Chapter 27
The Quest does whatever it wants.
After calming down Shim Yeong-jin yesterday, a new sub-quest arrived.
[Quest]
Category: Sub (Ellatra)
Content: True empathy is about looking into someone’s heart and understanding them. In order to achieve genuine empathy, defeat and take revenge on the Hwains. Then you will be able to see even more. (Progress: 0/10)
Time Limit: 48 hours (Remaining Time: 36 hours 11 minutes 30 seconds)
Reward: Golem’s Eye Enhancement
Failure: Golem’s Eye usage restriction (Indefinite)
A sub-quest that arrived out of nowhere. It was as if someone was watching Do-jae in real-time.
‘Ellatra…’
For the first time, a specific name appeared next to the quest category.
Judging by the context, it seemed almost certain that ‘Ellatra’ was the name of the goddess who gave him the Golem’s Eye.
‘So they’re threatening to take away the Golem’s Eye if I fail? That’s unfair.’
The Golem’s Eye is an incredibly useful skill. It’s something that, when you have it, is always helpful. It’s one of the skills Do-jae cannot afford to lose.
Besides, Shim Yeong-jin’s condition had been on Do-jae’s mind anyway, and by defeating the Hwains, maybe the guilt he felt could be slightly alleviated.
‘If it’s just 10 of them, I can hunt them quickly and get out.’
That was why he purposely moved alone. If a dangerous situation arose, he could escape on his own. But if the team were with him, it would definitely make things difficult. It was better to leave the golems to handle it and proceed alone.
‘Here it is.’
He glanced at the map displayed on his smartphone. Switching between a photo of the operational area and a GPS map, he confirmed his location.
The mountain’s entrance was sparsely populated with trees. Beyond that lay the Hwains’ Territory.
Ssshhh…
Do-jae activated the Golem Armor.
Unlike the 7th-grade Red Orcs, the Hwains were classified as 5th-grade monsters. He also prepared himself with the Harpy Queen’s Feather and stepped into the land of the Hwains.
***
Swoosh.
The sound of wind rustling through the trees was refreshing. Tall trees blocked the sunlight, making it dark despite it being midday. It was indeed a natural fortress, perfect for the Hwains to live in.
‘Shall I give it a try?’
Do-jae stood still and focused. He was trying to sense the presence of mana. The faint trace of mana that he had noticed while hunting a golem similar to his own before—back then, he had quickly pinpointed its location by using skills, but over time and through repeated battles, his sensitivity to mana had increased.
No, it was thanks to the Golem’s Eye, which is influenced by the ‘Mind’ stat. By investing skill points in it, he could now sense mana even more clearly.
‘Is there nothing special…?’
Mana is an energy that every living creature possesses. Animals, insects, and even plants contain mana. However, the lower a creature is on the food chain, the less mana it has, just like how energy accumulates as it moves up the food chain.
Do-jae still couldn’t catch the tiny traces of mana from such creatures.
Rustle.
However, his sensitive hearing compensated for the weak mana detection. He turned his head toward the direction of an unusual sound.
‘Something’s there!’
Do-jae saw rustling branches and falling leaves, evidence that something had just been there. It wasn’t a small animal, though. The area had been eerily quiet since he entered, without even a single bird’s chirp.
Rustle!
Another movement.
Do-jae immediately looked in that direction and spotted a Hwain standing on a tree branch.
“Graaaah!”
A Hwain, with long black hair flowing and sharp fangs bared, was aiming its arrow.
Lee Do-jae immediately tightened his grip on the sword.
“Kyarr, kyahh! kakkukhk!”
It babbled in an unintelligible language.
Though the meaning of the words was unclear, the intent was felt.
‘If I don’t leave here, it’s threatening to attack? What a kind creature.’
Why was it showing intent but not launching an immediate attack?
Was it wary because of yesterday’s battle?
Regardless, Do-jae was not here for leisure.
He had to complete the quest and avenge Shim Yeong-jin.
“If you won’t come first, then I will.”
Now that he was in a 1:1 situation with the Hwain, it was the optimal opportunity to swiftly take one down before it could call for its friends.
With the thought of finishing it quickly, Do-jae leaped.
Boom—!
Do-jae’s sword aimed at the Hwain’s chest.
However, the Hwain’s bow slightly twisted the trajectory of the sword, only managing to cut through the wood.
“Kyah?”
The Hwain widened the distance in surprise.
The tremble of its hand gripping the bow indicated that Do-jae’s strike was not trivial.
“You dodged well.”
He had attacked with rapid speed and strong force, but it seemed that what he lacked was technique.
Hunters and extermination teams hunted monsters based on the physical and magical abilities gained through awakening.
It was rare to find those who used techniques worth mentioning.
Do-jae was no exception, and thus his attack was rather monotonous.
‘Maybe I should learn swordsmanship.’
Kim Hwansu flashed through Do-jae’s mind.
He thought he should ask for swordsmanship lessons at least once during his time at Chilgok Unit, as he pointed his sword back at the Hwain.
Swish—!
Bang—!
If he couldn’t rely on technique, he had to push through with power.
He took the impact of a tremendous arrow straight into his Golem Armor.
There was a slight shock, but it was negligible.
Do-jae continued to block the rain of arrows with the sturdy Golem Armor, closing the distance to the Hwain.
“Kyah! Kyarr!”
With arrows no longer effective, the Hwain discarded its bow and charged.
Its sharpened claws swiped across Do-jae’s chest.
However, there was no way those claws could penetrate armor that even a taut bowstring and sharp arrowheads couldn’t pierce.
Swish—!
Swish, swish—!
The Hwain gracefully dodged Do-jae’s attacks with its long limbs.
It rolled and leaped like an acrobatic gymnast.
But that was only for a moment.
Suddenly, it came to a stop.
“Kyarr?”
The Hwain halted abruptly.
It twitched, trying to move, but something was holding its legs fast.
“Something like this is possible.”
What had wrapped around the Hwain’s legs?
It was the piles of stone that extended from Do-jae’s Golem Armor.
The thin stone strands, stretching from below its thighs, climbed up from the Hwain’s feet, immobilizing it.
Whoosh—.
A Harpy Queen’s plume pierced into the Hwain’s chest.
It fell, bleeding black blood that matched its ashen skin.
— [Self-gain] effect is applied.
—Level has increased.
‘Now, 9 more to go.’
Do-jae retrieved the Golem Armor that was binding the Hwain’s legs and stepped deeper into the dungeon.
***
In the 2nd division led by Kim Joon-su.
Kim Joon-su, Son Jeong-gyu, Yook Hyeon-jae, Jang Pil-ho, Lee Ji-woong.
Currently, they were taking a short break.
“Hyung Pil-ho, isn’t it amazing?”
“What is?”
Lee Ji-woong asked Jang Pil-ho, who was resting.
He pointed at Do-jae’s Golem.
“Isn’t it cool to be on a team with a monster?”
“It is indeed interesting.”
The Golem stood still, not moving at all.
Anyone unfamiliar with it might mistake it for a specially shaped statue that had always been there.
“But can it really be trusted?”
“Why? Are you skeptical?”
“Of course. Golems are monsters, right? Who would believe a monster?”
Lee Ji-woong squints his eyes.
His expression shows clear dissatisfaction with the gaze directed at the golem.
“I once fought alongside a monster.”
“Really?”
As Jang Pil-ho brings it up, Lee Ji-woong shows interest.
Jang Pil-ho begins to recount his past experiences.
“It was about two years ago, before I came to Chilgok. I was stationed at another unit.”
“Oh, I heard about that. When you were down there? In Namwon, right?”
“Yeah, at that time, we were on a hunt to suppress a dungeon break that occurred in Namwon. Our commander was the tamer, Captain Park Seong-gil.”
“Commander of the 1st Division?”
“Right. He’s made it to the commander of the 1st Division now.”
“Wow, is that even possible? From a mere unit commander to a division commander in just two years?”
“Promotions in the extermination forces depend on contributions. He was incredibly strong and handled everything neatly… Wait a minute. I’m the one talking here!”
Jang Pil-ho, rummaging through his memories, snaps back at Lee Ji-woong’s interjection.
Lee Ji-woong puts his hands together and makes an apologetic expression.
“Anyway, to continue the story, at that time, our commander had four wyverns and six drakes under his control.”
“No way, ten dragon-type monsters…”
“We didn’t really have to do anything. Our job was just to make sure the monsters that were on the verge of dying were finished off.”
“But isn’t that our role here too? We’re just hunting the leftover monsters, right? Only when we’re in a regular unit can we actually do something.”
“Hey, why did you even ask then?”
“What? I didn’t ask. You just started talking…”
Jang Pil-ho gives Lee Ji-woong a playful jab on the forehead.
Lee Ji-woong exaggerates and whines.
“Ouch! Why are you hitting me?”
“Just because. You’re really annoying.”
“Why are you taking it out on me? You should be taking it out on that thing.”
Lee Ji-woong points at the golem again.
“Are you crazy? That’s the captain’s golem.”
“Captain or whatever, honestly, has the captain shown us anything? The regular unit seems completely out of it, and I feel like I’d be short-handed even with the captain around, so I can’t trust something like that.”
“So what do you want to do?”
“Just wait a moment.”
Lee Ji-woong stands up.
Looking around, the other three members are all preoccupied with resting.
“Follow me.”
Lee Ji-woong sneaks toward the golem.
He wiggles his fingers, and the golem starts to move toward him.
In that way, Lee Ji-woong and Jang Pil-ho lead the golem a bit further away.
“Watch closely.”
Lee Ji-woong picks up a supply sword.
Before Jang Pil-ho can say anything, he attacks the golem.
“Hey! What are you…”
Bang.
Just before the sword touched the golem, it raised its arm and blocked Lee Ji-woong’s strike.
One of its arms fell to the ground, kicking up a light cloud of dust, but it quickly regenerated the lost arm as if nothing had happened.
“Oh, it can block?”
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?”
“Hyung, this is actually really good!”
Lee Ji-woong doesn’t stop attacking the golem.
The golem defends against the attacks and even if its body gets damaged, it regenerates in an instant.
Sometimes it retaliates with light attacks, but they aren’t threatening.
It’s the perfect, ideal punching bag.
“What’s going on…? You look really excited.”
“Hyung, do you want to try it too? Hitting it is amazing!”
“Really? Should I give it a go?”
After quietly observing, Jang Pil-ho joins the attack.
Then the golem starts to get pushed back little by little.
But soon, it began to show enough speed to match the two, dodging their attacks.
“Wow, this is fun.”
“Right? Let’s tell the captain and use it for training.”
“Sounds good. If it can take this, it’ll pass.”
Jang Pil-ho grabs his spear with both hands.
He intends to give it a proper go.
Thus, the two’s playful sparring begins to heat up.
—
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