CHAPTER 30
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Listening quietly to the conversation, I felt a surge of terror that threatened to overwhelm me, to the point where I believed I might actually faint.
Why would they bring me to such a treacherous dungeon? They ought to have left me behind! It's not as if we're embarking on a mission of certain death!
Furthermore, if they anticipated that this dungeon held such great peril that they needed to enlist the services of mercenaries, why had they stopped at just Shin Sora? It would have been far wiser to have a few more individuals join us.
In 'D-Rank Hunter's Regression,' the characters were primarily S or A-rank hunters. However, upon my actual arrival in this world, I soon realized that high-ranking hunters were a rare commodity. In fact, a guild master with an A-rank status was considered exceptionally high-ranking.
Thanks to the privileges afforded to me as a returnee, Jehee had assembled a group of talents with the potential to achieve S-rank status in the future. Within his guild, he had several S-rank hunters, which might as well have represented the entirety of S-ranks in Korea, aside from Sora and a few rivals from competing guilds.
Therefore, I had initially assumed that a C-rank dungeon would be a walk in the park.
Why am I even here...
"Depending on the situation, Chorok might have to employ his awakening skill again. If that happen, Seonwoo, you must react swiftly."
What is that supposed to mean? Were they just using me as an excuse for bringing me here, or is this their way of crafting a justification for their earlier mistake?
Until moments ago, no one had offered an explanation for my presence, leading me to lean towards the latter interpretation.
Jehee's words not only startled me but also appeared to catch Chorok off guard. He glanced up, his expression a mix of surprise and confusion. His gaze shifted from Jehee to me, and as our eyes met in the middle, he seemed somewhat relieved before turning away with a slight pout.
His behavior held a striking childlike quality, which was understandable given his true age.
"What are you suggesting? Are you saying that he can calm Chorok's frenzied state?" Taera, who had been cautious and silent until now, suddenly interjected.
Jehee, appearing irritated, averted his head, pretending not to hear, and continued to stride forward.
Breaking the silence, it was Chorok who spoke up, his expression resolute as he addressed the group. "Yes, he possesses an extraordinary ability to enter dreams and deactivate the Nightmare Dominator skill. He also helped stabilize me when I used my awakening skill to break out of a sleep state."
"...Really?" Taera's eyes widened in astonishment, casting a skeptical glance in my direction.
Is that true, or are you jesting? His skepticism hung in the air, making me feel uncomfortably self-conscious. I shifted my gaze, inadvertently locking eyes with Sora, whose enthusiasm practically radiated.
Oh no, I shouldn't have made eye contact! Now, she'll...
"You're amazing, Seonwoo! Are you sure you don't want to join our guild?" Sora's voice brimmed with excitement, her words carrying the weight of temptation.
I knew this moment was inevitable. Once again, my cherished freedom hung in the balance.
"Yes, I have no plans to join," I replied firmly, my voice laced with determination.
"Isn't that a bit too harsh?" Sora's disappointment was palpable.
"No, I don't believe it's too harsh," I maintained my stance, resolute.
Amidst our exchange, Jehee chuckled, the vibrations of his laughter coursing through the neck and shoulders I held onto as my lifeline.
The rest of the group couldn't resist joining in the laughter. Taera quickly clamped his hand over his mouth to stifle his burst of amusement, evidently aware of Sora's potential response.
"Taera, if you let out another laugh that showcases your teeth, you might end up with dental implants for life, you know?"
It was quite understandable why he exercised caution. Threatening a healer with a lifetime of dental implants was akin to promising to endlessly regenerate their teeth just to extract them once more.
Even I would have been too frightened to reveal my teeth if I were in his shoes.
Taera, apparently sharing my sentiments, tightly sealed his lips, maintaining a stern expression. As I observed his unusual behavior, Sora's tone shifted from threatening to unexpectedly gentle, though the lingering impact of her implant threat still prevented her from appearing entirely kind.
"Seonwoo, seriously give it some thought. Our guild is genuinely fantastic. Everyone is incredibly friendly, and they genuinely look out for you."
That's a lie. I know precisely what Amazoness is like. It's a place where the law of the jungle reigns supreme, and their motto is 'Only the strong survive!'
And she claims they look out for you? That's an exaggeration if I've ever heard one.
"Why does she keep insisting I join? Why would she want someone as weak as me? I pondered, my thoughts swirling like a tempest in a fragile teacup.
"Well, that's nice. But I'm sorry, I really can't. I'm under a contract that doesn't allow me to move freely," I replied, my voice tinged with resignation, a hint of the chains that bound me.
Curse this Servant Ring, a shimmering shackle on my desires. My freedom, a distant dream, remained elusive until I could pry this ring from my finger. Fortunately, Sora, perceptive as ever, swiftly grasped the veiled implications of my response.
"So it's Jehee, right?! He must have used his charming skills to completely bewitch you and imposed some strange restrictions! I knew he’d do it again!" Sora exclaimed, her eyes reflecting a mixture of concern and intrigue, her words laced with the allure of an unsolved mystery.
"Wait, 'again'? Did you just say 'again'...?" I questioned, a knot of curiosity tightening in my chest.
"We're almost there. Everyone ready to get serious?" Jehee abruptly halted, his words laden with a sense of urgency, disrupting my attempt to delve deeper into the enigma at hand.
I struggled to hasten the completion of my sentence, but the person I held awkwardly jostled, causing me to emit a subdued "Eek!" as I grappled to maintain my equilibrium.
Meanwhile, Sora, deep in conversation with Jehee, remained oblivious to my efforts.
"That guy, he's really sly. Everything belongs to him, apparently," Sora remarked with a throaty cough.
"It's not like that, cough!" I managed to interject, my voice trembling with frustration.
"Remember not to mess with him recklessly. It really makes him angry," Jehee continued, his tone weighed down by a heavy seriousness.
"Oh, no... uh!" I struggled to regain their attention, my words lost in the winds of their discourse.
"Ugh, it's annoying. He has a good eye for people... If he thinks someone is useful, he lures them in," Sora lamented, her words a mournful chorus of truth.
Hey, listen to me too!
I pleaded silently, my attempts to insert myself into their conversation thwarted by Jehee's unrelenting interruptions.
But still, isn't it polite to at least look at someone when they're trying to say something? I wondered, my gaze desperately seeking solace from Chorok and Taera, but they averted their eyes, and Hana, my last hope, remained preoccupied with the dungeon's survey.
"Nightmares are still present. Shall we enter now?" Hana’s voice pierced the growing tension, its resonance demanding attention.
"Let Sora go in first to secure the position, then we'll follow," Jehee suggested, his words a strategic melody.
"Are thinking tanks some kind of invincible iron stones, huh? I feel pain when I get hit too, you know?" Sora grumbled, her complaints punctuating the air, though her actions belied her words as she briskly warmed up, lifting the shield she had been carrying, and then swiftly entered the final clearance zone, activating her awakening skill.
[Party member 'Shin Sora' has unlocked her awakening trait.]
[The Apostle of God, Heretical Inquisitor appears.]
[The Apostle of God, Heretical Inquisitor activates the awakening skill 'Faith's Worth.']
A burst of golden energy erupted from Sora, propelling her toward the forefront of the Nightmares. Her once-white battle armor transformed, adorned now with a layer of radiant golden armor and a crimson cape that danced in the air behind her.
Clad in her resolute plate armor, Sora firmly planted her shield into the ground, closed her eyes in deep devotion, and joined her hands in prayer. Her voice, a soft murmur, resonated with unwavering faith as she began to speak.
"Count it all joy when you face trials of various kinds, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Under the trial of faith, I vow to persevere without a shred of doubt."
[The faith of Heretical Inquisitor 'Shin Sora' is proven, activating 'Unbreakable Guardianship.']
As her prayer flowed from her lips, an immense golden shield materialized before her. This shield, born of her steadfast faith, was impervious as long as her belief remained unshaken. Shin Sora, true to her character in the game—a person of simplicity and unwavering resolve—had no intentions of wavering in her faith.
The eternal custodian of the unbreakable shield—Shin Sora.
"Let's go."
Jehee, who had carried me all this time, was the first to reach behind Sora, gently placing me on the ground. As I stood safely behind the golden shield, I gazed at him in a daze, only to witness a peculiar smile on his lips as he extended his hands toward the heavens. In an instant, two ebony swords, capable of swallowing even the light, materialized in his grip, adorned with crimson patterns that glowed ominously.
A dual-wielding swordsman.
Jehee's zenith of power wasn't in his magic but in the mastery of these twin swords.
His usually somber eyes now sparkled with an unusual radiance. For a fleeting moment, our eyes met—his dark, now-illuminated orbs locked with mine.
Before I could fully comprehend the unfolding events, Jehee, like a released spring, surged forward and vaulted into the air toward the Nightmare's location. The Nightmare, sensing an impending assault, readied its own attack skill. Fortunately, Sora's prayer had already been set in motion.
"Be strong and courageous. For all your life, no one will stand against you, and I pray that all blades set before you shall turn towards me. I pray to face them with strength and courage," Sora's voice, filled with unwavering faith and determination, continued to echo as she invoked her 'Self-Sacrifice' skill.
[The Apostle of God, Heretical Inquisitor activates the awakening skill 'Self-Sacrifice'.]
[All attacks from the monster 'Nightmare' are now directed towards the Heretical Inquisitor 'Shin Sora'.]
The 'Self-Sacrifice' skill was a form of taunt, a divine command that compelled the Nightmare to focus all its fury on Shin Sora, the Heretical Inquisitor.
[The monster 'Nightmare' activates the attack skill 'Scream in the Nightmare'.]
The Nightmare unleashed a horrifying cry as its grotesquely split mouth widened, a swirling vortex of ominous black energy forming in front of it.
The condensed black sphere shot forth with malevolent intent, targeting Sora directly and heading straight for the golden shield that protected her.