Chapter 43
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Roar of the Blue Dragon (3)
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I quietly picked up my bag.
Lee Hae-sol was already standing beside me.
"Heading out now?"
Hyun Yi-seo and Yoo Hee were there too.
Yoo Han-seong glanced briefly at Hyun Yi-seo before turning back to me.
"Don't you need to check the potions before training?"
Gong Seo-yun approached with a playful grin and quipped lightly.
"Nice job selling out every last one today."
Standing out too much could only lead to trouble.
As if on cue, the twelve members of Class 8—minus Lee Sang-hee—clustered even more tightly together.
And just as the homeroom teacher looked away and took a few steps from us.
"Whoa, hold on!"
"We'll be back!"
"Sorry!"
"I really want that gold ring! If we get it, teacher, I'll let you have a look!"
We slipped straight into the Ongdal Spring Dungeon.
Staring at the breathtaking vista before me, I fiddled with the small glass vials in my bag.
The scenery was stunning, but that was exactly the problem—it was far too grand for a mere Ongdal Spring Dungeon.
The entire Class 8 gawked around with dazed expressions.
Seo Jeong-woo, the shy one, muttered in a voice barely above a whisper.
"So... another S-grade?"
His tone was one of utter resignation, as if he'd given up on everything.
I thought of the bag packed with recovery potions for stamina dips, calming herb elixirs, and wound salves that Hyun Yi-seo favored.
Normally, we wouldn't need to prepare this thoroughly for such a low-difficulty section, but after clearing it, they'd probably just be grateful I had.
The air we breathed felt undeniably off.
The subtle tension hanging in the air wasn't just something I was imagining, either.
"Jin Hari, you okay?"
Hyun Yi-seo came close and asked.
His voice was lower than usual, his eyes shadowed with a foreboding hunch.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a weird feeling."
I forced a smile in response.
Normally, I'd tease him about his serious face, but not today.
'Even the Blue Dragon should be well within Yoo Han-seong's capabilities. But is that really true?'
The overwhelming natural beauty stirred sudden doubts.
But seeing Yoo Han-seong's calm expression, I shelved my worries.
Yeah, this is good.
The dungeons after this wouldn't be so leisurely, even for his party.
So, risky or not, the Blue Dragon Dungeon was my last shot at gaining experience here.
That's why I'd barely managed to calm the frantic Erich just moments ago to make it here.
'Alright. Just don't get hurt bad enough to die. If anyone does get injured, hit 'em with a potion right away. That way, I can at least hide that I'm useful as bait.'
We started moving soon after.
The moment we ventured deeper, a wave of humid air hit us.
The presence of countless creatures stirred beyond the walls, like a frenzy of motion.
No fight had even started yet, but a chill crept up my neck.
"Be careful from here on."
Yoo Han-seong said from the front.
His steps were slow but firm, planting solidly on the ground.
Whether it was his unique detection skill or battlefield sense, he was the one reading this space right now.
Watching his back, I absentmindedly pulled out a potion.
I shook it quietly in my palm, just in case.
The viscosity flowed just right, and the temperature was stable.
This would work perfectly if thrown at any moment.
The question was whether I'd even get the chance.
As an F-rank, my body might melt like water before I could throw. Nah, I wouldn't die that fast, right?
Meanwhile, the passage widened, and the terrain suddenly dropped away beneath us.
The floor patterns glowed blue, and an azure dragon aura rose up, making the air ripple heavily.
I stopped instinctively.
This was the spot where disaster struck in the original story.
Mass casualties, chaotic battle, unpredictable corrupted entities.
And at the center was Hyun Yi-seo.
This was where he awakened as S-rank.
"Hari."
Yoo Han-seong turned back.
His gaze pierced right through me.
"From now on, you watch the rear."
"Got it."
I replied carefully, keeping my voice steady.
I had no idea what made him trust me with that.
But my heart was pounding way too fast.
This wasn't just fear or a hunch. It felt like something crushing down on me.
'Is everyone feeling this? Or just me?'
That's when it happened.
A low rumble echoed from the deepest part of the passage.
Not like water shifting, but a beast's growl.
The air quivered.
Yoo Han-seong raised a hand, signaling a halt.
Everyone froze instantly, and I held my breath.
The next moment, a blue aura flashed by, and something burst from the passage's end.
A curved tail, massive claws, azure light seeping between scales.
A dragon-type mutant monster—the Blue Dragon.
"Prepare to retreat."
Yoo Han-seong said curtly.
'Right, we need to fall back now. It's weird for a Blue Dragon to show up right away.'
I tilted the potion in my hand to adjust the angle.
Ready to throw at any second, but my eyes never left the beast.
This wasn't part of the plan.
Not even in the original story had one appeared this far in.
'Different from what Yoo Han-seong knows, too.'
Why?
The situation was already shifting.
I whispered without thinking.
"Please, no one get hurt."
At that instant, the monster kicked off the ground and lunged. I reflexively pulled my arm back and hurled the potion.
Blue light and clear liquid collided midair, exploding like lightning.
As the potion burst, its energy rippled outward.
A transparent barrier enveloped Han-seong's front, cushioning the impact. The monster's claw left only a faint scratch where it grazed.
A wound that should've been deep.
I swallowed hard.
"Good. Now."
Yoo Han-seong issued the order without missing a beat.
The front assault team moved in unison.
Hyun Yi-seo charged first, diving into the monster's flank.
His movements were sharper and more precise than ever.
Each swing of his hand sliced the air.
Light reflected off the beast's scales in blue flashes.
Yi-seo slipped through a gap like a shadow, driving his attack home.
Its tail whipped back in retaliation, whipping over his head.
I instinctively grabbed another potion.
This one was stamina-boosting.
Yi-seo was burning through energy faster than in regular training.
"Yi-seo, left side!"
At Han-seong's shout, Hyun Yi-seo ducked and rolled sideways reflexively.
The motion was so fluid he looked like a seasoned warrior for a moment.
Before the monster could turn, I flicked the cap off with my knuckles.
A bubbling energy rose from the vial.
Timing had to be perfect.
A bad throw could hit our side and make things worse.
"Hari, throw it."
Yoo Han-seong's voice came.
He kept distance from the beast while locking eyes on me.
That was the signal.
I inhaled, adjusted the angle, and lobbed the potion.
The vial spun through the air.
It shattered right at the monster's core.
Green light bloomed instantly.
The stamina amp potion also slowed enemy movements.
As the beast raised its head between scales, the debuff kicked in.
Its actions lagged for a split second, and Yi-seo seized the opening.
"Finish it."
Han-seong advanced, severing the final surge of energy.
The monster's body convulsed violently before crashing down.
The impact shook the ground like thunder.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Only then did I gasp for air.
A beast like this shouldn't appear in the first section, and its emergence felt too natural.
A variable meant the whole dungeon had changed.
Yoo Han-seong examined the fallen body and said,
"This isn't a standard specimen. Not even a high-mutation zone—why'd it show up here?"
A mutant? No way.
'Mutants appear much later in the original story.'
And if it were a mutant, even with Hyun Yi-seo's growth and Yoo Han-seong, it wouldn't have gone down this fast.
Still, something nagged at him, and he glanced up at me.
His eyes seemed to silently question a thousand things.
He didn't seriously think I knew something, did he?
I waved it off lightly.
"Just bad luck, maybe. Happens sometimes."
Hyun Yi-seo wiped his sweat and approached me.
His eyes still burned with post-battle tension, but they wavered slightly too.
"Hari, if it weren't for your potion just now..."
He trailed off.
His lips trembled faintly.
Even the usually composed Hyun Yi-seo—who was a bit gloomy but always cool-headed—was showing rare emotion.
Forgotten was the way he'd leaped out like he was waiting for it. Guess he was scared.
I glanced at the empty vial in my hand and shook my head.