"... I didn't expect that goblin to be able to speak."
This was the first thing firefighter Park Cheol-jin said.
"Kehe... I can't see ahead, and I can't hear well... Only my sense of smell is sharp. Kehe. I didn't know you guys were here. Kehe."
Does that mean I detected you by your scent?
I couldn't bathe because there's no river, but I've been diligently wiping with water...
"So, you plan to lure the Minotaur into the swamp?"
Choi Ji-won, arms crossed, asked me.
I nodded slightly.
"Normally, it would be impossible... but we are superhumans. We can't think conventionally."
"It seems possible if we do it right..."
Choi Ji-won shrugged her shoulders.
"Just to clarify, the construction site workers are all low level or have no level. They won't be any help."
Choi Ji-won stated firmly. I was already aware of this.
"Realistically, it's a gamble. The chances of success aren't high."
This time, firefighter Park Cheol-jin chuckled as he spoke.
"But... I like the idea."
He seemed to like the fact that we might be able to save everyone without any casualties.
"Let's see... We might gather people from our group, but not many have invested heavily in strength."
"How many do you think we can gather?"
"... 5 people. No more than that."
So, Choi Ji-won, Park Cheol-jin, and five from Park Cheol-jin's group. We need at least three more.
Why am I excluded? I can't go near the swamp; I would regress.
"First, let's gather people who aren't from the construction site or Mr. Park Cheol-jin's group."
If the plan succeeds, we couldn't have people dying of starvation without even knowing about the portal.
Gathering wandering individuals was a necessary step.
"And once people gather, let's recruit volunteers from there?"
Getting cooperation from the strong among the gathered was a bonus.
"...Hmm. I think we can gather others from the forest. One of my colleagues has an exploration trait."
Firefighter Park Cheol-jin nodded.
Once again, the biggest advantage of this plan is that there are no casualties.
If successful, no one would die. Everyone would survive, and the Minotaur would be defeated.
"Now, I'll guard the goblin shaman, so everyone spread out and..."
"Kehe... human. If you do that, there will be a problem."
"What?"
The goblin shaman, who seemed near death, suddenly tackled me with the speed of a professional athlete.
"If you roll the barrier enveloping the outside like that, the sealing power structure will break. Kehe."
"...It breaks?"
"Specifically, it will explode. Kehe. Half of the island will blow away."
If that's the case... this plan is meaningless.
But the goblin shaman wasn't done.
"However, there's a solution. Keluk. Keluk. We need to reinforce the external seal's power structure. Kehe."
With effort, the goblin shaman tapped his staff.
"I know humans look for a small golden bead with mysterious power. Kehe. That's what we need."
"... A golden bead?"
The goblin shaman demanding a 'mysterious power-infused gold bead'.
It seems he's referring to a golden bead.
"Keluk, Keluk... As you can see, I'm dying. I lack power. I need to borrow the bead's power. Kehe."
"How much do you need?"
"The more, the better. Keluk... Time is running out, human. I'm about to die..."
If we need the golden bead, the risk of the operation feels higher.
"...Hey. Isn't there another way? You said there was a better method earlier."
I asked the goblin shaman for another method out of regret.
"We can release the external seal 3 seconds earlier while maintaining the internal seal that binds the monster. Kehe. During those 3 seconds, you can pummel the monster. Kehe."
"... Do we not need the golden bead for that?"
"No. Kehe. The bead is needed for both methods."
Initially, the method the goblin shaman was going to suggest also required the golden bead.
Firefighter Park Cheol-jin, turning his head to look at me.
"Junho... what should we do?"
We were at a crossroads.
Sacrificing Choi Ji-won was out of the question.
Suppose we provide the golden bead to the goblin shaman...
Do we face the Minotaur with a 3-second advantage? "Or do we gamble by rolling that thing into the swamp?"
"Do you think we can trust the golden bead? It's our last resort," firefighter Park Cheol-jin asked.
Can I trust this goblin?
My contemplation was brief, and the decision was swift.
There's a saying that the enemy of one's enemy is a friend.
"Let's trust it. Let's roll the dice."
And I was a born gambler.
The people who were staying at the construction site.
The ones who were with firefighter Park Cheol-jin.
And those who formed their own groups, wandering separately, but joined us after hearing our plan.
Gathering them all, it seemed like there were almost 90 to 100 people.
Considering that 200 were initially summoned to the construction site, the number had halved.
More people likely died than those who consumed the bead and escaped.
"The bead is our last hope anyway."
"I'd rather bet on a chance where everyone can survive than surviving by killing my friend."
Surprisingly, more people agreed with our plan than I expected.
Among them, there were some strong individuals, mostly those who were summoned to the tower with their lovers or friends.
Indeed... there might be many bad people, but there are also many good ones in the world.
"Shall we shout 'fighting' before we go?"
"Sounds good. One, two, three!"
" " " FIGHTING!!! "
A united front was formed for a common goal.
God might have wanted us divided, but humanity came together.
"Kehe... We still need more. Give us more beads. Kehe."
"... Hold on, don't kill him,"
Even when we combined the number of golden beads that firefighter Park Cheol-jin and Choi Ji-won had, which was over 20, the goblin shaman was still unsatisfied.
It wasn't until I gave two more golden beads I had hidden that the goblin shaman finally nodded.
"... This should be enough. Keluk, Keluk... Everyone, step back. Kehe."
Holding a pouch full of golden beads in one hand and waving a staff in the other, he began chanting.
"KUL, NAL, TAR, AR, AIS..."
As he muttered in a strange language, the protective barrier surrounding the Minotaur began to glow.
"People, now's the time! We don't have much time! Kehe... Keluk, Keluk, Kueh..."
The goblin shaman seemed to choke, spitting out blood mixed with chunks.
"... Everyone, check your masks."
"We're ready."
"Phew, that creature looks damn fierce."
"I'd rather bet on this than those damn beads from the start."
The 'tutorial Avengers', stretching and preparing themselves.
We had been warned earlier that the air coming out of the swamp contained weak toxins, so everyone was wearing makeshift masks made of cloth.
It might not be very effective, but it's better than nothing.
By the way, I volunteered to guard the goblin shaman because if I inhaled the swamp's air, I would regress.
We can't have someone suddenly killing the shaman out of nowhere.
"Let's do it! On my command, give it your all!"
Firefighter Park Cheol-jin, looking tense, stood right in front of the bead.
His ability is 'Ironman'.
It hardens his body and significantly boosts his stamina.
"Growwwl!"
The Minotaur, realizing the humans' intentions, began to thrash.
"Kehe... I'll hold it off! Now's the time!"
The goblin shaman's staff emitted light.
"Now, let's do this! One!"
"???? One!!! ???????"
Following Park Cheol-jin's command, everyone began to push the protective barrier.
Veins popped on people's arms, and the ground they stood on began to sink.
"Growwwl..."
Choi Ji-won, exerting her strength, her face turning red. It's the first time I've seen her like this.
The barrier surrounding the Minotaur wobbled slightly but didn't move.
Even though we selected the strongest people, was our combined strength still not enough?
"Phew. Everyone, take a break. It's not easy to exert force with the ground sinking like this."
A man commented, rubbing his heated palms. As he mentioned, the sinking ground made it difficult to apply force effectively.
"... I think I can solve that problem." Among the people cheering on the protective barrier's push, a lean young man stepped forward.
"I've been hiding my ability until now... My power is 'Hardening'. I can solidify the ground you all are standing on."
The man touched the ground, and the once soft earth became firm.
"I... I can help too!"
The one who stepped up this time was a short-haired woman, Baek Da-hye.
"I have... a buff ability! Even though it's low-tier... I'll do my best!"
"Oh, wow..."
Energy emanated from her hands, enveloping the people, making their previously strained expressions relax.
"I can...!"
"I have a useful ability...!"
Those with promising abilities supported those directly pushing the protective barrier.
"I don't have any abilities... but I'll cheer you on!"
"We can do it! We can do it!"
"We will... we will survive! We'll survive in this damn tower!"
"Fighting! Awesome! Let's go!"
Those who couldn't directly help shouted words of encouragement.
Not everyone was pushing the protective barrier, but they were all united in spirit.
"Thank you... everyone."
Firefighter Park Cheol-jin seemed emotionally overwhelmed, sniffling slightly.
"We must... we must survive! Let's survive together! Here we go again! One aaaa!!!!"
"One!"
Shove!
"Two!"
Shove!!!
"Threeeeeee!!!!"
Whirrrrr!!!
Thanks to everyone's collective effort, the protective barrier, firmly grounded in the soil, began to move with a rumbling sound.
"...Huff. Huff. Huff."
"Heh heh heh..."
People breathed heavily.
Someone bit down so hard that blood oozed from their gums.
But this was just the beginning. The distance left to the swamp was about 50 meters.
"...Goblin, how much longer can you hold on?"
The shaman, holding the golden bead and staff, had arms that were shaking tremendously.
"Keluk... Kurluk... Krup... I think I can hold on until I die. Human, how much time do you think I have left?"
Time is of the essence.