Chapter 17
Though I wasn't certain, I hadn't used Mician without any basis.
People were only interested in an item's contents—in other words, its effects—but what caught my eye was the description.
[Description]: A potion created by a great alchemist after many years of studying the ecosystem inside a volcano.
I briefly wondered what kind of ecosystem could exist inside a volcano, which must be completely filled with magma or lava, then suddenly remembered.
The existence of extremophiles—microorganisms that thrive in extreme conditions.
It's not like I have bacteria-based abilities and never studied bacteria.
If an ecosystem had formed in that extreme environment, where temperatures easily exceeded one or two thousand degrees, I figured it could only be extremophiles.
Sure enough, Mician had pinpointed their existence.
“Undead Rise!”
Now that I'd confirmed it, there was no time to waste.
I used the skill on the potion right away.
[Would you like to use the Undead Rise skill?]
[Target: 103,623,074 dead Magmophile individuals.]
[Currently Maintained Undead]
(1) Perpetuus Exomodulus <Description hidden>
(2) Caulobacter crescentus <Description hidden>
(3) Magmophile
─Population: 103,623,074 individuals
─Description: A bacterium that lives only in the magma inside volcanoes. It grows by feeding on molten inorganic substances in magma. To withstand the high temperatures and pressure inside magma, it continually forms insulating material into a protective film.
─Ability: For every 100 million individuals, forms 0.001 g of insulating material per second (base: 0.00001 g, with the 200% control effect applied). <Insulating material effect: Fire Resistance +3,000%>
I’d raised the Magmophiles that had died inside the potion as undead, and now my bacterial legion No. 3 was alive... but what now?
No. 3's fire resistance could help me hold out, but the problem was that I had no way to attack.
It would be ideal if I could pass the fire-resistance effect on to No. 1.
Oh, right.
The effects I'd gained as my skill proficiency increased didn't end with No. 3.
(2) You can temporarily strengthen undead by spending mana.
I still had this C-rank proficiency effect.
“Undead Strengthening.”
[List of undead that can be strengthened]
(1) Perpetuus Exomodulus
─Enhancement Effect: Each individual can use the skill ‘Predatory Evolution.’
[Predatory Evolution]
─Description: Temporarily absorbs traits by consuming a different microorganism with similar genetic traits. The absorbed and evolved traits last for only one generation and are not passed down through division.
─Details: Required genetic similarity: 0.8% (base: 80%, with 200% control effect applied); required mana: 13% of current mana per 100 million individuals (base: 1,300%, with 200% control effect applied)
Seeing it laid out like this, my control stat really was absurd.
If the required similarity was originally 80%, it meant they could only consume microorganisms with nearly identical genetic traits, but the control effect had all but removed that restriction.
The mana requirement had also been enormous, but now it was low enough to be usable.
At any rate, this was exactly the skill I needed right now.
“No. 3, sorry to do this right after bringing you back... but I need you to get eaten.”
[100 million Perpetuus Exomodulus individuals use the skill ‘Predatory Evolution’!]
At my command, No. 1's legion of 100 million instantly swarmed No. 3 inside the potion.
[Your legion consumes 100 million Magmophile individuals!]
[The genetic similarity between the two populations is 23%. Traits are successfully absorbed, and evolution begins!]
[Perpetuus Exomodulus (Evolved)]
─Population: 100,000,000 individuals
─Description: A population that has evolved for one generation by consuming the microorganism Magmophile.
─Ability: For every 100 million individuals, decomposes 5 kg of organic and inorganic matter per second (base: 50 g, with 200% control effect applied), and forms 0.0005 g of insulating material per second (base: 0.00001 g, with 200% control effect applied; 50% degraded after the trait is absorbed through ‘Predatory Evolution’).
So it couldn't absorb the ability perfectly after all.
It could only manage about half the performance.
Still, you're the only one I can rely on right now.
I was trying to do it as quickly as possible, but...
Boom! The massive lava giant had already approached.
“Tch!”
The scorching blast of air washed over my face just from being near it.
[You use the item ‘Essence of the Volcano.’]
It was a shame to use a one-time item, but I drank the Essence of the Volcano first.
I could've used No. 3, but most of its individuals had just been consumed, leaving only a few million. So I'd put it in my inventory.
I'd have to ask Ms. Gyuseon to help me multiply their numbers again.
After drinking the potion, I could barely feel the heat at all.
It felt as if a mucous insulating layer, like a film, had formed over my skin.
So this had the same effect as No. 3?
But...
The Lava Golem that had been approaching me had turned around completely and was heading in another direction.
“What the hell is that bastard doing?”
While I was still dumbfounded, a message appeared before my eyes.
[The boss, ‘Reignited Guardian of the Altar,’ does not recognize you.]
[The guardian takes another action instead of attacking you.]
[The boss, ‘Reignited Guardian of the Altar,’ absorbs the guardian's remains.]
[The guardian grows stronger.]
“What?”
No, does that bastard have no conscience?
It's getting even stronger from that?
What kind of Stage 11 dungeon is this!
But I had no time to complain before the golem moved.
[The guardian absorbs the guardian's remains.]
[The guardian grows even stronger.]
The boss was absorbing the stone golems I'd destroyed and growing stronger.
“Was the Essence of the Volcano a trap?”
The dungeon seemed designed so that the moment you drank it because you were in danger, you'd enter Phase 3.
This is seriously malicious.
It was incredibly fast, too.
While I hesitated for a moment, it had already absorbed four golems.
The boss had grown so large it was hard to compare it to how it had been at first.
There was no choice.
One hundred million evolved No. 1s.
You're all I've got.
“Find the life stone and destroy it.”
And so, 100 million individuals burrowed into the boss in an instant.
Would it work, or fail?
At a moment when I couldn't even begin to guess.
[The evolved effect absorbs inorganic matter in the magma, further activating ‘Perpetuus Exomodulus (Evolved)’!]
[The individuals maintain peak condition! All their abilities temporarily increase!]
[The boss, ‘Reignited Guardian of the Altar,’ absorbs the remains of the final guardian!]
[The guardian becomes complete!]
[‘Fully Ablaze Guardian of the Altar’ appears!]
Messages announcing that the boss was growing stronger and that my legion was growing stronger appeared at the same time.
The Lava Golem had grown almost as big as a house.
In front of it, it was difficult even to breathe properly.
[The effect of the Essence of the Volcano has ended.]
The moment the potion's effect ended, a blast of heat whooshed over my body.
Athena, who had suddenly materialized from my ring, blocked most of the heat, but even the radiant heat alone nearly cooked me.
“When... will this... end...”
Despite the pain, the fight was over in less than ten seconds.
[Dungeon Boss, ‘Fully Ablaze Guardian of the Altar,’ has entered eternal rest!]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
At the same time, the lava dripping down cooled to black, while gases escaping from within left it riddled with holes.
That gigantic Lava Golem was turning into basalt—the cooled form of lava.
[You have become the first to subjugate Stage 11 Gate, ‘Altar of the Impatient Guardians.’]
[As a first-clear reward, some of your class's primary stats have increased.]
[Your control has increased by 5%.]
[Legendary achievement! You have perfectly subjugated Stage 11 Gate, ‘Altar of the Impatient Guardians.’]
[You have received ‘The Alchemist’s Notes’ as a reward.]
...
..
.
Quite a few more messages seemed to pop up after that, but I should check them once I got outside.
At any rate, despite all the twists and turns, I'd cleared a Gate deemed impossible to conquer at Stage 11.
As if to prove it, more messages appeared the moment I left the Gate.
[Kim Segyun has become the first to subjugate Stage 11 Gate, ‘Altar of the Impatient Guardians.’]
[The region of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea, has been pacified!]
[Monsters appearing in all Gates in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province have been weakened!
Another Gate deemed impossible to conquer, cleared.
And another pacified region added.
My phone, which had just entered a range where calls were possible, finally vibrated.
─You did it...!
“I did, yeah.”
I managed to do it, even if only just—but I cleared it.
Besides, there probably wouldn't be anyone who'd seen how I cleared it.
I hadn't filmed it in the first place, and I had no plans to come back here, so naturally.
“So, how are people reacting?”
─What do you think?
“Wildly excited?”
─That's all?
Zephyros chuckled and continued.
─It'd be faster to look for the places that aren't interested.
I had been checking the communities and news, too.
But the buzz was incomparable to when I'd cleared Gate No. 3 last time, and it wasn't easy to find anything worth reading.
The pages were scrolling by several per second. How was anyone supposed to read this?
“Then... I suppose... there'll be a press conference or something, right?”
─A press conference? Of course.
Hunters tended to avoid reporters, too.
It was usually best to steer clear of press conferences and the like.
─Just deal with the reporters for a little while, and I'll get you out of there.
Zephyros said it with that in mind, but that would be a problem.
“I’ll be at Gimpo Airport by 10 p.m., so set up a press conference there.”
─S-Set it up? The reporters? At the airport?
Zephyros was bewildered by my incomprehensible behavior, but soon let out a small sigh and said,
“If that's what the client wants, then I suppose we have to. All right.”
**
I arrived at Gimpo Airport on one of the last flights out of Jeju.
Quite a few people recognized me even at Jeju Airport.
I hadn't realized my face had been leaked so widely, but it seemed the photos that got out when I set the Stage 1 Gate record had been circulating all over the online communities.
Most of the comments were less “handsome” and more “ordinary” or “creepy,” which did sting a little.
Anyway, unless you were very active in online communities, you probably wouldn't recognize my face.
But when I stepped through the doors, a barrage of camera flashes went off all at once!
─Attacking someone's eyes with light! How wicked! May I take preemptive action?
I shook my head at Athena's completely out-of-nowhere remark.
Please, just behave yourself and don't do anything crazy.
And you, you didn't show your face at all when I was dealing with the Lava Golem earlier...
But one thing was certain.
Every reporter here knew what I looked like.
Otherwise, there'd be no reason for flashes to go off when my ordinary face passed by among all those people.
“We're with KBC!”
“We're with MBS! Just one question...!”
“We're with SBV!”
The terrestrial networks, the various general programming channels, and other broadcasters...
But those outlets weren't worth even a speck of attention.
“Daily Hunter!”
“We're from BBDC!”
“Hunting Times!”
Not compared to these foreign news outlets, though.
As I stepped forward before them, I casually took a Power Q Elixir from my bag and drank it.
Unlike the old version, which used yellow tones, the blue Power Q Elixir went down my throat with a refreshing sensation.
At the same time, a rush of alertness swept over me, almost electrifying.
One bottle was enough to completely wipe out any fatigue.
It wouldn't do to look like I was advertising it too blatantly.
Just enough to make any reporter who saw it curious.
I slowly let the drink slide down my throat.
That was when it happened.
One reporter, unable to hold back any longer, raised a hand and asked,
“I'm Reporter Cho Gyuhwan from HTBC! What is the drink you just had?”
A big catch!
A huge catch, enough to turn the Stage 11 clear into a sideshow, had just taken the bait at the press conference.