Chapter 31

00031 Boss Monster.

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The weather was clear. The bright sunlight, which we couldn't see in the forest, now enveloped our heads. Although I wasn't in a bad mood, the only problem was that the group walked in silence. It had been about six hours since we left the cabin. During that time, we hardly spoke except for necessary words. The cold atmosphere between me and Kim Hanbyeol might have contributed to this, but if you looked into the hearts of the group, it wasn't entirely the case.

Anyway, despite the long walk, we hadn't taken a single break and kept moving forward. How long had we walked? Eventually, a warp gate, which was now more than half visible, or even just half visible, loomed large before us. As we got closer to the warp gate, everyone, as if by some unspoken agreement, refrained from talking. The only sounds were the quiet, steady breaths. Everyone must have been excited, knowing that the end was in sight.

It was good to push forward, but it wasn't a situation where we could walk with complete peace of mind. As expected, we didn't encounter a single monster on our way to the warp gate. Perhaps because of this, everyone seemed to have relaxed a bit, consciously or unconsciously.

My mind was troubled. When the boss monster appears, there won't be time for preparations or discussions. It will sense our presence and attack us like a ghost. If everyone doesn't panic and scatter, it will be a stroke of luck. Even with me here, if I don't reveal my true strength, there's a high possibility of casualties.

The warp gate was right in front of us. If we just walked a little more, we could successfully complete the rite of passage. But it seemed a waste to abandon the concept and plan we had maintained for so long, just a short distance away.

Estimating the remaining distance, it seemed about 600 meters were left. According to Woo Jeongmin, the boss monster attacked at 300 meters, so if we went half that distance, we would encounter it. I wanted to walk slowly and gather my thoughts, but the group's pace was getting faster. Ahn Hyun, sensing this, broke the silence he had maintained and spoke to Ahn Sol in an excited voice.

"Sol, let's just keep going a little more. If we reach that large oval building ahead, we'll definitely be able to leave this place. Just a little more, okay?"

"Okay!"

Ahn Sol nodded vigorously at Ahn Hyun's gentle words, her face bright and occasionally smiling, clearly very happy. I was about to suggest a short break but had to close my mouth. No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't come up with a good plan. I had no choice but to match their pace, and the distance to the warp gate kept decreasing.

Of course, it might be an unnecessary worry. The best way would be to just walk into the warp gate quietly. A peaceful path where no one gets hurt or injured. But a foreboding feeling lingered. There was a nagging unease in my heart. I had been conducting the most extensive and detailed magical detection since entering the rite of passage, but I couldn't sense any sign of the boss monster.

We were now 500 meters from the target. The warp gate was gradually revealing its grandeur. A straight platform supported the massive oval building, which was as grand as a large building. In the center, a large hole like a donut was filled with a floating, light blue sphere, occasionally emitting thin blue currents, clearly the magical core powering the warp gate.

At first glance, the sphere was quite beautiful, and everyone's gaze was drawn to it. Ahn Sol looked amazed, and Kim Hanbyeol seemed to appreciate its beauty with fresh eyes. Especially, Yoo Jeong was captivated by the luminous sphere, unable to look away.

"It's really beautiful... I want to break it into pieces and make earrings. It would look really beautiful if I wore it. I want it."

"Big sister, I just want to look at it as it is. It's really beautiful."

As Yoo Jeong and Ahn Sol chatted, Ahn Hyun seemed lost in thought, perhaps imagining Yoo Jeong wearing earrings. After a moment, he shook his head and spoke.

"Scary."

"Huh? What do you mean, Hyun?"

"Your idea of making earrings is a bit funny. I think it would suit Sol better."

"What?"

Ahn Hyun's indifferent face made Yoo Jeong frown and hit his waist hard. Ahn Sol, whose face had brightened, seemed to like the idea of earrings. She didn't look upset, and a shy smile played on her lips. It was a bit unfortunate that a guy with the potential to be a harem king was also a siscon. I couldn't help but chuckle at the silly thought.

400 meters left. Looking around, the environment was quite similar to the starting point (starting point) we had begun from. Grass roots grew in patches, and clumps of dirt covered most of the ground. Occasionally, clumps of dirt with unusually dark colors caught my eye. When I stepped on them, they felt hard, unlike the other soft clumps. Had blood seeped into the dirt and hardened it?

If so, they were probably the remains of previous users who had failed the rite of passage just before the warp gate. I was the only one who noticed, but I didn't say anything and continued walking silently.

300 meters left. Now, we were almost running. Everyone's faces were filled with the joy of survival and accomplishment. Ahn Hyun and Yoo Jeong, who had been bickering earlier, were now smiling at each other. Ahn Sol was beaming, and Hanbyeol, though still calm, seemed relieved.

Even at 300 meters, the boss monster didn't appear. It seemed that Woo Jeongmin's group had just been unlucky. With Ahn Sol, who boasts luck 100, we might have a chance. After one last check and finding nothing, I was about to relax my magic.

I didn't know then that we had popped the champagne too early.

Crack! Crack!

At 200 meters, a tearing sound filled my ears. The air around us changed, and the sky distorted strangely. It was a phenomenon that occurred when a massive amount of magic moved. The group, sensing the ominous aura, stopped in their tracks. I quickly activated my third eye.

Sure enough, a sudden surge of magic was emanating from the clearing. At first glance, it seemed to be spreading in all directions, but upon closer inspection, it was moving in a specific direction. As I calmed my mind and tried to analyze the pattern the magic was drawing, a thunderous sound echoed through the space, and a large magic circle began to form in the middle of the path we had taken.

The moment I saw the pattern of the magic circle, I realized it was a high-level summoning magic circle. I quickly sent my magic to disrupt the circle, but...

It was too late. The magic circle, now fully formed in the air, began to glow brightly and activate.

So, the boss monster was summoned through a magic circle. The group, including me, stared blankly at the floating magic circle. It was clear that they could see it, but no one could speak. The magic circle was emitting a dark and ominous aura.

Rumble! Rumble!

The magic circle finally began the summoning. The first to appear were the boss monster's face and fingers. Its face was grotesque, with a long, slit mouth and sharp teeth, and its fingers, which could be mistaken for a giant scythe, emitted a sharp glow. Its black, steel-like armor and long tail also appeared.

Finally, the boss monster, towering over 5 meters tall, was fully summoned.

Gulp, Gulp, Gulp, Gulp. Swallow!

It seemed to have just finished a meal, as blood was smeared around its mouth. Despite this, it was still hungry and was smacking its lips at the sight of us.

I quickly checked the group's faces. I wanted to praise them for not running in all directions in panic, but Yoo Jeong, Kim Hanbyeol, and Ahn Sol were all in a panic. They were frozen like ice statues, unable to move a step. They were overwhelmed by the overwhelming aura the monster was emitting.

Only Ahn Hyun managed to speak, his face full of disbelief.

"It... It's impossible... What is this...?"

Roar!

Before Ahn Hyun could finish, the boss monster's deafening roar hit us. The sound waves, filled with killing intent, must have made our bodies tingle. Everyone, as if released from a spell, took a few steps back, but that was all. There was no time to waste. I looked at everyone and spoke in a low but clear voice.

"Don't lose your composure. Don't panic. Stay calm and respond."

"Bro... It's impossible. We can't win. We have to run!"

Seeing me ready my crossbow, Ahn Hyun, misunderstanding my intentions, answered in a trembling voice. The overwhelming pressure from the boss monster had drained their fighting spirit. Shouting and urging them would only cause more chaos. I had no intention of fighting with them. I used a gentle, soothing voice to calm their rigid bodies.

"I'm not saying to fight. It would be madness to face that thing. We will run, as you said. But if we run in different directions, we'll be picked off one by one. So, we'll run towards the warp gate."

"Y-Yeah. Hurry..."

Seeing Yoo Jeong, who agreed but was still floundering, I sighed inwardly. However, Ahn Hyun and Kim Hanbyeol were gradually regaining their composure, a faint but clear will to survive in their eyes. They seemed to think there was a way out, seeing me, whom they trusted, remain calm and use my magic to support them.

"Everyone, drop your bags and weapons. Make your bodies as light as possible and run towards the warp gate with all your might."

"E-Eh...?"

The boss monster roared again. Time was running out. Seeing Ahn Sol, still dazed, I felt frustrated. I approached her, forcibly removed her bag, and spoke.

"Ahn Hyun, what are you doing! Drop your sword and shield! Are you going to run with those?"

"Y-Yes!"

Ahn Hyun, Yoo Jeong, and Kim Hanbyeol all dropped their bags and weapons. The boss monster, now on all fours, was charging towards us, the ground shaking with each step, like a series of minor earthquakes.

Taking the first earthquake as a signal, I grabbed Ahn Sol's hand and started running. At the same time, the entire group sprinted towards the warp gate.

We ran. We ran and ran. Despite our best efforts, the thuds from behind were getting closer. When Yoo Jeong tried to look back with a worried face, I immediately spoke.

"Don't look back. Just keep running forward."

The distance from the warp gate was 300 meters. We had 200 meters left. The 100-meter difference meant we would be caught at least once. My goal was to avoid that one time. The boss monster seemed to gain speed as it ran, so if I could make it stop once, it would lose the momentum it had built up.

If it had to start over, it would chase us at a relatively slower speed, and we could use that opportunity to enter the warp gate. I gripped the crossbow in my left hand tightly.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

180 meters left.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

160 meters left.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

140 meters left. The shorter intervals between the thuds indicated the monster was gaining speed. If we kept running, we wouldn't be able to shake it off. I felt the time had come. While everyone was focused on running, I infused a certain amount of magic into the arrow. A regular arrow wouldn't penetrate the monster's steel-like armor. After completing the magic transfer, the arrow in my left wrist was now twice as sharp.

I had finished all the preparations. Now, it was my turn to act. If I hesitated, it might be too late. I stopped running and released Ahn Sol's hand.

As I suddenly stopped, Ahn Sol's shocked voice made everyone feel something was wrong. Before they could turn their heads, I shouted in a strong voice.

"Keep running, don't look back!"

Hearing my angry voice for the first time, everyone seemed startled. But when I confirmed they were facing forward again, I immediately turned around. Seeing me stop, the boss monster, as if sensing me as its first target, charged towards me. I quickly raised my left arm.

============================ Author's Note ============================

1. Typos and context corrections.