TSOT#1 Chapter 18

 

Across from her, Chan-hee sat casually, smirking as she observed the monster that finally revealed itself from underground.

 

“With that pathetic amount of magic, you managed to summon a pretty impressive monster.”

 

Its appearance was similar to the monsters within the barrier, but the energy it exuded was on a completely different level.

 

Joo-ah raised her hand and activated the system window for the creature.

 

Level: S-rank

 

Attribute: Gold

 

Special Skill: Laser Beam

 

Notes: Likely a monster from the gate on the 726th floor of the sixth tower.

 

The Hunters in the banquet hall stared at the monster with tense sppreskions.

 

S-rank.

 

It boasted far greater stats than the monsters trapped inside the barrier.

 

The only silver lining was that they were encountering it outside the tower. Monsters were generally strongest within their own towers.

 

“Wow, their teammate is about to die, but they’re too scared to approach.”

 

Yeon-joo conjured an ice crystal in her palm.

 

Chan-hee furrowed his brow and spoke.

 

“No need to help. They’re all cut from the same cloth.”

 

However, someone disregarded Chan-hee’s words and rushed forward–it was none other than Jae-rim.

 

He pulled out the Sword of Destruction from his inventory, a weapon exclusively for S-rank Hunters with immense destructive power and accuracy.

 

As Jae-rim swung the blade, a massive whirlwind engulfed the monster.

 

Crash!

 

Plates shattered, chairs and tables overturned.

 

The monster screeched and threw the person it was holding(Boram) into a wall. She coughed up blood as she hit the ground.

 

There was no time to relax.

 

The monster charged at Jae-rim with incredible speed. He barely managed to block with his sword, but the weight behind the attack forced him to slide back.

 

Chan-hee, who had been quietly observing, cursed under his breath and pulled out a taser gun. Yeon-joo hurled ice bombs in the monster’s direction.

 

Boom!

 

Their combined attack turned the banquet hall into a disaster zone.

 

The other Hunters watched their battle in shock.

 

Joo-ah, furrowing her brow, stared at where the monster had been. White smoke obscured the view, but the overwhelming magic presence confirmed it hadn’t taken any real damage.

 

“Watch out! It’s underground!” Yeon-joo’s warning rang out as a faint tremor shook the floor. The monster burst out from beneath Boram, who had collapsed.

 

“Ahhh!!!”

 

The monster’s massive hand struck Boram. She writhed in agony, her body already drenched in blood.

 

Boram’s teammates hesitated, too afraid to intervene. Upper-tier Hunters stood by, indifferent, while regular Hunters were too terrified to act.

 

One trait of monsters was their tendency to target the first person who attacked them. This fear of retaliation explained the Hunter’s inaction.

 

Joo-ah nearly scoffed aloud at the predictability of it all.

 

“How pathetic.”

 

Chan-hee, muttering curses, fired his taser gun. With his control ability amplifying its power by fivefold, the shot hit the monster, sending it crashing into a wall and releasing its grip on Boram. Yeon-joo froze the monster using her ice magic.

 

Joo-ah’s gaze shifted to Boram.

 

Her stamina was depleted, but her magic remained intact. If Boram lost consciousness or died, her magic would dissipate automatically.

 

However, her absurdly high stamina was keeping her alive.

 

“We need to eliminate her magic. Otherwise, more monsters will appear.”

 

It was as if Jae-rim had read her mind, speaking in a low voice.

 

Bang!

 

“Another one appeared!!!”

 

Sure enough, an A-rank monster emerged outside the barrier.

 

Everyone moved into action.

 

The Hunter maintaining the ice barrier wavered as the magic coursing through it faltered.

 

Joo-ah shouted at him, “Keep channeling your magic into the barrier! If you don’t, the monsters inside will break out too!”

 

Only then did the Hunter refocus on his task, resuming his efforts to sustain the barrier.

 

Joo-ah looked at Boram, lying helpless on the ground. She had to eliminate Boram’s magic. Only then could they stop the monsters from advancing.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation suggests using your skill and wonders why you’re hesitating.]

 

Joo-ah scowled.

 

“What skill do I even have that’s useful right now?”

 

She scanned her system window.

 

Special Skill: Angel’s Blessing

 

• First Awakening: Divine Protection

 

• Second Awakening: ??? (Defeat 100 monsters to unlock: 2/100 completed)

 

Joo-ah tapped on the Angel’s Blessing entry.

 

Angel’s Blessing: Grants the power most needed in this moment through divine authority. (Failure rate: 87%)

 

To use the special skill, her magic had to be fully replenished. She could resolve this by using one of the Low-Grade Magic Recovery Potions she’d prepared in advance.

 

However, using a special skill at her current rank was risky. The failure rate was too high.

 

If she failed, it would only drain her magic, and the scent of magic from the potion might attract more monsters. Facing them in such a vulnerable state would be tantamount to a death sentence.

 

And she couldn’t openly rely on the Constellation’s power in a crowded place like this.

 

“You’re overthinking it. The solution’s simple–just kill her,” a man’s voice said leisurely from atop a table.

 

Joo-ah turned her head toward the source.

 

A man in casual clothes was chewing gum and pointing at Boram, black smoke curling ominously around her neck.

 

Joo-ah swore under her breath and rushed forward. Boram clutched her throat, coughing violently. Joo-ah’s pace quickened.

 

Jae-rim, Chan-hee, and Yeon-joo briefly glanced at her, but their focus returned to the monster as it shattered its icy prison. The battle resumed.

 

Joo-ah stopped in front of Boram, who lay pale and clutching her throat at her feet. She looked up briefly and spotted the man watching her from afar–a blond-haired figure.

 

Name: Lim Hyuk-jae (Elite Unit)

 

Level: SSS-rank

 

Ranking: Korea: 2nd

 

International: 32nd

 

Attribute: Darkness

 

Special Skill: Soul Collapse

 

Notes: Possesses several dangerous skills capable of causing catastrophic damage.

 

Joo-ah had rushed to prevent Boram’s death because she knew Lim Hyuk-jae wasn’t someone who could be reasoned with.

 

The elite unit was divided into two teams, and Hyuk-jae belonged to Group X.

 

For most people, his information would appear as “locked.” The elite unit’s data wasn’t typically accessible to ordinary Hunters.

 

Joo-ah’s ability to see his details was likely due to Eun-young’s lingering influence within her.

 

Hyuk-jae rarely attended Association events unless Tae-jun forced him to as punishment for causing trouble in the training center. This was probably one of those occasions.

 

Joo-ah redirected her gaze to Boram, who was feebly pleading, “Please… help me…”

 

Joo-ah crouched and placed her hand near Boram’s neck.

 

[The Anonymous Constellation urgently warns you that touching Hyuk-jae’s power could leave a terrible scar on your hand.]

 

Black smoke began to climb up Joo-ah’s hand like a magnet, searing hot and nauseatingly unpleasant.

 

“Please… save me…” Boram’s trembling hand clutched Joo-ah’s wrist.

 

Joo-ah studied Boram’s hand briefly before turning her attention back to the black smoke.

 

A brilliant light emanated from Joo-ah’s hand.

 

Purification.

 

It was the same magic she had once used on Jae-rim when he couldn’t sleep due to nightmares.

 

Since Hyuk-jae’s power was leaking out in small amounts, this was manageable for Joo-ah. But for Boram, who was already gravely injured, it had been overwhelming.

 

The black smoke was swallowed by the golden light.

 

Moments later, the smoke dissipated from around Boram’s neck. She coughed lightly, breathing more steadily.

 

Joo-ah looked at her own hand. Burns like jagged scars marred her skin, stinging painfully.

 

She stared at it blankly before quickly opening her system window.

 

Health: 263/263 (+67)

 

Magic: 193/193 (+137)

 

Joo-ah’s expression filled with confusion.

 

Her stats had suddenly increased.

 

But why? She had used Purification, not a healing spell. Moreover, healing magic didn’t boost one’s magic stat.

 

“E-rank! Get out of the way!”

 

Chan-hee’s voice rang out. Joo-ah quickly turned her head.

 

An S-rank monster unleashed its special skill–Laser Beam–directly at her.

 

Boom!!!

 

The deafening explosion filled the area, white smoke engulfing the surroundings.

 

The air grew eerily silent. Within moments, the monsters trapped inside the barrier vanished. The S-rank and A-rank monsters that had attacked Joo-ah also disappeared.

 

“The summoned Hunters must have defeated the boss!” someone exclaimed.

 

Relief washed over the crowd.

 

But Jae-rim, Chan-hee, and Yeon-joo, who were staring at the spot where Joo-ah had stood, looked stricken.

 

The white smoke slowly began to clear.