Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Nightmare Fog Cleared
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“Phew.”
A battle with Lee Seo-jun? I hadn’t even considered it.
I wondered how he’d come at me.
I was staring at Lee Seo-jun, tension coiling through me, when it happened.
Lee Seo-jun grinned at me, then thrust his sword into his own heart.
“Huh? Wh-what? What are you doing?”
Blood trickled down Lee Seo-jun’s chest. He coughed up blood and collapsed.
“...Huh?”
The darkness vanished.
The fog enveloping me cleared too. Rain pattered down as we returned to the space we’d been in moments ago.
Beside me lay Choi Seo-yoon, crumpled on the ground, her face twisted in terror and agony. But I was still grappling with disbelief at the situation.
What just happened?
I’d won the battle against the nightmare without even fighting.
Compared to the nightmares other characters from the original story had faced, this was absurdly easy.
“...What the hell.”
It hit me all at once what the fog had tried to show me.
My greatest fear.
Lee Seo-jun’s death.
“Damn.”
A chill raced over my skin, goosebumps prickling up.
In pitch-black darkness.
A voice filled with hatred echoed. It was a familiar voice I’d heard in the past.
Hatred toward my father. Rage toward his child.
People shedding tears of anguish appeared. Faces I recognized—those who had attacked my father with deep resentment and grudges.
When Choi Seo-yoon recalled childhood memories with her father, these were the only ones that surfaced.
Walking together, only to be ambushed. Facing harsh blame from strangers, living in constant anxiety over unpredictable attacks and criticism.
But Choi Seo-yoon couldn’t feel anger or enmity toward those who attacked the Choi family.
Their faces were always shrouded in sorrow and pain.
-I’ll hate you forever.
-Save them!
Choi Seo-yoon stepped back. Tears streaming, countless people shambled toward her like zombies.
Their voices grew increasingly eerie. Panicking, she conjured magic.
Not her usual sharp, vivid ice spear, but a crude lump of ice.
This spell reflected her mental state.
Proof that it had drained a massive amount of imagination and mental strength to manifest.
Choi Seo-yoon thrust out her hand and unleashed the spell.
Shwooo! Thud!
One person struck by the magic collapsed. Lacking a spear’s sharpness, it only caused a bruise.
Then the people suddenly clustered together. Flesh fused, morphing into a single form.
Multiple faces, arms, and legs on one body.
Horrified by the grotesque sight, Choi Seo-yoon trembled and retreated further.
-...Choi Seo-yoon!
In that instant, a voice rang out from somewhere. It echoed as if speaking directly into her mind.
But lost in panic, Choi Seo-yoon didn’t hear it.
She couldn’t think straight amid the horrors unfolding before her.
-...Hey! Snap out of it!
-...Everything you see is an illusion. A nightmare!
The voice came again. Amid her panic, Choi Seo-yoon regained a sliver of composure.
An illusion.
What she saw was an illusion. A manifestation of her fears by the mana disaster, “Nightmare Fog.”
She realized it belatedly. Strength returned to her trembling fingertips.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. The fear vanished from her eyes.
A new spell formed above her head.
Freezing air, potent mana energy, a razor-sharp spear tip.
Back to the form of magic she usually wielded.
Land a solid hit!
Choi Seo-yoon extended her hand. She swallowed hard and unleashed it.
Shwaaaaa...
Fierce rain lashed at her ears.
“You okay?”
She opened her eyes to see a familiar face, drenched in rain.
A man she’d been seeing almost as often lately as her best friend, Song Seung-ah.
The voice calling to her in the nightmare must have been his.
Choi Seo-yoon’s throat tightened, her voice trembling as she replied.
“...Y-yeah. I-I’m fine.”
Kim Sun-woo gave a faint smile.
“You pulled through. Good job.”
His tone was gentler than usual. It embarrassed her.
She fidgeted with her wet hair and tried to stand. But her legs buckled, and she collapsed again.
“My legs have no strength...
“Rest for a bit. Your body’s shaken from the fog’s terror.”
Kim Sun-woo’s voice was calm. Even in this tense situation, it brought her some peace.
Kim Sun-woo stood and scanned the surroundings warily. Likely preparing for monster attacks. Choi Seo-yoon stared up at him blankly, then spoke.
“...Did you see it too, sunbae?”
“See what.”
“The nightmare.”
“Yeah.”
Kim Sun-woo said it flatly. Unlike her still-racing heart, he seemed unfazed.
Curiosity stirred in her. What had he seen? His calm demeanor suggested it wasn’t much.
“What did you get, sunbae?”
Kim Sun-woo fell silent. His expression blank, he seemed lost in thought before speaking.
“...You don’t need to know.”
The answer she’d expected.
He always had so many secrets. But if he wouldn’t say, it must have been a horrific illusion in its own way.
“But what’s this?”
Choi Seo-yoon noticed a glowing circular pattern on the back of her hand. Kim Sun-woo stared at it, then extended his own hand.
“I’ve got one too.”
“Huh? Really? What is it?”
“Probably qualification to enter a field dungeon.”
“Huh?”
Choi Seo-yoon blinked at his out-of-left-field remark.
“You hear about them sometimes. Field dungeons that require meeting special conditions beyond normal ones to enter.”
“Oh, yeah, I think I know what you mean. So this mark is the qualification?”
“Could be. The Nightmare Fog might actually be the entry condition for a hidden field dungeon on this island.”
It made sense. Actually, hearing it laid out, Kim Sun-woo’s reasoning clicked perfectly. Sharp deduction. Top theory scores weren’t for just anyone.
“So there’s a dungeon somewhere around here?”
“High likelihood.”
“...Wild.”
Choi Seo-yoon murmured to herself, staring at the mark. Then Kim Sun-woo spoke.
“Wanna clear the dungeon now that we’re marked?”
“The dungeon? Just us two?”
“Yeah. No reason we can’t.”
Choi Seo-yoon hesitated at his confident words.
Dungeon clearing.
Entering without knowing the difficulty was risky.
But with Kim Sun-woo’s skills, maybe they could reach the final stage. He wouldn’t suggest it if it were impossible anyway.
“But my legs aren’t working right now.”
“No rush. We don’t have to do it immediately. Wait till you recover, then go for it.”
“...Okay. But if the difficulty looks too high, we bail right away?”
“Deal.”
Whoooosh.
A cold wind swept over her then.
Her soaked clothes stole her body heat.
They sheltered under a massive tree, but it couldn’t block all the driving rain.
Choi Seo-yoon shivered slightly from the chill.
“Cold?”
“...I can bear it for now. Might catch a cold tomorrow, though.”
Kim Sun-woo pondered for a moment, then said.
“Can’t risk it. Let’s move spots. Sticking here’ll get me sick too. Plus, we’re vulnerable to monster raids.”
“But my legs...
“Piggyback.”
“Huh?”
I was dashing through the fog with Choi Seo-yoon on my back.
To minimize rain exposure, I’d reinforced my body with mana for maximum speed.
The ground was slick with mud, wind picking up dangerously, but my consistent training kept my balance.
“I’m not heavy, am I?”
Mid-sprint, Choi Seo-yoon asked cautiously from behind.
“You’re freaking heavy.”
“Ugh. Let me down.”
“Shut up and stay quiet.”
She went silent at my irritated tone.
“But where are we headed?”
“Somewhere to avoid the rain.”
After about three minutes, I spotted a small cave midway up the mountain.
I entered and gently set her down on the floor.
“Let’s rest here.”
I conjured a mana orb to light the cave.
Then gathered scattered dry twigs from the floor.
I placed them before her and struck a match I’d prepared for typhoon conditions to start a fire.
“When’d you pack matches?”
Crackle.
Warmth bloomed as the campfire roared to life. I wrung out water from part of my top, twisting it.
Choi Seo-yoon glanced at me, then turned away and did the same with her clothes.
I watched the rain pouring outside the cave.
It’d last quite a while. At least three days.
Special class training was one night, two days, but the typhoon would keep boats from sailing, trapping them on Fog Island for three days or more.
Plenty of time.
My goal was to clear the Nightmare Fog dungeon.
Time passed. I blankly checked the messages I’d just received.
[You’ve achieved the ‘Overcame Nightmare Fog’ accomplishment.]
[Reward: 5,000 points acquired.]
[Character ‘Choi Seo-yoon’s’ interest in you has increased.]
[Character ‘Choi Seo-yoon’s’ interest in you Lv: 3]
[Reward: 3,000 points acquired.]
What.
Fine, 5,000 points for the accomplishment made sense, but Choi Seo-yoon’s interest level rose again.
« Q »
I had no idea why, but points were points—good thing, right?
Or maybe...
Then Choi Seo-yoon broke the silence.
“When’ll the rain stop?”
“Rain? About three days.”
“Three days?”
“Yeah. Weather like this, even heading back to the villa, no sailing.”
“What typhoon comes without warning...
Choi Seo-yoon thumped her legs, pouting.
Next morning.
We ventured deep into the fog.
Didn’t know the dungeon’s exact spot, but plunging into the thickest fog would lead us there eventually.
-Grrooooar...
Eerie cries echoed from the fog.
Choi Seo-yoon trembled briefly but steeled herself and pressed on.
The fog grew so dense vision failed entirely.
Then a message appeared.
[Entered ‘Nightmare Fog.’]
[Achieved ‘Field Dungeon Entry’ accomplishment.]
[Reward: 5,000 points acquired.]
“We’re here.”
This field dungeon was simple. No directions, positions, or destinations needed. Just walk the fog, slay monsters, and eventually reach the final goal.
“Stay sharp. Monsters could strike anytime.”
“Yeah.”
-Kraaaack!
A massive monster bear burst from the fog. It charged me, swinging a paw.
Whoosh!
I barely dodged.
As I readied a counter, strong mana surged from behind me.
A giant ice spear shot out, piercing the bear’s back.
-Grraaaargh!
The monster bear crumpled.
“Whoa.”
Clean hit.
Better than her usual magic prowess. Choi Seo-yoon noticed too, conjuring mana in her hand as she muttered.
“Weird. My spell manifestation feels smoother today.”
“The fog and rain maybe? Fog terrain synergizes with ice affinity.”
Magic attributes leverage terrain. Ice amps up in glaciers, water in rain.
Even without glaciers, water and ice correlate enough for a boost.
“Oh, that must be it. Felt way easier to cast.”
Choi Seo-yoon murmured in realization.
We pressed on through the fog.
Waves of monster ambushes. Illusions, traps in between—we handled them and advanced.
“What d’you think the others are doing?”
Choi Seo-yoon said suddenly.
“Dunno. Probably holed up at the villa mostly.”
“You think?”
Lee Seo-jun crossed my mind. What was he up to now? He should’ve been in my spot originally.
Wonder if this throws another wrench in things. A bit worrying.