WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: DereKimchi
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Abandoned Tank is a Disaster-class Awakener ◈
Chapter 20
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South Korea had not given up.
Even after losing the throne on the 25th floor and arriving a step too late on the 26th, the Korean Awakeners Association was still the nation that had cleared the highest floor.
They had no shortage of accumulated data, experience, or raid resources.
So while everyone focused on the footage of the 25th-floor clear, they staked everything on the battle against the Guardian of the 27th floor.
This time, they were truly confident.
“Get ready.”
At Park Jun-hyeok’s words, the party members moved in unison.
A beautiful garden lay before them.
Silver grass swayed in the wind, and strange flowers of unknown names bloomed in abundance.
Hundreds of lights drifted slowly among them.
Pixies, the main monsters of the 27th floor.
Fast.
Small.
They used nature magic.
They were especially troublesome to face head-on because, once enough of them began moving together, restraints and ranged magic would pour in from every direction.
But South Korea had studied this floor for a long time.
At the center of their plan was one item.
『Flower of the Mysterious Garden』
A gathering item found at an extremely low rate on the 27th floor.
At first, no one knew what it was for.
It had no healing effect.
Almost no mana could be sensed from it.
It showed no notable reaction even as an alchemy ingredient.
So for a long time, it was treated as little more than a weed.
The first person to discover its use was Kang Seong-un.
Pixies reacted strongly to the scent given off by the Flower of the Mysterious Garden.
More precisely, they lost their hostility.
And any Pixie that smelled a sufficiently concentrated scent would give up fighting and leave the garden on its own.
It was clearing research Kang Seong-un had left behind when he was active in South Korea.
The Korean Awakeners Association understood its value, but other countries still did not.
Thanks to that, the Association had been able to buy up every Flower of the Mysterious Garden released on the overseas market over the past few weeks.
Before the price rose.
Before anyone figured out its use.
They poured in enormous funds and swept up the entire supply.
The result was now in Park Jun-hyeok’s hand.
“Start.”
One party member opened the cap of a small glass bottle.
They crushed the flower petals inside.
Shhhhhh.
A sweet yet strangely refreshing scent soon spread through the garden.
At first, nothing happened.
The hundreds of lights drifting among the flowers continued to sparkle.
But the moment the scent spread far and wide.
“Kik?”
The Pixies that had been about to reveal themselves from within the lights stopped moving one by one.
Torn mouths.
Gray skin.
Sharp claws.
The bodies of the creatures that had just shown their monstrous forms were once again covered in faint light.
Flash.
The first Pixie flew beyond the garden and vanished.
Then.
Flash! Flash!
Lights moved everywhere.
Not to fight, but to leave the garden.
“Okay, it’s working!”
An excited cry escaped the supporter.
The corners of Park Jun-hyeok’s mouth rose as well.
“Keep spreading it.”
The scent made by grinding the Flower of the Mysterious Garden rode the wind and covered the garden.
Its effect was certain.
A significant number of the hundreds of Pixies left the garden without even fighting.
The number they needed to battle had visibly decreased.
The effect was better than Strategic Command had expected.
“Now, take care of the remaining ones!”
Only then did the Korean Vanguard move.
This time, it was a battle.
But fighting hundreds at once and fighting a small number of Pixies were entirely different matters.
Swish!
A blade flashed.
One Pixie fell.
“Three on the right!”
“Got it!”
Magic cut off their escape route.
The front line charged in, and concentrated fire poured down before the remaining Pixies could bind them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Lights burst one after another.
The Pixies’ strengths were their speed and the chaos created by their numbers.
The moment those numbers disappeared, their threat level dropped sharply.
More than anything, South Korea’s Vanguard was an elite force that had cleared up to the 31st floor.
There was no reason for them to lose in a straightforward battle.
“Above!”
Park Jun-hyeok twisted his body.
One Pixie brushed past overhead.
He stomped down.
Whoosh!
His sword rose diagonally.
Slash!
The Pixie split apart in midair.
Behind him, a ranged damage dealer blew apart a Pixie preparing restraint magic.
Thud!
The number of remaining Pixies quickly dwindled.
Twenty.
Ten.
The last five.
“Drive them in!”
The party members closed the gaps as planned.
They blocked off their escape routes first.
The Pixies desperately unleashed blades of wind, but it was already too late.
The tank’s barrier took the attacks.
The damage dealers’ strikes descended at once.
Bang!
The final light disappeared.
Then.
[The 27th-floor clear objective has been achieved.]
Someone immediately checked the time.
“Four minutes and eight seconds.”
Joy soon spread across the party members’ faces.
Four minutes and eight seconds.
The time was important, but more than that, they had barely used any consumable combat items.
A single Flower of the Mysterious Garden, identified by Kang Seong-un, had lowered the difficulty of the clear as a whole.
“We did it.”
Park Jun-hyeok clenched his fist.
He had kept falling behind Kang Seong-un.
But this time was different.
They had not simply pushed through with raw power.
This result had been created through South Korea’s long-accumulated research and clearing experience.
Park Jun-hyeok and the Vanguard waited for the next system message.
They believed a Guardian would appear this time as well, just as hidden Guardians had appeared on the 25th and 26th floors.
“Everyone, get ready.”
At Park Jun-hyeok’s words, the party immediately formed up.
The tank moved forward.
The damage dealers spread out.
The supporter prepared buffs in advance.
One person even placed a hand on the high-grade potion at their waist.
“...”
No one relaxed.
The Guardians’ strength had been proven as Awakeners from powerful nations failed one after another to clear them.
But South Korea was different.
They had saved their consumables and could face it in perfect condition.
Holding that confidence, Park Jun-hyeok stared ahead.
‘Come on.’
It did not matter what kind of creature it was.
They were ready this time.
But then.
[Calculating the clear results.]
“...?”
For a moment, he could not understand the message.
“...What?”
The question came late.
But regardless of their confusion, the system message delivered its result.
[The conditions for a five-person party clear have been fulfilled.]
[The reward, the 27th-floor Chest, will be granted.]
Flash!
Light gathered.
Then a large reward chest appeared before them.
Thump.
A reward chest.
It should have been a welcome sight.
But not now.
Its appearance meant the clear was over.
“...Where’s the Guardian?”
Park Jun-hyeok spoke.
No one answered.
The smile from moments ago vanished from Park Jun-hyeok’s face.
“Wait.”
There could still be more messages.
A Hidden Trial.
The appearance of a throne.
The Guardian’s intervention.
Perhaps words like those would follow.
But.
“...”
No matter how much time passed, nothing changed.
It was really... over.
“Why isn’t it appearing?”
His voice grew rough.
Four minutes and eight seconds.
Under five minutes.
They had saved their consumables.
The party was in peak condition.
They had analyzed their past failures.
They had studied the results from the 25th and 26th floors.
He had thought there was no way they could be wrong this time.
Then why?
“Could the condition be different?”
The supporter spoke cautiously.
Park Jun-hyeok spun around.
“What?”
“The 27th floor’s condition may not simply be based on time.”
“...”
Only then did they remember the fact they had overlooked.
The Tower did not always demand the same answer.
And the conditions for a Guardian’s appearance could also be different.
Park Jun-hyeok’s fist trembled.
They had prepared perfectly.
They had cleared it perfectly.
They had even set a record in the four-minute range.
And yet, again!
“Why?”
He gritted his teeth.
“Why the hell!”
Bang!
Park Jun-hyeok’s fist slammed into the reward chest.
A dull impact echoed through the beautiful garden.
* * *
Rumble!
The enormous flower bud engraved with the number 27 fully bloomed.
Rustle.
The first thing visible was its wings.
Four translucent wings that had been folded layer upon layer slowly unfurled.
Their colors were beautiful.
Golden patterns flowed across thin membranes mixed with blue and purple.
The problem was those patterns.
They resembled hundreds of eyes.
Whenever the wings moved, those eyes seemed to wriggle along with them.
At their center, upon something like a throne made of petals, a being rose.
The Pixie Queen.
It was far larger than an ordinary Pixie.
About the size of a person.
Long silver-white hair hung down around pointed ears, and black patterns like tree roots spread from its neck down across pale skin.
Its face was beautiful to an eerie degree.
But the moment the corners of its mouth rose, its impression changed completely.
A mouth torn all the way to its ears, packed with sharp teeth.
Above its head floated a crown tangled with flowers and thorns.
The dress wrapping its body was not made of cloth either.
Leaves.
Petals.
Vines.
And thin, living roots.
It was beautiful, but not something one wanted to approach.
Above all, the mana flowing from that small body was denser than that of all the hundreds of Pixies killed earlier combined.
I slowly raised the Black-Iron Greatsword.
At the same time.
Flap.
The Pixie Queen spread its four wings wide.
Whoooom!
Mana powerful enough to cover the entire garden spread out.
Flower beds bent low, and ancient trees swayed.
Then, the next moment, the Queen raised one hand.
[The authority of the 27th-floor Guardian is activated.]
[Throne Law: Quad-Elemental Dominion]
[Earth, fire, wind, and water obey the throne’s command.]
[Until the Guardian’s mana is depleted, the spirits of the four elements will continuously manifest on the battlefield.]
A Throne Law like the one used by Karganon, the Guardian of the 25th floor, was activated.
Then.
Fwoosh!
Four streams of light split from its fingertips.
Red.
Yellow-brown.
Turquoise.
Blue light fell to the ground.
Rumble!
Earth rose first.
Soil and stone gathered together, forming a massive shape.
Thick arms.
Shoulders made of rock.
Legs stretching out like tree roots.
The moment it stood, the surrounding ground caved in.
『Intermediate Earth Spirit』
Beside it.
Fwoosh!
Flames swirled.
A nearly humanoid shape stepped out from within them.
The flames wrapped around its arms and shoulders stretched out long like blades.
When it clenched its fist, the air around it distorted.
『Intermediate Fire Spirit』
This time, above my head.
Whooom!
Wind gathered at a single point.
A turquoise body whose shape could not even be clearly seen.
Wind compressed like a whirlwind at the ends of its long arms.
『Intermediate Wind Spirit』
Last.
Splash!
A stream of water surged up behind the Pixie Queen.
The water gathered into the shape of a person.
A blue mana core pulsed slowly inside its transparent body.
Unlike the other spirits, it did not come to the front.
It took the safest position behind the Pixie Queen.
『Intermediate Water Spirit』
Earth.
Fire.
Wind.
Water.
Four Intermediate Spirits took their places around the Pixie Queen.
After completing the summons, the Queen’s four wings slowly spread open.
Shhhhhh.
Glittering dust covering the wings scattered across the garden.
It was a beautiful sight.
But the flowers touched by that light lowered their heads, and the silver grass all bent toward the Queen.
As though the entire garden were welcoming its master.
The Pixie Queen looked down at me.
Its voice was different from the sharp laughter the Pixies had made moments earlier.
Its will seeped into my mind.
「You broke my flowers.」
The Queen’s red eyes narrowed.
「You tore the wings of my children.」
The floating dust of light around us stopped all at once.
「You who did not even grant them the mercy of escape.」
The mana of the four spirits grew dense at the same time.
The Earth Spirit struck its fists together.
Flames surged from the Fire Spirit’s body.
Wind swirled around the Queen, and the Water Spirit gave off a blue glow.
At the center of it all, the Pixie Queen did not move.
「I do not like such cruelty.」
For a moment, the corners of its torn mouth slowly rose.
「But I acknowledge your strength.」
“...”
Above the Queen’s head.
The crown of flowers and thorns shone brightly.
「I am the first wing born from the flower of dawn.」
Flowers blooming all around opened their petals at once.
「The mother of all little things raised on this garden’s fragrance.」
The wind grew rough.
「The Queen of Fairies who commands fire, water, wind, and earth.」
The four spirits bowed their heads simultaneously.
Then the Pixie Queen fully spread its four wings.
The sunlight covering the garden was blocked in an instant.
「The master of the Mysterious Garden and the one who guards the twenty-seventh throne.」
Its eyes turned toward me.
「I am Arvelia, the Pixie Queen.」
Rumble!
The moment it finished speaking, the mana of the four spirits exploded.
Petals shot into the sky, and the ground shook.
Wind spun like blades, while water mana wrapped around the spirits’ bodies.
I slowly raised my greatsword.
“So that’s how it works.”
I looked at the four spirits one after another.
Intermediate Spirits.
They were not creatures I had never seen before.
They were creatures one could encounter from after the 40th floor onward.
They were somewhat lacking to be called bosses, but compared to ordinary monsters, they were on an entirely different level.
Elite monsters was the most accurate term for them.
What made these spirits especially troublesome was that their roles were clear depending on their element.
Earth.
Sturdy.
A tank specialized in taking the enemy’s attacks from the front.
Fire.
Aggressive.
A melee damage dealer that closed the distance without caring about getting hurt and tore its opponent apart with flames.
Wind.
It kept its distance instead.
A ranged damage dealer that constantly attacked from the rear with speed, range, compressed wind pressure, and wind blades.
And water.
It had the lowest direct combat ability.
Instead.
Splash.
The Water Spirit raised its hand.
Blue light swept over the bodies of the Earth Spirit and Fire Spirit.
Their mana increased.
Small cracks closed, and the flames intensified.
It was a supporter that cast all sorts of buffs, as well as a healer.
While I looked at the spirits, they had already taken their positions.
The Earth Spirit in front.
The Fire Spirit behind it.
Wind at the left rear.
Water furthest back.
And at the center of it all floated the Pixie Queen.
Tower clears had always been similar until now.
Awakeners formed a party.
The tank held the front.
The damage dealers attacked.
The supporters and healers backed them up.
Specific strategies could differ, but that was the foundation.
The foundation of clearing monsters was this division of roles.
But this time, it was the opposite.
The Guardian had formed its own party.
And I was alone.
For a normal Raid Party, this would have been quite a headache.
Shing.
I raised the greatsword with one hand.
Then.
Boom!
I charged forward at explosive speed.
The Earth Spirit moved first.
It crossed both arms.
Rumble!
Rocks overlapped, and a thick stone wall rose before its body.
I saw that hard wall, but did not slow down.
Grip.
I raised the Black-Iron Greatsword above my head.
Then I swung it straight down.
Crash!
The stone wall split apart.
No, it did not end there.
The blade continued through, cutting into the Earth Spirit from its head to its chest.
Crack, crack!
Its rocky shell split open, and the Earth Spirit’s body was cleaved from top to bottom.
One strike!
In a single strike, an Intermediate Earth Spirit capable of replacing most tanks disappeared.
But as though it had been waiting for that opening, the Fire Spirit rushed in.
Fwoosh!
A greatsword wreathed in flame slashed at my side.
Boom!
An explosion went off.
But neither the heat nor the explosion could affect me.
Hum, hum!
Shell, still protecting my body, absorbed the entire impact.
“This time...”
I grabbed the hand of a creature that was normally impossible to touch.
Whoosh.
I pulled the Intermediate Fire Spirit along with my tremendous strength, then aimed at its body.
Swish!
The Black-Iron Greatsword fell vertically.
The Earth Spirit that had filled the tank role could not withstand that monstrous strength either.
Fwoosh!
The sharply cut flames went out in an instant.
Then.
Whoooom!
The air rumbled behind me.
The Intermediate Wind Spirit.
Dozens of wind blades floated between its two arms.
It had already finished aiming and was about to fire.
Step.
I turned on my toes.
My center of gravity lowered.
Then.
Whoosh!
I launched myself forward.
The distance vanished before the Intermediate Wind Spirit could even stretch out its arms.
Its turquoise form was pulled right before my eyes.
It tried belatedly to scatter its body.
But my Black-Iron Greatsword was faster.
Slash!
A diagonal flash of steel tore through the Wind Spirit’s body from waist to shoulder.
Fwoooosh.
The compressed wind blades lost their power in midair and scattered.
Splash!
The last Water Spirit stretched out both hands.
Blue mana spread toward the fragments of the dying Earth Spirit and the remaining flames of the Fire Spirit.
Recovery.
Regeneration.
It appeared to be trying to restore the party’s formation.
But it was too late.
Pull.
I drew back my left arm.
Then I threw the Black-Iron Shield strapped to it with all my strength.
Whoosh!
A black disc tore through the air.
The Water Spirit tried to dodge, but its movement was already bound by its recovery magic.
Crash!
It collided head-on.
The water body was flattened in an instant.
Then.
Boom!
Blue droplets and fragments of its mana core exploded in every direction.
[You have gained sufficient experience.]
[Your level has increased from 45 → 46.]
[You have been given 5 Status Points.]
In the silence, the only sound was the message saying that my level had risen to 46.
“...?”
At first, I was confused.
But then.
‘...Ah!’
I understood.
Though I had encountered them on the 27th floor, Intermediate Spirits were higher-level enemies.
Creatures that could not normally be encountered here, and in a way, were like bosses.
Since I had killed four monsters like that, the experience I gained could only be enormous.
Surprised by that incredible amount of experience, I raised my gaze.
「...」
The Pixie Queen, Arvelia, was still looking down at me from the air.
The smile on its face had vanished.
Instead, its four wings shook violently.
Fwoosh!
Mana surged once more.
Red.
Yellow-brown.
Turquoise.
Blue.
The four familiar colors floated around the Queen.
For a moment, I was about to kick off the ground.
‘...Wait?’
But I stopped at the thought that came to mind.
In the meantime, rocks rose and flames ignited.
Wind gathered, and water formed a shape.
Thus, Intermediate Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water Spirits were being summoned.
And at the same time, the corners of my mouth slowly rose.
Normally, I would have targeted the Pixie Queen before they could be summoned again.
But a thought had come to mind, and I abandoned the conventional strategy.
‘Is there really any reason to rush to kill it?’
I looked at the four newly summoned spirits.
Then I chuckled.
I could kill the Guardian whenever I wanted.
But it was not common for four elite monsters that appeared after the 40th floor to deliver themselves to me.
Before long.
The Earth Spirit took the front line again.
The Fire Spirit set its body ablaze.
The Wind Spirit floated into the air.
The Water Spirit retreated to the rear.
As I watched the perfectly restored party.
Clink.
I rested the greatsword on my shoulder.
I could kill Arvelia later.
There was no reason to kill the goose that laid golden eggs, no, experience, first.
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