Chapter 48

 

After spending a long time like that, I also got up from my seat as other team guides walked around comfortably. However, as soon as I turned my back, Woo Han-se’s face immediately fell.

 

“Hey! Joo Ho-hyun! Where are you going?”

 

Fuck. He’s so quick.

 

I cursed under my breath and looked at Woo Han-se with an expression that looked as if I was going to vomit at any moment.

 

“Uh……. I don’t feel good. I’ll be right back for a minute.”

 

Anyone would have gotten it if I’d gone this far. But Woo Han-se opened his eyes in a triangular shape.

 

“That’s funny. Are you kidding me? Do you think I’ll let it slide if you whine about being sick? There is no one here to pamper you.”

 

“…….”

 

“Take a step forward. I’ll break your leg and make you sit down. I’m going to keep you in custody for a month for putting others at risk with your personal actions during the mission.”

 

I gaped at Woo Han-se’s more aggressive attitude than usual.

 

‘What’s wrong with you, you crazy…….’

 

Since the other teams were looking at us, we had no choice but to sit down again.

 

If I ignored Woo Han-se and ran out now and ended up dead, it could have been treated as an accidental death or suicide.

 

‘I can’t do that. Not everything I’ve done has been a waste. This is a skill I have chosen after giving up my SS-level skills.’

 

The time was running out. When I found out that the mission site was here, I was confident that I could stand out right away, but I didn’t know that it would get so twisted at the end.

 

In the worst case scenario, I had to choose option B. Ye Seong-woo and anything else? Just leave them and run away for now.

 

As I was anxiously watching the situation, stamping my feet in case the Espers made an early return, the trees around me suddenly started shaking all at once. 

 

Everyone looked up at the eerie sound of flocks of birds flying into the sky and leaves rustling. A shadow so large that it enveloped the entire safe zone was cast overhead.

 

Someone shouted in fear.

 

“Mo, monster!!”

 

With a gruesome cry, monsters rushed toward us.

 

“It’s dangerous to be together! Everyone, spread out!”

 

The trees collapsed, and the leaves scattered, blocking the view. After hearing the cry of another team’s Esper. I tried to run away, but I didn’t see the root of the tree and got caught. My body stumbled and fell hard.

 

“Cough.”

 

While I was getting up in a hurry, I went momentarily speechless at the sight in front of me. Contrary to the call to disperse, the other team’s Espers were taking their guides one by one. And behind that, the back of Woo Han-se was seen taking refuge with Park Ga-in and Ye Seong-woo. No one cared about Joo Ho-hyeon.

 

I then made eye contact with another team Guide. He gaped at me with a surprised expression when he saw me completely alone from the other side. However, when the numbers of the monsters increased, he soon turned his back and fled in the opposite direction from where the Espers were.

 

I wasn’t hurt. However, it only added to the conviction that this was not the place for Joo Ho-hyun.

 

‘On the contrary, this is the opportunity.’

 

I threw myself out of the safe zone. Without looking back, I jumped down recklessly. I had to go down the river.

 

Bang! Bang!

 

“Gasps. Pants…….”

 

Fortunately, there were no unknown flying machinations—they must have followed the Espers. However, as I came down through the forest alone, I attracted the monsters, and the small monsters followed me.

 

Having no other attack skills, I had no choice but to rely on the special guns given to Guides.

 

Bang! Thud! Thump!

 

“Ha, damn it. I’m going to lose it first.”

 

If I had an inventory, I would have brought more…….

 

Joo Ho-hyun’s body was still tied to a contract with the center, and his status window and inventory were restricted. Until then, the contract would be terminated only when the death was officially processed, so it was pie in the sky.

 

I held on to my legs and kicked the dead monsters away, replacing the last bullet. I needed to reach the warp location before this bullet ran out.

 

I took out a glass jar that I had put deep inside my pocket. When I took off the empty bullet and the tattered vest and opened the jar, I saw dry seaweed.

 

“Item Appraisal.”

 

<Dried Submersible Plant>

 

If consumed, you can breathe underwater for a certain period of time.

Legend has it that if you eat submersible plants and dive deep under the sea, you might encounter an unknown civilization.

 

The less fresh it is, the less effective it is.

 

When I poured seaweed into my mouth at once, the fishy scent came up strongly.

 

“Ugh, it’s not good.”

 

As I swallowed while being disgusted, a system window appeared in front of me.

 

You have used <Dried Submersible Plant>

 

Effect duration

 

[3:00:00]

 

3 hours??? It wasn’t to the point where I could relax. It was said that the fresher the plant, the longer the effect lasts, but it was difficult to distribute it again if it was not dried.

 

While looking around for a moment and measuring the way to go, I heard another clattering sound behind me.

 

Bang! Bang!

 

After shooting and keeping them in check, I ran away without looking back. 

 

After running for so long, I was able to reach the lower reaches of the river before I was bitten by a monster. The sound of the water breaking coolly came up from below. The lower part of the river was connected to a cliff.

 

I peered out of my head and looked down. A torrent of waterfalls on a steep cliff. There was no end in sight because of the heavy fog.

 

“I’m doing all sorts of things. Really…….”

 

I used to be a little nervous even though I was moving with someone who had skills, but now, thinking about being bare, I started sweating profusely. I knew I wasn’t going to die, but…

 

“Krughhhh!”

 

“Argh, Fuck!”

 

Bang!

 

My body fell behind a monster running from behind. I shot it in a hurry, but it was so close that I missed it and flew far away in the monster’s struggle. 

 

I was thrown backwards by a monster that rushed at me from behind. I quickly fired my gun, but I missed because I was too close and was sent flying far away due to the monster’s struggle. My shoes came off, and my clothes were torn. 

 

Although I resisted fiercely, I was unable to get rid of the monster that was biting my arm. As a non-combatant, there was only one way for me to kill monsters with my bare body.

 

“Argh!”

 

I wrapped my arms around the monster and rolled over. As I rolled over, the ground supporting my back disappeared, and my body fell down.

 

The strong wind blew my hair away It was so dizzying that I lost my consciousness. My body, which had been falling for a while, hit the surface of the water and immediately felt a huge shock.

 

Not only me, but also the monster that was biting my arm, began to fly wild. His jaw strength was no joke, and my arm seemed to be safe if I left it as it was, so I eventually strangled the monster and went down.

 

As we went deeper, the monster’s body, which had been struggling and resisting, went limp, and the strength it was holding on my arm was loosened.

 

‘Ha……. What a tough little brat.’

 

When I sighed, a bubble of air leaked out of my mouth. I was worried that it would be difficult to adapt because it was my first time eating submersible plant, but before I knew it, I was breathing easily in the water. 

 

Did I adapt in a hurry without realizing it because I was confronting monsters?

 

There was almost no protective equipment left, and one arm was completely worn out, putting me in terrible physical condition. I swam down in a hurry to find the entrance.

 

Although it is not yet known to the public, unusual cases have been discovered where two dungeons are connected to each other. They say it happens because the two have the same wavelength, and this dungeon was exactly that.

 

Because it is rare information, only a few people at Nox know it, so the center will not be able to consider the possibility that Joo Ho-hyun is alive.

 

Looking through the cracks in the rock wall, I finally found the entrance.

 

“I found it!”

 

After a long road leading to the cave, the end was finally visible. If I get out of the water, there’s going to be a warp in front of me going to another dungeon…….

 

I looked up in anticipation. But the gate in front of me was different from the one in my memory. Unlike before, when it used to glow calmly in blue, the red and black lights were mixed here and there, making it look dangerous just by looking at it. The energy even started to bounce outward. It seemed like they were saying, ‘You will die if you come in.’

 

But since I would be so screwed if I didn’t go in, there was no other way for me.

 

As soon as I took a step forward, the gate, which had been burning like a warning, suddenly turned off.

 

“Huh, what? Where did it go?”

 

I ran in a hurry and reached out. However, only the cold rock wall touched the palm of my hand. Even if I threw myself in and put my head in, the missing gate did not reappear. The light of the gate disappeared, and only the occasional night ore embedded in the dark cave lit up the view. I looked at the rock wall where the gate disappeared with an absurd expression. There was an assumption that I didn’t even want to bring up with words.

 

“Am I….trapped….now..?”

 

A system window appeared in front of me as a confirmation shot.

 

The effect of <Dried Submersible Plant> has disappeared.

 

Effect duration

 

[00:00:00]

 

***

 

A huge force stirred inside his body. Han Seo-jin, who refused the advice to receive some guiding for a moment, brainwashed himself into suppressing his fluctuating power and hurried to the entrance of the dungeon.

 

During the suppression, the wavelength inside the dungeon was suddenly greatly distorted, so it took longer than expected to escape. Today, Joo Ho-hyun’s strange attitude caught his eye and he wanted to hurry out…… He asked him to go play first, but he made him wait, so he was ashamed.

 

‘I don’t like waiting. How can I soothe him?’

 

Contrary to what he thought, there was a smile on his face.

 

When he came out of the gate and looked around the crowd, he didn’t immediately feel strange because he was busy looking for Joo Ho-hyun. 

 

Han Seo-jin turned to where the team members were, but Joo Ho-hyun could not be seen no matter how hard he looked.