Chapter 37

“Shit! What the hell is this?!”

“Why the heck are we suddenly blocked?!”

The male D-rank members of Wings Guild were thoroughly shocked as they pounded their fists against the transparent wall.

Some attacked with all their might using their weapons, even trying out skills.

But all that came back was a small popping sound.

None of them could return to Si-hyun and Han-gyeol’s side.

Realizing the situation was serious, cold sweat trickled down their spines.

On the other side, Si-hyun and Han-gyeol were having a conversation – though completely inaudible.

The men fully grasped the grim fact that they were isolated.

That’s when it happened.

“Keheheheh—”

A creepy sound that sent shivers down anyone’s spine.

The grating laugh of a monster made the men jump and turn around in fright.

A monster had already crossed halfway through the clearing and was slowly approaching.

It wasn’t overly gigantic – just slightly larger than an adult male.

But the guild members all held their breath.

Its appearance resembled a clown from a horror movie.

Long, sharp teeth protruded from its whitewashed face, bearing no resemblance to human dentition.

Those needle-sharp fangs.

An excessively wide mouth twisted into a grotesque smile.

“Keheeheeet—!”

With that eerie laughter layered on, it sent chills down anyone’s spine.

“What, what kind of monster is this…?”

“M-maybe a magical creature…?”

“Shit, we’re in deep trouble…”

The cheerful atmosphere they’d had while hanging out with Si-hyun was gone.

Now only those trembling with the creeping fear of death remained.

Without the beautiful woman who had guaranteed their safety.

Without the two C-rank Hunters the guild had.

Just four measly D-rank Hunters.

The men instinctively realized this would be their grave today.

“Shit… sorry babe… looks like I’ve reached my limit…”

“Hey, don’t give up yet! Don’t think about your girlfriend!”

“How’re we supposed to beat that thing!”

“……Guh.”

A man screamed in despair.

Even the one who had shouted not to give up fell silent.

One known characteristic of conditional dungeons.

There’s a high probability the boss is stronger than in same-tier dungeons.

In extreme cases, it might be as strong as a B-rank dungeon monster.

“Keheheheh—”

The bizarre laughter continued as the clown approached.

Though its approach was slow,

To the guild members, it felt like it was deliberately toying with them.

“Yo, hey guys!”

Then it happened.

The archer shouted loudly.

Everyone’s attention focused on him.

“Hey, look at the lips! The lips!”

The archer pointed with his finger at Han-gyeol on the other side of the barrier.

They turned their heads.

He repeated the same lip movements,

Alternately pointing at himself and Si-hyun.

“What’s he saying?”

“Huh? Maybe ‘hold on’?”

“……”

Someone offered a suggestion and everyone looked at Si-hyun.

She was deep in thought, her palm pressed against the wall.

Suddenly, Si-hyun’s gaze met theirs.

Nodding a few times,

As if telling them to trust her alone.

Then she returned to staring intently at the air.

One man shouted hopefully.

“Si-hyun might be able to do something, right?!”

Another chimed in enthusiastically.

“That’s right! She’s our professor, after all!”

Though not everyone agreed.

“Bullshit! Can’t you see she can’t get in?! There’s a restriction on entering the boss room!”

“Shit, we’re done for!”

Despair-filled voices echoed through the clearing.

But they didn’t have time for just talk.

Because whether they liked it or not, the boss kept coming closer.

Tears and sweat streamed down their faces as the men turned around.

The clown watched them from a distance, wearing that grotesque smile.

“Keheeeeh—!”

The creepy sound never got old.

The stopped figure began moving again.

Its body moved unnaturally like a marionette, joints bending and twisting at strange angles.

“Why does something like this exist in this world…?”

“Seriously, such a nasty piece of work.”

The men couldn’t help but curse.

At that moment.

“Keeet?”

“AAAAHHH!”

The clown’s head suddenly disappeared from its body, reappearing in mid-air in front of the spear user.

“CHOMP!”

The clown’s mouth opened impossibly wide.

The stench of rotten meat and urine filled the air, making the man wrinkle his nose.

“Get lost!”

He immediately swung his spear backward.

At that moment, the clown’s head grotesquely bent and bit down on the spear.

“CRUNCH, CRUNCH.”

“Now’s our chance! Attack!”

“AAAAAAH!”

The terrified guild members rushed in frantically.

But the clown’s head instantly returned to its original position.

“The master-made spear…”

The spear user stared blankly at his weapon.

Its blade was completely mashed into scrap metal.

“Keheheheh—”

Once again, the monster’s laughter filled the clearing.

Simultaneously.

“GURK!”

“AAAAAAAH!”

This time, both of the clown’s arms disappeared.

Two hunters were lifted into the air, their necks gripped.

“Pl-please let go…!”

“GHURK!”

The men tried to pry off the hands choking them.

But there was an obvious difference in strength.

Not even a single finger budged.

Their faces started turning blue as they suffocated.

The archer, who hadn’t been targeted, hastily grabbed a new arrow.

He quickly took aim.

‘H-how do I stop this thing?!’

‘Do I have what it takes to hit its weakness?’

‘What if I attack and become the target instead?’

Numerous thoughts raced through the man’s mind.

“GRK, HURK!”

“Ughhh…”

There was no time to hesitate.

The male archer aimed his arrow at the clown’s head.

For a brief moment, memories of the day flashed through his mind.

[Good job!]

[Oh, hahaha!]

The archery skills praised by Si-hyun.

When else would he ever get to show them off?

‘I can do this!’

Determination filled the man’s eyes.

His muscles bulged as he pulled the bowstring taut.

The target: the clown’s eye!

TWANG!

The arrow, imbued with all his remaining mana, sliced through the air.

The clown, mocking the men with its prey in hand, turned its head toward the archer.

It had heard the sudden sonic boom.

And simultaneously.

“KYAAAAAAAAH—!”

The arrow struck precisely in the clown’s eye!

The clown let out an agonized scream.

Its hand returned from between dimensions to pull the arrow out of its eyeball.

“I did it! I actually did it!”

“Cough, cough!”

“Grghk…”

The two men dropped to the ground as the hands disappeared, catching their breath.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.

But they couldn’t relax yet.

Because the clown was glaring at them with its remaining eye, burning with rage.

And furthermore.

“Guys, the buffs wore off?”

“Ugh…”

The buffs Si-hyun gave the Wings Guild members weren’t particularly powerful.

Plus, this was a separated space beyond her mana’s reach.

The supporting mana had all dissipated,

Returning them to regular D-rank Hunters.

“Keeheehee…”

The clown bobbed its head while searching for a target.

After its bizarre movements settled on one:

The archer.

“Shit…”

As soon as the clown moved, the archer bolted.

The razor-sharp teeth narrowly missed where he had been standing.

Thanks to the buffs disappearing just now,

The archer cursed his sluggish body.

He desperately missed the condition he’d been in all day.

“AAAAAAHHH!”

In the end, he couldn’t escape.

Another warped space shot out a hand that grabbed his ankles.

The pressure alone made blood squirt from his ankles.

The space warped again.

The leering clown appeared, dripping saliva as it stared directly at the fallen archer’s face.

Slowly opening its mouth.

Even though it could crush him instantly, its movements were deliberate.

Because of the monster’s sick hobby of enjoying its prey’s terror.

The man clenched his eyes shut against the foul smell.

No matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t break free.

‘So this is it… damn it…’

The man gave up resisting.

Right then!

CLANG!

The sharp sound of solid metal striking bone rang out.

Startled, the archer slowly opened his eyes.

“Bro! You alright?!”

“Yeah, it’s Han-gyeol! Thank you!”

Han-gyeol had suddenly appeared, somehow breaking through, and was wrestling with the clown’s head.

At Han-gyeol’s appearance, the rest of the men looked toward where the space had been separated.

And all of them widened their eyes in unison.

CRACKLE, CRACKLE—

BOOM!

The space shook violently as tremors ran through the entire clearing.

Starting from Shi-hyun’s outstretched palm, cracks spread through the air.

Like shattered glass, light burst forth from the fissures as Shin’s mana surged forward.

The cracks continued to expand accordingly.

Finally, the expanding cracks completely covered the semi-circular barrier surrounding the clearing.

Eventually.

SNAP, SNAP!

KA-BOOM!

Space tore apart with a thunderous roar that shook heaven and earth.

Shi-hyun began walking forward, her previous stillness gone.

Nothing blocked her path now.

“My goodness!”

“Is, is she breaking through the entrance restriction?!”

The men exclaimed in astonishment.

Shi-hyun entered the clearing, her snowy hair flowing in the wind.

As she appeared, the expressions of the Wings Guild members gradually changed.

“Is, is she really here to save us?”

“A-are we going to live? Really?”

Hope, joy.

The men who had been drowning in despair found new emotions.

As if a blocked road had opened, fire reignited in their chests.

At this moment, they were witnessing “salvation.”

Shi-hyun walked forward confidently and said:

“A Dimension Pierrot… haven’t seen one of these in quite a while.”

“KYAAAAH!”

The pierrot, whose territory had been suddenly invaded, glared daggers at Shi-hyun.

But Shi-hyun smirked and ignored it.

‘That magic of yours, pretty weak, huh?’

Was what Shi-hyun thought at that moment.

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