Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: 10장. Evil Eye (3)
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6.
The moment they realized the Evil Eyes had appeared, the six parties scattered in all directions.
Each one intended to fight on their own.
It was a rational choice.
“Better to hunt separately than attempt some half-assed party play.”
Any party adventurous enough to enter this place already had their own methods.
“If we all bunch up, the Evil Eyes will swarm us too.”
They also needed to disperse the monsters.
Of course, the biggest reason was obvious.
“No worries about item distribution.”
The unwritten rule of the adventurer world: whoever kills the monster gets its drops.
But if everyone teamed up to hunt the Evil Eyes, arguments over loot distribution were inevitable.
In the heat of battle, it was impossible to accurately determine who landed the killing blow.
Mana stones could be divided based on contributions or performance, sure.
“Especially the valuable stuff.”
The real problem came with indivisible items.
In any case, everyone scattered.
And soon after dispersing, every party without exception encountered them.
Haaa!
“Evil Eyes!”
Clusters of Evil Eyes glaring at the adventurers while clinging to trees like lizards.
Hunting began immediately.
The opening salvo always came from archers or mages.
“Piercing!”
“Energy Bolt!”
Arrows and spells flew toward the Evil Eyes stuck to the trees.
Kwachik!
But landing hits wasn’t easy.
Even seasoned adventurers struggled to strike Evil Eyes clinging to trees and darting about.
Of course, those gathered here were no ordinary veterans.
“Piercing!”
“Energy Bolt!”
After gauging distances with the first shots, the second wave followed. Archers and mages now adapted to the Evil Eyes’ patterns and found their rhythm.
Kieee!
By the third volley, the chilling screams of Evil Eyes echoed.
“It’s falling!”
Down came the plummeting Evil Eye.
That was the signal.
“Stick close!”
Against Evil Eyes with their incredible regeneration, magic arrows or archer shots couldn’t inflict lasting wounds.
“Slaughter it!”
In the end, only one option remained: hack and smash mercilessly until regeneration meant nothing!
Warriors shone here.
Wielding longswords, polearms, or war hammers, they pulverized the Evil Eye’s body without mercy.
Mages contributed too.
“Flame Orb!”
Flame Orbs, fiery spheres that exploded on impact, proved devastating against monsters like Evil Eyes.
Kieee!
Such sounds of Evil Eye hunts rang out everywhere.
In other words, parties successfully hunting Evil Eyes possessed all the key elements.
Archers or mages with pinpoint accuracy to knock Evil Eyes from afar.
Warriors skilled enough to butcher fallen ones relentlessly.
Mages who could lob explosive Flame Orbs precisely into the fray of melee dealers and beasts.
And bishops supporting tirelessly.
They had every piece.
That’s why.
‘Hunting Evil Eyes won’t be easy with this party’s strength.’
Ralph had eagerly accepted El Pam’s bet because.
‘Too many gaps.’
The flaws were plain as day.
Only Dibo and Kiri qualified as warriors, and even they were mere 1st and 2nd Circle.
Of course, El Pam was different.
Ralph wasn’t a fool.
‘Survived three years as bait slave. Skyrocketed right after becoming an adventurer.’
He’d done his homework on El Pam.
‘Rumors of a sponsor, so he’s got top-tier gear too.’
He knew El Pam was exceptional.
That’s why the Kania Merchant Group offered such a massive signing bonus.
But that was it.
‘Impressive, sure. But just a mage. And a fresh 3rd Circle at that.’
So Ralph smirked.
‘In my eyes, thirty in an hour is tops. At seventy mesos per—ten thousand each... He’ll pay dearly for his pride.’
A smile for the fortune about to roll in.
Kieee!
At that Evil Eye’s roar, El Pam began chanting.
“Fire Arrow.”
Nothing special.
“Magic Acceleration.”
The spell that made it special.
7.
Every mage adventurer had an innate affinity.
Fire was the most common.
Four in ten mage adventurers wielded fire magic.
Fire mages’ main spells shifted by circle.
1st Circle: Fire Arrow. 2nd: Flame Orb.
“Main” meant most practical among many.
And for adventurers, practical equaled powerful.
Each served distinct roles.
Fire Arrow excelled at harassing monsters—low cost, solid damage.
Flame Orb delivered heavy hits over wide areas.
But neither sufficed alone for full hunts.
Enter passive skills.
Skills that boosted others just by equipping items!
For mages, Magic Acceleration fit the bill.
Simple effect: on activation, spells hit harder and faster.
A plain Fire Arrow pierced; accelerated, it shredded.
Unlike active skills, no extra casting needed.
“Magic Acceleration.”
Just chant while wearing the item.
Effect persisted until unequipped—even while eating or sleeping.
So when El Pam pulled it out, Ralph wasn’t surprised.
Expected, even.
‘Confident in accuracy, huh.’
Great mages weren’t the ones with raw power.
No matter the spell—Meteor summoning rocks from the sky or Blizzard raining ice spears—if it missed, it was worthless.
Accuracy was a mage’s ultimate virtue.
‘Accelerated Fire Arrow has the punch to rip an Evil Eye in one shot.’
From that angle, deploying Magic Acceleration made perfect sense—if you could land it.
Limits were clear, though.
‘But a newbie 3rd Circle can’t handle it properly.’
Boosted Fire Arrows were stronger, faster—harder to control.
Like riding a wild stallion. Speed and power weren’t all good; control got trickier.
‘Mana drain’s brutal too.’
Power scaled with consumption.
Even perfect aim had limits. No worries for Ralph.
Kieee!
‘Huh?’
The Evil Eye’s cry wiped the smile from Ralph’s face.
He turned.
“Damn.”
Dozens of eyes met his gaze. He shouted.
“Danger!”
No time for bets now.
El Pam didn’t respond.
No need.
Shiiik!
Instead, his Fire Arrow—swelled and sped by Magic Acceleration—streaked forth.
Straight at first.
Kieee!
Dead on, into the screaming Evil Eye’s massive orb, piercing straight through its body.
Stunning precision.
Ralph didn’t flinch.
At least thirty Evil Eyes visible!
One down meant nothing.
“We need to run!”
No—this fight shouldn’t happen at all.
“One.”
El Pam spoke amid the yells.
“Two.”
Ralph’s face twisted in fury.
What nonsense in this crisis?
“Three.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Four.”
Undeterred by Ralph’s glare, El Pam kept counting.
“Five, six, seven.”
Ralph stopped raging at the number game.
“Ah.”
He saw it.
“Eight, nine.”
Evil Eye corpses plummeting with El Pam’s countdown.
Ralph could only gape.
“Twelve, thirteen.”
Wait for it to end.
“...Thirty-one.”
Countdown done. No more cries.
In the silence, El Pam’s voice.
“55 minutes left.”
8.
Evil Eyes hunted in packs—cunning, ferocious beasts.
Spotted prey? Dozens, hundreds swarmed relentlessly.
“That’s why.”
“One hour.”
“Dibo, confirmed kills?”
“Yes, 219th confirmed.”
In just over an hour, El Pam bagged 219 Evil Eyes.
Absurd, of course.
Dibo and Kiri helped, but El Pam soloed most.
Fire Arrow and Magic Acceleration alone.
Routine for him.
‘Boosted Fire Arrow’s actually easier to handle.’
Far simpler than sniping Orange Mushrooms with Fire Bolt.
Tough to wield, sure.
Faster meant more fatigue.
‘No need for precision on mana stones.’
Normally, Fire Arrows targeted monster weak points—mana stones—demanding focus. Telekinesis made it worse.
Boosted version? Just blast through.
No finicky aim required.
‘Mana cost’s the downside.’
Worth the tradeoff.
Dibo and Kiri weren’t shocked.
They’d seen El Pam’s impossibilities.
One was.
“Ah...”
Ralph stared blankly at the strewn corpses.
Dibo approached.
“Hey, buddy.”
Tap tap!
Shoulder pat.
“219. Prepare 11.9 million mesos.”
Ralph snapped to.
No invalid cries of shock.
His eyes sparkled instead.
“Minus my 10 million, just 1.9 million ready?”
Calm tone.
“Pay up the moment we exit. Bet’s a bet.”
Dibo and Kiri tilted heads.
Money-grubber sees massive loss and stays cool?
El Pam got it.
‘Money-mad.’
Ralph would kill the Cygnus Knights’ leader for cash.
Small change wouldn’t cut it—he craved fortunes beyond normal adventurers’ dreams.
To him, El Pam looked like.
‘A noble delivering that fortune.’
The VIP Ralph awaited.
He’d hidden his strength, skipped big adventures—for this day.
A jackpot chance.
Hence.
“Excluding the 10 million—means you’re joining the party?”
Mentioning it outright.
“Can’t pay? I’ll work it off.”
Ralph truly joined El Pam’s party.
Dibo scowled.
“Boss, better take the 10 mil straight? We’re fine without him.”
El Pam replied evenly.
“Ralph, time to show your stuff.”
“Gladly.”
Ralph nodded eagerly, slapped Dibo’s back.
“Dibo, I’ll support you from now on.”
Dibo’s face soured more.
Bishop support? Basic: buffs, heals when hurt.
Lives hung on it, but to Dibo—nothing special.
Swish!
“Huh? What’s that?”
“What else? Knuckles.”
Ralph donned vicious-looking knuckles. Dibo and Kiri blinked.
He grinned.
“Lead on. I’ll stick right behind.”
“Behind?”
“What?”
Kiri and Dibo recoiled.
Supporters stayed rear-guard—common sense.
El Pam wasn’t surprised.
“Sticking with warriors for heals and buffs? That’s my style.”
The exact reason El Pam recruited him.