Chapter 127

―Whoosh!

In that instant, the guard’s body suddenly shot up into the sky.

?

Stunned, I stared up at the sky along with Joo Yian and even Shin Jae-heon, who had been moments from getting stabbed.

Beneath him, a red wind shimmered into view.

“Huh?”

Isn’t that the wind elevator from the mage tower?

The guard was flailing helplessly, trapped by So Yeri the hunter’s flight skill and wind magic.

She blocked it just like that?

“Thought he was done for.”

Shin Jae-heon let out a short breath. At that moment, the guard thrashing in midair glared down with eyes full of rage.

―Thwack!

He tried hurling his spear downward.

―Whoosh!

But even as his arm bulged with effort, the spear floated uselessly in the air.

“…Well, yeah. If it can lift Maletia’s Sword, no way it’d let that guard’s spear pierce through.”

Shin Jae-heon’s Maletia’s Sword was an SS+ grade or higher item bound with an ownership skill.

If anyone but the owner tried to hold it, it applied a massive weight debuff.

There was no way the wind that could lift Maletia’s Sword would be pierced by some SS-rank guard’s spear.

This wind elevator is totally OP. Too bad I couldn’t take one out.

As the now spearless guard looked down at us with a dejected expression, I suddenly asked,

“Can’t we just let him fly off like that?”

Couldn’t we go for a peaceful rocket squad ending? If he vanishes into the stars far away like in Evangelion, he won’t make any noise, right?

So Yeri the hunter blinked.

“Yeah? Should we just launch him?”

Just eject him outside the mansion?

“The other guards might see him flying away.”

Joo Yian put the brakes on our kingly brilliant idea.

“Guess we have no choice then.”

Take this. I patted Shin Jae-heon’s shoulder.

Starting with my Afterimage skill, buffs began pouring into Shin Jae-heon’s buff window.

Shin Jae-heon, who had been loosening up while holding his sword, looked up at the guard.

By then, the guard was staring down at him with eyes full of terror.

Well, yeah. Dropping right into a tiger’s den would be scary.

Shin Jae-heon dangled his sword downward, even taking a stance.

“Bye-bye now~”

And once he was ready, So Yeri the hunter snapped her fingers with a crack!

“Arghhh!”

―Bam!

The guard plummeting from the sky took a full-buff strike that could halve even an SS-rank boss math teacher’s HP, and died cleanly.

“SS-rank, huh.”

After finishing it off, Shin Jae-heon narrowed his eyes as the rank became visible.

No one else received warnings, probably since it hadn’t registered as noise beyond the sound Shin Jae-heon made blocking the spear.

The problem was…

!

I instinctively felt a chill crawl up the back of my neck.

Strong monsters were gathering nearby.

Even as a B-rank, with high stats and a DPS’s instincts, I could sense it right after Shin Jae-heon.

The moment our eyes met…

“Monsters nearby―”

Joo Yian, who had been maintaining a detection barrier around the group, jerked his head up.

And by the time he said it, the monsters were already right upon us.

Hide first!

Shin Jae-heon and I each scooped up one person and bolted in the opposite direction from the noise.

Fortunately, the guard we’d taken out earlier had been processed as a monster and turned to ash, vanishing.

―Tatatak!

The moment we ducked behind a tree…

The guards poked their heads out one by one. Eight of them.

“Didn’t we hear a sound around here for sure?”

They started scanning the surroundings.

…

I held my breath, watching them.

They were just aimlessly looking around, so they probably didn’t have any search-related skills.

As long as we stay out of sight, it should be fine. Just don’t make any dumb noises.

I quietly released my hand from the mouth of the person I was holding.

“If you space out like that, you’ll get hit.”

I whispered ever so softly.

Even S-rank, a healer was still a healer.

I glanced up at Joo Yian.

The light brown-haired healer standing in front of me was stiff as a board.

No wonder it felt like I was carrying a log earlier.

“You okay? Nothing broken?”

I peeked out from behind his rigid arm and whispered.

“Ah, I’m fine.”

Only then did Joo Yian respond with a creaky voice.

He seemed pretty shocked.

“Is Hunter Shin Yuri alright?”

His wits finally returning, he asked. I nodded.

“I don’t take damage from carrying S-ranks anymore.”

I’ve gotten over a hundred thousand times tougher since the dungeon started! I waved it off.

“…I didn’t expect you to close in that fast.”

Joo Yian said without turning, eyes fixed on the guards.

“Shh.”

Head down!

True to a pure healer without any DPS skills, he was weak at stealth like this.

I tucked his face firmly behind the tree and peeked out.

“Hmm…”

The guards were scanning sharply.

Fortunately, they hadn’t spotted Joo Yian when he’d poked his head out.

“Stay still for the next 10 seconds. Go.”

I gripped his shoulders firmly.

Better for someone unfamiliar with stealth to just freeze rather than try to check for presences.

Joo Yian stopped moving entirely, not even breathing.

No, you can breathe…

I debated telling him but held back. Eh, let’s trust an S-rank’s lung capacity.

“We’ll hide until they leave.”

Shin Jae-heon whispered in a low voice.

So Yeri blinked.

One blink, and the view whooshed by; by the second, she was behind a tree.

?

They’d partied for years, so you’d think she’d be used to it, but she still couldn’t get accustomed to how dizzyingly fast DPS hunters moved.

“Didn’t we hear a sound around here for sure?”

A guard’s voice carried over.

Come to think of it, Joo Yian had said something about monsters coming?

That was from his skill detection, so these two DPS had moved purely on instinct before even seeing anything.

If they’d waited until after Joo Yian finished speaking, they’d have been caught right there.

Then it’d be eight SS-rank monsters to fight silently.

So Yeri recalled the rule written on the invitation.

She could see Shin Jae-heon’s system window with the warning embedded.

Three of those and he’d be locked in the basement, right?

[The mansion is built on solid ground without a basement, so no risk of collapse…]

But the guide at the start had said that.

So what happens after three warnings?

A chilling thought made So Yeri pause.

They’d have to make sure Hunter Shin Jae-heon didn’t get any more warnings.

…

Glancing at Shin Jae-heon, she saw his serious face.

Maletia’s Sword hidden behind the tree, ready to slash if a guard approached.

Completely focused, not even breathing.

…

Seeing his profile, So Yeri quietly averted her gaze. And smiled faintly.

At least they weren’t doing their lover’s spat even in the dungeon.

Well, with all their S-rank experience, they wouldn’t waste energy on drama in a life-or-death situation.

Yeah, gotta stay alive to love. Mhm.

Pros keep work and personal strictly separate!

…

Smiling again, she twirled the end of her red hair, lost in thought.

The guards didn’t seem to have search skills. As long as they weren’t spotted here, it’d be fine.

Best to stay put!

So Yeri was somewhat used to these situations, having bungled her way through them since school days.

…But is Hunter Joo Yian hiding okay?

As So Yeri peeked out from behind the tree with a pleased expression…

…!

She spotted Joo Yian, head slightly out, scanning the outside.

No, how can you stick your head out like that?!

‘Pull your head in quick!’

She gestured wildly. Hunter chat wasn’t working either!

But Joo Yian was frozen like stone.

Wait, looking closer…

…

His face was beet red, eyes cast down.

Then a hand suddenly shot out from somewhere, pulling his face behind the tree.

Had to be Hunter Shin Yuri.

Ugh.

So Yeri silently facepalmed.

Pro… fessional? Strictly sepa… rating work and personal?

She felt the need to revise her assessment of the hunter team.

Ugh, what to do with this innocent healer!?