WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: DereKimchi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Protagonist Doesn't Want to Leave the First Floor ◈

Chapter 50: 050

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Similar notifications continued for a while.

Notifications saying that some boss in some Area had been defeated, and that the Area Level had risen.

- Isn't this dangerous?

Even people who had not paid much attention to what was happening in the world until now seemed to realize the situation and belatedly began visiting the community.

They had simply been surviving quietly until then, but with each passing day, even the things they had hunted without trouble were becoming harder and harder to handle.

But even if many users sensed the danger, it was impossible to lead or restrain every user.

The bosses in each field were always hunted once every day or two, or once a week at the longest. Each time, the Area Levels continued to rise.

[At this point, I'm going to the lake.]

[The lake is really our only option now.]

That was when the users' life-or-death migration began.

It was not on the scale of a mass migration, but at least a three-digit number of users from all over continued heading toward the Giant Lake field.

The weather beginning to warm up as winter slowly passed was another reason for the move.

The Swamp field in particular was a problem. Once spring came, the snakes packed beneath the ground would surely emerge. People were even saying that survival there might become impossible.

[Were there always this many users?]

There are freaking tons of people on the lake map.

- Seriously, it's no joke right now.

ㄴ Another fight broke out lol.

ㄴ Why are they fighting?

ㄴ No idea.

Many users still held out where they had originally settled, but there were two main destinations for those who could no longer endure.

The increasingly crowded Giant Lake field, and the rocky cliff area in the center.

The rocky cliff area had not had its boss hunted even once since it was first defeated through the lucky lightning-rod trick, so its Field Level was not high.

But the field only had rocky mountains, cliffs, and a little grass. Only people who did not want to run into other users tended to go there.

- How's Logging Forest?

ㄴ It's already over level 30.

ㄴ Bears are wandering all over the field lol.

ㄴ Doesn't that mean we're screwed next winter? We won't be able to get Firewood.

ㄴ Not really. The Loggers climb trees and cut them down now.

ㄴ Ah.

ㄴ They found an answer after all.

As countless posts appeared in real time, someone asked about Northern Forest.

- Isn't anyone clearing that place?

ㄴ Look at this. (Photo)

Instead of an answer, someone uploaded a photo.

It showed countless corpses torn apart by a massive Tiger, along with Personal Effects Bags scattered around them.

- Juggernaut killed that thing for ten days straight early on. But even before that, the Field Level was already fairly high.

ㄴ Ah.

ㄴ I thought he stopped after killing it ten times so other people could have a shot. Turns out it meant you guys can't kill it.

Others uploaded more photos.

There were photos of the grim ends met by people whose raids had failed, like before. But there were also distant shots of what seemed to be Juggernaut's party hunting.

- Is that even hunting?

ㄴ Aren't they just getting jumped?

ㄴ But I watched another video, and they really do keep killing them. The problem is that as many as they kill, more keep coming, so the monsters never decrease.

ㄴ How do they survive that?

Wolves charged in from every direction.

Quite a few creatures mixed among them were clearly different from the Wolves users already knew, beginning with their size.

They were probably higher-grade variants.

The same could be seen in other fields.

In Rabbit Field, creatures much larger than ordinary rabbits, nearly half the size of an adult man, were already roaming around.

But rabbits were one thing. These were Wolves.

With only slight exaggeration, Wolves nearly the size of Bears surrounded them and rushed in from all sides.

Surviving that was impressive enough. The fact that they were continuously killing creatures like that was beyond words.

[How do I join Juggernaut's party?]

How do you get in?

- If I knew, I would've joined too.

ㄴ Nobody knows.

ㄴ I think I saw a post before about someone going there in person and getting rejected.

People who had survived alone or in small groups until now were gradually trying to join larger groups.

They had no choice. It was becoming too difficult to survive in small numbers, and it was obvious that it would only get worse.

Yet Juggernaut's group, the only party permanently based in Northern Forest, where a large number of people should have been needed more than anywhere else, gave no sign that it accepted new members.

Some people sneered at that.

They must have become arrogant after slaughtering low-level Villains, drunk on their own power.

But others grew even more wary as they watched Juggernaut's actions.

If they were still hunting in Northern Forest with so few people, that meant each individual was extremely capable.

And with fewer people sharing experience, their growth rate would surely be faster than that of large parties or Clan hunters.

“We need to go north too.”

“...”

“Immediate survival isn't the issue. If we don't grow, we'll be left behind.”

Even if they did not intend to settle there permanently, more and more people were trying to hunt in Northern Forest.

At least, Juggernaut's group did not stop anyone from entering Northern Forest or attempting to raid the Tiger boss.

No, unless they went quite deep into the forest, it was hard even to catch sight of Juggernaut's party.

* * *

Thuck! Thuck!

Mechanical movements.

The curved tip of a glaive, shaped somewhat like a crescent blade, relentlessly stabbed through Wolves' torsos again and again.

“...”

Stone's face was expressionless.

Beside him, Vulcan wore a similar expression as he held an identical glaive, stabbing, smashing, or cutting down Wolves.

They looked like factory workers going through their daily routine. Their expressions would not have seemed out of place if they had been dropped straight into a factory.

Of course, they looked very different from factory workers. Their untrimmed hair and beards had grown long, and more than anything, they did not look East Asian.

'I'm not the only one.'

He knew that there were only Koreans in the Area, but the appearances of other users were remarkably global.

Some even looked as if they were not from Earth at all. Most of them regretted it.

- I thought it was just a game character, so I went all-in on a concept. I never thought it would turn out like this.

In any case, the hunting that left everyone in awe was still easy for him. The Nemesis effect, which had already reached its maximum, was a tremendous help.

'That doesn't make me invincible.'

If he let his guard down and got hit, it hurt more than before.

They were still only scratches, but even that damage could not be ignored if it continued to build up.

'Let's see.'

He was hunting with only two Avatars because he had settled on a twenty-four-hour hunting routine.

Two-person teams rotated through two twelve-hour shifts, while the fifth Avatar remained on emergency standby or handled Subspace resources and pets.

'This side is no joke either.'

The rabbits had probably passed one hundred this morning.

'I have to handle dozens of them in real time.'

For now, taking them all out and controlling them at once was impossible.

Still, some Avatars had broken through their locked levels, strengthening his Unique Ability and allowing him to handle more than before.

“Give me some Keys.”

Chests were appearing often enough.

After the Field Level passed 40, the chest drop rate was higher than before.

But considering the chance of getting Keys from them, the actual number he received each day was not much.

'Still, I'm doing better than most.'

The community situation he checked regularly was worsening by the day. Users kept each other in check based on level, Area, and faction.

It was all because of the conditions.

The eligibility to return home, and the conditions required to secure it.

Everyone had their own position and desires.

There were no laws or police in this world, so everything was bound to come down to strength. Even if that was how things were settled, it only left a bitter, unpleasant aftertaste.

'It'll only get worse.'

Some users had already been left behind.

Those who had at least reached the Giant Lake field could continue surviving by begging if necessary. But in other fields, they could be attacked even if they did nothing.

The conditions that had made some monsters conditionally Aggressive Mobs had changed as the Field Levels rose.

“In that respect, this place is pretty much the same as it was at the beginning.”

The only changes were the Wolves' size and population.

Of course, the Tiger boss had grown stronger as well, but two Sanguns were still enough to handle it.

He did not deliberately raise the Field Level further because of hunting efficiency. The current level was perfect for two-person teams running two shifts.

'If I can add one more Avatar, I could raise the Field Level a little more then.'

There was still no news.

Multiple Viewpoints had grown stronger, broadening his view and sharpening his sight, but he could not add another Avatar.

'Could five be the limit?'

He had become quite skilled at handling five simultaneously. If five was the maximum, that would be disappointing.

But he had another option.

'I can increase my pets.'

Just as he had done with the rabbits, which already numbered in the hundreds, increasing and evolving other pets would be a great help.

He could not control them directly like his Avatars, but with Hive Command, he could get close enough.

'If they evolve and gain Humanization like Companion No. 1 and No. 2, their intelligence will improve too.'

At that point, he would not even need to command them with a Skill. He could simply give instructions.

The problem was that the timing for taming Wolves was awkward.

'There are too many of them.'

In the past, there had been brief gaps when they retreated and returned. At some point, that stopped. Now they only rushed in blindly.

“I should make time to bring out Sangun.”

The Wolves still kept their distance from Sangun, so he could secure enough time and space to attempt taming.

“I'm too busy right now... No.”

Was he not busy because he lacked manpower?

In other words, if he increased the number of evolved Wolves now, he would have more hands to work.

'Right. Instead of this, I should increase the Wolves.'

Seo Hajin moved Juggernaut and retrieved the rabbits that were busily gnawing at nearby trees into Subspace.

Some trees were nearly down, but unless they had completely snapped, they would not recover to their original state. The work could be continued later.

'I have plenty of taming items.'

He used two Sanguns, along with Companion No. 1, Companion No. 2, and Black from Subspace, to capture Wolves.

Since he had to attempt it while they were alive, it was easier to have the pets step in rather than do it himself.

“They really are like Bears.”

The Wolves were huge.

He had felt it while hunting, but they truly seemed to have evolved by one stage.

Perhaps because of that, the taming attempts repeatedly failed. He only succeeded after giving the Wolf a thorough beating.

'It's fortunate the taming items aren't consumed even if I fail.'

The same process continued.

Even then, his two Avatars continued hunting without issue, proving how much stronger his control had become.

“Five for now.”

Over roughly three hours, he tamed five Wolves. It was harder than expected because many refused to submit to taming even if it meant being beaten to death.

“It'll get worse later, won't it?”

Was it because evolved Wolves had greater intelligence and pride? Or simply because their levels were higher?

It was not something he needed to worry about right now. He continued until he had ten.

'Still, just as I thought.'

[Reinforced Wolf]

[Name: Worker No. 1]

[Level: 12]

It was not an ordinary Wolf.

Was this what they became if they evolved in another direction instead of toward Beastkin?

'Their levels are in the low to mid-teens.'

That was not very high compared to the Field Level.

But a monster's strength could not be explained by level alone. A level 30 rabbit could not defeat a level 10 Wolf.

“I have... enough Keys.”

The Keys were precious.

But there was something he needed to check.

He selected the Wolf with the highest level, fed it some accumulated experience, and raised it to level 20.

[“Worker No. 1” can evolve.]

[An Unlock Key is required for evolution.]

[Number of Keys required: 2]

[Would you like to proceed with evolution?]

“So evolution works.”

What mattered was which branches would appear.

Would the Humanization branch appear even in this state?

Or would entirely different branches appear?

[Select an evolution path.]

1. Reinforced+ Wolf

2. Black Wolf

3. Werewolf

Oh. It was there.

It was not very different from what he had seen when evolving Companion No. 1. The only difference was the plus sign beside Reinforced Wolf.

'If I choose this, could it become even bigger than it is now?'

Then it really would be a Bear.

It would probably still be useful in its own way, but what he needed right now was not a Bear. It was manpower.

He selected Werewolf and was met with the Avatar customization window, which had become familiar by now.

“Hmm?”

But it was different from when he evolved Companion No. 1 or No. 2, even in its base state. Perhaps because it had already been a Reinforced Wolf, its default build was larger.

'There is a limit to how much I can shrink it.'

Even if he gave it a Beastkin appearance, it would be a sturdier, more muscular Beastkin.

It would be difficult to make one as sleek and agile as Companion No. 1, but it would at least look strong and capable.

“I chose a good name.”

Just in case, he had not added it to the Companion series and had created a Worker series instead. It looked like its appearance would suit the name.

'Still, making him too bulky would be a little much. He's male... Let's make him a handsome guy.'

Using the saved settings as a base and making a few changes, he finished quickly.

Other than the large Wolf ears on top of his head, people would probably mistake him for a user, just as they did with Companion No. 1.

'They're starting to appear.'

He already knew that other users had begun taming Wolves and evolving them.

Perhaps because of that, theories had begun to circulate that some of Juggernaut's party members might not be users.

'It'll become even more convincing now.'

He had enough Keys to evolve the remaining nine Wolves. Even combined, they were not enough to unlock one Avatar, so for now, he intended to invest them in making more Workers.

That was how Worker No. 1 through Worker No. 10 were created.

Since they had just evolved, they started again at level 1. But they had a great deal of accumulated experience from when their levels had been locked, so he quickly filled them back to level 10.

“Why is this a men's bathhouse?”

He had not intended it, but every one of them turned out to be male. Thinking about it, Companion No. 1 and No. 2 had been male too.

'So were the Sanguns.'

He had not checked the rabbits individually.

Black was female, but perhaps she was rare.

'If they're male, they'll be good workers.'

He chose to think positively.

He made clothes for the naked Workers, filled their stomachs with the abundant food in Subspace, then assigned them to the hunting teams.

'Two Avatars and three Workers. Teams of five should work.'

As long as the Wolves picked up items when they had not drawn aggro and helped in combat otherwise, that would be enough.

He assigned them to two teams, then decided to send the remaining four Workers to assist with logging.

Someone needed to move the trees felled by the rabbits into Subspace. Until now, Juggernaut and Black had done that work.

“No. I don't need all four there.”

He revised the arrangement, pulling two of them back and adding one more to each hunting team.

As soon as four Wolf Workers joined the two Avatars who had been hunting alone, the overall efficiency, from hunting to picking up items, immediately improved.

Since he was not controlling the Workers directly, they sometimes stumbled over each other for now. But that would gradually improve.

'Pets really don't seem to be connected to my control capacity.'

It would be different when he had to use Hive Command, but simply giving instructions and having them carry them out had no effect at all.

'Humanization really was the answer.'

He might need more Wolf-type pets later, but for now, he decided to increase the Workers first.

'I still have plenty of taming items... Ah, but I'm short on Keys.'

In the end, Keys were the problem.

Using Juggernaut, Seo Hajin scratched his cheek and opened the map window at the edge of his vision.

“I've reinforced the hunting teams... It might not be bad to hunt the boss a few more times.”

Bosses guaranteed Keys as basic rewards. If he used those, would he not be able to add a few more Workers and improve efficiency further?

'No. I'll let them get used to hunting first, then think about it.'

Once the Field Level rose, it could not be reversed.

He nodded and began adapting to the changes in front of him, one by one.

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