That Face Is the Problem - Chapter 18.2
“I need something with a bigger volume.”
“A large object! We need to put a large object inside the cake!”
Jae-gyeong shouted as loudly as he could. He did not know if his voice could be heard outside, so he had no choice but to repeat the same words louder and louder.
“We need to put a large object inside!”
Soon, a giant doll plunged into the cake. It was a stuffed doll roughly the same size as Jae-gyeong.
‘A cat doll…?’
It was a relief that it was not a hard or pointed object. Even more surprising, as soon as the doll settled inside the cake, it began to grow.
‘Ah, now I understand why I asked them to put in a large object.’
Watching the cut section refill with cream, he realized the monster’s properties had been detected from outside. This must be part of a magical effect. Probably one of Ye-jin’s skills.
Jae-gyeong hugged the cat doll like a life preserver. As the doll grew, the cream and sponge inside the cake shifted violently. Finally, the doll’s height exceeded that of the cake.
As soon as it emerged outside the cake, Jae-gyeong deactivated the protective shield and drew in air.
“Phew, phew…”
“Jeong Jae-gyeong Hunter! Are you okay?”
“Jae-gyeong, come down here quickly!”
The worried shouts of the team reached him from below. Jae-gyeong squeezed the last of his strength into flapping his wings. Pieces of sticky cream and sponge fell from his massive wings.
If this had been the boss monster earlier, it would have used its limbs to drag him back, but now it focused only on filling the empty space of its own body with cream. It was almost as if it were programmed that way.
Jae-gyeong landed safely beside his team. His remaining mana was about fifteen percent. It was close, but not yet critical.
He spoke rapidly, explaining the insights he had gained while inside the boss.
“The boss seems to be the type that swallows hunters to suffocate them, and it has a skill that infinitely regenerates with cream. The cake’s shape remains the same, but the cream continuously forms, which seems to be the skill’s effect. The only way to survive inside is to fill the space with a large object to block regeneration, and the only way to defeat the boss is to destroy the magic stone directly. I could not see a magic stone from the center while I was inside.”
“Okay, understood. Thank you, Jae-gyeong. Let’s get some healing… wait a moment.”
Hee-ro, who had been patting Jae-gyeong’s shoulder, suddenly stiffened. He looked over several of the areas where Jae-gyeong had been injured and spoke in a stern voice.
“Jae-gyeong, did you use the skill that takes on pain?”
“Eh? Ah… yes…”
“Why? Why did you use it without telling us? Your body must be in terrible condition right now.”
“Well… I wanted to help…”
“How does sacrificing yourself help in this situation?”
Hee-ro asked coldly, then gestured to the other team members. Jae-gyeong realized they were looking at him with concern, as if asking why he went so far.
“I… I’m sorry…”
Hee-ro was right. Even though it was an S-rank dungeon, no one was seriously injured yet. There was no need for Jae-gyeong to force himself to take on pain. Still, he had overexerted himself partly to prove his abilities and partly because he wanted to help Da-sol. In fact, the latter reason was stronger. It was a foolishly childish motive.
“Do not do that again. In our guild, no one wants a teammate to take on pain for them. If you use such a skill, it must only be in situations that truly require it and with the team’s consent. Understood?”
“Yes…”
Hee-ro spoke firmly, then flew along the water currents to the top of the cake. Ye-jin followed, using flight magic to bring Ri-na with her to the cake’s upper surface. The boss was still focused on regenerating itself and ignored the hunters.
“You will learn to take better care of yourself, Jeong Jae-gyeong Hunter.”
Jin Jeong-eon said. But before Jae-gyeong could respond, Seo Da-sol walked over and spoke bluntly.
“You are not just desperate to show off, are you?”
He glanced down at Jae-gyeong, his expression clearly saying, I do not trust whatever you do.
No… that’s not it. I just wanted to help and make Da-sol’s work easier…
Feeling unfairly accused, Jae-gyeong moved his lips to respond, but Da-sol sat right next to him, and he lost the chance to explain.
“Where are you hurt? Show me.”
“Ah…”
To show the injuries, Jae-gyeong would have to remove his clothes. Practically his entire body was in pain.
Thanks to Jae-gyeong, the healer Da-sol was able to conserve mana during this dungeon run. Team members who normally needed healing were not approaching Da-sol this time.
Realizing this, Da-sol’s pride was slightly bruised, and he seemed annoyed. Jae-gyeong just shook his head.
“Just replenish some mana for me, and I’ll be grateful.”
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