Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: 14. Nautilus (3)
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5.
‘Golden Eye.’
El Pam was momentarily startled the instant Golden Eye appeared.
‘She’s come to conquer this place after all.’
But he wasn’t particularly surprised that she was aiming to conquer Eagle Eye’s Tomb.
He knew.
He knew that Golden Eye and Eagle Eye had lived lives no different from blood sisters.
And that no one desired to conquer Eagle Eye’s Tomb more than she did.
‘That’s why she tackled the 200-man Gate.’
It was why she had challenged the 200-man Mystic Gate, boasting the highest difficulty of Orange rank.
It was an expression of her will.
By conquering a Mystic Gate of the highest difficulty in Orange rank, she was declaring that conquering Eagle Eye’s Tomb would be a piece of cake.
Of course, El Pam knew.
‘That confidence crumbled.’
That only seven members of Golden Eye’s party had returned from Eagle Eye’s Tomb afterward.
‘They couldn’t even find Eagle Eye’s belongings.’
And that even those seven had barely made it back alive.
‘Though I didn’t expect her to attempt it at this point.’
In other words, the only thing that surprised El Pam was her appearance at this exact moment.
And it was just a brief surprise.
‘This is the best scenario.’
Her appearance itself was the greatest opportunity for El Pam.
As mentioned earlier, Golden Eye was more desperate than anyone to conquer Eagle Eye’s Tomb.
And she had the ability to back it up.
That was why.
“100,000 mesos per spot.”
El Pam had thrown out that figure.
Not to make money.
He wanted to bait her more firmly into this conquest through that provocation.
He was also certain it would work.
‘With Golden Eye’s personality, she’ll accept now even if just to avoid losing face.’
Because he knew her personality.
‘Even in her final moments, she refused to lose, so she went after Balrog before I did.’
The underground dragon Balrog, a monstrous beast rivaling Hontail—she had hunted it first simply because she couldn’t stand to lose.
Of course, that refusal to lose included not tolerating anyone else dying before her.
In any case, she fell right for El Pam’s provocation.
“All remaining spots!”
She bought every single one.
“But payment on completion!”
She didn’t blindly accept El Pam’s terms, but from his perspective, the money didn’t matter anyway.
“You’ll pay once we make it out alive.”
What mattered was her participation.
“Deal.”
The moment the deal was sealed.
It was a massive gain for El Pam.
Now, only El Pam’s party and Miner’s party would enter this Mystic Gate conquest.
There was no room left for the Kania Merchant Group or Gapor Merchant Group to squeeze in.
However, El Pam knew.
‘Kania Merchant Group members are probably in Miner’s party.’
They had already made their moves.
‘Followers of the Black Mage are everywhere. Not just on the Nautilus, but even near Empress Cygnus.’
That follower would surely pull some scheme.
‘But no problem.’
El Pam had no worries.
There was no reason to.
‘I can conquer Eagle Eye’s Tomb solo right now.’
He was certain.
That was why El Pam didn’t hesitate.
“D-Day is tomorrow. We go right away.”
6.
“Adventurers challenging Eagle Eye’s Tomb after a year!”
The news spread quickly through the Nautilus.
Of course, at first, no one paid much attention.
“Some lunatic’s finally gone and done it.”
The Nautilus gathered all sorts, so all kinds of incidents, accidents, and absurd events happened constantly.
“If weirdos held out a whole year, that’s impressive restraint.”
They figured it was just another idiot’s folly.
“They sold spots to Golden Eye!”
“And Golden Eye bought them!”
But the moment Golden Eye Miner entered the story, the weight of the event shifted.
Naturally, she took interest.
“Murat.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Captain Kairin.
The current owner of the Nautilus and the adventurer who had conquered the highest-rank Mystic Gate to date.
“I heard. Miner’s challenging it.”
And as Miner’s mentor, she asked Murat.
“Do you think Miner can conquer that place?”
Murat answered firmly.
“Impossible.”
An answer hard for others to understand.
Golden Eye had just conquered a 200-man Mystic Gate—the highest difficulty in Orange rank.
And she couldn’t conquer an Orange-rank Mystic Gate with only 74 entrants?
But Murat was resolute.
He had no choice.
“Miner’s talent still falls short of Leah’s.”
That place was Eagle Eye Leah’s Tomb.
In fact, that was why Murat had intervened in the argument between El Pam and Miner back then.
“Why didn’t you stop her?”
Murat had known Miner’s goal was Eagle Eye’s Tomb and had moved to stop her from tearing off the bounty page.
He’d just happened to witness the argument with El Pam.
“Because of that El Pam guy?”
In other words, an unexpected variable had appeared.
“Yes.”
“I investigated him. His record is unusual.”
And from the investigation, El Pam was indeed different from ordinary adventurers in several ways.
“His survival skills are exceptional.”
But to Kairin, that was it.
Who else but Kairin? Even top adventurers seemed like fumbling rookies by her standards.
El Pam was no different.
So she was puzzled.
Why would Miner permit the Eagle Eye’s Tomb conquest just because someone with good survival skills joined?
On that, Murat said.
“I heard his heartbeat. It reminded me of that person you met during the Maple Alliance’s formation—Luminous. Not a single tremor.”
Luminous!
One of the Six Heroes who sealed the Black Mage!
The mage of light and darkness!
The moment that name left Murat’s lips, Kairin didn’t hesitate long.
She knew better than anyone how stingy Murat was with praise.
For him to say this much meant El Pam truly had something special.
“Any guarantee he’ll help Miner?”
Of course, having something special and helping Miner were separate matters.
Murat didn’t agonize over it.
“Prepare a bargaining chip. Behind Miner’s back. El Pam will take it.”
At those words, Kairin began to ponder.
What would make a good bargaining chip?
It didn’t take long.
Kairin pulled a gold coin from her bosom and said.
“Let him take one item from the Nautilus treasure vault. That should suffice.”
If you don’t know what they want, just let them pick.
That settled it.
One thing left.
“Deliver it tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
Waiting for the time.
And that time came.
7.
It was an island.
A tiny uninhabited island of about 300 pyeong, with just a few trees, rock piles, and garbage heaps.
Four adventurers appeared on that deserted isle.
“Boss, this is Eagle Eye’s Tomb.”
To challenge Eagle Eye’s Tomb—a 9.99 million meso Mystic Gate that no one had even attempted in a year.
“That’s the Gate.”
As El Pam’s party approached the Mystic Gate, it created a portal.
Emitting a brilliant orange glow.
That was when.
“They’re coming.”
Turning at Kiri’s words, they saw five small boats packed with people heading to the island.
And among them, one pair of eyes gleamed gold.
Miner’s party had arrived on the island.
The uninhabited island filled up in an instant.
The pressure was indescribable.
Amid that pressure, Miner approached El Pam and said.
“Sleep well?”
El Pam didn’t reply to the greeting.
“No answer, huh.”
There was no need.
“Whatever.”
The real point was elsewhere.
“There’s only one important thing anyway.”
Setting the rules.
In Liz, there was no concept of setting rules for Mystic Gate conquests.
Most adventurers cooperated with each other—that was the norm.
But the Nautilus was different.
“So, the bounty?”
Because of the bounty.
Adventurers had to negotiate bounty distribution after the adventure.
Of course, Nautilus adventurers had one standard way.
“The side that kills the boss monster takes it all.”
Boss hunting.
“Sounds good.”
And it meant one more thing.
“From now on, inside, we’re rivals.”
No expecting help beyond that Mystic Gate.
It was obvious, but El Pam’s side was clearly at a disadvantage.
El Pam’s party had 4 members, while Miner’s had a whopping 70!
Honestly, it wasn’t even a competition.
“Don’t whine about it. Your underlings either. Huh? Or kneel and beg right now.”
But none of El Pam’s party raised questions or objections.
‘The boss has it handled.’
They’d seen him up close more than anyone.
Seeing El Pam’s party like that, Miner lost interest in them.
Truth be told, she’d never been interested in El Pam anyway.
‘I’ve finally made it here.’
Her goal was singular: retrieve Eagle Eye’s belongings beyond that Mystic Gate.
El Pam was just an obstacle in the process—nothing more, nothing less.
And now, no need to mind that obstacle anymore.
“Everyone, head in!”
The gathered adventurers began crossing into the Mystic Gate one by one with their prepared gear.
And they saw.
“A forest?”
“It’s too dark.”
“Someone light a fire!”
A forest so dense with trees that not a speck of light penetrated.
Sniff sniff!
“This humidity is no joke.”
And the fishy, damp humidity filling the forest.
In that moment, every adventurer there instinctively knew.
“Mushrooms.”
The monsters here would surely be mushroom monsters.
At that, the adventurers relaxed a bit.
“This might be easier than expected?”
Mushroom monsters weren’t weak, but to seasoned adventurers, they were the most laughable among monsters they might encounter.
That was normally true.
“They’re coming!”
Ordinary mushroom monsters were no great threat.
“Huh? Those?”
“Gray?”
“No way?”
Unless one exception.
“Zombie mushrooms!”
And that one exception appeared.
8.
Among monsters, some bore the zombie curse.
And zombie monsters were hard to hunt.
Unlike normal monsters, they didn’t die even if you smashed their limbs.
Among them, the most headache-inducing were zombie mushrooms.
“You can usually crush a mushroom to kill it. But zombie mushrooms are different. You have to shatter the magic stone.”
Zombie mushrooms revived if you didn’t destroy the magic stone.
It was a nightmare for adventurers.
Not just because they revived.
“But if not, they revive. Right under your feet, no one else.”
The revival spot was the problem.
In battles with mushroom monsters, the ground fills with their corpses—and those corpses reviving meant disaster.
But the worst part was this.
“And remember: mushroom monsters multiply faster than anything. Zombie mushrooms? No need to say it. It’s just hell.”
Normal mushrooms starved without food, but zombie mushrooms didn’t.
Undying without eating, their numbers grew exponentially over time.
So, in a Mystic Gate untouched for a year since the last failed conquest, how many zombie mushrooms would there be?
One thing was certain.
Countless.
“Damn it!”
Miner and her party screamed at the realization.
El Pam’s party was no different.
“Crazy!”
Dibo’s face went pale staring at the horde of oncoming zombie mushrooms.
Not just him.
Kiri, Ralph too.
Everyone’s faces were stiff.
The situation they faced was the worst of the worst they’d ever encountered.
“Boss!”
So Dibo called for El Pam.
“Fire Arrow.”
Right before Dibo, El Pam summoned Fire Arrow.
Dibo’s expression hardened.
“Boss? Fire Arrow against those? It won’t work.”
Zombie mushrooms had far higher defense than normal ones.
The zombie curse turned their flesh to mud-like sludge.
For normal monsters, skin weakened, but for fleshy zombie mushrooms, it boosted defense.
‘Damn, that’ll take out maybe two at best.’
No matter how powerful Fire Arrow, it wouldn’t work well against zombie mushrooms.
That was common sense.
And El Pam knew it.
‘Normally, Fire Arrow struggles against even one zombie.’
That was common sense.
‘But.’
Now, El Pam was different.
‘I have four phoenix feathers in my possession.’
He was in an extraordinary situation.
So the situation he created would be extraordinary too.
Fwoosh!
El Pam’s Fire Arrow pierced a zombie mushroom like paper, shredding it mercilessly.
“Huh?”
Dibo and the other three gaped in shock.
Beyond common sense.
To them, El Pam showed.
“Piercing.”
A sight beyond imagination.