Don Quixote De La Mancha
The moment I crossed the gate's threshold, a massive windmill greeted my eyes. Built with cherry-red bricks stacked seamlessly, it gave off the impression of the Tower of Babel. Its scale was easily five times that of a typical windmill, and its blades looked more fit for a guillotine than grain grinding.
There are so many.
Roughly 30 to 40 windmills dotted the landscape. Beneath them, an expansive meadow unfolded, where sheep munched on grass and the shepherd lounged beneath tree canopies.
"Instructor Kim Sukgu, what's going on here?"
Kim Sukgu and Lee Minjoon wore expressions of concern as they talked it over. They understood well that the gate had been bumped up to S-rank status because of its newly activated concept.
"The gate's difficulty has changed. This has never happened before…"
"For now, it seems right to keep the students in the safe zone."
I wasn't aware of this fact. There's a safety zone at the gate's entrance designed to prevent immediate death upon entry due to disorientation. Though I questioned if the gate itself was the one ensuring safety, the result was beneficial. After all, Weaklings aiming to tackle the gate would only serve as hindrances.
An S-rank gate has been activated.
Don Quixote de la Mancha, celebrated for his fervent lunacy, stands eternal, shaped by the words and deeds of those around him. Always by his side are his outlandish armor, his majestic steed Rocinante, and his faithful squire Sancho Panza.
But that's not all.
Remember the giant windmill and the irate shepherd?
Break through the gate while recalling your nostalgic memories of reading the book!
You may look back on this moment with happiness someday.
Clear conditions: ???Time Limit: None
Just as Kim Sukgu and Lee Minjoon were about to explain the plan, an explanatory window appeared in the sky, large enough for everyone to see.
"There's no clear condition and no time limit. It's definitely an S-rank gate."
The higher the difficulty, the less information was given. Instead, plenty of time was usually provided, which wasn't good news. The absence of a time limit meant there were only two ways out: either clear it or die.
The faces of the students, who had come to the gate lightly, darkened. After all, they were just twenty-something-year-olds, no matter how strong they seemed. It felt odd to expect so much from kids who had only recently reached adulthood.
"First off… we'll need to assemble a team capable of clearing this."
"I believe we've already got that covered."
Before I entered, Kim Sukgu and Lee Minjoon had already reached some level of agreement.
When it comes to tackling an unknown gate, a specialized team is the way to go. It's more effective to enter with the strongest, yet smallest, group rather than gathering a mixed bag of abilities.
"It should be the five of us: Instructor Kim Sukgu, myself, students Minsoo, Taeyang, and Melanie." Everyone nodded in agreement at Lee Minjoon's suggestion.
"An ideal team," I thought. Three passive skill users, an experienced instructor, and a hunter team leader. We had assembled the best elite team possible.
Minjoon's hunter team is only effective when everyone collaborates. The fact that only Lee Minjoon is a first-rank hunter, with the others being second or third rank, doesn't help. The nickname ‘Minjoon and his kids' is not without reason.
"How about we each go over our skills before investigating the gate? I specialize in teleportation."
Lee Minjoon's skills were well-known, largely due to media exposure.
"I can only teleport myself and an object up to the size of a dagger."
This was another well-known fact, earning Minjoon the nickname ‘Ninja.'
"My body hardens, like armor. No slowing down or anything." Kim Sukgu demonstrated his skill by solidifying his head into a smooth, metallic surface. It was fascinating, and I fought the urge to touch it, given the gravity of the situation.
"I'm a hero, specializing in physical enhancement."
Kim Minsoo's skill had attracted some media attention, but we skipped the details. After all, how much more could you elaborate on being one? A hero is simply a hero. The protagonist who leads the world and defeats evil incarnate. Simple yet encompassing.
"My main skill is coercion. As Instructor Kim Sukgu mentioned, it's a debuff type that exerts direct pressure on living beings."
"To what extent can you exert this pressure?"
"I haven't fully tested its limits, but I can likely restrain the activation of other skills."
Given the life-and-death stakes of the gate, understanding each skill's capabilities was crucial. Minjoon meticulously covered every aspect, posing questions not just to me but also to Kim Sukgu and Kim Minsoo.
"And what about you, Student Melanie?"
"I can summon and control firearms, ranging from simple pistols to complex machinery. They can even fire automatically without a gunner."
Kim Sukgu, who had been silently listening, spoke up, "The downside is, if you use them for an extended period, you lose control, especially with complex machinery."
Melanie's confident expression instantly hardened.
So that's what this is about. It makes sense that she's treated as a walking explosive. If she can't control her skill properly, she can suddenly summon a tank onto the streets, wreaking havoc. It's clear that a major incident from her childhoodis due to such an incident.
"Alright, now that we've all shared our skills, shall we move on to analyzing the concept? Anyone familiar with Don Quixote?"
Lee Minjoon exhibited the quintessential behavior of an active-duty hunter, engaging everyone with his overwhelming sociability and charisma, effectively keeping the atmosphere upbeat.
While Kim Minsoo avoided eye contact and Melanie appeared anxious, with Kim Sukgu observing her closely, Minjoon effortlessly maintained the conversation's momentum with this diverse group.
"I've read it a bit. Basically, it's about Don Quixote's journey."
"Ah… Does that include windmills like those?"
"Yes, but they weren't portrayed as menacing in the story."
As I responded more actively, Minjoon's expression shifted, almost as if he were searching for an oasis in a desert, sensing that the rigid atmosphere was slowly easing.
Getting down because things look grim is the last thing we need.
In that aspect, Minjoon was spot-on. Not only Minjoon but also ‘Minjoon's kids' were contributing to lightening the mood among the students. Kim Sukgu seemed initially at ease but became rigid when Melanie mentioned her skill, failing to fully recover afterward.
What caught me off guard was that no one seemed familiar with Don Quixote. They recognized it as a classic and had come across it in world literature anthologies, yet they were unfamiliar with its content.
Did they simply never read it?
It might just be that they hadn't read it; after all, being famous doesn't guarantee everyone knows the specifics.
"So, if I understand Student Taeyang correctly, those windmills could also transform into giants?"
"Yes, and the shepherd might even turn hostile and attack."
"Hmm… We can't afford to rush into an attack."
The most challenging gates are those with a fixed concept. In situations like this, it's unclear how to proceed. If it's a defensive situation, you defend; if it's offensive, you attack. In a boss battle, you focus on taking down the most formidable opponent.
"Should I take the first shot?"
"It's too risky. Let's hold off a bit longer…"
Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.
As we continued to debate where to place the first button, the sound of hoofbeats filled the air. Not the thunderous gallop of a prized racehorse or a battle-ready steed, but a steady cadence of measured steps.
"Heh, what brings everyone here?"
"I'm not entirely sure, sir."
Instantly, we recognized who it was.
For over thirty minutes, I had detailed the character of Don Quixote. A small man in a makeshift helmet that barely veiled his face, wielding a weathered sword and spear passed down through generations. Mounted on a rather unremarkable horse with patches of balding fur, crowned by a hat fashioned from worn-out rags—there was no mistaking it.
"Don Quixote!"
"Ah! Someone recognizes me! Clearly, my knightly renown precedes me across this vast land. Isn't that so, Sancho?"
"Hehe, without a doubt, sir. As pledged, I shall follow you, even to the world's end!"
Kim Minsoo valiantly stepped forward, but Don Quixote and Sancho paid him no heed, treating him—and all of us—as mere commoners.
"Sancho, look over there! Those gugantic figures, the treacherous wolves disguised as sheep, and the wicked sorcerer wielding a staff!"
"Nay, sir! Those are merely windmills. No wolves, just sheep. And that man is no sorcerer; he's merely a shepherd!"
"Sancho, trust in me! The devil's ruse has blinded you! For now, let me be your eyes, revealing the truth!"
"Oh, sir! Please go a bit slower! My short legs… Oh, and look! Even Rocinante has short legs!"
It was like witnessing a poorly scripted play. None of us grasped the unfolding situation; we merely stood there, silently taking in their dialogue.
With skillful finesse, Don Quixote spurred Rocinante into a gallop. Sancho, his short legs churning comically, struggled to keep pace.
All we could do was watch and wait.
"Oh, sir! The windmill! It's moving!"
"Did I not warn you, Sancho? At last, you've seen through the devil's deceit! That windmill's true form emerges! Those sheep likely conceal their fangs, and the shepherd readies some dark magic!"
Don Quixote's resonant proclamation shifted everyone's gaze toward the windmill, slowly ascending as if a colossal entity were pulling itself free from the earth.
———————————
With the appearance of Don Quixote, Rocinante, and Sancho, the clear conditions are revealed!
Don Quixote's gaze blurs the boundary between reality and fantasy. What appears as a windmill can be turned into a giant. Even a mere insect transforms into a monster through his eyes!
Stop him before he turns everything in the world into monsters!
Clear Conditions: Eliminate Don Quixote (0/1)Eliminate Rocinante (0/1)Eliminate Sancho (0/1)
※ Caution ※
Don Quixote, Rocinante, and Sancho cannot be killed by the imagined monsters.
———————————
Everyone snapped to attention at the belatedly displayed clear conditions.
Don Quixote was not just a character from a novel; he was a deeply deluded man who believed his fantasies were reality. The stakes were clear: What if his delusions materialized, turning his visions into actual monsters?
"Everyone, target Don Quixote! Minjoon, back up Melanie. The rest of you, follow my lead!"
Objects within Don Quixote's line of sight inside the gate were already morphing into monstrous forms.
"Ensure he doesn't set his eyes on other windmills! We must kill him before that!" Kim Sukgu's urgent voice conveyed the urgency of the moment.
So far, there was only one windmill that Don Quixote had properly fixated on. But that single windmill was emanating the aura of a formidable A-rank monster.
"Sancho, look! The blade of that windmill giant is sharper than any executioner's guillotine!"
"Sir, how do you plan to confront such a threat?"
"Shouldn't the younger ones at the back handle this? We're on a quest to find utopia at the world's end!"
"Exactly, sir! Your insight is nothing short of brilliant!"