Chapter 152

Yoo Ju couldn’t understand the current situation.

Clearly, in the first round, after eliminating the White Devourer and the Black Devourer, such a monster hadn’t appeared.

Not only was the monster’s size enormous, but its overwhelming presence and strength were terrifying.

Having encountered a Myth Grade being before, she knew.

That cocoon-like monster, though not Myth Grade, far surpassed Legend Grade in strength.

As evidence, even with the entire expedition team gathered and fighting, the situation wasn’t favorable.

Still, it was manageable. At least the expedition team wouldn’t suffer massive losses, and it didn’t seem like they would lose if the battle continued.

Yes, until Yoon Seong was swallowed.

“No!”

Right after Lee Yun-seong was swallowed in her place, Yoo Ju couldn’t maintain her composure.

“No, no! Please, please!”

She couldn’t lose Yoon Seong again.

For him to die because of her carelessness, and in her place, was absolutely unacceptable to Yoo Ju.

Yoo Ju’s body moved as if overheated right after Lee Yun-seong was swallowed.

Dodge and stab, dodge and slash. She focused solely on these two actions.

Her mind was in a completely different state than usual.

‘I have to save him. I have to save Yoon Seong!’

Only the thought of saving him remained.

Moreover, all members of the Eternity Clan were thinking the same.

“Lee Yun-seong, I failed to protect you again…”

Wi Ho-yeon blamed herself.

“Oppa, no!”

“Yoon Seong hyung!”

Yoo Rim and Yoo Hyun wailed.

“You damn monster! Spit him out! Spit him out now!”

Kang I-seo cursed and shot arrows.

“Damn it…! Hyung!”

Cha Hyeon-jin rushed forward, sword in hand.

Other clan members on the battlefield could only be bewildered.

Objectively, it seemed like just another ordinary clan member had died.

But the Eternity members had all turned desperate.

As if their own bodies didn’t matter, they were desperate to save the man swallowed by the monster.

Even the masters of the Myth Clan and Mardan Clan, who weren’t part of Eternity, were the same.

But desperation doesn’t solve everything.

“Please give him back! Please!”

Yoo Ju slashed and stabbed at the flesh chunks, destroying them, but it was too late to save Lee Yun-seong.

‘Am I going to lose him again? Powerless again?’

She knew it wasn’t the time to be overwhelmed by emotions, but she couldn’t control herself.

‘Why is this the same as the first round? Nothing has changed.’

She was engulfed in despair at the thought of the same ending.

‘After all this, this is the result?’

Without Yoon Seong, everything she had done was meaningless.

‘Just… give up. It’s already over. What am I…’

When she felt powerless and wanted to give up.

Suddenly, Yoo Ju remembered the ring she had given Lee Yun-seong.

A Myth Grade ring that could save his life once.

“Ah…”

Yoo Ju had forgotten, but with the ring, Yoon Seong wouldn’t die immediately.

And another hope.

The ring was sending a signal. A signal that he was asking for help.

There might still be hope.

When everyone in Eternity was disheartened by this desperate situation, Yoo Ju shouted.

“He’s still… still alive! Yoon Seong is still alive!”

“B-but, Yoo Ju noona. Yoon Seong hyung is…”

“No, believe me. Do you see the light from my ring? This is proof that Yoon Seong is alive. He’s sending us a rescue signal!”

Wi Ho-yeon asked with a disbelieving face.

“Is… is that really true?”

“Yes, so everyone, pull yourselves together! This is our only chance!”

Yoo Ju found light in her despair. She had to grab onto that thin ray of hope, no matter what.

Even if it meant burning everything.

“Master, your eyes are golden…”

Wi Ho-yeon said something, but Yoo Ju didn’t hear. Only her status window had changed.

[ Due to a will stronger than anything, a previously locked unique trait has been unlocked. ]

[ Unique Trait ]

[ Golden Thunder (Quasi-Myth Grade) – You have reached the realm of the mind. However, Golden Thunder is your own unique mental realm. ]

“…I will save him no matter what.”

‘With this power, it’s possible.’

She tightened her grip on the spear.

The power she had regained by promising to return. With a portion of that power, she had to act now.

Yoo Ju dashed forward like a flash of light.

Branches formed as she approached.

To others, it seemed like a suicidal act, but Yoo Ju instead weaved through the branches.

“Danger…!”

Someone shouted, but Yoo Ju ignored it.

Because she was confident.

The branches tried to pierce her, but only pierced the space where she had been.

Soon, white fruits began to form. But before they could fully form, they were destroyed by golden trajectories along with the branches.

Crackle!

The spear’s path was like a golden meteor shower. Despite its dazzling appearance, the attacks themselves were simple and crude.

“Stab!”

Just multiple thrusts. But the simple thrusts created numerous holes in the cocoon’s lower part.

Unlike before, when it was hard to inflict damage, wounds appeared with each thrust.

Massive chunks of flesh tried to swallow Yoo Ju like a wave.

Boom!

Yoon Yeon’s punches destroyed the flesh, forcing it back.

“Yoo Ju, what’s your plan? Attacking the lower part is just going in circles.”

“I know.”

Yoo Ju bit her lip at Yoon Yeon’s words. She had boldly approached the inside, but the problem was that the core was too high to destroy.

As Yoo Ju slashed through the approaching flesh, Ha Yu-ri shouted.

“I’ll create a foothold for you, can you do it?!”

Yoo Ju nodded. Whether she could or not, she had to.

‘I absolutely won’t fail.’

If the path was open, all she had to do was reach it.

She poured mana into her lower body and climbed up the ice foothold.

Like a growing tree, a path of ice formed, and Yoo Ju moved by stepping on it.

A precarious tightrope walk where a single misstep or attack would ruin everything.

But there was no fear in Yoo Ju’s eyes. Only determination to succeed.



The determination to speak.

Ha Yu-ri was flustered. Because Yoo Ju’s speed was so fast that she couldn’t keep up with the speed at which she was creating a path of ice.

‘Why is she so fast?’

In order to catch up with Yoo Ju’s speed, she was using all her magical power.

She was so focused that she was sweating cold sweat.

‘Crazy. I wondered why that guy was sticking to Yoo Ju, but it was this much?’

“Clan Master, are you okay?”

“…Don’t talk to me, I need to focus.”

The current battle wasn’t just up to Yoo Ju. Ha Yu-ri also had to create the optimal path for Yoo Ju to succeed in this gamble.

The others were just watching the scene with their mouths open.

“Is this… possible?”

“…How is that possible? If you make just one mistake, you’ll die…”

There was one thing in common that those watching the scene felt.

They couldn’t dare to intervene in that battle.

Yoo Ju followed the path being created, dodging or cutting through all the attacks from the cocoon.

‘I can do it.’

When she stretched out her foot, she was sure where to step, and when she dodged attacks, her body moved automatically as if it knew how to avoid them.

It felt like one second was passing like one minute.

Each attack coming at her seemed very slow. As if time had slowed down for everyone except her.

The cocoon seemed to feel threatened by Yoo Ju, who was approaching the center at an incredible speed, and in an instant, numerous bundles of flesh burst out from the cocoon to grab her.

But she naturally slid on the ice, sliding and dodging all the flesh bundles trying to grab her as if performing an acrobatic act.

From the perspective of those watching, it seemed as if the flesh bundles were deliberately avoiding her.

Finally, reaching the center, Yoo Ju thrust a spear glowing with golden energy.

Kwaaa-

Kugugung!

The power of a single spear thrust was unbelievable.

The golden energy tore through the cocoon, and though Yoo Ju was barely visible due to the light, she faintly saw inside.

“Yoon Seong!”

She reached out towards Lee Yun-seong, who was unconscious and bound by black flesh.

“Please…! Please…!”

Whether it was a trick of the gods or not, she just couldn’t reach him.

“Am I… am I…! Going to lose him again?! Don’t mess with me!”

Snap.

The moment Yoo Ju barely managed to grab Lee Yun-seong’s arm.

The black flesh released him as if spitting him out.

“It’s, it’s done!”

‘Now I just have to carry Yoon Seong and go down!’

And conveniently, there was an ice platform created by Ha Yu-ri.

Yoo Ju slid down the ice platform like a slide.

“Haa… haak… I saved him… I saved him… huuuk…”

“Big sis!”

“Sister!”

Those who were close to Lee Yun-seong were greatly relieved to see him still breathing.

“Phew… Thankfully, Lee Yun-seong is safe.”

There were no major visible injuries, and everyone looked relieved.

“E-everyone, look over there!”

At Yoo Hyun’s words, everyone looked ahead and saw the enormous cocoon retreating.

“Is, is it running away?”

“Damn, who knows. Damn it… Why isn’t he waking up?! Is something wrong?”

“Big sis, calm down. He’s still breathing, so he’ll wake up in time.”

“Damn it, how can I calm down? Damn it, he was swallowed by that monster!”

Ignoring their conversation, Yoo Rim spoke up as if something was strange.

“But… why is only Yoon Seong oppa’s clothes torn at the abdomen?”

Indeed, there were no wounds on his skin, but strangely, only Lee Yun-seong’s clothes were torn at the abdomen.

“Wasn’t it just torn when he was swallowed?”

It was a situation where the clothes could have been torn, but the important thing was to clean up the battlefield now that the fight was over.

Yoon Yeon, confirming that Lee Yun-seong was safe, looked around and spoke.

“…A bolt from the blue.”

“That’s right.”

“Madan Clan Master.”

“Sigh… What a mess. Who would have thought such a monster would suddenly appear. More importantly, are you okay?”

Originally, Ha Yu-ri disliked Yoon Yeon, but after unintentionally being educated(?) by Lee Yun-seong, she no longer had any thoughts about Yoon Yeon.

“I’m fine. It’s not a shallow wound, but compared to the dead, it’s nothing. More importantly, Ha Yu-ri, you don’t look so good.”

“…I used too much magical power. Because of that woman.”

Ha Yu-ri finished her sentence and looked towards Yoo Ju.

Yoo Ju was still holding Lee Yun-seong, her head bowed without moving.

“How can a chick who’s only been here for a year perform such a feat? I can’t believe it. Today’s events will probably become a legend. It wasn’t an ordinary situation.”

“That’s right. It was a feat worthy of it.”

For a moment, the strength Yoo Ju showed when she rescued Lee Yun-seong was above that of a ranker.

Others might not know, but Yoon Yeon and Ha Yu-ri, being rankers, could clearly see that.

“It seems like a new person will rise to the ranker position after this expedition ends. Right?”

“Well, Ha Yu-ri and I expected it. It was just a matter of time, a predetermined outcome.”

It wasn’t for nothing that everyone at the training facility was desperate to recruit Yoo Ju.

“First… we need to clean up the situation. Sorry, Ha Yu-ri. Can you and Ahn Yeon-ho handle the cleanup? As you can see, I…”

“Don’t worry. Even if my magical power is depleted, I can handle that much.”

First, they needed to clean up the situation. Because they had suffered too much damage from the sudden appearance of the monster.

Yoon Yeon quietly closed her eyes and muttered.

“…Still, it’s a relief we saved him.”

Next to Yoon Yeon, Ha Yu-ri just nodded slightly.