Creating Hidden Endings - Chapter 21

No way—! 

I couldn’t do anything since the status window said ‘Han Chorok unable to fight,’ and I couldn’t believe it. As a supporter, I should have used a skill to quickly remove the status effect, but all I did was stare blankly at Han Chorok as he fell.

I was just an ordinary person who knew how to use a few support skills at best. Only in the game, if there are fellow characters who are unable to fight, they can be saved by using potions or skills immediately, but the reality is different. With my empty head, I couldn’t even think of what I could do.

Instead, Lee Jehee, who was guarding Baek Taera next to him, ran at a lightning-like speed and returned with the fallen Chorok on the floor. In the meantime, Hana, whose awakening characteristics have been lifted, stood up while supporting Baek Taera’s shoulder, and exchanged eyes with Lee Jehee. After that, she lowers her gaze and sends a serious look.

“Yeon Seonwoo-ssi, can you run?”

“—that, y, yes!”

“Follow me!”

Following Hana’s voice, I struggled to get up from my seat and chased her. Meanwhile, I heard a beast-like roar from behind me, giving me goosebumps all over my body, and my hair was standing out.

We left the final clearing point as it was and ran through the cave where moth corpses were scattered and exited from there.

Clearing the C-class dungeon ended in failure.

*****

I left the cave and arrived at the entrance leading to the forest. Hana, who had helped by holding his body, put down his body, and Baek Taera quickly took Mana Potion from his inventory and drank it.

“What happened? Why is there an S-class boss in a C-class dungeon?”

Baek Taera’s voice was pressed as if he were angry. However, none of the parties responded and instead stared at Han Chorok, who was laying down on the ground. I also looked at Chorok anxiously and quickly approached it.

“Come out for a second.”

Lee Jehee, who was next to Han Chorok, was pushed to the side. Lee Jehee’s face was expressionless as he gently gave his seat to what I was about to do.

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ is preparing to use the support skill ‘Remove Status Effect.’ Please set the state to remove.]

A window appeared where I can select a set value along with a status message stating that the skill is being prepared. In comparison to the skill to give status effect conditions, I picked the one with the word ‘Sleep’ on the shortlist.

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ activates the support skill ‘Remove Status Effect’, and cancels the ‘sleep’ state according to the set value.]

[The caster’s skill can’t remove the status effect of ‘Han Chorok’.]

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ failed to remove the status effect.]

“….”

How— Why can’t I get rid of the status effect? Is my level too low? Then Han Chorok—.

I was shocked by the status message that the skill had failed and couldn’t say anything. It was the same for the other parties as well. In the rapidly subdued atmosphere, I continued to activate my skills.

[The caster’s skill can’t remove the status effect of ‘Han Chorok’.]

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ failed to remove the status effect.]

[The caster’s skill can’t remove the status effect of ‘Han Chorok’.]

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ failed to remove the status effect.]

[The caster’s skill can’t remove the status effect of ‘Han Chorok’.]

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ failed to remove the status effect.]

[(….)]

There were only a number of message windows stating that I had failed. But I couldn’t give up in this situation.

Having lived a normal life even after coming into a strange world, it was the first time I went to the dungeon, and I had never seen anyone get hurt or die before. In fact, I may have been taking all the situations for fun because I thought it was a world in the game.

However, Han Chorok in front of me was a living, breathing human being. It was not a problem that could simply be overlooked as a character in the game that was seen through the screen.

[The caster’s skill can’t remove the status effect of ‘Han Chorok’.]

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ failed to remove the status effect.]

[The caster’s skill can’t remove the status effect of ‘Han Chorok’.]

[Party member ‘Yeon Seonwoo’ failed to remove the status effect.]

[(….)]

“You can stop.” 

“But…”

“Yeon Seonwoo-ssi.” 

“If I stop here what about Han Chorok! Other people— there must be other supporters with a higher level than me! Find that person and—”

“I won’t let Han Chorok die. So don’t worry and calm down first.” 

Lee Jehee, who patted my shoulder, quietly looked at me. The voice, which came out slowly as if flowing, sounded calm, but that made it more trustworthy. 

It was Lee Jehee. He is a man who has created the future he wants by returning to the point where he can’t even understand how many times he has returned. This man was a person who would save Han Chorok even if he returned once more. Because he was the hero and the main character who took all the burden and saved this world.

Only then did I let go of Han Chorok’s hand, which I was desperately holding onto, and stepped back.

It was then that Baek Taera came closer. A silver light erupted from his body, his gray eyes turned red, and a long white cloak hung behind his back. On the cloak was written the Chinese character ‘life (命)’.

[Party member ‘Baek Taera’ opens the awakening attribute.]

[God, Hua Ta appeared]

[God, Hua Ta activates the awakening skill ‘God’s Vision Chapter 1 – Diagnosis’]

We were anxious and waited for Baek Taera’s diagnosis to end. After a while, the silver light surrounding Baek Taera’s body diminished, and the red eyes found the original gray color again.

The guy who swept his bushy pink hair with a tired face for a while opened his mouth with a serious face.

“He’s not dead. There’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s true that he fell asleep depending on the condition.”

The party member remained silent after learning that he wasn’t dead, but the news was not good enough. Even Baek Taera who had a heavy atmosphere shut his mouth and the silence sank around me.

In a situation where no one could speak easily, Lee Jehee was the first to speak up.

“For now, let’s stop clearing the dungeon here and go outside. I think we’ll have to wake up Han Chorok.” 

I thought it was the right decision. Now was the time to take a step back rather than rushing ahead with work. But unexpectedly, Hana shook her head. 

“If we all go out, the dungeon will be reset. There is no guarantee that the same boss will come out when we come back later. If it disappears without finding a way to wake Chorok up, we won’t find any clues.”

Hana said in a serious voice.

Come to think of it, it was the same in games. If you try to clear the dungeon and leave without defeating the boss, the dungeon will be reset.

As Hana said, there was no guarantee that the reset dungeon would be the same as it is now. Because it was a special situation where an S-class boss appeared in a C-class dungeon.

Lee Jehee looked at Hana silently. Likewise, when Hana, who had been silent with a thoughtful expression on her face, raised her head again, there was something like a determination on her face.

“I will stay in the dungeon. Go out and find a way to wake Chorok up. If you can’t find it, bring it back here. If we deal with the boss, Chorok will also wake up.”

The sharp eyes of life face the direction of the cave. Then Baek Taera, who was sitting opposite and quietly listening, shrugged and opened his mouth lightly.

“Then I’ll stay, too. You’re not going to stay in this weird dungeon without a healer, right Nuna?”

At Baek Taera’s words, Hana shows a hazy smile. That smile contained the belief that he knew it.

The two immediately turned their gazes to Lee Jehee as if asking for permission. There was a strong trust in those eyes. It was expected that Lee Jehee would wake up Han Chorok again somehow. Even if it wasn’t for that, it was the belief that he would deal with that monster.

A bond that not even me, an outsider, dares to intervene, is a strong bond between them.

“Okay. I’ll be right back, together with Chorok.” 

Hana and Baek Taera smiled broadly at the words.

I looked at them silently. Now, this place was no longer just a world in a game for me. It was a reality that could be dangerous at any time, so someone close to you could die.

My stomach churned as I covered my mouth with my palm in response to the reality. Then I slowly closed my eyes and opened them to face reality.

Leaving behind the worries of Kim Hana and Baek Taera, who were really left in the dungeon, I got into the car driven by Lee Jehee and came to his house.

Lee Jehee, holding Chorok who is as big as my height, carefully laid him on the empty guest room bed. There was nothing I could do about it, so I just watched, not knowing what to do next to him.

That didn’t mean there wasn’t anything to do. Lee Jehee asked me to watch Han Chorok’s condition, and then hurriedly left the house. He went to see if there was anyone who could help with the Nightmare data or the condition.

So after Lee Jehee left, there was a long period of silence in the house. The only sounds coming from the big house were my movements and Chorok’s small breathing.