[Assigns a physical attribute as a weakness to the target.]
“Ugh!”
Rohan shoved both hands through the gap in the iron plate he had cut with his dagger.
And then he tore it apart. Ignoring the flailing vines, he flexed his arms and pried the iron plate open.
**BAM───!!! BOOM───!!!**
The car, which had been crawling on all fours with vines, rolled its wheels as if they were about to burst.
The horn blared like a scream. The dagger embedded in the bumper fell out as if spat out.
Was it because the parasitic monster instinctively sensed danger, or was it writhing in pain?
Unfortunately, no matter which it was, there was no way Rohan’s grip would weaken.
──CRASH!!! As Rohan roughly dismantled the door with his hands, the vines supporting the body lost strength and wobbled.
With a final kick, the car toppled over sideways.
[+3P]
A clear sign that the monster was dead.
Then, from beyond the wall, a series of loud crashes echoed, and points poured in.
[+3P]
[+2P]
[+2P]
[+3P]
Sion and Clara’s handiwork.
Rohan wiped the sweat dripping down his face as he confirmed that the two girls had returned unharmed after dealing with the monster horde.
‘Wow, this insane weather.’
The closer they got to their destination, the more the monsters’ level clearly increased.
The problem wasn’t just the monsters’ level—the temperature was also rising abnormally.
If it weren’t for their magically enhanced bodies, they would’ve surely become victims of this murderous heat.
Whether this phenomenon was due to approaching the center or the passage of time, he didn’t know.
And he didn’t want to know.
Because no matter the answer, there was no path other than moving forward.
“Oppa! The path’s clear now!”
“Fighting against motorcycles and utility poles… This battle felt like a particularly ridiculous nightmare.”
It was so hot and humid that you’d suspect this was hell, but the girls showed no signs of irritation or conflict.
Rohan found that particularly impressive.
[Purchased bottled water.]
“Good job, both of you.”
He handed Sion and Clara each a cool bottle of water. Then, stubbornly sticking to the shade, they moved forward.
Leading the way, Rohan checked the timer on his smartphone while moving.
‘…28 hours and 6 minutes.’
They had spent over a full day in the dungeon.
Other than checking the elapsed time, he hadn’t used it much, so the battery was a little below half. There was still some leeway.
Right now, avoiding getting cooked by the heat was more important than the battery dying.
Step. Step. Step.
They quickly walked past buildings leaning precariously, propping each other up.
Beyond them was a bridge—two overpasses placed in an X-shape, shattered and broken.
He acted like it was no big deal and approached, trying to recall memories of the familiar structure.
‘It took the main party three days to get to this point back then.’
He reminisced about the rest event that had taken place in Abyss City.
And then he compared.
‘Good. It’s much faster than I thought.’
He had expected it to take at least two days to get this far, but as Sion and Clara started to sync up, that expectation was pleasantly shattered.
Having fought together all day, the three of them had gotten a grasp of each other’s styles and were now in sync.
Crossing the frontlines together, their bond seemed to have grown stronger than before. It felt satisfying. Sion also seemed to have somewhat figured out how to talk to Clara.
Rohan approached the shattered overpass and carefully confirmed that there were no vines.
He suggested to the two girls following him.
“Shall we take a break here? The shade is pretty big.”
“Yeah!”
“Sure.”
As they started to rest, Rohan took off his jacket and tossed it aside, then removed his shirt.
He twisted it like a pretzel, squeezing it out, sweat dripping down to the ground.
Sion also hid behind a fragment where Rohan’s gaze couldn’t reach and squeezed out her tank top in her underwear.
But Clara only went as far as taking off her thick, long boots.
Among the three, she sweated the least, but it wasn’t like she didn’t sweat at all. It was just that her outfit made it awkward to deal with.
“Clara. Need more water?”
“I still have some left…!”
Rohan, now wearing his crumpled shirt haphazardly, sat down next to Clara.
The anxiety the girl had shown when they first fell into the dungeon was nowhere to be seen now.
“Are you hungry? Or do you want something sweet?”
“It hasn’t been that long since we ate. I’m fine.”
Clara answered with a shy smile to Rohan’s question.
She could feel Rohan’s kindness as he kept checking on her and Sion’s condition.
‘Really, I’m glad Oppa is here…’
In moments like these, she truly felt that Rohan was like an older brother.
It was a gut feeling that couldn’t be proven, but his skills were just one part of his abilities.
She was confident that following his broad back would surely lead them out of this dungeon. It made her feel at ease.
“Rohan. Wouldn’t it be better to have a meal at the next break rather than now?”
Sion came out fully dressed and sat down next to the two who were resting.
“Maybe. Clara, is that okay with you?”
“Yeah! I think it’s better to do as unnie says.”
Somehow, the way the two girls addressed each other had changed like this.
It was a significant improvement.
““…””
And so, the three of them enjoyed a leisurely rest under the shade of the overpass.
They didn’t talk much. But it was a comfortable silence.
“Now…”
“Let’s move.”
Rohan’s words after emptying the water bottle. Sion and Clara prepare without a word.
Clara starts tying the laces of the boots she had taken off, while Sion adjusts her goggles and stands up.
Sion moves her head around to check if she dropped anything.
Rohan, while getting dressed, takes in the sight of Sion.
And then he sees something strange.
‘Huh?’
It wasn’t a mistake. The corner of Sion’s mouth was slightly raised.
Rohan, far from feeling pleased, felt his heart sink.
‘What’s going on…?’
There was nothing he could think of that would make Sion this happy.
In this heat, with nothing but exhausting battles ahead, seeing her look so cheerful was more worrying than anything.
Rohan stops adjusting his clothes and looks at her.
Sion, catching his gaze, shyly raises her hand to cover her mouth—a rare gesture for her.
“…I must have looked ridiculous.”
“Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going crazy from the heat.”
“Well, that’s a relief…”
Rohan continues to move his hands but with a troubled expression.
Seeing this, Sion’s faint smile turns into a wry one.
She openly shares her thoughts.
“It’s just… I feel quite happy spending time like this, free from constraints.”
Clara, unaware of Sion’s circumstances, gives an ambiguous reaction.
But Rohan immediately understands why Sion was smiling.
“Sion.”
“Yes?”
“Once we get out, I’ll resolve things as quickly as possible.”
“…”
Sion is speechless, her expectations of Rohan’s actions in the dungeon having risen.
She doesn’t know how to respond.
“Let’s go.”
But Rohan, not expecting an answer, grabs his dagger and takes the lead.
Clara, puzzled by their conversation, quickly follows behind Rohan.
…
…
36 hours since entering the dungeon.
The number of monsters Rohan’s party has dealt with is beyond counting.
Fortunately, none of the three has been injured despite the numerous battles.
But Rohan knows.
‘The real problem starts here.’
After finishing their meal and taking turns napping, they are in the best possible condition.
He looks up.
The building they’ve been targeting comes into view.
“Looks like we’ve found the right place, huh?”
“Indeed. It’s definitely different.”
“Haah…”
The glass windows of the building tell the story—vines have completely taken over the inside.
Up until now…
Unlike other things, the vine has sharp thorns growing menacingly.
“Rohan. Are we going to enter this building now?”
“Yeah, we have to.”
“Then wouldn’t it be better if Clara and I take turns leading from here?”
Clara, who seemed to have something she wanted to say, nodded while chewing on her lips.
But Rohan shook his head firmly.
“No. I’m the one who received specialized training on how to deal with monsters.”
“Hmm…”
“Plus, even if my skills are lacking, I’m sturdy. I should be the one to take the lead and handle things.”
Rohan spoke based on his knowledge, but the two girls looked like they wanted to argue against his claim of being sturdy.
Still, by now, they knew. That Rohan would never back down.
“And we have to anticipate attacks from behind, not just the front. I’ll leave that to you.”
“…Got it.”
Sion and Clara nodded.
Rohan wrapped up the conversation there and opened the shop.
[Purchased Low-Grade Health Potion.]
[Purchased Low-Grade Mana Potion.]
The low-grade potions cost 100 points each. He bought 3 health potions and 3 mana potions.
The potions were about the size of a thumb, making them easy to carry.
The health potion had a red liquid sloshing inside, while the mana potion contained a bluish liquid.
“Take one each. Don’t hesitate to drink it when you need to.”
“Is this… a potion, by any chance?”
Sion observed the item with a surprised look.
“Yep. And since we can get more, don’t hold back. Clara, you got it too, right?”
“Y-yeah…!”
Rohan didn’t feel like the 600 points spent this time were a waste.
Even if clearing the area would result in a full recovery, they needed to be fully prepared right now.
Unlike in Abyss City, they only had one life.
“Shall we go in?”
At Rohan’s voice, the two girls pocketed their potions.
Then, they got into position, ready to handle any monsters that might pour out immediately.
“One… two!”
──Kwoong! Rohan’s kick sent the building’s door flying.
The interior was revealed.
