Magic Monopoly: Reborn as the Sole Magic Tower Master-Chapter 174: Episode

"I apologize."

Ahn Sehyeon, the guild master of Ayla, ranked fifth in South Korea, bowed his head to me. "It is my fault for failing to properly manage my guild member."

Behind him stood Park Jihyeon, her face an absolute mess as tears streamed down her cheeks. Next to her, the vice guild master was shaking his head in disapproval.

I accepted the apology. Ahn Sehyeon turned to Park Jihyeon. "Hunter Park Jihyeon, you are hereby disqualified from this assault team. Furthermore, you are suspended for two months."

"...Yes. I’m sorry."

"You may go."

She trudged away with the vice guild master. After they disappeared, it was my turn to bow my head.

"Thank you for backing me up like that."

"Hahaha! Don’t mention it. It was only right for me to come and apologize."

We shook hands, our expressions much more relaxed. Ahn Sehyeon scratched the side of his head, embarrassed, and gave a bitter smile.

"Just between us... there are a lot of unusually twisted people at rank-5. Maybe it’s because they just got through their tough provisional license days? You’ve probably had rank-5s pull rank on you before, right, Hunter Kim?"

"Oh, absolutely. For me, it was over the profit distribution for a labyrinth dungeon."

"I joined an assault team once, and a rank-5 senior didn’t like the way I looked at him. He made the entire party do headstands. After about an hour, the world started turning yellow."

"That’s some old-school hazing. What happened to him?"

Ahn Sehyeon shrugged. "Still a rank-5. I ran into him a while back, and he couldn’t even meet my eyes."

"Hahaha!"

Perhaps because we were both certified rank-3, Ahn Sehyeon and I had a lot in common. You’d think the head of the Ayla Guild would be puffed up with pride, but he was humble in all things.

We walked together, talking about the disaster and the potion business. Every hunter we passed greeted us with a startled expression.

"This disaster... I have a bad feeling about it," Ahn Sehyeon said, stroking his chin.

"Hmm, you think so? I heard it’s an upgraded version of the ’Immortal’ disaster that appeared in Mexico. If that’s the case, the clear conditions are much more straightforward than a labyrinth dungeon."

"That’s true. But..." Ahn Sehyeon paused and quietly looked up at the night sky. "Something about it just doesn’t feel right."

I didn’t dismiss his words. The instincts of a veteran hunter like him were usually on the mark. It was his intuition that had led him to take a chance on our status-effect potions when their quality was still unproven.

"And this is off-topic, but the atmosphere between the guilds is at an all-time low lately."

"Between the guilds?"

"Yes. It feels like it’s about to explode. Like something big is about to happen..."

"Hey! Representative Ahn! How long are you going to slack off!" the female vice guild master yelled, waving her arms.

"I’ll be right there, senior," Ahn Sehyeon replied, then gave me a quick bow. "Well, I should get going."

"You’ve got your hands full. I’ll pray for your safe return."

"I’m relieved that you’ll be here, Hunter Kim! I’ll leave the rear guard to you."

After parting with Ahn Sehyeon, I returned to the barracks. Not only were Jin Bora, Jeong Seojin, and Eunsol there, but the entire Fourth Floor Team had assembled.

"Mr. Kim!"

Cha Doyeon and Seo Shimhee ran over, out of breath. "Thank you so much for your help! Did he give you any trouble?"

Looking at their worried faces, their hands clasped tightly, I answered gently, "No, nothing happened. I’ve already spoken with Ayla, so there won’t be any problems."

"Oh, what a relief! Thank you so much!"

It was my job to protect them. If I didn’t handle things decisively, problems would erupt for them inside the dungeon. That’s why I had to shut down these kinds of confrontations firmly to prevent future trouble.

"Ugh, seriously! Does she really want to act like that at her age? I oughta gouge her eyes out!" Jin Bora fumed, having already heard the story. She made a jabbing motion with two fingers.

I approached her and spoke in a low voice. "Do you have any Superlative Red Elixirs?"

Her eyes widened, and she lowered her voice as well. "Should I give you some?"

"Yeah."

Jin Bora quietly opened the First Floor Manager’s subspace and took out a few potions for me.

"I gave you a lot last month. Did you use them all already?"

"Sorry. I’ll be more careful from now on."

She didn’t ask any more questions. Instead, she gave a small smile. "I can always make more potions!"

"Hunter Kim Yusin!" Shin Nara rushed into the barracks. "Did something happen? I suddenly heard you’re withdrawing the magician team from the assault team...!"

It seemed she’d seen my message. I nodded. "Yes. Will that be a problem?"

"Oh, no. There are plenty of people who want to join the assault team, so it’s not a problem, but I was a bit surprised."

I had already discussed it with the Fourth Floor Team. After the unsettling incident, we decided to pull out. The certified rank-5s were being sent in for experience anyway, so our absence wouldn’t be a major blow to their combat strength.

"We’re fine. Team X-1 was eager to go, so just send them in for the experience."

In any case, the Relic from this dungeon would go to Ahn Sehyeon’s main team. Whether on the assault or defense team, if the income was distributed by percentage, it was better to fight on the safer side.

"Alright. I’ll do that, then."

Shin Nara radioed in the order to send Team X-1 to the assault team. Then she came over and whispered, "I heard what happened. Should I file a formal protest with Ayla and demand an apology after the disaster is over?"

"No. I’ve already handled it. I just met with Representative Ahn."

"As expected!"

* * *

We waited in the barracks for about two hours, each of us relieving the tension in our own way. As the start of the disaster approached, the other hunters grew more on edge, but our team’s atmosphere was great, thanks mostly to Jin Bora and Na Daeyong.

"Sorry I’m late, everyone."

With Samia joining us after finishing her warp preparations on the fifth floor, our team was finally complete.

"Alright, defense team hunters, please move to your positions!" a manager called out.

"Yes!"

We followed the managers’ guidance. Leaving the barracks, we passed the menacing lines of tanks and turrets and arrived at the gate’s predicted location. Through Deva’s Eye, I could see the mana in the air twisting as space prepared to open.

"Alright, this disaster is a battle of speed!" Ahn Sehyeon shouted, giving a final briefing in front of the gate’s location. "You’ve all memorized your positions, right? We’ll take down the boss monster quickly to ease the burden on the defense team and bring peace back to the anxious citizens!"

"Yes!" his guild members roared.

When Ahn Sehyeon lowered his hand, his guild members rushed to put their hands together.

"Live in truth," he led the chant.

"Love justice!" the rest of the guild members shouted in response, thrusting their hands high before cheering enthusiastically.

Wow, I kind of like that. You can really feel the passion. Maybe we should make one for ourselves?

"Let’s not," Jin Bora said.

"...I haven’t said anything yet."

"Still, let’s not."

And just like that, I was shot down.

Next, Garam’s assault team appeared, a raid composed of three parties. The leader was Yu Hayeong, one of Garam’s certified rank-3 hunters.

"Team 1, is the artillery equipment ready?" she called out.

"No issues."

"Team 2?"

"No issues."

Unlike Ayla, which was as close-knit as a family, Garam, having originated as a management company, had a more free-spirited atmosphere. Looking at the members, I saw a few from Team X-1 had joined in our place. They were all grinning from ear to ear at having suddenly been allowed to join. Well, being on the assault team is a hunter’s dream, after all.

"Please prepare! The disaster is about to begin!" an Association staff member dispatched to Gyeongnam shouted.

The assault and defense teams, along with all military forces, swallowed hard and stared straight ahead.

"Current time, 19:57! The gate is opening!"

The shimmering mana in the air took form and then split wide open. It was as if space itself was tearing open its maw. That was the gate for this disaster.

"Gate fully open, confirmed! Spatial flow is normal!"

"...But where’s Immortal?" a hunter muttered.

Murmurs spread through the crowd. According to the briefing, an indestructible entity called Immortal was supposed to appear the moment the gate opened, but there was nothing. It looked just like a normal dungeon.

Ahn Sehyeon and Yu Hayeong both looked at the Association staff member, who was urgently contacting someone. A moment later, he announced, "Orders from headquarters. All assault team members are to enter the gate."

A quick, smart decision. That was the best choice they could make right now.

"This is Ayla-1. Beginning gate assault."

"Garam-1, 2, and 3 are entering the gate."

The entire assault team went inside. We, the defense team, remained in front, guarding the perimeter, but even ten minutes later, Immortal hadn’t appeared.

"...Nothing’s happening."

"At this rate, it’s no different from a regular dungeon."

"Why are we even here?"

Everyone was murmuring and looking at the Association staff member, but he too seemed unable to explain the situation.

’CRRRUNCH! SQUELCH!’

’...!’

Suddenly, I heard something being crushed, followed by screams. I whipped my head in the direction of the sound. All I could see was the horribly mangled chassis of a vehicle. Nothing else.

’CRACK!’

"Keuk!" a soldier choked out.

’BOOOOM!’

"Aaaaargh!"

Catastrophe was erupting everywhere. Tanks were sent flying, and chunks of human flesh scattered through the air.

"Watch out! It’s an attack!"

"What’s hitting us?"

I expanded the function of Deva’s Eye.

’...Damn it!’

It was thin air. The very air was coalescing into the shape of a giant arm. I followed the flow of mana with my eyes. It wasn’t just those two arms; all the surrounding mana was concentrating on the gate.

Soon, the giant arms pushed off the ground and rose.

"The gate is rising into the sky!" someone shouted.

No, it wasn’t rising. A transparent monster was simply getting to its feet, with the gate at its center. Two arms, two legs—it looked almost exactly like a human. And the gate was embedded in the middle of its chest.

"Kirrrrk!"

"Kyaaaaaaaak!"

"M-Monsters are coming out!"

Not from the gate’s entrance, but from the transparent giant’s body, rank-1 to rank-4 beast- and insect-type monsters poured out like a flood.

"All units, open fire!" a commander ordered.

Soldiers fired their mana rifles, and tank cannons spewed fire. Monsters fell, spraying blood, while the few that survived latched onto our defensive line. The formation fell into chaos.

’...The method is the same as Immortal, but its fundamental nature is different.’

The dungeon gate was alive.

* * *