Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The S-Class Mage
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“C-Congratulations.”
“Doesn't sound very sincere.”
“No! Congratulations! I'm jealous! You know I can't lie.”
I was happy for him, but also envious. It felt like something had been taken from me. But what could I do?
“You'll get there soon.”
“Y-Yeah.”
“Can you keep watch while I check my status window?”
“Ah, okay.”
Min Ha-na pouted and looked away. Wang-sik chuckled at the sight and checked his evolved Mark of the Guardian.
—Will of the Guardian (Evolved 4th Stage)
—Finger Chain 4th Circle
—Guardian's Skin 4th Circle
—Pulse of Hatred 4th Circle
—Fear Detection 4th Circle
—Fear Search 4th Circle
—Guardian Illusion 4th Circle
—Protective Will 4th Circle
“Protective Will?”
A new skill had appeared.
Protective Will
—Transfers your defense power to a designated target for 4 seconds.
It was a useful skill for protecting or defending someone.
Besides the new skill, there was one other thing to check.
—Finger Chain 4th Circle
—1st Circle Effect: Chain durability enhanced
—2nd Circle Effect: Chain length increased
—3rd Circle Effect: Inflicts lethargy on the target
—4th Circle Effect: Multi-Chain unlocked
Multi-Chain was unlocked.
The chains, which originally came out one per hand, could now split into multiple strands.
‘Two strands per hand for now.’
He could now use four chains simultaneously. Combined with the lethargy effect, it seemed useful for dealing with multiple enemies.
‘Excellent.’
The effects of his other skills had all been enhanced, and the growth of Guardian's Skin was particularly noticeable.
As a tanker, a skill that increased his defense was the most welcome.
‘The growth rate is definitely significant.’
While the growth was slower than the Awakening system, the increase at each stage was much greater.
“Is it time to meet him?”
As he thought this, his eyes fell on Min Ha-na.
She was calmly surveying their surroundings, but she looked somewhat sad.
“Let's go hunt.”
Wang-sik tested his enhanced abilities in actual combat.
It was evening, and the sun was setting.
As a lava spear pierced the earth and tore through a giant's body, a red light gathered around Min Ha-na.
Wang-sik smiled and stepped back at the sight, which looked like a small sun had fallen. But Min Ha-na, enveloped in the light, couldn't think at all.
Her pounding heart seemed to explode, spreading strength throughout her body.
The hot energy burned away her existing power as if cleansing her body, then infused her with new strength.
*Boom!*
Min Ha-na opened her eyes to the sound of an ear-splitting explosion.
Her body was overflowing with power.
She felt as if her entire being was made of condensed, hot energy.
—Min Ha-na. S-Class Fire Mage.
She had finally become S-Class.
She had reached the rank everyone dreamed of.
With her, the number of S-Class individuals in the world, once only six, had become seven.
A thrill ran through her body even before she checked the options listed below. She didn't need to read the details to know how much she had grown.
“Wow, I went through hell for this.”
Though she hadn't shown it, it had been hard for her too.
Endlessly killing monsters wasn't just physically exhausting.
Fighting nonstop for seven months was a greater mental trial than a physical one.
There was only one reason she had been able to endure it.
“Thank you.”
Wang-sik was always in the most dangerous places.
No matter how hard it got, she could never bring herself to say those words to him.
The days she had endured had accumulated to bring her here.
“It's all thanks to you.”
“Congratulations.”
Wang-sik gave her a thumbs-up.
For now, that praise was enough.
Wang-sik had called it a ranking game for the weak, but the power of an S-Class Fire Mage was anything but.
It felt like all her magic had become twice as strong.
In particular, Elia's Lava Spear, whose power varied depending on the caster's strength, was now strong enough to take down an S-Class monster in a single blow.
For the next hour, Min Ha-na went around turning the Stage 5 area into ruins.
“Let's head back now.”
“Just a little longer...”
“I have a place to stop by. There's something I need to check.”
Min Ha-na was disappointed but didn't insist.
“What are you going to check?”
“There's someone I need to meet.”
Wang-sik moved with Min Ha-na deep into the Stage 5 area.
They arrived at the border between Stage 5 and Stage 6.
As the surrounding scenery changed, Min Ha-na grew nervous for no reason.
“Are we going to Stage 6?”
“We're here.”
It was a clearing in the forest.
“It's been a while.”
The giant gorilla appeared, accompanied by the roars of its subordinates.
“You don't have to help.”
After saying this, Wang-sik faced Big Iron in the center of the clearing.
*Thud! Thud!*
They greeted each other with their fists.
“Whoa.”
Min Ha-na let out a gasp of admiration at their powerful fight. But after five minutes, her expression changed.
“What are they doing?”
It was the most boring battle she had ever seen Wang-sik fight. Yet their expressions were more serious than ever. The sun set and darkness fell, but their fight didn't end.
“So this is why they say you shouldn't watch tankers fight.”
When more than thirty minutes had passed, Min Ha-na was no longer watching them.
The surrounding scenery was far more interesting than their fight.
In contrast to her boredom, Wang-sik and the Iron Gorilla were surprising each other.
“You've gotten stronger too, huh?”
*Kuo!*
The Iron Gorilla had grown just as strong as Wang-sik. It had been stimulated by Wang-sik's growth during their last fight.
When an hour had passed, they backed away.
The fight was more intense than before, but they seemed less tired. This, too, was a result of their growth.
They looked at each other and retreated, and when they reached the edges of the clearing, the Iron Gorilla threw a banana again.
*Thwack.*
He caught one, and then another came flying.
Two bananas.
But the Iron Gorilla seemed to hesitate. Then it threw another one.
“What's this? Are you rating me?”
*I acknowledge you as much as three bananas are worth.*
That's what it meant.
“Are we leaving now?”
Min Ha-na's smile was exceptionally bright.
* * *
Having finished their seven-month-long expedition, they picked up cans of beer.
After showering and feeling refreshed, they sat on the sofa and clinked their cans.
“You worked hard.”
“You too.”
Taking a cool gulp felt like it was washing away their fatigue.
They had grown as much as they wanted and earned an unimaginable amount of money.
“We make a pretty great team, don't we?”
“I'll admit it.”
Wang-sik answered Min Ha-na's question immediately.
She was still visibly excited about becoming S-Class, but Wang-sik had grown just as much.
He had achieved the Mark's evolution, something that seemed like it would take years. In terms of actual growth, it was no different from Min Ha-na reaching S-Class.
“At first, I thought it was a living hell.”
They started chatting about their first time in the Azelan Continent.
After reminiscing about everything, Min Ha-na asked.
“Wang-sik. You're really going to do it, aren't you?”
“Do what?”
“The Earth Defense Force.”
“Of course. I have to.”
“Are we in danger if you don't?”
“There's a high probability humanity will be destroyed. Our current situation is worse than what I saw in those videos.”
Min Ha-na had felt it firsthand over the past few months.
What if the monsters she had fought all came over at the same time?
In the Decartes Mountains, they could control the number of monsters.
But what if several Devil Worms like the ones they fought today appeared in an empty space?
What if the entire Giant Munk tribe that dominated Stage 4 appeared in reality?
Even Wang-sik had to control their numbers to fight them.
“If the Azelan Continent's research on gates continues, a day like that will eventually come, right?”
“It's not an 'if.' It's a certainty. The problem is that there are still many enemies we can't handle.”
Even in Stage 5, which was just a convenient label, they had faced crises several times.
“Stage 6 and beyond are on a different level. It's horrifying. And our enemies aren't the monsters.”
“Right...”
What she had seen was only a tiny fraction of the Azelan Continent.
“There must be a lot of strong guys in the Azelan Continent too, right?”
“It depends on how you compare them, but one thing is clear: if we fought them right now, excluding the monsters, we would lose.”
“So, are we alive because they're letting us live?”
“Ironically, the gates are what have saved us. They regulate the invasion. From their perspective, with a 100% chance of winning, there's no need to take risks.”
“They can just wear us down, so there's no need to give us an opening?”
“Something like that. In any case, they have to risk their lives to come to Earth too.”
They couldn't ignore the power of the Awoken lying in wait. On top of that, modern weaponry is formidable. In an all-out war, they would also suffer immense damage.
The side that crosses dimensions first is inevitably at a disadvantage.
In fact, aside from those who secretly crossed through special gates, the many mages and independent forces that came through regular gates were all wiped out within a few days.
“There are other reasons, but there's something else that puts us at a disadvantage.”
“What is it?”
“The gap widens as time goes on.”
“You mean they grow faster?”
Wang-sik nodded.
“It's not just about their use of Life Stones and Mana Stones. They're taking our knowledge. Right now, our science is probably being actively researched in the Azelan Continent. What do you think will happen if science and magic are combined?”
The thought alone was horrifying.
“So that's why they only send gates.”
“It's a losing battle if we just wait. A time bomb has been set, and the clock is ticking down.”
Min Ha-na nodded with a serious expression.
“Can the Earth Defense Force you're creating stop it?”
“Of course. And I'm not creating it just to stop them.”
“Then?”
“We have to invade them. To end this war, we have to bring down Azelan. We can't win just by defending.”
Min Ha-na agreed. And she finally came to a conclusion about something she had been seriously contemplating.
“I'm in. The Earth Defense Force.”
“Okay.”
Min Ha-na made her request, and Wang-sik accepted. Their eyes met for a moment.
“Hey! Isn't there supposed to be some dramatic, touching moment? I'm putting my life on the line here.”
“I expected it. To be precise, I brought you to the Azelan Continent because I thought you would.”
“You cheap bastard!”
“If you don't want to, you can back out now. We can still be friends.”
“Forget it! I'm going to burn all those bastards to a crisp with my own hands.”
She too had lost her parents to monsters. It would be a lie to say she didn't want revenge. As she steeled her resolve, Wang-sik took out a new can of beer and said.
“Then you'll be donating too, right?”
“Donating?”
“We need to build a secret base. The operating costs will be high, too.”
Min Ha-na answered Wang-sik's proposal without a moment's hesitation.
“I'm going to buy a few items. Take everything else. What good is money if the world ends?”
“Can't do that. Leave enough to enjoy a luxury life.”
“Is the Earth Defense Force allowed to do that?”
“What's the point of saving humanity if you end up a beggar? We've earned at least that much.”
“That's rich coming from a guy who eats instant noodles every day.”
“Things will change once the base is built. I'll be eating, riding, and wearing only the best.”
“We'll see if you can really do that. You living a luxury life. I can't even imagine it.”
Wang-sik tossed a can of beer to the disbelieving Min Ha-na.
“Here, this is a gift for your donation.”
“A hundred-billion-won beer. I'll admit, that's luxurious. But is it okay to get a gift before I've even donated?”
“A man pays upfront.”
“And a woman?”
“Pays in full.”
Min Ha-na liked that answer.