Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Our Senior Brother Isn't a Senior Brother
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Operation: Hit Senior Brother in the Back of the Head and Run Away!
This was my plan for taking down the Tombstone Knight.
Phase 1.
"Normally, it's a pointless endeavor."
It wouldn't work on just any boss.
If it did, we'd have cleared the 9th floor with it too.
"The Red Tower is over 90% instanced dungeons."
Try hit-and-run on monsters in normal layers?
You just get a fresh new one every time.
Perfectly healthy upon re-entry.
"Whether you hit it once or a hundred times, full HP on the next meet."
So beating and fleeing doesn't mean much.
Unless you're figuring out patterns or folding for a time attack.
But what about the [Tombstone Knight]?
That's why I'd posted my攻略 declaration on the gallery.
To test out this Phase 1 strategy.
One life.
That's why it's rare and unique.
You always meet the same entity, no matter when you go.
That's the hallmark of irregular incidents.
What does that mean?
Even a dropout like me figured it out after some thought.
"So even if I smack him and bail, he can't recover?"
What?
Easier than I thought.
Of course, the method came from the wise words of the ssun-nims.
"William ssun-nim! What's a good way to catch prey that won't run?"
"Hunting talk? Go for endurance."
"Endurance?"
"Keep shooting arrows from afar and running. Accumulate fatigue, wear down their patience. Best strategy."
Thus, Phase 1 was born.
William-style ranger ultimate technique.
Smack and run all day.
Good enough to wonder why it isn't a registered skill.
Unclaimed rewards on High End 10th floor.
I stowed my rice bowl in [Inventory].
"Just as expected, blocks the entrance on entry."
Sealing the entrance with ice.
The recovery team had faced this too.
Gate surroundings were icing over when I fled.
"But it doesn't block entry itself."
If it wanted to stop climbers, it could.
Breaks tower monster rules, right?
Anything goes.
Yet it doesn't.
Why?
Hunter's way, sure.
I'm doing it too.
"Three minutes, then one more smack."
Rest first.
I surveyed the High End 10th floor plains.
Boss clear reward time.
Skill card incoming.
"Card grinding fine since rewards still unclaimed."
Chief's spot maybe?
Totems around, village vibe.
"[Infinite Cauldron] quest looks available too."
No quest? No drops picked up.
Safe to grind.
Oh?
Silver card pack this time.
"10th floor bonus?"
Shhrrak-!
Card pack unfolds.
Twice as many as bronze.
"No expectations. R-grade anyway."
Still lower floors.
No rares or higher.
Then why beg Senior Brother for UR?
Can't I dream?
High End boss on lower floor dropping super rare to wreck me?
"A-rank irregular Senior Brother might drop UR."
Tch.
Silver, so R at least guaranteed.
-Halt.
I paused mid-grab.
Far right card drew me in.
My talent up to something again?
Feels legendary at least.
Followed the pull, grabbed it.
Tower dev, no mom?
"...Duplicate's fine, but why normal again."
Duplicates okay.
Enhance like gear.
But normal from silver?
"No good. Gotta smack Senior Brother awake."
Begged for UR prayer, got duplicate normal?
You are the death penalty, Senior Brother.
As I grabbed Goblin Senior's bow.
Remaining cards flashed,
surprising message appeared.
"...Reselect?"
So.
That thing.
"Duplicate skill gives extra pull?"
Hmm.
I see.
Got it.
"Might as well smack once more while I'm up."
Diiiing-!!
"Saaaaaaaaaaa!!"
Senior Brother, thanks.
No UR, but heart's grateful!
Fifth smack-and-run on Senior Brother whenever I thought of it.
Gratitude fists with card grinding.
Harvest was bountiful.
Rare skill's the dud here.
"Can't learn it."
But whatever.
Auction house or major layer sale~.
Even total flops are profit.
1 pull became 6.
"Never heard of duplicate pulls though."
Ah, got it.
Dozens to hundreds of attack skills.
Rarely duplicates normally.
"My senses let me pull duplicates thrice."
Shaman material for real.
Want to open fortune shop on 1st major layer, quit climbing.
If not for damn [Popular Post Addiction].
Gallery-enhanced skill.
Lead-in and cooldown down 50%.
[Decapitation] usable like basic attack.
Whew.
Nice.
"Gratitude fist, round 6, go."
Daring to give trash like Ice Lance?
Unforgivable.
Justice hammer! Charge!
-Thud!
"Ow!"
Stomped gate in huff, headbutted it.
Now what.
Touch: cold.
Ice.
"Wait, ice?"
Damn.
This guy's done it?
How can people be like this?
Not cool between us!
"Senior Brother! Locking the door, what're you doing alone in there!"
No naughty stuff! Forbidden!
You're Senior Brother!
"FBI OPEN UP!"
Bam-!
Kicked through ice wall, charged in.
Clone, not me, obviously.
"Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccc!!!"
-Slice!
Clone topples, back slashed.
Senior Brother leaped from upper ice over gate.
Ambush hit clean.
Knew it'd happen.
No way no uninvited guests between us.
Timing my entry, set a trap?
"Me too."
0.31 seconds later, burst out, drew bow hard.
"Peekaboo."
"Saa?!"
Special arrow nocked, full draw.
This one's different.
Expert-made premium.
"[Sword Soul Liberation]."
"Saaaaaaaaaaa-!!"
Fired special arrow,
Senior Brother parried up with ice greatsword.
Woooong-!!
Strength-agility parry.
Sloppy swordplay.
High stats let it deflect.
Full power? Tough.
But I'm one clone down.
"So, didn't kill my clone?"
Creeeak-!!
Entry gate instantly freezes.
Roll dodge, pull scroll.
Flame talisman to melt ice for escape.
"Last three sheets with this."
Hit-and-run op over.
Need for emergencies.
Damage dealt plenty.
Slid across floor to clone.
"Fake Jeong-uk dead?"
"Ugh... back wound is ranger's shame..."
Alive.
"Then go die."
"I lost coin flip!"
Crying clone grabs sword, charges.
No mercy from [Tombstone Knight] this time.
Clang-!!
Why glass shatter on flesh slice.
William ssun-nim didn't teach that.
Clone dies with pop.
Clone release, stats 100% back.
Area choked with frigid air.
That's why.
Edged closer bit by bit, sly grin.
"Busok. That last one almost killed me, right?"
Not death wish.
Dodge greatsword fine.
Real point:
"But that skill. Why not use on me?"
No.
Not just me.
No use on recovery team,
nor on clone mistaken for me.
Why?
My eye: min SR.
Short lead-in? SSR attack skill.
Why hold back prime skill.
I knew the answer.
"Too lethal."
Like I said,
Overkill on lv10 climber.
"Can't break new body. Right?"
-Plop!
Tossed paper at [Tombstone Knight]'s feet.
Not flame talisman.
That's emergency escape.
Skill card tossed.
"[Ice Spear]."
Perfect grind result.
Rare magic skill.
"Here. Apology for harassing you."
[Tombstone Knight] doesn't use skills.
No skills for that mana?
Would pick this up then.
What?
Too dumb?
"No brains for chance-reading, wouldn't predict my hit-run or distinguish clone from real."
He can.
Just doesn't.
But [Tombstone Knight] ignored card.
No howl.
Lower half mangled from my pokes.
Ice armor cracking mid-repair,
shattered helm exposes face.
Like William master.
My benefactor's son,
hunter who died climbing tower.
Of course, I don't know.
Why he became [Tombstone Knight].
"Did he really kill Astromeria's teacher?"
Why so much mana.
Just speculate.
No proof.
Whatever.
Ignorance fine.
"How long you gonna swing that sword you're bad at?"
Thumped arrow on bowstring.
Mana drained from arrowhead and shaft.
Szzzt-!!
Butchery knife mana pushes out frost mana.
Stance: William archery.
Demonstrated rider form, final check.
"Keep that concept, you die by my hand."
What'll you do?
Asked, Busok looked up.
Not at skill card.
At William master's arrow I shot.
"[Frost Forge Smithery]."
First words from [Tombstone Knight] since irregular outbreak.
Creeeak-!!
Ice armor repairs instantly,
helm covers [Tombstone Knight]'s face.
Frost unabated, spawns dozens ice arrows and spears.
Gate-block speed.
Low-end SSR magic.
Mid-layer viable skill.
Aha.
This is real magic?
"Now we're talking."
I smiled quietly, hurled body into spear rain.
Now.
Dropout-solvable riddle time.
"Our Senior Brother's a hunter."
Dad's lineage, obvious.
Why shitty greatsword handling.
Why use greatsword as ranger.
Not locked like my archery build.
But magic?
"Hunter with that mana make sense?"
Such magic-wielding hunter exist?
Would one die to orc chief?
No, wouldn't.
Thus.
Sorry Astromeria, but opposite.
"Senior Brother didn't kill Rumi's teacher."
Senior Brother won.
Climbed to 10th legit with bow.
And there,
Met [Tombstone Knight].
Mid-layer mage level.
0th major layer pre-tower.
"Great Mage" worthy foe.
I aimed bow, smiled.
Eyes probably not smiling.
"Showed your true colors, fake."
Whoever's teacher he is,
Enemy of my ssun-nim for sure.