Chapter 383

"[Chain Hold]." Lim Jisoo unfurled her hand and activated a skill of her own to block Eunji's impending nuclear warhead. She summoned lavender-colored magic circles.

Long chains soon emerged from within the two circles floating opposite each other and began to wrap around the warhead; Eunji's skill was blown up before it could even reach the ground.

"[Buster Cannon]!" Bang Eunji used a different skill, targeting Lim Jisoo's head this time, as if she had expected that result. However, her attack failed to breach the Mage's last shield layer.

Seeing that, Woo Ragi shoved me towards Choi Kyung-sik. I almost fell to the ground from his forceful push, so I immediately glared at Woo Ragi. But, the swordsman was none the wiser-he was already rushing at Lim Jisoo.

"Wow! Choi Lee-kyung-ssi, are you alright?"

"...I'm alright."

Considering Woo Ragi's personality, it would have been weirder for him to be considerate. I retreated with Choi Kyung-sik's support, careful not to stumble. And, once again, I looked at the cage that contained Garam-ie.

In the short time that passed, Garam-ie's [Dummy] had been crushed flat-like a car slated for destruction in a junkyard. I didn't know if Garam was still in that [Dummy], but the body showed no signs of movement.

Holding onto Choi Kyung-sik's arm, I asked, "Is the magic that is powering the cage nearby?"

Choi Kyung-sik seemed to have read what was in my mind. He nodded, "Yes. The circuit is probably buried under the cage."

"Choi Kyung-sik-ssi will probably be able to find it, right?"

"I've already found its location. Destroying it might take a considerable amount of time, though."

I felt conflicted-I was almost killed by the system's penalty when I dual-summoned Ragi and Dawon. Could my body withstand it if I summoned Choi Kyung-sik at this moment?

'Ah?'

However soon, I realized that Dawon's summon limit had already long passed. In other words, the only servant I currently had summoned was Woo Ragi.

'Then, my bleeding didn't stop because of the potion, but because...'

The bleeding must have stopped as soon as Dawon's summons was lifted.

Gathering my thoughts, I asked Choi Kyung-sik, "Where is it?"

"If you dig about a meter below the cage, you'll be able to see the circuit."

"Can Choi Kyung-sik-ssi break the circuit?"

At the question, Choi Kyung-sik peered at me as if he was trying to gauge my intentions. However, soon, he answered truthfully, "It'll take me more than an hour to do it alone. I'm a non-combatant."

The Alchemist showed no signs of shame.

So, pointing to Bang Eunji, I asked once more, "What about Eunji?"

"It'll probably take her less than thirty minutes. However, that'd be difficult right now since she's in the middle of battle."

Since she was locked in combat with Lim Jisoo, it would take much more time.

I thought of summoning Garam-ie, who was stuck in the cage, but then I thought better of it. He wouldn't be able to do much while trapped. Then, I recalled the absent Kim Olim, "Where is Kim Olim?"

"As far as I understand, she's on the opposite side, trying to secure a retreat route..."

"Would it be good to summon her?"

"I don't know. Olim-ssi isn't specialized in destroying facilities or installations either."

Just then-

As soon as Choi Kyung-sik finished speaking, the Holy Mother statue he was controlling came to a clunking stop and began to rattle. Ominously-and alarmingly-I heard the sound of the circuit recovering and kicking into gear.

"Choi Kyung-sik-ssi, do you perhaps... have a potion that can prevent bleeding?"

Choi Kyung-sik looked aggrieved at my hurried question. His expression turned stern-he immediately noticed my motive behind this question. "Don't do anything reckless."

"I'd love to, but... This is necessary. I can't be a burden."

Bang Eunji and Woo Ragi were currently drawing aggro and keeping Lim Jisoo and her subordinates in check, so we were relatively safe. However, if the Holy Mother statue started to move again, it would be difficult for Choi Kyung-sik-ssi to protect me by himself.

Choi Kyung-sik frowned momentarily before shaking his head, "Choi Lee-kyung-ssi, stop trying to do something strange. Your body is already brittle and at a point where potions aren't effective anymore."

At those words, the distant Woo Ragi shot a terrifying glare towards us. I don't know how he had heard our conversation, but he was clearly warning me.

However, I didn't want to be surrounded and caught by these statues nor did I want to be pushed back by Lim Jisoo. "Don't you have a medicine that can temporarily stop bleeding?" I asked again.

Choi Kyung-sik opened his mouth wordlessly before pulling a small medicine bottle out of his embrace as if he had no other choice. However, he hesitated to hand it over.

In a hurry, I snatched the bottle out of his hands.

Immediately, Woo Ragi adopted a displeased expression before swiftly beheading two of Lim Jisoo's approaching subordinates. Then, he started running towards me at breakneck speed; he was probably trying to stop whatever I was trying to do.

"...There's no water, so just chew and swallow it," Choi Kyung-sik sighed deeply.

I chewed the pill straight away.

'Huh...?'

However... Strangely, as soon as I chewed on the pill, my knees suddenly buckled. Choi Kyung-sik caught me. Puzzled, I tried to ask him 'What is this?' but...

"Unnghhaeeeaooo?" Strange noises came out of my mouth. Additionally, there was no strength left in my body.

Simultaneously, I saw Woo Ragi fly in and painfully grip Choi Kyung-sik's shoulder, "Are you insane? What did you feed Choi Lee-kyung?"

"He kept trying to make a fuss, so I just gave him a paralytic drug to keep him still."

"Haah... Fuck. He really knows how to make me damn worried."

It was only then that I realized that Choi Kyung-sik had deceived me; though I was angry, I couldn't say anything as my lips wouldn't move properly.

Choi Kyung-sik patted me on the back when I floundered. Then, as if to soothe me, he said, "Choi Lee-kyung-ssi, just focus on living. Why do you think I would make such an expensive piece of junk like these dummies?"

"......"

"They were designed to reduce the burden on the Necromancer."

I felt an indescribable complex mix of emotions-anger at being deceived and something else. However, Choi Kyung-sik merely clicked his tongue and fed me another potion.

Woo Ragi stayed until that point, observing me all the while, and finally left. I tried to push away the potion that was being forced into my throat, but the sweet potion gently permeated into my dry throat.

Then, Choi Kyung-sik lifted his foot and tapped the ground a couple of times. From that point, the ground began to shake as if an earthquake had erupted. The ground beneath the statues began to sink.

I couldn't take my eyes off the soil, which now looked like a bubbling, boiling liquid. One by one, the Holy Mother statues began to be buried alive. They collapsed like bowling pins, were covered in soil, and, soon after a few crackling, crunching sounds, they completely disappeared from view.

With his simple action, Choi Kyung-sik took the statues out of combat. He pushed up his glasses and looked down at me imperiously, "No matter how much of a non-combatant Alchemist I may be...And even if I've demolished my golem..."

"......"

"I can do this much, hm? Ragi-ssi and Eunji entrusted me with you."

"......"

Choi Kyung-sik tamped down on my defiance in one sentence. He lifted me effortlessly and walked towards the cage where Garam-ie was trapped.

Although there were occasional skills attacking us, Choi Kyung-sik responded by mixing and throwing alchemical bombs and other such concoctions from his inventory. Furthermore, Eunji and Woo Ragi moved closer to us, defending against Lim Jisoo and her subordinates while assisting the Alchemist's movements.

Moreover, after Bang Eunji killed three of Lim Jisoo's subordinates in one attack, the distance between us and the enemies had widened. Now, it looked as if Lim Jisoo was on the defensive.

'But... I'm still worried about her expression...'

Despite the seemingly favorable momentum, my mind kept returning to Lim Jisoo's relaxed and leisurely expression and to the corners of her lips that kept rising.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Choi Kyung-sik. Her confident face-the exact same face that appeared on the day she murdered Dawon-was traumatic. If I couldn't do anything, I might end up like Dawon-ie, who watched his guild members die right before his eyes..

"Choi Lee-kyung-ssi." Choi Kyung-sik grabbed my fingertips, which had been shaking involuntarily. His touch allowed me to distance myself from this almost pathological fear.

After the Alchemist waved off this ominous feeling, he lightly shook my body. Then, he made a cruel promise, "You'll be the only one that survives this day. Don't worry."

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TL: That last sentence? Kinda hot.