◈ Episode 84. Blooming in the Swamp (1)
[Predator’s Wetlands]
[Recommended Level: Lv.500]
[Rift Collapse Rate: 0.9%]
The coordinates of the rift were at the northernmost tip of Europe’s Scandinavian Peninsula.
It was a land far, far away from South Korea.
But as long as the Magic Tower’s portal existed,
distance was not an issue.
“Achoo! What the hell kind of weather is this cold?”
“Cold attribute resistance or whatever. What’s with this wind?”
“Ugh, I’d rather fall into the swamp. Seriously!!”
Yes, the problem was, as expected, the icy, knife-like wind.
Predator’s Wetlands.
A base camp for the players had already been set up in front of the rift.
According to information from players who had entered first, the scale of the rift was vast, befitting its title as a predator zone.
“It’s good news, I guess. Means there are lots of mobs around.”
“Is that really good news? This rift’s recommended level is 500.”
“High risk, high return. Don’t you know? Scared?”
“I know I’m not one to talk, but players really have no sense of fear.”
Naturally, clearing it would take quite a bit of time.
A base camp where they could rest was essential.
Of course, even before the base camp arrived,
there were some who had already entered the rift.
Either they couldn’t endure the cold,
or their enthusiasm had already blazed as hot as it could go.
Squelch—
With every step, their feet sank into the wetland environment.
At the same time, a message appeared before their eyes.
[Movement speed decreases slightly.]
But there was no leisure to complain.
As had been said countless times before,
this place was a predator zone where the strong gathered.
Which meant that each and every monster in sight was not to be taken lightly.
Bzzzzzz—
In other words, even that creature that looked like an insect was no ordinary foe. A gigantic mantis flying through the sky, the Sky Blade. Its forelegs gleamed.
Swaaash—!
He had clearly dodged it.
Yet the fierce wind pressure was enough to make him feel as if his body were being pushed back.
But there was no hesitation.
“Yeah. It’s gotta be at least this much to make hunting worthwhile.”
The strongest Barbarian, Nam Taemin.
He had faithfully carried out the class quest that had begun thanks to Hoyeol.
At first, even activating [Call of the Wild]
had been overwhelming.
But now, he could control it to some extent.
Pat!
Nam Taemin kicked off from the wetlands and leaped.
Because of his lowered movement speed,
his jumping power should have dropped as well.
“Brothers. Nam Taemin is practically flying around out there?!”
As if such a thing were nothing more than a trivial problem.
Nam Taemin tracked his prey at explosive speed.
His movements were like those of a beast consumed by wildness.
It was far from enough for the creature to stop Nam Taemin’s approach.
“This is Nam Taemin, the guy who’s even taken down a demon corps commander!!”
A predator zone where the strong gathered?
Wasn’t Nam Taemin someone who had chased after Hoyeol and fought even worse opponents?
The demon corps commander, Horikan, had been one such formidable foe.
So the battle did not last long.
Crunch—
Its wings were torn off, its forelegs were ripped away, and then……
There was nothing more that needed to be explained.
The man broadcasting the scene shouted at the camera.
“I told you, didn’t I? You’d be in for a real feast for the eyes!”
- fr lol Nam Taemin’s basically grown wings, seriously ㄷㄷ
- Even before his class quest popped up, didn’t he go toe-to-toe with Hisagi??
- Considering the level difference, that was insane lol even back then
- He’s just good at fighting lol
The viewers were immersed in the battle.
Of course they were.
The monsters appearing in the predator zone all possessed combat power on the level of named monsters. Even a simple hunt could not help but feel thrilling.
“Holy crap. The next mob is already charging Nam Taemin?”
And battles like that were happening without pause.
There was a reason NetTubers had smelled content here.
The situation elsewhere was not much different.
“Wow. Berserker really isn’t called a mad warrior for nothing……”
The battle continued.
A mad warrior who grew stronger the more wounded she became.
For Leoni, the predator zone was the optimal hunting ground.
“Shining and Cheonhwa Unification are definitely moving efficiently. The way they move their guild members in party units, and the way they don’t give the monsters an opening to ambush them. It’s almost scary how disciplined they all are.”
Guild rankings first and second.
Needless to say, Shining and Cheonhwa Unification were no exception.
They moved systematically, hunting down monsters.
On top of that, given the location where the rift had appeared,
even the EU guilds, who were receiving attention for the first time in a while, were present.
Watching their battles—
no, their ceaseless struggles to the death—
it was only natural to think that this was practically a colosseum.
Who, then, would be the warrior left standing until the end?
“I can guarantee that whoever it is, they won’t be standing in one piece.”
Squelch—
After all, this place was a wetland.
Even just standing still was enough to make one stagger.
When you lived as a NetTuber, the only thing that improved was your patter.
Thanks to that, he had been able to spit out such wordplay.
But while jokes were one thing, guarantees were not something to be made recklessly.
Whether exhausted after repeated battles,
or faced with a swamp where one’s feet sank deep with every step,
there was a man who could not only stand perfectly fine,
but stand with lofty elegance beyond that.
“……
H-he’s here!”
Because Hoyeol was there.
Predator’s Wetlands.
Having entered the rift, Hoyeol was looking down at the wetlands.
Why did his expressionless gaze seem even colder than usual?
The NetTuber, watching with bated breath, whispered.
“That solemn expression makes it look like he’s here to take over the predator zone, right?”
The moment he spoke,
the chat flooded in.
“Ah. Sorry for the slip of the tongue.”
At the reaction, the NetTuber quickly took back his informal tone.
He spoke with respectful formality.
“I’ll correct myself! It looks like he has graced this place to take it over, does it not?!”
*
Constancy.
My attire was the same as always.
The rift’s location, with the Arctic just around the corner?
Cold was no longer an issue.
Because I had the [Warmth] buff.
[Jewelry Box Filled with Warmth]
[Grade: Unique]
[Restriction: None]
[Effect: Grants stored accessories ‘Warmth’ for a certain period of time.]
[Description: A jewelry box passed down through a noble family. A mother’s love for her daughter has been passed down through generations.]
The battle with the Demon King Decarabia.
Like the longsword and Duke Swallin’s cherished item, it was an item I had offered as a sacrifice for the exorcism ritual. Its effect was to grant the [Warmth] buff to accessories.
[Warmth maintains the body in optimal condition.]
The effect was simple.
But the effect I felt from it was truly tremendous.
Even without wearing a thick coat or functional tights, I really wasn’t cold.
It meant I no longer had to act pathetic while being battered by knife-like wind……!
Still, I really have grown this much.
I had entered the rift with imposing steps.
But I stopped almost immediately.
The swamp came up to around my waist.
Naturally, my clothes would get dirty.
That was a sight gravely contrary to formality.
Everything was because of this tiresome personality.
Even though I had lived perfectly fine in a studio apartment dirtier than this swamp.
Still, stepping into a swamp in these clothes really did feel unpleasant.
It was while I was having an unexpected staring contest with the swamp because of that.
Something entered my field of vision.
“!”
It was a lotus leaf floating on the wetlands.
Until just yesterday, I would have brushed it off as simply a lotus leaf. But not anymore. Because I had the [Pentagram of Pure Knowledge].
“An unusually large leaf.”
The Arcana Continent.
I had acquired knowledge of every mineral and plant.
“It is a black lotus.”
Thanks to that, I could recite even the exact name and characteristics of the lotus leaf. What that meant was simple.
So familiar that I could skip the process. That lotus leaf was a target of exploration familiar to me.
‘To be honest, if I could, I would too.’
I wanted to spam teleportation like Marcelo Bangrit.
If wishing to become like the Magic Tower’s chief and senior mage was far too great a desire, then why, I at least wanted to levitate like Jesse Heinness.
‘Like a real mage.’
But I was only level 296.
And with an even more pitiful amount of mana than that, there was no way such a thing was possible.
Unless [Natural Enemy Relationship]
was activated, I had to conserve my mana.
Moreover, this place was a predator zone where battle never ceased.
‘This is what I call my best option.’
Even if it was complicated and shabby, there was no helping it.
The reality was that I had no choice but to consider mana efficiency.
I skipped exploration.
I immediately interfered with the lotus leaf.
Enough for it to support my weight.
An interference at the level of simply adjusting its durability.
Compared to converting mana into fire or electricity,
it was only natural that the mana consumption would be lower.
Lightly.
I stepped onto the lotus leaf.
I was someone who could ascend and descend the Magic Tower’s stairs as if it were nothing.
This was nothing.
“Not bad.”
I could feel piercing gazes.
Yes, to players who could not know my complicated circumstances,
“……
Wh-what is that skill this time?!”
they must be wondering what in the world that was.
But this body of mine did not care for the gazes of others.
To put it bluntly, I had not even shrunk back before the elder mages of the Magic Tower.
‘No, beyond that, I even shamelessly interrogated them.’
So.
“As I heard, you are impatient.”
The only problem for me was the monsters.
Indeed, this was a predator zone said to contain only monsters crazed for battle.
The moment it sensed my presence, a monster charged at me.
Wriggle, wriggle—
Scarlet pupils that emitted killing intent.
A gigantic body rippling beneath the wetlands.
And a tongue that flicked incessantly.
A name I had seen in the update details came to mind.
[Beast Predator Anaconda: Lv.530]
It wasn’t easy from the start. Truly……!
As for its level, it wasn’t enough to make a fuss over.
This was, to begin with, a rift with a recommended level of 500.
There had been plenty of creatures in the update details boasting higher levels than the Beast Predator Anaconda. In any case, its appearance fit the title of beast predator.
‘Just what did it swallow?’
Was it a snake, or a snake-shaped jar?
How much had it swallowed, exactly?
Its already enormous size had swollen even further.
Yet did it still not consider its belly full?
Kiaaaaaa—!
The creature opened its massive maw toward me.
“As expected, there is no trace of formality to be found.”
That was my impression of the threat.
“Among other things, it would be best for you to learn table manners first.”
I drew up my mana.
The thing to consider above all else was mana efficiency.
I had to continue the battle while reducing mana consumption as much as possible.
To do that, I had to make use of everything I had and everything I did not.
And in the right place at the right time, no less.
‘I really thought this through well. Past me.’
The level difference between me and it was roughly 230 levels.
On top of that, it was not even a demon-type monster.
In the Arcana system, where each and every level made a great difference,
if that point were taken into account, a one-on-one battle with it would be no different from suicide. Furthermore, my class was the Demon Hunter, which did not excel in any one thing.
But my specialty was knowing my place.
Because I knew that fact.
I was someone who had worked hard from before to overcome situations like this.
While repeating my class quest every day, I had improved my [Strength] and [Agility] stats.
As if that were not enough, there were also the days when I read every magic book I could get my hands on. I had not gone through that hellish suffering for nothing.
Of course, that hellish suffering also included swordsmanship training.
I took a sword out of my inventory.
[Unnamed Blacksmith’s Posthumous Work - Longsword]
[Grade: Unique]
[Restriction: Lv.280]
[Effect: When attacking, has a high chance of inflicting the status abnormality ‘Bleeding’ on the opponent.]
[Description: The blacksmith’s final work. Only after the lingering attachment akin to resentment disappeared did it regain its true value.]
Was it that Granfell’s talent did not go anywhere?
The feel of the grip settling into my hand was more familiar than anything.
Even though I had not held a sword for a while, that sensation was clear.
What that meant was simple.
“Beast predator.”
I lowered my body and continued.
“Do you have the confidence to swallow a lion?”
Lionheart.
The flawless stance aimed for by the Knights of the Lionheart.
Naturally, for me, there had been no intermediate process leading to its acquisition.
I had merely seen Harkon’s stance and imitated it.
So this stance, which looked as if I were simply pointing my sword,
why it was so amazing, and how amazing it was—
I did not know the reason at all.
However.
Sssssst—?
Well, isn’t it fine as long as it works?
As if it had been about to swallow me whole at any moment,
the approaching creature flinched.
Then it stopped moving altogether.
Kiyaoooo—!
It was a creature that had fought countless beasts, and predators like itself, and survived.
Perhaps through its experience of crossing the line between life and death, it felt Harkon’s presence in my stance.
By the way.
‘……
This is pretty important information, isn’t it?’
Just by gripping a sword and taking a stance,
I could restrict my opponent’s movements……
Its practicality was no joke. This.
In a word, it was a bluff.
Though I did not even understand why the flawless stance was flawless,
I could properly make use of its effects.
Just like now.
Exploration, interference, manifestation.
Magic poured down on the creature that could not rashly move.
Was it because it was still wary of me, pointing my sword at it?
The creature was helplessly taking damage.
[‘Burn’ occurs on Beast Predator Anaconda.]
[‘Bleeding’ occurs on Beast Predator Anaconda.]
……
I watched the sight in a stance of constancy.
“It is proper form to refrain from unnecessary conversation during a meal.”
Because if my stance were to falter even slightly, I might be counterattacked…….
...
A lotus leaf floating over the wetlands.
Hoyeol standing atop that lotus leaf.
There was not the slightest sense of danger in that sight.
Like a lotus blooming upon a lotus leaf, there was no sense of incongruity.
“……
Wh-what is that skill this time?!”
That alone was surprising enough.
“Th-that’s a sword, isn’t it? Huh? Not a staff, but a sword?!!”
But on such a lotus flower, an unexpected blade had bloomed.
Shock could not help but burst forth.
And beyond that.
- Holy crap lolololololol
- No, he just held up a sword and the mob stopped moving???
- Just Homen
- The moment we learned that blade isn’t ordinarily sharp either.
- Wait, I know that stance!! I saw it in an analysis video on Harkon!!!
- Fr??? What does that mean???
- Don’t tell me Lee Hoyeol can use swordsmanship on Harkon’s level too?!
It was only natural that the world turned upside down—