Chapter 7: The Taste of Money! Manticore (Part 2)

We have a new member in the team! We are delighted to announce that Stesira has joined as an editor for Light Novel Bastion . She will be working on INROOM alongside our translator for the series, Cake .

The feeling of the dungeon interior was vastly different from the ones I usually frequented . If the previous dungeons had a feeling of a basement, then this dungeon was like a desert . The floor was entirely made of fine sand, and there were no tunnels or walls we could use as a guide . While I looked around Sang-Min started to speak .

"Chang-Hyuk will go in the 9 o'clock direction and I'll go in the 12 o'clock, and we'll all meet back here . You know all this but I'll say it one more time . "

Han Sang-Min's plan was as follows:

They would split into two teams . Lee Chang-Hyuk, the main tanker, and Jo Yong-Hyun, the necromancer, were in one, while Han Sang-Min, the sub-tanker, and Lee In-Ah, the healer, were in the other . These two teams would drive the monsters to the starting location, so we could hunt them .

He said this around the same time I was thinking 'How, in this wide dungeon, are you going to lure the monsters here?'

"Min-Cheol ssi needs to say here, and get buffed by In-Ah and Yong-Hyun . On my signal fire Greater Magic, understand?"

Why do we need a strategy for a manticore? Can't we just go on a rampage?

"I understand . I'll standby . "

"Then let's go . "

After Sung-Min finished talking he led the party away, and they quickly set off .

I started to worry about whether we could clear the dungeon in the 1 hour time limit .

"Ah, I feel like I came here in vain…"

My thoughts naturally leaked out after the party members were out of my sight .

Well, I can solo level 6 dungeons in 25 minutes .

Sponsored Content

Loot, exp, it was all mine .

I came for the manticore's soul stone but now I feel a bit of regret .

Has 5 minutes gone by?

"Let it go~ Let it go~ Hmhmhmhm and sky~"

I had just finished drawing on the sand, using the Frost Orb as paint, when I saw Lee Chang-Hyuk and Yong-Hyun rushing towards me at an amazing speed .

"The hell!? Are you luring the monsters, or running away from them?"

He came up to me and lifted his 2 metre high shield .

I felt an unknown strength from the shield that was firmly strapped to his shoulder and arm .

The big axe on his other hand had it's grip double-layered to protect his hand and wrist, as if to prove that he was a tanker .

'Are they playing a war game?' A black silhouette approached us, like a fog, from the way they came .

Lee Chang-Hyuk turned his head around, and smiled a fishy smile . With a thick voice, he said:

"Hey, rookie-young master! Don't freak out and randomly spam skills . Just stick to the back .

Jjigeureok woodukwooduk

I could clearly hear the sound of my pride cracking .

I wanted to show him the justice of team-killing, but I barely restrained myself .

He probably dislikes me, because I look like a gold spoon Awakened, with no worries in the world .

(TLN: 'Gold Spoon' means well off, 'Mud Spoon' = bad life, 'Royal Spoon' = royal life, ect . )

I hit the sarcastic remark back at him, "Just block well . You're probably going to get sore muscles after this . "

Chang-Hyuk laughed at my reply, and gathered strength in his two hands .

Sponsored Content

"They're coming . "

Hang Sang-Min and Lee In-Ah were running here quickly .

With the black crowd that Lee Chang-Hyuk attracted slowly becoming clearer, Han Sang-Min joined us and started to make a plan .

"In-Ah, attack, attack speed, and defense buffs, please . Also, cast 'Barrier' around Young-Hyun and Min-Cheol ssi, as they'll be supporting us at the back .

Without replying she nodded, and gave everyone buffs . Then she casted 'Barrier around Young-Hyun and me .

The barrier, that looked like light blue glass, surrounded me .

If someone did a close-range attack inside the barrier, the barrier would instantly disappear .

It was a shield only suitable for ranged damage dealers .

"Young Hyun, keep casting 'Spirit Armour' on Chan-Hyuk and me, okay?"

"Don't worry, Hyung-nim, I will . "

Shades kept coming out of Sang-Min and Chang-Hyuk's surroundings and surrounded them .

It was probably a defense system for tankers and close-range damage dealers .

Now it looked like we were finally going to do something .

I wasn't afraid, but I felt a bit anxious .

I trusted in my infinitely producing mana .

Of course, the well-trained party members had a part in it too .

The manticore herd was coming at an amazing speed, leaving a trail of sand behind them .

Their numbers were approximately 800-1000 .

And, they were only around half of the monsters in the dungeon .

Sponsored Content

The monsters weren't too big, only 2 metres, but it let out an overwhelming pressure .

I contributed the pressure to its outward appearance . It had a wavy lion's face, wings on its back, that could be compared to a bat or a dragon's, and a scorpion's tail that was most likely full of deadly poison .

'Wow… I just lost a bit of confidence . Was it just the atmosphere?'

The manticore crowds were in groups of 4-5 . The leading manticore pack arrived at tanker Chang-Hyuk .

The manticores spread into a fan position and used their sharp claws to rain attacks on him .

Jjigeureureu caen! Caen!

Chang-Hyuk used his shield and axe to block the claws, while Sang-Min used the swords in his hands .

A sound like a blacksmith hammering steel came out .

Herd after herd kept coming, but Sang-MIn didn't give out the attack signal .

In-Ah and Yong-Hyun were continuing to buff and heal .

The end of the long line of manticores was now visible .

"Charging!"

At Sang-Min's shout, Chang-Hyuk lifted his right foot, which was his centre of gravity, and stepped forward, pushing his shield into the herd of manticores .

"Woaaahhh!"

Ku guung!

With Chang-Hyuk's short shout, many of the tens of manticores that were surrounding the party were pushed back, as if there was an invisible wall pushing them away .

This was the tanking skill 'Charging' . It was a main skill for tankers, which utilised shields or weapons to push enemies away .

The manticores that were pushed away collided with the other manticores, and became a single mass of tens of manticores put together .

(TLN: Imagine like, a ball, with the manticores making up that ball . )

"Yong-Hyun, lower resist!"

Yong-Hyun, who was casting 'Spirit Armour', busily started to debuff the monsters that were bunched up .

It was a skill that decreased a monster's physical and magical resistance .

The monsters that were successfully affected had a triangle shape glowing red on their chests .

I could hear Sang Min

"Min-Cheol ssi, now!"

It was time .

Time for 'Lightning Spray' to appear .

The party members and the monsters were quite a bit apart due to the skill 'Charging' .

I could use 'Lightning Spray' with both hands, but to avoid suspicion I grabbed my staff with both hands and casted it .

"Eurya!"

(TLN: Like when a worker picks up a heavy thing, he goes 'Haaap' or something, right? Same as that . )

Jjirik! Gigigigik!

Electrical currents, that emitted a blue light, poured out of the end of the staff and started to stretch around .

The attack, much like rain during a storm, had no set patterns or directions, and mercilessly crashed onto the herd .

Their bodies started to explode due to the impact . The ones that were instantly done by the Lightning Spray's destructive power started to shake all at once .

The currents that had pierced through the monster's bodies went straight down into the ground, as if they still had strength left .

[120 exp gained . ]

[120 exp gained . ]

[120 exp gained . ]