Explosive Greeting and the Golden Cure
-? Why all of a sudden?
-Isn't it because of those guys?
-Ah, just fuck off.
-Scum with no conscience.
As Kang Hanbit's screen vanished, the viewers erupted in a frenzy. Now all that remained was Juyeonu's broadcast feed.
Swoosh—
At the same moment, the players who had frozen in place stayed perfectly still. Juyeonu's screen alone couldn't give them the info they craved. Their bewilderment was obvious even without seeing their faces.
'I can read your minds. Crystal clear.'
Right now, Hanbit looked like he was zeroed in on the slimes below the cliff—no question about it. That left them with few options. They couldn't just stand around watching; other rivals were a threat too.
Snatching the slimes first was the smart play.
Rustle—
Sure enough, it didn't take the players long to decide. They crept forward, hiding in bushes and behind trees.
Rattle—
Hanbit, scanning the distance, slowly let out his fishing line. The hook at the end was a special from that old man—a gadget that fired thin needles in all directions when you hit the button. Like turning bait into a porcupine.
'Not total noobs, huh.'
The intruders moved in as quietly as they could, but they weren't stealthy enough to fully mask their presence.
Rattle—
Hanbit's line descended slowly toward the base of the cliff. It was already more than halfway down.
'Gotcha.'
Scanning the woods, Hanbit locked eyes with the intruders who had revealed themselves. Three of them—geared up, each with different weapons. Looked like a pre-formed party.
Swoosh—
Hanbit flicked his stream back on and turned to face them. Then he raised his hand high and waved slowly.
“……?”
The three stared at him in stunned confusion.
-Oh, screen's back on.
-Why's he waving?
-Outta nowhere?
The viewers were just as baffled by the weird move. But Hanbit's "greeting" meant something else entirely.
Rattle—
In an instant, the loosened line plunged downward. Before the three could react, the hook hit the bomb slime.
Click—!
Needles shot out in a radial burst. The impact triggered the slime's explosion right away.
Boom—!
The bomb slime's body burst with a deafening pop. The chain reaction from the clustered ones nearby made it ten times worse.
And that was just the beginning.
Bang—!
Boom-boom—!
Nearby bomb slimes detonated one after another from the noise, sparking a chain of explosions across the forest slimes.
“Whoaaaagh!”
“Aaaagh!”
“Up! Up top!”
The three intruders bolted to escape the woods. But slimes weren't just on the ground.
Plop—
Drop-drop—
Right above their heads. Dark brown slimes rained down from the thick branches overhead.
Unable to react, all three got swallowed by the blasts.
Boom-boom—!
"That was my way of saying bye."
Hanbit waved calmly as he watched them die. Even weak monsters could overwhelm with a chain like that.
-Holy shit lmaoooooo
-Is he fucking crazy? lololol
-If I can't have 'em, nobody can.
-Greeting delivered, right?
-Yeah, right in the face?
-Who you think you're fooling? lol GG
The chat flooded with lols, scrolling up fast.
Glancing below, Hanbit reeled in his rod and swapped the hook.
'Finally showing up.'
One spot had stayed quiet even through the chain blasts—the gap between cliff and ground.
Gurgle—
A dark brown lump oozed out slowly from inside. Hanbit had called these duds back in the day—literally the ones that didn't blow.
Rattle—
He swung his arm, sending the line plummeting again. When the gleaming hook sank into the squishy slime, he hit the button.
Click—!
The radial needles did nothing. Hanbit leisurely reeled it in and bagged the live dud in his pouch.
-?
-Why no boom?
-Dud bomb?
"Oh, yeah, total dud vibe. These don't explode—they eat their own kind to grow."
Perfect timing on the chat; Hanbit nodded.
-How the hell do you know that?
-Bet he read it in a webnovel lol
-This guy's no newbie.
-Check if he's been hit by a truck.
-Fr, second life?
“...Nah, for real? I'm not.”
-Sure you aren't.
-As if lolol
-Marinated in fantasy.
-Cute tho ;;
They brushed off his stung reaction as a joke. Sighing inwardly, Hanbit noticed Juyeonu sidling up.
"Whoa, even this gimmick? But spilling that info—is it cool?"
"What info? The duds?"
"Yeah. If you clear the quest with 'em, everyone's gonna copy."
He pointed at the bag of bomb slimes.
Hanbit just smirked. "Let 'em try."
***
'That was close.'
Kim Jaeha, standing at the forest edge, cursed under his breath. He'd just witnessed three players blow up with the bomb slimes.
High levels or not, chain explosions were unpredictable. And if they got spotted? Total beef with Black Dragon and Roper.
"Whew."
He'd logged into RP in a panic, skipping other stuff. Half-doubting, but Roper's stream led him straight to Atsbel's quest.
And he'd kept that stream open from start to now.
'Idiots. Like that guy's a real newbie.'
Most players grabbing the quest thought they could outdo the first finder—Black Dragon, the so-called beginner. Total delusion from clueless fools.
'Big corps are the worst. Already miles ahead...'
Kim Jaeha was convinced: Black Dragon was planted by some mega-corp vanguard. They'd leaked the hidden skill and quest info on purpose.
'What's their angle?'
Why team with a streamer to spill it? Baiting with a Hero-grade spellbook meant big secrets.
'Did the vanguards hit a breakthrough?'
Top vanguards were stalled in every sense. Finding a path forward? Smart to distract rivals and public eyes.
'Anyway, clear the damn quest.'
Logged in with company gear—had to deliver results fast. Mid-tier firm couldn't dream of vanguard spots anyway. Slack off, and the department head would wreck him.
Step—
Glancing at Black Dragon's feed, Kim Jaeha stepped into the woods.
But he'd never snag those bomb slime materials.
***
"You call this medicine? It's disgusting just to look at. I was the idiot for expecting anything."
Hanbit arrived at Atsbel's shop and got an earful. On the table between them sat the bomb slime goo—dark brown outside, golden within.
-Just sell it already
-So pretty...
-I'll never forget this humiliation today.
-Heading straight to clear the quest.
The viewers were still simping hard for Atsbel. Her looks made it inevitable, sure. The masochism? Baffling.
"I'll pay for Julio's share, so take it and get lost. I don't deal with scum who toy with lives."
Even with his Julio takedown cred, she was ice-cold. Her mom's condition had worsened to the brink right when he'd hoped for a breakthrough—disappointment hit hard.
Knowing that full well, Hanbit asked, "Not even gonna try? Things are bad now."
"You seriously saying that after bringing this?"
Atsbel looked ready to draw a weapon. But this convo had looped countless times in his isekai runs—counter was second nature.
Hanbit scooped golden jelly with the spoon he'd brought. "Check it out. Like pudding, right?"
"Pudding my ass. You think I'd feed that to my mom?!"
Scoop—!
Suddenly, the spoon was in Atsbel's mouth. She froze, eyes bulging.
And then.
"Mmph!"
She clamped her hands over her mouth and bolted for the bathroom.
Whoosh—!
Screams and water sounds echoed briefly.
"What the hell?!"
Atsbel stormed back, fury boiling over. She snatched a dagger from the table and advanced.
"Wanna die? What'd you feed me? Some gross seeds came up!"
"That's the real cause of your mom's illness—and yours."
"What?"
"You've been hurting too, right? Suffering in silence."
"How do you...?"
Atsbel, hiding her own similar symptoms, panicked. She'd tried so hard to seem fine.
'Can't even call her stubborn.'
To spare her mom worry.
To not give Julio types leverage.
To keep the shop running amid it all, Atsbel hid her pain. Insane willpower, even now.
"What you ate? Parasitic seeds. They stir up trouble inside."
"Parasitic seeds?"
Rare in the far south, they latched to stomachs and grew. Only bomb slime mucus could dislodge them—traders had contaminated food supplies.
"Not sick—it's the seeds."
"Just spit 'em out?"
Atsbel's eyes shifted. She grabbed the golden goo and rushed out.
[Cutscene transition.]
Swoosh—
The screen switched with the message, showing Atsbel holding the golden jelly. Face set with resolve, she stood before her mother.
"Mom, I got the medicine."
Atsbel sat on the bed, propping up her barely conscious mom. Golden, gooey liquid on the spoon.
After a moment's hesitation, she trickled it into her mom's mouth.
The change hit instantly.
Gulp—
“……!”
One swallow, and mom's eyes flew wide. Clutching her mouth, she staggered to the bathroom.
Swoosh—
The screen cut back after that. Atsbel's face before him was noticeably brighter.