Ch. 40 Hardcore Fans (1)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 40 – Hardcore Fans (1)
“It’s been a while. I saw you from a distance last time, but I didn’t get a chance to say hello.”
As she always had, Lee Se-jin approached me with a smile, unhesitant.
I couldn’t help but smile naturally at her innocent demeanor, which had remained unchanged since her days as a young high school student years ago.
Thanks to Jung Chan-soo’s care and her innate nature, she had maintained her unchanging self in this twisted and ever-changing space called the Tower.
In the original story, her actions, driven by her personality, earned her some criticism as being too naive, but in reality, she was a necessary presence who balanced out Jung Chan-soo’s dark tendencies.
“Did you decide to come separately from your guild members? Why are you alone?”
“I’ve been working alone for a while. Honestly, I haven’t been doing much guild activity until just before coming here.”
Kim Ji-eun, who was beside me, also greeted her with a warm smile.
Even Kim Ji-eun, who didn’t particularly like Jung Chan-soo’s faction, showed affection toward Lee Se-jin, who always approached others warmly and kindly.
Perhaps because both of them were extreme extroverts, their conversation showed no signs of ending once it started.
‘You’re still the same as ever.’
Even now, I find women’s chatter awkward and draining. Instead of joining their increasingly loud conversation, I took a step back and observed her.
Like Jung Chan-soo, she was exactly as I remembered her from the original story.
No matter what the Constellations might be scheming behind the scenes, it was likely unrelated to Lee Se-jin’s will.
Justice—that was the clear word that defined her.
“We’ll definitely clear it this time. After all, we’ve all gotten stronger!”
“You seem unusually confident. Did you achieve something special?”
“Hehe, it’s still a secret.”
Kim Ji-eun chuckled at Lee Se-jin’s confident demeanor. Her words and expression made it clear that she had achieved something significant.
There hadn’t been any news of a change in rankings, so Lee Se-jin’s rank was still 6th.
She was the second-highest in Jung Chan-soo’s faction and the strongest among the heroines.
‘Could it be already?’
She had, of course, obtained the Star Origin much earlier than I had.
If she had overcome a trial separate from the 135th-wave of continuous bloodbath and obtained the Star Destiny, Lee Se-jin must have already acquired the fragment of the Constellation she would awaken in the future.
The Golden Spear of the Shining Heavens, the Constellation Athena.
That was the destiny awaiting her, who walked the path of unwavering justice.
“The atmosphere is completely different from after the last defeat. Back then, everyone was gloomy… But it’s clear that the continuous battles were a big help.”
“You know it. The Tower always opens a path if you have the will.”
It wasn’t just Lee Se-jin who was enthusiastic.
Almost everyone in the raid team was grinding their teeth, determined to finally conquer the 150th floor this time.
As Kim Ji-eun muttered while looking at the people, the path was undoubtedly still out there somewhere.
‘There wasn’t much about Lee Se-jin in the gallery. Has she not awakened yet?’
While Lee Se-jin was undoubtedly a likable figure in reality, unfortunately, her fandom in Fate Road, known as the “Se-moms”, was notorious for being extremely hardcore.
Whether it was because her charm had captivated even the Constellations too deeply, what the gallery users disliked most about the Se-moms was their excessive praise and mentions of Lee Se-jin.
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ㄴ“The Se-moms are… It’s no wonder they create haters.”
ㄴ“Even within the united fandom, they’ve been subtly trying to rank people while stanning, which has made them disliked.”
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Recalling some of the comments I had seen, I let out a bitter laugh.
If Lee Se-jin had awakened her Constellation Fragment, there was no way they wouldn’t have been shouting about such a major event everywhere.
“If we clear it easily, that’s enough. Let’s go, it’s time to head in.”
I tapped Kim Ji-eun on the back and joined the raid team, which was starting to gather.
Top-ranked Rankers, fully armed, had all gathered.
It was undoubtedly a spectacular sight in the Tower.
“Our preparations up until now won’t be in vain, so I have nothing more to say. Let’s begin the raid.”
Jung Chan-soo, also fully armed and wearing his signature red cloak, declared the start of the raid.
“Designated raid team, open the dungeon.”
「150th Floor Dungeon, Path to the Fortress, now open.」
With that, the dungeon opened.
Simultaneously, we were all transported to a place different from where we had been.
“The Black Iron Golems!”
The enemies, detecting the intruders, rushed out in unison. Beneath a dark, overcast sky, the massive gates of the black iron and magic fortress opened.
The giant black metal golems, now all too familiar.
Their eyes glowed with the magic they emitted, and their footsteps shook the earth, gradually increasing in intensity.
‘Yes, now is the time to prove myself.’
The strange pressure that had been weighing on my mind disappeared, replaced by the intense excitement only felt on the battlefield.
Fandom conflicts, Constellations, and all that—those were things to worry about after dealing with the enemies in front of me.
Drawing my sword, I charged forward alongside the others.
***
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[It’s starting!!]
[Seated and ready, lol.]
[I really don’t get it. Why aren’t they doing an official broadcast?]
[Quick, fry up some memes, meme makers!]
[(Breaking News) First kill goes to Jung Chan-soo.]
.
.
.
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Though not as much as those on the scene, the moment the 150th-floor raid began, those watching also went wild over the long-awaited spectacle.
While Constellations could watch their contractors in real-time, ordinary users could only enjoy photos or videos taken by those with special abilities, including Constellations.
‘Today… there shouldn’t be any scenes I need to cut, right?’
The main broadcaster for the Reina fan gallery was, of course, Serpina, the administrator and Reina’s first contracted Constellation.
She shared real-time footage of Reina in the gallery, allowing ordinary users to watch Reina alongside her.
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ㄴ“As expected, we need to move past the 150th floor. The road ahead is even thornier.”
ㄴ“Compared to the old videos. Even Reina’s movements have changed.”
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Comments poured in real-time on the footage Serpina shared, creating a sense of urgency as everyone enjoyed the spectacle together.
In the video, Reina was swinging her sword, her body enveloped in radiant light as always.
Her signature silvery hair shimmered especially brightly under the light, standing out starkly against the dark, overcast background.
After leaping into the air and delivering a downward slash that split a Black Iron Golem in half, she landed gracefully on the fallen enemy, looking like a scene from a painting.
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ㄴ“Is she… holding back?”
ㄴ“It feels like she’s thinking ahead.”
ㄴ“Well, look around. Everyone’s going crazy.”
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However, the fan gallery Constellations quickly realized that Reina was deliberately holding back.
It was a stark contrast to her previous raids, where she had pushed herself to the limit to take down as many Black Iron Golems as possible.
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ㄴ“If she’s doing this, doesn’t it mean she can monopolize the rewards, like the gallery said?!”
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Their excitement stemmed from the topic that had been heating up the forum.
How Reina should act during this raid to maximize her rewards.
While many opinions had been shared, one thing everyone agreed on was that she needed to conserve as much energy as possible during the initial fight with the Black Iron Golems.
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ㄴ“Don’t get too excited. Let’s see how it plays out.”
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Despite her flashy fighting style, Reina was somewhat overshadowed by the chaos of the battlefield, where all the top-ranked Rankers had gathered.
Massive spells erupted everywhere, covering the earth and sky, while deafening explosions and the shattered fragments of Black Iron Golems flew in all directions.
A beam of light shot through the bodies of enemies swinging massive fists, and giant bolts of lightning rained down from the sky, striking the golems one after another.
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ㄴ“Can’t you tell? It’s over. The Black Iron Golems are being wiped out.”
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Some of them were already optimistic, watching the battle unfold.
To those who had reached a certain level, the fierce battle before them was already a foregone conclusion.
“The right side is open! Go help there!”
“Grem is injured! Fill the gap!”
But most of those fighting on the scene were desperately battling, ignoring their pounding hearts.
Even with optimistic predictions, this was the stage where they had failed nearly 10 times.
A few Rankers had met a miserable end here, underestimating the challenge.
Including all of that, the greatest enemy for those who didn’t fully understand reality and the facts was ultimately the fear of the unknown.
Overcoming that fear was both a qualification and a proof.
“Is it over here?! Is it over here?”
“Yeah… Everyone who came here is alive.”
The 78th-ranked Ranker, Lizardman Char, nodded wearily to the 82nd-ranked human mage David, who had rushed over to support him.
“I thought we were going to collapse… But there wasn’t a single moment of hesitation. Honestly, I just fought while watching her up ahead.”
He glanced over to where Reina stood, having already destroyed multiple Black Iron Golems, her silvery hair fluttering.
With her sword lowered and standing still, Reina watched the other side, completely unharmed, without a single scratch or injury.
Just as she had been before the battle, her pristine and beautiful appearance remained unchanged as she cut down the enemies before her without retreating a single step.
“Did we really win? Against these annoying golems?!”
The massive brawl at the front of the fortress ended as the last Black Iron Golem was split in half and collapsed.
Most of the people muttered in disbelief.
They had hoped for it, but they had truly overcome the stage that had been like a wall to them, with minimal losses.
No matter how experienced and strong they were as Rankers in the Tower, it was impossible not to be excited.
“Calm down. This is a golden opportunity, bought with countless sacrifices. We can’t afford to get carried away and waste it.”
Sylvia, who had calmed the spirits she had summoned, poured cold water on their excitement.
They had defeated the Black Iron Golems, but they had only just cleared the first stage.
If they failed in the later stages, they would have to face the Black Iron Golems again.
‘Even though someone else did most of the work.’
Sylvia sneered as she glanced at those who were being cautious, then turned her gaze to Jung Chan-soo.
The one who had taken down the most Black Iron Golems was undoubtedly Jung Chan-soo.
Having grown significantly since the last attempt, he had single-handedly destroyed multiple enemies, including the elite Black Iron Golem Alpha, without even revealing his true strength.
Even Sylvia had to admit that his skills were awe-inspiring.
“Sylvia, you conserved your strength as instructed, right? All the instructions were for the sake of the raid. Don’t lose your cool over what just happened.”
“Yes, of course.”
Jung Chan-soo approached Sylvia and spoke in a cold voice.
Sylvia bowed her head respectfully, but she glanced at Lee Se-jin, who was standing beside him with a sullen expression.
It was obvious. She had been scolded for using too much power to save another raid member who had gotten into trouble, going against his instructions.
“Always look to the future. The road ahead is always thorny.”
After warning his comrades once more, Jung Chan-soo lowered his sword and turned his gaze elsewhere.
‘As expected.’
He nodded, confirming that Reina was still in a relaxed state.
The comrades around him were people he had known even before his regression, and like him, they had experienced failure and downfall once before—people he always had to lead.
But Reina was different.
From the moment they first met, Reina had strangely chosen the best possible options alongside him as they climbed the Tower.
Even without him leading her.
That was precisely why he had entrusted her with what might be the most important role in this raid.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you very much for reading!
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
Regressor glazing is always a thing.Anyway, let’s see how new rewards will come to her, zzz.
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