Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: 100-Person Gate (1)
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Victoria Island.
The largest island in the Maple World, and many considered it a great place to live.
“Being a good place to live means it’s relatively safe.”
In other words, the monsters on Victoria Island weren’t all that high-level compared to other places.
In fact, the Adventurers’ Association rated most areas of Victoria Island as D-Rank difficulty or lower. That meant a four-person party of D-Rank adventurers could travel around Victoria Island without issue.
“From an adventurer’s perspective, that just makes it laughable.”
As such, adventurers operating in other regions looked down on those active on Victoria Island.
“Except for Sleepywood Forest.”
However, Sleepywood Forest, located in the heart of Victoria Island, was the exception.
The Adventurers’ Association made it clear.
“Sleepywood Forest is recommended only for C-Rank adventurers or higher, and the central area is permitted only for B-Rank adventurers or higher.”
Sleepywood Forest was an incredibly dangerous place.
And no one followed that rule more strictly than the merchant groups.
No matter what, the merchant groups never crossed Sleepywood Forest or routed anywhere near it.
That was common sense on Victoria Island. That was the rule.
But with the appearance of the Mystic Gates, that common sense and those rules shattered.
Adventurers rushed into Sleepywood Forest, a place untouched by adventurers and merchants alike, all gunning for the Mystic Gate that had appeared there.
And in doing so, they realized something.
Why Sleepywood Forest was also known as the Devil’s Forest.
For one, the monsters that appeared there were far stronger.
Even the same Orange Mushrooms were on a whole different level of strength in Sleepywood Forest.
More than that, the number of mushrooms that appeared was different.
“Sleepywood Forest doesn’t let in a single ray of light. And yet it’s extremely humid. Know what that means? Simple. Moss grows well there.”
The reason was straightforward.
“Where moss grows well, mushrooms grow well too.”
Sleepywood Forest was the perfect environment for mushrooms to thrive.
So once a battle with a mushroom horde began, it turned into a fight so fierce you couldn’t even guess when it would end.
“Damn mushroom bastards! They’re coming like crazy!”
That was why El Pam had chosen Sleepywood Forest as the training ground for Dibo.
“Crazy!”
“Keep at it.”
To pit Dibo against the overflowing mushroom monsters of Sleepywood.
‘This is enough.’
And that was the entirety of the training El Pam had prepared.
‘Dibo’s a genius.’
From the start, teaching Dibo some new technique was a pointless concept.
Like there was no need to teach a tiger how to hunt in detail.
Dibo’s innate talent was that overwhelming, and for someone like that, only one thing was needed.
‘Just experience points.’
Days upon days of grueling combat.
‘And items.’
That was all.
There was no better place to rack up that experience than Sleepywood Forest.
“Boss! You’re really not gonna help?”
“If I help, what’s the point of the training?”
“I’m seriously gonna die here! If I get pushed back, you’re done for too!”
“The fact you’re asking means you’ve got some breathing room.”
In truth, facing down hundreds of charging Orange Mushrooms, Dibo wasn’t pushed back an inch.
He swung his massive polearm, smashing the mushrooms perfectly in droves, culling their numbers just as fast as they came.
“Slash Blaster!”
And when he felt short on power, he’d use a skill in that instant to turn the tide in his favor.
‘Incredible talent.’
Even by El Pam’s standards—who had seen many people, even heroes—it was astonishing.
What’s more, El Pam knew.
‘He’s got a reason to fight.’
Dibo had a little sister to protect, and El Pam knew just how strong someone with something to protect could become.
‘He’ll get even stronger.’
That’s why El Pam had no doubt Dibo would achieve astonishing growth.
‘But that alone isn’t enough.’
Of course, El Pam knew this current force alone couldn’t accomplish his goals.
Naturally.
‘Hontail.’
What he had to hunt right now was Hontail.
‘And the Black Mage.’
After that, he’d have to face the transcendent being called the Black Mage who caused all this chaos—and there was no way just a warrior and a mage, the two of them, could handle it.
He needed a stronger force.
‘I need a thief, a pirate, and an archer.’
At minimum, three more powerhouses.
‘I know plenty of them.’
There were plenty of candidates.
But El Pam didn’t rush here.
“Dibo.”
“Boss! Finally gonna help?”
“No, we’ve reached our destination.”
“Oh.”
Right now wasn’t the time to recruit companions.
2.
Sleepywood Forest, known as the Devil’s Forest.
That’s why veteran adventurers said it.
“If you want to survive Sleepywood Forest, you can’t make a sound.”
If you entered Sleepywood Forest, don’t do anything stupid—just stay still and quiet like you’re dead, like a corpse.
That was common sense.
But right now, there were people breaking that common sense.
Roar!
For starters, they’d lit a fire.
That was insane.
Lighting a fire meant stimulating every sense of the monsters—sight, smell, hearing.
And it wasn’t just that.
“Grill some more meat.”
“Beer! We’re out of beer?”
They were even grilling meat and drinking booze right by that campfire.
It went beyond provoking monsters—it was a sight that would shock the monsters themselves.
“Uh, what’s that?”
That’s why Dibo freaked out when he saw the scene.
“They’re crazy, right?”
“Not really.”
But El Pam saw it differently.
He didn’t question the scene before his eyes.
“They’re tackling the 100-Person Gate.”
The value of a 100-Person Mystic Gate was beyond what ordinary adventurers imagined.
It meant they’d do anything to clear it successfully.
“No, but even so—this is Sleepywood Forest!”
“Yeah, that’s exactly why they’re there.”
“They are?”
At Dibo’s confusion, El Pam pointed at the people chowing down on booze and meat.
“B-Rank adventurers.”
And the moment he heard El Pam’s explanation, Dibo finally understood.
“B, B-Rank?”
B-Rank adventurer.
A rank given only to those among 5th Circle adventurers who held outstanding titles.
“Wh-why are they here?”
They were elites among elites, the kind you’d never see easily on Victoria Island, which was treated like a newbie island in every way.
It wasn’t hyperbole.
“Don’t people at that level go to the Ossyria Continent?”
Even D-Rank adventurers usually left Victoria Island.
That was adventurer history and tradition.
It held true even in the Mystic Gate era.
There were far more Mystic Gates on the Ossyria Continent, and of much higher grades.
Proof: No official Green-grade or higher Mystic Gates had ever appeared on Victoria Island.
Considering a Green-grade Mystic Gate allowed entry up to 5th Circle adventurers, there was zero reason for 5th Circle adventurers to stick around Victoria Island.
And yet, a party of 5th Circle adventurers—more than seven of them—was here for one reason.
“They’re providing support. For the merchant group’s prized prospects.”
To support the adventurers challenging the 100-Person Mystic Gate.
“Oh.”
Only then did Dibo get it.
Just how valuable a 100-Person Mystic Gate was.
‘A single Unique-grade item from a 100-Person Mystic Gate can change a merchant group’s—and an adventurer’s—value and fate.’
In truth, a single item with a Unique skill could turn a merchant group or adventurer’s value from dirt to the heavens.
‘And it can even change the future.’
Even the future El Pam had witnessed.
That was why El Pam had come here.
“Man, with 5th Circle adventurers holding down the fort, it feels secure. At least we won’t have to worry about fighting each other.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.
“Yeah. No fighting over Unique items.”
“Huh?”
“They won’t get to keep whatever they pull anyway. Hiding or running? Impossible against 5th Circle adventurers.”
“…Right.”
Holding onto a Unique item was far harder than obtaining one.
“But they’ll still reward us properly if we get one, right?”
“They will.”
‘Not that I care.’
But El Pam had no intention of giving up just because it was tough.
He planned to possess a Unique item one way or another.
“What a joke.”
Just then, a cold woman’s voice came from behind El Pam and Dibo, and the two turned around at once.
“Already talking about rewards.”
There stood a beauty in armor, her long golden hair tied in a ponytail, her expression icy.
That was why.
“Kiri?”
Dibo recognized her immediately.
She was that famous.
“Cygnus Knights trainee?”
Not just anywhere—the trainee of the Cygnus Knights, who guarded the massive Maple Alliance.
In truth, knights and adventurers were on different paths.
The Cygnus Knights protected the Maple Alliance’s values—like true judges.
They pursued different goals from the free-spirited adventurers.
But trainees were different.
Knight trainees had to rack up tons of experience, so their actions weren’t all that different from adventurers.
In fact, Cygnus Knights trainees tackled Mystic Gates more fiercely than anyone.
That’s why she was pretty famous.
Of course, her looks played a role too.
‘A Knights trainee?’
But El Pam didn’t remember her.
Naturally.
In El Pam’s memory, this 100-Person Gate was a devil that swallowed everyone—nothing more.
In the future El Pam had experienced, none of the people gathered here existed.
El Pam could only deduce.
‘The Gapor Merchant Group handing a golden opportunity like this to a Cygnus Knights trainee…’
Lith Harbor’s top ten merchant groups. Ten spots fairly distributed to them ahead of the 100-Person Mystic Gate.
If the Gapor Merchant Group gave one of those spots not to a contracted adventurer but to a Cygnus Knights trainee, there had to be a reason.
Of course, there could be many reasons.
It could be seen as the Gapor Merchant Group offering a bribe to the Cygnus Knights.
What’s more, the Gapor Merchant Group had never gotten good results from a 100-Person Mystic Gate, and they lacked famous adventurers among their ranks in many ways.
If it was doomed to fail anyway, better to cut losses and gain some other profit.
But El Pam knew.
The Gapor Merchant Group wasn’t the type of merchants to do business that way.
That’s why he was certain.
‘They know something bad is going to happen.’
There was another reason.
“I’ve heard about you. They say you’re the best at playing bait.”
To El Pam, lost in thought, Kiri said with cold eyes and a cold voice.
“I don’t need bait.”
Don’t get cocky.
The moment she issued that warning—
“Buuuurp!”
With a massive belch, one of the adventurers who’d been downing booze freely stood up, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Looks like everyone’s here.”
Naturally.
“I’ll warn you once. Anyone who starts trouble here, I’ll smash their skull without warning.”
The man who spoke had five black rings on his left wrist—Ronko’s.
More than that, everyone gathered here shared one clear goal.
“Alright, get ready. Time to enter the 100-Person Gate.”