Chapter 197

Chapter 197. A Day on the Battlefield (1)

“Cough, cough.”

The acrid smell of burning black blood and corpses made Ahel pinch his nose and cough.

Following Lily’s promise, it had taken approximately six and a half hours to purify the four and five-star corrupted areas she had marked out.

‘Much faster compared to before when it took an entire day to handle a four-star.’

This improvement was due to the increase in attribute mana, which drastically reduced the time needed to clear out unevolved monsters.

I wrapped up the purification process with satisfaction.

Next, I opened the community page to check the bulletin board.

I wanted to find the movement routes of other parties in the vicinity.

‘There are many three-star corrupted areas that we can clear while heading to our next target, the five-star area.’

However, if another party had already started the purification, we didn’t have the right to claim it.

I planned to move while avoiding other players as much as possible, but…

The moment I opened the community, I realized that there was no need for such precautions.

「Title: Near the South-Central Simoruman River – Author: Glucose

Content: Right now, K party is here. It’s slightly stressful… Our party is struggling with three stars, but they’re blitzing through four stars and easily strolling into five-star corrupted areas like it’s a walk in the park. I don’t want to compare myself, but being close makes it unavoidable, and my pride is hurt. I’ll step aside, so do everything yourself, you awful person (crying).」

– K1488: As expected of K.

– Seagull: Isn’t K party three people? How can three people handle a five-star? Try lying with some effort.

⌎ Snowman: Isn’t it four? Seems like a Biharin is with them…

⌎ Glucose: If you don’t believe me, go and see for yourself. You’ll feel self-loathing.

⌎ SmigolFan: You’re right, they’re four, and they have a space mage.

⌎ Captain Laura: Space mage? Then they must be using teleportation magic? Nice…

– Zhuge Kongming2: Thanks for the info, we were planning to move upstream along the Simoruman River, but we’ll find another route.

– Pine: I’m in the north. Chose the route down from Somol, so I won’t run into K, lucky me.

⌎ Deleted Comment

⌎ Johanson: This person is a PK suspect player, so be careful.

⌎ Tom and Jerry: Deleted and ran, hahaha idiot. Their codename was ‘Red Horse’. Keep it in mind, everyone.

⌎ Johanson: These days, more people propose joint party play and then PK. Shouldn’t the association be cracking down on these types?

⌎ Tom and Jerry: Why are you asking us? Take it up with the association.

– William Terra: Are all K party members gold ranked?

⌎ Jackson: Yes, all are gold ranked.

⌎ Songolmae: How do you know? Did you ask?

⌎ Jackson: I’m friends with K party. We’ve hunted together.

⌎ Toma: Are you friends with K? Please verify.

⌎ Sociopath: Does K hunt with other parties? The skill gap would be too big to manage.

⌎ NationalismParty: Smells like an attention seeker.

⌎ Jackson: I really am acquainted with them.

⌎ Sociopath: Earlier you said friends, now it’s just acquaintances. Attention-seeker’s typical behavior.

⌎ Toma: If you can’t verify, don’t drop K’s name.

⌎ Toma: I’m remembering your code name.

– Ash: I’ve heard a lot about someone named K, will I see them if I head to the Simoruman River?

⌎ Songolmae: You talk about K’s fame? Newbie, you must be in phase three. Just go to one or two-star areas. Don’t act rash and get killed.

⌎ Crocodile: Aww, newbie, go through initiation first.

Because of the reviews from those who witnessed our party, other players naturally began to relocate their hunting grounds.

‘Well, thanks to that, we get to monopolize the hunting area, so it’s not bad.’

If we could invest all our time into hunting, that would be great.

Having confirmed a few more recent posts, I turned off the community and spoke.

“Let’s move right away.”

“Can I borrow a spear? My legs are so wobbly, I need something like a cane.”

I looked at Kim Yul, whose complexion had paled, and saw him trembling.

It was true that I had pushed him to his limits during this hunt, and I intended to overlook some grumbling.

I considered taking out the cross-shaped spear stored in my inventory for him when he spoke again, seemingly interpreting my gaze as he shrugged and said,

“You didn’t really mean it, did you? A joke is just a joke… Ugh!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Yang Taeho scooped him up.

“What, what’s going on?!”

“If you’re tired, I’ll give you a piggyback ride, alright?”

“I’m not a kid, put me down right now!”

“You keep calling me ajussi because I’m older, but you don’t want to be treated like a child? Then call me hyung.”

Laughter boomed from Yang Taeho as he carried Kim Yul like a sack, who was ineffectively punching his shoulders.

I didn’t know what exchange occurred between them, but it was clear that there was now less restraint than before.

“I can walk on my own!”

“You’re tired. Stay still when offered a piggyback ride.”

“Mind-your-own-business ajussi! Who asked you for a piggyback?!”

Each time Kim Yul shouted, Yang Taeho simply laughed louder.

Perhaps the very act of horsing around with Kim Yul amused him.

Although I thought about intervening with Yang Taeho, I decided to let it slide in the end.

It seemed Kim Yul didn’t entirely dislike Yang Taeho’s pranks and consideration.

The fact that he wasn’t actively struggling against Yang Taeho and was just complaining indicated as much.

So it was decided that Yang Taeho would carry Kim Yul.

‘Then that leaves…’

I turned my attention to Ahel, who stood behind Yang Taeho.

As soon as our eyes met, he seemed to accept his fate and grimaced with a resigned expression.

“As I keep saying, I’m not a piece of cargo to be carried.”

“I’m aware of that, but—”

“Then treat me as such. I’ll walk on my own two feet.”

“That’s not possible.”

It was too much of a waste of time.

Transport magic requires more preparation time than one might think.

Therefore, it was quicker to run to a nearby location.

The problem was Ahel couldn’t keep up with our pace.

Given that all party members were now gold ranked, it was impossible for Ahel, with his ordinary body, to catch up.

So, we took turns carrying Ahel while running.

“If you tell me our destination, I could slowly use transport magic—”

I silenced Ahel’s continued protest with a steady gaze.

With a resigned sigh, Ahel trudged over to me on his own two feet.

Berta quickly crawled up my body and perched herself on my right shoulder.

Then I hoisted Ahel onto my left shoulder and started running.

Yang Taeho followed closely, and Kim Yul, who was being carried, had become remarkably quiet by then.

‘Things have changed, indeed.’

Previously, Kim Yul would have chosen to push himself rather than accept Yang Taeho’s help.

His changed attitude probably stemmed from no longer seeing Yang Taeho as a competitor.

‘And he’s likely genuinely tired, too.’

As Yang Taeho pointed out earlier, recently Kim Yul expended a massive amount of mana and practically lived on potions.

This was because our first hunting ground was near a great river.

‘By the water, Kim Yul’s magic is more efficient than my fire-based magics.’

His fourth-tier magic, ‘Blade Dance’, paid off spectacularly in driving out or attacking the monsters lurking in the swamp or underwater.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of blades flaying the surroundings was perfect for dealing with numerous monsters, breaking through the barrier that water presented.

Though I supported with wind attributes…

‘Without Blade Dance, we wouldn’t have progressed this quickly.’

And especially because the water attribute had been disobedient lately.

I couldn’t afford to lose this hunting momentum.

This main scenario required extracting maximum efficiency relative to time.

Currently, we were in competition with other parties.

Since the sixth chapter’s main scenario evaluation standards largely focused on purifying corrupted areas and destroying the messeo, it was no surprise.

In this process, I secured high-grade corrupted areas with Lily Evans’ assistance.

Thanks to this, I was accumulating more contribution points than by purifying low-grade areas.

However, I couldn’t let my guard down.

‘I’m aiming to sweep first to third place.’

According to the map information, there was a new Messeo within roughly a five-minute distance.

‘Its scale is… three-star.’

There didn’t appear to be many monsters dotted around the messeo—at most several hundred.

‘Let’s restore Kim Yul’s mana while clearing there.’

Just as I confirmed our destination and was about to change directions.

“Hum?”

A black mass appeared at the edge of the map.

I stopped in place as soon as I saw it.

Even as my party members asked what happened, I put them off with a wave of my hand, delaying my answer.

Then I reconfirmed what had just appeared on the map.

When multiple black dots overlap and cluster together, they form a mass, creating an undefined amorphous shape.

The cluster of dots I was now watching fit that description, but…

Based on past experiences, I inferred that the monsters forming this mass were not overly numerous.

‘At most, three to four hundred.’

Similar in scale to the previous three-star corrupted area mob.

But the movement of these creatures was unlike those in normal corrupted areas.

‘Typically they revolve in a mass around the messeo.’

These, however, were moving across the map in a straight line.

Watching the swiftly-moving black mass, I gathered a feeling.

‘A detachment led by a general-rank.’

I’d assumed that general-ranks would be scarce in the sixth chapter scenario, given that the main force of monsters had already retreated.

‘Turns out there’s one left.’

To confirm further, I engaged a Mana Detection magic that I rarely used with the map function.

As expected, no sooner had I activated it than I palpably sensed a massive mana concentration with the appearance of a butterfly.

‘At least 5 to 600,000 minimum.’

The amount of mana was twice that of the general-rank beings I’d encountered before.

“An eight-star.”

While I, as well as the other party members, had faced many seven-star battles, a confrontation with an eight-star general-rank was uncharted territory for us.

Not only had we never fought one, we’d never encountered one directly before.

I harbored a strange thrill in watching the trajectory of the black mass’s movements.

‘What incredible fortune.’

I had been wanting to level up my purification trait to Level 4 sooner, and now an eight-star general-rank using Kerak presented itself at such an opportune time.

‘I must capture it, no matter what.’

The task of repeatedly hunting and capturing a detachment led by a general-rank were fundamentally different.

In the former case, the hundreds of monsters are typical field mobs.

Yet, the hundreds in a detachment move alongside a general-rank, indicating they are all evolved species.

The approach in battle must shift if I aim to bring them down without sustaining significant damage.

‘Slice off their limbs, then sever the head.’

As I rapidly began to form a strategy, I addressed my party members.

“It’s a general-rank detachment. We’re going hunting immediately, so prepare.”

Kim Yul groaned, but he didn’t voice any particular objections.

‘Timing is perfect.’

Ordinary evolved species weren’t suitable for testing the limits of new magic, but if I engaged an eight-star general-rank, I could assess it thoroughly.

* * *

Generally, the purpose of a general-rank’s existence was to gather scattered Messeo from various corrupted areas and protect them, allowing them to amass in scale.

One could consider it an instinct connected to the origin bestowing them new strength and life.

However, a few weeks ago, amidst the usual routine, an unexpected order came.

– Conserve troops

Unlike the simple-minded subordinates, the general-rank, with eight black stars on its head, fully comprehended the telepathic message.

It was a command from the legion commander who had subordinated the general-rank after it had evolved into a superior species.

In the scenario where Demi-humans were pushing into their lands, they were ordered to conserve troops.

It was effectively a command to retreat.

Consequently, the general-rank refrained from direct activities and kept a low profile.

And a few weeks passed in this manner.

– Retrieve the sacrifices

The newly relayed order stirred up conflict within the general-rank.

Ideally, it should hasten to the highest-grade corrupted area to retrieve sacrifices.

Yet, it ultimately opted to head to the nearest river after much contemplation.

Heading inland meant finding subordinates that could breathe underwater like itself was challenging.

So gathering those evolved creatures with similar traits from around the river was the plan to bolster troop numbers.

“Kurruk, supplement, retrieve, supplement, retrieveuek….”

The general-rank muttered words it had learned from an odd human adorned with peculiar symbols, while racing ahead swiftly.

But it soon had to leap into the air.

Suddenly, the ground beneath surged with mana.

Damned System