I didn't know about it because I had no interest at all. I recently released the ale snakes but that was all.
"From now on, shall we closely follow the meat bats?"
"First we have to identify any danger in the surroundings. Then we will find a colony of meat bats. We need to check if they are heading towards the entrance to eat the bugs. We can't just blindly follow them."
Safety oriented. A situation like this in an adventure certainly wasn't good.
Lee Ji-hye looked at the remaining people.
"Find the strength to start moving."
"I-I…I won't go."
One of the women declared. It was the woman who first glared at Lee Ji-hye.
"Are you sad?"
"I am sad. Do you want to just sit back and die?"
"It is the same anyway."
Lee Ji-hye didn't bother anymore. She turned her head.
"Randalph ssi? It would be much better to move with me."
"I'll do that."
I shrugged and moved slightly, making the two women look uneasy. In this situation, I was the only man left.
"I-I'll go as well."
In the end, the other woman surrendered and stood up painfully.
"..."
The remaining woman gave in as well. Her pride and power wasn't comparable to her life.
There was only one lamp. She couldn't remain alone in this place in the darkness.
Lee Ji-hye made sure everyone was prepared and said.
"Then let's depart."
* * *
The area was safe.
They returned to their original position to create some safety measures.
The first thing was that the surrounding spaces were narrow so they could create traps to notice the creatures. They dug at the ground and placed arrows before loosely covering them with grass, turning them into traps.
They were able to relax now.
And the next day.
They filled their hunger with some snacks and drank water before moving. Their movements were as careful as possible in order to avoid the creatures. The problem was that the geography of the place was completely unfamiliar.
They looked closely for a colony of meat bats. Following a colony of meat bats was required in order to escape the dungeon.
The first day was a failure. The second day they ran low on food. I checked my watch and verified that it was the second day.
Water vapour gathered in their vicinity due to Lee Ji-hye's magic. But using it for a long time sharply increased fatigue. And they were also hungry.
The food problem was the first thing that needed to be solved.
"….That can be eaten."
Lee Ji-hye pierced through the neck of an ale snake with a water spear.
The two women were shocked. No matter how hungry they were, who would have thought of eating creatures?
It looked like a snake but it was distinctly a creature. A creature that attacked people!
Lee Ji-hye didn't care.
The moisture was removed from many of the grass and branches near them and stones gathered.
"Give me strength."
A fire needed to be kindled.
I readily accepted. Friction would cause a fire. My strength and speed meant it was only a few minutes before smoke rose.
The peeled snakeskin was raised over the fire. Soon there was a golden smell. Even if the meat was raw, Lee Ji-hye would bite it without hesitation.
'Ice cold computer power, survival skills, ability to take action and not being bothered by the surroundings.
I watched her with a satisfied smile.
'Really good.'
This level was enough to pass.
'Now there is one thing left.'
The conditions for exiting a dungeon.
I waited for it to come.
* * *
Three goblins were hit. It was barely manageable.
But not all of them were safe. One person was bitten. It was the woman who opposed Lee Ji-hye from the beginning.
"I'm sorry…."
She was ill. The side was bitten and bacteria seemed to have entered through the wound. She was boiling hot and on the verge of death. Sometimes she would wake up and apologise.
"It is difficult."
Lee Ji-hye sighed.
They couldn't find any meat bat colonies. The more they delayed, the lower the chances of survival would become.
"Why? Are you going to throw her away?"
The eyes of the remaining woman shone. It was just like what happened to Park Eun-taek.
Lee Ji-hye wasn't the only one who abandoned him. Everyone here was an accomplice. It was obvious he knew he would die. There was always a possibility that others would be abandoned.
Lee Ji-hye knew this fact as well. But she shook her head.
"That's not what I meant. Anyway, it seems like a fever…let's look at the situation. I will take Randalph-nim with me to gather food."
Roles were assigned.
I would go with Lee Ji-hye to gather things like wild mushrooms and grass. But it was unknown if it would lower the fever. Naturally, it depended on the other person's stamina.
A few days later, the only people moving were Lee Ji-hye and I.
* * *
Lee Ji-hye bit her nails.
The other two women were now complete luggage. The cause was unknown. They might have been infected with an illness.
Lee Ji-hye couldn't easily make a decision.
No matter how cold her personality, she still felt like she had sinned. She would feel it even if those two people lived.
There had to be a way but it felt like she had fallen into a swamp.
"The colony. I need to look for a way to bring them out as quickly as possible. No. I can't be late. They won't survive a day without water. Take care of the people. No. Do…."
She scratched her head nervously. Maybe it would be an unresolved challenge forever. Her expression cracked as she started looking broken.
It was a frustrating moment.
"I-I've found you. I finally found you!"
Lee Ji-hye's eyes widened.
A man's voice was heard not far away from them. I turned around and one person was standing there.
Kim Su-hwan!
The man that had fled in order to survive. Why was he here now? Lee Ji-hye couldn't believe it and asked.