A Brief Rest and a Swift Conquest
While I caught a brief wink of sleep, a commotion had broken out, as expected. The Public Security Bureau had tried to take us to task, demanding to know why we had acted on our own... but the Chinese hunters blocked them. They stood up for us, defending the ones who had healed their wounded. And it wasn't just the injured who spoke up; other hunters joined in as well.
The Public Security officials whined endlessly about their "prestige" and "face," but apparently, some of the hunters were the children of high-ranking Party officials. Once those silver-spoon elites stepped forward, the bureaucrats had no choice but to shut their mouths. The situation had threatened to escalate, but a true man of influence stepped in to mediate. This power player turned out to be a military general. His stance was simple: suppressing the crisis as quickly as possible took priority, so the Public Security Bureau's precious "face" could wait. He argued that resolving the disaster was the real way to preserve the Party's honor.
I also heard that the three Chinese S-class hunters played a major role by intervening and expressing their gratitude to us for helping their comrades, though I didn't witness it myself. To be honest, I didn't care enough to watch; I just stayed out of sight and waited for the whole thing to blow over. At any rate, once the political squabbling was sorted out, the hunters gathered.
We assembled along with our translators. Our Murim Alliance faction stood on one side, and the Chinese hunters stood on the other—though the Chinese group itself was split in two.
"Why are they divided like that?" I asked.
"From what I understand, one faction consists of state-affiliated hunters, while the other belongs to private guilds," Namgung Min replied.
Ah, is that so? China sure is complicated... Wait, are two of their S-classes state-affiliated? No wonder the Public Security issue was resolved so easily.
Anyway, the gathered hunters began discussing the chain of command. When I asked Namgung Min if I really had to be part of this, he told me that as an S-class, it was only right that I participate. The debate was exactly what you'd expect. The Chinese side argued that they would listen to our opinions, but they should hold the actual command... while our side argued that since we had successful experience clearing this gate, we should lead.
Honestly, there wasn't much to micromanage, but letting them lead could create annoying complications regarding pacing and strategy. Listen to our opinions? Yeah, right. They could easily say that and then just exploit us, sending us into the most dangerous spots. Of course, even if the Chinese tried those dirty tricks, I could easily keep the entire raid party alive... but the Chinese probably thought the exact same thing about their own safety. That was why both sides were bickering over who got to hold the reins.
"Hey, Ddaengjung."
"Yes?"
"Tell the Chinese that the command isn't going to the Murim Alliance. I, Nix Hemera, am taking it."
Ddaengjung blinked, asking me what on earth I meant and to explain properly.
"I will lead the hunters, keep everyone alive, and clear the gate. That's all they need to know, right?"
"With your abilities, it is certainly possible, but will they actually listen?" Namgung Min asked, having overheard our exchange.
"I'll make them listen."
Though he looked slightly uncomfortable, Namgung Min eventually nodded. Ddaengjung stepped forward and translated my words to the Chinese hunters. He probably softened my tone a bit, but still...
Predictably, the Chinese hunters reacted with visible skepticism. They muttered among themselves before Ddaengjung translated their response back to me.
"They say they are deeply grateful to you for healing so many of their wounded, but they cannot entrust the command of a battlefield to a healer."
Look at them, looking down on me just because I'm a healer.
"They must think I'm just some ordinary healer." How was I supposed to explain this to these idiots? "Tell them that clearing the Dark Elf Forest in Korea was only possible because of me. And tell them that without me, they'll just keep failing over and over again."
"Understood."
When Ddaengjung translated that, the looks on their faces were priceless. They undoubtedly thought I was incredibly arrogant.
"And make sure to mention my buffs and barriers too."
Even after that explanation, the heated debate dragged on. But in the end, unable to reach any other compromise, they reluctantly handed the command over to me.
"Are you sure you will be alright?" Namgung Min asked.
"Yeah."
I might not be cut out for intricate, tactical maneuvering, but I had plenty of experience when it came to basic battlefield leadership.
First, I checked the roster of the Chinese hunters.
Including their 3 S-classes, there were 23 A-classes and 42 B-classes... a total of 70 hunters. Apparently, their numbers had originally been much higher, but their repeated failed attempts to clear the gate had whittled them down. One hunter even muttered that if they'd had a healer like me from the start, they wouldn't have suffered such devastating losses.
"Ddaengjung, you translate and relay my orders the exact second I give them."
"Understood."
Afterward, the hunters gathered their gear and supplies while I equipped my own gear and waited. I scanned the faces of the assembled crowd. Their eyes were still filled with doubt and suspicion.
"They'll understand once they receive my buffs," I muttered. "Let's go fight, and let's win."
Ddaengjung looked momentarily flustered.
"Just translate it exactly as I said."
When my words were translated, the reaction was predictably cold. It was only natural, considering someone who had just snatched the command had uttered such absurdly simple words.
To make them understand exactly what I meant...
Thud!
I tapped my foot against the ground. Unleashing my Holy Power, I cast my buffs over all one hundred or so hunters gathered in the area.
The moment the buffs settled over them, every single face in the crowd changed. They could feel the immediate, drastic transformation in their physical states.
"The mages have received a magic amplification buff, so you'd better pace yourselves and adjust your output accordingly."
The murmuring grew into a loud buzz. Experiencing such an absurd, out-of-bounds power seemed to have robbed them of their speech.
"What are the Chinese saying?"
"They are calling it a 'cheat-like buff.' Haha." Ddaengjung chuckled.
Well, they had just become nearly 1.5 to 2 times stronger, so of course they were amazed.
What happened next? We entered the gate without a single complaint. Perhaps because of their multiple previous attempts, the entrance area was a chaotic mess.
I raised my hand and threw my Sacred Fire, setting the forest ablaze.
When the Chinese hunters frantically asked what I was doing, I gave them a simple explanation: burning down the forest would strip the Dark Elves of their cover and create a battlefield where our hunters could fight much more easily.
"What are they saying now?"
"It seems they didn't understand why the forest was burned in the raid report."
"Did they not understand the basic traits of elves?"
I explained once more that since the elves used the trees and foliage to conceal themselves, we had to burn the forest down to clear a path.
"They are asking if the forest couldn't also serve as a protective wall to shield our own allies," Ddaengjung translated.
"If they have any actual skill, they can just block or deflect the incoming magic, can't they? Have the ones capable of doing that stand at the front to intercept the attacks while the mages retaliate. If they can't even manage that, tell them to let me know and I'll throw up a barrier for them."
Ddaengjung translated my words. The Chinese hunters asked if all Korean hunters were capable of such feats, prompting me to look at Namgung Min.
"Our Murim Alliance hunters do receive training in that regard..." Namgung Min murmured.
Since their guild had far more melee damage dealers than ranged ones, they had trained their members extensively in methods to counter long-range monster attacks.
When Ddaengjung relayed this, the Chinese hunters fell into deep thought. This was a unique characteristic of the Murim Alliance. Normally, a raid party strictly divided its members into tanks and damage dealers, relying on the tanks to draw and absorb the enemies' aggro.
But the Murim Alliance? It wasn't that they didn't have hunters capable of tanking, but their numbers were extremely small. Because they had an overwhelming majority of damage dealers, their party compositions were always a bit awkward. To solve this, their damage dealers simply had to learn how to dodge and block attacks on their own.
Whenever a question popped into their heads, the Chinese hunters asked without hesitation. They were particularly curious about my buffs, asking sensitive questions like whether maintaining them was exhausting, or what my maximum target limit was. I answered a few of the harmless ones and flatly told them that the rest were rude to ask.
At any rate, our first battle was an easy victory. We had superior numbers to begin with, and those damn dark elves had already had their forces thinned out, so it wasn't difficult at all.
Furthermore, the performance of the Murim Alliance hunters was nothing short of spectacular. Their ability to deflect or completely neutralize incoming arrows and spells with their weapons was a sight to behold. Several Chinese hunters watched them with wide, astonished eyes. Is this the difference in our training?
Of course, any hunter who did get injured or hit was healed on the spot. My instantaneous healing allowed the wounded to jump right back into the fray, making us look so unstoppable that the phrase "immortal army" wouldn't have been an exaggeration.
"The Chinese hunters are utterly amazed," Ddaengjung remarked.
"Really?"
"Yes. Seeing Miss Nix's abilities, many of them are saying they finally understand how you cleared this gate."
Well, in truth, it was basically a brute-force method that relied entirely on my overpowered abilities... but since that was the easiest and most comfortable way to do it, who cared?
The conquest of the gate proceeded smoothly. Perhaps because they now understood the logic behind burning the forest, the Chinese mages began setting fire to the trees to clear a path without even being asked. The Dark Elves launched ambushes to stop them, but the Chinese and Korean hunters coordinated beautifully to repel them.
Of course, some casualties did occur... but I healed them instantly. I even healed those who were injured far away from me, which prompted the Chinese healers to desperately ask how I was doing it. Well, it was all thanks to one of my Saintess abilities—the eyes that allowed me to perceive injuries from afar.
During the raid, we did encounter the Dark Elves' trump card: a massive magic bombardment. But this time, dealing with it was a breeze. First of all, our raid party was relatively small, so I didn't need to cast a massive barrier. On top of that, everyone here was an elite hunter; the moment I blocked the initial bombardment for just a split second, they moved with lightning speed to escape the blast radius.
Perhaps because they had already suffered from it so many times, the Chinese hunters were exceptionally agile and quick to react. As for our own guild members? Knowing that I would protect them anyway, they were painfully slow to move.
Regardless, once the bombardment was blocked, we quickly closed the distance to the enemy's position, engaging them in close combat to shut down their magic. It was incredibly smooth and easy. As time went on, the Chinese hunters began looking at me with eyes full of deep respect. A few of them seemed downright terrified, though...
By the way, the Chinese hunters were talking a lot among themselves, and it was frustrating not being able to understand any of it. To make matters worse, Ddaengjung, who had been translating for me, had run off to the front lines to join the fight.
Just then, Ddaengjung returned to my side.
"What are they saying?"
"They are astonished by the duration of your buffs."
Well, it had already been over eight hours since we entered the gate, and the buffs were still going strong, so of course they were shocked. Naturally, maintaining buffs for this long took a toll even on me. However... unlike last time, everyone here was an elite hunter, which meant our clearing speed was incredibly fast. Combined with the smaller headcount, keeping the buffs active was highly manageable.
"Well, I can easily keep this up for another three or four days if needed."
Ddaengjung looked thoroughly shocked by my casual remark.
The raid was so effortless that in less than a single day, we arrived at the chamber of the boss, the World Tree.
Upon seeing the grotesque, completely rotted World Tree, a few hunters actually began to suffer from mental confusion. Then, just like last time, the Elder appeared to greet us...
He spouted the exact same lines as before, and battle erupted.
For this fight, the other hunters merely stood guard on the perimeter, leaving the combat to the four S-classes.
As for me? I just watched. As the raid party's most vital supporter, my safety was the highest priority, so I couldn't afford to put myself on the front lines.
The S-classes, already monstrously powerful on their own, were fully armed with my buffs, making the battle end far more anticlimactically than expected. Of course, there was another reason.
"The state of the World Tree is..."
Perhaps because too much time had passed since the gate first opened, the World Tree was in terrible shape. It was already heavily corrupted by Magi, preventing it from exerting its full power. Naturally, this made the fight even easier.
And after the anticlimactic battle ended...?
We burned the World Tree down. Ordinary fire wouldn't do the trick, so I had to use my Sacred Fire.
By the way, perhaps because the tree had been completely consumed by Magi, it didn't leave behind any final words like the last one did. I had been hoping to gather some clues or information, so it was quite a disappointment.
"They are asking if the raid is over," Ddaengjung said.
"Ah, tell them the real boss isn't the Dark Elves, but the tree currently burning. And let them know we have to hold off the Dark Elves until that thing is completely reduced to ashes."
When Ddaengjung translated my instructions, the relaxed hunters immediately tightened their grips on their weapons and went back on high alert.
As the World Tree burned, the Dark Elves naturally swarmed in to protect it, and a fierce battle broke out.
We held our ground, enduring wave after wave. And the result?
A successful conquest.
Once the World Tree was completely incinerated, an exit portal materialized in the center of the plaza.
The Chinese hunters erupted into wild cheers of joy. Watching them celebrate, I couldn't help but feel glad that I had come here after all.
After all, a happy ending was a happy ending.