The group head inside with Mr. Song as their leader once again. Jinwoo made sure to keep his eyes close to the criminals along with one of the most dangerous amongst them all, Kang Tae-Shik.
He took Seo-yeon's words to heart and kept a sharp eye for anything suspicious.
Soon after, goblins began to make their appearance and charged at them viciously. However, things seem to have been easier since the criminals took care of them straightforward as they swung their weapons against the goblins.
"With teammates like this, you don't even have to do anything," Seo-yeon mutters to Jinwoo as they stare at the brutal scene in front of them.
Jinwoo nodded. He turned his attention towards Tae-Shik, who only stood on the side, watching the criminals.
"I can't tell who's human and who's beast," Mr. Song walks over to them.
He then notices a presence behind him and summons a fire magic and throwing them to the incoming goblins, burning them to crisp. He then summons another ranged attack and sends more fire to the goblins approaching them.
Seo-yeon silently watched as they fought with the goblins with ease. Instead, she was watching what the criminals were doing.
Jinwoo casually slashes the goblins effortlessly and with a teasing voice he said, "What do you think? Did I surpass you?"
"Hmph, you'll need more to surpass me, idiot. A mere goblins is nothing to me," Seo-yeon pushed his arm playfully.
Jinwoo pushes her back, and soon, the two push each other back childishly. On the other side, Joohee's frown turns to sadness.
'Should I still continue....pursuing him? The gaze that he gave her is far more different. I could see the love in them.....and with mine? It was nothing but out of kindness,' Her shoulders slumped and fiddle with the hem of her shirt.
"Looks like you've improved quite a bit, Sung. Where did you get such a neat dagger? I remember you always fought empty-handed. Now that you have a weapon, you're like a completely different person," Mr. Song praised Jinwoo.
Jinwoo smiled, "Really? The dagger....is a gift from someone. I've been using it quite a lot lately, and I really love it."
Seo-yeon's eyes widened slightly before softening with nostalgia. She could feel her lips twitch into a smile, and her cheeks burn slightly. It was the dagger that she gave Jinwoo on the first day when they accidentally met.
Jinwoo looks at her on the corner of his eyes, noticing her eyes are squinted upper like a smile. indicating that she might be smiling behind the black mask. He pat her head as he smiles tenderly, giving her a bit of affection.
Joohee closed her eyes, 'Yeah... I have no chance against her.'
She took a deep breath, trying to lessen the pain in her heart.
The team continues forward until they meet three pathways ahead of them.
"Damn, the path splits into three."
Tae-Shik turned to Mr. Song, "This dungeon seems easier than I expected. How about we split up? It may be a little risky, but the time it will take to clear this dungeon will drastically decrease."
"....That's sounds like a plan," Mr. Song agreed.
"I'll take the prisoners and gi down tha path on the right, so if you happen to find the boss's lair, just notify me."
Jinwoo stared at the path on the very left intently, Seo-yeon walked over to him and nudged his arm.
"You sense the aura? Good. You seem to have gotten better at sensing things in the dungeon," Seo-yeon smirks.
"All thanks to the hardworking days. Mr. Song, let's go to the left," Jinwoo pointed at the path.
"Okay."
"Hold on, now."
A hand tugs Jinwoo's sleeve back. He turned around and tilt his head in confusion to Seo-yeon.
"We'll separate ourselves here. I'll stay with Mr. Kim, in case if things go wrong. I've got a bad feeling about this," Seo-yeon whispers to him.
Jinwoo stared at her before nodding, trusting her decision.
Seo-yeon walks beside Sangshik as they surveyed the tunnel. Silence fills the three of them until Sngshik spoke up.
"You're the one with Jinwoo, right? I'm Kim Sangshik. Nice to meet you, kid," The man held out his hand to shake.
Seo-yeon shook his hand and nodded at him as greetings.
"So, are you and Jinwoo dating?"
Seo-yeon trips at the question before turning her head to Sangshik with red face and shaking her head in embarrassment.
The man let out fatherly laughs, "HAHAHA! Kid, I was only joking! There's no need to be so embarrassed!"
Seo-yeon grumbles with fewer bright red cheeks and kicks the pebble in frustration.
They stopped when they heard growls and snarls along with clinging metal in the distance. The three made eye contact before nodding at each other. They marched towards the incoming goblins and killed them with ease.
Seo-yeon tried to make her moves a bit sloppy to make sure that she wouldn't be caught. Her original fighting skills are too prominent, and it could leave the others into suspicious at her false rank.
"The goblins in this dungeon are manageable," Sangshik said as he stabbed the last goblin.
"I hope it stays that way, so we can finish this raid safely," The third one said.
Seo-yeon strode pass the two of them to talk as she sense familiar, sinister aura ahead of them. Her eyes squinted in wariness.
'He's near...'
She turn back to the two of the men in hurry, "We need to get out of here. Now."
Sangshik's troubled face appear when he notices the urgency and firm look Seo-yeon gave to them.
"What's wrong - "
"AAARRRGGHHHH!!"
The scream echoes through the tunnel very loudly. I was asked to kill them in the most excruciating way possible. Seems I got
"Oh, dear. Oh, my. My little cuties have made a mess! I was asked to kill them in the most excruciating way possible. Seems I git the job done too quickly. Well, watching them beg for mercy while their intestines were Shillingstone was pretty enjoyable while it lasted. Oh no. These cuties are begging me to hurry and kill you," Kang Tae-Shik sadistically said as he held one of the criminals on the wall by the neck.
"Spare.....me.." The criminal squirmed in fear.
"Oh god. What in the world is going on here," Sangshik whispers with cold sweat running down his cheek.
The three manage to arrive at the gruesome scene late. The other criminals are injured brutallly on the ground besides one that was being held by the neck.
Tae-Shik see another three figure from the corner of his eyes, Sangshik and the other gave out a shocked and terrified expression at his actions. While Seo-yeon only hiding her blank expression behind her cap.
"Where did you guys come from?" Tae-Shik said indifferently.
"I see, so the paths are connected," The purple haired male unsheathed his blade from the back strap.
He swung his blade to the criminal he was holding, decapitated his head cleanly.
"Then that means the boss's lair is down the path on the left. Thanks to you guys, looks like I won't get lost. Though, there has been a change of plans....."
The two men let out a horrified gasps.
Tae-Shik suddenly raced towards them in lightning speed, startling the two lower rank hunters. With no time to react, they could only cover themselves.
"Good bye! HAHAHAHA!!" Tae-Shik swung his blade to their direction.
Seo-yeon appears right beside him in a flash, startling him.
'Since when did she -'
He coughs out loud when his abdomen being kicked into oblivion. Her kick send him straight to the rocky walls, crashing him and leaving some dusts and debris from the damage.
'That impact from the kick should be loud enough for others to hear. This is a cave so sounds like that would travel faster. Right now.....I have to protect these two without revealing much of my power,' Seo-yeon thoughtfully planned.
"You....what are you??" Sangshik stood in shook.
Seo-yeon looks over her shoulder giving the man a dismissive look, "Right now, shut up. Let me concentrate."
"Ughh....that was quite some kick. If I didn't put my aura around that area, you would've gutted my guts out with that kick only. Impressive," Tae-Shik emerged from the dusts.
He manically smile widely with an insane look on his face.
"Let's see how much you can handle me, girly~"