Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Second Ruin (4)
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Riding Ha Siyeon's coattails was proving to be a smooth journey. The ride was phenomenal. Better than a limousine.
So easy~
Ha Siyeon walked ahead of me, humming a tune.
It was hard to believe this was the same woman who, just an hour ago, had been trembling with anxiety, asking if the two of us could really clear this ruin on our own.
This place is great. It's easy, and the experience points are generous.
Ha Siyeon spun around to face me.
They're high-rank monsters. Of course they give a lot.
These guys? They're too easy to be high-rank monsters.
I told you. It's because your affinity is a good match against them.
Even considering their weakness to ice, it's just too easy.
This ruin, the 'Sanctuary of Flame,' was, as anyone would guess, a fire-attribute dungeon. Its weakness was the water attribute, and it was especially vulnerable to the ice attribute.
Your close-range specialization trait adds to that, giving you a double advantage.
Why the close-range specialization?
Ha Siyeon looked at me and tilted her head.
Imagine if another ice-attribute mage tried to clear this ruin. What do you think would happen?
They'd probably have an easy time, just like me. A simple stab with an Ice Spear would kill them.
Ha Siyeon formed a one-meter-long ice spear in the air and grasped it.
Whether it was the power of her newly registered trait or not, her proficiency had improved dramatically in just one day.
No. They probably would have struggled quite a bit.
Huh? Why?
Look at the environment around you.
At my words, Ha Siyeon scanned her surroundings. Magma bubbled intermittently, and flames shot up here and there.
It was incredibly hot.
If not for the heat-resistant coats I'd asked Yuhwa to prepare beforehand, we might have suffered full-body burns.
Do you think ice magic would work properly in an environment like this?
Ah!
It seems she got it.
That's right. Ordinary ice magic would start melting the moment it was created.
But why am I...?
Because your ice magic doesn't melt.
But Ha Siyeon is different.
Within a three-meter radius, her close-range ice specialization magic, 'Sanctuary of Ice,' is impervious to any external interference.
Ha Siyeon's ice magic doesn't melt. That's why her ice wings didn't melt either.
This ruin is utterly powerless against Ha Siyeon.
So my trait had an effect like that.
I told you. No one can beat you in a fight within a three-meter range.
You were serious when you said that...?
Of course.
I-I see.
At my firm reply, Ha Siyeon fidgeted, twirling a lock of her hair, not knowing how to react.
Alright. If your questions are all answered, let's get moving again. We need to get back today. We can't sleep here, after all.
Okay!
We set off once more.
* * *
About four hours passed.
The end of the ruin began to come into view.
Level up! Wow! I went up two levels in a single day!
In that time, Ha Siyeon's level had risen by two.
......Congratulations.
Of course, I got no such thing.
Leveling up is like a unicorn to me. Something that only exists in fantasy.
Huh? Seoyul. That door! Is that the Guardian's room?
I followed her pointing finger with my eyes.
That's it.
An imposing door that seemed to scream, 'The boss lives here.'
So this is the end, then?
That's right.
Hmm. What a shame.
What's a shame?
A sweet hunting ground like this. There won't be another one, will there?
Aha.
So you've gotten a taste for leveling up.
Don't be disappointed. The world is crawling with fire-attribute monsters anyway.
Right. That's true.
Ha Siyeon nodded.
But can I really take on the Guardian by myself?
Yeah. The Guardian is still weak to the ice attribute. Stick about ten ice spears in it, and it'll bow its head on its own.
Hmm. Ten spears sounds pretty tough.
Well, a Guardian is a Guardian.
The Guardian here, the 'Lava Lizard,' is known for its agility, which belies its massive size, and the destructive power of its lava breath.
Well, as long as you don't make any strange mistakes, you should win easily.
At my words, the hint of anxiety on Ha Siyeon's face completely vanished.
If you say so, Seoyul, it must be true.
She trusted me 100%. Well, after everything I'd done so far, it was only natural she would.
Alright, if you're ready, let's go right in. A lava breath will come flying the moment we enter, so be ready to dodge immediately.
Okay. I know.
I drew my dagger, the 'Horn of the Shadow Dragon.' The Path of the Wind activated instantly. It was my insurance policy, just in case.
With that, I was ready.
Let's go.
Creeaak-
We entered the Guardian's room.
And in that moment,
Fwoooosh-!
A lava breath erupted from the distance. We split to the left and right, dodging the blast. Searing heat washed over us through the air.
First one!
At my shout, another stream of lava shot out from the distance.
This time, the breath was aimed at me.
I threw myself in the direction indicated by the Path of the Wind.
Fwoosh-
Damn it.
The tip of my shoe got slightly singed.
These were expensive.
Still, I dodged it, so that's what matters.
Second one!
The red glow of lava flashed again.
This time, it spat its lava breath at Ha Siyeon, who was closing in on it.
Ha Siyeon dodged its breath with a very smart maneuver.
Okay, third one's done! About fifteen seconds until it recharges!
Got it!
This was the strategy for the Lava Lizard.
The Lava Lizard spits three consecutive breaths, after which it has a recharge time of about fifteen seconds.
Attack during that window, and once it's recharged, focus on evasion.
It was a very simple but effective strategy.
Crack-!
Ha Siyeon, who had already closed the distance to the Lava Lizard, held an ice spear in each hand.
She perfectly dodged all of the lizard's counterattacks and precisely plunged an ice spear into its troublesome tail.
Kiriririririk!
The Lava Lizard's cry echoed throughout the Guardian's room.
Five seconds had passed.
In the end, the creature chose to flee.
It kicked off the ground, using its innate agility.
Haaap!
But she hadn't aimed her first strike at its tail for nothing.
The loss of sensation in its tail threw off the creature's movements.
Crack-! Thunk!
Kieeeek!
Ha Siyeon didn't miss that small opening.
Nice.
With that, its right foreleg was also useless.
About twelve seconds had passed.
Dodge for now!
Okay!
At my shout, Ha Siyeon disengaged.
The lava breath is hard to dodge at close range.
You have to create some distance.
Fwoooosh-!
Exactly three seconds later.
Flames flickered again in the Lava Lizard's mouth.
Another three-breath pattern.
One.
Two.
Three.
After exactly three breaths.
Another fifteen seconds! Attack!
Okay!
Ha Siyeon charged in again.
At the same time, ice began to coat the sword she held.
Now that she'd taken one of its legs.
It seemed she intended to end it now, without giving it any more time.
Good call.
Fwooo-
It was then.
The movement of the wind turned strange.
The Guardian's room was completely enclosed.
The wind, which should have been moving in accordance with Ha Siyeon's and the Lava Lizard's movements, began to twist in an odd direction.
It felt as if something else was moving it.
The wind was moving from top to bottom.
No way!
I quickly looked up.
......!
There, another Lava Lizard was clinging to the ceiling, lava pooling in its mouth.
Why are there two Lava Lizards...!
I was stunned, but there was no time to think.
If a breath is fired from that position, Ha Siyeon will never be able to dodge it.
I have to stop it, no matter what.
Fortunately, it was still assessing the situation, waiting for the perfect moment to finish Ha Siyeon off.
And it was also timing its breath so as not to harm the other Lava Lizard.
It didn't seem to have noticed that I was looking at it.
This means there's still a chance.
A golden opportunity to turn this crisis into a chance!
I quickly took the bow slung over my back, the 'Elysium Bow,' and gripped it.
The Elysium Bow that Jia had prepared for me.
The bow's special effect is very simple.
Focus.
It allows me to infuse an arrow with the magic stored in the gem, called Elysium, set in the center of the bow.
In short, it's a one-time-use power amplification effect.
Zzzing-
Magic concentrated on the arrowhead.
And I waited for the right moment.
The moment just before the lava breath shot out of the Lava Lizard's mouth!
Fwoooosh!
Now!
I immediately loosed the arrow.
Swiiiiiish!
A hair-trigger situation.
My arrow struck the Lava Lizard squarely in the jaw.
Kwaaaak!
Even with its power amplified, my strength wasn't enough to pierce the Lava Lizard's thick hide.
But that was enough.
My goal was never to pierce it in the first place.
The impact knocked the Lava Lizard's head to the side.
Fwoooooooosh-!
At the same time, its lava breath shot out in the wrong direction.
Bingo!
Right toward the spot where the other Lava Lizard was standing.
Kieeeeeek!
Just because they're Lava Lizards doesn't mean they're completely immune to lava.
Their internal structure might be built to withstand it for breathing fire, but their external hide isn't immune.
The powerful destructive force of a lava breath is effective even against themselves.
Sizzle, sizzle!
Kie...eee, ek...
Thud-
The Lava Lizard, already weakened by Ha Siyeon's continuous ice magic, finally lost its life and collapsed.
......
Ha Siyeon, who had been watching this unfold, stared blankly at the creature's melted corpse.
Ah.
As if realizing there was still one left, she flinched and turned her head toward me.
With a smile, she gave me a thumbs-up and unfurled her 'Ice Wings'.
Then, she flew up toward the remaining Lava Lizard.
I'm alive......
I let out a sigh of genuine relief.
Hey! You scared the crap out of me!
Ha Siyeon's shout came from the ceiling.
Anyway, why were there two Lava Lizards?
Did the lore change this time for real?
I fell into thought as I watched Ha Siyeon fight the last Lava Lizard.
* * *
The battle ended in Ha Siyeon's overwhelming victory.
I reeeally thought I was gonna dieeeee......
Ha Siyeon flopped onto the floor, spread-eagled.
Sorry.
Huh? Why are you apologizing, Seoyul?
I didn't expect there to be two of them. You were in danger.
This was entirely my mistake.
Thinking back to the incident at the Golden Ruin, I should have prepared for the worst of the worst.
It's fine. In the end, there was no problem.
Still, because I was complacent...
Suddenly, Ha Siyeon covered my mouth.
I said it's fine.
Then she gave me a bright smile.
Besides, you said you were planning to break the seal if things got dangerous. I wasn't worried at all.
......
That's why I feel even more sorry.
Because I don't have any kind of sealed power.
More importantly, let's just grab the reward and go back. I'm hungry.
I gave a bitter smile.
......Yeah. Let's do that.
We passed through the Guardian's room and moved deeper inside.
Woah.
A red staff rested upon an altar.
The ancient artifact, 'Whisper of the Fire Spirit,' which only Fire Spirits among the Spirit race could wield.
It was a rather beautiful staff.
A peculiar, crimson flame flickered atop the staff, doubling its mystical aura.
It's so pretty.
Ha Siyeon said in awe.
......Really?
I was horrified.
What's wrong, Seoyul?
No, this. Wow. What is this now?
Of course, it wasn't the Whisper of the Fire Spirit that horrified me.
There was another reason.
......Why is this here?
The peculiar red flame flickering above the Whisper of the Fire Spirit.
If my memory serves me right, that isn't just a simple visual effect.
It's a distinct item in its own right.
The Flame of Imprinting......
The item that symbolized the villain from the Seekers of Truth, who would make his mark two years from now.
The Flame of Imprinting, the signature item of 'Nasher, the Devil of Fire.'
Why is this?
It was flickering on the altar.