CH 26

Cheon Sa-yeon slashed his sword without hesitation. Lilith, who managed to block the attack, hurriedly pulled back and shouted.

『Wa-wait!』

Lilith’s left arm had been burned and badly distorted. She was constantly burning. I was reminded of Cheon Sa-yeon’s power once again.

『If you kill me, you won’t be able to save the other humans!』 Lilith shouted, terrified, as her fangs were exposed. I frowned.

‘Is that how it works?’

What should I do? If they had hostages, it was best to negotiate with the other party, but I wasn’t sure if this would work against monsters as well.

“I don’t care.”

“Wa-wait!”

As I was contemplating what to do, Cheon Sa-yeon answered firmly while cutting down the monster that rushed in.

Startled, I grabbed him by the neck and whispered, “Are you crazy? What are you—”

“Hmm. What is this posture? You want me to kiss you?”

This fucking…

“Don’t talk nonsense! If she’s so confident, there must be a device or a trap that you can’t easily identify. Don’t rush to kill her.”

When Cheon Sa-yeon and I stopped, Lilith raised her eyebrows and exclaimed triumphantly, 『Hm, wouldn’t you regret it? No one where they are but me! If I die, you guys will…』

Lilith’s words didn’t last. Cheon Sa-yeon, who was listening to Lilith with a grim expression, swung his sword before I could stop him, and Lilith’s head fell to the floor. He leaned backwards as blood flowed from the fallen body and soaked the floor.

“You stupid bastard!”

Kyaaaak!

Kkyaaah! Kyaaak!

When Lilith died, the monsters that rushed as if they were out of their minds started to scream and run away. The monsters that had filled the hall disappeared in an instant, and all that remained were the astonished me, the relaxed Cheon Sa-yeon, and Lilith’s corpse. Cheon Sa-yeon released me from his arms and put the sword he was holding into its sheath.

“What are you going to do?”

Picking up Lilith’s SS-class sword that had fallen to the floor, Cheon Sa-yeon swung the sword with a light hand movement and cut off Lilith’s right arm.

“All I need is her right arm.”

Lilith’s body, whose right arm was cut off, was devoured in the fire as if it was waiting. Cheon Sa-yeon, who grabbed her right arm, walked away, leaving the burning body behind.

“Cheon Sa-yeon, explain it properly.”

“It’s faster to see it for yourself.”

I jumped over the large pieces of stone scattered all over the floor and followed Cheon Sa-yeon. Underneath the large chandelier, Cheon Sa-yeon pressed down on something in the flat wall.

Kugugugung!

A strange pattern was then engraved on the flat wall, revealing a round hole in the centre. Cheon Sa-yeon shoved Lilith’s right arm into the hole without hesitation.

Kwareureureung, kugung!

The ground shook so much that it was hard to stay balanced. As I turned my gaze to the direction of the sound, the floor in the centre of the hall split in half, and the entrance to the basement slowly appeared.

“Let’s go down,” Cheon Sa-yeon said, wiping Lilith’s blood off on his sword.

Faced with that natural attitude, I dryly swallowed down my saliva and hesitatingly said, “…Cheon Sa-yeon.”

I thought it was unlikely, but you really…

“You already knew how to clear the dungeon.”

“……”

“But is that all?”

Cheon Sa-yeon, who was walking to the basement entrance, looked back at me. He said with a soft smile, “You and I are the same, Han Yi-gyeol.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means that we’re both hiding our hidden cards from prying eyes.”

Hidden card. I tried not to react to that word, putting on a calm expression.

“Aren’t you being unfair? I told you one.”

“Strictly speaking, I discovered it; you didn’t tell me.”

How petty. Cheon Sa-yeon gave me an interested look and said, “But this isn’t bad. It seems like a lot of fun, doesn’t it? Predicting, discovering, and using each other’s hidden cards.”

“I’m not interested.”

In fact, I was interested, but I shook my head in denial, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to see a good one if I dared to play.

“That’s too bad. I wanted you to try.”

Contrary to his words, Cheon Sa-yeon turned around with a face that did not show any regret.

“We can talk about the rest another time. We have to go down in order to protect our great A-class’s leashes.”

I let out a breath full of complicated feelings as I looked at Cheon Sa-yeon’s back, who walked down the dark stairs without hesitation.

* * *

The basement we arrived at was larger than I expected, and it wasn’t dark because of the white lights embedded in the ceiling.

I found people lying among the piles of sand and rushed to them.

“Kim Woo-jin!”

I looked at Kim Woo-jin, the closest one. Kim Woo-jin, who exhaled evenly with his eyes closed, was only asleep, but fortunately, there was nothing wrong.

“Wake them quickly, Han Yi-gyeol.”

“Hhhhgh!”

As Cheon Sa-yeon talked to me, he roughly kicked Park Geon-ho’s side, who was lying on the sand. Park Geon-ho, who was suddenly attacked by his boss, jumped up.

“Since Lilith is dead, the castle will soon fall.”

“What? So what do we do?”

“We go out.”

Cheon Sa-yeon pointed to the right corner with his chin. When I found the gate with a dark blue light, I said with wide eyes, “No way, the exit gate?”

“Yes.”

The exit gate was underground. What would have happened if he killed Lilith without knowing the existence of the basement?

“Kim Woo-jin. Wake up, dude!”

“Ugh… what.”

When I shook his shoulder strongly, Kim Woo-jin opened his groggy eyes. I was working my ass off this entire time, but this kid was sleeping like a log. I had hoped he would be safe, but when I saw him, my temper soared.

“Ha-Han Yi-gyeol?”

“If you’re awake, wake the others up quickly. We have to get out.”

“What? Wait a minute. Where are we?”

I ignored Kim Woo-jin, who was saying stupid things, and tapped Min Ah-rin on the shoulder. Although she was woken up much more carefully than Kim Woo-jin, Min Ah-rin came to her senses quickly.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Yi-gyeol-ssi!” Min Ah-rin said, who recognized me as soon as her eyes opened, and grabbed my hand.

“That’s what I want to say. I was very worried.”

“Are the others okay?”

“Yes. I’ll explain later. The building is collapsing… We have to wake the others and leave the gate.”

“Mmh, I got it.”

Min Ah-rin, who was very sensible, didn’t panic and began to wake up the people lying next to her. One by one, they woke up and looked at their bodies with confused faces.

“Is there anyone missing?”

“No. I checked three times.”

“I woke up from a good night’s sleep and this still feels like a dream…”

“Really? A SS-grade boss appeared?”

“Well, it’s about grade SS since it can move this many people.”

“Phew. I’m going to avoid desert gates for a while.”

Seeing the guild members gathering and chatting, it seemed like there was no need to worry too much. Kugugung, the basement shook as the building collapsed in earnest. The terrified guild members rushed into the gate. Leaving behind the dusty basement, the team left the gate without missing a single person.

It was the world’s first SS-grade gate clear.

* * *

[The new gate in the N19 area turns out to be an SS-grade gate and the whole world is paying attention to the Requiem Guild that has successfully cleared the gate without suffering any damage. In an interview shortly after clearing, the Requiem Guild Master informed that all guild members who participated in the gate-clearing were safe and that they had obtained SS-class items…]

“How good is an SS-class sword?” Kim Woo-jin asked with a carefree voice as he picked up a snack.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s worth the call? A-class is at least a few billions…” Min Ah-rin, who was watching the news, replied.

“Master is lucky, too. He already owns a lot of items, but he got a new SS-class.”

“Even if I use that money to live the rest of my life in luxury, I wouldn’t be able to spend it all. I envy him.”

That was true. A fire-resistance A-class jacket, an S-class sword that hindered regeneration, and an SS-class sword with unknown abilities.

Because it was Cheon Sa-yeon, he could handle it. They were huge items that no one else could use properly.

[Master Cheon Sa-yeon currently possesses two swords, S-class and SS-class sword. Even though the netizens say that there are only two SS-ranks in Korea, the opinion that the number of items they own is too many…]

“Oh my.”

A photo of Cheon Sa-yeon giving an interview with a smile on the news came out in a huge size. Aigo, he’s so handsome.

“How cool. Master certainly looks different. It’s just that he has a weird personality.”

“I agree.” I nodded my head.

He had a hell of a personality, but he had a great face.

“What? You agree?”

Kim Woo-jin, who was lying on the sofa and eating snacks, suddenly sat up and stared at me. What was it now?

“Why? Isn’t it true?”

“That’s right.”

As Min Ah-rin and I stared at each other, Kim Woojin slightly avoided eye contact.

“N-no. It’s not—I mean, do you like that kind of look? It’s rather burdensome…”

“Are you talking to Min Ah-rin-ssi? It’s not polite to ask that.”

“Han Yi-gyeol, I’m talking to you! You!”

Of course I thought he was asking Min Ah-rin. I immediately had a weird look on my face.

“I prefer pretty people more than handsome people.”

“P-pretty people? Pretty people…”

“Yi-gyeol-ssi, do you have an ideal type?” Min Ah-rin asked, curious.

Ideal type? I had never thought about it, so I tilted my head and answered, “I don’t know. If I have to say, a pure beauty?”

“A pure beauty, you say? Like white tees and jeans would look good on them.”

“Pure… White tee and jeans…”

Min Ah-rin smiled broadly at my words and Kim Woojin muttered with a serious expression.

“Well, yes,” I answered half-heartedly.

‘…but what is this situation anyway?’

It was so natural I forgot to ask. I turned to Kim Woo-jin and said, “But what are you doing here?”

“…keeping an eye on you.”

Kim Woo-jin coughed and sat down on the sofa again. I also asked Min Ah-rin, “Isn’t Min Ah-rin-ssi busy?”

“You didn’t know? I’m on vacation.”

No, I mean, why did you come to my room during your precious vacation…

[Next news. Victims of the monster attack in District C12 three months ago are holding their 15th protest today. The Blun (블런) Guild Master has yet to say what position he’s going to take on this…]

Beep.

I turned off the news and asked Min Ah-rin with a serious face, “Did the Master give you any instructions? Like, to make sure I don’t leave my room.”

After I left the gate, I had nowhere to go, so I followed Cheon Sa-yeon to the Requiem Guild.

Min Ah-rin and Kim Woo-jin came to me after I returned to the room on the 23rd floor, where I had been locked up for a week, and lay around without doing anything. The sudden visit inevitably raised doubts. I wonder if Cheon Sa-yeon sent them after me to make sure I didn’t run away.

“Why? Do you like confinement?”

“Could that be…?”

Every time this happened, I realized that Min Ah-rin was not a normal person either. That was weird. I didn’t think it was like this in the novel.

“I’m just here to play. I think Woo-jin-ssi would have a better idea about that?”

“What? Nope. I don’t know either!”

I sighed as I saw Kim Woo-jin shaking his head in surprise.

“Why wouldn’t you know? You said you were here to keep an eye on me. Didn’t you get any instructions?”

“I don’t know… didn’t get any…” Kim Woo-jin answered while fiddling with his fingers.

Rather, just proudly say that you’re here to play hooky. As I was contemplating how to get these two out, I heard a knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

There was no one else who should have come. I looked at Min Ah-rin and Kim Woo-jin just in case, but they both looked puzzled just like me.

I walked over and pulled the doorknob. As soon as the door opened, I frowned upon the owner of the knock.

“Han Yi-gyeol.”

Park Geon-ho, the team leader of the Special Operations Division. He looked down at me and gave me a sly smile.