Chapter 25
Before heading outside, Yusol stretched. It was an unusual stretch.
“Do you do yoga? Why are you doing the splits?”
“It’s necessary. To properly use my skill, this is essential.”
She was more serious than expected.
After successfully performing the Cat Pose and Locust Pose perfectly, she caught her breath.
Yusol glanced outside, and then, seeming tense, pressed her solar plexus.
“There are a lot of them. Will it be okay?”
“How would I know? If you feel uneasy, don’t do it. Let’s just charge straight ahead.”
“No way!”
For some reason, she was desperate. The word “must” was written on her forehead.
“Do you know how much I’ve refined this skill? If it weren’t for this unexpected dungeon, I wouldn’t even have a chance to use it!”
Indeed.
She was risking her life for the sole purpose of casting her skill.
Could that one thing be worth so much?
Just to use one skill?
“Follow me closely. I won’t be able to look out for you because I’ll be too busy!”
Ta-at-
Yusol started running vigorously towards the monsters.
She was bouncing and running faster than expected. Johan had to put in quite an effort to keep up.
Krrrr-
The Taos turned their gaze towards Yusol. Having spotted their prey, they drooled and snorted.
Then it happened.
Srrrk-
Yusol’s speed suddenly slowed down, and she spun around on the spot.
With an elegant expression, she looked at her fingertips with a melancholy expression.
For a moment, Johan was also mesmerized. Her graceful movements were enough to draw admiration.
Krrng…………….
The Taos were also entranced. Their previously blazing eyes calmed down.
‘Magic power is enveloping the surroundings. It’s considerable.’
The amount of magic power was by no means small. It was enough to surpass even D-rank.
Whoong-
The magic power emanating from Yusol’s body calmed the surroundings.
It felt as if a sedative had been forcibly administered to the area.
10 meters, 50 meters, 100 meters.
Like a leaf on a tranquil river.
Her movements seemed slow yet weren’t slow.
She crossed 100 meters while dancing in a minute. If she could hold on for 2 more minutes, they could escape the dungeon without any harm.
“Ah.”
But life doesn’t go as planned.
She tripped over a rock and fell disgracefully, and the magic power that had calmed the surroundings quickly dissipated.
“Try to continue.”
“No, I can’t. My proficiency is still low, so I can’t use it again on those who have broken free from the trance.”
She shook her head as Johan helped her up.
*Gamu: A supporting skill that changes effects depending on the type of dance.
(TL/C: Gamu means Singing and Dance)
Her ability was very similar to the work she had been doing so far.
Ironically, she practiced dancing to become a hunter.
Kwoo!
The Tau who were freed from their mesmerization roared even more ferociously. This was a side effect of the mental magic.
“Run! Run without any hesitation!”
I grabbed Yusol’s hand and ran.
Now, the monsters would charge at us even more savagely. Still, advancing 100 meters without a fight was quite an achievement.
“Servants.”
I mobilized all the Uruks I had. Escaping this place was our priority.
“Block the charging Taus!”
Those who received Yohan’s command formed a line.
With new enemies appearing all at once, the area turned into a frenzy.
The overwhelming presence of the Tau made the 2-meter-tall Uruks look like babies.
The Uruks, undeterred, threw themselves at the approaching Tau.
Kwaajk-
A Tau’s chest was crushed. The Uruks tried their best to hinder the Tau, but could only delay them for about 3 seconds.
“At this rate, they’ll all die before we reach our destination. The difference is more severe than I thought.”
Even with Yohan’s buff, the inherent difference between the species was undeniable.
The difference between the nearly C-ranked Tau and the Uruks was stark.
“You need a buff, right?”
Yusol’s confident question.
She let go of Yohan’s hand and pulled something from her pocket. It was a glowing potion in various colors.
“What… are you doing?”
“Go, team! Even if I lose everything I love~ I can’t give you up~!”
Yusol suddenly started cheering while shaking the potion.
As ridiculous as it looked, what happened next was even more astonishing.
Flash!
The Uruks’ eyes glowed brightly. It seemed like Yusol’s cheer boosted their strength, and the time they could hold off the Tau began to increase.
“Oh, oh? Ohhh?!”
One Uruk managed to hold off a Tau for more than 10 seconds.
That was more than three times the previous duration of just 3 seconds.
“Is this also a skill?”
“I told you, the effects change depending on the type of dance.”
Even Yohan, who had seen and experienced a lot, had never seen such a skill before.
Moreover, the cheer’s effect extended to himself as well.
His body felt about 1.5 times lighter.
This level of wide-area buff was challenging even for specialized priests.
Additionally, the skill debuffed the enemies by reducing their movement speed.
Yusol managed to achieve something remarkable. She was fully demonstrating everything she had practiced so far.
“Do you have other dances with different effects?”
“Of course. They might not be much help in this situation, but I have many.”
Yusol’s evaluation made it clear: ‘I underestimated her.’
Her potential for growth was still immense.
Given her words, ‘I need to rethink my assessment.’
With this level of buff, she could immediately become a core member of any team.
“Can I have your number?”
“You finally need my number?!”
“Well, there’s nothing like actual combat to improve skill proficiency. I think it would be fine for me to join you.”
“Yay! Finally!”
Seeing Yusol jumping with joy made me smile. In the meantime, the portal was now just 50 meters away.
Kwoo!
The Tau guarding the portal roared.
I sent out the remaining Uruks. Only three were left.
In contrast, there were five Tau. Being outnumbered, the three Uruks could not push them back.
“There’s no choice.”
I can’t keep running away any longer. I knew I’d have to face them at some point, and that place is right here.
“Sol, when you get out, look for Team Leader Alex right away. Do you remember the man I was sitting with earlier?”
“I remember, but why are you talking like you’re sending me out alone?”
Yusol, quick to catch on, questioned him. Yohan nodded and grabbed her ankle.
“I’ll handle things here! Sol, get out and explain the situation!”
“Kyaah!”
Hiieek
Yohan swung Yusol and threw her toward the portal. She flew like a cannonball.
At the same time, Yohan’s arrow struck the Tau’s eyes. It failed to penetrate but succeeded in provoking them.
Kwoo-
The Tau, targeting Yohan, ignored Yusol and charged at him.
“I’ll get you for this! Just wait until I get out!”
Thanks to this, Yusol made it through the portal.
Left alone, Yohan wiped the sweat from his forehead.
His expression was troubled but not hopeless.
Siiek-
He was actually smiling, like a fish in water.
“I didn’t want to reveal everything to someone I just met.”
From the coffin emerged Kim and Kwon.
Yohan’s strength increased as Duzhi joined him.
Holding the priest’s dagger, Yohan charged forward without hesitation.
Buwung-
He dodged the Tau’s club-like hand and slid to its tree-trunk-like leg.
“Sever.”
With his faintly glowing dagger, Yohan half-severed the Tau’s ankle.
The ankle, cut to the bone, couldn’t support the weight and collapsed.
Kim and Kwon quickly took the Tau’s life as it fell.
“Servants.”
The coffin, like a giant mouth, swallowed the dead Tau whole.
Even the rampaging Tau hesitated at the grotesque sight.
“You know, Tau is usually too tough to eat, but its sirloin and flank steak have a richer flavor than Korean beef.”
flinch-
“Come, become one of my family.”
Outside, things had calmed down.
At least 100 Tau corpses filled the square with blood.
Alex, breathing heavily, slumped to the ground.
“Damn, that was tough. Am I getting old?”
His numbed hand wouldn’t straighten easily.
The aftereffect of gripping his bow with all his might for over an hour.
“Team Leader, we’ve moved all the injured.”
“Casualties?”
“Five dead, ten seriously injured, twenty lightly injured, including you and me.”
Steve wiped the blood from his forehead nonchalantly.
No one was unscathed.
“Yohan? Hasn’t he come out yet?”
“No, not yet… It seems he might…”
“Might not make it out?”
Silence. Frustrated, Alex ruffled his hair but was also resigning to the situation.
“Why did he go into that hellhole?”
If he could, he would go back an hour and restrain Yohan.
He was so close to shining, just one step away.
“Let’s clean up the area first. We can have a beef party later. Tau sirloin and flank steak are delicious.”
He diverted attention with light words. They couldn’t lose their energy now with the cleanup ahead.
As much as he admired Yohan, Alex was primarily a team leader responsible for protecting the people of Korea.
“Team Leader.”
“Ah, Mr. Hanseok. You don’t seem too badly hurt. That’s good.”
Alex patted the back of Hanseok, the guild leader of Sake Guild, who had responded to the support request. Hanseok also showed signs of exhaustion.
“The injured have all been taken to the ambulance. Once we handle the fallen guild members, we’ll leave.”
“Thank you so much. Your help prevented civilian casualties.”
Thanks to the Sake Guild’s generous support, civilian casualties were avoided.
When they returned, they’d be busy with compensation issues for the deceased.
Sook-
“Hmm?”
Just as he was about to call a 10-ton truck to transport the bodies, he noticed something odd.
Though stabilized, someone stumbled out of the portal.
“Steve? Am I seeing things?”
“Uh, no? Someone’s coming out of the portal? Ah, it’s Yusol! Yusol has come out of the portal!”
Everyone’s gaze turned to Yusol at Steve’s shocked exclamation.
They all thought Yusol was dead.
“Huh? Hello?”
Yusol smiled awkwardly under the focused gazes.
The first to run to her was Alex.
“Yohan! What happened to Yohan?!”
“Ah, he’s alive! We need to rescue him quickly!”
“Wow! Shit!”
Profanities, unusual for him, burst out. He was so shocked that blood vessels showed in his eyes.
“Why did you come out alone? Why didn’t you come out together?”
“The Tau were blocking the portal. Yohan threw me out and stayed behind as bait.”
“Ha, how many Tau were there in front?”
“Uh… five.”
“Five…”
The excited Alex calmed down again.
‘Idiot, fool, dumbass, moron.’
He pictured Yohan fighting alone in his mind.
Even at the last moment, Yohan had sent Yusol out, bearing all the burden himself.
“Should we send a rescue team into the dungeon?”
Steve quickly suggested, reading Alex’s mind.
If they sent a rescue team now, they might be able to save Yohan.
The sooner they sent it, the higher the chance of success.
“Of course! Mister, send the rescue team now! He might be in danger!”
“Mr. Hanseok!”
Alex, having made a decision, quickly ran to Hanseok. With A-rank veteran hunter Lee Hanseok, they could trust him to enter the dungeon.
“Can you help search in front of the dungeon? There’s an awakened one we need to rescue.”
“Hmph. What rank is the hunter left in the dungeon?”
Hanseok asked. Alex responded somewhat uncertainly.
“D-rank.”
“D-rank?”
Hanseok shook his head firmly upon hearing the rank.
“He’s already dead. A D-rank hunter can’t defeat a Tau alone. Soon, Tau will be upgraded to C-rank, and with five of them, he can’t survive.”
He wasn’t wrong.
The rule was to enter a dungeon that had gone berserk at least five days later.
“We don’t know how many Tau have increased in number. If we go in now, someone else will have to sacrifice themselves. If one person has to be sacrificed to save another, there’s no reason to go in.”
His logic was so cold that it was irrefutable.
Trusting in a slim chance and going in carried too much risk for others.
“After 10 seconds, the survival rate drops to 10 percent; after 20 seconds, it drops sharply to 5 percent. It’s been about a minute, and he’s probably already dead.”
“Talking about it wastes a minute. If no one else is going, I’ll go alone. I’ll save him myself!”
Flinch-
Hanseok turned his head as Yusol’s words struck him in the heart.
“Moreover, if it’s the Yohan I know, it’s regrettable… but we have to send a recovery team.”
“Are you sure? Yohan has no combat skills at all. So there’s even less hope.”
“He looked perfectly fine. Yohan didn’t have a single scratch.”
“That’s just like him. He probably faked it. He sacrificed himself to save you. His self-sacrificial spirit is still the same.”
He had already decided that Yohan was dead. Realistically, Alex couldn’t deny this.
But he couldn’t let go of his lingering attachment.
“Let’s send a tracer team to find his body in a week. Trying to rescue him now is absolutely…”
“Impossible…”
“I’m back.”
“I’m back. Huh?”
