lower adventurers currently with the Gapor Merchant Group, none stood out.
It wasn't that there were zero standouts.
'Compared to the Goldrich sisters Natasha and her siblings, they're barely adventurers.'
The problem was that the Goldrich Merchant Group—one of the ten majors and the oldest in Lith with the deepest history and tradition—was simply too strong.
And Goldrich wasn't the only one.
The Gapor Merchant Group had the shortest history among the ten; the other nine's reserves were beyond what Gapor could match.
Keeping pace was achievement enough.
That was why Gapor had never achieved anything noteworthy in 100-man gate raids.
'Fail again, and someone takes the fall.'
But Gapor, the group's owner, wasn't the type brimming with faith, trust, or patience.
That was why Rakan had summoned Evis.
'And that someone will be Rakan.'
A headache from every angle.
That was the reason.
Knock knock!
"It's El Pam. Coming in."
"Enter."
Evis faced this madman willingly because.
'Pure skill and talent alone can't beat Goldrich or the other nine. We have no choice but to bank on wild cards.'
At this point, a head-on fight was out; high-risk, high-reward was the only play.
'Such an insane bomb of a guy.'
To achieve that, they needed someone who didn't play by the rules—someone bold enough for drastic action.
'But we can't just hurl a bomb blindly.'
Of course, Evis had no intention of sending a mere lunatic.
"You conquered a Mystic Gate?"
That was why he'd arranged this meeting.
"Yes."
"Chosen the next one?"
"Still deciding."
Evis planned to demand results.
"As you know, you've borrowed a fortune. We lent it seeing your potential. But potential alone doesn't justify loans. Now show us how well you can repay."
He'd made that ridiculous demand—and loaned the money—for this very reason.
"Here's your task. Repay 200,000 mesos in a week. Prove you have the bare minimum ability."
The Gapor Merchant Group controlled adventurers with money, like slaves.
At Evis's words, El Pam asked back.
"200,000 mesos?"
Evis nodded at the question.
'It won't be easy.'
Hiring a 1st Circle adventurer typically cost around 5,000 mesos; 10,000 for a 2nd Circle.
That was just hiring fees, of course. Earnings from Mystic Gates could skyrocket based on performance.
Even so, 200,000 mesos was no small sum.
The amount a 2nd Circle adventurer could earn only by grinding Mystic Gates non-stop for a full month.
Thus, the surest measure of an adventurer's skill.
Skilled adventurers weren't just good at finding exits—they were the ones who could hunt monsters and make money.
In any case, Evis was ready.
'Reject it, and we're done.'
If El Pam hesitated here, Evis would write him off as a total nutjob.
"Lucky for us."
To Evis, sharpening his gaze, El Pam said.
"I just paid it off."
"What?"
El Pam spoke to the stunned Evis.
"Encountered Stumps in the Mystic Gate. Got a Stump's Tear."
Stump's Tear!
A tear obtained at extremely low odds from defeating Stumps, used as material for potent potions.
Priced at a minimum 200,000 mesos for its life-saving power!
And as mentioned, incredibly rare.
"Luck of the draw."
The drop rate was minuscule.
In other words, to boost the odds, you'd need to hunt far more—countless more—Stumps.
Which meant procuring a Stump's Tear implied slaying an uncountable horde.
'It might just be dumb luck.'
Sure, it was possible to get one from a single kill.
So this alone didn't prove El Pam's hunting prowess.
'But luck is a skill too.'
Still, Evis didn't overthink it.
Anything beat doing nothing, and luck helped him now.
"That leaves two million mesos."
Above all, Evis was prepared.
"I'll give you a shot to clear it all at once."
"Such an opportunity exists?"
"Conquer one Mystic Gate."
Ready for the test.
And this time, Evis could verify El Pam's ability for sure.
"Solo?"
"You'll have a party."
There were witnesses this time.
"Five parties, including yours."
Plenty of them.