NOVEL NEXT Chapter 39
“……”
If only I hadn’t given up on the sword there. No, even if I did give it up, if I’d just been a bit more careful. Magic might be complete, but until it hits its target, it’s not over. I knew this well. So why did I recklessly decide it was over? Why did I conclude that the fight was over on my own?
‘…….’
It felt really disgusting. And even more so, the fading breaths of Hong Yu-ri worried me.
‘This much should suffice.’
It seemed I had created quite a distance. The Team Leader urgently pulled out a potion from the inner pocket of his coat. He secured Hong Yu-ri’s prayer, forcing her to drink the potion. In the process, the Team Leader tore his own clothes into long strips.
‘Better than nothing, I suppose.’
Most of the blood and muck were soaked into the coat, so it should be fine. He wrapped the long strips around Hong Yu-ri’s side to staunch the bleeding.
‘… It’s just a temporary fix.’
This was all he could do right now. Just a makeshift solution. Even if she drank the potion, there’s no way such a serious injury would heal.
‘Once we get outside the dungeon…’
I remembered there was a team member in Team 2 who had healing skills. If I could just get her out, she would be saved.
‘This way.’
As he retraced his steps, the Team Leader poured all his remaining magic power into his legs. Yet, the distance to the monster was gradually closing in. The cause was his injury. The ankle and Achilles tendon were hurting.
“Ugh…”
With every step, the torn wound throbbed.
Was it arrogance? Or was it hubris? If only I had been a bit more careful. If I had paid a bit more attention… I knew nothing would change, yet I couldn’t help but berate myself.
The Team Leader carried Hong Yu-ri and silently raced down the forest path.
***
‘This seems about right.’
While maintaining stealth, I gauged the distance to the creature. Roughly 3 kilometers. For now, it was safe, but considering the size of the Awakening Evil, it was a distance that would close quickly.
‘It doesn’t seem like it’s chasing me.’
Although the monster is a convoluted entity, I didn’t think it would easily see through my elevated C-rank stealth. I thought it was chasing me, but that was just my inflated self-awareness.
‘… Hmph.’
A bit embarrassing. More than anything, the fact that it continued in the direction it was moving meant it was pursuing someone other than me.
‘Most likely Hong Yu-ri.’
That had to be it. Chances are, the monster was aiming for Hong Yu-ri.
‘So what should I do?’
[Incomplete Product of Collateral Achievements] – That’s a mindless chimera. Though it seems like it may not even be a chimera anymore, I doubt it possesses any intelligence. Drawing attention through threatening skills would be out of the question. Above all, there must be a reason for such a mindless being to be fixated like that.
‘… I can’t help it.’
[Level 10 Achievement Condition: Lure the Awakening Evil]
Well, if I have to do it, I guess I will.
***
The skin was completely torn off, and the bones were twisted. I unleashed a multitude of strikes to stop the slowly moving monster, but it was nowhere near enough to halt its steps. The initial strike had also been a somewhat reckless attack.
– I need to buy time.
The thought filled Woo Taek’s mind. Somehow, he needed to stop the sluggish, fleshy monster’s foot. He had to buy time for the Team Leader and Vice Team Leader to escape.
‘Rather…’
Woo Taek glanced at his blood-soaked hands. They were already in such a mess he could hardly make a proper fist. The monster was that solid and strong. If that’s the case…
The Holy Knight glanced at Woo Taek, who was turning to run, puzzled.
‘Running away?’
No, that wouldn’t be right. He wasn’t the type to run away. If he were, he would have moved long ago. It was questionable whether he could help in any way, but while adjusting the distance so he wouldn’t be crushed, dust began to rise.
‘…?’
Why was there suddenly dust? And what the Holy Knight saw was a large hole.
A large hole… no, a sinkhole?
‘From the dungeon?’
It resembled a sinkhole, but it hadn’t occurred naturally. From a distance, the Seeker was striking the ground with his broken hand. In response, the brethren of the temple helped him to create a bigger hole.
‘Ah, I see.’
Only then did he understand what he was doing. The monster was an infinitely regenerating… in other words, an unreasonable beast. If attacking it to keep its feet bound wouldn’t work anyway…
‘Then digging the ground is a better option.’
It was more effective to block the monster’s path with a hole than to attack it. That must have been his thought. The tactic hit wonderfully. As if enchanted, the monster chasing something didn’t avoid the hole, oblivious to the other beings obstructing it.
Given its size, they couldn’t create a hole big enough to trap it, but it was enough to hinder its movement.
‘It doesn’t even look around.’
With a full swing, the hammer slammed into the fleshy monster. Even though it was being attacked right in front of it, the monster’s response was far less aggressive than before. It wasn’t unleashing the horrifying and despair-inducing attacks it had used on the mage. It occasionally thrust its tentacles, but compared to the ones he had faced before, that was nothing.
‘… Is it still recovering?’
The mage’s spell was successful, but it hadn’t landed. Nevertheless, it had enough power to turn a fleshy monster into ashes. But was there any reason for a beast that had regenerated like an immortal to fail to heal merely because it was hurt?
‘Was that spell… something different?’
So many questions. Why was the monster pursuing the mage without glancing around? Was its passive stance due to still recovering? If so, why had her spell inflicted such a powerful shock? … I had no idea. As a Holy Knight, he couldn’t grasp the difference.
Thud!
All he could do was swing his hammer with all his might.
***
Lost in thought, the Monk stared blankly out the window. The sun was still brightly shining in the clear sky. That meant not much time had passed.
“Brother, are you feeling better now?”
“Th-Thank you, brother. Are we really out?”
“Yes, we’ve brought Brother Park Yo-han to safety. It’s safe now.”
Hearing the words of his fellow temple member, he could finally let out a sigh of relief.
“… Thank you.”
He wiped his soiled face with the towel he received. Though he hadn’t lost consciousness, memories of the time were hazy, as if he had been dreaming. How on earth had he come out of the dungeon, or rather, when had he come out? As he pondered, Park Yo-han blankly looked at his wrist.
“You were in pretty bad shape. Thankfully, there was someone from Dawn with healing skills, so treatment was done.”
He hadn’t fully recovered. That’s because the healing skill he had wasn’t of very high rank. However, hearing that he’d be okay after a few days of recuperation made Park Yo-han feel relieved. … Only then did the reality of having come out of the dungeon sink in.
“Now then, shall we hear what happened?”
The gentle voice lingered in the Monk’s ear. Momentarily lost in thought, he jolted in surprise.
“B-Bishop?”
“Oh dear. This old woman is being too forward. I’m sorry for startling you.”
“Ah, it’s fine. But when you say ‘talk,’ what do you mean…?”
With a warm and kind smile, the Bishop gave a slight pause before broaching the subject, calming Park Yo-han’s mind. Counseling. A simple technique for conversation. She was someone’s family, a neighbor, and as a believer in God, she knew well how to treat people, how to comfort them.
“I’m just curious about what happened inside the dungeon. I’m sorry for pressing you so suddenly. It’s okay to talk about it when you feel ready.”
Words that gave him time. However, Park Yo-han shook his head.
‘Get a grip.’
He couldn’t remain dazed any longer. Right now, the situation inside the dungeon must be changing rapidly. He worried about the other brothers who hadn’t yet escaped.
“You’re quite tense. Would you like to take a deep breath?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll tell you.”
Park Yo-han briefly glanced at the bite marks of the wolf on his wrist before starting his story.
“So, it goes like this…”
***
“Damn it.”
The Team Leader couldn’t help but lament the fact that he had no cigarettes left. Admittedly, even if he had some, there wouldn’t have been time to smoke.
“Huff. Even searching high and low, not even a trace…”
He had encountered it at the worst possible timing. No, considering the creature’s intelligence, it was reasonable to think it had been waiting all this time, timing its approach.
“Alpha.”
The Team Leader called the wolf’s name.
Alpha.
The wolf monster that had formed a connection of bad fate starting from Jirisan and led here. Although he had been chasing it, he never expected to face it at such a terrible moment.
‘So it really is a Skull Wolf.’
Despite having been on its trail for about a month, it was his first time confronting it directly.
Except for Euna, no one from Dawn had ever sighted it. Whether it truly was the Alpha from Jirisan remained uncertain, but it certainly was smaller than the ordinary Skull Wolf he’d heard about from the hunter in Gyeongsan.
‘A special breed, perhaps?’
Like the Worg from Jirisan. All signs suggested it was indeed Alpha.
“Grrr―!”
The Alpha male wolf showed no intention of hiding its teeth and claws as it threatened him.
‘As expected.’
A chilling aura and undeniable murderous intent made the Team Leader’s heart freeze. The Skull Wolf’s rated level was only C-. Yet the killing intent emanating from it made him instinctively shrink back. The roar he had felt from it at Jirisan wasn’t an illusion. It truly possessed such power.
‘This is the worst.’
For the moment, he didn’t want to fight. Of course, that monster wouldn’t feel the same way. A fierce wind ripped through flowers and grass. All he could read from the creature’s gaze was pure madness.
The fight couldn’t be avoided.
The Team Leader scanned the situation once more.
‘There’s a monster behind me chasing me.’
The distance to the fleshy monster was closing in. This time, there was no escaping for him. If it hadn’t been for the remaining members helping to hold it back, he would have been caught by now. Given these circumstances, he had lost his weapon. Looking at the sword hilt that was all that remained, the Team Leader couldn’t help but smile wryly.
‘Fighting with just a hilt is hopeless.’
He tucked the hilt into the pocket of his coat.
‘I’m not skilled at hand-to-hand fighting.’
Though taking on an ordinary Skull Wolf wouldn’t be an issue…
‘Its power is a mystery.’
By all accounts, it should be at least as strong as Aranea. No, it probably had grown even stronger by now.
Above all.
‘It must be confident to have shown itself.’
On top of that, there was the injury in his Achilles tendon.
It was difficult to move properly after fighting the fleshy monster, and his magic power was nearly depleted. Yeah, indeed, if it was to fight now, there would be no better timing than this. The Team Leader gently laid Hong Yu-ri against a tree and took his stance.
‘Time limit. Injury on my leg. No weapons. The opponent’s power is unknown. Mental exhaustion is not far off… and I have to protect Hong Yu-ri as well.’
The worst. After sorting through the entire situation, the Team Leader bit his cheek.
“… Come at me, Alpha.”
He tried his best not to let it show, but he couldn’t help but feel the anxiety in his voice.