EPISODE 17. Skull in black smoke
“Han Yi-gyeol!”
Before Park Geon-ho, who was caught off guard, reached me, Woo Seo-hyuk tore apart the tentacles that were holding me. Then, five or six tentacles appeared anew from the darkness.
“Ahhh!”
The tentacles, which failed to drag me away, latched onto the shield ability user. Woo Seo-hyuk hurriedly leaned forward and called me. “Han Yi-gyeol-ssi!”
I knew what he wanted without him saying anything. When my wind wrapped around Woo Seo-hyuk and increased his movement speed, Woo Seo-hyuk grabbed the shield ability user and tore off the tentacles.
“Retreat to the back, all three of you!”
At Park Geon-ho’s cry, I pulled Woo Seo-hyuk and the shield ability user back with my ability. At the same time, Park Geon-ho threw three iron balls at the monster.
Kuuung!
The explosion flashed, revealing the monster that was hiding in the darkness. Several monsters with tentacles that were fluttering like sea anemones were engulfed in flames. After that, a group of drum-beating kobolds opened their mouths wide and let out an incomprehensible cry.
Kagak, Kagakak! Kyaak!
The spider monsters, which had stopped and did not move, flocked again at the sound. Park Geon-ho and the long-distance team continued to keep the monsters in check as we backed off.
“What the hell, where did they come from?”
“Are they high grade?”
The guild members ran away and grumbled. As we continued to move forward to avoid the monsters that were chasing us, we noticed a large room at the end of the hallway.
Kiaaak! Kyaak!
Monsters were closing in from behind at high speed. Still, for some reason, I felt reluctant to enter the room.
‘Is it just me?’
Park Geon-ho and Woo Seo-hyuk looked back and seemed to feel nothing. There was no time to worry when we were being chased, so I finally followed the team members into the room.
“Is there anything to block the monsters?”
“Secure the exit first!”
“Team Leader!”
One of the close-range team members, who first entered the room and looked inside, pointed to the innermost part of the room and said, “There is a door that looks like an exit, but it doesn’t open. I think we’ll be able to get out of this place only if we find a hidden device.”
“Great. I’ll block the monsters, so let the non-combatant personnel get as far back as possible to find the device.”
“Yes!”
I looked around, feeling nervous among the guild members moving in perfect order.
Something felt strange. The empty room we were alone in felt more dangerous than the hallway full of monsters. Kim Woo-jin approached me as I stood still.
“Han Yi-gyeol, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing…”
I hesitated and shook my head. Even if I was anxious in this situation, there was nothing I could do. Open the exit door and escape as quickly as possible…
Glancing at the ceiling involuntarily, I felt my heart freeze for a moment before it started to beat frantically.
“Han Yi-gyeol?”
Two huge eyes looked down at us. Hhhhh, there was a sharp inhale. I shouted, almost screaming, “Everyone, RUN—”
Kkiiiiik!
Before I could even finish my words, a terrifying and bizarre sound pierced my ears.
“Aaargh!”
“Keuaaargh!”
The guild members, who were preparing for the upcoming monsters, grabbed their heads and screamed. Kim Woo-jin, who was standing next to me, collapsed to the floor.
“No!”
I quickly caught Kim Woo-jin. Red blood flowed from both of his ears.
“Wake up, Kim Woo-jin!”
A chill ran down my spine. As I instinctively looked up, something flew open beneath the gigantic eyes that looked at me, shaped like a crescent moon. The monster was smiling at us writhe in pain.
I took the fainted Kim Woo-jin into my arms and my face distorted. What should I do? What should I…
“Yi-gyeol-ssi.”
With a soft voice, someone firmly grabbed my shoulder. It was Min Ah-rin.
“Calm down.” She quickly glanced at Kim Woo-jin, her face unusually stiff. “He’s hurt, but not to the point he can’t be healed. He just passed out because he was overpowered by the monster’s energy.”
“Ah…”
“But things are not going well. You know that, right?”
“Monsters have arrived!”
Thud! Thud!
The guild member who was waiting in the hallway shouted. The sound of drums rang through the room.
“The healer team will take care of the injured. So, don’t worry, just deal with the monsters.”
“…all right.”
My heart was beating fast because of anxiety, but Min Ah-rin’s words helped me come to my senses. I handed Kim Woo-jin over to Min Ah-rin and told Park Geon-ho and Woo Seo-hyuk, “Team Leader. Can you give me just one close-ranged fighter?”
“For what?” Park Geon-ho, who was staring at the giant monster with a serious expression, gave a puzzled look.
“The monster hanging on the ceiling and monsters coming into the hallway—we can handle both if my ability supports us.”
“You need someone to protect you.”
“Yes. Team Leader, please take charge of the hallway and Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi will take charge here. I will assist you.”
I had to watch two people at the same time, and in the case of Park Geon-ho, I needed more delicate control because he handled iron balls. I needed someone to watch over me constantly and protect me as I used my ability.
Park Geon-ho, who understood my explanation, beckoned to the person who was guarding the non-combative team. It was Shim Soo-yeon, the one who handled lightning spears.
“We’d better do as you say. Shim Soo-yeon will take good care of you. Secretary Woo Seo-hyuk.”
Woo Seo-hyuk nodded his head and raised his ability. Not only his arms, but his whole body began to swell and turn black. His clothes were torn, unable to withstand the changes in his body, and his fine hair rose in the meantime.
Kuung!
After finishing his transformation, Woo Seo-hyuk slammed his huge front paws on the floor and waved his tail. Golden eyes flashed.
“Please take care of me, Shim Soo-yeon-ssi.”
As the wind wrapped around Woo Seo-hyuk and Park Geon-ho’s bodies, Shim Soo-yeon smiled and swung his spear around once.
“Don’t worry. I will protect you.”
“Let’s start when you’re ready.”
Everyone stood by Park Geon-ho, except for a few who were guarding the non-combative team. Park Geon-ho tossed several iron balls up, which I kept floating in the air as we waited for the monsters to enter the room.
In the meantime, Woo Seo-hyuk, who had no restrictions on his movements, jumped towards the monster attached to the ceiling. Woo Seo-hyuk immediately grabbed its nape and dragged the monster to the floor.
Hihik, hihihik!
The monster was humanoid with melted skin. Abnormally large eyes, a torn mouth, with only the upper body floating in the air as if its lower body had been cut off. With a giggle, the monster swung its bizarrely long arms. Woo Seo-hyuk lightly avoided the attack.
With my ability involved, it seemed easier to fight monsters in the air. I was relieved and turned my gaze to Park Geon-ho. From spider monsters to tentacles and kobolds with drums. Park Geon-ho beckoned to the rushing monsters.
I knew his fighting style from experience. It was advantageous to leave the monsters at the forefront to the close-range team and destroy the tentacles with long-ranged attacks. Fifteen iron balls that were floating in the air were thrown at the tentacle monsters all at once.
Park Geon-ho, who was concentrating on the iron balls just like me, activated his ability at the right time. Kwaaang! The ground shook and the black tentacles exploded. At the same time, the close-range team started fighting against the spider monsters.
“Huu…”
The energy flowed out like water to where Woo Seo-hyuk, who was engaged in a fierce battle with the monster in the air, and Park Geon-ho, who controlled all the iron balls, were. Uung, the bracelet trembled and the jewel shone.
The huge monster that was torn up by Woo Seo-hyuk’s attacks opened its mouth. Its jaw descended endlessly and the elongated mouth was filled with black thorn-like teeth.
Haaaak!
“Aargh, what is that!”
“Ugh!”
As the giant monster made an inexplicable cry, my eyes blurred as I staggered. The S-ranks, Woo Seo-hyuk and Park Geon-ho, also shook their heads and stumbled as they rubbed their foreheads.
Each of the guild members screamed and hurriedly backed away. Shim Soo-yeon, who was killing the spider monsters that rushed at me, also stumbled.
“Hgh!”
The identifier, who was drooping and breathing hard, opened his eyes and raised himself up. “Te-Team Leader! The energy level…!”
“Ugh!”
“The monster’s condition!”
Kiiiiik! Kiiik!
The monsters, which were fighting the close-range team, suddenly flipped over and struggled painfully. Park Geon-ho, frowning, asked the identifier, “What’s going on?”
“Ugh—the monster in the centre is absorbing the energy of the other monsters…!” the identifier answered with difficulty, nauseated as if he was dizzy.
The spider monsters, which the B-rank guild members had only just started attacking, died helplessly. It was proof that the grade had fallen from A to B.
Only then did we realize the cause of the anomaly from the first floor. The giant monster that absorbed the energy of other monsters grew bigger and its wounds disappeared.
“A monster that absorbs the energy of other monsters…”
“All the way from the first floor to the third floor. Is there no limit to its range?”
“My stomach hurts…”
Since the monster absorbed the energy, all the ability users in the room felt dizzy. Among them, the most sensitive person was the identifier, who could not hold on any longer and passed out.
“Haa, Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi. Can you stand it?” I asked, grabbing my chest. I was suffering from both nausea and a headache. Woo Seo-hyuk let out a rough breath and nodded his head.
Even if the level of the monsters was lowered, it took a long time to deal with them because there were so many of them. Until then, Woo Seo-hyuk had to deal with the bigger monster alone.
‘We need to handle the situation on Park Geon-ho’s side as soon as possible.’
Woo Seo-hyuk caught his breath and waved his tail wildly, jumping up and rushing at the monster again. Hihihihik! As our abilities were absorbed, its grade level went up—its energy became stronger.
I endured the nausea and let some wind flow to Park Geon-ho again. Park Geon-ho, who threw some iron balls back into the air to match me, also increased his speed to deal with the monsters.
“Han Yi-gyeol!”
When the number of monsters gathered fell below half, Park Geon-ho, who had entrusted the finishing touches to the guild members, rushed over. Shim Soo-yeon, who had been protecting me carefully, moved to the battlefield at Park Geon-ho’s command.
“Please support me.”
Park Geon-ho, running over, grabbed my waist as I lifted us up. I looked at the giant monster facing off with Woo Seo-hyuk while we rose up.
I slowly came to the conclusion that I didn’t have much energy left.
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