Chapter 48: Encounter (5)
Chapter 48: Encounter (5)
For the first time, Han Shin and Grace experienced other Awakeners entering a dungeon before they could clear it.
Until now, they had always finished before anyone else arrived, so it was true that Han Shin had let his guard down to some extent.
After a brief rest, he and Grace moved forward cautiously, clearing the thickets ahead with his spear.
It was after they had traveled some distance that they were attacked by a second pack of Raptors.
The Raptor Boss was cunning and intelligent, and its intellect had been further sharpened by the mana reinforcement it received from becoming a Dungeon Core.
Seeing that there were only two of them—Han Shin and Grace—the creature hadn't paid much mind when its first pack of subordinates went on the attack.
However, after seeing them wiped out in an instant, it began to move with caution.
It had realized that even though its enemies were few in number, they possessed formidable strength.
Had it been a Raptor in the wild, it might have chosen to flee.
The problem was that being bound within the dungeon had made it extremely aggressive, and it was under a magical compulsion to attack any living creature that entered.
Therefore, despite its intelligence, its thoughts were consumed by a single goal: to attack and kill Han Shin and Grace at any cost.
But even intelligence had its limits.
Seeing that Grace was no longer using sword energy to clear large swaths of the forest, the Raptor Boss could only think of one strategy.
It had to lie in wait and ambush them.
It waited until Han Shin and Grace had ventured deep enough to be completely surrounded, then it pounced.
Screech!
The Raptors, which had been crouching as low as possible beneath the brush, leaped up simultaneously with piercing cries.
Thud!
Slash!
Raptors were sent flying by Han Shin’s spear or sliced apart by its blade.
Since his weapon had a long reach, he was able to fend off many of them at once.
However, it was only natural for slight openings to appear when dealing with such numbers.
Aiming for those gaps, several Raptors lunged with their sharp, hooked claws bared.
They were cleanly severed by Grace’s sword, falling into the brush as mere chunks of meat.
Immediately after, Han Shin stepped forward again, thrusting his spear from behind Grace to skewer a Raptor.
He then swung the spear sideways, using the skewered corpse to bowl over four other Raptors.
Han Shin was gradually moving beyond merely being protected by Grace; he was now beginning to coordinate his movements with hers, albeit in small ways.
This time, there were fewer Raptors than before.
While the first ambush had consisted of about fifty, this pack numbered around thirty.
Thanks to that, they were cleared out much faster than the previous group.
Han Shin flicked his spear to the left, shaking off the black blood clinging to the blade.
Grace had already recognized Han Shin’s talent, but she was pleased to see him adapting even faster than she had expected.
Only three weeks ago, he had been an ordinary person who couldn't even move his body properly. His rapid adaptation was almost hard to believe.
While Tiamat’s assistance was an undeniable factor, the fact that he could face combat without fear, remain calm, and apply what he had been taught showed significant innate talent.
As his mentor, Grace found a certain joy in teaching him.
‘Is this how my seniors felt back then...?’
When it came to talent, Grace was second to none.
Even before she became a knight, everyone had remarked on her extraordinary aptitude for the path.
Once she became a trainee knight, the interest her seniors showed in her was immense.
Of course, there were those who were jealous of her talent, but they were fewer than those who looked upon her favorably.
Her talent was so overwhelming that some didn't even think to be jealous.
"Hmm... it seems we haven't caught the boss of this dungeon yet."
"No, not yet."
All the Raptors Han Shin had defeated so far were identical; there hadn't been any individuals with particularly strong mana.
As they prepared to move after another short break, Grace intentionally brought up points from the recent battle to discuss.
As Han Shin spoke with Grace, his excitement was palpable.
He felt that he had fought better than he had just moments ago.
Seeing Han Shin’s easily readable expression, Grace couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of enjoyment herself.
However, before long, Grace’s expression sharpened.
She sensed a presence in the distance.
It was clearly the sound of someone running.
"Han Shin-nim. There are other people here."
"Ah... could it be..."
The two of them immediately realized that other Awakeners had entered the dungeon and were approaching them.
There was no other explanation for meeting people in this place.
"Let's get out of here, fast."
"Yes."
Technically, their situation was akin to stealing from the Association or the clans.
Han Shin knew this well, and it was obvious that encountering other Awakeners now would not lead to anything good.
The fact that they were approaching rapidly while keeping their presence suppressed and without using lights made it clear their intentions weren't friendly.
Grace immediately grabbed Han Shin’s arm, focused her mind, and moved to her Sanctuary.
After the sensation of floating, the familiar sight of the Sanctuary with its white walls and pillars came into view.
"I guess... we should give up on going to dungeons for today."
Grace nodded slightly at Han Shin’s words.
"Yes. It seems they are looking for us."
From Han Shin and Grace’s perspective, they had entered as soon as the portal appeared and usually cleared them quickly, so this hadn't happened often. But today, several factors had overlapped.
While they had been delayed slightly by hunting the Raptors, the behavior of the Awakeners who entered made it clear they were specifically targeting them.
"For now... let's rest for a bit today. It's probably not just one party chasing us."
"Yes. That is highly likely."
Both Han Shin and Grace were thinking the same thing. Since Han Shin’s level was still low, he couldn't enter portals over a wide range, so they had only been entering those nearby.
The Association and clans had likely discovered this pattern and were waiting to enter any portal that appeared in the vicinity immediately.
If they couldn't clear a dungeon in time, this situation would repeat, and if they were unlucky, their faces might be seen, leading to a high risk of their identities being exposed.
"Ugh... this is going to be a headache moving forward..."
Han Shin muttered, scratching his head.
He knew this situation would come eventually, but now that it was here, his mind couldn't help but feel cluttered.
"Han Shin-nim. Perhaps you should wash up and return home for now..."
Grace decided that they wouldn't find an answer here.
She thought of her rival, Kang Yujin, who was currently competing with her for the heart of her lord and the man she loved, Han Shin.
Even though she didn't like the woman, Grace felt the need to put their heads together and deliberate.
Kang Yujin was active as a powerful Awakener and undoubtedly possessed more knowledge regarding these matters.
Han Shin nodded in agreement with Grace’s suggestion.
★ ★ ★
After washing up and returning home, the two were soon met by Kang Yujin, who came rushing in with a loud clatter.
"Shin-a! Are you home?!"
Kang Yujin shouted as she threw open the front door.
At her urgent voice, Han Shin and Grace immediately moved toward the entrance.
She must have been in a terrible hurry; her usually impeccable business suit was slightly disheveled.
She hadn't wanted to come straight home wearing her black robe just in case, so she had stopped by a safe house as usual, changed quickly, and rushed over.
As she hurried, she had desperately hoped that Han Shin and Grace would be home.
To her immense relief, the two appeared as soon as they heard her call.
The tension in Kang Yujin’s face relaxed slightly.
"Ah, thank goodness. Shin-a, the Association and the clans said they're going out to catch the two of you clearing dungeons."
Hearing the reason for Kang Yujin’s haste, Han Shin and Grace exchanged looks.
As they had suspected, the movement to track them down was significant.
It was enough to make Kang Yujin rush over to warn them.
Han Shin decided he should tell her what had happened earlier.
"Noona... actually, we already had a distant encounter with some Awakeners in a dungeon."
"Really?! Did anything happen?"
When Kang Yujin asked frantically, Han Shin spoke quickly to reassure her.
"No, I escaped to the Sanctuary with Grace immediately. We came home to hear your opinion."
"Phew... You did the right thing. Thank god."
Kang Yujin placed her right hand over her heart and sighed in relief.