Guide Me If You Dare

Chapter 322: FOUL PLAY

"THIS IS the difference between an S-Class Esper and a natural S-Class Esper, huh? I mean, I’ve always known that I’m nothing compared to the likes of Lee Sarang. But seeing her in action reminds me of the huge gap between our skills, despite being an S-Class Esper just like her."

Kang Dabin mused out loud while watching Lee Sarang freeze the entire lake.

Since the lake was fucking huge, they had no choice but to seek safety in the sky.

By ’they,’ he meant his companions: Lucca, Gu Inwoo, Gu Inkyu, Lucca, Kwon Hojun, and Kim Jaeha. They were the team that Ki Gayoon assembled to gather the ingredients needed to create the antidote to cure the infected Civilians, aka the ’zombies.’

Anyway, the entire group was suspended in the air while watching Lee Sarang work.

Everyone had a flight skill except the Guides: Lucca, Gu Inkyu, and Kim Jaeha.

But it wasn’t a problem.

Kwon Hojun, the kid who inherited Matthew’s Core, used his wind manipulation ability to keep the Guides floating in the sky.

All of them were mesmerized while watching Lee Sarang fight alone.

They offered to help, but she politely declined.

And, honestly, Kang Dabin could see why she didn’t need their help.

There’s a reason Lee Sarang is the undisputed #2 Esper in the country.

"T-Those aren’t the mermaids I know..."

"I’m glad you feel the same, Jaeha. That’s not the mermaids I know either..."

Pfft.

Kang Dabin chuckled while listening to Kwon Hojun and Kim Jaeha talk.

He wasn’t the only one who found the conversation cute.

Even Lucca and the Gu Twins were smiling.

To be fair, dungeon mermaids were truly scary-looking.

Glowing red eyes, sharp fangs, slimy tentacles for hair, half -human body covered in hard scales, and tails dyed with blood.

Kang Dabin was also shocked and disgusted the first time he saw mermaid dungeons.

Hence, he understood Kwon Hojun and Kim Jaeha’s reaction.

Only the two kids were new to dungeons, so it was natural that it was their first time seeing monsters that hadn’t come out of an Outbreak yet.

Ah, right.

Gu Inkyu is a Guide, but he has experience entering dungeons because of Ki Gayoon.

In the past, Ki Gayoon would drag Gu Inkyu with him when raiding dungeons because he could only tolerate Gu Inkyu’s Guiding at the time.

"I didn’t know mermaid dungeons are scary..."

"T-They seem the type to eat human flesh..."

"Oh, they surely do," Kang Dabin said, smiling at the kids. "Those mermaids also eat land monsters."

Kwon Hojun and Kim Jaeha flinched, and then the two trembled in fear.

The adults laughed at the kids’ reaction once again.

"Don’t worry," Kang Dabin assured the two. "Those mermaids are no match against Lee Sarang."

And that was true.

The mermaids, who emerged from the waters since Lee Sarang started freezing the lake, kept attacking Lee Sarang by throwing balls of dark energy coming out of the sharp three spikes of their tridents.

It may look like a simple attack.

However, each ball of dark energy was powerful enough to kill B-Grade monsters and B-Class Espers. Plus, the dungeon mermaids were throwing the dark energy balls as if they were a high-speed automatic ball-throwing machine.

As expected of an A-Grade dungeon.

CLANG!

Oops.

Some of the dark energy balls were thrown at their group.

But Gu Inwoo, an A-Class Esper, simply punched the balls away with his Mana-covered fists.

Bravo.

"Yah, Dabin Hyung. Stop spacing out," Gu Inwoo complained lightly. "You’re the stronger Esper between us, so why am I the one working hard to protect our group?"

Kang Dabin chuckled. "Sorry, I can’t help but get mesmerized by how Lee Sarang fights."

It was fascinating to see Lee Sarang freeze everything coming her way— dark energy balls, flying mermaids, and even gigantic sea monsters.

Lee Sarang would freeze everything coming within a certain distance.

And then she would break the ’ice statues’ effortlessly.

As if that wasn’t deadly enough, Lee Sarang also summoned hundreds of ice spears that accurately and mercilessly pierced the mermaids and the sea monsters.

The most amazing part?

Lee Sarang did all of that without moving from her spot.

I really like how Lee Sarang fights as if she’s just taking a walk in the park.

"Ah, this is taking so long."

Hmm?

Since all of them were awakened people with sharp hearing, they heard Lee Sarang talking to herself.

What’s taking so long?

In Kang Dabin’s opinion, Lee Sarang was doing a fine job eliminating the enemies in a precise and quick manner.

"As expected, Gayoon Oppa’s method is still the best."

Aigoo.

Kang Dabin had a bad feeling after hearing Lee Sarang mention Ki Gayoon.

Gayoonnie hasn’t taught Lee Sarang anything good as far as I know...

"Kwon Hojun, Kim Jaeha," Lee Sarang said, calling the kids in a somewhat distant voice. And then she looked over her shoulder to address the kids. "Close your eyes."

Kwon Hojun and Kim Jaeha looked confused.

But the Gu Twins immediately took action.

Gu Inwoo covered Kwon Hojun’s eyes with his hand while Gu Inkyu covered Kim Jaeha’s eyes as if the twins already knew what was about to happen.

Lucca also closed his eyes, confusing Kang Dabin.

"Why are you closing your eyes, Lucca?"

"I don’t want to see it," Lucca said, smiling gently. "Dabin Hyung, there’s only one method that Gayoon Hyung taught Sarang Noona, remember?"

Ah, right.

That would be...

BANG!

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Kang Dabin grimaced when the heads of the mermaids and the sea monsters started exploding one by one.

Ah, yes.

I remember now.

That was the ’great’ technique that Ki Gayoon taught Lee Sarang— to make the enemies’ heads explode for an easy and fast kill.

***

AH, the dungeon changed its terrain.

When Lee Sarang’s feet landed on the frozen lake, the scenery suddenly changed.

They were outside a moment ago.

Dungeons are weird these days, huh?

But, in just the blink of an eye, Lee Sarang and her companions found themselves inside what seemed like a literal dungeon.

Aha.

The change of ’terrain’ also meant one thing.

And she was right.

Her Status Window, now blinking red, popped up and delivered an emergency message.

[The A-Grade dungeon has just changed into a Special Grade dungeon!]

Special Grade dungeon, huh?

It’s a dungeon that only natural S-Class Espers like me can raid.

Lee Sarang immediately turned around and faced her companions.

Judging by how pale they looked, it was obvious that their Status Window had also updated them about the dungeon’s level change.

The kids look scared.

"Dabin Oppa, Inwoo Oppa, I want you to focus all your Mana in creating layers of strong barriers. Don’t even think about using your power to fight if monsters come out— I’ll take care of everything. You must absolutely focus on defense this time," Lee Sarang said in a serious tone. "I’ll find a way to send you outside."

Fortunately, nobody argued with her.

They know how serious the situation is.

"I-I’ll help, too," Kwon Hojun said nervously. "I’m also an Esper, Noona."

Lee Sarang just smiled before facing forward when she felt the sudden shift in the air.

As expected, someone appeared at the altar ahead of them.

No, it was something.

A creature that was half-human and half-kraken, probably around 10 feet tall.

It was a male human from head to waist, and a monster from its waist down. The thing had huge kraken tentacles for legs and feet.

But the monster’s appearance wasn’t what caught Lee Sarang’s attention.

It was the fact that the thing was dressed like a nobleman from a fantasy series, minus the pants.

There was also this air of arrogance around the monster while looking at her.

He’s clearly looking down on me.

"A human from the list, I see."

Lee Sarang’s eyes widened in shock when the monster didn’t only speak human language— it even spoke in Korean!

She wasn’t the only one who was shocked.

Her companions behind her let out a collective gasp.

But what does it mean by the ’list?’

"Lee Sarang, isn’t it?"

Once again, Lee Sarang was shocked.

The monster knows me?

"Welcome to my humble abode, Esper Lee Sarang," the monster said eloquently, even bowing as if it were a nobleman. "Would you like to have tea with me—"

Lee Sarang didn’t let the monster finish its nonsense.

She tried to make its head explode.

However...

Argh!

Lee Sarang created multiple layers of strong barriers when a powerful blast of energy attacked her.

Oh, no.

The sound of glass breaking echoed in the dungeon as the layers of her shield cracked and collapsed one by one.

Haaah.

Lee Sarang summoned her crystal scythe before her last layer of barrier shattered.

She immediately grabbed the handle of the weapon and swung it once, freezing the blast of energy coming her way.

Yes, she succeeded.

However, she consumed a huge amount of her Mana.

That’s why I rarely use my crystal scythe...

"As expected of this country’s #2 Esper— you are worthy to be my human pet."

Lee Sarang raised an eyebrow at the monster’s nonsense, and then she swung her crysal scythe again. "Die."

Unfortunately, it wasn’t an easy thing to do.

In just the blink of an eye, the monster was already in front of Lee Sarang— towering over her while grabbing the blade of his crystal scythe.

"Lee Sarang, you have two choices: surrender, or fight me to death—"

The monster abruptly stopped talking when an ice spear, which appeared out of thin air, suddenly pierced through its chest from the back.

Yes, it was an ambush attack.

And, yes, she didn’t let the monster finish its monologue before attacking.

But she wasn’t embarrassed by her ’foul play.’

"Gayoon Oppa told me that everything is fair in love and war," Lee Sarang said, pulling the handle of her crystal scythe so that the monster would be forced to lean down. She then manifested another ice spear with her other hand, and stabbed the monster’s left eye with it. "If you want to fight, then stop running your mouth."

***

AH, FINALLY.

Yuno plopped on the floor as soon as the broadcast ended.

Of course, the live only ended after he successfully cured all the infected kids with the help of Jericho.

Now, Nam Sori and the other rebels were taking the patients to the hospital.

The doctors can take care of the rest.

"Yuno, here."

Hmm?

Yuno raised his head and saw 17 handing a Mana potion to him.

Jericho, standing next to the Esper, was already drinking the same potion.

"Thank you, but I have to decline," Yuno said politely, and then he pulled out a Mana potion— in a small bottle that looked like a honeypot— from his Inventory. "I only drink potions made by HoneyMoon."

17 burst out laughing. "You really love your convenience store, huh?"

Yuno was about to introduce 17 to potions for Espers that HoneyMoon produced, but he was interrupted when his Status Window suddenly showed up.

Argh.

Judging by how 17 also stopped laughing abruptly, it seemed like the same thing happened to the World Ranker.

What is it this time?

Yuno, dreading more bad news, faced reality and read the message.

And then he froze.

[Esper Lee Sarang has engaged in a with a Dungeon God.]

A what with a what?!

***

COME ON, give us a break.

That was the first thought that entered Moon Noa’s mind when Ryu Sungbin suddenly appeared out of thin air.

But Ryu Sungbin didn’t come alone.

After all, Ryu Sungbin came wrapped in a slimy, pink blob.

And that blob could only be one thing.

Bambi?

"Noa-san, come here."

"Hey, you shouldn’t be standing yet," Moon Noa said when Haru gently grabbed him by the arm. "Go and evacuate—"

"I’m not leaving you here, Noa-san," Haru said, cutting him off. "I’ll only run away if you’re with me." The ex-prince’s gaze went past Moon Noa’s shoulder, probably checking the situation. "But I guess you can’t Sungbin-san to fend for himself, can you?"

"It’s not because of my personal feelings," Moon Noa said firmly. "We need to capture Bambi in his pink blob form since it’s one of the ingredients Yuyu needs for the antidote."

"I got it."

"Wait, you can’t fight yet—"

"It’s alright— I’ve already recovered a bit, Noa-san," Haru said, walking past him. "Please use your barrier and stay there."

Moon Noa wanted to argue, but his Status Window popped up.

[Esper Ryu Sungbin and Esper Haru have engaged in a with a Dungeon God.]

Excuse me?

***

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