Chapter 52

As the gravel path soon ended, they had to step on a dirt path with burning trees all around. The moment Soram, who was leading the way, stepped on the dirt path...

"Ugh...!"

A pitch-black tree tendril lunged at him. Tae-un, who had leaped from behind, sliced the middle of the tendril. The upper part of the severed tendril wriggled until it disappeared into black smoke.

Following that, something approached from the surrounding forest, scraping the ground. It looked as if hundreds of snakes were swarming in. Perhaps because they were a little closer to the rift, a murderous aura could be felt from the charging mutants. Tae-un, who was experiencing a 1st-grade dungeon for the first time, bit his lip and tightened his grip on his sword.

"It seems there's no way to avoid this and go up."

"Yes. We'll have to break through. Let's pierce through in the upward direction."

Soram and Tae-un kicked the ground. The airplanes that rose following Soram's hand gestures turned crimson, reflecting the heat. Tae-un swung his sword forward, looking at them.

Lumps of tendrils fell to the ground, and the flower branches that rushed in from behind the severed tendrils were also cut off. The red petals approached as if opening their mouths, but when they were sliced, they folded like flower buds as if withering.

Throughout the process of defeating the mutants, sparks and dust swirled around Soram and Tae-un. Every time they inhaled, their throats stung. Although no unusual symptoms appeared immediately, if they stayed here for a long time, they would definitely suffer internal injuries.

"Phew, ugh...!"

Pung!

Each attack that struck the sword was heavy. Tae-un sliced through the middle of a tendril with his sword. Then the remaining part shook and spewed liquid. As soon as he dodged, the spot where Tae-un had been standing turned black.

If the mutants in the 4th-grade dungeon were cut down like paper with a single attack, the mutants here had the power to push them back if they didn't firmly exert their strength. Moreover, even the surrounding environment made the situation difficult.

A path finally opened up where the two had intensively swung their swords. Soram and Tae-un moved forward, each taking the left and right sides without any signal. The tendrils remaining in the front were cut down by Tae-un, and the mutants rushing from the rear were eliminated by Soram's airplanes.

Running up the steeply cut mountain path, they reached level ground. With no other options, they leaped up and stood on the wide flat area. There was a temporary rest area for hikers. On one side, there were benches, and next to them, rusty exercise equipment could be seen.

And the thorny bushes surrounding the area swelled as if to trap the two.

"Wow, it's intense..."

After Soram's muttering, their backs touched without anyone taking the lead. As if driving the two into the center, branches approached one by one with a thud.

―Swish!

"Ouch."

The branches with countless sharp thorns left torn wounds even with a slight graze. Due to the intense battle that followed, the clothes of the two were already tattered as if they were wearing untimely Halloween costumes. Soram, who was leaning firmly against Tae-un's back and gripping his sword, spoke.

"Sob sob, Han Tae-un ssi. I'm scared. What should we do?"

"Are you the only one experiencing a 1st-grade dungeon for the first time?"

Soram glanced back. Tae-un had a stiff face as usual.

"Are you scared?"

"Of course."

"Don't lie. Han Tae-un ssi has no emotions. I've noticed that you're an artificial human weapon made in Guncheon-gun."

"Seeing that I get annoyed when you joke around even at a time like this, it seems I do have emotions."

"You're annoyed at me right now, gasp!"

While startled, Soram drew a semicircle with his sword and cut down the approaching branches. Nine airplanes, four more than before, surrounded the two in a circle and fended off the small branches. Thanks to them blocking the attacks that reached even in front of Tae-un, he was able to rest, even if briefly.

"..."

Jin Soram is endlessly lighthearted.

However, the moment Soram's back touched his, Tae-un felt his tense body relax a little. When he faced him as an opponent in the arena, it felt like a huge mountain was standing in front of him. The difference in level was so high that it seemed impossible for the current Tae-un to overcome it.

But the moment that mountain supported his back, he felt relief even in this fierce situation. Just the fact that the person who had shown him overwhelming power during the day was fighting alongside him.

"We'll have to clear everything here before moving on."

"Yes."

"First, let's run a simulation on how to move."

Phew, Soram took a deep breath. Their backs pressed together even more tightly, like a spring before bouncing forward.

"Are you done thinking?"

"...Yes."

"Then, fighting!"

After the lively cheer, the two dashed out in opposite directions. In time with Tae-un's long sword swing, the airplanes scattered in all directions.

As soon as the battle began, the eyes of the two changed. Blue mist and white aura exploded from each of them. The moment they put their lives on the line, their concentration skyrocketed.

Swish―

Tae-un's sword sliced through the mutants gathered together. Only the severed plant tendrils remained, as if the blade had extended. Then, the bushes on the side stretched out their thorns and filled that spot.

Unlike the mutants with individual entities, it was impossible to gauge how much more they had to defeat the plant-types. The only consolation might be that the dense concentration seemed to have decreased a little.

"Han Tae-un ssi!"

A voice calling Tae-un was heard from over there.

"Do you remember what I called my special move in the school dungeon?"

"I remember!"

He recalled the scene of Soram flying up to the ceiling by stepping on the wall and crushing the mutants as if pressing down with a huge platform.

"I'm going to use that, so lift me up a bit!"

Soram approached Tae-un. Tae-un grabbed Soram's arm and immediately flew upward. The branches that stretched out as if following them were blocked by the airplanes.

Blue mist rose from Soram's hands and spread out long beneath their feet.

The black mountain where night had fallen, the flames that bloomed like stars here and there, and the blue mist drawn above it reminded them of the Milky Way. Tae-un thought the face under the fluttering brown hair would be smiling. But he had a cold expression, calculating the timing with precision.

Soram let go of Tae-un's arm that was holding him. And he threw his body onto the blue waves. At that moment, a pillar of fire that noticed the two of them surged from afar. Tae-un, who noticed the approaching flames first, reached out his hand.

Kwang!!!!!

With a roar, an intangible weight fell upon the mutants. As soon as Soram and Tae-un crashed to the ground, a pillar of fire passed right above their heads. They were able to avoid it thanks to falling to the ground faster than the speed Soram originally knew.

Rumble―... Rumble...

The aftermath of the technique didn't end with just one. The vibration continued, just like when Soram had rammed with his airplanes. Soram, whose waist was wrapped around by Tae-un without even knowing when, looked around with a dumbfounded face.

"What the..."

Countless black smoke rose as the mutants were eliminated. Not only that, but the surrounding benches and exercise equipment were already flattened. There were even cracks in the ground.

Soram knew that the power of his technique wasn't to this extent. And he recalled the scene just before the blue void he had momentarily suggested as a 'vehicle' touched the ground, it was filled with something white like snow.

The mutants also began to retreat from the surrounding area, instinctively seeing the tremendous power of the attack.

"Gasp, huff, cough..."

And there was Han Tae-un, panting as if he had used his ability greatly.

Although questions remained, Soram first grabbed him and led him to the iron stairs across the path. Soon, a group of mutants that had joined forces from afar rushed in and concentrated on the spot where Soram and Tae-un had disappeared. However, when there was no target to attack, they began to move around as if searching the surroundings.

The two watched their movements while holding their breath from a little distance away. The limit of the mutants created was infinite, but Soram and Tae-un had physical limitations.

"Do we have to fight again?"

"No. Those... let's trust the people below and send them down. If we exhaust all our strength here trying to defeat them all, there will be no one left to break the rift."

Compared to the order to 'prioritize rift destruction', the two had already pushed themselves quite a bit.

The mutants didn't come near this area. Both the rocky path earlier and the iron stairs. They didn't seem to come near places where they couldn't take root. And thanks to the mutants being concentrated over there, the path going up from here had become quiet.

"They'll probably be gathered there for a while, so let's rest for a bit."

The two opened the small water bottles they had brought and drank water. Bringing various tools at Soram's insistence had been helpful.

Tae-un leaned his body against the railing and pressed his head and ears firmly with both hands. It was one of the representative symptoms of overusing one's ability. If severe, it would be accompanied by headaches and auditory hallucinations. It was clear that the power that had emerged a moment ago involved Tae-un's strength more than Soram's own.

Come to think of it, there was a time when he had cracked the ground during the ability strength measurement before. Could it be that he had utilized it in the same way as then?

The worry that he might not be able to navigate through a 1st-grade dungeon with Han Tae-un, who had no real combat experience, was truly unnecessary. If Soram had fallen alone without him, he would not have even reached this far and would have been tattered all over.

"Han Tae-un ssi, at this point, just tell me. What is your special ability?"

"..."

Tae-un closed his mouth, even swallowing his groans. And there was no answer for a long time. He thought he had given quite a bit of his information, but Tae-un had so many secrets all this time. He was about to grumble.

"I'm not sure."

"Huh?"