Chapter 98

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Chapter 98: Giant Dungeon (1)

Ilsung Guild and Money Talks Guild.

As soon as the news of the guild battle between the two guilds was released, numerous articles began to pour in.

[(Breaking News) Money Talks Guild’s Spectacular Debut? Designated Ilsung Guild as Opponent for Guild Battle! Will a Bloody Sibling Battle Take Place?]

[(Breaking News) The Reason for the Guild Battle is Reported to be Ilsung’s Investment Scale!]

[(Breaking News) Is Ilsung Bold or Crazy? Betting 60 trillion won for a 20% stake in Money Talks Guild…….]

―?? Is it true that the Ilsung Guild and the Money Talks Guild are fighting each other?

―Yes, It’s going to be held at the Sangam Awakened Arena. But what about the investment scale? XD

―60 trillion won for a 20% stake? Didn’t they refuse to buy 10% for 5 trillion won last time?

―That’s right. But back then, they didn’t have anything but an F-rank record. It’s a bit different now.

―They cleared an A+ gate and the Sword of Justice joined them. But 60 trillion won? Do they have the money……?

―Ilsung has that much cash piled up. They’re cash rich lmao

―3 trillion won per 1% stake; Evande;

―Kim Minwoo’s worth alone is said to be 100 trillion won, you little bastards LOL

―Is Ilsung for real? Did they set the price based on what the nationalists were saying? XD

―I’m sorry;; I didn’t know they would set a price in the 100 trillion won range…… My heart swells…….

―Isn’t that shady? Guild investment funds are not treated as donations.

―I don’t know. It could be a tax loophole. But there’s bound to be backlash. It seems like they’re buying it too expensive…….

―That’s why they’re having a guild battle, right? If they really beat Ilsung’s 1st team, isn’t 60 trillion won a cheap price?

―300 trillion won for 100%? That’s the worth of a 1.5th tier guild globally 😂 Ilsung is just a 2.5th tier guild XDXD

―Ugh. You have to look at the potential. If they beat Ilsung’s 1st team, the three of them can clear an S-rank gate.

―Yeah. In the world, it’s natural that a premium is attached to high potential. If they really pull it off, there will be less backlash.

―Can they win? Even though Ilsung Guild has been in 5th place for years, it’s a wall of despair for the lower guilds. They fight better than you think;;

―If they’re exceptional, they can win. But are the three of them good enough? They’re rookies who haven’t even been Awakened for three months, except for Sword of Justice?

―There is a possibility. Kim Minwoo can be the tank with his summons, and Seo Yerim can take care of the rest

—What’s the point?? If the priest even prays once, all the undead will be swept away Lmao

―Ah yes. And did you know that Guild Master Nam Cheolmin is an S-rank archer? He’s one of the top archers in Korea.

―Kim Minwoo will probably be sniped right away and all his summons will be reversed.

—Seo Yerim will block everything with his arrows, lol.

—Haven’t you have been watching too many movies? Matching arrows with arrows? Do you think that’s possible?

—Kim Minwoo is good with his sword. He’ll know how to deflect them. I’m more worried about Siwoo; is he really that good?

—Lol, yeah. He’ll probably be the first one out. He’s probably not even that high level.

—I said he’s good and you think he’s actually good? I’m an A-rank Awakened, and this is a complete suicide mission.

—Yeah. Let’s just wait a few more months. It’s a shame; it’s a shame to break their momentum when they’re just starting to take off.

The general public opinion was similar.

Money Talks Guild?

They know they have a lot of potential. After all, they cleared an A+ gate and were made up of talented Super Rookies.

But what’s the point of having a good lineup if you don’t have the experience? Seo Yerim hasn’t even been in the guild for a month.

And it hasn’t been long since she switched to being an archer.

They simply didn’t have the time to practice together.

On the other hand, the Ilsung Guild members?

They are experienced Awakened who have been working together not for years, but some for decades.

Not only were there a large number of high-ranking Awakened, but their equipment was also top-notch.

And they even had a guild combination.

Although lower rank, they had a track record of clearing S-rank gates multiple times.

That was the power of the 1st team of the 5th best guild in Korea.

But they’re going to fight them?

Even though the difficulty of an A+ gate is high, it cannot be compared to an S-rank gate.

No matter how you look at it, this was crossing the line.

It was clear that Guild Master Kim Minwoo was taking a reckless gamble.

That’s why public opinion was negative.

Then.

[(Breaking News) Money Talks Guild Enters A-rank Gate Land of Giants! 3-man Raid Team…….]

Another breaking news story broke, and public opinion heated up even more.

—I think this is their first guild activity. Are they going to practice together?

—They’re having a guild battle the day after tomorrow, and they’re practicing now? I feel so proud…….

—Isn’t this guild battle going to be canceled? Even if the Land of Giants map is small, it should take at least 3 days to clear, right?

—No. It’ll take half a day if you have a 1st team power level.

—Isn’t a 1st team a 30-man full party? There are only three of them, lol.

—They just need to get to the middle ground. It’s a good thing they’re practicing now.

—I guess we just need to see how long it takes them to clear the gate? Is it possible or not?

—If they can clear it in less than half a day, then it’s okay.

—Half a day? What are you talking about? Stop spreading nationalism, please, you bastards.

—Oh, is this the end of the hype?

—Well, it was fun while it lasted. Let’s have a drink.

* * *

A scorching desert.

A vast expanse of sand-blown land stretched out before them.

Soon, a horde of undead set foot on the sand.

A swarm of specters and skeletons.

And there were Cedric and Merhen too.

In an instant, thousands of troops had gathered.

Cedric’s gaze, which had been surveying the surroundings, fell upon Seo Yerim.

—Did you change your job?

“Yes. I just kind of…”

—That’s good. Congratulations.

“You’ve changed your appearance too, Mr. Cedric?”

—My original appearance was strange. Park Siwoo, it’s been a while.

“Yes!”

The boy greeted him energetically.

Then he looked at Merhen.

“But who are you…….”

—I am a commander like him. My name is Merhen. A mage.”

Merhen nodded.

“Wow, but you’re an undead? You look like a real person.”

—……That’s right. I’m a banshee.”

“A banshee? It’s so different from what I know? You’re really beautiful.”

—……Thank you.”

“I’m just telling the truth.”

Park Siwoo, who was full of good cheer, greeted her first, followed by Seo Yerim and Merhen.

“Oh, hello.”

—Yeah.

After they had gotten to know each other’s faces.

“Let’s go hunting, everyone.”

The undead army and the three began to walk through the desert.

But it didn’t last long.

Seo Yerim, who was holding a bow, narrowed her eyes.

Her vision began to extend far enough to see even the most distant objects, as if she were looking through a telescope.

She could see a group of giants gathered in the distance.

“There are four monsters over there. A priest, a mage, a warrior, and a swordsman.”

“……Wow, you’re an amazing archer.”

Park Siwoo exclaimed softly.

That was to be expected, as he couldn’t see anything where Seo Yerim was pointing.

It was just a vast desert stretching out before them.

“What’s the point of this? Archers are supposed to be able to see far, right?”

She shrugged and looked at Kim Minwoo.

“So, Minwoo, what’s your plan for hunting? Should I snipe one of them?”

“Do you think you can hit it?”

“I can.”

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]

Kim Minwoo nodded in satisfaction at her confident words.

What criteria are used to evaluate an outstanding archer?

The most common one is this.

‘How far is their effective range?’

Range was the alpha and omega of an archer.

And Seo Yerim was an Awakened near the end of that spectrum.

The powerful correction of the bow.

It not only extended her field of vision, but the mana arrows also had the power to fly farther than regular arrows.

Of course, there might be other archers among the S-rank archers who could shoot as far as she could.

‘But that’s only for a short time.’

They couldn’t match her potential.

How could they defeat an archery genius who wielded an SSS-rank bow?

“I’ll take out the priest.”

“Okay.”

The bowstring was pulled taut.

A mana arrow formed on the string.

And then.

Thwack!

With a small sound, arrows began to fly.

The giants gathered in the distance.

A small hole was punched into the head of the giant priest among them. A fountain of blood erupted, and the giant priest collapsed to the ground.

He was dead.

The confused giants began to run towards where the arrows were coming from.

A group of giants nearly 4 meters tall.

The sand on the ground churned violently with each step they took.

Boom!

Boom!

“Shall I take out some more?”

Seo Yerim asked calmly, watching the giants charging in with fierce faces.

The warriors and swordsmans with helmets on their heads were a bit tricky, but if she aimed at their legs and made them crawl, she could take care of them all before they even got there.

“Let’s do that if they get too crowded. Siwoo.”

“Yes, hyung.”

“Let’s see how much you’ve grown.”

Park Siwoo grinned and summoned his holy sword. A sword appeared in his hand, accompanied by a white aura.

“Then, I’ll go first!”

The swordsman, who was no more than 150 levels, charged towards three giants who were well over 400 levels.

[Giant Mage uses Root Bind (A)!]

[Giant Warrior uses Provoke (A)!]

[Giant Swordsman uses Right Angle Slash (B)!]

The giant warrior’s Provoke.

And the tree roots that bind the legs and the sword that comes down on the spot where the Provoke is drawn.

It was a clean combo.

Even an A-rank swordsman would have a hard time ignoring it.

But Park Siwoo.

‘He’s an SSS-rank swordsman.’

The Provoke worked because of the level difference.

Park Siwoo’s body naturally turned towards the warrior with the shield.

Sword and magic rained down on him.

In an instant, he kicked the warrior’s shield with his foot while jumping.

Dodging the roots on the ground while floating in the air, he easily deflected the swordsman’s sword.

Slash!

The holy sword began to cut into the giant swordsman’s body.

The warrior tried to catch his eye with all his might. Unfortunately, Provoke is a skill with a cooldown.

Once a warrior uses Provoke, he becomes a punching bag for a few seconds.

Exactly like that.

Park Siwoo, who was cutting down the swordsman with his holy sword, blocking or dodging the magic spells the mage was casting.

The way he moved in response to the Provoke, as if he had predicted it, was definitely SSS-rank.

Soon, the giant swordsman collapsed to the ground. The next target was the mage who had been interfering.

—Kuaaaak!

The last remaining warrior let out a final roar of defiance.

‘That’s a shame.’

Originally, a warrior was nothing more than a meat shield if he was below the dealer’s level.

The giant warrior, who was fighting alone, also collapsed to the ground.

It only took about 3 minutes to take care of all three of them.

Park Siwoo, who had swept away the giants, looked at her and grinned.

“What do you think? Am I getting better?”

“Well, it’s better than when we were in the Uninhabited Island. You were just sniffling back then. Did you grow up a bit?”

“I’ve been practicing enough to get through the gate, so this much is necessary.”

He nodded.

Now that he had a general idea of their abilities, it was time to try some party play.

He joined Merhen, Cedric, and Dolsoe.

“Let’s all try to get in sync.”

The two nodded.

From then on, it was a non-stop advance.

They encounter a group.

The priest was killed before he could attack with an arrow to the forehead.

The mage is turned into a can at any moment the moment Merhen gestures. He also collapsed to the ground bleeding.

Dolsoe, Cedric, and Park Siwoo took care of the swordsmans and warriors.

While the sturdy Dolsoe defended against the pouring attacks from the front line, the giants fell to the ground, coughing up blood from the two attacks that flowed like water.

Four.

Eight.

Twelve.

Even as the number of giants increased, the situation did not change.

The only difference was that Merhen and Seo Yerim also actively joined in the containment from the twelfth onwards.

‘Is this just on the level of auto-hunting?’

It had only been two hours.

It had been a long time since they had passed the intermediate zone. In fact, they hadn’t even used the Spectre and Skeleton groups yet.

Kim Minwoo hadn’t come out yet either.

But there was no problem.

‘It looks like it will be over in the next 2 hours?’

The problem was that the clear speed was too fast.

After a total of 4 hours.

[The gate boss ‘Giant Prince Operian’ has been defeated!]

[Gate clear rewards are being given!]

The boss was defeated and the gate was cleared. As expected of an A-rank boss, the minions were a bit annoying, dragging out the fight.

But still.

How could they defeat four SSS-ranks with just one EX?

The skeleton group that was thrown in bulk just exploded, and the core force remained intact.

Park Siwoo said with a bright smile.

“Hey, it’s incredibly fast when we do it as a trio. 10 levels in 4 hours? Isn’t that amazing?”

“That’s right. So, let’s go around one more time.”

“Huh?”

“You’re still full of mana and stamina. You need to level up too while we’re at it.”

And so, the three of them came out of the gate and were immediately met by a swarm of reporters staring at them with their mouths wide open.

It was no wonder.

They couldn’t have imagined a 4-hour clear.

And this wasn’t even the maximum speed. If he and his summons joined in, the speed would be much faster.

“Ki, Kim Minwoo-ssi! An interview for a moment……!”

“I’ll do it later. I’ll be there soon. That’s it.”

The three of them disappeared back into the gate before anyone could say anything.

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“No…….”

The reporters who were left alone in the spring cold could only stare at each other with dumbfounded expressions.

[Translator – Prøks]

[Proofreader – Prøks]