#064
“Hyung, is this typical for an A-rank?”
Eunseok asked, looking at the volcanic peak that had finally come into view.
“No. Even for me, this is the first A-rank this difficult. Gates can vary greatly depending on the terrain and the creatures that appear. But still, this is ridiculous. It’s more like an S-rank than an A-rank.”
Ji Taeuk grumbled, wiping sweat from his face with his sleeve.
“So this is actually S-rank level?”
When Eunseok asked, Ji Taeuk’s expression became slightly gloomy.
“No, not quite. S-rank would be two or three times harder than this? No, maybe four times? Ten times?”
Eunseok nodded at Ji Taeuk’s words. It seemed that even the toughest A-rank couldn’t compare to an S-rank gate.
They had encountered orc groups three times on their way here. Fortunately, the proportion of ogres was very low. If ogres had been as numerous as orcs, they would still be stuck at the foot of the mountain.
The team members sitting in a circle to rest looked absolutely terrible. They were covered in green blood and chunks of flesh, and the stench was overwhelming. During the battle with the ogres, Han Cheolyong had nearly lost an arm, and Moon Bora had suffered a severe injury to her side. Except for Oh Seongeun, Eunseok, and Ji Taeuk who provided rear support, everyone had suffered at least one major injury.
“I’m good now, so go guide the others,” Ji Taeuk said, pulling his hand away. Eunseok checked the color of his watch and nodded.
Starting with Han Cheolyong, Eunseok provided short, intense guiding to each team member in turn. The team members, exhausted from their struggles and enduring pain from high levels, eagerly absorbed the guiding.
Eunseok realized today how fortunate it was that he was an S-rank guide. The idea of hunters tackling such a high-difficulty gate without a guide, relying solely on their raw abilities, seemed incredibly grueling.
After finishing guiding the team members, Eunseok approached Choi Hanseo last. He was standing upright, staring at the volcano’s peak, as if he wouldn’t sit on anything less than an expensive, stylish chair. If it were someone else, they might have looked like they were brooding alone, but on Choi Hanseo, it looked quite cool.
“What do you see when you look like that?” Eunseok asked, naturally grabbing Choi Hanseo’s hand to start guiding. Choi Hanseo’s eyes, which had been fixed on the volcano’s peak, lowered to their joined hands before rising to Eunseok’s face.
“It’s not so much seeing as feeling. It’s extremely agitated.”
“The creature must be quite strong then.”
“We shouldn’t think of it as similar to the previous A-rank,” Choi Hanseo said decisively.
Eunseok nodded readily. Wasn’t the journey here completely different from the previous A-rank they had entered? It would be best to prepare for the boss to be on a different level as well.
Of course, he wasn’t particularly worried. After all, Choi Hanseo, who was like their ultimate weapon, was right beside him.
Choi Hanseo moved his fingers, meaningfully caressing the back of Eunseok’s hand. When Eunseok gave him an unfriendly look, Choi Hanseo put on a shameless expression as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”
Let it go.
Eunseok lowered his gaze to check his watch. It had been over 11 hours since they entered the gate.
If it took about an hour to climb that peak made entirely of volcanic rock, it would be 12 hours until they reached the boss. Assuming they successfully defeated the boss, the estimated clear time would be within 15 hours. This was in stark contrast to Sehwa Guild, which had declared failure after 20 hours.
Well, without Choi Hanseo, it would have taken longer. They might not have even made it this far due to simultaneous injuries to team members.
“How’s your condition?” Choi Hanseo asked.
“Just right. I haven’t had to exert myself much this time.”
Of course, not exerting himself meant he hadn’t engaged in direct close combat. Although he had been running and climbing for hours without rest, his stamina wasn’t so easily depleted. Han Cheolyong and the dealers had done most of the hard work. Ji Taeuk, who had completely healed team members with near-fatal injuries, had also struggled considerably.
“I know you like fighting, but remember you’re not a hunter. The other hunters surviving such injuries isn’t simply due to Ji Taeuk’s healing. It’s because they have monstrous vitality and regeneration that allows them to endure until they receive healing. If you were to sustain injuries of that level…”
“I’d most likely die from shock,” Eunseok readily acknowledged the limitations of his body. No matter how much he hated losing, he had to acknowledge the physical gap between hunters and guides.
“But you’d save me anyway, wouldn’t you, Mr. Choi?”
When Eunseok asked boldly, Choi Hanseo’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“It sounds like you’re still planning to act recklessly like a hunter.”
“Occasionally, if the situation calls for it.”
As Eunseok affirmed, Choi Hanseo chuckled as if he couldn’t be helped.
A breeze blew, brushing against their skin where sweat had dried.
Holding hands with a man of inhuman strength gave Eunseok a strange feeling. Although he couldn’t match him in physical abilities, he felt a desire to be on par with him as a guide. And there was a feeling of unparalleled reassurance in facing battle alongside this man.
“Ah, I want to finish this quickly and take a shower,” Ji Taeuk muttered as he stood up from where he had been sitting and stretched. Ji Taeuk, who usually despised getting dirty, couldn’t avoid becoming a mess today. While there were almost no traces of monsters on him, his clothes were stained with dark red blood in various places from healing team members. Of course, he was also soaked in sweat from running for over ten hours.
As Ji Taeuk, who had the weakest stamina, signaled that he could move now, the team members slowly got to their feet.
Eunseok let go of Choi Hanseo’s hand. As the large hand slipped away, Choi Hanseo’s fingers lightly scratched Eunseok’s palm. The tingling sensation in his palm traveled up to his head and down his spine.
“If you get hurt by any chance, you’ll have to comfort me again when I’m upset,” Choi Hanseo whispered softly in Eunseok’s ear.
Knowing from experience what kind of ‘comfort’ Choi Hanseo meant, Eunseok gave him a brief reproachful glare before abruptly turning away.
The boss was probably inside the crater of the large dormant volcano. The group started walking towards the peak in formation. Their pace was neither too fast nor too slow. They seemed to be regulating their pace, knowing that the battle would begin the moment they reached the crater.
After climbing for about an hour, stepping on black volcanic rocks, they finally approached the large crater.
The area around the crater was ominously quiet.
It was a silence similar to that which falls over an entire mountain when a predator appears. Whether due to the high altitude or the proximity of the boss, the air felt much heavier. It felt like their bodies were being pressed down. It was hard to distinguish whether it was killing intent or gravity.
Eunseok wasn’t the only one who sensed the ominous atmosphere. The team members’ bodies visibly tensed up.
Han Cheolyong adjusted his grip on his shield and looked back.
“We don’t know when the break will happen. We’ll charge in immediately.”
The team members nodded slightly at Han Cheolyong’s words, signaling the start of the boss battle.
Han Cheolyong turned back to face forward and began running through the crater. The team members followed in formation.
As they were about to reach the high peak…
Suddenly, with a flapping sound, a massive creature rose from inside the crater. Wings, head, and body. As it gradually revealed itself, it was, quite literally, a dragon.
A large hand suddenly came from behind and covered Eunseok’s ears.
—–!!
Despite his ears being covered, a roar that felt like it could tear his eardrums apart rang out. Then, the creature opened its mouth wide and stretched its neck towards them.
“Breath!” Han Cheolyong shouted, raising his shield above his head. Simultaneously, a translucent barrier enveloped the team members.
Kwaaaaa-!!
The dragon shot out a massive pillar of fire, like an erupting volcano.
The pillar of fire instantly traveled hundreds of meters and poured onto Han Cheolyong’s shield and barrier. The veins and blood vessels in Han Cheolyong’s arm holding the shield bulged prominently.
Despite being thoroughly protected inside the translucent barrier, the heat was suffocating. If it weren’t for Han Cheolyong’s barrier, they would have been instantly reduced to black ashes.
The pillar of fire poured onto the barrier for over ten seconds. When it stopped, the dragon slowly flapped its wings and descended back into the crater.
“Run!” Han Cheolyong shouted, and all team members began sprinting with all their might for the last few hundred meters to the crater.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
