The Sea Dragon Temple (8)

Srrrk.

As Im Hyeja finished speaking, a woman appeared.

The woman repeatedly cleared her throat and took off the hood wrapped around her head.

From inside the hood, thick beige hair cascaded like a waterfall.

A ponytail tied neatly without being cumbersome.

She was a beauty with distinct features that gave a slightly sharp impression.

Additionally, the <Professor> badge on her chest highlighted her generously ample bosom to a pitiable degree.

Her identity was Peng Jin-ah.

“Ahem…”

Peng Jin-ah glanced at Im Hyeja repeatedly.

“…Why are you looking at me like that? If you’re going to look, just do it openly.”
“Ahem. It’s a bit embarrassing…”

Im Hyeja’s eyes widened at those words.

She found it strange.

On the outside, she seemed very cold and stern… so she naturally assumed she would act brazenly and shamelessly.

‘She’s more gentle than I thought.’

“…Anyway, I think I know, but I’ll ask anyway. How did you know?”
“How did I know what?”

At Peng Jin-ah’s question, Im Hyeja tapped her nose.

“It was the smell. Oh, don’t misunderstand. It’s not your sweat or anything like that. The scent flowing in the air was different.”
“…<Lycanthrope>?”
“Oh, as expected of a professor? You know well.”

The skill <Lycanthrope> that Im Hyeja had consumed, with the <Skill Rune>, [Wolf Pack’s Scent (P)].
It was the rune that Im Hyeja personally found the most useful.

It was a scent-specialized ability that checked the faint traces of magic lingering in the air.

As if that wasn’t all, Im Hyeja shrugged.

“In addition, there were faint footsteps. The others were too busy fighting to notice.”
“Ahem…”
“It seems you are not a professional <Assassin> class. If you were, even I would have had a hard time noticing.”
“…<Sword Master>.”

At the response, Im Hyeja let out a small exclamation, “Oh~.”

“So, it’s a class just below <Sword Saint>. It seems you are quite favored by the gods as well.”

“…I don’t think that’s something you should say.”

Peng Jin-ah responded reluctantly.
She still remembered it clearly.

The absurd ability to crumple the <Vortex of the Sea Dragon> like a piece of paper and refine it in an instant.

Regardless, Im Hyeja shrugged her shoulders.
She smashed the head of the approaching <Merman> with a hammer.

“What good does it do? I’m just a craftsman, barely making ends meet now.”

“……”

At those words, Peng Jin-ah fell silent for a moment.

With such absurd power, making money should be as easy as pie.

And yet, if she was in this situation…

‘… She must have her reasons.’

Kyarruk! Kriyak!
Muguruk!

“More enemies coming. You should help out too.”
“… Of course.”

A few minutes later.

The two of them were dealing with the approaching [Monsters] like toys.

At one point, Peng Jin-ah caught an arrow flying toward her with one hand and flung it back into the head of the [Merman Archer] that had shot it.

At that moment, Im Hyeja let out a small groan.

“Honestly… Seha is a problem.”
“…!”
“That guy relies too much on skills.”

Im Hyeja crushed the legs of an approaching [Kelpie] as she began to point out the issues she had noticed.

She listed off several things, but it all boiled down to this: he trusted his abilities far too much.

“He must have gained the highest [Intuition] ability from the day he first awakened.”
“……”

It was an extraordinary manifestation of talent, no doubt a blessing.
But he probably didn’t realize that it was slowly becoming a poison.

In reality, it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Yu Seha always believed he was cautious and vigilant.

But in most ambushes and surprise attacks, he relied too much on his [Unprescedented Sense].

“So, if there’s something like the special cloak you’re wearing, with [Nullification] and [Invisibility], he’d be completely helpless.”
“……”

Clicking her tongue, Im Hyeja shattered the spine of a [Lizardman Warrior] with her hammer.

In an instant, an enormous amount of mana, enough to surprise Im Hyeja herself, flared up.

Red lightning filled the narrow passage and spread out like a net.

The swirling crimson sword aura was a calamity in itself, a death sentence for the approaching monsters.

Manifestation of the 25th level [Overlord Sword Technique].

Im Hyeja whistled at Peng Jin-ah’s martial prowess.

“Impressive. Back in the day, you made quite a name for yoursel—”
“But, still…”
“Hmm?”
“Cadet Yu Seha has more strengths than weaknesses.”
“…Huh?”

Im Hyeja was taken aback by the sudden, seemingly out-of-context statement.

She realized it belatedly.

Just a little…
Just a little, but…
Peng Jin-ah’s cheeks were slightly puffed up.

‘…What?’

Im Hyeja felt an ominous thought creeping in.

No way, right?
She’s a professor…
It’s not like they’re fellow cadets…
But she’s a professor, right?
Could it be that this woman also…?
Seriously…?

“Cadet Yu Seha’s swordsmanship… is a work of art in itself.”
“Oh…”
“His movements are exceptional… And above all, his absurd growth always leaves me, as his professor, feeling a new sense of pride.”
“Hmm…”
“Especially, his delicate skill control is truly—”
“Alright, alright. I get it. My bad.”
“……”

With a sigh, Im Hyeja asked cautiously with a disgruntled expression.

“I wasn’t going to ask, but now I’m too curious to let it go. The others said the professor isn’t allowed here. The Chairman supposedly gave the order, right?”

“……”

At that question, Peng Jin-ah stopped her confident speech and averted her eyes slightly.

Im Hyeja’s eyes narrowed.

“…Don’t tell me, you just came secretly?”
“Ahem…”
“Oh dear, so what is your relationship with Seha? It doesn’t seem like you’re an ordinary professor.”
“… I’m his master.”
“……”

‘Oh my…’

Im Hyeja felt a sudden dizziness and placed her hand on her forehead.

From what she could tell, Yu Seha didn’t seem to have that kind of interest…

But there were too many women around him.

This was a bit much. Every time she saw this kind of thing…

‘Just like senior…’

Ma Hana’s father, Ma Tae-han.
He also always had women flocking around him.
Whether he wanted it or not.

“So it’s his looks, huh… It’s almost fate at this point.”
“…What?”
“Never mind. It’s fine. I’ve come to accept it. As long as you take good care of my Meowi, I don’t care if he builds a harem or becomes a king with consorts.”
“…??”
“So, in short, you came here worried about your disciple, wearing that expensive cloak?”
“……”

Im Hyeja pointed to Peng Jin-ah’s cloak.

On the surface, it looked ordinary, but it was actually an Epic-grade item.

[Hermes’s Cloak].
It allowed the wearer to enter stealth without expending mana after walking more than 10 steps.
Additionally, it had an incredible feature that nullified all skills of [Detection], [Intuition], and [Insight] systems.

At the same time, it was the treasure of <Gonis Hunter Academy> that Chairman Yu Neung-hae cherished the most.

Then, why on earth was Peng Jin-ah wearing this?

‘……’

Peng Jin-ah just silently cut down the monsters without saying a word.
Im Hyeja, who was watching, chuckled as if looking at a cute younger sibling.

“What an incredible fool for love~”
“…I was just… monitoring the situation…”
“Sure, sure. Trying to justify it will only make it sound more pitiful.”

Im Hyeja waved her hand and shrugged her shoulders.
A sense of understanding emerged from the light in her eyes.

“Well, I totally get it. It must feel like watching a child by the water.”

At those words, Peng Jin-ah glanced at Im Hyeja.
Clearly, this was advice from someone more experienced than herself, so Peng Jin-ah quietly listened.

“I felt the same way. I thought it would be a disaster if I let go.”
“……”
“I tried to hide it, cherish it, and keep it in a safe place. Without realizing that I was confining our Meowi.”
“…Are you talking about Ma Hana?”
“Yes, I’m not her biological mother, but I practically played the role. She was the daughter of a man I loved… so I paid more attention to her.”

Im Hyeja scratched her head vigorously.
Soon, she gave a sharp remark to Peng Jin-ah.

“That’s why I’m meddling. Seha is not a child. He is a grown-up who clearly sees the path he needs to take.”

“…But… if I don’t do something as his master—”
“I’m not saying to abandon him. I’m telling you to focus your attention elsewhere.”
“…Elsewhere?”

Im Hyeja nodded at her question.

“How you solve it is your challenge, but at least for now, let me give you an answer as your senior.”

Bang!

Im Hyeja struck down the head of the approaching <Merman Assassin> with a hammer.

“For now, focus on taking down all these enemies. And… just hope that the kids make it back safely from this adventure. Sound good?”

“……”

Peng Jin-ah silently recalled Im Hyeja’s words as she swung her sword.

‘…Have I been worrying too much?’

Yu Seha was her first-ever disciple.

But more than that, she harbored a sense of guilt toward him—a student who carried the hopes she could no longer fulfill herself.
It seemed that anxiety had gotten the better of her.

‘… I just wanted to protect him.’

Yu Seha.

At the same time, she saw in him a reflection of her younger self.

After her mother’s death, she had thrown herself into the sword, thinking it was the only escape.
But now, she understood.

In the end, she couldn’t love her past self.

She couldn’t overcome it.

That became a regret.
She was worried about it…
She tried to shield and protect Yu Seha in a safe place.

The reason she opposed him stepping into the <Sea Dragon Trial> was the same.

Peng Jin-ah placed her hand over her chest.

Opening her eyes, she handed a potion to Im Hyeja.

“Oh? Your eyes seem a bit different. Have you sorted out your feelings?”
“…Thanks to you… Thank you, senior.”
“Ugh… Just act like usual. The word ‘senior’ makes me cringe.”

The two shared a laugh and, before long, dashed off toward the next wave of monsters, side by side.

Meanwhile, at that moment.

Yu Seha’s group was worried about Im Hyeja, who was left alone.

“Will Senior Im Hyeja be alright?”
“…Indeed.”
“Meow. It’s okay. Unnie is strong!”

As various conversations floated around, everyone suddenly stopped in their tracks.

They all instinctively knew, without anyone needing to say a word.

They had reached their destination.

“…Everyone, it seems we’ve arrived.”

As Choi Mari finished speaking, silence fell over the group.

In front of them was the entrance to the Boss Room, more massive than any door they’d seen in the dungeon so far.

Typically, the door to a [Boss Room] is marked by its size and the aura it exudes.
The patterns carved here and there serve as indicators of the strength of the <Dungeon Boss>.

The sheer size and imposing nature of this door sent shivers down their spines.

“…Junior Seha.”

Standing beside me, Choi Mari spoke quietly.

“…It seems we’ve arrived earlier than expected. The mid-boss was just a single <Basilisk>.”

I nodded, understanding Choi Mari’s words.

[Trials] were designed with stricter rules and balance than typical dungeons.

If one area seemed easier, it only meant that another area would be that much more difficult to balance things out.

In short…

Whatever was behind this door wouldn’t be an ordinary [Dungeon Boss].

I took a deep breath and braced myself.

“Senior Mari. Please refresh the buffs. And—”
“You don’t need to say it. Just give the signal, and I’ll activate [Lucky Machine].”

Choi Mari, our wildcard and ace.
Her power would surely come in handy when the time came.

After preparing our buffs, potions, and other equipment, we entered the room.

Finally, the moment had come to face the end of the [Sea Dragon Temple]… Or so we thought.

“…Huh?”
“What?”
“What the?!”

As we stepped inside, an odd sense of emptiness and openness washed over us.

At the same time…

I sensed the world turning upside down.

‘An illusion?’

Or [Sensory Disruption]?

Shwoooo!

However, the ominous sound of the wind soon made me realize this was reality.

“…?!”
“Kyaaah!”
“Wh-what is this?!”

Cries of distress were heard from all around.

A naturally bewildering situation.

I quickly lowered my gaze and instinctively knew I had to come up with a plan.

Not far ahead, I could see the ground.
Yes, the ground.
It was bare ground.

‘Damn it…’

Currently, we were falling from a great height, left in the open air.

“Shit!!!”

A curse naturally slipped from my mouth.

No way, as if [Rising Poison] and [Exile] gimmicks weren’t enough…

They even prepared a [Spatial Distortion] trap that flips the environment upon entry!

It felt like my blood was boiling when we got caught in the most ridiculous trap in ‘GAL.’

We couldn’t just fall and become splatters on the ground.

Just when I was wondering, ‘What should I do…?’
Moon Bora, the smartest among us, shouted loudly.

“Everyone, gather around!”

Moon Bora grabbed her fluttering hat and chanted a spell.

As expected of Moon Bora.

Despite looking like a pushover, she comes up with a solution to overcome this situation, just like her clever character setting.

“[Icicle], [Icicle], [Ice Hand!]”

Crunch!

The bullets fired from her staff quickly landed on the ground.

Ice sprouted like blooming flowers, extending longer and longer according to Moon Bora’s will.

Though crude and imperfect here and there, an ice slide precariously formed.

But this alone wasn’t enough.

There would be a great impact the moment we collided.

There was only one person here who could help with this.

“Senior Mari!!!”
“M-Meep! I-I, as the servant of the Lord, am praying here. Pl-Please… Save us!”

As Choi Mari’s prayer ended, a translucent holy shield was formed.

Though hastily made and not a perfect sphere, it was sufficient.

The formed shield and the ice slide clashed.

Crunch!
Bang!
Thud!

“Ugh!”
“Meep!”
“Young-ah!”
“Waaaahh!”
“Meeeoow!”

With the sound of scraping ice, the shield quickly slid down the icy path.

A moment later.

Splash.

Soon, we found ourselves on solid ground once again, ankle-deep in water.

‘Phew…’

I thought I was really going to die.

“…Meow… My head hurts.”
“Young-ah… I thought I was going to die before seeing the boss’s face, really.”

This place was insane.
Even among the Trials I’d cleared in [GAL], this one was shaping up to be one of the worst.

I thought, ‘If they’ve prepared this meticulously, won’t the boss be easy?’ as I lifted my head.

“……”

However…
Soon, I painfully realized how complacent and foolish that thought was upon seeing the revealed scene.

It seems I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.

“…Se-Seha?”
“…M-Meow…?”

All the members who regained their senses swallowed dryly, frozen like stones.

Rumble!!!

A gigantic eye.

A long snake-like being, easily 30 to 40 meters in length, was looking down at us.

Scales of deep blue light glimmered here and there on its body.

Its large gills and fins sparkled with a rainbow of colors.

Lastly, even the mass of water floating in the air by its mountainous magic…

Just the sight alone imprinted an overwhelming majesty and true terror.

This was once the ruler of the land, one of the strongest race in existence.

It was living history, a testament to a once-glorious past.

The descendant of [Dragons], who were once hailed as gods.

Though it had fallen and become a [Sea Dragon], its majestic presence still loomed over us, as vast and powerful as the waves.