Chapter 8
He blinked with a surprised expression, as if it was an unexpected question, then nodded slowly.
“Hmm, that’s right. There could be that possibility.”
As expected.
Considering that these people hadn’t found the core even after quite some time had passed, there was a high probability it was outside.
“Outside… Why didn’t we think of that?”
Because you didn’t think about it, that’s why.
‘Just a moment ago, you were only thinking about breaking through and getting out.’
It seems that when the body is strong, the head doesn’t have to work hard. The S-ranks appeared to act first without seriously considering the situation.
Ignoring Baek Doha, who was pondering seriously, I gestured towards the outside.
“Then let’s go out and look for it.”
“That’s impossible. As I said, this thing senses magical power, and the more strongly we use it, the more it seems to feel threatened and wraps around the cave.”
In other words, it would block the entrance even before we could completely break through.
“There’s a way to get out.”
The important thing was that I had a solution for that too.
“You say there’s a way?”
“It’s uncertain to explain… Just follow my words for now.”
Even if this method fails, the situation would be the same anyway.
Silence followed my statement. After remaining silent for a while, Cha Si-hyeon finally spoke.
“Why should I trust you?”
…Is that the problem?
His serious tone made me unnecessarily tense.
However, ironically, my heart wasn’t pounding as much as when I first encountered the sand pit.
I slowly opened my mouth towards Cha Si-hyeon, who was looking at me with suspicious eyes.
“There are no other caves around here, right?”
“…..”
“That’s why you’ve been putting off the option of going to another cave from the start.”
I wasn’t as scared as when my legs were tied by the Kraken.
‘Is it because I know they won’t kill me anyway?’
Feeling my neck stiffening from looking up at Cha Si-hyeon, I sighed.
There’s no time for such trivial arguments.
“Once we leave this cave, we don’t know when we’ll find another one.”
The cave we’re in now was quite far from where we originally were.
Even I, while being chased by the hyena pack, went quite deep but didn’t see any caves.
In other words, no one can guarantee how long we’d have to wander around.
Cha Si-hyeon stared into my eyes for a moment before speaking.
“I’ll follow.”
As expected.
“What do I need to do?”
I smiled brightly at Cha Si-hyeon, who was asking as if he thought there was no other way anyway.
“Just attack like before. But without using magical power.”
“Just like that?”
He made a puzzled expression.
I know what question he’s harboring.
Without infusing basic magical power, it’s hard to expect the power to cut deeply in one go.
But it’s okay.
“…”
“How long should I do it?”
“Just once is enough.”
Because all I need is a single strike.
Cha Si-hyeon moved his lips a few times as if he had something to say, but in the end, he didn’t.
Instead, he stepped forward.
“…”
Baek Doha and Lim Yuchan looked at me with questioning eyes, but I didn’t pay attention to those gazes.
I only aimed my gun towards where Cha Si-hyeon was.
Watching Cha Si-hyeon raise his sword through the sight, I pulled the trigger.
“You—!”
Bang!
By the time someone reached out as if to stop me, the bullet had already been fired.
💎
The hand that tried to quickly stop Yoo Yi-joo from shooting at Cha Si-hyeon stopped abruptly in mid-air.
‘Did it break through…?’
Baek Doha gaped blankly.
It had broken through. That annoyingly persistent vine.
‘She didn’t shoot Cha Si-hyeon…’
It wasn’t him she shot.
Yoo Yi-joo shot the intact vine just before Cha Si-hyeon attacked.
Cha Si-hyeon’s sword entered through the gap created by that single shot, and the vine was pierced.
“Let’s get out before it closes again.”
As they were standing there dumbfounded, Yoo Yi-joo grabbed Baek Doha’s wrist and led him out as if to say ‘what are you doing?’
Baek Doha stared at her swaying hair for a moment before speaking.
“How… did you do that?”
He couldn’t help but ask.
It was a bit, perhaps very, fresh shock that this person had done what the S-ranks couldn’t.
“Well… I’m weak, you know. That’s why the attack worked well.”
Yoo Yi-joo turned back and said, making eye contact.
That vine senses magical power.
But it’s weak.
If you think about who would be an easy opponent against these two things…
‘Someone with weak magical power, but slightly stronger physical strength than it.’
Exactly someone like Yoo Yi-joo.
“The S-ranks’ magical power was too strong for that vine.”
That’s why the vine grew at a speed invisible to the eye to protect itself.
Yoo Yi-joo, who noticed this, put forward Cha Si-hyeon’s magical power, which was stronger than hers.
When the vine focused on the stronger magical power, the relatively weaker Yoo Yi-joo attacked a bit faster…
‘Cha Si-hyeon’s attack worked through the gap Yoo Y-joo created.’
At this point, he had to admit it.
Yoo Yi-joo’s judgment was wise.
If she hadn’t been there, they would have had to search for more caves that might not even exist in this dungeon by now.
It seemed Baek Doha wasn’t the only one thinking this way. Cha Si-hyeon, who had let out a low chuckle, finally raised his head.
“Found it.”
The core, which wasn’t inside the cave despite their search, existed in the form of a flower bud above the cave entrance.
As if sensing the faint but strong magical power emanating from the S-ranks around it, it hurriedly covered its body, which was also the core, with its stems.
Cha Si-hyeon, who was looking at the core wrapped by stems before they could do anything, turned back and made eye contact with Yoo Yi-joo.
“C-rank, I’ll assist you.”
“…..”
“But can you shoot it in one shot?”
To that question, there was only one answer Yoo Yi-joo could give.
“Yes.”
💎
S-rank’s assistance?
There was no need to say anything.
‘This is amazing.’
The layers peeled off with a single slash of the knife, and the vines approaching to attack me burst into flames.
In other words, it wouldn’t be long before the flower bud started to reveal itself.
I gripped my gun as the pink color gradually became visible.
‘If it reveals itself a little more here…’
That’s when it happened.
“……?”
A hand suddenly covered my view.
Blinking blankly at the darkness, I asked.
“What are you doing?”
Cha Si-hyeon and Lim Yuchan were fighting up ahead, so the person covering my eyes must be…
“Don’t open your eyes.”
Baek Doha.
“That flower bud just released some pollen.”
“Ah…”
If it’s pollen released by a monster, it’s certainly not ordinary.
It’s not for nothing that it’s S-class. He must have seen it in that split second.
It’s impressive, but I didn’t have time to just marvel at it.
“What should we do? I can’t shoot if my eyes are covered.”
The problem was that my accuracy was already low, and in this state, the result was all too predictable.
“……”
Baek Doha was silent for a moment, then said.
“Do you trust me?”
At the same time, a large hand came up over my wrist. His hand firmly gripped my hand holding the gun. Surely not…..
“Trust me and shoot.”
He really intends to make me shoot with my eyes closed.
Of course, I trust him. Given that Baek Doha is S-class and uses a bow as his weapon, I believe he can aim better than I could with my eyes open.
‘But it’s still nerve-wracking when I can’t see anything.’
Just as I couldn’t completely entrust my body to him, ultimately I was the one who had to pull the trigger.
‘But I can’t say I can’t do it.’
I slowly nodded. Baek Doha’s hand slowly gripped my arm and moved it elsewhere.
As my arm was being moved, it stopped in mid-air.
In the darkness, my heightened sense of hearing caught his tickling voice.
“Now.”
The trigger was pulled.
💎
A bullet rushing through the air, vines hastily defending against the perceived threat, bright red flames quickly burning them.
And then…
Thud!
The bullet penetrated the flower bud.
The creature, which had been writhing silently in pain, turned black and began to crumble. Like flower petals falling at the end of a season, it fell limply to the ground.
“Um, did I shoot well?”
And finally, Yoo Yi-joo asked with an anxious voice.
Baek Doha silently looked down at her.
Her long hair fluttered in the wind, tickling even his hand. Belatedly, Baek Doha removed his hand from Yoo Yi-joo’s eyes.
“Yes. You shot well.”
Perfectly, in fact.
“Ah…”
Yoo Yi-joo made a dazed sound as she looked at the crumbled flower bud, then smiled faintly.
Cha Si-hyeon, who was approaching just then, hesitated for a moment upon seeing her face, then muttered.
“Maybe this is what you mean by needing her in unexpected situations.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. More importantly, you’re unexpectedly good at this.”
Cha Si-hyeon said indifferently as he sheathed his sword. Yoo Yi-joo chuckled softly at those words.
“Is that a compliment?”
“Yeah. It’s like you’ve been trapped in a dungeon before.”
“That sounds terrible.”
It wasn’t great now either, but being trapped twice was unimaginable.
Yoo Yi-joo shook her head and was silent for a moment, then looked up at the sky.
“I’m just good at adapting, I guess.”
[Skill ‘Extraordinary Brain (E)’ is currently active.]
More precisely, it was the skill that was still active.
‘This must have played a big role.’
But there was no need to mention that.
What’s important is…
[SYSTEM] Main Quest-3 [Protect Your New Base] completed.
[SYSTEM] Reward will be given.
▸C-rank Skill Selection Ticket (1)
The quest was over.
💎
Thank you for reading! ♡
