“Reinforcements have arrived!”
“It’s massive, this horned beast!”
“Just buy us some time!”
Song Siwoo and another hunter scattered in different directions.
Choi Kang-in, however, remained rooted to his spot, gripping only the sword within its sheath, as he lowered his stance and roared.
****
“What on earth… Lady Iroha. How did you even get here? Where are the other hunters?”
“This is everyone.”
“Are you insane? To enter a place like this with only four A-rank hunters!”
“Is that what’s important right now? Ah, just hold still.”
I took Lee Jaehoon’s left hand, which was gushing blood as he admonished me, and quickly mended his wound with a swift application of my power.
Fortunately, the injury wasn’t deep, allowing me to finish quickly before immediately turning to Cheon Yiryeong.
She, on the other hand, seemed to require more time.
“Stop staring and try to push that monster back somehow. I need to treat her right now.”
“…This is driving me crazy, truly.”
Lee Jaehoon, who was usually so polite, uncharacteristically muttered a small curse before turning his gaze back to the battlefield.
“Why… why did you come all the way here… Lady Roha…”
Cheon Yiryeong struggled to open her eyes through the caked blood, her weak breaths filled with concern for me instead.
While I had my own troubles, she was undeniably foolish herself.
She was practically taking a half-bath in the River Jordan (TL Note: A Korean idiom, ‘yodangang-eseo bansinyok jung,’ meaning someone is on the brink of death.).
As I hastily mended her most dangerous-looking wounds, Cheon Yiryeong, who had barely been clinging to consciousness, finally succumbed to unconsciousness again.
It was not due to the accumulated fatigue overpowering the regenerating vitality, but rather the sudden surge of relief.
****
“Stand aside! Taesan Slash!”
It was then that a mighty roar erupted from Choi Kang-in, who had stood motionless for a considerable time.
The hunters before him scattered left and right, as Choi Kang-in, emitting heat haze from his body, twisted his scabbard and drew his sword like a bolt of lightning.
A brilliant azure sword energy connected the drawn blade and its sheath.
This colossal sword energy, arcing like a crescent moon, shot forth as if to cleave the very earth, directly striking the monster’s horn.
“Mwoooong! Mwoooooo!”
Accompanied by an enraged roar.
CRACK! THUD! Thump-thump-thump-
Though only the tip, a sizable piece of horn, along with the smaller, web-like secondary horns, were cleanly severed and fell to the ground.
A gap appeared in the protective barrier that had seamlessly covered the monster’s upper body.
“Oh, that’s good! Hit it again!”
“Impossible! I need to gather mana for another thirty minutes—!”
Choi Kang-in’s face contorted in dismay at Song Siwoo’s words.
…Could this be why his fixed ID (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘gonick,’ referring to a registered online username or handle.) is One-Second Swordsaint?
For an A-rank hunter to inflict significant damage on an S-rank monster with a single strike was certainly impressive… but a thirty-minute cooldown after one hit was a bit excessive.
‘He certainly managed to clear over 20 floors with that.’
****
Though ranged hunters unleashed a barrage of attacks through the newly formed gap in the seemingly impenetrable defense, the situation showed no signs of improvement.
Firstly, the attacks from mediocre A-ranks were largely ineffective, and any strike deemed slightly powerful was simply blocked by the monster’s horn.
Unless Cheon Yiryeong recovered completely, it was pointless for her to awaken now, with her stamina and mana utterly depleted.
“Lady Roha! For now, please retreat with the Guild Leader!”
“That might be difficult.”
The monster, which had been indiscriminately striking nearby hunters, changed its tactics after its horn was hit, relentlessly targeting individuals and swinging its arms.
A hunter was crushed, unable even to scream.
The hunters, who had dispersed due to the danger of grouping together, were now being singled out and hunted from their isolated positions. At this rate, the moment anyone tried to escape, they would likely become the monster’s next target.
****
“Tch, we’ll hold out for thirty more minutes! Hunter Choi Kang-in, can you aim for its main body next time?”
“If you can just pin it down for a moment, yes!”
“Excellent! The monster is tiring; let’s push a little harder!”
Lee Jaehoon encouraged the hunters and then surged forward.
He kicked the monster’s arm, which had been swung to target a hunter creating ice spikes, diverting its trajectory.
Amidst the renewed bloodbath, I struggled to prop Cheon Yiryeong’s upper body against mine, supporting her.
I gently lifted Cheon Yiryeong’s right arm—and simultaneously, gripping a brush, cast Flame, launching it at the monster.
The blazing fireball narrowly grazed its horn, then burst, creating a horizontal ring of fire that spread out. The sudden downpour of flames covered its face, causing the monster to flail its head in confusion.
“Guild Leader…?”
Lee Jaehoon turned back, bewildered.
Playing along, I said,
“I told you not to overexert yourself!”
I acted as if I were restraining Cheon Yiryeong, who swayed with my movements like a puppet.
‘…I might have a talent for acting.’
Cheon Yiryeong’s face was still caked with dried blood, making her appear exhausted and leaning on me from a distance.
Watching Lee Jaehoon’s bewildered gaze flicker between the monster and the rear, I urgently told him to look forward, then fired another Flame spell.
Then, a sharp pang of headache resonated through my head.
It was a clear sign of mana depletion.
‘Ah, I should have tried Yeomok first.’
I had used Flame because it was a fire magic similar to Cheon Yiryeong’s, hoping it wouldn’t be too noticeable, but Yeomok was different.
A flame trapped within water.
That blend of two disparate forces was an anomaly, even among the bizarre powers of hunters.
Yet, such considerations became moot; two uses of the A-rank skill Flame had already drained my mana.
Perhaps it was to be expected after healing Cheon Yiryeong as well.
****
The Blessing of the Sea Otter, Fullness, descends!
All resources are restored!
****
Huh?
Suddenly, my mind cleared, and I felt a full mana reserve within my body.
What was this sudden phenomenon? I was startled by the unexpected feeling of complete recovery and vitality. What truly was happening?
My bewilderment lasted only a moment before I cast Scarlet Yeomok.
A spherical, scarlet orb materialized in my palm.
The sensation was quite different from when I had used it with Dari, but as soon as I held it, I instinctively understood how it worked.
It felt like a grenade-like magic.
And simultaneously, a change swept across the battlefield.
“Huh? I think I can unleash another sword energy strike!”
“Oh? Alright, I’ll provide supporting fire here too!”
“Ha, I suddenly feel energized! Dammit, let’s go!”
The hunters suddenly regained their vigor.
Lee Jaehoon, who had been tilting his head in confusion, then roared and seized the monster’s horn, pressing it down as if to pin it to the ground.
“Ranged attackers, aim for its chest! Melee, target its right hamstrings! Strike all at once!”
Choi Kang-in’s sword energy once again struck the horn, widening the gap,
And ice spikes, blue flames, rocks, arrows, and spears simultaneously streaked across the sky.
Some were blocked by the horn, but flames, arrows, and spears that pierced the gap embedded themselves in the wound, unleashing successive explosions.
Concurrently, melee hunters who had bypassed the horn attacked the monster’s hamstrings behind its knees. Under the combined upper and lower attacks, one of the monster’s sturdy knees buckled with a thunderous thud.
Matching their actions, I held Yeomok while simultaneously conjuring Flame with my left hand. After throwing the completed Flame, I immediately launched Yeomok towards the monster’s wounded chest.
The monster twisted its horn to block the incoming Flame, causing a ring of fire to erupt like fireworks, sweeping over it.
Concealed by the Flame’s blaze, Yeomok then plunged into the monster’s chest wound.
And then, *Fwoosh!*
Like a bomb detonating underwater, Yeomok swelled and burst, filling the monster’s body. The swirling ring of fire briefly persisted before fading, and wind swept through the space where the flames had been.
The S-rank monster’s chest was hollowed out in a perfect circle.
It had vanished so cleanly, as if melted away, in the exact shape of Yeomok’s explosion.
“Mwooo-uh, ugh…!”
The monster, its chest pierced through, futilely clawed at its wound with its large hands before toppling backward.
*KWOOM!* A tremendous roar, matching its colossal size, accompanied a swirling dust storm.
Quest Reward: Creation Limit +1.
Quest Skill: [Decalcomania] acquired.
With the rewards announcing the boss’s complete demise,
“Waaah!”
“Aaaah! We’re alive! We’re alive!”
“You damn S-rank monster, you son of a b*tch! You’re nothing special!”
“Hmph… I want to call home…”
The hunters, who had been on the verge of death, let out tearful cheers. As everyone jumped with joy, Lee Jaehoon rushed over without delay to support Cheon Yiryeong.
“Guild Leader?!”
“She lost consciousness. Her body isn’t back to normal yet; it seems she overused her power.”
“…Thank you. We all survived thanks to Lady Iroha coming to our aid. Truly, thank you.”
Lee Jaehoon expressed his gratitude with an unreadable expression.
I, having shamelessly spun such a blatant lie right to his face, awkwardly chuckled to gloss over it.
To avoid revealing my dual identity as a Top Gallery (TL Note: A Korean online community.) agitator—no, my unique awakened ability—I had attributed all the credit to Cheon Yiryeong. Wasn’t this a benevolent lie?
Besides, being constantly in the spotlight as a saintess was exhausting; if more of my abilities were revealed here… I’ll leave the rest to imagination.
In any case, I had received my own rewards.
“Here! They’re still alive!”
“Prioritize moving the injured! If they’re not critical, we’ll sort them outside the gate!”
Lee Jaehoon, having organized the battlefield, approached carrying Cheon Yiryeong on his back, but before he could reach me, Song Siwoo used wind to gently lift me.
“The demonic energy is dangerous, so we’re heading out first~”
“W-wait—!”
Lee Jaehoon’s words, as he tried to shout something, were drowned out by the wind.
Song Siwoo, making his way quickly to the gate’s exit with his hands in his pants pockets, flashed a playful smile.
“Wow, they call you a saintess, and you can even cast such an AoE buff (TL Note: Area-of-Effect buff, a skill that enhances multiple allies within a certain range.)? That was truly amazing.”
“Excuse me?”
An AoE buff? What’s that?
He seemed to be referring to everyone’s sudden recovery of vigor, but I genuinely had no idea.
“I didn’t do it.”
“Ah, so it’s a secret to the public. Understood.”
“No, I really don’t know anything about it.”
“Ah- Don’t worry. My lips are sealed, more than they look, you know?”
You look incredibly light-lipped, though.
As I exited the gate with Song Siwoo, who seemed likely to spread baseless rumors, I found government-affiliated hunters led by Jin Taesan, and A-rank hunters from Abyss and Narak, facing off with menacing intensity.
“Did you enter the gate, Lady Iroha? Are you alright? We’ll provide immediate support.”
“You came. But I’m sorry. The gate has already been cleared. I’ll just ask for support with the injured.”
“Cleared… you say? Understood for now.”
A surprised Jin Taesan quickly composed himself and directed the hunters behind him to enter the gate.
At this, the A-rank hunters stepped forward, one after another.
“What? A lie about clearing an S-rank in just two days…! Not even America could do that!”
“Wait, but that hair… the Saintess? Was she with the Cheonhwa Guild after all?”
“Hold on, Lady Iroha is strictly affiliated with the Association. We had planned a formal announcement later, but given this situation, we’ll have to prepare a press conference today.”
As Jin Taesan corrected her affiliation, Kim Hojun of the Abyss Guild snorted and approached me.
“Not Cheonhwa, but government-affiliated…? Ha, that’s absurd. No, perhaps it’s better this way? Healer, come to our Abyss Guild, no matter what those powerless people say. We’ll match double, even triple their terms.”
What is this guy rambling about?
I was already annoyed by their behavior, and his words only added fuel to the fire.
Meanwhile, the injured were being escorted out of the gate.
The scene quickly grew chaotic and overwhelming. I was about to go check on the injured when—
“Hey, you should at least answer. When someone’s speaking, it’s rude to ignore them, especially for a Saintess.”
This rice monkey (TL Note: A derogatory Korean slang term, ‘ssalsung-i,’ referring to someone greedy or solely interested in profit.) only cared about profit.
“…Because he’s not human.”
“What did you say? Please speak louder.”
My low curse was swallowed by the commotion and didn’t reach him.
I offered him a sweet smile and, in a soft yet clear voice, delivered the words I wanted to say.
“✿Get lost, you idiot⋰˚★”
