Chapter 107
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Heavy Weapons
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"It ended sooner than expected."
Actually, "sooner" was an understatement. We had wrapped things up ridiculously early.
"What will you do now? Shall we head back?" Shin Hye-seon asked, looking at me for direction.
Normally, raid parties called it quits after clearing just one dimensional rift. It was taxing work, after all. But today felt different.
"What should we do?"
"At this rate, we have time to check out one or two more," someone suggested.
"Yeah, we've gotta milk this 'Uncle' vibe for all it's worth."
Personally, I had no intention of clearing rifts with them every day. Today was just a whim—my curiosity getting the better of me. But for them, an opportunity to party up with a carry like me was rare. I decided I might as well live up to their expectations for the day.
"Alright," I said. "Let's move."
We headed straight to the next dimensional rift.
As we engaged the monsters, Kim Jin-ah’s claymore began to hum, emanating a distinct aura. It was a Mana Blade.
She was a body enhancement awakener, previously D-rank. Judging by the manifestation of the blade, it seemed her rank had finally gone up a notch.
However, Jin-ah was just staring blankly at the mana rising from her claymore, looking completely entranced.
‘What’s up with her?’
It didn't look like simple joy over a power-up. She looked dazed.
"Danger!"
Jae-eun shouted, stepping in to take out a monster that was charging at the distracted Jin-ah.
"Ah? S-sorry!"
Jin-ah finally snapped out of her trance, quickly joining Jae-eun to clear out the remaining monsters. Yet, even as she fought through the stragglers, she seemed unable to focus. Her movements were sloppy.
"Jin-ah, why did you zone out like that back there? Is it because your rank went up?" Jae-eun asked after the fight, sensing something was off.
"I-it’s... sorry."
"It looks like you hit C-rank. Is something wrong?"
"Huh? Oh? Y-yeah."
Jin-ah gave dazed, disjointed answers, clearly confused about something.
I figured it was dangerous to push further when she was this unfocused, so I made the call to end the expedition there. We headed back to the lodge.
"S-sorry," Jin-ah mumbled again, seeming apologetic for cutting the rift clears short on her account.
"Don't worry about it," I told her. I’d only come out for a change of pace anyway, so I didn't mind much.
Still, as I watched her walk away, I couldn't shake the feeling.
‘It didn't seem like she was just thrilled about the rank-up...’
By the next day, however, she was back to her usual self. Whether she wanted to get a handle on her new awakened ability or just prove a point, she started heading out diligently to clear rifts. Even on days when Jae-eun stayed behind to rest from fatigue, Jin-ah went out and cleared them solo.
The rank-up must have lit a fire under her.
I thought sparing with me one more time would have helped her adjust faster, but people like her wouldn't believe in their own growth unless they figured it out themselves. So, I kept my mouth shut.
I skipped the rift clears after that first day. Back at the lodge, I fully embraced the life of a true NEET.
Gaming, movies... you name it. When I got hungry, I’d tell the beauty chef what I wanted, and she’d whip up anything I asked for—unless it was physically impossible.
It was a seriously luxurious shut-in life.
‘This feels even more comfy than home...’
That’s when I finally got the news I’d been waiting for from Shin Hye-seon.
It was a dark, moonless night.
I rode with Shin Hye-seon, heading toward a secluded location.
Under normal circumstances, night meant one thing: sex. But tonight, I was in "Sage Mode"—strictly business.
We arrived at a bleak, desolate wasteland shrouded in darkness. A massive shipping container sat alone in the middle of nowhere, guarded by armed men.
"This is the place," Shin Hye-seon said.
As we approached, the guards quietly saluted and withdrew.
"I'll wait here," she told me. She probably assumed that whatever was inside wasn't meant for her eyes.
I nodded lightly to her and walked up to the container. The door was secured with heavy chains and a massive padlock.
Meaningless obstacles to me, though.
Crack!
I crushed the lock and chains with my bare hand, crumbling the metal like dry clay, and threw the doors open.
Inside, the container was packed. Pristine, state-of-the-art mortars, rocket launchers, crates of shells, and grenades—tons of heavy weaponry. This was the shipment I’d asked Flame Lord Kwak Sang-hyun for.
I checked the crates. I had ordered mostly incendiary rounds.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[No elements capable of observing Master are nearby.]
Relieved by Suni's confirmation that I wasn't being watched, I swept the container's entire contents into my inventory.
‘Let's go.’
I activated [Login] to open a portal. A rectangular entryway shimmered into existence.
I could have waited until morning after a good sleep, but these were heavy weapons I’d never handled before. The excitement was making my body itch. I had to try them out immediately.
I stepped into the save point I’d set previously: the Cheongju zombie world.
The scenery shifted in an instant.
I stood in the church interior, bathed in soft sunlight that never seemed to change. Stepping out of the sanctuary, I looked toward the city—a ruin infested with spider monsters and draped in thick, white silk.
My heart pounded at the thought. If my luck held, I could farm this place for free.
‘But does EXP come from killing with stuff like this?’
I’d know soon enough.
I looked out over the buildings blanketed in white webs. The landscape hadn't changed much since my last visit.
‘This spot should do.’
Following Suni's guidance, I pulled a mortar from my inventory and set it up on flat ground. It wasn't some cheap military-issue junk; the supports deployed automatically, anchoring firmly to the surface. According to Suni, it utilized mana stones as an energy source combined with modern digital tech. Top-tier stuff.
Kwak Sang-hyun must have put real thought into this gift.
Using the Inventory made loading the shells a breeze. Since it was a digital weapon, Suni could interface with it directly—all I had to do was hit fire. Technically, she could have fired it too, but pulling the trigger was a man's prerogative.
The mortar whirred, auto-adjusting its angle and rotation. Suni had already selected the impact zone, but frankly, with a target this big, anywhere in the city worked.
I clenched my fist and pressed the button.
Boom!
Flames trailed white smoke as the round arced high, raining down like fireworks.
White phosphorus rounds.
I’d tested the webs briefly before and found they didn't burn easily. But military-grade incendiaries might be a different story.
Boom! Boom!
Two more shots arced toward different sectors. Daytime fireworks lit up the sky.
‘Will it work?’
I launched a drone to get a visual.
The rounds hit the ground amidst plumes of white smoke, instantly igniting the webs. It was a promising start.
But suddenly, spider monsters swarmed from the shadows, immediately starting damage control. They began spewing fresh white webs to douse the fires.
"No... these bastards are crossing the line again..."
I couldn't just watch them undo my work. I loaded napalm rounds, aiming directly over the "firefighter" spiders, and fired.
Boom. Boom.
The napalm struck their backs, setting them ablaze in an instant. They writhed in agony, rolling on the ground.
"Ooh, incoming EXP!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
But as the notification popped up, my good mood sank fast.
"...Th-three? Only three?!"
The drone feed showed the other spiders rushing in, quickly webbing out the flames on their burning kin before they could die.
I had fired a few expensive shots, and I only got three kills...
This wasn't worth the cost.
‘Should I try other shells?’
No. Low-grade or not, these were D-rank monsters back home. Standard explosive rounds wouldn't kill them without direct hits.
...I guess you really can't farm for free, huh?
Did I have to go in there and smash them manually? I hated the idea of diving into that filthy, sticky mess. Besides, looking at the state of this world, there were plenty of other hunting spots. Now that my mobility was secured, there was no need to cling to this specific city.
‘All these incendiaries I busted my ass for on Jeju Island...’
The disappointing results soured my mood.
‘.......Well, plenty of other uses for them someday, right?’
Consoling myself with that bitter thought, I packed the gear back into my inventory.
‘Tch... Let's head back and think it over.’
I kicked off the ground, soaring into the sky. Black mana wings unfurled from my back, and a burst of mana thrust propelled me forward.
Suni had said wings beat high-speed flight for energy efficiency unless I was going for max velocity. I took her word for it.
Flying toward Sejong City, I spotted a black, cloud-like swarm rising from the forest below.
‘That...’
I’d seen something similar before. On the way from Daejeon to Sejong, I think.
As I got closer, I recognized them: the massive, twisted pigeon flock from back then.
They were flying straight at me.
I considered dodging, but my irritation from the spider city was still simmering. I pulled out the portable rocket launcher.
This was no cheap, disposable tube—it screamed high-end luxury. I mounted it on my shoulder and took aim.
Suni loaded a rocket from the inventory with lightning speed. The display lit up, showing a clean trajectory. They were flying in such a straight formation, they were practically begging to be hit.
Boom!
The warhead streaked toward the center of the swarm.
Kaboom!
A massive explosion of flames erupted, torching a huge chunk of the pigeons. They plummeted from the sky, burning like falling stars.
Seeing them crisply incinerated finally vented some of my frustration.
There was no quest response, though—these things were trash, even below the level of low-grade corrupted monsters. I was wasting premium gear on weaklings.
Boom! Boom!
I fired two more shots, sending lightning-fast death into their ranks. The flock broke, fleeing in panic.
I didn't bother chasing them, obviously.
Still... the weapon was decent against trash mobs, but it was no real consolation for the letdown with the spiders.
Bearing that lingering regret, I continued my flight to Sejong City.