Translator: Vine
Translated At: Nyx Scans
Chapter: 55
Eunha leaned down to check Jehwi's condition.
Coral sprouted indiscriminately on his back, shoulders, and cheeks.
Fortunately, he seemed to still be breathing.
In that case, there might still be a way.
'First, before it's too late, I need to remove the coral.'
The moment she reached out her hand to Jehwi, Eunha realized he was tightly hugging someone.
'He said he had a younger sister?'
Her features closely resembled Jehwi's.
She seemed to be his younger sister.
She too had coral sprouting all over her body.
"Ugh... President, just one more chance..."
Jehwi groaned. His sister did the same.
It seemed they were likely seeing hallucinations.
Just as Eunha had been mere minutes ago.
The difference was that Eunha had woken up, while they hadn't.
'It's natural for non-Awakened individuals to have lower overall stats and resistance compared to Awakened ones.'
Furthermore, compared to Eunha's resilience, hardened by countless trials, theirs was likely comparable to a newborn's immunity.
"..."
Eunha glanced towards the boss monster.
The creature was just grinning and watching this place, not singing.
So, now was the chance.
Smack! Smack!
Eunha used the side of her hand to start shattering all the coral that had sprouted on the two.
It was a simple method, but for mental domination skills like charm or confusion, there was no method as effective as external shock.
"P-President..."
However, even after shattering almost all the coral, Jehwi didn't open his eyes.
It seemed his mind had already been consumed by the hallucination.
If this method didn't work, the only remaining option was to use an item.
But naturally, Eunha had no useful items on hand.
It was then.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' rummages through its fur.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 'Wake-Up Mint Candy'!]
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' asserts that since 100% coralization hasn't occurred yet, an item of this level should be sufficient.]
Pop!
Two round, white candies dropped onto Eunha's palm.
[The divine beast 'Cat Wandering in Darkness' sighs, saying it doesn't particularly like that guy, but for sister's sake, this time is special...]
"Thank you."
Eunha, staring blankly at the mint candy on her palm, spoke towards the message window.
Flinch! The yellow message window moved significantly.
[Hmm, well, hearing such words doesn't feel bad, it flicks its whiskers.]
Purrrrrrrrr...
Eunha placed a candy into the mouths of Jehwi and his sister respectively.
"Ugh..."
Soon after, Jehwi slowly lifted his eyelids.
"Are you conscious?"
"...M-Ms. Hunter?"
Recognizing Eunha, Jehwi shot upright, his eyes wide.
"What is going on? I was definitely at Jagalchi Market... No, more importantly!"
Whipping his head around, plop, coral fragments fell from Jehwi's cheek.
Seeing him flail like that, fortunately, he seemed to have no external injuries.
"The recording? What about the recording, why did you come here?!"
"What else could I do."
He brings up work first even in a situation like this.
As she raised the corners of her lips slightly, expressing faint admiration for his thorough professionalism, Jehwi's face, contrary to Eunha's, grew pale.
"D-don't tell me... you ditched it?"
"Yes."
Good grief.
Jehwi's jaw slowly dropped.
It was surprising enough that the responsible and diligent Hunter 'Lee Yura' had ditched an important schedule, but the fact that she had come all the way here for him was even more unbelievable.
"Ms. Hunter, why..."
"Fortunately, your sister seems safe too."
Eunha glanced downwards.
Jehwi's sister, just emerging from the hallucination, slowly sat up.
"Oppa...?"
"...Park Jerim!"
Snapping back to reality, Jehwi knelt and grabbed his sister's shoulders.
"What on earth were you thinking? I told you to come up to Seoul precisely because I was worried about this!"
As far as Eunha could see, this was the first time she had seen Jehwi so angry.
It seemed the same for his sister; Jerim glanced nervously at her brother, rolling her eyes.
"You, you really! What would have happened if something went wrong...! Because you're always like this, I...!"
"Quiet."
Eunha warned lowly in that instant.
As Jehwi, who was sputtering while scolding his sister, shut his mouth,
...♬♪
the song of the 'Alluring Deceiver of Benevolence' began to creep in.
[Lv.??? 'Alluring Deceiver of Benevolence' uses a skill.]
[▶ Song of Temptation]
[Due to the loud waterfall sound, the power of the 'Song of Temptation' skill slightly decreases.]
"O-Oppa...!"
Spotting the monster, Jerim hid behind Jehwi's back, her face filled with fear.
"Wh-what is that? A Siren? I-it's singing..."
"Shh, lower your voice. No good will come from provoking it unnecessarily."
Jehwi spoke coolly, yet stepped forward protectively, shielding his sister.
And at the same time, swallowed dryly.
Eunha saw it.
His fingertips, shielding his sister, were trembling slightly.
But only for a moment.
Jehwi, with a somehow resolute face, slowly parted his lips.
"Ms. Hunter... There's something I need to say."
The Princess of Dark Flare.
He knew well that she was an F-Class hunter.
And that her skills wouldn't be enough to defeat that monster.
'But if it's not about defeating it, but about running away...'
Jehwi placed his own hand over his sister's hand, which was clutching him.
And bowed his head low, as if about to press his forehead to the ground.
"I will be the bait. In return, could I possibly ask you to somehow look after just my sister?"
Even if the chance was only 1%, it didn't matter.
Because he thought that was the only way to save his sister.
"..."
Eunha said nothing.
Jehwi bowed even lower and spoke again desperately.
"I know this is a shameless request. But, truly, truly... I earnestly implore you."
"Oppa, what are you talking about!"
Jerim, who had been hiding quietly behind him, popped out.
Jehwi pushed his sister back, saying, "You stay put."
Eunha, watching them quietly, slowly bent down and picked something up from her feet.
It was an empty conch shell lying scattered on the ground.
"Manager-nim."
"Y-yes?"
Surely she doesn't intend to hit me with that.
Jehwi swallowed hard, his face tense.
Fortunately, Eunha didn't swing the conch shell, merely parting her lips calmly.
"If things go wrong, all three of us will die here."
"..."
Jehwi shut his mouth. Her words were absolutely right.
She had granted his requests to keep it secret from the President and to take leave.
Moreover, despite being F-Class, she had entered the Unknown Gate of her own volition.
Even postponing an important schedule, to save Jehwi and his sister.
Even though they might all die pointlessly here.
"Heading into the desert empty-handed isn't courage. It's just recklessness."
To Eunha's words, Jehwi could only say this.
"I'm truly sorry..."
He knew it well too.
That with his own power, he couldn't save his sister even if he died and came back to life.
Knowing that, he still jumped into this place like a moth to a flame.
'Because she's family.'
Jehwi clenched his fist tightly.
But to Eunha, Jehwi and Jerim were not family.
He himself was the one who had dragged her, who should have been recording a broadcast right now, into this distant Busan Unknown Gate.
"You really acted recklessly."
"...Yes. I'm sorry."
Jehwi answered in a fading voice, biting his lip.
Eunha, staring blankly for a moment at Jehwi whose shoulders slumped, soon parted her lips again.
"But if it were me, I would have done the same."
...Huh?
Jehwi snapped his lowered head up, and their eyes met.
Eunha wore her characteristic indifferent and dry gaze, but Jehwi somehow felt as if she had just comforted him.
"This."
Eunha handed the conch shells she was holding to Jehwi and Jerim, one each.
"Block your ears with these for a while. It won't last long, but it should be effective for a short time."
Eunha clearly remembered the message that had popped up earlier.
[Due to the loud waterfall sound, the power of the 'Song of Temptation' skill slightly decreases.]
Inferring from that, the creature's skill power decreased due to 'sound'.
It could be considered a principle similar to 'dilution'.
And Eunha was convinced that this was likely the key, the core, to raiding the boss of this Unknown Gate.
"Don't worry about the creature; just focus as much as possible on not falling into a charmed state."
"But... what if that creature suddenly attacks?"
"There's a high probability that won't happen."
Eunha glanced towards the creature's direction.
"First, the creature didn't attack the bait caught in hallucination. Even though that would have been much easier."
"Th-that's true, but."
Jehwi nodded.
However, that alone wasn't enough to be certain the creature wouldn't attack them.
Couldn't it have been waiting to savor them after they were well-ripened?
Maybe it was simply full.
At Jehwi's hesitant reaction, Eunha spoke once more.
"And second, the creature is repeatedly using a skill that has already failed once."
In a life-or-death battle, one doesn't repeat a failed method twice, let alone three times.
Because once confirmed that it doesn't work on the opponent, or that it has already been seen through, it's wise to try a different method.
Nevertheless, the reason for insisting on the same tactic might be...
"Perhaps that's its only trick."
Eunha glanced towards the Siren.
She hadn't told Jehwi, but there was one more piece of evidence.
The round water bubble surrounding the creature.
Why was the creature hiding so tightly inside such a constricting sphere?
Perhaps because its main body was weak compared to its abilities.
Like how ranged hunters are weak in close combat.
'There's a chance of winning.'
Averting her gaze from the Siren, Eunha turned her head towards the Park siblings once more.
"Move as close to the waterfall as possible so you can hear it well. And don't take the conch shells off your ears until I give the signal."
"B-but what about you, Ms. Hunter?"
Jehwi asked anxiously.
Scanning the surroundings, no more usable conch shells were visible.
The few remaining shells were half-worn or broken.
Jehwi stared blankly down at his own conch shell, then, as if having made a decision, held it out.
"I'm fine, so please use mine, Ms. Hunter."
"..."
Why, though?
'No. I'm fine, you use it.'
The Yijun of the past suddenly came to mind.
Eunha stared blankly at the conch shell Jehwi offered, then faintly raised the corners of her lips.
"Thank you."
Swaaaaah—
Her black hair, reaching down to her waist, fluttered alluringly beneath the waterfall.
"But I don't need it."
