Goal: Removing the First Obstacle (1)
Sa Hae-geon was truly persistent. He stirred inside my mouth so vigorously that I could barely keep up, all while continuously urging me to match his rhythm. Though it felt like thirty minutes had passed, Sa Hae-geon showed no signs of stopping.
If I tried to break away even slightly, Sa Hae-geon’s eyes would immediately become moist. Then he would grab my body with both hands. This wasn’t like a sloth desperately clinging to a tree. Since things had gotten to this point, I tried sending energy for Guiding, hoping it might help, but Sa Hae-geon shook his head.
Did he want me to continue this meaningless kiss without even Guiding? Why? For what purpose? The chills running down my spine were momentary. Soon, I couldn’t help but laugh at Sa Hae-geon’s childish behavior.
Though he seemed well enough to refuse Guiding now, I couldn’t keep accommodating him forever. After blocking the space between his lips and mine with my hand and sitting up straight, Sa Hae-geon called out to me with dissatisfaction.
“Hyung.”
“It’s over now.”
“Already? You started it first. Can’t we do a little more?”
“No, we can’t. You’re too much.”
“Just once more. Please?”
“No.”
At my firm answer, Sa Hae-geon frowned and looked dejected. For a moment, I almost weakened, but no meant no. I ignored Sa Hae-geon’s desperate gaze and changed the subject.
“More importantly, how are you feeling? What exactly happened? How much did you overexert yourself to lose consciousness?”
Sa Hae-geon fidgeted with his lips, then sat up straight. After glancing at me briefly, he carefully began to explain.
“I’m fine. I just… tried to use the same method we used on the first day. Even though it took some strength, it was effective. But…”
Sa Hae-geon paused, took a breath, and continued.
* * *
Despite a day passing in the dungeon, the sky still looked like evening. The Espers, having finished their meals, headed back to the desert grassland, seeing off the Guides. They hoped that today would go as smoothly as yesterday.
Soon, they were greeted by what could hardly be called a desert grassland anymore—bushes burned to the point that it seemed ridiculous to call them grassland. An Jong-hyeok looked at the completely incinerated grassland and spoke.
“Ji-hyun, how does it look underground?”
“Yes, just a moment.”
Hwang Ji-hyun bent down and placed her hand on the ground. She traced the mix of sand and soil with her fingers, carefully reading the situation beneath. As her usually smiling face gradually hardened, the perceptive Sa Hae-geon asked:
“Is there a problem?”
“Yeah. Something’s strange. Why… doesn’t it seem like the number has decreased at all? Did I assess it wrong?”
Yesterday, they had filled the monsters’ burrows with water specifically to reduce their numbers. Since ants are ants, even if they were monsters, she had vaguely expected that quite a few would drown… but this completely shattered those expectations.
This meant they would have to continue using lightning fire to exterminate the monsters, just like yesterday. While other Espers might be fine, could a rookie like Sa Hae-geon hold up? And would the ant monsters just passively take it?
Hwang Ji-hyun’s mind suddenly became complicated. She pressed her throbbing temples and met An Jong-hyeok’s gaze. She felt that Jong-hyeok, with his far more extensive dungeon experience, would know what to do. No, she was certain of it.
Hwang Ji-hyun took a breath and said:
“The number of creatures hasn’t changed much from what we confirmed yesterday. It’s possible that some have matured into adults, as the number seems even greater than yesterday.”
“I see. Good work.”
An Jong-hyeok’s expression remained calm as he responded quietly, as if the situation wasn’t surprising at all. This somewhat relieved Hwang Ji-hyun. After all, it meant the current situation was within Jong-hyeok’s expectations.
“Then let’s open the burrows we closed.”
“…Can we do that without any preparation?”
“Why not? Open them quickly.”
Hwang Ji-hyun was a bit worried as the development was much faster than she expected, but she decided to follow An Jong-hyeok’s instructions.
“The fact that the numbers haven’t decreased at all means they’ve adapted to the water. If the desert has enough grassland, there must have been some rain, so water wouldn’t be completely unfamiliar to them. It’s better to deal with them before they adapt further.”
“Yes, then I’ll open them…?”
“Yes, open them.”
An Jong-hyeok responded while turning to the Espers and giving commands.
“Everyone, form ranks. No matter how small the monsters may be, never underestimate them. We’re dealing with ants that live in colonies.”
“Yes!”
Soon, the ground vibrated as the soil blocking the passageways used by the ants moved. Before long, ant burrow entrances appeared throughout the desert grassland.
“Hae-geon, drain the water too.”
“Yes.”
Sa Hae-geon also made the ground absorb the water that had filled the ant burrows, removing all the water that had been inside.
“This isn’t a disadvantageous situation for us. Even if none died, many will be exhausted from enduring in the water. And since their bodies are wet, they might take even greater damage from lightning fire.”
“Yes!”
“But never let your guard down. Ant monsters rarely appear in dungeons, with almost no records, so we must be vigilant.”
After finishing his words, An Jong-hyeok looked at Sa Hae-geon. The two exchanged glances briefly and took a deep breath almost simultaneously.
“Hae-geon, don’t overdo it.”
“Yes.”
An Jong-hyeok nodded and lit a spark at the entrance of the burrow. The small spark gradually grew until it swelled to the size of a massive tree. Meanwhile, lightning was forming in the sky.
Sa Hae-geon repeated the words of Chae Do-min and An Jong-hyeok in his mind—not to overexert himself—as he drove lightning down into the flames. With a loud boom, the combined lightning fire began to invade the ant burrow through its entrance.
The lightning fire devastated the entire burrow, destroying countless small passages and rooms. With the determination to eliminate the ant burrow that extended deep into the ground like the roots of an ancient plant, the lightning fire took control of a significant portion of the burrow.
The spreading lightning fire ended with An Jong-hyeok’s gesture. Hwang Ji-hyun, who had been reading the underground flow, withdrew her hand and stared at Sa Hae-geon.
“Maknae, aren’t you overdoing it? If you rashly try to follow the Team Leader, you’ll tear yourself apart.”
“I’m fine.”
“…Sure. Of course you’re fine. Everyone says that. Espers are all equally stubborn. Still, control yourself properly.”
“Hae-geon, Ji-hyun is right. We always need to reserve strength for contingencies. We never know what might happen. That’s why I’m telling you not to overdo it.”
“Yes.”
“Sigh, who wouldn’t be able to answer like that? Well, since Do-min is here too, it should work out somehow. Just don’t go berserk. Think of it as practice in controlling your ability. Right, Team Leader?”
“Yeah. That’s why we brought him here. Just don’t use your ability to the point of exhaustion.”
Sa Hae-geon was nodding at Hwang Ji-hyun and An Jong-hyeok’s words when he narrowed his brow. The ground was vibrating subtly.
“Esper Hwang Ji-hyun.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Are you intentionally moving the ground?”
“Huh? The ground is moving? It’s not me.”
Hwang Ji-hyun shook her head, emphasizing that it wasn’t her doing. Then she bent down again to check what was happening underground. After placing her fingers on the ground silently for a while, she burst into a hollow laugh.
“Ha, what is this now… What’s going on? No, what…”
“What’s wrong?”
“The ant burrow that was fine until just now is disconnected. No, to be precise, the middle of the ant burrow is blocked.”
Hwang Ji-hyun couldn’t stop her hollow laughter, finding it amusing even as she spoke. She muttered with an incredulous face.
“Collapsing the center of the burrow instantly to create a wall…? Does it make sense for monsters to have that level of intelligence?”
“The burrow is blocked? Then what about the monsters?”
“…Not many died. At most, it would be about a hundred.”
At Hwang Ji-hyun’s words, An Jong-hyeok’s face hardened coldly. He clenched and unclenched his hand, turning the situation over in his mind repeatedly.
“Then why is the ground vibrating?”
Hwang Ji-hyun looked at Sa Hae-geon who was questioning her and answered.
“It’s the sound of the wall they created underground collapsing. They’re probably coming up to the surface by now.”
By now, Hwang Ji-hyun’s gaze was fixed on the ant burrow entrance, which had been devastated by the lightning fire.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
