Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Justice Guild Arrives First
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I checked the map clutched in my hand once more before asking Kang Han.
"Is that hot spring the one marked here on the map?"
We had escaped the parched, oven-like scorching zone and entered a more humid area with even higher temperatures.
And the culprit was right before our eyes—a hot spring flowing like a stream.
Kang Han nodded as he glanced at the spot I pointed to on the map.
"Seems like it."
"Then we're more than halfway there."
It was meant to be an encouraging remark.
But the guild members' reactions veered closer to despair.
"Uwaaaah, only halfway now?!"
"Regular dungeons really are massive..."
"It's way too humid. So annoying."
I completely agreed with Lee Yu-chan, who was wiping his glasses lenses as he spoke.
Thanks to the uniform crafted by Master Gathee-ok, the heat didn't affect me much, but the air's humidity clung strangely to my skin.
The dungeon map, made from fairly sturdy paper, even felt slightly wrinkled.
Worried it might tear, I carefully folded it and stowed it away in my subspace.
Still, the raid was progressing faster than I'd expected.
We'd entered the dungeon just over 18 hours ago, and we'd already cleared more than half of the right fork path.
Considering how much slower the early stages had been because of me, this was incredibly encouraging.
"Guild Master, can you carry me again?"
"I'll have to... wait a moment, Nayeo-ju-ssi."
Kang Han, who had been about to hoist me onto his back as usual, straightened up instead.
His gaze was fixed on the ground a short distance from our resting spot.
'Monsters again.'
I wondered if it was just our path that was like this.
I'd lost count of how many times we'd run into monsters already.
"Sigh, Yu-eul-ah."
"Yes, Unnie. Let's go!"
Lee Yu-eul scooped me up in a princess carry and hopped nimbly backward.
Since entering this place, I'd been toted around like luggage against my will—was this really okay?
Lee Yu-eul gently set me down in a relatively safe spot.
By then, a fierce battle was raging up front.
But something was off about the monsters.
"What the heck is that?"
Crimson hands sprouting abruptly from the ground.
And they didn't even have full bodies—their height barely reached knee level.
"Ah, those. Foreigners call them Magma Hands; here we just say Lava Hands. C-grade trash mobs."
Unlike me, who had plummeted into this world out of nowhere, Lee Yu-eul had methodically absorbed theory lessons at Awakener School since childhood, so she cleared up my confusion.
"Those are C-grade?"
Watching them pop up like moles to target the hunters' legs made the rank click.
Plus, they ducked back into the earth lightning-fast, making them tough to hit.
If those glowing-red, charcoal-hot things grabbed your ankle, severe burns were a given.
"...Shouldn't we call Ji-seong oppa back too?"
"Unnie, he might look like that, but Ji-seong oppa's S-grade. You're the one who's worried. Look, he's dodging perfectly."
"No, the way oppa dodges monsters is so pretty too."
I couldn't help admiring Han Ji-seong as he evaded the flame hands with waltz-like grace and skill.
And Han Ji-seong's prowess didn't stop there.
"Guys, it's dangerous—fall back for a sec."
With those words, Han Ji-seong thrust one arm straight toward the hot spring.
The billowing steam rising from the hot spring turned in an instant into fine, razor-sharp ice shards.
Whoosh—!
As he swung his arm wide, a roaring wind accompanied the ice storm blanketing the ground where the Magma Hands had emerged.
"Got 'em! Hyung! They're frozen!"
Lee Yu-chan, watching from the closest vantage, shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Ah, screw shields or whatever. Just stomp 'em!"
Jang Su-ho stomped away like he was crushing a wriggling earthworm on the floor.
But unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it.
The ones lurking underground seemed unaffected by Han Ji-seong's attack, as more crimson hands sprouted here and there.
"Aigoo, my legs. I gotta sit this one out. Yu-eul-ah, you go lend a hand too."
"Me too? You sure you'll be okay alone, Unnie?"
"Yeah. I'm way back here—what could happen?"
"Maybe. Then I'll grab Yu-chan. Can't relax leaving you by yourself."
"Sure, thanks."
I watched Lee Yu-eul trot off, then plopped down onto the dirt.
There were no nearby rocks to perch on, so no choice.
It was embarrassing—everyone else darting around in combat while I sat idle, feeling wiped out.
But combat types and non-combat types had fundamentally different stamina baselines, so I consoled myself.
I slipped off my shoes and socks, thinking I'd at least massage my feet while resting.
That was when it happened.
"Nayeo-ju!"
A familiar voice.
I looked up to see Kang Han bounding toward me at impossible speed, leaping gaps like they were nothing.
'But why's his face so pale?'
I was lost in that dazed thought.
"...Huh?"
Until something yanked my bare white foot.
It was a Lava Hand that had surged from the ground.
Crimson flames licking every joint.
"Ah...!"
A beat later, excruciating agony crashed over me.
Pain so white-hot it blanked my mind in an instant.
"Ugh!"
I instinctively tried to yank my foot free, but the stone-hot hand clamped my ankle tight.
Instead, a sizzle rose, followed by the stench of searing flesh.
"Hnn."
My teeth ground together on their own as my whole body shuddered in horrific torment.
Crack—!
Dust and wind swirled as Kang Han's rough hand ripped the Magma Hand away barehanded.
Ah, that'd hurt Kang Han too.
That half-delirious thought crossed my mind.
"Unnie! Nayeo-ju unnie!"
Lee Yu-eul's scream snapped me back.
The brain-searing pain came with it.
"Ah... Heuk. Uuuh..."
The agony had stolen my words.
I just trembled violently, watching Jang Su-ho pulverize the Lava Hand Kang Han had torn free by stomping it to dust.
"W-what do we do? Unnie, you okay?"
"Like she'd be okay, you moron! Nayeo-ju noona, can't you heal? This... we gotta fix it fast..."
At Lee Yu-chan's mutter, I peered down at my ankle.
Tears blurred everything, but the stark black handprint burn stood out clear.
'No wonder it hurts.'
Ridiculously, that flitted through my mind.
I opened my subspace and pulled out a wound treatment potion Im Cheong-su had packed, handing it to Kang Han.
"Th-this... on the ankle..."
Just those two words, but Kang Han got it.
He uncorked the potion one-handed and drew my head to his chest, whispering.
"Don't hold back—scream if you have to."
Then the pain I'd thought couldn't worsen doubled in a flash.
"Hahk!"
He'd told me to scream, but even that was impossible.
When pain overwhelmed you, no sound escaped.
Eyes clenched shut, flashes sparked behind my lids.
Consciousness flickered out in bursts.
My death grip on his clothes went slack.
When I opened my eyes again, I lay limp in Kang Han's arms.
"Haa, haa..."
Tears traced down the corners of my eyes.
I'm still alive.
Relief washed over me, alongside the sight of the guild members' sheet-white faces and Kang Han, who looked more pained than I felt.
"Th-thought I was a goner."
My first coherent words upon snapping to.
But they were pure truth.
You could go into shock from pain like that!
I craned my leaden head to check my ankle—the wound was already perfectly healed.
It had hurt like hell, but a burn deep to the muscle had vanished in seconds.
"I'm fine. Good as new."
"You have any idea how ghastly you look saying that, Nayeo-ju-ssi?"
Kang Han growled low, anger simmering.
"And you, Guild Master? Anyone'd think you got hurt... Ah! Your hand!"
I snatched Kang Han's hand—the one that had torn off the Lava Hand barehanded—and checked it frantically.
"Not hurt."
How insanely tough was an S-rank body?
No red marks marred Kang Han's hand.
Embarrassment flooded in.
Taking off my shoes to rub my feet, nearly dying to a C-grade monster.
And all of it live-streamed, no less.
'Maybe faint again?'
But Im Cheong-su's potion was incredible—aside from my sweat-drenched body, I felt surprisingly fine.
"My shoes..."
As I scanned around for them.
Without a word, my sneaker—the one that had rolled on the ground by my injured foot—slid neatly on.
"..."
Lee Yu-eul looked ready to burst into tears.
I spoke to her firmly.
"I was the one who told you to go help, Lee Yu-eul. Don't beat yourself up."
"...Okay."
She clearly hadn't heard a word.
Guilt flooded her face even more.
"Linger here and we'll be stuck till night. Guild Master, can you carry me again?"
Pretending nonchalance, I pushed up from his arms where I'd been nestled.
Truth be told, I wanted to leap up and prove how spry I was, but my body had zero strength left.
And who knew what might happen if I toddled off alone again.
Ever since dropping into this world, my non-combat status had seemed like a blessing—now I desperately wanted a combat-hardened body.
"All clear, so let's head out... Whoa."
My view shot up abruptly.
Kang Han had lifted me into his arms.
Just like Lee Yu-eul had earlier, cradling me with both.
His face more rigid than usual, Kang Han issued orders to the guild.
"No more stops from here. If monsters show, two peel off to handle, then rejoin on your own."
"Yes."
A heavy resolve settled over the Justice Guild members.
It seemed my injury had lit a fire under them.
'Well, if it works, it works.'
With that thought, I surrendered my full weight to Kang Han's solid embrace.
It wasn't bed-soft comfort, but if we went slow because of weak me and ended up a burden on him, that might send me into shock.
"Let's move."
With Kang Han's curt command, the Justice Guild's speedboat set off once more.
"Pant, pant!"
Ragged breaths tore from Kwak Ho-young's mouth.
"Th-there! Boss room entrance!"
Kim Han-kwon shouted, rallying the guild members.
"Shit, run!"
The ever-polished Kwak Ho-young was long gone.
Squeezing out his last dregs of strength, he staggered onward, utterly battered.
Not content with rolling in the dirt countless times, his fluorescent orange fire-resistant suit was torn to shreds in places.
'We made it. We're here!'
After a full day of hell, a grin cracked the parched lips of gaunt Kwak Ho-young.
A grueling forced march, skimping on meals, sleep, and rest.
A few guild members had taken heavy wounds along the way, but the healers had patched them enough to keep moving.
Those exhausted healers? One rode Kim Han-kwon's back right now. But none of that mattered.
As long as they beat Justice Guild there.
"Pant, pant, we won...!"
That was when Kwak Ho-young rounded the final corner, arms thrust triumphantly skyward.
The entire Taesan Guild froze in unison.
Several round tents dotted the space before the massive boss room door.
A small campfire even crackled in the center—a perfect base camp.
"W-what in the...?"
Kwak Ho-young muttered in disbelief at his own eyes.
Then the flap of the largest tent parted, and Justice Guild's healer poked her face out, waving lazily.
"Oh, finally made it?"