The Cave of Screams (2)
“Ugh!”
A flash of white light briefly illuminated the clearing, like a camera flash going off. An Sol couldn’t escape its effects; she dropped her staff and pressed her hands to her forehead. Even in her dazed state, her eyes followed something invisible, and I could hear her muttering to herself in a bewildered tone.
“Luck adjustment? Partial defense roll? What on earth is this…?”
Zap! Zap!
Before An Sol could even relax her furrowed brow, the white light flashed again, and this time, it seemed to catch the rest of the group in its range. I heard their groans, and some even collapsed where they stood.
I wasn’t immune to the effects either, but I managed to hold on, thanks to my innate abilities. Fighting off the dizziness, I activated my third eye with determination. My priority was to identify and counteract the mental spell targeting us.
“Unconscious Reveal. This ancient spell is a complex magic circle that incorporates mental attack elements. It forces the user’s consciousness into an unconscious state, allowing dormant emotions to surface. These emotions are based on the user’s weakest memories, their vulnerabilities, but the specific emotions that emerge are random, tied to the user’s latent desires. Unconscious Reveal is classified as a top-tier spell from the ancient Hall Plane era, among the highest-ranking spells. The spell’s formula and the vast amount of magic required make solo activation impossible. It requires the combined power of dozens of high-ranking mages…”
Without high-level anti-magic abilities or extreme magical power, complete defense is nearly impossible. Occasionally, extreme luck might allow for partial defense, but only once or twice at best. Even those with strong mental immunity can only withstand it a few times, as the spell’s effects are continuous rather than one-off.
“What is this…?”
The more I read the information revealed by my third eye, the more absurd it seemed. I was left speechless by the sheer impossibility of it all.
Zap! Zap!
The white light flashed again, and my vision flickered. The dizziness in my head intensified, but I managed to finish reading. When I regained my senses and looked around, my companions were writhing in pain on the ground. Only Go Yeonju was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, pulling at her hair.
Time passed meaninglessly, and as it did, the screams of my companions began to fade. Their unconscious minds were being forcibly brought to the surface. The unconscious is a state where one is unaware of their own actions or current state. As such, emotions began to appear on their previously blank faces.
The first to react was Jeong Ha-yeon.
“No, no! Don’t! Aaaah!”
She clawed at the ground, her voice rough and desperate, unlike her usual self. Her cries were so heart-wrenching that I instinctively took a step back. Seeing me, she reached out with a pleading expression.
“Don’t go. Don’t leave me! Su-hyeon! Help me, Su-hyeon! Please!”
Thump.
“Su-hyeon! Su-hyeon! Please help! Don’t go! You promised you wouldn’t leave!”
Thump. Thump thump.
Her desperate cries made my heart pound. The fire that usually lay dormant within me began to stir, coursing through my body with intensity. It wasn’t as painful as when I first acquired the fire, when it felt like my brain was melting, but it was enough to make me feel like something inside was about to burst, only to subside slightly.
“Phew.”
Finally, I let out a deep sigh and calmed my inner turmoil. Even as another flash of light made me stagger, I quickly regained my balance and assessed the overall situation of my companions. It wasn’t the time to just stand by and watch. My sharpened mind, thanks to my inner focus, was helping me see the caravan’s current state more clearly.
“So, Sol-ah. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving you like that. Your brother is sorry. I have to save you, no matter what. I have to save our Sol.”
“Why am I the only one like this when everyone else, even Ah-hyeon and Kim Han-byeol, got something? I don’t want to be abandoned. Why, why am I the only one like this? Brother. Brother? Please don’t leave me… Please…”
“I don’t want to die. I want to live. I want to go back alive. Aaaah!”
Watching Ahn Hyun, Lee Yoo-jung, and Shin Sang-yong, I bit my lip. Their long-suppressed unconscious thoughts were spilling out. And then…
“Brother.”
I turned at the sound of my name to see An Sol, her expression different from usual. She seemed to have resisted at first, but the repeated spells had worn her down, and her eyes were unfocused. She approached me slowly, wearing an expression I never thought I’d see.
“An Sol.”
“I’m sorry. Sol is such a bad girl. Always causing trouble, being a burden to my siblings…”
“Sol-ah. That’s not true at all. So please, snap out of it.”
“Really? No, I’m such a nuisance. And yet, every night, I think of you, Brother. I just want to be in your arms. Yes, every night, I think of you. But if you knew this about me, you’d surely despise me. So I have to hold back. But I can’t help it, Brother. I want to be touched by you, to smell you, to snuggle up to you and be spoiled. Because you, Brother, are… hmph.”
I quickly reached out to cover An Sol’s mouth. But instead of being startled, she licked my hand with her tongue. I pulled my hand back quickly, and she looked at me with eyes like a wounded puppy, her lips trembling.
Ahn Hyun and Shin Sang-yong were in despair, and the female members of the caravan, except for Go Yeonju, were slowly approaching me. It seemed they relied on me more than I realized. I felt a pang of regret for my past mistakes, but I decided to focus on solving the problem at hand. There was no point in dwelling on what had already happened.
Moreover, while I was managing to hold on with my various abilities, the fire, and sheer willpower, I couldn’t be sure how long I could keep it up. Somewhere in this place, there had to be the core of the magic circle, and destroying it was the priority. I activated my third eye again and scanned the clearing thoroughly.
Fortunately, my third eye performed admirably. As I swiftly but meticulously analyzed the clearing, I looked up at the ceiling. At that moment, I sensed the flash of light about to burst again. Without hesitation, I drew my sword and swung my right arm upward with force. Even without any special stance or magic, my physical strength should be enough to pierce the ceiling and deal a blow.
The sword soared upward with a fierce momentum, as if tearing through the air.
Thud! Clang!
”!”
Just before it reached its target, a hazy barrier appeared beneath the ceiling, effortlessly deflecting the sword’s strike. Catching the falling sword, I muttered a low curse. What on earth was I doing, Kim Su-hyeon?
Another flash of light erupted, and I felt the unpleasant sensations I’d buried deep inside begin to stir. There was no time to hesitate. I gathered my magic power and hurled the sword into the air again. I hadn’t planned to use this until I encountered “that thing,” but I had no choice.
Whoosh!
The sword, now suspended in the air, was enveloped in a clear flame, which soon blossomed into a gentle fire. I poured more magic into the burgeoning flames, and they climbed the blade, forming the shape of a great sword, then erupted into a massive blaze. Once I felt it had grown sufficiently, I launched the sword into the air without delay. I had a feeling that if I endured a few more spells, I might succumb as well.
Screech! Screech!
The blazing sword shot upward in a straight line, emitting a fierce sound. As expected, a white barrier appeared on the ceiling, and the sword’s tip collided with it, creating a loud noise.
Rumble, rumble!
One side was trying desperately to break through, while the other was pushing back with all its might. Watching the two forces clash without yielding an inch, I clenched my fist.
“Please, break through…!”
Had my fervent wish finally been granted? The struggle between the two forces ended abruptly as a large hole was torn through the barrier. The sword, still brimming with energy, pierced the ceiling with ease, and soon the entire cave seemed to tremble with the impact.
Time passed, as it always does. The cave, which had seemed on the verge of collapse, gradually calmed, and the noise subsided. I raised my hand gently towards the void. A few grains of dirt fell from above, and I watched as the sword was smoothly withdrawn from the ceiling. After retrieving the sword with telekinesis, I turned my third eye to inspect the magic circle. As expected, even the most ancient and powerful spells were no match for the power of fire; the center had been completely incinerated, leaving no trace.
However, breaking the magic circle didn’t immediately bring my companions back. Though there was a slight stir, it seemed it would take a bit more time for their consciousness to fully resurface. Most of them were still submerged in unconsciousness, but I could feel it gradually fading, which was a relief.
The first to show signs of waking was Jeong Ha-yeon, who lay on the ground, breathing softly in sleep. I didn’t wake her. There was nothing better than sleep to transition between consciousness and unconsciousness.
Most of the group had fallen asleep as part of their return to consciousness. However, two of them, still clinging to their unconscious states, were stubbornly attached to me.
“Why won’t you touch me? Hurry up and pat my head, pinch my cheeks, or… anywhere else is fine too…”
“Hit me. Torment me. I want to be spanked by Kim Soo-hyun. Please, won’t you?”
”…Please, just stop. I’m begging you.”
Today was a day of many revelations. I shook my head with a wry smile. The two of them were whining in my arms. Vivian was babbling nonsensically about how I was responsible for her condition, while Ahn Sol, her unconsciousness slowly receding, was nodding off.
It didn’t take long for their unconscious states to fade. Soon, Ahn Sol’s eyelids closed, and she rested her head on my thigh, while Vivian, who had been chattering away, leaned her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes.
I wanted to sigh in relief, thinking it was finally over, but the shadow that loomed over me suggested otherwise. The shadow nudged the two women lying on me aside and then collapsed dramatically. It was then I remembered the one user I had forgotten.
The shadow clung to me like a child, speaking in a nasal voice.
“Aww, Yeon-ju wants to be touched by oppa too, and spanked.”
”…”
“What’s with that disdainful look?”
”…?”
“Humph.”
With a deflated expression, she let out a nasal sound and then rested her head on my thigh. The shadow was none other than user Go Yeon-ju. Despite the formidable spell, she had managed to endure, likely due to her status as a <10th Rank> user. Her lips bore the clear imprint of teeth marks, tinged with red.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Do I look alright? I was curled up, unable to move. It felt like my head was being shaken apart. I almost lost consciousness five times.”
As soon as I spoke, Go Yeon-ju began to grumble, as if she’d been waiting for the chance. I listened to her rapid-fire complaints with one ear and let them out the other, gently closing her eyes with my hand. Her face was etched with exhaustion, and her clothes were soaked with sweat. Her innate abilities were impressive, but her sheer mental fortitude in resisting the spell was worthy of admiration.
“I’ll keep watch. You should get some rest. I’ll explain everything once the others are conscious.”
“I’m more curious about how you moved and broke the circle within the spell than anything else… mmph.”
“For now, just sleep.”
I covered Go Yeon-ju’s lips with my hand, pressing gently. I could feel her lips moving against my palm, but she soon gave up and closed her eyes. Her peaceful breathing seemed to tickle my hand.
…
…
…
”…Ugh.”
The moment I confirmed everyone was asleep, a sudden wave of nausea hit me. The discomfort in my heart hadn’t disappeared; it had only grown, bringing with it a tide of self-loathing. Had I been caught in it at the end too?
“What kind of ten-year veteran am I, what kind of master user? Without the third eye and fire, I’m nothing. Fool.”
Muttering self-deprecatingly, I pulled out a cigarette to calm the bitter turmoil rising within me. I wanted to forget this overwhelming sense of inadequacy, even if just for a moment.
I lit the cigarette and took a drag. I wished I could exhale everything inside me along with the smoke.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
<Characters’ Chat.>
Me: “Hey, how does it feel to get scolded by the readers for once, instead of just the kids?”
Kim Soo-hyun: ”…”
Ahn Hyun, Lee Yoo-jung, Ahn Sol: “Hehehe.”
Me: “Don’t get cocky just because you’ve gained some strength. Do your best, alright?”
Kim Soo-hyun: “I get it, but can I please escape this eunuch status…?”
(Royujin has left the chat.)
Kim Soo-hyun: “ㅜ.ㅠ…”
PS. I’ll surprise the readers soon. :D I’ll take my leave now. Have a great Saturday, and see you at midnight on Sunday! (__)
『 Reader Comments 』
Kuroshion: Congratulations on being first. A place with all the world’s doujinshi? Such a wonderful, I mean… Ahem. I’ll message you soon. Ahem.
Pakasari: Being in the top five is quite an achievement. Yes, indeed. Being first is hell itself. I don’t think I could ever comment first. ㅜ.ㅠ
GradeRown: Defense is possible, but continuous defense is difficult. Luck isn’t omnipotent. :)
無我之境: Luck isn’t all-powerful. If it were, there wouldn’t have been any danger from the Deadman early on. Luck is the most unexplored stat in Hall Plain. No one knows where, how, or what it affects. :)
Kkoya: No, no. Luck isn’t that kind of stat. It’s true that it helps with dungeon exploration when combined with Sol’s
Mechastar: As I’ve said repeatedly, luck isn’t all-powerful. Even with high luck, if there’s a force that surpasses it (in many ways…), it can be ignored. :D
hohokoya1: Oh dear. Seasonal colds are scary. ㅜ.ㅠ Rest well and shake off that cold!
Warrior: You accurately predicted what I had planned for this chapter. It was hinted at when dealing with monsters or vagrants before. For example, the use of
Rikuru: No! I’ve always noticed your efforts to be in the top comment ranks. ㅜ.ㅠ Instead of the lottery, how about buying some ice cream?
Miwolya: Indeed. That foolish protagonist. After getting scolded by the readers, he’ll finally come to his senses. :)
gkgngh: Hahaha. Sorry, I couldn’t help but laugh. Yes, even with luck at 100, you can still trip, burn food, and die.
CarpeDiem1: Oh. Thank you for the coupon. (__) I hope you can relieve some work stress by reading during your breaks. Have a happy weekend!
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