Chapter 63
[Jeong Taeyeon: Jeong Manho, you're thrilled because you escaped being the youngest, aren't you?]
[Jeong Manho: No, that's not it....]
Hwayeon's guild leader, Jeong Taeyeon. At her jab, Jeong Manho immediately sent a cowering emoji.
Just looking at that made me laugh. Then another new person joined the chat.
[Park Sangcheol: Welcome, newcomer. I'm Park Sangcheol, president of the Hunter Association.]
Park Sangcheol was the president of the Korean Hunter Association, and the one leading the strike.
[Park Sangcheol: By the way, your name is rather unusual. As a rule, our chat room uses real names. That's not your real name, is it?]
I could feel the pressure hidden beneath his soft tone. It was a silent accusation—why weren't I following the rules? In many ways, he gave off the impression of a sly, snake-like man.
Just as I was wondering how I should answer, a savior stepped in.
[Kim Suho: I vouch for this person.]
Kim Suho, the only S-rank hunter in Korea. With that one brief line from him, the noisy chat room fell silent in an instant.
[Kim Suho: They're on a mission equivalent to a state secret, so I can't reveal any detailed personal information for now.]
[Park Sangcheol: (...typing...)]
[Kim Suho: I personally requested this person because I judged the information here to be essential to the mission.]
[Kim Suho: I hope you'll understand, Association President.]
State secret. Cliché, but an unbeatable cheat code.
There were plenty of things to question him over: what kind of mission it was, what information from this chat room was supposedly needed, and so on.
But because those words had come from an S-rank hunter's mouth, it wasn't easy.
[Park Sangcheol: Haha, if Kim Suho vouches for you, then that's different. I asked a pointless question, didn't I?]
The association president quickly changed his attitude. But I could tell he wasn't convinced at all inside. In every sense, he looked like a sly, formidable man not to be taken lightly.
Meanwhile, the others who had been quietly watching also started tossing in a word here and there.
[Jeong Taeyeon: I think I know who that is. If it's the person I'm thinking of, then a state secret wouldn't be strange.]
[Eun Mirae: Yeah, they're a really interesting person.]
"... No matter how I looked at it, they seemed convinced it was me."
Just blurting it out like that? Watching those two impatient mages, a sigh slipped out on its own.
And then, at that moment, someone truly unexpected sent a message.
[Shin Seha: ... You got this.]
"Huh?"
That one line suddenly sent the chat room into a frenzy.
[Park Sangcheol: Shin Seha-nim, it's been a very long time, hasn't it? You never reply, so I thought you'd left.]
[Lee Hyunwoo: It's the first time I've seen this person speak in a year.]
People were suddenly paying even more attention to the fact that Shin Seha had spoken than to my identity.
Shin Seha said only that much and immediately went back to lurking.
That sight was so unlike the Mage Gallery that I was left dazed too.
[Lee Ganghyeon: If everyone's saying that much, then I guess this person really isn't ordinary.]
[Choi Sujin: By any chance, would you consider coming to our guild later? We can pay you up to 10 billion won in one lump sum.]
[Park Sangcheol: Haha, you know you're not allowed to mention specific amounts here, right? This is going to be very awkward for me.]
[Choi Sujin: Sorry, Association President.]
[Park Sangcheol: Still, I'm interested too. Please do get in touch with me later. The association is always short on talent, after all.]
[Park Sangcheol: This much shouldn't count as state secret, right?]
In an instant, the chat room was flooded with offers from guilds trying to recruit me.
There were even plenty of people sending private messages.
I skimmed through all of them at a glance, then typed a short reply.
[Tiger Fallen Into a Sea of Tears: I don't have any plans for the time being.]
At my firm refusal, the chat room went quiet again.
"Sigh, a real-name group chat is just too hard and scary...."
Feeling tired, I temporarily closed the chat app and this time clicked the web address in the second link.
A-rank Hunter Gallery.
I clicked into the board with a smirk. Then a flood of posts unfolded before my eyes.
[Title: ㅇㄱㅎ is a total boomer asshole, seriously crossing the line.]
[Title: Joined the Seoul party as a healer, taking questions.]
[Title: I'm on the first string team, but the pay is way too stingy....]
The place was far more freewheeling than I'd expected, and the posts were piling up at a lively pace.
Looking more closely, it seemed not only A-rank hunters but also their party members were active.
Maybe that's why the population looked pretty large.
A chaotic space mixed with all kinds of complaints, trash talk, and information exchange.
I scrolled through the posts with interest. Then I found one written in a familiar style.
[Title: The new A-rank is a truly amazing person, daeo]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(128.48)]
[Content: I know who it is, daeo. You'd better keep a close eye on them, daeo. They'll blow past everyone else in no time, daeo. Stay sharp, daeo. Especially you, Park Sangcheol, watch yourself, daeo.]
"... At this point, you could tell right away who wrote it."
In the chat room, she'd only said one line and disappeared, but here she was writing posts like this. Her post drew comments from other people.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ1: Everyone knows, right? That's my newbie, so don't try to outbid me. Warning you.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ2: Why the hell is that yours? Seriously.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ3: If we're being exact, wouldn't it be the person who found them first?
"What is this? Why does it feel so familiar?"
I muttered with a dry laugh.
"In the end, this is just another neighborhood where the usual crowd lives."
Whether it's the Tower, reality, or the A-rank hunter community, people are basically people, aren't they?
I felt a strange sense of comfort and began reading the board posts one by one in familiar fashion.
***
[Entering the 28th Floor of the Tower (EXTREME).]
A scene completely different from the ruined vertical city of the previous 27th floor. This time, it was unmistakably the inside of a building.
"Is this... a factory?"
I muttered while looking around.
The pungent smell of oil and iron stabbed at my nose.
A cramped space where even I, short as I am, could barely stand. It felt suffocating with all sorts of machinery packed inside.
"Ugh, why is the ceiling so low?"
It was a bizarre space in every respect.
On one side stood a giant medieval forge and anvil spewing red-hot heat, while beside them a conveyor belt moved nonstop, powered by some unknown energy.
A forge and a factory. A grotesque blend of medieval and modern.
Most importantly, the operators of this place weren't living creatures.
Thud. Thud.
Along with heavy footsteps, huge steel golems moved along their designated routes.
The golems moved empty boxes along the conveyor belt or dumped fuel into the furnace. On the other side, mechanical contraptions were hammering away nonstop.
"What is this...."
The problem was that there was nothing beneath their hammers.
Looking again, the boxes the golems were moving were empty too. They kept repeating the meaningless act of emptying boxes that were already empty.
As if they were making something invisible, they kept repeating endless labor in empty space.
I was quietly watching their movements when it happened.
Creeeak....
The machine nearest to me, the one hammering at empty air, stopped moving. Then its red sensor light came on, and its head slowly turned toward me.
That was the signal.
Kreeek.... Kreeek....
All the golems and machines inside the factory stopped moving at once. Dozens of red eyes turned to me in unison. A clear battle signal, no matter who saw it.
"I get the concept now."
I let out a sigh. The problem wasn't the number of enemies.
"The space is way too cramped."
Summoning the Sand Worm wasn't a good option in this situation.
What was the easiest way to handle this?
I was lost in thought for a moment.
Tap, tap.
I felt something tugging at my hair. I turned my head, and before I knew it, Chohogi was standing on my shoulder, clutching my hair.
It looked up at me and thumped its chest.
Its intent was crystal clear.
"You want me to leave it to you? Why?"
After consuming the spirit essence, communication with it had become much smoother.
"You mean the last time only the worm got to show off, so as the senior, you want to set the example?"
I could feel Chohogi's strong determination as it tugged at me.
Seriously, I was speechless. I let out a dry laugh. What a cute little thing.
So you work harder when you have a rival?
"All right, all right. This time it's your turn."
I lightly tapped the safety helmet on its head. I could feel Chohogi wriggling around.
"You'll have a hard time on your own, right? I'll give you backup too."
I reached out my hand. At my will, the floor turned to sand.
Immediately, ten mass-produced sand clones rose up around me. Unlike Chohogi, they were rough and purely functional.
Kuuuuung-!
The enemies began to move. The golems, dragging their heavy bodies and shaking the ground as they advanced, and the mechanical devices that began transforming, revealing sharp blades and barrels from their bodies.
"I'll bulk you up and make you a weapon too."
I gestured to Chohogi.
Sand from the ground clung to Chohogi's body, instantly making it bigger. Chohogi was now slightly taller than me.
It needed a powerful weapon that suited it and could pierce those steel bodies. One spear soon came to mind.
I reached out and drew sand up from the floor. The sand gathered in my hand, beginning to take the shape of a long, sharp spear.
It was a spear made by pouring in minerals without sparing them.
"Here, take it."
A beautiful spear with a faint, mysterious silver sheen was complete.
Chohogi took the spear respectfully with both hands. Even though it was as big as its own body, it didn't seem to mind much.
I then made each of the other clones a large shield as well.
"All right, begin the charge!"
At my command, the mass-produced sand clones rushed forward first.
BOOM! CRASH!
Conveyor belts and worktables toppled over.
The fists swung by the golems and the shells fired by the machines rained down on the sand shields. Cracks spread across the shields, and the clones' bodies began to burst apart.
Whoosh-!
Through a gap between the shield-bearing clones, a shadow shot out. It was Chohogi.
Its movements were far more nimble than before.
Chohogi targeted the nearest machine's joint.
Clang!
With a sharp sound, the blade slipped between the armor and severed the power line that served as its tendon. The giant machine lowered its head.
I watched the scene with a satisfied smile.
The spirit essence hadn't simply given it an extra life. It had clearly taken its thinking ability and battle intelligence to the next level.
While the sand clones blocked enemy attacks and drew their attention, it wove through the gaps and took the enemies down one by one.
In an instant, the battlefield began to clear. Fallen golems and shattered machines piled up on the factory floor.
I watched Chohogi's performance with my arms crossed.
It was a sight far more entertaining than I'd expected.