Chapter 446

Chapter 446

TL: xLordFifth

ED:

“Good job, Luger.”

“I didn’t go through all this trouble to hear that kind of compliment from you.”

Kidd patted Luger’s shoulder, but Luger just grumbled and didn’t remove his hand.

Kidd smiled and extended his hand.

“Aren’t you going to shake it?”

“...Damn it.”

Snap!

Luger and Kidd high-fived.

The joy wasn’t exclusive to them. Pei Wu and Bald Panda, and Taoist Baeju and Taoist Mu embraced each other.

Even Petyr, with laughter, extended his hand to Biyemi. Of course, Biyemi didn’t reciprocate the gesture, raising her tail in response to Petyr’s attempt to act friendly. Pirate users and Giant users alike gathered for screenshots or started recording without any reservations. In that moment of shared happiness, a shadow came running towards Leeha.

“Oppa!”

Her blue hair shimmered in the moonlight. Leeha recalled some past nightmares, but Ram Hwajung, disregarding it all, rushed into Leeha’s embrace.

“Agh! Ram Hwajung-ssi! Another tackle like this-“

“Leeha-nim!”

“Rubini-nim, are you okay? My arm... my arm!”

Even with Ram Hwajung tightly held in her arms, Rubini was also tightly gripping one of Leeha’s arms. Meanwhile, Leeha glanced at Shin Nara from a distance, who was holding her fist and walking around, seemingly avoiding eye contact with Leeha. Leeha couldn’t understand. Just before Leeha looked at Shin Nara, she had been gazing at him but diverted her gaze.

“We finally made it, we really made it!”

“Oppa, we did it.”

“It’s not something I could have done alone, but... thank you all for your hard work.”

Shaaai—

At that moment, the appearance of Blaugrun, who appeared above Leeha’s head, added to the joy with its cheerful cries. Even in the midst of this, there were a few users who couldn’t smile. The radiant glow of leveling up, the meaning of which was emanating from the entire expedition to the new continent, was something else. While other users were rejoicing, Lee Jiwon felt a complex emotion to the extent that he ignored the fact that he had leveled up.

“Is Alexander really level 300 for real?”

Alexander, the first player in Middle Earth to reach the maximum level, had leveled up as well.

At the ranker level, a difference of 1 stat point is a tremendous difference. Depending on the situation, the efficiency of stat point investment can be as high as tenfold compared to low levels! This is because the efficiency of stat investment is not set to be the same as in low levels.

“Ah... I see. Alexander also leveled up...”

Since the Phase 3 announcement, he hadn’t responded to anyone, including Leeha, who asked, but he couldn’t hide the level-up effect.

“It seems the wall has finally broken.”

“Congratulations. Partner.”

“Thank you, Bailiphus. With this, I won’t be lacking in our future endeavors together.”

“I’m grateful just for the determination to enforce justice.”

Alexander exchanged a firm handshake with Bailiphus, who had a somewhat touched expression. Somehow, Leeha’s nose felt itchy.

“Even if you are not overflowing with joy, I thought that there would be something like a hug of gratitude.”

“Well, it does feel like Alexander after all.”

“That’s right. Still, it’s fortunate that we know the secret of Phase 3. Hmm, when will I hit level 300?”

“Bobae-ssi, you leveled up too, so it’s fine. Your experience should be around 50% by now, right?”

“Leeha-hyung———-!”

Kijung screamed. From the moment the red light burst forth along with the cry of the Red Goats, Leeha’s thoughts accelerated rapidly.

‘I was too careless. I should have kept Rubini’s skill activated!’

In the euphoria of finally stepping on the land of the New Continent, all tension had dissipated. He knew that the New World, even with Rubini’s skill, was always ready to target them at any moment! However, regret came too late, and the echoes were already audible.

“Go back! To your land! This is not a warning!”

The thunderous shout confused the members of the New Continent Expedition, but even within that chaos, some found their tasks. Pei Wu counted the number of Red Goats on the wooden pillars and beneath Elmi, summoned creatures were slowly rising. Just because they suffered a surprise attack didn’t mean their weapons and skills disappeared. Members of the New Continent Expedition quickly calculated their own and the ‘enemy’s’ strengths.

“We have to attack!”

“If it’s red, there’s a high probability of fire-type skills. Cast with a focus on neutralizing attributes—”

“No! Don’t do it!”

Despite the beginning of a background battle with Raphaela’s barrier, during this moment, Leeha’s thoughts were going in a different direction.

“Hyung?!”

“What are you saying at this point?”

Kijung, who was about to raise his shield and take the lead, hesitated. Leeha didn’t have time to explain. On the tree, an unidentified ranged attack was already being attempted!

“Everyone, don’t do anything! Absolutely do not counterattack! Focus on defense! Bailephus-nim, use Extra Barrier!”

The users had some confidence in facing an unknown enemy, and one of the reasons was the presence of the Ancient Gold Dragon Bailephus. However, Leeha blocked even Bailephus’s attempt to attack verbally. Moreover, Bailephus cast a wide-area defense magic at Leeha’s command. If it weren’t for Leeha’s intimacy with Bailephus, it would have been an unimaginable ‘order.’ Alexander frowned, trying to stop Leeha’s sudden action, but everyone’s attention was on the figure outside of Bailephus’s barrier.

“Wait, over there—”

Bobae’s shout pointed towards Shin Nara. Leeha rushed out without hesitation.

Flurr-!

The ranged attacks that came flying ignited in flames. The surroundings seemed brighter due to the fiery rain directed at Shin Nara.

“Come back right now, Ha Leeha.! What do you think you can do by going out like that?”

“Oppa!”

It was such a threatening attack. Kidd and Ram Hwajung shouted at Leeha, but he didn’t even look back.

‘If Ha Leeha dies now—’

‘It’s troublesome. He shouldn’t disappear yet.’

‘And what does it mean not to retaliate? What was he thinking?’

‘If he wants to die, he should at least say so!’

Other users had similar thoughts, though unspoken. Regardless of the strategic value, Ha Leeha’s impact on the New Continent Expedition was greater than that of the 6th-ranked Fencer Shin Nara. However, Leeha ignored all such considerations. Originally, he wasn’t the type to build relationships based on practical considerations. In his mind, only Shin Nara’s death existed, and his instincts were too powerful to consider it rationally.

‘Damn it! I hate things like fire and explosions! Is this going to paralyze my lower body?’

Even in the midst of being thrown away, such thoughts crossed his mind—a self-deprecating joke to release tension. Of course, there was a reason to turn his condition into a joke, as it was a thought that arose from a self-imposed standpoint.

This was Middle Earth, and Leeha had one corner of trust in this place.

“I hate—”

Leeha blocked her way.

“Of course, you should hate it! That’s how you should be, Shin Nara-ssi!”

“-Leeha-ssi.”

Then he embraced her.

“Please, Jellypong! And, [Titanium Shield]!”

A thud, the sound seemed like it would never end.

As if it would tear Leeha’s back to shreds.