Chapter 679

〈Chapter 679〉 Part 2, Chapter 4, 06

“Whenever I see tentacles, for some reason, I feel like I’m about to be violated by that thing.”

“What do you mean by saying something so sudden?!”

“That’s just the rule of this world.”

I felt like I received some sort of unpleasant monster vibes.

If we lose here and get a game over, I’ll end up living a life where I’m grabbed by jellyfish tentacles and lay eggs forever. With that ominous feeling, I became unnecessarily irked.

“Should I blow it away?”

No, hold on! Resist, my inner mini Phoenix!

I fidgeted with the trigger of my finger while looking for an opening.

BOOM, BOOM!!

The enemy jellyfish monster was pounding the water droplets created by Gaon as if trying to make the contents of the monster vibes a reality.

“Gaon.”

“Yes.”

“You can’t let up on the shield in the middle.”

“Of course not. I don’t want to fall for something like that either… …uh…”

Gaon gave me a look.

“So… should I just…?”

It was a gaze implying that there’s no real need to drag out time in this confined space, even though the water is rotten but abundant.

Following the meaning in Gaon’s eyes, Gaon could easily kill the monster.

‘A B Rank Monster is around level 60 when considered in terms of levels.’

An 86-level Gaon alone could sufficiently handle such a monster.

Still, Gaon was creating a water droplet defense, getting pushed around by the tentacles here and there while reinforcing the defense. That’s because I instructed them only to defend.

“Gaon.”

“Yes.”

“Considering experience point efficiency, you shouldn’t take it down. We’d lose experience points.”

If a high-level character hunts a relatively low-level monster, they’re bound to receive fewer experience points.

On the other hand, lower-tier ability users can gain combat experience without any loss by defeating monsters much stronger than themselves.

“Right? You two are the ones who need to eat those experience points.”

Yuna, Raon.

While hiding behind Gaon’s absolute barrier, Yuna and Raon were practically handling all the damage. They were painstakingly reducing each tentacle striking the water droplet one by one.

DUDUDUDU.

The muzzles of the Core Rifles K-2 held by the two flashed with a yellow light. The magic bullets powered by durability cores passed through the water droplet protection and accurately struck the bundle of tentacles.

“Water attribute enemies are best handled with durability bullets, huh.”

“Where does that even exist?”

“If you check YouTube, watch Magical Angel Hikari’s channel. It thoroughly explains the interrelationships of the seven magical attributes.”

Durability counters water. Just like how even SS Rank Seok Harang struggles against S+ Rank Hydra, as long as this world is based on a game system, the power of attributes cannot be ignored.

KREEEEEEK!!

Indeed, the tentacles of the Ocean Phantom jellyfish monster were exploding under the assault of the core rifle’s magic bullets. The bunch of tentacles pounding the water droplets burst upon contact with the magic bullets and now kept dodging them.

“Gaon, turn the wheel!”

“This isn’t a car, you know?!”

Gaon roughly turned the key while holding onto the “wheel” of the water droplet. The water droplet moved like a submarine, chasing after the Ocean Phantom fleeing within the narrow aquarium.

“Yuna, stick close to Raon! Fire from starboard!”

Yuna and Raon fired continuously from the right side as the water droplet advanced.

Although their attacks barely affected the Ocean Phantom, it was doing its best to escape from both of their shots.

‘To entrust dealing damage to healers and tanks, they need some means to deal significant damage.’

There’s no reason for a healer to swing their staff and unleash explosive bullets or for a tank to swing their spear at tentacles.

With Core Weapons as an excellent means of communication, there’s absolutely no reason to politely greet a tentacle monster.

“Looks like games really rely on gear power.”

Assuming someone at level 1 has a level 99 weapon, averaging it out still gives them a minimum attack power equivalent to level 50.

The core rifles wielded by Yuna and Raon were specially selected and ordered by me from Yuha. They’re masterpieces crafted from the cores of C Rank Monsters collected from all over the country after extensive travel.

Though the funds were heavily depleted.

CREEEAK, CRREEEEEK!

The Ocean Phantom, whose tentacles were already 70% destroyed, fled to a corner while emitting pitiful cries.

Its violent thrashing made the entire aquarium shake, but that also meant its health was down to about 30%.

‘Does a tentacle monster die when all its tentacles are destroyed?’

Monsters designed specifically for female character tentacle torment enter a groggy state when all their tentacles are obliterated. The world’s malevolence doesn’t give such a second chance to monsters that have lost their means of violation.

“Big brother, is it okay if we keep doing this?”

“Yeah. Keep scraping. Until it dies.”

Using Core Weapons consumes a considerable amount of funds.

Assuming each magic bullet costs a minimum of 50,000 won, Yuna and Raon have already gone through more than two magazines. Without separately producing magic bullets, Core Weapons are essentially money-eating machines.

“It’s killing it with money. Anyway, selling the B Rank core will yield enough money, right?”

For officially untrained E Rank individuals like Yuna and Raon to achieve the feat of taking down a B Rank monster requires appropriate justification.

Their A Rank suits and C Rank core rifles serve as clear evidence to convince the examiners.

“Difficult enemies are originally meant to be defeated with gear power.”

The condition for selecting our guild as a practice target is to defeat a B Rank monster; how we defeat it isn’t questioned. Frankly speaking, bringing along a single A Rank member could fulfill the requirement.

“Of course, the academy probably won’t like it much. Using funds to defeat monsters involves too much money. But our greatest strength lies in our financial power, right?”

A Hollywood tycoon stands firmly behind us.

The economic heavyweight of this country secretly supports us. Covering our insufficient power with finances is our team’s strategy and tactic for now.

“So what if people criticize us for killing monsters with money? What better way is there to gather people than with money?”

“Using capital to kill monsters also indicates the guild’s strong financial health.”

“Yuna understands well. Then, Yuna, wouldn’t a promising talent now called quasi-S Rank join a financially robust guild?”

“T, that…”

Yuna pulled her finger off the trigger and hesitated. For a moment, the aura dimmed, allowing the last remaining tentacle to survive.

“Cheongnyeon! Isn’t it wrong for a commander to confuse their subordinates like this?!”

“Raon, everything I say is mental training. To possess an indomitable spirit that doesn’t falter in any situation, got it?”

Even if your favorite guy says he’ll bring another girl—your friend—to bed, you shouldn’t falter. It’s definitely not trolling on my part.

BOOM, BOOM!!

The Ocean Phantom hammered the wall with its last remaining tentacle. It seemed to be frantically hammering the fire shutter that automatically descended when the aquarium glass broke.

“Ahh…! If it gets past that, it will surely be detected by the radar!!”

“It’s fine. I let it survive to get caught.”

KA-WHAAAAANG!

The fire shutter collapsed. Simultaneously, Ha Yu-eun inside the water droplet tapped the magical gear.

BEEEEEEP—–

“Originally, we didn’t plan to land the final blow anyway.”

“Huh…?”

“Having efforts ruined by unreasonable external factors is kind of the fate of good protagonists, isn’t it?”

With the appearance of a B Rank monster, hunters sensing the dying monster’s smell began rushing in from all sides near Yeosu. Hunters hunting E and D Rank monsters nearby smelled the money.

“Gaon, do you know why hunters in Korea have a bad reputation?”

“They’re magic stealers, final blow grabbers, and moochers, right?”

“Exactly.”

According to the Korean-style hunting method, the person who delivers the “final blow” claims at least 30% of the spoils from monster hunting.

“D Rank hunters mostly do stuff like that.”

Even if we destroy five hundred tentacles of the Ocean Phantom, if a random stray dog comes by and pokes the last remaining tentacle, 30% of the core sale proceeds go to that stray dog.

“It’s fortunate that Nuri isn’t here. Otherwise, she’d have done some self-deprecating jokes like ‘Isn’t that a trashy move?!'”

“…I won’t say anything.”

Who does that? Nuri’s parents do.

The basis for the couple, merely C Rank, earning large sums in New Seoul was their relentless pursuit of landing the final blow and securing 30% of the core sale proceeds, even if it meant getting criticized.

“So, we just let things flow naturally.”

SWISHH.

As the fire shutter broke and the Ocean Phantom escaped outside, Gaon’s water bubble was also carried away by the water flow.

Outside the glass window, in the parking lot of A Planet, the Ocean Phantom was body-slamming D Rank hunters approaching to strike its last remaining tentacle.

The raid on the Ocean Phantom was essentially over. A great victory of A Rank shields and gear power.

“We just spectate from here.”

Gaon released the water bubble on the emergency staircase. The putrid water was washed down the stairs by Gaon’s water stream, and we ascended the emergency staircase to the roof with slightly musty air.

“The choice of our boss isn’t wrong, but it’s a little disappointing. Still, it’s 30%, right.”

Raon watched the jellyfish raid visible through the magical gear, licking his lips. Knowing the value of money better than anyone else, she was mentally calculating the loss of 30% of the B Rank core price.

“Forget it. We’ll eat 70%, and we’ll eat the remaining 30% too.”

“Huh?”

“Yu Sung’s hunters are waiting. Taking cores with magic strikes is Yu Sung’s specialty.”

Ha Yu-eun mocked Raon with a sarcastic tone. Raon alternated her gaze between me and Ha Yu-eun before letting out a helpless laugh.

“Are we… pretending to engage in bullying…?”

“Yes. Even though we’ve captured a B Rank monster, we’re pretending to be a pitiful small enterprise suffering from the tyranny of a big corporation.”

By gaining sympathy through that, I can free myself from various threats and secure a recruitment flag for Jung Su Ri. Leveraging the empathy for foreigners oppressed in Hell Joseon.

“Now, there’s only one thing left, guys.”

Before opening the rooftop emergency door, I took off my pants. The sudden act of removing my pants startled the magical girls, who started glancing at each other.

“We need to show signs of having been harshly dealt with by the tentacle monster’s slime. Who wants to pull the trigger?”

Yuna, Raon, and Gaon sat cross-legged on the emergency staircase in perfect harmony.

“Grrr….”

The Xroid was gleaming with golden light and licking its lips.

* * *

<At that moment, New Seoul Hero Academy Girls’ Dormitory>.

“It’s an honor to share a room with you, Flame Maiden sister!”

“…Yeah.”

The woman known as <Flame Maiden>, Jung Su Ri, seethed internally at the sight of her new roommate—a brown-haired short-haired woman who seemed to deliberately change her hair to resemble ‘someone’.

Until just before winter break, she remembered her as having black straight hair, but now it looked as if the roommate had changed it on purpose to mimic someone.

“Sister, do you know what happened to the previous person who used this room? Have you heard anything?”

“……”

She heard but couldn’t say. Sticking to her silence for the sake of her roommate and friend, it instead caused misunderstandings among her juniors.

“Is she really expelled?”

“No! She’s on leave!”

“Huh? But there’s no reason. In New Seoul Academy, it’s rare for someone, especially a girl, to take a leave.”

“……Are you trying to pry into someone else’s private affairs from me?”

Su Ri frowned and dispersed mana around her. The junior recoiled, intimidated by the hotheaded nature inherent to fire attribute users.

“If there’s something you can’t talk about, you should just let it go instead of snooping around others’ backgrounds, right?”

“B, but I’m curious! Sister, apart from you, no one knows… And it’s not because her family is wealthy or anything, so why did she take a leave?”

“Shut up, damn it!”

Only after Su Ri cursed did the junior finally shut her mouth. Her hair, swirling like mist, began to emit red flames.

“How come everyone is so nosy about other people’s family affairs-”

[Announcement: A B Rank monster <Ocean Phantom> has appeared in Yeosu. Announcement: In Yeosu-]

BEEP!

Su Ri hastily tapped her magical gear to divert her attention to the monster alert. Yeosu. She clearly remembered that ‘Yuinah’ mentioned being there during their chat last night.

“Damn!”

Should I rush over? When she urgently tried contacting Yuinah, there was no response. Su Ri anxiously checked the satellite relay footage with a restless gaze.

“Wow… Jellyfish slime everywhere…”

“Ah!”

Su Ri turned her attention toward A Planet in the relay footage.

The figures emerging by kicking open the rooftop door were covered in red handprints all over their bodies, and their neatly worn marine-style uniforms were torn in places.

From their soaked hair to their white loafers, they were heavily smeared with sticky, white slime.

“Wow. Looks like they let it slip while hunting. Tsk tsk, the monster went to the parking lot, but they’re chasing it to the rooftop. They’ll definitely miss out on the final blow.”

The mocking comments from her junior beside her fell on deaf ears. Su Ri glared fiercely at the drenched blond Western man flailing around next to Yuinah with savage eyes.

“You fucking piece of shit.”

Su Ri’s gaze was fixed on Yuinah’s wet skirt and lower abdomen.