Chapter 55
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Translator: MJK
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Final Dungeon (3)
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The potion burst in midair.
A green light scattered in a small circle, settling down like a protective barrier.
The moment the toxic mist touched it, the color faded faintly.
"Hari...?"
Yuhee let out a startled voice.
I let out a deep breath.
"That's how you're supposed to use it."
Yi-seo shouted from afar.
"Who the hell uses it like that! If you're gonna throw it, at least do it from farther away! Were you trying to die on purpose?!"
I didn't respond to that.
There was nothing to say.
My body had just reacted first.
At that moment, Yoo Han-seong charged straight at the monster again.
The tip of his sword plunged deep into the monster's core.
Cracked fragments inside the abyssal monster emitted a dark glow.
Yi-seo didn't miss the opening and pressed the attack from the side.
The monster's form began to crumble bit by bit.
It tore apart, cracked, and scattered into black dust.
Finally, it twisted its body violently and lifted what resembled a head.
That direction was aimed at Yoo Han-seong.
"Han-seong!"
My voice cracked out.
In that instant, Yi-seo launched himself forward.
He wedged between Yoo Han-seong and the monster, erupting light like an explosion.
It was a much stronger surge than before.
"Ugh...!"
Yi-seo's knees buckled.
It seemed this dungeon's magic wasn't compatible with him.
Yoo Han-seong immediately caught him.
The abyssal monster shattered into pieces right there and vanished.
Black dust fell to the floor.
The clear signal that the fight was over washed over us.
Yet the air remained heavy.
I quickly ran forward.
"You okay?"
Yi-seo was breathing raggedly.
Sweat trickled down the back of his neck.
"A bit... overdid it."
He said with a smile.
Yoo Han-seong said nothing.
He just quickly checked his wrist, temperature, and vision.
I pulled out a recovery potion and handed it to him.
Yi-seo downed it immediately instead of saying thanks.
Then Gong Seo-yoon shouted from the back.
"That thing just now—your proficiency went up again, right, Hyeon Yi-seo?"
Yuhee nodded as she caught her breath.
"The level was totally different from before."
I quietly scanned the surroundings again while listening to them.
The abyss section was often more dangerous right after battle.
Residual energy could splash or the space could fold again.
But this time, nothing changed.
Instead, I felt subtle shifts in emotions around me.
Hae-sol, Yuhee, Yi-seo, Gong Seo-yoon, and even Yoo Han-seong in the distance.
They all glanced at me once.
No words, but their eyes were full of questions.
'How the hell do you know to move like that?'
I just lowered my head slightly.
"It was... really just luck."
Suddenly, a chill prickled the back of my neck.
From now on, after this battle, the little actions I'd tossed out would start looking more and more like 'suspicious coincidences.'
I couldn't stop that.
Turns out I'm the type where my body moves first anyway.
The path after the battle was even quieter.
The unique vibrations of the abyss grew fainter, and the cracks in the floor seemed to stabilize.
Everyone kept their guard up, but their breathing was more even than before.
With the recovery potion making rounds, Hyeon Yi-seo quickly regained his focus.
Gong Seo-yoon's steps wobbled a bit, but her mana flow was stable.
Yoo Han-seong walked ahead but occasionally glanced back.
I knew exactly who those looks were for without him saying.
Each time, I nodded like it was fine.
In truth, I'd pushed myself a little.
But no one could notice that.
Hae-sol sidled up beside me and nudged my elbow lightly.
"Hari, that reaction earlier... what can I say, it was insanely fast. Like you read it ahead of time. Amazing."
Surprise and curiosity mixed on Hae-sol's face.
"I was just watching the whole time."
I replied.
"Poisons have patterns to when they come out."
Yuhee chimed in from behind.
"Even knowing the pattern, that timing isn't easy."
"Lucky."
I shrugged and smiled.
Hyeon Yi-seo spoke from ahead.
"Still, thanks to you, no one got hurt."
His voice was softer than before.
I could feel his heightened concentration from the abyss awakening's aftermath.
At those words, Yoo Han-seong paused slightly.
He slowed his pace without a word to match ours.
His face showed almost no emotion, but something was clearly bothering him.
I averted my gaze and just scanned the structures around us.
Still a bit until the next section.
Letting our guard down here would be trouble.
"Hari."
Yoo Han-seong called lowly.
I looked at him, a bit startled.
He said it very naturally.
"There might be toxic residue ahead. Come a bit more to the center."
His tone sounded like an order, but it was really consideration.
I adjusted my position without a word.
And murmured softly.
"Thanks."
He didn't reply, but matched my pace.
Hae-sol glanced at me.
Yuhee started to say something but stopped.
Hyeon Yi-seo seemed indifferent to it all.
Gong Seo-yoon stared blankly before shrugging.
I swallowed a sigh inwardly.
'It was nothing... I really did nothing...'
If I'd had a normal heal, I could've helped way more.
Reverse Heal or whatever—thinking about it just made me sigh more.
The end of the abyss passage came into view.
Faint light flickered.
That was the entrance to the next battle section.
"Still, considering that milestone was broken, this dungeon's more stable than I thought."
Everyone nodded at Gong Seo-yoon's words. If I'd known words could jinx things, I'd grab him by the collar and tell him to take it back.
After a short break, they regulated their breathing and gripped their weapons again.
I checked the potions in my bag.
Antidote, recovery, stamina, stability.
Plenty.
This section had monsters coming in pairs of two or three.
Reaction speed and endurance were key.
The potions would see steady use.
The air, flowing with traces of lingering spirits, began to thicken with the scent of battle.
And the door opened.
The moment the door opened, my breath caught first.
The air inside was cold and damp, faintly mixed with a metallic scent.
The kids took their positions and spread out into the central passage.
Yoo Han-seong stepped forward and said,
"Watch for pair patterns this time. They'll come at us two at once."
"Got it."
Hyeon Yi-seo replied, gathering mana at his fingertips.
Since the abyss awakening, his movements were fluid and natural.
Like someone more accustomed to the battle space.
From the rear, I kept my distance and observed their reactions.
Who would get hit first.
Who was low on stamina.
Who was in the most danger.
I pictured the order in my head.
Two monsters burst out at the same time.
One had sharp fangs, the other abnormally long legs.
Both fast, with erratic attack paths.
But the kids didn't panic like before.
Yoo Han-seong dodged and counterattacked, Hyeon Yi-seo slotted magic into the gap.
Yuhee provided covering fire from an angle behind.
Hae-sol read the floor patterns first and herded them to safe zones.
It didn't take long for the enemies to fall.
I gripped my bag tightly from the back.
No help needed.
Of course, blood could splatter anywhere, so I had a few prepped just in case.
As the battle ended, the kids caught their breaths and looked at each other.
No words, but their eyes had changed a lot.
Faces like they were surprised at themselves.
'Were we this good...?' That expression.
Then Yuhee tilted her head.
"Weird."
"What."
Yoo Han-seong asked.
"My stamina's not dropping. I usually can't hold out this long."
Hae-sol reacted right away.
"Yeah, me too. No trembling in my fingers, breath comes back quick."
Hyeon Yi-seo glanced at me for a split second.
I averted my eyes pointlessly.
Just fiddled with my bag, saying nothing.
"Hari."
Yuhee asked.
"What did you give us...?"
Hmm. Can't say it's my homemade S-rank potion here with video streaming, right?
I smiled like it was no big deal.
"Those I handed out earlier? Just a little stamina boost. Everyone says it helps before exams."
Hae-sol laughed in disbelief.
"This is practically stamina herb level."
Yoo Han-seong was silent.
But his expression shifted ever so slightly.
I recalled he'd been the first to catch his breath mid-battle.
He must've noticed something then but held back because of the stream.
Makes sense—he'd used the potion first.
I quickly added,
"Everything I make is unfinished, so no huge effects. Just... feels good, that's all."
At that, they looked at me, then slowly nodded as realization dawned late.
Of course, their faces still held lingering doubts.
Yuhee rested her chin lightly on her hand.
"Anyway, thanks. We're holding up because of it."
"Glad it helped!"