Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Park Seungjun looked at Choi Jiwoo with concern.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I've been resting for too long, haven't I?"

"Wait. Everyone, be quiet."

The Minotaur had already approached us.

I pressed a finger against my lips.

Its enormous footsteps thundered directly above our hiding place.

If only it would pass us and continue somewhere else.

But instead, it turned around and started walking toward our petrified teammates.

At this point, I was beginning to wonder whether it already knew we were hiding here.

Once the monster had moved a reasonable distance away, I cautiously spoke.

"How much time do we have left?"

Park Seungjun took out his watch.

His face went pale.

Instead of answering, he turned the watch toward us.

My brother sighed.

"Five minutes left..."

"We need to hurry."

[Remaining Time: 85:17:27:31]

Damn it.

We had wasted a considerable amount of time trying to understand the Minotaur's movements.

It was already strong enough.

The thought of it becoming even stronger made my head spin.

We couldn't delay our decision any longer.

I tightly closed my eyes.

Then I opened them.

"I'll attack it."

Park Seungjun and my brother stared at me as though I had lost my mind.

"You said earlier that you wanted to see my offensive skill, right? I didn't use it because it destroys the items as well, but given the situation... I don't think I have a choice anymore."

"Hey, forget about attacking it. How are you even going to get close enough without getting hit?"

Despite its enormous body, the Minotaur was surprisingly fast.

Of course, what mattered was that it was faster than me.

No matter how overpowered the Scythe of Light was, I still needed to get close enough to strike.

If I had been alone, I wouldn't have even attempted it.

But I wasn't alone.

"That's why I need your help."

"Help?"

"Yes. I need you to act as bait. If you can draw its attention like Oppa did earlier, getting close should be much easier."

Park Seungjun hummed thoughtfully.

Then he nodded.

"Understood. Jiwoo, you'll need to help Jia."

"What about you, hyung?"

"I'll go with him."

"...Me?"

My brother's eyebrows twitched, apparently surprised at being chosen.

Park Seungjun smiled brightly.

"Yes. You said you're a tanker, right? Jiwoo is a tanker too. I think it would be best if both Jia and I had a tanker beside us, just in case something happens."

Assigning the higher-ranked Choi Jiwoo to me was probably Park Seungjun's way of looking out for my safety.

"Then I'll leave it to you. We don't have much time, so let's move."

Everyone nodded.

From what I'd observed, perhaps because of our teammates who had turned into stone, the Minotaur's movements had become fairly predictable.

If we took advantage of that pattern, things should be easier.

We waited briefly.

Eventually, the Minotaur began approaching our hiding place again.

Just as we'd planned, my brother and Park Seungjun rushed out in front of it.

"Hey, bullhead! Looking for us?"

"You'd be perfect for a Korean beef feast."

"That sounds good. How about some ox feet too?"

"Jihoon..."

They were clearly trying to provoke it.

The Minotaur couldn't possibly understand their words, but it seemed to grasp the meaning well enough.

It wildly swung its club.

At least they're good at drawing attention.

Once Choi Jiwoo and I confirmed that the Minotaur was completely distracted, we got up and began running toward its back.

THUD! THUD!

The monster was so enormous that simply getting behind it took some time.

And because it kept smashing its club against the ground, the shaking made running difficult.

Still, we were gradually getting closer.

Just a little more!

I was preparing to summon the Scythe of Light when...

Close your eyes!

The bird's warning came just as a terrifying sensation swept across my entire body.

I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut and shouted.

"Everyone, close your eyes!"

FLASH!

Brilliant light spread even through my closed eyelids.

When it finally faded, I carefully opened my eyes.

"H-How did this happen?!"

Park Seungjun's startled voice rang out.

And...

My brother and Choi Jiwoo had both turned into stone.

Damn it.

Things were becoming more complicated by the second.

I immediately summoned the Scythe of Light.

[Summoning Exclusive Skill 'Scythe of Light Lv.1'.]

[30% of current Mana will be consumed as the summoning cost.]

[Would you like to summon it?]

[Y/N]

I'm going to use it, so stop asking!

[The summoning confirmation for 'Scythe of Light' has been set to OFF.]

[The skill will now be summoned immediately upon activation.]

...Wait. That was an option?

['Scythe of Light' has been summoned.]

[Usable for the next 5 minutes.]

[Remaining Time: 00:04:59]

[You are not currently suited to using this skill.]

[As a side effect, Health will decrease by 2% every 10 seconds.]

Before I could even process how ridiculous that was, a familiar weight appeared in my hand.

It already felt as though my Health was decreasing.

Still, this much was manageable.

The enemy I needed to cut down was right in front of me.

Without thinking any further, I swung the scythe at the Minotaur's hoof.

FWOOSH.

Light caught on its body.

It worked!

But before I could celebrate...

WHOOSH!

Its enormous tail swept through the air.

The light clinging to its body scattered and disappeared.

My eyes widened.

W-What...?

You still lack the ability to handle the Scythe of Light properly. If you want to finish it off, attack the base of its tail.

At the bird's words, I raised my head and looked toward the Minotaur's backside.

I swallowed.

Can I even reach it?

The Minotaur looked to be at least fifteen meters tall.

To reach its backside, I'd practically have to climb up its legs.

I was about to step back to give myself enough room for a running start when...

RUMBLE!

The ground began shaking violently.

The sudden movement made me lose my balance.

It's started.

The bird's words reminded me of something I'd briefly forgotten.

The time...

I was about to check my timer when a chilling sensation from above made me raise my eyes.

"Jia!"

The Minotaur's club, now almost twice its previous size, was descending straight toward my head.

It looked like a meteor falling from the sky.

And it was moving far too quickly.

I froze.

Then someone suddenly wrapped their arms around me and rolled across the ground.

"Haa... haa... Are you okay?"

It was Park Seungjun.

I barely managed to nod.

The Transitional Phase had already begun.

I slowly steadied my breathing.

Park Seungjun looked at me.

"Can you do it?"

I didn't need to ask what he meant.

I wasn't particularly confident.

But I answered anyway.

What else could I do if I couldn't?

Even if I couldn't, I had to.

"Yes."

"Please save everyone... and Mina."

His low voice trembled slightly.

Of course it did.

The burden that had been shared among four people had now fallen onto two.

"I'll definitely save them."

Because if I couldn't, everything would be over.

Park Seungjun nodded.

Then he rushed forward, slashing at the monster's enormous ankles with his two daggers.

"GRRRR!"

He really did have the Assassin trait.

He moved so quickly that my eyes could barely follow him.

Despite the Minotaur's even larger body, it couldn't catch Park Seungjun.

Its attacks struck the ground instead.

"Jia!"

"Yes!"

I reached toward the scythe I'd dropped earlier.

At that moment...

CRACK!

The horrifying sound of something breaking sent a chill down my spine.

I barely managed to turn my stiff neck.

And I saw it.

The petrified figure of Choi Jiwoo beside me had shattered.

Thump. Thump.

My heart pounded.

Was he dead?

Surely not.

Really?

Had he really died?

I couldn't tell.

My hand trembled as I finally grasped the scythe.

"J-Jiwoo...?"

Park Seungjun's stunned whisper carried several emotions at once.

I suppressed everything rising inside me and looked forward.

I didn't have the luxury of stopping to think.

Don't think about anything.

I repeated it countless times in the brief moments that followed.

I need to finish that monster off quickly.

I charged toward the Minotaur and tried to climb its leg.

But it wasn't easy.

My foot slipped, and I slid back to the ground.

I felt as though I could do it if I just had one more chance.

Then...

CRACK!

Something else shattered.

I stopped breathing for a moment.

Our teammates' stone figures were far away.

And the only people who had been turned into stone near me were Choi Jiwoo and...

My thoughts slammed to a halt.

It was instinctive self-protection.

I felt as though all the strength in my body was about to disappear.

I nearly collapsed.

In that tiny instant, my mind broke apart and rebuilt itself countless times.

Every part of me wanted to turn my head.

No.

Don't.

I gripped the scythe tightly.

We still had many petrified teammates left to protect.

I couldn't afford to waste time thinking.

So stop thinking.

My vision blurred.

I clenched my teeth and forced myself to look up.

I kept my eyes on the Minotaur.

Only the Minotaur.

I stepped backward and charged again.

But it wasn't easy.

The Minotaur was watching me now.

One careless move would be enough for it to strike me.

If I hadn't repeatedly used Lag, my head might already have been smashed open.

And because the Transitional Phase had begun, my skill's effects were wearing off even faster.

Still, I had to do it.

If I could just land the attack, we would win.

I gasped for breath and glared at the Minotaur.

But it stopped paying attention to me.

Instead, it slowly turned and began walking away.

Toward the remaining stone figures.

My heart dropped.

No...

No!

Don't you fucking dare!