Chapter 105

Feeling an odd sense of unease, Jihan Kim laughed

“Hey, hey, look at him, so rude. I’m sorry, he’s not usually this ill-mannered, he just gets a bit shy around strangers.”

“Ah, yes. He can be a bit shy.”

Cho-i Hyeon replied without any soul. Yuri Ja turned his head sharply. A-Rank healer Seoyeon Ha, observing the two, greeted Cho-i Hyeon.

“W-well, since we’re working together, please take care of me.”

“Ah, please take care of me too.”

They exchanged pleasantries with Seoyeon Ha. Seeing that Cho-i Hyeon’s eyes had somewhat refocused, Jihan Kim sighed inwardly and gave Yuri Ja a meaningful look.

‘Be moderately prickly.’ ‘What did I do?’

So the four of them headed to Nine-Tailed Myoyeong. Even while riding in the car prepared by Geumsin, it wasn’t quiet. This was because Yuri Ja kept picking fights with Cho-i.

“Do you even know how to tank properly?”

Cho-i Hyeon replied with a wide smile.

“No, you jerk. Figure it out yourselves.”

Logically, an S-Rank tank couldn’t possibly not know how to tank properly, but Cho-i Hyeon found Yuri Ja, who was picking a fight with him, amusing and answered half-heartedly. For some reason, Yuri Ja seemed to dislike him, and he latched onto Cho-i Hyeon’s words.

“A tank who can’t even tank properly, why would he go to an S-Rank dungeon…?”

“To have fun, you jerk.”

“No, it’s our first time meeting, but still, you should speak…”

“I don’t speak formally to those weaker than me.”

“I’m weaker than you?”

“Oh, look, now he’s being informal too? What, want to fight?”

Just then, Jihan Kim, who was sitting in the front seat, spoke to Yuri Ja.

“Stop it, he’s the one who fought and won against Hwayeon’s Gihyeon Park. Yuri, I’m advising you, don’t mess with him carelessly. Not all S-Ranks are the same.”

“…Yes.”

Yuri Ja pouted significantly.

“Don’t sulk.”

“I’m not sulking.”

“It’s all over your face, though.”

“Oh, no, it’s not.”

“Look at that, look how rude he is.”

Cho-i Hyeon thought the situation was funny and crossed his legs. This place was turning out to be more interesting than he thought. Soon, the car arrived at Nine-Tailed Myoyeong’s Dungeon. Geumsin’s dungeon management team, who had arrived earlier, was visible.

“Whoa.”

Cho-i Hyeon, who got out first, looked up at the dungeon. He couldn’t remember which S-Rank dungeon this was. As Cho-i Hyeon stared blankly at the dungeon, Yuri Ja seemed to seize the opportunity and spoke.

“Why, are you scared now that you’re actually here?”

“Shut up, kid. I’ve been in and out of SS-Rank dungeons. I killed them all.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m serious. Want me to kill you too?”

“Both of you, stop, stop.”

Jihan Kim mediated between the two, as if he had a headache.

“Yuri.”

“Yes.”

“Are you going to keep messing around?”

“I apologize.”

“And Hunter Cho-i Hyeon.”

“Yes.”

“Please don’t keep provoking the kid. We’re going to raid this dungeon together, so trouble would be difficult.”

“It doesn’t matter, I’m going to do it all by myself anyway.”

“There’s no way that’s actually possible.”

“It’s true.”

“Ugh…”

Jihan Kim pressed his temples as if he had a headache. It seemed difficult to mediate between Cho-i Hyeon, who appeared to be very stubborn, and the equally stubborn Yuri Ja. Especially Hunter Cho-i Hyeon, whom he was meeting for the first time, was impossible to reason with.

“First… let’s wait until the dungeon management team gives their approval…”

“No need!”

“Hey!”

Cho-i Hyeon suddenly rushed into the dungeon. No one had time to stop him. Everyone stood there foolishly, unable to follow Cho-i Hyeon, who had quickly entered the dungeon. Jihan Kim held his head and said,

“How is Guild Leader Sataehyeok going to handle that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Ahahaha.”

Yuri Ja and Seoyeon Ha answered in turn. Seoyeon Ha looked at Jihan Kim with eyes that asked, ‘So what are you going to do?’ Jihan Kim then crossed his arms and said,

“Paehyeok probably pampered him until now. They’d do this if he asked, and that if he asked. But we need to make him realize that doesn’t work outside.”

“Still, isn’t it too dangerous for him to be alone?”

Jihan Kim scoffed.

“What can he do alone if no one follows him?”

Yuri Ja nodded. But Seoyeon Ha somehow couldn’t hide her unease as she looked at the dungeon entrance.

“…I don’t think so.”

“Huh, what did you say?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Fifteen minutes later, when the three entered the dungeon.

“What… is this?”

“No way.”

“…So he did all this alone?”

The inside of the dungeon was seen, utterly destroyed.

* * *

Cho-i Hyeon waited for a short while after entering the dungeon. Just for a moment.

“What, why aren’t they coming in?”

Cho-i blinked and waited for about thirty seconds. But when there was no sign of anyone entering, she pouted and said,

“Are they telling me to do everything by myself or what?”

Well, it was true she intended to do everything alone anyway. She scoffed. Cho-i Hyeon took a deep breath and looked ahead. Furred animals, which were called cats but were almost the size of tigers, were prowling in groups like a pack of hyenas. She looked around. Houses with pointed roofs were scattered around, broken.

“Where on earth is this place?” ‘It’s the Ruined World.’ “You always pop out at times like this.” ‘Because you woke me up.’ “Ah, so using a skill wakes you up?” ‘I’m always awake and always asleep.’ “What nonsense. Don’t say such complicated things.”

Cho-i Hyeon pushed off the ground and tensed her abdomen.

“-!!”

A Shout immediately erupted. All the monsters around looked at Cho-i Hyeon. Cho-i Hyeon grinned and drew her shield and sword.

“Alright, let’s give it a try.”

To see how far I can use this power.

[Casting Sanity Paralysis!]

A destructive aura enveloped her entire body. Cho-i immediately plunged her sword into the mouth of the monster charging at her. Squeal! She kicked the squealing monster and blocked the monster that swung its foreleg at her side with her shield. Then, she naturally raised her sword and stabbed the Entity in the head. Plunge! Without even looking, Cho-i dispatched the monster that had come up behind her and sunk its teeth into her shoulder with her sword, then sliced through two monsters charging at her simultaneously.

“Ahaha, ahahahahaha!”

Her body was overflowing with power. Even if this power wasn’t hers, the adrenaline surging through her made her feel as if it all belonged to her. Her skin, which she thought had become a little tougher, seemed to be genuinely tougher, as she was getting fewer injuries than before.

“Ah… !”

She was ecstatic with this power. The sensation that she could destroy anything. The certainty that nothing could stand in her way. She swung her sword even harder, overwhelming the monsters. But then. Swish, crack. When she cut down four or five A-Rank monsters at once, a cracking sound came from her arm. Her hand couldn’t withstand the force and was twisted backward. Cho-i Hyeon frowned for a moment. Not because of the pain.

‘As expected, it’s not a complete body. My body is too weak.’ “What do you mean by a complete body?”

Again, there was no answer. The Entity always said what it wanted to say and then disappeared. Cho-i Hyeon clicked her tongue and reset her dislocated bone. After that, the wound healed quickly. The bone that had pierced through her skin slid back into place, and the severed muscles began to reattach themselves.

“My apologies~. I was distracted for a moment, wasn’t I?”

Cho-i Hyeon smiled at the monsters. The growling creatures slowly retreated, looking for an opportunity to escape. Cho-i Hyeon leaped toward the Entities all at once. The monsters, realizing there was no escape, also charged at her. Roar-! As the monsters roared, Cho-i’s sword blade glowed like a halo, reflecting the dark moonlight. Ahahaha, her cheerful laughter erupted. And at that moment, the three people who had been following Cho-i Hyeon’s tracks were gasping in astonishment at the torn monster corpses. They all wore expressions of horror, as if the situation was unbelievable.

“Even if she’s an S-Rank, is it possible for a single tank to produce this much output in an S-Rank dungeon?”

Jihan Kim shook his head at Seoyeon Ha’s question and said,

“It’s impossible. Blocking them is certainly possible, but there’s not enough damage output to deal with this many Suui monsters at once.”

“But here, all of them…”

Seoyeon Ha looked around. Monster corpses, some torn from the head, some ripped in half, and others with their legs severed to prevent escape, were strewn everywhere, splattering blood. Yuri Ja was looking at the Entities with a serious expression, for some reason.

“First, let’s find Hunter Cho-i Hyeon. That’s the priority.”

“Yes.”

“Alright.”

So the three of them grouped together and began to search for Cho-i Hyeon, following her tracks. And when they found Cho-i Hyeon…

“There!”

Cho-i Hyeon was surrounded by dozens of monsters.

“Hunter Cho-i Hyeon!”

“It’s dangerous!”

Jihan Kim and Seoyeon Ha called out to her in surprise. She must have good hearing, as she turned her head in their direction, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of getting out of the monsters’ way.

“Damn it.”

Everyone drew their weapons and tried to help her. But. Slice- With the sound of something being cut, four or five monsters split in half, spraying blood. And Cho-i was seen leaping out from among the monsters, bringing her sword down vertically, piercing two or three monster heads at once. A monster took advantage of the opening and rushed at her back, swinging its front paw, but she ducked forward to avoid it, then, staying low, spun around and cut the monster’s waist. Everything was a fluid, seamless motion. There was no wasted movement.

“What in the…”

Jihan Kim watched Cho-i’s battle with wide eyes.