The Grand Mole Village Raid

The castle walls stood ten meters high.

The fortress itself was massive enough to encompass five elementary schools laid side by side.

Flashes of light erupted everywhere as players from the waiting room were summoned one after another.

A total of one hundred people.

Naturally, the idiots who had tried picking a fight with me weren't among them.

"The enemy is nowhere in sight."

"We're not jumping straight into battle."

I activated the mission status window, and a map unfolded before us.

The Ancient Canyon was easily the size of a small city. The distance between each castle was roughly ten kilometers. You had to destroy the primary fortress before you could even reach an enemy castle.

"So that blue crystal is the Dominion Crystal."

"Correct."

"Then shall we proceed directly to toppling their primary fortress?"

"I'd love to, but it's impossible."

Each nation's castle periodically spawned minions that advanced along predetermined routes. Only those minions could chip away at the durability of the primary fortresses and castle gates.

"Then we must first eliminate the enemy minions."

"Or hunt monsters to stack buffs."

"Either way, it sounds like a decisive victory won't come quickly."

"These promotion matches take at least several days to finish."

"Then... what is to become of my perfect cotton candy!"

So that's why she was so obsessed with time.

"Give it up, Goddess."

"Had I known things would come to this, I never would have followed you!"

"Are you saying you actually had a choice?"

"You must concern yourself with this goddess's welfare!"

Ugh. Where the hell did she even learn a word like welfare?

"Once the promotion match is over, I'll get you enough sweets to make up for everything you missed. Just wait a little longer."

"Swear upon your name and honor."

"Yes, yes. If that's what you want."

"Heh heh heh. If you put it that way, I shall believe you."

By the time our intense negotiation(?) had concluded, Jiyoung approached.

"Let's go."

"Master, how am I supposed to know what you mean when you suddenly say 'let's go' the moment you see me?"

"Where else? We're going to mess with the Chinese team."

My target was Ping Lei. Now that the match had begun, his movements were obvious. He would head out to hunt monsters that granted buffs to strengthen his minions.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Based on the map, he was most likely moving toward the monster zones around 10 or 12 o'clock. If he'd gone toward 2 o'clock, we'd be wasting our time.

"Even if we don't find Ping Lei, stealing the Chinese team's buffs would still be a huge gain."

"So you're saying we should infiltrate the Chinese team's sector?"

"Exactly."

"Just the two of us, Master?"

When I nodded, Jiyoung's eyes trembled.

"Isn't that a bit too reckless?"

"It's also the most effective."

"Yeah... that sounds exactly like something you'd say, Master."

She looked at me with resentful eyes before letting out a deep sigh.

* * *

A path as wide as a ten-lane highway stretched between mountain ridges soaring on either side.

This was why the battlefield was called the Ancient Canyon.

"They're incredibly tall."

"With your abilities, it doesn't seem like you'd need to use the path."

Well, seeing is believing.

Showing her directly would be faster than explaining.

I reached out toward the sheer cliff face.

Whoosh!

My arm bounced back as if I'd touched Jiyoung's barrier.

My hand tingled.

"It seems the canyon compels us to fight on the ground."

"It's living up to its name."

To cross over to the Chinese team's side, we would have to pass through the canyon between us, or break through the central lake that only activated starting on the third day of the promotion match.

Either way, the core of this mission was that you couldn't avoid being conscious of your opponents.

After crossing the long canyon, the Chinese team's primary fortress came into view.

Five turrets were positioned atop the ramparts.

When their barrels swiveled in our direction, Jiyoung instinctively raised her barrier.

"Relax."

"Huh?"

"The turrets have a range of one hundred meters. We're still safe."

"Ah... I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Your reaction speed shows your training is paying off."

I patted Jiyoung's shoulder, then circled around the mountain ridge toward the 12 o'clock direction.

After walking through a dense coniferous forest for some time, holes leading underground began appearing throughout the woods.

"Looks like we came to the right place."

Green mud instantly filled the holes. Dark crimson mana shimmered across the swamp, thickening the mud's viscosity even further.

"What are you doing?"

"Fishing."

I crossed my arms and waited for a bite.

Bubble, bubble—

Bubbles rose to the surface of the swamp. Soon after, two-meter-tall moles burst out.

They had long claws and drill-shaped shoulder pauldrons. These were the Grand Moles that inhabited the 12 o'clock sector.

"Squeeeak. Vile human."

"Squeak. I nearly suffocated underground."

Five Grand Moles had emerged from the swamp.

"The bait works perfectly."

"Squeeeak! Die!"

The pack of Grand Moles swung their arms in unison. A cloud of dirt darkened the air.

It was the Grand Moles' skill, Dirt Scatter, which combined physical damage with vision obstruction.

Jiyoung deployed her barrier. With a series of ting-ting-ting sounds, the dirt bounced off harmlessly.

"Master, let me handle these moles."

"You'll regret only watching what’s in front of you."

"What do you—ah?!"

Jiyoung let out a sound that was half gasp, half scream.

The moment the dust cloud cleared, the Grand Moles had already burrowed back underground and vanished.

Hit-and-run tactics—the classic combat style of moles.

"Master, at this rate I won't be able to crush them with my barriers."

"We'll just have to wait until they stick their heads out again."

"Mole, mole, stick your head out. If you don't..."

Jiyoung sang the children's song with surprising seriousness.

Nyx showed interest.

"What manner of spell is that?"

"It's an old rhyme called Gu Ji Ga. It's meant to call out things that are hiding."

"Oh-ho. No wonder I sensed spiritual energy in those words."

Nyx nodded gravely.

If only words could actually drag the Grand Moles out.

Flames erupted from my feet. I raced forward using All-Out Sprint, setting the surrounding forest ablaze.

Immediately—

"Squeeeaaak!!"

The Grand Moles screamed as they burst from the ground, claws swinging.

"Oh! The ancient text truly worked!"

"They're just coming up because it's hot."

The Grand Moles' claws bounced uselessly off my Thorn Armor. They had rushed to the surface in panic from the heat of Blaze; there was no real power behind their strikes.

"Squeak."

"Where do you think you're going?"

I bound the Grand Moles trying to flee into their tunnels with Dominion of Darkness. My elongated claws raked across their necks.

"Grrk."

"These guys have pretty low endurance."

"It'd be unfair if they were both annoying to hit and tanky."

When the fourth one fell, the last Grand Mole broke free of the darkness binding.

The instant it tried to dive back into its hole—

Hexagonal tiles sealed the hole ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠completely.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Jiyoung clasped her hands together. The overlapping Vibration Barriers crushed the Grand Mole's body mercilessly.

Crunch!

The Grand Mole was compressed like it had gone through an industrial press, flattened into a mole pancake.

"Is that what a barrier is capable of?"

"Hers is a bit special."

"How gruesome."

Well, it was probably her first time seeing something get pulverized into pieces by a Vibration Barrier.

During the promotion match waiting room, the bodies of players who received death judgments turned to dust, but monster corpses remained.

"At least leave their general shape intact."

"Ah, right. Your unique ability is devouring corpses, Master."

"You caught on quickly."

Tsk. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clicked my tongue and activated Devour.

Dig

Grade: ★

Type: Active

Rapidly digs into the ground with your hands.

Consumes a small amount of mana.

It was the same skill I had obtained before the regression. It didn't have many solo uses, but it created synergy with earth-attribute essences, so it wasn't a loss.

Or so I thought.

Oh?

Since I hadn't obtained this essence before the regression, I never expected this kind of synergy.

"Even you didn't know about this synergy effect?"

"Apparently. There are still things I don't know."

"You are the only one who would rejoice at discovering your own ignorance."

Of course I'm happy. It means I can still grow even stronger.

I brushed off Nyx's comment and headed toward the center of the village.

A blue crystal hung above the well. It was a mission item that strengthened allied minions.

"Now we just need to return safely."

"Master, I don't think that's going to be easy."

Jiyoung pointed at the forest with a stiff expression.

The sound of rustling. From between the shaking bushes, a group of Chinese players led by Ping Lei emerged.