Chapter 26 : Manners maketh man (1)

Before the newbie had even entered the Waiting Room.

The hunters, who had already gathered for what was now their seventh meeting, were assembled with expressions of considerable

displeasure.

One hunter glanced around at the others.

Every single one of them was a powerhouse.

They were seasoned warriors who had risked their lives clearing stages from the 1st floor to this 5th floor.

A gaunt hunter wearing a mask.

A crazed hunter, screaming about when the last challenger would finally arrive.

And next to him, a female hunter with black hair, standing with a calm expression.

Hunters, each with their own unique personalities, were waiting for the meeting to begin.

“Don’t.”

“What do you mean?”

The hunter instinctively spoke to the hunter beside him.

The woman’s gaze turned to the hunter.

Eyes so deep they seemed to pull you in.

He had heard she was a warrior from a tribe with an exceptional talent for combat.

“I already have a rough idea about you.”

“You revere battle, are aggressive, and follow the law of power.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I despise weaklings.”

” When is that last challenger brat coming!!”

The gazes of the two hunters momentarily shifted to the rampaging, large-bodied man.

“Does that hunter look weak to you too?”

“It’s not just him.”

“Every single one of them is weak.”

“In my opinion, I’m thinking of turning everything upside down once.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to clearly establish the hierarchy.”

Quite a bloodthirsty statement came from the woman’s lips.

Because the madman at the front was being so loud, it wasn’t as noticeable, but if anyone else had heard it, it was a remark and an

atmosphere that would be quite grating.

“The hunterrrr…! When are they comingggg!!!”

“….But sometimes, I get confused.”

“I wonder if that’s a monster, not a hunter.”

The woman stared at the madman with a completely calm expression.

“Endure it.”

“Who are you to tell me what to do?”

“If you cause trouble in the Waiting Room, you could be arrested by the guards.”

“I can just crush them too.”

‘She’s a crazy b*ch.’

The hunter immediately sized her up.

She was someone conventional thinking wouldn’t work on.

If any untoward contact occurred between hunters, the village guards would immediately intervene and arrest them.

An arrested hunter would be forcibly ejected from the Tower, having achieved nothing.

Having to clear the 1st to 4th floors again was just an added bonus.

“I’m asking you politely.”

“Please, just bear with it.”

“You’re quite polite, I like that.”

“I’ll endure it, just this once, specially for you.”

“Thank you.”

However, they weren’t the only ones whose dissatisfaction was slowly building.

“Can’t we just proceed to the 6th floor like this?”

“Aren’t we just wasting time?”

“Impossible.”

“We can’t ascend unless we meet the unlock conditions.”

“Finding another way…”

“If you’re uncomfortable, adjust your seat.”

“Or you can just forfeit.”

“I’d never forfeit.”

“Do I want to go back and get executed?”

‘This isn’t good.’

The hunter observed the situation.

“Hello.”

It was just as the atmosphere was gradually heating up that the completely clueless newbie made his appearance.

A hunter with a worn-out shield and clothes that looked far too light.

“From Earth?”

The hunter naturally deduced the man’s origin.

It was a well-known fact that hunters from Earth were particularly dazed and weak.

It was said that their world had no such thing as mana.

So, when it came to adapting to life inside the Tower, they required more time and faced greater difficulty than others.

‘He’ll die quickly.’

Therefore, even though the man wore a cheerful expression despite the Beastkin hunter’s warning, the hunter thought nothing of it.

He dismissed it as the attitude of someone who didn’t know true hell.

By the time he noticed the presence beside him had vanished, the hunter requiring the most caution had already moved in front of the man

from Earth.

‘Crazy.’

“I shall engrave the correct truth upon you.”

“Come at me.”

“Huh?”

“Come at me.”

It had already happened.

A declaration of war, so brazenly made in the center of all the hunters’ gazes.

“Hoh.”

“Stepping up first, are we?”

“It was a bit too arrogant to just ignore and let pass.”

“More importantly, isn’t that ‘that hunter’?”

That hunter.

It was a code-like designation they used for the woman.

From a world that was extremely aggressive and revered the superiority of strength.

Compared to the incredibly weak world called Earth, the difference in class was tragically vast.

Pure curiosity filled the eyes of the hunters watching the situation.

What would he do?

Would he prostrate himself in submission, or would he struggle to grasp onto even a sliver of pride?

Either way, it was sure to be a good spectacle for a moment’s amusement.

“Is there any reason I have to fight you?”

“We’re all hunters here, and we should be focusing on the conquest, shouldn’t we?”

“Same hunters?”

The woman tilted her head.

To Do Yoon’s eyes, it looked like a beauty striking a pose, but the woman was currently expressing displeasure.

“To say you and I are the same kind of hunter.”

“Truly insulting.”

“What an audacious male.”

“Listening to you is getting unpleasant.”

“Why do you keep calling me male, male, since a while ago?”

“Are you a female then?”

“…What?”

“I’m trying to understand since it’s a different world.”

“Are the words for genders ‘male’ and ‘female’ here?”

Instead of the black-haired beauty whose expression had stiffened, another hunter expressed regret.

“He must be crazy, wanting to die.”

In this place, no one would dare to act rashly against that woman.

A strong one.

They knew it instinctively, even without having to clash powers.

That woman, at least, should never be made an enemy.

“A beating is what he needs.”

“The rod is the cure.”

And so, eventually.

The woman raised her hand and swung it towards Do Yoon.

That mana was imbued in her every action meant her internal mana circuit was that stabilized.

She wouldn’t even draw a weapon against a weakling.

Her bare hands were more than enough.

‘He has a decent face, so I’ll just fix his personality.’

With that confidence.

The woman’s hand ruthlessly flew towards Do Yoon’s cheek.

-Thwack.

“Ah?”

However, seeing her own wrist so easily caught by Do Yoon’s hand.

The woman let out a foolish sound.

“This woman, really.”

Isn’t this too much?

Speaking rudely upon first meeting could be overlooked.

People who live in their own self-importance can sometimes be like that.

But resorting to direct violence was a separate issue.

‘She crossed the line.’

Do Yoon looked at the woman with displeasure.

“Hey.”

“Huh?”

“This is self-defense, right?”

Hunter Response Rule No. 1.

Attack first before being attacked.

It was when Do Yoon, following the teaching, was about to roughly shove the woman’s shoulder.

“Stop.”

The Beastkin man, who had approached at some point, mediated between Do Yoon and the woman.

“Why?”

Do Yoon looked at the man.

‘…What kind of gaze is that.’

A gaze as calm as it was at the beginning.

From those eyes, which seemed to regard what he was about to do as perfectly natural, the Beastkin man felt an unidentifiable chill.

“If things escalate further here, the atmosphere will worsen.”

“You said it yourself.”

“To conquer the stratum, hunters need to get along well with each other.”

“Still, this woman was the first to-“

“She made a mistake because her nerves were frayed.”

“As you can see, before you arrived, we were trapped in this space for months.”

Do Yoon paused to collect his thoughts.

The woman’s wrist was still caught in his grip.

Do Yoon, finally deciding to show mercy, released her wrist and spoke.

“Be careful.”

The woman’s shoulders were trembling.

Her expression suggested she was deep in thought.

“…What am I seeing right now?”

“He blocked it?”

“That easily?”

A stir went through the onlookers, but it was no concern of Do Yoon’s.

“Don’t call people ‘male’ to their face.”

“From now on, use my name.”

“My name is Kim Do Yoon.”

Do Yoon’s gaze immediately shifted to the other hunters.

Kim Do Yoon.

It was the moment his name was intensely imprinted in their minds.

Thinking the situation was roughly sorted, Do Yoon left the area.

It was to update the Gallery on his status.

“If you need to call me, find me yourselves.”

“I’m off.”

Leaving behind the sound of the old, creaking door opening, the remaining hunters, still immersed in the afterglow, began to whisper about

the man named Do Yoon.

“Wasn’t he from Earth?”

“Judging by his attire, yes.”

“I’ve seen Earth-born hunters before.”

“But, earlier, how did he…”

“Hey, shhh.”

Another hunter discreetly silenced the one trying to recall the recent events aloud.

Their gazes were directed towards the woman, still standing blankly in the center of the meeting room.

Staring down at her roughly grabbed wrist.

Like someone utterly defeated, she replayed the situation over and over in a deep swamp of emotion for a while.

It was understandable, as the outcome was so ridiculous and miserable compared to the words she had uttered.

‘Mana.’

The moment the woman’s mana touched the hand of the man who introduced himself as Do Yoon, it vanished all too easily.

Not resistance, but annihilation.

Had she ever experienced anything like this in her life?

‘No.’

She could say it with certainty.

Not even once, never.

“…How dare he.”

-Grind!

The woman bared her teeth in anger, revealing her hostility.

Not only was he weak and loud, but he also used some cheap trick to humiliate her?

And that too, in the middle of a place where everyone was watching?

‘Larkia. Never show weakness.’

“…Next time.”

Larkia Vels.

She, who worshipped the Black Dragon and grew up in a world where women were stronger than men.

Deeply engraved the existence of Do Yoon in her heart.

(My Post) Title: Arrived on the 5th Floor

(Photo of the Theme Stage village)

–It’s my first time here, and there are so many amazing things.

–It’s like some medieval fantasy, lolololol.

–The sights are incredible.

–Met some hunters in the Waiting Room, and like you guys said, there were some pretty shady ones.

–Even got into a fight ㅇㅇ;

[–A fight? Just like a hunter, making a fing terrible first impression.]

[–So, did you kill them?]

[ㄴ(My Post): It was our first meeting, so I just ended it with words.]

[ㄴYou let them live?]

[ㄴAh, I’m already getting anxious; Newbie, you haven’t forgotten what we taught you, right?]

[AgedWine): Hoe-eh-eh….!]

[AgedWine): This one will scold the baaad hunter who touched Newbie-chan… tehee…!]

[ㄴIf you touch it, the Tower will collapse;;]

[ㄴHey, hey, don’t move.]

[PaperLover): You’ve done well so far, so I think you’ll manage, but I’m a bit worried.]

Title: But this is the first time I’m seeing a picture of the Waiting Room.

–This is super cool, lol.

–To think I’d live to see a picture of where hunters gather.

[ㄴIKR lololol. Those hunter b*stards were living in a nice place.]

[ㄴBut doesn’t it look kinda cramped? Are they all really gathered there?]

[ㄴSir. You can’t think based on your size.]

[ㄴIt might look small from a large Bob’s perspective, but for a newbie’s physique, that’s probably the size of a small town, right?]

[ㄴ(My Post): ㅇㅇ That’s right.]

Title: Newbie, got any more pictures?

–Being stuck here all day, the outside world is so fascinating.

–If possible, could you take some more…

[ㄴ(My Post): Pictures are easy.]

[ㄴKyaaaaaah;;;;]

[ㄴ(Original Poster): Thanks…]

[ㄴNewbie is a god! Newbie is a god! Newbie is a god!]

[ㄴHeueung… Newbie’s making me hot…]

[ㄴAh, ****, typical Bob.]

At the somewhat poignant requests from the Gallery users, Do Yoon readily uploaded more photos of the village scenery.

After spending a day in the village inn, he went to the Waiting Room when summoned by another hunter.

“The conquest date has been set.”

“Oh! When?!”

The crazed hunter from yesterday was also visible.

The Beastkin man confirmed the faces of the assembled hunters and then immediately opened his mouth to convey the plan.

“We’ll have the conquest briefing today, and start the full-scale stratum conquest from tomorrow.”

The full-fledged conquest was finally about to begin.

Without even recognizing the presence of the black-haired beauty staring intently at him–

Do Yoon, focused on the thought of proceeding with the conquest, concentrated on the Beastkin hunter’s words with a beaming feeling.