GBAS 13

“Uh, um…”

Hyunwoo, who had been sitting awkwardly on the hay bale, spoke up and stealthily rose from his spot. Then, with an embarrassed look, he scratched the back of his neck and said,

“I, I think I might have plans.”

JuJuGeneralAssembly’s face crumpled into a sharp frown at the kid’s expression, which might as well have had ‘I am lying right now’ written on his forehead.

‘Plans, my ass.’

That kid, despite not looking like it, was the type who needed a lot of looking after, both in real life and in the game. Jiwoo sometimes found it hard to believe that this pathetic guy had been the most mentioned person on Everytime not too long ago.

Just as JuJuGeneralAssembly was about to take a step toward their peer, who was just revving up his bullshit engine,

[‘Jeonguk-noye-jarang’ has left the party.]

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly: ???

The gazes of everyone, except the person himself, dropped to the message that had popped up at the bottom of the screen.

“Ahem. I’ll be logging off for today.”

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly: Seriously?

At the murderous glare, Hyunwoo unknowingly twisted his body and began to slowly back away.

Several of the guild members, their eyes filled with the look of someone who had been betrayed in an instant, got up from their seats and slowly started to approach Hyunwoo. They spoke in voices filled with disbelief.

[General] Jinyoung-kun: Noja-nim, you said you were playing until dawn today?!

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly: Yeah, that’s what I’m saying

[General] NoRegretKeepGoing: Let’s not be like this ㅎㅎ

“Haha…”

Fleeing from the approaching people, Hyunwoo called his partner’s name in a barely audible voice.

Frost.

Just then, a wolf the size of a house popped out from behind him.

Grrrr-

Frost’s steps were jaunty, perhaps because it was happy to be resummoned so soon. As the excited wolf dashed toward its partner, its bright gray fur flying, and lowered its body, Hyunwoo grabbed the scruff of its neck and leaped on lightly.

JuJuGeneralAssembly’s cynical voice followed after him.

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly: Who is it

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly: Where are you going;

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly: Be honest, you don’t have plans

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly: Hey

Just as the wolf, carrying the armor-clad man, shot up and was about to get a running start, JuJuGeneralAssembly shouted and started to run faster.

[General] JuJuGeneralAssembly: JEON HYUNWOO!!!!!

He was on the verge of being caught. When Hyunwoo lightly kicked Frost’s side, Frost, sensing the situation, dug its paws firmly into the ground.

Right before dashing off, Hyunwoo, who was plastered flat against the wolf’s back, looked behind him and shouted,

“Sorry-!”

👾🎮

Sylvian Island’s northern region, Karta, the back mountain of the Castle of Unmelting Ice.

A large wolf, its silver mane flying, leaped into a pack of bears twice its size.

[Your summon ‘Frost (Frost Wolf)’ has defeated ‘White Grizzly Bear’! +2,480xp]

[CRITICAL!]

[Your summon ‘Frost (Frost Wolf)’ has defeated ‘White Grizzly Bear Knight’! +3,120xp]

A fair distance away, enough to make the fiercely fighting wolves and bears look like tiny clumps. Standing tall under a snow-laden conifer, red crystals shot out from Hyunwoo’s fingertips.

“You’re having fun, aren’t you.”

A weak laugh followed his words. A smile naturally formed on his lips at the sight of his companion tearing through the snowfield like a fish in water. It was only natural for it to be excited, since this was its hometown.

As Hyunwoo blankly watched the creature leaping and bounding, the growling cry of a boar reached his ears. Ah, right. Finally snapping back to his senses, Hyunwoo opened his palm again.

Hyunwoo was currently hunting plump, black boars. Three crimson fireballs materialized above his outstretched palm, as if he were balancing a large basketball.

Summoners mainly fought using their partner monsters, but they were fundamentally a mage-type class that branched off from the same stem as mages. Therefore, most summoner users naturally used basic elemental magic as a sub-skill.

Occasionally, there were users who ignored their class origins and picked up a sword or bow, but this game, <The Frontier>, allowed for a high degree of freedom outside of one’s main class. Sub-weapons were a matter of personal preference; even the other summoner in Hyunwoo’s guild often borrowed an Avenger weapon, so it wasn’t an uncommon sight.

The reason Hyunwoo chose magic as his sub-attack method was simple.

It looks cool!

He clenched the fireballs gathered in his hand and threw them at the boar. The red crystals cut through the air.

Fwoosh- A small flame erupted from the nape of the neck where the crystal hit, and the black-furred monster leaped in place with an ear-splitting squeal.

Eeeeeek!

Its eyes glowing blue, it seemed to be properly enraged.

Rumble!

It looked like it was preparing to charge. The boar, planting its front legs firmly, stomped its feet powerfully. With each exertion, the beast’s breath scattered white around its black snout.

Hyunwoo quickly fired off a few more red crystals.

[CRITICAL!]

As five crystals embedded themselves in the center of its forehead, the boar collapsed with a final death cry.

Squeak!

[You have defeated ‘Black Winter Boar’! +860xp]

As it was a monster defeated with just a few basic-level magic attacks, the experience gained wasn’t much. It was to be expected, since he had come to a hunting ground that didn’t match his level in the first place.

But Hyunwoo didn’t mind. His purpose for coming here wasn’t to gain experience.

Just as Hyunwoo, having swept back the bangs that fell over his eyes, was about to move to find his next target, one of the gazes that had been watching him all along spoke up.

[General] ssolid: Excuse me

It was a “General” chat, which everyone within a certain area could see. As a spectacle appeared, the users who had been hunting at a moderate distance around Hyunwoo stopped moving. All eyes focused on the middle of the snowy field, where a few conifers were sparsely planted.

[General] ssolid: You

[General] ssolid: Instead of this, why don’t we just party up?

His voice was laden with complaint. Hyunwoo, his brow furrowing slightly, turned around to see a male character in heavy armor with a large sword strapped to his back.

[General] ssolid: I mean

The young man, who looked to be a Slayer, one of the tanker classes, pouted his lower lip as if something displeased him and said.

[General] ssolid: It’s obvious you’re not a newbie

[General] ssolid: And it’s not like this is the only hunting ground…

The moment the man’s voice reached his ears, Hyunwoo’s expression distorted subtly.

[General] ssolid: [Sobbing]

‘A grown man using an emote, has he no shame for the sword on his back.’

The man, who was even feigning crying by putting his fists to his eyes, made him feel extremely unpleasant. The image of a certain smarmy guild member who was currently away even overlapped with his. Ugh. Feeling his stomach churn, Hyunwoo clutched at his solar plexus.

When Hyunwoo took a step back, the other person cluelessly took another step closer and said.

[General] ssolid: Either move to a spot that matches your level

[General] ssolid: Or at least party up…

So this was ssolid’s demand. Get lost from here, or form a party and power-level him.

[General] ssolid: You’re not ignorant of basic manners, are you?

The northern region of Karta was a winter landscape where snow came up to your knees with every step, but it was a surprisingly popular hunting ground.

This was because, contrary to the desolate atmosphere of the weather, the monsters that mainly appeared had simple attack patterns. They weren’t too low-level, nor too high, making them suitable for gaining experience, and it was rumored to be a place where users approaching level 100 did simple level grinding.

In particular, the bear-type monsters that respawned here, in the backyard of the Castle of Unmelting Ice, would sometimes drop ice crystals used in crafting attribute items. They were grateful just for the experience, but the occasional pocket money was even more reason to come.

Hyunwoo recalled the stories someone he’d met in this spot once had eagerly explained to him and nodded to himself.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand. From a newbie’s perspective, it was natural to be unwelcoming of an oldbie who had crashed their limited honey-pot hunting ground.

But Hyunwoo also had his own reasons for needing to come here.

[General] ssolid: Hey

Frustrated by his lack of response, ssolid met his sharp gaze and asked again.

[General] ssolid: Hello;;

A surge of irritation welled up. He was already stressed to death because of Baek Jooin, and now he was getting picked on by some random guy. Was he cursed? His luck seemed particularly bad today.

Ah, right.

‘I forgot to check my horoscope.’

The horoscope app Hyunwoo checked every day was one that a girlfriend he’d had during his exam-prep days had told him about. He hadn’t believed it at all at first, but as the fortunes started coming true one by one, he now treated the app’s “horoscope of the day” like the Bible.

‘What was her name again…’

She probably had no idea that he was still using the app so effectively, a good four years after they had broken up.

Just then, a palm was thrust into Hyunwoo’s line of sight as he was lost in thought.

A punk with a tiny face waved his hand in front of Hyunwoo’s eyes and asked.

[General] ssolid: Hey, are you deaf or something?