YM778.TV Chapter 24: Welcome, Heroes! (3)
Chapter 24: Welcome, Heroes! (3)
“Huh? He looks like a Hunter...”
Hunters, who had been diligently slaying monsters, turned and stared. Looking away while standing among howling monsters was a dangerous move, but the Hunters could afford it because of the momentary respite I had created for them.
“Hero!” the general shouted, turning slightly to look back at me. “Are you sure this is the right direction?”
When the general shook, I also shook because we were riding on the same horse. While the general took the reins, I sat in the back. It wasn’t a comfortable ride, but it was an awesome ride—because a thousand soldiers were following the general and I.
“Yes, I’m sure. Head straight until I tell you to turn right. Once you do that, you’ll see the Demon King’s legion-master. There are quite a lot of monsters around us, but it’ll be fine. We can wipe them out first.”
“Ohhh! Understood! All of you, follow me!” The general held up his command baton. “The hero sent by the goddess protects us!”
The soldiers let out a mighty roar and charged out of their defensive positions. They now marched to break through the monster army. Goblins and orcs stood in their way, but the monsters’ efforts were futile.
“Hehe.” I snickered. Thanks to my mini-map, I could advise the general to aim for the region with the least number of monsters.
“Ah. Turn right here, please.”
“Yes, hero of the goddess!”
It took more than my mini-map to earn the general’s trust, though. The main reason why this was possible was that I repeated today and had made preparations. When I had gotten the general’s Skill, I had also happened to witness his trauma. Well, that was a story for another time. Now was the time to focus on the ongoing battle.
Show me my status window.
Name: Kim Gong-Ja
Class: E
Skills (5/5):
1. I Want To Be Like You (S+)
2. Returner’s Clockwork (EX)
3. Sword Constellation (A+)
4. High Society of Goblins (F)
5. Battlefield Eyes (B)
The new Skill I got is war-related.
Battlefield Eyes was a very self-explanatory Skill. Using this ability, I could instinctively understand the battlefield. It allowed me to tell where the enemy was vulnerable to being breached. It also told me if my allies could be advantageous for the battle.
But the Skill wasn’t all I used to make this work. I held up a sword with a grin. It wasn’t an ordinary sword or the dagger I used to kill myself; it glowed with holy light and its pommel was sculpted into the shape of a roaring lion. When the sword unleashed a pillar of silver light, the soldiers across the battlefield were stunned.
“The goddess has blessed us!”
“That’s the first emperor’s holy sword. Ah, the goddess hasn’t abandoned our empire!”
“Glory to the Aegim Empire”
Yes, this sword, which I had chosen with the blessing of the God of Trade, was the last piece of the puzzle that I needed to lead the army.
Lefanta Aegim’s Holy Protector Sword
Rarity: Legendary
Description: The saying, “The one who possesses the holy sword shall have the continent,” comes from the legend of the Aegim Empire’s founding emperor. In the legend, the goddess bestowed the holy sword to him.
However, the sword also comes with the saying “The one who has the continent will be bound by fate.”
The founding ancestor left after choosing his successor. It is unclear if he killed himself or was murdered. The legend and history are yet to determine his true fate, and his and his holy sword’s whereabouts still remain unknown.
Only a single line of prophecy has been left to guide everyone: “The wielder of the holy sword shall arrive on the day of destiny.”
Whoever possesses the holy protector sword gains absolute trust and support from the people of the Aegim Empire.
The legendary item was super effective.
“Hurray for the empire! Hurray for the hero!”
“My goddess, please protect us!”
“Attack them! Sweep away those filthy monsters!”
The soldiers charged with redoubled courage. From their perspective, I, with my Skill, was a true hero from their legends. Though the general NPC was their actual leader and I was just an advisor...I felt like I was their commander. It was an exhilarating feeling.
Ah, this is great. Just fantastic. The sight alone is enough reward for clearing the hidden stage.
The Guardian went on a rampage.
—That’s the shittiest item ever! It’s just a sturdy, flashy sword. That’s it!
Tsk, tsk. Did you lose your sentimentalism when you became a ghost? It’s a sturdy, flashy sword that makes the NPCs on the eleventh to twentieth floors love me. Don’t you get it? NPCs aren’t just tools to give us quests! They should be used to clear them!
It was just a matter of thinking outside the box, but it actually worked. While the other Hunters were shedding blood sweat and tears as they fought, I rode freely across the battlefield with the general. Whenever I brushed past the Hunters, they were left perplexed and slack-jawed.
“Is that...?”
“Why does he get to be the only one who goes around with the general?”
“Isn’t he an NPC?”
“Hold on a second. I think he’s giving the general an order...”
“Look at his clothes! He’s a Hunter!”
“Who is he...?”
Surprise, doubt, envy, jealousy... Those were the most common reactions when someone was forced to look up at someone else.
Ah, this is it. Man, this is good.
The thrill was intoxicating.
—...You lunatic. I taught you how to use aura so that you would hone your sword skills, not enhance your hearing and eavesdrop. You’re something else, Zombie. You’re a true zombie...
I’m just honest. I like the feeling!
The human army’s charge was succeeding. Many of the monsters were brought down one after another despite their attempts to stop the humans.
However, on the left were skilled Hunters, led by the Sword Star, massacring orcs.
“Hahaha! What an incredible day! A new type of battle! A new era! How—”
“Shut up! If you have time to talk, use it to kill more goblins!”
On the right were the Inquisitor, the Viper, and the others from major guilds. The wings of the monsters’ formation broke down. The monsters couldn’t afford to spare any more of them to stop us from breaking through. Inevitably, the goblins’ heads were crushed under the hooves of the cavalry and the soldiers thrust their spears through the orcs’ guts.
“We can win!”
“Follow the general! Follow the hero!”
Break through. Break through! The humans finally managed to break through the enemy’s lines, bringing them onto the doorstep of the Demon King’s legion-master, who showed up as an unusually red dot in my mini-map. I looked over the general’s shoulder and spotted the Goblin King anxiously pacing back and forth in the distance.
“Gorr. Gorrr.”
Ha. I couldn’t help but sneer at what I saw. I didn’t expect the enemy commander of the eleventh floor to be a Goblin King.
Since it was leading a legion of thousands of monsters, it would be stronger than the Goblin King I had killed on the fifth floor, of course. However, it was still a goblin. The Goblin King was still helpless if the cavalry charged it together.
Above all, I had a Skill that specialized in dealing with goblins.
[The Skill High Society of Goblins has been activated.]
“Gorrr! Gorrrr!” The Goblin King held up its staff, directing the monsters around it.
It was similar to a human saying, “Stop them, you fools!”
I roared at the Goblin King in perfect Goblinian!
“Goorrrrr!”
“G-gorr?”
“Gorrrrrr!”
“Gorrrr?” The Goblin King was visibly confused, which naturally made the monsters around panic too.
The humans didn’t stop marching. The Goblin King could have used the moment to stop them, but it had lost its last chance. Only then did the Goblin King realize that it had been deceived.
“Gorrrrr?” it sputtered.
However, it was too late.
“It was good gorrring with you!” I infused my holy protector sword with aura and chopped down at the Goblin King.
The holy sword smoothly sliced through the Goblin King’s head like a hot knife through butter. Something hard—which I assumed to be its neck bones—stopped the sword for a moment, but before it could let out a proper scream, its head went flying in the air.
The general slowed down his horse and shouted, “The hero took out the enemy leader!”
He wasn’t speaking to me. It was meant for his soldiers. The general focused his aura into his neck so that his voice could be heard over the chaos of the battlefield. The cavalry riding near the general immediately understood what their commander was trying to do.
“The enemy leader is dead!”
“The goddess’s hero has slain the enemy leader!”
The word passed from the general to his entourage, and from his entourage to his officers. The message relayed on and on until it reached every last soldier, echoing over the battlefield like thunder.
The regiments waved their flags and cheered wildly. This battlefield had claimed their comrades and nearly drowned them in monsters, but the soldiers could finally rejoice.
I got off the horse and looked around. My eyes met those of a flag bearer. He seemed to have lost his arm during the battle, and held up the flag with only his right arm. However, he smiled from ear to ear and raised the dirty, stained flag higher. The warm sunlight shone down on it.
“Glory to the Aegim Empire!”
We were victorious.
“Wipe out the stragglers!”
“Attack! Attack! Spare no monster!”
The tide of the battle had turned completely.
Krrr, krrrr.
Howl!
The monsters, who used to be like ferocious beasts, began to run away.
“Huh?”
“Look at those bastards.”
The Hunters’ expression changed. Although all-out war wasn’t their specialty, hunting down lone, scattered monsters was a different story. The Hunters bared their fangs and went after the goblins and orcs.
“Kill them all!”
The hunt was on. It was a one-sided massacre and didn’t take long to come to an end. Soon, a voice was heard in our heads. It was as clear and loud as the general’s victory cry.
[Stage Clear!]
[Announcement.]
[The eleventh floor has been cleared today.]
[Announcement.]
[The eleventh floor has been cleared today.]
It was the sound of victory.
“Woahhhh! Is this for real?”
“We’re so strong!”
“All hail the Black Dragon Guild!”
Now the Hunters, like the soldiers, broke into celebration. Some threw their hats in the air, like they had done in the Plaza. I could see several Hunters hugging each other.
They advanced like an angry tide, and it took less than a day to clear the eleventh floor! It was a remarkable achievement.
[Calculating the number of champions...]
[The calculation has been completed.]
[The number of champions has exceeded the maximum limit.]
[Selecting the top ten champions.]
The Hunters looked up and watched the light turn into a long list.
The Quest Completion Contribution List:
First Place: Kim Gong-Ja
Second Place: Sword Star
Third Place: Inquisitor
Fourth Place: Viper
Fifth Place: Paladin
Sixth Place: Black Witch
Seventh Place: Countess
...
Familiar names filled the list, but the increasingly loud buzz among the Hunters didn’t concern them.
“Huh? The first place doesn’t have a title?”
“Sword Star is in second place?”
“Wait, Kim Gong-Ja is...”
It hadn’t been long since the media had disclosed my name, so it was natural for the Hunters to not recognize it. However, it didn’t take long for someone from the crowd to shout, “Oh, it’s the tenth-floor champion!”
“That’s right! The champion’s name is Gong-Ja!”
“Wait, a Hunter the Tower hasn’t even given a title became the top champion again?”
“Is he a martial artist who came out of seclusion...?”
—Hmph. No way he is. He’s just a skilled weasel... The Guardian pouted.
Why don’t you admit that the Tower’s system is GOTY?
—I can’t admit it! I won’t admit it! The Guardian turned his back on me petulantly.
It looked like he was sulky because I’d neglected my sword training. This ghost...had the tendency to value people’s basic abilities over their Skills.
I smiled bitterly. I’ll train my swordsmanship before I complete the twentieth floor. Don’t get too angry.
—What? Really? The Guardian turned ever so slightly.
Yeah, of course. I’m with the Sword Emperor, so I have to learn everything you can teach me. You cleared the ninety-ninth floor, after all. I should be begging you to teach me.
—That is right! Man, you finally recognize my true value, Zombie. You know, the stages were a little different from those of your Tower, but nothing could stop me in the Tower from my world. The eleventh floor was just a light exercise!
The Guardian spun around in the air as if he’d never been sullen.
Oh, it was so easy to please this ghost. I had no idea anyone could be this simple.
As I watched the Guardian’s air show, the general approached me.
“Hero of the goddess.”
He was covered in monster blood, but his face was clean. Maybe he had cleaned it before he came to look for me.
“Thanks to you, we could win. Thank you. You have my eternal gratitude.” The general beamed.
“No, it was a team effort.”
“Hahahaha.” The general awkwardly scratched his cheek. “I guess I was worried about nothing.”
“Pardon?”
“The temple gave us a prophecy long ago. The Demon King’s legion will arrive, but heroes from a different world will also be summoned someday. Therefore, we don’t have to worry... I was skeptical about the prophecy. This world isn’t even theirs, so I believed that it was unlikely for these heroes to fight for us. But I was worried for nothing.” The general smiled. “I would like to thank you again.”
The general held out his hand, offering me a handshake. Although we were from different worlds, handshakes carried similar meanings in both of our worlds. Perhaps this was because humans in both worlds had two hands.
“Please keep up your great work.”
“I’ll try.” I laughed quietly.
We shook hands.
[Calculating the rewards...]
[The calculation has been completed.]
[Preparing the rewards for the top ten champions.]
A light enveloped me. It wasn’t just me—pillars of light emerged from all across the battlefield. One, two, three, four... A total of ten light pillars shot into the sky.
[The top ten champions will enter the twelfth floor first.]
[The remaining champions cannot enter the twelfth floor until the top ten champions receive their rewards.]
[Announcement.]
[Before the top ten champions...]
That was bad news for the eleventh or twelfth Hunter, but the reward system was quite fair.
“Please protect the empire,” the general said before the light pillar covered my vision.
And we were summoned to the twelfth floor.