Regression Guidelines For the Supporting Character - Chapter 47
Fortunately, the rift finally closed and disappeared after we defeated the S-class monster.
Seeing the clear sky brought a sigh of relief. My body was at its limit from the recent battle, and I didn’t think I could withstand a fourth wave.
A guild member, who had just finished handling the B-class monster group, approached and reported, “Guildmaster, we have finished dealing with the monsters you assigned us. A total of 19 B-class monsters.”
“What’s the damage?”
“We’re still assessing it.”
“Guildmaster, we have injured members. We need to call the Support team immediately.”
“I called the Support team before we set out. Have they not arrived yet?”
“Well… the roads are upturned and building debris is blocking the way, so they can’t get through.”
“The streetlights are down too, making it harder to find the way.”
“Now that it’s getting brighter, the darkness won’t be an issue. We should start clearing the debris blocking the road.”
“Guildmaster, the injured are in critical condition! They need immediate treatment!”
“Here too!”
Guild members who had been spread out started reporting in, one after another, surrounding Kwon Taehyeok. I stood up, looking at the scene.
‘I need to take this chance to escape.’
I couldn’t afford to sit idly either. As the guild member mentioned, the sky was quickly getting brighter. The battle that had started last night finally ended as morning broke. It was a huge relief that the rift closed before dawn. I shudder to think what might have happened if daylight had come while the battle raged.
Looking around, I spotted my hat, which had fallen off during the fight, rolling on the ground. Covered in dust, it was as dirty and tattered as I was. I had managed to keep my mask on, but couldn’t help losing the hat.
I dusted off the hat, put it back on, and slipped into a nearby building. My legs hurt, so I limped rather than ran, but Kwon Taehyeok, busy giving orders, didn’t notice me.
Avoiding others’ gazes, I managed to escape to the back of the building and let out a deep sigh. As I hid, a status window appeared.
《Warning! The Silver Protection (Class S) skill will soon be deactivated.》
《Silver Protection (Class S) skill deactivation in 3…》
《Silver Protection (Class S) skill deactivation in 2…》
《Silver Protection (Class S) skill deactivation in 1…》
《Hidden Skill: Silver Protection (Class S) [Deactivated]》
Crackle!
“Ugh…!”
As soon as the countdown ended, a jolt of electricity surged through me. The sharp pain made me grit my teeth and bend over, noticing the ground seemed much closer than before.
My clothes became loose, and the pain throughout my body grew sharper. Feeling my strength drain away, I cursed under my breath and leaned against the wall, collapsing.
Then, I heard it.
Screech, creak.
From the rubble in front of me came the sound of an insect’s cry. I quickly looked up to see a fleshy monster, one of those that had poured out of the rift earlier, emerging from the debris.
Screech, creak.
Its pitch-black eyes fixed on me. Its large mouth, eerily human-like, moved as if savoring a taste.
The energy emanating from the monster made my legs freeze in place. The pressure I felt now was overwhelmingly greater than when I had an S-class body.
‘Damn it…’
Sweat trickled down my temples and dropped to the ground. I tried to muster strength in my trembling hands to stand, but my body, pushed to its limits, and my fear weighed heavily on my shoulders.
The monster slowly closed the distance. It was cautious of my weapon for now, but soon it would realize how weak I really was. A Support left alone without a DPS was nothing but a weak prey.
“Huff, huff...” My breathing grew rough, as if someone were strangling me.
Kwon Taehyeok and his guild members were just beyond the building, but the monster wouldn’t let me escape that far. If I stood up, I would be devoured or killed by the monster before I could reach them.
Swinging the sword I held was my only slim chance of survival. At least the sword was of a higher grade than my current body.
As soon as I resolved to act, the monster, having sized me up, charged at insane speed.
Thud-thud-thud!
Its six thin arms moved like insect legs, rapidly closing the distance. The monster leaped, mouth agape. Its gaping maw revealed dozens of square teeth. Just as I recoiled in disgust and raised my sword to strike, there was a sudden sound.
Crunch!
A thick chunk of flesh was pierced, and black blood spurted like a fountain. The monster was impaled and killed just before it could devour my head.
It wasn’t my sword. I stared blankly at the dead monster, its mouth still open, and slowly lowered my gaze. A black spike that had pierced the monster’s center extended from the ground. More accurately, it extended from a shadow.
Following the shadow, my eyes found the figure standing across from me. Black hair fluttering in the wind, a small, pale face.
“Cha Sahyeon…?” I murmured in disbelief. Cha Sahyeon, expressionless, started walking toward me after hearing my voice.
As the child walked, he made a short motion with his hand, and the black spike that had impaled the monster retracted into the shadow. The monster’s corpse was also absorbed into the shadow, disappearing without a trace.
Cha Sahyeon approached me, his face displaying an almost comically detached expression. Strangely, seeing the child looking just as usual dissipated my tension.
“Ha…”
In reality, Cha Sahyeon was more dangerous than a B-class monster.
I knew this well, but I couldn’t stop my body from relaxing.
The child’s gentle green eyes just looked at me. He seemed worried, unable to speak, as if afraid I’d scold him for breaking a promise and following me.
Who was scared of whom? With his power, he could kill me faster than that monster.
‘In the previous timeline, that skill killed me…’
Not just me, but many others too.
Yet now… I was saved by it.
I felt a mix of frustration, humor, and relief. Smiling through what felt like tears, I reached out and pulled the child, who was still watching me nervously, closer. “Thanks to you, kid, I survived.” Since I was sitting, I could rest my head on the child’s shoulder.
Maybe that’s why I felt truly comforted by Cha Sahyeon. The warmth and gentle heat from his body were very reassuring to my cold and tired self.
“Did you come all this way to find me?”
Instead of scolding him, I hugged him and closed my eyes. After hesitating for a while, the child quietly answered, “…Yeah.”
It was hard to believe that I had been on the brink of death several times just moments ago. I felt so calm now that I wanted to go home with Cha Sahyeon. However…
Ding!
Unfortunately, I still had things to do.
Ding, ding!
The persistent sound of the notification made me open my eyes. Over the child’s shoulder, the annoying status window appeared.
[Main Quest: Survive the second rift. (Remaining time: 5 hours 50 minutes)]
You must hold out until the second rift that appeared in the sky over Ui-dong closes to prevent a catastrophic incident from repeating.
*Warning! If there are any casualties or injuries, the quest will be considered a failure.
《Current number of injured: 5》
‘The five injured must be members of Yesung Guild.’
The Yesung Guild members, who arrived following Kwon Taehyeok, helped evacuate civilians and dealt with monsters I hadn’t finished off. I owed them, and I also needed to complete the quest.
Swallowing a sigh and pushing against my aching legs, I spoke, “Kid, help me up.”
Cha Sahyeon grunted and supported me as I stood. He could have used his skills to help, but he chose to support me with his arms instead. I patted his head and looked around.
“Where did the monster corpse you killed go?” It must have been one the Yesung Guild members missed during the cleanup.
It was common to miss a few. After a rift opened, finding and finishing off hidden monsters was always necessary. This time, I had the bad luck of encountering one first.
Cha Sahyeon glanced at the spot where the monster had fallen and reluctantly replied, “…I just buried it underground.”
Buried it underground? Could Cha Sahyeon’s skills do that? It felt a bit unsettling, but I let it go without further questioning.
There was a lot to think about regarding Cha Sahyeon, but now wasn’t the time. First, I needed to save the injured and complete the quest.
I reopened the item shop.
[Main Quest: Survive the second rift. (Time remaining: 5 hours 47 minutes)]
Storyteller Lubai's Words
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Comments for chapter "Chapter 47"
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