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Episode 17 – SSS Grade Talent (2)

The bodies of her enemies were torn apart whenever Yoo Sangah’s daggers moved.

Amazing.

…Was this really the Yoo Sangah that I knew?

There weren’t many skills that could show such power against a large group. At the present time, it was probably just Armed Fortress Master Gong Pildu’s Armed Zone and Han Sooyoung’s Avatar. Yet Yoo Sangah was showing such power without such a great skill.

How did she become so strong? What was this talent?

Yoo Jonghyuk spoke as if he had read my thoughts.

–She grew faster because you aren’t around.You seem to have no aptitude for raising your fellow companions.It is the same with Lee Hyunsung.

-…They grew to this extent because I pushed them in the beginning.

Actually, I didn’t really believe it but I wanted to say it. Damn, why did she get stronger when I wasn’t around? Why didn’t I seem to be much help?

“Hey.” A voice was heard. I nodded at Han Sooyoung’s words. I couldn’t be overwhelmed by Yoo Sangah forever. In any case, there were many enemies and Yoo Sangah was alone.

“Yoo Sangah-ssi, this way!”

Yoo Sangah stopped when she heard my words. She clearly hadn’t expected to meet me in this place.

“Han Sooyoung, please.”

Han Sooyoung triggered Avatar like she was waiting. Dozens of avatars disturbed the vision of the Poisoner’s group and I safely made contact with Yoo Sangah.

“Dokja-ssi? How are you…”

“Let’s talk after moving.”

The group members were chasing from afar. Fortunately, the survivors seemed to have escaped safely through Gangdong Bridge. The problem was on our side.

–Go back to the high-rise buildings. The most important step is to go up and secure visibility.

As expected, Yoo Jonghyuk’s judgment was valid. I might’ve read all of Ways of Survival but I couldn’t make battlefield judgments like Yoo Jonghyuk. Then Yoo Jonghyuk followed with meaningful words.

–And that woman, you should be careful of her.

Be careful? Who? Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t say anything else.

We quickly hid inside a nearby high-rise building. The monsters suddenly flooded the area, probably due to the turmoil, and just narrowly missed our tail. They soon gave up and returned to inner Gangdong.

I looked back at Yoo Sangah.

“Yoo Sangah-ssi, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Dokja-ssi?”

“Yes, I’m also fine.”

It had only been a few days but the conversation was awkward. It felt like I was meeting an alumni from high school 10 years after graduation. I looked away from her in her tight battle suit and opened her mouth.

“That, um…”

I couldn’t figure out what to ask.

In the meantime, I looked at Han Sooyoung. Yoo Sangah saw Yoo Jonghyuk being carried on the back of Han Sooyoung’s avatar and gave me an unknown smile.

“Dokja-ssi must’ve done a lot in the meantime.”

It was time to listen to a short story.

***

After the Absolute Throne was smashed, Yoo Sangah fell to Gangdong-gu. Fortunately, there was someone who fell with her.

“Gong Pildu was with you?”

“Yes. Ahjussi helped me a lot.”

Seeing that she was calling him ahjussi, they seemed to have become quite familiar with each other.

“Where is Gong Pildu?”

“Two days ago, he was injured while we were fighting the Gangdong-gu group. It was while trying to save me…”

Many surprising things kept happening today. ‘10 Evils’ Gong Pildu risked himself in order to save someone else. Yoo Sangah bowed her head and spoke with difficulty.

“In the end, Ahjussi lured them to Han River…”

Yoo Sangah bit her lips and a poisonous expression filled her face. I suddenly realized why Yoo Sangah killed the Poisoner’s group without hesitation.

I spoke to comfort her. “Gong Pildu is probably okay. Don’t worry.”

I had a contract with Defense Master so I would know immediately when Gong Pildu died. I would be penalized according to the terms of the contract. The fact that there was no reaction meant that Gong Pildu was alive somewhere.

Like the Poisoner, Gong Pildu was also part of the 10 Evils. It wasn’t that easy for him to die.

“Where did you get those clothes and the dagger?”

“Ah, this…”

After separating from Gong Pildu, Yoo Sangah found the green meteorite. The green meteorite was a meteorite containing rare items. I checked the items she had. I remembered that there was a meteorite containing these items in the vicinity of Cheonho-dong.

[Ancient Assassin’s Dagger]

[Rich Cat’s Leather Suit]

Both were excellent S-grade items.

The Ancient Assassin’s Dagger had the option of increasing damage to distant enemies while the Rich Cat’s Leather Suit increased movement speed the longer the duration of the attack.

“They are great items.”

“Yes, I am able to fight well thanks to these items.”

Yoo Sangah smiled and then the quietly listening Han Sooyoung spoke up.

“Hrmm, are you sure that’s all?”

“Huh?”

“Let’s say that you ‘accidentally’ got the items. But it doesn’t make such to have such combat skills with barely any items. Who the hell is your sponsor? How did you raise ‘Quick Movements’ or ‘Dagger Mastery’ so quickly? It is impossible for the growth to be so fast even with a growth package.”

“…Who are you?”

“Me? It am the 1st Apostle.”

Yoo Sangah raised her weapon without speaking. “Calm down Yoo Sangah-ssi. This person isn’t an enemy.”

Yoo Sangah looked at me with disbelief. “Are you friends now?”

“We aren’t friends…”

“The Chungmuro group members died because of that person. Surely you haven’t forgotten?”

Yoo Sangah was the deputy of Chungmuro while I was absent.

Therefore, her affection towards the Chungmuro members would be much deeper than mine. Han Sooyoung said, “Chungmuro? Ah, I see. You are that woman?”

Yoo Sangah narrowed her eyes at the words.

Han Sooyoung smiled and added, “Hey, Kim Dokja. I am a bad person but I am also a good judge. She has a big sponsor behind her.”

“You…”

“When I saw her at Chungmuro, she wasn’t that strong. Isn’t it strange? She can’t grow so explosively in such a short period of time, even if she has a narrative grade sponsor. Maybe if she has a SSS grade accelerated growth skill… How can many constellations can provide such support to South Korea?”

My heart wanted to deny it but rationally, I knew that Han Sooyoung was right. There was also Yoo Jonghyuk’s words from a short while ago. In addition, Yoo Sangah had been hiding her sponsor from me.

Yoo Sangah’s troubled eyes met mine.

I used to think that Yoo Sangah’s sponsor was ‘Abandoned Lover of the Labyrinth’.

The only person who could find the path through the magic room was the person who handed the thread to Theseus in Daedalus’ Labyrinth, ‘Ariadne.’

But as Han Sooyoung said, it was impossible for her to grow to such a degree with Ariadne’s sponsorship.

In addition, the movements that she showed while moving through the air in the previous battle was closer to the Hermes Walking Method than Air Steps. Ariadne’s incarnation couldn’t use Hermes’ stigma.

I was about to open my mouth when something unexpected happened.

[Haha, everyone! How have you been?]

Dammit… this timing. I immediately looked out the window. A new dokkaebi was floating in the sky.

[The participants in this scenario are quite hasty. There is still a week before the start of the scenario and people are already waking up a disaster. Are you curious about the next scenario?]

It wasn’t the level of Bihyung’s nonsense but it was still talking nonsense. Perhaps there was no one in charge so this low-grade dokkaebi took their place.

[The dokkaebi have left their positions so I will be here for this period… haha. Now have you all eaten your fill? You do know that this event can’t be skipped, right?]

This wasn’t good. It was a really bad development.

[I want to do that but I won’t be a dokkaebi if I don’t give scenarios.]

The fact that a scenario was appearing now told me one thing.

[The sub scenario – Disaster Prevention has arrived.]

It meant that the outbreak of a disaster was just around the corner.

+

[Sub Scenario – Disaster Prevention]

Category: Sub

Difficulty: S-

Clear Conditions: Unknown powers in Gangdong-gu are trying to hatch one of the disasters. Defeat them and stop the incoming ‘disaster.’

Time Limit: 2 hours

Compensation: 22,000 coins

Failure: Early emergence of the Disaster of Questions.

+

Since we received the ‘Disaster Prevention’ scenario, the Poisoner’s group would’ve received the ‘Defend the Disaster’ scenario.

The damn dokkaebis were still trying to be part of this unforeseen situation. I looked at the party members and said, “It isn’t the time for us to fight. Now we have to handle this situation.”

Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah nodded at the same time.

***

The Poisoner’s group was based in Cheonho-gong of Gangdong-gu. To be exact, it was an area filled with churches and a cathedral.

If their purpose was to awaken the disaster early, it was a good choice to choose a religious area. The prayers of those who lost their places would create an environment suitable for hatching the ‘disaster.’

Han Sooyoung finished scouting and opened her mouth.

“The road with the lowest level of terraforming is in the northeast, centred on the base. It is 16 Cheonjung-ro. If we go this way, we can reach the base in the shortest time. But the defenses are formidable.”

I nodded. We didn’t have time so we had to go through the fastest way.

“It’s okay. We have to reach that building as quickly as possible. Han Sooyoung and Yoo Sangah-ssi will take the front. Don’t fight each other.”

“…I understand.”

Yoo Jonghyuk couldn’t help right now so I decided to leave him on the roof of the high-rise building with Han Sooyoung’s avatar. His role was to watch the battlefield. Yoo Jonghyuk didn’t express much dissatisfaction. He just gave this piece of advice.

–If possible, get rid of them before the disaster hatches. Without Way of the Wind, the initial suppression of the Disaster of Questions is almost impossible.

Of course, I wanted to do that if possible.

“Let’s go.”

The moment I gave the signal, we jumped down the building.

Han Sooyoung used Avatar and took the lead. Dozens of avatars jumped onto the road and attracted the attention of the Poisoner’s group.

“What? Kill them!”

As the confused group members chased after the avatars, thin and transparent thread filled the air.

“Kuaaak!”

The people chasing after the avatars were caught by sharp threads and their legs were cut off. This wasn’t the end. There was another strong thread in the location where the people fell.

Their heads were cut off and flew through the air.

It was a terrifying double trap designed by calculating the angle of the fall. Han Sooyoung clicked her tongue.

“She is brutal.”

“You aren’t someone who should be saying that.”

Apart from their feelings towards each other, the combination of the two was worth looking at. No, it was very useful.

Thanks to their help, I was able to dig into the centre of the base while avoiding their surveillance.

It wasn’t difficult to find the disaster meteorite. It was a huge meteorite over 8 metres high. It emitted an ominous aura and seemed to say ‘I am the disaster.’

Certainly, it felt like the fire dragon was no comparison. If I couldn’t stop this disaster, Seoul would surely be destroyed.

Then a woman appeared next to the meteorite. She had hair as white as snow. As I saw the lips that were like red flowers on a snowy mountain, I could see Yoo Jonghyuk’s taste.

The cold and glassy eyes stared at me and I felt a terrible spirit emerge from her body.

It made my skin crawl. It was an overwhelming feeling compared to Gong Pildu.

I see. Did she also receive the power of the disaster meteorite?

“…Who are you?” One of the 10 Evils, the Poisoner Lee Seolhwa asked.