Expedition meetings were held daily.
Steadily select expedition personnel.
Their health, strength, skill level, etc.
It was to quantify everything and prepare to replace it with a backup at any time.
And today.
Sasha summoned them for another reason.
"Thank you all for agreeing to the call. It is considered a good sight to be ranked 64th. When I was ranked 100th, I didn't even pretend to listen."
The last whisper was not heard.
64th? Why did he emphasize the ranking so much before?
The people who gathered urged him to make an announcement quickly.
Sasha shrugged.
"Amyoung, who played the role of the skirmishes, worked hard for this presentation. Applause everyone!"
What is the applause?
Everyone folds their arms and is silent.
At Sasha's point, Amyoung opened his mouth covered in bandages.
"Gossip, clean up, report. Do it."
His voice and attitude are still dripping.
Sasha, who was used to it now, didn't care.
"Then let's watch the video."
Beyond the X-Class Gate in Missouri secured by the Dark Young.
The video contained the beginning.
"Desolate.
"That's the X-class gate of the United States."
"What is that?"
Even at the beginning, monsters that are impossible to deal with lurk.
Amyoung risked her life to capture them on video.
Even at the beginning with relatively weak monsters, it is X-class.
There were black shadows moving around in human form.
It was an entity that I had never seen before.
"I couldn't go any further."
It was just as Amyoung said.
It continues in the video.
It is a dark camp with the advantage of stealth and quick maneuver.
As if noticing his presence, the shadow rushes in the direction of him.
Each one changes its shape.
Black tsunami, axes, swords, spears, etc.
The attack was overwhelming just by looking at it.
The video ended there.
"Hah, that's ridiculous."
"Do we have to break through there now?"
There is no answer even if you look at it with the naked eye.
Still, they endured the attacks of X-class monsters and reached this position.
But that's just a one-time deal.
It is the beginning of dozens of similar or more similar ones.
Will it be different if 10 people enter?
"I'm sure they'll be wiped out."
"We need to take other measures. Sasha. You didn't just show the video hoping we would despair, did you?"
A sharp gaze pours in.
Sasha swallowed dryly.
"Of course not! We will learn about them one by one from now on. What are their weaknesses? We need to investigate with mana, holy power, and other elemental powers."
"Hmm, let's figure out the match. They can't go through the gate anyway."
"Let's plan a strategy with hit-and-run."
The answers are prepared one by one.
They try to save their organs and struggle to destroy them at all costs.
This is the first X-class gate countermeasure meeting held.
It goes smoothly.
It was a great achievement just to have applicants to identify the match.
"Phew, I'm glad it worked out."
A short break.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Sasha greeted the approaching man.
"Thank you for being the first to support me today."
"Isn't it just to say let's all survive?"
Yoo Seong-joon. He smiled faintly and offered me candy.
"Hmm! It makes my mouth feel cool."
"It's throat lozenges. I think I talked a lot."
"Thank you."
Yum. Sasha asked, rolling the candy in her mouth.
"That's it. Are the new top 100 candidates doing well?"
This question has many implications.
Do you practice hard?
Whether the tower climbs well, etc.
I was so surprised by the whole notification that the first floor was captured in 3 seconds.
I didn't want to lose for nothing, so Sasha practiced hard.
You have to be the one who catches Meister's eye.
"Shin Ju-hee is challenging the tower."
"It's on the second floor."
"It's going to be difficult from now on. The first floor is literally a tutorial."
Sasha nodded in agreement.
"I'm also stuck on the fourth floor, but it's too much for a C-class hunter to climb."
She also considered the first-floor record to be a beginner's luck.
"Did you hear what the goal of the first floor was?"
"It was to engrave the same engraving on some iron gate."
What?"
What is it? Is C-class Hunter something different?
Or is the climbing ticket you gave me something special?
What is that?
"Still, the second floor will be difficult. It's been a few days since I took on the challenge."
Phew.
The Ultimate Tower is not easy. He himself struggled for months to break the previous record.
"How many minutes was the combined record for the second floor?"
"5 minutes and 32 seconds. It was built by Amyoung."
Sasha took more than eight minutes.
No matter how much I tried to reduce it, it didn't work.
So I gave up and moved on to the next floor.
It's the same with Yoo Seong-joon.
You may think that each goal is different and unreasonable, but I know that everyone suffers from reasonable difficulties.
I just wanted to pray for a goal that would allow me to use my best organs.
The topic of conversation had just come to an end.
"Huh?"
"Hmm?"
Their eyes widened.
It was because of a sudden notification.
[Climber Shin Ju-hee achieved a new combined record for the second floor of the ultimate tower!]
[The record will be readjusted! Dark: 5 minutes 32 seconds-> Shin Ju-hee: 1 minute 32 seconds.]
"Well, what?"
The same words came out of their mouths at the same time.
***
The liquid you received as the ultimate tower clearing reward.
I checked the item information.
>>
[Philosopher's Stone Extract]
Grade: B
Description: A miraculous stone that can be softened by anything.
Effect: When combined with material items in perfect proportions and combinations, they bring out the item's true self.
>>
'Do you want me to write this?'
I affirm.
It was impossible.
So it was right to find the right people who could use it.
Is the alchemist good at it?
'I don't think there's any reason to use it right now.'
I'm sure I'll write it someday.
I don't know when that will be.
Top your dude! Even if you give it to me, you give me something like this.
'The dream of additional pay is flying away like this.'
I put the extract in the subspace and opened the community.
'I sent a lot.'
Regular reporting messages from Loggia.
It is a meeting that is held every day.
She silently guarded herself and gathered information.
And he faithfully sent it to me.
"Hmm."
There was only one thing I had to pay attention to.
I don't care who the final expedition members of the top 100 are.
Oh, Yoo Seong-jun and Sa-sha are also going.
"I hope you're back safely."
I cheered them on and read the main information.
"A shadow-shaped humanoid monster that appeared at the beginning. Named Shadow Walker. Are you going to try to identify their weaknesses?'
I'm not interested in monsters
After all, they say they are invincible in the ether state.
'Environment. Let's look at the environment.'
It was a desolate hilly area.
A land with not a single blade of grass on large and small hills.
Beyond that, a huge black mountain that can be seen faintly is the end.
This was the end of the information Loggia had given me.
"Let's go on a preliminary expedition."
I'm nervous to go.
It's an X-class gate that even 100 people can't dare to die.
I was going to go to such a place like a picnic.
'Gate Wandering. Even if you think about it again, it's a dog."
Is there anything to bring?
I checked the equipment.
I have a bracelet. I took care of the Guardian.
The subspace ring is also okay.
There is nothing more to take.
Anyway, I'll only be back in half a day. Heejin's food is a big deal.
"Take care of your house instead of me."
I flipped Shinsu's egg according to today's routine.
Hee-jin has been with him for a long time and has grown up happily.
I don't have a tee.
But I could see it.
(Growth rate: 23%- He says he will protect this nest and protect the pure soul while he returns.)
What a fuss at the end.
Ao, this egg bastard.
"It's the last time. If you don't fix your tone, I'll put on the fire in the frying pan right now."
(Growth rate: 23% = They say they will do their best to protect the house on behalf of the landlord.)
Shin Suzy is right about this.
Yes, let's be good when you treat them well.
Knocked on eggs and used abilities in the workshop.
....
Gate Wandering. It is a world map that appears when you use it.
There were so many lights shining.
Everything here is a gate.
'Where is Missouri?'
How could a man who had lived in Korea all his life know the location of the United States?
In this case, you need a smartphone.
Missouri Class X Gate Location.
I searched for it and it came up right away.
"Here it is."
Zoom in and touch the light.
Then, a message appeared in front of me.
[Would you like to enter?]
Of course yes.
I do this because I know it's very safe.
I had two goals.
Gates breaker's omen and Orion's life and death.
'If you see a useful ingredient item, you should bring it to me.'
All for the safety of our family in the future.
It's a lot of time, but it's better if you get something.
"It's a pity that we can't rescue Orion even if we find him."
You cannot put living life in subspace.
In the first place, the subspace was not closed.
It seemed to have been designed that way from the beginning.
Therefore, it is up to the expedition to find him and help him escape.
I could only offer a little help.
Wow!
A bright light covers me.
A strange sensation.
I feel like I've been liberated from taking off my stuffy clothes.
'Oh.'
Is this the state of ether?
I looked down at my body.
Originally, the body is invisible.
All that remains is his blue body.
What about your face?
"It's strange."
I can't feel my facial features.
It feels like touching a smooth egg.
It seemed as if only souls were sent to the gate.
'Shall we do some experiments?'
If you want to go back, use Return.
There seemed to be no time limit in this state.
But for me, Heejin was in a situation where she had a time attack.
I hurriedly touched the floor.
"Of course."
I couldn't touch it.
As expected, it feels like only souls have been sent to the gate. Surprisingly, his voice comes out well with training.
In this case, did he leave his body in the corner of the room?
'The subspace is also functioning normally.'
I opened and closed it against the rock.
It contained my goals well.
'This is enough for the experiment.'
I looked around.
A stark landscape. It is a gray world.
The only place that was colored was the black mountains that could be seen faintly in the distance.
'This is the X-class gate.'
An area that is only allowed to monsters with average stats above 100.
A heretic with 2 stats has entered that area!
It seemed that the children around me were going to give me a welcome ceremony.
"Uh-oh, don't come! Stop!"
It is not a real soul state, but an etheric state.
That's why black people recognize me and approach me.
It was Shadow Walker.
There are dozens of them.
Is this a wrong report?
"I told you there were only a few!"
This is a bit much.
Each of these X-level monsters.
It is a level where you can't guarantee life or death with a 100 robber.
They rushed at me all at once.
"Ahh!"
Boom!
The heavens and the earth are turbulent and turned upside down.
Die. This is absolutely dead!
It is a feast of all kinds of huge weapons.
It swung toward me at a speed that was beyond recognition.
That alone created a huge crater on the land.
Ahh
I don't know how long it's been since I've screamed like this.
Soon, the binge drinking subsided, and only my shouting could be heard.
He squatted down and covered his head and just screamed.
I don't feel anything, so something is wrong.
"What?"
He just stuck his head out like a meerkat.
The center of the crater.
I was crouching there.
Who is the shadow worker who rushed at me like this?
PBBBIBIBIT!
He was preparing for the next attack.
It was just preparation.
A solid red line stretching out from me. I knew the trajectory.
'Spear of the Flame Dragon?'
The first was curiosity towards me. Second, did you have the intention to kill? It is a feast of countless solid lines that run through the body of the Shadow Walker.
They were hardened as they had been molded from their bodies.
Soon, my body melted away.
'Was this so strong?'
This is the second time he has used it since he killed the villain that day.
One difference.
It was just an additional S+-class Cheollima Annihilator.
"Did that increase the power of the Flame Dragon's Spear?"
I had no choice but to think so.
Otherwise, there is no explanation.
Even in the beginning, you can kill an X-class monster with one blow.
I swallowed my embarrassment and looked around.
'I don't have any wounds on my body.'
The etheric state is invincible, and now I am a god.
I screamed for nothing. Neck soreness.
"Ahem. Hmm. Let's go again."
He hit me very hard.
Now I wasn't afraid of attacking, but of crawling up this deep crater.
"If you're in Ether, I'll correct your stats. It's harder as it is.'
I swallowed my breath and finally stood up.
The starting point to overcome the crisis and stand again.
'Let's go all the way over there first.'
I walked slowly, aiming for the Black Mountain.
***
An expedition of 10 people.
They looked back at each other nervously.
"Are you all ready?"
This is the question of the highest-ranking strongman of this position, Yoo Seong-jun.
He looked at the top 100.
Tension, faint fear, and the exaltation of the battle to come.
It is a place where emotions rise up softly.
They nodded silently while holding their weapons.
Yoo Seong-jun held the light sword.
"Keep that in mind. It is a place to check the compatibility of Shadow Walker. Each of them catches one and quickly pours out their strength. Do you understand?"
I put down my usual respectful words.
This is the battlefield. Since he has been appointed as a captain, the attitude of respect is long and cumbersome.
It can also lead to the risk of disturbing the hierarchy.
So everyone calmed down with the cold question he asked.
"Then let's go. I will remove any threats from the vanguard.
Swallow your tension and fill yourself with determination.
Yoo Seong-jun curiously jumped through the X-class gate.
A sharp sense that has been raised so that you can react immediately.
The Light Sword scatters a massive sword of light.
And the moment when all the senses are aware of their surroundings in detail.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"What's this..."
The 100 robbers who followed had the same reaction as Yoo Seong-jun.
I look around with a dumbfounded face.
There were only traces of the battle.
A huge crater in front of you.
And what was scattered around was melted black slime.
"Shadow Walker's mana, why do you feel it over there?"
It is the shadow that confirmed the monster before anyone else.
He approached the slime and was convinced.
"Someone, these things, have been exterminated."
Fighting monsters is in the early stages of gate creation.
They divide the hierarchy and separate their respective areas.
Starting from the deepest part with abundant resources to the beginning.
It was orthodox that there were no monsters to target the Shadow Walker who was pushed here.
This is because they live in their own territory.
So Amyoung was right.
An unknown Hunter caught them all.
So who did this?
Is it Hunter in the first place?
What if you're a villain....
'Darkcrow planted a false oracle in Broian. It could be his doing.'
The expedition's face hardened seriously.