Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Part 2 Episode 23
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In desert dungeons, oases always existed except in extremely rare cases.
The areas around them were dense with trees and relatively cooler, so hunters made a point of finding oases and using them as base camps. It was the fundamental strategy for conquering desert dungeons.
But the completed map showed no oasis.
Thus, no vegetation anywhere.
Just an endless series of sand dunes without a single place to take cover.
"Gotta wrap this up quick and get out."
Han Ji-seong, already weak to the heat, wiped his forehead where sweat was lightly beading and gave a troubled laugh.
"Right? Let's clear it fast and bounce."
"All sand means monsters pop up right away. Kinda nice."
As the twins bantered, the others let out soft chuckles, easing the rigid atmosphere.
But one person didn't laugh.
Kang Han's face was stiffer than it had been entering the Thunder Dungeon. He simply stared out at the vast desert.
It had been three days since entering the desert dungeon—56 hours just passed.
"Not 56 hours. Feels like 560."
I sat up in the one-person tent Jeong Je-hwa had packed for me and muttered to myself.
"Ha... I wanna wash up."
Fine sand had the same invasive power as water.
It crunched everywhere—inside my shoes, between my hair, all over my body.
I wanted to stay lying down longer, but it was about time for the guild members out hunting monsters to return.
With my poor mobility, I couldn't move with them and had been left waiting at base camp.
Ziiiip.
I unzipped the tent and crawled out, only to be hit by a wave of dizzying heat.
"Nayeo-ju's out."
Yoo Jin-rok, standing watch nearby, spotted me and smiled.
"I told you to rest in the tent, Teacher."
"Can't do that. If something happened to you, Ga-young would chew me out."
"You are taking your stamina potions, right?"
"Of course. Cheong-su's potions are top-notch."
I shook my head and started walking. Yoo Jin-rok fell in step beside me.
"View's pretty nice, at least."
With no oasis in this dungeon, we'd chosen the summit of the tallest dune as our base camp.
Fortunately, no wind meant minimal sand drift, making it a viable spot.
I plopped down anywhere and rummaged in my sub-space for a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, slipping them on.
This resort-look combo had made me hesitate at first, but I'd long since cast aside any shame in the face of survival.
The people watching the raid broadcast would understand.
Our situation wasn't good at all.
I pulled out the last of our dwindling water from my sub-space and took a sip when a system warning flashed before my eyes.
"Beeeep..."
The heat, the stuffiness, the thirst—they were tough, but my biggest problem was this.
Stamina.
The Justice Guild uniform's temperature regulation offset some of the heat, but it couldn't fully shield against an A-rank desert dungeon's swelter.
So even without doing much, my stamina kept draining like this.
The others managed theirs with judicious potion use, but I couldn't.
'Damn that penalty.'
It was the system's drug abuse penalty.
I'd basically just lain in the tent since entering, yet I'd already downed two potions.
Meaning I had only three stamina potions left to drink.
As dizziness from the dropping stamina set in, I pretended to be sleepy and closed my eyes.
"Sis! Nayeo-ju sis!"
Lee Yu-chan's voice.
Yoo Jin-rok and I shot to our feet and ran toward the sound.
We half-slid down one dune, and there were the guild members trudging through the sand toward base camp.
"Sis! Ji-seong hyung..."
No need for more explanation.
Han Ji-seong, slung on Jang Su-ho's back, had a face drained blue-white.
"Poison?"
"A monster like a centipede-scorpion mashup burrowed underground, popped up, and hit our rear..."
"Tent first. Guild Leader, carry me—get him to the tent fast."
Jang Su-ho hoisted Han Ji-seong, Kang Han scooped me up, and they climbed the dune at top speed.
In mere seconds, back in the tent, I grabbed Han Ji-seong's limp hand the moment Jang Su-ho laid him on the ground.
His condition was worse than it looked.
I pulled a stamina-boosting tonic from my sub-space and popped it in my mouth.
Below the tiresome warning text, new info appeared.
A named monster—this had to be the dungeon's boss.
No dungeon clear notification, so they'd broken off combat and retreated to base after his injury.
Wise choice, given his state.
If they'd been even a little late...
I shook off the unwelcome thought and activated the skill.
The tonic lasted 20 minutes.
We could hold out the remaining six.
No—we had to.
How much time passed?
Tell me this sooner!
I didn't hesitate, slipping my hand behind Han Ji-seong's neck and leaning my body diagonally over his in an embrace.
Estimated time dropped by four minutes.
'Good. If it stays like this...'
A faint relief sparked as I let optimism run, but then—
"Ah."
My head spun sharply, and a small system window appeared.
[95/150]
[90/150]
[87/150]
Twenty minutes had passed unnoticed. My stamina countdown had begun.
Each plummeting number felt like my body sinking into the earth.
[80/150]
[70/150]
Breath short, headache starting.
Still bearable, though.
[65/150]
[58/150]
[50/150]
[40/150]
It hurt.
Enough to bring physiological tears.
Then, a faint voice like a dying ember called my name.
"Nayeo-ju... ya."
Han Ji-seong.
His face had much better color now, and he was looking at me.
"...Stop. You're... hurt... ing."
"Shh."
I shifted the hand embracing his neck to cover his blue eyes.
His long lashes trembled, tickling my palm.
"It's okay. It'll be fine soon."
Was I saying it to him? Or myself?
I couldn't tell anymore.
"It's okay."
[33/150]
[29/150]
Ah, did I mess up?
What if the detox fails?
At least it'll have some effect since I held on this long?
It had to.
[24/150]
[22/150]
I felt my fingers trembling over his eyes.
"Haa."
We survived.
Me and Han Ji-seong both.
Tension drained in an instant, strength fleeing my body.
"Nayeo-ju ya, Nayeo-ju!"
Someone called me, but I lacked the strength to lift my head.
"I’m... fine..."
Maybe not.
Job done anyway. A little rest should be okay.
No sooner had I thought it than my consciousness faded.
The last thing I felt was Han Ji-seong's warm, dry embrace holding me close.