Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Liar (5)
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Two sets of irregular footsteps echoed through the empty darkness.
If you listened closely, you could hear lively voices.
"This time wasn't really my fault, right? But when we get back, she's definitely going to nag me about it."
"Why?"
"She always warned me to prepare for emergencies because you never know what might happen with people. She told me to carry the biggest water canteen possible and pack three days' worth of emergency rations. I followed her advice at first because I felt bad ignoring it... but honestly, how am I supposed to carry all that heavy stuff?"
"Hm."
"It's never been a problem before. Not this time either. If it was my mistake, I'd admit it. But this was totally unfair."
"That's true."
"And yet she'll nitpick everything? 'See, I told you so.' Stuff like that. Ugh... I'm so sick of it."
Jin Seohyun grumbled in complaint, but an unmistakable hint of amusement seeped through her words.
She seemed to have overcome her fear by now—no trace of trembling remained.
Her arm swung in time with her heightened emotions.
And in that hand, she gripped someone else's.
My arm just naturally swung along with hers.
"...But maybe we could sleep on it and talk after we wake up? No joke, I feel like I could fall asleep the second I close my eyes..."
Voices drifted over.
While my focus slipped for a moment, their conversation barreled on without me.
Ah, was it my turn to reply now?
I tossed in some appropriate affirmations, and it must have hit the mark.
Jin Seohyun picked up right where she left off.
"...So... I told him... really..."
Voices again.
But now, I could barely make out the words.
I needed to respond.
Too focused on my steps to speak.
"———"
Was that a voice?
The sounds faded endlessly, leaving me behind.
So quiet. Why were my eyelids so heavy?
I couldn't fight the overwhelming drowsiness any longer and finally gave in.
Just a quick nap, then we'll move. It's not that urgent, right?
"—Mister!"
That shout yanked my sinking mind back to the surface.
I opened my eyes to find Jin Seohyun right there.
How had she gotten so close? Her hands cradled my face.
"Half a day? You couldn't even last half a day!"
Our noses nearly brushed. The emotions welling in her eyes were painfully clear.
Only then did I fully snap awake.
I'd just nearly died.
"...Sorry. How long have we been walking?"
"We got here ages ago!"
I turned my head slightly, taking in the surroundings.
Grayish-white pillars stood in disarray.
It matched the location I'd described to her.
But how had she known? She couldn't have seen it.
A faint question flickered through my mind as I turned back, but it went no further.
The emotion swelling in Jin Seohyun's eyes had spilled over as teardrops.
"If it was hard, you should have said something... Why didn't you say anything? Were you hoping I'd have to carry your corpse back? Huh...?"
If she'd just yelled, I could've apologized until she calmed down. But facing a girl shedding tears like this, I had no idea what to do.
I blurted out whatever came to mind.
"I'm really sorry. From now on, if it's tough, I'll tell you right away. I promise I won't die on you."
Maybe she sensed my sincerity from how desperately I rubbed my hands together, on the verge of kneeling.
Her sniffles gradually subsided.
"...No more recovery potions?"
I almost said I only had one, but stopped myself.
Her expression said she couldn't handle that.
"I held one back because it seemed wasteful..."
"Take it out and drink it."
I rummaged through my pouch, grabbed the first thing that came to hand, and downed it in one go.
Only then did relief flicker across Jin Seohyun's face.
...Here's hoping for a placebo effect.
While she composed herself, I checked the time.
We'd arrived right on schedule. Even if it opened a bit early, the timing wouldn't be off.
Accounting for margin of error, the entrance should open within ten minutes.
Now that I focused, my mana was completely depleted.
It must have run out on the way here.
Fortunately, we hadn't run into any monsters yet.
It'd be great if we could slip out the moment the entrance opened... but things probably wouldn't go that smoothly.
An entrance linking to the outside would draw attention for sure. Monsters would swarm it immediately.
And rushing straight out wouldn't be easy either.
I knew it would open somewhere nearby, but not the exact spot.
It was certain not to appear too far off.
But... in the worst case, it could pop up hundreds of meters away.
All we could do was pray it didn't.
"Mister. How's your body feeling now?"
Jin Seohyun's question, now fully composed.
It had been close earlier, but not quite life-or-death.
I could hold out until escape.
No need to act tough after coming this far, so I answered honestly.
"I can endure, but... I don't think I can walk on my own anymore. You'll have to support me."
"Got it."
Jin Seohyun accepted calmly.
Maybe she figured conversation would tire me out—after that, she fell silent.
Silence stretched on for a few minutes.
A scream like scraping metal shattered the quiet.
Kiiiiiieeee!
Jin Seohyun grimaced in disgust.
I wasn't much different. It was the kind of sound that triggered pure instinctual revulsion.
A faint groan escaped my lips.
A scream meant it wasn't far off.
...This escape might be tougher than expected.
And a few more minutes passed.
—Kkigigigik!
Dissonance rang through the air.
"Mister."
"Yeah."
I stood with my reply.
My legs buckled midway from weakness, but Jin Seohyun grabbed my arm, keeping me from falling.
Space contracted and twisted around us, then tore open.
The tiny crack expanded relentlessly. What started as a mere point grew large enough to swallow a person before finally halting.
Light leaked from the hole, illuminating the Endless Abyss.
The entrance had opened.
We started walking. With Jin Seohyun supporting me, our pace wasn't fast.
About a hundred meters to go.
Slow, but without issues, we'd make it in time.
But with this much commotion...
No way it'd go smoothly.
Dudududududu!
Countless footsteps thundered from all directions.
I scanned around without slowing. The light spilling from the passage revealed everything clearly.
Hundreds of monsters already in sight.
And more poured from the darkness by the dozens every moment, unsatisfied with that number.
Far more hopeless than I'd imagined.
I swallowed hard without thinking.
"Don't worry—just look ahead."
Jin Seohyun's face, when I glanced back, showed no trace of concern.
She'd have to block that horde alone. How could she stay so calm? That much confidence?
No. A faint tremor ran through her body against mine.
Jin Seohyun had simply steeled her resolve.
"I'll keep my promise."
Promise? I furrowed my brow, then my mouth fell open as it hit me.
The one line she'd spat while snatching the potion from me.
'Even if a meteor falls, I'll protect you.'
"...You weren't kidding?"
No answer. But her expression said it all.
"Alright."
I fixed my gaze ahead.
"I trust you."
Halfway to the entrance.
About 50 meters in, the vanguard reached us.
Claws, fangs, tails—every weapon lunged forward.
Their sharpness made the outcome easy to picture.
A wolf targeted my nape with razor fangs, leaping at bullet speed.
Kwaaang!
It burst into a spray of blood at that velocity. Barely enough to dent the force field enveloping us.
And more 'accidents' followed.
Not a single drop crossed the barrier, merely staining our view red.
Even that was fleeting. A light gesture from Jin Seohyun, and the field shed the blood, pristine once more.
How many collisions? After shaking off the blood three times, no more impacts came.
The monsters had learned from the vanguard's end, spotting the force field.
They slowed, launching ranged attacks our way.
Tung! Tuwoong!
Not enough to shatter it. But more threatening than simple charges, clearly.
"You okay?"
Jin Seohyun gave a small nod without replying. I could tell she wasn't. Her strained face and shorter strides were proof enough.
But I didn't ask twice.
She'd promised to protect me.
So I trusted her.
About 30 meters to the entrance.
Fuzzy figures appeared beyond.
Too bright to make out shapes clearly. But mouths flapping our way—probably yelling for us to hurry.
We trudged step by painful step toward it.
Kiiiiieeeeeee!
But a chilling scream made us falter.
A mountain stood where it came from.
A colossal mountain of flesh.
The Endless Abyss's signature monster: 'Moving Pile of Corpses.'
It grew by devouring bodies, its strength scaling with size.
And heading our way was a mountain made of corpses.
No need to think. That scale meant S-rank for sure.
15 meters to the entrance.
So close. But at this rate, the corpse mountain would hit first.
No special abilities—just brute size.
But size rivaling a mountain? Even a simple collision would spell disaster.
An A-rank like Jin Seohyun could never block it.
She knew the situation as well as I did.
While deflecting countless attacks with her force field, she dragged me along one grueling step at a time.
I couldn't bear to look at her and bowed my head.
If I weren't dead weight... maybe she could make it alone.
"...Don't."
Her trembling voice lifted my gaze.
She'd guessed my thoughts.
She pressed down on my arm over her shoulder, as if refusing to let go no matter what.
"Trust me."
Countless doubts flashed by, but I chose faith.
I raised my head and looked ahead again.
Now I could make out faces on the other side.
Nam Soyul's first—face twisted toward the entrance, sweat pouring down.
She was forcibly holding the narrowing gate shut with her power.
5 meters to go.
Just a few steps.
—Kung!
But the corpse mountain loomed right before us.
It reared up for the strike.
I simply closed my eyes.
And the mountain descended.
—Kuwung!
Yet one step later, we were still walking.
How?
Eyes snapping open, I looked around.
The pile of corpses hovered directly above us.
It had tried to crush us flat and failed.
The force field held.
One more step.
I glanced at Jin Seohyun with wide eyes.
Her face pale, a thin trickle of blood at her mouth.
But she'd blocked it.
An attack no A-rank could block.
"You... when did you..."
Another step.
Jin Seohyun's quivering lips tugged into the faintest smile.
"...Promise."
She kept it, in a voice so faint I barely heard.
One more step.
"Ha...!"
A sigh escaped me—lament or admiration, I couldn't tell.
The final step.
Crossing from darkness into light, I had no choice but to admit it.
Jin Seohyun... had really stopped a meteor.