I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

Chapter 459: Black Mage's Cliché 4

Our hero party had three main objectives for floor 60.

First, naturally, was hunting the boss monster. Now that we'd reached around floor 60, mercenaries and adventurers started thinking "Shouldn't dangerous things like boss monsters be handled by the hero?"

But conversely, this meant some were thinking "If I catch that, I could get hero-level money and fame...!" After all, defeating the boss monster meant a flood of rewards - free Magic Tower gate passes, equipment support, and non-monetary compensation from both temple and kingdom.

So if we got careless playing the hero card, we might lose the final blow to some top-tier adventurer party that popped up out of nowhere, or high-ranking mercenaries hired by an Imperial trainee commander obsessed with achievements.

Second was securing research samples from floor 60 to send to the Magic Tower.

"Capturing goblins alive - if we keep them from touching their belts, shouldn't it be possible?"

"We could target their armpits or wrists to stop them using their arms."

As Katie sharply pointed out, the monster army's weapons were increasingly focused on explosives. Though it seemed bizarre for mutant monsters created by dark magic to use bombs as their main weapons... crazy mages doubling as crazy alchemists were quite common in this world.

Just look at Han Se-ah - a mage (subclass alchemist, inventory containing 25+ types of bombs). Whether dark magic user or regular mage, having a screw loose somewhere was something Roland could guarantee from 11 years of fantasy experience.

"So let's try to capture goblins alive when possible, and if not, at least get those belts?"

"Won't the belts disappear when the goblins die?"

"You never know. Since they're organized as an army, the belts might be separately supplied equipment."

"And Grace, if you spot any ogres while scouting, that's top priority."

"Got it, Hanna. I want to enhance my bow too."

And third was hunting berserk ogres, which we'd caught exactly once and never seen again.

Ogres, which could be traded for rare enhancement stones, had become so scarce they might as well be called unique monsters rather than named elites. We should have finished farming special enhancement stones below floor 50 before moving to season 2, and now we were paying the price.

Just one "Winter Fragment" special enhancement stone on a sword had evolved Katie's ice-attribute aura from applying slow to causing freeze. No wonder viewers who knew gaming were losing their minds.

Like holy shit, a passive slow effect evolving into a complete disable?!

The biggest thrill in RPGs comes from gear progression, right? One successful enhancement and suddenly damage numbers jump up, previously tough monsters become easy prey, and new effects start piling up!

But only Katie got to experience this thrill - other players hadn't managed to get special enhancement stones yet. Whatever Kim Seok-hyun was doing on his stream, he seemed to have unlocked regular enhancement but not special enhancement.

[Heroes Chronicle Forum]

-✪26th Forum Owner Replacement Proposal [214] +366

-✪Like if you're a scaredy cat hiding from the hero lololol [58] +491

-✪???: So you want me to fight the hero party? [172] +277

-✪Anyone else seriously turned on by Teacher Han Se-ah? [691] +299

-✪???: So the hero's main weapon is bombs? [331] +185

As a result, Han Se-ah kept getting kicked out of her position as forum owner only to be reinstated, causing quite the drama in the Heroes Chronicle Forum.

Removed for rushing ahead without enhancing gear, reinstated because Grace was hot, removed again for favoritism in only enhancing the kid, reinstated because said kid looked cute wielding her sword...

The special enhancement stone topic kept coming up even in minor forums like the Han Se-ah Forum (full of fans from her gaming and fitness streaming days) and Hero Hanna Forum (focused on Heroes Chronicle broadcasts).

"Boss monster search, goblin capture, ogre hunting. That's our priority order."

"Ogre hunting is lower priority than goblin capture?"

"We can't actively search for ogres. Can't ignore everything else just to hunt them."

"That's true."

With the strategy meeting ending amid countless unseen viewer suggestions, everyone nodded in understanding.

Though calling it a strategy meeting was generous - it was just stating the obvious before dinner.

"Well then, shall we have dinner? Please line up to get your portions."

"Oh thank you so much, as always!"

Irene smiled while holding a ladle over the bubbling soup pot as Ice Cross Knights received their portions with both hands respectfully. Their smiles wouldn't fade, clearly happy just to have hot, delicious soup instead of hard biscuits softened with saliva.

Well, even I with my remaining modern palate and Han Se-ah who was just used to MSG found Irene's soup delicious.

It was a delicacy incomparable to brick-like preservation biscuits or cheap, moldy-smelling jerky. As always with people, good food and proper rest improved everyone's mood.

※

Though human emotions are often portrayed as complex, they also have simple, universal aspects.

Regardless of age or gender, people feel good when they can eat their fill of delicious food instead of garbage. Conversely, mood instantly sours when disgusting things wander around spreading stench.

"Ugh, the smell."

"Why are these bastards suddenly appearing on the plains?"

"Undead soldiers... perhaps? What a truly horrible thing they've done. Almost unbearable."

As if suicide goblins weren't enough, floor 60 added zombie legions. Undead soldiers made indiscriminately from humans, goblins, orcs, and other races.

Watching them slowly lumber around in tight formations wearing armor and carrying shields despite being zombies with no special abilities, they seemed like upgraded versions of goblin infantry. Really just meat shields without any other abilities.

Orc javelineers started using catapults, orc hunters used longbows and ballistas. Centaurs gained stealth or divided into light and heavy cavalry based on weight class. So goblin infantry either became mutant suicide troops or zombies after experiments.

...As expected of bottom-feeders in the fantasy ecosystem, they got the worst treatment. While others had their equipment upgraded or abilities evolved, goblin infantry just got recycled.

Of course there weren't only goblin zombies, but from a gaming perspective that's how it felt.

"Looking at how they walk, they must be returning to base. Can't tell if the zombies are alone or if other monsters were killed by adventurers."

"Or maybe they're chasing enemies with their slow-ass walk."

"Haha, even a yeti frozen to death in the north would be faster."

"Can yeti freeze to death?"

"It's just a metaphor for how stupid they are, hero."

Visible bone wounds, writhing maggots, stench spreading under the eternal sunlight - their revolting appearance instantly ruined plains that could rival tourist spots for beauty.

Everyone's brows furrowed slightly, disliking even their shambling gait. Especially Irene who served the Goddess of Life - "slightly" wasn't the word, her face was so twisted with anger it could crack.

Of course, given her usually gentle expression, even her angry glare seemed more cute than threatening, like a puppy trying to intimidate its owner. But it was rare to see the normally calm Irene react so intensely.

Irene looked ready to unleash holy power. The Ice Cross Knights, grateful for her delicious food, drew their swords and prepared for battle. No matter how much the stench and filth of dozens of zombies repelled them, they couldn't back down before a priestess of the Goddess.

"Damn, I hope safe zones don't have dozens of zombies. That'd make resting pretty gross."

"But this is inside the tower, so when we kill them their corpses and stench should disappear, right?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

As I charged forward with hammer and shield raised, Irene's quick barrier wrapped around me without hesitation. She must have been so excited she forgot my request not to cast it on me for reflect damage.

Behind us, Olek and Alisa grumbled worries about corpse disposal. The zombies were so slow I glanced back to see not just Olek and Alisa, but Katie and the knights following them all glowing with holy protection.

Seeing this, I filled my hammer with holy power instead of aura to help improve Irene's mood. Though I was just a basic tank without elemental damage, I felt I should match the atmosphere.

Twenty-six aura users fully armed with holy power and aura

Shield and armor-wearing decaying goblin zombies

The outcome of this clash was so one-sided it would be a waste of time to describe.

CRACK--!!!

And, BANG!