Chapter 82

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 .