NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55
Chapter 55. Goemi (2)
The Yoo Ji-han party, who had submitted a request to enter Gye-yang Mountain, waited for a moment near the entrance of the MA.
Yoo Ji-han gazed blankly at the mountain.
“They said Goemi tastes terrible.”
Judging comprehensively, the Goemi that appeared here was a monster without practicality at all.
Its flesh was extremely slimy and unappetizing, so many monster restaurants had already given up using it.
Though its shell was hard, it was not comparable to other monsters, making it unsuitable for use as equipment materials.
The only somewhat usable part was the Goemi’s jaw.
“And the price is quite low.”
The carcasses of Goemi had very little utility, resulting in low prices in the market.
You could even compare it to a lower-tier Rank 5 monster.
With its gross appearance and low price, it was indeed not a popular choice among monsters.
Yet, the reason Yoo Ji-han’s party came to Gye-yang Mountain was simple.
[Concentrate on hunting specific monsters within a short time, and avoid any monsters they’ve already hunted as much as possible.]
This was the party rule created by Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu.
Ultimately, it was about accumulating diverse hunting experiences.
The party aimed to meet various monsters early on so they could respond flexibly to any types of monsters encountered at higher ranks in the future.
“Though I can’t say we’ll make much money.”
If the party ignored unpopular monsters and hunted those currently selling for high prices in the market, they could indeed make more money than now.
Collecting money quickly through that method to invest in the guild wasn’t a bad strategy.
However, it didn’t align with Yoo Ji-han’s principle of valuing ‘experience.’
To build the overall career of the party and the still-lacking experience of the mage Kim Si-hu, they needed to face a wider variety of foes than they currently had.
“Is the Yoo Ji-han party here?”
“We’re here!”
As the Hero Department staff called out to the Yoo Ji-han party, the two approached him.
“I’m sorry, but would you two be interested in joining another party?”
“Excuse me?”
He recommended that the Yoo Ji-han party join another party of similar size.
Since the mountain was fairly large, there was a chance they could get overwhelmed by monsters due to sheer numbers.
“Do we really have to?”
Yoo Ji-han didn’t feel inclined to do so.
The Half-Elf Kim Si-hu might feel uncomfortable worrying about someone else, and there was a risk of unpredictable actions from someone like the previous Shin Woo-jeong party.
If things went badly and they had to escape, it would be much easier for the two with good synergy to act.
The Hero Department staff then replied with a somewhat troubled expression.
“There’s an order from above to have at least three people going in.”
“Is there no other way?”
“To meet the numbers, you could bring soldiers along.”
He pointed to the space where people in military uniforms were standing.
Due to the strong demands of the Ministry of Defense, soldiers dispatched to the field could enter the MA if accompanied by a hero.
But…
‘They’re all just hanging around.’
The soldiers dispatched from the nearby 17th Division were mostly just lounging around.
Some were puffing on cigarettes, others were chatting with friends and giggling, or playing mobile games.
It wasn’t the most reassuring sight for taking them to a dangerous site.
‘Can we really take people like that?’
With the appearance of monsters and heroes, the presence and influence of the soldiers had diminished significantly.
They may have been ordered to come, but it seemed that very few genuinely wanted to enter the MA.
“Hey, hey.”
“Yeah?”
“That guy is looking at us.”
Kim Si-hu pointed to a soldier standing alone.
He was staring straight at Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu as they scanned the other soldiers.
‘His eyes are okay.’
It was a different gaze than that of the people joking around.
It was as if he was silently asking to be taken along.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Yoo Ji-han approached him.
“What’s your name?”
“Loyalty! Won Yeong-guk!”
“I noticed… you’re the only Corporal here, right?”
“That’s correct!”
He answered boldly, and on the left side of his chest was a black stripe with four lines.
While the other soldiers topped out at Private First Class, he alone was a Corporal.
“How much time do you have left until discharge?”
“I have 1 month and 4 days left!”
“You’re not just any Corporal but a seasoned one? Wouldn’t someone with more experience not be out here?”
“I applied for this willingly!”
Oddly enough, this seasoned Corporal had wanted to enter the MA throughout his military service.
However, he never managed to seize the opportunity and ended up as a seasoned Corporal.
Yoo Ji-han looked at his Special Warrior badge and said,
“We’re just a two-man party. Want to join us?”
“Y-yes! It’d be an honor!”
“On site, you will only follow the commands I give.”
“Yes!”
It was surely better to have a soldier who reliably followed orders than a hero like Shin Woo-jeong, who couldn’t be controlled.
A smile that couldn’t be hidden spread across Won Yeong-guk’s face as he fulfilled his lifelong wish at the age of 25.
*
Yoo Ji-han asked the inspecting Won Yeong-guk,
“Do you know where to shoot?”
“I was taught to only attack the eyes or between the head and chest, or between the chest and abdomen of Goemi.”
“Good education.”
As monsters got to higher ranks, the chances were slim that regular firearms would be effective against them.
But monsters below Rank 4 were a different story.
Bullets embedded with magic stones had a decent chance of working, which is why there were often cases where soldiers entered the MA.
Goemi was one of those monsters that could take such attacks.
Won Yeong-guk glanced at Yoo Ji-han and said,
“Um… don’t heroes get exempted from military service?”
“Right.”
“Are you envious?”
“I’m envious! But at the same time, I’m not!”
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu had not served in the military and were not going to.
Korean heroes were generally exempt from service because their everyday life was heading toward war, and their efforts were acknowledged.
Kim Si-hu asked Won Yeong-guk,
“By the way, is it okay for you to go with us?”
The Yoo Ji-han party was just a Rank 4 party with only two members.
They were different from parties of well-known guilds that guaranteed a certain level of skill and safety.
It might feel a bit uneasy for an ordinary soldier to trust his life to them.
“I actually live around here, and Gye-yang Mountain is a place I used to frequent, so it should be fine.”
But Won Yeong-guk had a positive demeanor.
Holding a loaded gun, he exuded confidence rather than concern.
“Just follow me.”
“Yes!”
Before crossing the barrier, Kim Si-hu placed a hand on Won Yeong-guk’s shoulder and used a shield.
Since he wasn’t a hero, crossing the Rank 4 barrier without any precautions could result in skin irritation.
[Shield]
“Ooh…!”
A protective shield of magic wrapped his entire body thinly.
Having seen magic up close for the first time in his life, Won Yeong-guk was completely fascinated.
“Let me have a quick look.”
After entering the MA, Kim Si-hu activated the video from his mobile phone.
It was a live stream from the recording drone set up by the Hero Department in advance.
This allowed them to locate the positions of the Goemi scuttling about on the mountain and determine the route their party would take.
“It seems like there’s already a party fighting…”
“Let’s avoid that area since it could cause disruptions.”
They ascended the mountain, almost feeling like they were climbing.
After wandering for about 30 minutes…
‘A transmission tower.’
Yoo Ji-han gazed at a high transmission tower standing in the middle.
In the past, many issues arose when power cut off in regions with barriers, but recently, modifications had been made to prevent such problems.
Whoever initially thought of and created barriers, if they hadn’t existed, the world would have seen casualties multiple times greater than now.
“Why can’t we see anything…”
Kim Si-hu sighed while looking at his mobile phone.
The screen shown by the drone only displayed empty spaces.
The other parties on screen were also searching for Goemi.
Excluding the party that was initially hunting, everything else seemed quite quiet.
Yoo Ji-han was also using sampling, but he wasn’t getting much help.
’Guess we can’t be helped.’
Yoo Ji-han rummaged through his pockets.
Then he pulled out a transparent container filled with yellowish powder.
“What’s that?”
“It’s ground-up silk spat out by Goemi ghosts.”
“Excuse me?”
Goemi ghosts.
Originally the larvae of the giant lacewing, they had transformed into monsters.
True to their name, they were known as the nemesis of Goemi.
Before becoming pupae, Goemi ghosts spit out silk to create round cocoons. Unlike typical lacewings, the cocoons of Goemi ghosts change color when in contact with the pheromones emitted by Goemi.
Yoo Ji-han intended to use that unique reaction to locate the Goemi.
Kim Si-hu admired his preparation.
“When did you prepare that?”
“I brought it just in case.”
It was quite common to wander around looking for invisible monsters in a vast MA.
Yoo Ji-han had brought the item in anticipation of scenarios like the current one.
But that wasn’t typically a commonly used method… for one reason.
Creak, creak!
He held his breath and opened the tightly sealed container.
Once the lid fully flipped open, a terrible stench immediately spread around.
“Ugh!”
“Ew…!”
Both Kim Si-hu, who was beside him, and even Won Yeong-guk, who had been maintaining his composure upon entering the MA, grimaced at the smell.
It felt like the kind of odor you’d encounter if you left rotten food waste in a small room for over a month.
“I didn’t want to use it because the smell is too bad.”
However, Yoo Ji-han reluctantly pinched some of the yellow-brown powder with his hand and sprinkled it on the ground.
Swoosh—
As moving continued, he sprinkled it about eight times.
Finally, the color of the earth on the ground changed, revealing traces of Goemi.
“We’re going in.”
Yoo Ji-han trailed the pheromones of Goemi by sprinkling the powder.
They took a path far removed from the typical hiking trail.
Entering a rugged area that was not artificially groomed, they finally spotted a Goemi crawling on the ground.
Before stepping forward, he told Won Yeong-guk,
“Just observe this time, Yeong-guk. And it might be good to calculate how the Goemi moves and when to shoot.”
“Yes!”
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu charged toward the Goemi.
With sweat trickling down his back and palms from the tension, Won Yeong-guk was aiming his gun forward.
‘If those guys get into danger, I’ll have to step in too.’
In a battleground where lives weren’t guaranteed.
He was the one who decided to follow a party with only two heroes.
If the heroes before him were pushed into a corner, he, confident in his shooting skills, thought he would pull the trigger without hesitation.
He had checked the weaknesses of Goemi numerous times through books and videos, so he expected no major issues.
However…
Swoosh!
As Yoo Ji-han swung his sword once, the Goemi split into two.
With each spell cast by Kim Si-hu, the Goemi’s brain matter splattered out.
‘…What am I seeing right now?’
The Goemi fell to the ground, defeated by the clean and efficient attacks.
Won Yeong-guk could only watch in awe as he witnessed the two in action.