CHAPTER 16
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Jehee placed a hand on our shoulders, one on Taera's and the other on mine, as we stood side by side, a weary smile, edged with a flicker of annoyance, playing on her lips.
"Let's not squander our energies on trifles," Jehee urged. "Let's wrap this up quickly and escape this place, okay?"
"…Alright," came the subdued reply.
I was taken aback. Was this really Taera, the renowned Guild Master, responding with such meekness? Yet, I remained silent, the fear of provoking him and enduring a brutal beating tempered by a last-minute healing too palpable to dismiss.
Lost in thought, I barely noticed as Jehee, his grip firm on my shoulder, guided me forward. Chorok, who had been loitering at the entrance, glanced between Jehee and me, then, with the petulance of a sulky child, turned and flung the door open himself. Inside, darkness reigned supreme, as if shrouded by an impenetrable black veil.
The sight was foreboding, an omen of something terribly sinister.
Yet, Hana strode into the darkness without a hint of hesitation, followed by a visibly irked Chorok. I, however, balked at the threshold, my feet rooted in resistance. But the formidable Jehee, undeterred, pulled me along with effortless strength.
Are we really plunging into this? Is this actually happening?!
With the dungeon's entrance before me, a scene once confined to the realm of games, I squeezed my eyes shut. In that moment, Jehee, Taera, and I crossed the threshold as one.
This marked my inaugural venture into dungeon exploration.
In a blink, darkness enveloped my sight, only to be swiftly replaced by a blinding light. Even through closed lids, the brilliance was overwhelming, prompting me to shield my eyes with a hand as I gradually opened them. The expanse of a vast meadow unfolding before me was breathtaking.
To witness a landscape, previously confined to a digital screen, in tangible reality was nothing short of astonishing. My gaze roamed, drinking in the tranquil, verdant panorama – a sight so alien to urban confines. A breeze, carrying the earthy aroma of grass, played with my hair.
Above, a sun-like orb bathed the landscape in radiant light, and afar, a dense forest loomed. In the sprawling field, a charming deer with sparkling eyes grazed on the greenery...
“Kieeeek!”
“Waaah! What on earth is that?!”
The deer, a monstrous facade masquerading as a gentle creature, suddenly reared up on two legs, its guise of grazing abandoned. Its chest transformed into a grotesque face, seemingly possessed by malevolent spirits, and it unleashed a roar that split the air.
"This is nightmare material!" I exclaimed, my voice trembling.
At that moment, Hana, a member of our party, invoked her attack skill 'Dead Shot'. With a graceful movement, she raised her hand, and a spectral longbow began to materialize, its form growing more tangible by the second. She drew back the bowstring, no arrow needed, and let it fly. Instantly, dozens of arrows materialized above her and rained down upon the monsters like a relentless storm.
Dead Shot, it appeared, was less about unerring accuracy and more about unleashing a barrage of a hundred arrows.
One by one, the notifications popped up.
[Party member ‘Kim Hana’ has vanquished ‘Giant Horned Deer’.]
[You've gained 70 experience points from ‘Giant Horned Deer’, defeated by Hana.]
Repeatedly, each slayed creature adding to our tally.
I hastened to adjust my settings, silencing the incessant flow of experience point notifications in my status window, which had become a near-blinding blur. Amidst this chaos, Chorok, another of our comrades, weaved through Hana's arrowstorm.
He brandished a long sword, the blade longer than his own stature, and executed a sweeping horizontal slash that cleaved through the monsters in a single, fluid motion. Without pausing to survey the fallen, he immediately prepared for another skill.
"Chorok, enough with the slashing!" I wanted to shout, watching him relentlessly cut down foe after foe.
With a masterful execution of 'Attracting Slash,' Chorok magnetized the monsters in our vicinity, drawing them in like iron filings to a magnet, only to effortlessly dispatch them. Within moments, just the two of them had obliterated the entire swarm of monsters. Had I not silenced the experience gain alerts, my vision might have been overwhelmed by their relentless flickering.
"Wow, that was something else,” I remarked.
Taera scoffed. "You think dungeon raids are child's play?"
Does he have to retort to everything I say? Was I seeking his commentary?
Ever since we entered this dungeon, Taera had been hovering around me, arms folded, a silent spectator with an all-too-vocal presence. His inaction, coupled with his constant, unsolicited remarks, grated on my nerves. Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I heaved a sigh and turned away, only to catch Jehee's eye.
Jehee, who had been stretching nonchalantly, quipped, "Feeling a bit worn out, aren’t we? Got any skill to perk you up?"
"Just spit it out. Which skill do you want?" I snapped, my patience frayed by their veiled probes.
Annoyed, I activated one of my skills. This wasn't a debuff but a supportive area effect, requiring no physical contact.
[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ activates the support skill ‘Refresh’.]
Upon its activation, I sensed mana draining from me, replaced by a revitalizing coolness that enveloped my being. The immediate alleviation of fatigue was so palpable that even Taera, usually unflappable, looked taken aback. Chorok and Hana, fresh from their monster-slaying spree, paused and turned, evidently caught off guard. But it was Jehee’s intense gaze that was most conspicuous.
"It's quite entertaining, actually."
"What is?” I inquired. “My skill?"
Jehee donned a smug smile. "No, you, Yeon Seonwoo."
"…People might get the wrong idea if you say things like that. They could think you're into me."
Back in the game, he did catch some flak for this — his indiscriminate flirtations with every character.
Was it just with the female characters? I seemed to recall there were also murmurs about his interactions with the males, sparking speculation among the players about his intentions. But it appeared he, the subject of these rumors, remained blissfully unaware of the intrigue he stirred.
"What if I am indeed interested?" he retorted, his tone laced with ambiguity.
"…Excuse me?" I blurted out, dumbfounded, feeling as though I'd been hit by a thunderbolt. My gaze locked onto Jehee, searching for any hint of jest in his flawless, infuriatingly handsome face. But the real conundrum was… "…Do you actually have a thing for guys?"
Taera, who had been eavesdropping, erupted into boisterous laughter, clutching his sides. He laughed so hard, tears streamed down his face. "That's classic Jehee for you, always misunderstood. How many times has it been now?"
"So, it's come to this..." I looked up at Jehee, who met my gaze with a smile both gentle and disarmingly charming.
[Warning: Due to the Master's displeasure, your favorability rating decreases by -1.]
[Warning: Negative favorability skill status triggers the status effect 'Melancholy'.]
Jehee's smile now felt like a weapon. If he didn’t appreciate such comments, maybe he should adjust his behavior!
"Why did I just get a status effect? And what's 'Melancholy'? I've never encountered this status effect before?"
My affliction was apparent on the party status window. Even Hana, previously engrossed in her monster-hunting, cast a glance my way. Unfazed, Chorok continued his relentless assault.
Psycho Green. The moniker couldn’t be more apt.
Yet, the real challenge was not Chorok's indifference but placating Jehee's mood. I felt a drain on my energy, my legs starting to buckle. Surrounded by non-humans in this perilous dungeon, self-preservation was paramount. Showing weakness here was not an option.
"I meant that you attract a diverse crowd because of your exceptional talents! That's the 'so, it's like that' I intended!"
"What's this... Jehee, this guy seems a bit odd."
The odd one is you.
Taera could throw whatever looks he liked; my focus was solely on Jehee, who, thankfully, broke into his typically exasperating smile.
[The Master's mood improves, raising your favorability rating by +1.]
[Favorability skill status back to neutral, 'Melancholy' status effect lifted.]
Jehee was a riddle wrapped in an enigma. Predicting what might irk or please him was a constant battle, leaving me feeling somewhat vanquished. As I drooped my shoulders in resignation, Taera looked between where a status window might appear and Jehee, curiosity etched on his face. Yet, Jehee seemed disinclined to delve into the matter.
"He's merely a fan of mine," Jehee clarified, trying to keep the conversation light.
"No, it feels like there's something deeper between you two…" Taera retorted, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
His gaze then shifted, landing pointedly on the servant ring adorning my finger. An identical master ring was conspicuously present on Jehee's finger as well. The implication was unmistakable, and it hung heavily in the air between us.