Chapter 16
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Delivery Into the Dungeon
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Shin Ha-rang barely clung to his fraying sanity and pulled the composite bow from his back.
[Scattered Raindrops]
[Activating skill]
Shin Ha-rang drew back the bowstring, even though there was no arrow nocked.
"Eat this and just die already."
Liquid he couldn't tell was tears or sweat trickled from the corners of his eyes.
Ssssh...
Droplets of water gathered above the bowstring, forming the shape of an arrow.
"Pierce the enemy. My arrow. Like scattered raindrops. Like the sharp wind brushing cheeks and the piercing summer downpour."
⟨ Scattered Raindrops ⟩
Twang.
As he released the bowstring, hundreds of water-formed arrows poured down from the clear sky onto the sandworm.
It was Ha-rang's ultimate trump card, scraped together from the last dregs of mana in his body.
"Kiiiii?!"
The arrows plunged deep into the panicked sandworm's body.
"Kiaaaak! Kiaaaaaak—!"
'Did it work?'
Shin Ha-rang paused for a moment at the sandworm's agonized screams. As he caught his ragged breath and swallowed dryly...
"Kweeeeeh—!"
The sandworm shuddered violently, shaking off the arrows embedded in its body like dust.
"What the..."
The water arrows flew off in an instant, evaporating into nothing. The sandworm's reddish body glowed even brighter as it charged toward Shin Ha-rang faster than before.
"Kieeeek!"
'No way... If that was phase 1, is this phase 2?'
"Damn it."
He had to run.
But the sandworm, as if understanding his curse, pursued him even more ferociously, jaws gaping wide.
'Crap.'
This was his limit.
Just as Ha-rang's legs buckled from exhaustion after running until his lungs burned...
'Oh no.'
A rock jutted out right there, and Ha-rang's body pitched forward.
"No..."
'No.'
Was he really going to end his life as food for this grotesque giant worm? Just like this, so pointlessly?
"Kieeeek!"
The sandworm's foul-smelling maw engulfed his shadow as it lunged to swallow its prey whole.
'Ah.'
Is this the end?
That was when Shin Ha-rang's life flashed before his eyes.
Screeech.
Something tore with a ripping sound.
'Hallucination?'
Or was that the sound of his body being bisected by the sandworm?
Having nearly resigned himself to death, Shin Ha-rang squeezed his eyes shut, praying for a painless trip to heaven.
Thud. Boom. Crunch. Crash.
"...Huh?"
A cacophony erupted, followed by the sandworm's tearing screams.
"Kii, kieeeek!!!"
"Oh dear. How pitifully ugly. That worm."
"Ugh. Gross. Won't it get lost?"
Another heavy impact rang out, and someone scooped up Shin Ha-rang by the waist. His body was lightly lifted and plopped onto the seat of a moving motorcycle.
Those were... human hands. Not the filthy, reeking teeth of that damn sandworm he'd seen far too much of lately.
'Who is it?'
Realizing this, Shin Ha-rang's eyes flew wide open.
Before him wasn't a crimson worm-like monster, but a person in a bright red helmet.
"Are you okay, customer?"
Black hair tied in a tight ponytail peeked from under the helmet. A flashy red motorcycle gleaming like a ripe apple.
And behind the bike, a red delivery box.
[Mimi's Humble Bento Shop]
"H-H-Huh...?"
Ha-rang's trembling fingers—shaking from hunger—barely pointed at her, and Chae-ryeon responded kindly.
"Yes, customer! Your ordered delivery has arrived!"
"Uh, uh..."
"You're [Ranking 1 is Mine], the orderer, right?"
"Uh... Yes."
'Is this a dream or reality?'
Ha-rang had thought he was done for, but this sudden rescue left him stunned and stammering in bewilderment.
Especially since his savior was the delivery hunter he'd desperately wanted to scout for his guild.
'How in the world...'
Shin Ha-rang hadn't even had time to tell her which dungeon he was in before the call cut off.
The only clue he'd given Moon Chae-ryeon was that it was an SS-Rank Dungeon, yet she'd pinpointed his location and saved him.
'Ugh...'
Joy at surviving. Relief and gratitude. Overwhelming emotion welled up.
An S-Rank Hunter's pride was everything, but in his mentally and physically cornered state, he had no room for it.
'I'm alive.'
As uncontrollable waves of emotion swept over him and tears pricked at his eyes...
"Th-Thank..."
"Customer, is your order the 'King of Kings Bento'?"
"...Yes?"
What did I just hear?
Forgetting his thanks, the infuriating roar of the enraged sandworm pierced Shin Ha-rang's ears.
"Kieek! Kieeeeeek! Kieek—!"
'The SS-Rank boss monster is still alive, and she's asking about the delivery here...?'
His emotion vanished in an instant, his mind turning ice-cold.
"Are you insane? Do you even know where you've come?!"
"SS-Rank Dungeon, right?"
Chae-ryeon's calm reply only fueled Ha-rang's anger.
"That's what I'm saying...! You can't leave this dungeon until it's cleared! That's why I couldn't get out! Do you have any idea how reckless it is for even an Awakened Hunter to come here alone?!"
"Oh dear, why are you getting mad?"
"Because you put yourself in danger to save me!"
'Now she's in mortal peril because of me.'
Overwhelmed by guilt and remorse, Shin Ha-rang's face twisted in despair. As he choked up, unable to continue, Chae-ryeon whispered softly.
"I don't know about that... but I do know I can't abandon a customer who trusted me enough to place an order."
"Hey! This isn't the time for that!"
"No? You're right."
"...Pardon?"
Without time to think, the massive crimson sandworm body surged into the air behind them.
"Kieeeek!"
Furious, it leaped high as if for a final strike.
'This is...!'
This time, escape was impossible.
As light faded from Shin Ha-rang's blue eyes...
"Hold on tight!"
"Pardon?"
Vroooom.
'Wh-What? This woman...!'
Shin Ha-rang panicked.
The delivery hunter Moon Chae-ryeon was suddenly gunning the motorcycle straight at the sandworm!
This had happened before heading out to deliver to her second customer of the day, Shin Ha-rang.
"All done!"
[Time Limit: 00:00:00]
[The given time limit has expired.]
[Now checking success of Bonus Quest Mission Stage 2.]
[Now loading...]
The 'King of Kings Bento' crafted by Chae-ryeon, Mimi, and Sol-chan together was neatly packed in a pretty five-tier box.
It had been completed on a razor's edge, almost like junk food barely qualifying.
'Without the [Coming Right Up!] skill and the [Chamber of Time and Mind] from Mission Stage 1 reward, it would've been impossible.'
This time, Chae-ryeon was genuinely grateful to the system for the fair reward.
[Check complete.]
[Perfect Success!]
[Congratulations on completing Mission Stage 2!]
[Bonus Quest: Mission Stage 2 (1/1)]
[Reward: Acquired skill [Customer Love is Sales Love]!]
[Final Mission Stage 3: Use the rewarded skill [Customer Love is Sales Love] to safely rescue Hunter Shin Ha-rang from danger!]
'What kind of skill is it?'
Chae-ryeon's joy at clearing Stage 2 was short-lived; she quickly opened her skill window for the sake of her customer struggling alone in an SS-Rank Dungeon.
"Search window. Open skill window."
[Opening skill window.]
[New skill acquired!]
[Would you like to view info on newly acquired skill [Customer Love is Sales Love]?]
[YES/NO]
"YES."
At Chae-ryeon's words, the skill window immediately displayed the new skill's details.
[[Customer Love is Sales Love]]
Protect the precious life of the customer who trusted you enough to order food!
If a customer who ordered food is in danger, you must use this skill!
A skill that activates only when the food-ordering customer is in mortal peril.
For 3 minutes cooldown, boosts the skill user's all stats to twice that of the encountered enemy.
For additional effects, receive the victory chant of 'Repurchase Promise'!
(*Upon receiving Repurchase Promise: The protected customer's stats also improve by 100% for 1 minute.)
However, pushing the user to extreme limits may cause severe illness the next day.
Use only in true emergencies!
"It doubles all stats?!"
This new skill was incredible!
As the shocked Chae-ryeon covered her mouth in delight, one fact hit her.
"Ah, but... I'm not an attack-type hunter."