BXBX NOVEL Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Chapter 18: Poison breath (3)
7.
The 100-Man Gate.
For 2nd Circle and below adventurers, just being able to say that you have adventured there is a glorious achievement that you can carry with you for the rest of your life.
It is a stage that all adventurers should aspire to challenge.
An opportunity that should be applauded, not hesitated upon.
That’s why.
“It seems like it will be a bit difficult there.”
The reason Ebisu was so surprised to see El Paume immediately refuse the opportunity was because.
‘Are you crazy? You’re turning this down?’
Lacan, on the other hand, was different.
He spoke with a cold, sunken gaze.
“Are you refusing my offer?”
His gaze was a threat.
A threat that meant, ‘If you dare refuse the offer of me, an executive of the Gafor Merchant Union, I will kill you.’
And it was a threat with enough weight to it.
Lacan was not simply a famous guild executive.
He was also a 3rd Circle mage, the highest level of magic user in the entire Gafor Merchant Union.
In addition, he was known for his ruthless and cruel personality.
He was the kind of person who would not hesitate to kill someone if they got in his way.
That was why Ebisu was so surprised.
He couldn’t believe that El Paume would be so foolish as to refuse Lacan’s offer.
Lacan was a figure who had been with the Gafor Merchant Union through its rapid rise to power.
He was a true hero of the revolution, and his fame was known not only in the port city of Lis, where Victoria Island was located, but also to some extent in the vast continent of Oseria.
Of course, he was not known only in a good way.
Lacan was responsible for the ruthless methods of the Gafor Merchant Union.
He had the power to dispose of adventurers of El Paume’s level as he pleased, and he had done so in the past.
Even so, El Paume’s gaze did not waver.
In fact, he had no reason to back down.
From El Paume’s point of view, Lacan was a joke.
“There is one thing I realized during my three years as a bait slave.”
More than anything, El Paume knew.
“Adventurers die if they are too greedy. And if they die, nothing means anything.”
What Lacan wanted to hear right now.
It was literally true.
‘He’s testing me right now.’
Lacan was deliberately pressuring El Paume right now.
To see if El Paume was really a card that could enter the 100-Man Gate, and beyond.
And it was right to do such a test.
Lacan’s interest in El Paume at this point was not in his combat ability, but in his survival ability.
The problem was that this survival ability was a very vague ability.
The only way to verify such a vague ability was to see how he would perform under pressure.
“It was the same this time. I volunteered to be the bait because it was the wise thing to do. Would you have been able to recruit a party to be bait at that moment? There’s no way you could have made a proper decision. After all, you were just competing with each other until a moment ago. Even if you did manage to organize a bait party, it would be problematic. Veteran adventurers each have their own way of doing things. Mixing them together would only create penalties, not synergy effects.”
And so El Paume willingly showed them.
“It was better for me and my colleagues to go alone than to force ourselves to do something reckless like that. That was enough.”
That his survival was not just a matter of luck.
“However, the story is different with the 100-Man Mystic Gate. Not only is the difficulty of the Mystic Gate itself different, but everything is different. It will be difficult to come back alive like this time.”
At El Paume’s answer, Lacan’s eyes changed.
“Difficult… You’re not saying it’s impossible.”
He soon smiled.
“Then I guess we need to change the subject.”
He spoke with a satisfied smile.
“So how much will you need to go in?”
8.
“Pffft!”
Dibo spewed the beer he was drinking onto the table after hearing El Paume’s words.
It was a moment of shock for Dibo, who valued his life above all else and gambled it on mesos, as the food on the table prepared for a celebratory feast was ruined and the money flew away.
However, Dibo was not surprised.
“Oh, 5 million mesos?”
After all, the answer El Paume just gave was absolutely insane.
“Are you saying you really asked for 5 million mesos?”
5 million mesos was an amount that not only ordinary people, but even most adventurers could not even dream of.
“To Lacan?”
El Paume had demanded that amount from none other than Lacan, an executive of the Gafor Merchant Union.
As a condition for returning alive from the 100-Man Mystic Gate.
“Boss, are you crazy? Lacan! The heartless Lacan!”
It was truly a crazy thing to do.
“That’s why I can ask for it. Lacan is the only one in the Gafor Merchant Union who can authorize that amount of money.”
Of course, from El Paume’s point of view, it was the most logical decision.
“It’s ridiculous to ask for anything other than money. And above all, I should be paid at least 5 million mesos for my life.”
However, El Paume’s sense of common sense was something that could not be shared with others.
Dibo didn’t question him any further.
Instead, he thought about the situation calmly.
“I see. If you fail, you die, so it’s better to refuse like that than to simply refuse.”
He was saying that there was no need to be disappointed anymore since he had essentially refused Lacan’s offer, the opportunity to enter the 100-Man Gate.
“You’ve never refused before.”
“That’s as good as a refusal. There are plenty of veteran adventurers who are willing to pay to enter the 100-Man Gate, aren’t there? Who would pay 5 million mesos to send an adventurer there?”
El Paume replied to Dibo’s thoughts.
“There is.”
“Huh?”
“I made a contract. For 5 million mesos. With Lacan.”
9.
“Isn’t 5 million mesos too much money?”
Ebisu’s expression was more hardened than ever as he looked at the contract.
There was nothing wrong with the contract itself.
To be honest, it wasn’t his own money, and it was the Gafor Merchant Union that would be spending it anyway, so the responsibility was Lacan’s.
Furthermore, the contract clearly stated:
All contract payments will be made upon survival.
This meant that the Gafor Merchant Union would not have to spend a single penny right now.
Even so, there was one reason why Ebisu’ expression was hardened.
“…This is an amount of money that can be used to hire even the most outstanding veteran adventurers. It’s not money to be invested in such rookies.”
The fact that the starting point of this big contract was none other than himself, Ebisu.
It was only natural, as it was none other than Ebisu who had raised El Paume to this point.
‘If something goes wrong, it’s my responsibility.’
If this led to a major accident, Ebisu would never be able to avoid responsibility for it.
Lacan spoke to him, who could not help but harden his expression for various reasons.
“Ebisu.”
Carefully, in a small voice.
Ebisu understood the meaning.
‘This is top secret.’
He quickly got up from his seat and approached Lacan.
Then Lacan spoke in a very small voice.
“I’ve heard news that someone is preparing to troll the 100-Man Mystic Gate that we will be raiding this time.”
Trolling.
Ebisu’ expression hardened at that word.
Trolling, a word derived from the behavior of the troll monster that plays mean tricks on people, meant the act of obstructing adventurers in the world of adventurers.
And the meaning of trolling changed to a very serious act in the era of Mystic Gate.
It was only natural.
Obstructing an adventure is just a nuisance, but obstructing a Mystic Gate raid means trying to kill the other party.
What if it’s inside the 100-Man Mystic Gate?
If adventurers die due to trolling in the place where the most promising candidates of each guild gather?
It was a very deadly attack and a terrorist act.
‘It’s possible enough.’
That’s why it was meaningful.
The 10 major guilds in the port city of Lis were in fierce competition.
They were so eager to inflict a fatal blow on their opponents if they could.
Of course, just because it’s possible doesn’t mean anything.
“What is the source of the information?”
We need to have solid evidence before we can move.
“Dark Lord Jin.”
And Ebisu no longer questioned the source that came out.
No, he couldn’t.
“The Master of the Thieves Guild?”
If the information was provided by someone like that, it would be more reliable than Lacan in terms of credibility.
That’s why Ebisu’ expression hardened.
If that’s the case, it means that someone is really plotting something, so doesn’t it mean that it’s a trap?
“Ah.”
Only then did Ebisu realize.
“So?”
“Something is going to happen. An accident that might kill everyone. If that girl El Paume gets caught up in that accident and dies, that’s it. But if she comes back alive, she becomes a witness.”
Why Lacan gave El Paume’s survival ability a high score.
There was no need for further explanation at that point.
Now that all the reasons were out, there was only one thing to do.
“Gather the members. To a moderate level. We’re not going to push it this time in the 100-Man Mystic Gate raid.”
“Yes.”
10.
“I-It’s real.”
Dibo, who had accepted the contract, looked at El Paume.
Dibo’s eyes were shaking.
“B-Boss, are we really going to the 100-Man Gate?”
Having become an adventurer and only raided a Mystic Gate once.
In that situation, suddenly going on a 100-Man Mystic Gate raid?
It was something he couldn’t even imagine, let alone dream of, before meeting El Paume.
It was also dangerous.
Dibo had experience raiding Mystic Gates, but most of it was as a slave.
As an adventurer, he had only raided a Mystic Gate once, as mentioned before.
But now he was going to enter the 100-Man Gate?
It was like asking a toddler who had just started walking to prepare for a marathon.
It was natural for them to be scared.
Dibo was no different.
“Boss, can I be honest with you? This seems too dangerous, doesn’t it?”
He had been tempted by the opportunity because it was so great, but now that it was right in front of him, there was a flicker of hesitation in Dibo’s eyes.
El Paume understood.
‘He should be shaken. If he’s a good adventurer.’
And El Paume knew that this anxiety was one of the key qualities of being a good adventurer.
It had always been that way.
Courage was essential for adventurers, but there were many adventurers who died because of that courage.
Among them, the adventurers who ignored their fear were the most dangerous.
They died because of their pride, their ego, unable to admit that they were afraid.
To survive, they had to be able to say it.
“I don’t want to die, do you?”
These words.
“Me neither.”
El Paume felt the same way.
The reason he became the last adventurer was not to achieve great things or out of a sense of historical mission.
He didn’t want to die.
He wanted to face the blizzard of despair that was closing in on him and his comrades. He wanted to live and make that day’s horrors a drinking story.
It was just a wish.
Of course, things were different now.
El Paume was confident.
“We won’t die.”
The 100-Man Mystic Gate was a nightmare abyss that had swallowed everyone whole, but El Paume was confident that he could raid it.
However, he couldn’t explain the reason to Dibo from start to finish.
There was no need to explain either.
Dibo was already a great adventurer.
At least he could stand before the cocktail, the end that El Paume saw.
“Because if you die, you won’t get the 5 million mesos.”
“No, boss. I’m not saying that… Wait a minute.”
What he needed was confidence. Something to make his heart race.
“Boss? Are you saying that it’s 5 million mesos per person? Not 5 million mesos for the both of us?”
El Paume confirmed it.
“Oh my god, you’re saying it’s really 5 million mesos? No sharing? It’s all mine?”
At that moment, the word “trembling” no longer existed in Dibo’s eyes.
“Let’s just do it! What can’t we do if we’re together with the boss?”
Only excitement took its place.
“So, where do we go, boss?”
Dibo, who was now burning with passion.
El Paume gladly told him.
“Sleepywood.”
“Huh? Sleepywood? Did I hear that wrong? Did you say Sleepywood?”
“That’s the Sleepywood you know. The Demon’s Forest. The 100-Man Mystic Gate appeared there.”
“Wait a minute. Are you really going there? You’re not saying we’re going there alone, are you? We’re all going together, right?”
“If we all go together, we won’t be able to train.”
“Huh? What? Training?”
“You said you don’t want to die, right? Then you have to train.”
On the surest way to not die.