Chapter 35: Don Quixote de la Mancha
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 35: Don Quixote de la Mancha
The first thing I saw upon entering the Gate was a massive windmill.
It was built from cherry-colored bricks stacked seamlessly, giving off an aura reminiscent of the Tower of Babel. It looked five times larger than a normal windmill, and its sails were made of blades that looked like they belonged on a guillotine.
"There are so many of them."
There were about thirty to forty of these windmills. Below them stretched an endless, vast meadow. Flocks of sheep grazed peacefully, and a shepherd slept under the shade of a tree, using it as his bed.
"Instructor Kim Seok-gu, what’s going on here?"
Kim Seok-gu and Lee Min-jun were talking with grim expressions. Their faces showed they were well aware that the difficulty had jumped to S-Class now that the Gate had been assigned a concept.
"The Gate difficulty has changed. This has never happened before..."
"For now, I think it’s best to keep the regular cadets in the Safe Zone."
That was news to me. A Safe Zone was spread out right at the Gate’s entrance. It was designed to prevent people from dying if they felt disoriented immediately upon entry. It was ironic that the Gate itself provided such a safeguard, but the result was beneficial.
Weak kids trying to help clear the Gate would only get in the way.
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S-Class Gate is activating.
Don Quixote de la Mancha is a character possessed of a beloved madness.
He has changed forms and moved from place to place through the mouths, hands, and actions of many people.
However, there were always a few things that supported him.
His ridiculous armor, his magnificent pony Rocinante, and his assistant Sancho Panza!
But that’s not all.
Do you remember the giant windmill giants and the angry shepherd?
Recall the memories of reading the book long ago and break through the Gate!
Perhaps later, you will look back on this moment and be soaked in happiness.
Clear Condition :: ???
Time Limit :: None
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Just as Kim Seok-gu and Lee Min-jun were about to explain their plan, the description window appeared. A piece of paper large enough for everyone to see suddenly manifested in the sky.
"Since we don't know the clear condition and there's no time limit, it's definitely an S-Class Gate."
The higher the difficulty, the less information was given about the conditions. Instead, they tended to be very generous with time, but that wasn't good news. Usually, when a time limit expired, the Gate would reopen, allowing people to leave.
The absence of a time limit meant there were only two ways out.
'Either die or clear it.'
The lives of about forty people could vanish in an instant. Dark shadows fell over the faces of the students who had come here with light hearts. No matter how much power they possessed, they were still only twenty years old. They looked the part, but it was strange to expect much from kids who had only been adults for four months.
"For now... we need to assemble a team to clear it."
"I believe that's already been decided."
Before I arrived, Kim Seok-gu and Lee Min-jun had already reached an agreement. The most efficient way to break through an unknown Gate was with an elite few. It was better to move with the strongest minimum force than to gather a ragtag bunch and risk higher casualties.
"Instructor Kim Seok-gu and I, Cadet Min-su, Cadet Tae-yang, and Cadet Melanie. The five of us must go."
Everyone nodded at Lee Min-jun's words. I realized later that despite saying we should speak comfortably, Lee Min-jun was using formal speech. It felt like he was assuming a combat stance.
'It’s the most ideal lineup.'
Three Always-Active Ability Users, an experienced instructor, and a Hunter team leader. It was the best elite squad we could form right now. Lee Min-jun’s Hunter team only showed its true power when the whole team was together. However, since only Lee Min-jun was a 1st-Grade Hunter and the rest were between 2nd and 3rd-Grade, they wouldn't be of much help here. This was why they were mockingly called 'Lee Min-jun and the Kids.'
"Then, how about we identify each other's skills before investigating the Gate? Mine is Teleportation."
Lee Min-jun's skill was so well-known it didn't even need mentioning. It had been exposed so much in the media that people memorized it automatically.
"Only I can move, and as for objects, only something about the size of a dagger is possible."
This was also a well-known fact. Because of these constraints, Lee Min-jun was often called a 'Ninja.'
"My body becomes hard. You can think of it as Hardening. It doesn't slow me down or anything."
Kim Seok-gu explained his skill by demonstrating his head turning hard. It was fascinating to see his head transform into smooth metal. I felt an impulse to touch it, but I held back because the atmosphere was so heavy.
"I am a Hero. It's a physical enhancement type."
Kim Min-su's ability had also caused a stir in the media a few times, so he skipped a detailed explanation. In the first place, it was a skill that didn't change much even if explained in detail.
'How do you even explain being a Hero?'
A Hero was just a Hero. The protagonist who leads the worldview and the incarnation of justice who defeats evil. It was a simple and brief explanation, but it covered everything.
"My main skill is Coercion. As Instructor Kim Seok-gu mentioned, it's a debuff type that applies direct pressure, limited to living organisms."
"How much pressure can you apply?"
"I'm not sure since I've never gone all out, but I should be able to suppress skill activation as well."
In a Gate where life and death were on the line, checking the output of abilities was crucial. Lee Min-jun was going over those details one by one. He kept throwing questions not only at me but also at Kim Seok-gu and Kim Min-su whenever he had further curiosities.
"Then, what about Cadet Melanie?"
"I can summon and control firearms. Everything from simple guns to complex machinery. I can fire them automatically even without a gunner."
"The downside is she loses control if she uses it for too long, especially if she brings out something complex like a machine."
Kim Seok-gu, who had been listening silently, spoke up. Melanie's confident expression stiffened instantly.
'Was it because of this?'
It made sense why she was treated like an explosive. If she couldn't control her ability properly, a tank could suddenly be summoned in the middle of the street and blow everything up. It was clear that the major accident in her childhood happened for this very reason.
"Alright, now that we've identified everyone's abilities, shall we analyze the concept? Does anyone know Don Quixote?"
Lee Min-jun acted like the active professional he was, accustomed to meeting various Hunters. He actively utilized his overwhelming social skills and humanity to keep leading the atmosphere. I was impressed that he could keep the conversation going even with Kim Min-su, who was openly shy, Melanie, who looked anxious, and Kim Seok-gu, who was watching over her.
"I've read it a bit. To summarize simply, it's the travelogue of Don Quixote."
"Ah... do those windmills appear in it?"
"They do, but they don't look that threatening."
When I answered actively, Lee Min-jun looked like he had found an oasis in the desert. He could feel the stiff atmosphere gradually changing.
'Slumping because the situation is bleak is the worst thing you can do.'
In that regard, Lee Min-jun was perfect. Not only him, but 'Lee Min-jun's Kids' were also mingling with the cadets to improve the mood. Kim Seok-gu was doing well at first, but his face hardened after Melanie mentioned her ability, and he hadn't relaxed since.
We discussed various things after that, but the surprising part was that no one knew the story of Don Quixote. They knew it was a classic masterpiece and had seen it in world literature collections, but they didn't know the content.
'Is this Chubby Ahn's doing?'
Or they might have just not read it. Just because something is famous doesn't mean people know the details.
"Then, according to Cadet Tae-yang, those windmills could become giants?"
"Yes, and that shepherd might also get angry and start beating people up."
"Hmm... then we can't just rashly attack first."
The most difficult type of Gate was one with a set concept. This was because it was hard to get a sense of how to respond, just like now. If it were defense, you'd defend; if it were offense, you'd attack. At the very least, if it were a boss battle, you'd just take the head of the strongest guy.
"Should I try sniping first?"
"It's too dangerous. Let's watch the progress a bit more—"
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.
Just as we were discussing where to make the first move, the sound of hooves reached our ears. It wasn't the powerful sound of a well-bred racehorse or a warhorse, but the sound of labored, individual steps.
"Ho ho, what are you all doing here?"
"I don't rightly know, your worship."
I knew who they were the moment I saw them. I had spent over thirty minutes explaining the characters of Don Quixote. An ancient sword and spear inherited from a great-grandfather, and a helmet that barely covered the face. A small man wearing a floppy hat made of rags, riding a pathetic pony with patches of missing fur.
The combination of all these things meant only one thing.
"Don Quixote!"
"Oh! To think someone knows me! It seems my spirit of chivalry is already spreading across this vast continent. Is it not so, Sancho?"
"Hehe, quite right, your worship. You truly are the one who promised me an island. This Sancho will follow and serve you even to the ends of hell!"
Kim Min-su stepped forward gallantly to block their path, but Don Quixote and Sancho didn't even pay him any mind. They were treating all of us, not just Min-su, as mere extras.
"Sancho! Look there! Those massive giants, those ferocious wolves in sheep's clothing, and that wicked sorcerer holding a staff!"
"No, your worship! Those are just windmills. There are no wolves, only sheep. And that's no sorcerer, just a simple shepherd!"
"Sancho! Trust me! You must be under the devil's spell, unable to see the truth. For the time being, I shall be your eyes and show you the truth! Hyah!"
"Oh, mercy, your worship! Please slow down a bit! With my short legs... ah... right!! Rocinante's legs are short too!"
It felt like watching a clumsy play. None of us could grasp the situation, so we just stood there watching their conversation. Don Quixote skillfully steered Rocinante and began to charge forward. Sancho started following, his short legs churning as fast as they could, which looked ridiculous.
All we could do was watch the situation unfold.
"Oh, mercy, your worship! The windmills! The windmills are moving!"
"What did I tell you! Sancho, you have finally broken free from the devil's spell! That is the true form of the windmills! Those sheep will also reveal their fangs, and the shepherd will prepare to cast his spells!"
At Don Quixote's words, which boomed like thunder, everyone's eyes turned toward the windmills. Just as Don Quixote said, the windmills were gradually rising from the ground. It was reminiscent of a giant tree uprooting itself to stand up.
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With the appearance of Don Quixote, Rocinante, and Sancho, the clear conditions are revealed!
Don Quixote's eyes possess the power to blur the line between ideals and reality.
What he sees can become a windmill or a giant.
Even the most insignificant insect will turn into a monster if seen through his eyes!
Stop him before he turns everything in the world into a monster!
Clear Condition :: Kill Don Quixote (0/1)
Kill Rocinante (0/1)
Kill Sancho (0/1)
※Caution※
Don Quixote cannot be killed by the monsters he creates.
The same applies to Rocinante and Sancho!
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Everyone snapped to their senses as the information window announcing the clear conditions appeared belatedly. Don Quixote was a man of massive delusions who believed everything in novels was real. But what if that became reality? What if everything he looked at turned into a monster?
"Everyone, target Don Quixote! Min-jun, provide rear support with Melanie, and the rest follow me!"
Every object in the Gate was turning into a monster the moment it entered Don Quixote's field of vision.
"We can't let him look at all the windmills! We have to kill him before then!"
Kim Seok-gu's urgent tone reflected the current situation. So far, Don Quixote had only properly gazed at one windmill. But that single one was emitting the aura of an A-Class monster.
"Sancho! Look there! The blades of the windmill giant are sharper than a guillotine meant for a condemned man!"
"Oh, mercy, your worship, how do you plan to fight it!"
"Won't those young people behind us handle it instead? We must hurry and find the utopia that lies at the end of the world!"
"As expected of your worship! Your ideas are simply brilliant and genius!"