Trusting the Parasite
A mass the size of a house. It was shaped like a toad, its entire body crusted in lava and black rock. The creature’s maw gaped wide, revealing the searing, crimson heat boiling within its gut.
“Kruaaaaaaar!!”
The entire cave shuddered from that single roar. Even drawing breath was agony; the heat scorched my lungs without mercy. It was a pressure I hadn't felt once during the tutorial. An ordinary person would have had their legs give out the moment they laid eyes on it. But not me.
‘I wonder how much experience I’ll get if I take that thing down.’
I swallowed the saliva pooling in my mouth and tightened my grip on my shortsword. The intense heat vibrated through the air. I didn't know when the beast would lunge.
“Lee Seol-ah, keep your head straight. Right no—”
The moment I opened my mouth to address her, a dazed sound came from behind me.
“Uh...?”
Puzzled, I turned my head, but her gaze wasn't fixed on the monster. She was staring at empty air.
“What are you doing? Get back if you don’t want to get hurt.”
“N-no, Si-woo. Look there...”
Lee Seol-ah pointed a trembling finger in front of her. But I saw nothing. Only the red veins of the cave walls pulsed in the dim light.
“What is it? Speak up.”
“Just now... a strange notification popped up in front of my eyes.”
Lee Seol-ah gulped hard. She stammered as she read the text floating in the void.
“A notification? What does it say?”
“‘Someone is intervening, someone is watching you, someone wishes to convey something to you.’”
“...What?”
A dry laugh escaped my lips. Someone. That damn someone. Weren't they the same bastards who blocked my path when I fought the Goblin Shaman? They’d been so eager to screw me over and get in my way, yet—
‘They want to convey something to her?’
I was so dumbfounded I couldn't even speak. It was blatant favoritism.
“S-Si-woo, what do I do? The letters keep flickering...”
Lee Seol-ah fidgeted, glancing at me nervously. I smirked, still holding my shortsword.
“Go on, ask for it. I’m curious what they’re trying to give you.”
“What? Ah, but it could be a trap...”
“Just take it. Who knows? If you don’t, they might get petty and drop a meteor on our heads.”
Lee Seol-ah flinched at my cynical reply. Then, as if she’d made up her mind, she parted her lips toward the empty air.
“P-please... give it to me.”
Her voice was dazed and barely a whisper. At that moment—
[Someone is pleased with Lee Seol-ah's choice.]
I could see it. The message was perfectly visible to me, too.
‘I don’t know what their criteria are for this.’
Simultaneously, a soft golden light began to coalesce in the air. A moment later, a worn piece of parchment dropped into her two hands.
“What is that?”
“Uh... that, well...”
Lee Seol-ah stammered, looking flustered as she unfurled the scroll. There was no need to wait for her to explain. My own Spoiler window had already appeared.
◈ Effect: Instantly teleports the user to the last designated base.
◈ Current Designated Base: Konkuk University Entrance Station Exit 3 Safe Zone
‘A Return Scroll?’
I let out a dry laugh after reading the description. Incredible timing. An incredible item. ‘It’s obviously an absurd effect, so they’re saying they’ll save only her and send her back because it’s dangerous here?’ Whoever it was, they were certainly dedicated. One guy gives me the finger, and another goes crazy trying to save Lee Seol-ah. It’s a total mess.
“Well? Do you want to go back?” I looked down at Lee Seol-ah with a crooked gaze.
“What? Ah... no...!! Of course not!!” She waved her hands frantically, horrified.
“I-I really don’t plan on going! I said I’d earn my keep here! I’ll just... throw this away... no, wait, I’ll just stuff it in my pocket, just in case!”
Look at her changing her tune. She shoved the scroll into her pocket in a panic. I gave a light scoff and turned my head toward the front.
“Keep it safe. Use it if you really feel like you’re going to die.”
“I won’t tear it! I told you I trust you, Si-woo!”
No sooner had that trivial conversation ended than—
“Kruaaaaaaar..!!”
The Burnt Maw’s massive cry vibrated through the air again. It seemed the beast had no intention of waiting any longer. The boiling lava lake churned, and the area beneath the monster’s jaw began to swell.
[Burnt Maw / Status: Rage / Let's burn them all to death...]
[Next Action: In 2 seconds, casts omnidirectional lava breath within a 20-meter radius.]
The Spoiler window flashed red, blaring a warning. ‘A 20-meter radius? What kind of range is...’ I immediately calculated a path to retreat. But there was nowhere safe to go. The magma that had overflowed when the beast appeared had reduced the safe terrain. The floor had turned into a series of boiling lava pools.
That was when it happened.
“Si-woo! Dodge!”
Lee Seol-ah’s sharp shout rang out. The panting, exhausted look was gone. Her eyes were scanning the plaza with a strange glint.
“Don’t go toward 3 o’clock! That rock is red right now!”
Simultaneously, the beast opened its maw. Crimson lava sprayed out, scattering in all directions.
— Kwooooooo!!
Flames rained down like a storm. Through it all, Lee Seol-ah’s voice continued to guide me.
“7 o’clock! Jump onto the pitch-black rock at 7 o’clock! That spot is safe!”
Her eyes were seeing everything. She was only level 4, yet the Explorer trait was incredible.
I kicked off the ground and launched myself onto the rock. — Splat! The spot where I’d been standing just a moment ago and the rock at 3 o’clock were swallowed by lava. The heat felt like it was burning my spine. But there was no time to rest.
[Burnt Maw / In 1 second, slams left foreleg to trigger a seismic wave.]
“Si-woo! The floor is cracking! Leap to the pillar at 11 o’clock! Step on it and jump straight to the stalactite at 2 o’clock!”
I soared exactly along the path she called out. I stepped on the stone pillar at 11 o’clock, kicked off the wall, and clung to the stalactite at 2 o’clock.
— BOOM!!!
The floor split, and a pillar of magma shot upward. It was an acrobatic feat, narrowly passing through the massive flames. It was the perfect route.
‘This parasite...’
The corners of my mouth curled up before I could stop them. There was a reason Choi Kang-min was looking for her. In the first timeline, she had clearly been a help.
“Good job!” I shouted loudly. Lee Seol-ah, huddled in a safe zone far away, beamed.
“See! I told you I didn’t plan on going back!”
“Kruuuuuur..!!”
Perhaps because all its attacks had missed, the Burnt Maw roared in fury and began to swell its body again. I launched myself into the air, gripping my shortsword tightly.
“Lee Seol-ah, next!”
Her urgent shout followed.
“The back!! That spot leading from the neck to the back!!! There should be a weak point there!!!”
“Confirmed.”
I kicked off the wall and rushed toward the beast. Simultaneously, the ability of the shortsword in my hand activated.
— Vwooom!
“Blood-Red Trajectory.”
Something subtly drained from my body. Crimson sword energy rose above the blade like a heat haze. The beast tried to lift its head, but it was already too late.
“Found it!”
Between the neck and the back. There, I saw the only crack in the rock-like hide.
I didn’t hesitate. Putting my full weight behind it, I drove the shortsword in.
— Squelch!!!
“Kruaaaaaaar!!!”
A cry of agony shook the entire dome. From the jagged wound, boiling blood sprayed in all directions. The blood that hit the stone floor sent up acrid smoke. The stone floor began to melt.
Special effect activated. Restores a small amount of health.
I kicked off the beast’s back, performed a mid-air flip, and landed on the ground. The blood that had transferred onto the shortsword washed away my fatigue. It was a perfect critical hit.
— Bang! Kwoooong!
“Kruuuuuur...!!!”
The Burnt Maw groaned and slammed its massive foreleg into the ground. Stones poured down from the cave ceiling. A single strike. The damage seemed sufficient to break the beast’s sanity.
— Kwooooooo!
The Burnt Maw’s massive body, still leaking blood, began to swell. Simultaneously, its maw gaped wide. The surrounding lava lake created a massive vortex, and the lava was sucked into the monster’s mouth. It was a strange phenomenon, as if the temperature of the plaza had dropped in an instant. The Spoiler window flashed like crazy.
[Burnt Maw / Status: Reached Critical Point / I will burn you all to death]
[Next Action: In 5 seconds, detonates internal mana core to emit a cryogenic magma breath within a 30-meter radius.]
“...Magma breath? Cryogenic?”
Not high heat, but cryogenic. I couldn't even imagine the power. “Lee Seol-ah! What do I do now!”
At my shout, she yelled back urgently.
“The center! Jump right under the Burnt Maw! That’s the blind spot where the monster’s mana doesn’t reach!”
“And!”
“Its belly will be exposed!!! Attack that side!”
Lee Seol-ah shouted and retreated backward. It looked like she was trying to get out of the breath’s range. The beast’s maw gaped wide.
— Crack!
I didn’t hesitate to kick off the ground. The earth dented, and my body shot toward the opponent. Acceleration from 30 Agility. There was only one goal: the monster’s jaw.
— Vwoooong!
Inside the fully opened mouth, the lava, on the verge of explosion, pulsed. But I didn’t care. I would be faster than whatever it was about to unleash. The distance was only a few steps. The shortsword in my hand would perfectly pierce the enemy’s belly.
“Blood-Red Surge.”
The red sword energy shimmered. Confident of victory, I gripped the hilt tightly. ‘This is the end...’
It was that very moment. In the silence where time seemed to have stopped—
— Zzzzzing!
Dyeing my vision red, a sinister text appeared in the air.
Until that damn text appeared in front of my eyes.
[Someone is intervening.]
[Someone is forcibly manipulating the Burnt Maw’s cognitive abilities.]
[The Burnt Maw will fire the breath no matter what.]
“...Crazy.”
Cognitive abilities? Forced manipulation? There wasn't even time for a dry laugh. The beast’s maw turned rapidly. It bypassed my head and aimed precisely at where Lee Seol-ah was standing.
‘Will fire the breath no matter what.’
Malicious interference. Which bastard was it this time that didn't like me?
— Vwoooong!
Something was about to emerge from the Burnt Maw’s gut. I had to choose. If I kept digging in and stabbed the shortsword in, the beast would die. That must be why that damn someone had appeared. The problem was, if I did that, Lee Seol-ah would die, too.
‘Ha...’
An F-grade trait. A parasite. It shouldn't have mattered if she lived or died. No, it shouldn't have mattered.
[Actually, I... I don’t have parents.]
[I’ve never had a family...]
[Hehe, right? I told you to trust me.]
But then, why.
“Ah... fuck, seriously!!!!”
My body was faster than my reason. I kicked off the ground and spun around. Lee Seol-ah’s face came into view. The expression that had clearly been terrified was now forcing a smile after seeing me.
“Gyaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
— Crack!
My knee ligaments screamed at the cost of defying inertia. But there was no time to stop.
“Don’t you dare give up!!!”
I tore through the air and grabbed her waist with enough force to break it. At the same time, I rolled across the floor and threw myself behind the nearest rock. In that split second—
— Kwooooooo!!!
A terrifying sound of air being torn apart erupted behind my back. The sensation of the world’s colors freezing white. The boiling lava, the sulfur gas that had been hitting us—everything instantly froze, emitting white frost, and shattered.
And then—
“Ugh...!”
My right arm, which I hadn't been able to hide in time. The cryogenic breath grazed the arm that had been wrapped around Lee Seol-ah’s head.
“G, Gyaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
Extreme agony, as if my flesh were burning away. My skin tissue froze rapidly. The blood in my veins expanded, and my blood vessels burst.
The nerves in your right arm are beginning to necrose.
Muscle strength in the affected area is limited to 50%.
My vision flashed white. Should I be grateful that it was still attached? Lee Seol-ah, who had been held tightly in my arms, opened her eyes.
“S, Si-woo...! Your, your arm... the blood...!”
She screamed with a face turned deathly pale. My right arm was covered in frost, dripping dark red blood. The pain was suffocating. Even in that situation, my eyes were fixed only on the Burnt Maw.
“Shut up. You’re hurting my ears.”
I gritted my teeth and pushed her away. The pain felt like it was stabbing my brain, but I couldn't waste time now.
[Burnt Maw / Status: Exhausted / Vulnerable for 5 seconds after breath emission.]
The Burnt Maw’s massive body was shriveled and gasping. Only gray smoke leaked weakly from between its jaws. Five seconds. That was the time I had left.
‘My right arm won’t move.’
Just as I was about to move the shortsword to my left hand—
— Vwooom!
The blood flowing from my right arm soaked the hilt of the shortsword. Instantly, the blade began to thrash violently.
[The Blood-Demon’s Bone Shortsword craves its master’s deep blood.]
[Special effect, ‘Blood-Red Trajectory’ breaks its limits and goes berserk!]
“...What, so there’s no law saying I have to die?”
Sword energy, incomparable to before, surged above the blade. I gripped the hilt of the shortsword with my left hand until it felt like it would break.
“Where’s the last spot, Lee Seol-ah?”
At my question, Lee Seol-ah snapped to attention. Her eyes pierced through the gasping Burnt Maw.
“The mouth... inside the roof of the mouth! There’s a crimson core in the deepest part!”
The moment her words burst out, I kicked off the ground without hesitation.
“Trusting you, parasite.”
— Kwoooong!
My body shot out like a cannonball. A trajectory cutting through the wind. However, my vision flashed violently while I was crossing the air.
‘Ugh...!’
Was it the cold and excessive blood loss starting from my right arm? It must have been draining my stamina. My body felt as heavy as lead.
“Do you think... do you think I’m going to collapse?”
If I were, I wouldn't have made it this far. I forced my right hand toward the sky to give a middle finger. ‘Status Window.’
The reserve I’d kept for an unforeseen variable.
‘All into Stamina.’
I poured all the stats in without hesitation.
[Stamina increases by 3.]
At that moment, my heart thrashed violently again. Hot heat circulated, activating my stiffening muscles.
“So, who...”
My body, having gained acceleration, reached right in front of the beast. The beast’s mouth was empty. Deep inside, the core Lee Seol-ah mentioned was pulsing. I gripped the berserk shortsword with both hands. And with all my strength, I drove it down toward that spot.
“...told you to only mess with me!!!”
— Kwooooooo-crack!!!
The blood-red trajectory pierced through to the beast’s brain in one go. The hard skull split from the sword energy erupting from within.
“K, Kuck... Kruuuu...”
A wheezing groan. The monster’s massive body froze in the air. Soon after, the light in its eyes faded completely.
— Kwoooooooong!!!
The Burnt Maw’s carcass crashed onto the lake with a roar. Debris sprayed in all directions. I stepped on the beast’s nose, exhaling a rough breath as I landed.
— Ding! Ding! Ding!
[You have defeated the Boss Monster ‘Burnt Maw’!]
[Dungeon First Discovery Buff! Experience gained is doubled.]
[You have gained massive experience.]
[6 bonus stat points have been awarded.]
Level-up notifications filled my vision. “...So annoying, seriously.” The words, spoken to no one in particular, echoed in the empty cave.