Chapter 118 |
“A skill that summons humanoid familiars?!”
“There’s a summoning skill like that?”
“I’ve seen B-rank summoners summon puppets before, but…”
“Puppets? You’ve got to be kidding me! That woman 100 percent looks like a real person! Even the mana she emits has got to be at least B-rank!”
“That makes no sense! He’s a C-rank summoner, isn’t he? How can a C-rank summon a B-rank?”
The crowd continued to mumble in confusion.
“Suho, do you want me to translate?” Esil asked.
“No need. I can roughly tell what they’re saying from their expressions alone.”
Suho and Esil both found themselves thinking that the burly figures breaking into murmurs around them were kind of cute. Hunters’ primary concerns, after all, transcended the borders of their nations.
What’s that skill?How intriguing… thought another.
It had been just two years since the Great Cataclysm. As information was not shared all that readily, even the high-rank hunters of major guilds were inevitably lacking knowledge about all kinds of things. Of course, their curiosity always eventually boiled down to who was stronger.
Naturally, the summoning skill Suho displayed was so overwhelming that it piqued the Scavenger Guild members’ curiosity. The expression of A-rank hunter Derrick Johnson, who was the first to gauge Suho’s mana, was especially indescribable.
“Even at the most generous estimate, he’s only on the fringes of B-rank. How can that low a level of mana enable that kind of skill…?”
Derrick had always been quite confident in his ability to estimate others’ mana. It was common knowledge that no matter how good one’s skill, its potential couldn’t be fully realized if one’s mana was lacking. But the astonishing ability demonstrated by Suho far surpassed what a C-rank summoner was supposed to be able to do.
Is he hiding his mana?Just how exceptional is his mana control?! thought Derrick. The higher a hunter’s rank, the more common it was for them to conceal their mana. It wasn’t a matter of wanting to hide it. Rather, it was more the result of having perfect control over their mana.
As hunters were human, they unwittingly consumed a bit of mana just by living and breathing. However, the more perfectly one controlled their mana, the better they could conserve it and avoid using it unnecessarily.
Derrick was perplexed. Does this mean he’s hiding that much mana?Then what’s his actual rank?A-rank?S-rank?!
“Ahem. I believe I just introduced Mr. Sung Suho as a C-rank summoner.”
As Laura repeated what she had said earlier, Derrick wore an expression of disbelief. “Impossible!” he shouted. “Laura must have misunderstood something! I assure you, this kid is definitely at least A-rank! I’d bet my entire life savings on it!” It was unfathomable that a C-rank summoner could possibly summon something B-rank.
“Okay, enough chit-chat. Everyone is here, so let’s get going.” With a firm tone, Thomas Andre interrupted the ongoing confusion.
At his words, the faces of the Scavenger Guild members instantly shifted. The noisy chatter that had filled the air just moments before disappeared in an instant, replaced by the silence of warriors that radiated an intense fighting spirit.
As the real mission preparations began, Laura promptly boarded the jet to return home, promising to return once the expedition was over.
“I’ll brief you on the events of the past three days, Guild Master.”
“I already got the gist from Laura. Anyway, it’s freezing, right? And I just got some new info from Korea.”
Suho had given them information about the ice elves, and in return, Thomas Andre had promised to pay him a fair price after the expedition. Since Suho was taking part at Thomas’ request, it was decided that he would pay in a lump sum.
Thomas briefed his guild members on the information, and they secured preparations against the elves’ archer unit. Then, smirking at his hunters, the guild master gave a command. “That’s enough talk. You know how we do it, right? We’ll figure out the rest when we throw ourselves into it.”
“Yes, boss!”
The Scavenger members’ cheering spread through the cold wind.
***
The moment Suho stepped into the field of the Facade Island dungeon, he realized that the cold he had felt until now was nothing. A tremendous blizzard mixed with clouds of blue mist suddenly obscured his vision and ushered in an ice age-like cold.
[“Debuff: Curse of Extreme Cold” has been activated.]
[Attack speed decreases by 30%.]
[Movement speed decreases by 30%.]
Suho was not affected by the accompanying debuffs, of course.
[“Kandiaru’s Blessing” has been activated.]
[“Debuff: Curse of Extreme Cold” has been removed.]
So this is the Glacier Dungeon? thought Suho. True to its name, the entire landscape looked as if it had been returned to the ice age. The island’s streets were filled with collapsed buildings and the husks of cars buried under the heavy snow. Shopping malls and office buildings were covered in layers of snow and ice, resembling towering ice castles. The grim landscape seemed to be frozen forever in the horror of the day the dungeon break occurred.
“It’s dreadful,” Suho mumbled.
It seemed to be the cold, rather than the magic beasts, that did the island in. Step by step, they trudged through the frozen, blizzard-stricken city alongside the Scavenger Guild members.
Beru was also busy scanning the surroundings, peeking out from Suho’s shadow. “There appears to be no sign of Itarim yet. Aren’t you cold, Young Monarch? Perhaps you should put on something warmer.” He did not forget to meticulously check on Suho’s well-being.
Suho nodded and opened the store window. The higher one’s mana, the better they could withstand ordinary cold and heat, but the cold here really was beyond imagination.
Jingle.
[Item: “Ice Bear’s Robe” has been purchased.]
[Item: “Ice Bear’s Robe” has been purchased.]
[Item: “Ice Bear’s Robe” has been purchased.]
Suho bought three sets of robes adorned with white fur and distributed one each to Esil and Rio. “Put these on,” he said.
Esil, accustomed to Suho’s actions, immediately threw the garment over her shoulders, but Rio was utterly shocked. “S-Suho! Incredible artifact, for gift! I am touch!”
“I’m just letting you borrow it,” Suho responded. I need to resell it later to get back the gold.
Despite Suho’s remark about it being a loan, Rio couldn’t help but remain astonished and deeply moved.
[Item: Ice Bear’s Robe
Acquisition Difficulty: B
Type: Robe
Physical Defense +50
A robe made from the fur of an ice bear. The leather is durable and tough, offering high defense and excellent protection against the cold.
(Note: Movement slows down if strength is below 80.)
- Effect “Cold Resistance”: Provides protection against cold and resistance to freezing magic.]
The item only had one effect: Cold Resistance. But it was immense. The moment they donned the Ice Bear’s Robe, the ice age-level cold was instantly blocked.
“A truly wise choice. The hide of an ice bear will certainly defend against the freezing magic of ice elves. Of course, you must be wary. The robe may be damaged if an arrow with freezing magic were to strike it…”
While Beru was earnestly explaining the robe’s effect to Suho, the Scavenger Guild members, witnessing the fur coats suddenly appearing in Suho’s hand, found their eyes widening again in shock.
“Wh-what’s going on? He summons clothes too?”
“Well, if he can summon a person, fur coats are nothing.”
“That coat looks really warm, doesn’t it?”
“Hold on! Is that made from an ice bear?”
“What?! Can I have one?”
“Me too!”
“Quiet, you lot!” As his guild members crowded around Suho, Thomas barked at them to mediate the situation. Then, he awkwardly extended his hand toward the young hunter. “You got one for me?”
Rio confidently stepped forward to represent Suho’s interests. “Show me the money,” he said in English.
Despite Rio’s words, Suho had no intention of opening the store window again for any amount of cash. Given the level of Thomas’ mana, the S-rank hunter should have been able to withstand this level of cold. Besides, the other Scavenger members had already been here for more than a couple of days. They were accustomed to the cold by now and were well bundled up.
Whooosh!
But as the icy winds grew fiercer, the guild members kept casting envious glances at Suho and his group.
“They’re coming.” Suddenly, Thomas Andre raised his head, a fierce expression on his face.
Swoosh!
Arrows began to fly toward them, carried by the relentless blizzard wind.
“Defense!”
At Thomas’ shout, the guild members’ defensive skills spread out in all directions. As the arrows struck the transparent mana barrier, a layer of frost formed on its surface. More arrows continued to fly toward them.
Clink!Crack!
“Guild Master! The shield is about to break!”
“The freezing magic is weakening its defense…!”
“These sons of…!” At his guild members’ urgent voices, Thomas glared in the direction of the ice elves, who were hidden in the cover of the blizzard.
Enhance! As he brought forth his skill, an immense amount of mana condensed in his arm. With a grunt, he swung his fist into the air. A mighty force surged forth like a wave, piercing through the blizzard and exploding.
Boooom!
With the tremendous blast, the wall of incoming arrows was annihilated.
“Begin combat,” Thomas ordered. Finally, the Scavengers’ battle could begin.
Suho’s gaze, however, was not on the hunters rushing into battle. Rather, his eyes were fixed in the opposite direction.
[Ice Golem]
[Ice Golem]
Through the blizzard, he felt a massive presence. Nothing was visible, but his sense stat was issuing a warning.
The real threat is beyond that storm, Suho thought, immediately drawing his bow.
Thomas, too, was already moving in that direction. “The threat is over there! Everyone, scatter!” As an S-rank hunter, his senses had already allowed him to take charge of the situation.
Their challenge suddenly became apparent. The Ice Golems had never had any intention of attacking them. Rather, they were aiming at the hunters’ feet.
Grrrrrrr!
Wait, could it be… Suho’s complexion turned fierce as he realized what they were doing.
“Arise, Que!” he shouted. But as a black arrow began to form from his shadow, the Ice Golems had already joined hands and were striking the frozen ground.
Boom!
The ground split from their point of impact, and the pavement began to crumble.
“N-no! It’s an earthquake!” Suho heard Thomas shout in panic.
At that moment, the ground beneath them caved in, and they began to fall into the void below.
As they fell, Esil suddenly realized something and looked at Suho. “It’s a gate! I can feel a dimensional breach beneath us!”
Whoosh!
At the same time, Suho realized where the terrible blizzard had originated. How could this small island in the Pacific, once bathed in sunlight, have plunged into an ice age? This storm hadn’t blown in from the atmosphere but was rather emanating from beneath the island’s surface.
Swoosh!
With a blast of frigid wind, the group of hunters, including Suho, were sucked into the gate.
Suho’s eyes gleamed as he looked into the freezing gate engulfing them. Is this an invitation? Then I shouldn’t meet them empty-handed.
He drew his bowstring as they plunged downward, and the moment they passed the threshold of the gate, he let Que fly.
