Chapter 84

◈ Chapter 84. Blossoming in the Swamp (1)

[The Predator's Swamp]

[Recommended Level: Lv.500]

[Crack Collapse Rate: 0.9%]

The coordinates of the crack are at the northernmost tip of the Scandinavian Peninsula in Europe, a place far from South Korea.

However, with the portal from the Magic Tower,

distance was not an issue.

"Ah, what kind of weather is this? So cold!"

"Cold resistance, whatever. What's with this wind?"

"Ugh, I'd rather fall into the swamp. Really!!"

Indeed, the problem was the bone-chilling cold wind.

The Predator's Swamp.

In front of the crack, a base camp for players was already set up.

According to the information from the players who entered first, the scale of the crack lived up to its name as the Predator's Zone, being vast.

"That's good news. There are a lot of monsters."

"Is that good news? The recommended level is 500. This crack."

"High risk, high return. Don't know? Scared?"

"Not my place to say, but players have no fear."

Of course, it would take quite some time to clear it.

A base camp where one could rest was essential.

Of course, even before the base camp arrived,

some had already entered the crack.

Unable to withstand the cold,

or their enthusiasm had reached its peak.

Swoosh—

The swamp environment where each step made one sink.

At the same time, a message appeared before their eyes.

[Movement speed slightly decreased.]

However, there was no time to complain.

As mentioned several times,

this was the Predator's Zone, where the strong gathered.

Each visible monster was not to be underestimated.

Whirr—

That meant the insect-like creature was no ordinary one. A giant grasshopper flying in the sky, the Sky Blade. Its front legs shimmered.

Swish—!

Clearly dodged,

yet the intense wind pressure pushed him back.

However, there was no hesitation.

"Yeah. It has to be this good to make hunting enjoyable."

Nam Taemin, the strongest Barbarian.

Thanks to him, he diligently carried out the class quest that began.

At first, just activating [Call of the Wild] was a challenge, but now he could control it to some extent.

Pfft!

Nam Taemin leaped from the swamp.

Due to the decreased movement speed,

his jumping ability inevitably suffered.

"Brothers, Nam Taemin is just flying around?!"

That was a minor issue.

Nam Taemin pursued his prey at explosive speed.

His movements were like those of a wild animal.

The creature was no match for Nam Taemin's approach.

"This is Nam Taemin, who even took down the Demon Legion Leader!!"

The Predator's Zone, where the strong gathered?

Nam Taemin, who fought even stronger creatures while chasing Ho Reol, was no exception.

The Demon Legion Leader, Ho Rikan, was one of those formidable opponents.

Thus, the battle was not long.

Plop—

Wings were plucked, front legs were plucked, and then...

No further explanation was needed.

The man broadcasting the scene shouted into the camera.

"I told you! You'll get a real visual treat!"

-LOL, Nam Taemin just grew wings, really XD

-He was already clashing with Hishagi before the class quest started??

-Considering the level gap, it was unbelievable XD From then on

-He's just good at fighting XD

The viewers, engrossed in the battle.

It couldn't be helped.

The monsters in the Predator's Zone all had the combat power of named monsters. Even in simple hunts, the excitement was inevitable.

"Wow, the next monster is already charging at Nam Taemin?"

Moreover, such battles continued without pause.

It wasn't for nothing that net streamers sensed the potential for content.

The situation on the other side was not much different.

"Wow. The Berserker isn't called a mad warrior for nothing..."

Continuous battles.

The more wounded, the stronger the warrior.

For Leon, the Predator's Zone was the perfect hunting ground.

"Indeed, Shining and Tenkaichi are moving efficiently. The way they form parties and avoid ambushes is impressive. They have it all figured out."

Top-ranked guilds, Shining and Tenkaichi, were no exception.

They systematically hunted monsters.

Moreover, given the location of the crack,

even EU guilds, which rarely received attention, were in the spotlight.

Their battles.

Or rather, the endless struggles.

It was only natural to think that there was no better Colosseum.

Indeed, who would be the last one standing?

"Whoever it is, I can guarantee it will be hard to stand properly."

Plop—

After all, this was a swamp.

Just standing still was enough to make one wobble.

Living as a net streamer, one's only improvement is in eloquence.

Thanks to that, he could spout wordplay.

However, jokes aside, making promises recklessly was not a good idea.

Whether from repeated battles or the swamp that made one sink,

the man stood tall and proud.

"...He's, he's flying!"

Thanks to Ho Reol.

The Predator's Swamp.

Ho Reol, who entered the crack, was looking down at the swamp.

Why did his expressionless gaze seem even colder than usual?

The net streamer, who had been watching and holding his breath, whispered,

"His determined expression fits someone who's here to take over the Predator's Zone."

The moment he spoke,

a flood of chat messages appeared.

"Ah, my mistake. I apologize."

The net streamer quickly corrected himself, maintaining a formal tone.

"Correction! It looks like he's here to take over the zone!"

*

Always (恒常).

My attire was the same as always.

The location of the crack, just a step away from the Arctic?

The cold was no longer an issue.

I had the [Warmth] buff, after all.

[Ornate Jewel Box with Warmth]

[Grade: Unique]

[Limit: None]

[Effect: Grants 'Warmth' to stored accessories for a certain period.]

[Description: A jewel box passed down through a noble family. The mother's love for her daughter has been passed down through generations.]

The battle with the Demon King Decarabia.

The longsword, and the Duke Swarlin's cherished item, were offered as sacrifices in the exorcism ritual. Its effect was to grant the [Warmth] buff to accessories.

[The warmth keeps the body in optimal condition.]

The effect was simple,

yet the perceived effect was truly remarkable.

Without a thick coat or functional tights, I was not cold at all.

No longer did I have to shiver in the cold wind...!

Still, I've grown so much.

I entered the crack with a dignified stride,

but I soon stopped.

The swamp reached up to my waist.

Naturally, my clothes would get dirty.

This was a serious breach of decorum.

All due to my tiresome nature.

I had lived in a messy dorm room before,

but stepping into the swamp in this attire felt a bit off.

Thus, I was in the middle of an unintended snowball fight with the swamp.

Something caught my eye.

"!"

A lotus leaf floating in the swamp.

Until yesterday, I would have dismissed it as just a lotus leaf. Now, I had the [Pentagram of Pure Knowledge].

"A particularly large leaf."

In the Arcana continent,

I had acquired knowledge of all minerals and plants.

"It's a Black Lead Flower."

Thanks to this, I could recite the exact name and characteristics of the lotus leaf. The meaning was simple.

To the extent that I could skip the process. This lotus leaf was a familiar exploration target for me.

'Actually, I wish I could.'

I wanted to cast teleportation spells like Marcello and Bangrit.

If becoming a senior mage at the Magic Tower was a big dream, I wanted to levitate like Jesse Hainess.

'To be a real mage.'

However, at just level 296,

with my meager mana, such things were impossible.

Unless [Predator-Prey Relationship] was activated, I had to conserve my mana.

Moreover, this was the Predator's Zone, where battles never ceased.

'This is my best effort.'

Complicated and tedious, but there was no choice.

In a reality where mana efficiency had to be considered,

exploration was skipped.

I immediately interfered with the lotus leaf.

To the extent that it could support my weight.

A simple adjustment of strength.

Compared to turning mana into fire or electricity,

it consumed less mana.

Swoosh.

I stepped onto the lotus flower.

I could easily ascend the stairs of the Magic Tower.

This was nothing.

"Not bad."

I could feel the intense gazes.

Yes, to the players who couldn't understand my complex inner thoughts.

"…What is that skill, what is it?!"

They might think, 'What, does he have all these skills?'

But I don't care about others' opinions.

Frankly, I wouldn't even flinch in front of the senior mages of the Magic Tower.

'No, I even boldly interrogated them.'

So,

"You're as hasty as I've heard."

The only thing that mattered to me was the monsters.

Indeed, the Predator's Zone was filled with monsters obsessed with fighting.

A single monster charged at me the moment it sensed my presence.

Rustle—

A red pupil emitting killing intent.

A massive body undulating beneath the swamp.

A tongue flicking incessantly.

A name from the update notes came to mind.

[Predator Anaconda: Lv.530]

It's not easy from the start. Really...!

The level wasn't something to make a fuss about.

After all, it was a crack with a recommended level of 500.

There were plenty of monsters in the update notes with levels higher than the Predator Anaconda. Still, it lived up to its name as a predator.

'What did it swallow?'

A snake, or a snake-shaped jar?

How much did it swallow?

Its already massive size seemed to have grown even more.

But it still wasn't full.

Roar—!

The creature opened its massive jaws at me.

"As expected, there's no decorum."

That was my impression of the threat.

"Among them, it would be good to learn table manners first."

I gathered my mana.

The most important consideration was mana efficiency.

I had to minimize mana consumption while continuing the battle.

To do that, I had to use everything at my disposal.

And at the right time.

'Really, I thought well. Past me.'

The level difference between me and the creature was roughly 230 levels.

Moreover, it wasn't even a demon monster.

The 1-level gap in the Arcana system was significant.

Considering that, a 1-on-1 battle with the creature would be suicidal. Especially since my class, the Demon Hunter, had no outstanding abilities.

But my specialty was assessing the situation.

Knowing this,

I had been working to overcome such situations.

Repeating the class quest daily to improve [Strength] and [Agility] stats.

Reading magic books whenever I could. I didn't do all that hard work for nothing.

Of course, that hard work included sword training.

I took out a sword from my inventory.

[Unnamed Blacksmith's Masterpiece - Longsword]

[Grade: Unique]

[Limit: Lv.280]

[Effect: When attacking, high probability of inflicting the status effect 'Bleeding'.]

[Description: The blacksmith's final work. It regained its true value after the lingering resentment faded.]

The talent of Grandfel never fades.

The grip of the hilt felt incredibly familiar.

Even though I hadn't held a sword for a while, the sensation was vivid.

The meaning was simple.

"Predator."

I lowered my body and continued.

"Do you have the confidence to swallow a lion?"

Ryan Heart.

The flawless posture that the Knights of the Lion's Heart aimed for.

Of course, there was no intermediate process for me to learn it.

I simply imitated the posture of Harcon.

So, this seemingly simple posture of pointing the sword.

Why, how great it was.

I didn't know the reason.

But.

Swoosh—?

Well, as long as it worked, right?

As if it was about to swallow me whole.

The creature hesitated as it approached.

Then it stopped moving.

Roar—!

A creature that had survived by fighting countless predators and prey.

Perhaps it sensed Harcon's presence from my posture, having crossed the line of death.

Still.

'...This is quite important information, isn't it?'

Just by holding a sword and taking a stance,

one could limit the opponent's movements.

...The practicality is incredible, isn't it?

In short, it was all about show.

I didn't even understand why the flawless posture was flawless.

But I could use its effect properly.

Like now.

Exploration, interference, manifestation.

Magic poured onto the creature, unable to move.

Perhaps because it was still wary of me, pointing the sword.

The creature suffered damage helplessly.

[The Predator Anaconda has been inflicted with 'Burn'.]

[The Predator Anaconda has been inflicted with 'Bleeding'.]...

I watched the scene with my usual posture.

"During meals, it's proper to avoid unnecessary conversation."

One might be attacked if the posture wavered... ...

.

.

.

The lotus leaf floating in the swamp.

Ho Reol standing on the lotus leaf.

There was no sense of instability in his posture.

It was as if a lotus flower had bloomed on the lotus leaf, without any sense of disharmony.

"…What is that skill, what is it?!"

That alone was enough to be surprising.

"Th, that's a sword? What? It's not a staff, it's a sword?!!"

A blade blooming on the lotus flower, unexpectedly.

It was enough to cause shock.

Furthermore.

-LOL, just holding a sword made the monster stop??

-Just holding a sword??

-Is Ho Reol really at Harcon's level in swordsmanship?!

The world was turned upside down...