CH 36

“Aish! I don’t know! That running form is as if they’re going to attack us, and this is the kind of special situation that Director Do had mentioned! Attack them, now! Attack first!”

Yoo Soo-eun grabbed the arm of Han Suwon, a long-distance attacker, and screamed. Then, as if it were a signal, the enemy stomped their feet and jumped high into the air.

Han Suwon, who pulled the terrified Yoo Soo-eun back, immediately chanted a spell and waved his hand.

“Attribute change, blitz on.”

A deep blue light condensed under the palm of his hand, and an electric shock rang out with a crackling sound. At the same time as the skill was activated, Han Suwon’s blue eyes shone brightly.

[Activates ‘Title—The Blind One’. Expand your field of view. You can hit anything you see.]

Special eyes secured the field of view. The enemy’s figure entered the field of vision significantly wider than usual. The spear of lightning held in the hand of the owner flew towards the enemy.

Having received the title effect, the spear would surely hit the enemy.

However, the woman struck the lightning with the blade she was holding in her hand. Scattered electric current rushed around her and tightened around her body, but she was smiling even in the midst of it.

Ah, at that moment, the four’s eyes met with the woman’s. Everyone’s body stiffened.

The shine in the golden eyes did not fade even in the face of fiercely blazing lightning.

What was contained within was a power so strong that could even scare an S-class in a second.

Everyone realized. That’s a monster.

[The Awakened ‘Yoo Soo-eun’’s fear has exceeded the threshold! ‘Title—Save Me’ is forcibly activated!]

The moment Yoo Soo-eun felt the fear of getting murdered, a huge golden shield fell between the party and the enemy. It was a unique skill ‘Last Barrier’ that was automatically activated when Yoo Soo-eun, who valued her own safety the most, felt extreme fear.

In an instant, the lightning was extinguished by the mighty protective power emitted by the shield, and the enemy was thrown away.

“They stopped.”

When the woman’s gaze was cut off, the first ones to regain their senses were Do Junyoung and Jung Hoyoung.

This was the only chance.

The two drew their swords and ran forward. And the moment Jung Hoyoung was about to activate her hidden skill.

“Wait! Calm down! C-Calm down!”

Everyone flinched at the sound of a harsh voice resounding around them. At any other time, they would never have lowered the tension during the battle, but…

‘Korean?’

Their feet stopped automatically at the words so familiar to their ears. Even the English that followed was Konglish.

“Oh? Do you understand what I’m saying?! So, are you Koreans?!”

The four of them looked at the woman beyond the shield with strange eyes. When she had rushed threateningly, it had felt terrifying, but now the enemy roared with excitement like a dog out for a walk.

“I’m right! And! The gate was connected to Korea! That’s a relief! Hiyaa, I’m so lucky from the start?”

As the four saw the illusion of a dog’s tail spinning like a propeller behind its back, they even wondered if they had been hit by a skill.

“How long has it been since I spoke Korean?! Hometown language is the best, after all! That’s right, can I go there? Come on, I won’t do anything!”

The woman threw down the weapon she was holding. The dreadful bladed weapon that had repelled Han Suwon’s lightning head-on was scattered.

“Fuck, what’s this?”

Yoo Soo-eun, who had regained her composure, swore. It contained anger at herself who had been afraid of such a thing.

“You can tie me up if you don’t feel safe. It’s alright, it’s alright. Of course you’ll feel scared if you meet a strong person like me. I understand!”

“Damn it! I’m not afraid! Who is scared?! You crazy puppy!”

Yoo Soo-eun, whose feet were numb, shouted. But it only made the weird woman happier.

“You really understand what I’m saying, don’t you? Oh no, I’m about to cry! I can’t believe I meet people from my hometown like this!”

The woman covered her mouth with both hands and burst into tears. Do Junyoung, who was slowly starting to get confused, touched his forehead.

“‘I can’t believe I meet people from my hometown’? Are you really Korean? Why the hell are you here?”

“Well, I was trapped inside the gate. It’s been a while. Man, I thought I’d lived here all my life.”

“Does that mean you’ve been here a long time?”

“Of course. Because I’ve been here before you passed through the gate.”

Do Junyoung’s face hardened at the woman’s words.

“Since when—?”

“Are you curious? If you’re curious, give me 500 won!”

A cold silence descended again. Yoo Soo-eun cursed again.

“Looking at that old joke, I think she’s Korean.”

Her doubts were gone, and only absurdity remained.

“I guess she is one of the Awakened who disappeared after being swept away into the dungeon.”

Jung Hoyoung, who often helped the association through Song Hanna, quickly came up with an answer.

The power so strong that it had made Yoo Soo-eun scared must be the result of struggling to survive in this dungeon. The faces of Jung Hoyoung and Han Suwon were filled with sadness.

“I am Do Junyoung, director of the Korea Awakened Management Association. Until the situation is determined, the association will secure your position. I will ensure you are safe until we are convinced that you are not a dangerous person.”

It was their first time seeing the missing person again. There were so many things they needed to hear.

“I don’t mind anything as long as you take me away! How exciting! Thank you so much!”

The brightly colored woman smiled brightly at Do Junyoung’s words. It was definitely a happy smile that also seemed sad enough that one could not take their eyes off of it.

It was like a person whose long-cherished wish had come true.

The woman, who identified herself as Jarim, meekly handed over her weapon and crossed the gate, bound. The moment she came out of the gate…

[Congratulations! The second L-class Awakened in Korea was born!]

The second surprising message shook the eyes of all Awakened in Korea.

And it was the same with Seora.

The birth of an L-class Awakened. Isn’t everything going the same as when I first met Kang Sejun?

Seora looked into the air, biting her nails nervously.

‘Elizabeth-nim. Could it be that… this time, too…?’

She couldn’t bring herself to speak.

I hope not. Please…

Perhaps hearing her earnest wish…

[Administrator: X(´ω`)X]

She was truly relieved by the reply message from the administrator. Yes, having one is like cheating enough, having two is just the destruction of the world.

‘But… what is it again this time?’

[Administrator: ₍₍ ◝(•ω•)◟ ⁾⁾]

Fine, don’t tell me.

Fortunately, there is another person from whom I can rip the information out. Seora immediately took out her cell phone and looked through the contacts.

The name she was looking for was ‘Absolute damage.’

As he’s returned five times, he must have a lot of information. I was just going to get my money and block him right away, so how did I end up contacting him first?

Seora sent a text message right away. And in the reply that arrived not long after…

[I don’t know either. There has never been a time when a new L-class appeared during this period.]

…that’s what was written.

The phone fell from her weak hand.

An L-class appearance that even the returnee doesn’t know about?

[Be careful not to be noticed. If they’re an L-class, they might notice something strange.]

‘Oh, shit.’

Seora’s face turned pale. If it’s an L-class, the association will definitely try to contact them, so of course the chance of meeting will increase naturally!

‘What kind of mountain beyond the mountain is this?’

[T/N: Above something big is something bigger, something like that.]

I thought I had barely crossed a mountain where the wind was blowing sharply, but now it feels like a mountain burning with fire appeared in front of my eyes.

Next to me is a beautiful sea, so why do I have to climb over a burning mountain?

Seora kept sobbing with her head stuck on the desk out of frustration.

Until then, she did not know at all. That the problematic L-class Awakened was already on their way here, to the association.

Unfortunately, the fire had already spread to her feet.

***

Seora thought.

‘I really need to do the blade dancing.’

This was not just the level of breaking through the bad luck route. It was evident that she had been thrown onto the path heading to the apex of bad luck.

Otherwise, there is no way I’d meet another L-class Awakened at the association!

‘Or is this association a center of misfortune?’

Seora lowered her body as flat as possible. If even a single hair was caught, she was sure she’d catch the eye of the L-class Awakened, who radiated that terrifying force.

‘As strong as Returnee-ssi.’

There are two strong players in Korea all of a sudden? Isn’t this breaking the balance?

“Wow. It’s my first time in the association since my first awakening! It feels weird to be escorted by S-classes.”

Unlike Kang Sejun this time, L-class-ssi was busy running around like a puppy. Thanks to this, Seora had to hide even more in confusion.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

Next to her, Gong Haeyeon gave her an absurd look, but Seora ignored it.

“It’s not an escort, it’s surveillance. Hey, you puppy! Be quiet!”

“Ouch! Ah! Hey, why are you so mean to me? Huh? Because I’m strong, it’s only natural that you’re afraid of me!”

“This guy’s mouth! I’m going to rip it off right now!”

Yoo Soo-eun screamed and pulled Jarim’s mouth with her two hands. Han Suwon snorted his nose as if thinking How pathetic, and turned his head in the opposite direction, and Do Junyoung covered his forehead.

Even Jung Hoyoung was just staring blankly. It made me wonder how the four of them could work together.

“Aigoo, our Soo-eun. Were you that scared? Well, that’s understandable.”

At that time, Song Hanna who appeared out of nowhere, suddenly reached out and grabbed Yoo Soo-eun’s back and lifted her up.

Song Hanna, who had patted the Chihuahua on the hip, glanced over the new L-class Awakened with a smile.