The Protagonists Are Murdered by Me
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chapter-51
Cheorwon, at a remote location 300 meters from the Great Rift, a temporary camp had been set up.
Unlike deformed dungeons where most communications are lost once inside, it’s possible to communicate inside Great Rifts, thus making it possible to send video footage back to the camp, in which they will be able to check the current status of the teams and strategize accordingly.
Currently, the camp is equipped with 50 monitors.
Each of the 12 teams were heading towards the 12 marked canyons respectively.
Seated at the camp are the dispatched military units and each guild’s manager as they constantly checked something on their tablets with blank looks on their faces.“The problem is the storm…”
A monstrous storm with a maximum instantaneous speed of 45 meters per second strong enough to lightly pluck out a rooted tree.
Fortunately, superhumans can handle this much…
‘The storm also contains something unknown, like a strange energy.’
Former deputy director of Korea’s Hunter Association and current secretary to the master of the guild ‘Only Rumor,’ Park Seongho, wrinkled his face.
The extent to which the strange energy interfered with the superhumans’ aether is their power output and control.
With the addition of the storm causing a distraction, under such bad conditions, it could lead to trouble if monsters appear.‘Why are Great Rifts always like this…’
For as long as Great Rifts existed, it has never been easy.
Nonetheless, it could have been worse than a storm.
A Great Rift appeared in South Africa 18 years ago that had constant lightning strikes inside, which caused massive casualties as well as made it impossible to clear.
‘Hmm?’
As he kept his eyes on the monitors, he saw the stuck hunters work on countermeasures against the storm.
Some guilds with enormous financial power were using an ‘Aether Barrier Dispenser,’ a state of the art mobile machine capable of releasing a hemispherical energy shield 50 meters in size.
It has the huge advantage of being able to be driven like a car…
‘…But it has terrible energy efficiency. As costly as it is, can that thing be used during a battle?’
Taking a look at the other teams.
Leah Michelle, the commander of Team 3 and a S-Rank psychic.
Not only has she solidified her position as a rising star, she’s been the disciple of the SS-Rank psychic ‘Chung’ since her early 20s and is expected to be the 38th SS-Rank superhuman.
‘You’re blocking the storm with your psychokinesis. Well, the output is great…But how long will it last?’
Nothing needs to be said if it was ‘Chung,’ but a S-Rank psychic who has only learned Chung’s skill cannot stop the storm all day.
Thanks to Leah, her team is able to proceed smoothly and is navigating the canyon the fastest, but…
Sooner or later, she will reach her limit, and not being able to use her S-Rank abilities at a crucial moment in battle will be a problem.
The fact is, the other guilds involved didn’t look good either.
Park Seongho quickly scanned the monitors while looking at each team’s countermeasures when someone tapped his shoulder, so he turned his head to check.
“Yang Hojun?”
Park Seongho became delighted seeing this person.
A properly regulated uniform and one star on the beret signifies his rank as a Brigadier General.
Yang Hojun smiled back at Park Seongho.
“Seongho, long time no see. I wasn’t told you’ll be here.”
“It’s because of one reason or another.”
Fighting together on the battlefield against monsters since they were kids, one chose the path of a hunter while the other a soldier.
One a F-rank hunter before settling at the Hunter Association while the other rose to the rank of Brigadier General.
“…Anyways, you. Weren’t you going to get another star at some point?”
It’s already been more than three years since such a rumor went around.
Now meeting him again after such a long time, what the hell happened since then that he’s still here?
With a bitter look, Yang Hojun spoke.
“In the past, there was a joke that soldiers who were good at politics became generals.”
That was more than 31 years ago.
“Not anymore. Now…without real power, I can’t climb up.”
In any case, it was a miracle that Yang Hojun, an ordinary person, could wear one star.
All the previous ordinary generals stepped down and superhumans took over the position.
Superhumans have come to occupy the top of the hierarchy.
This extent, is there anything more dangerous?
“…I see. Come to think of it, I heard an awakened S-Rank became Colonel last time.”
“Well, that’s how it is.”
Looking at Yang Hojun’s bitter expression, Park Seongho hardened his face.
It wasn’t just rumors.
Park Seongho himself was kicked out of the Hunter Association for his lack of superpowers.
Without superpowers, one is treated as such by the world.
‘It’s an inevitable reality…’
Thinking so, Park Seongho and Yang Hojun turned their heads to the monitors.
Then, they spotted a conspicuous team.
“Huh?”
It was Team 7.
The team that had a lot of talks surrounding it because their commander is F-Rank.
Amazingly, despite the violent storm, the commander, Yoo Seodam, was moving forward without resistance, as if there’s no restraint.
And his team members, although not as well off as Yoo Seodam, were less affected by the storm than other teams, so even if they occasionally encounter a monster, it’ll be easy to use their superpowers since they don’t seem affected by the storm’s strange energy.
“What’s this? This team.”
“What dispenser are they using?”
“I don’t see such things…”
“What’s that light?”
On the ground surrounding the team was a white circled that followed them, but they couldn’t tell what it was.
Also.
“…This team, where the hell are they going?”
Unlike the other teams, Team 7 was heading in a strange direction, and they couldn’t figure out why.
The old hunters watching the monitor clicked their tongues.
“Tsk. Trusting the judgement of a F-Rank, they’re doomed.”
“I don’t understand what he’s doing…A F-Rank hunter with more than 10 years of experience would surely have better judgement?”
The hunters here also knew the fact that this F-Rank hunter has survived for more than 10 years.
And frankly, their survival instinct and beastly judgement would leave anyone speechless.
However, they just couldn’t understand Yoo Seodam’s actions.
It was the same for Park Seongho and Yang Hojun…
‘…There must be a reason. For now, let’s wait and see.’
They decided to hold their tongues.
[Tired…]
“I’ll buy you a drink later.”
[Alright…]
After coming back from Dream Island, I realized how to order the flowerpot that didn’t listen to me.
To straight up tempt it with alcohol.
The other day I ignored her when she stubbornly asked for a drink, but I relented in the end and gave it to her.
Turns out it’s like a meal to the silver spirits.
Though of course not just any kind of alcohol.
It has to be clean and clear like the fairy’s drink, which is easily solved with magic.
[Skill White Witch’s Library Activated.]
Currently, there are as many as six kinds of magic surrounding me and my team members.
Wind Shelter Curtain, Center Balance Blessing, Wind Forever Time, Wind…and so on.
Of course I never studied these magic.
It was all done through the flowerpot’s use of White Witch’s Library.
The library can do magic search and interference, and the flowerpot can simply use the magic on its own.
This meant that I don’t have to study magic after all.
The flowerpot is still inside my inventory, but it can see the world through my eyes and use magic to affect the outside.
Also, if it can already do this, what about when it fully blossoms and truly becomes a spirit?
“Team leader…What the hell is this?”
“It’s something similar to superpowers. I’ll explain later.”
These low tier magic does not provide a protective shield, so the storm still suffocated them, blocked their vision, and made their feet heavy.
It only gave them enough strength to move forward.
Meanwhile, as I led the team in the storm as if it was nothing and even took care of all the monsters, the team members looked at me in amazement.
I’ve explained a few times that it’s ‘latent power’ and not superpowers, but it wasn’t a good enough explanation, so it can’t be helped that there were doubts.
Also, this storm was advantageous to me.
The effect of my skill is ‘to ride the flowing wind,’ which means I can ride this storm as well.
Although I didn’t absorb the hang glider skill to fly in the wind like on the tranquil Dream Island, it’s already fortunate enough to get this flowing wind skill.
Whii-iing!!
Pat!
I braced myself as I kicked off the ground and leapt high into the air.
Then, directly striking the neck of a giant with six eyes and four arms that has to be over 8 meters tall and stomping its neck, I leapt to the side to stab a bat that has ten arms in the back.
As the bat’s body fell, I jumped to the side of a cliff and slid down.
There’s no way my D-rank attributes should be able to do this.
It was only possible thanks to this storm in this unnatural environment.
Though…It’s also because the storm is very ‘stable.’
“T-that’s incredible.”
‘Is this really the ability of a F-Rank we had come to know?’
I can hear the whispers in the back through the wind.
Being able to clearly hear the voices far away in this storm, this is a great skill the more I look at it.
“…By the way, where are we going now?”
At their question, I looked up.
Normally, it would be natural to take the path along the canyon.
Listening to the other team’s radios, that’s what they are doing.
But that takes a long time and what makes it dangerous.
< This Red Storm is the Red Giant’s first trial. One that tests ‘insight’ and ‘deduction.’ >
Now, thousands of years later, this storm is very weak, but in the past, it must have been so powerful that even the Red Giants found it hard to endure.
Testing one’s insight and deduction but not strength and willpower in such a storm?
Then, stopping the storm is obviously the condition to pass this trial.
‘Any other details?’
< I only have knowledge of the ‘plot.’ >
I couldn’t find out the exact details.
But because of this skill, my choices have widened a bit.
Presently, everyone involved in this expedition is treating this storm as a mere disaster.
However, I knew the truth that this is a trial.
The difference between knowing and not knowing is enormous.
A disaster is insurmountable, while a trial can be overcome.
The Red Giants probably figured out a way to overcome this storm through some ability that only they have.
But I’m human.
So I will use the power of science unique to humans.
Beep! Beep!
A subtle light shined from an Energy Scouter Dispenser.
The origin of the storm, which the Red Giants had to find through pure reasoning, was discovered with the power of science.
“…Really. I didn’t know the storm was a controlled mechanism. We find it and destroy it, is that it?”
“I guess so.”
With the clear evidence in front of them, even the team members thought it was believable.
“Then, let’s go.”
Outside the Great Rift, in a command barrack at the temporary camp.
“…Team 7 stopped the Canyon’s storm.”
At the remark, everyone fell silent.
Not all storms have stopped.
Only the canyon Team 7 is taking has stopped.
Still, the significance of it had a huge impact.
“I can’t believe the storm has a mechanism…”
Team 7 went to places other teams did not go as if they were lost.
At first, everyone wondered what the hell they were doing and was very anxious, and several of the old hunters in the command post even shouted foul words at the commander of Team 7…
However, when the result revealed itself, they all shut up.
Park Seongho didn’t like how they foul mouthed a F-Rank hunter who’s like him, so he had a bittersweet feeling.
“It was a simple problem. Find the origin of the storm and adjust its energy…”
An easy method.
Given that anyone can do it with a basic device.
However, the idea itself would be hard for anyone.
“Please contact the other teams right now and spread the method Team 7 used.”
“Yes, we’re contacting.”
Due to this Great Rift’s unique energy wavelength, it’s impossible for the teams to radio each other inside.
So there’s no choice but to have a superhuman with a ‘telepathy’ ability at the command post contact the 12 teams.
“And…”
Everyone watched the monitor of Team 7 passing through the canyon as they listened to the sound of monsters being killed.
Commander Yoo Seodam.
Unmistakably an ordinary F-Rank, but somehow unaffected by the storm.
He was sweeping through all kinds of monsters using a ‘very unique and strange’ swordsmanship showcased by Celeste Costantini the other day.
Awakening of an ordinary?
That was simply not the question.
Everyone here are people who have seen countless people with superpowers.
And that was not superpowers…
“…It looks like the ‘wugong’ used by Dimensional Returnees.”
However, Dimensional Returnees can never openly use wugong.
Because ‘someone’ had strictly forbidden all of them from using their power.
Also, Dimensional Returnee refers to those who went missing 31 years ago and returned.
Isn’t Yoo Seodam not one of them?
Team 7 easily overtook the other teams that were ahead once the storm stopped.
Now that the storm has stopped, there was nothing preventing the superhumans from using their powers, so the monsters were hopelessly being cut down.
If the storm was still active, the situation would have been quite dangerous when monsters popped out from all sides, but without the storm, everyone clearly demonstrated their capability as experienced hunters.
Though, moving forward still wasn’t easy.
At one point, the canyon suddenly tried to block the hunters from advancing with a shower of rocks and red mists.
Another time, a giant golem’s arm popped out from the ground to try and snatch them away, which made those who saw it pale.
However, the commander of Team 7 made sound decisions according to the situation each time.
Although the methods were simple, it was honestly surprising considering the amount that had to be done on the spot.
Also, once Team 7 figures out the methods, the telepathy superhuman could spread it to other teams and ensure everyone would safely pass the traps.
The survival rate of the other 11 teams have increased tremendously as Team 7 lead the way after figuring out the methods and going through all the traps.
If the other teams were to catch up to Team 7 and try to get ahead, the command post would dissuade them by telling them it would be better to wait for Team 7.
Only
Though, because of their pride, there’s no way every team will listen.
[What? You want me to wait for Team 7 to solve it?]
The one who answered was Ryu Dongkyun, a S-Rank hunter and commander of Team 6.
The voice over the radio sounds heated, perhaps because he thought he was being underestimated.
“Yes. The judgement of Team 7’s commander…”
[Are you kidding. Say something that makes sense! We can handle this ourselves!]
Tuk.
Having cut off the radio, Team 6 went ahead as everyone seated at the command post let out a sigh.
