Chapter 51. The People’s Hero (3)
Trapped in a dungeon.
‘The corridor is destroyed.’
Moreover, all the monsters that were packed into this unpopular gate had transformed into boss-level beasts.
Is there a situation worse than this?
‘Those Minotaurs… or whatever they’re called. Their magic level looks like they’re around low B-class.’
But there’s hope.
Kim Gi-ryeo glanced at the calm young man standing next to him.
‘I don’t know why this accident happened, but I’m alive after all. Hahaha! An S-Class is stuck here with me!’
If he’s an S-Class Hunter, this shouldn’t be much of a crisis.
In a more relaxed tone, Gi-ryeo asked.
“Where should I hide?”
He considered himself an helpless F-Class.
He thought Ha-seong would protect him, just like the last time they met.
“If you specify a location, I can just stay there…”
However, the response he received was cold.
“What are you talking about?”
Jeong Ha-seong slowly changed his expression.
A flicker of displeasure or disgust passed over the face of the S-Class Hunter.
“I’m not planning to protect you.”
“Huh?”
“Whether it’s Minotaurs or the flames of my skill, you deal with it yourself. Can’t a Hunter handle that much?”
That was surprising.
‘What? Are you saying an F-Class should survive this chaos on their own?’
What’s with this guy’s sudden change in attitude?
Gi-ryeo sank into deep thought, but after a moment, one conclusion popped up.
Thinking back, there are still unresolved tensions between him and Ha-seong.
The fainting incident!
‘I had forgotten for a while since it had been quiet. But I realized I never cleared up the misunderstanding during that call.’
Is Ha-seong still mistaking me for the perpetrator?
Gi-ryeo quickly averted his gaze.
But the moment he turned, gigantic monsters loomed before him.
In a situation where there was no room to step on monsters, if Ha-seong continues to be so cold…
‘Damn it, there’s no safe zone!’
There’s no way he could withstand the center of a battle where S-Class flames were raging.
However, if he tried to distance himself to avoid the flames, he would end up confronting the monsters directly.
It’s a dead end.
‘This is bad. Without that guy’s help, I’m going to die!’
In desperation, Gi-ryeo revealed a fact.
“Is this because of the last incident?”
With Kang Chang-ho’s threats or whatever, shouldn’t he focus on surviving first?
“The incident from the EX-Class Gate where you fainted. I’m sorry for not mentioning it earlier, but that was actually…”
But just as Gi-ryeo was about to clarify the details of the fainting incident.
“Are you trying to say that Kang Chang-ho was the culprit? I know. I expected it.”
“Oh, you know?”
“So what about it?”
Jeong Ha-seong continued with an expressionless face.
“I don’t care about such past matters.”
“Then why are you treating me like this now…?”
“Because your attitude is pathetic.”
Swish.
A sharpened blade made an appearance.
Jeong Ha-seong held his drawn sword firmly and warned Gi-ryeo.
“You reported yourself as F-Class to the Association, yet you freely roam B-Class gates. Why do people like you live like that? You really don’t want to bear any responsibility, do you?”
“No, I…”
“The restrictions by rank only apply to gathering Hunters for the occasional Dungeon Break.”
“Ha-seong, so…”
“I get annoyed when I see shameless Hunters like you. Do you know how many people die every second while you only care about yourself…?”
“Hey, stop interrupting me!”
Unable to hold back, Gi-ryeo shouted loudly.
“I don’t understand why you think that, but I’m really an F-Class! Can’t you see my Awakening Level?”
But despite his desperate cry, the other person’s stance did not change.
“Understood. Kim Gi-ryeo, F-Class Hunter. Then why don’t you use that analysis skill you claim to have and figure a way out.”
Jeong Ha-seong didn’t trust Gi-ryeo.
Moreover, what he hated most in this world was the Hunters who were passive about raiding Gates.
‘What the heck? I broke my promise with Kang Chang-ho and still… why is he treating me like this?’
Jeong Ha-seong stopped talking and disappeared into the forest.
Suddenly left alone, the F-Class was sweating profusely and cursing him.
“Hey, you jerk! I’m going to hit dislike on your articles from now on!”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Threatening footsteps echoed from all directions.
Up until now, the presence of the S-Class Hunter had been somewhat acting as a barrier, but with Jeong Ha-seong gone, the monsters no longer hesitated to advance.
“This is bad. I should’ve just clung to Ahn Yoon-seung’s pants.”
Gi-ryeo’s mouth grew dry with anxiety.
This is definitely going to be a tough game of tag.
Kaahhhhhhhhh!
Boom!
Crack!
“Eek!”
In the end, Kim Gi-ryeo found himself unintentionally running away alone.
Surely, somewhere, an S-Class Hunter was steadily reducing the number of monsters.
However, since this was an unpopular gate, there were a lot of accumulated monsters.
‘If I touch them, I die. If I touch them, I die. If I touch them, I die. If I touch them, I die.’
Thanks to that, the poor F-Class was experiencing a situation like fish being laid out on a chopping board.
“Cough, cough, huh.”
Thanks to his innate magic detection ability, he managed to dodge the enemy’s attacks somehow.
But as a result of unconsciously chasing areas with lower monster density.
He had arrived at the center where Jeong Ha-seong was fighting.
“Oh, considering this, wouldn’t it be easier to just avoid the flames?”
For a moment, a positive thought crossed his mind.
Yet, as he neared the place where the S-Class Hunter was, an unusual heat could be felt.
“Forget what I just said.”
He froze in his spot as he watched what Ha-seong was doing.
This area was supposed to be a thick forest.
However, in the blink of an eye, all the trees that were once abundant had turned to ashes and scattered around…
“Cough, cough!”
The firepower was unbelievable.
Even the lingering embers around made him cough from the heat.
‘If I stay in an awkward spot, I’ll get swept up as an additional casualty.’
Gi-ryeo thought for a moment.
At this rate, he would eventually be crushed and die under a monster due to exhaustion.
So, staying close to Jeong Ha-seong surely increased his chances of survival.
‘Thinking back, that primitive sorcerer… he seemed to have only ignited fire in places he could see.’
Kim Gi-ryeo remembered the shortcomings of the S-Class magic.
It was a small blind spot, but it was better than having no way in.
‘Alright, I’ll keep close to Jeong Ha-seong! He did say to avoid getting too close, but he never said he would kill me if I did!’
Ultimately, he decided to approach the S-Class.
Moreover, since he was an Earthling, surely he wouldn’t burn a fellow countryman without hesitation.
‘If I plead while crying, he might soften up!’
Thud. Thud.
As the weak magic of the F-Class attracted monsters, they began to chase after him.
Gi-ryeo quickly turned his steps toward Jeong Ha-seong’s back.
‘Damn, I should’ve practiced expressing emotions while crying for this kind of moment…!’
He skillfully dodged the monster’s attacks while steadily closing the gap.
Before long, Jeong Ha-seong came into view.
‘Found him!’
Whoosh.
In front of him, a fierce pillar of fire soared.
Even at this moment, Jeong Ha-seong was relentlessly taking down the Minotaurs.
Having already slain many bosses, yet the exit still hadn’t appeared, it seemed that to escape from this gate, all monsters needed to be killed.
‘This is just following the basic conditions of a Type II gate.’
Gi-ryeo held his breath and chose the timing to leap in.
‘Let’s see, once that fire calms down, I’ll get closer and start a conversation…’
But at that moment.
Kim Gi-ryeo snapped his head around as he felt a chilling energy from behind.
“Hmm?”
There, a Minotaur with a pentagram on its chest was waving its arms.
Was there such a creature?
Just as that thought crossed his mind.
Gi-ryeo realized the nature of the spell the monster was casting and opened his eyes wide.
‘An area-of-effect spell?’
A terrain-altering skill called Stone Spike.
Soon, the monster’s magic would upheave the ground in this area.
And naturally, he had no ability to dodge the attack.
‘Oh no, I’m going to die!’
Sensing the vast range of the spell, Gi-ryeo quickly jumped into action.
At this point, there was only one method.
“Jeong Ha-seong Hunter!”
He squeezed his eyes shut and ran towards the S-Class.
This was a do-or-die moment. If he could get caught in the spell as well, he might manage to resolve the situation somehow!
“There’s an area spell coming! Stop it!”
“Ugh! You…?”
Simultaneously, the monster’s magic was unleashed.
Thud thud thud thud thud.
Thorns made of dirt sprang up toward them.
Perhaps startled by the attacking spikes erupting from the ground, Jeong Ha-seong hurriedly unleashed a skill.
Whoosh… Boom!
In an instant, the spellcaster-type monster was reduced to ashes by Ha-seong’s skill.
“Ugh!”
However, a small mishap occurred during this process.
“…!”
In his urge to cancel the enemy’s attack, Jeong Ha-seong executed his skill impulsively.
His awakening skill held immense power.
Especially in this spontaneous situation, there was no time to control his strength.
“You, what’s this all of a sudden…”
The explosive force of the S-Class Hunter didn’t stop at just killing the monster; secondary damage ensued as well.
“Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter!”
Kim Gi-ryeo was caught up in his flames.
Despite his efforts to create distance to avoid the Minotaur, it didn’t matter.
‘If it hurts too much… I can’t even scream.’
Kim Gi-ryeo had suffered severe burns on his right arm and leg. His cherished clothes had long turned black and stuck to his wounds.
He inhaled deeply, experiencing a pain he had never felt before.
‘Ouch!’
But at this moment.
It wasn’t just one person’s face that turned pale.
“My arm….”
Jeong Ha-seong was frozen in place as he saw the burn marks on his opponent.
He stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence for a while.
*
It smells like burning flesh.
“Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter!”
Someone else had yet again been caught up in my skill.
“My arm….”
Jeong Ha-seong couldn’t say a word.
Why did that come out so suddenly?
Didn’t I warn you to avoid getting too close?
He could have at least thrown a sarcastic remark, but his mind was blank with panic.
“I-I’m so sorry… I’m really sorry.”
A fierce anxiety coursed through him.
“Get the recovery potion….”
This was a trauma that Jeong Ha-seong had harbored for a long time.
He always worried that his excessive abilities could harm someone.
“Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo, are you conscious?”
Ha-seong hurriedly approached the fallen man.
But he flinched at the response that followed.
‘Huh?’
The awakened one lifted his head with a remarkably expressionless face.
How could this happen?
‘He has burns, but he’s not flinching at all…?’
While Jeong Ha-seong was taken aback by the calm demeanor of the awakened one.
The cold gaze of Gi-ryeo slowly opened his mouth.
“It’s nothing major. I’m fine.”
Jeong Ha-seong seemed even more bewildered by that response, but Gi-ryeo’s attitude didn’t change.
Here, the traits of the Alphauri were emerging.
Since he must have been a Great Mage in a previous life, this alien had likely been steeped in magic supremacy to some extent.
‘Just a little burned. If I just use the catalyst, I can heal it in a day.’
Alphauri Mages generally don’t care much about injuries.
The body is a kind of carrier for the soul.
As long as life is intact, they can perfectly repair it with magic anytime, so what’s the big deal if a bit is torn or burned?
‘Moreover, this situation is my own doing. I jumped in to pull Ha-seong into it.’
Gi-ryeo glanced briefly at his horrific burns.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I suddenly charged in.”
Then he dismissed it as if it were no big deal.
