Chapter 22
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Possibilities and Choices
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Jun hated relying on luck.
It had been that way in the life he'd lived as 'Lee Jung-jun,' and it was the same in the life he now led as Jun—the circumstances were just too harsh to leave anything to chance.
In most situations, Jun had lived a life far removed from fortune.
But this time, had luck finally sided with him?
He couldn't see behind him, but on instinct, Jun twisted his body just enough to barely avoid a vital spot.
Even so, excruciating pain pierced through his mind, causing him to lose consciousness against his will.
Exploring the dungeon with the frail body of a mage, pushing himself into overheat states multiple times—it had all taken its toll, and Jun's body had already reached its limit.
No amount of recovery potions could erase mental fatigue, so that single strike from the Plant Undead was more than enough to shatter his already frayed mind.
Crackle—
When he opened his eyes to a warm glow, the first thing he saw was a crimson light from the fire.
"Mm......"
"Ah, Mage-nim!"
The voice fully roused Jun's consciousness.
"......Where is this?"
"Phew! You're finally awake!"
Looking toward the voice, Jun saw Luke sitting by the bed where he lay.
"What's the situation?"
"Whoa, you wake up and that's the first thing you ask?"
"This isn't the time to relax."
"Mm. Sorry. Everything worked out fine, luckily. As soon as the Plant Warg went down, we hopped on the warp gate and got back. The rescue team's all good too."
"I see...... We got lucky."
As he let out a brief sigh of relief, he felt eyes on him and looked up to find Luke staring with a complicated expression.
"......"
"What's up?"
"Just...... curious about something."
"No idea what could have you so curious."
"Haha, maybe you're right. I've gotten nagged by Lucy plenty of times to curb my curiosity."
"So, what is it?"
"Well...... Why'd you ignore the undead behind you and cast your spell at the Warg?"
Jun almost thought Luke was joking, but swallowing a hollow laugh at his serious expression, he opened his mouth.
"Because that was the only way we had a shot at surviving."
"A shot at surviving?"
"If I hadn't killed the Plant Warg right there, the only future left was the worst-case scenario."
Jun slowly explained the outcome he'd predicted.
The adventurers' formation had already been shattered by the undead rising from the ground.
The Warg was poised to strike Lucy, and even as a level 3 adventurer, her gear was only level 2 quality.
Taking a hit from the Warg would mean certain death.
Clearing the undead would require accepting at least a third of their forces as casualties.
Forget whether they could even kill the Warg with those numbers— even if they did, subjugating the Forest Guardian afterward would be outright impossible.
Of course, that would lead to a total party kill.
It was a conclusion he'd reached back when he first encountered this world as 'Lee Jung-jun' in the game, getting wiped dozens of times by the Forest Guardian as a newbie.
"On the other hand, if I could handle one undead alone and take down the Plant Warg, that was a net gain."
"......You didn't think we might kill you instead, Mage-nim?"
"Of course, I couldn't rule that out entirely."
To Azure Cloud, Jun was one of the reasons their plan had fallen apart. They undoubtedly harbored resentment toward him.
But from the adventurers' perspective, killing him would be the worst of the worst options.
Jun had already shared what he knew with all the mercenaries, becoming—at least superficially—their unifying force. Killing Jun could shatter that unity.
Even if they somehow pushed through, the mercenaries' morale in the Forest Guardian battle would be at rock bottom.
They'd surely suspect foul play in Jun's death.
"In the end, if I don't kill the Warg, my death is guaranteed. But if I do, you guys have the option to spare me."
Of course, Jun hadn't gambled purely on the adventurers' humanity.
He'd simply had only two choices, and bet on the one with even a sliver of survival odds.
"It was a calculated risk."
"I see...... That's why you said we got lucky."
"That's part of it. But seriously, why are you so curious about this?"
Even back when they entered the Corpse Flower Dungeon, Jun couldn't fathom why Luke kept asking questions like this.
"Just curious. How you made that call in that moment. And...... I wanted to say thanks."
The Plant Warg had clearly targeted his twin sister, Lucy, in its final moments.
Remembering that, Luke gave a wry smile and headed out of the tent.
Jun watched his retreating back for a moment before pulling himself together and stepping outside.
Fortunately, his condition wasn't too bad.
'One of the few ways this world beats modern society is potions.'
Potions that would be hailed as miracle drugs in the modern world.
Of course, side effects varied wildly by quality, but the one Luke had given him was a high-grade intermediate potion.
Thanks to even a short nap, his body felt a bit lighter as he stepped out.
"Sunbae!!"
Aiden had finally returned.
The returning Aiden looked much the same as before, except for one thing.
His weapon had changed.
He'd set aside his old iron sword, and in its place hung a deep gray blade.
"You made it back safe."
"Yes! Are you okay, Sunbae? I just got here and......"
Aiden's eyes wavered in panic at the sight of bandages wrapped around Jun's chest.
"Eh, a lot happened while you were gone."
It was hard to believe so much had unfolded in just one day.
And with barely any sleep to boot.
"That much while I was away...... Was it bad?!"
"No issues with moving around."
His internal injuries weren't fully healed, but since Jun wasn't on the front lines, this would suffice.
"So, what happened to you?"
"Ah, I......"
Aiden explained how, trapped in the barrier, he'd met a beastkin who introduced himself as Pride, commander of the Herlint Knights, in a vision.
And how he'd gained enlightenment from the trial Pride had set.
"It was...... a truly mystical experience."
It wasn't just moving his body or listening to teachings.
It felt like Pride's experiences themselves had seeped into him, Aiden said, sharing his feelings from that moment.
'Okay. He got a skill too. And a solid weapon.'
The sword Aiden carried was called the Fortune Light Sword, forged from Fortune Light Stone.
'6-tier gear that's also unique-grade— that's the big one.'
6-tier equipment was solid enough for mid-game. Unique-grade pushed it to near 5.5-tier performance.
'Great versatility too. Warriors really are the noob-friendly class.'
Higher-tier gear was usually useless for low-level warriors due to lack of proficiency.
Pearls before swine, basically. But not this Fortune Light Sword.
Its exceptional mana conductivity made it beloved by mana-starved warriors, and despite its light weight, it was tougher than steel.
'That's why it's recommended for warrior newbies. Grab this one sword early, and you're set through mid-to-late game.'
Of course, late-game offered better mana options and alternatives, so it wasn't endgame viable, but...
'Unique-grade gear doesn't duplicate on dungeon resets, so high rarity value.'
It'd fetch a premium when upgrading later.
Aiden was walking the textbook path every warrior player dreamed of.
'My party member growing like this is great news.'
With a new skill and 6-tier gear that's hard to even glimpse at his level, Aiden wouldn't need major investments for a while.
'Still, his armor needs work......'
But first, they had to survive.
So the two headed straight to the tent of the rescued assault team.
With so many, some were even receiving treatment outside.
The healer who'd taken Jun's advice earlier was treating adventurers in much the same way.
"Ah, you're here? Mage-nim."
Having treated the vice-captain with Jun's help and led the successful rescue under his command, the healer's face lit up warmly at Jun's arrival.
"How are the others?"
"Luckily, aside from drained life force, no major issues."
"Good. Inside?"
"The priest is treating the executives."
"Priest, huh......"
An NPC-only class unavailable to players in-game.
Given the healer's Ariklotos holy water, likely a priest from the same order.
Sure enough, following the healer inside revealed a woman treating Azure Cloud's executives.
'She looks unusual.'
Unlike her pure white robes, the priestess wore a black eyepatch over her eyes, emanating a faint holy glow.
'Mystical vibe.'
It felt like gods truly existed in this world.
'No clue if my arrival here ties to those gods.'
Anyway.
'Oh......'
Her healing skills matched her striking appearance—exceptional.
The Fairy Queen's curse resisted even holy water.
Most priests struggled with it, but her holy power was steadily dissolving it.
The patients' improved states spoke volumes of her prowess.
"Lady Eleanor."
At the healer's call, the priestess finished her work and turned.
"This is the mage I mentioned."
"Ah. You?"
Unlike her holy demeanor, she eyed Jun with a rough tone before pausing her treatment.
"You look pretty unique."
"......? That's what I was gonna say."
"Is it? Great minds, then. Anyway, thanks. I heard the story. You saved innocent lives...... Ah, these guys aren't innocent. Whatever, you saved who you could."
"Treatment progress?"
"You rescued them at the right time—no major issues. Another half-day of life drain, and they'd be goners. I would've been too. Thanks again, on that note."
Eleanor seemed in better shape than the others.
"Not conscious yet? Combat-ready soon?"
"They'll wake soon. Putting them under for treatment. Combat...... Sigh. Tough, but possible. Not peak condition, though."
"That's enough. They want to live too."
"......Yeah, who doesn't?"
"Keep treating, then. Time's tight—they need to be up within the hour."
"Harsh, but I'll do my best."
A priestess wielding that much holy power wouldn't bluff.
Reassured, Jun and Aiden stepped out.
Waiting for them were crowds of mercenaries—and Colton in the midst.
Colton stepped forward first.
"Hey, mage! You're safe. Heard you got hurt mid-op."
"Still sore, but I can fight. You guys?"
"We offloaded the danger to you lot— just some light wounds."
"Good news."
"We were about to gather for a strategy meeting. Glad you're here, mage."
Things were going somewhat to plan, so the mercenaries saw survival potential?
Their edge seemed dulled from before.
Jun accepted Colton's suggestion to keep momentum.
"Sure. Short one till the assault team's up."
They gathered in the meeting tent, ironing out plans with growing resolve.
A structure was forming around Jun when—
Water was thrown on the meeting.
"Mage?"
Benjamin Bristone.
The raid leader eyed Jun with clear displeasure.