CH 19

“So it’s possible to level up even in a C-class dungeon.”

It would have been happier if Baek Taera had not been there after the candle was lit next to me. I turned my head and glared at the damn Taeraphy, and then turned back to the information window. 

I’m sorry to say this—but I was happy. It’s so good that I can’t control my expression. My heart beat faster with the excitement of becoming the real protagonist of this world. 

[Achieving ‘Ecstatic Thrill’, ‘Thrill’ is added to the state transition set.]

Leveling up and getting a new set value! No, but how did the original Yeon Seonwoo live to get these things now? Is he feeling a little dry? 

It wasn’t something to brag about openly, so I forced myself to control my facial expression by giving strength to my mouth that was about to twitch. What if I become the star of this game? Becoming a hero, people are going crazy about me and become popular with women—. 

“What skill did you just get?”

My heart, which was pounding with excitement, subsided at once. Surprised by the low voice touching my ears, I raised my head, and his handsome face was too close to me. It felt like he was showing a sample that I could become the main character of this world only when I do this much. 

You can pour cold water on your face alone. For some reason, my mouth becomes bitter. 

“How did you know?”

When asked how he knew, he looked up at the air. Because of this bastard’s ring, the status window informed him. Although it doesn’t seem to have detailed what it was.

“It’s nothing, but I got a new set value.”

“Why did you get it? By leveling up?”

“Well, that’s a similar reason.”

[Warning: Be Loved is -1 because the master is upset] 

I’m tired of everything. I was frowning slightly because I thought this would hurt his feelings, but my chin was grabbed and my head was lifted. 

Lee Jehee’s hand, which was more dangerous than Chorok, who lost its reason, grabbed my chin and forced me to raise it. The feel of the black leather gloves in contact with the flesh was so cool that I couldn’t say anything for a while. 

“You have to answer correctly, right?

“….”

“Answer it.”

I looked at him silently at the firm voice that blocked other thoughts and then murmured in a low voice.

“If I directly experience a certain emotion or state, I think that becomes the set value.”

“So what’s new?”

“…It’s Thrill.”

Then he let go of the hand that was holding my chin. Rubbing on the area around my chin, where I was caught, I looked into his eyes with dissatisfaction and he made a strange sound like, “Hmm”. Then he curled his eyebrows long and smiled. 

That’s very, very ominous.

“Did you like it that much when you leveled up?”

“…no, I’m not?”

“Yeah. Let’s say it’s not true.”

“I said it’s not true!”

I knew this would happen, this fox bastard. 

It was a time when he was slowly retreating to the side even though he said no with his mouth. I saw people standing and moving their hands as if checking the equipment window, or people who were drinking potions warming up as if they were moving again. 

Hana-ssi looked back at those people and pointed to one place with her hand.

“Now we can go into that cave. Everyone, get ready.”

Cave—.

As they came out of the forest, what appeared in front of them was the entrance to a huge cave. When everyone was checking the condition before moving to the next place, I prayed that I wouldn’t go into that cave. It was because the entrance to the cave, which was dark because there was no light, make me feel uneasy. 

But now I have to go down that way helplessly. A deep sigh escapes.

At that time, Baek Taera, who was just standing and watching when others checking the equipment, poked my back with his finger. As I flinched and turned my head, he said with his arms folded in a grim face. 

“Hey.”

“What?”

“Do that again.”

“What do you mean that?”

“You know what. The one that made me fresh earlier.”

No way, is he talking about ‘Refresh’? 

Baek Taera avoided eye contact with a firm face like a person who was not familiar with asking for something. I was amazed that he could look pretty even with a hardened face, so I stared at him. Then the man, who was rolling his eyes pretending to be distracted, raised his eyes harshly as if he were trying to hide his embarrassment. 

With a temper. 

“If you don’t like it say it, why are you staring at me like that!”

“Why are you so mad? I stare at you because you’re handsome. My goodness.”

“…What?”

Actually, Baek Taera had a pretty face rather than handsome, but if I said pretty, he’d probably hate it, so I turned around and prepared a skill. 

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ activates the support skill ‘Refresh’.] 

At the moment, it felt like Mana was escaping from the body, and at the same time, the cool freshness washed away the tiredness and made the body energized.

“This is really good. It doesn’t have any big effect, but it feels refreshing because it feels like the fatigue accumulated is relieved. It’s like getting out of the shower and lying on a new blanket.”

“Um. Well. It doesn’t feel like entering a dungeon.”

“….”

When Hana-ssi complimented me with a bright expression, Baek Taera turned his head as if loosening his neck muscles, and said rarely positive words. Chorok who pretended not to be next to them was also kicking the ground with the toe of his shoe, but his expression was gentle.

I guess it’s really good. When I see their reactions like this.

“I think it would sell well if it was made as a one-time buff item—. You, you don’t have any crafting skills, right?”

In the meantime, even thinking of making money with this, the true master of the Yeolmu Guild is Baek Taera. 

“Yes, I don’t.”

“Well, what could be there. Your level is only 52.”

He’s good at everything, but that mouth is the problem. Kkolang was still a bad word. (He means 꼴랑 which means Only but it has a negative meaning.) 

“I’m 53 for now, you know?”

“52 or 53. It’s the same without crafting skills, well.”

“….”

Do you have any? I held back what I wanted to argue so much. I’m afraid there’s really one.

“Let’s stop and go.”

It was Chorok who arranged the situation. Are we really going? Are we really going into that grim, ominous-looking cave? 

Looking at the dark entrance of the cave with mixed feelings, I glanced at Lee Jehee once. The man who had been staring at a distant place with a languidly annoyed face seemed to have noticed the sign and lowered his head.

“Why?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Are you afraid?”

“No, I’m not?”

“If you’re scared, I’ll hold your hand.”

He readily reached out my hand in leather gloves. Seeing that, I walked away with a disgusted look on my face, shrugged my shoulders, and lowered my hand as if I didn’t like it. 

Meanwhile, Hana-ssi took the lead in walking. Chorok next to it was wary of the surroundings as he followed, and I followed Lee Jehee walking in front of me.

At that time, Baek Taera, who was walking with her, opened his mouth like he was talking to himself.

“Scaredy-cat. If I were you, I would have held it. I thought something would come out of there.”

“….”

Damn it. Should I hold it as Baek Taera said? 

As I moved closer to the back of the group, which was slowly entering the cave, I rolled my eyes around in anxiety. And I prayed earnestly.

Please don’t let disgusting insect types come out.

******

“Arghhh!!!”

“Did you rent a dungeon? Be quiet!”

“Argh! Argh!”

No matter what Baek Taera said, I was going crazy. Moths the size of a person flew here and there, dusting them with strange powder, and stinging thread-like things from their mouths. 

[Party member ‘Kim Hana’ activates the attack skill ‘Ilbeolbaekgye’.] (일벌백계 means punishing one person (or one group) as an example to raise the awareness of others. )

[Under the influence of the attack skill ‘Ilbeolbaekgye’, the surrounding monsters fall into a ‘Fear’ state.] 

“I guess the bug turned into this.”

Hana said in a calm voice that was different from usual. If I stick with an S grade, would I be able to stay calm in this kind of situation? It was an attitude I couldn’t understand as I was running around frantically to avoid monsters and shivering in a corner. 

“It’s not a strong monster, but it’s annoying because there are so many.”

Lee Jehee, who said so, casually shook off his hand and activated his skill.

[Party leader ‘Lee Jehee’ activates his attack skill ‘Phoenix’]

Then a large firebird appeared in front of me and began to dig into the cave with his beak wide open. Following the movement of the firebird, a moth-shaped monster was engulfed in flames, followed by black smoke.

[Party leader ‘Lee Jehee’ has killed the ‘Giant Cave Moth’.]

[Party leader ‘Lee Jehee’ has killed the ‘Giant Cave Moth’.]

[Party leader ‘Lee Jehee’ has killed the ‘Giant Cave Moth’.]

[(…..)]

As the monsters were killed, Lee Jehee wrinkled his brows and waved his hands at the pungent smell of burning that spread into the cave.

[Party leader ‘Lee Jehee’ deactivates the attack skill ‘Phoenix’.]

[Party leader ‘Lee Jehee’ activates the attack skill ‘Ice Tree’.] 

Lee Je-hee changed her skill, perhaps because the smell was annoying. The bird that used to tear and burn monsters with sharp claws and beaks disappeared, and the pointed ice tree that grew on the floor at tremendous speed stretched out branches as if it were alive to sew the monster. Then all of the moth monsters Hana had tied with rope died and piled up in a pile.

[Party member ‘Han Chorok’ activates the attack skill ‘Gravity Cut’.] 

[Party leader ‘Han Chorok’ has killed the ‘Giant Cave Moth’.]

[(……)]

A little further away, Chorok was wielding a knife like a wild boar, and countless moth bodies were piled up around him. Nevertheless, the problem was that the number of moths surrounding the area was not decreasing.