RCMT-Chapter 11

Ch.11 The Regression Of Calamity-Level Monster Tamer

The farm’s name is ‘Sheep Ranch.’

A Blue Gate inhabited by Magic Beasts called ‘Steel Sheep.’

Their strength, as the name suggests, is that they possess fur made of steel.

In other words, they’re bastards who dumped all their stats into defense.

‘And such bastards even have benefits for humans.’

The feces they excrete contain a bit of Magic Power, though not as much as Magic Stones.

So from humanity’s perspective, there was no need to deliberately conquer them. And the government, having learned this fact, had been steadily managing this Gate.

‘But that’s over now.’

They should have just done things well without upsetting people.

I’ll show both the Followers who deserve to die and the higher-ups a lesson with this opportunity.

I mounted Freki and gripped his red mane.

“Let’s go.”

“Bark.”

“Bark!”

At my words, Freki and Geri kicked off the ground.

Swoosh―

The two beasts crossed the green meadow faster than the wind sweeping through the grass.

I didn’t need to worry about the Dokkaebi old man.

Me worrying about that grandpa would be like a new employee worrying about the department head.

‘I should just cut off my interest entirely.’

As I galloped refreshingly with Freki over several hills, a huge herd spread widely in the distance came into view.

It was a herd of Steel Sheep.

“Geri!”

“Bark!”

When I called him, Geri glanced at me and veered left. Simultaneously, I pulled Freki’s mane to the right, making him run rightward.

‘I’ll finish it in one go with a drive hunt.’

Thud thud thud―

Freki’s four legs moved rapidly as he made a large detour.

“Bark bark! Bark!”

At the same time, Geri and Freki started barking and driving the Steel Sheep.

The beasts gathered in herds following their instincts.

Freki and Geri circled round and round, driving the flock of Steel Sheep.

But the beasts weren’t just taking it lying down either.

Rams with massive horns came out to the edge of the circle to establish a defensive line and evacuated the rest inside.

It was like looking at a fortress wall built of steel.

‘But that doesn’t mean there’s no method.’

“Freki, jump!”

“Bark!”

At my words, the beast leaped over the steel wall.

But these were also Magic Beasts from a Blue Gate.

Meaning they weren’t just mediocre weaklings.

Baaaa―

One ram shot toward Freki like a missile shooting down a bomber.

Freki was in a defenseless state.

I leaped off Freki’s back and shouted.

“Return!”

At my command, Freki vanished without a trace.

Then he appeared in a flash next to Geri, who was pressuring the sheep herd.

[‘Two Are One LV.1 (S―)’ level rises to Lv.2.]

[Effect 1 becomes more proficient and free.]

Boom―!

Ignoring the system message I heard, I fell into the middle of the sheep herd.

“…….”

The Steel Sheep surrounded me.

Their momentum was fierce. The fact that sheep have nasty temperaments is well known.

I drew my Karambits from my waist and gripped them in both hands.

“Baaaa―!”

One beast couldn’t hold back and headbutted me.

Like a bullfighter, I dodged the beast while swinging my Karambit in a reverse grip.

Clang―!

Despite being an enhanced weapon, it bounced off the beasts’ steel wool.

‘As expected, they’re damn hard…….’

“Baaaa―!!”

“Baaaa―!”

Perhaps gaining confidence from that exchange, the beasts started attacking wildly.

I swung my daggers while dodging acrobatically.

Clang! Clang clang―!

As the steel fur and daggers collided, bright red sparks flew in all directions.

Then, after a moment.

“…….”

[The user enters a state of selfless absorption.]

[Changes occur within the user.]

Swoosh―

The Karambits began gradually cutting through the beasts’ steel fur.

I increasingly left my movements to instinct.

Sometimes I ran on all fours, sometimes I did handstands, and sometimes I attacked with a dagger in my mouth.

The sight would look grotesque, but it was effective.

Finally, the system proved it.

[It is confirmed that there is a certain pattern to the user’s movements.]

[The user’s movements contain enlightenment.]

[Converting enlightenment into a skill.]

[Some restrictions on skill creation disappear due to the title’s effect.]

[You acquire the skill, Hundred Beasts Sword Art Lv.1 (A+).]

‘Got it……!’

In the past, my self-defense sword art.

As soon as the message appeared that I’d regained the skill, the daggers extended about 30cm.

Slash―

Several heads of Steel Sheep floated into the air simultaneously.

[You defeat 2 Steel Sheep.]

[The user’s level increases by 1.]

In reality, the daggers hadn’t extended.

Sword Aura.

A special skill only a minority of players with talent in swords could use.

“Now repeat after me that you’re all screwed.”

From that moment, I started rampaging like a wolf that had leaped into a flock of sheep.

Steel Sheep ramming with their horns from both sides simultaneously.

I dodged by lying almost flat on the ground, then slashed with my daggers.

And like a spring bouncing back, I rose while rotating my body.

Slash slash slash―

Becoming a small tornado, I swept the area in one go.

[You defeat 6 Steel Sheep.]

[The user’s level increases by 2.]

After spinning wildly, I stopped for a moment.

A Steel Sheep that appeared to be a Special Entity took advantage of that gap and charged at high speed.

‘Blue Wolf’s Step…….’

As I called out internally, my body became translucent.

The beast’s massive horn grazed past, and the Karambit became a wolf’s fang and tore into the beast’s neck.

[You defeat 1 Steel Sheep ― Special Entity.]

[The user’s level increases by 1.]

[Blue Wolf’s Step Lv.2 (C) rises to Lv.3.]

Perhaps because the one I just killed was a Special Entity?

Starting with that beast, the sheep herd began falling into chaos.

“Baaaa―!”

“Baa!!”

“Baaaa―”

The beasts started rampaging madly without distinguishing front from back.

Not only colliding with their companions. They even trampled their own young.

The hunt became easier.

Slash― Slash―

[You defeat 5 Steel Sheep.]

[The user’s level increases by 1.]

[You defeat 9 Steel Sheep.]

[The user’s level increases by 2.]

[You defeat 14 Steel Sheep.]

[The user’s level increases by 2.]

[Hundred Beasts Sword Art Lv.1 (A+) rises to Lv.2.]

Freki and Geri continued drawing a large circle while driving the Steel Sheep herd, and I monopolized the experience within.

Swoosh―

“Baaaa!”

Slash!

“Baaaa―!!”

As the slaughter continued, my level kept rising, and the faster my level rose, the faster the beasts’ heads flew off.

When seventy percent of the Steel Sheep herd had died.

“Phew…….”

Corpses were piled like mountains around me to the point where surviving Steel Sheep couldn’t approach me.

The beasts seemed to have finally come to their senses, took fright, and started fleeing in all directions. They seemed to know that would increase their chances of survival.

‘Though that won’t mean anything…….’

“Freki, Geri!”

At my shout, the beasts started pursuing the routed soldiers.

Sheep whose entire bodies were made of steel couldn’t be faster than wolves.

Moreover, the beasts had taken fright and completely lost their fighting spirit. They didn’t resist at all.

Crunch―

[Freki’s level increases by 2.]

[Geri’s level increases by 1.]

“Bark―!”

“Baaaa!”

As the Steel Sheep’s death cries were heard, the two wolves’ levels rose vertically.

[Freki’s level increases by 1.]

[Geri’s level increases by 2.]

[Freki’s level increases by 3.]

[Geri’s level increases by 3.]

[Digestion of the ‘Sun’s Eye’ and ‘Moon’s Eye’ progresses.]

When we killed the last Steel Sheep, the two’s levels exceeded 20.

Was that why? Finally, the event I’d been waiting for occurred.

[Freki acquires the skill, ‘Sparks of Muspelheim Max (S)’.]

[Geri acquires the skill, ‘Frost of Niflheim Max (S)’.]

Seeing that message, I understood how Jang Seong-han and Seo Gyeoul in my previous life could become so powerful so quickly.

“So that’s how Jang Seong-han and Ms. Seo Gyeoul rose up to that extent. Setting that aside…….”

I’d cut off all his limbs, so it was time for the torso to appear.

……Those Follower bastards.

‘How frustrated will they be when they realize that stalling for time was meaningless?’

I sneered and wiped the sheep’s blood from my face.

***

‘Hehehe…….’

Ma Geon-woo let out a hollow laugh while watching Kang Si-woo massacring Steel Sheep in the distance.

Actually, it was strange from the beginning.

‘Those red and blue wolves…….’

As soon as he entered the Gate, the lad summoned Magic Beasts befitting a Tamer. But the number was two.

He was first amazed by the fact that he’d already tamed two despite being low level.

‘Moreover, those beasts were abnormally fast.’

Ma Geon-woo, who was conquering the 190th floor of the Tower, would miss them if he looked down on them—their speed was that tremendous.

Of course it would be different if he used skills, but his pride didn’t allow that.

And that wasn’t all.

The two wolves seemed to have an extremely strong bond with their master, Kang Si-woo.

‘They communicated with each other just by calling a name once.’

He belonged to the category of having short experience with Tamers.

But he’d heard that to reach that level, Loyalty had to be at least over 90. And that wasn’t easy.

He’d watched right next to Tamers spending hundreds and thousands like water to buy feed for Loyalty work, so he knew that much.

‘Hehe, my second son will foam at the mouth if he sees that lad.’

“Bark bark―!”

“Bark!”

The two wolves were driving the sheep herd as if they had telepathy.

It was also puzzling that the Steel Sheep were backing away in fear from two low-level wolves……

“That, that…….”

The rookie who had leaped into the middle of the Steel Sheep herd.

“There’s no other madman like him.”

He was wielding a sword and rampaging, but couldn’t inflict proper damage.

For reference, the recommended level for an Indigo Gate was 21 to 40.

And the recommended level for a Blue Gate was 41 to 60.

The average level of Steel Sheep was 45.

‘The civil servant lass definitely said that kid’s level was 17. She wasn’t someone who would lie.’

That woman said so.

That kid cleared a Gate as an Irregular and took the Player Test ‘the day before.’

Actually, since midnight had just passed, strictly speaking, not even 24 hours had passed, so it could be called today.

So the level difference alone was a whopping 28.

‘Yeah, no matter how outstanding his innate combat sense is, that would be difficult…….’

It’s the same principle as how no matter how excellent a hunting dog is, it can’t beat an ordinary tiger alone.

“Tsk, this worked out better. Now it’s time for this old man to step in―”

Ma Geon-woo tried to draw his beloved weapon.

But the war situation looked unusual.

“…….”

He stood still and observed the kid’s movements.

Then the lad showed tremendous fighting and started inflicting damage on the Steel Sheep.

That wasn’t all.

Kang Si-woo, that youth, was using actual combat as nourishment and growing in real-time.

“Sword Aura? Wait…… that, that?!”

That youth wasn’t an excellent hunting dog.

He wasn’t an ordinary tiger either.

He was a flying tiger, a Biho.

Swoosh―

The youth became a predator and was hunting the sheep herd.

‘Ha…….’

A hollow laugh emerged.

In fact, Ma Geon-woo had planned to help at an appropriate time to put the youth in his debt.

What greater reward could there be than putting a player who beat Joo Geon-ryul at the same level in his debt?

‘I could ask him for a favor later when the lad has grown. And if, by any chance, I could bring him into our family as a son-in-law, nothing could be better.’

But it was not even close.

Rather, he had to make a good impression on the lad.

‘Does one need to be born with that level of talent to beat that detestable Joo Geon-ryul…….’

Right, he shouldn’t have measured that youth within his own experience.

That was a wrong judgment.

From the beginning, that lad was a ‘real one’ who achieved what he himself couldn’t achieve in his youth.

Like that, the youth and wolves massacred the Steel Sheep.

‘This will mess up the plan…… No. There’s still a chance left.’

The Gate Boss.

And the Followers.

These two hadn’t appeared yet.

And those two were no different from the actual goal of coming here.

Until now, Kang Si-woo had shown tremendous fighting, but the battle that would unfold afterward could be seen as a completely different nature of combat.

‘I acknowledge that he showed an excellent performance in battle against Magic Beasts. But this is combat you can’t do well at unless you’ve experienced it…….’

A ‘human versus human’ fight.

This was a completely different domain.

All sorts of variables occur, and psychological aspects occupy a large part.

‘In other words, the question of whether you can kill…….’

Rumble―

At that moment, a black curtain appeared in the air.

The curtain rippled for a moment, then lifted to reveal a new space.

An environment completely different from this green meadow.

Squelching, polluted earth and withered vegetation.

“…….”

“…….”

Five Followers wearing hoods stood there.