What, You're Fine?
Until mere moments ago the Sahagin had been bursting apart under our hands like tomatoes at a tomato festival. Their sudden change in behavior put us on high alert at once, and we fell in behind Seo-rin, who took the lead as we advanced toward the darkened heart of the hangar.
After walking for some time, A-rang, who had been staring hard into the dark, turned to me and asked,
"Hey, Seung-yong. I don't do ocean jobs much, so tell me—what are the higher-tier Sahagin?"
"As far as I know, it's just Generals and Kings."
"Right? That's what you know too?"
"Why? Is there something there?"
"Yeah, there is. Over where those fish-heads are dug in, there's this weird…"
Halt—
At A-rang's words, Seo-rin, who had been pressing forward with her shield raised, stopped dead in her tracks.
"Hey, why'd you stop mid-step?"
A-rang, complaining that she'd smashed her nose into Seo-rin's sudden stop, gave Seo-rin's rear a light kick with her foot.
Seo-rin's body trembled with fury as she muttered in a low, seething voice,
"If you discover something, you could at least say you discovered something…?"
"Do I have to? Saying it ruins the fun."
"Looking for fun on a mission is something only you do, Cheon A-rang! You are not the only one here right now! We are on a field operation, not some haunted house at an amusement park!"
"Heh heh heh. What? If we're working anyway, better to make it fun and enjoyable."
"It is not just you and me standing here! Master is one thing, but Kim Bok-soon is present as well—what kind of reckless behavior is this?!"
"Why am I getting a free pass like it's fine for me?"
Does she just think of me as A-rang's subordinate or something?
"Honestly, you…! As I said earlier, this is exactly why I hate being on the same mission as you!"
"I hate it too, you know?! Every time I try to have a little fun, you're yapping orders from behind! And I was asking Seung-yong because I didn't know either! What the hell is that weirdly female-looking fish-head bitch over there?!"
"Female…?"
Seo-rin, who had been bickering with A-rang as usual, hurriedly raised her shield at those words and began scanning the surroundings.
"Cheon A-rang! Is that true?! There is a Sahagin that looks female?!"
"Yeah. That scream earlier had a bit of a female vibe to it too, right? Why, what is it?"
"That is a Siren! Cheon A-rang, if what you say is true, then a Siren is commanding the Sahagin here!"
"A Siren? Isn't that A-class?"
"Weren't the only higher-tier Sahagin Kings and Generals?"
Unlike A-rang, who was getting excited at the word Siren, I tilted my head and asked the clever Bok-soon,
"It's true that only Kings and Generals exist as higher-tier Sahagin, right?"
"That is correct, yes. They may look similar to a Siren, but they are an entirely different species!"
"Then how can a Siren command a Sahagin army?"
"Goblins sometimes roam around as subordinates of trolls or ogres, don't they? It's the same sort of case! Either a wandering Siren drifted in here, or the Siren has those Sahagin… Ah?!"
"What now?"
Flash, flash, flash—!!
Before she could finish, lights suddenly flickered on throughout the hangar, and though it wasn't quite daylight, our surroundings brightened considerably.
"If the power works, they could've flipped the lights on a little earlier."
"This is no time for jokes! Look over there!"
I barely had time to marvel that this place even had electricity. As if putting on a lighting show, the fluorescent lamps began switching on above our heads in a steady rhythm.
One after another they lit up, until finally they illuminated the center of the hangar we had been heading toward—and the formation of Sahagin waiting for us there.
And at the heart of that Sahagin force, looking down on us, stood a strangely shaped giant Sahagin with an anglerfish-like head. I poked A-rang in the chest with a finger and asked,
"Whoa… that thing is seriously ugly. You looked at that anglerfish face and thought it looked female?"
"Doesn't it have a female vibe? Is it just me?"
"Not at all? It doesn't even have a chest like yours, Senior."
"Is that so? More importantly, Seung-yong, your sexual harassment game is top-tier. You groped so naturally I couldn't even get mad."
"Well, these massive milk tanks of yours are mine, right? Why can't I touch what's mine however I want?"
"Ugh, the mouth on you. Anyway, Seung-yong—you got earplugs?"
"No? Why? If I say no, are you gonna cover my ears with your chest?"
"Oh, that method exists? Alright, put your ears here."
"Whoa, so warm."
Maybe it was because I'd once hauled a runaway train alongside her. Just being near A-rang filled me with a sense of security, and the two of us were snickering together when Seo-rin shouted at us.
"This is no time for games! Everyone, cover your ears! Everyone, kh—?!"
"Ugh, so loud…!!"
"Uuugh, my ears, they hurt so much!"
—Kieeeeaaaaaak!!
Then came the Siren's screech.
Just as A-rang had put it, it was like a soprano who'd stubbed her pinky toe, or like nails dragged across a chalkboard.
Whatever it was, it was a truly hideous sound, and A-rang and Bok-soon clamped their hands over their ears, their faces twisting with pain and irritation.
Watching that, I tilted my head at Seo-rin, who was staring at me with startled eyes, and asked,
"…Okay, it's an ugly sound, sure, but is it really face-scrunching levels of bad?"
"M-Master? Why are you completely unaffected?"
"Why, am I supposed to be suffering like that too?"
"A Siren is classified as an A-class monster not only because its noise assaults the hearing and induces dizziness, but above all because of the charm woven into that sound! It launches a mental attack on those already reeling from the screech!"
"Then why are you and I fine… Ah!"
Unique skill!
The reason Seo-rin and I were fine was none other than Seo-rin's unique skill.
Knight's Resolve Lv.3
◈ Through unyielding will, grants immunity to mental attacks.
◈ When HP falls below 15%, restores 10% of max HP to self and nearby allies every 5 seconds.
Thanks to Seo-rin's unique skill, which granted full immunity to mental attacks, she and I—unlike A-rang and Bok-soon—were registering the Siren's cry as nothing more than noisy pollution.
"What happens if you get charmed? Do you, like, attack your allies or something?! Then before that—!"
"Kya—kyaaaah?! Why are you suddenly slapping my boobs?!"
"Huh. You're fine."
I'd expected her to start going "Auntie Tab! Auntie Tab!" and attack Seo-rin and me.
But at the sight of Bok-soon shrieking while covering her chest with both hands, I sheepishly lowered the hand I'd raised to smack A-rang's chest next.
Bok-soon shouted in pure indignation.
"Why did you only look at Senior Cheon A-rang and not hit her?!"
"You just confirmed for me that you weren't being controlled or anything."
"Liar! You lowered your hand the second Senior Cheon A-rang glared at you! You spineless man! Coward! Tiny-dick prince!"
I gave Bok-soon's chest a few apologetic pats and asked,
"Anyway, so how does being charmed feel? Like you're about to black out, or you suddenly want to swear loyalty to that fish-head, or anything like that?"
"That… is not the case. My head hurts from the noise, and on top of that it feels like someone keeps talking directly into my mind—it's terribly distracting. Ugh… so dizzy…!"
—Kieeeeaaa
As she spoke, the Siren's screech rose again, and Bok-soon staggered.
Seizing the opening, the Sahagin that had been holding formation to protect the Siren slowly leveled their spears and began advancing toward us, step by step.
"A-rang, are you okay? Can you still fight?!"
"I'm fi— huff… That fish-head bitch. No matter what it takes, I'm taking her head! Ugh, so dizzy."
Even as she groaned, A-rang charged straight into the Sahagin ranks.
A-rang swung a massive greatsword and axe, so even with the dizziness she didn't seem too hindered in a fight—but for Bok-soon, who used a ranged weapon, it was a different story.
A ranged dealer who needed to spot targets with her eyes, aim, and fire was currently reeling with vertigo.
In an instant, Bok-soon had gone from potential Siren sniper to a walking bomb who might put a bullet through an ally's skull. I pulled the swaying girl into my arms and asked,
"What's your hit rate looking like?"
"In this state, fifty percent? Ugh, everything keeps spinning—I can barely focus…!!"
"Seo-rin!"
"It is fine! Cheon A-rang and I alone can handle them! Master, stay there and continue to protect and care for Kim Bok-soon until she can snipe the Siren!"
"That fish-head bitch is so dead!!"
With that, A-rang—face twisted with pure irritation—charged into the enemy lines.