Chapter 35 – The Rotom Mountains (１)

[Orca’s Footsteps]

– Grade: Legendary

– Proficiency: F

– Movement Speed +30%

– Wind-Pressure Effect: Each step deals Wind-attribute damage equal to +20% of Magic Attack.

‘…That’s fucking incredible.’

The skill Orca’s Footsteps, earned from this Achievement’s reward, had Gijun completely sold.

Even just that 30% Movement Speed alone.

An option bound to be a massive boon for the path of the Battle Mage he’d chosen.

But the real prize came next.

‘A Wind-Pressure Effect.’

Every step deals Wind-attribute damage to enemies.

In other words, it inflicts continuous Cutting Power bonus damage on the foe.

‘It’s basically Fire Step.’

Fire Step.

A 6th-Circle Fire-attribute spell.

An incredible skill that raises flames with every step, harrying enemies and dealing sustained damage.

Its raw power might fall short of that, but wasn’t this more than enough help for Gijun?

‘Alright, now all that’s left is to find the second heart.’

Gijun walked toward the Orca.

He grabbed the horn on its forehead and used Strong Wind.

CRACK—CRUNCH—CLANG!

After several impacts.

Snap—

The horn on its forehead sheared off.

‘Got it.’

And so Gijun secured the quest material.

*

“Remarkable.”

The Subjugation Captain looked at Gijun with genuine astonishment.

Not a single scratch on him.

And he brought back Orca’s horn in under an hour.

“You surpassed every expectation. How in the world did you take down Orca so fast?”

He was thinking.

He’d expected failure—or at best, a victory that would take several days.

Of course.

Just finding Orca would’ve easily taken a day or two.

And the fight itself would’ve been no easy battle.

But a single hour?

“This… you’re truly a man who defies my common sense.”

The Subjugation Captain muttered to himself several times, even with Gijun standing right there.

In that moment, a message blinked before Gijun’s eyes.

[The Subjugation Captain’s Favorability toward you has increased significantly!]

[The Quest reward has been adjusted to its maximum level!]

‘Huh?’

It was a very welcome message, one he hadn’t seen in a long time.

With it, the Subjugation Captain proffered something.

“This is the Special Task Force’s Seal. But it’s no ordinary Seal. If you ever need to break from the unit during an operation, it’ll serve as proof that you have the skill to act on your own judgment and leave the ranks.”

[You have acquired the ‘Special Task Force Seal – Special Maneuver’!]

[Special Task Force Seal – Special Maneuver]

– Grade: Legendary

– All Stats +10

– Physical Attack +10%

– Magical Attack +10%

– Movement Speed +10%

‘No freaking way.’

This was, without exaggeration, a moment of monumental reward.

‘But wait a second.’

Gijun chewed over the Subjugation Captain’s words again.

‘It allows me to leave the unit?’

For Gijun, that was a welcome prospect.

This Special Task Force’s mission would be clearly different from an ordinary Subjugation Team’s.

He’d probably be tasked with something truly important.

And in the middle of that, this might come in handy.

That ‘Special Maneuver,’ that is.

“Thank you.”

Gijun accepted the Seal with a word of thanks and immediately put it on.

The Seal was a ring.

And its options were top-notch.

It boosted all Stats by 10, and increased Physical Attack, Magical Attack, and Movement Speed by 10% each.

“Then move out, if you would.”

The moment the Subjugation Captain said that,

“You can follow me this way.”

said the adjutant standing beside the Subjugation Captain.

*

“Is this the one?”

The place Gijun arrived at was the most secluded barracks in the recruitment area for the Subjugation Team.

Inside were ten people.

All of them wore black masks—figures who looked far from ordinary at a glance.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

The adjutant who had led Gijun answered the question from the man seated at the head of the table.

“His skill?”

“It’s solid. He took down Orca within an hour.”

“What?”

“Is that true?”

Everyone’s eyes went wide with shock at the adjutant’s words.

“Yes. The Subjugation Captain and I confirmed it ourselves.”

“Unbelievable.”

In that instant,

“I see. A Special Maneuver Seal…”

the man at the head of the table confirmed Gijun’s Seal ring and nodded.

“Then I have no choice but to accept it. Good. Have a seat.”

The man finished speaking.

Gijun took the seat at the far end.

“This Subjugation Team’s mission is to stop the Monster Wave. For reasons unknown, the monsters of the Rotom Mountains have completely blocked the ‘Great Path.'”

The Great Path.

That was the name of the route linking the Rotom Commercial District and the Hella Kingdom.

Goods flowed between Rotom and Hella along that road.

It was the very lifeblood of the Rotom Commercial District’s wealth.

“But we believe this isn’t an ordinary wave. Something has clearly changed. Finding and eliminating that source is our Special Task Force’s duty.”

“….”

“Soon, the main force will start drawing the monsters’ attention on the Great Path. While they hold the wave back, we’ll climb the Rotom Mountains and root out the cause of the problem. That’s the whole operation. That’s all the intel we have.”

“Understood.”

The difficulty was obvious.

The Rotom Mountains were a hunting ground where only parties of level 90 Users could hunt.

And hunting wasn’t the goal here — we had to find something in those mountains. The difficulty would be brutal.

“Are you prepared?”

“Of course.”

A message flashed instantly.

Ding!

[Monster Wave]

-Grade: Job

-Find the source of the wave and stop it

-Reward: Ancient Heart

‘There it is.’

Finally — the Ancient Heart had appeared as the reward.

A fierce hunger ignited in Gijun’s eyes.

*

“These mountains are vast. And that means countless monsters live here.”

The moment they set foot in the Rotom Mountains, the Special Task Force Captain spoke.

“This operation will take days, at least.”

“I’m prepared.”

For Gijun, that was welcome news.

Hunting alongside these Party Members would skyrocket his Level.

‘Next Raid….’

He’d show them something utterly transformed.

Booooom!

Thud! Thump! Thump!

At that moment, a deep drumming and booming echoed up from the base of the mountains.

The main force had already launched the operation.

“That’s the monster horn. That sound will rouse every monster in these mountains and send them rushing to the Great Path even faster.”

Just as he’d been briefed.

While the main force drew the monsters’ attention, the Special Task Force had to find the source inside the mountains.

“Here they come.”

The Captain pointed to one spot.

A pack of monsters was charging toward them.

They were clearly part of the horde heading down to the Great Path.

[Pipim.]

Libre identified them at a glance.

Pipim were monsters native to the Rotom Mountains.

Level 88 — no small number.

They looked like gorillas.

But what made them strange was the leopard-print pattern covering their bodies.

Kyaaaah!

Their cry, too, sounded almost exactly like a tiger’s.

A monster whose Level dwarfed Gijun’s own 54.

And there were four of them.

They were fast, too.

Their intent to lunge forward and devour him whole was palpable even from here.

“Let’s start, shall we?”

At the Special Task Force Captain’s words, everyone drew their weapons.

Gijun did the same.

“First, mage—you stay back and support from—”

Before the Captain could even finish, Gijun stepped forward.

‘Not a chance.’

He had no interest in hanging back anymore.

Besides, he already carried the Special Seal.

Permission to do whatever he wanted, so long as he willed it.

And he intended to use that authority to its fullest.

Thud!

Gijun stomped and launched himself forward.

In that instant—

[Orca’s Footsteps effect applied.]

Whoosh!

Gijun’s movements accelerated to an incredible speed.

Wind howled around his body.

“H-hey!”

The flustered Captain shouted.

That’s when Fireball slammed into the leading Pipim.

Boom! Bam, bam, BAM!

The barrage of Fireballs rocked the foremost Pipim’s body, sending it crashing down.

The Pipim behind it charged at Gijun furiously.

But—

Shshshsk!

“Huh?”

The moment they closed in on Gijun, fountains of blood erupted from their bodies.

“W-what the…”

Even watching it happen, it was hard to grasp what had just occurred.

What happened next was even more astonishing.

Bam-bam-bam-bam-BOOM!

Fireballs burst forth in an endless stream.

It was staggering.

“How can his casting speed be that fast…?”

He tried to imagine himself in the Pipim’s place instead of standing there.

In that moment, a chill ran down his spine.

‘No way out.’

It was a chain of attacks with no gap to escape.

The swarming Pipim vanished in an instant.

The Special Task Force Captain and his men watched, tongue-tied, and thought.

‘…What kind of a man is he?’

‘No wonder the Captain gave him that Special Task Force Seal for nothing.’

‘Maybe this mission really will go smoothly after all….’

Then, about ten seconds passed.

The five Pipim had vanished without a trace.

Only then did they understand why Gijun had charged ahead so recklessly.

‘The Captain’s judgment is never wrong.’

‘Where in the world did a monster like that come from?’

‘Still, the world really is a big place.’

*

Time flowed swiftly.

It had already been over four days since they entered the Rotom Mountains.

“The monsters are barely showing up anymore.”

Throughout that time, the Subjugation Team had been hunting down the monsters pouring out of the mountain range every single day.

Gijun and the Special Task Force members swept through the mountain range, clearing every last Monster that remained.

‘Leveled up a lot too.’

The past four days.

Gijun’s Level had shot up by a full ten—he’d already broken past Level 60.

A truly ridiculous leveling speed.

And that was on top of hunting Monsters far stronger than his current Level warranted.

With the Task Force members’ exceptional combat prowess, Gijun’s Experience was skyrocketing without mercy.

[Orca’s Footsteps]

-Grade: Legendary

-Proficiency: D

-Movement Speed+50%

-Wind Pressure Effect: Grants Wind-attribute attack power equal to +40% Magic Attack when moving.

Just then, the Special Task Force Captain spoke.

Orca’s Footsteps had already risen two Proficiency ranks.

Which meant the speed at which they tore through the swarming Monsters had only accelerated.

“It’s thanks to you.”

The Special Task Force Captain turned to Gijun.

“Because of you, we held out this smoothly.”

“Obviously.”

“Really, you were incredible.”

Everyone was throwing a word his way.

Gijun felt a swell of pride.

He knew none of them were just blowing smoke.

“Anyway, I think we’re good to head for Rakam Peak now.”

Rakam Peak.

It was the name of the tallest summit in the Rotom Mountains.

And at the same time, the place they suspected the source of this Wave was hiding.

But then—

[Be cautious. I sense a most unsettling power.]

“….”

[This may well prove a difficult fight.]

‘Can’t be helped.’

Gijun accepted it calmly.

He’d never expected an easy fight in the first place.

If snagging an Ancient God’s Fragment were a simple task, that would’ve been a joke from the start.

“Let’s move.”

With that, the Special Task Force Captain spoke.

And the Task Force members began their ascent along the mountain ridge.

*

“Hoo—cold.”

They’d finally arrived at Rakam Peak.

Unlike the lower slopes of the mountain range, Rakam Peak was buried in perpetual snow.

A biting chill swept through them.

And in that moment…

-Stop.

A voice came from somewhere.

No—he wasn’t even sure it was a voice.

It felt like something resonating inside his head, not his ears.

That was when—

[I see now.]

Libre’s voice reached him.

[Who that being at the summit is.]

“What? What is it?”

“…I don’t know either.”

Right then, something took shape ahead of them.

BOOM! THUD!

“…Hell, what the hell is that?”

It was a giant.

Literally—a giant at least ten meters tall had suddenly appeared and was marching toward them.

The thing was clad in full plate mail from head to toe, carrying a spear as tall as itself in one hand and a shield just as massive in the other.

“We’re screwed, aren’t we?”

“…My thoughts exactly.”

“That thing? The cause of the Monster Wave, you mean.”

Libre answered Gijun’s quiet murmur.

[No.]

“…?”

[Would I ever worry about my master over something like that?]

“…….”

Something like that?

Was that thing something you could just wave off as trivial?

Getting a heart really is a bastard of a job.

Gijun let out a hollow laugh as he tightened his grip on his wand.