It’s been three days since we’ve entered the gate. Although some anomalies have been discovered, the team, who made it safely to the third floor without any major disruptions to their schedule, were thrilled to find A-grade monsters.
“It’s the first time I’ve been so happy to see an A-grade monster.”
“Is this really an S-grade gate…”
The A-grade ghosts floated in the air covered in black cloth. More than 20 monsters rushed in with their bright blue eyes flashing, but the team members just smiled and swung their weapons happily.
Guooo, guoook!
Kuooo!
Watching the monsters falling to the floor as they screamed made me feel pity for them. The ghosts of the historical site, which had maintained their original grades—11.3% of A-grade—were annihilated. They couldn’t hold out for even 10 minutes.
Park Geon-ho, who was watching the battle, said, “At this rate, we’ll leave the gate before lunchtime today.”
“It’s better to leave sooner.”
“Haa. Once I exit the gate, I have to do an interview then go to the management headquarters. The gate wasn’t as fun as it should’ve been, and there’s a lot of work to do afterwards. What a loss.”
“Don’t complain and work hard, Team Leader.”
Everything was annoying. While admonishing Park Geon-ho, I found Woo Seo-hyuk staring at something in the corner.
“Woo Seo-hyuk-ssi. What are you doing?”
As I approached him, Woo Seo-hyuk turned to me and pointed to what he was looking at.
“This is… a skull?”
“I’ve never seen this pattern before.”
It looked like a skull with its mouth open, enveloped in black smoke. The pattern was not seen on the first and second floors, so it was necessary to look carefully.
“Team Leader.”
After thinking for a while, I called out to Park Geon-ho. Breaking away from a conversation with the guild members, he approached with a puzzled expression.
“What is it?”
“This pattern. Have you seen it before?”
Seeing the skull pattern, Park Geon-ho frowned and tilted his head. “Hmm. No. This is my first time seeing it.”
“It wasn’t even on the first and second floor, right? I didn’t see it.”
“As far as I know, it wasn’t there.”
“There is no other place on this gate where the pattern is engraved except for the device that opens the door.”
“Then this is…”
“It sure is strange.”
Park Geon-ho, who was patting his lips, then shrugged his shoulders lightly. “It’s not a major concern right now, so let’s leave it alone for now. There’s no way to look into it more at this moment.”
“That’s true.”
Whether Woo Seo-hyuk agreed or not, there was nothing else to say.
“I’ve been thinking about it.” In the end, once I turned my back on the skull pattern, Park Geon-ho said to me, putting his arms around my shoulder, “We’ll be clearing the gate early, so I’d like to have the meal that we’ve been putting off for a long time today.”
“I’m tired. And didn’t you say you had to do an interview and go to the management headquarters?”
“The reporters will be waiting right outside so I can do the interview right away. As for going to the management headquarters… Well, it wouldn’t be the first time I’d be late, so it can wait.”
“What kind of attitude is that? Please do your job right.” While replying to Park Geon-ho’s nonsense roughly, I felt something was off. What could it be?
As I tilted my head, I realized what was different from usual. Kim Woo-jin, who often criticized Park Geon-ho, was nowhere to be seen.
Looking around, Kim Woo-jin was standing with the healer team. Kim Woo-jin, who was glaring at Park Geon-ho with his cold eyes, turned his head in a hurry when our eyes met.
‘That guy…’
What were you doing? Were you going to avoid me?
I had thought there was nothing I could do, but when I saw this behaviour with my own two eyes, I got a little annoyed.
“Then how about tomorrow… what’s wrong?”
“…Nothing. Why are you so obsessed with eating with me? I thought you weren’t going to scout me.”
At my words, Park Geon-ho slightly raised the corner of his lips and answered, “I still have the desire to. Wasn’t it obvious?”
“I thought you gave up.”
“It’s just that I refused to show it because I was so resolute. Were you disappointed? Then I can tempt you harder.”
“That’s enough, thank you.”
“Don’t be like that. Why don’t we talk about it over a meal?”
“Later please, later.”
Well, it wasn’t the time to worry about the past, so I wasn’t interested at all*. I grew tired, and shook off Park Geon-ho’s heavy arm off my shoulder.
“There’s no need to rush it. You have to pay me back later anyway.”
“Come to think of it…”
Park Geon-ho’s attitude that he had completely forgotten about our deal was ridiculous. If it wasn’t for what happened at the representative office, why would I be here…
Kugugugung!
“Team Leader!”
“Argh!”
It was then that the ground rumbled loudly, and the screams of the guild members resounded. I barely managed to balance my staggering body and looked straight ahead.
“Be careful!”
“Dodge! Damn it!”
The floor was collapsing at high speed. What the hell! As I watched the guild members fall, I quickly used my ability.
“Ghg, Han Yi-gyeol! Grab on!”
The floor on which I and Park Geon-ho were standing collapsed in an instant. I found Kim Woo-jin and Min Ah-rin while sticking to Park Geon-ho, who was holding onto me.
“Kim Woo-jin! Min Ah-rin-ssi!”
Fortunately, Woo Seo-hyuk held the two of them so they didn’t collide with the debris. I took the opportunity and raised my ability to the max.
Huung, the bodies of the team members who had fallen down rose into the air. Fortunately, unlike the D17 Area gate, the ability was activated normally. The team members, who were bewildered by the sudden situation, barely regained their rationality.
“Is anyone missing?”
“Finished checking the number of people! Everyone is fine.”
“Damn, I dropped my weapon.”
There was only darkness under my feet, not a place to step. Feeling my energy fading quickly, I said, struggling, “I can’t—hold on for much longer.”
Jiiing, the bracelet trembled and filled me with energy, but it was clear that it would not last more than five minutes. Park Geon-ho, who saw me in a cold sweat, said aloud to the team members around him, “Hold onto each other so we don’t separate. We’re going down. Han Yi-gyeol, drop the kids just enough so they don’t get hurt.”
“What kind of strange things are you saying…”
I slowly lowered the team members with my wind. As we entered the darkness, one of the guild members took out a flashlight and lit the space below us.
“Huu…”
Tap. When my feet touched the ground, a sigh of relief came out.
“You’ve worked hard.” Park Geon-ho, who supported me as I grew weak, asked Woo Seo-hyuk, “Is that way fine?”
“For now, yes, but it might become a problem later.”
“Yi-gyeol-ssi!”
Min Ah-rin and Kim Woo-jin ran to me. Min Ah-rin looked at my complexion with careful eyes.
“Are you okay? Your energy…”
“It’s a little better now.”
I looked down at the bracelet. The red jewel was shining brightly. It was definitely an A-grade item, so the effect wasn’t bad.
“I’ll give you some energy just in case.”
“That would be great. I don’t know what will happen from now on.”
I received energy from Min Ah-rin and calmly looked at the situation. We fell down, so it was at least the second floor. Or it could be further down.
Woo Seo-hyuk, who was handed a flashlight from the guild member, looked around on both sides.
“The terrain itself is like a historic site.”
“Then… it could be the hidden place on the first floor we were going to go to.”
“We fell from the third floor, so it’s not impossible.”
“Team Leader.”
One of the guild members hastily approached. It was Shim Soo-yeon, the spear-wielding guild member with the ponytail, bringing along the identifier by hand.
“What is it?”
“Look at this guy. He suddenly said he wasn’t feeling well.”
“I’ll take a look.”
At that moment, Min Ah-rin, who gave me energy, took action. The identifier, who was grimacing as if in pain, said with difficulty, “It’s weird. I didn’t even use my ability, but I feel as sick as I do when I don’t have much energy left.”
Min Ah-rin, who grabbed his hand, tilted her head with a firm expression.
“Your condition is not bad. It seems to be something other than energy.”
“Ugh…”
Shim Soo-yeon grabbed the shoulder of the staggering identifier.
“I think I’m getting motion sickness…”
“This is bad.”
Shim Soo-yeon put the identifier, who was unconscious, on his back.
“What should we do, Team Leader?”
“If it’s not a matter of energy, this area itself is the problem. We need to get out of this place before there are more victims.”
As I watched the situation quietly, I heard a faint sound behind my back.
‘What?’
I looked back, but there was nothing.
The moment I thought I heard it wrong, I saw something wriggling through the darkness.
Sasak. Sasasak.
The sound of discreet movement. A chill ran down my spine.
“Kim Woo-jin!”
I quickly grabbed Kim Woo-jin’s arm in front of him.
Kiaaaak! Kyaaaah!
The moment Kim Woo-jin’s body came into my arms, the spider monster that flew in aiming at the back of his head made an unpleasant cry. Then, the other spider monsters that were coming from behind also cried out all at once.
Kiaaak! Kiaak!
“Please stand back!”
Woo Seo-hyuk tore his shirt and transformed his arms. As he said that, I quickly retreated while holding onto Kim Woo-jin. The identifier and Shim Soo-yeon also quickly retreated.
“Protect the long-distance team and the healer team. Close-range team, get into formation.”
As Park Geon-ho threw out the order, he tossed an iron ball. Kuuung, the ground shook and sparks flew.
Kkiaaak!
Some sort of gas rose up from the purple blood. The close-range team covered their noses and mouths and shouted, “It’s poison!”
“Tsk. Change the ranks! Long-distance team!”
“Stay here.”
I left Kim Woo-jin, who had an anxious expression, with the healer team, and stepped forward. I swung my hand, driving the poisonous smoke that was flowing towards us into the opposite direction.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“…what is this sound?”
A heavy drum-like sound could be heard from behind the crowd of spiders. Thud. Thud. The guild members retreated with anxious expressions as the sound grew louder.
Kiiik, kii!
Syaaaak!
When the drums sounded, the spiders stopped all at once and did not approach. As if waiting for something, an ominous feeling came over me.
“The situation is not good.”
The drums sounded getting closer and closer. The monsters were waiting for something. I dryly swallowed back saliva and looked back at Park Geon-ho.
“Team Leader, this is probably…”
“Yeah. We can’t deal with it now.”
“We’d better leave as soon as possible.”
All the guild members who were watching the situation with tense expressions agreed.
“Just in case, I’ll pull up a shield. In the meantime, run away!” the shield ability user came forward and shouted. It was at that moment—
“……!”
Black tentacles popped out of the darkness and wrapped around my arms. Thick and squishy like octopus tentacles, they stuck to my arms and pulled strongly.
“Ugh…!”
Chijijijik!
As I tried digging my feet into the ground, I was dragged in the direction of the monster.
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