Chapter 344: Yggdrasil (3-52)
I asked in a frantic voice.
'How much time is left!?'
[1 minute 40 seconds remaining... Estimated to be connected to the cave where Su-ho is now.]
Even though it was a cave on the other side, the fact that it was connected let me truly grasp just how massively those hole stems had spread out.
But that realization did nothing to resolve the desperate situation we were facing right now.
Min Hayeon couldn't burrow deeper into the hole, nor could she climb out of it.
This was a real brush with death.
As I racked my brain like a madman trying to figure out what to do, three women approached from behind and quietly asked me.
"What's going on?"
"Thank goodness it's not over here. I thought berserk mode meant it'd go rampaging or something?"
"…."
I fell silent, and Han Bom tilted her head, asking again.
"Mister? What's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"…Hayeon seems to be in danger."
I explained the situation as best I could within my limits.
I told them how the Cerberus was blocking a hole where someone was trapped inside, preventing them from escaping, and guessed who might be in there.
"Ah, no way. It could just be pissed off or something."
"No. Even in berserk mode, there's no way it'd dig at a hole for no reason."
"B-but it might not be my sister!?"
"If we go by groups right now, there's a high chance Hayeon's in there."
"It could be a hole that's been there longer! No! It might not be my sister!"
Han Bom started rambling, justifying her flimsy thread of hope.
But right now, I didn't have the luxury to indulge her whining.
"What if it is Hayeon? And there's less than a minute left, just like us?"
"Th-that's…."
Han Bom suddenly started sniffling, as if visualizing what I'd said.
Instead of her reply, urgent voices from Park Jin-hee and Park Seon-hee rang out.
"If that's the case, what do we do?"
"We don't have much time left either."
"…."
It was a do-or-die moment.
Sacrificing Min Hayeon's group over there wouldn't save us.
Our position was the farthest from the exit.
And the Cerberus between us and the exit was busy sealing off Min Hayeon's group's hole.
To reach the exit, we'd have to pass the Cerberus no matter what.
Its focus had sharpened in berserk mode, but its field of vision had narrowed.
The two women who asked me were probably thinking it: we could sneak past behind it….
Since it was zeroed in on Min Hayeon's group right in front of it, the odds of it noticing someone slipping by from behind were low.
But neither of them voiced that idea.
"…."
"…."
They just waited silently for my word, for the decision.
In those few seconds—feeling like an eternity—I laid out my dilemma to the three of them.
Short, blunt, straight to the point.
Park Seon-hee and Park Jin-hee stared at me with wide, rabbit-like eyes in stunned silence, while Han Bom started throwing a fit.
"No way! That's insane!"
"But it's the only way."
"No! I absolutely won't agree to this! If someone's gotta do it, it should be me! I mean, anyway—!"
To cut off what was clearly coming next from her mouth, I cast Sleep on her in that instant.
She'd undoubtedly have brought up regression right after.
I had to stop that.
"You'll wake up and it'll all be over."
"M-Mister…."
I caught her collapsing body and held her steady.
At the same moment, an orange gem appeared above my head and began slowly rotating.
Ignoring the warning gem, I handed Han Bom to Park Jin-hee.
"Take care of Han Bom."
"…You can make it back alive, right?"
My plan would guarantee their safety to a degree.
But guaranteeing their safety meant my actions were that much more suicidal.
After passing Han Bom to Park Jin-hee, I smiled and said,
"Yeah. You promised to buy me a meal. I always keep my promises."
"…I'll trust you."
Park Jin-hee gave a hollow smile, hoisted Han Bom onto her back, and nodded.
Park Seon-hee stuck close to her side, gazing at me with desperate eyes.
No more time to waste.
A few seconds' delay could mean Min Hayeon's death—or in the worst case, things could spiral and all three women here could die too.
"Go!"
I bolted out of the hole and sprinted at full speed.
Not toward the exit.
'Armonia, if anything goes wrong on either side, I'm counting on you!'
[Understood!]
After sprinting about a hundred meters, I spun around, and Armonia summoned a bow and arrow for me.
The bow I held wasn't the crappy wooden one I'd used before—it was the standard-issue bow from the embassy for cadets.
No need to worry about prying eyes now, and no situation to even care about them.
All I could think was: save everyone.
'Basic level 1 shot first!'
I nocked a Superconductor Arrow onto the bow Armonia made and fired at the Cerberus's head.
Twaaaang!
The arrow's path left a thin yellow streak, followed by a deafening whoosh.
And at the impact point….
Splaaaat!
Kyaaaaaaaang!!!!
A scream even louder than my arrow ripped through the cave, threatening to bring it down.
My shot had nailed the left head's temple out of the three.
Seeing the arrow lodged there drove home the gap between me and the Cerberus.
The arrow in its head looked like a mere splinter on a human—tiny.
But just like a human would get pissed at a wood chip, the berserk Cerberus twisted into a furious snarl and whipped its head toward me.
Now our eyes finally locked.
Drooling green saliva, hellfire blazing across its body.
Oddly, the side heads had their eyes closed, save for the center one glaring at me.
The center head reared back and let out a massive howl.
Awoooooooo!!!!
'Good. It's reacting!'
The ultimate way to aggro any living thing.
The two women who'd asked me earlier were probably thinking it: sneak past behind the Cerberus….
'Hit 'em in the head, and anyone's gonna be pissed.'
They say you don't even hit your parents—your creators—in the head.
The Cerberus charged at me, ignoring the hole right next to it.
'Yes! It's working!'
Sensing the effect, I fired another level 1 Superconductor Arrow.
Kyaaaaaaaak!!!
"Wh-what was that?"
"…."
Min Hayeon and Son Hye-eun.
The two stared blankly out of their deeply dug hole, bewildered.
The Cerberus, which had been tearing into their hole to kill them moments ago, suddenly screamed and bolted off somewhere else like a shot.
Even in this grim situation where collapse loomed, they couldn't wrap their heads around it.
But regardless of understanding, Min Hayeon whipped around with a fury she'd never shown before and chewed out Han Yeoreum.
"Hey, Han Yeoreum. Are you insane?"
"It-it was a mistake. A mistake, I said."
"What? That was a mistake?"
The three had been quietly moving through the cave until just before.
Then, as they neared the visible exit, the berserk alert hit, and Min Hayeon and Son Hye-eun cautiously peeked out with desperate hearts.
They spotted the exit and the Cerberus.
Min Hayeon got the Cerberus; Son Hye-eun, the exit.
The hole they peeked from was right between the two.
A once-in-a-lifetime chance.
The Cerberus growled and scanned around, oblivious to them.
Min Hayeon steadied her breath and whispered,
(Thank goodness. No idea why, but berserk mode narrowed its vision.)
(Then let's just quietly head to the exit.)
Perfect.
The best choice as the cave crumbled.
Until one second ago.
Kwang!
(Kkwaaaak!)
(….)
(….)
Frozen, Min Hayeon and Son Hye-eun didn't even glance at Han Yeoreum as she tripped—what had happened?—and silently prayed it would pass.
But hope repaid them with illusion after just one second.
Keeeaak! Kyaaaaak!!!
All three beast heads roared in unison and charged straight for their hole.
But they got another chance. Thinking they'd die, they survived by luck.
The Cerberus suddenly dashed off elsewhere.
"Han Yeoreum… we'll talk outside."
"It was a m-mistake…."
Min Hayeon glared at her with utter contempt she'd never shown before.
She'd been angry at cheating, at stupid antics—but this life-or-death blunder dragged up a deep-seated loathing from the abyss of her heart.
Beside her, Son Hye-eun urgently whispered,
"H-Hayeon. Let's go for now. This might be our last chance!"
"But… something's off…."
It wasn't unsafe that held Min Hayeon back.
The beast was far off now.
No feints in berserk—she trusted that.
Another reason kept her rooted.
What was that? That sound earlier… I swear I heard it before….
As Min Hayeon pondered and stepped out—
"Hayeon!"
"Hye-eun!!"
"Huh!? Jin-hee and Seon-hee!?"
Outside, party members rushed toward them.
Min Hayeon flinched but dismissed it—no hallucinations left.
And she spotted the figure slumped on Park Jin-hee's back, eyes closed.
"Bom!"
Min Hayeon rushed to Park Jin-hee carrying Han Bom, worried, but Park Jin-hee yelled as she approached,
"Hayeon! Bom's fine! Just passed out! Run—now!"
"Wh-where?"
"Where else? The exit! Hurry!"
"Ah!"
Everyone nodded at Park Jin-hee's urgency and followed her.
A massive crimson door loomed.
Could humans even budge something that huge?
But mid-run, Min Hayeon sensed something wrong.
She pulled alongside Park Jin-hee and asked,
"Wait! Wh-where's Su-ho?"
"…."
"You haven't seen him? Then you all go first! I'll search till the end—"
"This isn't the time!"
Park Jin-hee had deliberately skipped explaining.
She figured it'd be like with Han Bom.
The moment she explained, Min Hayeon would lose it and insist on saving Seong Su-ho.
As Park Jin-hee pondered how to explain—
Kwaaaang! Kyaaaaak! Kkieeek! Twaaaang! Kwaaaang!
Unheard beast roars mixed with out-of-place cannon fire echoed through the cave.
Min Hayeon stared blankly at the distant Cerberus's back and the sounds, lost in thought for a split second.
Wait… that sound earlier….
She'd definitely heard it.
The cannon-like arrow whizzing by.
The yellow light that saved her.
The one who fired it.
One person flashed in her mind.
"Su-ho!? Is Su-ho out there right now!?"
"W-well…."
"What!? You left him behind!?"
"Hayeon! I'll explain later! Getting out is priority!"
"I'm not going! I'm saving Su-ho! You can't win that thing!"
Park Jin-hee hesitated.
Su-ho definitely wants Hayeon to escape fast. But how….
While she agonized, Min Hayeon pulled her cherished bow from inventory and shouted,
"You all go! I'll help him now!"
"Hey, Min Hayeon!"
In the awkward standoff, one voice alone scolded her.
"You think going now changes anything?"
"What!?"
"It's a goner anyway! You'll just die pointlessly!"
"Let go! Let me go!!"
Min Hayeon caught it for a split second.
Han Yeoreum's smirk….
This bitch is planning to regress upstairs and change the checkpoint! Better kill her here!
In that dangerous impulse, as she raised her bow to truly shoot Han Yeoreum—
Thwack!
A dull thud, and Min Hayeon toppled.
Behind her stood Son Hye-eun, spear in hand.
"Hye-eun… why…."
"I'll apologize once we're out."
The orange gem above Son Hye-eun's head reminded her of her action.
I'm sorry, Hayeon. I get how you feel. But… I can't let the one who saved me die here.
Even if it turned to hatred, Son Hye-eun would've chosen the same.
She hoisted the unconscious Min Hayeon and yelled,
"Now—let's go!"