Episode 165. Social Party (2)

Even in the party venue, because it was a corner, the lighting was dim, but Nam Daeun’s face was clearly visible.

She had black, straight hair and was wearing a fancy dress.

She was much more beautiful now that she had dressed up.

The dress had a very small surface area, her exposed back was covered by her hair, and she was covering her cleavage with her hand.

Nam Daeun naturally avoided Park Min-gyu’s hand, which was trying to put his arm around her shoulder, and adjusted her clothes.

Park Min-gyu looked at Nam Daeun with a slightly displeased look, but perhaps because he was mindful of the man in front of him, he didn’t say anything.

“Wow, so… Oh?”

The man who was talking with Park Min-gyu turned his eyes and discovered me.

The man smiled, approached me, and extended his hand.

“Wow, there’s a celebrity here? Nice to meet you. I’m Shin Young-hoon, the Guild Master of the Shinyoung Guild.”

I hadn’t intended to talk, but perhaps it might be okay.

“It’s nice to meet you for the first time. I am Lee Hoyeon.”

If it’s the Shinyoung Guild, then this person is the father of the student council vice president… Seeing him with the Buyer Guild Master, it seems the father isn’t exactly a good person either.

“Oh, Min-gyu. Come over here too. This guy is the hottest cadet these days.”

Shin Young-hoon brought Park Min-gyu, who had been hanging back, over beside me and made us greet each other.

“Ah… You’re that cadet Lee Hoyeon?”

“Yes. It’s nice to meet you.”

Park Min-gyu also approached me and extended his hand.

And only then, hearing my name, Nam Daeun looked in my direction.

She had been staring blankly into space, not thinking anything, but upon hearing my name, only then did she properly look forward.

Nam Daeun’s lifeless eyes began to tremble as soon as they met mine.

Then, slowly shaking her head, she stepped backward.

It was the look of someone who had seen a monster, asking ‘Why are you here?’

“Huh? Daeun-ah.”

“… I’m going to the restroom for a moment.”

“Uh, uh. Go ahead.”

Having received Park Min-gyu’s permission, Nam Daeun immediately ran away backward.

“She must be having a hard time holding it in. To do that in the middle of a conversation.”

Seeing Nam Daeun, Shin Young-hoon chuckled heartily and swallowed his drink.

This isn’t the time for me either. I need to follow her.

“Then I’ll take my leave as well.”

“Leaving already? We still have business matters to discuss….”

Ignoring the hand that tried to hold me back, I headed towards the direction Nam Daeun had disappeared.

Following the faintly discernible scent of Nam Daeun’s mana, I found Nam Daeun crying in the corner of the hallway near the restrooms.

Nam Daeun buried her face between her knees and was trembling slightly.

“… Nam Daeun.”

As I placed my hand on Nam Daeun’s arm, she flung my hand away with a ‘pak!’ sound.

“Please, please just leave me alone….”

★ Heroine Status Window

[Nam Daeun]

• [ Affection: 57 ]

• [ Lust: 15 ]

• [ Hunger: 40 ]

• [ Fatigue: 90 ]

Current State: I didn’t want to show you this side of me.

“… Hey.”

“Go away! Why are you coming near me?”

Nam Daeun, who had sprung up, pushed me, who was still talking to her, away once more.

“I’ll help you. Nam Daeun.”

At the words “I’ll help you,” Nam Daeun put on a cold expression.

“What do you know to offer help? Do you even know what situation I’m in?”

“I know everything. You’re being threatened because of Nam Dahee.”

“… Yes, and on top of that, there’s a huge debt. I can’t disobey Mr. Min-gyu.”

Nam Daeun had a look of resignation.

She probably tried her best on her own. But even so, the situation likely didn’t improve at all.

Even if I offered help, she wouldn’t believe me right away.

“That kind of debt isn’t meant to be paid off. And, your younger sister, I’ve already saved her.”

“… What? What are you talking about?”

“You might not believe me, but it’s true. I saved Nam Dahee. I’ll explain it one by one….”

BANG! BANG! KWA-GWANG!

Just as I was about to properly explain the situation to Nam Daeun, the sound of mysterious explosions filled the party venue.

And a mana wave, familiar to my body, passed by.

‘Rune Barrier…?’

A Rune Barrier was being set up, separating the party venue into small, individual spaces.

Ziiing-

I reversed a part of the barrier blocking us between me and Nam Daeun.

“W-What is this….”

Flustered, Nam Daeun looked around and raised her mana.

“Nam Daeun. It’s okay.”

It’s a terrorist attack.

Among terrorist attacks, those using Rune Barriers are exclusive to Pandemic.

Why Pandemic appeared at a get-together party, I don’t know, but for now, the conversation I was having with Nam Daeun needs to be finished…

[Sub Quest Transmitted.]

Just then, because I had cleared the ‘First Place in the Practical Exam’ quest, a notification I hadn’t seen in a long time appeared.

---

[Save the Heroine!]

A heroine with no combat power needs the protagonist’s protection.

Especially if that heroine is the target from the very beginning.

Block the evil hand aiming for the heroine!

• Reward: Target Heroine’s Affection +3

---

“….”

If we’re talking about a heroine with no combat power, there’s only one.

Baek Ahyoung.

I don’t know the reason yet, but if Baek Ahyoung is the target, I need to go save her immediately.

Baek Ahyoung has absolutely no combat power.

I looked at Nam Daeun.

To Nam Daeun, who was trembling while looking at me, I wanted to properly explain, but there was no time right now.

“Nam Daeun. Right now, ignore all contact from your guild and go to the central fountain at the academy.”

Fortunately, just in case, I had made arrangements. Because I had told Scarlet something beforehand.

“… What?”

“Follow the blonde woman who approaches you there to my room in the male dormitory, and Nam Dahee will be there. She will explain everything. I have to go save people right away.”

“W-Wait a moment!”

“Never trust the Buyer Guild. Just trust me this once.”

I made eye contact with Nam Daeun’s flustered expression.

Nam Daeun, who was about to say something, saw my serious expression and shut her mouth.

It was a strange expression I saw for the first time on Nam Daeun.

She seemed very flustered by my sudden words.

But fortunately, I could tell one thing. She was trusting me.

I left Nam Daeun behind and ran back to the party venue.

*

“Haa… What is this!”

“Break! Break it!”

A man swung his sword towards the barrier.

Kkang! Kkang!

But the barrier was completely unharmed.

The hunters enjoying the party, along with some people chatting nearby, were trapped within the barrier.

Faced with a barrier of unprecedented strength, even the high-ranking hunters found it took an enormous amount of time to reverse it.

“Just what kind of lunatic would do something like this at a get-together party….”

Min Yeji, trapped within the barrier, frowned and looked at the barrier.

Given the party system requires invitations, it was clear someone had betrayed them.

We only let in trustworthy people, and we finished the investigation thoroughly, so for this to happen would be impossible without a traitor inside.

‘At this pace, it’ll take 10 minutes to reverse it.’

In a terrorist situation, 10 minutes is an incredibly long time.

Enough time for the situation to be over and then some.

But to save even a second, Min Yeji cleared her mind and focused on reversing the barrier.

Then, the barrier began to shake.

Because of that, the concentration of the hunters reversing it was broken.

“Damn it, the reversal was interrupted!”

Woooong-

The hunters looked towards the source of the shaking.

One spot on the barrier was trembling.

Jjijik-

Soon, with a sound like something tearing, a part of the barrier tore open.

And from there, one head popped out.

“… She’s not here either. Huh? Min Yeji-ssi. Have you seen Ah-young-ssi?”

“You, you… How on earth?”

Min Yeji was surprised by Lee Hoyeon’s face suddenly appearing, but seeing Lee Hoyeon casually tear open the barrier that top hunters were struggling to reverse, Min Yeji couldn’t close her jaw.

“I’ll explain this later. Did you see Ah-young-ssi?”

“Uh, uh… I haven’t seen her.”

Min Yeji, too, caught up in enjoying the party, had forgotten about Baek Ahyoung.

“Hmm. Got it. Everyone here, please come out and help catch the Mind Demons. There are a huge number of them outside.”

Lee Hoyeon said that and disappeared outside.

The trapped hunters, with suspicious expressions, put their bodies through the hole Lee Hoyeon had made, and were able to get out.

Outside was a scene of utter chaos.

Numerous Mind Demons were fighting hunters in the party venue.

The hunters were mostly the ones Lee Hoyeon had rescued.

Min Yeji immediately raised her mana and plunged into the battlefield.

*

“Hng, ah… Ahhhp.”

Baek Ahyoung, tired after hours of talking with people, had briefly escaped to a corner.

I intended to rest while drinking a beverage in a place where no one was around, but like a lie, the sound of explosions was heard, and the terrorist attack began.

Fortunately, there was a male hunter next to her, but…

“Ah-young-ssi. Gguk, run away….”

The male hunter was pierced all over his body by the combined attack of the Mind Demons.

Baek Ahyoung’s healing couldn’t handle the number of Mind Demons.

“Y-Yeongho-ssi… Euk.”

The Mind Demons, having dealt with the man who had become mere flesh rather than human, now had Baek Ahyoung as their next target.

• Ggeureuk… Kikik

• Saintess… Saintess….

Baek Ahyoung ran away from the Mind Demons who couldn’t maintain their sanity, but she couldn’t escape from dozens of them.

Finally, the leading Mind Demon tore her suit from behind Baek Ahyoung.

“Kya, kyaak! Aak!”

Seogeok-!

Sharp claws raked across Baek Ahyoung’s body, leaving deep wounds.

“Aah, aak… Huuk….”

Baek Ahyoung collapsed right there and treated her bleeding back.

She knew she had to run away. But she couldn’t stop the Mind Demons from approaching.

‘Is this the end…?’

She didn’t want to die so meaninglessly.

No, she couldn’t die.

There was still so much she hadn’t done.

Unlike Baek Ahyoung’s wishes, the distance to the Mind Demons grew closer and closer.

‘If I had known it would come to this, I should have just confessed.’

Baek Ahyoung realized now that this was the final moment.

And the person who came to mind at the end of her life wasn’t someone else, but Lee Hoyeon.

If I had known I would die so absurdly, I should have at least tried.

A single tear flowed down Baek Ahyoung’s cheek.

It was a tear, a mixture of various emotions like regret, sadness, pain, and love-hate.

“I don’t want to die… Hoyeon-ah.”

Baek Ahyoung looked at the approaching Mind Demons and quietly called Lee Hoyeon’s name.

• Ggeureuk…

• Saintess… Kill….

The Mind Demons’ hands came closer and closer to Baek Ahyoung, and when Baek Ahyoung, sensing death, tightly shut her eyes, her pitch-black vision suddenly brightened.

Even though her eyes were closed, she felt it was bright because of the strong light coming from outside.

Baek Ahyoung slowly opened her eyes.

• Kkwaaaaaaah!

She could see the dozens of Mind Demons in front of her burning.

“Ah-young-ssi. Who said you could die? I’m here.”

And hearing a familiar voice from behind her, Baek Ahyoung turned her head.

A relaxed smile that made her heart pound just looking at it.

But unlike that smile, anyone could see Lee Hoyeon looked like he had rushed here desperately, his entire body drenched in sweat.

“I came to save you. I did well, right?”

Dugeun. Dugeun.

“….”

Seeing Lee Hoyeon’s face, Baek Ahyoung suddenly felt her heart pound.

With a feeling different from usual, Baek Ahyoung barely held back the confession trying to escape her lips.

She regretted not confessing, but in the middle of fighting Mind Demons, she didn’t intend to do it.

“Stay still. It’ll be over soon.”

Baek Ahyoung watched Lee Hoyeon fight the Mind Demons, her pounding heart calming down.