Episode 190 Forward (4)
“Monsters in the Gray Zone have several characteristics that are different from those on the outside.”
A red-haired white man pointed at the screen in fluent Korean. His name was Cale Oliver, and he was in charge of education sent by Hwang Byeong-hoon.
Through Kale, Baek Woo-jin and the medical school were receiving essential training in the gray zone.
“As you all know, monsters with bosses create an aura under their feet. The monsters’ abilities are strengthened by that aura.”
When Cale pressed the remote control, the monster on the screen changed to an orc. A red aura was flickering beneath the orc’s feet.
“However, there are three auras at the feet of the monsters in the gray zone.”
“yes?”
“Huh!”
The medical examiner and Moon Joo-young opened their eyes. I didn’t understand what they meant when they said the monster had three auras.
“Please look here.”
When Kayle pressed the remote control once more, another orc appeared on the screen.
It was much bigger than the orc before, but that wasn’t the problem. There were three auras surrounding the orc’s feet. Each was black, gray and red.
“The red aura is an aura that appears when a monster boss exists. As you know, it increases all abilities of monsters. Gray is the aura that receives the energy of this gray zone.”
“What is the energy of the Gray Zone?”
Hong Nam-gi raised his hand and asked a question. Cale pointed at the gray aura at the orc’s feet with his pointer.
“Monsters that receive the energy of the Gray Zone have strong resistance to auras and the four major attributes. To put it simply, durability becomes significantly stronger.”
“Huh…”
“Oh, Auror and all four major attributes?”
The complexions of the medical school prosecutors turned pale. I couldn’t believe that even low-level monsters developed aura resistance and elemental resistance.
“That’s right. If you make a clumsy attack, you will be counterattacked. That’s why we’re doing adaptation training from now on.”
Those with abilities in the gray zone do not participate in battle from the beginning, but can enter the battlefield only after receiving sufficient theoretical and practical training.
“Then what is the third black aura?”
Baek Woo-jin frowned when he saw the black burning aura beneath the orc’s feet. I felt an ominous feeling that I didn’t know what it was.
“Black aura, like red, strengthens all of the monster’s abilities. “There is just one more feature.”
“characteristic?”
“yes. Black aura also strengthens the characteristics of monsters. For example…”
At Cale’s hand gesture, a video played on the screen. It was a scene where a troll with his head and arms cut off was regenerating his own arms.
“The biggest characteristic of trolls is their ability to regenerate. Those caught in the black aura can regenerate their bodies even if their heads are cut off. In the case of ogres, their superpowers become even stronger.”
“He regenerated even after his head was cut off…”
“Wow…”
The medical examiner gulped dry saliva as he looked at the screen. Now they clearly realize where they have come.
“In addition, the monsters are highly intelligent, so they do not fall into traps as easily as outside. Also…”
“How does that black aura come about before that?”
“yes?”
“If the red is because of the boss and the gray because of the gray zone, then there must be a reason for the black aura.”
In response to Baek Woo-jin’s question, Cale looked at Baek Yeon-hwi, who was standing with his back against the wall. It was a look in his eyes as if asking if it was okay to talk.
“Why don’t you tell me yourself? Does it have something to do with the Dark Zone?”
Baek Woo-jin’s eyes lit up as he looked at Baek Yeon-hwi.
Two days ago, Baek Yeon-hwi heard about the bet with her father and said it was impossible. I asked him why, but he said he would find out soon and disappeared.
“I will speak from here on.”
“Ah yes.”
Cale nodded and stepped aside. However, he glanced sideways at Baek Woo-jin with an expression that seemed a bit displeasing.
“It is the tree that creates the black aura.”
“tree?”
“Am I a tree?”
“When looking at the gray zone from the outside, have you ever seen a spire-like silhouette at the very back?”
“saw.”
Baek Woo-jin nodded as if he was possessed. I remembered the shape of the spire rising into the sky.
“That is not a spire, but a tree called Black Tree. The black tree gives strength to monsters and spreads its roots, turning the land into a dark zone.”
“What on earth is that dark zone?”
Baek Yeon-hwi said it was an impossible bet because of the dark zone. I was curious as to why it was impossible.
“The dark zone refers to the land where the roots of the black tree are planted. It is surrounded by black fog and mixed with dark mana that is several times higher than the gray zone. Those with low abilities cannot even enter, and even those with advanced abilities have a hard time holding on for long.”
-He said it smelled like he had been beaten. If you enter a place called the dark zone, your abilities and stamina will likely decrease.
“If you enter the dark zone, will your abilities decrease?”
“It produces a barrier-like effect and reduces the abilities of warriors and wizards. The consumption of auras and stamina becomes extreme. “It is a completely different hell from the gray zone.”
Baek Yeon-hwi nodded heavily. The dark zone is a place where humans cannot adapt. There, you have no choice but to fight while enduring pain and helplessness.
“for a moment! If it’s such a dangerous tree, you can call in all the high-level talents in the world and remove it at once. “You think you can do that?”
“I did it once before. “But I failed.”
Baek Woo-jin widened his eyes. I didn’t understand. If they gathered together, there was no way they couldn’t break through no matter how many monsters and barriers there were.
“No attack works on the black neck. “Level 9 magic and strength were of no use.”
“It’s that hard?”
“No, it’s not solid. Both magic and aura pass through the Black Eye.”
“what?”
Baek Woo-jin opened his mouth wide. I had no idea what was being said.
“Ruen, one of the world’s greatest wizards, said that. “The black tree changes dimensions.”
“Dimension shift?”
“It is said that the Black Tree always exists in another dimension except when it is expanding its roots.”
“Another dimension…”
Baek Woo-jin mumbled the word “dimension” and looked at the floating darkness blankly.
“There are also those who protect the black neck.”
With the sound of a button, the screen changed and a woman appeared.
He had long hair, dark skin, and a small face with beautiful lines and clear features. The most distinctive feature was its pointed, pointed ears.
-That guy….
“No way….”
“He’s a dark elf.”
Baek Yeon-hwi made eye contact with Baek Woo-jin and opened his mouth.
“Monsters in dungeons only have the instinct to kill intruders, but dark elves are different.”
“What does it mean to be different?”
“Dark elves have reason. They think about everything and move strategically. “He goes so far as to throw his colleagues as bait to achieve his desired goal.”
“Huh….”
“That strategy?”
The medical examiner screamed and opened his mouth. I got goosebumps as I imagined the monster moving strategically.
‘hmm?’
Baek Woo-jin tilted his head while looking at the picture of the dark elf.
I felt like I had seen that black skin and half-open pupils somewhere.
‘Don’t you think you’ve seen that somewhere?’
-I’ve seen you a few times, but isn’t this your first time?
‘I thought so too, but somehow it looks familiar.’
There were several dark elves in the photo, but their pupils were all dilated. I wondered if I would remember something from that sight.
“And above them are the elite dark elves.”
“elite?”
“It’s a name we chose arbitrarily.”
At Baek Yeon-hwi’s words, the screen changed again. A new dark elf appeared, similar to but different from the dark elf I saw earlier.
The eyes were filled with strength and fighting spirit, and although the skin was black, it was much more elastic and an aura burning with vitality was spreading out.
“Elites have a force that is incomparably stronger than regular dark elves and can even use abilities such as black elves.”
“Black neck? No way….”
“They can run away to another dimension like the Black Tree. So, unless it’s a surprise attack, it’s hard to kill.”
If Baek Yeon-hwi’s words were true, it was almost impossible for those with abilities to catch the elite dark elves.
“What is the number of dark elves?”
“The number we have identified is over 500. “There are about 15 elites.”
-Dark elf 500? And elite? What kind of bullshit is this?
The darkness tilted its blade as if it could not understand.
‘why?’
-There are fewer dark elves than elves. Besides, there is no such thing as elite. Among elves, there are only high elves. What happened?
There was no way that all the dark elves on the continent had come here, so the number of 500 was too high. Plus, I couldn’t figure out what being elite was.
“When the dark elves and monsters push us out and the elite dark elves pollute the land, the roots of the black tree spread to that land. “We keep fighting to stop that.”
“Meanwhile, monsters keep popping out of the sky and the ground?”
“okay.”
“It’s no different from stealing.”
Baek Woo-jin burst out laughing. It felt like I was watching a very terrible beating.
“right. It’s similar to eating the ground. However, it is a tilted game where the enemy can eat our land, but we cannot eat the enemy’s land. Even now, all we can do is stop it.”
Baek Yeon-hwi answered with an expressionless expression, as if he was wearing a mask, but his eyes were stained with pensiveness.
“In the past, when the black tree was sleeping underground, it was possible to reclaim the land. But now that the black tree has awakened and taken root, it is impossible.”
“Um…”
“So the bet between you and your father is impossible. The Dark Zone, which has already been consumed, cannot be recovered. “You accepted a bet you shouldn’t have made.”
“well. “Is that so?”
Baek Woo-jin gave a very small smile when he saw Darkness lost in thought next to him.
“If I do well, my father might regret it, not just me.”
* * *
“Hmm….”
Cale nodded with satisfaction as he watched the medical team and Moon Joo-young doing adaptation training.
Even though they had adapted to the gray zone almost from the beginning, they faithfully participated in adaptation training.
I couldn’t help but like it because I worked hard at everything that was taught.
But there was just one person who didn’t like it.
‘It’s all good, but that person is the problem.’
I did not like Baek Woo-jin, who was said to be the younger brother of Deputy Commander Baek Yeon-hwi.
He disappears without saying a word during physical and physical adaptation training. On a topic that had been left in the red, it appeared again like a sword during theory training.
Actually, it didn’t matter.
What I didn’t like the most was that he spoke informally and treated Vice Commander Baek Yeon-hwi, whom he respected the most.
Even though he was my younger brother, I didn’t like it when he spoke informally to me despite the large age difference and status.
In addition, it was very frustrating to hear nonsense about reclaiming the Dark Zone, which everyone said was a failure and impossible.
“Hey Kale.”
“Oh, hello.”
Baek Woo-jin approached me while sucking on an iced Americano.
Seeing that he didn’t even like eating, it seemed like he really hated Baek Woo-jin.
“How are the kids adjusting?”
Baek Woo-jin approached Baek Yeon-hwi, who was examining the medical sword belt. His clothes were covered in blood, as if he had been fighting in the morning.
“I was more than 90% done because I adapted from the beginning. “I think we can have him participate in battle next week.”
“Then what about that guy?”
Baek Woo-jin pointed to Moo Young-gaek, who was panting with his face turning yellow.
“I’m adapting pretty quickly. It will end soon. “Two weeks will be enough.”
“I’m glad.”
Baek Woo-jin nodded and approached Mu-yeong-guest.
“Is it worth living?”
“I’m really going to search. “What on earth are you doing here?”
Muyounggaek wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked backwards.
“There are advantages too.”
“Well, the mana is so thick that the aura accumulates well. “It seems like my stamina has increased.”
“That’s why I brought you here. “You need to improve your skills too.”
“Are you sure?”
“okay. “If you go through this pain, you too will become a next-level thief.”
-Huh, now he sells medicine….
Heukam stuck out his tongue when he saw Baek Woo-jin’s refreshing expression.
I said I brought him in because I thought he would be helpful and tried to help him grow, but he was spouting lies without the slightest change in his expression.
“Did I wash my hands?”
“…anyway.”
-Wash your hands? Damn it! The two of you put on a show!
Seeing Muyounggaek’s facial expressions not changing at all and telling lies, I thought that they had met well.
Weeeeeee!
Baek Yeon-hwi’s cell phone rang with a strange sound. He frowned and immediately answered the phone.
[Deputy Commander! In the northwest of block 4, scouting party number 2 is being chased by dark elves and monsters!]
“Northwest?”
[yes! I don’t think I can last very long!]
“I’m going right away. Jinhye-ri! “Hyeongeomdae…”
“Deputy Commander!”
It was when Baek Yeon-hwi was about to move. A middle-aged man wearing green robes came running as if his feet were on fire.
“Deputy Commander! A crane fish has appeared on the wall of the northeastern Wise King! “They’re pushing in, spraying monsters!”
“What about dark elves?”
“For now, it’s invisible.”
“Hmm…”
Baek Yeon-hwi frowned. It was quiet for a while, but it seemed like a two-way attack had begun again.
“I’ll go to the northeast.”
Baek Woo-jin put down his finished coffee cup and went to Baek Yeon-hwi’s side.
“You look busy, but I can help you with that.”
“It’s not possible!”
Cale jumped up and waved his hand.
“Baek Woo-jin has not finished his adaptation training yet. Even if the situation is urgent…”
“It’s okay. I’ve already adapted. “You know.”
“…Can you do it?”
Baek Woo-jin looked at Baek Yeon-hwi, not Cale. Baek Yeon-hwi looked into Baek Woo-jin’s eyes and opened his mouth.
“of course.”
“If you encounter an elite dark elf, step back.”
“Keep that in mind.”
Baek Woo-jin nodded like a child who listens well.
“Kale.”
“yes?”
“Take Woojin to the Wise King’s Wall.”
“But…”
“It’s an urgent situation. “Please.”
After saying those words, Baek Yeon-hwi disappeared to the northwest. Prosecutors from the current prosecutors’ office followed behind him.
“Then let’s go too.”
“Now wait a minute! “You don’t know the way!”
Baek Woo-jin ran northeast without listening to Cale’s explanation. Although Kale was surprised, he quickly followed behind Baek Woo-jin.
“The road to the Wise King’s Wall is difficult! I will take the lead…”
“It’s okay. “I know the way.”
Baek Woo-jin answered lightly and moved in the correct direction.
“How…”
Cale looked at Baek Woo-jin’s back with disbelieving eyes. He was heading to the Wise King’s Wall using a shortcut.
“I’ve figured out the entire geography of this place during the day. “When you come to an unfamiliar place, you have to know the geography first.”
“So, was it because of your understanding of geography that you were skipping school during the day?”
“They said they would teach me geography in the second week, but I thought it was too late. And not even a tinkle. “Because I got permission from my brother.”
“Uh…”
Cale’s face turned into a spellbound one. I thought I was going out to have fun, but I had nothing to say when I found out that I was going out to figure out the terrain of this place.
“Are you feeling better?”
“yes?”
“I’ll pick up the pace a little more.”
Black brain energy flashed all over Baek Woo-jin’s body. The techniques of pleasure and brain power came out like threads from his walking techniques.
“If you can’t follow me, I’ll go alone.”
