CHSE 15

Chapter 15

[Skill Book: Blessing – Unique

Requirements: Mana 50, Support-type Mana Circuit

Effect: Learn the buff skill ‘Blessing.’

A skill book that grants the mysterious power of ‘Blessing,’ handed down from ancient times.

Increases Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Toughness all at once. The values are: 5, 5, 10, and 5 respectively.]

“Ah! Wow! Amazing…!”

I couldn’t stop admiring the skill book with a sword-and-shield emblem on it. Tichi popped out and asked:

< Blessing? That’s a support buff skill… Nice, isn’t it? >

“It’s not just nice. It’s insanely good. Power Up only increases Strength by 3, but this one boosts a total of 25 stat points.”

The reason I had spent all my influence in the Tower of Mana Growth was precisely for this Blessing.

‘To learn Blessing, I needed to hit 50 Mana.’

As a bonus, Infinity’s skill effect would pay off as well.

Since my Mana Circuit had expanded, Infinity’s mana recovery ability must have improved significantly.

< Then, can you actually take on the Frost Queen now? >

“…It’ll still be tough, but I have to try.”

With the Blessing buff, I could raise my physical specs to just below A-rank level.

And it wasn’t only physical abilities.

A stronger body could hold more mana, which meant my combat strength would rise drastically.

But even then, I couldn’t guarantee victory over the Frost Queen. After all, taking down a C-rank Named usually required a party of A-rank hunters.

‘Besides, I know nothing about her.’

There wasn’t a shred of reliable information about the Frost Queen.

“For now, I’ll learn Blessing and then enter Training Mode.”

< Training Mode? >

“Yes.”

Last time, Training Mode had spawned an F-rank Named.

“This time, I’ll go with Intermediate Training Mode. As for the stage… not 2, let’s try 3.”

< Raising the stage? >

“Yes.”

That way, maybe an E- or even a D-rank Named would appear.

If I could hone my combat instincts against those kinds of enemies…

Maybe I could figure out a way to face the Frost Queen with my current abilities.

< Hm… isn’t that risky? >

“It’s Training Mode. Even if I die there, it’s not real death.”

< True. >

“That’s what makes it broken.”

Wasn’t this the most overpowered feature of Save Earth?

Not only could I objectively test my current abilities, but if I could overcome fear, I could preview a boss monster’s attack patterns as well.

“Anyway, maybe the Frost Queen herself will spawn at Stage 3.”

It was possible.

< Why not go straight to Stage 5, the hardest in Intermediate Mode? You’re trying to prepare for her anyway, aren’t you? >

“Oh? Should I just skip ahead to 5?”

< Of course! You’ve got Blessing now! >

“Okay then. Let’s go with Stage 5.”

And so, thanks to Tichi’s subtle prodding, I opened [Intermediate – Stage 5] of Training Mode. I decided without hesitation—after all, there was nothing to fear.

If I died in Training Mode, so what?

[Training Mode commencing.]
[Difficulty: Intermediate – Stage 5.]

The Intermediate Training Mode began.

I waited for the boss monster that would appear holding the Frost Vow. Then, the space darkened, and a chilling wind swept through.

“…”

Snowflakes on the ground began to rise upward into the air.

< Hey… don’t tell me… >

Moments later, silver hair billowed as the Frost Queen herself emerged from the heavy, oppressive space.

Her golden eyes, filled with cold contempt and sovereign confidence, locked onto me.

At that moment, I too pushed mana into my circuits until they were about to burst, aided by Infinity.

Five days after crossing paths with Hunter X—

The ruler of the 51st floor, the Ice Dragon, reappeared.

Chen Shiyi had chosen to hunt it alone.

She hoped to receive an Achievement reward.

To avoid any issues with contribution points, she refused buffs even from support hunters.

“Krraaaaghh—!”

As expected of an S-rank hunter, Chen Shiyi easily dealt with the Ice Dragon. She even obtained a rare material reward—an Ice Dragon Fang.

And yet, her face remained grim. Wu Lei asked:

“No Achievement, I take it, Junior Sister?”

“Yes. That Hunter X… I’ll never forgive him.”

Chen Shiyi trembled with rage.

The one who had stolen her Achievement reward—the daughter of Master Chen Long—was now burning with fury.

It wasn’t just a personal insult. It was a challenge to a Master, and an insult to China itself.

Wu Lei spoke calmly:

“There are no reports of Hunter X descending the tower.”

Currently, Yongcheon Gate hunters were stationed at every entrance and exit.

If Hunter X wanted to leave Heilongjiang Tower, he would have to pass through their blockade.

“He must still be inside.”

“Yes.”

Chen Shiyi clenched her teeth and nodded.

Soon after, the staircase to the upper floors appeared, and she quickly ascended alone—having defeated the Ice Dragon, she was the only one permitted.

“We’ll catch up when the Ice Dragon respawns. Be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother.”

At the 50th floors, nothing posed a threat to an S-rank hunter who kept her guard up.

Upon reaching the 52nd floor, Chen Shiyi encountered a subjugation quest requiring the defeat of six elite monsters.

At first, she thought it wouldn’t be difficult…

“Where the hell are they?!”

Her furious voice echoed in all directions.

Six elite monsters had to be slain, yet she couldn’t even catch sight of them.

In the end, Chen Shiyi only advanced to the 53rd floor after rejoining Wu Lei and the Yongcheon Gate members, who had slain the Ice Dragon once again.

“Not on the 54th floor either.”

“Nothing on 55.”

Though delayed, Chen Shiyi and Yongcheon Gate continued their steady pursuit of Hunter X, eventually reaching the 60th floor—where the ruler was presumed to be.

“T-the Frost Queen?”

“Is she… dead?”

The Frost Queen, ruler of the 60th floor and presumed C-rank Named boss—who had frozen countless hunters into ice sculptures—was lying there, lifeless, her eyes wide open.

Even Wu Lei, following Master Chen Long’s command, was shocked at the sight of her corpse.

‘Who could have…?’

Considering the Frost Queen’s power, it would have taken both him and Chen Shiyi together to bring her down.

And yet, she lay slain, the remnants of mana from the fierce battle still lingering. It had ended only minutes earlier.

Wu Lei turned his gaze to Chen Shiyi.

“How dare they…!”

Her eyes were bloodshot, her lips stiff with rage.

“It was supposed to be me! I was the one who should’ve killed her!!!”

Consumed with fury, Chen Shiyi unleashed her attacks upon the Frost Queen’s corpse.

The S-rank hunter’s onslaught shook the ground, sending shockwaves of mana everywhere.

Several Yongcheon Gate hunters were caught in the blast, screaming as they slammed into the floor or were flung away. But Chen Shiyi didn’t stop until the Frost Queen’s body was obliterated.

[An astonishing result!

You have successfully slain the Frost Queen, the ruler of the Frozen Lake, all on your own. You are the first to achieve the ‘Ruler of the Frozen Lake’ Achievement.]

[As an Achievement reward, Strength and Toughness increase by 1.]

“…”

The battle against the Frost Queen had been brutal.

If not for the repeated Training Mode runs familiarizing me with her attacks… if not for the Blessing buff… I would have needed far more preparation.

But I won. And the reward was sweet.

“So they’ve been hogging this kind of sweetness all to themselves until now.”

No wonder the U.S. and China produced so many Masters. They’d been monopolizing these Achievements.

< But aren’t the Chinese hunters chasing us? >

“Yeah, strange, isn’t it?”

I’d worried constantly that they’d appear mid-battle against the Frost Queen.

News and the internet were flooded with stories of conflicts between China and Hunter X.

Yet, even after I killed the Frost Queen and looted her remains, there was no sign of them.

“That snake of a woman won’t give up easily…”

< She’s an S-rank hunter, right? >

“Yeah. Awful personality, but her strength is real.”

< Then why didn’t she come up? >

“…Good question.”

At the 50th floors, even A-rank hunters could climb fairly easily.

And none of the quests there were particularly troublesome. Except one.

“Could it be they got stuck on the 52nd floor?”

< The elite monster subjugation? >

“Exactly. It’s surprisingly annoying and tedious.”

Hunting down elite monsters across a vast map wasn’t easy.

Like life itself—they always showed up when you didn’t want them, but disappeared the moment you went looking.

If even an S-rank hunter was slowed down on the 50th floors, it usually came down to rare collection quests, elite monster subjugations, or… reputation.

And then—

“How long will it take for the Frost Queen to respawn?”

< …About a week? >

“Yeah, probably.”

[61st Floor Objective: Reputation.

Condition: This floor is a forest of colossal, ancient trees, frozen for a thousand years.

Powerful and dangerous frost monsters dwell here, while Snowflower Fairies hide away from the threat.

Forge an alliance with the Snowflower Fairies to gain their aid, and locate the staircase to the next floor.]

Of course, what awaited me now was a reputation quest.

During my climb of the Busan Tower up to the 72nd floor, I’d never encountered one.

But I’d heard plenty about their infamous difficulty in the hunter community.

And the hardest part depended on the race you dealt with—humans were the easiest, while forest races like elves or fairies were the hardest.