Chapter 4
The moment I said I could pinpoint the boss’s location, Kim Hyung nodded without hesitation.
“Oh? Really? That’s a relief. Finding the boss would’ve taken forever, so this saves us a lot of time.”
Park Jinsung and Kim Minju looked puzzled for a moment, but after hearing my confident explanation, they quickly accepted it.
“Hmm… Understood. You don’t seem like the type to joke about something like this, Mr. Sihyeon. We’ll trust you to lead the way.”
Park Jinsung then glanced at his teammate, Kim Minju.
“Looks like everyone’s already decided… Fine. It’s not like we have any better idea.”
He nodded reluctantly, though he still didn’t look completely convinced.
As long as he wasn’t against it, I didn’t care.
Since I had become the guide, I explained how it worked before we set off.
“It’s kind of like following a star… I know where the boss is, but I have no idea what’s waiting along the way. So don’t let your guard down.”
“Okay. I get the idea.”
“A star… Understood, Mr. Sihyeon.”
“Yes.”
Each of them answered in their own way.
They could’ve all just said “yes.” How did the three of them manage to answer so differently?
A headache was already coming.
This is going to be troublesome. Can we really work as a team like this?
All I could do was hope they wouldn’t get in each other’s way.
“Then let’s go. This way.”
Five minutes…
Ten minutes…
We continued cutting through the wilderness together.
About thirty minutes later…
The damp forest floor had gradually turned into sticky mud, and the dense rainforest had become a gloomy swamp.
“It’s definitely swamp territory from here on. Be careful. It’s completely different from the forest.”
Ignoring the three predictably different responses, I suggested we take a short break.
“…Before that, let’s make this our final stop. The boss is close. If possible, we’ll rest once more right before facing it, but if not, this might be our last chance.”
Everyone agreed and took a moment to catch their breath before the boss battle.
Then Park Jinsung suddenly raised his hand.
“Um… can I go take care of some business?”
“…Excuse me?”
He really had good timing.
Going to the bathroom now?
Then again… maybe he’s nervous.
Either way, I couldn’t exactly refuse.
Losing fighting strength now would be a problem.
“You don’t know what might be hiding out there. It’s dangerous to go alone. Please take someone with you.”
Kim Hyung immediately volunteered.
“Then I’ll go with him.”
After the two of them left, we finally had a little breathing room.
I used the opportunity to start making something I’d been thinking about during the walk.
I’ve got some time, and the effect should be worth the effort. Let’s make it.
Years ago, I’d helped out in a mudflat during shellfish season.
The mud had been so soft that every step sank deep into it, so I’d modified a pair of boots a little.
The results had actually been pretty good.
I’ll use the same idea here.
Basically… oversized swamp snowshoes.
As I pictured the design in my head, I began peeling bark from nearby trees.
Kim Minju cautiously asked,
“…What are you making?”
“I’m making overshoes for walking through swamps.”
“…Overshoes?”
They were originally tools used in snowy regions to keep people from sinking or slipping.
The principle was simple.
Increase the surface area touching the ground to spread out your weight.
After I explained it briefly, she frowned.
“Hmm…”
Apparently she didn’t trust the idea of making equipment out here.
I ignored her doubts and quickly collected two wide, sturdy pieces of bark.
The base is done… and I can use those strips of torn clothing for the straps.
Now all I needed were sturdy branches for the frame.
As I looked around—
“Ah! H-Hey! What’s happening?!”
“…!”
A panicked scream.
It was Park Jinsung.
“Sihyeon! Hurry over here!”
Kim Hyung’s urgent voice followed immediately.
Something had definitely gone wrong.
“I think we need to go.”
“Yes!”
Kim Minju had already turned pale and sprinted ahead of me.
The three of us rushed toward the shouting.
Soon we saw what had happened.
“Minju! Help me! Mr. Sihyeon, please save me!”
The problem was the swamp.
Park Jinsung had fallen in, and the mud had already swallowed him past his knees and up to his thighs.
“Sihyeon! What do we do? The ground suddenly collapsed under him! I tried pulling him out, but I felt like I’d get sucked in too. Then I tried using this…”
Kim Hyung held up a broken tree branch.
It explained everything.
“Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”
I said it confidently, but he was sinking faster than I’d expected.
“Mr. Park! Don’t move! Stay completely still! The more you struggle, the deeper you’ll sink!”
“L-Like this?”
Despite his fear, he followed my instructions.
His sinking slowed noticeably.
“Now lie down! Spread your weight over a larger area!”
“L-Lie down? Here? That doesn’t sound like a good idea…”
“You need to increase your surface area. Don’t trust me—trust science.”
“Ugh…”
After hesitating for a moment, he gritted his teeth and slowly lay flat on the mud.
The effect was immediate.
His sinking almost stopped completely.
Good. That bought us time.
Now the question was how to pull him out.
The best solution would be for him to roll himself out while lying down…
But things weren’t that simple.
His lower body had already become so firmly stuck that it looked as though someone had planted him there.
There was no way he could escape by himself.
The quickest solution is too risky.
The remaining three of us could form a human chain by holding hands.
Simple.
Fast.
But if even one person lost their balance or let go, all of us could end up trapped in the swamp.
Too dangerous.
So even if it took longer, I chose the safer method.
“Hyung, Minju, go back to where we rested and bring the rope. The one I used to tie you down earlier.”
“Got it!”
“Yes!”
The two of them immediately ran back.
As they disappeared into the trees, I shouted after them.
“Follow the same path we came! Watch your footing! There could be more swamp traps!”
Because of the urgency, they returned surprisingly quickly.
“Here! We got it!”
The moment I received the rope, I tore it into three long strips.
Kim Minju gasped.
“W-Wait! Why are you tearing it apart?! We barely have enough as it is!”
“If we use it like this, it’ll snap under the weight.”
Then I twisted the three strands together into a single rope.
Within moments, a much stronger rope was finished.
“When you braid multiple strands together, they distribute the force and create friction. It becomes much stronger.”
“Oh… it definitely looks tougher now.”
Kim Hyung admired the finished rope.
“But this alone isn’t enough. Hyung, can I borrow your scabbard?”
“My scabbard? You don’t need the sword? Sure.”
Without asking why, he handed it over immediately.
I securely tied the scabbard to the end of the rope.
It would serve as both a weight and a handle for Park Jinsung to grab.
After swinging it a few times to get a feel for its weight, I threw it.
“Here it comes!”
Whoosh!
The scabbard traced a smooth arc.
Splash!
It landed perfectly in front of Park Jinsung.
He grabbed it with both hands as though it were a lifeline dropped from heaven.
“I got it!”
“Everyone pull together! On three! One, two!”
“Heave!”
All three of us pulled.
The legs that had seemed permanently stuck slowly began to slide free from the mud.
“Oh! He’s moving!”
“Again! One, two!”
“Heave!”
The rope stretched so tightly it looked ready to snap.
Then—
“Almost there! One more time! One, two!”
“Heave!”
Crunch!
Mud exploded everywhere.
Park Jinsung was finally dragged free.
Covered head to toe in mud, he collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
“…I really thought I was dead. Thank you… all of you.”
“Whew… thank goodness.”
The tension finally eased.
Everyone sat down to catch their breath.
Then—
“Eek! Look at your leg!”
“W-What is that?!”
Something black was wriggling on Park Jinsung’s leg.
Before I could figure out what it was, Kim Hyung recognized it.
“Those are bloodsucking swamp leeches. It’s my first time seeing them in person, but if it’s really them… you’re lucky this is all that happened.”
“B-Bloodsucking leeches?! These?!”
Park Jinsung hurriedly ripped the oversized leeches off his legs.
Kim Minju helped him in a panic.
I was the only one who didn’t understand.
“What’s so scary about leeches? They’re just… big.”
“They go crazy the moment they smell blood. They’ll swarm you like wolves. Plenty of climbers have died to those things in swamp areas. Don’t underestimate them.”
“Hmm… I see.”
Fortunately, once the leeches were removed and Kim Minju treated his wounds, the incident ended.
Only then were we finally able to rest.
Though we couldn’t relax for long.
“If this keeps happening… we won’t even reach the boss, let alone fight it.”
Everyone nodded at Park Jinsung’s words.
Kim Hyung naturally looked at me.
“Sihyeon, got any ideas?”
I smiled.
“Of course.”
I had been planning to bring it up as soon as everyone caught their breath.
“Perfect timing. I was thinking about making something during the last break… and now I’m sure of it. Let’s all make them.”
Kim Hyung and Park Jinsung blinked in confusion.
Only Kim Minju understood.
“Ah… the thing you were making earlier!”
I nodded.
“Yes. Shoes that’ll let us walk across the swamp as if it were solid ground.”
A short while later…
Slash!
With one clean horizontal strike, the final goblin’s head rolled into the mud.
I flicked the blood from my sword.
Good. Even without Flash Slash, I can manage.
This was my first battle after replacing Flash Slash with Healing Touch.
I wasn’t as strong as before, but by staying calm and taking them down one at a time, it wasn’t difficult.
After the battle, goblin corpses littered the swamp.
Nine severed green heads.
Twelve dead goblins in total.
It would’ve been overwhelming before, but now that Kim Hyung had recovered and rejoined us, it was manageable.
“Whew…”
Park Jinsung let out a long breath.
His face showed both relief and exhilaration.
“Haha… How did this become so easy…? Mr. Sihyeon, these things are incredible. I was already impressed on the way here, but during the fight… wow…”
On his feet were the swamp shoes I’d made.
Most of the materials had been gathered on the spot—tree bark, flexible branches, and torn strips of cloth.
Honestly, they looked like something a beggar would wear.
But—
“Well? Pretty useful, aren’t they?”
“Useful? Mr. Sihyeon, they’re way beyond useful.”
The results spoke for themselves.
Only a short while ago, one wrong step would’ve meant certain death.
And no one knew that better than Park Jinsung.
Yet now?
He had stood on the swamp as though it were dry land and cut down an entire group of goblins.
Not just him.
The other two praised them as well.
“I wasn’t sure they’d work during combat… This is amazing.”
“You’re really talented. You just started putting things together, and suddenly you’ve made something like this.”
The four pairs of swamp shoes we’d taken the time to craft before facing the boss had performed perfectly.
“The simpler the principle, the more reliable it is.”
I smiled.
“Alright then. Let’s go kill the boss.”
Now that the swamp was no longer a major obstacle, everyone’s steps became noticeably lighter.
Before long, we reached our destination.
“Ugh… that smell.”
The first thing to greet us was a horrifying stench.
Rotting water.
Beast musk.
We’re close.
Less than a kilometer away.
The crimson message box floating in the distance was now practically right in front of us.
“Everyone, draw your weapons. It’s just ahead.”
Silently, everyone prepared for battle.
In the stillness before the storm, the only sound was someone nervously swallowing.
A few moments later—
The target finally came into view.
At last.
The Ruler of the Swamp.
“…T-That’s…”
Kim Minju’s trembling voice came from behind me.
No wonder she was shocked.
So was I.
“Hyung… that’s… still a goblin, right?”
“I… think so. But I don’t know if you can even call something like that a goblin anymore.”
It truly deserved the title of Ruler.
Even by rough estimation, it stood well over four meters tall.
Its bloated body was so enormous that rolls of flesh dragged across the ground.
The simplest way to describe it—
A gigantic mass of green flesh.
It looked more like a hill than a creature.
It had the shape of a goblin…
But it had long surpassed anything that could still be called one.
Doesn’t look like it carries a weapon…
Then again, it probably doesn’t need one.
Its gigantic claws and fangs were already weapons themselves.
Just then, three goblins emerged from behind the enormous body.
Each one carried an armful of food.
“What…? Food?”
The goblins respectfully presented their offerings to the boss like loyal servants delivering tribute.
The boss scooped everything into its mouth.
The mountain of food disappeared instantly.
After chewing only a few times, it frowned.
Then spat everything out.
Guess it didn’t like the taste.
Apparently dissatisfied, the monster let out an irritated growl while scanning its surroundings.
Something about its gaze felt unsettling.
Something’s wrong…
Then—
It suddenly grabbed one of the nearby goblins.
“…!”
“K-Keek!”
The goblin desperately struggled inside its massive hand.
“…No way.”
Without the slightest hesitation, the boss opened its mouth wide.
Then the impossible became reality.
Crunch. Crack!
Bones shattered.
Flesh tore.
The revolting sounds echoed through the swamp.
“Urgh!”
When I looked back, nobody was okay.
Kim Minju had gone pale and turned away.
Park Jinsung was dry-heaving.
Even Kim Hyung’s face had become deathly white.
As for me…
Surprisingly, I felt almost nothing.
Maybe because I’d spent time helping at a butcher shop.
My only thought was—
What disgusting eating habits.
“Get yourselves together. It’s coming.”
No one answered.
But their expressions hardened.
If we lost here…
We would become its next meal.
The chewing finally stopped.
The monster slowly licked its bloody lips in satisfaction.
Then its gaze traveled hundreds of meters—
Straight toward us.
No.
Straight toward me.
Across that vast distance, its bloodstained mouth twisted into a grotesque grin.
Like it had found the perfect meal.
“So… you’ve been waiting for me. Waiting for a special feast to walk right to you.”
At that moment, I understood.
The instant we became aware of each other…
I became its number one target.
Just as I had been hunting it…
It had begun hunting me.
“ROOOOOOAR!”
Its thunderous roar shook the entire swamp.
At the same time, message windows appeared one after another.
[Special Mission Generated!]
[The Tower’s Gaze grants its chosen target a new opportunity.]
Tower’s Guidance: Wrath of the Ruler
Objective: Defeat the Ruler of the Swamp as quickly as possible. (0/1)
Failure Condition: Death of the observed target, Kim Sihyeon
※ Rewards increase depending on completion time.
Hm?
Another opportunity granted by the Tower’s Gaze.
The objective was simple.
The faster I killed it, the better the reward.
I was going to kill it anyway.
There was no reason to refuse.
Being secretly watched by the Tower isn’t so bad after all.
Just as that thought crossed my mind—
Another crimson message appeared.
[Special Condition: The “Ruler of the Swamp” now recognizes you as its highest-priority target.]
“Hah… Good.”
“Now this is what I’d call both a trial and an opportunity.”
Highest-priority target?
Perfect.
I had never intended to let that enormous monster rampage freely anyway.
As long as I could survive…
The other three would have a much easier time fighting.
This wasn’t a penalty.
If I used it properly…
I could become the perfect bait—
“No…”
A new idea flashed through my mind.
Something far better than simply acting as bait.
A smile spread across my face.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll gladly accept that opportunity.”
