Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Chapter 18. Martyr (3)
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056
7.
All adventurers said it.
“The difference between 2nd Circle and 3rd Circle is like the difference between a man and a tiger.”
The gap of a single circle was beyond words.
“Then what about 3rd Circle and 4th Circle? Well, at that point, comparisons lose all meaning.”
Among them, the value of a 4th Circle to an adventurer was indescribable.
“Even the most skilled hunter can take down a tiger. But no matter how skilled, no hunter can fell a wyvern. That’s the kind of difference between 3rd Circle and 4th Circle.”
A 4th Circle adventurer was truly powerful.
Incomparably so to a 3rd Circle.
“One 4th Circle adventurer is worth five 3rd Circle ones. Better than a whole small party of 3rd Circle adventurers.”
Overwhelmingly so.
‘I could have unlocked 4th Circle anytime.’
El Pam had been hiding that immense power.
For various reasons.
A trump card was fine kept hidden.
‘But opening it now would make conquering Perion’s Nightmare impossible.’
The biggest reason, though, was the Orange-grade 200-man Mystic Gate that would soon appear in the Perion region.
The place that would later be called Perion’s Nightmare. To conquer that Mystic Gate, El Pam had to remain at 3rd Circle.
Moreover, that Mystic Gate was quite important.
‘I’ll pass on the Unique item Phoenix’s Eye.’
It held a very important item.
No, it was beyond important.
The Phoenix’s Eye doubled the duration of fire-attribute magic for its owner.
That was an enormous boon for any fire-attribute mage.
The longer a flame burned, the more lethal damage it could inflict.
Especially for El Pam’s main skill, Fire Arrow—the damage output varied greatly with duration.
If he’d had the Phoenix’s Eye against the giant swamp mud monster earlier, two minutes would have sufficed instead of five.
It was that crucial an item.
‘The Phoenix’s Eye is essential for taking down Hontail.’
A vital item for hunting Hontail, that absurd monster, down the line.
Yet El Pam’s reason for passing on it now was simple.
‘But Dibo is more essential.’
Dibo’s value couldn’t be weighed against the Phoenix’s Eye.
“We press on with the hunt.”
That was why there was no hesitation in unlocking 4th Circle.
There was only one thing.
‘Damn these martyr bastards.’
Rage.
“Boss, what do you mean?”
“We take out that one first.”
“What do you...?”
El Pam directed that rage at the dying giant swamp mud monster.
“Fire Arrow.”
And so El Pam unleashed Fire Arrow at the giant swamp mud monster.
“Fire Arrow.”
One after another.
Amid the fierce battlefield, one sound rang out in response to El Pam’s attacks.
Crack!
The sound of the giant swamp mud monster’s magic stone shattering.
Groooar!
With that cry, the giant swamp mud monster let out a death scream and began to collapse.
Everyone was stunned by the sight.
To end so easily?
El Pam spoke to them.
“We finish the rest.”
It wasn’t over yet.
As he said it, El Pam drew a staff from his waist and shouted at the oncoming swamp mud monsters.
“Flame Vortex.”
8.
Flame Vortex.
A 3rd Circle fire-attribute spell that summoned powerful flames forward.
Its power was tremendous.
Above all, it was incredibly effective against hordes of monsters.
For instance, against mushroom monsters—hundreds or thousands swarming—it displayed astonishing might.
Naturally, it worked wonders on swamp mud monsters too. Mud hardened the instant it met heat.
‘Flame Vortex?’
So when El Pam cast Flame Vortex, his party realized.
‘I don’t know why he’s using it now.’
‘But with that, the mud’s no problem.’
Whether El Pam was using 4th Circle magic or not didn’t matter—what mattered was that Flame Vortex could turn the tide!
Of course, the party knew.
‘Boss weakens them, I shatter them.’
‘Cleanup’s on us.’
They had to support El Pam.
They all thought the same, so no words were needed. They moved as one.
But their assumptions were wrong.
‘Huh?’
El Pam showed them.
Whoosh!
‘The flames are swirling around?’
The flames El Pam unleashed toward the swamp mud monsters didn’t pass by—they engulfed them.
As if the monsters were trapped inside walls on all sides.
And walls there truly were.
‘Telekinesis Wall.’
El Pam had used telekinesis to block off the swamp mud monsters’ surroundings.
It was simple.
He’d once used telekinesis to gather poison mist in one spot with Room skill.
Compared to that, creating a telekinesis wall was child’s play.
Of course, it wasn’t impressive.
A telekinesis wall could only trap something like mist—the finger of a newborn could pierce it.
‘Only useful at 4th Circle or higher.’
To even bounce flames, you needed 4th Circle level.
Meaning it offered zero physical defense.
But bouncing flames? That alone held more power than anyone imagined.
Roarrr!
The Flame Vortex flames El Pam spewed wrapped around the swamp mud monsters and scorched their entire bodies.
It was leagues beyond scorching just a part.
Hardening their whole body meant they couldn’t move properly right away.
Groooaaar!
Even if they did move, it delighted El Pam.
Crack crunch!
Every twitch crumbled hardened sections, exposing fresh mud that hardened anew.
Through that cycle, the swamp mud monsters’ bodies were pulverized in moments.
It was instantaneous.
Boom!
One swamp mud monster couldn’t last 20 seconds against El Pam’s Flame Vortex before collapsing.
Overwhelming firepower!
‘My god.’
El Pam spoke to his stunned comrades.
“Draw the attention of the rest while I clean them up.”
Thud!
“That bastard’s.”
Hold the giant swamp mud monster.
It wasn’t easy.
Only El Pam had grown stronger—the others were in worse shape than usual.
Especially Dibo, who was exhausted.
“Yes!”
But Dibo answered without hesitation.
It was grueling, sure.
“I’ll hold!”
‘If I hold, we can take it!’
Unlike before, when holding meant despair, now there was clear hope.
‘With the boss!’
El Pam was that hope.
Nor was it just Dibo.
“Dibo, fall back. I’ll handle it for a bit!”
“Dwarf, pull back! Don’t overdo it and drop dead now that you’re spent!”
“Dibo, don’t push yourself!”
Kiri, Miner, and Ralph—all showed their resolve.
“Dibo, if you die, 75 million mesos vanish!”
Fierce resolve in every way.
Of course, they still thought.
‘Can we take it?’
‘It won’t be easy.’
‘El Pam’s no joke, but this situation’s even worse.’
‘Anything but Dibo—he can’t die. 75 million mesos. We have to save him.’
Hope had dawned, but seizing it wouldn’t be simple.
No, far from simple—the situation remained dire.
El Pam still had over twenty swamp mud monsters to handle.
Even at 20 seconds per, that was 400 seconds minimum—roughly seven minutes.
And that was optimistic; in this chaos, it’d take even longer.
Hold the giant swamp mud monster while El Pam cleared the small fry?
Possible.
If they went all out.
But after?
‘We’d need to last at least ten more minutes to take that one too.’
Factoring in the giant’s takedown time made it dizzying.
‘Gonna puke.’
Especially the pressure Dibo felt was immense.
‘I endure no matter what.’
Yet Dibo didn’t utter surrender.
“Boss! No need to rush! I can handle trash like this all day!”
He steeled his will.
“Take it easy, finish them off.”
El Pam replied to that will.
“We’re not taking the giant swamp mud monster.”
“Yes?”
“We clear the small fry and bail.”
“Ah!”
Only then did they grasp El Pam’s plan.
‘Right, no need to take this one! Just thin the small fry to escape!’
‘Turning the giant’s attention isn’t hard!’
‘We can rest up and take it later.’
Hearing that, despair vanished from the El Pam party’s minds.
There was only one thing left.
‘We can survive.’
Hope of escaping this place.
And three days later, that hope became reality.
9.
“Jack Rich’s Tomb.”
Adventurers were hugely interested in Jack Rich’s Tomb.
“A five-man party entered Jack Rich’s Tomb!”
“A five-man party?”
“The El Pam party—they went in solo as a five-man team!”
But news of the El Pam party drew little attention.
“There’s always those meso-crazed lunatics.”
Everyone figured the El Pam party was adventuring to monopolize Jack Rich’s items.
“Jack Rich’s relics? Worth it. Grab ’em right, and no more adventuring needed.”
“Sure, I’d do it. Just find the exit and you’re out.”
And Jack Rich’s Tomb made such a gamble worthwhile.
“Heard the El Pam party? Specialists at finding exits.”
“Specialists?”
“Can’t hunt monsters, but they sniff out exits like ghosts. That 100-man gate disaster? They were the sole survivors.”
Once El Pam party’s rep spread, everyone dismissed it as a viable gamble.
Of course, they were certain.
“Still, greed got the better of them this time.”
“Yeah, Jack Rich didn’t die for nothing. There’s a reason.”
The El Pam party would die.
“The portal’s blocked?”
“Blocked? Then?”
“They moved to the second floor?”
Even when they quickly shifted to floor two shortly after entry, same reaction.
No, people thought:
“Fled to the second floor that fast.”
“Can’t rescue them even if we wanted.”
“At least they made it to floor two—lucky.”
Proof the El Pam party was in peril.
Adventurers gathered around the Mystic Gate turned Jack Rich’s Tomb thought the same.
No, they lacked even interest.
They just waited.
“The portal?”
“Still up. Can’t enter, though.”
“Tell me when it vanishes.”
For the portal to disappear.
Then, those gathered to conquer Jack Rich’s Tomb would regroup.
That would be the true adventure.
That’s why Henri was in a foul mood now.
“Damn that El Pam—wasting our time.”
Stuck waiting idly because the El Pam party entered the Mystic Gate.
“Just die already if you’re gonna.”
Anyway, Henri was convinced.
The El Pam party would die soon, portal vanishing.
That’s when it happened.
“Henri, sir.”
“What?”
“The por, portal...”
Henri smiled at his subordinate’s words.
‘Finally.’
The moment he’d awaited had arrived.
“Yeah? Gone? El Pam, that shithead finally croaked?”
As Henri spoke in glee, a man appeared from behind his subordinate.
‘Huh?’
A robed man.
“E-El Pam?”
The man they thought dead.
Henri’s face went pale white at his appearance. Ghostly.
And Henri realized.
El Pam had heard his words.
Big problem.
He’d badmouthed El Pam, hadn’t he?
Not just anywhere, but at the Gapor Merchant Group, insulting an adventurer dispatched for Goldrich Merchant Group—an adventurer from Goldrich.
Trouble aplenty could brew.
To maximally flustered Henri, El Pam said,
“I wish to meet Gold Rich in secret.”
“W-what?”
“This is Jack Rich’s will.”
El Pam produced a letter with his words.
“Jack Rich was murdered.”