The Wizard in the Game Is Rewarded in Reality

Chapter 46

I prepared a shelter in a cave hidden at the entrance of the canyon and set up a warp magic circle. I also placed safety devices, including illusion magic, at the cave entrance.

I step outside the cave and walk around the canyon.

The entrance is narrow and the inside is blocked. The ground is level and the area is quite large, making it a good location to build a safe base if the narrow entrance is blocked.

“Shall I give you a gift?”

I recall hearing that the Chiwoo Guild repeatedly failed to build an advance base on the 32nd floor. Even if they managed to build a base with great difficulty, it would be hard to defend it if monsters like ogres, trolls, or cyclopses swarmed in.

As I survey the surroundings, I see large rocks and a good idea comes to mind.

“Cut.”

The sharply honed wind slices through the rocks. I cut and cut again. After cutting at 1-meter intervals, I approach the rocks.

I take out the items stored in my infinite bag and place them neatly to one side. I place my hand on one of the cubically cut stones. When I think of putting it in the infinite bag, the cubic stone, with a side length of just under 1 meter, slips into the infinite bag.

I put eight stones into the infinite bag and head to the entrance of the canyon.

Thud- Thud-

I set the position and take out the stones from the infinite bag. I stack the stones neatly, like building a fortress wall. Repeating the same action, a splendid fortress wall is soon completed at the entrance of the canyon.

I create an entrance for people and carriages to pass through.

“Make the gate yourself.”

Even this much should be enough consideration for the awakened ones.

I fly into the sky, hidden by invisibility. Moving slowly, I use the ‘zoom in’ magic to survey the area.

“There it is.”

I spot my target and move quickly.

Inside the palisade, many people are coming and going. Most of them are white, but there are also a few black and yellow people.

They are the American awakened ones who recently succeeded in conquering the 36th floor.

They set up the palisade at 1-meter intervals and reinforced it with stones and soil. It looks sturdy enough, but it wouldn’t last long against the strength of ogres or cyclopses.

As I survey the American advance base, I notice something unusual.

“A crossbow?”

It definitely looks like a crossbow. But its size is extraordinary. Two awakened ones, who seem to be the operators, are stationed next to the crossbow, which is larger than a person.

The arrows loaded in it are at least 2 meters long. The arrowheads have a structure similar to a drill, designed to rotate when fired.

The destructive power would be determined by the tension of the bowstring, but considering it was set up to deal with large monsters like ogres, its effectiveness must have been somewhat verified.

There are more than thirty crossbows installed on the palisade. If they all fire in unison, even an ogre would suffer significant damage.

Though unlikely, if there were an awakened one who could imbue the projectiles with aura, it would display tremendous destructive power.

“I’d like to see them shoot once.”

Perhaps because of my wish, five ogres emerge from the forest. It doesn’t seem like they are passing by by chance. Their gazes are fixed on the American forward base.

It means they came knowing the forward base was there.

In the hands of the ogres are massive steel clubs. The sight of the ogres dragging the nearly three-meter-long steel clubs as they move is chilling.

Dang- Dang- Dang-!

Urgent bells ring out from within the forward base.

The awakened ones on guard duty on the palisade must have alerted to the ogres’ approach.

Numerous awakened ones climb onto the palisade.

Marksmen are positioned at the large crossbows, fixing their aim on the ogres.

The ogres do not approach in a group but scatter in different directions.

As the ogres enter the range, the large crossbows simultaneously fire their arrows.

Twang-!

A chilling sound of the air being torn apart is heard as the arrows, moving at an incredible speed, target the ogres. The ogres move their bodies here and there to evade.

The arrows that couldn’t be dodged are deflected with steel clubs.

‘Ha-.’

Watching the battle between the awakened ones and the ogres, I realized that this was not the first time the ogres attacked this place. The ogres knew how to deal with arrow attacks.

With agility that didn’t match their massive bodies, they dodged and deflected the arrows, gradually closing the distance.

“Reload quickly!”

At the command of a man who seemed to be the commander, the crossbow marksmen quickly reloaded the arrows. While the marksmen reloaded, the awakened ones on the palisade kept the ogres in check.

Various spells were created and rushed towards the ogres. Archers specialized in long-range attacks also targeted the ogres. However, their spells and projectiles did not cause significant damage to the ogres.

But they certainly played a role in distracting the ogres.

Twang-! Twang-!

The reloaded large crossbows fired simultaneously.

Two ogres staggered and retreated. One of them even fell to the ground. Large arrows were lodged in their shoulders and thighs.

The ogres broke the lodged arrows and started advancing again.

The fierce battle between the ogres trying to destroy and the awakened ones trying to protect continued for over an hour.

‘It feels like watching a fantasy movie.’

The ogres eventually failed to break through the palisade and retreated. Two of them managed to approach the palisade and partially destroy it with their steel clubs, but they had no choice but to withdraw in the face of the fierce resistance from the Awakened.

The American Awakened, who had won the battle and defended the forward base, let out a victorious roar.

In their midst was a familiar face.

It was James Gordon, a man clad in golden full plate mail, whose face was often seen on the news.

The master of the Phoenix Guild, the strongest guild in America, and a man at the pinnacle of the world’s Awakened.

‘Quite a scale.’

It seemed that all the Awakened from the forward base had been mobilized to counter the ogre invasion, and their number easily exceeded a thousand.

Baek Dong-wook had told me that the number of Awakened staying in the Korean Awakened zone within the 31st-floor base city was less than three hundred.

‘As expected of America.’

I wonder how many Awakened are stationed at China’s forward base, which is said to be unmatched in terms of sheer numbers.

The American Awakened relaxed their guard and dispersed.

‘The location is appropriate.’

If you consider the entrance from the 35th floor to the 36th floor to be at the 12 o’clock direction, the American Awakened’s forward base is located at around 2 o’clock. They must have built the forward base near the entrance to quickly escape in case of an emergency.

The place I prepared as a shelter is in the opposite direction, at 6 o’clock. And not far from the shelter lies the reason I created a shelter on the 36th floor.

*

The frequency of monster appearances near the canyon shelter is very low. Since it is not a forest area, there are no beasts that serve as prey for monsters like ogres.

A rocky mountain made up of huge boulders.

Here lies something incredible that the American Awakened have yet to discover.

A narrow cave halfway up the rocky mountain.

After passing through the narrow cave, which is just wide enough to enter by bending over, you will soon encounter a vast cavity.

“Wow-!”

Even without any light sources to illuminate the surroundings, the soft blue light emanating from all directions does not restrict visibility.

The blue light-emitting ore embedded in the rocks forming the cavity.

“Mana stones.”

If the 29th floor is a low-grade mana stone mine, this place is a mid-grade mana stone mine.

All the countries on the Azelium continent covet it, but they dare not approach it due to the watchful eyes of the Kraksha Kingdom’s Magic Tower.

The mana stones embedded in the rocks that are visible are not all there is. Despite the miners hired by the Magic Tower having mined for over a decade, a large quantity of mana stones is still being produced.

This is the reason I made a deal with Baek Dong-wook of the Chiu Guild. Although I know the location of the mine, I am not confident in developing and operating it.

I still cannot fully trust Baek Dong-wook or other Awakened, but as long as we are bound by a contract, it should not be a major problem.

If they violate even a small part of the contract, they will have to pay the corresponding price.

Before long, the whole world will be turned upside down.

The Korean awakeners who stayed on the 32nd floor will succeed in attacking the 36th floor and even take over the mana stone mine.

According to the treaty signed by all the countries that have advanced to the Tower of Infinity, ownership of anything that generates profit in the Tower of Infinity is recognized to the one who discovers it first.

Of course, that’s only if you have the power to protect it.

The treaty was created under the leadership of the most influential and vocal countries in the world, the United States and China.

It goes without saying that the United States thought they would discover and take everything first. They might even be making secret deals with China.

“The game is always bound to be overturned.”

It wouldn’t be bad for Korea to lead the world’s dynamics.

No matter how much people complain about Hell Joseon, isn’t Korea the country where I was born and raised?

Just like I’ve done so far, I’ll just get rid of anything that stands in my way or annoys me.

Even a street full of trash can become clean if you start cleaning it up one by one.

I don’t know when that day will come, though.

I widen the entrance to the mana stone mine and extensively install illusion magic, or illusion magic circles, around it. It’s a conditional magic circle that responds to my mana and opens the way.

If I create an artifact and infuse it with my mana, only those who possess the artifact will be able to enter the mine without being affected by the illusion magic circle.

I considered installing a warp magic circle inside the mine, but I decided against it.

It’s not yet time to reveal the warp magic circle to the world.

It’s my powerful card and the key to grasping the Tower of Infinity in my hands.

*

Chiwoo Guild House in the base city on the 31st floor.

“Dongwook, say something, will you?”

Baek Dongwook just stared blankly at Park Hyunmin, who was speaking as if interrogating him.

Park Hyunmin, the master of the Cheonghae Guild, which is supported by Cheonghae Group, the number one business group in Korea.

He was the third son of the chairman of Cheonghae Group and an early awakener like Baek Dongwook.

“Why are you leaving out only our Cheonghae?”

“It’s not just Cheonghae. The same goes for Giant, Mania, and the Busan Union.”

“Why are you dividing us? What’s the reason?”

Baek Dongwook did not answer Park Hyunmin’s question.

To answer, he would have to mention the Magic Tower of Kraksha, but he thought it was not desirable to mention his name before he even started working in earnest.

Even the guilds that agreed to join forces in the future do not know about the Magic Tower of Kraksha, except for the masters.

“Hey! Do you think you can attack without us?”

When organizing a large expedition, neither the Chiu Guild nor the Cheonghae Guild moves alone. The monsters on the 31st floor are too powerful for that.

Baek Dong-wook, who had been getting along well until now, suddenly declared a severance, leaving Park Hyun-min bewildered.

“Damn it. Do whatever you want. Divide the sides, line them up, do as you please.”

With those words, Park Hyun-min slams the door loudly and disappears.

“Phew-. This is tough.”

Baek Dong-wook takes out the Great Heal Artifact given by the Tower of Kraksha from his bosom and looks at it.

“Tomorrow, huh?”