Ch. 11 Named (2)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 11 – Named (2)
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[I checked like you asked. I even inquired, and it seems certain. So far, there hasn’t been anyone who could capture a challenger’s actions from such an angle.]
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“So, they’re irreplaceable and incredibly rare, huh?”
Serpina muttered to herself in the real world after hearing the words of her deputy, Perbas.
As the gallery administrator, her responsibilities were quite heavy.
It wasn’t just about deleting posts that violated the rules, mediating disputes between users, or defending against raids from other galleries.
As Reina’s contracted constellation, she was also the crucial bridge ensuring Reina didn’t fall behind.
At the same time, attracting more users to the fan gallery to increase Reina’s support was one of her most significant roles.
For them, the number and firepower of the fandom were among the most important factors, as they treated cheering for their chosen challenger like supporting a sports team—a form of entertainment, culture, and a means to earn points.
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‘Please, don’t cross the line and just play nice.’
That’s why fostering close friendships between users was strictly prohibited.
When those who formed cliques and built influence clashed with public opinion or harbored dissatisfaction, it led to division and fragmentation.
The rise of named users, who were excessively mentioned, was also something administrators like Serpina were wary of.
The problem was the rarity of a user named Riverstone, who was slowly gaining recognition within the gallery.
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[There’s no trace of them being active in other fan galleries. They’ve only been active here for a few days. They’re likely a rookie constellation who just cleared the 200th floor somewhere in the Tower.]
“That would actually be a relief.”
Perbas, who had secretly investigated Riverstone in Fate Road, was confident that Riverstone was an untainted rookie constellation.
Hearing this, Serpina’s lips curled faintly.
After all, a fresh, greenhorn rookie was much easier to handle than a seasoned community ghost.
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‘I’ll keep watching. If they’re sane, I’ll definitely recruit them. Wasn’t there a deputy moderator position open? Right, someone said they had a tasty ability.’
Serpina smirked, deciding that if someone had an outstanding ability that couldn’t be controlled through user mentions, it was better to give them an official title.
More than anything, Serpina, who prided herself on being Reina’s biggest fan in the gallery, was equally drawn to Riverstone’s ability.
“Hehehehe…”
.
.
.
“…!”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing… just a sudden chill.”
I lowered my sword and shivered for a moment. Shadis asked why, but I shook my head, unsure of the cause of the sudden shiver.
“The hardest part is done. All that’s left is to clear out the remaining few in the nest and destroy it.”
I looked up at the now-clear sky.
Most of the mutated bats that had nested in the abandoned building and rampaged were now cold corpses on the ground.
Only a few remained.
‘My body definitely feels lighter, but I still need training.’
I could feel the synergy of the ability I’d recently acquired, but it still felt awkward.
I needed to quickly adapt to the sensation and internalize the new combat style using the training methods I’d learned from the community.
“It really seems like there’s nothing for me to do. Even with stats reduced on the lower floors, the strength of a ranker…”
“The monsters on the lower floors don’t have high resistance or intelligence. So, stats aren’t the most important thing. What matters more is how calmly you can identify their weaknesses and act.”
I shook my head at Shadis’s muttering.
Her concerns were something I’d experienced myself and had also been addressed in the work by Jung Chan-soo.
“It’s not that your abilities are lacking. It’s that you lack confidence in yourself.”
These were words spoken by the protagonist Jung Chan-soo in the work, words that had once been a clue for me to overcome my own struggles, just like Shadis.
It’s a simple truth, but precisely because it’s simple, it’s hard to follow. But once you overcome it, you can grow rapidly.
“You think I can do it?”
“If it’s hard to believe, there’s no harm in trying.”
I pointed to the few remaining enemies on the building.
If she could take down even one with her own hands, I was certain she’d overcome a significant part of the trauma that had been haunting her.
“Will you try? No, just do it. This is an order.”
I smirked as I looked into Shadis’s wavering golden eyes.
I felt like she just needed a little push, and I didn’t want to ignore that.
If she gained something here, she wouldn’t need to resort to petty theft to make a living.
“—!”
“Hiiiiik?!”
The few remaining mutated bats attacked us even more fiercely to protect their nest.
Their main tactic was to dive from above, biting with sharp teeth or grabbing with sharp claws to drag their prey into the air.
“But even the ones in the air have to stay in one place when they attack. Don’t be afraid—aim for that moment!”
After cutting down one bat, I shouted at Shadis, whose dark brown skin looked pale from fear.
From what I could see, her stats were more than enough to take down one of these bats. After all, I’d already killed the biggest and strongest ones.
Even the dagger she was holding was a reward from the 50th floor.
What was holding her back was the fear etched in her mind.
“I-I can’t do it!”
“No, you can. If I say you can, then you can.”
I grabbed the back of her neck as she fell on her backside, saving her from danger.
I had no intention of finishing this dungeon until she took down the last bat with her own hands.
“Ugh, ugh…”
She looked at me and the bat with eyes half-filled with fear and resentment. But what could she do? She only had one choice now.
“—!”
“Aaaah!”
Finally, she charged at the bat that was diving toward her again, holding her dagger in a reverse grip.
As the bat extended its claws, she didn’t run. Instead, she pushed off the ground, lifting her light body as if flying.
I widened my eyes as I saw Shadis dodge the bat’s claws and plunge her dagger into its neck.
It was a clumsy attack, her eyes tightly shut, as if leaving it to fate. But luckily, it hit.
Still, the fact that she tried was meaningful enough, so there was no need to criticize.
‘I told you, you can do it.’
Watching someone push past their limits is always a satisfying sight.
I couldn’t help but smile.
“I-I did it.”
“Yeah.”
“Is the dungeon over now?”
Shadis, panting heavily, now had excitement and joy on her face instead of fear and resentment.
I knew that feeling well—it’s addictive and hard to let go of.
But when she asked if the dungeon was over now that the last enemy was dead, I shook my head with a smirk.
“In a normal dungeon, yes. But there’s one more hidden enemy here. Killing it and getting the real reward is our goal.”
“How…”
“That’s why I brought you here. You won’t be in any more danger.”
I led the despairing Shadis to the basement of the building.
There, I directed her to the security room inside the building—a place where she could monitor the countless broken CCTV cameras.
One infrared CCTV and a microphone were still functioning.
“You’ll have to tell me where the enemy is through the screen. Inside, it’s a space where I can’t see or hear anything, so I’ll have to rely solely on your voice from the communicator to find and kill the enemy.”
“Huh…”
It was a cooperative mission. Shadis took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the task assigned to her.
“You’re really entrusting everything to me? We’ve only known each other for two days. I’m a criminal who tried to steal your wallet.”
“If you’d run away in the end, I wouldn’t have done this. Since you trusted me and followed through, I’ll trust you and act accordingly.”
Even if I couldn’t see or hear, there was no way I’d die to an enemy like that. But if I did, Shadis would face the penalty too.
Still, I chose to encourage her instead of revealing that.
It seemed to work, as her eyes welled up with tears.
“Let’s begin.”
I forced a bitter smile at her sniffling and plugged in the communicator before turning around.
The last enemy was hiding in a space of darkness and silence.
The moment I stepped inside, my vision was engulfed in darkness, and all sound disappeared.
“I-I don’t see anything yet.”
The only thing I could hear was Shadis’s voice in my ear.
“Behind you!”
At that moment, almost simultaneously with Shadis’s shout, I felt something sharp swipe at my back.
“Annoying bastard.”
Gritting my teeth, I swung my sword behind me, barely blocking the enemy’s claws.
I wanted to just take the hit and pierce its heart in return, but the acquisition of the Echo Instinct ability wouldn’t allow even a single effective hit.
“It retreated and disappeared into a blind spot. This time, to the right!”
Moreover, the enemy was a master of ambushes, perfectly utilizing its ability to detect everything through echolocation.
I swung my sword hurriedly toward where the enemy had reappeared.
‘I’m starting to get the hang of it.’
After several more ambushes, Shadis’s warnings, and my close call blocks, I began to grow accustomed to the sensations, especially through my feet.
‘Here.’
Finally, almost simultaneously with Shadis’s shout, I turned and swung my sword without hesitation, feeling it cut through something.
“Y-You cut off one of its wings. It’s running away now!”
With Shadis’s confirmation, I charged forward into the darkness without hesitation.
I didn’t know the exact location, so I infused my sword with radiance and swung it wide, releasing a sweeping slash.
It was an S-grade ability, Dramatic Slash, enhanced by radiance.
“I-It’s split in two. The wall and floor next to it too…”
Shadis’s dazed voice confirmed that my sword had cleaved the enemy in half.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
Well… the name fits. It is quite the dramatic slash.
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