Chapter 41
[Raider’s Forum]
Monster Profile: Kumas
Type: Medium-sized, humanoid, territorial, non-aggressive
Height: 11 meters; classified as a medium-sized monster
Attack Level: 4
Defense Level: 6
Characteristics: Has two primary arms and four long, flexible limbs that can whip at unnatural angles, striking from almost any direction. Legs are sturdy enough to support its massive frame effortlessly… Its head is not atop its shoulders but positioned squarely in the center of its chest, removing the vulnerable neck area common to most creatures and enhancing its survivability. The face—a critical weak point—is encased in tough armor, only exposed when it spits acidic fluid…
User Commentary on Strategy:
• “Just run for your life!!”
• “Not that strong in terms of attack, but it’s annoyingly resilient.”
• “For an efficient hunt, gather a team of 30 or more and take it down all at once. Its speed makes it impossible to stop once it goes into ‘flee’ mode.”
• “Warning: Keep a strong stomach; you might end up staring at its rear for hours. I learned that the hard way.”
• “Took two days to hunt this thing. Absolutely filthy. Never again.”
• “But the profits are worth it, right? They pay a lot for its corpse.”
• “Yeah, cosmetics companies buy it for high prices. Easy money.”
• “Just avoid the spit, and you’ll be fine. Key point: It’s vulnerable when it spits.”
• “Am I the only one who thinks it’s kinda cute?”
• “Yes, that’s just you.”
• “Steer clear of areas with only Kumas—they swarm and feed off each other. The ‘Fat Belly Maze’ is a nightmare.”
The Gate that Park Ki-hyuk and his team are navigating is none other than the “Fat Belly Maze.”
A Level 5 Gate filled exclusively with Kumas.
One might think this was a gold mine for hunters, given that Kumas, among medium-sized monsters, yield high profits. However, the reality is far from appealing.
The “Fat Belly Maze” is a highly unpopular, even shunned, Gate.
The reason? The peculiar behavior of the Kumas.
Being non-aggressive, Kumas are typically passive and spend most of their time in a dormant state.
“It’s quiet. Are they dead?”
“They look like boulders. They must be breathing, right?”
“Their respiratory system is hidden, remember?”
“Everyone, silence. First, we surround it. Tanks, you’re up. Don’t attack just yet; let’s observe its patterns. Position yourselves carefully. Jun-woo, are you ready?”
When a Kumas does engage in combat, its tranquil demeanor vanishes, and it becomes violently erratic. Relying on its massive size, it charges with brute force, often reducing the area to rubble.
As it’s doing right now.
“Watch out, behind you! That tree’s coming down!”
“Damn, it’s relentless. They said its arms were like whips, and they weren’t kidding. Here it comes again!”
“Look at them! They’re actually dodging those strikes… Can you believe it?”
“Ki-hyuk may be the Sword Saint’s heir, but Jun-woo’s incredible too. Is he really that skilled?”
“They’re both from distinguished bloodlines. They’re nothing like us… Incoming! Brace yourselves!”
Though a Kumas’s aggression might seem formidable, this level of attack is typical of medium-sized monsters. In fact, its offensive power is below average for its class.
But here lies the real challenge.
When its life is endangered—whether from low stamina or a critical, unrecoverable injury—a Kumas will initiate its “flee” pattern.
“What’s it doing? Turning its back… Oh, it’s running!”
“Why is it suddenly fleeing?!”
“Stop it!!”
During this escape pattern, the Kumas experiences a temporary boost in its stats.
“Apply debuffs and block its path!”
“Magic hit… but why is it moving faster?”
“My spell didn’t even affect it!”
Utilizing its enhanced stats, the Kumas escapes with all its might.
“It got away…”
“Don’t just stand there! Chase it!”
Where does this fleeing Kumas head?
To the nearest Kumas ally.
In hunting terms, it’s calling for “backup.”
Once a Kumas successfully reaches another Kumas, it recovers a portion of its health and immediately re-engages in combat.
“Focus! Reform the line. Yuri, manage the rear attackers. Mary, join Jun-woo in taking down the wounded one. I’ll handle the uninjured.”
A Kumas with dwindling health instinctively seeks out its kin. And in the “Fat Belly Maze,” only Kumas populate the area. With their numbers, a fleeing Kumas will easily find another.
Fight until weakened, run to find a friend, fight with the friend until weakened, run to find another friend… repeat.
After just a few cycles of this loop, you might find yourself staring at three or four “friendly” Kumas, frolicking as they emit their strange calls.
This is precisely what makes the Kumas so frustrating and is the primary reason why the “Fat Belly Maze” is considered a second-rate Gate.
“Urgh…”
As one person collapsed with a groan, others began to fall like dominoes.
Whether they were truly out of energy or simply pretending, these so-called mages were pitifully weak. Collapsing after a mere 18-hour hunt?
Back in my day, I’d hunt for three days straight!
These younger generations lack endurance. Are they even training properly?
“Hey, team lead! Aren’t your people supposed to train for stamina? Why are they dropping like this?”
“What? Look, I was trying not to say anything, but do you honestly think this is normal? Have you considered that your standards might be too high? No other raid team hunts 18 hours non-stop, you lunatic!”
“Fine. Get them set up in the tents for rest.”
The disheartened team members trudged towards the tents.
Left alone at last, I accepted a coffee from a support machine and settled down.
“Kumas, the Gate, and this key…”
I twirled the key in my fingers.
This was the key we earned after twenty hours of relentlessly hunting Kumas.
The “Fat Belly Maze” field divides into two main areas. The first is the “Meadow Field” where we’ve been hunting.
Just as its name suggests, it’s an open meadow.
A peaceful expanse of green where one might expect sheep to graze in idyllic serenity, not hulking Kumas roaming about.
The second area lies at the meadow’s center—the “Maze Field.”
This is the Gate’s true core.
After all, the Gate isn’t called “Fat Belly Meadow” but “Fat Belly Maze.” The maze is the main field.
“There it is.”
My gaze shifted toward the distant sky.
Far off, a shroud of darkness loomed. Despite the bright daylight, that section was enveloped in a mysterious dark haze.
That’s the Maze Field.
Entering it reveals towering black walls in a convoluted layout, and the raid team must navigate the maze to reach its core.
This is where the key comes into play.
The key in my hand.
Each passage in the maze is blocked by doors, and the key is needed to unlock them.
Once a door is unlocked…
You’re granted a chance to fight the “Gatekeeper.” Only by defeating the Gatekeeper can you proceed.
One by one, unlocking each door brings you closer to the core, where the ultimate boss, the named Kumas, “Baba,” awaits. Defeating Baba will clear the Gate.
“A marvel, these Gates.”
I’ve entered more Gates than I can count. I’ve hunted, I’ve cleared them on missions for Yggdrasil.
And yet…
Despite all this, there remains a mystery unsolved.
“Why do these Gates exist? For what purpose?”
Who created them isn’t a question. The answer is known—it has to be a “Heavenly God,” specifically a deity from this dimension.
How do I know?
Because every Gate has a “law.”
Some laws are subtle, like time’s flow; others are immutable, like the space’s unbreakable walls.
No need to look far—the Maze Field’s walls are impervious to all. Physical, magical—completely immune. There’s no point in asking “why.” It’s simply the law of this place.
Each Gate operates with a unique but absolute “law.”
In essence…
“It’s similar to a truth of existence.”
In this world, only a god can establish such truths.
Returning to the topic, Gates are “creations of the gods.”
But the real question is, why did they create this? As a mage pursuing truth, it’s a natural question.
It’s why I’ve ventured into so many Gates—to unravel the mysteries of truth absent in the Empire. Ignoring such questions would be unworthy of a mage.
So, what progress have I made?
Honestly, I’m no closer to an answer.
A bit embarrassing, but I have no clue.
Maybe that’s what makes it so thrilling…
“It’s all fascinating. Don’t you think, Yuri?”
“Have I been found out…?”
“Since you were behind the tent. If you’re going to hide, do it properly. And by the way, your concealment spell is sloppy.”
“Impossible!”
“Kidding. Come over here.”
Yuri quickly took the seat beside me.
It’s all entertaining.
The Gates, this world, her.
What will captivate me next?
I smiled and closed my eyes.
Day 3 of the Raid.
The team was still getting accustomed to the Kumas.
“DPS, focus on maintaining debuffs rather than offensive spells.”
“Watch out for arm attacks—their range is massive.”
“It should be about time for it to flee… Incoming!!”
“Block it! Don’t waste spells, push it back with the golems!”
Day 5 of the Raid.
By now, the team had studied the Kumas’s patterns enough to hunt without triggering the “flee” pattern.
At this point, Park Ki-hyuk began moving toward the Maze Field.
“So, this is the maze?”
Thud! Thud! Boom!
“…That’s loud, Ki-hyuk. I told you, it won’t break. How many times do I have to tell you?”
“Worth a shot. But is it really unbreakable…? Step back for a moment.”
“W-wait, Ki-hyuk! Why are you pulling out Apocalypse? Calm down, please calm down!!”
Day 7 of the Raid.
After testing and confirming that the maze walls were indestructible, Park Ki-hyuk focused on collecting keys to advance through the maze.
Upon opening exactly 12 doors, he finally understood why the Fat Belly Maze was rated as a Level 5 Gate.
“Unbelievable. Another door?”
“How many doors are there?”
“Yuri, how many keys do we have left?”
“We’re out. We used them all.”
“Looks like we’ll have to hunt some more.”
“Damn it… this Gate is hellish…”
Day 10 of the Raid.
In a normal maze, the challenge lies in finding the exit among winding paths, but the Fat Belly Maze is different.
The problem isn’t the paths.
It’s the doors.
Countless doors, each requiring a key.
The team was on the verge of insanity from this endless cycle.
With a bit of luck, they managed to secure about three keys each day by tracking down Kumas, but the doors never stopped appearing in their way.
An interminable journey with no end in sight. To make things worse, the farther they progressed into the maze, the longer the trek back to the meadow grew, consuming valuable time.
Finally deciding enough was enough, Park Ki-hyuk resorted to drastic measures.
“Let’s split up. You’re capable of hunting on your own, right?”
“And you? Are you going alone?”
“Ki-hyuk, will you be okay on your own?”
“I’ll go with you.”
“I tried to avoid solo runs, but this is taking too long. Mary, you lead. You can handle it. And Yuri, keep your distance.”
Day 11 of the Raid.
Separated from the team, Park Ki-hyuk stood alone before a Kumas.
“I’ve tried to avoid solo hunting for appearance’s sake, but here we are.”
Standing before the Kumas, I let the cool breeze wash over me.
No one around. No wise Jun-woo, no nagging Mary, no clingy Yuri.
It’s just me.
A battlefield all to myself.
And I like it that way. To be honest, I feel far more comfortable alone.
Much has changed since I came to this world.
I have family, friends, and I’ve even found some leisure.
It’s been… fulfilling.
There are times I feel surprised by how much I’ve changed. But in a way, it’s reassuring to know these are normal human emotions.
But still.
The core hasn’t changed.
“Come forth.”
A dark veil spread out.
From the shadows, flickers of crimson light began to glow as my Skeleton Army emerged from the darkness.
“And you.”
The air split as Baphomet and Asura materialized, their heads alone emanating the presence of the greater demons they once were.
Everything was in place.
“Right arm, lead the right flank; left arm, take command of the left.”
Normally, I would handle it myself, but I want a taste of the action. Resting my greatsword on my shoulder, I advanced.
“Let’s go.”
Skeletons charged forward.
A white wave of death.
No fear, no hesitation.
Only one purpose: to annihilate the king’s enemies. Driven by this singular conviction, the legion of the dead leaped toward the enemy.
And, as always, at the forefront of death’s army—
Leading the vanguard—
Is me.
The Dark Lord.
Enjoying the story? Don't forget to rate 5 stars and review in NovelUpdte!