episode_0057

Silvia looked up blankly at the ice flower blooming in front of her.

It is large enough to surround a large building.

It is so beautiful and splendid that when placed somewhere, it becomes a symbol of the area.

The boss monster of this C-class acute dungeon was trapped in the middle of the ice flower.

It froze to death.

Ice Blast, Bloom, Chain.

A magic that adds three components to one trait.

The technique of ‘magic composition multiple fusion and transformation’ that Ian identified and developed Sylvia’s talent.

There was no reason to use this magic.

In the first place, if it was a C-level dungeon, Sylvia could break through it alone.

The reason she embodies this luxurious magic is simple.

‘Ian… .’

Every time I use magic, I think of Ian.

The more difficult and complex the magic is.

Especially the ones I came up with with Ian.

Because my memories with Ian come back more clearly.

The memories that have bloomed spew out black rust and rot my heart.

Even that pain is welcome now.

“Phew… .”

Sylvia grabbed the yellow magic stone on the platform.

It’s not necessary, but then the portal will close.

“Oh… .”

When Sylvia came out of the dungeon, the scout team from earlier was waiting at the entrance.

“… Didn’t I tell you to go first?”

“Ah… . Well, thank you-!”

The man suddenly bowed and said hello.

Before Sylvia had time to say anything, he poured out his words.

“I don’t think I’ll have time to formally greet Sylvia, so I’m staying! Thank you so, so much! If it weren’t for Sylvia, even if our villagers had evacuated, all of the village’s facilities and fields would have been destroyed!”

Originally, the first hero party was not one that could even personally say hello.

But these days, it’s even worse because they’re feeling uncomfortable.

So, despite the risk and rudeness, the man appeared in front of Sylvia.

The body of the man who was bowed down was trembling, and his confident voice was dripping with moisture.

I was so grateful that it was a feeling I couldn’t bear.

Looking at that, Sylvia clenched her molars.

‘To me… What kind of qualifications do you have to receive such a greeting? .’

I remembered the first time I solved an acute dungeon with Ian and was cheered by the villagers.

It is a landscape so beautiful and warm that it makes you feel nauseous.

‘To someone like me… .’

Sylvia took a deep breath, brushed her bangs and spat out.

“ Let’s go now. Because it’s over.”

“Yes, thank you… !”

Sylvia walked following the man’s guidance.

The man constantly expressed his gratitude while leading the way.

‘I feel like I’m going to throw up…’ .’

I didn’t show it, but I felt my stomach twist.

“… If we go all the way from here, we’ll reach the campsite, right?”

“Yes! Yes.”

“Then let’s go first. I left something in the dungeon.”

“Yes?”

Sylvia turned around and ran without listening to the man’s answer.

Only after falling a long way.

“Wow… .”

Chimi let out a curse.

Yellow, hot gastric juice pours out unsightly, soaking the floor.

Although she had not eaten for several days and had nothing to vomit, Sylvia was pouring out gastric juice as if she was suffocating.

That doesn’t solve anything.

Ian clings stickily to the memory.

And the memories I had with him and the aspects of the world I learned about thanks to him.

Even if you just vomit cancer, you can’t spit it out.

However, it felt like she would really die if she didn’t do that, so she had to force herself to vomit.

*

Vivian cleared the path at high speed.

After clearing the previous dungeon, I feel like my body is lacking in stamina and mana.

It’s a little difficult, but not to the point of giving up.

Rather, because my nerves are so alert, consuming mana becomes more delicate.

More precisely, only use as much mana as needed.

Kati, who followed, watched closely.

She also watched Sylvia grow up.

At the time, Kathi was young and weak, so she couldn’t look at her opponent as objectively as she does now.

Still, I vaguely feel it.

Vivian’s growth rate is faster than Sylvia’s.

Mercy, unable to compare the two, could only admire them.

“Our Vivian is very good at it! I hope it just grows like this!”

Kati’s wish was the same.

I hoped that what happened at the first party would not be repeated, and that I would just grow along with Ian like I did now.

*

Vivian and Helena entered the deepest part of the dungeon at the same time.

The two waved as they looked at each other coming out of the opposite wall.

However, both of their expressions were not very good.

The large space was filled with cave lizards.

The floor, walls, and ceiling of the cavity are filled with lizards, as if a swarm of insects appeared when the bottom of the rock was lifted.

“Ugh… .”

Vivian was tired and hesitated.

I saw a lot of cave lizards along the way, but it’s different now.

It couldn’t help but be disgusting to see them all gathered in one place like this.

Recognizing the intruder, a group of cave lizards looked at Vivian and Helena.

Vivian frowned while grasping the structure of the dungeon.

It was the same with Helena.

It was a form of what Ian called a ‘split joint’.

The overall structure was nothing special, a dome-shaped cavity, but there was a translucent screen running vertically in the middle.

It was a kind of wall made of mana.

Of course, it goes over, and if it touches you, it bounces away.

Therefore, this acute dungeon has a structure that hinders the cooperation of people divided on both sides.

But for Vivian and Helena, that wasn’t a problem.

From the beginning, Ian’s teaching was that you should do your part fully when you are alone.

Both of them have incredibly powerful outputs, and their hands and feet are not yet in sync, so I feel more comfortable alone now.

Katy and Mercy hid behind the door, and Vivian came out.

Ian was seen behind Helena coming out from the other side.

Ian let out a small sigh of relief after confirming that Vivian was safe.

Even though I know there is no need to worry, I worry for no reason.

Vivian grinned when she saw that, then her expression hardened again.

There are so many cave lizards everywhere.

“Ugh… .”

The resolve to sort things out quickly and the results happened almost simultaneously.

The lightning that shot out from the cloud-shaped magical body was so violent that it seemed as if it would collapse the cave.

The lightning disappeared when it touched the magic wall, so there was no need to worry about Helena.

‘There are so many. There is no shortage of destructive power, so focus on magic that causes damage over a wide area… .’

With lightning bolts coming out of the magical body.

The fireball cast by Vivian swept away half of the cavity.

-bang! Pubbung!

The air heated up to the point of boiling.

It was only then that Vivian realized how amazing the clothes she was wearing were.

Even though the distance was controlled, it was still bound to be within the range of the aftereffects, and there was no feeling of pain or heat at all.

It’s a little warm.

‘Level 4 enchantment… . Such a precious thing… .’

What if I had known the function of this clothing from the first time I took the temporary warrior promotion test?

I think I probably felt less of a sense of crisis.

No matter what you do, you won’t get hurt.

‘That’s why Ian didn’t tell me.’

Train them rigorously to ensure their growth, but provide safety measures to prevent them from getting hurt.

Vivian grinned and looked across.

Your space has already been organized.

After the magical aftereffects passed and the sound died down, a commotion was heard from across the street.

“ Wooyayaahiah-! ”

Helena was running through the dungeon screaming.

In front of her, a huge protective shield was spread out concavely.

The cave lizard that touched the protection was bounced off by the rebound force, and then hit Helena, who was running towards her, and bounced back again.

Just like that, Helena ran in a D shape through half of the cavity.

It looked like someone was sweeping up a cave lizard with a dustpan.

He looked over there because he was proud of what he had done, but that thing on Helena was… .

‘It looks so fun… !’

Helena actually looked very excited.

Ian laughed as he looked at her.

It was the first time in my life that I had seen a person conquer a dungeon with such fun and laughter.

“Uhihihihi! Ian-! Are you watching-!”

“… How can you not see this?”

This is also an application skill, and it’s either strange or funny… .

Ian just concluded that it was definitely great.

***

Completing the acute dungeon was completed very easily and quickly.

Vivian and Helena seemed to have gotten used to it by now, so they climbed onto the platform and came down holding the magic stone.

“I completed two dungeons in one day!”

“Hyu… . I’m a little tired.”

The tension must have eased, and now he says he’s tired.

Still, the two didn’t look tired at all.

I feel proud and relieved.

“Thank you for your hard work. I will adjust my training schedule for a few days so I can focus on rest.”

“Oot… ! Thank you!”

“Hihi, thank you.”

The platform the two came down from sank loudly.

There was an object standing there strangely.

Iris, who was returning after checking where the portal was closed, was the second person to discover it after me.

“What is that?”

Only then did Vivian and Helena look back.

“… Huh?”

“… … .”

Unlike Vivian, who was puzzled, Helena’s knees trembled and she slowly knelt down.

“Hey, Helena?”

Embarrassed, Vivian bends down and looks around, wondering if she should feel the same way.

That sight was so funny that I burst into laughter.

“Why, why are you smiling… .”

“You don’t look like you’re smiling. Helena is a priest, but Vivian is okay.”

Helena, who had already fallen flat on her face, was almost bowing to the object.

“What is that?”

“It is one of the holy relics found in Seonghwagyo.”

A statue of a girl praying.

Honestly, compared to other relics or artifacts, the effect is not as dramatic.

It only slightly enhances the effectiveness of the three miracles used by the priest.

However, it is a great advantage that the relic’s power works in a way that blesses the person who first touches it.

This means that it will never be lost, stolen, or broken during battle.

It also suits Helena now that every time she uses a miracle, she helps the growth of the corresponding series of miracles.

Although there is a limit to that growth.

“Sacred relic… ?”

“I never thought I would see artifacts and relics in one day… . I understand why the leader recommended Ian.”

I tried to pretend it was a coincidence, but ended up failing.

Coincidence is a coincidence, but this is not an ordinary occurrence.

“Helena.”

“Yes… .”

“Go and touch it.”

“Yeah?! Oh no! How dare I do that… . This, this, this… !”

Helena twisted her body and made strange noises, as if she couldn’t make any sense.

“… So are you going to leave it like this? I have to take it and send it to Seonghwangcheong.”

“Ma, that’s right… .”

“Wouldn’t Helena be the most suitable among us?”

Helena looked around at the group.

Everyone waited for her to act.

After swallowing her saliva once, Helena carefully touched the relic.

-Whaaah… .

Warm light emanated from the statue and settled into Helena’s body.

“Ah, this, oh, evil? The fire burns the name of a small thing and dwells in my heart… .”

It creaks like it’s broken and suddenly starts reciting a prayer.

“Helena, come to your senses.”

“Yes, yes… .”

I know it’s a blessing, but it’s a bit difficult to explain to Helena.

Even if you don’t tell me, you will feel it yourself.

“Now let’s go.”

Helena held the statue of a praying girl and moved it, but it fell too much.

“Then I will drop it.”

“Sobbing-!”

“Uh… !”

He must have been surprised to hear that he was dropping the relic, so he slipped the relic.

I didn’t know that something like that would really happen, so I reacted quickly.

Fortunately, he held Helena and the relics together in his arms and prevented them from falling.

“You almost got hit by an accident.”

“Sin, sorry… !”

“Helena. You should have been careful.”

Vivian scolded softly.

“You seem so nervous… .”

Kati crept up to me and placed her hand on mine while embracing Helena and the relic from the other side.

“… Why are you?”

“… ah! Could Kati please listen? I, I, so, right now, that… .”

It is a holy relic carried by the demon.

The picture is awesome.

“But are you okay? Katy, what, your reaction… Isn’t there something like that?”

“No.”

Although Kati is a Majin, I don’t know much about the Majin race.

We had a few fights in the second round, but that was it.

Like elves, they are not extremely rare, but not much is known about them.

Helena was also embarrassed, perhaps realizing that what she had just said resembled a slip of the tongue.

Only Iris was confused, not knowing the reason, but it was not something she could tell.

As Helena said, Kati took care of the relics.

You can see the dungeon entrance, but there are quite a few people outside.

Did you say it was Malcolm?

There were more people than the search squad leader left behind… .

I didn’t feel any hostility, so I didn’t bother to tell the group.

When I went out, there was a line of people who looked like ordinary citizens waiting near the entrance.

“You’re here!”

“Oh, hero… ! You are warriors!”

“The heroes have returned safely!”

… What is this?

A similar feeling of bewilderment flowed through the entire group.

My eyes scanned the crowd before returning to Malcolm, who was said to be the leader of the search squad.

He cleared his throat as he approached and explained.

“They are residents of nearby farms. He said I should say thank you to the warriors for coming… . I tried to send them back because it was dangerous, but these people are famous for their stubbornness.”

From what they were saying, it seemed like they were quite close friends.

Unlike him, who was embarrassed, the village residents had grateful smiles on their faces.

Among them, an old man who appeared to be the village chief spoke.

“What is stubbornness! Of course it has to be done!”

“That’s what it looks like.”

“Hey, this guy is getting old and can’t even get married.”

“That… !”

Vivian was surprised, but then realized that these people had come out to thank her and burst out laughing.

I felt embarrassed yet proud.

Iris said, ‘Is this the role of a hero…? .’ he muttered and nodded as if he was moved.

Mercy and Katy followed me and took a step back.

This was done intentionally so that only Vivian and Helena could receive the attention.

“They saved me. Should I say hello?”

“Heroes! cool-! Thank you for saving me-!”

A parent said hello to his child.

Helena, who was looking around at the people, burst into tears as soon as she heard that greeting.

“Black, ugh… . Breathe… !”

Helena cried, holding the green necklace she always wore.

“Uh, hero?!”

“Aren’t you hurt?!”

The residents, search team members, and even Vivian were startled and ran.

“Helena?! Where does it hurt?”

“Oh, no, no… .”

I was surprised too, but I quickly realized why.

Because of the acute dungeon, any of these people could have been injured or killed.

Helena and Vivian stopped that.

Could it be that this current situation overlaps with the past when his parents died?

The two people I couldn’t save back then won’t come back.

Still, the situation is enough to be comforting.

“Gam, thank you… . really… .”

Helena once again expressed gratitude to those she saved.

The sunset sets far beyond the fields.

Under the warm orange sky, Vivian and Helena received greetings of gratitude and respect from many people.

***

“You’re hurt?”

These were Sylvia’s first words when she arrived at the first party’s new camp.

She looked down at Aria, who was sitting blankly.

There is no focus in the eyes.

‘Only in a grade A dungeon? No matter how rusty your skills are… .’

I was so dumbfounded that I looked back at Kylie and Beatrice with questioning eyes.

The two people who received that look immediately frowned.

They also seemed to have a lot to say.

The three gazes collide in the air.

The anxiety and doubts that have been building up so far, and the cracks that have now become clear, are gradually widening.

A situation where something is about to explode.

The first to speak was Aria, who was looking down at her wounds by herself.