I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 229

229.

“Hand!”

Seo-ah shouted. Jackson, caught off guard, extended his hand, and Seo-ah slapped his palm.

“Use it well!”

Then, she descended to the ground and looked up. Jackson hesitated for a moment, looking back and forth between his palm and Seo-ah. Soon, a system window appeared in front of Seo-ah.

[Hunter ‘Jackson Oscar’ requests your magic power. Duration: 1 minute]

Seo-ah selected ‘NO’.

She had to join another battlefield immediately. Fortunately, other hunters around Jackson seemed to have chosen ‘YES’.

A faint smile appeared on Jackson’s lips.

He stared straight ahead, briefly calming the snowstorm.

Then, he took a breath and unleashed his ice magic again with [Focus]. The power was beyond imagination.

She didn’t know how many hunters had added their magic power to him, but the snowstorm spread to an area 10 times wider than before, overwhelming the firepower of [Phoenix].

Jackson, using [Focus], was on par with the S-class fire monster [Phoenix] in a one-on-one fight. Although there was a time limit of 1 minute, it was fortunate because there wasn’t only [Phoenix].

Anyway, this battlefield was now safe.

Seo-ah used [Midas’s Hand] to transfer the skill to a magic stone, securing an empty slot, and then newly registered [Focus]. The skills currently registered in the three slots were [Teleportation], [Midas’s Hand], and [Focus].

The rest were itemized into magic stones and kept.

Seo-ah drank a potion and moved to another location on Kian. A whopping five S-class monsters had appeared and were engaged in a free-for-all.

‘This can’t continue.’

The number of hunters was decreasing. Considering there were still four more monsters left, the sacrifice was too great if they just kept fighting like this.

Seo-ah looked closely at the monsters.

‘Are they on the same side? Does the concept of being on the same side even exist for monsters in the first place?’

They weren’t monsters from the same world.

The system was releasing powerful monsters brought from various places here without any connection.

And the high-level monsters Seo-ah had seen possessed high intelligence. It was strange that the monsters attacked only the hunters as soon as they arrived here without any reason.

‘Is there a way to make them fight each other?’

There might be a way to create a mental disturbance skill with [Genie of the Lamp], but it was questionable whether she could find a hunter to make a wish for that. And such skills were usually affected by stats, so if it only lasted for a very short time, it would be useless.

‘Ah, right.’

Seo-ah quickly searched the hunter store as if something had come to mind. She vaguely remembered seeing this kind of item while browsing before.

[Nightmare Orb]

[When you throw the orb, nightmare smoke rises.

The smoke evokes the fears and horrors latent in the subconscious of the creature that inhales it, causing them to attack entities that inhaled the same smoke.

You can see the effect of attacking until one entity dies, but be careful because there is no antidote if you inhale it by mistake.]

It was quite an expensive item, so she didn’t think she would ever need to buy it at the time. But now, the price didn’t matter. There were only five listed in the store, and she could only afford two with the money she had.

– Hunter Yoo Ji-an!

Seo-ah called Yoo Ji-an on the communicator. Yoo Ji-an immediately smashed the head of the [S-class Skeleton Wizard] she was fighting, did a somersault, and landed on Kian.

“You called?”

Seo-ah was a little surprised that she came so quickly, but she immediately took out one of the [Nightmare Orbs] and showed it to her.

“What do you think about using this?”

Yoo Ji-an took it and quickly read the description. Then, she looked down at the monsters and hunters fighting below.

“We need to separate them first to use this.”

“Is it possible?”

“It’s a way to reduce sacrifices, so we have to make it possible.”

“But I can’t buy them all with the money I have.”

Yoo Ji-an bought all the remaining [Nightmare Orbs] without answering and handed them to Seo-ah.

“Oh, oh…!”

Then, she gave instructions to the communicator in her ear. She couldn’t give this communicator to all the hunters here, but about 30 leader-level hunters had received it.

The content was roughly to lure the monsters and gather them in front of the gate. Someone who heard the radio immediately protested.

“Are you kidding me right now! How in this situation!”

Kwaang!

“Ugh!”

Yoo Ji-an answered by dropping lightning exactly between the hunter and the monster. It was surprising that it was such a rough method like Yoo Ji-an, but it was effective as it separated them in one shot.

‘There’s no time to persuade them one by one.’

At that time, a huge explosion was heard from one side of the island, and a thick fog spread across the battlefield.

It was fog created by Jackson’s eyes and ice touching the flames and vaporizing. She looked at that side with an uneasy heart, and Jackson and the hunters who helped him were coming out of the fog.

He had completely finished off the S-class fire monster [Phoenix]. Kian lowered its altitude to the ground as Jackson approached. Jackson, seeing Seo-ah and Yoo Ji-an, spoke first.

“I heard the radio. Are you saying to lure the monsters to the gate?”

“That’s right. We’re going to use this.”

Seo-ah handed Jackson one of the [Nightmare Orbs] and briefly explained the plan to him.

“It’s a dangerous but effective method. I like it.”

Jackson, who valued efficiency, expressed his approval at once as expected. It seemed that his ruthless side hadn’t changed from the previous rounds. He probably wouldn’t care even if some hunters were caught in the smoke of this orb, under the pretext that he could save more hunters.

Anyway, now that Jackson had agreed, things seemed to be going smoothly. While Jackson and Yoo Ji-an went in different directions to explain the situation, Seo-ah also headed towards where Baek Eun-hee was.

The armor of the [Ironclad Knight] that Baek Eun-hee was facing was already tattered, and one of its legs had been blown away. Still, an S-class monster was an S-class monster, and it was still wielding its sword in that state.

Baek Eun-hee raised her second weapon, a silver rapier, high and stabbed it straight into the back of the [Ironclad Knight]’s neck.

Kwajik!

[‘Ironclad Knight’ eliminated! Remaining S-class monsters (4/10)]

“Sister!”

When Seo-ah called Baek Eun-hee, she straightened her back, panting. She must have overdone it quite a bit in a state where her injuries hadn’t fully recovered. But Baek Eun-hee had no choice.

Because her guild member, Go Geon-hoo, had died at this guy’s hands.

“Yes, Seo-ah. Just a moment.”

Baek Eun-hee put away her rapier and slowly headed towards the fallen Go Geon-hoo. Watching Baek Eun-hee, Seo-ah also closed her mouth for a moment and carefully approached.

Baek Eun-hee knelt down next to Go Geon-hoo’s body and gently closed his eyes with her palm.

“You worked hard, Go Geon-hoo. Rest in peace now. The Royal Guild will take responsibility for your family for the rest of their lives, so don’t worry.”

The surroundings were still hectic with battle, but only around Baek Eun-hee was quiet.

Seo-ah also approached with a solemn heart and gently placed her hand on the back of Baek Eun-hee’s hand. She felt even more sorry because she had a relationship with Go Geon-hoo.

After the short mourning ended, Baek Eun-hee opened her mouth.

“So, what’s going on?”

“Ah, I’m thinking of using this.”

As with Jackson, Seo-ah handed Baek Eun-hee the [Nightmare Orb] and briefly explained it.

Baek Eun-hee, who received it, nodded.

“Hoo, right. Just fighting like this isn’t always the answer.”

Baek Eun-hee, who said that, looked much more tired than before. It was probably more because of the mental part than the physical one.

Seo-ah gently touched Baek Eun-hee’s shoulder and used [Silent Night]. She hoped that her heart would calm down even a little. Knowing Seo-ah’s heart, Baek Eun-hee said with a forced bright expression.

“It’s okay. That’s what hunters are all about. Let’s go again. Choi Eun-gyeol is about to die over there.”

“Ah, yes!”

At the place where Seo-ah arrived with Baek Eun-hee, Choi Eun-gyeol and several wizards were struggling against a swarm of locusts.

“Ugh, these nasty things!”

A pillar of fire was created from Choi Eun-gyeol’s hand, and locusts turned to ashes wherever it touched.

All these numerous entities were classified as one monster called [Monster Locust]. The problem with these was their rapid replication ability. While burning 100, 100 more were created.

‘It would have been interesting to put them up against Phoenix earlier.’

Seo-ah regretted not thinking of the [Nightmare Orb] sooner while watching. Anyway, she had to execute the plan now. Judging from the shadows flashing in the gate, the remaining four S-class monsters seemed to be coming out soon.

“Eun-gyeol! Drive them to the gate!”

“Okay!”

Choi Eun-gyeol had already heard Yoo Ji-an’s instructions by radio, and without complaining, he led the wizards to start driving the locust swarm in one direction.