“Seo Sunhwa, that’s not how you’re supposed to do it,” Jong-sik said with a solemn expression.
In response, Seo Sunhwa raised her head and glanced around, her pink hair swaying.
“Huh? But there’s not a single one we missed!”
Indeed, there were no missed targets. But there was a clear strategy, and it wasn’t necessary to deviate from it. Jong-sik gestured and took the lead.
“Well, seeing is believing. Follow me. I’ll show you what went wrong.”
“Oh, Team Leader! I’ll come with you.”
Seems like he’s going to show something. Seo Sunhwa felt it was a rare opportunity. With a determined look, she followed Jong-sik closely.
Eventually, Jong-sik stopped walking. The intruders sensed the deaths of their kind and closed in. They were spotted amidst the darkness. The distance rapidly decreased.
“They’re coming.”
“Hehe, I felt it this time too. But there seem to be quite a lot…”
The ground trembled as a horde approached. The heat was intense enough to parch their lips. Probably dozens of them, if not more.
Seo Sunhwa steadied herself, while Jong-sik began casting. It was the moment when the reconnaissance-based training finally began.
[Rapid Fire]
Thin arrows made of concentrated mana floated through the air. For a moment,
“Watch closely. See exactly where to hit, and why.”
They swiftly darted towards the revealed targets. The mana arrows pierced precisely through the Fire Letz’s eyeballs. “Zap!” As a result, the creatures screamed in agony and perished.
“D-Did that just… happen?”
Startled by the unexpected sight, Seo Sunhwa stuttered. It was her first time seeing the intact corpse of a Fire Letz.
There had been rumors of sightings at the underground auction several times, but those were just rumors.
She had dismissed them as false until now, but seeing it with her own eyes made her reconsider.
At that moment, Jong-sik’s voice disrupted her thoughts.
“I asked if that would work? Yes, it does. If you precisely penetrate the creature’s eye, you can also prevent the self-destruct. You saw the results yourself, so you know,” Jong-sik said.
“….”
“Aren’t you paying attention? You should be learning as I teach you. Tsk, or I’ll just handle it all myself.”
“No! I-I’ll try. I’ll do it! Um, left, right. So, does direction matter?”
Seo Sunhwa said haphazardly as she loaded the arrow. It seemed she still hadn’t fully collected herself, and in such moments, nothing beats experience.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Jong-sik shrugged, and Seo Sunhwa pulled the bowstring.
Zap.
“The start is always shaky.”
The second arrow she shot missed again. The result was an explosion, and the remaining creatures absorbed the heat of their fallen kin, fueling their rage.
At first glance, it might seem like a disadvantageous situation, but a larger target is actually beneficial.
“Got it!”
With a scary determination, Seo Sunhwa cheered. Finally, she pierced the eye. The intact Fire Letz corpse was evidence of that.
“Whoops, one more!”
“But quite diligent, nonetheless.”
Seo Sunhwa relentlessly fired arrows at the incoming creatures. It was as if she was a fish in water. Moments later,
“Phew, I brought enough, but they’re already gone.”
Breathing heavily, Seo Sunhwa stared at the empty quiver. There were only a few arrows left. Well, since Seo Sunhwa managed to handle the creatures that three dealers should have taken care of alone.
“Heh, I earned a lot today, maybe I should reinforce my quiver.”
Despite that, Seo Sunhwa was pleased. No, thrilled. Despite having gone on countless hunts, she had never felt like this before. If she had to describe her current feeling, it would be like the exhilaration of exploring a new continent.
But of all times, to run out of arrows now.
If it’s not regrettable, then it’s a lie.
“Ugh! It was so much fun… What do we do now?”
“Here, what’s there to worry about? It’s just arrows scattered around.”
“Huh? Can I pull that out? Won’t it explode when I do?”
“That won’t happen.”
Jong-sik reassured as he pulled out the arrow. According to the researchers from the Matap,
“…they can’t self-destruct once they’re dead, no matter what kind of reflexes they have. So don’t throw away the arrows; just roughly pull them out and use them. Here.”
A Fire Letz eye dangled from the arrowhead. It was quite disgusting, but Jong-sik removed the eyeball without hesitation. Then he handed the retrieved arrow to her.
There was no sign of hesitation, which could have made her uncomfortable. Seo Sunhwa accepted the arrow with a wry smile. After all, she was a hunter herself and should be able to handle this much. With a casual expression, Seo Sunhwa asked,
“I’ve never heard or seen such a strategy before. How did Team leader Dok know about it?”
“That’s a trade secret.”
“Come on, I promise to keep it a secret. Okay?”
“I said it’s a secret.”
“Ugh! But, Team leader, it feels like I’m asking too late. Isn’t this supposed to be our scouting mission?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Then when will we return to the team? It’s been quite a while, and it feels like we’ve ventured too deep into enemy territory for a scouting mission.”
“Scouting missions typically involve venturing deep into enemy territory. It’s part of the process, and it helps us sweat a bit. Also, didn’t you agree to let the tanker relax?”
“Ugh! That’s not what I meant.”
“So, do you dislike it?”
“No! It’s fine. It’s great, actually. I’m just worried that… Kyah!”
Suddenly, Jong-sik wrapped his arms around Seo Sunhwa’s waist and slammed her to the ground. Simultaneously, the ground erupted. It was precisely a monster emerging from underground.
“Ugh!”
Seo Sunhwa choked back a scream a beat too late. Just as the saying goes, speak of the devil and he appears. The dungeon’s owner, the enraged Fire Letz, had shown up.
Roar!
The creature let out a sharp roar. Was it enraged by the destruction of its minions, or was it because its ambush failed?
It seems to be the latter. The creature once again bared its fangs and tore into the ground. Seeing this, Jong-sik quickly spoke up.
“Hiding in the ground will only make things troublesome. Let’s take care of it quickly before that happens. What are we waiting for? Reload and carry on.”
***
Meanwhile,
The three, including Pyeong-ari, were discussing why Seo Sunhwa and Dok Jong-sik hadn’t returned from their scouting mission.
It started with the tanker, Baek Hodam. He nervously fidgeted with his dry hands, showing signs of anxiety.
“Ugh, this is driving me crazy. Seriously. There must be something wrong.”
Elementalist Seo Sang-hoon also agreed with Baek Hodam’s assertion. Though usually not one to step forward, he was now confidently expressing his opinion.
“I also find it strange. Scouting is one thing, but it’s suspicious that we haven’t encountered a single monster so far. Has anyone seen a Fire Letz? No one, right?”
“Come to think of it, that’s true. Oh dear me. Pyeong-ari, shouldn’t we pick up the pace? If something happens and we’re waiting for our rescue, it’ll be too late. We’ll be doomed.”
“No, Team Leader Dok told us to maintain the pace and follow along. We just need to trust his words and keep going.”
Only Pyeong-ari remained calm. And she had her reasons. She had seen Dok Jong-sik’s strength firsthand. She believed in him.
“There must be a reason for the delay. And you don’t have to worry too much. Because Team Leader Dok is much, much stronger than you think.”
Pyeong-ari comforted the remaining team members. But it seemed like her words didn’t reassure them. The remaining team members’ faces darkened as if to confirm that.
“It seems they’re not convinced. Right?”
It was Pyeong-ari who asked again. Baek Hodam and Seo Sang-hoon quietly nodded in response. There was no point in telling an obvious lie.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do. After all, they’ll understand when they see it for themselves. I’ll speed up a bit. But let’s not overdo it. Got it?”
“Ugh, I feel a bit better now. Let’s go a little faster then.”
Baek Hodam let out a long sigh. Only then did Pyeong-ari and the other two urge him to walk faster. How long had they been walking?
At the head of the group, the tanker, Baek Hodam, raised his right hand. It was a signal to stop.
“Just a moment. Fire…”
He squinted his eyes. It was clearly a Fire Letz, but for some reason, it wasn’t moving. He felt the need to confirm.
“I’ll check and send a signal.”
Baek Hodam struck the ground. By now, even Pyeong-ari couldn’t help but furrow her brow. It was more curiosity about what had happened than concern for Jong-sik’s safety.
‘Could it be that the hidden dungeon has opened? That would be quite troublesome…’
It meant trouble not for Dok Jong-sik, but for those remaining. There was only one Elementalist in the party.
However, such worries were soon dispelled by a voice that came through.
“I-Is it dead? Come and see, everyone!”
Excited, Baek Hodam urged the group forward. Pyeong-ari also hastened to close the gap. Soon, she too saw the corpse of the Fire Letz.
“…How could this happen?”
She didn’t hide her astonishment, and neither did the others.
“Hehehe. I can’t believe it. Judging from the wounds, it’s definitely arrows. What kind of situation is this? Seo Sunhwa, was this your doing?”
“We’ll know for sure when we ask the person directly. Pyeong-ari, Team Leader. Should we keep following at this speed?”
No. The situation had changed. And since she was equally curious, Pyeong-ari responded firmly to Seo Sang-hoon’s question.
“No. Let’s increase the speed as much as possible. We need to get in there right away. What kind of method did they use…”
Soon, the three of them sprinted at full speed. And they soon spotted the two figures.
“…Unbelievable.”
“Confusing.”
There were so many questions they wanted to ask. But they couldn’t. They were momentarily speechless at the unexpected sight.
***
That’s how it went,
It was a moment of relief rather than touching one’s nose.
They alternated between looking at Jong-sik and what lay behind him. They saw Dok Jong-sik waving his hand with a faint smile, and behind him lay the boss monster of the dungeon as if dead. No, more precisely, it should be said that it was dead. The arrows embedded in it proved that.
What on earth was this situation?
But before asking, there was something they had to do.
Pyeong-ari rushed to Seo Sunhwa, who was clutching her chest. The urgency was because she was injured. At a glance, there seemed to be no external injuries. But it couldn’t be confirmed.
“Seo Sunhwa! Are you okay? Where are you hurt?”
【Cure】
Pyeong-ari activated her skill. Warm energy enveloped Seo Sunhwa for a moment. Yet Seo Sunhwa continued to murmur while clutching her chest.
“…My heart is racing.”
“What? Seo Sunhwa, what are you saying? Are you still in pain?”
“No, it’s not that, Team Leader. My heart is pounding too fast. It seems I’ve met my destined…”
Instantly, Pyeong-ari’s face turned cold. She interrupted Seo Sunhwa’s words and replied. It was necessary to correct the symptoms.
“It’s excessive hormone secretion due to excessive physical activity. Adrenaline and endorphins cause a rapid increase in heart rate. That’s why your heart is racing. It should be fine. Shall we find out what happened?”
