Chapter 92

00092 Wow, wow. And another wow. ==========================================================

Before examining the remaining ring, I momentarily activated Sol's user information. I was curious about how much he had grown and wanted to confirm if the attributes had been properly assigned. Soon, as I looked at Sol's information, I couldn't help but smile.

『User Information (Player Status)』

Name: An Sol

『Abilities』(4 ability points remain.)

[Strength 20] [Endurance 22] [Agility 24] [Health 30] [Magic 86(+1)] [Luck 100]

Not only had the ring's attributes been properly assigned, but the other abilities had also shown significant growth. Considering that the abilities, except for Magic and Luck, were in the teens when I first saw them, this was a remarkable improvement. In particular, achieving 30 points in Health was truly praiseworthy.

"Sol, you've worked hard and must have been blessed. Congratulations."

I praised An Sol with a bright voice for the first time in a while. If he continues to grow like this, he might reach 90 Magic points in less than a year. And if he works even harder over the remaining year, he might even achieve the top-tier user cutoff of 94 for mages.

Incidentally, the user with the highest Magic points in the first playthrough had 101 points. However, that user was so overpowered that I ignored him. Among the other users, there were three known to have 98 points and two with 97 points. To participate in the fight against <Gang>, a mage needed at least 94 Magic points.

In any case, Sol bowed even lower at my sincere praise. However, the faint smile on his lips and the way he touched the ring showed that he was extremely pleased.

Jung Hae-yeon, who had been watching this scene with a warm expression, spoke in a soft voice.

"Hehe. Since everyone else has received their items, I think the leader should take this ring to save face. Surely, you don't intend to refuse this as well?"

"Hmm. Give it to me... What is this ring?"

I had already activated the Third Eye from the beginning and knew all the information, but I had to ask when I saw Jung Hae-yeon's face. Her eyes were burning with an inexplicable enthusiasm, as if she really wanted to explain this item. To acknowledge her enthusiasm, I stepped back willingly.

"This ring, while not as powerful as the one that boosts Magic points, is still a valuable item."

That's true. Since I already knew everything, I couldn't help but respond with a lack of interest. Jung Hae-yeon smiled gently and placed the ring in my hand.

"Don't be surprised. This ring has an Anti-Magic spell cast on it, and it seems to be a rechargeable type."

"Oh. That's impressive. An Anti-Magic spell, huh."

Specifically, it can be used three times a day and recharges once every 8 hours. Jung Hae-yeon narrowed her eyes at my textbook-like response.

"...You don't seem very surprised."

"No, I am. Anyway, we've spent a lot of time here, so we should continue exploring."

"..."

Jung Hae-yeon looked somewhat dissatisfied, but she couldn't argue with my point, so she slowly got up. The party, now equipped with new gear, cheerfully gathered the gold coins and gems scattered on the floor. Since the western area had been completely cleared, we were about to... Shin Sang-yong seemed to have the same thought and turned to speak.

"Then, leader. We've checked all the rooms in this corridor. Where should we go next?"

"Let's go north."

I answered simply.

*

At the end of the northern corridor, in the last room, a creature stood before us, drooling.

"Brother, what is that? I don't like it."

"Hmm. It looks like a mutant."

Yu-jung's voice reached my ears. The creature in front of us had the body of a wolf but three heads. Another peculiar feature was that it kept spewing fire from its nostrils and mouth.

"Mutant? D, don't tell me it's Cerberus? That's impossible."

"Surely... that can't be. Of course, it's impossible."

I firmly dismissed Vivian's question. The Cerberus, the guardian of hell, would never appear here. Moreover, the real Cerberus is nothing like this. It stands over three meters tall and is covered in blazing red flames, a truly terrifying creature. If the real Cerberus saw this mutant wolf and heard Vivian's words, it would surely shudder in indignation.

There was only one mutant wolf, but the scattered wolf bones around the room suggested that there had been more. For some reason, this one had survived alone.

"Grurrr..."

Wolves are naturally cunning, but this one was different. Had it undergone an intelligence development program? I chuckled at the absurd thought and issued an order.

"Vivian, you're the keeper. Ahn Hyun, Yu-jung..."

"Roar!"

Whoosh!

What a rude creature. The mutant wolf launched a surprise attack before I could finish speaking. The middle head opened its mouth and shot a crimson fireball. I heard voices quickly casting shield spells from behind, but I calmly raised my left hand, which wore the ring.

"Anti-Magic (Anti Magic)."

The white light from my ring and the fireball collided in mid-air and quickly vanished. The voices casting spells stopped, and exclamations and sighs of relief filled the air. I continued in a calm voice.

"...Stay behind me. Vivian, do you know why I made you the keeper?"

"Yeah. Hehe."

Vivian's stifled laughter suggested she found my actions amusing. With the Block of Fire she wore, the insignificant fire from the creature would be easily blocked. Honestly, after possessing the essence of fire, such flames didn't even seem like fire to me.

"After the mages and Sol's initial attack, if the creature is immobilized, we will attack from three directions. I'll take care of the heads. You two, circle around and harass it as much as possible."

"Ok, brother."

"Yes, sir."

"Until then, maintain the formation. It's coming. Be careful."

The creature seemed slightly startled when its fireball was easily blocked but appeared very agitated by our calm conversation in front of it. Could it hear us? I wanted to check its information with the Third Eye, but dealing with the wolf charging towards us was the priority.

The creature, which had been charging straight at me, suddenly changed direction at a certain distance and lunged at Yu-jung. It seemed to instinctively avoid the strongest one and target the weaker Yu-jung first. Yu-jung's posture showed signs of being thrown off guard, perhaps not expecting to be attacked.

"Ha!"

I quickly moved to cover Yu-jung. Despite having been idle, Yu-jung met my gaze and quickly leaped into the air, aiming to circle behind the creature. It seemed she intended to use her high agility to jump over and position herself behind the creature, as she had done before. It was a good plan, but...

"Uh..."

Whoosh!

Yu-jung's jumping ability was insufficient. She could have made it if she had taken a proper stance, but she hadn't had time to adjust. To make matters worse, a flame shot from the head raised in the air, causing Yu-jung to panic. Whether in the air or on the ground, she was in a vulnerable position. Just as I was about to step in, a voice rang out.

"───. Gust of Wind (Gust of Wind)!"

A gentle gust of wind rose from where Yu-jung had stood, lifting her and pushing her away. The timing was perfect, and the fireball the creature had shot passed harmlessly through the air. Yu-jung landed safely behind the creature, achieving her initial goal. The gust of wind not only helped her avoid the attack but also compensated for her insufficient jump. It was Shin Sang-yong's doing.

"Auntie! Well done!"

"A, I'm not your auntie..."

Yu-jung's joyful exclamation was met with Shin Sang-yong's embarrassed response. Impressive. Truly impressive. Although he had been overshadowed by Jung Hae-yeon, this move certainly raised his status.

However, it seemed they couldn't be outdone, as Jung Hae-yeon and An Sol's spell bombardment soon began.

"Shackles (Shackles)!"

"───. Cone of Ice (Cone of Ice)!"

Sol's Shackles wrapped around the wolf's body, immobilizing it. Then, ice chunks rose from the ground and pierced the creature's body. It was ice, not water. Clearly, she was proficient in water-based magic.

"Yip! Yip! Yip! Yip!"

The wolf yelped and thrashed around. However, with the Shackles spell, the more it thrashed, the deeper the ice spikes penetrated. This wasn't the end. Jung Hae-yeon, skilled in high-speed incantations and double casting, opened her pretty lips again.

"Broken (Broken)!"

Crack! Crack!

At Jung Hae-yeon's command, the ice spikes embedded in the creature's body shattered and scattered. The ice shards that had been outside the body flew beautifully, and Ahn Hyun and Yu-jung exclaimed in awe. The pain of being pierced was bad enough, but the spikes exploding inside the body made the three heads thrash and foam at the mouth.

"Keaaah..."

"Damn! You were aiming for me, huh? Haah!"

Yu-jung, who had been watching the sequence of events, seemed agitated by the earlier incident and charged forward with her dagger. The effect of the increased Magic points seemed to be holding, as the Shackles spell was still in effect. This meant that Yu-jung, who was behind, had a perfect opportunity to attack.

She stabbed and slashed the creature like a drum, and I let out a low whistle.

"Ahahaha!"

Yu-jung laughed maniacally and intensified her dagger attacks. The creature's state was pitiful. Despite its efforts to turn its body, it couldn't escape the next attack.

"Ha!"

"Keek!"

With a deep breath, Ahn Hyun thrust his spear into the creature's mouth. One head died, its tongue hanging out. The remaining two heads squirmed and whined, but the party mercilessly reduced the mutant wolf's lifespan. I charged in and cut off the remaining two heads in one swift motion.

Poor thing. It was so pitiful to watch. I sighed as I saw the creature's body collapse in peace. Yu-jung, still not satisfied, panted for a while before crossing her two daggers in the air. The clear sound of the spear and sword blades colliding echoed, and blood dripped from Yu-jung's daggers.

Only then did she seem to feel better and turned to me with a bright smile. Seeing her covered in blood, the party took a step back.

"Brother, did I do well?"

"...Yeah, you did."

"Hehe. Got a compliment."

I unusually praised Yu-jung. Typically, female users in melee roles don't adapt so quickly. The more they are treated like princesses in modern times, the more pronounced this phenomenon. Even users who have completed the User Academy hesitate when faced with a monster, let alone an animal. However, Yu-jung defied this expectation, showing the essence of a seasoned warrior. Seeing her wipe the blood off her body without hesitation, I wondered if I should be pleased or concerned. If she continues like this, I feel a bit uneasy, but for now, she looked beautiful to me. I gently touched her cheek.

As I wiped the blood off her face, Yu-jung looked at me with wide eyes and then closed them, savoring my touch.

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

Hello, I'm Ro Yu-jin.

Ah, I was worried if I could finish writing today, but it seems I can manage to do it within the time. Indeed, the power of the motivation from the readers is