Chapter 29

Chapter 29

“If you have eyes to see, you’d know — it’s probably a summon.”

In the strange, oppressive atmosphere Jeong Seojin had created, it was Yoon Juyeong who spoke first.

Yoon Juyeong glanced at Blackie, nestled in my arms, as if it were no big deal, then spoke again.

“I’d say it’s a summon that fits a C-Rank hunter’s level just right. Aside from being small and cute, it doesn’t seem to have any special abilities.”

He was right — looking at Blackie now, outwardly, aside from being small and cute, there was nothing particularly special about it.

…Of course, I couldn’t say what the other party members thought, the ones who’d seen with their own eyes earlier when the Black Wolf dragged me off.

I carefully checked the reactions of Hunter Kim Seongmyeong and Hunter Jeong Soyeon.

‘Looks like they’re not too suspicious, thankfully…’

Both Kim Seongmyeong and Jeong Soyeon were staring at Jeong Seojin without any change in expression. From the look of it, they didn’t seem to doubt Yoon Juyeong’s words.

“More than that… I’m more curious why you’re asking that. Surely a mere C-Rank hunter’s summon couldn’t have done you any harm.”

“……”

“Do you have some personal interest? Well, I suppose at a glance, it is a pretty cute puppy.”

Saying that, Yoon Juyeong casually stroked Blackie’s head, still in my arms.

Blackie whined pitifully and shook its head, as if it didn’t like being touched by anyone other than me, but thankfully, it didn’t bare its teeth at Yoon Juyeong.

“But if you’re asking purely out of personal curiosity, I’d appreciate it if you could wait. After all, clearing the dungeon takes priority right now.”

“…Looks like this new S-Rank has a pretty slick personality.”

“I’ve heard that a lot. For all I look, I’m not that bad at socializing.”

Thankfully, Jeong Seojin seemed to acknowledge that Yoon Juyeong’s words made sense. Instead of pressing me and Blackie with that oppressive attitude or staring us down, he stepped back willingly.

‘At least he’s someone you can reason with.’

Honestly, the rumors made him sound like some lone sovereign who didn’t care about anyone else’s opinions at all, but thankfully, the Jeong Seojin I saw in person didn’t seem to be that kind of person.

…Then again. Even the top-ranked S-Rank hunter was still human, so I guess it made sense he wouldn’t be that hopeless.

As Jeong Seojin took a step back, the strange weight that had been completely dominating the atmosphere around us faded in an instant.

Kim Seongmyeong and Jeong Soyeon glanced toward Jeong Seojin as if gauging the mood, then quickly came over to where I was with Yoon Juyeong.

“Seohee, are you okay?”

While Kim Seongmyeong went straight to Yoon Juyeong and started talking about something, Jeong Soyeon carefully approached my side and whispered, asking how I was.

I nodded vigorously at her question and gave a small smile.

“Of course. Nothing really happened, right? Oh, but…”

I figured I should add a plausible excuse about Blackie. I was about to spin a believable story about Blackie’s existence when I noticed Jeong Soyeon’s hand gently resting on my shoulder, and I shut my mouth.

“I heard summoning skills are very rare. If you had one, you should’ve told us earlier.”

“Ah… I’m sorry. As you can see, it’s not much help in combat…”

“A puppy this cute is helpful just by being seen.”

Jeong Soyeon kept one hand on my shoulder and carefully stroked Blackie’s head.

Thankfully, Blackie didn’t react sharply this time either. Unlike with Yoon Juyeong, it seemed to enjoy the touch, pressing its own head into Jeong Soyeon’s hand.

When Blackie rubbed its head against her palm, a flicker of subtle embarrassment crossed Jeong Soyeon’s face for just a moment.

But she hid that brief opening very skillfully, then returned the hand on my shoulder and the one petting Blackie to their original positions.

“From now on, don’t hide it and tell me. Got it?”

“Uh, yes, yes.”

…I think I’ve been found out, haven’t I?

I hugged Blackie tighter in my arms and forced a natural smile onto my face.

Hunter Jeong Soyeon looked at my smiling face and gave a small smile back, as if returning the gesture. Aside from the fact that her smile was very pleasant to look at, what scared me was not being able to tell what she was thinking beneath that smile.

“Let’s start the assault soon.”

Around the time Jeong Soyeon and I finished our conversation, Kim Seongmyeong, who seemed to have wrapped up his talk with Yoon Juyeong, returned to where we were.

Kim Seongmyeong’s eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, swept over me, Jeong Soyeon, and Jeong Seojin, who was watching us from a distance, before he spoke directly.

“Then we’ll begin the assault on the final boss monster immediately. To clear the quest, we’ll basically attempt it with just the four of us who were the original party members.”

“Ah.”

I’d unconsciously thought that since the number one-ranked hunter had come to support us, he’d fight alongside us, but that thought was quickly put to shame. But thinking about it, Hunter Kim Seongmyeong was absolutely right.

We had entered this dungeon after receiving a request from the government to clear the ‘quest.’ And the quest conditions were for a party consisting of one S-Rank, one A-Rank, one B-Rank, and one C-Rank to clear the designated dungeon.

‘Then Jeong Seojin can’t fight alongside us.’

“Then we’ll enter immediately. …Hunter Jeong Seojin, would you kindly wait there? If you were to enter the final boss’s domain, even if you didn’t fight, it could be treated as a joint clear.”

“Do as you wish.”

Jeong Seojin nodded with an indifferent expression, as if he had no interest whatsoever in clearing the dungeon, and answered Hunter Kim Seongmyeong’s request. Looking at him like this, he really did seem like… just a person with common sense who happened to be unusually short on words, but…

‘How the hell did he figure it out.’

Under Hunter Kim Seongmyeong’s guidance, I stuck close to Jeong Soyeon’s side as we entered the final boss monster’s domain, all the while thinking about how Jeong Seojin had managed to notice the connection between me and Blackie.

‘How on earth…’

Fortunately, I found out the answer not long after.

Though it wasn’t in the form I’d hoped for.

* * *

The final boss monster was basically the white wolf we’d encountered as a mid-boss, but with something like armor added on. The monster encyclopedia called it by the rather cool name of ‘Winter Forest Wolf King.’

Wow. The final bosses in the dungeons I usually worked in were at most ‘Red Chimera,’ ‘Blue Chimera,’ or ‘Angry Musk Deer.’

“Both of you, behind me!”

“Yes!”

The moment I heard Kim Seongmyeong’s shout, I didn’t hesitate and stood close behind his back along with Jeong Soyeon. And at the same time.

—Kwaaaaaaah!!

The final boss, bearing the name Wolf King, began to unleash a massive roar. I reflexively clamped both hands over my ears.

Fortunately, thanks to Hunter Kim Seongmyeong using his ‘Defense’ skill this time, we weren’t pushed back by the shockwave the creature created. But there was no avoiding the impact directly on my eardrums.

The one saving grace was that its roar didn’t last very long. The Wolf King, who had been letting out a tremendous roar, suddenly had its entire head slammed into the ground by a black something that dropped from above.

Only then did I take my hands off my ears, now that the roar had stopped, and look straight ahead.

“Jeong Soyeon, I’d like a buff.”

“Yes, ‘Blessing of the Earth’!”

Jeong Soyeon cast a buff on Kim Seongmyeong, and he used the brief opening to steady his stance.

Meanwhile, Yoon Juyeong, who had driven the Wolf King’s snout into the ground, was gracefully pulling back from the wolf as if nothing had happened.

‘Guess the wolf’s roar didn’t faze him either.’

As I watched Yoon Juyeong with an admiring gaze, thinking that an S-Rank’s durability really was beyond imagination, the Wolf King forced its trembling legs to move and lifted itself up.

The creature turned its blazing blue eyes, burning with rage, toward us and let out a low growl characteristic of wolves.

“It’s coming again. Everyone, get ready!”

Despite having its back struck once, its head struck once, and even one of its arms completely pierced by Yoon Juyeong, the creature still showed no sign of being intimidated.

No, rather than not being intimidated… it seemed to be spewing even more rage and killing intent because death was drawing closer.

‘Why the hell do monsters spew so much killing intent the moment they see a human?’

As I recalled the question that no one had managed to solve in the five years since dungeons first appeared, I pressed myself tightly against Kim Seongmyeong’s back again. This time, I didn’t have the shock-absorbing ring, so I had to be as careful as possible.

While Kim Seongmyeong raised his shield to brace for the impact, the Wolf King somehow managed to push itself upright on its trembling legs.

Then, with its eyes still blazing a furious blue, it glared at Yoon Juyeong, bristled its fur, and immediately conjured several magic circles around itself.

‘Was the one that appeared as the mid-boss just not given the chance to use this skill, or does only this one have it because it’s the final boss?’

As I was thinking it was probably the latter, the three magic circles formed around the wolf began firing sharp, human-sized chunks of ice.