“Wow! I’m a fan! Am I really seeing the Blood Scent Guild Leader fight with my own eyes today?”
The sudden outburst shattered the tense, breathless silence that had fallen over the small group.
It came from Eunhasu’s girlfriend, a young woman who had been fixated on Yeon Hayeon with an almost otherworldly gleam in her eyes since the moment they’d been thrust into this terrifying ordeal.
Her gaze, ordinarily a soft, curious brown, now burned with an intensity that seemed to defy the grim reality of their situation.
I found myself staring at her, a knot of confusion tightening in my stomach.
Was this truly the reaction of an ordinary, non-awakened person caught unexpectedly in a sudden gate, a place of unimaginable danger and monstrous threats?
My deep-seated skepticism flared, a quiet alarm bell ringing in the back of my mind.
It was then, as I was still processing her extraordinary composure, that she reached into her bag.
Her movements were surprisingly calm, almost deliberate, given the chaos that had just unfolded around us. And then, she pulled something out.
Who brings a light stick into a dungeon?!
The sheer absurdity of the object she produced was almost comical, yet profoundly disturbing.
A light stick.
Not a weapon, not a protective charm, but a glowing, plastic light stick, the kind one might wave at a pop concert.
My mind struggled to reconcile this surreal image with the dark, damp, and decidedly deadly dungeon environment.
It felt as if, in some bizarre twist of fate, I was constantly getting caught in these sudden gates with people who were anything but ordinary.
It wasn’t just this girl; it had been a recurring theme, a pattern of encountering individuals whose reactions to life-threatening situations bordered on the eccentric.
This current predicament felt like the pinnacle of that bizarre trend.
My astonished gaze, wide and unblinking, was entirely lost on her.
She seemed utterly oblivious to my shock, her focus unwavering.
A look of pure rapture, an expression of unadulterated joy, spread across her features as she clicked the switch.
The light stick flared to life, casting a vibrant, almost alien glow against the cavern’s rough, shadowed walls.
With an infectious, almost manic energy, Eunhasu’s girlfriend began to wave it with unbridled enthusiasm, a rhythmic, fervent motion that mirrored the intensity in her eyes.
Then came the chant, shouted with an almost terrifying conviction that echoed through the dank air of the dungeon:
“Blood. Scent. Blood Scent! Kill. Them. All. Monsters!”
My jaw nearly dropped.
I had heard tales, whispered legends among the awakened, about the legendary passion and fervor of Yeon Hayeon’s fan club.
They were rumored to be zealous, almost fanatical in their devotion.
But to witness such unbridled fanaticism firsthand, here in the oppressive gloom of a monster-infested dungeon, to hear these cheerleading slogans bellowed out without a hint of fear or hesitation… it was truly something else.
It defied all logic, all instinct for self-preservation.
This wasn’t just admiration; it was an obsession, a relentless devotion that bordered on the terrifying.
Eunhasu, the boyfriend, was already a strange character in his own right, known for his peculiar habits and unconventional way of thinking.
But it was becoming glaringly apparent that his girlfriend was his perfect match, equally as peculiar, if not more so.
I had genuinely never encountered a couple where the phrase “birds of a feather flock together” resonated with such absolute, undeniable accuracy.
They were two halves of an eccentric, unpredictable whole.
The thought occurred to me with a fresh wave of unease: at this rate, she would undoubtedly continue her spirited cheering until the very moment the boss monster was finally defeated.
The image of her waving that glowing stick, her voice echoing through the final, climactic moments of the battle, was almost too much to bear.
It was a distraction we absolutely couldn’t afford in this perilous environment.
Summoning a semblance of composure, I gently tapped her shoulder with my index finger, hoping to break her trance.
My voice, though carefully modulated, carried a hint of urgency.
“Um, what if the monsters hear us? We could all be in danger.”
I had initially intended to deliver the warning with unyielding firmness, to state unequivocally that “we will be in danger.”
But at the very last moment, a peculiar hesitancy crept into my tone, softening the abruptness of my words.
The ending of the sentence became slightly rounded, a subtle concession to my own uncertainty.
This body I currently possessed, the one I had been reincarnated into, had never before been flung into such a perilous, life-threatening situation.
This was uncharted territory, a realm of raw, unbridled danger that my current experience simply couldn’t account for.
Therefore, my warning was, in essence, little more than a speculation, a cautious prediction based on a lack of concrete knowledge.
A part of me, a deeply ingrained intuition, suggested that even in this dire situation, I wouldn’t have been able to maintain a completely resolute and unyielding demeanor.
There was an internal conflict, a subtle shift in my own sense of control and confidence.
Yeon Hayeon, who had remained remarkably silent throughout Eunhasu’s girlfriend’s enthusiastic display—likely due to the fact that it was her fan club cheering her on—finally reacted.
She turned around, her movements fluid and controlled, and offered a brief, understanding nod. It was a subtle gesture, but it conveyed a sense of acknowledgment and perhaps even a hint of amusement.
Then, with a practiced grace, she brought her index finger to her lips, a clear, unspoken gesture for silence.
The message was understood: the time for cheering was over; now was the time for concentrated combat.
“Hayeon, behind you!”
The warning erupted from my lips almost instinctively, a primal cry of alarm.
Just as the words left my mouth, a long, sinuous monster leg, thick and grotesque, shot out from the abyssal darkness that seemed to stretch endlessly into the depths of the cave.
The air itself seemed to crackle with the menacing energy it exuded.
The leg, tipped with a razor-sharp talon, plunged downwards with horrifying speed and precision, aiming directly for the spot where Yeon Hayeon had been standing just moments before.
The intent was clear, brutal, and deadly.
But Yeon Hayeon was already aware.
She had sensed the approaching danger, her heightened S-rank senses far superior to my own. Even without my frantic warning, her combat instincts, honed despite her relatively short time as an Awakener, were already at work.
With a burst of incredible speed, she executed a swift, elegant dodge to the side, narrowly evading the lethal strike.
The monster’s attack missed its mark by a mere fraction of an inch, leaving a deep gouge in the cavern floor where she had stood.
As she smoothly repositioned herself, the monstrous leg, having failed its initial assault, seemed to adjust its trajectory.
This time, its attention shifted, targeting Yeon Hyeongwang, who was standing just behind her, an unwitting target.
Crash!
Without a moment’s hesitation, propelled by a surge of adrenaline and a fierce protective instinct, I lunged forward.
My hand shot out, seizing Yeon Hyeongwang’s hand in a tight, desperate grip.
With a powerful, almost desperate burst of motion, I practically threw myself to the side, dragging him with me, and we tumbled, rolling over once in a desperate attempt to create distance from the immediate threat.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the backdrop of the dungeon’s chilling silence.
A complex realization dawned on me in the midst of the escalating danger.
Although Yeon Hayeon was indeed an S-rank Awakener, a force to be reckoned with, she had only been awakened for less than a year.
Her combat experience, while growing, was still in its nascent stages compared to veterans of the awakened world.
Furthermore, she now had the daunting responsibility of protecting three non-combatants—Yeon Hyeongwang, Eunhasu, and his girlfriend, and by extension, Dana, myself—while simultaneously attempting to clear a B-rank dungeon alone.
It was an undertaking that was far from easy, a monumental challenge that pushed the limits of even an S-rank’s capabilities.
‘We have to protect ourselves as much as possible!’
The thought solidified in my mind, an unwavering resolve.
Yeon Hayeon needed to be able to focus solely on the immediate threat, to pour all her energy into the demanding combat.
If she was constantly worried about our safety, her effectiveness would be severely compromised.
It was at that precise moment, as I mentally committed myself to guarding Yeon Hyeongwang and Eunhasu’s girlfriend, that the monster’s full form began to gradually emerge from the encroaching darkness, its silhouette becoming clearer with every passing second.
“Ugh, what’s that disgusting thing?”
Eunhasu’s girlfriend recoiled, her face immediately scrunching up in an expression of intense disgust upon seeing the monster.
Despite her earlier fanaticism, the raw, visceral sight of the creature seemed to momentarily break through her fan-girl fervor.
“Last time it was a centipede, this time it’s a spider.”
I muttered, a grim observation that added to the growing sense of unease.
The continuity of eight-legged creatures wasn’t exactly comforting.
My eyes darted to Eunhasu’s girlfriend again.
Despite her revulsion, her grip on the light stick seemed to tighten, as if she were considering using it as a weapon.
The idea was absurd, of course.
Even if she struck the monster with it, the hard, chitinous exterior of the creature looked impenetrable; it wouldn’t even leave a scratch.
Yet, the sheer audacity, the unyielding courage of a non-awakened person even contemplating attacking such a formidable monster, was undeniably impressive.
It spoke volumes about her unique, perhaps deranged, determination.
Meanwhile, Yeon Hyeongwang, despite the palpable tension in the air, began to calmly analyze the situation.
His gaze was fixed on his sister, who was already locked in a fierce, desperate battle with the monster at the very front of the approaching horde.
His demeanor was surprisingly detached, almost academic.
“Three monsters in front of the boss, two behind us. A total of five. There’s nowhere to hide.”
His assessment was concise, precise, and delivered with a chilling clarity.
It was a perfectly clean analysis, devoid of any emotional inflection.
The only problem, a truly significant one, was that the content of his analysis was utterly despairing. Five monsters, with nowhere to retreat, nowhere to seek cover.
The stark reality of our predicament settled heavy in the air.
‘Can Yeon Hayeon take them all out at once?’
A surge of worry tightened my chest.
My gaze involuntarily shot upwards, fixed on Yeon Hayeon.
She was still locked in a brutal struggle with the giant spider, its immense form towering over her, and had yet to deliver the killing blow.
While she was undoubtedly close to finishing them off, a grim calculation formed in my mind.
At this current pace, attempting to protect us, the non-combatants, while simultaneously dispatching all these monsters, seemed virtually impossible.
The odds were stacked against her, and by extension, against us.
‘Should I pretend to be awakened?’
The desperate thought flickered through my mind, a dangerous proposition born of desperation.
If I were to reveal even a fraction of the power I secretly possessed, it could change everything. But the risks were immense.
No, I had to hold out. I had to endure as long as I possibly could, pushing the limits of this current, vulnerable body.
Still, the title of S-rank wasn’t given lightly, and Yeon Hayeon was proving that.
Despite the challenging odds, she was gradually increasing her speed in dealing with the monsters.
Her movements became sharper, her attacks more decisive, each strike carrying greater force.
At this rate, it seemed plausible that as long as we simply focused on protecting ourselves, keeping out of the monsters’ immediate reach, Yeon Hayeon would indeed be able to handle all of them, including the formidable boss.
A glimmer of hope, fragile yet persistent, began to bloom in the grim confines of the dungeon.
“Boss!”
Yeon Hayeon, with a fierce cry, brought her dagger down mercilessly on the hard, unyielding outer shell of the giant spider.
The impact reverberated through the cavern.
Without a second’s hesitation, she roughly, violently, plunged her entire arm into the gaping wound she had created.
The moment Yeon Hyeongwang shouted in pure, unadulterated surprise, the massive body of the giant spider began to vibrate violently, a deep, unsettling tremor that shook the very ground beneath our feet.
Then, with a resounding thud, its enormous body crashed heavily to the cavern floor, sending vibrations echoing through the rock.
The thick, resilient outer shell of the spider was now grotesquely misshapen, bumpy and contorted, as if something sharp had violently pierced it from the inside out.
It was a clear, unmistakable sign of Yeon Hayeon’s signature skill: Sword Explosion.
***
When Yeon Hayeon executed this devastating skill, plunging her arm into a monster’s body, it wasn’t just a simple stab.
It was a terrifying, beautiful display of raw power.
From the point of her hand, deep within the monster’s flesh, long, shimmering swords would explosively extend in all directions, piercing and tearing through the creature’s internal organs.
This internal flurry of blades inflicted catastrophic, fatal wounds, utterly annihilating the monster from the inside out.
The spectacle was gruesome, yet undeniably effective, a testament to her S-rank destructive capability.
“You think I’d get eaten by something like this? You’ve gotten more cowardly.”
Thud.
Yeon Hayeon landed lightly, a graceful jump from the defeated giant spider.
Her face, usually composed, twisted into a slight grimace as she looked down at her arm, which was thoroughly soaked in the viscous, alien blue blood of the giant spider.
The smell was metallic, pungent, clinging to the damp air of the cave.
I heard Yeon Hyeongwang let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief, the sound of tension finally releasing from his body.
It was a sound so profound that it seemed to reverberate through me, making my own shoulders relax, my own strained muscles beginning to uncoil from their rigid state.
The immediate danger, at least from that particular monster, had passed.
“S-Sword Explosion! Gasp.”
Eunhasu’s girlfriend, her phone still clutched tightly in her hand, simply kept uttering exclamations of awe, a stream of breathless admiration.
She was utterly absorbed, busily filming the chaotic aftermath of the battle with an almost fanatical dedication.
My gaze drifted from her to the gruesome corpse of the monster, which lay not far from us.
The creature’s appearance was truly revolting, its segmented body and multiple eyes enough to churn the stomach of even those with the strongest constitutions.
Yet, she was not only witnessing this horrific sight but actively recording it, preserving it as a digital memento.
It was an act that transcended ordinary fan devotion; it was an extreme, almost unsettling level of obsession.
And then, she started to tear up, her eyes welling with what seemed to be profound emotion.
She pressed her hand over her mouth, as if to stifle a sob of overwhelming awe.
The more I observed her, the more apparent it became that her personality was a perfect, almost unsettlingly precise match for Eunhasu, who himself was prone to using bizarre, nonsensical words and spouting “Dark Flame Dragon” jokes.
They were two peas in a very strange pod, perfectly suited for each other’s eccentricities.
Yeon Hayeon, ever vigilant, didn’t allow herself a moment’s rest.
Her gaze swept over the dungeon, assessing the remaining threats.
Without hesitation, she immediately ran off, her movements a blur of speed and precision, to deal with the next monster that was rapidly approaching our small group.
This time, she was simultaneously engaging two creatures, a testament to her agility and multi-tasking abilities.
She was even trying to keep an eye on the monsters that were flanking us from behind.
However, it was clear that she had absolutely no spare capacity to actively protect us; her focus was entirely consumed by the fierce, immediate combat.
We were on our own, at least for now.
Kiiiiik-
A horrifying, scraping sound echoed through the cave as a thick, viscous web, spewed from the maw of a giant spider, shot out and wrapped itself around Yeon Hayeon’s arm.
The sticky threads coiled around her, restricting her movement.
Yeon Hayeon immediately pulled out her dagger, her blade a silver flash against the gloom, and began to cut at the continuously coiling strands of web.
It was a relentless struggle, a test of endurance and skill.
Just as she was embroiled in this struggle, the spiders behind us, their eyes glowing with an ominous red light, which had been lurking silently in the shadows, suddenly surged forward.
Their movements were terrifyingly swift, a red-eyed blur of legs and fangs charging directly towards our position.
“Dana! Yeon Hyeongwang!”
Yeon Hayeon, her voice strained, quickly severed the last of the restraining webs and spun her body around to face us.
But this time, the spiders’ attack was undeniably faster, their coordinated assault overwhelming.
The spider’s leg descended with horrifying speed and force, threatening to pierce Yeon Hyeongwang’s body with a brutal, fatal blow.
My mind raced, and in that split second, I prepared to unleash a dark shackle, a skill I possessed, to bind the monstrous leg and protect him.
‘Huh?’
But then, an unexpected sight unfolded before my eyes.
Yeon Hyeongwang, with a surprising lack of hesitation, extended his hand.
He wasn’t dodging; he was reaching out, directly towards the descending spider leg.
His fingers closed around the creature’s thick, segmented limb, gripping it with unexpected force.
And then, from the very point where his hand made contact, the spider’s leg began to bubble and churn, a grotesque, unsettling transformation.
It wasn’t just bubbling; it was melting, dissolving into a putrid, greenish goo.
Kieeek-
The spider shrieked, a high-pitched, agonizing cry that tore through the cavern.
“Eh…?”
Eunhasu’s girlfriend, who was still holding her phone aloft, recording the unfolding drama, gasped in shock.
Her voice, usually so filled with fanatical enthusiasm, was now laced with utter bewilderment and surprise.
She had witnessed something truly unimaginable, a sight that defied all logic and expectation.
“Huh?”
Yeon Hayeon was no different.
Her rapid steps, which had been rushing towards us, suddenly faltered, slowing abruptly.
She came to a complete halt right beside me, her posture rigid, her eyes wide and unblinking.
She simply stared, utterly dumbfounded, at the bizarre spectacle unfolding before her.
Her S-rank mind, usually quick to process and react, was clearly struggling to comprehend the impossible.
In that moment, as everyone stood frozen in stunned disbelief, witnessing Yeon Hyeongwang’s utterly bewildering and surprising feat of power, a translucent status window shimmered into existence directly before my eyes.
It pulsed with a soft, ethereal light, drawing my gaze.
[☆Awakened Ones’ Room☆ Rankings 1-10 have changed.]
[Loading…]
[‘CoolGuy’ has connected.]
[It’sMe(0) – Connecting Korea Ranking 0-10 Group (13)
○Focus (1)
○Sashimi (1)
○Gaonnuri (2)
○Blood (3)
○StrongestZ(4)
○Ocean (5)
○CoolGuy (6)
○Hwan (6)
○Wanso (7)
○∑Eudeum (8)
○Cutie (9)
○Lumos(Lumos..★)(10)]
‘Cool… what?’
The sudden appearance of a new Awakener, especially one ranking within the top 10, was in itself astonishing.
It was a rare occurrence, a seismic shift in the delicate balance of power among the awakened.
But what truly rendered me speechless, what caused my mouth to hang agape, was the undeniable, dawning realization that I knew, with an almost terrifying certainty, who the owner of that particular nickname was.
The ridiculous moniker, “CoolGuy,” was unmistakably linked to one person.
“Oh? There was a chat window too.”
Yeon Hyeongwang’s voice, a casual observation, broke through my internal monologue.
The spider, which had foolishly attacked him, mistaking him for a mere human with no magical power, was now writhing on the ground in agony, its melted leg fizzing and smoking.
He was looking at the empty air around him with an expression of pure wonder, as if marveling at a magic trick.
‘It was him after all!’
The realization hit me with the force of a physical blow.
Of course.
It had to be him.
But in that fleeting, chaotic moment of awakening, when had he even found the time, the presence of mind, to decide on such a nickname?
And it wasn’t just “CoolGuy” written plainly; it was even adorned with special characters.
When on earth did he manage to search for and input those specific symbols?
The sheer audacity, the bizarre priorities, were almost beyond belief.
And then there was the rank itself: 6th place.
This wasn’t just a simple awakening; this was a phenomenon.
It was an almost ridiculously concentrated burst of power, a clear example of what could only be described as a massive “female lead’s brother” buff.
His abilities had been funneled, almost entirely, into raw power, catapulting him to an incredibly high rank right from the start.
Yeon Hyeongwang, unlike someone who had just awakened, moved with a surprising, almost audacious confidence.
He immediately began to attack the writhing monster, his movements not those of a frightened novice, but of a seasoned warrior.
His attacks were bold, decisive, as if he had been an Awakener all along, even before being caught in this sudden, chaotic gate.
Yeon Hayeon, watching her brother’s unexpected display of power, nodded with a look of profound approval and pride.
“That’s skill worthy of the Yeonhwa Organization’s successor.”
Her voice, though low, carried a note of quiet pride.
Then, with a graceful flick of her long, flowing black hair, she turned coolly away.
Her back, strong and confident, was now facing her newly awakened brother.
She then sprinted off, a blur of motion, towards the other monsters on the opposite side of the cavern.
To place such absolute, unyielding trust in her recently awakened sibling, to turn her back on him in the midst of a dangerous dungeon battle, was a testament to their extraordinary bond.
They were indeed not a pair of ordinary siblings.
Their connection, their trust, ran far deeper than typical familial ties.
Yeon Hyeongwang, now suddenly imbued with immense power, turned back to us.
A slow, confident smile spread across his face, a charming, almost magnetic grin that hinted at a newfound arrogance.
“Now I can finally be of some help to the boss.”
He then glanced between me and the remaining monsters, his gaze thoughtful, calculating. With his long, unhurried strides, he began to walk towards us, a casual confidence in his movements that seemed almost out of place given the danger.
As he approached, he spoke, his voice carrying a hint of wry amusement.
“Hmm, this isn’t a good sight to see.”
And then, to my utter surprise, he gently took both of my hands.
His touch was warm, firm.
He raised them, carefully, and placed them over my eyes.
The sudden darkness was disorienting.
His voice, close and intimate, followed, a playful command disguised as a comforting instruction:
“Count to one hundred with your eyes closed. I’ll be back after taking care of it.”
His words, so completely absurd and out of place in this life-threatening situation, left me utterly speechless.
I could only express my exasperation inwardly, a frustrated sigh that remained trapped in my throat.
‘What do you mean, close my eyes! You’re just a newly awakened chick!’
My internal protest was vehement.
The audacity!
He was a novice, a mere “chick” in the world of awakened individuals, yet he was ordering me, someone with far more hidden power and perhaps even experience, to simply close my eyes and wait.
It was infuriating, yet, a strange sense of amusement mixed with the exasperation.
True to my predictions, as Yeon Hyeongwang seriously engaged in the battle, the situation began to unfold exactly as I had foreseen.
While he might have considerable experience in gang brawls and street fights, battling grotesque, mutated monsters was an entirely different beast.
He was a complete novice in this arena, and it showed.
Slowly, painstakingly, scratches and minor wounds began to appear on his body, marring his otherwise flawless white skin.
Tiny droplets of blood, stark red against his pale complexion, beaded on his skin where he had failed to dodge the sharp, scything attacks of the spider legs.
“Oh, oh, that’s not good.”
Eunhasu’s girlfriend murmured, her voice tinged with genuine concern.
It was a practical worry, devoid of her usual fan-girl theatrics. Given his 6th place ranking, Yeon Hyeongwang would have awakened as an A-rank, a formidable level of power.
However, for a rookie A-rank Awakener, facing B-rank monsters from the very beginning of their awakened career was by no means an easy task.
It was a baptism by fire, and he was clearly struggling.
I watched Yeon Hyeongwang, who, despite his earlier confident declaration, was visibly floundering, struggling to keep up with the relentless, aggressive attacks of the monsters.
The situation was deteriorating, and his injuries were accumulating.
A decision solidified in my mind. I couldn’t just stand by and watch him get seriously hurt.
Whoosh.
A sound of wind cutting through the air, sharp and swift.
A spider web, thick and glistening, shot out, aimed directly at Yeon Hyeongwang, its trajectory precise and deadly.
“Oh, oh?! The part where the web comes out looks a bit soft?”
The words slipped out, an almost involuntary observation, delivered in a slightly awkward, almost too-casual tone.
Ah, I thought, a surge of self-consciousness washing over me, was my acting too over-the-top?
The thought was fleeting, almost immediately overshadowed by the urgency of the moment.
I quickly clamped my mouth shut, hoping I hadn’t made it too obvious that I was intentionally giving him a hint.
Yeon Hyeongwang, having heard my seemingly accidental murmur, immediately pivoted, shifting his body to the back of the monster, recognizing the invaluable information I had just provided.
Thud-
The spider let out a guttural, gurgling sound as it finally gave way.
Unable to withstand Yeon Hyeongwang’s relentless attacks, now focused on its newly discovered weakness, the monster crashed to the ground with a resounding thud.
It was a messy, brutal kill, but a kill nonetheless.
His first monster.
Slowly, his gaze, still wide with a lingering trace of surprise, lifted and fixed on me.
His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, were slightly larger than usual, locked onto my face, unwilling to move.
He had clearly realized that my “accidental” comment had saved him.
After a long, pregnant silence, his firmly closed lips finally parted.