LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 38
The Team Leader felt his trusty sword reaching its limits as he jumped over countless slabs of flesh. Just like a finely crafted machine, the more intricate it is, the easier it breaks.
‘I can’t block it all.’
Hong Yu-ri had told him to ‘keep it together,’ meaning he had to figure it out himself. If he said he wouldn’t do it, that’d be one thing, but now that he had started, he had to follow through.
“Woo Taek!”
“Yes! Team Leader!”
“Wait! Just a moment! Can you stop?!”
Without hesitation, his reliable subordinate responded.
“Yes! I will!”
‘Okay.’
When he said he’d do it, he meant it. As Hong Yu-ri began her chant, her magic power turned black.
“Covered in black fire―”
‘Phew. She’s really serious.’
Four stanzas of chanting so far. If she continued at this speed, it would lead to the fifth. In the city, using such Great Magic was considered taboo. As a chilling magic power was released, a storm brewed below.
‘Good.’
Woo Taek held his ground. His iron fist smashed through the monster. Flesh trembled and collapsed, only to regenerate slowly.
‘Three seconds.’
Even after that, just three seconds. As Woo Taek stepped back, the Team Leader sighed, gazing at his sword.
“…It hasn’t even been a year since I made it.”
Should he just use a greatsword like that guy? No, that’s not right. Swinging around a heavy blade doesn’t suit him. In fact, he had tried it before…
‘It can’t be helped.’
The Team Leader held the sword upside down, driving it into the ground. It embedded itself deeply, leaving just the hilt protruding, and he quietly murmured.
“Explosion.”
With a simple spell chant, the three blades piercing the monster exploded into pieces. The monster’s movement halted once more.
“Burning into the abyss and turning into ash―!”
At last, Hong Yu-ri’s magic was complete.
***
“Grrr?”
The magic that had enveloped the atmosphere… of course, he saw it.
‘That crazy girl.’
A black spot explosion. There’s no other way to describe it. The crimson magic that dominated everything didn’t vanish but concentrated into a point, creating black flames. And when those flames erupted, everything changed.
‘…….’
All he could do was stare blankly.
Every hand movement and word she spoke had to carry meaning. At that moment, he couldn’t comprehend her level of power. The black mass, the ‘Awakening Evil’, was horrifically burned by Hong Yu-ri’s magic, reduced to ashes.
[You have consumed the Blue-maned Jump Frog. Experience points and fullness have increased.]
[Fullness has reached its maximum. The Evil Cooking (D) Lv.6 skill has converted fullness into experience points.]
[The proficiency of the Evil Cooking (D) Lv.6 skill has reached its maximum. Evil Cooking (D) Lv.6 → Evil Cooking (D) Lv.7]
[Experience points have reached their maximum. Lv.8 → Lv.9]
Clearing the notification, he looked to the other side.
He thought he had become pretty strong by the time he caught the Aranea in the Cobalt Dungeon. No, in reality, he wasn’t weak. To be frank, if he had to line up hunters and monsters honestly, he’d say he was on the stronger side.
‘…Those guys are the beasts.’
But he wasn’t hopeless.
When he first saw the black wolf, he trembled with fear, but his experiences had proven him otherwise.
‘I can become stronger.’
He was confident in that. He knew how to get stronger. Wasn’t it the same in Jirisan?
Born as the weakest slime, he eventually defeated a monster wolf and rose as the tyrant of the mountain. He who barely survived battling rats had made it this far.
‘So.’
It’s a matter of time before he becomes stronger. Although it was still a bit of a stretch, he didn’t feel despondent.
‘By the way, now.’
With the Awakening Evil, the chimera fell; Hong Yu-ri would probably rush over delighted. …Just imagining that was terrifying.
‘I’ve hit level 9…’
Quickly opening the [Acquirable Skill List], he obtained the D-rank Stealth.
[You have acquired Stealth (D) Lv.1]
[Stealth (D) Lv.1 has merged with Stealth (D) Lv.7]
[The proficiency of Stealth (D) Lv.7 has reached its maximum. Stealth (D) Lv.7 → Stealth (D) Lv.10]
[Stealth (D) Lv.10 has reached its maximum level. Stealth (D) Lv.10 → Superior Stealth (C) Lv.1]
‘C rank.’
He had achieved the goal he initially set. A D-rank Stealth became a C-rank. With this, there was a possibility of escaping. Yes, now he had a chance to leave the dungeon.
‘But…’
Maybe it was a misconception, but if it was just a misconception, that’d be nice.
‘…That thing. Did it just squirm?’
And most importantly, Hong Yu-ri was falling.
“……?”
He couldn’t keep up with the suddenly changed situation.
***
“…….”
The knight could hardly believe his eyes.
A class. He knew how incredible that was. If a B-class was a place where talented individuals spent their lives honing their skills just to barely grasp it, then A-class was the pinnacle every hunter could only reach if they were truly chosen.
‘But this is too much.’
Too, different in level.
For a moment, he felt a tiny doubt about everything they had done.
“…Brother.”
“Don’t say a word. I feel the same.”
If such beings existed, were they really needed? The knight couldn’t help but ponder that. The moment the black spot exploded, he thought he had died.
Rationally thinking, she had no reason to attack them.
The overwhelming power difference can make a person feel utterly insignificant.
‘Is this how big the gap is.’
“Damn…”
At the sound of a curse from somewhere, the knight turned his head. There stood a comrade, no, an A-class Hunter, who had fought alongside just moments ago.
The knight couldn’t help but smile wryly. They hadn’t changed at all. But if they changed their attitude towards the power they possessed, would they be able to face their master?
“What’s going on? The monster was beautifully defeated…”
“Run! As fast as you can! I’ll hold on somehow!”
A frantic voice. The knight shouted for them to flee. With his battered hand, the one who had stirred the storm. But wasn’t the fight still not over?
“……!”
The knight looked up at the sky and finally understood. Her magic had clearly succeeded. There was no room for debate. The black spot had exploded with enough power to kill the monster.
“Cough, black!”
However, as the coat swept elegantly, the swordsman landed with her in his arms. His thoughts could only shift.
The blade he held had no body, and the magic user he cradled was completely drenched in blood with one side of her waist torn off.
Most importantly.
“Ah.”
Gurgle! Gurgle! Gurgle!
The monster was not dead, its mass still jiggling.
“Damn… you disgusting bastard… last, let’s do this.”
“…I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop it properly.”
The Team Leader, bowing his head in self-recrimination, faced Hong Yu-ri, who could only chuckle painfully.
“It, it won’t die from this.”
Was it the impact of mental exhaustion or blood loss? The magic user, who had been grimacing, finally lowered her head. The knight could only stare in disbelief.
“No way.”
In the final moment, did a tentacle pierce her? Was that why the aim missed? The knight, who had just been in despair, could not help but feel a surge of imminent danger. The situation had quickly changed. The monster thought to be ash was wriggling and pulsating.
“……!”
Of course, it wasn’t fully regenerating this time. It was a glimpse of what her magic had accomplished.
“Cough!”
But what was certain was that with its regeneration ability, it would eventually heal that wound.
“…This is bad.”
The warrior who had stirred the storm had a grotesque form in exchange, and the knight’s blade was shattered, leaving only the hilt. Above all, the magic user had been pierced through her side and lost consciousness. Just a little longer. They only needed to push a little more. The monster had little to no strength left. The evidence was that it wasn’t regenerating properly. Therefore, they had to push now!
“…….”
Now was the chance. If they didn’t stop it now, even the possibility would vanish. Would he watch Daegu become a ghost town? Would he let a place he had protected for so long be trampled like this?
‘That can’t happen!’
Even if it costs him his life, he would protect it. With determination, the knight felt strength gripping his hand on the hammer.
“Brother!”
Just like before. But this time, he could do nothing but reach out, standing shoulder to shoulder with the iron warrior.
“I will fight alongside you.”
“…You should retreat now.”
Despite Woo Taek’s objections, the knight shook his head.
“I know my power is lacking. But! To that cursed monster! The beasts that trample our territory!”
Bam! His massive hammer struck the ground strongly. Rebounding from the impact, the knight charged forward with the hammer on his shoulder.
“I cannot just stand by and watch them trample our territory again!”
***
‘Hong Yu-ri must have failed.’
He wished she was dead, but when she truly failed, he felt odd. He thought he would feel vindicated, but it wasn’t the case. He could see Hong Yu-ri falling from a distance clearly. He couldn’t see what she was hit by.
‘…If that’s the case, we’re in trouble.’
Who could stop that mass, the Awakening Evil?
‘No, someone will stop it.’
Yes. They could stop it. But until such people came, who would defend Daegu? The Bishop of the temple?
‘Still seems difficult.’
Even if they could stop it, it would be a total mess. They couldn’t allow it to escape from here. And above all.
‘…It feels like it’s chasing me.’
[Lv.10 Achievement Condition: Lure the Awakening Evil.]
‘…….’
The system had placed such a condition, and likely.
‘Does that mean it’s currently pursuing me?’
Could it be that after saving Park Yo-han, it held a grudge? No, even so, wouldn’t chasing Hong Yu-ri be a priority? He had merely saved Park Yo-han, but Hong Yu-ri had literally turned into a near-death experience! Isn’t the priority a bit off?
‘…Could it be that Hong Yu-ri is dead?’
He didn’t know. But the injuries she sustained were certainly fatal.
‘Damn.’
No matter what, he wouldn’t live his life without achieving Lv.10, which meant he had to lure it in the end.
‘Aaaaargh.’
Why does the system always set such conditions? Would it hurt to make an easy mission? Why is it always these challenging tasks?
[……]
The system remained silent. Even pressing for answers yielded nothing. In the end, he had to resolve himself.
‘What am I going to do about this.’
The only good news was that his agility was the lowest. 409… since Aranea was 438, maybe he could dodge it. However, while he’s sluggish now, he could quickly regenerate, and giving instructions wouldn’t help either.
‘…This is driving me crazy. For real.’
If it meant he would be cooked or boiled, he had to go to that crazy slab of flesh monster.