Episode 10: Goblin Swamp (1)
A month had passed before anyone knew it.
In the aftermath of the shocking incident, many things had happened in the world.
Those engrossed in eschatology spread heretical logic to delude people, and the crime rate surged amid the reality of impending doom.
Hunters who had gained special abilities stuck out like protruding awls and caused trouble, clashing with ordinary people.
During that swiftly passing month, not a single day was peaceful.
Governments of every nation devoted all their efforts to stabilizing their citizens, and in the meantime, D-Day had loomed right before their eyes.
“So today’s finally the day.”
“Please… I just hope today passes safely.”
People were huddled together inside the chicken restaurant.
They were the ones who had carried out the previous mission together with Akan.
Go Chang-hyeok spoke to the part-timer trembling with anxiety.
“Don’t be so nervous. Even if we get summoned, we’ll survive safely like last time.”
“…Yes. I’ll trust you.”
The part-timer nodded at Go Chang-hyeok’s words.
Until recently, Go Chang-hyeok had been nothing more than a thug, but after his exploits in the mission, his standing had completely changed.
Someone to be trusted.
At least, with the mission looming, people were placing their trust in Go Chang-hyeok.
“Remember why we gathered today. If we combine our strength, there’s no mission we can’t clear.”
People still lacked information about the Other World.
They would need to clear at least three missions before the big picture came into focus.
Under Go Chang-hyeok’s leadership, they had promised to gather on the last day.
They had judged that sticking with those who had cleared the previous mission together was better than joining forces with newcomers.
Those unrelated to the mission were sent home.
In a situation where it was uncertain whether they would truly be summoned to the Other World, people waited anxiously, trembling with unease.
Eventually.
Groooooo.
Space began to open.
People’s expressions stiffened at the warping scenery around them.
‘The Other World.’
The disaster had now become an unavoidable reality.
* * *
The place they were newly summoned to was different from before.
Previously, it had been a vacant lot with a forest visible ahead, but now they were deep inside a forest in a place with an extremely high discomfort index.
The humidity was so high that standing still amid the swarming insects made one feel sick.
Despite having braced themselves, the people couldn’t hide their bewilderment at the gloomy darkness that had settled over the surroundings.
Ding!
[Mission Field. You have arrived at the Goblin Swamp.]
“Mission Field?”
“The Goblin Swamp?”
A notification rang in the people’s ears.
The Other World’s system added a brief explanation of the current situation.
[A Mission Field is a space belonging to the Other World, unlike the Tutorial Stage created for adapting to the Other World. Variables may arise depending on the situation, and variables are applied as Sudden Quests. Unlike the Main Quest, success or failure in a Sudden Quest is not directly connected to survival in the Mission Field.]
Tutorial Stage.
It was a system typically added for beginners in all games.
People were greatly shocked to learn that the mission they had previously carried out was a Tutorial Stage.
They had staked their lives to clear the Tutorial Stage.
Three people had lost their lives that way, yet the Other World’s system was calling it beginner-friendly.
The mission window that soon appeared proved that it wasn’t a lie.
[Goblin Extermination]
[Objective: Slay 50 goblins inhabiting the swamp.]
[Reward: Upon mission success, ten Fragments of Agility for all survivors / 1 Low-grade Item Random Box.
A special reward will be given to the person who achieves the greatest merit.]
“Crazy!”
“They want us to kill 50 goblins!”
“By goblins, do you mean those monsters from the movies? How are we supposed to clear this mission with this many people!”
The people’s mental states collapsed.
The figure of 50 made their heads spin.
People had died even while dealing with five wild dogs.
If goblins were classified as monsters, wouldn’t even more people naturally die!
The people who had been united in spirit just before being summoned were now staring blankly at the mission window.
The same was true for Go Chang-hyeok.
He had no idea how to clear this mission.
‘Goblins. Fortunately, they’re not difficult opponents.’
Akan thought differently from the others.
The number 50 was certainly threatening, but he judged that they could clear it since goblins were the opponents.
Akan had used monsters as test subjects while conducting numerous experiments.
Since he needed to understand the test subjects accurately for the experiments, he had thoroughly memorized the characteristics of most monsters.
It was a judgment based on sufficient information, not simply a rough estimate of victory.
‘But if we fight them recklessly, we’ll suffer a crushing defeat. No matter how weak goblins are among monsters, they are still monsters. If we let our guard down, we might be annihilated instead.’
The goblins’ weakness was clear.
Very weak physical abilities.
If the Other World’s goblins were at the level Akan thought they were, then the wild dogs they had faced before would be stronger in terms of pure combat ability.
But goblins were very cunning.
They knew they were weak and moved around in groups.
And they used weapons like paralyzing poison to take down enemies stronger than themselves.
They could be wiped out by a swarm of goblins if handled poorly, but Akan had a strategy.
“Hey, everyone. Listen carefully.”
All eyes turned to Akan.
In the hopeless situation, hope was fading from their eyes.
“The missions in the Other World are opportunities for survival that God has given humanity. Since killing isn’t the purpose, they wouldn’t have assigned an impossible mission from the start. So let’s calmly solve the mission together.”
“Do you have a plan?”
Akan had kindled a flame of hope.
At Go Chang-hyeok’s urgent question, Akan smiled inwardly.
‘So he looks to me for help when the situation is unfavorable.’
Akan did not like the people at the chicken restaurant, including Go Chang-hyeok.
No, he disliked them.
No matter how good-natured a person was, they couldn’t like people who looked down on them.
With all his heart, he wanted to turn his back on them, but joining forces with them was directly connected to Akan’s survival.
Akan was still weak.
Until he was confident he could clear missions alone, he needed to drag them along even if he disliked it.
“The method is simple. You’ve all played online games, right? Based on the skills we’ve learned, divide into Warriors, Rogues, and ranged damage dealers. And distribute the roles precisely. The Rogues step forward first to lure a small number of goblins, the Warriors face the goblins, and the ranged damage dealers finish them off. Rather than trying to take down all 50 at once, if we reduce their numbers little by little like this, we can achieve our goal.”
There was a problem here.
The goblins would have communication tools like flutes, and when those cunning creatures realized the enemies were numerous, they would immediately contact their comrades.
It was something he should mention in advance so they could prepare, but Akan couldn’t say that much.
If he revealed abilities beyond a certain level, people would grow wary.
Akan still needed them.
That was why Akan’s role was very important.
‘When we first face the goblins, I’ll block their communication. If I point this out afterward and prepare for it, people won’t think it’s strange.’
“What do you think? It’s a good method, isn’t it?”
People were speechless at Akan’s question.
It wasn’t that they disliked Akan’s plan.
No, rather, it was because they liked it too much.
‘A powerless part-timer at age forty.’
No matter how long he had worked at the chicken restaurant, people had looked down on Akan because of his profile.
That was why it was so alien to them.
Whenever they came to the Other World, the one they had so despised looked completely different.
An awl in a sack.
In the world Akan was familiar with, he was a sharp awl that could not be concealed no matter how much he tried to hide it.
- To be continued in Episode 11 -