Escape - Chapter 20.2
Chapter 20.2
No one believed they had fallen to the Serpiente. They were all high-level players, above level 90. If they had been defeated by someone, it could only be that monster, the ‘Boss of District 12.’ The rankers, their thoughts reaching this point, averted their gazes. Silence descended once more. Then, a clear, bright voice rang through the hall.
“I’ll go.”
Eric cursed softly as he identified the speaker. He’d overlooked something. There was another gaming-addicted idiot present.
“I’ll go to District 12.” Adeline repeated, looking around the room. “Any objections?”
“….”
“What is that thing, anyway?” Shade broke the silence, gesturing rudely towards Adeline as he addressed Gato.
“That thing? She’s one of our guild members…” Gato glanced nervously at Adeline, rubbing the back of his neck, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
Even Shade’s number one fan couldn’t defend that comment. Shade’s arrogance and rudeness were well-known among the rankers, but Gato hadn’t expected him to be so openly disrespectful to someone he’d just met.
“A guild member? But ‘that thing’ isn’t human.”
Adeline was the only one who flinched at the strange comment. Eric, observing her expression, quickly intervened before the conversation could go any further.
“Even if that video was shocking, that’s a bit harsh for a first meeting. You’re not exactly human yourself in that regard, are you?”
“.…”
Shade’s masked face stared at Eric for a moment, then returned to Adeline. Adeline’s heart pounded.
‘Not human?’
What did he mean? How did he know she was different from them?
“…Whatever. ‘That thing’ is perfect bait.”
He nodded dismissively, and Eric frowned. But there was nothing to be gained by provoking Shade. Knowing Shade’s temper, Eric decided to focus on a different topic.
“But it’s too much for one person. We know nothing about the primary skills, attack patterns, or anything else about the opponent.”
“It’s alright. I don’t particularly need…”
“Which is why Gato and I will go as well.”
“What?!” Gato choked, even though he hadn’t been eating or drinking anything. Eric, ignoring him, continued his bombshell announcement.
“If the situation becomes dangerous, you can leave first. But I’d like you to join us in entering and drawing the monster’s attention. It’s my final responsibility as guild leader.”
‘Final responsibility as guild leader?’
Gato couldn’t believe his ears. Shouldn’t he be looking after his own guild members first? This task was unprofitable, dangerous, and time-consuming, yet Eric was volunteering for it. Gato had known him for three years and had never seen him behave this way.
“But I just want to take down the Serpiente…”
“If everything’s decided, let’s move on to the specific operational plan.”
Shade, ever impatient, cut Gato off mid-sentence. Gato stood there, dumbfounded, with the expression of a beaver whose dam had been destroyed.
Twelve guilds in total.
Target areas: District 11 and District 12.
The group was split in two: the bait heading for the Serpent’s Lair and the rankers heading for the starting zone.
‘Well, maybe the three of us can take down the boss. The reward would be incredible.’
Gato naively comforted himself with this fleeting, sorrowful thought, completely unaware of what awaited him.
***
The three of them teleported separately. Stepping into the glowing circle, they were enveloped in darkness as if their eyes had closed and opened again.
The landscape that reappeared was completely different. They stood before the entrance to the Serpent’s Lair in District 12.
“Unbelievable. With technology like this, why have you only explored up to District 9?”
Eric watched her, noting how her words seemed to set her apart from the other players. Her reaction to the teleport was the same—as if she were brand new to the game.
‘But that can’t be right. Not with her skills.’
“Teleports can only be set up in places you’ve already visited,” he explained.
“Ah, so that’s why you can go anywhere in the frontier. It’s amazing! No more wandering lost in a maze. But then why did it take so long when the quest started?”
“Very few users set up teleports in the starting zone. It’s for beginners, there’s no real reason for a high-ranker to go there.”
“Oh.”
Geto, walking behind them, ran a hand down his muscular arm, goosebumps prickling his skin as he watched Eric patiently explain everything.
‘Maybe I should give them some space.’
Even he, oblivious as he usually was, could see the guild leader kept glancing at Adeline. It was the universal first sign of a man in love, wasn’t it?
[Dungeon Entered: Serpent’s Lair of the Sea-Banished (Hard)
Dungeon Type: The Grotto (Cave)
Playtime: Unlimited
Party Name: LEON – 12
Party Members: 3/3
Attack power increased by 30% due to party leader’s trait.]
Adeline flinched as a cascade of messages scrolled before her eyes the moment she stepped into the Serpent’s Lair. She felt Eric’s gaze on her. She’d long since realized he was observing her with a curious intensity.
“Now that I think about it, where did you mainly play before joining Leon?”
“Huh?”
“With your skill level, I’m surprised we haven’t crossed paths in the higher-level dungeons. Is that large gun from the video one of the Dwarf-Elf creations?”
Adeline bit her lip. It was like meeting Woo Yune all over again. A barrage of unfamiliar words and concepts. But Eric wasn’t like her. He wouldn’t simply overlook any slip-ups. What would he do if she told him she came from District 13? He didn’t seem like a bad person, but she couldn’t trust him yet.
