Chick 237
by Cristae237
Chapter The Vicious Cycle of a Grand Misunderstanding
“Groo, the car’s high off the ground, so let me carry you down.”
“Yes!”
The manager picked Groo up and set her on the ground.
“I’m fine,” Bailach protested, but the manager wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Groo watched as Bailach was lifted out of the van by the manager, then looked around the filming location.
‘No one can do anything…’
Actors and extras in zombie makeup sat huddled together.
The staff gathered here and there in small groups, their faces drawn with worry, while the director had left the area.
Not far from the set, the gate shimmered ominously.
If they didn’t clear it quickly, all these people were bound to go home empty-handed.
Witnessing it firsthand made the situation feel even more serious.
Groo caught Wooju’s eye and nodded.
As if struck by lightning, Wooju’s face tensed with a shiver, then he nodded vigorously up and down.
“Groo, restroom.”
Groo immediately set off for the portable toilet, accompanied by Bailach and Mephisto.
[Skill ‘The Dungeon is an Open Door’ activated.]
As Groo opened the door to the portable toilet, the sight that greeted her was not that of a restroom, but the interior of the dungeon.
Groo rummaged through her bag, pulled out her transformation stick, and stepped inside.
Kurrung—!
The sound of thunder gathering inside the clouds echoed around them.
“A thunder domain,” Bailach said, turning his eyes to stars and thoughtfully rubbing his chin.
“Could this be that creature’s territory?”
Having transformed into the counterfeit Sso and settled Luksipeur on her shoulder, Groo took in the ruined temple.
- That creature?
“If it is, things will be much easier.”
As Groo gave a puzzled look, she sensed the gaze of monsters from beyond the temple walls.
But there was nothing to fear. Thanks to Mephisto’s immunity to fear.
Groo met Mephisto’s eyes from atop her head and grinned; in response, Mephisto jabbed his beak at the air.
At that moment—
The thunderclouds hanging over the temple became fluffy, white clouds. The lightning that once crackled into the mist now bubbled like droplets. Up above, the weather-beaten sign on a tumbledown building was marked with the words “Bathhouse,” looking as if it might fall at any moment.
From behind a wall, a shivering monster peaked out—transformed into a bright red stuffed octopus.
- An octopus?!
As Groo exclaimed, Bailach explained,
“Because of Mephisto’s power, only you see it that way.”
- Ho… Mephisto, you possess an extraordinary ability.
“Pip pip pip!”
Mephisto pressed his wings to his stumpy waist and grinned triumphantly, aiming his look at Bailach.
His face oozed with the sneer of someone saying, ‘See how different you and I are.’
That little minion! Bailach clenched his fist.
‘Does Mephisto truly wish to become his master’s pet?’
After all, Mephisto had sealed Shea and even become an emperor. He was nothing short of the mightiest.
And yet, this one could reduce him to not only a lackey in body, but in heart as well.
‘What kind of master…’
As Bailach felt anew the weight of Groo’s extraordinary nature, his heart grew uneasy even as he thought, I don’t wish for that.
Mephisto’s mocking grin; the ceaseless praise lavished on his master…
As Groo laughed with Mephisto, petting the trembling octopus beside her, Bailach drew closer.
“…Nothing should happen with us here, but we should still be on guard. They’re not very bright, so you never know what they might try.”
He grabbed Groo’s teddy bear hand and pulled her closer. At the same time, monsters, sensing Bailach’s intimidating presence, fled at once.
- Oh, I see.
Bailach protectively drew Groo’s shoulder to his side, and when he saw Mephisto’s eyes tremble with fear, a cruel smile played on his lips.
This is where we stand. I am the master’s guardian; you, no matter how you struggle, are no more than a lackeyed pet.
No wonder you covet Seo Wooju, my prey as well.
Trying to gain power, to take on a human form.
Hmph! Bailach snorted.
Even I must watch the master’s moods for a small taste; what hope does a courtier like you have of ever eating Seo Wooju?
In power, in humanity, in the position of first guardian of Groo, it will all remain forever out of your reach!
At that unspoken challenge, Mephisto met Bailach’s eyes with a fierceness not seen before.
Sparks crackled in the air between them, marking the dawn of another battle.
Meanwhile, Groo looked up at the bathhouse sign, its clouds like steam, then stroked Luksipeur, who nuzzled her cheek, and asked,
- Bai, when are we going to practice the cradle?
“Oh, let’s head to the boss room first.”
Bailach pointed with his thumb toward the bathhouse building—the temple.
Groo nodded and pulled a bicycle from her inventory.
Creak—creak-creak—
The rusty old bicycle trundled toward the temple’s center.
The negotiations with the film company ended in a victory for the guild.
Leveraging every last bit of resistance, Blue Lagoon’s guildmaster, Kim Inhan, managed to extract four times the usual price. Standing before the gate, he gleefully pulled on his leather gloves.
“Alright, everyone, forget all the rest and run straight for the boss room. Let’s get this over with fast.”
“Huh? What about the loot?”
“Hey, we get two full raid attempts, two! If the client made this kind of promise, we can afford the service. Don’t be stingy, Blue Lagoon.”
At his words, laughter broke out among the team.
“Everyone checked your weapons?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Yup!”
“Let’s hurry up and get this over with~”
As he confirmed with each member, his eyes landed on someone unfamiliar.
“What’s this?”
“What is it, boss?”
“Ah… it’s just…”
Have we had this guy before? A strange face stood among the team. Tall, but certainly not someone you’d forget…
“What’s your name again?”
“Oh.”
As if practicing, the man worked his jaw mutely for a moment—
“Ah… Dominic. I’m Dominic.”
He barely got the words out.
“Ah, right, Dominic. I swear, my head’s turned to mush lately.”
He slapped his forehead hard with his palm.
Sure, Dominic. He was the new guy they’d taken in recently, wasn’t he?
But why had he been put on the first assault team? Was he just that capable?
He wasn’t the only one wondering. The other guild members also looked perplexed, but it seemed no one felt comfortable commenting on the new guy’s assignment—so said nothing at all.
“Alright, let’s go!”
In the end, they set off through the gate, heading deep into the dungeon, with Dominic smiling slyly behind.
Chzzzt—chzzzt!
A giant temple encircled by thunderclouds loomed ahead.
“Creepy.”
“…But where are all the mobs?”
Members peered around the eerily quiet surroundings in confusion.
“Yeah. It’s like someone’s already cleaned this place out.”
“That wouldn’t make sense.”
“Right, this was our bid dungeon.”
“Well, these things happen. Could be a good sign. Let’s just go straight to the boss. Follow me.”
Dash!
The guildmaster picked up speed, and his team followed close behind.
As they ran toward the temple’s central boss room, Kim Inhan’s eyes darted about.
‘Strange. Why aren’t any monsters appearing? As if something’s scaring them off…’
The other members, too, had fallen silent, the cheerful chatter replaced by wary glances.
“……”
Soon, they reached the area near the boss room effortlessly, and as the members checked their gear, they eyed each other cautiously.
Veterans all, they knew the monsters were not running from them.
Which meant there had to be something else here.
Just as they sharpened their focus—
Rumble—Kurrung!
Creak—creak-creak—
From beyond the thunderclouds, a skin-crawling sound emerged—a rusty hinge turning endlessly.
Everyone tensed and turned toward the source of the noise.
Guildmaster Kim Inhan broke the silence first.
“Mana…”
The team, recognizing his meaning, all nodded.
Whoever was making that hinge sound radiated enormous mana.
‘A-rank?’
No… You wouldn’t let loose so much mana unless you were confident.
‘Definitely S-rank.’
Gulp.
Here and there, the sound of nervous swallowing echoed—a sure sign the other party was S-rank.
To run into an S-rank Hunter in a dungeon by chance?
No way was this a simple mistake, and it could not mean anything good.
‘Was this arranged by the film company?’
Even as Kim Inhan wrestled with suspicion, the creaking grew nearer.
Creak—creak—creak—
What appeared first was a tiny teddy bear paw pedaling a bicycle.
Then, emerging slowly, came a pink teddy bear mascot.
Like the animals in Bremen Town Musicians, a hamster and a rabbit sat on its shoulders, and atop its head perched a fledgling bird.
Their appearance was so cute that tension melted away—but what followed was a dignified, mechanical voice.
- Greetings, nameless guild.
“……”
Counterfeit Sso?
A laugh rippled through the group—then they looked puzzled.
Wasn’t Counterfeit Sso production-type? What’s a production class doing here alone? And how did a production class have that much mana?
Questions swam among the guild members.
Counterfeit Sso spoke again, as if unfazed by the silence.
- Do not be afraid. I will take charge of this place!
The echoing voice filled the temple like someone speaking from the depths of a cave.
Rumble! Kwoom!
Thunder crashed inside the temple as the solemn declaration resounded: a clear statement of intent to seize the dungeon.
“……?”