Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 121
Chapter Title: Part 39. The Yoo Family (3)
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"B+ Rank Underground Rift Raid" was the assignment with the highest score among all the tasks. It offered a glimpse into the practical monster-hunting tactics of the academy's top cadets this year.
The media coverage and public interest were no small matter either. Four cameras from the PR department were rolling in the stadium.
On Day 1, Yeoreum's team took first place, earning 20 points. Three teams tied with them.
On Day 2, Yeoreum claimed first again, another 20 points. This time, four teams tied. Absolute evaluation made that possible.
But Day 3 was relative ranking.
Up to now, with absolute scoring and so many ties, it was hard to predict who would claim the throne. Anything could happen—an upset was always possible.
Everyone was hoping for a miracle.
The final day's raid commenced.
Cadets set off along the two-hour raid route upon receiving the signal. Tension filled the stadium in sync with the live feed.
The broadcast cycled through each team.
Guardians and cheering cadets erupted in cheers whenever their own appeared.
"Woooaaah! The Yoooon famiiily— fighting!"
"Fighting—!"
There was a childish edge to it. The cheers turned into a battle of spirit. Shouts grew louder until the stadium floor vibrated with noise.
Winter, who had been blankly staring at the screen, startled at each roar, so the regressor covered the kid's ears. Even then, it was noisy. Winter placed his own hands over Yoo Ji-tae's.
And then, at last, Team "Yeoreum and the Idiots" appeared on screen.
"—!"
RIL's male cadets let out guttural screams.
"Woooaaah! Yoo Yeoreum!"
Gaeul seized the moment and shrieked too. Even Winter, who had been fidgeting, now tensed up and fixed on the screen.
At the center of the feed, Yeoreum was biting her lip.
Yoo Ji-tae observed their movements. Early in the raid, they moved sharply along the designated route. They struck down enemies without hesitation. Everything unfolded smoothly, just as planned.
But upon reaching the central plaza—and encountering another team—things changed abruptly.
A top-5 Japanese team veered into their path.
"Wha—what? Huh!?"
Gaeul cried out in surprise.
"Why are they blocking Unni's route?"
They had detoured noticeably just to obstruct Yeoreum's advance.
"It's a blockade."
"A blockade? Why?! We're all heading to the boss together!"
"Getting there first and landing the most hits matters."
Arriving ahead meant first contact with the boss—and securing the advantageous route. Sharing the same route was against the rules. Attacking other cadets was too.
So "Yeoreum and the Idiots" had no choice but to grudgingly seek an alternate path.
"Argh, those filthy Japs!"
The outburst came unexpectedly from Sojiro.
"Japs? That's your country."
"Guys who play that dirty... I can't claim them as fellow Japanese...?"
Yeoreum scowled.
"Shut it. Save your tongue for moving your feet faster."
"Ah, sorry...!"
It was anticipated.
The three-day boot camp had sharpened teamwork, but raid speed was another matter.
Plus, Yeoreum specialized in combat, not trap disarming or odd monsters.
This was a real raid where time was life—smashing traps would work. But as an assignment, Yeoreum had to disarm them properly.
Beyond the passage traps waited monsters.
"Front! Nine underground venom spiders!"
At Yeoreum's call, the sharp shooters snapped into combat stance. They dropped from walls and ceiling, but after two days of razor-sharp raiding, Kim Ji-in and Sojiro's senses were at their peak.
The spiders moved, blending with the dark walls. But Yeoreum lit them up with 「Fire (E)」 magic and charged into five of them.
Buying time.
In that interval, Kim Ji-in targeted a wolf-sized spider's eye with her musket. Sojiro precisely sniped another's head.
With two of four groggy, the frontliner could rampage freer. Sophia eliminated the remaining two in a flash. Yeoreum, surrounded, regained distance. At 4:5 odds, they suppressed swiftly.
By throwing herself in, Yeoreum let the party save time elsewhere in combat.
Somehow, they had to reach the boss room first.
But at the next fork.
The Yong family barely snatched the backup route.
"Hey, you bitch-ass thieves! That's our path!"
Sophia spat at the Yong clan.
"What? Loser. Should've gotten here first if you're mad."
"Yong Dan-bi! That damn n****r's black inside too?"
"So what, you dumb blonde bimbo."
They hurled slurs freely. Yong Dan-bi flipped her off; Sophia reciprocated.
The route was lost.
"Ugh, I wanna go crack their skulls."
Fuming Sophia panted heavily.
"Let's go. Fuck this."
Yeoreum grimaced, temper flaring.
The Yong family had just been a tad faster.
They resigned to yet another backup route.
To save time, same method: Yeoreum tanks, the other three finish monsters quick. After three or four such packs, the desired fork appeared.
Could luck be this bad?
The Erpan Guild barely claimed it.
"Oh, we'll go first."
"Heehee!"
Ling Ling, Jang Su-young, Zhou Luoxin—no fans of Yeoreum—dashed off giggling.
Sophia's fingertips trembled now.
"Should I just kill them? For real."
Yeoreum and the Idiots halted. All prepared backups stolen.
"Kill who? You should've cleared monsters faster."
"What? Yoo Yeoreum, you saying it's my fault?"
"Unni, then is it mine?"
Yeoreum and Sophia growled.
Sophia pointed accusingly.
"These slowpokes are the problem."
"They're always slow. You, the fast one, should've been faster."
"Pushing blame on me? You crazy?"
The tension from running and fighting deflated. Without a new path, momentum would break.
"...Over there."
Kim Ji-in spoke up abruptly.
"I actually thought about more backups... just in case."
"What?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. I tend to think negatively, so what if...?"
Panting, Kim Ji-in pulled up the hologram map and proposed a new route.
"But which one's best, I'm not sure..."
A truly risky but short path.
A less risky but longer one.
A safe but really long one.
"This way."
"Huh?"
"What do you know?"
"Follow me, Unnis~ Don't ask."
Yeoreum picked the risky short path.
Obeying, Kim Ji-in eyed Yeoreum worriedly.
Come to think of it, how many monsters had Yeoreum soloed so far?
Now visible in the rift's gloom: wounds blooming amid Yeoreum's black combat suit. Dark fabric hid the blood.
"Yeoreum, your arm..."
Yeoreum glanced, wiped blood roughly with her hand, and pressed on.
On the dangerous path, she dove deeper into fights. When monsters lunged, she barreled into them at full speed.
So tight was the pace, Sojiro tripped while running and dry-heaved.
"Yeoreum, too fast."
Sophia yelled, unable to take it.
Even she, top-tier cadet, was winded to her chin.
Only Yeoreum was fresh.
"Gotta go like this or we're late, bitch."
"Then how do we beat the boss? Can't you see everyone's exhausted?"
Kim Ji-in stopped, hands on knees, gasping. Drool unnoticed, breathing ragged.
"So what?"
"Huh?"
"Just rest? Sit?"
"Not that, but."
"Then follow and shut the fuck up!"
"Hey."
Then Sophia glared seriously.
"Why talk like that?"
"What?"
"Team's 'Yeoreum and the Idiots.' You really think you're the boss?"
Yeoreum turned to face her.
"Then? Got another way? Tank last place? Knife other kids' backs?"
Yeoreum didn't back down. As stunned Sojiro and Kim Ji-in watched.
Yeoreum extended a fist. Sophia met it.
"Rock-paper-scissors."
Yeoreum threw rock. Sophia, scissors.
A pre-set conflict resolver from training.
"So, who's boss?"
"......"
"Whooo~?"
"Argh, just go!"
Yeoreum smirked and bolted. Sophia swallowed her feelings and followed carefully.
Not the time to bicker.
But the effort paid off.
After twists and turns, "Yeoreum and the Idiots" reached the boss room first.
"Huff huff."
"Urgh..."
All exhausted. Sojiro leaned on the wall retching. Kim Ji-in clutched her forehead, collapsing from anemia.
No time to rest long. Others would arrive soon.
Only one path to the boss room.
"See, Unni? Listen to the boss, and we get here first."
"...Yeah."
"But snapping at me? Wanna die?"
Sophia sighed, shaking her head.
"Not mad at you. Those jerks passing us pissed me off."
"Sure."
"For real. If going, just go. Why rub it in? Psychos."
Yeoreum pioneered trash-talk here, but who cared?
Others' attitudes suck; ours feel good. Sophia knew that.
"Hm..."
Listening quietly, Yeoreum seemed struck by an idea.
She turned to scout the boss room cave. Suddenly stood bolt upright.
"What's up?"
"......"
Yeoreum blankly eyed ceiling, then floor.
"Block the path...?"
She murmured.
One way to boss room.
Block it, and all others suck their thumbs.
Then, footsteps echoed from afar.
"Hey! Everyone up!"
"Huh?"
"Into the boss room! Hurry!"
As they entered, Yeoreum gripped her artifact sword two-handed.
「Heartbeat」
「Kal-Gulakwa Combat Style」 Engaged
Her heart pounded massively.
Normally she'd conserve, but as a dragon, Yeoreum summoned all her 'fire-attribute mana'.
"「Plundering Flame」"
⟨ Dragonfire Breath ⟩
She ignited dragonflame like breath toward the cave ceiling—blood-red blaze consuming mana.
As teammates startled, Yeoreum swung her flame-coated sword at the ceiling.
Kaboom!
A massive explosion. The boss room cave ceiling crumbled.
Sophia realized and shrieked in thrill.
"You genius?!"
Shouts from the other side. Definitely that bitch Yong Dan-bi.
Yeoreum had sealed the only path.
"Kyahaha! Insane!"
Sophia cackled like a witch.
But Yeoreum didn't laugh.
As Sophia's laughter faded, realizing she alone did.
"Ha. Ha. Ha...?"
Unlike Sophia, Kim Ji-in and Sojiro panicked at the sudden turn.
At raid start, Yeoreum had offhandedly said, "Shall we four take the boss?" Sophia replied, "That'd be legendary. Everyone else wrecked." They laughed then, thinking joke.
"Everyone ready?"
Sophia caught on a beat late.
"Wha—hey, Yoo Yeoreum! That was a joke, ri—"
Her words cut off. Yeoreum dashed into the plaza, foot snapping a taut spiderweb.
"Oh god, that crazy bitch...!"
Sophia's wail signaled it.
Rumble...!
The entire underground rift shook.
Kim Ji-in and Sojiro gripped weapons tighter. Sophia stood beside Yeoreum.
High in the plaza, four pairs of red eyes gleamed.
Boss. Spider Queen.
5.5m tall, 10m long. Bigger than a dump truck. Its head bore a human-like upper body—save eight red eyes.
The colossal spider dropped from the ceiling before Yeoreum.
Thud!
Human torso on spider chest. Red eyes on that head glared at Yeoreum.
Tiny figure before the giant monster. Red hair fluttered in the wind.
Yeoreum slowly licked her upper lip.