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153
[Field Boss: Snow Drake’s domain is activated.]
Right after grabbing hold of Haemu.
A clear message appeared on the fortress’s great gate.
“Please gather for a moment.”
Hanbit called the raid members together in front of the gate.
Other players were keeping a little distance, murmuring as they watched.
“This is Haemu, who has joined as the last addition.”
Hanbit introduced the white-haired man standing beside him to the raid members.
As a face any vanguard would know, little explanation was needed.
“The looks on your faces aren’t exactly warm. Odin — did I do something wrong?”
Haemu asked, fanning the folding fan in hand.
Odin gave a nod and said:
“Probably a matter of trustworthiness.”
“Trustworthiness? Why me. Where would you find someone as reliable as me.”
“Teacher always does as you please. I think it’s a natural reaction.”
“Lost a bit of your manners, haven’t you. Picked up unnecessary things from that fellow.”
-Lol.
-High praise.
-Facts — the five stars of rudeness.
-It’s so strange that Haemu is here. Lol.
-Still no idea how Black Dragon found them.
-Seriously thought a skill was involved;
Odin laying out the cause in matter-of-fact terms, and Haemu letting out a hollow laugh.
The atmosphere suggested they were acquainted.
“You seem to know each other?”
“They’re an acquaintance of my teacher.”
“Your teacher?”
“I went somewhere beyond my level and got into difficulty. Someone who helped me at that time also taught me various things, and it naturally developed into a master-disciple relationship.”
Odin gave a brief account of the person he referred to as his teacher.
The feeling of genuine respect was evident.
‘A master-disciple relationship……’
The relationship of teacher and student carried deep significance for Hanbit in many ways.
Because he had experienced every manner of emotion — happiness and joy, anger and despair.
Hanbit, shaking off the old memories that had begun to fill his mind, said:
“Either way, the raid composition is complete now. I’ll convey Haemu’s instructions the same as for the other raid members. You’ll at least listen, won’t you?”
“……Is that question directed at me right now?”
At being addressed informally, Haemu asked back in bafflement.
“My creed is to match informal speech with informal speech. Ah, if you’re much older, I’ll use formal.”
“Well, you’ve got some nerve, haven’t you? They say young people these days are scary.”
-Lol.
-Going for the age attack;
-Acknowledgment: old as hell.
-Rejection: informal speech permitted.
-Seriously some nerve. Lol.
-Haemu, 38 — greatest crisis of his life.
-This is Gen Z.
According to the information, Haemu was 38.
Not an age to be addressed informally by a 27-year-old Hanbit.
Meeting his gaze, Haemu pointed the fan and said:
“I’ve suddenly started really wanting to hear formal speech from you.”
“We could both use formal — wouldn’t that work?”
“Nah, that’s a bit odd.”
Haemu, shaking his head while fanning.
Strangely, there was no authoritarian feeling to it.
Hanbit decided to put this situation to good use.
“I do show proper respect to people worth respecting…… but wouldn’t you be a bit difficult?”
“Odin had a bit more manners after all. This one’s the real thing.”
-Lol.
-‘The real thing.’
-Black Dragon doesn’t hold back.
At the probing question, Haemu let out a rueful laugh.
He took one step closer and asked:
“I said I’d play along to your tune, but disappearing from here is also my call. If a force like mine drops out, you can’t catch the dragon in there, can you?”
“That’s fine. I also worked out a strategy without Haemu.”
“What?”
“Had to have a contingency given what I’d heard. And you didn’t show up until the briefing ended, did you?”
“…….”
Faced with something he couldn’t argue against, Haemu lost his words.
Even if he genuinely gave up on raid participation, it was within the expected range.
Because in other worlds, Hanbit had always prepared for the worst-case scenario alongside everything else.
“Of course it would be more interesting with you here. I’m going to use the vanguard Haemu’s skill in a different direction.”
“That does sound intriguing — but you think using my skill differently? Leaving it to me would be better.”
“If you don’t believe it, see for yourself.”
Hanbit handed the last material transferred to parchment to Haemu.
Having folded the fan, he immediately scanned the contents.
“……Ha.”
Haemu, who had rapidly scanned down the text, let out another rueful laugh.
Then he looked at Hanbit and said:
“You’re actually a madman, aren’t you?”
The mist skill was used for disruption, ambush, assassination, protection, and blocking.
But what Black Dragon had written was entirely different from those uses.
A combination of mists with distinct characteristics.
Because with that, a massive explosion large enough to blanket the entire fortress was being planned.
“It’s not impossible, is it?”
“If things go as you say, then no. But even a slight deviation and it’s complete destruction. Can you handle that?”
“Nervous? I thought you’d be able to do it. If you’re not confident, I can change it to a different approach.”
“What?”
At the provocation offered without the slightest roundabout, Haemu narrowed his brow slightly.
Having held Hanbit’s gaze, he pressed his forehead and said:
“……I don’t normally fall for cheap provocations. But this time I’ll let myself be taken in. In return — if it succeeds, you’ll use formal speech every single time and treat me as ‘hyungnim.'”
“Deal. Show me with ability and I’ll have to show respect.”
The trade was not in items or gold but in something emotional.
Since Haemu had come all the way here with interest in Black Dragon to begin with, it wasn’t strange.
Though the development was entirely different from what they had imagined.
“Then I’ll wrap up the briefing here. Haemu is assigned to Squad 1, so team members — please check the separately noted items. And the food being distributed — please consume it the moment you enter.”
Hanbit handed ‘Flaming Honey Fruit Punch’ to all the raid members.
A buff food several tiers higher than the lava seed soup obtained at the cooking competition.
It carried the effect of drastically raising cold attribute resistance and increasing the body’s activity through warmth.
“Everyone’s ready — let’s make our entrance…….”
“Wait!”
Just then, someone called Hanbit to a stop as he was about to step forward.
Turning his head, a familiar red-haired woman came into view.
“Blood?”
-Oh?
-Blood hi.
-Still furious today;
-Didn’t she apply for the raid?
-Mars is here, so she might have been cut……
The viewers too identified her in an instant.
Blood, striding forward, stood directly in front of Hanbit.
“Hey, why was I cut? I died back then because I didn’t know how to use the heart!”
Her eyes blazing as she held his gaze.
The rough situation was understandable — but the one who had done the selecting was not Hanbit.
“That one was cut by me.”
Luna, who had been nearby, stepped to the side and said.
Hearing that, Blood got even more heated.
“Whoever it was — why was I cut! You think I’m weaker than the mediocre bunch here?”
“Probably not weaker than me?”
Haemu, slightly tilting the fan and adding his piece.
Blood continued as though looking at a repulsive creature.
“You’re the exception, so get lost. Either way — explain the reason.”
“You’re showing it right now, aren’t you? Don’t you see the reactions around you?”
“What?”
At Luna’s words, Blood turned her gaze.
There, the raid members were watching the exchange with uncomfortable expressions.
Having called mid-tier-and-above vanguards ‘mediocre bunch’ — a natural reaction.
Mars, who had been acting alongside Blood, had quietly closed his eyes.
“These damn…… Don’t you just need ability for a subjugation — what else is needed?”
“The ability has to be properly applied to be useful. You’d run wild on your own instincts anyway, wouldn’t you?”
Hanbit asked, recalling the previous Snow Drake battle.
Skilled — but prioritizes her own instinctive judgment above all.
That was Blood.
“I know my own strength best.”
“I’m not so sure. You seemed to have quite a few gaps.”
“……What? What are you saying?”
She frowned and asked back — but there genuinely were many apparent gaps in how ‘Bloodletting’ was being used.
‘It would be a sharp blade, though.’
Knowing well the potential of Bloodletting, Hanbit thought of several applications.
Having deliberated briefly, he quickly made a decision.
“If you want, I’ll put you in the raid. But if you move before I give the command, you’re out.”
“Is this a joke? Where does that kind of condition exist?”
“If you don’t like it, just don’t come in. No one’s forcing you.”
“…….”
-Lol.
-Getting Blood on a leash?
-Ten thousand won says she can’t help but move.
-Ten thousand on her holding back then.
-If she doesn’t want to be expelled, she better endure. Lol.
-No no — you can’t change an old habit.
At the simple condition being laid out, Blood clenched and unclenched her fist as she deliberated.
But for her, who wanted to prove her strength again, there was no real choice.
“……Fine. If you end up keeping me from moving the whole way through, then it’s you and me both dying that day.”
“I’ll give you a few chances. Ah, by the way — if you’re holding onto what happened before, give up on this one. An ambush won’t work.”
“What?”
Blood, who had frozen from failing to counter the Snow Drake’s wide-area technique.
Even calling it an information gap, there was no reason she would have positive feelings toward Black Dragon.
Either way, she had ended up being caught in the scheme.
But Blood reacted with a look of disgust.
“Why would I do something like that? I’m not the type to throw a tantrum over losing.”
Seemed she had no grudge after all.
It appeared she had simply been irritated at being cut from the raid selection.
Either way the situation had resolved, and Hanbit approached the fortress gate and placed his hand on it.
[First-entry rights for Player Black Dragon have been confirmed.]
[Would you like to assemble a raid? (Yes / No)]
The appeared message was simple.
Hanbit moved his hand, pressed ‘Yes,’ and quickly completed the raid composition.
***
“Whoa, so this is the fortress?”
“The map is obscenely huge.”
“Seeing it in person beats the video after all.”
Having moved inside upon entry, the raid was struck by the overwhelming sight of the fortress.
Massive ice cliffs encircling the perimeter and swirling snow-white flakes.
The sight covered everywhere in blue ice was purely beautiful.
They had seen it through Black Dragon’s videos — but actually facing it was different.
[Field Effect: Enhanced Freeze Debuff is applied.]
[Attack speed and movement speed decrease by 50%.]
[Cold attribute resistance decreases by 100.]
The same debuff as when entering the fortress the first time.
The food’s effect followed immediately.
[Effect: Blazing Body Buff is applied.]
[Cold attribute resistance greatly increases.]
[The warmth of the hot honey greatly reduces the cold debuff effect.]
“The debuff effect is completely gone.”
“That food is genuinely broken. And it tasted good.”
“Can’t this be used for other clears too?”
The vanguards couldn’t stop marveling at the Flaming Honey Fruit Punch’s effect.
Setting aside the ten million gold material cost — no one would know the recipe.
Because this was a method that existed only in Hanbit’s mind.
‘Good thing it was possible to implement.’
A game with high degrees of freedom — but limits definitely exist.
The spellbook modified by Isis.
Using it, Hanbit had tried to create magic he had developed himself.
But the completed spellbook showed no reaction whatsoever.
Only the ones who made RP would know the reason.
Grrk—!
Just then, a flock of snow-white monsters revealed themselves atop the ice structure ahead.
“White Wyverns.”
Luna, recognizing the opponents, said while drawing her sword.
[Elite: Guardian White Wyvern (Lv.138)]
The guardian monsters at the same level as before.
Five in number — but on this side were vanguards licking their lips in readiness.
Something like that would probably be handled lightly……
Shhk—
Just then, someone suddenly walked forward alongside scattered mist.
It was Haemu with the fan.
“What’s everyone getting so ready to charge out for?”
He stopped a few paces ahead.
Then he extended the hand holding the fan toward the White Wyvern flock.
Hiss—
The mist, so thin it was barely visible, had already reached near the wyverns.
And at the same time.
Whoosh—!
Haemu’s fan was lightly drawn from left to right.
Slash—!
In an instant, the White Wyverns came to a stop.
Blood began spurting from their long necks right after.
Splat—!
The Wyvern flock’s bodies tilted alongside the red blood staining the surrounding white.
Bang—!
The creatures falling below the structure.
The wyverns, twitching for a moment, breathed their last before long.
A death met without having spread their wings even once.
Shhk—
The creatures’ carcasses turning pitch black crumbled to dust and dispersed.
Three snow-white spheres lay there.
The White Wyvern Hearts.
-Whoa;
-Just killed them from where he stood. Lol.
-The dignity of 601st place.
-Easy, so easy.
The viewers cheered at the simple yet powerful impact that remained.
Hanbit, walking toward the spheres, said quietly:
“Sylph, could you carry these?”
[Yes!]
Whooom—
Wind blowing alongside the answer resonating as though inside his head.
It lifted the three spheres as though cradling them.
Completely different from back when he had used cooking gloves.
“How about it? Don’t you suddenly feel like using formal speech?”
Haemu, sidling over, asked Hanbit.
Definitely strong — but not yet the time.
“I’ll think about that after catching that one.”
Hanbit pointed toward the center of the fortress.
Crash—
A massive presence slowly rising with the sound of something breaking.
It was the Snow Drake — master of the fortress.
[Field Boss: Snow Drake (Lv.500)]
Level unchanged from before.
The raid members, having confirmed it, immediately steadied themselves.
Grrk—
The Snow Drake, expelling white breath, fully raised its body.
Hanbit, meeting the flashing blue eyes, leveled his sword and said:
“Subjugation — begins.”
