Chapter 74: Ice Troll Lord (2)

Chapter 74: Ice Troll Lord (2) Booom! Boooom! A troll far bigger than any they had encountered thus far emerged from the Gate entrance. Trolls already belonged to the giant race, dwarfing humans in sheer size, but this one seemed nearly twice as large as a typical troll. The giant troll held a long and thick iron club in its hand. Its refined workmanship was reminiscent of the fully armed goblins' gear—no doubt a weapon provided by the Dark Magicians. Although it was not wearing any armor, anyone could guess that its hide offered far more protection than that of an ordinary troll. Boom, boom. Accompanying the Troll Lord were two more trolls, each a head taller than the rest. As if acting on the lord's command, they stepped out of the Gate behind it. At the same moment, the trolls already engaged in combat with the Hunters abruptly stopped fighting. Ignoring the Hunters' continued attacks, they withdrew and regrouped around the Troll Lord. "Must be because it's a lord-type monster," a Hunter said. The Troll Lord seemed able to lead the other monsters. "Damn it..." It would have been ideal if the Troll Lord had appeared only after the Hunters had whittled down most of the regular trolls. Unfortunately, barely half of them had been dealt with so far. —Trolls are much stronger than anticipated, so we've called in reinforcements. They're estimated to arrive in thirty minutes. Fortunately, Jang Bo-Hyun had already requested backup. Though the sudden arrival of the Troll Lord sent a wave of anxiety through the Hunters, his announcement steadied their nerves. "Phew..." It was the right call. Feeling a twinge of relief, Kim Ki-Rok set his sights on the Ice Troll Lord. Based on its size and the ominous dark mana radiating from it, its estimated level was 68, but enhanced by that dark mana surge. In practical terms, it was a Level 73 monster. By rank, that put it squarely in the B-Class category—within the realm of expectation, perhaps. The real issue, though, was that it came armed. Worse still, the Hunters had already burned through a lot of resources in previous skirmishes. Although they were still willing to fight, their stamina and mana were nearing the limit. "Alright. It's impossible." Realizing that, as things stood, a successful kill was out of reach, Kim Ki-Rok pressed the button on his radio. "Attention. This is Kim Ki-Rok, Guildmaster of DG Guild, speaking to all DG Guild members." He used an open channel that all Gate defenders could hear. Around him, those engaged in battle paused to listen. "The Ice Troll Lord is infected with dark mana and is effectively around Level 73. My Appraisal—well, Discernment—shows that the weapon it's wielding has an added stat-boosting effect. At this rate, we won't even last ten minutes, let alone thirty." Some of the Hunters fell into momentary despair, but Kim Ki-Rok continued in a firm voice, "Therefore, I am lifting the seal." The moment Kim Ki-Rok's permission rang out over the earpieces, the DG Guild members erupted in cheers. "Yeah!!" "This is it! Finally!" "Finally... finally!" While everyone else on the battlefield tensed even more at the sight of the unexpectedly powerful Ice Troll Lord, the DG Guild members wore stupid grins, rushing over to Kim Ki-Rok. "Guildmaster!" "Yes, Mr. Dong-Wook." Kim Ki-Rok pulled a longbow out of his subspace pocket and tossed it to Nam Dong-Wook. "Hehehehe..." Nam Dong-Wook burst into uncontrollable laughter, holding the bow adorned with blooming flowers. "Miss Ji-Yeon!" Kim Ki-Rok shouted. "Yes!" Lee Ji-Yeon also snagged the weapon that Kim Ki-Rok hurled her way—a longsword adorned with an alluring crimson blade. For the briefest moment, a fierce blaze seemed to flicker around her body. All around Kim Ki-Rok, DG Guild members took up new weapons and gear. It was clear just by their outward appearances that these were top-tier magical equipment. A few nearby Hunters cautiously activated Appraisal to see what the DG Guild was now using. Because the equipment belonged to other Hunters, the system required the owners' permission before revealing the details. The moment Appraisal popped up, DG Guild members turned to Kim Ki-Rok for consent, quickly accepted, and allowed the results to be displayed. [Safeguard of Ellinia (A)] Description: Bow of Elf Warrior Ellinia Effect 1: Mana penetration increased by 20% Effect 2: Skill and mana usage reduced by 10% Effect 3: +2 to Strength, Vitality, and Magic "God damn..." The Hunter murmured as they looked at the beautiful bow. It boasted no fewer than three separate effects. This was a top-tier magic weapon that typically required clearing the special reward conditions and scouring an occupied Elf village to obtain. Such Gates, set in Elven forests or cities, occasionally yielded B or A-Class magic gear once cleared. But the difficulty level for a reward like that was usually around the high eighties or low nineties, so actually landing top-notch equipment was rare. [Blessing of the Elemental Queen (A)] Description: A mithril sword blessed by the Queen of the Elementals Effect 1: Effectiveness of fire elemental magic increased by 20% Effect 2: Elemental power consumption reduced by 15% Effect 3: +5 to Strength, Vitality, Magic Lee Ji-Yeon's new equipment was no different. It also had three effects attached. But there was something even more astounding than that. "The Q-Queen of the Elementals?" "I knew that Discernment could reveal the conditions for clearing the Gate, but this..." "Wow... unbelievable..." Hunters from other guilds murmured in awe. Every DG Guild member had switched to gear with at least two special effects. Not all of it was A-Class, but compared to the average Hunter's equipment, it was indisputably superior to that of the surrounding Hunters. Equipment of that caliber might just give them a chance. The other Hunters felt their hopes rise, but then came a sudden thought. "These people had all this gear... so why weren't they using it before?" "Yeah, if their equipment was that good, they could've tackled higher-level Gates with ease." —I have prohibited our guild members from using magic equipment of A-Class or higher. "Huh?" "Why would he do that?" —Because relying on powerful gear stunts the growth of one's personal stats. Hardship bears sweet fruit. That's our DG Guild motto. "Hah!" "Crazy..." Turning their heads, the onlookers found more evidence of that madness. "Hahaha! Finally, we can use it! At last!" "My sword that I bought on a 36-month installment plan!" "HEHEHEHE." Some were cackling with joy, while others tenderly nuzzled their cheeks against their new blades, eyes brimming with emotion. Watching this scene, the Hunters wondered who the real lunatics were: the Guildmaster who restricted the use of this gear to boost their growth or the members who willingly obeyed when they had purchased it with their own money. "Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok," Jang Bo-Hyun said into his radio, staring over at the DG Guild members who were now armed to the teeth. "Should we redirect the incoming support to a different Gate?" —No, they should still come. "You think this still isn't enough to guarantee a win?" —We now have barely enough power to stand a fighting chance. The level difference is still significant even with our equipment, and we're also not used to fighting giant monsters. "So you're saying that the odds are still low." —Yes. The Ice Troll Lord is estimated at Level 68, but it's infected by dark mana, effectively pushing it to Level 73. Worse yet, it's wielding a stat-boosting weapon that likely places it around Level 75 or higher. We also need to consider how tired the Hunters are. The odds are still not in our favor, so we'll have to rely on those reinforcements. Jang Bo-Hyun contemplated for a moment and brought the walkie-talkie to his mouth. "Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok. What if..." —If we're talking about regular Ice Trolls, we can cut the time needed to subjugate them by half. After a moment's thought, Jang Bo-Hyun adjusted his strategy. "Hunters above level 65, excluding the DG Guild, will keep the Ice Troll Lord in check! DG Guild will swiftly subjugate the Ice Trolls and then join in on the fight against the Troll Lord as soon as possible. Other Hunters, please deal with the other monsters present. If an Ice Troll appears, delay the troll as much as possible until DG Guild can come and finish them off! We just have to hold out until reinforcements arrive!" "YEAAAAH!" The Hunters rallied with a roar, quickly reforming their lines. As if drawn by that sudden battle cry, the Ice Trolls started charging. —Do not fight the trolls one-on-one! At least three Hunters should be dealing with a single troll at all times! Weapons rose again, trembling slightly in tired hands, but the Hunters pressed on. Clang! Booooom! "Grrraaaagh!" DG Guild members split off, each baiting and isolating an Ice Troll to be taken down piecemeal. The other Hunters peeled mobs off them, too, dragging minor monsters away from the front line. —Hunter Kang Seh-Hyuk possesses a taunt skill that lures enemies. He also has a shield with high damage reduction and strong mana resistance. Kim Ki-Rok's advice echoed through everyone's earpieces. "DG Guild's Hunter Kang Seh-Hyuk and DG Guild's healer, Lee Ji-Ah, please engage with the Ice Troll Lord!" Kang Seh-Hyuk and Lee Ji-Ah both got the go-ahead from Kim Ki-Rok and joined up with another team to intercept the Lord. "Support arrives in twenty-eight minutes!" There were still zero casualties so far, a near-impossible feat in a Gate defense. "Just hold on for thirty more minutes and the reinforcements will be here!" Fwoooosh! As if responding to Jang Bo-Hyun's rally, the Hunters unleashed large bursts of mana and charged toward the Ice Troll Lord. *** Inside a quiet room, softly insulated by a special noise-canceling scroll, Kim Ji-Hee stirred slowly, waking from a cozy nap under a warm blanket. "Mmm..." No ruckus reached her ears thanks to Cha Min-Ji's scroll, but it didn't block the vibrations coming from the ground. "Shaky..." With a huge yawn, Kim Ji-Hee plodded over to a dusty corner of the room. There, for some mysterious reason, a bunny plushie lay discarded. She picked it up and left. Creeeak. When she opened the door and stepped out, she was met by boomingly loud noises. Startled awake, Kim Ji-Hee quickly closed the door. The room went silent. She cracked the door open once more. "Oh my. Ji-Hee, are you already up?" "Do you want to use the bathroom?" Two spirits—an old man and a girl—had been watching the battlefield, but the instant Kim Ji-Hee stepped out, they floated back down to check on her. "Umm... Where's Mister?" "Mister Ki-Rok? He's still working," one of the spirits answered. "Working?" Kim Ji-Hee asked. "Yes, he's hard at work." "Work..." It was deep into the night, the sky glittering with stars, and Kim Ji-Hee was still groggy. "Grand...pa..." "Yes, Ji-Hee." "Let's go." "Where to?" "To Mister." "Uhh... Ji-Hee?" "Yeeess?" Kim Ji-Hee closed her eyes tightly, then opened them to stare at the old man, waiting for a response. [Level up.] [Level up.] [Level up.] [Level up.] "Le...vel... up," she read slowly. "Oh? I did expect you to level up quickly because the opponent was an Ice Troll, but this is just..." the old man was fascinated at the speed. The spirit girl's eyes sparkled. "Ji-Hee, Ji-Hee." "Yeeess... unnie..." "Open your status window. Your status window!" As Kim Ji-Hee did so, the two spirits moved to her side to check. "Haha... Hahaha..." The old man was at a loss for words. "Oh my god!" The girl spirit said in shock. "Ji-Hee. Ji-Hee." "Hmm?" she responded, tilting her head. "Open your skill window," the girl continued to pester. "Skill, win-dow?" A new hologram appeared right next to Kim Ji-Hee's status window, and the spirits leaned in closer to check the skills registered. Upon realizing something, the old ghost finally asked, "Ji-Hee. Do you want to go see Mister?" "Yeeess. Haaam... He'll dieee if he works all night." She yawned again, her words slurring from drowsiness. He tilted his head, baffled. "Who told you that?" "PR team unnie," Kim Ji-Hee replied sleepily. "I see..." He grumbled under his breath, swearing he would have a word with that lady soon, then turned back to confirm, "So... we're going to see Mister, yes?" "Yeeess. I don't want Mister to die."