"There is a way."
What fucking way...?
The words just came out of my mouth before I knew it.
Something came over me all of a sudden, and I started to move without even thinking. Every action and movement seemed to have a purpose and a peculiar calmness settled over me, dissipating the lingering remnants of panic that had previously consumed me.
The world around me faded into insignificance as my focus narrowed solely on the girls displayed on the screen, their presence becoming my sole point of attention.
"Don't use your return stones."
My mouth parted open.
"There's a way. If you calm down and listen to what I have to say, then we might be able to handle this."
I was in control. There was no vision, or anything else controlling me. At that moment, I was in control of myself and every action. I felt lucid. Ideas and all sorts of ways to handle the beast continued to enter my mind.
What prompted such a change in me?
"Will you trust me?"
My words were met with a subtle tone of silence, and right then, a hand pressed against my shoulder, pulling me back.
"What are you doing?"
It was Dean. Veins were bulging down the side of his neck as he angrily looked at me. He looked incredibly pissed, yet, under his pressuring gaze, I only calmly looked back at his gaze.
"Do you not understand what's going on? Are you trying to find a way to fix this because you feel responsible for choosing this dungeon? Like I said, it's my fault to begin with. Stop playing around, and—"
"I can do it."
"Uh… you what? ...Did you not hear me? Do you not realize that they can die...? This isn't some video game or simulation. This is a real dungeon damn it!"
"I can do it."
I repeated calmly.
"I know of a way."
"Ah… This fucker."
It seemed like my calmness left him somewhat flustered as he seemed to struggle to find any words to say.
Scratching the top of his head, he paced around, alternating his gaze between me and the monitor.
"No."
But in the end, he still refused as he pressed onto the coms.
"Girls, take out your return stones. Get the hell out of the dungeon now!"
—Director.
Joana's voice suddenly rang over the coms prompting Dean to frown.
"What is it? Are you not listening to me...? Take out your return stones and get the hell out of the dungeon now!"
—What if… we listen to Manager Liam?
"You what?"
Dean's face blackened. Just as he was about to shout again, he heard Joana's voice again.
—It's been seven years since I've become a Star Chaser, and three in this group. During that time, I've watched many of those who came from the same training camp as me surpass me, as well as newer groups than ours. I… If there's just a little bit of hope in possibly pushing our career higher, I want to take it. No, rather... We just can't afford to let go of this dungeon.
Her words seemed to have had an effect on Dean whose face softened.
"Haa…"
He sighed to himself.
"I know how you feel Joana, but as the team leader you should understand that just your ambitions aren't enough. It's not just you in the group. Mia, Olivia, and Lyla are all minors. I can't have you risk their life for this, plus..."
Dean looked at me.
"He's just a newbie with no qualifications! What could he possibly do to help you? Think rationally! Don't let your emotions get to you!"
—I see.
Noticing the visible disappointment in Joana's voice, Dean was about to say more, but I cut him off.
"You have thirty seconds to make your decision. The boss is about to emerge fully."
Throughout the entire time, my gaze had never left the monster. It had always been on it, studying every characteristic of it as I took out my phone to look at the details of the monster in front of me.
— ●[Monster Encyclopedia]●—
Monster : Mother of all spiders
Rank : Red
Description :
﹂ The "Mother of All Spiders" is a truly terrifying creature, epitomizing the sheer horror of arachnids. Towering above all other spiders, it possesses a body that is a grotesque fusion of arachnid and monstrous proportions. Its size is immense, with a massive abdomen that resembles a swollen sac, capable of producing countless offspring. The creature's legs are long, sinewy, and covered in jagged spines, enabling it to scuttle across any terrain with unsettling agility.
﹂Unless one has adequate equipment that is able to handle poison, and the sheer strength of the beast, then it is advised to immediately use the return stone and flee. It is not a creature to be taken lightly.
Weakness :
﹂Red colored smiley face.
﹂Location varies accordingly from boss to boss.
— ●[Monster Encyclopedia]●—
I was in a state where I was able to suck all the information presented in front of me, and the more I read, the more convinced I was that there was a way.
No... it wasn't just that.
My confidence stemmed from something else.
My memories.
After years of training and researching everything there was to know about this profession, I wasn't treading down an empty path. I had constructed a sturdy foundation to walk upon.
I wasn't as clueless as Dean thought I was.
"Ten seconds left, I—"
—I think we should still give it a try.
It was Mia's voice that interrupted me. Following her, the other girls also replied.
—It's worth a shot.
—Okay.
—Um.
"Wait girls, you're not thinking this through…"
Dean looked flustered. Rightfully so. Suddenly encountering a red-ranked beast and letting a newbie who has been on the job for only a day take command, anyone would've been flustered.
—Director. It's okay. There's no harm in trying. If the situation really does turn sour, I'll do my best to buy the girls enough time to return. I need… no, we need this, and you know this better than anyone else.
"Shit."
I felt Dean's glare from my right, but it didn't particularly affect me. I just stared at him without saying anything.
Perhaps pressured by my gaze, he clenched his teeth and relented.
"You better take care of them properly. If something happens to them…"
"I know."
He didn't need to finish the sentence. I understood everything. I knew just how much he cared for the girls, and how important this moment was for them.
That's why...
"Girls, get ready."
BOOM—!
Immediately after my call, the screen trembled and a gigantic pillar shot in their direction. The girls were flustered at first but were able to quickly recompose themselves as they hurriedly moved out of the way and dodged the attack.
A cloud of dust rose in the air, blocking the view of the girls.
"Fuck, girls are you alright!? Hey girls!"
Dean was rightfully panicked beside me. Holding onto the monitor with both hands, he pressed his face near it, as if trying to get a better view of what was going on.
I pushed him away.
"Regardless of how close you are to the screen, you aren't going to get a better view of the girls."
—Cough. Cough. We're fine, but… Ca-can we really beat this thing?
"You can Mia. So long as you listen to my words, there's a way."
—A.. Alright. What should we do?
"For now…"
I looked at the screen, and then the map beside it. Thinking for a moment, I pressed on the map and marked the map.
"…Run to where I pointed."
***
'A jinx. I invited a jinx...'
His eyes were hazy, and his presence seemed different from before. It was as if he was a completely different person.
"I can do it."
His indifferent voice which seemed to contain a certain deal of certainty sent chills down Dean's spine, making him swallow whatever words he wanted to say.
"I know of a way."
But he was quick to break out of it.
"Ah… This fucker."
'Fucker... right, I'll call him fucker from this point forward.'
At least, until he got the situation under control.
Dean stared straight at the fucker, his hazel eyes looking right back at him.
'If only he ever showed his expressions...'
From the very moment he met the fucker Dean struggled to get a good read on him. His face was always stoic, barely changing or showing any changes.
This was shown from his first interaction with the girls.
Normally, when new recruits encountered the girls for the first time, their eyes would widen with fascination or fluster. However, this particular fucker proved to be an exception. Unlike his predecessors, his countenance remained stoic and unchanged, devoid of any noticeable reaction or change.
It surprised Dean quite a bit and naturally developed a good impression of the fucker. Even despite the dungeon selection incident.
That was because Dean understood it was primarily his fault. He shouldn't have let the fucker select the dungeon.
He wasn't a 'new' recruit for no reason.
But that first impression swiftly sank at this very moment.
"Fuck. Girls, I…"
Dean found it hard to find the right words to say as he watched the girls struggle on the screen.
He clenched his fist tightly.
'Is this really right?'
Of all people, he understood the desperation that the girls felt. It had been three years since their debut, and despite trying their best, they were never able to make a name for themselves.
Although the guild had never explicitly told them or hinted that they'd be disbanded, Dean could feel it with every ounce of his bones that if nothing happened, they'd soon be facing that very harsh reality.
Three years was a lot.
And in that time, he had developed a certain feeling with the girls. Sort of like a dad watching over his daughters, and the thought of them failing pierced his heart.
—Mia, hand Lyla to Joana.
Hearing the fucker's voice, Dean raised his head. Ever since the start, there was something about him that changed.
He had always been serious, but at this moment he felt like someone else entirely. His hazy gaze, and the calmness that exuded out of him.
The fucker's aura reminded him of the Guild Master. Someone who he wholeheartedly respected, yet at the same time feared.
The image of the Guildmaster and the new recruit started to overlap in Dean's mind, and he felt his throat become dry.
—Sarah, Mia, and Olivia you girls keep running at the same pace. Olivia, activate Scent of Bloom if the beast locks onto Joana and Lyla.
The unwavering tranquility in the fucker's voice and the meticulousness with which he directed the girls sparked a thought in Dean's mind.
Maybe it's really possible…