Chapter 67 – LV.Five Martial Artist Gaeulbi – [Two]

I already had a rough idea of what lay beyond the Dimensional Gate. The Troll had explained it, and I had heard the results of the mages’ reconnaissance.

They said the other side of the Dimensional Gate was literally another world. A medieval fantasy world from a different era.

Upon actually entering, I could see the description was entirely accurate.

After passing through the Dimensional Gate, everyone looked at the landscape spread out before them. Gaeulbi muttered.

“It’s a dirty snowfield.”

Just as she said, a snowfield stretched out ahead. And that was all.

All that was visible was snow, and that snow wasn’t pure white. The snow covering the ground ahead was gray. Whether it was because of the Gray Sky above or because it was covered in dust, it was dirty. Because of its color, it wasn’t even dazzling to look at.

That filthy snow covered the roads and rocks completely. So, the gray snowfield only had occasional undulations and offered nothing of interest to see.

Not even the ruins of any buildings or trash were visible. That was bizarre.

In the case of Incheon, although it was a scene of devastation from bombing, the traces of 21st-century civilization were evident. Concrete and plastic were scattered everywhere among the ruins. Here, it was not the case.

Oh Haengbok looked at the map and muttered.

“The guys who scouted said the game map was accurate, but the real world is completely empty. It’s not like a ridiculously simplified game world where they couldn’t add details… What on earth is this… Anyway, come on, everyone follow me!”

The number of the Happy Village Reconnaissance Team was thirty. With Oh Haengbok leading the way, everyone carefully followed behind.

Seo Yun also stepped on the snow covering the ground. There was no soft sensation, it was just hard.

Gaeulbi spoke to her from the side.

“The immediate plan… was to contact the locals and get permission to hunt in the surrounding area, right?”

Seo Yun nodded.

“That’s right. Just armed people wandering around would be stressful for the people here. I heard they also brought gifts to present as a goodwill offering.”

The map Oh Haengbok held had the location of the local village marked. Everyone headed in that direction, and before long, a village came into view.

“Everyone, halt!”

A Fortress Wall could be seen in the distance. A genuine Fortress Wall.

Happy Village also had a Fortress Wall, but that was just the wall of a massive apartment complex that they simply called a Fortress Wall. However, what was visible there was a Fortress Wall built for city defense in the medieval era.

That in itself wasn’t strange. How many medieval structures are preserved in Europe? Here, the Fortress Wall in Vannes, Brittany, France, is also like that.

What was truly strange was that there was nothing around the Fortress Wall. A proper medieval city is structured to gradually expand with fields or buildings centered around the Fortress Wall, isn’t it? Modern European cities with preserved medieval Fortress Walls are the same. So, it should be normal for the area outside the wall to be even larger than the inside.

However, over there, only collapsed buildings were visible, and the surroundings were empty. That fact was all too clear because the Sun Priest’s Small Sun was circling the Fortress Wall, illuminating it brightly.

Within that light, something large flew.

That thing flying towards the Fortress Wall was clearly not a large bird or the like.

“What’s that? What’s flying?”

“I don’t know. Is it a rock?”

Then, shouts came from the direction of the Fortress Wall. The distance from here to the Fortress Wall was considerable, but the sound was heard very clearly, as if they were shouting through a loudspeaker.

“Don’t shoot! Don’t waste your arrows······”

It was unclear why English was being heard. Isn’t this France?

Still, one fact was clear: a battle was taking place over there. To know that, there was no need to send a mage’s Familiar to scout.

In the distance, a giant, enormous Skeleton could be seen.

Its height seemed to be about 9 meters. It was so huge it seemed unrealistic. At first glance, it looked like some kind of massive artificial object, but it was actually moving. And even from afar, its movements were clearly visible.

The giant Skeleton lowered its two massive arms. It pulled a snow-covered rock from the ground and then hurled it towards the Fortress Wall.

The flying rock struck the Fortress Wall. Bang! The snow covering the rock scattered along with stone fragments from the wall.

Meanwhile, the Skeleton was lifting another rock. It seemed intent on continuously throwing them at the Fortress Wall. Even to an Orc who had seen all sorts of battles, this sight seemed absurd.

“What on earth is that?”

In response to Oh Haengbok’s question, Oh Haengun answered.

“Given that size… hmm, you know there are Frost Giants in the Immortal Kingdom? It’s like a Skeleton raised from that kind of giant.”

“A Giant Skeleton, you mean. What is this, seeing such bizarre things as soon as we arrive…”

Below the enormous Giant Skeleton stood about forty-nine smaller Skeletons.

Each one was not an ordinary human’s remains. They were Skeletons with overly large and bizarre bone structures, holding jagged weapons and glaring at the Fortress Wall.

At the center of those Undead stood a person wearing a thick coat. He seemed to be a Mage. A Fireball flew from his palm. A magical Fireball.

The Fireball flew over the Fortress Wall, traced a parabolic arc, and fell inside. The explosion sound was faintly heard even from here.

“They seem to be under attack. What should we do? If we help, we could definitely build a friendly relationship.”

At Oh Haengun’s words, Oh Haengbok seemed to ponder for a moment. It wasn’t something they could just jump in to help out of goodwill. The problem wasn’t victory or defeat, but the possibility of one or two people dying in the process.

After a moment, Oh Haengbok spoke.

“We’ll help. Not everyone needs to go, only those with sturdy bodies step forward.”

And Seo Yun was taken aback. Fight? Already?

How long has it been since we crossed the Dimensional Gate, and we’re engaging in combat right away?

Everyone probably felt the same, but the team members all moved in perfect unison.

The Mages stood in front of the Warriors and began muttering Spells. They were casting Buffs. Seo Yun also approached as a Priest to cast Buffs, and Oh Haengbok gestured.

“Seo Yun? Cast Buffs on me.”

Why is that Orc calling for me specifically? Seo Yun grumbled inwardly but approached Oh Haengbok and cast an Armor Spell, a Fire Resistance Spell, and the like on him.

“Me too…”

Mage Oh Haengun also cast his own Spells on Oh Haengbok.It was the Force of Earth spell. A spell that increases the target’s weight as long as their two feet are planted on the ground. No matter how strong a warrior is, they are ultimately still a human body; this spell ensures they aren’t even overpowered in terms of weight when grappling with massive monsters.

And the Rulebook’s description was clear that it didn’t hinder the target’s movement.

“Good…”

After receiving all the spells, Oh Haengbok snorted and charged forward.

A thunderous, earth-shaking boom assaulted Seo Yun’s eardrums, threatening to shatter them. It wasn’t just a loud noise; the ground truly trembled.

Seo Yun, being light, stared blankly at the charge and began to sway. If someone hadn’t grabbed her shoulder from behind, she would have fallen flat.

“Hey, careful.”

Turning around, she saw Han Siwoo’s helm.

“Thanks…”

She brushed his hand off her shoulder and turned her head back to the front.

Six village warriors were running after Oh Haengbok, who had advanced far ahead. They were all the elite of Happy Village, over Level 7. Oh Haengun was also running with them at the very rear.

The mage commanding the Skeletons seemed to have noticed their approach. The mage stretched out a palm toward them. A Fireball shot from that palm. The Fireball flew in a straight line toward the charging warriors.

The distance was considerable, so they could have dodged if they wanted, but Oh Haengbok didn’t. He seemed to judge that if he dodged, those following behind would get hit, so he took it with his body.

The Fireball exploded upon contact with Oh Haengbok’s breastplate. A massive flame engulfed the large, black armor.

“Chief!”

The people remaining here watching screamed, but only briefly. The explosion didn’t stop that orc in the slightest.

Oh Haengbok emerged from the flames and smoke and kept charging. The thudding, booming sounds continued to resonate.

Finally, Oh Haengbok reached the front of those Skeletons. The roar he let out while charging from afar rang out clearly even here.

“Die, all of you—!”

Oh Haengbok pounced on the Giant Skeleton first. The black Warhammer gripped in both hands smashed into the giant skeleton’s ankle bone. The distance was too great to hear any ‘whoosh’ sound.

Yet, even without sound effects, it was a spectacle. Watching the nine-meter-tall skeleton crumble, Seo Yun couldn’t help but gasp in admiration.

“Wow, damn…”

After the village’s strongest fighter took down the largest enemy, the other warriors charged.

They were just running, but each was a being beyond human strength. Their charge was comparable to a cavalry charge.

The warriors slammed their shields into the Undead standing before them. The bony bodies of the Skeletons couldn’t withstand the impact. As they collapsed, their bones and fragments scattered in all directions.

Even for Seo Yun, this was her first time seeing such a group battle. It was a spectacle. She also felt reassured that the combat power of Happy Village, known as the strongest in Incheon, held up in this land as well.

“Hmm, what should we do? We can’t make popcorn without corn.”

Everyone was staring blankly when someone urgently shouted.

“Wait, over there!”

Seo Yun looked where he was pointing. And slowly, she drew her Flaming Sword.

Something she had thought was just a snow-covered rock until now was rising. As snow fell from its massive body, its identity was revealed.

It was a bear. A white-furred bear. But a monstrous bear far larger than a polar bear.

“A Snow Bear…”

The impossibly huge bear stood on two legs. Its height was at least over six meters.

The bear’s massive head turned this way. After seeming to scrutinize this direction, the bear lowered its upper body and began walking on all fours. As it moved, its head was pointed not here but in another direction. It seemed uninterested in this side, appearing to simply go on its way.

Seo Yun prayed the bear would just pass by. Fight it? That was insane.

From what she roughly remembered, its Challenge Rating is 10. It’s roughly similar to various monsters hunted so far, but Challenge Rating and actual difficulty aren’t proportional.

Moreover, that monster looked much bigger than the Rulebook’s description. Given its size and fur, Attack Spells likely wouldn’t work properly. Also, moving that massive body must have packed it with dense muscle. How on earth were they supposed to deal with that?

But even while looking elsewhere and walking, wasn’t the bear constantly approaching this side?

As the distance between them narrowed, its size became even more palpable. It was an utterly unrealistic size. It seemed more apt to call it a dinosaur than a bear.

“Get ready to fight that thing. Bears normally act like they won’t hunt while closing the distance.”

A Player spoke, but a warning wasn’t even necessary.

Including Seo Yun, everyone couldn’t take their eyes off the bear. With such a monster approaching, they couldn’t help but pay attention.

Seo Yun also gripped her Flaming Sword, chanting a spell while thinking.

Oh Haengbok, Oh Haengbok needs to come help. Is the fight not over yet?

A glance showed it wasn’t.

They had already taken down all the Skeletons, but Oh Haengbok and the warriors were dealing with other monsters. Seeing that, a sigh escaped her.

“What are those now…”

Where on earth did those things pop out from?

Three giant flying creatures were circling above Oh Haengbok and the warriors. Covered in fur, they looked more like giant bats than dragons; they were Wyverns. Until now, she had only seen them flying high in the sky; this was the first time seeing them up close.

Someone must have bled during the fight just now. Did they appear smelling the blood?

The creatures looked ready to swoop down on the Mortal Realm any moment. With those monsters flying overhead, Oh Haengbok and the warriors couldn’t leave their spot.

As if feeling frustrated, Oh Haengbok roared.

“You damn bastards—!”

A few Players here turned their heads toward the direction of the roar. That diversion of attention seemed to be taken by the bear as an opportunity to pounce on its Prey.

A scream erupted from among the Players.

Seo Yun, who had turned her head, widened her eyes.

She saw the bear charging fiercely toward them. Its previous leisurely attitude was nowhere to be found. The bear charged with unbelievable speed for its size.

Seo Yun recited the spell she had been preparing.

“Ember, ignite!”The Priest of the Hearth’s Blinding Spell, but every spell has a chance of failure.

And this spell failed. The ember that splashed onto the bear’s eye did not blind it. Damn it…

That was when the bear had charged right up to us.

A thwip sounded from beside me. An arrow whizzed through the air and struck the bear’s eye.

The arrow exploded. A wretched bear’s scream echoed. The charging bear tumbled to the ground. Its gray eye scattered messily like dust.

“Nice!”

It was obvious even without checking that it was Gaeulbi’s handiwork. But there was no time to offer praise.

The bear immediately got up and charged straight at us. Everyone who saw it momentarily held their breath.

Blood streamed from its eye, but the bear paid it no mind. Instead, as if the pain had flooded its brain with endorphins, it only charged more ferociously toward the warriors here.

“Don’t take it head-on! Left and right! Scatter left and right!”

Everyone followed the shouted command. The warriors with shields and spears scattered to both sides. Seo Yun also moved hastily behind them, observing the situation.

Warriors lined up on both sides were visible. The plan was for everyone to jump aside when the bear approached, letting the massive bear’s charge pass through the empty center, then pounce on it from both sides. It was a tactic for dealing with super-large monsters like mammoths.

“Everyone, everyone, soon…”

Finally, the bear reached this point. Everyone jumped to the sides as practiced. Thus, the center space was emptied.

Now, if the bear passed through that space…

“Huh?”

However, that bear, which must have been as heavy as an elephant, seemed to have much freer directional control than an elephant. Instead of charging straight through the empty space, it immediately turned its body and pounced on a group of warriors.

“Aaah!”

The spears and shields the warriors thrust forward couldn’t hold back the massive bear even for a moment. Two warriors caught by its large front paws were sent flying, shields and all. Their bodies, launched into the air, crashed down and writhed.

“Stab it!”

Other warriors nearby gritted their teeth and stabbed with their spears. But it was useless. The bear thrashed wildly, swatting and shoving them aside. In an instant, after knocking down all the surrounding warriors, the bear glared this way.

Seo Yun guessed it was glaring at Gaeulbi, who had taken its eye. The bear kept shaking its head, as if wary of another possible arrow. Because of that, Gaeulbi could only aim her crossbow, unable to fire rashly.

And for a moment, as if dizzy, the bear stopped shaking its head.

Seo Yun didn’t miss that opening and fired. Thwip!

It seemed the bear had deliberately baited that shot. In that instant, Seo Yun clearly saw the bear’s eyes flash. Those were not the eyes of a beast. They were the cunning eyes of a human.

As soon as the arrow left the crossbow, the bear deeply lowered its head. Ultimately, the arrow struck not the bear’s eye, but its forehead. The exploding arrow singed its fur, but it was a cheap price for the bear to pay. It would take time for the next arrow to fly. In that gap, it could close the distance.

The bear leaped forward on all fours.

Once again, ferociously, the bear charged.

That was when Seo Yun gripped the Flaming Sword.

“That bastard, its belly must be a weak spot too, right?”

At Han Siwoo’s question, Seo Yun hurriedly answered.

“Probably, why?”

Without answering, Han Siwoo dashed out. Toward that bear charging this way.

Han Siwoo, wearing the Bracelet of Haste, ran several times faster than the others. The bear and Han Siwoo charged toward each other.

Seo Yun’s eyes widened. What the hell is that guy thinking?

In an instant, reaching the bear’s front, Han Siwoo slid. His body, sliding across the snow, burrowed between the bear’s legs.

The next scene was obscured by the bear’s body, but it was possible to guess.

In the same lying position, Han Siwoo had thrust the sword he held in both hands upward. Sparks must have flown from the blade that pierced the bear’s belly. That monstrous bear likely couldn’t withstand even that.

The bear let out a scream, then stopped running and collapsed face-first. Though they had stopped its charge, there was no reason to celebrate.

“Han Siwoo!”

Han Siwoo’s lower body was pinned under the fallen bear’s weight. Seeing Siwoo, who had barely managed to free his upper half, Gaeulbi screamed.

One Player tried desperately to calm the girl down.

“Stay calm. His Armor is really good. It won’t break even if he’s crushed. You should focus on nocking your next arrow instead…”

She didn’t hear the rest. Seo Yun gritted her teeth and kicked off the ground.

Seo Yun charged forward.