Chapter 203

Chapter 203

Pedro wanted to cut in, but was unable to.

‘Sovereign?’

The most outstanding sovereign class Player he knew was of course Chiellini (Salvatore). When they cleared the Dourdan Gate together in the past, the whole party would have probably been wiped out if Chiellini hadn’t been there. Such was the power of the sovereign class, which shined when commanding other Players.

‘But Hyukjin is also one?’

What’s more, Hyukjin was saying this:

–Because at least at this point in time, my ability as a sovereign exceeds yours.

Unable to hold back, Pedro butted in. Everyone was just accepting the revelation as a matter of fact, but what would that make him, the person who gifted a sovereign a bow?

‘I should have given him something better than a bow.’

This would be a stain on his manly man name.

“But Hyukjin, what’ll become of Sylphid’s Wing then?”

“I’m making good use of it. You saw it too, didn’t you?”

Hyukjin shattered Beratto’s authority with Sylphid’s Wing, then beat the hapless sop black and blue with Isabel. Even Sunhwa had discovered that footage.

“Yeah, that’s true, but…” Now that Hyukjin said he wasn’t an archer, but a sovereign, Pedro still felt a little bad. “If you return it to me, I’ll get you something better.”

Hyukjin grinned. “You’ll give me something better if I give it back?”

“Yes, I’ll procure something better, whatever it may be. Maybe a sovereign exclusive?”

“That does sound nice, but…”

Hyukjin actually wanted Sylphid’s Wing, since he would also be able to get a scenario related to the Wind Temple. However, he packaged his intent differently. 

“Wouldn’t it wound a manly man’s pride if they take back something that’s been given away?”

“Th-That’s…”

“I’m just concerned your pride will take a hit out of greed to give me something good.”

Pedro nodded. That was true. When he thought about it, his manly man pride would certainly be tarnished. Manly men never took back what was given. That was the manly man way he(she) upheld as truth.

“N-Now that I think about it, you’re right.” Pedro broke into a big grin. “In that case, this manly man will procure something better for you without taking the bow back.”

“I’m really grateful for your kindness. A manly man’s generosity really is on a different level.”

Everyone standing next to the brightly grinning Pedro looked on with stunned faces. Were they watching highway extortion happening right in front of them? Even the naive Vela had the feeling something was wrong here, which said enough about the situation. Vela spoke up with a cough.

“Anyway, I wanna come too.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because Chiellini doesn’t want you to.”

“That’s not my problem.”

Sung-gu nodded firmly. “I get you, brother.”

The flame magician had seriously been to hell and back in the Gran Seoul Dungeon. Playing with people other than Hyukjin was frustrating as all hell. Playing with Hyukjin was the best, no matter what.

‘Because that’s the sweetest and easiest road!’

No matter what happened, no matter what obstacles appeared, Sung-gu vowed time and time again that he would always Play with Kim Hyukjin.

“Like I said, Playing with others after Playing with you is enough to drive a person mad. Right, Vela?”

Vela extended a hand to Sung-gu. “You know your stuff, man.”

“Heh. Shabam, glad we’re on the same wavelength. You’re a dashing fellow.”

Vela and Sung-gu unintentionally ended up sympathizing with one another and came to a mutual understanding. Hyukjin gave up on convincing Vela with words. Any additional attempts were a waste of time.

“Vela.”

“What?”

“You good at fighting?”

“…” Vela paused, feeling strange. It was odd to hear those words coming from someone else. “I am.”

“Better than me?”

“…”

Vela had no choice but to shut his mouth. He had long since fully acknowledged defeat. Vela saw Hyukjin as an ‘expert of close-combat martial arts’ several levels above himself.

“No.”

“If you’re better at fighting than me, then come. If you’re not, then leave.”

“C’mon man, think about it. How many people out there are better at fighting than you?”

“So? You good at fighting?”

Chiellini (Salvatore) watched that ridiculous conversation in silence. ‘He knows exactly how to handle Vela.’

It looked immature, but there was no better way to handle this simpleton. The problem was just that there weren’t many people strong enough to make Vela submit.

In any case, Hyukjin wrapped up the issue of Vela’s participation with ‘You good at fighting?’

With that, a party of four—Kim Hyukjin, Salvatore, Choi Sung-gu, and Kim Sunhwa—was composed. Pedro had a quest from Elder Bufafa, so he went to the Winter Castle.

‘Then… first, let’s look for the gate.’

The archeological site of Pompeii.

They spent three days there.

* * *

Translator – Lei

Proofreader – Ash

* * *

Chiellini (Salvatore) thought to himself, ‘Let’s see… if there’s really something for me to learn.’

It was his first time meeting a Player who claimed they were a better sovereign than him, and with such brazen confidence. He decided to see for himself just how amazing this Hyukjin really was. Nothing had come of their search yet, even after three days.

Hyukjin found himself considering something drastic. ‘Do I need to ask Jackson for help?’

But he couldn’t call Jackson for everything. Jackson hadn’t been here when Salvatore cleared it in the past. That meant it was possible even without Jackson.

“Oppa, my legs hurt. Can I go take a break over there?” asked Sunhwa.

“Go ahead.”

Sung-gu was about to interject with ‘Eh? How does that make any sense?’ But Hyukjin stopped him. Actually, Sung-gu was right. Sunhwa was a tank.

‘Her physical endurance and stamina are at least my level.’

But her legs suddenly hurt? It was strange. As a result, Sunhwa’s words caught Hyukjin’s attention. He clearly remembered how they stumbled on the Turtle Nest in Japan before. They had gone to the gyukatsu restaurant because Sunhwa suddenly said she wanted to eat gyukatsu, only to find a gate there.

‘I’ll find out in due time.’

Hyukjin walked forward, judging that he would soon find the reason why Sunhwa the tank, a girl with very high physical stats, suddenly felt that her legs were aching.

‘This place…’

Before him was the Basilica, a building structured in a way you would commonly associate with a temple. The massive construction was originally dozens of long pillars propping up one rectangular building.

‘We’ve already been here multiple times.’

All of the pillars had crumbled, leaving not a single one intact. There was, of course, no ceiling. Only remnants of pillars remained in regularly spaced intervals.

And sitting in front of one of those cornerstones was Sunhwa.

Hyukjin was able to discover something there.

‘There’s a strange shimmering here.’

It was very faint, but there was definitely something there.

‘It’s not a gate.’

But it might be some kind of key that could open the gate. 

Just then, Salvatore said, “The map in my possession is reacting.”

They had found it. The entrance of the gate.

* * *

Hyukjin stared at the activated gate. Unlike Sung-gu and Salvatore, he wasn’t astonished or stunned. If it happened once, he might just think it was odd, but if it happened twice, it was no longer a coincidence, but inevitable. Sunhwa had a special ability no one, perhaps not even herself, had discovered yet.

The person in question had no idea what she had done.

“Huh? A gate?”

The gate opened in response to Salvatore’s map.

[Predator Tree Colony]

A gate to teleport to the Predator Tree Colony.

Entrance conditions:

The activator (party) of the gate, and at least level 30.

One who has hunted a Predator Tree before, and at least level 30.

Only Players who have fulfilled 1) or 2) can enter.

Hyukjin stroked Sunhwa’s head once.

“Well done.”

“Did I do that?”

“Yeah.”

Sunhwa didn’t really know what she did, but she was happy to be praised. The 14-year-old girl was hungry for her brother’s praise.

Salvatore took the lead with a bitter face.

“Let’s go in.”

Hyukjin followed him, saying, “The description is totally the same as the Predator Tree Colony I experienced in Korea.”

[Entering the ‘Predator Tree Colony’.]

The field changed to a humid and dark cave, as one would expect from a place inhabited by Predator Trees. Hyukjin’s Eye of Perception captured many presences, but they weren’t dangerous ones.

‘It’s the same as before.’

They were all Predator Trees at the end of their 300 year lifespan. These Predator Trees that someone had artificially cultivated were truly easy prey.

“I will not participate in direct combat,” said Hyukjin. “In other words, I won’t personally attack.”

“How come?”

“So that the rewards aren’t split to me. I promised, after all.”

Though if he was being honest, it was because he wouldn’t get any EXP if he hunted them himself.

Granted, Hyukjin currently had the elixir called ‘Freedom’. If he used it, he could delete his ‘cannot receive EXP’ penalty. He was aware of that, but he was temporarily holding onto it since it wasn’t urgent. In any case, he couldn’t get EXP right now if he did the hunting.

“Of course, there’s nothing I can do about the EXP I get indirectly or any rewards given directly to me, but… I want to concede as much of the rewards as I can to you.”

“…I see.”

Chiellini nodded, thinking Hyukjin was definitely someone who honored his ironclad promises.

“That being said, will you permit Sung-gu to do the DPSing for efficient hunting?”

“Of course.”

It would take too long to clear this place without an outstanding DPS anyway.

“I also happen to have an item perfect for hunting Predator Trees.”

They sprayed the Rot Water Hyukjin had gotten from Cheon Sooji here and there. Not long after, Salvatore also caught onto the fact that something was off about the field.

“The state of the monsters is strange.”

“Of course.”

“Don’t we have to be careful?”

“No. They’re old and sick right now.”

“Any possibility there’s a trap?”

“None.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“It’s exactly the same as the place I cleared.”

Not only that, but Hyukjin’s Eye of Perception was far more developed than when he cleared the Predator Tree Colony before. His abilities themselves were stronger than back then.

“How can you be sure with just that? It’s better to not take action than to take action that is too bold.”

Hyukjin intentionally grinned. He had already known that Salvatore would respond this way. It was an extremely normal reaction. There was nothing to lose from being careful. That was natural.

“This is why I told you to learn from me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I will teach you that sometimes, bold decisions are necessary.”

That was something the Salvatore he remembered had said.

–If I could go back to the past, I wouldn’t be so excessively cautious. Looking back, there were many lives that could not be saved because of what I prided as cool-headed thinking. I was unable to acquire more rewards I could have gained. Like the Predator Tree Colony, for example.

Salvatore said he regretted that he ‘didn’t clear it faster’.

“As well as the ability to see the bigger picture. Though of course, that’s not something I can guarantee you’ll learn just because I’m teaching it.”

Salvatore bit his lips a little. Just where was this reckless confidence coming from?

‘Let’s wait and see.’

He wanted to see just how safely and decisively the other sovereign would clear this place, just how much ability as a sovereign Hyukjin could show, and whether that was sufficient justification for such confident claims.

Ten minutes later, Salvatore’s mouth fell open.

‘No way.’

The Predator Tree Colony was perfectly cleared. A firestorm swept through the field, and then the gate was finished.

[You have successfully hunted all Predator Trees of the Predator Tree Colony.]

[The Clear Crystal is being generated.]

And then came another notice.

[This is a special field with a ‘reward acquisition based on clear time’ condition.]

Salvatore stared speechlessly at Hyukjin. The other sovereign was smiling faintly, as if he had already known this would happen. That expression seemed to be saying, ‘Heard that notice?’

‘What’s with this person?’

But it didn’t stop there. Yet another notice came in to notify them that the contribution of each Player in clearing the Predator Tree would be personally calculated by the System.

[Determining contribution.]

That eased Salvatore’s sense of defeat a little.

‘I’ll definitely be the winner here, at least.’

Up until that point, Salvatore was sure of that.

____