[ Traditional Play (3) ]
“The lake before us is a freshwater body covering 9.3 square kilometers with a maximum depth of 25 meters. One of the main species that inhabit it is Abus, a third-class freshwater salamander. Its brown, sticky skin covered with red spots might make it resemble a venomous dragon species, but in fact, it’s highly vulnerable to poison. You could call it a form of mimicry.”
The tour guide explained. The lake nestled against a small mountain was picturesque, like something out of a painting. With a fairly intact castle nearby, it felt more like a European vacation than a dungeon.
“They even measured the lake’s surface area and depth, huh. Sudam must have a lot of free time.”
“I just made it up, you know.”
“And yet, you expect a tip?”
“Tough customer, I see. This must be the struggle of working in the service industry.”
“Hearing nonsense like that really makes me want to go full Karen mode. Give me Sesung’s customer service number.”
“You’ve been connected. How may I help you, valued customer?”
I couldn’t believe I was standing here, trading meaningless words with someone who wears the “arrogant and obnoxious” tag so proudly. Guess you really do live long enough to see everything. Well, I hadn’t lived that long, but still.
“Do you think anything will actually show up? We’re being way too obvious here, leaving this much of an opening. Anyone with half a brain would notice.”
I spoke while staring at the unusually tall tower rising in the middle of the castle. Were we really going to end up just sightseeing?
“They’ve definitely noticed by now. But since neither side knows the other’s hand, if they think they have the advantage, they’ll bite. Otherwise, they’ll move on. We’ll find out soon enough since the gate should deactivate soon.”
Seong Hyunjae pulled out a pocket watch from his inventory to check the time. It wasn’t a dungeon item but a specially crafted timepiece made from dungeon byproducts so it could be stored in an inventory. It was part of Vacheron’s Hunter Collection, numbered up to nine, if I remembered right.
“The fruit we’re shaking in front of them is too tempting for any hunter to resist. If we’ve come to the right place, they’ll jump in even if it means pushing their limits.”
Tempting fruit, huh. If the system creators were similar beings, it could be a type of information, maybe. Even just revealing how to obtain good items or titles would have hunters drooling.
“So, did the great guild leader of Sesung take a bite of that fruit too?”
“If they’re offering, why refuse?”
“It couldn’t have been free.”
“That’s what’s confusing.”
Seong Hyunjae tilted his head, looking unusually perplexed, which wasn’t like him at all.
“So far, I’ve just been on the receiving end, so I figured this relationship would last another four or five years, but their attitude suddenly changed. Not that I mind, since I was starting to get bored anyway… but was I really that easy to read?”
His vague words suggested that he had intended to take advantage of some cult or whatever and ditch them when he’d had enough. But it seemed like they’d caught on sooner than expected… Wait a second.
‘The system creators remember the world before regression.’
That meant the cult might also have knowledge of the future. They could know that Seong Hyunjae was going to betray them. He said the relationship would last another four or five years, which was exactly when he’d disappeared after betraying them.
‘So now, in this timeline, they want to deal with him sooner.’
I started feeling a little guilty. If it weren’t for me, they wouldn’t have caught on to him so soon. But if the cult hadn’t shown any signs of suspicion, Seong Hyunjae wouldn’t have told me anything either. He would’ve just brushed off my questions and pretended not to know.
-Han Yujin!
At that moment, Noah, who had gone to hunt monsters, came flying back at high speed. I braced myself for the wind pressure as he made a sharp descent, landing lightly after transforming back into his human form from about five meters in the air. He used to struggle to balance himself after shifting forms, but now the transition was smooth and natural. He’s come a long way.
“People are coming this way.”
“How many? Anyone we know?”
“There are seventeen of them, and the man we encountered before entering the dungeon is among them. Also, the guild leader of MKC.”
Yun Kyungsu from Sudam and Choi Seokwon from MKC. So, two S-Classes. I looked over at Seong Hyunjae with a “what’s your plan?” expression. He met my gaze, and his eyes curved in amusement.
“It wouldn’t be a proper sightseeing tour without some pesky peddlers showing up. We’ve got just two premium latex mattresses left, S-Class, no less.”
“I told you, I’m not buying any latex.”
“You should at least get a souvenir for your brother.”
“There’s no way I’m letting Yuhyun use some shady dungeon souvenir.”
Of course, I’ll buy him a gift if I ever go on a real trip. Amid our utterly pointless banter, Noah, the only one still on edge, anxiously glanced back and forth between me and the open field.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you stayed out of sight, Yujin?”
“I’d be more vulnerable if I was alone. There might be more than just seventeen of them.”
The Shard of Sharlos nullifies damage, but I can still be physically touched. After all, I wouldn’t be able to use shared skills otherwise. In other words, if I’m by myself, I’d be like a neatly wrapped gift box ready to be snatched.
Besides, staying nearby means I can share skills if things go south. Maybe I could even use My Kid Is The Best on Noah. With eighteen people, that would give an 18% bonus. Not really worth the embarrassment. If they brought a full party of a hundred, now that would be something. Seong Hyunjae’s attack skills and Noah’s everything would get doubled, and we could throw a wild party. But no, the entry limit makes that impossible.
“Still, if it really looks dangerous, please take care of things, Noah. You can leave that guy behind.”
“Leave it to me.”
Noah nodded firmly, then transformed back into his dragon form. He pressed close to me, almost like he was ready to scoop me up and fly off at a moment’s notice rather than wait for me to climb on.
“Leaving me behind? Isn’t that a bit much?”
“It’s just how much I trust you. I firmly believe you’d survive being thrown into a bonfire with all your limbs tied. Fighting!”
It wasn’t even a joke. He really would be fine.
By now, I could see the approaching group. Just as Noah said, there were seventeen of them, led by Choi Seokwon and Yun Kyungsu. I was itching to try out Promising Talent.
‘But something about Seong Hyunjae is bothering me.’
It wasn’t just the other S-Classes. I had a gut feeling Seong Hyunjae would be especially dangerous. The man in the white coat had carefully placed down his picnic basket and was looking at the hunters approaching with a slightly bored expression. Like they were less impressive than expected.
“They don’t seem to pose much of a challenge to you.”
“I was hoping they’d drag in the young master. Just a little. That would’ve made things really interesting.”
Why is Yuhyun even being brought up here?
“I thought Haeyeon was definitely out of the picture.”
“They are, but since Han Yujin is here, they might have tried to persuade him temporarily. I guess they didn’t have the means. If this is all they could muster, it’s actually kind of insulting.”
With an infuriatingly smug look, Seong Hyunjae took a few steps forward. We were standing on a small hill overlooking the lake, so we had the high ground. His arrogant gaze as he looked down on the cautious approaching hunters only made him seem more condescending.
About fifty meters away, Choi Seokwon and Yun Kyungsu’s group came to a halt. Choi Seokwon then took something out of his inventory. A fist-sized blue crystal ball. Noah unfurled one of his wings to half-shield me. Now I couldn’t see properly. Not that it mattered. Seong Hyunjae clearly had no intention of stopping them.
You’ll get yourself killed if you’re too cocky like that.
Crack!
A fracture appeared on the crystal ball, and soon it shattered into pieces. A strange wave rippled out rapidly, then disappeared just as quickly. It didn’t seem to affect me, but what was that?
“A lightning-attribute sealing item, huh. Didn’t know those existed.”
Seong Hyunjae muttered softly. Lightning-attribute? He must mean electric. I’ve never heard of an attribute-sealing item before either.
“Come down here, Seong Hyunjae! Or are you going to run away?”
Choi Seokwon shouted confidently.
“Want me to share some skills?”
“You can’t lose your faith in me already. Besides, didn’t you say you wanted to me be a good adult today? Let me handle this minor trouble like an adult.”
Seong Hyunjae smiled at me as he said this.
“And I’ll teach you something even better. A special lesson just for you, Han Yujin.”
“I don’t need it.”
“We’ll see. Once you know, you might actually beg for it. Try using your sense-sharing skill.”
Feeling uneasy, I used the Teacher’s Skill. He wouldn’t refuse in this situation, right?
Seong Hyunjae turned to face the group of hunters, who were ready as if for a boss raid. His steps were light, like he was just going for a stroll, even though losing access to one attribute should’ve been a significant penalty.
Shhhh.
A noble-looking chain began to encircle him, swimming like a snake around his body. A brief silence followed.
Boom!
Choi Seokwon moved first. His foot slammed into the ground with immense force. An S-Class combat hunter, his body, now receiving maximum buffs, charged forward like a tank. If it weren’t for Seong Hyunjae’s sense, I wouldn’t have even noticed his incredible speed.
‘This is insane.’
But I could tell. I could clearly sense it—before anyone else.
Where Choi Seokwon would rush, from which direction, and how he would attack. More than the sense-sharing skill, it was like I had precognition.
Seong Hyunjae possessed a combat foresight skill, one that allowed him to detect his opponent’s attacks ahead of time.
He narrowly dodged Choi Seokwon’s punch, charged with sharp magical energy. His hair was slightly tousled by the wind pressure, and the ground exploded where Choi Seokwon’s foot had struck. Meanwhile, the Seeker’s chain slipped into the earth, unnoticed by everyone.
Boom! Crack!
Each attack from Choi Seokwon carried terrifying power as he relentlessly assaulted Seong Hyunjae like a storm. Seong Hyunjae, however, dodged each strike by a hair’s breadth. To anyone watching, it would seem like Choi Seokwon had the upper hand. That Seong Hyunjae, with his attribute sealed, was barely evading and on the defensive.
‘This rotten bastard.’
But the truth was, Seong Hyunjae was toying with him. He was even keeping the distance close so the A-Class hunters with long-range skills couldn’t interfere. They couldn’t find an opening, no matter how hard they tried.
A foresight-type skill. That’s totally broken. And the best part?
‘It’s a sense skill… Which means it can be shared with Teacher’s Skill…’
It was possible. Just like it was with me right now.
Holy crap. This is insane. I can’t believe this.
His smug voice echoed in my head. “You’ll want to beg for it once you know.” Damn it, he was right.
‘This skill is probably why Seong Hyunjae has been stuck at Rank 1 in the rankings for so long.’
And now I could share it with others. Goosebumps ran down my spine. Imagine a team of S-Class hunters, their movements perfectly coordinated, each with the ability to foresee their opponents’ attacks. Add Monster Mounts on top of that, and no dungeon, no matter how difficult, would be unbeatable. We could clear S-Class dungeons in a day.
Damn it, what should I do? This is too good. Dear God, why did this have to belong to that man? I wish I could tear the skill out of him and give it to Yuhyun.
Boom! Crash!
The ground split apart beneath Choi Seokwon’s missed attack, as if an earthquake had struck. The tremor reached us, making me wonder if we should move away. Yun Kyungsu, who had been watching us, lifted his long sword, ready to join in the fight.
“Argh!”
“Ugh!”
Screams erupted from the rear of the hunter group. Chains had pierced through the hearts of the healers and support hunters, spraying blood before disappearing back into the ground.
“What—?”
Choi Seokwon, feeling his buffs drop, faltered. But before he could react, Seong Hyunjae grabbed his weakened wrist.
Crack!
Even though it was the arm of an S-Class close-combat hunter, he twisted it effortlessly and followed up with a kick to Choi Seokwon’s abdomen, sending him flying backward.
“Kugh!”
Choi Seokwon managed to land properly but staggered slightly. He quickly set his dislocated arm back in place. Seong Hyunjae didn’t pursue, instead turning to look at Yun Kyungsu.
“If this is all you’ve got, I’m disappointed.”
Ssss.
The Seeker’s chain emerged from the ground, wrapping around Seong Hyunjae’s wrist. I knew the chain had some level of autonomy, but I hadn’t realized it could be this powerful from such a distance. Even if the healers were weaker, with their equipment, their stats should’ve been at least B-Class.
‘Who needs to be disappointed? You’re the one with the cheat abilities.’
How are they supposed to hit you if you dodge everything? There’s not even a gap in his evasions to exploit. If someone had a wide-area skill, maybe they’d have a chance, but for close-combat types, his foresight skill was unbeatable.
…Not that a wide-area skill would help much, since he’d probably sense it and get out of the way. Still, Yerim might be able to stall him for a bit. If she were here instead of Yun Kyungsu, Seong Hyunjae would have had a much harder time. But as things stood, this was a lost cause.
“I wouldn’t recommend teaming up. Getting two S-Classes to coordinate well isn’t easy.”
He looked up at me, his eyes gleaming as if asking for my opinion. I flipped him off in response. Your skill’s amazing, but it’s infuriating.
“I’ve been generous enough. You should be coming over by now.”
Shut up already. God, if only Teacher’s Skill worked outside of dungeons at long distances… No, don’t even think about it. It probably doesn’t have that kind of range. I’m sure it only works when people are within sight.
Ugh, why does this guy—oh, wait.
“Noah!”
Seong Hyunjae and I both shouted at the same time. But it was already too late.
Wham!
Noah, who was much larger in his dragon form, was struck by a powerful blow, sending him rolling across the ground.
-Grrrr!
He dug his claws into the earth to stop his momentum, but the fierce look in his eyes quickly gave way to deep fear. His pale-gray eyes filled with dread.
“Hello, darling~.”
A woman’s cheerful voice greeted me as her arm wrapped around my neck from behind.
“…Liette.”
What the hell is she doing here? I thought she’d be furious about Noah, but surprisingly, Liette seemed to have completely forgotten about that incident.
“Hello, Sesung guild leader. Hi, Pebble~.”
“I didn’t expect Liette to join the fray. This is truly unexpected.”
Seong Hyunjae said, unable to hide his surprise. Really, this was unexpected.
“What are you doing here? You’re not working with those guys, are you?”
I asked, sensing Liette’s slight frown. Of course, I couldn’t see it with my own eyes, but I could through Seong Hyunjae’s perspective.
“Not exactly. Some jerk ordered me to kill Seong Hyunjae and kidnap you… and I followed the command without realizing it? But the moment I hugged you, my head cleared right up! Weird, huh? You still smell so good.”
Liette grinned as she nuzzled her cheek against the top of my head. So, it was some kind of curse or mind control? But it worked on Liette? That’s strange, but that’s not the point right now.
“So now that you’re fine, you won’t be working with them anymore, right?”
“I’m not following any orders!”
Just as I was about to relax,
“But how could I pass up the chance to join in on such a fun game? Right, darling?”
Liette flashed a bright smile, her golden eyes gleaming. Her body swelled up rapidly, and the arm around my neck was replaced by a massive claw that grabbed hold of me. When I looked up, all I could see were pitch-black scales.
A black dragon with a red hue. Strong legs, a thick tail, and a large head covered in menacing horns. And that wasn’t all—rows of spear-like spikes rose from her back with a harsh grinding sound.
She had no wings. But her size was several times that of Noah’s. Her entire body was a fearsome, violent weapon. A textbook example of the Venom and Curse Dragonkin species.
“You said you were twins!”
I thought it’d just be a color swap, but this was a completely different species! My shout, full of indignation, was met with a smile from Liette, her razor-sharp teeth gleaming.
–TL Notes–
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