Chapter 1188. The Demon King of Sunset’s Castle (8)

“M-Mr. Lee Ki-Young...” Lim Chae-Ryeong mumbled.

“...”

“M-Mr. Lee Ki-Young... Mr. Lee Ki-Young...” she repeated.

“...”

“Is Hyo-Yeol oppa okay? Is he...”

‘Damn, I’m so out of it.’

“Is he going to live?” Lim Chae-Ryeong asked.

I wanted to enjoy Lee Ki-Young’s gift room a bit longer, but I had to come back to my senses after hearing Lim Chae-Ryeong calling out for me.

‘Yeah, I almost forgot about him.’

I turned and saw Woo Hyo-Yeol still sprawled out on the ground.

His wounds looked like they had healed, but he still wasn’t moving.

“Is Hyo-Yeol oppa—”

“He’ll be fine,” I interrupted her.

“R-Right? He’ll be fine, right?” Lim Chae-Ryeong asked.

She seemed like she was having trouble talking, and I was sure the fact that he was still not moving made her feel bothered. Realistically, Lim Chae-Ryeong wasn’t in a normal state either. In the battle just now, she clearly overcame her limits.

She was injured from her fight with Hwang Jung-Yeon, and I was sure her muscles were screaming in pain.

I was sure she had never been more desperate in her life before, so she was definitely exhausted mentally. I wouldn’t be surprised if she lost consciousness right now, but despite her exhaustion and injuries, she kept asking about Woo Hyo-Yeol's condition.

‘Is there really something going on between them?’

Was there something between them that was even stronger than Raymond Bolt’s legacy? She seemed really affectionate toward him. It was to the point that I couldn’t say that it was because they had been working together for quite a while now.

I was really surprised. Perhaps Lim Chae-Ryeong had feelings for him.

“I’m... going to save him no matter what, so don’t worry, Miss Chae-Ryeong,” I reassured her.

“Please... save him, Mr. Ki-Young,” Lim Chae-Ryeong begged.

“...”

‘But you know, he’s not going to die anyway.’

Even if Park Deok-Gu had evolved, Woo Hyo-Yeol wasn’t

that

weak that he would die from a single swing from the pig. Of course, the holes made by Colonel Smith were probably the main reason why he was still on the ground, but they were too weak to be called finishing blows.

Woo Hyo-Yeol's Endurance was pretty high, and his willpower was strong as well. Most importantly, he was determined to stay alive. The only thing he had going for him was the fact that he was as tenacious as a cockroach.

‘He won’t die unless his head gets chopped off.’

Naturally, I hurried towards Woo Hyo-Yeol.

Hwang Jung-Yeon looked happy to see me, but she instantly remembered her role because she glared at Jung Ha-Yan and William.

“Mr. William, Miss Ha-Yan, I’ll leave the Collection Manager to you two,” I requested.

“Understood.”

“Okay, o-oppa.”

The second round of the raid started, and Hwang Jung-Yeon had to have realized that this was the right time to enter the next phase because several items appeared before her. Instead of using two items at a time, a handful of items were floating in the air.

Lightning struck, and there was even a tsunami.

“

Haa...

this one is a bust too,” Hwang Jung-Yeon sighed.

The Infernal Magic Golem got up again and summoned a tornado. A gravity field was also cast, and some of the players started floating in the air. A natural disaster was unfolding before their eyes, causing most of the players to just stare at the situation.

‘Clearly... the founding members are different.’

I felt it once before with the Forsaken Saint Sun Hee-Young, but it felt like this dungeon was designed on a different scale than ordinary high-ranking demons or gatekeepers of the underground waterways.

Their mechanics were high quality, and it was hard to figure out a way to clear the dungeon.

Hwang Jung-Yeon skilfully used artifacts in the right places; she was constantly rotating between them, and it seemed like she was enjoying it.

As a mage, she was nowhere near Jung Ha-Yan, but she was not incompetent.

As a researcher, I was convinced that she was better than Jung Ha-Yan—no, the entire continent. Unlike Jung Ha-Yan, who could instinctively figure everything out, Hwang Jung-Yeon had to study, and he was always studying.

She was always studying theories, spells, and magic itself. She had a constant craving for knowledge, and she had a massive library in her head where she could access information whenever she wanted. She didn’t possess Mind’s Eye... but merely relying on the magical knowledge in her mind to explore, study, utilize, and make use of those artifacts was almost an accomplishment in itself.

‘She’s not a computer like Max...’

Hwang Jung-Yeon needed more points in her Magic.

‘For some reason, it looks like she believes that she can fight Ha-Yan.’

I wouldn’t exactly describe her as competitive, but there seemed to be a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

‘I wonder how much of it will work.’

Her feelings weren’t mixed with curiosity or jealousy about how far her knowledge of magic and sorcery would take her. It was pure intellectual curiosity and a passion for discovery.

Just then, Jung Ha-Yan cast her spell, and a giant wall of ice appeared, blocking the tsunami. A clump of mana engulfed the lightning, and a water spirit manifested, crushing the Infernal Magic Golem.

Craaaaaaaackle!

Kaboooooooom!

“Item 11—Ice Dust Clock,” Hwang Jung-Yeon said. When the snowflakes in the hourglass fell again, everything around it froze.

“

Ah

, it’s hot,” Jung Ha-Yan said, and heat emerged from the ground.

‘Her... original power is starting to return. What the hell... is wrong with her growth speed?’

Jung Ha-Yan spun one of her fingers, and a magic orb appeared, landing on the hourglass. Jung Ha-Yan used her other hand to draw a "V" and shook it. Immediately afterward, an item that looked like a long whip attacked the Infernal Magic Golem.

She looked like a child performing magic tricks, but fine mana flew around Jung Ha-Yan’s fingertip.

‘She’s no joke.’

William and some of the players couldn’t hide their surprise at the sight, but they were still fighting the Collection Manager in their own way.

Despite the fact that Jung Ha-Yan wasn’t really protecting the allied players, William understood exactly what he needed to do and the role he needed to play here. The clashes between mana made it seem like there wasn’t any opening, but he drew crimson flowers while roaming between the two.

“

Tch.

”

“Burst.”

Kabooooooom!

“Support.”

When the Infernal Magic Golem lost its form because of William's attacks, three gargoyle statues fell from the sky.

“Item 7—Clandas’ Gargoyle,” Hwang Jung-Yeon summoned.

The gargoyles moved and pushed away the players approaching Hwang Jung-Yeon, and they even approached Jung Ha-Yan.

The giant water spirit grabbed one of the gargoyles, but a massive column of flame materialized, vaporizing the water spirit. Jung Ha-Yan blinked once, and the magic orb subdued the massive flames. In response, eight arms appeared from the darkness and devoured the magic orb.

It wasn’t easy to see battles like this on our continent, but based on my standards, a battle of monsters was unfolding before my eyes.

I wanted to keep watching, but it was heartbreaking that I couldn’t do it.

It couldn’t be helped since we were in an urgent situation.

“Mr. Hyo-Yeol... Mr. Hyo-Yeol!” I shouted.

‘It actually doesn’t seem that urgent.’

No Dam-Hye and Nam Goong-Seon were keeping Woo Hyo-Yeol alive by exhausting all of their mana, and I also had to show how desperate I was.

“Call the other priests!” I shouted.

“What...

ah

... okay!”

My face was filled with resolve to save Woo Hyo-Yeol. No Dam-Hye, who struggled to hold up her exhausted body, looked nervous again. Perhaps she felt that Woo Hyo-Yeol's condition was finally stable because she showed a sense of relief, but it didn't last long.

A priest from the Flower and Fertility Familia appeared, and they looked frantic, making No Dam-Hye feel like something was wrong.

“I-It’s not over yet,” No Dam-Hye stuttered.

I said nothing. Instead, I cast a spell, and a massive magic circle made of light appeared on the ground. It was a useless magic circle, but it was emanating a beautiful light, which was really important.

After all, the visuals were important.

I approached Woo Hyo-Yeol and fed him an unknown potion.

Woo Hyo-Yeol immediately started having a seizure.

“Hold him down!” I ordered.

“O-Okay!”

He was wriggling while foaming at the mouth, so my potion was effective. He was unconscious, but he was still a warrior, so we were struggling to hold him down.

“Stand in the magic circle. I need to cast a resurrection spell right now. I have to concentrate... so please make sure not to make any mistakes,” I informed them.

“O-Okay.”

“Hyo-Yeol oppa...

heuk...

Is Hyo-Yeol oppa really okay?” Lim Chae-Ryeong asked.

“...”

“Hyo-Yeol oppa! Hang in there. H-Hang in there...” Lim Chae-Ryeong shouted.

“Please take care of Miss Chae-Ryeong. You two, please come here!” I instructed.

The promise I made that day... to never let anyone die before me again...

That promise popped up in my mind.

Even the nearby warriors rushed toward us and helped us hold Woo Hyo-Yeol down. The seizures told everyone that Woo Hyo-Yeol was in a serious condition, and to make matters worse, his entire body was becoming stiffer as time went on.

His throbbing veins bulged all over him, and it looked like he was on the brink of exploding into a bloody mist. He was also vomiting black blood. Although I had no idea what was going on, I was sure he was in a life-or-death situation.

The remaining priests on the team also stood in the magic circle with a gloomy expression. They clearly knew what they needed to do because they unleashed their holy power without being told what to do.

Obviously, I was the star tonight.

I stood in the center of the magic circle and unleashed the brightest light since I arrived here.

The light was

literally

blinding.

‘It looks holy.’

It was such a radiant and holy light.

I unleashed a radiant light while wearing the flower wreath made of light. The light itself was enough to make the injured adventurers stand up slowly.

They only had minor injuries, but the light engulfing them made them look enchanting.

'Yeah, that's it...'

A saint had descended. Flower petals fell down slowly one by one from the wreath of light. Those were hints that the spell was draining my lifeforce, but the sad part was that no one noticed it—

—Until Nam Goong-Seon said something.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young... that’s...” she muttered.

“It’s fine,” I reassured her.

“Okay...”

“It’s fine. I’m... running out of time anyway,” I said.

“What?”

Naturally, I ignored her question because this holy ritual had to continue.

“W-What do you mean?” Nam Goong-Seon asked.

“...”

“What do you mean by that...” Nam Goong-Seon questioned.

“It’s nothing. I-I’m just sharing a bit of my lifeforce with him,” I told her.

“How can that be nothing...” Nam Goong-Seon mumbled.

“I... I won’t lose anyone again. Not anymore,” I vowed.

Woo Hyo-Yeol was waking up, so he probably heard me.