CHAPTER 29
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After ensuring that Chorok remained unharmed, Hana cast a warm gaze toward us, her delight evident. She hurried over to Shin Sora, who clung to her shield protectively.
"Sora! How did you get here?" Hana questioned, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Hello, Hana. I came because Jehee asked for help. Are you okay? I heard you stayed in the dungeon," Sora replied, concern etched in her voice.
"I'm fine. Taera was with me, you know," Hana reassured.
"Hmm. I don't find him very reliable. Our Taera is a bit feeble, except when he uses Heal," Sora remarked, a hint of skepticism in her tone.
Hana's words piqued Sora's curiosity, prompting her to glance at Baek Taera. Taera, who had noticed Sora's presence earlier, averted his eyes as if he had seen something he shouldn't have. However, Sora wasn't about to let it slide.
"Oh? You make eye contact and don't even say hello?" Sora teased.
"...Hello, Sora," Taera responded reluctantly.
"Hello, Taera. Looking as pretty as ever today? So, how about joining our guild?" Sora continued, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
Taera remained silent, his discomfort apparent.
It was clear from this interaction that their relationship held a particular dynamic. With an uneasy expression, Taera discreetly moved away from Sora and sought refuge behind Chorok, who also appeared quite uncomfortable.
This tableau painted a vivid picture of their relationships within the group. At the apex of this hierarchy undoubtedly stood Lee Jehee, closely followed by Shin Sora. And, at the very bottom, like prey, I found myself.
"Why did you bring this risk again? You should have left it outside," Taera grumbled, shooting me a scowl as he leaned against Jehee weakly.
In that moment, I witnessed Chorok's flinch.
"That's true. It does seem like a dangerous place for Seonwoo. Why not wait outside?" Hana's rational observation brought an undeniable tension to the faces of the two men, who exchanged silent glances.
Jehee, however, brushed her comment aside and turned his focus back to me.
"Enough with the conversation. Let's keep going," he ordered.
"Ah, this posture is unbearable!" I protested.
"Stay put. If you tumble and injure yourself, it's your responsibility."
"How am I supposed to stay put when it's so painful? You might as well give me a piggyback ride!"
Jehee sighed. "I don't make a habit of carrying grown men."
Who in their right mind would want to be carried as a hobby? This is preposterous! Yet, Jehee paid no heed to my protests and swiftly prepared to continue. The rest of the group, who had been exchanging pleasantries, followed suit.
Resigned to my fate, I let out a sigh and readied the skill I had prepared.
[Party member 'Yeon Seonwoo' activates the support skill 'Refresh.']
"What's this?"
The other party members, familiar with this skill from previous encounters, graciously accepted it. Hana, who had endured hardship waiting behind in the dungeon, appeared particularly thankful. Even Taera subtly curled the corners of his lips, indicating his satisfaction. After all, I had strategically used the skill for those two, achieving my intended purpose.
However, Sora, experiencing 'Refresh' for the first time, appeared surprised as she examined herself. Then, belatedly checking her status window, she approached me as I dangled upside down from Jehee's back, leaning in to meet my gaze.
"What is this?” she asked. “I've never seen this skill before."
"Just, you know, a skill that brings a sense of rejuvenation. It doesn't possess any extraordinary abilities beyond that."
"No extraordinary abilities? But it feels remarkably satisfying. ...You're Yeon Seonwoo, right?"
"Yeah, yes," I replied, trying to disengage, but Sora persisted in conversing with me.
Did anyone actually desire to be hanging upside down on their fiancé's back, engaged in conversation like this?
With a reluctant nod, I entertained Sora's suggestion.
"Seonwoo, would you consider joining our guild?"
"What? No?!"
"Oh, don't dismiss it so hastily. It's disheartening. You could at least pretend to ponder it."
How could I even entertain the idea of joining that guild when it would essentially entail tearing myself away from this situation?
Fearing that I might burst into tears, I clung to Jehee's clothing as if it were my lifeline. However, Sora displayed no inclination to give up easily. As she prepared to speak again, assuming the role of a legendary salesperson atop the pyramid scheme, I watched her with apprehensive eyes.
Suddenly, the scenery spun around.
It occurred because Jehee abruptly shifted his posture. "Why are you attempting to recruit someone from another guild?"
"What? Our guild is exceptional. It's perfectly normal to explore different options before committing. I'm simply offering a suggestion."
"Put an end to this nonsense and stop tempting Seonwoo."
"What, are you now protecting your exclusive supporter? You don't even bat an eye when it's Chorok or Taera."
In response, a chuckle escaped Jehee. I could sense the slight quiver of his shoulder, where I hung precariously.
Don't laugh, you rascal. It's causing my bones to ache.
"This man can't be part of your guild."
"Why not?"
"Because they might be easily influenced, lacking in loyalty."
"…Are you sure you want to share such valuable information with me?"
"That's precisely why I'm advising against it. If you bring it up again, I'll be upset."
"…Tch."
I was on the verge of protesting against the disloyalty label. While I didn't owe any allegiance to Jehee, my devotion to my 'precious' surpassed anyone else's. However, Jehee's sudden assertiveness left me speechless.
[Master's mood improves, increasing 'Charm' by +1.]
[As 'Charm' skill status reaches 0, the 'Melancholy' status effect disappears.]
"You heard that, didn't you?"
"What, uh, what..."
"Don't even consider switching guilds. I won't take it lightly."
Is this guy out of his mind?
Shin Sora's guild, the Amazones Guild, exclusively catered to female hunters, as I remembered from the game.
They suggested I join by "detaching my precious," but why would I? Even if it hadn't been particularly useful thus far, it was precious for a reason. Men only had two of them, and they served as the last line of defense for a good reason!
Unable to utter a word due to the rapid pace set by Jehee, I resorted to punching his back in frustration. It was a way to express my discontent, but later, I found myself bewildered by how close we had grown. Normally, he would have reacted sensitively and said something, but this time, he remained silent.
Reluctantly, I was growing closer to these people. And that was becoming rather... troublesome.
We ran tirelessly, plunging into the cave's depths.
As soon as we were inside, Jehee conjured a light source that hung in the air. Its radiance drew the attention of several giant moths clinging to the cave walls, but they were swiftly dispatched by arrows that came from behind, piercing through their wings and sending them crashing to the ground.
[Party member 'Kim Hana' activates the attack skill 'Triple Shot’.]
[Party member 'Kim Hana' has vanquished 'Giant Cave Moth'.]
[(……)]
"Are we heading straight for the Nightmare?" Hana inquired, dealing with the menacing creatures.
Jehee nodded while maintaining his pace. "With Sora with us, we'll go directly."
[Party leader 'Lee Jehee' activates the attack skill 'Wind Breath'.]
[Party leader 'Lee Jehee' has defeated 'Giant Cave Moth'.]
[(……)]
A colossal whirlwind materialized before us, cleaving through the path as though it were alive. The moths obstructing the whirlwind's course were effortlessly torn asunder.
"So, all I need to do is hold on?" Sora inquired as she caught up to Jehee, who nodded once again.
Meanwhile, Chorok, running on the opposite side to avoid Sora, chimed in with a serious tone. "Even with Sora here, she's S-rank. Can we handle this with just us?"
"We must wrap this up swiftly," Jehee declared. "While Sora fends off the attack, Hana, you and I will go on the offensive. If the creature lacks self-healing abilities, the fatal wounds inflicted by Hana should not have fully healed yet. We'll activate our awakening skills as soon as we enter."
"…Is this truly safe? This dungeon... it appears unusual," Chorok expressed his concern, an uncharacteristic hint of uncertainty in his voice.
Hanging onto Jehee's neck, struggling to maintain my balance, I turned to glance at Taera and Hana, who were following closely behind. Their expressions mirrored the seriousness of the situation. Sensing the atmosphere growing tense, Sora's face also adopted a grave demeanor.
"Yes, it's peculiar.” Jehee nodded. “Similar to the dungeon where the Keymaster emerged."
Ah, now it made sense.
Listening to Jehee's response, I finally comprehended why everyone was unusually on edge.
The unexpected presence of a boss monster in a C-rank dungeon was a cause for concern. It reminded us of the situation in the dungeon where the Keymaster had emerged. An air of apprehension hung over the group.
The worry was that, even if we managed to defeat an S-rank monster, the appearance of an S+ rank Keymaster afterward might prove to be too much for us to handle on our own.
"What do you mean by 'Keymaster'? Why would the one we defeated before reappear?" Sora inquired, her surprise evident as she overheard the conversation between Jehee and Chorok.
Uncharacteristically, Jehee chose to offer a gentle explanation. "It might not be the same one we defeated previously. Just like monsters can regenerate, there's a higher chance a new one has emerged. ...For now, let's hope that's not the case."
Following that, Jehee lapsed into silence. Sensing his mood, the rest of the party members abandoned their usual playful demeanor and adopted a more somber attitude.