NOVEL NEXT Chapter 26
Chapter 26: Giant Cat Monster (4)
The IUPC members took hesitant steps back.
There was no one who didn’t know Yoon Do-ha, a particularly standout figure among the Rank 1 Heroes.
An unexpected hero had truly made an entrance.
Yoon Do-ha, who was quietly surveying them, suddenly let out a short shout.
“Wack!!”
“Uwaaaak!”
“Kyaaaak!”
It was just a loud scream, nothing more.
However, everyone acted panicked and fell over, landing on their backsides.
No magic or special skill had been used, yet everyone was utterly freaked out.
Yoon Do-ha laughed heartily.
“Hahaha! You guys are so easy to scare with just a little fun.”
“Yoon Do-ha, you…!”
“Aaaah— don’t talk to me. I really don’t want to engage in conversation with you. I’ve met your executives a few times, and they’re all pretty dull.”
“…….”
“Anyway, I’ll be on my way now. I have business over there, you know? You’re not planning to disturb me further, are you?”
Wearing his removed sunglasses, Yoon Do-ha pointed at Yoo Ji-han with his finger.
Kim Si-hu looked at Yoo Ji-han in surprise.
Could it be that he was on friendly terms with a Rank 1 Hero?
‘…Me? Why is that guy pointing at me?’
However, he too didn’t understand why Yoon Do-ha was indicating him.
They weren’t personally acquainted, and he had never even met Yoo Ji-han during their time in Kim Hyun-tae’s Party.
Wheeek—!
Suddenly, chaos erupted where the Hero Department had arrived late.
Police were rushing in blowing whistles.
At that, the IUPC members scattered in all directions.
They planned to disperse as much as possible, thinking that even if a few were caught, the rest could escape.
It seemed they had experienced situations like this before, as their actions were quick.
“Hey, did you know?”
That’s when it happened.
Kugugugugu——!
The ground shook as if an earthquake was occurring.
The pavement blocks that had been widely laid on the ground rose upwards.
The fleeing IUPC members all came to a halt.
“What I meant by ‘go’ was actually to go to prison.”
Not only did the pavement blocks rise, but the very ground around them also lifted.
Unless you were a high jumper, there was no way to simply bypass ground that was taller than a person.
As the police approached, the ground flattened once more.
The IUPC members surrounding Yoo Ji-han were all caught without exception.
“Is this really Yoon Do-ha…!”
Kim Si-hu gulped.
A technique that treated the ground effortlessly as if it were breathing.
It was one of Yoon Do-ha’s specialties, having possessed the Earth Spirit.
“Yoon Do-ha?! Why are you here?”
“I’m just here for a moment. I’ll be leaving soon.”
Yoon Do-ha had a brief conversation with the Hero Department staff.
Then, he walked over to Yoo Ji-han.
“Is this the Sweet Fun Guild?”
“Y-yes.”
“I’m Yoon Do-ha from the Dice Guild. Nice to meet you.”
He greeted with courtesy, completely opposite to his behavior just seconds ago.
“I’m Yoo Ji-han from Sweet Fun.”
“I’m Kim Si-hu.”
“Nice to meet you. Sorry to ask right away, but could I take both of your hands for a sec?”
“Excuse me?”
He snatched Kim Si-hu and Yoo Ji-han’s hands with both of his own.
Surprised, Kim Si-hu instinctively tried to pull away, but he couldn’t budge at all.
It felt like he was being held by a rock buried deep underground.
“Aha.”
Yoon Do-ha looked at Yoo Ji-han, whose hand he was holding in his left.
In a very quiet voice, he said, “You’re a Spirit Master, aren’t you?”
“……!”
Yoo Ji-han’s heart sank.
Just from a momentary touch, his connection to the Sylph had been revealed.
“You’re intentionally hiding the Spirit, huh?”
“Ah, yes….”
“Okay. Got it.”
He released the hand he had been holding.
“Y-Yoon Do-ha?!”
“Oh? This is real.”
“Do-ha! I love you!!”
“Weren’t those two with Min Yu-ri earlier?”
“Is that them?”
The area was already packed with onlookers.
Citizens and heroes alike were watching Yoon Do-ha.
The atmosphere was even hotter than when he had been talking with Min Yu-ri.
With a Rank 1 Hero, it was only natural that a fan club would form among heroes.
“Here’s my business card.”
Tap.
Yoo Ji-han found a business card in his hand from Yoon Do-ha.
“What is this…?”
It wasn’t a phone number for the Dice Guild but rather Yoon Do-ha’s personal mobile number.
A personal card from a Rank 1 Hero was considered a valuable item that could be sold for money.
“Ji-han, make some time for me soon. We should have a deep chat among similar people.”
“With me?”
“Contact me when you get the chance. Preferably within two weeks.”
Having said his piece, he abruptly left.
As if giving him a business card was his only intention from the start…
*
The next day.
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu returned near the Monster Area (MA).
Although Yoon Do-ha had asked them to contact him, there were still two weeks to spare.
Even though Kim Si-hu encouraged Yoo Ji-han regarding an encounter with a Rank 1 Hero, Yoo Ji-han prioritized the schedule of a party he had already planned.
“Hyung, is Lucky Whisker okay?”
“I put it in the home safe.”
“No one’s taking it, right?”
“I live alone. Plus, it’s a high-quality safe that only I can open with my magic, and I have multiple high-definition CCTVs set up.”
After the internal meeting of Sweet Fun, they decided not to sell the Lucky Whisker, which starts at a base price exceeding 100 million won.
It was known to bring great fortune to its owner, and regularly drinking water boiled with Lucky Whisker had definite benefits for improving balance.
“I thought the water you gave me had a strangely salty taste.”
“It wasn’t good.”
“Corn silk tea is way more palatable.”
Cat whisker tea.
No, drinking Giant Cat Monster whisker tea felt quite strange, but in foreign countries, studies proving its effects existed, so they intended to accept it as if they were consuming a potion.
If brewed well, it would yield enough for both of them for months.
“I don’t see any IUPC around.”
“The security has been significantly enhanced.”
Due to the incident yesterday when ordinary citizens breached the MA, the surrounding security was doubled.
Heroes from the Hero Department were there, arms crossed, watching over the area.
“I’m glad those ruffians aren’t here.”
Kim Si-hu displayed a strong aversion to the IUPC after yesterday’s events.
The two approached the now quieter entrance of the MA.
“Um, excuse me…!”
Just as they were about to enter, an unfamiliar woman spoke to them.
Having just dealt with the IUPC, Yoo Ji-han looked at her with slight annoyance.
However, she had a very different vibe from the people they’d seen yesterday.
“My puppy is still in there, and I need to bring him back… Please, can you help me…?”
Her hair was dull and unkempt.
Her eyes were puffy as if she had been crying a lot.
It didn’t sound like a lie that she had lost a puppy.
Yoo Ji-han asked her, “Have you talked to the Hero Department about it?”
“They’ve already ripped my door apart, and they said they can’t see the puppy…”
“Well, there’s not much we can do to help, then.”
“B-but if you happen to see a brown poodle inside, please bring him back! I’ll make sure to give you a reward!”
“That seems doable. What about Dong and Ho-su?”
“Building 209, apartment 2103.”
“Building 209… got it. But I can’t promise that I’ll bring him back.”
“Yes. And his name is Choco!”
“Choco?”
Yoo Ji-han muttered the oddly familiar name as he entered the MA.
The first place he headed was the woman’s apartment, 209-2103.
It was on the 21st floor.
“Looks like he’s not here.”
The door lock was already broken, and there were clear footprints of other heroes who had already visited the living room.
There were signs of dog food scattered on the floor, but the puppy named Choco was nowhere to be found.
They had no choice but to leave the house and head back to the stairs.
Searching continuously for the puppy was impractical, so they planned to send the owner a message if they happened to come across it during their hunt.
“Oh! It’s you guys…”
“Yeah?”
But they ran into other heroes on the upper stairs.
The ones above were Knife’s Party, whom they had met yesterday.
“I think I told you this is our spot!”
“Shut your mouth with that nonsense…”
“What?”
“I asked the Hero Department directly because of you. MA cannot belong to a particular guild, and they absolutely won’t recognize spots. So just give it up.”
Yoo Ji-han had already inquired about the relevance of spots with the Hero Department.
The concept of spots had recently emerged from Rank 5 MAs and was a rule made arbitrarily by mid-sized guilds to secure good positions.
Typically, weaker small guilds couldn’t contend with them easily.
And of course, there was no way the Hero Department would officially allow it.
“Ever since yesterday, it’s all about that Hero Department, Hero Department, huh!”
Tsk!
The man said, gritting his teeth.
“Do you really think the Hero Department will take responsibility for your lives?”
“…… Are you threatening us right now?”
“What will you do if I am?”
Knife’s Party displayed their weapons, threatening Sweet Fun.
It was clear from the start that what they were claiming was not normal, but this was beyond anything they expected.
Yoo Ji-han also reached his limits of tolerating their rudeness.
He quickly analyzed his opponents.
‘1 Tank, 3 Warriors, 1 Mage. The balance isn’t bad, but it’d be tight for 3 of them to come down the emergency stairs at the same time. …This is doable.’
In the past, Kim Hyun-tae’s Party, where Yoo Ji-han used to belong, often faced conflicts with other parties.
And they had consistently come out victorious whenever a battle broke out.
Though Kim Hyun-tae wasn’t here, he had a dependable Mage and one warrior who had developed a bit since then.
<—Probability of me fighting the party in front of me and winning>
<80%>
With this probability, it was a fight worth taking.
“Si-hu.”
“Ready.”
After gauging the atmosphere, Kim Si-hu was already pointing his staff toward the opponent.
Yoo Ji-han, likewise, drew his sword from its sheath.
Then he provocatively said to his opponents, “If you want to, try to come at me, you idiots.”
“Kill that bastard!!”
With the leader’s shout, the 3 warriors rushed down the stairs.
“Follow me.”
“Okay!”
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu deliberately descended the stairs further.
The middle stairs connecting the 21st and 20th floors.
They intended to lead them into a narrower terrain.
[Fire Arrow]
A fire arrow generated by the opponent’s Mage fell toward them.
[Water Arrow]
However, Kim Si-hu generated more water arrows than the opponent and countered with them.
Chiiiii—
The opposing elemental spells clashed, extinguishing the flames and creating steam in the air from the magical energy.
The remaining water arrows targeted the opponent’s Mage, but their party’s Tank carefully blocked them with his shield.
“What are you doing! Smash them!”
“……!”
Hearing their leader’s command, the warriors who had been hesitating due to fearing being caught in the magic rushed back down the stairs.
[Fire Wall]
In an instant, a wall of fire shot up at the entrance of the 21st floor stairs.
Because of this, the two warriors who had entered the stairs first and those behind were split apart.
While Kim Si-hu kept the Fire Wall thick, Yoo Ji-han stood in front of the approaching warriors.
Clang!
The clash of swords!
Unlike the previous spar, this was a contest between real swords, not wooden ones.
While Yoo Ji-han swung his sword mightily, he also analyzed his opponent coolly.
‘His legs are open.’
Wham!
He landed a powerful kick on the warrior’s shins, causing him to topple over.
Then he parried the attack from the second warrior who had followed.
“You bastard!”
The fallen man, flustered, tried to get back up.
Kim Si-hu extended the arm that wasn’t holding his staff toward that side.
It was multi-casting, maintaining the wall while simultaneously using another spell.
[Wind Cutter]
Whoosh!
A blade of wind shot toward the warrior.
He blocked it with a guard strapped around his wrist.
That guard seemed pretty tough, as the damage was only a scratch.
But there wasn’t just one blade of wind flying.
Shriiiiip!
“Ghhh!”
Kim Si-hu’s continuous Wind Cutters shredded the areas of the warrior’s armor that weren’t protected.
He desperately covered his head and neck.
Yet, the part above the guard on his forearm and legs was torn by the blades, causing him to bleed.
“You fool! Hey, put out that fire quickly!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
The party leader shouted at the Mage.
The dazed Mage hastily prepared a water attribute spell.
He was trying to extinguish the Fire Wall.
But at that moment…
“Meowww….”
A low mew reached their ears.
Down on the 20th floor where the fight was happening, Giant Cat Monsters appeared.
Noticing the monsters, Yoo Ji-han urgently called to the fighting warriors.
“Hey, hold on…”
“Shut up—!”
However, the man under magical attack had already lost control.
As he charged at Kim Si-hu, Yoo Ji-han interjected, kicking him in the chest to push him back.
“Cough!”
Thud, thud!
The warrior stumbled backward, tripping and rolling down the stairs.
And on the 20th floor, three Giant Cat Monsters were lying in wait.
The man, noticing them late, widened his eyes.
“Wait….”
Squawk!
The Giant Cat Monsters tore into the warrior’s neck and head.
To them, he was simply a fresh piece of prey that rolled in.
Injured by the Giant Cat Monster’s teeth, he couldn’t let out a proper scream.
“Grrr…”
His body quivered before all movement abruptly ceased.
Yoo Ji-han and his party members were astonished, peeking over to see below.
“Uwaaaaak!”
At the same time, a scream echoed from above.
It was a scream from Knife’s Party.
Not just below, but several Giant Cat Monsters also appeared on the upper floor.
Not just one or two, but more than five!
“……?!”
Yoo Ji-han and Kim Si-hu retreated and pressed against the narrow staircase walls.
More and more Giant Cat Monsters were emerging from below.
Four, five, six Giant Cat Monsters climbed from the 19th to the 20th floor…….
By the end, the staircase was teeming with more than nine Giant Cat Monsters.
These creatures had surely gone undetected during the initial search.
Where on earth had so many come from?
“There are too many!”
Kim Si-hu’s voice trembled.
They were surrounded by over twenty Giant Cat Monsters up and down the staircase.
There was also a possibility that there were even more Giant Cat Monsters on the lower floors.
“Meow—”
“Meowww—”
The leisurely meowing of the Giant Cat Monsters began slowly creeping up the stairs.
If they jumped with all their might, they could reach the heroes in no time.
<—Probability of me getting through the Giant Cat Monsters without severe injury and descending this apartment’s stairs>
Sampling didn’t provide a probability.
However, separate from the sampling, it was highly challenging to safely protect his party members and reach the first floor.
‘……I can think of no other way.’
Disregarding the frozen warrior who had witnessed his comrade’s death, Yoo Ji-han wrapped his arm around Kim Si-hu’s waist.
“Hyung?”
“Can you use Levitation?”
“I know how but….”
“Perfect. Hold your staff tightly and get ready.”
“……Eek?!”
Zoom!
[Haste]
With the Sylph’s help, he buffed his body and jumped high into the air, carrying Kim Si-hu with him.
The target was the window installed high up in the stairs’ corridor.
As they got closer to the approaching glass, Kim Si-hu screamed.
“Wait! Uwaaaah—!!”
Crash!
The two of them broke through the window, revealing the view of the 20th floor of the apartment.