Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Faithful Teba
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"Not a single person can be sacrificed. If we're pushed back even a little by the monsters, we abandon the raid immediately. Safety is the absolute top priority—don't forget that. Once we enter the gate, the core members will lead from the front and push forward."
"Buffers and healers, it'll be chaotic with so many people around, but we appreciate your support."
As Han Seung-woo's words came to an end, everyone murmured among themselves while checking their assigned items and personal status.
Lee Ru-ri neatly packed the remaining supplies into her bag in one corner, steeling her resolve.
'Forget everything else—I just hope I don't have to call on Residual Shadow.'
Han Seung-woo approached Lee Ru-ri.
"Where would you feel most comfortable?"
"With this many people, I don't think I can move freely anywhere."
"Then why don't you stick with me up front?"
"You think so?"
"It'd put my mind at ease, too."
"Pardon?"
Without answering Lee Ru-ri's surprised question, Han Seung-woo shouted loudly to the guild members.
"Alright, let's move out!"
At his command, Kwon Dong-nyeon vigorously shook his shield and rallied the guild members' spirits from the lead position.
"Let's go!"
The Light Guild members slowly entered the Inex Gate.
"Teacher, there are quite a few C-rank monsters."
"How do you know?"
"Ru-ri and I scouted ahead first."
"Just C-ranks?"
"There's also an unidentified boss that seems to surpass S-rank levels."
"Be careful!"
Lee Ru-ri, who had been cautiously scanning the surroundings from behind, shouted.
"Ru-ri, what's wrong?"
"No more C-ranks! It's higher-grade monsters right away!"
"What?!"
Even as Lee Ru-ri shouted and Han Seung-woo immediately questioned her in return.
From deep within the gate, countless iron chains tipped with hooks shot toward the hunters at ferocious speeds.
[SS ― Faithful Teba: Cannot increase favorability.]
To protect Kwon Dong-nyeon, Lee Ru-ri swiftly unleashed a torrent of black rocks to block the chains, but they couldn't hold for long.
In the meantime, Kwon Dong-nyeon quickly activated his blessing.
The guild members felt their bodies lighten like feathers and desperately unleashed skills to fend off the chains.
Lee Ru-ri checked the attacking monster's information again.
'Cannot increase favorability—what the hell does that mean? And where did the C-ranks go? Why an SS-rank all of a sudden?'
One by one, guild members began suffering critical injuries from the hooks on the chains.
The buffers and healers checked the conditions of the guild members whose health had been most severely depleted.
"Anyone with serious injuries, fall back to the rear!"
Han Seung-woo shouted.
Protected by Kwon Dong-nyeon and Han Seung-woo, Lee Ru-ri continued racking her brain over how to handle this situation.
'Even if I call Residual Shadow, I can't attack a named boss like Teba. So I'd have to ask Drayger or Basila for help, but these people would be even more shocked by those two. I need to find a way—a way.'
Even deep in thought, she kept shielding Kwon Dong-nyeon from fatal blows with black rocks.
'If I can't raise favorability, it's completely disadvantageous for me. I can't protect anyone...'
The more she organized her thoughts, the bitter frustration lingered at the corners of her mouth.
―Kieeeek!
Amid the flying chains, a chilling monster's cry filled the gate interior.
Kugugugugu!
The gate interior shook violently right after.
As the tremors subsided, the space—which had resembled a normal gate with similar lighting—transformed into an entirely different realm.
"Wh-where is this?"
"Seung-woo, stay sharp. This must be the true nature of the Inex Gate phenomenon. Everyone! Fall back as far as you can!"
Lee Ru-ri shouted to Han Seung-woo and the guild members.
"Professor Kwon, come back to us too!"
At Lee Ru-ri's words, Kwon Dong-nyeon quickly backpedaled.
"Miss Ru-ri, do you know this place?"
"First time for me too, but I have a feeling. We either abandon before the monster shows itself or fight prepared to die. Those are our only two options right now."
Kwon Dong-nyeon and Han Seung-woo tensed at Lee Ru-ri's unprecedented seriousness.
'If Ru-ri's saying this much, she's already calculated we have no chance of winning.'
Lee Ru-ri's firm stance against any sacrifices.
Han Seung-woo fell into contemplation.
The despair and terror he felt from Ezzold, who had become SS-rank and burst out during the gate break.
Judging by Lee Ru-ri's reaction, the monster attacking the guild members here was on that same level.
Once the monster revealed its true form, morale would plummet, and even forcing a raid would lead to unavoidable sacrifices.
But abandoning without properly assessing the monster...
The chance to uncover the truth of the Inex Gate would hit rock bottom without even attempting.
"Seung-woo."
"Yes."
"Made your decision?"
Lee Ru-ri pressed Han Seung-woo.
"What do you think, Ru-ri?"
"If it was just you and me, we'd give it a shot, but I have no confidence protecting everyone else. It's on Keres's level—an SS-rank."
"Miss Ru-ri, did you just say SS-rank?"
"Yes. Professor Kwon, I can read monster information."
"Ho, impressive!"
Lee Sang-chun, spotting the three conversing seriously up front, hurried over.
"What's going on?"
"Sang-chun, the thing about to come out is an SS-rank monster."
"SS-rank? You don't mean like that one from the gate break?"
"Yes, exactly. So we have to choose: abandon before it shows, or fight knowing there'll be sacrifices."
The guild members, hearing Lee Ru-ri, pondered briefly.
After a short moment, A-rank healer Kim Heung-min spoke first.
"I think we should try."
B-rank swordsman Jang Ji-eon agreed with Kim Heung-min.
The guild members then leaned toward attempting the raid.
Ham Dae-hee, who had been quietly assessing the situation, examined the guild members one by one.
"Jeong-hyun, let's go to Seung-woo."
"Okay."
Lee Ru-ri asked Ham Dae-hee, who approached from the front with Yang Jeong-hyun.
"Professor Ham, what do you think?"
"Against an SS-rank monster, we can't succeed with the current guild's power levels."
Everyone's faces fell at Ham Dae-hee's words.
"But that's only if it's just us. With Ru-ri here, there might be some way to turn this around."
"Why?"
When Lee Ru-ri asked back, Ham Dae-hee whispered into her ear.
"Normal hunters' mana is blue, right? And in this space, black mana is just you, Ru-ri. But I can sense fluctuations of light mana from inside."
"Light mana?"
"I heard from a guild member. After awakening to use black mana, they encountered monsters that wield light mana. Never heard of losing to them, so it's not hopeless."
Lee Ru-ri fell into thought at Ham Dae-hee's words.
The final decision rested entirely on her.
Kugugugugu!
The gate interior shook violently again, and as the lighting shifted, the space transformed once more into a dazzling white temple.
There was no time to deliberate. The battle had already begun.
―Kieeeek!
A larger, sharper monster cry rang out than before, and the chains attacking the guild members flew even faster.
Finally, the monster hurling and swinging the chains wildly revealed itself.
Lee Ru-ri checked the monster's information once more.
[SS ― Faithful Teba: Cannot increase favorability.]
'Argh, this is driving me crazy. Why can't I raise it?'
The moment Han Seung-woo laid eyes on the monster, he felt his killing intent surge properly.
A monster with glass-like skin floating in the air, dressed in a white uniform, humanoid in form.
No hunter was unaware that humanoid monsters generally possessed high intelligence.
Why had Lee Ru-ri so firmly forced the guild members to choose between retreat or attempt?
The guild members had agreed to raid while inwardly curious.
But upon seeing the revealed monster, their expressions shifted to understanding as they blocked the chains.
They had grown accustomed enough to the chain attacks that most avoided injury now.
Teba yanked back the chains it had flung with ferocious momentum.
Then it raised both hands toward the sky before thrusting them toward the guild members.
Colorless blades hurtled at tremendous speed.
"Dodge!"
They were large, sharp glass blades.
Scattering like powder toward the clustered guild members, they left everyone defenseless.
Kwon Dong-nyeon poured all his defense into his shield, erecting a massive barrier, and the guild members maintaining the front line hurriedly sought shelter behind it.
In the interim, Lee Ru-ri pondered ways to draw Teba's attention to herself.
The bosses she'd encountered while working on favorability had mostly been immune to skills poached from lower monsters.
'Hmm, the one that had some effect was the Spear of Lamentation, maybe? Ah! If I stab it right in the chest, it'll focus on me, right?'
Lee Ru-ri swiftly slipped out from Dong-nyeon's barrier and launched a skill at Teba.
"Lamenting Spear."
Kwon Dong-nyeon and Lee Sang-chun, who had witnessed her dispatch Ezzold, instantly recognized the skill from then.
Lamenting Spear
A massive spear pierced Teba's chest.
The moment the Spear of Lamentation embedded in its chest, Teba's health dropped by 0.2 percent.
'Yes! It took damage. Not completely hopeless.'
Teba, which had been unleashing glass blades madly, paused its attack and stared fixedly at Lee Ru-ri.
'Got its attention on me perfectly.'
Lee Ru-ri took a deep breath and shouted to the guild members.
"Now! I'll hold its gaze for a bit, so quickly regroup and take it down!"
At her words, the healers focused on healing the injured guild members.
Han Seung-woo issued a few directives to the core members before dashing toward Lee Ru-ri.
"It's dangerous!"
"Forget what Keres said?"
"Th-that!"
"Its openings are faint because of the killing intent, but I can see them."
"Really?"
"The forehead. There's a small hole on its forehead. My killing intent is screaming to shatter it."
"Wow, sharp eyes! Hmm, if we target the forehead... I wonder how that haughty expression will change. Suddenly curious."
"Let's find out."
Han Seung-woo charged at Teba at incredible speed.
Lee Ru-ri created a path of black rocks behind him to ensure his attack connected.
She also deftly blocked Teba's strikes from reaching Han Seung-woo.
When Teba's gaze shifted to Han Seung-woo, she plunged the Spear of Lamentation into its chest.
When the gaze returned to her, she shielded both Han Seung-woo and herself from the barrage of glass blades with black rocks.
'Too many people to risk Leap recklessly, but we've shaved off 1 percent already. Hope's in sight.'
As Lee Ru-ri sighed in relief watching Teba's health chipped by the Spear of Lamentation, guild members began joining the offensive one by one.
'Time to get serious?'
With attacks to dodge reduced thanks to support, Han Seung-woo could dash at Teba even more nimbly.
With Lee Ru-ri and the guild members' backing, he leaped high enough to reach one of Teba's raised arms.
Teba stared at the approaching Han Seung-woo for a moment.