After going down the long flight of stairs, I saw the end. I looked carefully around at the large hall that spread out in front of me.
A large, dusty chandelier hung from the ceiling and in the centre was a statue of a young angel with its face half broken. Burning candles embedded in the wall and broken pillars could be seen.
Overall, it looked similar to the interior of a castle in the Renaissance period. It was brighter than the stairs thanks to the candles that lit the darkness, but the gloomy atmosphere was still there.
Were those who disappeared into the sand still here? It was at that moment when I was looking around and wanting to ask Cheon Sa-yeon.
『Huhuhu…』
A brief pain passed through my mind. Wrapping my hand around the side of my head, I said, "Laughter…"
"It's a mental attack. Don't listen to it."
『A fun child came along.』
The voice was clear, as it was whispering right next to me. Thud, thud. The sound of heels echoed throughout the hall.
『Now, shall I take a look at you?』
"Hah…!"
I felt a cold hand on the back of my neck. I hurriedly looked back, but all I could see was an empty space where darkness fell. Dryly swallowing down my saliva and turning my head again, I opened my eyes wide.
"…Cheon Sa-yeon?"
Cheon Sa-yeon, who was next to me, was nowhere to be seen. I was the only one standing in the centre of the hall. The shadow of the angel statue whose face had been broken in half shook bizarrely.
I tried to stay calm, but my heart started beating unsteadily. With no regard to my will, it was like someone was forcing fear into me.
'I have to get out of here.'
Perhaps the main ability of the boss monster was hallucinations. I was standing there thanks to Cheon Sa-yeon's energy and becoming a temporary S-rank. If I was at my normal rank, I would have lost my mind by now.
I took a deep breath and shook my head to break free from the hallucinations when I heard the voice again.
『I saw it, child, the pain you have.』
It was a sweet and soft voice, like she was professing her love to her lover. I closed and opened my trembling eyes.
"Hyungnim."
"Hah…"
Someone approached me through the thick white mist. After checking the other person's face, I let out a despondent sigh.
"Come on. I came all the way here and that's your reaction?"
The sloppy blond hair caught my attention. That was really too unfair. The grumbling guy raised one corner of his mouth and smiled wryly. "Anyway, you should know it was difficult. Well, since it's a part of Hyungnim's charm, then it's charming…"
The way he glanced at me and kept making useless noises one after another seemed surprisingly real. I looked at him without answering. The clear, white cheeks that still had a youthful feeling, the piercings between the blonde hairs, and the faded jean jacket.
"It feels like my face will get pierced by your gaze. What are you looking at me like that for?"
With reddish ears, the guy avoided my gaze and looked down. He talked with a shy smile as if he had no idea what to do as he fiddled with his bangs.
"Don't be like that, come over here. I brought someone who wanted to see you."
I could tell who you were talking about without even listening. I twisted my lips. Was this all the pain I had?
"Come on. I had a hard time bringing you here."
"..."
He stretched out his white hand.
"You missed me a lot, didn't you?"
Yeah. I missed you a lot. Back then and now.
"Aren't you coming?You'll regret it if you don't. Come on, grab my hand quickly."
Even if that hand was real and not an illusion, I couldn't hold it. Perhaps it thought I was in conflict, the illusion began to urge me.
"Come on, come on. Hold my hand. Let's go together. This place is boring. I know everything. You want to go back, don't you? If you hold my hand, I'll give you everything."
His hands shook like flowers flying in the wind.
"Let's go. Let's give up and go. Why are you trying so hard to survive? Why alone? Why? Why?"
"..."
It was getting harder and harder to breathe. I wanted to get out of this terrible fantasy right away, but I also wanted to give up and follow him. I quietly lowered my gaze and bit my lips. The white hand, which was too white, was getting closer and closer.
『Kkyaaaaak!』
"Han Yi-gyeol."
Just before the illusion caught me, a strong force pulled my arm as I heard the desperate scream. The fog that had obscured my vision disappeared and the person standing in front of me was clearly visible.
"Cheon Sa-yeon…"
Cheon Sa-yeon's face was covered in bright red blood. Over his shoulder, I saw a woman groaning as she grabbed her head.
『How dare you, you insignificant human…! Kyaaak!』the woman whose face was covered in blood, with one of the two horns sprouting from her forehead, exclaimed in an angry voice. Wearing a beautiful and colourful dress, she held a sword in one hand. Was that woman the boss monster, Lilith?
"Now that I've cut off her horn, she can't use such strong hallucinations."
"Ah…"
Apparently, he had a close battle with Lilith while I was hallucinating.
While wiping my sweat-drenched bangs, I asked, "What am I supposed to do?"
"Of course there is only one thing. Put your arms around my shoulders," Cheon Sa-yeon said as he leaned his upper body toward me.
I expected this, but… it was a little uncomfortable to do it.
"Can't you hold me normally."
"I think the answer to that question was answered last time."
Damn it…
However, I must say that I was glad that there were no eyes to see us this time. As I put my arms around his shoulders with an awkward gesture, Cheon Sa-yeon hugged me as if it was natural.
"She's still an SS-grade boss. Can you fight while holding me?"
"Well enough."
I don't know. You do whatever. I sighed and slowly lifted up my energy. Being a temporary S-rank, there was plenty of energy to be used for my ability. After seeing the wind surrounding his body, Cheon Sa-yeon swung the sword at Lilith.
Chaeeng!
The flame spread wildly. Lilith blocked the S-class sword covered in blood with a light movement. Seeing her up close, Lilith had cat-like yellow eyes, sharp fangs, and large bat wings.
『Perhaps I'll make you beg for death, intruders!』
Lilith quickly swung her sword. Kwaang! The blade of the sword dug deep through the ground, shattering it. Seeing that, I was sure. The sword that Lilith was wielding was an SS-class item.
『You little rats!』
Crack, boom!
The angel statue broke and fell to the floor. White debris was scattered all over the place. Ahahaha! Lilith spread her wings and crossed the air.
『Where are you running, you rats! When I catch you, I'll pluck off both legs! I'll cut off your head and put it in a big glass jar!』
Cheon Sa-yeon, dodging Lilith's sword, turned his wrist to change the sword's trajectory. I changed the direction of the wind according to the flow.
Chaeeng!
The sword that aimed at Lilith's neck was barely blocked. Lilith snapped like a broken doll, tilted her head to one side and ripped her mouth into a long grin.
『A little rat carried by another little rat, two little rats, haha! Hahahahaha!』
The sound of laughter made my head ache again. Cheon Sa-yeon, promptly aware of my condition, slashed Lilith's sword strongly. Smoothing my sore eyes, I said, "It's hard to keep up. It's too fast."
The S-grade monsters we faced last time could not compare to what we were fighting now. It was even an air battle. The situation was not good.
"You don't have to look at your opponent."
Cheon Sa-yeon's eyes shone sharply under his black hair fluttering in the wind.
"Focus on me like you did back then."
"What?"
The conversation did not last long. Lilith, who was smiling with a broken face, and the expressionless Cheon Sa-yeon collided again. Flames fluttered in the wind and shone across the face of the man who embraced me.
There was only one thing I could do in this situation. To believe and follow Cheon Sa-yeon's words. I turned my gaze away from Lilith and focused on each and every movement of Cheon Sa-yeon.
'Ah.'
My eyes pointed slightly downwards. His shoulders were pulled back and his lower body strengthened.
'Is this what you mean?'
I quickly increased the strength of the wind below and changed the wind around Cheon Sa-yeon and the sword. The wind that wrapped around his legs made Cheon Sa-yeon more stable while also helping the tip of the sword move faster toward its target.
『Kyaaaaak!』
Like a snake swallowing its prey, the sword mercilessly lodged in Lilith's left shoulder. In that brief moment, Cheon Sa-yeon twisted the blade once and dug into her flesh. Lilith opened her mouth and let out a long screeching sound.
『Haaak! Kyaaak!』
The fire on her shoulder began to gnaw at Lilith's body. Since it was an SS-grade body, it didn't burn as fast as other monsters, but it was enough to cause constant damage.
『I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you!』
Lilith, in a fit of anger, stomped her feet. Then, something started pouring down from above as the ceiling shook
Kyaaak! Kyaak!
Kyaaaa!
There were dozens of monsters. Various types of monsters, from spiders full of eyes to zombies with rotten flesh, were crawling towards us at an incredible speed.
"Hold on tight," Cheon Sa-yeon whispered. I held the jacket with one hand and Cheon Sa-yeon with the other hand.
Kkyaaaaa!
Cheon Sa-yeon thrust the sword into the monster's face as its black mouth was gaping wide open. Instead of pulling it out, he straightened his arm straight across and the monster's head approaching us was split in half. Muddy blood gushed out and sprinkled over me and Cheon Sa-yeon. Cheon Sa-yeon carefully swung his sword towards the monsters that rushed at us from all directions.
Five, ten, seventeen. Every time the sword dug in, the monsters died, but the numbers were too many. I poured out my powers to make the fire burn bigger. Hot flames came out and surrounded Cheon Sa-yeon as if to protect us, but the monsters did not hesitate and rushed in.
"Ugh, we have to find Lilith!"
These were monsters that had lost their sanity in order to protect the boss. Unless you killed Lilith, the monsters would constantly flock to you.
In a slightly rough voice, Cheon Sa-yeon said, "Twelve o'clock, right there."
"Gurgh! She's not there!"
A monster hiding in the chandelier attacked me. With his powers, he killed the monster and answered quickly, "5 o'clock."
Gurrrrgh… Maggot-infested hands reached out, but Cheon Sa-yeon cut off the monster's head.
"Not there!"
"Seven o'clock, behind the third pillar."
There were so many monsters that it was difficult to identify them. Cheon Sa-yeon swung his arms wide. The monsters surrounding the area were cut all at once. The sound of the skin tearing and screaming filled the air. A third pillar was revealed through the flames flying in the air.
"There…!"
For a brief moment, the tip of a bat wing was clearly visible. Cheon Sa-yeon mercilessly cut off the several monsters that grabbed at him and jumped forward.
『Kyaaaaak!』
Kyaa! Kyaaaak!
Kugugugung, Kugugugung!
Lilith, who made eye contact with us, cried out once more and the monsters chased behind. As the number had increased, the ground shook and stones fell from the ceiling. Cheon Sa-yeon, who found the bewildered Lilith beyond the hazy dust, gave a bitter smile.
"Found it."