Declaration Of Extra Strike

 

The dome seemed to act as a shield, preventing even the occasional small monsters from entering. I looked skeptically at the rod planted in the center, emitting a soft glow. I wondered what Seong San-ha was fighting with if that was here. 

 

There were no other options so I plopped down on the ground. But I immediately felt the presence of something approaching. Hearing sounds different from those of monsters, I drew my dagger and crouched down. It was a severely injured hunter who emerged from the bushes.

 

“Help me!” 

 

The hunter, who was running desperately towards me, was in a dreadful state. One arm had been torn off, and he was covered in blood. As soon as he passed through the runes and entered the dome, his legs gave out, and he collapsed, half out of his mind from pain, foaming at the mouth. 

 

Sighing, I stood up and pulled out the potion bag I had brought.

 

‘I should have brought more if I knew this would happen.’

 

I had only brought a few, thinking Seong San-ha, being a healer, wouldn’t need many. Now I regretted that decision. I pulled out a healing potion and put it to the hunter’s lips.

 

“Stay with me. If you lose consciousness here, I can’t help you.”

 

“Ugh, it hurts…”

 

“Do you have a scroll?”

 

“N-no.”

 

I handed the scroll Seong San-ha had left behind to the hunter who shook his head.

 

“Go to the 10th underground floor. Seek help there.”

 

“But…”

 

The hunter hesitated, not tearing the scroll immediately. At first, I thought he didn’t trust the scroll, but seeing him glance back at the chaotic noise and screams from outside, it seemed he was worried about his companions.

 

“Hurry up. You need to go first so the next ones I send can get treated quickly.”

 

“…Thank you.”

 

With trembling hands, the man tore the scroll and disappeared. Not long after, I felt another presence. This time, it was several people.

 

Having already taken out and lined up the potions, I waved my hand towards the entrance.

 

“Come in.”

 

***

 

Even after using up nearly all the potions and scrolls to send hunters to safety, Seong San-ha hadn’t returned. Even though I trusted him to handle things, I couldn’t help but worry since he had left behind his main weapon, the rod. I asked the hunters about Seong San-ha’s whereabouts, but the ones who had barely escaped knew nothing.

 

The last ones to arrive were Hyo-young and Lee Jae-ah, the only people I was acquainted with. I had been hoping to find them as I treated and sent off the other hunters, so seeing them alive brought some relief. Hyo-young, carrying the collapsed Lee Jae-ah, gasped in surprise when she saw me.

 

“You, how are you here?”

 

“Come in. I happen to have exactly two scrolls and potions left.”

 

“I’m fine, but Jae-ah…”

 

Hyo-young shook Jae-ah to wake her up and slowly spilled the potion through her lips. She looked at her and bit her lips worringly.

 

“What happened all of a sudden? Are there any other hunters left outside?”

 

“No, we’re the last ones. Everyone else… They got greedy thinking it would be easy.”

 

“It’s because of the wave change. The next floor has already been taken over.”

 

Hyo-young’s face darkened. Remembering the earlier devastation, I clicked my tongue and handed her a scroll.

 

“Here, take this. Go up to the 10th underground floor. Your comrades who went up earlier should have called for rescue by now.”

 

“…Thank you. Really, thank you.”

 

Hyo-young, clutching the scroll, bit her lip as if overcome with emotion. Seeing her bow her head and her shoulders shake, I stepped back in startlement. Watching someone cry was always tough for me.

 

‘Is she crying?’

 

Feeling unsure of what to do, I awkwardly stood there until Hyo-young managed to collect herself. She lifted her head, forcing a smile to shift the conversation.

 

“I didn’t know the person with you was Mystic.”

 

“Ah… is that what he’s called? Are you holding up well? …You’re not hurt anywhere, right?”

 

“The monsters were incredibly powerful… The last thing I saw was him luring the remaining two away. But of course, he’ll be fine. He’s Mystic, after all.”

 

“Yeah. Whoever he is, I’m sure he’s okay.”

 

Hyo-young and Lee Jae-ah disappeared with the last remaining scroll, leaving me alone inside the dome once again.

 

With no sun to set in the dungeon, indicating the passage of time was tricky. But it was clear that a long time had passed since Seong San-ha left. I had cycled through countless ways to use the newly acquired Abyssal Crystals to craft guiding potions, but Seong San-ha had yet to return.

Something must have happened.

 

Eventually, I stood up abruptly and pulled out the rod that was stuck in the ground.

 

***

 

Thankfully, the rod still provided a bit of a shield effect even after being removed. 

 

Maybe because I was feeling uneasy about wandering alone, Cloud had somehow appeared and joined me in searching for any trace of Seong San-ha. I was initially startled and tried to catch him when he bolted. But in the end, I felt relieved to see monsters avoiding Cloud, cautiously steering clear. So, I let him roam freely.

 

By the time we descended the mountain, we were near the warp point where we first entered. Just as I became worried again, Cloud, who had been sniffing ahead, suddenly took off towards something. I hurriedly followed.

 

Cloud led me to a hidden area behind the warp point, a place that was concealed rather than obvious due to its proximity to the warp. There, by a small pond, lay a white figure.

 

“Seong San-ha!”

 

I rushed over to him, immediately checking if he was breathing. Thankfully, he was, and there were no visible injuries; he just seemed unconscious. I retrieved the last potion I had set aside and gently poured it into Seong San-ha’s mouth, but there was still no response.

 

“Seong San-ha, hey! Wake up!! If you fall asleep here, you’ll die!”

 

I shook him by the collar, desperation creeping in as I reluctantly raised my hand. This was for treatment… for Seong San-ha. 

 

After debating several times, just as I was about to slap him, Seong San-ha opened his eyes. His normally bright eyes seemed particularly golden as they met mine. I tried to calm him, quickly pretending to stroke his head.

 

His voice cracked as he spoke, “Kang… Eui-jin?”

 

“You’re not quite in your right mind yet. You seem to be in pain, so I’ll let this one slide.”

 

Even in his weakened state, Seong San-ha looked far from well. Furrowing his brow and breathing heavily, he lay back in the grass again, and I worriedly placed my hand on his forehead.

 

“Seong San-ha, are you okay? Is your mana low? Or did you get poisoned?”

 

“I, the…”

 

“What did you say?”

 

“…..Potion…”

 

His voice barely audible, Seong San-ha weakly pointed towards the small pond where Cloud had been playing. His finger fell limply as he struggled to sit up, peering into the clear water. I followed his gaze and spotted a potion bottle lying at the bottom of the shallow pond.

 

“It’s a potion, isn’t it?”

 

The pond was so shallow that I could barely reach it with my knees. I waded in and retrieved the bottle. It contained a clear liquid, barely filling the small bottle. Whatever potion it was, reaching its peak purity meant it was the strongest form.

 

“What on earth…?”

 

Seong San-ha had carried this around separately…

 <????> A very small amount 

The majority of the information was hidden, but it was enough to understand. It was a poison potent enough to reach its peak purity?

 

“What exactly did you ingest?”

 

I hurriedly emerged from the pond, hoping Seong San-ha hadn’t resigned himself to giving up and dying… Those unsettling thoughts urged me to quickly approach Seong San-ha after coming out of the pond. I looked at his still pained expression seriously.

 

“Seong San-ha, wake up for a moment. Give me the scroll.”

 

“

Cough

… the potion…”

 

“I brought it for you… Hey!!”

 

Seong San-ha swiftly snatched the bottle from my hand, as if unable to endure any longer, and emptied its contents into his mouth. Then, he took a deep breath, as if the strings holding a limp puppet were cut, and collapsed. The potion bottle, gripped in his limp white-gloved hand, rolled and fell with a soft clatter.

 

It felt like all the blood drained from my body in that instant. My hands trembled at the thought that I couldn’t prevent Seong San-ha from attempting suicide.

 

“Seong… San-ha, Seong San-ha!!”

 

I grabbed his limp body and shook him desperately. A radiant light, almost blinding, flashed and flickered in Seong San-ha’s eyes, gradually fading into a gentle glow that surrounded his entire body. I stared at it, dumbstruck.

 

I didn’t know what happened but he didn’t die. He was breathing, his heart beating.

 

Relieved at the fact that Seong San-ha was alive, I slumped back. Tears threatened to spill, not at all like a man.

 

“You… bastard. You scared the shit out of me…”

 

Mehhhhhh.

The only sound echoing around was the peaceful cry of Cloud.

 

***

 

Since Seong San-ha had passed out without giving me the scroll, I had no choice but to wait for him to wake up. With Cloud and the power of the rod, there were no monsters approaching us, but I couldn’t shake off the unease. I dragged Seong San-ha, who faintly glimmered, to a place where we could hide until he recovered.

 

I didn’t know when he would wake up so I took off his outerwear and supported his head to lie comfortably for the time being. While I was at it, I also took off the gloves, which seemed frustrating every time I saw them, and when I took them off, I saw his hands, and I froze.

 

‘What is this…?’

 

The hands hidden under the gloves were black and rotten.

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