Chapter 41:
The Guild members, startled, looked at Seo Won-yeong, who was standing firm.
“Wow, this is amazing. Unnie, this is truly amazing.”
Even amidst the horrific noise, Seo Won-yeong seemed unfazed, smiling as she looked down into the pit.
She had thrown in “Thorn-Saw Leaves,” a dungeon plant cultivated by Seo Jae-yi.
They had expected the unique plant, with its saw-like leaves, to be tough enough to injure monsters, but the reality exceeded their expectations.
The Thorn-Saw Leaves tore through thick hides and sliced flesh, causing the monsters trapped in the pit to scream and thrash in agony. The more they struggled to survive, the tighter the leaves constricted them.
Crimson blood, gushing from their wounds, started to fill the pit. The five monsters, entangled with the leaves, slowly died.
“See? It’s effective.”
Seo Won-yeong grinned at the others.
To smile so brightly in front of dying monsters, writhing in agony…
While they couldn’t deny its effectiveness, it was a rather disturbing sight.
“All monsters eliminated!”
Thanks to Seo Won-yeong, who had dealt with about seven monsters, including the ones in the pit, and Moon Soo-hyun joining the fight, they managed to eliminate all the smaller monsters before the boss monster appeared.
“These are dungeon plants, right?”
The Guild members, peering into the pit, were amazed by the sight of the monsters entangled and killed by the sharp-leaved plants.
“I heard Leader started growing dungeon plants, but it’s astonishing to see them in action.”
“I saw the Guild Master use them during the last dungeon raid, but these are different. They’re terrifying.”
While their impressions varied, no one disputed that the dungeon plants were helpful for subjugations.
Seo Jae-yi felt a sense of pride.
‘I’m glad I could confirm the effectiveness of Thorn-Saw Leaves. I’ll add this usage to my promotional materials.’
Coming along on this dungeon raid had been the right decision.
***
The Guild members, having received Guiding from Joo Seon-min and checked their equipment, advanced deeper into the cave.
Fighting in the previous location, littered with debris and corpses, would be disadvantageous. They needed a wider space to fight stronger opponents.
And they had to adjust their strategy.
“Leader, do you have more of those grass bundles?”
Moon Soo-hyun turned to Seo Jae-yi. She, carrying a backpack, felt their gazes and smiled brightly.
“You guys are finally acknowledging my plants. I’m so proud. I’m happy, guys.”
Seo Jae-yi was genuinely happy. The days of feeling depressed about the lack of customers were forgotten.
“Y-yeah. So you brought more?”
“Of course! What kind of dungeon raid would this be otherwise? I came here determined to witness the power of my babies with my own eyes.”
“I thought you were a porter.”
“There’s no rule against porters doing this.”
Seo Jae-yi took out three pouches, about the size of handbags, from her backpack.
They were pouches made by an Esper with spatial abilities, capable of storing anything as long as the weight didn’t exceed the limit, regardless of size.
“You have three of these precious pouches…? No, four, including the one you used earlier?”
They were items that could revolutionize the transportation industry, but the problem was that Espers with spatial abilities were incredibly rare.
Therefore, the pouches were extremely expensive, with limited availability and prices determined by demand. Even wealthy Espers, Guides, and conglomerates struggled to acquire multiple pouches.
And Seo Jae-yi had four. How had she obtained them? She was truly enigmatic.
“Two of these contain Thorn-Saw Leaves. They grow the fastest.”
“Then I’ll use them the same way as before.”
Seo Jae-yi readily agreed and handed the two pouches with Thorn-Saw Leaves to Moon Soo-hyun.
“What’s in the other one?”
“Ah, this is…”
Seo Jae-yi grinned and explained briefly. Of course, the usage was another tip from Airok.
“That’s terrifying… I’m not sure how well I can use it, but I understand.”
“I’ll keep this one with me, just in case.”
Moon Soo-hyun nodded at Seo Jae-yi’s words.
“Wow, I saw the Guild Master use dungeon plants during a raid before, but it feels completely different now that I’m using them in a difficult situation.”
“Right? It became much easier to fight after those five monsters were instantly killed. And thanks to Deputy Leader Soo-hyun joining the fight.”
“Honestly, when Leader said she was going to sell dungeon plants, I was worried she had gone crazy because her shop had no customers… I’m so relieved.”
The Guild members shed tears of gratitude as they continued deeper into the cave.
“Me too. I didn’t understand when Ms. Seo Jae-yi said she was going to sell dungeon plants, but now that I’ve seen them in action, their potential uses seem endless.”
Even Baek Joo-won agreed. Seo Jae-yi covered her mouth with both hands, overwhelmed.
“Even you’re saying that, Mr. Baek Joo-won. I’m so glad I came as Porter 1 today. Did you hear that, my babies? You’re truly my lucky charms.”
Seo Jae-yi patted her backpack with a happy expression. The Guild members and Baek Joo-won, who had been praising her, looked uncomfortable.
***
They encountered monsters again after advancing for about an hour.
“Something’s still off about them.”
Moon Soo-hyun whispered, pressing herself against the wall and observing the situation ahead.
They had expected the monsters to charge at them, but their expectations were shattered. The monsters were gathered in a large open space within the cave.
About twenty Greenrolls were milling around, and beyond them, a giant monster, clearly the boss, stood imposingly.
Their eyes were bloodshot, as if in a frenzy, just like the previous ones, but none of them attempted to leave the space.
As if they were waiting for the raid team to arrive.
‘We really need to investigate the moss they were eating.’
There was no guarantee that the drug-laced moss wouldn’t appear in other dungeons. It could be dangerous if it appeared in lower-ranked dungeons, where lower-ranking Espers usually conducted subjugations, so an investigation was necessary.
‘And it would be a disaster if those drug-crazed monsters started selling it.’
No one knew what would happen if humans consumed a drug that could even drive monsters mad.
“We’ll fight according to plan. Everyone remembers, right?”
“Yes.”
Moon Soo-hyun took a deep breath and charged into the open space. The monsters, spotting her, roared and started running towards her.
‘5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Now!’
Moon Soo-hyun counted down in her head and created two large sinkholes. Eight Greenrolls, unable to stop in time, fell in.
However, unlike before, the remaining monsters easily avoided the pits, perhaps because of the wider space.
“Shin Ji-woo!”
Moon Soo-hyun clicked her tongue and shouted, and Shin Ji-woo immediately sealed one of the pits with his telekinesis, the one with two Greenrolls. Moon Soo-hyun took charge of the other pit, which held six.
While they were holding back the eight Greenrolls, Jeong Yoon-ah created a tall ice wall. The monsters tried to break through it, but the wall, created by an A-rank Esper, wouldn’t shatter easily.
Meanwhile, Moon Soo-hyun and Shin Ji-woo tossed Thorn-Saw Leaves from their pouches into their respective sinkholes.
Kyaaaaaaaaagh!
The screams of the eight Greenrolls, thrashing in agony, echoed through the large chamber.
“Now there are only twelve left. No, thirteen, including the boss monster.”
Moon Soo-hyun’s cheerful voice cut through the cacophony of monster screams.
Twelve Greenrolls, their eyes crazed, perhaps from the drug, and one intimidating boss monster.
This was manageable.
“Jeong Yoon-ah, begin.”
At Moon Soo-hyun’s signal, Jeong Yoon-ah extended her hand. The ice wall blocking the Greenrolls transformed into dozens of shards and shot towards them.
Kyaaagh! Kyaak!
As the injured Greenrolls screamed, the Guild members charged at them.
They had already fought the frenzied monsters before, so they efficiently eliminated them one by one. It didn’t take long for their numbers to dwindle from twelve to six.
The problem was the boss monster.
“Why isn’t it moving?”
The boss monster remained motionless, even as the Greenrolls were being killed. It was three times the size of a Greenroll, with an even thicker patch of parasitic grass on its back, clearly a formidable opponent.
But it wasn’t moving. As if its gaze was fixed on something, it was staring intently at a single spot.
“…Unnie, Baek Joo-won.”
Seo Jae-yi sensed something ominous and pulled Joo Seon-min and Baek Joo-won back by their shoulders.
Thump, thump!
The boss monster, which had been immobile, suddenly stomped its feet and started moving.
It curled up into a ball with surprising speed, considering its size, and charged towards them with terrifying momentum.
“Ugh!”
Lee Seung-woo, an Enhancement Esper, tried to block it, but instead of slowing it down, he was thrown back. Even a B-rank Esper couldn’t withstand the force of the enraged boss monster.
“Watch out! It’s stronger too!”
“Moon Soo-hyun, Shin Ji-woo! It’s coming this way!”
As the boss monster, having shattered Jeong Yoon-ah’s ice, headed towards the Guides, Moon Soo-hyun and Shin Ji-woo simultaneously activated their telekinesis.
The boss monster’s speed significantly decreased under Moon Soo-hyun’s powerful telekinesis, her face strained with effort.
Kyaak! Kraaagh!
“Ugh, damn it, it’s too heavy…!”
The monster struggled against the telekinetic force, thrashing its legs wildly. Moon Soo-hyun held firm, but Shin Ji-woo, who was weaker, started bleeding from his nose.
Seo Won-yeong, seeing the situation, clenched her fists, ready to intervene and eliminate the boss monster.
But just then, the immobilized boss monster roared loudly. The six surviving Greenrolls, as if responding to its roar, charged at Moon Soo-hyun and Shin Ji-woo.
Moon Soo-hyun dodged their attacks with her telekinetic shield, but Shin Ji-woo was already at his limit.
“Ugh!”
“Oh no! He’s falling!”
As Shin Ji-woo stumbled and his telekinesis faltered, the boss monster resumed its charge towards the Guides, ignoring the Guild members’ attacks from behind.
Kraaagh!
It reached the Guides in an instant and opened its jaws wide. Its frenzied eyes were fixated on Baek Joo-won.
“Baek Joo-won!”
Joo Seon-min tried to pull him back, but the monster’s sharp, saliva-dripping teeth were already lunging at him.
Crash!
But Baek Joo-won wasn’t torn apart by the monster’s teeth.
He instinctively closed his eyes at the loud impact and opened them to see Seo Jae-yi standing in front of him.
Her strong, calloused hand was gripping the monster’s fangs.
“Are you okay?”
Seo Jae-yi, having stopped the monster’s movement with one hand, glanced back.