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116
Rustle—
“Ugh!”
Hiss—
“Uggh…….”
Inside a crevasse hidden within a fold of the sloping terrain.
Nothing but the section chief’s strange groaning echoed through the dim path.
-I’m getting the urge to mute him;
-Why is his body shaking like that?
-He does that when he goes somewhere cold.
-No no, it’s from the debuff.
-He insisted on carrying it himself. Lol.
The chill radiating from the White Wyvern’s Heart continued to torment the section chief.
And yet watching him stubbornly refuse to let go of it showed just how badly he wanted dwarven metallurgy.
“What exactly does that thing do?”
Kim Jaeha, watching the section chief from beside him, asked.
Despite moving alongside the sphere, aside from the cold debuff, nothing particularly visible stood out.
“You remember the information?”
“I remember. The contents were a bit strange though.”
[White Wyvern’s Heart]
Rank: ?
Grade: ?
Description: A crystal in which the cold of the White Wyvern has been condensed to its limit. The dense chill it radiates impedes and simultaneously protects the trial’s challengers. It also seems to have some other use.
Two things were important in the information.
One was the cold that both impedes and protects the challengers.
The other was the vague statement that there seemed to be some other use.
“Can you see that?”
“Hm?”
Kim Jaeha’s gaze followed as Hanbit pointed at an empty patch of air.
But there was nothing visible there.
“What are you saying I should see?”
“Those floating dust-like particles? They’re all frost venom.”
“Frost venom?”
Kim Jaeha made a puzzled face at the name he was hearing for the first time.
The question was answered by Avantgarde.
“It is a poison that freezes its target from the inside, leading to an agonizing death. And to think this space is so full of frost venom…… it is surprising anyone is still alive.”
Being a rarely seen poison, the antidote was equally difficult to come by.
Among adventurers, there was even a saying that the courteous thing to do for a poisoned companion was to finish them off quickly.
“The chill the White Wyvern’s Heart emits is special. It forcefully repels forces of similar nature. That property is what’s being used to avoid the frost venom.”
“So it’s like a unique barrier. Then can it block all cold attribute damage?”
“No, not that. It can only block cold damage weaker than what the Heart itself emits.”
The hierarchy of power for any given element was honest.
Even the finest barrier would shatter against a sufficiently strong force.
Like, for instance, a technique wielded by the Snow Drake.
But even this had a gap.
[It also seems to have some other use.]
The most important final line in the item description.
The plan as it stood had been made possible precisely because of this property.
An indispensable item for surviving the Snow Drake and recovering the dwarves’ heirloom.
Crunch—
The party advancing while sharing the necessary information.
The section chief’s waddling figure with the sphere in hand was immediately conspicuous.
“Ah, you weren’t supposed to step on that.”
“What?”
The section chief’s body froze at Hanbit’s casually tossed remark.
He had gone rigid with his right foot planted in place.
“Wh, what is it?”
“There are some traps around here. Like land mines — they might go off.”
“You should have said something sooner!”
“It just came back to me, what am I supposed to do about that?”
“Son of a——”
-Lol.
-Right, nothing to be done then.
-If you don’t like it, pay attention.
-If you have any awareness, blow yourself up.
At the innocent answer, the section chief’s brow furrowed deeply.
Something that might be below his very foot.
If he died right here, the chances of making it back were slim.
“Quickly think of something! If I die, the deal and everything else is void!”
The section chief screamed with abandon.
“Hmm.”
Hanbit pretended to deliberate and inspected the floor.
Then, giving a nod, he spoke in a solemn voice:
“Try lifting your foot slowly.”
“What? But you said it would explode!”
“If you’re really careful, it might not. You can’t keep standing there forever, can you?”
“Ugh…….”
The section chief’s eyes wavered at the unanswerable logic.
“Phew.”
He exhaled as though tense.
Swallowing hard, the section chief began to move his foot with extraordinary slowness.
“Please, please…….”
Movements so painfully slow and cautious.
The effort poured into the action took nearly over a full minute to complete.
And finally, his foot completely left the ground.
“I did it!”
“Oh, didn’t explode.”
The section chief genuinely rejoicing as though delighted.
Hanbit gave a light response and approached the spot where the foot had been.
Tilting his upper body, he looked at the ground and said in a breezy voice:
“Ah — wasn’t here?”
“…What?”
At the casually delivered words, the section chief’s expression turned stupid.
Hanbit calmly stomped on the ground.
Thud— thud—
No explosion, no matter how many times he stepped on it.
Which was only natural — it was perfectly ordinary ground with absolutely nothing there.
“Well, guess not.”
“Son of a——! You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Huh?”
-Lol.
-There’s that habit of stringing people along again.
-The all-time biggest victim in this category is Ranger.
-Legendary supporting role.
-Unrivaled at getting played.
-The reactions are on point though. Lol.
The section chief, the memory of his own efforts fresh in his mind, flushed red and protested.
But it wasn’t a Hanbit who would hear him out.
“At least you’re alright. Come on, let’s keep moving. Someone will steal it if we’re late.”
“You little——!”
Anger swelled at the mocking words, but his feet still had to move.
He couldn’t let the dwarves’ heirloom be stolen by another player.
“Phew. I’m the adult here — I’ll endure, I’ll endure.”
Hiss—
The section chief’s heat was quickly extinguished by the chill radiating from the sphere.
His stride visibly more forceful than before — a result of being convinced there were no traps.
“The ground has changed.”
As they moved along, Avantgarde noticed a change.
The state of the ground had subtly shifted from some point onward.
Slightly colder and rougher in texture.
“Who cares about that.”
The section chief clicked his tongue and kept walking.
Watching him, Hanbit issued another warning.
“Might want to be careful.”
“Where are you trying to pull something this time? You think I’ll fall for it?”
The section chief vented his irritation and stepped forward, keeping his eyes on the sphere in his hand.
At that moment.
Crack—!
Something burst up from beneath the ground.
“Whoaaah!”
The startled section chief stumbled and fell on his backside.
Even so, having protected the sphere, he urgently looked ahead.
[Snow Flower (Lv.1)]
“Ha, what the hell.”
The section chief exhaled and relaxed upon confirming the name tag.
A single flower woven from snow-white crystals.
A level 1 monster — completely beneath notice.
Not even worth drawing a weapon.
“This thing——!”
Crunch—!
The section chief lifted his foot high and brought it down with force onto the flower.
A clear intent to kill the monster that had startled him.
“Easy, wasn’t it?”
He sneered and moved to slowly lift his foot.
At that moment.
Grab—!
Suddenly, something seized his leg.
“Ugh!”
Several tendrils sprouting from the ground.
The startled section chief kicked and thrashed to shake them off.
But the more he struggled, the stronger the tendrils’ grip became.
“Son of a——! What the hell is this!”
As he swore, his leg had at some point been completely bound.
Crack crack crack—
Simultaneously, the ground heaving.
When the earth split fully apart, the enemy revealed itself.
[White Snare (Lv.113)]
Whoosh—!
Snow-white flowers mounted on its upper body, and vicious teeth below.
The dozens of tendrils attached to either side were threatening.
A sight fitting of a monster that lures prey with flowers and consumes them.
-Oh no.
-Look at the face on it;
-It got the guy — isn’t that a win-win?
-Is that a tentacle?
-They’re tendrils, sir.
“AAAAAGH!”
The section chief, having seen the grotesque form, let out a scream.
Then he hollered at his subordinates:
“Hey! Why are you just standing there staring! Save me, quickly!”
“Ah, yes!”
The Taeyul party members, reacting belatedly, moved to act in a rush.
But they had no room to spare for anyone else.
Grrk—!
Monsters revealing themselves from all around.
Every single one of them level 100 and above.
“Ugh!”
“Hold the formation first!”
The monsters outnumbered the players by more than two to one.
Each individually stronger than them — even forming any strategy was difficult.
“You there, hold still.”
Just then, Liwei, who had been following leisurely, moved.
He adjusted his grip on his spear and took a light stance.
And then—
Whomp—!
He threw the spear straight ahead.
Boom boom boom—!
A shockwave that shook the ground rushed through and swept over the monster horde.
When it scattered and disappeared, nothing remained in its wake.
-Click. Lol.
-They melted like slime;
-This is what a vanguard is.
-Equal to or greater than me.
-Delusion, OUT.
Thud—!
The thrown spear returned to Liwei’s hand.
Slash—!
He approached where the section chief was bound and killed the last remaining White Snare.
“Ugh!”
Released from the binding, the section chief flopped onto his backside.
After floundering for a moment, he got up with a sheepish expression.
“Follow me. I’ll take the lead.”
Liwei, spear dangling at his side, began to walk ahead.
The group, which had been momentarily frozen, let out sighs of relief and followed.
Whoosh—!
Slash—!
Monsters that continued to appear met their end the moment they did.
‘He’s clearly something different.’
Watching the movements, Hanbit inwardly felt a note of admiration.
Two years since RP’s launch.
This was not a level of skill an ordinary person could reach in that time.
He was evidently someone with exceptional talent not just in spear technique but in combat itself.
“Hmm.”
That sight left a firm impression on the section chief’s eyes as well.
Never having seen a vanguard this close before, a greed arose in him that he had never considered.
‘Can’t I just win him over too?’
He had constructed an airtight threat and was holding Black Dragon on a leash.
Annoying as the guy was, this absolute hierarchy of power couldn’t change.
But the true value of a real vanguard was incomparable to Black Dragon.
Wouldn’t it make for a much prettier picture to bring Liwei to his side and stab Black Dragon in the back?
“Heh.”
A petty laugh slipped out involuntarily.
A connection to the vanguard, the hidden skill dwarven metallurgy, revenge against Black Dragon and Kim Jaeha.
All of it could be in his hands.
“Ugh! Let me rest a moment!”
The section chief abruptly set the sphere down and called for a rest.
Black Dragon, following behind, simply shrugged and went along with it.
‘Stupid fool. Let’s see you take what’s coming.’
Muttering insults internally, the section chief brought up the system.
Then he sent Liwei a message.
「Black Dragon lied to you earlier. This deal only exists because that guy assaulted me. I’m going to get the information out of him, so cut that piece of trash loose and let’s join forces. I’ll meet your terms generously.」
The completed message was sent immediately.
Whether an alert had chimed, Liwei’s gaze drifted to the air.
His hand moving too — he was clearly reading the message.
Shhk—
A moment later, Liwei turned his body toward the section chief.
Then he moved his feet in long strides and approached.
‘Yes, that’s more like it.’
The section chief was certain.
That was unmistakably a positive reaction.
Now if they joined forces, they would hold a considerable advantage in the competition.
Click—
Liwei stood before the section chief with an expressionless face.
Then he leaned his upper body forward and said quietly:
“Don’t cross the line. You piece of trash.”
