Chapter 18

Chapter 18

[Episode 04] Solo Play (3)

The place where the sound was heard was above the head.

‘Search Eye.’

Immediately concentrated mana in the eyeballs and activated Search Eye.

A skill activation like instinct.

[Skill ‘Search Eye’ activates.]

One new fact learned like that.

Jeong Ha-eun’s whole body was faintly glowing.

‘It is possible to recognize Awakened with Search Eye.’

Probably it seems one can see the mana that person holds.

And when raising the head toward the source of the sound,

‘What is that?’

The place where the explosion was heard.

There, the silhouette of a monstrous creature was visible.

At the same time.

Beeeeeep— Beeeeeep—

The smartphone began to ring noisily.

Not only mine.

All the people’s phones in the funeral hall simultaneously emitted alarm sounds.

[Emergency Disaster Text] Type: Monster Appearance Alert. Location: 32-gil 77, XXX-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul Facility Name: Hyeseong Hospital Funeral Hall A disaster situation has occurred in the nearby area currently. Immediately evacuate into nearby buildings now.

‘Monster appearance...?’

How did this happen.

Today is not even New Year.

Sudden monster appearances are usually things that happen on January 1st, and that too to the extent of being extremely rare that one can only see on the news.

‘How did this happen?’

Then the appearance of Jeong Ha-eun trying to go outside after securing the staff entered my eyes.

Urgently catching her wrist and said.

“It’s dangerous.” “I know.”

Jeong Ha-eun gently shook off my hand and continued.

“But if I don’t go, someone might die.”

“······.” “Don’t worry too much. I have no intention of fighting alone. I’m thinking of joining the team members first.” “I’ll go together too.”

Then Jeong Ha-eun faced me and asked.

“Did you bring the [Wand]?” “...No.” “You know that a Mage without a weapon is no different from an ordinary person, right? Don’t overdo it and stay here.” “······.”

Like that, almost at the same time as Jeong Ha-eun going outside, people began to pour into the funeral hall.

It seemed people nearby were all taking refuge into the building.

‘How can she be like that?’

An explosion as if a bomb exploded.

This is not simply goblins or skeletons or such.

The silhouette that was visible with Search Eye was also like that, and it was clear it was a monster on a much higher floor than that.

Nevertheless, Jeong Ha-eun chose to confront and fight without hesitation.

A person whose stats were much lower than mine.

‘I still can’t even lift my feet.’

There is no separate coward.

Slowly raised my head.

Inside the funeral hall, Jeong Hana’s face in the portrait was visible.

Clearly making a smiling face, but I felt as if she was urging me.

What are you doing, get up quickly.

It seemed she was saying that to me.

Press—

Yes.

‘Let’s go.’

Like that, I took the first step.

***

Funeral hall parking lot.

There, the corpse of a giant monster bird with its head cut off was sprawled.

Two people looking down at it.

A knight wearing full plate mail and a woman covering her whole body with a black robe.

“Kyaaaaak!”

A passerby screaming and collapsing.

Beeeeeep— Beeeeeep—

At the same time, alarm sounds ringing here and there.

People who confirmed the emergency disaster text urgently run into the funeral hall building.

In the midst of that, there was one person going against that flow.

Shim Kang.

She walked toward the corpse of the monster bird with fire lit in both eyes.

And opened her mouth toward the black robe.

“Why are you here?” “······.” “Speak. What business did you come here for?”

Even to Shim Kang’s words full of hostility, the woman wearing the black robe gave no answer.

Instead, she pointed at the corpse of the monster bird sprawled on the floor.

Shim Kang confirmed the corpse sprawled on the floor and frowned.

‘Kelican.’

A monster that any high-floor Explorer would shiver at.

Because it is basically capable of stealth and lives in groups.

Moreover, cunning as befitting individuals that live in groups.

In the dungeon where this guy appears, one could not take a rest comfortably even for a moment.

And realized one beat late.

‘...Group living?’

Also that the black robe’s finger was pointing at the sky this time.

“!!!”

There, a Kelican group of hundreds of scale was circling the night sky drawing a large circle centered on this place.

It was then.

“Kang-i unni!”

Jeong Ha-eun in mourning clothes and her party were running toward Shim Kang.

“...Ha-eun-ah.”

It was hard to face that face that resembled a friend’s face straight on.

The party leader of the party Jeong Ha-eun belonged to, Seo Tae-woong, said toward Shim Kang.

“We will move with civilian evacuation as the top priority. Please provide cover.” “...Yes. Please do not stimulate them as much as possible. Our role is to buy time—.”

Before Shim Kang’s words could even finish.

Flar—

A mage who had appeared next to the black robe at some point was aiming the staff toward the sky.

“No—!”

Before Shim Kang’s voice could reach,

Kwaaaaang!

The fireball that had already flown exploded one Kelican in the air as is.

That became the signal flare.

Whoosh whoosh—

The Kelican group began to dive toward the ground in droves.

Most of the aggro headed toward the mage who shot the Fireball, but the rest were each different.

In the middle of aiming at civilians who had not yet taken refuge and falling.

Slide— Slide—

Stealth on top of that.

It had become a situation where one didn’t know when or where the guys would attack from.

Whoosh—

Shim Kang immediately infused mana into her whole body and took a combat stance.

[Skill ‘Blessing of the Wind’ activates.]

A lightening body.

Every time she moved her body, the wind staying by her side reacted and followed.

At the same time, reading the flow of the surrounding air and tracking the movements of the Kelican guys melted into the darkness.

‘Coming.’

Shim Kang unfastened the weapon she was carrying on her back.

One spear.

A precious item with a [Rare] grade penetration +100% option attached.

She swung it into the empty air as is.

Slice!

The appearance of a black monster bird is suddenly revealed in the empty air.

Following the trajectory of the spear blade Shim Kang swung, a Kelican with a deeply gouged neck rolled on the ground as is.

Kwaaaaang!

A sound as if a shell was falling.

The Kelican that was hit during the attack could not control its own speed and died instantly as is.

Without a moment to rest, Shim Kang started running.

The destination was one Morning that was leaving the parking lot.

However, even before she arrived, already.

Crush!

The Kelican’s claws dug into the Morning’s lid.

“Kyaaaaak!”

Inevitably, Shim Kang raised the spear she was holding.

The reason she chose this spear.

It was precisely.

“Piercing.”

Because her skill could be applied to projectiles.

Zing—

Shim Kang who infused mana and completed the charging threw the spear toward the Kelican as is.

Whoosh— Thud!

One spear that pierced the Kelican’s body like tofu.

The Kelican with a large hole drilled in the upper body died instantly on the spot.

Shim Kang ran to retrieve the spear that left her hand while looking up at the sky.

‘If only the arm was fine.’

She would have been able to spam the Piercing skill using a bow.

If so, a mere Kelican group would not have been a threat at all just by her being in this place.

The fortunate thing was.

‘That that woman is here.’

The solo player who climbs the extremely difficult [Unique] dungeon alone.

She also knows the reason that is possible.

Although she was alone, it is not one.

If she fully revealed her power, a mere Kelican group would definitely be erased in an instant.

However.

‘What is she doing?’

She only killed individuals that directly attacked her, and was not actively stepping forward.

Instead, her eyes were toward Shim Kang.

A gaze as if expecting something.

Shim Kang who knew about her ability could notice what the expectation lodged in that was.

Grit—

Angry, but it was not something she could charge into right now.

Because if she took her eyes off even for a moment, someone would die.

It was then.

In Shim Kang’s senses, the movement of a Kelican group falling at high speed from the sky was captured.

Not one.

At least a dozen or so.

And the place they were heading to—

“Ha-eun-ah!!!”

Crack crack—

Smashing the concrete floor and braking, immediately running toward Jeong Ha-eun.

However, it was already too late to arrive.

This time there is no spear to throw either.

The moment Shim Kang extended her hand.

Flash—

Under the pitch-black night sky, one constellation is drawn instantaneously.

Crack crack crack―!!!

Following that, monster birds that burned black poured down like rain.

An all too familiar appearance. A familiar sound.

Shim Kang knew what skill this was.

‘...Chain Lightning?’

Turned her head toward the source where the mana occurred.

And.

‘That person...?’

A familiar face was there.

The [Unique] grade Awakened met by chance.

Shim Kang fell into confusion.

‘Impossible.’

For a moment she thought if Jeong Hana had come back alive.

Because the power of the Chain Lightning shown just now was not inferior at all compared to Jeong Hana’s magic.

However, that person Awakened only ten days ago.

Even if raising the floor every day, he would have only cleared the 10th Floor now.

‘How on earth?’

Can he show such an overwhelming performance.

Shim Kang blankly stood and looked at that man.

And likewise one person whose gaze was fixed on that man.

‘A person I’m seeing for the first time.’

Strong interest welled up in both eyes of Necromancer Han Gyeoul.

***

It was close.

If even a little later, the monster bird would have pierced Jeong Ha-eun’s body.

Then Jeong Ha-eun said toward me with a blank face.

“...Unni?”

It was a bit far, but perhaps thanks to having achieved Strength, Agility, and Stamina all 120, I could hear it without much difficulty.

‘What do I do?’

Circumstantially, it was a clear situation that the one who used magic was me.

Even that magic is the ‘Chain Lightning’ representing Jeong Hana.

It was obvious that unnecessary misunderstandings would arise.

It was then.

Clank— Clank—

Ratatatatat—

Gunshots were heard.

At the same time, the Kelicans remaining on the ground urgently fled to the sky.

[Ah— ah—. From this time, we will control the situation here.]

The army that arrived belatedly started controlling the situation.

[Explorers, please gather here.]

The fact that monsters began to appear in reality as well was exactly from January 1, 2016.

After the beginner protection period ended and the full-scale ‘Salvation Points’ settlement started.

In other words, all monsters in reality are existences that were once human.

Anyway, nevertheless, the world did not collapse.

Because.

Ratatatatat—

Overwhelming firepower existed.

Unlike the inside of the dungeon where one can only enter with items alone, in reality there are no restrictions.

Ordinary monsters could be dealt with with modern weapons, so they were not a tremendous threat.

However, every time a monster incident occurs like now, only a slight number of casualties occur.

‘Of course, there are countries that are not.’

Countries that were excessively lacking in points.

Countries where, despite being given 3 years of time in the early days, Salvation Points were far insufficient compared to their own population existed.

In such countries, a hellscape unfolded without exception.

Countries where there were more humans who turned into monsters than surviving humans.

Representatively, there is Nigeria.

Because the entire country there became a monster heaven.

Probably those monster birds also had a high probability of having come over from a country like Nigeria.

‘Although I don’t know how they broke through the Republic of Korea’s air defense network.’

Anyway, now that the army has come, they will resolve it on their own.

So.

‘Let’s run away.’

Anyway, coming this far was for condolences.

I also did the condolences, and saw Jeong Ha-eun’s face, so now the duty is all done.

Just in time, the army appearing and drawing attention, so it was convenient to get away.

While lightly running at that time,

A woman covering herself with a black robe blocked my path.

Trying to pass by the side, she abruptly held out one paper.

“?” “...Please take it.”

That was.

[Emergency Escape Right] -Tear to escape the dungeon

“!!!”

It was the [Emergency Escape Right].

“...Even right before dying...you can use it.” “······?”

What meaning?

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