Chapter 55 Red Zone 5

Kududududk.

A boat which was covered with wooden planks in numerous places had arrived at the location where a root could be seen.

'End Root'.

The end part of the root where the World Tree's root started at.

Though it was an end part of the root it was so big that it looked like a piece of land.

"We arrived."

Hansoo spoke towards the people who had been jumping onto the burning tree root.

"Hey hey. Go with smiles. And don't think about it too seriously. There's still two weeks left. If you keep climbing up then you'll have your safety guaranteed."

"That's really comforting. Seriously."

They could still see the images of the movements of the thing that they followed on their boat that ripped apart the island-like tree root.

'Dammit. I should get away fast.'

Yohan, who had yet to calm down his anger, looked at Hansoo coldy and then started to ponder.

'…What do I do? Do I stick with him a little longer?'

Yohan glanced at Hansoo.

He has yet to push them away.

And as he heard it, this guy seemed to have a weird psychic power.

It would helpful if he took him.

But Yohan shook his head as he looked at the 150 people who were glaring at Hansoo with eyes of resentment.

'I don't think we can go together with that guy.'

If they were to go along, it'll be very comfortable for the time being.

Since he is definitely strong.

But he could not control him.

If that guy suddenly goes <huh? i don't like everybody here? time to kill.> then they could nothing about it.

He clearly figured this out from the earlier incident.

They had no way of talking back at his words, which told them to jump off.

And him going into the sea while covered in lights and crushing apart the merfolk solidified this even further.

'…does he have no weakness?'

If he could control a guy like this properly then it'll be of great help.

And it seemed like he could figure it out if he traveled alongside him a bit longer.

But Yohan shook his head.

The valley has been dug way too deep to mediate between that guy and the 150 people behind him.

Nobody likes somebody who increases the chances of danger.

It was time to part ways.

'The head of a snake… is better than a dragon's tail.' (*PR Note: He enjoys being a big fish in a small pond, rather than a lackey to Hansoo the dragon)

Yohan, who had chosen the 150 people over Hansoo, looked at Hansoo and spoke:

"Let's go our own ways. Since you and us don't really seem to get along very well."

Hansoo shrugged his shoulders.

'I'm a bit busy now too.'

Hansoo thought of his conversation with Keldian as he looked at the 150 people disappearing into the depths of the blazing roots and ruins.

<well. you all probably know it but… there isn't anyone who knows about the five calamities very well.>

The five calamities were basically like natural disasters for those who crossed the Red Zone.

It was not something designed to be killed but rather dodged or endured.

And they didn't have the leisure to think about how to prevent the natural disasters.

Since in the Red Zone one didn't have enough leisure to think about such things.

One would spend time figuring out how to dodge a hurricane rather than how to get rid of it.

And even more so if there are imminent dangers around them such as tigers and murderers roaming around.

They had prepared with the knowledge of all the remaining humans but that was not enough.

He had to think of how to act perfectly.

But for him to do so the situation and intel was not proper.

And because of this he had to find somebody who could fill this up with experience.

Like people trying to climb Mt. Everest that after they had completed their preparation, were still looking for a Sherpa on site.

Like an adventurer exploring the Amazon forest, even after getting a whole truck for preparations and plan for months, he would still look for a local guide.

A 3rd year adventurer who would try to hunt the Calamity Fish, something that no one else would even think of attempting.

She could be anywhere in this vast world since that woman had the ability to be anywhere whether it is the End root, Base root, Middle root or even the Trunk.

Of course one would be at that level if they spent 3 years in the Otherworld even if they had focused on hunting down the Calamity Fish.

'Well. It's normal for people to have gone up already.'

It actually seemed impossible to find her in 2 weeks but Hansoo knew a way to find her.

'She should probably be at the cross right now?'

It wasn't the Cross of revival.

Since such things only exist in the tutorial area.

But the fact that it was made to find somebody one missed was similar.

If you think of the reason why Camille Rowe was attempting the Calamity Fish hunting then it is obvious that she would be around the Cross at this moment.

Thousands of giant crosses that the Helper Clan had erected on every End root.

'…it seems our direction is the same.'

Hansoo looked at the direction where Yohan had disappeared but then looked at his boat.

And then he jumped onto the boat and started to pull out all the planks that had been holding out the toxic waters.

Kurururururu.

And soon the boat that had been enduring the 3 days of sails made large noises as it sunk beneath the toxic sea.

Hansoo who had cleaned up everything moved his footsteps towards the direction where Yohan and the others had disappeared to.

............…

"Dammit… though we've experienced it on the third floor of the tower it's really hot."

Yohan spat out curses.

The fire that had been set all around them without anything to burn was constantly blazing.

They had experienced this slightly on the Third Floor but back then they had hope that the Third Floor would end soon.

But now they had to constantly live in such a place.

'…it seems that water would be the biggest issue. How do we get food?'

They had hunted the beasts and traveled while eating the meat and drinking their blood on the Third Floor.

But the beasts here were different.

<spat. i don't think i can eat this. uhh…. my insides hurt.>

They had encountered many beasts on the way here already.

Though it was easy to catch them because 150 people had gathered but they could not eat it even if they tried.

'Damm… this is a problem.'

But Yohan shook his head.

There was probably a way since they wouldn't leave them to die just like that.

At that moment somebody next to Yohan shouted out loudly.

"Uhh! That! Isn't that the cross?"

"What?"

At those words everyone's eyes flipped.

The Cross.

The eyes of the people who couldn't find the chance to throw the people next to them onto the hole because they were suppressed by alliances or the clans started to shine.

But Yohan shouted out loudly.

"Wait! Wait! The fairy had clearly told us! That there aren't anymore revivals! Everyone calm down! If we fight here then we all die!"

Everyone made slightly disappointed expressions at those words.

"But let's still have a look at it. It seems man-made."

"…wouldn't it be dangerous?"

One person asked carefully.

The Cross.

They did not know who made it but could guess why they had to some degree.

Since it'll be hard for people who had experienced it in the tutorial to just pass by it.

It was in order to attract people that it copied that cross and was made of Steel.

'…It's so blunt that it's even more confusing.'

But the answer to their worries was heard from above them and among them.

"Don't worry. Those who are careful are quite annoying. They need people to come to it. If they made the Cross then why not go over and have a look at it? You could finish it off after grouping up."

"…uh?"

Everyone's expression froze at the man who had appeared above the blazing ruins in an instant.

Since they didn't know how he had made his entrance.

'Did he run here from the Cross?'

While people were being cautious of him, the man counted their heads in an instant and then nodded.

"Let's see 148 people. Quite nice. For such a number to come in a group without a Lord."

"What do you want?"

It was clear to them that this guy was someone who had come earlier.

He looked stronger than them and there was also a something very different about him from the people of their tutorial area.

'A foreigner… and he has no problem conversing with us.'

It seems like there wasn't any problem with them having different languages.

The blue-eyed man chuckled as he spoke.

"Don't be too impudent. We are hmm… I guess something like a savior in your words."

"What?"

"You see the fairies don't come out from now on. So we act as some form of help."

"…you are clearly an angel. You expect us to believe that?"

To help without anything in return.

How did this guy expect them to trust him.

The man shook his head at Yohan's words and spoke.

"There are always people like you. People who are very suspicious. But remember. It's good to be suspicious but if that pisses others off then it'll be hard to live long."

"…what?"

"You just need to thank the people from my group from now on. There's no reason to follow us so just listen."

"…what?"

"Eres Valentine. She's the one who had created our <helper> clan 20 years ago and had gone up."

"…"

"Let's see. After that is… a steady backbone of the clan, Kyle Cooper. Baek Jongsang. Arc Mariangt, these three. You don't need to know about the details."

'How would these guys meet three of the seven departed souls?'

The man who shook his head from side to side spoke again.

"And after this, give thanks to the other clansmen who prevent guys like you from getting killed…"

"…keep going."

The man laughed as he looked at the people's expressions turning darker.

'What. Does we want to have a go at it?'

Actually even for him it'll be hard to win if everyone in front of his eyes charged at him.

If he was alone of course.

The man spoke for the last time.

"You should least thank our thirty thousand helpers running around in this shitty End root, though they were sponsored to do so."

"…thirty thousand?"

The man smiled at Yohan who had replied to his words with a fearful expression.

'Well. Though only six to seven people came to each root."

But the man swapped these words back.

It was more convenient to suppress these guys with numbers from the get go.

And in reality these guys, who had been making enraged expressions, prepared to pay attention with dispirited expressions after hearing about thirty thousand people.

'They're chicks. Chicks.'

This was a clear evidence that these guys were beginners.

Since those who had roamed around the Red Zone for a bit wouldn't get scared at hearing the number thirty thousand but rather more at the names he had said prior to that.

'Well. That's why we exist.'

Whatever happened he needed to do everything he was tasked to do so these guys don't just die off.

The man looked at Yohan as he spoke.

"There's a few things I must give you… but there are a few pieces of advice. Listen carefully. These are things to prevent you from just getting killed off."

"…speak."

He didn't know what this guy and the other people were helping them for but there was nothing bad about intel.

The man continued to speak.

"The place where you guys are at is the End Root. This is the place where newly-hatched chicks roam around. And because of this it wouldn't really matter for you guys to argue here and there normally but…"

"…?"

The man looked around at the confused expressions and then spoke again.

"It's a quite harsh place so there are a lot of people with different circumstances. So theoretically some people, who have no reason to be here, come down all the way to the End Roots."

He was speaking aloud in front of these guys but he was also only about at the level of Middle Root.

But those who are at the Base root or the Trunk, or even above that, sometimes come down to here, the End root.

"So the things you guys need to do is not to randomly quarrel with random people just because they move in small groups. If you don't want to get ripped apart. And it's even more dangerous to target somebody just because they're pretty."

These people wouldn't usually touch the newly-hatched chicks at the End root due to a few unspoken rules but there was no one who would tell them to ignore getting aggravated.

The man who had finished speaking rested a bit and then looked around.

'Let's see… Camille Rowe. Where did this lady go.'

If they were going to experience it anyway. Wouldn't it be better for them to get the full experience.

And coincidentally Camille Rowe was nearby.

'These guys are pretty confident with their numbers… but they'll start to crawl on the floor once they see it.'

If those who were doing well in the tutorial think that they would do well here then it was a very big misunderstanding.

Once they were out here there were different rules and another power.

The tutorial was basically a place where they toned down the difficulty so they can prepare for the Otherworld and in a place like this where one can get stronger day by day, 1 or 2 years of difference was very big.

But at that moment Yohan had spoken towards that man.

"…didn't you say that you wouldn't touch beginners? That you would get killed if you do so?"

At those words the man who was searching for Camille Rowe nodded.

"That's right."

"…Then what's that? As I know that guy is a beginner just like us."

"Hnng?"

The moment the man looked at the direction where Yohan was pointing towards, a fierce shockwave and screams resonated throughout the blazing ruins.

Boooooom!

"Come at me! You bastard!"

"No seriously. What's the problem? I'm telling you I'll help you kill the Calamity Fish?"

"This bitch!"

The people who were watching the ruins being destroyed shrugged their shoulders and looked at the guy who said he was from the Helper Clan and the man made a helpless expression at the unexpected situation.

............…

Hansoo shrugged his shoulders after looking at Camille Rowe who was charging at him.

'…It seems like they didn't really tell me about her personality being nasty. Was the suggestion I gave her that unreasonable?'

It seems like there was a misunderstanding but if things were to go on like this then they needed a serious talk with each other.

'Some preparations are needed… to talk seriously.'

Hansoo started to cover his body with Demonic Dragon Reinforcement in order to progress the talk.

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