Chapter 37 With the Party Members in the Rift 2
Chapter 37: {With Party Members in the Rift} 2
{With Party Members in the Rift}
"Let's start moving now."
Yu Ji-hu's party began advancing in earnest to practice team combat within the rift. The mana stones from the defeated minotaurs vanished into Ha-rin's subspace with a mere wave of her hand, sparing them the trouble of manually extracting each one.
"I'll hand them over when we're done, so distribute them among yourselves then."
Normally, they would have had to hire a porter or painstakingly collect the mana stones themselves, but with Ha-rin effortlessly gathering them all, there was no need.
However, the expressions of the four party members—excluding Ji-hu—darkened at the thought of making the Empress herself go through such trivial labor.
'They must feel burdened.'
Truthfully, Ji-hu was always grateful for his sister's help, but he never took it for granted.
He simply believed that since she cared for him, he should care for her in return. As they moved, he began thinking of ways to repay her later.
Thud— Thud—
The sound of countless minotaurs approaching echoed through the rift.
The sight of the horde would have unnerved Seo Yu-rin earlier, but now she watched them with calm composure.
Having reached C-rank, her perception had changed.
"Let's take our basic positions. Even though they're easy opponents, treat this like real combat. No slacking off."
"Yes."
"Understood."
"Got it!"
"I won't let my guard down."
The four party members responded with enthusiasm.
Though the minotaurs were weak, they knew the monsters they'd face in the future wouldn't be this simple.
These minotaurs were nothing more than practice dummies to get accustomed to their movements.
"I'll grant you my blessing."
Sophia, who had been watching until now, finally stepped forward with a playful grin, directing her power toward Yu-rin.
A surge of energy wrapped around Yu-rin in the form of a protective blessing.
Whoooosh—
The power enveloping Yu-rin was not holy power—at least, not in the traditional sense—but something eerily similar.
Having experienced Saintess Mine's holy power firsthand, Ji-hu could clearly tell the difference.
Yet Sophia's energy was astonishingly close in nature, specialized in recovery and defense.
'She might as well be Earth's Saintess.'
'Her power is overflowing.'
The defensive aura surrounding Yu-rin significantly boosted her resilience.
'Incredible... So this is a Saintess's power?'
Yu-rin marveled at the strength surging through her body.
In this state, her speed and power were far beyond what they had been before. With her defense also greatly enhanced, she could now confidently act as both a frontline damage dealer and a tank.
'I'll hold the line.'
Even with her rank-up, she knew she was still only C-rank.
The sense of omnipotence that came with the upgrade was just an illusion—she was well aware of her limits.
'At the very least, I won't be a liability in Ji-hu's party. I'll grow strong enough to fulfill my role.'
She didn't want to disappoint the person she admired, the one who believed in her.
"GROOOOAR!"
A minotaur swung its axe, but Yu-rin adjusted her defense differently this time.
Before, she would have focused solely on blocking, absorbing the impact before countering.
But now, as a C-rank with Sophia's blessing—
'I can do this.'
She raised her shield and met the minotaur's strike head-on.
"GRUUUUGH!"
The massive minotaur staggered back from the impact, overpowered by Yu-rin's seemingly frail frame.
Her shield bash had generated more force than the minotaur's downward axe swing.
"GROOOOAR!"
Another minotaur seized the opening and swung at her exposed side, but Yu-rin fluidly blocked with her sword and shield simultaneously.
No—she went further.
Exploiting the minotaur's overextension, she slashed its arm with a swift, precise strike.
"GRAAAAH!"
The pained roar of the minotaur filled her with exhilaration.
'I can do this.'
She could do this.
She could stand as a true ability user.
The rush of triumph surged through her.
"Can I just burn them all to a crisp now?"
Erika pointed at the minotaurs, her tone casual.
Truthfully, she didn't need much preparation to wipe them out.
To her, minotaurs were nothing more than pests.
But this was training.
While Yu-rin held the front line as both tank and melee fighter, Erika prepared a devastating attack.
Minotaurs were easy prey, but this exercise was about preparing for stronger foes.
'Now's the time.'
The firepower she was about to unleash was overkill for minotaurs, but Erika signaled Ji-hu once she felt her energy peak.
"Ready."
"Got it."
Ji-hu dashed forward, scooped Yu-rin into his arms, and retreated in a flash.
Yu-rin flushed slightly at the sudden carry, but that was irrelevant.
'Good. Now I'll show him what I can do.'
Erika had already deduced that Ji-hu was formidable just from his movements.
'As expected of the Empress's brother.'
She wanted to prove her worth to him.
'Now!'
Erika thrust her hands forward—
KABOOOOOM!
—and unleashed hell.
A cataclysmic explosion engulfed the minotaur horde, reducing hundreds to ash in an instant.
"GROOOO—!"
Their screams were cut short as the flames consumed them entirely.
Even their mana stones were obliterated—a downside of such overwhelming firepower, but an acceptable loss.
"Wow~ Amazing!"
Sophia's eyes sparkled with admiration.
The sheer scale of the explosion was terrifying—like multiple bombers striking at once, condensed into a single gesture.
Incredible!
Erika was used to such praise, so Sophia's awe didn't faze her.
"Impressive firepower. I look forward to seeing more."
Irina, too, seemed satisfied.
Having a long-range attacker of Erika's caliber in the party was reassuring.
Proud, Erika glanced at Ji-hu—
"Excellent display. I'll be counting on you."
—only to realize he wasn't the least bit surprised.
As if he had seen firepower on par with hers... no, greater.
'Who could it be? Someone from the Other World?'
As a Returnee, Ji-hu had spent six years there. Maybe he'd met someone like her.
'Then I'll just have to work harder to surpass them.'
A competitive flame ignited in Erika's heart.
"This time, I pulled Yu-rin back, but next, Irina—I'll leave that role to you."
"Understood."
"Good. Then let's find another monster group and test it out."
As Ji-hu's party enthusiastically honed their teamwork, Ha-rin watched with quiet satisfaction.
Her beloved little brother was growing more driven.
'Forget those women, Ji-hu.'
"I'll make sure you never have to remember them again."