Early TNG Vol. 23 Chapter 3 Part 3

Full title: THE NEW GATE

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

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Leaving the slot machine chamber behind, Shin’s party descended the stairs into the second layer. A tunnel-like passage led into a new expanse.

What filled their widened view was a scattering of trees across a low grassland. Shin was just thinking this could be troublesome when he sensed a presence ahead.

A glance around, and his eyes locked with Schnee’s and Milt’s. Without a word, they moved. Shin grabbed Tiera, Schnee took Retoneka, and both leapt clear.

“So it’s this one after all.”

Even as Tiera screamed, Shin swung the 『Drop of Erathem』 shard he was holding like a weapon. With a harsh clang, the incoming strike was deflected and flew overhead.

“An enemy!?”

“Not the best timing, considering we’re still unequipped.”

In the direction Shin blocked, the air rippled, and a crimson shadow shimmered into view.

It was a mantis-type monster, clad in a red exoskeleton: Gigiratis.

Its warped carapace resembled a suit of armor, backed by four arms and the ability to spit venom. Even standing upright, it loomed over 4 mels tall, brandishing massive scythes in silence.

Brutal offense and defense made it nightmarish head-on, but its most dangerous trait was the use of light-based skills to vanish and ambush prey.

【Analyze】 marked its level as 863. Definitely a bad draw, Shin thought, clicking his tongue inwardly.

“Milt, cover the perimeter! Schnee, flank from the left—I’ll take the right!”

“Got it!”

“Understood.”

Even as Shin barked orders, the Gigiratis lunged. He couldn’t read its eyes, but he knew its attention was on him. Tossing Tiera toward Milt, he rushed forward.

The monster’s scythe, over a mel long, shrieked through the air at him. Gigiratis would feint with folded arms, then extend them in an instant to throw off enemy timing.

But Shin anticipated it—ducking low, he drove the 『Drop of Erathem』 into the joint. He aimed for the softer connective tissue, but the blade only screeched off. Beneath the carapace, dense cords of hardened muscle absorbed the blow. With such a half-formed weapon, he could barely nick it.

“Not sharp enough, huh. Then I’ll use this!”

Mineral light coated his fists.

―Barehanded/Earth Combination Skill【Adamant Fist】.

Stone-like gauntlets, both weapon and shield, encased his arms. Meeting the second scythe head-on, he clamped it between his fists.

The weight difference forced him back a mel, but his skill held, and the scythe now bore a jagged crack.

“Hmph!”

He bore down, snapping it clean. The moment his motion stalled, the other scythe scythed in from behind.

“Take this!”

Shin swung his right backhand, slamming it into the flat of the blade, knocking its arc wide, then smashed his left fist into another joint. Carapace shattered, though the damage was shallow.

Sliding in close, he dodged shards the monster fired like bullets, batting others aside with brute force. Its right arm scythe was still aimed at him, but in his peripheral he caught the left one frozen at the joint. Schnee was locking it down with ice.

“Then this is our chance!”

The Gigiratis tried to leap away, but Shin closed faster.

“Eat this!”

His fist hammered the torso dead center. Cracks spiderwebbed across the exoskeleton, armor crumbling under his 【Adamant Fist】.

“One more!”

His other fist smashed into its core, detonating with searing flame.

―Barehanded/Fire Combination Skill【Burn Fist】.

Violet fire erupted inside the monster, devouring its organs. Flame gushed out from within its armor as the Gigiratis shrieked, convulsing.

An ice spear lanced into its head—Schnee’s follow-up. One eye burst, its skull pierced, but still it did not fall.

With berserk fury, it stomped down, sending shards flying, hurling Shin back. It lunged straight for Schnee, whether to bite, slash, or simply crush her.

“(Schnee!)”

“(No problem.)”

Her calm voice reached him through 【Mind Chat】.

Facing the charging giant, Schnee raised the 『Drop of Erathem』. A pale mist cloaked the shard’s edge.

Only Shin and Milt realized the instant blur was her swing.

A white flash cut straight through Gigiratis. With a ringing chime, its body split apart. The cross-section froze solid, sprouting crystalline frost.

The halves toppled, sliding past either side of her.

“…Whew. Fighting without proper gear does keep you on edge.”

Even knowing his stats gave him absurd durability, taking monster strikes barehanded was nerve-wracking. They needed proper equipment, and fast.

“Let’s move immediately. If that was our welcome committee, there’ll be more of its caliber around. Before anything with detection senses hone in, we need a base camp and gear.”

No one objected. They took off at once.

After about twenty minutes of cautious running, a forest came into view. No monster presence so far.

“Into the woods. Better than being exposed on the plains.”

They entered under Shin’s lead, advancing carefully, with traps and signs of enemies on his watch.

“Lots of web traps here. Maybe spider-types nearby?” Milt remarked.

“Most likely,” Shin nodded. “First ambush was Gigiratis. Looks like this whole floor favors insect-type spawns.”

Gigiratis could appear in cramped terrain, but seeing one on open grassland felt wrong to Shin and Milt, who still remembered the game-era mechanics.

“Hey, Shin. Was all that true just now?”

“The part about this being an insect-monster zone? For now it’s just that Milt and I feel something’s off. But there are past records of this kind of pattern, floors where only a single monster type spawns. And honestly, it’s not that rare. What’s wrong, Tiera? Not fond of bugs?”

“It’s not that, but… against insect-types, my main weapon—the bow—doesn’t work that well, right? And the monster at the entrance, its joints were so hard. I thought maybe I could support you and the others, but even with proper equipment, that seems tough.”

She wanted at least to provide cover, even if she couldn’t land a decisive blow like Shin or Schnee. But she wasn’t wrong. Against something like Gigiratis, with its massive body and hardened exoskeleton, arrows would barely scratch it. In the game, players had relied on specialized arrows and skill usage to offset that weakness.

“Then we’ll plan for it. Until now we’ve just relied on skill and weapon attributes, but using specialized arrows should be an option. And here, there’s no penalty for overspending resources. Think of it as practice before the real thing.”

“In that case, I’ll use them.”

Special arrows couldn’t easily be resupplied. That was why Shin had been hesitant to let Tiera depend on them too much. If she got used to gear she couldn’t reproduce herself after Shin was gone, it would only harm her. But here and now, holding back was pointless.

As they moved cautiously past traps, Retoneka raised a question.

“Um… doesn’t it feel like the plants around us are growing bigger?”

“Yeah. Most likely, the environment’s scaled up to match the monsters.”

When Shin nodded, she pressed further.

“What kind of gimmicks exist on this floor?”

“This one doesn’t use gimmicks like before. It’s a survival stage. The first ambush in the open grasslands, now these oversized plants; it all fits. These floors change to match the monsters that dominate them. High-level insect-types tend to be big. So the environment’s been scaled accordingly.”

He’d encountered a similar stage once before. Back then the focus had been aquatic and mollusk monsters, and nearly seventy percent of the map had been submerged.

“If we already know strong enemies are here, wouldn’t it be safer to just build a base back at the entrance?”

“You’re right in principle. But if my memory’s correct, this kind of field is divided into unseen sectors, each with its own boss-level monster. We could try to skirt around them, but the bosses sense intruders in their territory. No matter where we hole up, eventually one will come hunting. If we want to set up a base, we need to clear the sector boss first.”

They could wait and try to ambush instead, but Shin was certain the bosses adapted to player behavior.

“But if we’re facing more enemies like that thing from before, then honestly, Retoneka and I won’t be of much use.”

“That’s true, but I’ve got an idea. I was going to wait until after checking the next floor to explain—since you’ve never practiced with them—but considering what might show up, better to say it now.”

With that, Shin withdrew a stack of cards from his item box.

“Tiera, you recognize these, don’t you?”

“They’re 『Sealing Cards』, right? Oh I see. With these, we can use skills we normally couldn’t.”

“Exactly. I’ve charged them with magic myself, so they should work, even if not at full effect.”

Though it had been back in the game, Shin had charged them at max level. Even weakened, they’d strike harder than most mages’ spells.

“Used carelessly though, you might hit allies.”

“That’s the risk. Tiera, Retoneka—actually, Retoneka, have you ever used these before?”

As a member of the Black Faction, she might have. But she shook her head.

“I’ve seen them, but never used one. They’re rare enough that they’re treated as valuable relics. The knowledge of how to make them was lost long ago.”

“I figured. Honestly, it’d be dangerous if they could be mass-produced.”

Anything that could kill monsters could kill people too. Shin knew better than most how such tools could be abused by killers or in war.

“Here’s the breakdown. The set has attack cards with the basic elemental magics: five high-power ‘Ball’ types and five fast ‘Arrow’ types for each element. For recovery, there are ten 【Heal】 and ten 【Cure】 cards, plus five revival cards. Then there are barrier cards, all-stat buff cards, and detection cards—five each. Treat the 【Heal】 and 【Cure】 as if they’re level X.”

He spoke lightly, but Tiera and Retoneka could only stare, overwhelmed.

“Wait a second… did you just say ‘Revival’ in there somewhere?”

“I heard it too… ‘Revival’?”

Both stiffened.

“Yeah. They’re imbued with the divine skill 【Revive】. But listen, don’t imagine what you’re thinking. I checked with someone I trust. It only works under specific conditions.”

Their disbelief was obvious.

“Even with conditions, the fact that it can revive is absurd.”

“Tiera’s right. That’s already beyond reason.”

“True enough.”

Resurrecting the dead was the stuff of legend, spoken of only alongside the High Humans. Their shock was natural.

“Still, inside this dungeon, it probably works literally. Though honestly it’s less resurrection and more advanced healing; the dungeon makes death ambiguous, after all.”

“Even so, Shin, you can’t just toss around talk of resurrection like it’s nothing! In this world, a revival skill’s existence is even more questionable than the High Humans themselves!”

He soothed her with a shrug.

“I get it. But the fact is, the skill exists. Just don’t mistake it for some miracle that raises the dead. Think of it as a stronger healing spell, able to bring someone back from a state potions and healing can’t touch. A top-tier recovery option, nothing more.”

He framed it that way deliberately, echoing what Hibineko once told him.

“If that’s true, then yes—it’s effectively an upgraded 【Heal】.”

“But even so, there will be people who see it as bringing back the dead. I… might, too.”

She trailed off, hand over her mouth. Shin understood. Retoneka’s father was gone, just as his own beloved had been. He, too, had once dreamed of undoing death.

“You can’t. That much is impossible.”

“…I know.”

Though she nodded, her eyes betrayed conflict.

“In any case, even without that, the rest of the set is insane. If you charged them, Shin, the attack cards must be devastating. And the recovery ones… they’re max level. A nation would fight wars over these.”

Perhaps trying to lift Retoneka’s mood, Tiera spoke with force. She wasn’t wrong. 【Heal X】 could restore lost limbs. Coupled with 【Cure X】, it offered complete protection.

“These weren’t unobtainable back then, but they were rare. Misused though, they could wreak havoc. Retoneka, you understand, right?”

“Yes. The magical weapons we use for island defense aren’t reserved only for monsters, after all.”

She knew what it meant to wield such power.

“Anyway, here it’s fine if you miss a little. Knock down a few trees, no big deal. It’ll be your first time, but trial by fire works.”

“Is that really okay?”

“It’s fine. This dungeon’s designed around risk and luck. Trying reckless things is part of the package. Just, if we’re going to fail, I’d prefer we test more first.”

He tossed Tiera a crooked grin. Before she could answer, Schnee interrupted with a quiet warning.

“Shin. Something’s approaching.”

“Yeah. That’ll be the area boss.”

A massive presence advanced head-on, with six smaller signatures circling in from the sides.

“Schnee and I will handle the big one. Tiera, Retoneka—use the cards against the small fry.”

As he gave the order, Shin glanced at Milt.

Milt grinned and nodded back, clearly ready to support the others if things turned ugly.

“The Verge Spider, huh? As expected, it’s a spider-type.”

Using a combination of 【Clairvoyance】 and 【Farsight】, Shin confirmed the monster’s form as it approached.

It was the territorial kind that set traps to ensnare intruders. Verge Spiders immobilized their prey with adhesive webs spun throughout their domain, then crushed them with brute force born of their immense size.

Its level was 783. Lower than the Gigiratis—but here, where the terrain complemented its abilities, the threat level was much higher.

“Its threads are weak to fire! If things get dicey, burn them away with a ball-type fire spell!”

“The forest won’t catch fire!?”

Seeing Tiera hesitate, Milt called out reassuringly.

“We’ll handle that!”

They had already confirmed during their approach that the forest vegetation was flame-resistant. Moistening the surface was enough to prevent spread, and, even if something did ignite, Milt’s spirit arts could easily contain it.

“Let’s go!”

Thanks to his trap-sensing, Shin knew exactly where the webs were laid.

The thick, obvious strands of a traditional web were easy to see, but dodging those would often land one straight into the finer, near-invisible threads that were far tougher.

Though it looked like even the spider itself should be hindered by the dense network, it had an innate coating that let its own silk slide off harmlessly. Even if it did snag, its monstrous strength could simply tear through the strands.

Taking advantage of his reduced size, Shin slipped through the web’s narrow gaps.

By fully focusing his trap detection, he could perceive the double and triple layers of thread strung across the forest.

The problem was that his movement path became severely limited, and the Verge Spider clearly understood that.

Just as Shin ducked beneath a web, its left foreleg swung down to crush him.

He struck the chitinous blade with the 『Drop of Erathem』, deflecting it.

A sharp metallic clang rang out as Shin’s body skidded sideways. The blow hadn’t connected, but it threw off his rhythm for a moment.

(It hits harder than I thought... maybe because I’m lighter now.)

He kicked off the ground, sprinting along the underside of the foreleg, keeping within its shadow.

But insect-types had wide vision; he couldn’t tell how effective the maneuver really was.

“There you are.”

The left foreleg lifted, and, from beneath, the right one lunged to strike Shin’s back.

He leapt just before it hit; the left limb blocked the right’s swing, sparing him.

But that upward jump turned the spider’s attention toward him. Its jaws parted, and from between its fangs, a wide spray of white silk shot forth.

(So it's the type that spits from the mouth, huh?)

In most cases, spiders spun silk from their abdomens.

But in THE NEW GATE, spider-type monsters could eject threads from their arms, mouths, even backs.

It was often impossible to tell which at first sight, and few players bothered memorizing every variant.

Shin hadn’t known which direction the threads would come from, but he had guessed enough.

With a sweep of his 『Drop of Erathem』 wreathed in fire magic, he sliced through the oncoming silk.

Realizing its webbing was useless, the Verge Spider tried to leap back.

But before it could, its body jolted violently, stumbling as its legs froze to the ground.

Their tips were encased in ice, melding into the earth.

“As expected of Schnee.”

The spider thrashed in one last act of defiance, swinging a massive foreleg to swat Shin from the air.

He activated a skill before it connected, kicking through empty air to accelerate forward, and drove the 『Drop of Erathem』 straight into its compound eye.

A shrill screech of pain reverberated.

The creature shook its head, but, before it could fling him off, Shin invoked another skill.

―Sword/Fire Combination Skill【Burn Blade】.

The sword version of the 【Burn Fist】 he’d used on the Gigiratis.

From the blade of the 『Drop of Erathem』 burst a pale-blue flame, extending into a searing arc.

With one fluid motion, Shin swung, and cleaved the Verge Spider’s head diagonally in two.

“Never dies instantly... that’s the nasty thing about bugs.”

Its HP was plummeting, yet it refused to fall.

Relying on sheer mass, it shattered the ice pinning its legs and lunged, aiming to crush Shin beneath its weight.

“Think you can flatten me just because I’m smaller?”

Dropping into a low stance, Shin twisted his torso and gathered power in his right fist—

—recalling the stance of his old support character, Girard.

“Barehanded skills... are my second specialty after swordsmanship.”

―Barehanded Martial Skill【Shiden・Zekka】.

His fist drove into the half-shattered head.

The impact warped its skull, sending ripples of force through its entire frame.

Despite the overwhelming difference in mass, the monster’s body crumpled inward—like an unstoppable force striking an immovable wall.

“Get blown away.”

The shockwave rippled through the air.

The Verge Spider’s enormous body bent grotesquely, then went flying.

A thunderous thud and tremor followed seconds later, then stillness.

The monster never moved again.

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