118 – 118. Props
As expected by Seol Ah-hyun, Team 1, which Ahn Su-ho belongs to, was the first to arrive at the center of the three teams. However, the other two teams also showed up shortly after.
“Oh! I never thought there would be a team that came before us!”
The first to show up was Team 2, which included Dragon Slayer Oh Ji-hoon and Flame Emperor Park Chul. The 2nd team, made up of Royal Knights and brave men, had many people with dirt or blood on their clothes, probably after a fierce battle.
“It must have been quite a fierce battle.”
“It’s all because of Oh Ji-hoon’s greed.”
Park Chul clicked his tongue and pointed at Oh Ji-hoon. In his hand, smiling happily, a pair of green-colored full-body armor was hanging weakly.
“I can’t believe that… ….”
As Seol Ah-hyun’s eyes brightened with a thought-provoking face, Park Chul continued.
“This is the monster I met along the way. He said in his mouth that he was a Georg or something, but he was pretty strong. Oh Ji-Hoon, who saw that, the battle got longer because that friend had lost his lust for money. As you know, that friend is not good at swords and armor.”
“Aha…… “
“I had a lot of trouble catching it without a single wound. Still, considering his psychic powers, there must be a corner that can be used, so I don’t think it was just a futile effort.”
“Is it possible to catch the Living Armor series without getting hurt…… ?”
“Why is there no helmet in the armor he is holding? You broke your head seven times, but you don’t die, do you?”
“Ah… ….”
While Park Cheol and Seol Ah-hyun were continuing their conversation, only then did members of Team 3 begin to emerge from another passage.
Team 3 of the Knight’s Tomb Attack Team. The team, which consisted of Seong Yu-jin’s Winter Alliance and Jin So-wol’s Asteroid hunters, was all in good condition, in contrast to Team 2. Not only were they all fine, no one even sweated.
The head of such a group. Seong Yu-jin approached with an apologetic look beside Jin So-wol, who was walking with a silver spear.
“In the end, you fought alone, Mr. Sowol, all the way here. I’m sorry. I should have helped with something…… “
“It’s okay. Hunter Seong Eugene must preserve her stamina in order to deal with Wilhelm.”
“Isn’t Mr. Sowol the same task force as me?”
“If I step forward, it can end without anyone getting hurt, right? Thinking so, I couldn’t help but go. Besides, I’m the type that needs to warm up for a long time.”
“If you say that, what am I going to be, standing at the back with my hands behind my back… ….”
As can be seen from the conversation, only Jin So-wol fought in Team 3, unlike Team 2, which fought a fierce battle. Except for her, no one swung her sword or her fist. They also met Wilhelm’s aide, ‘Johannes’, who was similar to Jacob and Georg, but he was also defeated by Jin So-wol alone.
S rank 2nd place guild. Jin So-wol, the leader of Asteroid’s most elite unit, Team Ceres.
She was the only one in her task force other than Midsummer that was not of her guild master level, but her fighting power against ‘humanoid enemies’ was by far the best.
As all the teams gathered, Seol Ah-hyun, who was in charge of the leader of the raid, ordered a short break and reorganization.
The current time is about 44 minutes after the start of the capture.
After taking a 15-minute break, the raiders decided to rush through the central gate where Wilhelm was at 60 minutes after the start.
Ahn Soo-ho, who did not need any reorganization, was sitting on the fragments of a collapsed pillar as a chair, looking at his status window or timer. Seol Ah-hyun sneaked up to him and sat down.
“Can I sit next to you for a minute?”
Ahn Soo-ho, who was already sitting next to him and found it absurd to ask such a question, smiled and nodded.
“Still, it is fortunate that no one was seriously injured and we arrived safely.”
“The dungeon itself is nothing special except for the host monster.”
“Was it like that in the future?”
“Yes. The labyrinth was easily cleared, and Wilhelm was caught without difficulty.”
Ahn Soo-ho sensed the anxiety hidden in Seol Ah-hyun’s words and deliberately said that. At those words, Seol Ah-hyun took a breath with a slightly relieved expression and then spat out. His hot breath turned into white steam, and his hair rose.
“It’s a good story, but… ….”
Ahn Soo-ho, who was in an awkward mood, asked Seol Ah-hyun with such luck.
“Why are hunters, government agencies, and dungeons and gates called dungeons and gates in English, but only the master monster is called the master monster in Korean? Isn’t it a bit awkward? In the same way, in English, you could call it boss or something like that.”
That was literally a good question. However, it was also a long-standing question for Ahn Su-ho.
Actually, that was a question he had been thinking about ever since he was reading In the original world.
“Suho is right. That’s why most hunters and industry insiders call me ‘boss’ in English comfortably in private settings. Write ‘master monster’ in Korean only in public places or official documents… ….”
“Is there any special reason?”
“The official name given by the government is ‘Master Monster’. When the God Gate incident broke out, I used the name ‘Boss Monster’ or ‘Boss’ that is used in English-speaking countries. Not too long after, the National Institute of the Korean Language must have instructed you not to use loanwords and to purify them?”
“…… Leave the dungeons and gates aside, just the bosses?”
“‘Dungeon’ and ‘gate’ are also ‘labyrinth’ and ‘dimension gate’, so I tried to call them refined. But when communicating with foreign guilds or companies, the meaning doesn’t work……. In the end, the government with both hands and feet officially recognized the names of dungeons and gates.”
“But why do you only call ‘boss’ as ‘master monster’?”
“It was omitted while they were belatedly changing it back to its original name after designating it as the official name on their own. It’s not just the ‘master monster’. ‘Superhuman’ and ‘superpower’ are also words that were changed to Korean names at that time. ‘Artifact’ was also called ‘relic’ until about 10 years ago.”
“Huh… ….”
Ahn Suho stuck out his tongue at the strangely realistic setting. Right now, even in the original world, there were often movements to encourage the use of awkward language, such as ‘Nuri Communication Network’ with social media, or ‘Barbecue set’ after seeing the meal kit.
‘It’s just that the description is bad, is there such a setting from the beginning, or did such a trivial background setting come about as the novel became the real world… ….’
Ahn Soo-ho felt refreshed when a question he had had since his days as a reader was resolved. However, as I said before, it was a story that had nothing to do with it, so it didn’t change much.
“The two of you are together again?”
At that time, midsummer approached Ahn Su-ho from behind and placed her chin on his shoulder. When An Su-ho, who was sitting in her seat, looked up at her, her Han Yeo-reum looked at Seol Ah-hyun with her calm face and said,
“If anyone sees you, you’d think Suho was a hunter belonging to the Black Dragon. I was the one who discovered Suho and brought him to this attack in the first place.”
I didn’t like the way Ahn Soo-ho and Seol Ah-hyun kept hanging out these days.
Han Yeo-reum recognized Ahn Su-ho’s power before anyone else (at least among her hunters) and tried to enlist him on her side. For her, the presence of Seol Ah-hyun, who showed great interest in her Ahn Soo-ho, was somewhat uncomfortable.
“Did you two know each other from the beginning? If you look at it from the side, you can’t see it in the first glance…….”
“That… ….”
“Why is Midsummer student curious about that?”
Ahyeon Seol glared at Midsummer. To be precise, her two arms leaned on An Su-ho’s shoulders. It’s as if she insists that she doesn’t use her person as a pedestal.
“Yeah… …. She can’t help but wonder that the black dragon lord is paying great attention to one of the academy guards, can’t she? Maybe other people besides me feel the same way?”
“I only have a small personal relationship with Suho. It’s a personal story, so I don’t want to go into detail. Are you okay?”
“I wonder what that private story is about… ….”
Midsummer glanced at the two of them, and soon after, she boldly wrapped her arm around An Su-ho’s shoulder. Seol Ah-hyun’s expression stiffened at the sight of her hugging her from behind.
“Everything, what are you doing right now… ….”
Seol Ah-hyun started stuttering his words in embarrassment.
“Oops.”
Han Yeo-reum, desperate to see that figure, stuck her head out and looked at Ahn Su-ho. Suho Ahn asked shyly, following her midsummer, who had suddenly clung to her, with her sidelong glance.
“…… Why? Midsummer student?”
“I don’t think that’s possible, but are you two dating?”
“Yes?”
“Ugh, four?”
The two opposing elasticity overlap. Ahn Su-ho’s exclamation was that he didn’t know why, and Seol Ah-hyun’s exclamation was a little more embarrassed.
“Midsummer student. Ahyeon and I are never like that.”
From nob le mt l dot com
Looking at Ahn Soo-ho, who is not broken, Midsummer opened her eyes.
‘I don’t think you are lying… …. Then what the hell is the personal relationship between the two of them?’
Midsummer took her gaze away from Ahn Su-ho and looked at Seol Ah-hyun this time.
Seol Ah-hyun was making a complicated expression while looking at Ahn Su-ho. While feeling relieved thanks to Ahn Soo-ho, who responded well to Midsummer’s question, unlike herself, she felt a little bit sad about him, who bluntly denied that they were in a relationship. Han Yeo-reum carefully examined Seol Ah-hyun’s expression, but she was unable to see through her inner thoughts.
“Excuse me.”
At that time, a sweet voice tickled their ears. When the three of them turned their heads, Seong Yu-jin approached with a wry smile. As if he hadn’t been through any battles, there wasn’t a speck of dust on the hem of the defensive coat he was wearing.
“Sung Eugene Hunter? What are you doing?”
“Because there was an important message related to the strategy.”
An important message at this point, with less than 10 minutes left before the Wilhelm War. As the three tilted their heads in doubt, Seong Yu-jin continued.
“We don’t have much time, so we’ll talk about it after everyone gathers. Oh, it just happens to be over there.”
Sung Yoo-jin said, pointing at Jin So-wol, who was approaching with the two remaining members of the task force.
Park Cheol and Oh Ji-Hoon, each wearing their own equipment (Oh Ji-Hoon was still carrying the armor of the knight he had defeated on his shoulder) approached the group of Ahn Su-Ho.
“Sung Isa. So, what is the important message?”
At Oh Ji-hoon’s question, Seong Yu-jin turned her gaze to him. To be precise, to Georg’s armor slung over his shoulder.
“I heard that teams 1 and 2, like our 3rd team, encountered a ‘knight-type monster that can use language’. Is that correct?”
“Sure. This guy is him.”
“We also ran into each other. It was Jacob or something, and I killed him.”
“From what you just said, it seems that both teams only encountered one enemy each, is that correct?”
At that, Han Yeo-reum and Oh Ji-hoon nodded their heads. Then, Seong Yu-jin kept the smile on her lips, but only raised her eyebrows and spoke as if she was in trouble.
“Johannes our 3 teams met… …. This is what the talking knight-type monster said, but he said he was one of Wilhelm’s four-sided knights.”
“Everywhere knight…… ?”
At those words, Seol Ah-hyun said in an anxious voice.
“Does that mean there is still one more ‘talking knight’ left?”
“I can’t be sure. However, if the word four-way knight means a knight of four defenses, then it would be correct to think so.”
Seol Ah-hyun secretly glanced at An Su-ho, but An Su-ho only shook his head. It was a story that he also did not know about Wilhelm’s four quarters knights.
“It would be right to have four knights of all directions. There are only three of them, so I’m not going to say anything because it’s all over the place. Then the question is, where is he now?”
“The probability of being somewhere in this labyrinth is not zero, but… ….”
Park Chul looked at the gate with such luck. The blue gate leading to the altar where Wilhelm was waiting.
“I don’t think the last four knights are beyond that gate.”
“Is there evidence?”
“There is no evidence. It’s just a feeling.”
“It doesn’t have future poetry like the Black Dragon Huiju, so what do you feel… ….”
Oh Ji-hoon said so on the outside, but inside he was half-sure that the last knight was beyond the gate. The reason, like Park Cheol, was not a clear reason, but just a ‘feeling’.
However, their sense of having cleared hundreds of dungeons during their decades of hunter career could not be ignored. After all, that sense was the result of an unconscious judgment on the situation.
“The number of cases is three. However, the attack ends without encountering the last four knights. Two, the last four knights are beyond the gate with Wilhelm. And three, while the task force goes to deal with Wilhelm, the last four knights encounter the remaining hunters…….”
“The first ones I encountered were tough, but not to the point that I couldn’t defeat them. The rest of the people here can’t take it down, so it’s going to be a lot of rice cake. But… ….”
“If the last knight is beyond the gate, the seven of us will have to deal with Wilhelm and him at the same time.”
The task force was carefully selected members to defeat Wilhelm. Not only Ahn Su-ho, but all the other members of the task force thought that they would be able to defeat Wilhelm without fail.
However, if there is an obstruction by Wilhelm’s side, even if the obstruction is an Escape Knight who is much stronger than a normal ghost knight, the story is different.
Distributing the people to deal with the last knight will naturally increase the burden on those who will deal with Wilhelm, and in the worst case, someone may be seriously injured or killed beyond the failure of the attack.
“…… I can’t help it. Let’s select a few of the remaining people and enter the gate together. If the last knight is beyond the gate, let them play against you.”
“That would be nice. Good distribution of personnel is the key. We can’t take all the good fighters into the gate and let the rest of us get hurt.”
“But if that’s the case, why don’t we all go inside the gate together?”
“Park Cheol, this noble man. Did you just doze off during the meeting? With mediocre skills, it’s almost certain that you’ll be attacked by wide-area attacks from Wilhelm, so didn’t you create a task force or something cumbersome?”
“It was true. Then, as you say, you should carefully consider the skills and combinations of the people who will enter and those who will remain.”
The gazes of the hunters who were talking among themselves soon turned to Seol Ah-hyun. Since they belonged to different guilds, they were in a horizontal position, but Seol Ah-hyun had the final decision because it was the Black Dragon Society that was in charge of the knight’s tomb raid.
“…… That’s probably the only way. Let’s hurry up and select people.”
After thinking for a while, Seol Ah-hyun answered like that. In the process, Ahn Su-ho was able to notice the anxiety on Seol Ah-hyun’s face.
“I think it would be better to divide each guild into a guild to join and a guild to wait, rather than forming a separate starting group by dividing the number of people in half for each guild.”
“If you think of teamwork, that would be correct. First of all, looking at the number of people, excluding us, there are four Black Dragons, two Asteroids, five Royal Knights, and the rest…….”
When Oh Ji-hoon opened and closed his fingers and got confused, Park Cheol answered.
“There are three Winter Alliances and four brave men. If you look at the number of people, if you combine the Black Dragons and the Royal Knights and the rest of the guilds, the ratio is just 9 to 9.”
“Then, organize it that way. How do you decide on an introductory group?”
“That’s it, just like when forming a task force, considering compatibility with Wilhelm and ability to fight in groups… ….”
While other hunters, including Oh Ji-hoon and Park Cheol, were discussing their opinions, Ahn Su-ho sneaked closer to Seol Ah-hyun, who was keeping his mouth shut one step away.
“Mr. Ahyeon.”
“? Ah yes. Mr. Suho. What are you doing?”
“Something must happen to Mr. Ahyeon. Your expression looked a bit uneasy from earlier.”
“Ah… ….”
Seol Ah-hyun, who was stabbed to the point, was about to ask a question, but soon smiled awkwardly.
“It’s just that I’m anxious about the fact that it keeps changing from the original plan. I’m very funny too. Unexpected incidents happen in dungeons. It’s a common occurrence, but it’s only because the guild master of an S-class guild is anxious about things like this…….”
“It can be insecure. Isn’t it an unprecedented overrank dungeon?”
“That’s right, but… ….”
Ahn Soo-ho could understand Seol Ah-hyun’s anxiety. Even though she is a regressor, her anxiety that the future she experienced is over and she cannot see the future is in line with the anxiety she feels that she cannot predict the future because so many things have changed even though she is a possessor.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
Ahn Soo-ho wanted to alleviate Seol Ah-hyun’s anxiety a little, so she said that. She, of course, did not think that at most verbal encouragement would sincerely relieve Seol Ah-hyun’s anxiety.
“…… I really hope everything goes well.”
However, Seol Ah-hyun could feel a strange sense of relief from Ahn Su-ho’s insignificant encouragement from her. She was as strong as if she were leaning on her giant tree, firmly rooted in her. She couldn’t figure out why she felt that way.
However, considering her situation, what she really needed the most for a lonely regressor was a support that understood her own situation and stood by her side unwaveringly.
The presence of Ahn Soo-ho, who silently encourages her that she will be okay whenever she feels insecure. As for Seol Ah-hyun, even if that encouragement was verbal, she was unconsciously attracted to him.
“Thank you. Mr. Suho.”
However, it was true that her anxiety, which had been squeezing her own heart, had gone, at least a little, so Seol Ah-hyun smiled softly and replied that way.
With that smile, Ahn Soo-ho felt as if a soft touch was passing through his chest. When he met his eyes with a shy smile, Seol Ah-hyun added in a low voice.
“As Suho said, I really hope everything goes well.”
Ahn Suho couldn’t detect the strange nuances in those words. I just thought it was fortunate that Seol Ah-hyun’s anxiety seemed to have subsided a little.
It wasn’t long before the meeting between the initiation group and the waiting group ended. The Royal Knights and the Black Dragon remain, and Asteroid, the Winter Alliance, and the brave men rush in with the task force. Seol Ah-hyun gave final approval to that conclusion, and soon 16 people, including the task force, stood in front of the gate.
“Hoe Lord! Let’s fight!”
“Whether that Wilhelm or Bismarck, just throw away the muk bowl! Our Lord has a purpose, but what’s the point of a knight like that?!”
“Hey An Su-ho or something! Stay by our Lord’s side! Got it!?”
“…… But the real name is Ahn Su-ho. I think I’ve heard it a lot…….”
The Hunters of the Black Dragon were chattering and encouraging Seol Ah-hyun. They didn’t know about Seol Ah-hyun’s return, but they knew that Seol Ah-hyun had worries or anxiety that she couldn’t tell others. That’s why they intentionally cheered Seol Ah-hyun with exaggerated gestures and expressions.
“Thank you. Everyone.”
At that thoughtful consideration, Seol Ah-hyeon smiled and shook his hand, then turned his head.
– Woo woo woo woo woo.
Toward the blue gate that boasts its majestic majesty right in front of you.
“Then, let’s go in.”
That’s how the final stage of conquering the knight’s tomb began.