Chapter 76

< Chick Class Teacher (3) >

"Be careful, bro."

Yoo-hyun grabbed my arm and said. A small flame was flickering in front of my feet. Peace stomped on the flame with his front paw and extinguished it.

The undead army melted away from Yoo-hyun's flames. As expected, fire is the best against the undead. The black golem with fire resistance was shattered by Moon-hyeon.

It took about ten minutes to wipe them out. It went faster because we were together. If it were an A-rank team, they would need to disperse the army to avoid a chaotic battle, but in front of overwhelming firepower, numbers were meaningless.

"What kind of statue was this?"

I nudged the statue with my foot, only the base remaining. The letters engraved on it were damaged and unreadable.

The second-floor gate appeared, but Yeryim, the debtor, needed time to collect mana stones. Before I went to the second floor, I had to clear the area around it in advance.

Moon-hyeon and Sung-hyunje went up first, and I entered the castle with the remaining three. I wanted to take a proper look since we had the time.

"There's nothing to see here."

The castle, which was intact on the outside, was empty inside. The murals, ceiling decorations, and various sculptures were only faintly traceable.

"I told you there's nothing to see."

"Is it like this everywhere?"

"Everywhere I've been."

I had hoped for something different, but the answer was as expected. If there was something, it would have been mentioned in the five years before the regression.

'The stories of the System and the fact that Senior Myung-woo exists prove that there is another world.'

A broken city in the dungeon, unrelated to our world. I didn't think much of it before, but now it feels ominous.

'Someone related to the dungeon, who must hide information.'

Surely, if I can't stop that unknown person, our world won't end up like this.

'Really, do we just need to gather 50 S-rankers? Can we really trust the System?'

Water and trees were fine, but the others, especially the deer, were not. But with my current situation, I have no other choice but to trust and follow.

I need to trust and follow, but suddenly I feel a sense of despair.

...I just wanted to regress and live a comfortable life. Why am I in an A-rank dungeon filled with S-rankers? If Yoo-hyun had just said, "I'll do it," when she was trapped for three years, would it have been a world-ending scenario five years later?

Is there anyone who can do it for me? I should have asked. Now, I'll go into an F-rank dungeon with Peace and ask. Surely, I'm not the only one.

"Bro, what's wrong?"

"Are you tired?"

After staring blankly at the severely damaged mural for a while, Yoo-hyun and Kim Sung-han approached me with concern.

"No, I'm just a little... um, a little tired."

Where is my life heading? Will things get easier after gathering 50 S-rankers? When the System disappears in ten years, I can stop using my special skill.

Yes, I'll just endure for ten years. Just ten years.

"Do you look pale. Can you walk?"

"Let's stop sightseeing and go out to rest. Get on Peace. No, do you want a ride?"

-Grumble

What are you talking about? My stats are F-rank, but I'm not a sick person.

"I'm fine. I can walk."

I took one last look at the incredibly high ceiling.

The decorations that once adorned it were gone, and the rusted chains that remained swayed in the wind. Perhaps there was stained glass or something unique in that large, round opening.

And someday, someone might look at the square building and the damaged outdoor billboard and have thoughts similar to mine.

...Let's stop this pointless daydream.

"I've collected them all!"

As we stepped outside, Yeryim shouted excitedly. Her hands and face were smudged with soot. The image of a young girl working hard to pay off debts made me feel sorry for her, even though she was actually making a fortune.

"Do you have a handkerchief or something?"

"Why would I bring one? When you're in a dungeon, even a box of towels isn't enough."

That's true, but I should have brought some wet wipes.

We passed through the gate and entered the second floor. Under the darkening sky, a city twice the size of the first floor lay in the middle of a desolate land. Unlike the first floor, the walls and buildings on the second floor were relatively intact. Outside the walls were golems, and inside the city were undead, making it a place for urban warfare.

'They've all been destroyed.'

A high and sturdy wall had collapsed like a sandcastle. Beyond it, the traces of buildings being pushed aside by monsters were visible.

"Scavenger team, let's go!"

Yeryim raised one hand and bounced away.

Moon-hyeon and Sung-hyunje, who had gone up to the second floor first, approached us. As they got closer, a sigh escaped my lips.

'They've already had a fight.'

Those damn humans. Moon-hyeon's left sleeve was charred, and Sung-hyunje's hair was messily disheveled.

These people, who wouldn't even be scratched by A-rank monsters, must have fought each other. Yoo-hyun, who noticed this, narrowed her eyes. Her fingers twitched involuntarily, as if she wanted to start a fight too.

"Your clothes are burned, Moon-hyeon?"

Pretending not to know, I asked, and Moon-hyeon stroked her exposed arm.

"It's a mistake, a mistake."

Mistake my ass.

"I didn't think there were any monsters here that could damage the guild master of Breaker. Be careful. I asked you to come here, and if you get hurt, I'll feel responsible."

Moon-hyeon's eyebrows furrowed at the suggestion that she was hurt by an A-rank monster.

"Bro, that's too much. A mere A-rank trash couldn't burn my clothes. It was definitely that guy. That guy, that guy."

She looked at me with a face full of disbelief.

"You've been causing trouble since we entered the dungeon. Did you really end up fighting? As a team, it's not something to be proud of. You're not kids; you should act your age."

"No, bro, listen. You might not know because your stats are low, but-."

"It has nothing to do with stats. If you want to test your strength, find a separate place. Today, we're here because I asked you to come."

Let's finish this quickly and go home without any trouble, okay?

Moon-hyeon glared at Sung-hyunje, who acted nonchalant and fixed his messy hair.

"Bro, are you only hating me?"

"That's not true, it's a misunderstanding. I like you so much, Moon-hyeon. I love you, Moon-hyeon."

"You talk well! Say something to Sung-hyunje too!"

"Ah, yes. I love you, Sung-hyunje."

"Not that!"

"Me too, bro!"

"Have you collected all the mana stones? Yes, I love you, Yeryim. I love you, Yoo-hyun, Sung-han, and Peace too."

Yeryim clung to my arm with a mischievous look.

"Then who do you love the most?"

Look at this kid.

"Someone who doesn't cause trouble and listens well."

"But I was good today!"

A good person doesn't start trouble with others. Why are you looking at me with those hopeful eyes, Yoo-hyun? The ones who didn't cause trouble and listened well today were Peace and Kim Sung-han.

The sun had set. We hadn't even cleared half of the vast city.

Of course, the speed of clearing an A-rank dungeon was very fast. It seemed we could finish it in two days. If all the S-rankers here had their special abilities, it would have been cleared in one day.

Whoosh

A flame the size of a human head rose. It wasn't a bonfire, nor was it gas or electric. It was one of the minor dungeon items. Lighting a bright fire during a dungeon run is taboo as it attracts monsters, but with this group, we could have a loud party with a big speaker, spotlight, and disco ball without any problems.

Tents were also set up. Made from dungeon byproducts, they could be stored in the inventory. However, hunters rarely used them. Tents dulled the senses and made it difficult to escape quickly, so they usually just used sleeping bags unless the environment was harsh.

"Go inside and rest. You must be tired."

"Bro, you should go to sleep quickly."

"Don't worry about the outside. Get some rest."

No, I can stay up.

"We can stay up for a day. I've stayed up all night training Peace, so why would I suddenly sleep in the dungeon? It's better to finish quickly and get out."

"We'll continue the strategy. We'll take turns hunting in pairs."

Considering the distance, it would be better for me to move with them. Besides, I don't think they'll just hunt monsters.

"Still, it's faster if I go with you."

"It's dangerous in the dark. Just rest, okay?"

Yoo-hyun spoke in an overly gentle tone and expression. Looking to the side, Yeryim was shining her eyes and fiddling with her ice tree spear. Moon-hyeon had already changed her damaged shirt, and Sung-hyunje had new gloves.

They planned this.

Honestly, it's surprising that they're this considerate of me. Yoo-hyun and Yeryim are one thing, but the other two have lived without caring about anyone's gaze since their awakening. It's impressive that they can be so well-behaved in front of me. However,

"Alright, I'll rest. But listen."

I didn't want to use this method.

"Just hunt monsters. No other activities. Yeryim, you too. The same goes for the other two. If I see any signs of a fight among team members,"

I took a deep breath and continued.

"I'll report it to Hunter Myung-woo. I'll tell him that I warned you until my tongue was sore, but you ignored it, causing me stress, sleepless nights, stomachaches, and even tears. I'll say that I'm so stressed that I'm on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of you. Then, there will be no mercy. You've seen the broadcasts, right? You've heard about the waiting room incident, right?"

Their faces, which initially thought it was a joke, gradually hardened. Myung-woo is different; he's already contracted. I'm sorry, Myung-woo, but let's play this game for a bit.

"No, bro, I haven't even equipped proper gear yet. I only have a spear."

"Then don't fight. Get along with your teammates."

"I just wanted to test my strength lightly, not to fight."

"No exceptions for family."

What do you mean by 'lightly'? I've seen enough ranking battles to know that most S-rankers can't stop once they start. Their clothes were burned after just ten minutes; I can only imagine what would happen if they were left alone for longer.

"Also, I'll show goodwill