I Became a Gallery Newbie Beloved by Transcendents

The top priority was to find Mike’s companions.
And before that, there was something to confirm.

“It wasn’t this one-eyed beast that tied you up here, right? Where are they?”

At my words, Mike dug through the undergrowth behind the tree with both hands.

“Here…”

Two men were lying there. With their hearts precisely pierced.
My gaze shifted to the one-eyed beast collapsed on the ground.

“This beast killed the humans, right?”
“Yes.”

This should be manageable.
Those who died at the hands of the one-eyed beast probably weren’t leader-like figures.
Thanks to them, even if there’s a leader-class enemy, I’m confident they won’t be impossible for me to handle by my standards.

“Mike, is there a way to know the location of your companions?”

Mike’s yellow cat ears drooped again.

“I’m sorryyyy… There’s a unique gloomy scent flowing in the Beast Forest, so I can’t fully smell it unless I get within a certain radius.”
“So you can notice if we get a bit closer. Okay, that’s fine then.”

My gaze turned to the two men.
What they had in common on their tops was a red emblem. Though small, it was an eye-catching item for its size.

It was an emblem with a very crude, vertically standing red sword-shaped logo.
Probably something worn to clearly identify friend from foe.
I tore off the emblem without hesitation and attached it to my shoulder.

This way, the armed personnel sent by the slave traders will mistake me for one of their companions.
If they’re an extremely harmonious group where everyone remembers each other’s faces clearly, then my luck would be terribly bad.

The preparations were done.

“Don’t stray from my side.”
“Yes.”

Mike nodded.

How many minutes had we walked?

Tug-

Finally, Mike gave me a signal.
By pulling on the collar of my clothes at the wrist.

“The distance.”

As I bent down to match her height, Mike pointed forward with her right hand and whispered in my ear.

“They’re just beyond that hill.”

My collar trembled.
It meant Mike’s hand was shaking.

“I smell my kin… and the smell of their blood together.”

I didn’t answer and just patted her shoulder.

I gripped the Black Javelin, a black short spear, in my right hand.
I moved slowly while properly concealing my body in the undergrowth.

[The level of skill ‘Cover’ increases. Lv.4]

I saw them.
Feline beastkin with their necks and ankles bound by iron chains, visible through the undergrowth.

The number of felines visible to the naked eye was five.
One of them was collapsed, lying flat on the ground.

‘They are indeed bleeding.’

Judging by the state of the body twitching, they seem to still be breathing.
I took out a low-grade potion and placed it in Mike’s right hand.

“When I roughly sort out the situation, treat your injured kin.”

Mike nodded vigorously while preciously holding the low-grade potion with both hands.

“I’m going to do some acting, so don’t be surprised and just stand still.”

With the Black Javelin in my right hand, I grabbed Mike’s arm with my left hand.

Then I walked out, parting the undergrowth.
Seven NPCs in total.

[NPC – Slave Cartel 2nd Tier Combat Personnel Veron]
[NPC – Slave Cartel 1st Tier Combat Personnel Hans]

Three 2nd tiers.
Two 1st tiers.

[NPC – Slave Cartel 3rd Tier Combat Personnel Maien]

Two 3rd tiers.

A man with a rugged face, Veron, approached me.
Veron’s gaze was directed at the emblem attached to my right shoulder.

“Hey, good job. But didn’t we say not to wander around alone?”

Most of the others’ gazes were directed at Mike, whom I had brought.
One of the combat personnel, who was grinning at Mike, looked at me and tilted his head.

“Was there a guy like this?”
“Must be a hired mercenary. We have a few of those, don’t we?”

I took a deep breath while listening to their voices.

The most efficient thing would be to incapacitate one of the two 3rd tiers with the throwing spear and then engage in combat.

But it was impossible because the 2nd tier guys were blocking the front.

“What’s this, you only caught one that was trying to escape. Isn’t it too much to ask if there was a guy like this?”

Words flowed out more smoothly than I had thought.
Marco, the 2nd tier combat personnel who had asked if there was such a guy, scratched the back of his head.

“S-Sorry. My memory’s not been good lately.”

You don’t need to apologize.

[Mana Body Enhancement Lv.4 – Activating skill.]

Thud!

Marco’s body, with his head smashed by the Black Javelin I threw, tumbled to the ground.
I drew the great sword Karnavalt, a weapon that increases critical hit probability when facing multiple enemies.

[Concentration Enhancement Lv.4 – Activating skill.]

I slashed.
Horizontally.
The drawn crescent moon struck the necks of the two 1st tiers.

Remaining enemies, five.
My mind was working at full speed.

Two 2nd tiers and one 3rd tier rushed in simultaneously.
Three trajectories rushed in at the same time.

[The level of skill ‘Trajectory Insight’ increases. Lv.2]

The axe trajectory on the far left was sloppy, too sloppy.

After slightly twisting my shoulder to avoid it, I swung Karnavalt vertically upwards.

The axe fell to the ground, and the sliced arm of the 2nd tier shot up into the air.

“Die…!”

The 3rd tier with a diagonal scar on his face rushed in.

A faint blue sword energy (劍氣) was subtly wrapping the blade.

However, there was no fear.

Because I had already killed the King of Kobolds who used sword energy of a higher grade than this.

The sword energy was clumsy. The swordsmanship was clumsy too.

Dragon Slaying Sword Defense Technique 1st Form Libra.

I blocked the vertically swung sword and stabbed the Dagger of Blood in my left hand into the 3rd tier’s neck.

The movement of the 2nd tier rushing in from the side suddenly stopped.

That’s because I had sliced his waist with the great sword.
The 2nd tier collapsed.

“Your movement, speed, situational judgment. Everything is impressive.”

It wasn’t difficult to guess the owner of the voice.
Veron, the remaining 2nd tier, was just standing awkwardly, and there was only one person staring at me with a relaxed face.

3rd tier combat personnel, Maien.

“What’s your reason for interfering with the cartel’s business?”

The very plausible-looking man with short white hair neatly brushed back continued to throw lines.

A red aura flowed on the spear tips Maien held in both hands.
It could be called aura, essentially synonymous with sword energy.

“Cut one part and ask, wouldn’t that make me answer obediently?”

Maien raised the corners of his mouth at my provocation.

“That’s a very good idea.”

Maien and Veron, who was standing awkwardly beside him, rushed in simultaneously.

“Uh, uwaaaaah!”

I don’t know why Veron is charging in while almost crying, but.

Slash!

I quickly lowered my body and cut Veron’s ankle with Karnavalt.
Veron’s body fell backwards.

“Kyaaaaaah! Uwaaaaah!”

And now he seems to have really started crying.

Maien extended his spear while raising his aura.
It was an extreme pleasure consecutive thrust.
Slightly superior to the one-eyed beast I had killed earlier.

Clang clang clang clang!

But it wasn’t to the extent that I couldn’t block.

Stop.

And when the last spear path rushed in, I grabbed the spear shaft with my bare hand without even avoiding it.

Maien’s face had turned pale.
I was superior in raw strength.

Yank!

I pulled the spear shaft towards me.
Maien’s body lurched forward.

You should have let go of the spear right away.

I quickly extended my left hand holding the Dagger of Blood.

Stab!

One stab to the shoulder.

Stab! Stab!

And two to the neck.
Maien staggered backward, spewing blood from his neck. Then he crashed to the ground head first, miserably.

[Level up!]

[Lv.19 → Lv.20]

[‘Strength’ increases by 5.]
[‘Agility’ increases by 7.]
[‘Vitality’ increases by 6.]
[‘Mana’ increases by 5.]

Level 20 achieved.
I wanted to immediately open the Transcendent Gallery and ask about sword energy, but there was an important task left.

“Hey.”

Now only one remained.
The one I had deliberately left alive to get information.

“Where are the remaining cartel members?”

I grabbed Veron’s hair, who was clutching his face on the ground, and lifted him up.

Veron’s face was stained with terror.

“If you don’t open your mouth, it’ll be your left ankle this time.”

Diet Kingdom.
Royal Magic Tower, Top Floor.

“Lady Ophelia.”

The platinum-blonde girl looked at the brown-haired man bowing his head towards her.

“Yes, Belzeph.”

“It’s time for lunch. Would you like your usual steak and salad?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, the Lemaine Academy has contacted us saying they would like to invite Lady Ophelia…”

“Not going.”

“Yes, understood.”

Ophelia, dressed in a navy blue dress, was engrossed in something.

“I wonder if it will work out.”

Numerous papers were scattered on the white desk.

Even Ophelia, the creator of this spectacle, might wonder if she could know the order, given how many papers there were.
On top of the papers that were somewhat neatly gathered, these words were written:

In any case, only I, Ophelia, can be the magic teacher in this situation.

I, genius, possible.>

Ophelia imagined Han Yuseong, ㅇㅇ*, using magic she had taught him and writing praise about her.

“Hee hee hee, heh heh heh.”

And she smiled broadly.

“Ah, was that too frivolous?”

Ophelia, pulling both her cheeks, picked up her fountain pen again.

“Hup! I must focus.”

When Han Yuseong reaches level 20 and mana circuit activation becomes possible, the climber will naturally open the ‘Aura Circuit’ to use sword energy (劍氣).

It’s only natural to walk the path of close combat, having already proven sufficient talent.
Even Ophelia, who was obsessed with magic, agreed that this was right.

Players who choose to be mages must open the ‘Magic Circuit’.

Because the starting points of each circuit are at opposite ends, it’s impossible to open both paths.

That’s why beings like ‘Magic Swordsmen’ don’t exist in this world.

However, Ophelia had no intention of giving up on making the climber use magic.

She thought that if it doesn’t exist, she could just create it.
Magic that can be used with just the ‘Aura Circuit’.
An ordinary mage might say it’s impossible, but Ophelia was no ordinary mage.

She was creating magic that could be useful in buff categories or close combat.

‘I hope nothing goes wrong. The climber is strong by 3rd floor standards…’

Tap tap!

Ophelia took out her Transcendent Gallery terminal and checked the posted articles.

Title: Come on, let’s all pray for the climber’s safe return.
Author: ㅇㅇ

-Come back quickly and write something. I’m bored.
Anyway, I’m really praying. I’m serious. Wishing for a safe return!

ㄴ Kid, if you’re bored, go farm or something.
ㄴ What farming?
ㄴ Don’t look down on farmers, do you know how many Lizardmen I’ve killed with a sickle? Anyway, I’m praying. Wishing for a safe return!

ㄴ IceQueen) Freeze! Safe return! Wishing!
ㄴ SewerSwordSaint) Wishing for a safe return.

ㄴ It’s been a while. What have you been up to?

ㄴ SewerSwordSaint) Closed-door training.
ㄴ Lolololololol That’s short for closed-door training
ㄴ SewerSwordSaint) My choice.

ㄴ HeavenlyDemon) Wishing for a safe return.

She typed a comment on the floating keyboard.

Tap- tap tap.

Enter.

ㄴ ArchMage) What prayer are you making? The climber isn’t weak enough to die on the 3rd floor.

Ophelia clumsily put her hands together.

“Wishing for a safe return…!”

After wishing, she looked at the post again.
There was a reply to her comment.

ㄴ As expected of the then-gallery’s biggest cool kid, the undefeated iron-blooded magic girl Ophelia.

“Uwaaaah!”

Ophelia clutched her head at the remnants of the distant past!