Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Star Seeking Light Once More (2)
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The deeper we ventured into the dungeon, the thicker the darkness grew.
Unlike the smooth stone floor we'd traversed so far, the ground now sank slightly with every step.
A sticky sensation, like demonic energy had congealed into mud, clung to our feet.
Every breath stung my bronchial tubes, affected by the demonic energy.
"This seems to be the real entrance from here on."
Eun-ha spoke as she slightly raised her hammer.
I nodded and narrowed my field of vision.
Extending the Empathic Constitution trait, I sensed something crawling up from a crack in the rock face to the front-right, emitting a piercing sound.
Scritch—scritch-scritch—!
Not a spider.
Long breastplate, broadly split chest, scythe-like forelegs. The sound of saw teeth gnawing at the rock surface.
Six fake eyes resembling milky white spikes embedded where real eyes should be.
"Mantis... no, more precisely, Serrated Death Spirit Mantis... and there are quite a few."
Serrated Death Spirit Mantis, one of the common insect-type monsters found in B-Rank gates.
However, unlike ordinary insect-type B-Rank monsters, these had been corrupted by demonic energy, granting their bodies neurotoxin and demonic corrosion effects.
In terms of rank alone, they were B-Rank close to A-Rank.
"Hyun-sol."
Eun-ha stepped forward, gripping her hammer tightly.
"I'll take the right, you take the left. We'll draw aggro on each other and attack."
"Got it."
-Kyaaak!!
The first one lunged at waist height toward me.
I used the fourth form of Flowing Sword to parry its scythe and sweep it aside.
Kagagak—!
A sound like metal scraping metal. Seizing the moment it lost balance from the deflection, I twisted my toe half a step and thrust my sword into the joint near its neck.
Puk—!
Of course, it wasn't major damage.
But I'd succeeded in making that one individual focus solely on me.
"Nice one?"
Eun-ha smirked, one eye covered, and activated Peak-Shattering Barrage.
The hammer vibrated briefly.
First strike.
Bam—!!!
Another mantis charging head-on folded in half from the upper body and stuck to the floor.
Cracks spread across the ground.
Second strike. Eun-ha lowered her body, spun, and smashed the hammer into the mantis's side.
Demonic blood like molten metal splattered everywhere.
Three. The hammer head slammed into its torso once more, and the sound of internal bone fragments crumbling rose up.
The attack power amplification of Peak-Shattering Barrage skyrocketed with each successive strike.
In just three hits, she'd instantly slain a near-A-Rank monster—one infused with demonic energy.
"Behind you!"
The moment I shouted, Eun-ha's hammer whipped back like a rewind, striking the empty air behind her.
Thud—!
Two mantises slammed into the ground simultaneously.
The third one coming at her was mine to handle.
-Kieeeek!!
I slipped between its joints, then sliced at the joint with my sword lightly coated in starlight mana.
Kagak—!
"...Hoo, tough bastards."
Due to mana exhaustion, my physical abilities were lower than usual.
Mana was still scraping the bottom.
Not even 5% recovered yet.
"You okay?"
"Manageable."
"Alright, let's move fast!"
After successfully clearing all the mantises, we caught our breath briefly and pushed deeper inside.
The ground's viscosity grew stickier, and the demonic patterns on the walls gleamed like red metal.
Those markings signified the 'Binding Ring' phase of a descent-type gate.
From here, we couldn't stop moving.
The moment we did, demonic energy would coil around our ankles and aim for our hearts.
-Kirrrrk...!
A pack of chain lizards crawled up from ahead.
Their tongue whips lashed at the rocks, sparking.
Jet-black lightning, as expected—they were thoroughly corrupted by demonic energy.
"I'll bind them, so finish them quick."
I extended my left hand, forming a rope of starlight mana to briefly tie down their tongue whips.
"Okay! Confirmed!"
Eun-ha swiftly wrapped aura around the hammer's head and charged at them.
Fourth strike, then reset to first.
The first chain lizard's jaws flattened.
Fifth. Sixth.
Sliding sideways for consecutive hits.
The hammer found its rhythm.
Thud, thud, thud! The shockwaves gradually intensified.
I provided minimal support from behind.
Shrinking mana bullets to the smallest size to minimize consumption, I only swatted away stray fragments of demonic energy heading toward Eun-ha.
"Nice, nice~! Got the beat!"
Eun-ha's breathing grew a bit ragged, but her eyes sharpened clearer.
-Krrrk...
"One more popping out from the left wall!!"
"Got it!!"
Eun-ha swung her hammer up without even turning.
Low, very low. Scraping the floor in a circle.
Seventh. The accumulated power on the hammer's side fully loaded, lifting the butcher's jaw.
Its head exploded like fireworks, and it vanished as soon as it appeared.
"Done!"
Eun-ha flashed a V-sign from the center of the scattered chain lizard and butcher corpses, looking at me.
I gave her a light thumbs-up in return.
"You fight really well. Why transfer into the academy? You could've ranked in the top 5 as a regular freshman."
"Well~ I prefer gaining real combat experience and chatting with viewers through streams over academy lectures."
"Fair enough. Everyone has their preferences. Speaking of streams, wonder if your viewers reported it for you?"
"Hmm~ Probably? My streams attract guild reps and foreign scouts. They send me recruitment messages all the time!"
"Must be exhausting. Anyway, good they reported it."
I glanced around, confirming the demonic energy here was a bit lighter.
Then I plopped down, taking a deep breath in and out.
"Hoo... But even if reported, will support come?"
"...Dunno. It's a descent-type gate, so the entrance might've already sealed. Probably association agents and the seven great guild masters waiting when we clear and exit~"
Eun-ha giggled as she continued.
"Honestly, I'm more curious why you're so calm and composed than whether support comes."
"Why?"
"Just~ A mere academy student—not even a licensed hunter—facing a demon, an elite-rank one at that. You're calmer than expected~ Ah! Are you a senior? Fourth-year maybe? That'd make sense. Should I call you oppa then?"
"No, didn't I say earlier? I'm a first-year freshman."
"Eek~ Really?"
Upon hearing my age, Eun-ha sat plop next to me with disbelieving eyes, staring at my face.
Then she nodded slightly as if convinced.
"Yeah, your face is so pretty and clean. Good-looking!! Not the face of a fourth-year who's been through hell."
"...That's a compliment, right?"
"Probably? Wait, so a first-year showing this level of mental fortitude?"
"Well, I've been through a lot."
Of course, in the game.
Experiencing demonic energy and risking life for real felt inhuman.
Having to do this daily starting sophomore year... terrifying just thinking about it.
"Eh~ You don't look that seasoned. Twenty? Repeat applicant?"
"Twenty, yeah. But repeats are old-school. These days, fail Korean academy entrance, you just go to China, US, or Europe."
"Really? Didn't know. Never had to look into it since I couldn't fail."
Eun-ha sprawled on my barrier like a sleeping bag, gazing at the pitch-black sky.
I hesitated briefly, then lay roughly beside her, staring at the same sky.
"So gloomy. Why do these creepy bastards love black so much?"
"Right? Curious... but it's insanely thick."
"Yeah... This elite-rank one's pretty strong even among its peers?"
Demons' demonic energy grew denser with strength.
And descent-type gates manifested the owner's domain directly onto the present world, Earth, so the environment itself was heavily influenced by the owner's demonic energy.
A sky this black, sucking in even light...
Meant an elite-rank demon on the verge of lord-rank was descending.
'On the verge of lord... Could've gained one more overwhelming force, yet summoning an elite-rank like this...'
Elite-ranks could descend almost unrestricted by worldly constraints—the strongest demons capable.
In hunter terms, strength of dozens of A-Ranks.
But one question lingered.
Why hadn't anyone noticed a gate and demon of this level right in central Seoul?
And why descend in this borderline state instead of securing S-Rank hunter-level power for lord promotion?
Of course, until I confirmed its identity or a system alert appeared, there was nothing I could do—and I knew that well.
I took another deep breath and looked at Eun-ha lying beside me.
"How long till we move?"
"Hm... Ten minutes?"
"That long?"
"Yeah. I'm fine, but you need to recover some mana first."
"...Fair point."
An elite-rank demon on the verge of lord.
No matter how strong Eun-ha was, she'd struggle in a 1v1.
Plus, there was an elite-level demon too. While she handled the elite-rank, I'd have to draw aggro from the other.
Otherwise, we both die.
So Eun-ha, knowing that best, suggested rest.
'Haa... Should I just buy one.'
I could recover mana right now, actually.
Not fully, but at least half.
I had the system shop.
One mid-grade mana recovery potion would restore over 50% immediately.
But I'd held off buying potions, relying on natural recovery—simple reason.
They were fucking expensive.
Shake my tail at Ji-an, get dozens of high-grade ones free.
Shop charged 500 SP for one mid-grade.
Held off till now, but...
'Gotta buy now. One slip and we're dead.'
I decided to purchase a potion.
Would you like to purchase a Mid-Grade Mana Recovery Potion? (Price: 500 SP)
'...Yeah.'
Purchase completed. Item has been sent to your inventory. Thank you for your purchase.
'...'
Haa... Even in game playthroughs, I never bought potions...
I swallowed tears inwardly, pulled a mana recovery potion from my inventory, and downed it.
Then I glanced at Eun-ha's face as she blankly stared at the sky.
Swallowing more tears, I bought another item from the shop.
Would you like to purchase a High-Grade Stamina Recovery Potion? (Price: 1500 SP)
'Fuck, 1500... No, this is an investment. Investment for survival.'
Purchase completed. Item has been sent to your inventory. Thank you for your purchase.
I pulled the potion bottle filled with orchid-pink liquid from my inventory and handed it to Eun-ha.
"Hey, drink this. High-Grade Stamina Recovery Potion."
"Huh? You had potions?"
"I'm a mage, right? Forgot the mana ones, but this was in my subspace."
"Then you drink it! It has some mana recovery effect too, right?"
"Nah, I'll recover naturally as much as I can. Gotta manage our party's main firepower—your condition."
As I held out the bottle, Eun-ha stared at my face with an odd expression before carefully taking it.
"Thanks. I was feeling a bit fatigued."
"Sure. Drink up and please save my life."
"Don't worry~ I'll protect you!"