S-Class Except Me

Dududuk.

In the pouring rain, the guild members who Seo Dojoon did not choose took out their raincoats. Among them, Kwon Joongseo, the fastest to put on a raincoat, pouted and smirked.

“Guild leader, please take care of us, too.”

Seo Dojoon said without a change in expression. 

“Haven’t you all prepared items in advance?”

“But it’s so sad!”

“….” 

“You don’t even answer me. All right, all right. It’s the time when you’re hot, right? I won’t disturb you.”

What does he mean when it’s hot?

Kwon Joongseo, who made eye contact with Haeun, smiled insidiously. His eyes seemed to whisper not to worry because he understood everything. Then he whispered to Yoo Jihyun, who was standing next to him.

“As expected, it’s true, right?” 

“I guess so.”

What on earth? 

Currently, the Ahyeon Guild members thought that Haeun and Seo Dojoon were dating. The first start of suspicion was when Haeun visited the Ahyeon Guild. 

– Did you hear the manager? The guild leader brought a hidden lover!

The rumor quickly spread through the Ahyeon Guild’s internal messenger and became a hot topic that was talked about all over the company. Since Seo Dojoon, a guild leader who had no special privacy because he was a workaholic, his romance rumor attracted more and more people’s interest.

And among them, the one with good eyesight noticed that the woman who visited that day was the non-Awakened daughter of Hunter Jung Jiho.

“Look at this. I told you it’s true they’re dating. Isn’t this the guild leader? That’s what Chief Lee said the other day that these clothes are expensive.”

“The assistant manager is really. It could be someone else. It’s clothes. There could be the same thing.”

“Right now, the guild leader’s business trip to the US was suddenly extended, so the deputy guild leader attended the meeting. I have a hunch. It’s a hundred percent.”

“Ey, I don’t think so. By the way, how did you find this person’s Outstagram?”

“I saw it in Hunter Jung Jinho’s Outstagram?” 

They even speculated on the relationship between the two after seeing the photos Haeun posted on Outstagram.

And crucially, a few days ago.

“We will also have Hunter Jung Haeun participate in this dungeon raid schedule.” 

The picky guild leader Seo Dojoon made an exception and invited Haeun to the Ahyeon guild’s dungeon raid site.

Normally, there would never have been an exception like this.

Of course, Haeun, an EX-Class Awakener, was an existence that had to be won over. After thinking about it a little more, it was possible to notice that Seo Dojoon, as the leader of a guild, was also trying to recruit talent. 

However, for the guild members who were suffering from the principled guild leader, it was much more fun to insist that all of this was because of ‘love’ rather than such a hard reason.

Haeun, who wasn’t aware of the insidious hearts of such guild members, tilted her head.

‘What’s wrong with them?’

[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ quietly collects stocks that have become pieces of tissue paper, saying that he seems to know.] 

It rained constantly, even in the midst of the comic talk.

Whoosh—.

Because it was raining so much, they had to move from place to place first. Seo Dojoon looked back at the guild members and said. 

“We will quickly get to Area B.”

“Yes!”

As if his words were a signal, the huge iron gate in front of them opened on both sides with a rustling sound.

Kiiii—boom! 

[SYSTEM: You have entered Area A of <The Mansion of Nebiros>.]

Beyond the open front door, she could see the black mansion of Nebiros in the distance. Of course, the rain made the already gloomy mansion look even darker.

Right in front of the mansion, a big willow tree swayed and made a rustling sound as if a ghost was swinging on it.

Even the red Lycoris that bloomed beneath it shook ominously, creating an illusion as if looking at a sea stained with blood.

Haeun whispered to Seo Dojoon while following the group.

“Does it usually rain like this here?”

“It’s not. Some dungeons have a constant climate, but <The Mansion of Nebiros> is random. But since it’s raining, today’s attack will be easier.”

“Is it easier when it rains?”

“You will soon find out why. Oh, see it over there.”

Haeun looked in the direction Seo Dojoon pointed. There seemed to be nothing unusual about it except for the swaying red Lycoris.

But when she opened her ears and focused her senses, she heard a strange sound along with the sound of rain. It was a gnawing sound as if digging with a finger.

And at that moment, something popped out of the middle of the garden.

It was someone’s hand, illuminated by flashing lightning. It’s a bone that would have been a hand, to be exact.

The bones that stuck out of the ground moved around. Then, like in a scene in a horror movie, they dug up the ground and crawled out like zombies.

[SYSTEM: View information.]

[Skeleton (Level 4 Undead monster)

The skeleton of a soldier guarding the mansion. Reborn as an immortal being through a contract with Nebiros. They once pursued honor as a knight but forgot about it after becoming undead. Vulnerable to holy power.]

It is the monster that appears in Area A that Seo Dojoon mentioned beforehand. The monsters that appeared were not one or two.

Kiiii—.

Like earthworms crawling up from the ground in the rain, skeletons began to appear throughout the huge garden.

“Uhm, that’s a lot.” 

It was a fairly large number, but the guild members didn’t seem worried. It didn’t seem like it was simply because the monster’s grade was low. Haeun soon realized the reason.

Crash! 

A skeleton with a crooked back rushed forward with a big blunt weapon menacingly, but it slipped when it stepped in the mud.

After that, the monsters following him tripped and fell.

The bones clattered together. Seo Dojoon explained in detail when Haeun lost her sense of absurdity.

“When it rains, their movements slow down.” 

“…I don’t think it’s just to the point of slow?” 

It was just a fool. Is it because they have no brains? Well, it’s a bone, so it doesn’t have a brain.

Kikikikikik. Looking at the other fallen skeletons, the surviving skeleton soldiers rattled and laughed. Then they stepped on their friend who had fallen and rushed to the mansion intruder. 

Oh Jinyoung blew away the skeleton that ran to the front with his shield. 

Boom–!

Oh Jinyoung, who had dealt with two or three approaching skeletons, shouted loudly.

“It’s come again!” 

“Yeah.” 

Yoo Jihyun rushed forward. Despite the muddy water, Yoo Jihyun’s footwork was unstoppable. 

Yoo Jihyun, who flew lightly, turned around in the air. A skeleton soldier wielded a club and tried to intimidate Yoo Jihyun. 

“I’ll assist you!”

When Kwon Joongseo used the skill, blue light flowed around Yoo Jihyun’s body. Click. She pulled her sword out of its scabbard.

Slash—.

Yoo Jihyun’s sword danced through the gap created by the skeleton’s sloppy movement.  

A slash and the wind going through the bones instantly split the skeleton in two.

Choi Yeojin shouted as she put heal on Yoo Jihyun.

“Jihyun-ssi, behind you, too!”

Yoo Jihyun ran out again and kicked hard at the headless spinning skeleton. Yoo Jihyun’s face was covered in red hair that was wet from the rain and wind. But then, a hand protruded from the ground and grabbed Yoo Jihyun’s ankle. 

“Ack.” 

Yoo Jihyun jumped into the air with a slight panic. 

Skeletons followed Yoo Jihyun, who rose into the air, forming towers like candy. 

It would have been a spectacular sight of the year if the monsters had threatened the safety of civilians. 

The moment Yoo Jihyun stumbled, unable to withstand the weight of dozens of skeletons, Seo Dojoon’s black whip from the other side grabbed the skeleton.

“Be careful.” 

The skeleton was firmly fastened by the black whip, which glistened insidiously. It was like a liquid that melted in a sticky way.

The joints of the skeleton, whose movements were sealed, twisted grotesquely. Seo Dojoon firmly grabbed the handle of the whip and hit it hard.

Clank–! 

The skeletons that formed the tower fell into pieces instantly and fell to the ground.

“Wow! As expected, the guild leader is the best!”

Kwon Joongseo made a fuss and jumped up and down, which didn’t fit his look.

And Haeun, who was watching all this from the back—was a little surprised. 

[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ is genuinely impressed with Seo Dojoon’s team’s clean attack method.]

Seo Dojoon’s team moved in perfect order as if they had become a single organism.

Even if there was a small disturbance, the order was quickly restored and there was no break in movement. It felt that they were taking the most efficient motion without any unnecessary things.

Moreover, Hunter Seo Dojoon was also amazing.

Haeun had already seen Seo Dojoon’s movements several times. She could see a clip of Seo Dojoon’s movements just by watching YouTube. Besides, didn’t she see it happen right in front of her eyes in the United States? 

However, it was the first time Haeun felt it as directly as today.

‘I guess he won first place in the rankings with his performance.’

Even now, the dense black magic left by Seo Dojoon’s attack stimulated Haeun’s body. 

The guild members of Seo Dojoon’s direct team, the Ahyeon Guild, were also a high rank. She knew that all of them were A-Class except for Seo Dojoon, but the teamwork worked well, so it had more effect than that. Even Oh Jinyoung, who strangely scratched Haeun’s nerves, did his part. 

Haeun awkwardly scratched her cheek.

‘They’re good.’

[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ agrees with Haeun a hundred times and nags Haeun to watch and learn right away.] 

Haeun recalled the dungeon in Gyeonggi-do that she had attacked with Jung Eunwoo and Jung Sehyun.

“No, this side is right.”

“I told you it was way too far. And Hyung, why do you keep leading when you lose at rock-paper-scissors? I’ll be the first to walk, so follow me.” 

“That’s right, Oppa. Get out of the way right now. And Sehyun, you go back too. I am the captain.”

“Jung Haeun. Jung Sehyun. You guys keep messing with each other?” 

The Jung siblings’ team consisted of only three kings. As a team, they had to make concessions and cooperate with each other, but this side fought by saying they were right and wrong.

Since everyone was trying to take the initiative, it was only natural that the attack’s progress would be delayed.

[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ lament how it could be such a mess even though it was a team made entirely of high rankers.]

Haeun shot in anger. 

‘If I had a map, I could have escaped quickly!’

[The Constellation ‘Mutant of the Abyss’ says that Haeun is bad at the direction, so she can’t find her way even if she looks at the map in front of her.] 

Haeun was hurt by the factual violence. It was sadder that it was irrefutable. This time she realized that teamwork is important in attacking.

It was then.

Haeun, who felt the monster’s energy rising right from her feet, quickly blossomed her abilities.

Numerous golden orbs rose like fireflies in the large garden. Haeun’s enormous magic power spread, creating a strong wave.

All Ahyeon guild members looked back at Haeun in surprise at the sudden appearance, which was accompanied by strong magic pressure.