Chapter 448: Flag Search (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 448: Flag Search (3)
“Hah, hah, hah...!”
Wi Ryeong-ah ran without looking back.
She nearly tripped on tree roots several times, but each time, she miraculously managed to regain her balance.
But she had no time to feel relieved by such minor luck.
Her breath was already catching in her throat, and her legs were trembling so precariously it wouldn't have been strange if they gave out at any moment.
Wi Ryeong-ah frantically looked around.
‘Wh-where should I go?’
She wanted to head straight for the city, but finding her way in the dark forest was next to impossible.
Of course, she could summon a ghost to find the path easily, but the hunter chasing her relentlessly didn't allow for such an opening.
Ting—
[The ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ is watching you.]
[The ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ inflicts ‘Mark of the Hunt (B-)’ upon you.]
[The second effect of ‘Mark of the Hunt (B-)’ activates.]
[The target’s field of vision narrows.]
“N-no...!!”
Wi Ryeong-ah cried out desperately at the message that appeared before her.
But her plea was nothing more than an empty echo.
Her vision slowly darkened. Her already limited sight narrowed even further, making it difficult to distinguish objects right in front of her.
In a forest filled with all sorts of obstacles, her pace naturally had to slow.
“Sob, sob...!”
Finally, Wi Ryeong-ah burst into tears.
For her, who had been squeezing out every last drop of her spiritual power to the point her dantian ached just to use her footwork, this was a truly desperate situation.
A cultivator who had reached a high realm could cross several kilometers in an instant with the Shrinking the Ground Technique, but Wi Ryeong-ah's footwork was still at a beginner's level.
Even so, her innate talent alone had allowed her to traverse the complex, maze-like forest.
But now that she couldn't even see properly, running without hesitation like before was out of the question.
“Grrrrr...!!”
The growl of a beast brushed past her ear.
Even without turning back, even if she didn't want to, she couldn't help but feel the massive, unidentified beast drawing closer.
Wi Ryeong-ah’s face turned noticeably pale.
With not even a speck of hope in sight, what was tightening around her neck wasn't her depleted stamina and spiritual power, but the message that had appeared in the corner of her vision.
Ting—
[The first effect of ‘Mark of the Hunt (B-)’ activates.]
[The target’s location is constantly revealed.]
Wi Ryeong-ah had used talismans to erase her scent and tracks, trying to hide herself somehow, but every attempt had ended in failure.
It was because of the mark's effect.
As if mocking her desperate struggles, the mark was relaying her location to the monster in real time.
‘Why in the world is an Avatar of a Constellation in a mere 5th-floor test...!!’
Wi Ryeong-ah was so overwhelmed with indignation she couldn't finish her thought.
As the screen before her showed, the being chasing her was none other than an Avatar of a Constellation.
Of course, since it was a lower floor, it was likely a lesser divinity, but even so, an Avatar of a Constellation was nothing short of a disaster for a low-floor player.
‘I know the test difficulty spikes every five floors, but isn't this too much...?!!’
Thud—
At that moment, Wi Ryeong-ah tripped on a tree root jutting out from the ground.
“Kyaaak?!!”
To make matters worse, it was a slope, and she tumbled down the hill in an instant, crashing into trees and rocks along the way.
Finally coming to a stop after colliding with a tree, Wi Ryeong-ah trembled faintly. She was a complete mess, with barely an uninjured spot on her body.
Even though she had formed a Lotus Core and gained physical abilities surpassing an ordinary person, she had exhausted all her spiritual power by forcing her footwork and summoning ghosts to fend off the Constellation. She had no strength left to cushion the impact.
“Ugh, ugh...!!”
Her whole body ached, and her vision was blurry.
Despite it all, Wi Ryeong-ah gritted her teeth and forced herself up.
There was no time to lie on the ground.
‘I can't... die in a place like this...!’
A powerful will to survive flared in Wi Ryeong-ah’s eyes.
Like a bonfire illuminating the dark forest.
The Heavenly Fated Ghost Soul Body was a constitution specialized in dealing with the dead.
For her, who could be called a master of the dead, to be burning with such a desperate attachment to life was truly the height of contradiction.
In that instant, a small enlightenment suddenly came to her.
She felt like she instinctively knew how to summon ghosts and how to wield her Yin Cold Willpower/Energy.
Naturally, the boundary between life and death within her blurred even further.
A newfound confidence washed over her; she felt she could summon even stronger ghosts now.
But there was no time to rejoice.
“Grrrrr...”
Having barely gotten to her feet, a low growl reached her ears, and Wi Ryeong-ah realized one thing.
If she looked up now, she would meet the eyes of the beast that was after her life.
Death, which she could no longer evade or ignore, was right before her.
Her spiritual power was depleted, making it impossible to summon a ghost, and she had no items that would have any meaningful effect against an Avatar of a Constellation.
Thump—
Faced with this dire situation, Wi Ryeong-ah finally collapsed. No matter how she thought about it, she could see no way to survive.
Immediately after, the ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ descended from a tree and stood before her.
As if to mock the trembling Wi Ryeong-ah, who was slumped on the ground, the beast twisted its lips into a blatant sneer.
It was not a bear, a wolf, or a tiger.
It had a bizarre and grotesque appearance, as if drawn from a child's imagination.
When the beast opened its maw, she could see rows of grotesque, sharp teeth packed tightly all the way to the back of its palate.
The horrifying sight sent shivers down her spine.
The ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ seemed to enjoy her reaction. Unlike when it had torn off Eumjin's arm, it approached her slowly with a leisurely gait, as if it were out for a stroll.
The beast's goal was not predation.
Like other Constellations, it desired only amusement.
“G-get away!!”
Whoosh!
Wi Ryeong-ah threw whatever rocks and branches she could grab.
Naturally, it had no effect.
Ting—
[The ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ scoffs at you.]
[The ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ tells you not to worry.]
[The ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ says it prefers to eat the limbs first, so you won't die right away.]
The moment she read the message, the image of herself being eaten alive, limb by limb, flashed through her mind.
“S-save m—”
Before Wi Ryeong-ah could finish her words, the ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ opened its jaws wide and lunged at her.
In that instant, time slowed down.
Memories of her past flashed through her mind like a panorama.
As she recalled her past, a pearl-like tear silently trickled down her cheek.
In the end, there was no salvation.
—Or so she thought.
Deeeeng—!
A strange bell sound echoed through the dark forest.
It was an ordinary bell sound, the kind one could hear anywhere.
“Kuaaaaargh!!!”
But the ‘Nightmare of Southern France’ suddenly began to convulse, thrashing about as if having a seizure, before quickly fleeing into the undergrowth.
Faced with this incomprehensible sight, Wi Ryeong-ah could only sit on the ground, bewildered.
The reality of her survival hadn't even sunk in yet; she just stared blankly into the air, blinking.
But that too was brief.
Rustle—
“?!!”
Wi Ryeong-ah’s eyes widened at the presence she felt from beyond the bushes.
The fear and anxiety that the beast might have returned crushed her entire body.
Her mind screamed at her to run, but her body refused to obey.
‘Please, please...!!’
Grit—
She bit her lip so hard that a stream of crimson blood trickled down.
But to the current Wi Ryeong-ah, that was a minor detail. She crawled on the ground, trying to escape.
A single, primal human instinct—the will to survive—was what moved her.
But her efforts were futile.
She was far too slow.
Knowing this all too well, Wi Ryeong-ah’s vision blurred once more as tears welled up and obscured her sight.
In that time, the presence from the bushes drew right up to her.
Wi Ryeong-ah held her breath, staring in that direction with tense eyes.
“Letting a Constellation loose in a 5th-floor test... No matter how I think about it, they can't be in their right mind.”
“...Huh?”
But at the sound of a human voice, Wi Ryeong-ah’s eyes widened in spite of herself, a flicker of hope in them.
Rustle—
Soon, someone emerged from the bushes.
“Oh, you seem to be okay.”
“Y-you’re...”
It was a familiar face.
It was the man whose eyes she had briefly met in the central plaza.
Though she was certain that was the first time she had ever seen him, at this moment, nothing could have been more welcoming.
A wave of immense relief washed over her, and Wi Ryeong-ah’s tense shoulders slumped powerlessly.
Seeing the small bell in his hand, she quickly pieced together the situation.
She immediately bowed her head respectfully.
But since she was crawling on the ground, she unintentionally ended up in a full prostration.
“Thank you for saving me. I will definitely repay this debt—”
“Are you going to stay like that?”
“...Pardon?”
Kang Hyun-woo extended a hand toward her.
“That monster will be back soon.”
“?!!”
Terrified by his words, Wi Ryeong-ah instinctively reached out to grab his hand.
“Ah, right.”
“Kyaa?!”
But at that moment, Kang Hyun-woo snatched his hand away.
Thump—
Because of that, Wi Ryeong-ah fell flat on her face.
“Sorry about that. I have my reasons, but I'm not supposed to touch women.”
“...”
Lying face down on the ground, Wi Ryeong-ah looked up at Kang Hyun-woo with an expression that seemed to say, ‘What kind of jerk is this?’
She wanted to snap back at him, but remembering that he was her savior, she exercised her patience.
*
When the test began, I was transported to a forest about five kilometers from the city's south gate.
It was quite a distance to the mine in the north, so rather than hunting magical beasts, I focused on quickly crossing the forest.
It was then, as I was getting closer to the mine...
‘...What's that?’
I spotted a woman being chased by an unidentified beast in the dark forest.
It was a familiar face.
It was the female Daoist from Boundless Heaven Sect, the only one who had noticed my gaze in the central plaza.
I immediately spread my qi sense to survey the area, but I couldn't feel the presence of any other Daoists.
She was alone.
‘...Were they wiped out? No, that can't be right.’
After observing the situation for a moment, I couldn't help but be taken aback.
The monster I had thought was an ordinary magical beast was actually an Avatar of a Constellation.
I never imagined something like that would pop out in a 5th-floor test, so I was left speechless.
Fortunately, it was clearly weaker than the serpent I had faced in the tower's underground.
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to help her.
It definitely wasn't because of her face.
Ting—
[Activating ‘Incomplete Moon's Eye’.]
[Name: Wi Ryeong-ah]
[Age: 22]
[Contracted Constellation: Monarch of the Underworld]
[Affiliation: Boundless Heaven Sect (滿天宗)]
[Authority: -]
[Exclusive Trait: Heavenly Fated Ghost Soul Body (S)]
[Exclusive Skill: Ghost Spirit Eye (B-)]
[Traits: Ghost Soul Spirit King's Path (C-), Ghost Slaying Incantation (D)]
[Skill: Yin Spirit Steps (D-)]
‘...This is insane.’
These were the stats of a player who had just reached the 5th floor.
A dry laugh escaped my lips before I knew it.
Now I understood why a major clan like Boundless Heaven Sect would go so far as to send down a mid-floor player to help her grow so quickly.
Of course, Sister Serin also had an S-rank exclusive trait, but she hadn't contracted with a Constellation yet.
But this woman, Wi Ryeong-ah, had already completed a contract with one.
Judging by the grand title ‘Monarch of the Underworld,’ it was definitely not a lesser divinity.
I wanted to recruit her for my clan, but that was impossible.
Instead, I could save her life, making her indebted to me and building a connection at the same time.
Holding the ‘Priest's Bell that Repels Beasts’ I'd received from the Administrator, I followed after Wi Ryeong-ah.
And in the end, I succeeded in rescuing her.
But there was one problem.
“...Um, Miss Wi Ryeong-ah?”
I turned my head to look at her, who was following me while tightly gripping the hem of my clothes.
“Th-this much should be okay...! A-and I can't see very well right now...”
“...”
I fell silent at her trembling voice.
The sight of her looking around with a terrified expression was truly pitiful.
Because of that, I couldn't bring myself to coldly push her away.
Fortunately, Ishtar showed no particular reaction.
It seemed this much was within the acceptable range.
