Chapter 21 - Jewel Plains (1)
“Wow…”
As soon as we reached the floor, Seo Ah-in let out an exclamation of awe without realizing it.
The sight of transparent ores embedded in the vast plains, reflecting light in a full spectrum of colors, was certainly a magnificent spectacle.
‘Of course, its appearance is the only thing that’s flashy…’
In truth, this floor was a place that should be called a white elephant compared to others.
The advantages gained from conquering it were so minimal compared to other floors.
Still, considering the main event took place here, such facts were of little importance.
“Hey. Freeloaders. Go over there and check it out. See if there are any risk factors.”
So, the reason I was listening to the words of a rotten guy like Im Jae-hwan for now was for that reason.
Anyway, I needed these guys to conquer this place.
‘How absurd.’
But it was certainly an instruction that made me laugh in disbelief.
Generally, entering the entrance of a floor was handled by the front-line members, specifically the sturdiest among them.
Such places were usually teeming with Demonic Beasts waiting at the entrance.
In other words, this was just telling us to go and die.
“No, with fully equipped front-liners right here, what kind of ridiculous…!”
Seo Ah-in was about to argue, flaring up, but Im Jae-hwan was faster in cutting her off.
“I am the leader of this survey team. You know what happens if you don’t listen to the person with command authority on-site, right?”
“…”
Seo Ah-in’s face contorted like a demon’s, but Im Jae-hwan, unconcerned, opened his mouth again with a slick demeanor.
“I said go, didn’t I? Are you deaf? Useless freeloaders are only useful when used as meat shields like this.”
The way he spoke to us with a sleazy smile made his intention to screw us over painfully obvious.
Well, certainly.
For now, Seo Ah-in and I were officially ‘contracted’ as members of this survey team, so if we didn't follow his words, the charge of ‘disobeying orders’ under the Climber regulations would be applied.
Then, getting a disadvantage in profit distribution after the expedition was a given, and above all, our reputation would be massively damaged.
What this guy was aiming for was probably for us to get that charge by giving such ridiculous orders.
Since Seo Hye-in was the one who got us into the survey team, this was his way of trying to damage her.
“…”
Well, go ahead.
I shrugged and nudged Seo Ah-in.
“Let’s go.”
“…What?”
As Seo Ah-in answered with a dumbfounded expression, similar emotions rose on the faces of the surrounding survey team members.
They looked as if they couldn’t understand what this guy was talking about.
So, I spoke again so they would understand clearly.
“I said, let’s go.”
“Are you really crazy…?!”
And Seo Ah-in, who was about to have a fit as usual, flinched upon seeing my expression.
“…Shall we.”
Huh, for once she’s obediently listening in this kind of situation.
And as we immediately approached the entrance as per Im Jae-hwan’s instruction, I heard them muttering to each other from behind in disbelieving voices.
“Aren’t those guys really crazy?”
“Tell me about it…”
They’re the ones who told us to do it, and they’re saying that.
I chuckled and looked back at Seo Ah-in.
“How come you’re following without a word for once?”
“Because your face has some kind of sinister expression…”
“…”
Anyone who heard that would think that’s all I think about all day.
“Was I wrong…?”
“Shut up.”
As we walked while chattering like that, the entrance to the tower came right before our noses.
A stone gate so large you had to crane your neck to its limit to barely see the top.
Next to it was a device made of a mana stone that had to be operated to enter the tower.
Now, if we just operate this, the Demonic Beasts inside will swarm out.
Normally.
“Okay. So what’s the plan…”
Seo Ah-in, who was about to speak with great tension, was immediately at a loss for words when she saw me operating the device as if it were nothing.
As the stone gate slowly opened with a heavy sound, she drew her sword in a fit.
“What on earth are you doing?!”
“What does it look like I’m doing.”
“No, if you just operate it without even explaining the plan…!”
“When did I say I had a plan.”
“…”
Seo Ah-in clutched her forehead with deeply confused eyes.
“…What on earth is this person…”
Hmm.
But for a girl who said that, she didn't look particularly panicked.
“Even I don’t think you’d really have no plan.”
At her sullen words, I also chuckled.
It seemed she was starting to realize it too.
I hated sticking my head into uncertain situations the most.
If I came to a dangerous-looking place without much complaint, there was always a reason.
-…
That was well demonstrated by the fact that no Demonic Beasts were coming out from inside the stone gate.
“…Why isn’t anything coming out?”
“Captain, what is this situation?”
I could hear the survey team’s confused voices from here.
I turned around and gave them a thumbs-up.
“It seems to be safe here.”
“…”
The faces of Im Jae-hwan and his subordinates, who were watching that, rotted simultaneously.
They were probably hoping for us to have a hard time, but well.
I wasn’t a person who would fall for something like that easily.
On the contrary.
I was the type of person who wouldn’t be satisfied without paying back those who tried that several times over.
“…Tch. Fine. Everyone, advance.”
As Im Jae-hwan clicked his tongue and gave that order, the survey team took a few steps forward.
-!
And at the same time, the surrounding air began to rumble heavily.
“C-Captain! Something’s strange!”
“What?”
While the entire survey team was panicking at the clearly unusual sign, a torrent of mana raged violently around them.
Speaking as someone who knew this tower from A to Z.
The ‘introductory battle’ that occurs upon entering a floor was a common feature of all places.
However, the details differed slightly for each individual area.
For example, this Jewel Plains was a type where ‘phantasmal bodies’ of Demonic Beasts made of mana attack the Climbers.
“W-we’re surrounded!”
And the important point was.
These things weren’t coming out from ‘inside’ the floor but were closing in from the ‘outside’.
“Damn it! Everyone, prepare for battle!”
Thanks to that, it was a slightly funny situation for an outsider to see.
Because Seo Ah-in and I were in the safest place, it looked as if we were precious people and those guys were fighting to protect us.
Thinking of it that way, those annoying guys looked a little praiseworthy.
“…Excuse me. Mr. Kim Gyu-sik.”
“Yeah?”
“I know this is a long shot, but… did you know it would be like this?”
“Who knows?”
As I answered lightly, Seo Ah-in next to me shut her mouth with a horrified expression.
“…I should never make an enemy out of him.”
And while she was muttering that, the survey team members all began to engage in a fierce battle with the phantasmal bodies.
As for me, well.
I was just standing still and watching those guys fight for me.
They were from a prestigious guild, so their combat power was all reasonably decent.
It looked like it would be over soon.
“Damn it! What the hell is this place! It’s completely different from other places right from the start!”
Shortly after the battle ended, one of the survey team members exploded like that.
At the same time, Im Jae-hwan, his face contorted like a demon, strode this way.
“You trashy bastards! Useless things! What kind of mess are we in because of you! By the commander’s authority, all of you are…!”
“I don’t think it’s our fault.”
I cut off Im Jae-hwan, who was having a fit, foaming at the mouth like a man out of his mind.
“What?”
“You told us to go first and check the front, right?”
“…”
“We didn’t receive any orders to participate in the battle. We did as we were told.”
Im Jae-hwan panted with bloodshot eyes, but he couldn’t seem to refute those words and immediately shut his mouth.
It was true that there had been no order to join the battle.
“…Damn it! From now on, porters will also be obligated to participate in all battles!”
Honestly, this was also ridiculous.
Porters were non-combat personnel in the first place. You don't bring them to fight.
But, well.
It didn’t matter.
“Understood.”
Seeing my calm reply, Seo Ah-in trembled quietly as if she had sensed something.
Then she conveyed her words to me just by changing her lip shape.
Just how much do you plan to torment these people?
Hmm.
It seemed this girl was also starting to notice how things would unfold.
***
Im Jae-hwan hated Seo Hye-in.
It was by no means because he was jealous that the damn woman had achieved in less than a year what he had failed to accomplish despite being in the guild for 10 years.
He was simply annoyed by the woman who would glare at him with dagger-like eyes whenever she saw him, instead of bowing her head obediently.
All he had done was put some cadets who weren't even F-grade forward as cannon fodder on the last expedition, and he didn't know why she was overreacting like that.
It was hard to use those useless things so effectively.
“…”
So, Im Jae-hwan also terribly hated these two chicks that the woman had suddenly pushed in under her authority.
Kim Gyu-sik and Seo Ah-in, was it.
The lowest-class kids in the Climber society, who had just barely acquired their F-grade licenses.
They would surely be useless for anything, so he had planned to use them ‘effectively’ as always.
But this time, his predictions were all going wrong.
“You maggot! I told you to participate in the battle obligatorily!”
“Yes. So I participated.”
He did participate.
It was just that for some ‘unknown reason’, no Demonic Beast approached the position where these two were standing, and all the attacks flew only to the other survey team members.
As if they knew in advance that it was safe here.
In the end, while these two moved sluggishly, the rest of the survey team had to deal with all the Demonic Beasts to survive.
“…Kill at least one of them properly! You worms!”
“Understood.”
The next battle.
He did kill one.
It was a very powerful-looking Demonic Beast with mana stones embedded all over its body, but he killed it with a light tap as if he were hitting a sandbag.
It was a simple motion, like squashing an ant, without any real effort.
As if he knew that part was the vital spot.
It happened in an instant while the other survey team members were struggling with other similarly looking Demonic Beasts.
“Wow, it’s so hard trying to do this as a porter.”
And saying that, he sat down and rested throughout the battle as a bonus.
“Th-th-this bastard…!”
“As you said, I somehow managed to kill one. It was really dangerous.”
After the battle, Im Jae-hwan, whose anger had reached the top of his head, was about to spew curses while spitting, but this time too, the guy named Kim Gyu-sik said that with a thumbs-up.
He almost flew into a rage and genuinely launched an attack, but he somehow held that back.
Attacking a fellow Climber was a taboo among taboos. Those who committed it would pay a corresponding price if they were ever found out later.
‘How dare this bastard mock me?’
After that, he gave all sorts of ridiculous orders to screw this guy over, but each time, this guy slipped away like an eel.
In every situation, this guy named Kim Gyu-sik took the most comfortable and efficient position, and the rough and dirty work was all handled by him and his subordinates, a pattern that kept repeating.
As if this guy was sitting on top of his head.
In the end, by the time they set up base camp that evening, Im Jae-hwan didn’t even have the energy left to get properly angry.
‘What kind of bastard is this…!’
At this point, it was almost admirable.
He even had the absurd suspicion that Seo Hye-in had sent a seasoned veteran Climber disguised as an F-grade.
How was that the skill of an F-grade?
‘But, next time, for sure…!’
Im Jae-hwan thought, grinding his teeth.
***
“He’s trying so hard…”
Those words escaped me as I saw Im Jae-hwan glaring at me and Seo Ah-in with bloodshot eyes from afar.
Well, I had been teasing him all day, so he seemed to be thoroughly provoked.
‘In that case…’
It was time to proceed to the next stage.
Considering it was a survey team, we had traversed quite a bit of the tower today, but we were still only at the entrance of the tower.
The real start was from up here.
There was an ‘event that had to proceed’.
There was also a ‘guy I had to meet’.
“…”
I turned my head slightly and looked at the other survey team members who were setting up tents nearby.
Probably.
They would surely be used ‘effectively’ there.
So, well.
Let’s just suffer a little more, everyone.
“…Mr. Kim Gyu-sik. Your expression is too scary…”
Oops.
I shouldn't let it show.