CHAPTER 25
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And just as the tension in the air reached its peak, Chorok, now towering above me, suddenly materialized. His imposing presence made me pause in my tracks, a sense of trepidation washing over me. Standing there, caught between Chorok and myself, an all too familiar figure stepped in.
"Enough, just go," the figure calmly interjected.
"Go on your way, Chorok," another voice added.
"I'm tired now. Annoyed. So don't come looking for me anymore," the voice of Lee Jehee echoed through the tense atmosphere.
Was this a divine opportunity? A cue to unleash my anger in this very moment? When else would I have the chance to confront this despicable figure and pummel his face?
I fixed a stern gaze upon his retreating figure, my face contorted with determination. But then, unexpectedly, he spun around.
Fuck, that startled me!
Although he wasn't actually Lee Jehee, merely the sight of that face sent my heart racing, not because of its handsomeness, but out of sheer fear. Fear that he might have sensed my malevolent intentions.
Startled, I stood upright, but he continued to walk away, only to halt abruptly, blocked by my presence in his path. As I looked up in surprise, I found myself face to face with his emotionless visage, his gaze directed downward.
...Could I apprehend him?
"Hey, Han Chorok!"
"..."
"Han Chorok, you bastard! Snap out of it!"
I obstructed Jehee's path with my body and called out to Chorok. Jehee was so massive that I couldn't discern Chorok's actions behind him. All I could do was employ my arms to press against Jehee's chest and abdomen, exerting all the force I could muster to keep him from moving.
"Fuck, I can feel his abs through his shirt," I muttered under my breath.
Considering that Chorok knew Jehee better than anyone, this dream version of him probably wasn't much different from the real thing. I needed to restrain myself from picking a fight with this guy in the future.
"Hey, you! Instead of doing this, grab onto him! If you hate being left behind, grab his leg and cling on!"
"..."
"What, you don't have hands or feet? Why can't you grab him? Just seize him with the madness of a Berserker and tie him down..."
At that very moment, the strength seemed to drain from my body, and my legs wobbled.
As I struggled to regain my balance, the illusion before my eyes suddenly dissipated, and there stood Chorok, as annoying as ever, steadying my unsteady form.
"You're making quite a commotion, you know."
"...Han Chorok?"
"What's the matter? Not happy it's me?"
"..."
When did this scoundrel come to his senses? How much did he overhear? Typical of him, always sly. If he was awake, he should have spoken up immediately. He just listened to all of it?
"Ahem, well, you do realize I was just trying to help, right?"
"..."
He appeared utterly oblivious.
In the meantime, a faint light emanated from within me, and my energy surged once more. As I straightened up and released the hand that Chorok had been holding, he glanced around our surroundings, looking bewildered.
"Where are we?"
"In your dream."
"...Why are you in my dream?"
Am I being absurd here? Can't one appear in someone's dream if they've made a lasting impression? Is it really so unbelievable that he's regarding me with disbelief? Especially considering that I saved him?
"One of my skills enables me to do that."
"Are you genuinely... inside my dream?"
"Yes."
"Why?" Han Chorok furrowed his brows, evidently struggling to comprehend.
Realizing that I needed to trigger his memory, I hastily inquired about what he remembered. "What's the last thing you recall? Do you remember us entering a dungeon together? And the appearance of an unbelievable S-rank monster there?"
"...Ah."
"Do you remember how you recklessly attacked it and got severely injured? You remember that part, don't you?"
"..."
For a moment, I felt his intense gaze upon me. It was a sure sign that he had returned to his senses. The way he glared at me, as if he wanted to kill me, was unmistakable.
I began to think that perhaps he still wasn't entirely himself.
"You really are... excessively arrogant."
"Remember, you're alive because of this 'arrogant' guy here. Is this how you treat your savior?"
"My savior? Was I... dead?"
"...This isn't the time to debate that. Anyway, now that we've escaped that nightmare, let's figure out how to wake up from this slumber. Employ your brain for once."
This guy never lets an opportunity pass without a snarky comment.
However, acknowledging the necessity of finding a way to awaken, he began to assess his body. Then, he cast a glance down at me, wearing an expression I didn't particularly appreciate.
"How do we wake up?" Han Chorok questioned.
"I don't know that either," I replied honestly.
"...And you still have the nerve to talk about being a savior. You're really shameless."
"What are you saying? Do you have any idea how hard it was to get here? I went through so much trouble to come and save you, and this is how you..."
It felt like rescuing someone from a nightmare only to be asked for a reward. How could someone be so ungrateful? No wonder he was dubbed Psycho Green.
In his typical fashion, Chorok didn't miss an opportunity to add his snide comments. "Use your head too. Did you jump into someone's dream without even thinking about how to get out?"
"See, there's always a reason why people criticize you. It's not for nothing that you're called a psycho..."
"I can open my inventory even in a dream."
What was he talking about? Opening his inventory? Was he planning to pull out a sword and start threatening people again?
Honestly, this guy... Even if I didn't make a big deal out of saving him, wasn't this a bit too much?
I glanced down as he seemed to be absently manipulating something in the air. Regret for saving him couldn't help but creep into my mind.
"Should I... try to wake up first and then wake you up?" I questioned.
"What if you can't wake me up?"
Hmm, that was indeed a problem. It meant having to return to this place to find him again, and that was no small feat. Just thinking about those stairs made my teeth grind in frustration.
"Um... When do people usually wake up from dreams?" I asked, trying to break through his stubbornness.
"I don't know, do I?" he retorted, his tone filled with annoyance.
Why so confident when he didn't have an answer? It was incredibly frustrating.
"Isn't this my problem? Isn't my life on the line here? It's your problem too, so how about offering a sincere response?" Exasperated, I sighed,
Chorok appeared to take the matter seriously, lost in contemplation. "People usually wake up... when they're extremely scared, or when they're so sad that they cry, right?"
That was a reasonably valid suggestion.
I responded earnestly to his sensible idea. "Right. People typically awaken from sleep when their emotions become intense... Ah, can you use skills too? If you can open your inventory, maybe you can access your skill window?"
Han Chorok stared blankly into the air again. "It opens."
"Then let's use an awakening skill! If we overflow with rage, we'll wake up from the dream!"
"...Are you serious?"
"Why would I joke about something in this situation?"
"..."
"If you have a better idea, then go ahead with it."
I conveyed this with a tone that suggested he could do whatever he pleased, which only deepened the furrow on Han Chorok's forehead. Perhaps I had teased him a bit too much.
After all, who had asked him about the inventory? Why provoke someone notorious for holding grudges?
"And if I become a Berserker from that, can you handle the aftermath?"
"Lee Jehee will take care of that. He's here with us."
"...Master is with us?"
For a moment, Han Chorok's eyes widened in surprise, and then he blinked those large eyes of his. Then, as if attempting to conceal his reddening cheeks, he slightly turned his head away.
It almost looked like the reaction of a bashful bride, which made me feel somewhat queasy.
Ah, geez, my eyes.
"Well then..."
"Huh? What did you say?"
Suddenly, it felt like I had bumped into something, and then my vision brightened sharply.
[Party member 'Yeon Seonwoo’ has deactivated the auxiliary skill 'Dreamer.']
A familiar window popped up before me. Blinking rapidly, I waved my hand to dismiss the window. At the same time, I squinted against the blinding light.
That bastard Han Chorok, using a skill without a word... But why was Lee Jehee's face so... close?
As soon as I cleared the status window, I found a face glaring down at me, and the angle, despite looking up from below, did nothing to diminish its intimidating presence. I couldn't help but wonder why I was in such a peculiar position, nestled in this guy's arms.
"Rrrrrr..."
"Huh?"
Before I could even begin to question what was happening, a growling sound diverted my attention. It resembled the deep, resonating growl of a formidable beast.
With my stiff neck, I turned to the bed and saw Han Chorok, his eyes wide open, his face twisted in an aggressive snarl, baring his teeth.
[Party member 'Han Chorok' has unlocked the Berserker trait.]
[The Berserker, Han Chorok, has activated the awakening skill 'Frenzy.']
"What?"
Han Chorok had indeed awakened from the dream, harnessing the Berserker's awakening trait. Our plan had succeeded. But suddenly, the voice questioning whether we could handle the aftermath echoed in my ears.
"Uh-oh... that."
In my shock, I gestured towards Chorok, signaling Jehee. Meanwhile, Chorok's skin took on a greyish hue as he shot up from the bed.
His muscles swelled to the point of bursting, and he grew in size, his eyes now entirely black, rolling slowly as if he were a predator searching for prey.
"Shh, don't make a sound."
"..."
The breathing of Chorok, now in a frenzied state, was far from normal. Even if Jehee hadn't cautioned me to remain silent, I would have been too stunned to speak. My breath caught in my throat.
From Chorok came an unsettling, inhuman growl.
"Rrrr..."
After glaring at me and Jehee for a moment, Chorok abruptly extended his hand. In an instant, a sword materialized in his grip. Startled by his menacing transformation, I froze, and Jehee, still holding me, cautiously began to retreat.