Reaping the Fields of Growth
Not just Yeonwoo started moving. The reeds were about as tall as a person, and they grew thick and dense. Staying still meant nothing was visible, so this gave the hunters the perfect excuse to get moving fast. Through trial and error and their various actions, they gradually got a feel for the event.
With hunters ranging from Tier II to Tier III, they all had that level of initiative. And the moment clearing reeds started showing up on the rankings, their movements grew frantic.
Whoosh! Pillars of fire shot up somewhere in the distance.
"Hah! Hah! Hyah! Hah!"
On one side, rhythmic grunts echoed as the reeds shook violently.
"What the hell...?"
"What kind of event is this?!"
Of course, there were plenty who felt the same way. With many less experienced hunters in this event, the unfamiliar environment hit them even harder.
"Hmph. That's newbies for you."
Fortress's rising star, Nade Man, was different. Backed by a massive company, his head was packed with a database others lacked. He pulled out a spare weapon and silently hacked away at the reeds.
Tick.
Thanks to that, Nade Man shot into the gold zone of the rankings at breakneck speed. His hard work wasn't a lie—even without his Real Combat Compression No.4, he bravely chopped through the reeds.
In this suddenly bustling atmosphere...
"A scythe?"
What Yeonwoo pulled out with gusto was a harvest sickle.
"You carry something like that? Impressive."
Shin Gaon eyed Yeonwoo intently. At first, she didn't get why a scythe, but then nodded as understanding dawned. She hadn't even considered it as a weapon.
"Alright. Guess I'll put some effort in too."
She even looked a bit pitying as she hefted her two-handed axe with vigor.
'Damn woman.'
Yeonwoo slightly regretted pulling out the scythe. Anyway, the key was the special option on the harvest sickle: Reap the Ears.
Cuts the ears and automatically loads them into the Bag.
Yeonwoo swung the sickle right away.
Slash—!
The reeds fell in one clean stroke. The satisfying snick of the break traveled up her hand.
Swoosh—slash! Swing—slash!
Reeds tumbled down following the sickle's arc.
"Huh."
There was an oddly low resistance. It went beyond clean—something more.
"Eh?"
It cut so easily she almost wondered if something was wrong. She glanced at Shin Gaon for comparison.
Swoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shin Gaon swung her axe with all her might. The wind from it tickled Yeonwoo's hair.
"You'll hurt yourself, you idiot!"
She couldn't help yelling.
"Fuck!"
But the response was a sharp curse. Shin Gaon swung her axe horizontally with full power, but...
Swish swish—
The reeds just bent sideways along the path. Brute force alone couldn't sever them.
"Why won't it cut?!"
Shin Gaon bellowed. It wasn't just her—every hunter swinging wildly faced the same issue. They were all in a rush.
But these weren't ordinary reeds; they were gate reeds. Piercing their monstrous durability was key, and their length meant blind swings just pushed them aside.
Matchup was everything.
"...Matchup?"
Yeonwoo switched the sickle to a sword and swung lightly.
Swish swish.
The reeds bent sideways without cutting. The Reap the Ears option didn't trigger; they just got shoved aside. But switching back to the sickle...
Slash—
A casual swing severed them effortlessly.
"Oh."
The sickle's L-shape helped, sure, but she felt something more in her hand. Synergy, maybe. And it felt familiar.
'Feels like two-handed weapons.'
Streetlights or greatswords shone brightest two-handed. Not just the Weight option—it was the natural extra power from both hands. Obvious, really.
"Makes sense. But still, something..."
Hard to put into words, but it nagged at her. Yeonwoo examined her sickle closely. Experiencing the "obvious" in this special context hit different—her body recognized it on a deeper level.
Even if it was just reaping reeds, choosing the efficient tool beat killing monsters. Picking the right weapon for the situation maximized performance.
"Feels like power's surging in."
Her hands itched. She couldn't stop swinging.
Slash—slash—
With satisfying vibrations, inner power swelled.
"Ah."
Yeonwoo hit Tier II Stage 3. Astonishingly fast growth.
Weapon Affinity
Effects increase when the weapon's affinity matches the situation.
It wasn't just growth—a new trait too.
"...Huh."
Yeonwoo couldn't help but be shocked. A brand-new trait from reaping reeds with a sickle. Another weapon-related one.
Her insight evolved into growth and a trait. Now, choosing the right weapon went beyond instinct—it was a system-granted power.
"Whoa. Is this what events are like?"
Joy mixed with daze. She'd joined events before, but never grasped them or found teammates, failing to escape the maze. This was her first real taste of the benefits.
'Feels like everything in the gate fuels hunter growth.'
Even reaping reeds.
"Works for me."
Only one thing to do. Yeonwoo swung again.
Slash—slash-slash—
Weapon Affinity made the swings even crisper.
After swinging nonstop without stretching...
Clink.
A fist-sized magic stone dropped to the ground.
"...Ahh."
Yeonwoo's eyes widened. She glanced warily at Shin Gaon, still axe-swinging behind, then scooped it up and into her bag.
'Insane. This place is nuts.'
Her lips and cheeks twitched in suppressed glee. Unable to show it, the joy flushed her face pink. Yeonwoo beamed with harvest bliss, her lovely labor and capitalist smile bathed in twilight glow.
Continuing her rewarding swings and reaping...
Yeonwoo wiped beaded sweat and looked back at her work.
By now, she and Shin Gaon had boldly entered the gold zone on the rankings. And where they'd cleared reeds, an open space emerged.
Plus, it was oddly clean.
"Huh. Down to the ground?"
No stubs left—perfectly bare earth.
"Argh! Fuck! Fuck, why?!"
Then Shin Gaon's furious yell. Yeonwoo hadn't noticed amid her focus, but the sight was a spectacle. Unable to chop blindly, she'd squatted, gripping reeds by hand to axe them.
Not bad. Tough reeds or not, she was Tier III—pure brute strength incarnate. She could slice and advance.
But the problem was right next to her.
Slash—slash-slash—
Yeonwoo danced forward, massacring reeds openly. It goaded Shin Gaon.
"Damn it. Fucking reeds...!"
Was a little scything worth this rage? Surprisingly, even Shin Gaon's muscle-brain knew frustration.
First defeat: KO'd by Yeonwoo's knee. Complicated—endless cap kicks, but she'd almost stopped at the end. Could've been her win. She'd chalked it to luck.
But this? Clear second loss. No more excuses. Defeat turned to stress, spurring her on.
"Let's do this."
Shin Gaon muttered. Her life was proof. Born privileged, she sought uncharted paths to prove herself.
Now, in this special event space, teamed with Yeonwoo, she was failing to shine.
So she had to prove it—to Yeonwoo, of all people.
Grip.
Her hands clenched the axe tight. Then she swung with unprecedented force.
Whoooosh—!
A massive gust erupted. Instantly, a huge clearing formed around her. Her strength transcended physics, birthing wind.
Her craving for proof elevated her.
She advanced a stage, gaining a new trait: one that whipped wind from swings. All in less than a day partnering with Yeonwoo.
She clenched her fist.
"Ah. Fuck!"
But flattening reeds wasn't cutting them. More power didn't fix wrong answers.
"It doesn't work! Why, why?!"
Thud!
Unable to contain her temper, she slammed her axe down. It landed stably amid fallen reeds.
Grind.
Even more pissed, she drew her sword—a cylinder and thin pipe standout. Real Combat Compression No.4.
"Hey, why use that?!"
Yeonwoo wasn't one to watch. Beyond startling, she pointed her sickle and screeched in a birdlike voice.
"Ha. You're so diligent, Yeonwoo."
Shin Gaon smirked. They'd agreed to save No.4 until the event decided the winner. But this infuriating mess made the stuffy promise hard to keep.
"But I promised—"
"It's mine. Why use it without asking?"
"...Crazy bitch."
Caught off-guard, Shin Gaon stuck out her tongue. She eyed Yeonwoo closely. Weapons really flipped her switch.
"You're obsessed with weapons, huh?"
"I am a weapon."
Yeonwoo replied confidently. Not wrong—stigma aside, her body and face were weapons too.
"Yeah?"
Shin Gaon grinned and approached. Self-proclaimed weapon? No holds barred.
"Our Yeonwoo. Bending over must hurt your back."
"What? Back off."
"Save that pretty waist for better things. Right?"
"Wh-what the hell, you psycho..."
Amid the sudden vulgar advance, Yeonwoo flustered. Shin Gaon seized the gap, ducked low, clung on, and yanked both ankles hard.
"Hey! Shin Gaon!"
"What? You're a weapon, right? Arms out. Don't scratch that pretty face!"
Shin Gaon twisted. Yeonwoo's body stretched straight, launching into the air.
Whoooosh—
Instead of the giant axe, Yeonwoo swung in her grip.
Slash slash slash—!
The sickle in her outstretched hand mowed reeds instantly.
"Haha! Yes! This is it!"
Finally hitting the answer, Shin Gaon cackled madly, spinning like a top. A massive human weed whacker ravaged the field.
Slash slash slash!
The effect was tremendous. Reeds vanished visibly in the motion's wake.
"You—fucking—insane—bitch...!"
Yeonwoo's enraged voice trailed long. But the curse cut short.
'Wait.'
Even mid-spin, her gyroscope sense kicked in.
Thinking it over...
'Kinda comfy.'
Shin Gaon swung her. But she reaped.
So this all counted as her work.