Chapter 113 (2/2)

“Ah, I want to watch them fight. It'll be exciting,” Hugo muttered wistfully, but Kazuki ignored him and turned to the robed Priest fanning herself with her hand.

“Just in case… please.”

The fanning stopped, and the moment the Priest took out a crucifix….

WOONG!

A short vibration rang out and a white spherical film spread out from the center of the oasis. What was even more unbelievable was that the protective film expanded, becoming big enough to cover the entire oasis in less than a second.

Even Maria stopped huffing and opened her eyes like a rabbit.

“Holy f.u.c.k….”

This was the first time Seol Jihu heard Maria curse as a sign of astonishment. He couldn't help but admire High Rankers once again.

However, he wasn't given much time to stand around in awe. Kazuki walked in first and urged the rest of the team inside. This was because the hyenas following them became busy the moment the protective film was created.

“Seol! Hurry!”

“Okay.”

Splash, splash. Seol Jihu blinked his eyes even as he walked into the water at Chohong's urging. What was he supposed to do?

“I'll go ahead!”

“Let's meet again at the unknown place!” At that moment, Jun and Hugo shouted before jumping in.

SPLAs.h.!.+ Water sprayed up as the two instantly vanished.

Seol Jihu's jaw dropped open. The water wasn't that deep, but they had disappeared without a trace.

“Those sons of b.i.t.c.hes!”

Having been hit on the cheek by the water, Chohong bent her waist forward, and then Kazuki also dove in. The two of them soon disappeared. Seol Jihu couldn't find Maria anywhere either.

“Ah!”

When he felt something touching his shoulders, he flinched and turned around. The nameless Priest had her hands on his shoulders.

“Aren't you going in?” Seol Jihu asked.

The Priest didn't say anything. She simply pressed down on his shoulders gently.

'Does she want to go in with me?'

He might be mistaken, but it looked like she was afraid to leave him alone. He felt strange. The Priest was treating him like a child by a river.

'I'm fine by myself though….'

He grumbled inwardly, but for some reason, he kind of enjoyed it. Just like that, the two of them sunk underwater.

As more and more water began to fill his vision, he saw people popping out from various places, people distancing themselves from each other, people charging toward the oasis without caring for defense, and people aiming attacks at others.

Seol Jihu closed his eyes.

He focused on the flowing water, and a sense of deja vu overcame him. Was it at the Huge Stone Rocky Mountain? It was the same feeling he'd gotten when he was floating in the lake, contemplating about Flash Step.

'Right.'

I was feeling the flow of the water….

'…b.u.t.t?'

Suddenly remembering Agnes's b.u.t.t, Seol Jihu shook his head. At that moment, a sudden sinking feeling engulfed him.

Ploos.h.!.+

“Kwack—”

Immediately afterwards, he felt his b.u.t.t fall on something soft.

“Puha!”

Seol Jihu opened his eyes, realizing that he was no longer underwater. Although he was still soaked, he at least wasn't at the oasis.

Looking around, he noticed that he was in a panic room similar to the one he had escaped to with Teresa back at the laboratory.

“Sa, save me….”

Suddenly, a moan rang out, and Seol Jihu looked down in a fl.u.s.ter. Maria was crushed flat under his b.u.t.t, hitting the floor with her palm. Startled, Seol Jihu quickly shot up.

“Maria?”

“f.u.c.king h.e.l.l—”

Cough, cough. The foul-mouthed girl scowled like a demon from h.e.l.l. But when she saw the youth sitting on top of her, she flinched and then pouted her cherry-like lips.

“…Oppa~ You should've been more careful. I thought you'd break my back.”

Seol Jihu was expecting her to spit out another bucket full of curses, so he breathed a sigh of relief when he heard what she actually said.

“Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay? Hurry and help me up.”

She was just as blunt as always, but she wasn't going berserk. Seol Jihu thanked the G.o.ds that the effect of the silver coins hadn't disappeared.

However, if there was one thing the youth was mistaken about, it was that money wasn't the only reason for Maria's relative calm. Although it was only a little, Maria was feeling indebted to Seol Jihu for carrying her through the desert.

“Anyways, where are we?” Seol Jihu asked as he grabbed Maria's hand and pulled her up. The room seemed to be around 65 square meters.

“I don't know,” Maria replied with an apathetic face. She had her head tilted to the side and was currently busy squeezing out water from her wet hair.

“You two are from the same team?”

At that moment, a high soprano tone voice rang out. Maria and Seol Jihu quickly turned around, and their eyes immediately widened in shock. They saw two women sitting with their knees together in the corner of the room.

The one who had spoken up was the woman with aquiline eyes, a bob cut hair, and a beauty mark under her left eye.

The one sitting next to her and staring at them blankly was a feeble girl who looked like she was sick. Her long, silky hair stood out because it was silver.

The important thing was that Seol Jihu wasn't familiar with either of them.

'What….'

Quickly scanning the room, Seol Jihu realized that the other five members of the team were missing.

'No way.'

Jang Maldong had initially planned to train only Seol Jihu's proficiency with Mana Spear because Stage 1 and 2 were supposed to be team missions. 'People entering from the same entrance will be moved to the same place' – This rule had been broken for the first time in the fifth Banquet.

“Hmm, from the looks of it, not all of your teammates are here.”

The bob cut woman murmured as if she read Seol Jihu and Maria's expressions.

“What's going on?”

“I don't know. I didn't see my teammates either when I opened my eyes. It looks like it's the same for this kid.” The bob cut woman shrugged her shoulders as she smiled with her eyes.

Seol Jihu bit his lower lip and tried to take out the communication crystal. It was then—

“That won't work.”

He paused as the woman made it sound like she already tried it.

“Ah… we're f.u.c.ked, aren't we….”

Maria's survival instincts had been triggered, and she pitifully looked up at the ceiling. Then, she quickly stuck to Seol Jihu's side.

“Oppa~ You won't abandon me, right? Right~?”

“Why would I abandon you, Miss Maria?”

Maria had said this half-jokingly, but when Seol Jihu replied more seriously than she thought, she was the one who was taken aback.

It was then. Suddenly, someone fell down from the air…. Thud!

“Kwack—!”

And Maria was crushed once again.

“Ow, ow, ow….”

Seol Jihu blankly stared at the woman who had appeared out of nowhere and was rubbing her b.u.t.tocks with a frown, as well as Maria lying down in a 大 position, convulsing like a wriggling caterpillar.