[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
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 achievent 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 Pau imdiately 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 ant, ‘If you dare refuse the offer of , an executive of the Gafor rchant 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 rchant Union.
In addition, he was known for his ruthless and cruel personality.
He was the kind of person who would not hesitate to kill soone if they got in his way.
That was why Ebisu was so surprised.
He couldn’t believe that El Pau would be so foolish as to refuse Lacan’s offer.
Lacan was a figure who had been with the Gafor rchant Union through its rapid rise to power.
He was a true hero of the revolution, and his fa was known not only in the port city of Lis, where Victoria Island was located, but also to so extent in the vast continent of Oseria.
Of course, he was not known only in a good way.
Lacan was responsible for the ruthless thods of the Gafor rchant Union.
He had the power to dispose of adventurers of El Pau’s level as he pleased, and he had done so in the past.
Even so, El Pau’s gaze did not waver.
In fact, he had no reason to back down.
From El Pau’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 Pau knew.
“Adventurers die if they are too greedy. And if they die, nothing ans anything.”
What Lacan wanted to hear right now.
It was literally true.
‘He’s testing right now.’
Lacan was deliberately pressuring El Pau right now.
To see if El Pau 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 Pau 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 sa this ti. 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 mont? There’s no way you could have made a proper decision. After all, you were just competing with each other until a mont 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 Pau willingly showed them.
“It was better for and my colleagues to go alone than to force ourselves to do sothing 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 co back alive like this ti.”
At El Pau’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 Pau’s words.
It was a mont of shock for Dibo, who valued his life above all else and gambled it on sos, 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 sos?”
After all, the answer El Pau just gave was absolutely insane.
“Are you saying you really asked for 5 million sos?”
5 million sos was an amount that not only ordinary people, but even most adventurers could not even dream of.
“To Lacan?”
El Pau had demanded that amount from none other than Lacan, an executive of the Gafor rchant 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 rchant Union who can authorize that amount of money.”
Of course, from El Pau’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 sos for my life.”
However, El Pau’s sense of common sense was sothing 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 sos to send an adventurer there?”
El Pau replied to Dibo’s thoughts.
“There is.”
“Huh?”
“I made a contract. For 5 million sos. With Lacan.”
9.
“Isn’t 5 million sos 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 rchant Union that would be spending it anyway, so the responsibility was Lacan’s.
Furthermore, the contract clearly stated:
All contract paynts will be made upon survival.
This ant that the Gafor rchant 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 Pau to this point.
‘If sothing 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 aning.
‘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 soone is preparing to troll the 100-Man Mystic Gate that we will be raiding this ti.”
Trolling.
Ebisu’ expression hardened at that word.
Trolling, a word derived from the behavior of the troll monster that plays an tricks on people, ant the act of obstructing adventurers in the world of adventurers.
And the aning 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 ans 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 aningful.
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 an 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 ca out.
No, he couldn’t.
“The Master of the Thieves Guild?”
If the information was provided by soone 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 ans that soone is really plotting sothing, so doesn’t it an that it’s a trap?
“Ah.”
Only then did Ebisu realize.
“So?”
“Sothing is going to happen. An accident that might kill everyone. If that girl El Pau gets caught up in that accident and dies, that’s it. But if she cos back alive, she becos a witness.”
Why Lacan gave El Pau’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 mbers. To a moderate level. We’re not going to push it this ti in the 100-Man Mystic Gate raid.”
“Yes.”
10.
“I-It’s real.”
Dibo, who had accepted the contract, looked at El Pau.
Dibo’s eyes were shaking.
“B-Boss, are we really going to the 100-Man Gate?”
Having beco an adventurer and only raided a Mystic Gate once.
In that situation, suddenly going on a 100-Man Mystic Gate raid?
It was sothing he couldn’t even imagine, let alone dream of, before eting El Pau.
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 ntioned 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 Pau understood.
‘He should be shaken. If he’s a good adventurer.’
And El Pau 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.
“ neither.”
El Pau felt the sa way.
The reason he beca 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 Pau was confident.
“We won’t die.”
The 100-Man Mystic Gate was a nightmare abyss that had swallowed everyone whole, but El Pau 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 Pau saw.
“Because if you die, you won’t get the 5 million sos.”
“No, boss. I’m not saying that… Wait a minute.”
What he needed was confidence. Sothing to make his heart race.
“Boss? Are you saying that it’s 5 million sos per person? Not 5 million sos for the both of us?”
El Pau confird it.
“Oh my god, you’re saying it’s really 5 million sos? No sharing? It’s all mine?”
At that mont, 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 excitent took its place.
“So, where do we go, boss?”
Dibo, who was now burning with passion.
El Pau 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.
[Translator – Prøks]
[Proofreader – Prøks]
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