Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Star Trying to Gain Light Once More (1)
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"...Hoo."
I entered the gate and unconsciously took a deep breath, only to immediately grimace.
The Silent Dead Dungeon had been thick with gloom, reeking of rotting food waste and corpses, but it was still breathable enough.
This place? The air itself was filthy.
That sticky, repulsive sensation unique to demonic energy, clinging to the skin and gnawing at the mind.
"What a godawful stench."
As I pinched my nose and muttered, Choi Eun-ha, right beside me, did the same with a sniff— and scrunched up her face.
"Ugh~ This demonic energy is no joke, no joke at all! Even the air tastes off! Hah, but honestly, it's been a while since I've smelled demonic energy this thick."
"You've fought demons before? Wait, have you even been inside a descent-type gate?"
"Oh? Look at you. You really don't know me, do you? One of my streaming contents is gate raids. Think I haven't tackled a descent-type gate? This body of mine has even taken down a general-grade demon!"
"For real? Impressive."
Her tone was as light as ever, but her eyes were definitely in combat mode.
The bangs covering one eye swayed lightly in the demonic-energy-laced wind, revealing a glimpse of her clear, calm golden iris.
I scanned our surroundings and asked,
"You said you're a close-range S-Rank Awakener, right? What's your exact ability? What weapon do you use?"
Since I'd always reset and replay right after Wol Ha-yeon left the academy for smooth progression every time.
I had next to no info on Choi Eun-ha, the hidden character.
Most players only recruited her early on when they struggled with the heroines besides Sophia, or when they wanted to see other heroine routes, so it was no wonder.
Choi Eun-ha answered immediately.
"Ah~ My weapon's this, first off."
Thud.
She pulled a tiny metal ring from behind her waist.
A plain circular ring the size of a palm, with no decorations.
I narrowed my eyes.
"That's your weapon? Gonna roll dice or something?"
"Nope~"
Jing-lang—!
The ring unfolded.
Interlocking metal structures bloomed open like a flower.
And in just one second, a crude, hefty one-handed mace—a silver-white hammer—was gripped in Choi Eun-ha's hand beside me.
"My weapon is—"
Choi Eun-ha spun the hammer in her hand once before lightly resting it on her shoulder.
"the Terrain-Shatter Hammer! An honest-to-goodness S-Rank weapon!"
"...Wow."
Impressive that her petite frame could effortlessly lift a hammer as tall as she was.
"You really are a close-range dealer, huh? And you look seriously strong standing like that."
"Yep! The type that takes hits up front and dishes 'em back! In other words..."
She flashed a V-sign with her fingers and grinned.
"the meat shield most likely to bite it first☆"
"...Why say that so proudly?"
"Should I say it sadly then? 'I'm just a tragic tank always dying at the vanguard...' That vibe better?"
"...Sorry I asked."
Choi Eun-ha giggled.
We were chatting casually to loosen up the tension as we headed toward the source of the emanating demonic energy.
Kiiiiiek—!!!
A grating, metal-scraping sound erupted from slightly to the right of straight ahead, deep within.
The moment we heard it, we both halted simultaneously.
"...You hear that?"
Choi Eun-ha nodded slightly.
"Yeah. Just now, I sensed at least two inside the dungeon. One's definitely elite-grade. And—"
Her expression stiffened ever so slightly for the first time.
"the other's... stronger. We might've stepped in it~"
"No way... general-grade?"
"The vibe feels similar to that general-grade demon I fought before~. But I'm not certain—I've only faced one once. Still, the possibility's there."
I gritted my teeth.
'If it's real, we're totally screwed.'
Was it because I was still weak, or my magic power stat was low? I didn't know.
But spreading my Mana Sensitivity Genius and Empathic Constitution as wide as possible to gauge the enemies.
I judged both to be around the level of that elite-grade demon I'd briefly encountered in the artificial dungeon.
One of them potentially general-grade... Better play it safe.
"Alright. One more question."
"Yeah?"
"Tell me your combat style, simply. I'll match your movements. I'm holding a sword, but I'm a mage first."
"Ahem~"
Choi Eun-ha clenched her other hand into a fist and punched the air with a thwack.
"I advance. Breach, compress, shatter. Style that punches through a single point no matter what."
"...Pure aggressor."
"Right! And my unique trait is Peakbreaker Chain Strikes—each close-range hit amps up the attack power!"
My eyes widened.
"Attack power increases? No limits?"
Eun-ha held up her thumb.
"There are, duh! It only stacks on the same target! Switching resets it."
"Even that's ridiculous."
"I'll take that as a compliment♡"
Her tone was playful, but she felt utterly reliable somehow.
Thanks to the Clear Mind Retreat effect she mentioned earlier, the pressure and anxiety pressing on my chest since entering the dungeon were fading bit by bit.
Incredibly quickly, too.
I took a long breath.
"...Good. Plan's simple then."
"Yeah, hit me."
"You advance and smash. I'll support from the rear with magic and back you up."
"Got it."
"And if a general-grade pops out—"
Choi Eun-ha and I said it together.
"Overwhelm it with firepower and smash its skull!"
We stared at each other for a moment, then chuckled.
That instant.
Grooooar—!!!
"!!!!"
"!!!!"
Something indescribably massive in demonic energy erupted from the dungeon's core.
We both looked toward the burst, then turned back to lock eyes.
This was the real deal.
I quickly infused Star Mana to form a Mana Bullet, while Choi Eun-ha lowered her hammer from her shoulder.
"One thing before we fight—what's your name?"
"Kang Hyun-sol."
"Okay, Hyun-sol. You trust me, right?"
"First time meeting."
"So you don't?"
"Nah, I do."
Choi Eun-ha beamed and shouted,
"Good enough."
And we charged together.
-Kieeeek!!
Dozens of spider-like monsters charged, brimming with demonic energy.
Choi Eun-ha closed in instantly and swung her hammer down.
KABOOM—!
-Kiek!! Kieek!
The hammer pulverized the lead spider's head beyond recognition, and the shockwave that followed bisected the smaller spawn-like monsters.
"Seriously impressive? One swing wiping out dozens that look at least C-Rank."
"Told ya~ I'm strong."
Choi Eun-ha retrieved her hammer and came over to me, looking up intently.
"More importantly, you're a mage, right? Know any buff spells?"
"Buff spells? Nah, haven't learned those yet. As you know, surviving the academy means prioritizing power-ups. Practical combat magic over buffs."
"Fair... Anyway, got any support-like spells? The demonic energy's hitting harder than expected."
Choi Eun-ha thrust her hand toward my face.
I flinched at first, unsure, but up close, her fingertips were tinged dark red-black.
Demonic poisoning.
The scariest part of demons, what hunters hated fighting them most for.
"Yeah... Not even 10 minutes in, and it's already that bad? Fast. Hold on."
I spun two circles rapidly, crafting a denser, stronger protection barrier and wrapping it meticulously around her body.
"This is...?"
"Protection barrier. Mixed with my unique mana, so it'll hold off average soldier-grade demonic energy easy. But..."
I showed her my trembling hand and continued.
"I burned most of my mana earlier doing something. Adding the barrier pushed me to mana exhaustion. Can't support with spells now."
"You sure you're okay? This is plenty for me."
"I'll manage. And don't worry about shielding me—just fight. I'll handle any that stick with my sword."
"...Got it. Stick right behind me then!"
Choi Eun-ha glanced at my hand and face, then turned back, hammer raised, and started running.
I followed slowly, keeping pace.
-Kieeeek!!
"Die!! All of you!!"
Thud-KABANG—! Boom!!
Still just C-Rank level monsters, so each hammer blow mangled them beyond recognition.
Crush—!
With a shattering sound, another spider demon split in half and slammed into the ground.
"Haha! Feels great!!"
Choi Eun-ha swung her hammer lightly to shake it off and yelled.
As I followed, I analyzed the fallen monsters' forms, mana flows, and the dungeon's air currents.
"Getting the picture now."
"What?"
She asked without looking back.
Voice light, but her steps flawless.
"For soldier-grade... too many. The clustered composition, the placement."
It's not just swarming—it's deliberately delaying our approach."
"In other words."
Eun-ha slammed her hammer down with a thud, halting.
That impact alone dispersed the surrounding demonic energy momentarily.
"Boss is waiting inside?"
"Yeah."
I breathed in slowly.
And sensed the heterogeneous, stronger demonic energy mixed in the air.
"Confirmed. One elite-grade demon. And... a general-grade demon is descending."
—Groooar...!
The ground trembled violently.
A chilling shiver crawled up my spine.
Wind whipping backward.
Air pressure crushing in an instant.
"Okay~ Here we go. Right?"
The playfulness vanished from her face.
Her bangs lifted by the demonic flow, revealing her bright golden eye sparkling.
Incredibly clear and composed.
"Hyun-sol."
She called me quietly.
"...Yeah."
"From now on, don't stray a step from me. For real."
Her grip on the hammer tightened silently.
"I can't protect you from a monster swarm—you'll have to handle them solo."
"...Don't worry. I'll pull my weight."
That alone showed why this petite girl was S-Rank.
In battle, she truly took the front.
Silently.
Without hesitation.
And—
Kuoooo—!!!
From the dungeon's deepest point, a massive demonic surge echoed once more.
A stabbing sensation on the skin... no, like blades.
A gross stickiness seeping under the flesh.
Beyond elite-grade demonic energy—general-grade demons rivaling average A-Rank hunters.
If fully descended, even dozens of A-Rank hunters would struggle.
No doubt.
I slowly drew Silver Moon, and Choi Eun-ha swallowed dryly, raising her hammer.
We turned to face each other, nodded.
Silently.
Barely breathing, just one word.
"Let's go."
"Okay."
And we charged together.
Into the deeper darkness.