The Support Ate it All

Chapter 74: No.104 Black Death (6)

I quickly darted to the side.

Crash!

Three black streaks of energy had just slashed through the spot where I had been standing.

As I stepped back again, the Black Death Clan leader clenched the empty air in front of him.

When he pointed at me with his index finger in that state, it seemed as though his finger stretched out before sending a force hurtling toward me.

Realizing that capturing me directly was impossible, he has since resorted to pursuing me while simultaneously launching long-range attacks.

These distant attacks were highly toxic due to the nature of the martial arts that the Black Death clan leader practiced.

As those poisonous energy attacks kept falling in the wrong places, the area gradually became saturated with venom which transformed the land into a desolate wasteland.

Deep craters dotted the landscape with black puddles forming and acrid smoke billowing upwards.

For the time being, not a single blade of grass would grow in this vicinity.

Even after wreaking such havoc, the Black Death Clan leader hadnt even grazed my clothes which seemed to frustrate him slightly.

You possess exceptional agility, I must admit. However, Im puzzled. The Flame Emperor is known for his fierce and vicious martial arts, yet how can his disciple be so frivolous?

Ive told you, Im not his disciple.

So I was hopping around like a grasshopper after all.

Just as I was about to leap again, like a grasshopper, the voice of Shin Byeong-cheol came through the communication device plugged into my ear.

Its over. Were moving to the safe zone.

Great. See you there.

The eyebrows of the Black Death Clan leader furrowed.

He had realized that my earlier words were part of a conversation with someone else.

And then the implication that I didnt come here alone dawned on him.

.Could it be?

Youre not very quick, huh?

He was only now realizing it was a pincer movement. In truth, my constant annoying presence and provocation played a big part in this.

After all, when people get heated, they tend to think less clearly.

Well then, I suppose its time for me to be on my way.

You dont seriously think Ill let you go, do you?

You cant catch me anyway. Take care.

I bid him farewell and swiftly turned to run.

The Black Death Clan leader pursued me fiercely with full killing intent.

Stop right there!

Of course, I was just pretending to run away.

Although I had the advantage in speed, the Black Death Clan leader was not slow by any means. To truly gain distance, I needed to shake him off decisively.

After a short sprint, I suddenly spun around and charged towards the Black Death Clan leader.

Shallow tricks!

The Black Death Clan leader frantically clawed at the air and a dark energy formed a massive net before enveloping everything in its path.

I kicked off the ground and moved diagonally, then kicked the ground again and arrived in front of the Black Death Clan leader.

His eyes could not fully catch up with my speed so it would have seemed as if I had jumped through space.

Just before the Black Death Clan leader could react, a fist enveloped in flames was thrust forward.

[Activate Amplification]

[The rank of Inferno Fist increased. (C->A)]

[Inferno Fist]

[Wind Force]

Kaboooooooom!

A flamestorm that was several times more powerful than any I had previously conjured, surged forward and engulfed everything in its path.

The figure of the Black Death Clan leader was soon obscured and was swallowed up by the raging flames.

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Ouch.

I felt a stinging pain in my fist and looked down to find faint burn marks etched into my skin.

When I brought it close to my nose, I could detect a slight acrid smell.

After I amplified the already penalty-heavy skill, it was clear that even my S-grade elemental resistance couldnt completely nullify the damage.

But I bet hes still not dead.

That was the terrifying thing about the Black Death Clan leader.

He had performed dark rituals on the young people of the region which made his life force unnaturally strong.

The silver lining was,

If I dont fight, thats the end of it.

There was no pressing need to defeat the Black Death Clan leader now.

After I momentarily incapacitated him with an A-grade Inferno Fist, this was my chance to escape.

I pushed my [Thiefs Step] to the limit and started sprinting with all my might.

At the beginning of the battle, the members of the Black Death Clan had tightly surrounded us. However, their ranks had become somewhat disorganized due to the Black Death Clan leader spreading poison in all directions.

Bang!

I pushed one of the lower-ranking warriors away with Wind Force, grabbed another, and hurled him into a nearby poison puddle as I continued my escape.

Stop right there!!!

The Black Death Clan leader bellowed from behind.

Look at that; hes already recovered.

But would you stand your ground in my place?

I didnt look back and kept running at full speed.

Nope, not fighting anymore. Ill leave and never come back; let them chase me for all eternity.

Theyll probably comb the area thoroughly after weve escaped the dungeon. If they still cant find us, its going to frustrate them to no end.

They can take out their frustrations on the swordsmanship club later, where they can find plenty of people with swords.

When I finally left the streets behind and entered an abandoned house, Go Hyeon-woo and Shin Byeong-chul were waiting for me.

Kim-hyung.

Oh, you made it back quickly?

I rushed over as soon as I received the message so there wasnt much of a time difference between my arrival and that of the other two.

In the midst of this, Go Hyeon-woo looked somewhat pale.

Given his skills, it was unlikely that he had struggled against the elite warriors so something else must have happened.

Did you encounter White Snake?

Yes, I did.

Talk about bad luck. Youve had it rough.

They had stumbled upon the hidden boss against all odds.

Fortunately, it seemed that Go Hyeon-woo had navigated the situation well and followed the strategy we had discussed.

It was a good thing I had mentioned how to deal with such event just in case.

Though Shin Byeong-chul had used up his treasured high potion to soothe Go Hyeon-woos internal injuries, the damage taken was so severe that it looked like it would take a day or two of rest for him to recover properly.

You need to get to the infirmary. Lets head out.

Shin Byeong-chul promptly took out a scroll he had stored away.

[Emergency Escape Scroll (B)]

When the scroll was torn in half, the magic inscribed within it was released, and the spell manifested.

The air churned wildly and then as if a transparent hand was forcibly twisting it open, a gap appeared in the air.

We stepped into the emergency escape portal one by one.

***

Just as we emerged and the depths landscape began to come into view, a dark shadow abruptly engulfed us.

We flinched for a moment but quickly grasped the situation and remained silent.

Dang Gyu-young had been waiting outside and, upon seeing us, immediately stowed us away in the [Shadow Pouch].

Swaying within the confines of the pouch, we waited briefly until we were spat out, and our vision returned to normal.

The first faces I saw were those of Dang Gyu-young and Chae Da-bin, and looking around, I realized we were near the boundary between C-rank dungeons and the depths.

Dang Gyu-young peered into my face and asked.

How was it? The Black Death dungeon.

No major issues. We grabbed everything we could and got out.

Ha, I told you our junior-nim was a real talent. Who would believe a first-year took down a B-rank dungeon? Theyd say its nonsense.

Next, Dang Gyu-young and Chae Da-bins gazes shifted toward Shin Byeong-chul.

Any gifts?

Any snacks?

Uh um

Shin Byeong-chul blinked in confusion before he understood and smiled sheepishly.

It seemed he hadnt thought about it until then.

In his defense, it was his first experience in a dungeon in the depths and he was likely filled with tension. Besides, he didnt have time to wander around to buy anything.

A minor request like bringing back a gift could easily slip ones mind.

Of course, thats his side of the story.

Whether Dang Gyu-young and Chae Da-bin would be understanding was another matter entirely.

Although their request might have been made half-heartedly, it wasnt a huge request, so wouldnt it feel like they were ignored if he didnt bring a piece of candy?

Especially if he had completely forgotten.

The two womens eyes grew progressively colder.

Feeling a sense of crisis, Shin Byeong-chul desperately looked around for help with a plea in his eyes.

Help! Help!

Just as Dang Gyu-youngs hand was about to grasp Shin Byeong-chuls short hair, I gave an exaggerated reaction as if I had just remembered it.

Thats right. You left with these me, here you go.

Compared to Go Hyeon-woo and Shin Byeong-cheol, I had more freedom of movement and I had a good understanding of where various stalls were located, so it wasnt difficult for me to take a moment to buy a few local specialties.

[Spicy and Sweet Jerky]

[Volcanic Explosion Jerky]

Beef jerky that was sold only in the market streets near the Black Death clan.

It was a famous dish that has become famous among enthusiasts because of its unique seasoning.

There were even third-year students who participated in the Black Death dungeon just for this.

As I handed over the bundles of jerky, the expressions on Dang Gyu-young and Chae Da-bins faces softened.

You bought it? I thought Byeong-chul might have just let my words go in one ear and out the other. I would have felt disappointed.

Ill enjoy this.

Hey, Noonims. How could I not do at least this much for you? Hehehe.

Shin Byeong-chul smiled humbly and rubbed his hands together.

Surviving in the club as a freshman was proving to be challenging.

Meanwhile, Dang Gyu-young and Chae Da-bin took the lead and had a conversation of their own.

Should we start with one on the way up? Which flavor do you want to try first?

Lets go with the spicy and sweet one. I heard the volcanic explosion is no joke.

While the two seniors were distracted by the jerky, Shin Byeong-chul slipped away to quietly thank me.

With a grateful yet somewhat exaggerated expression, he said,

Goodness, Hyug-nims sense is just outstanding. Ill be sure to follow and trust you from now on.

This settles the high potion debt.

Thats a bit

Not happy? Then lets tell them the truth.

Deal.

It was a miraculous exchange rate: a few bundles of jerky for a high potion.

I made sure to prevent any future complaints about the use of an expensive high potion by nipping the issue in the bud.

When I think about it now, the deal wasnt so bad for Shin Byeong-chul too.

If I hadnt acted, Dang Gyu-young might have ended up pulling his hair out. So, sacrificing a potion to save his hair might actually have been a good deal.

***

The journey upwards was as smooth as the descent had been.

Dang Gyu-young led the way by sending out shadow butterflies as scouts, with Chae Da-bin and Shin Byeong-chul contributing along the way.

It would have been nice if the journey continued without issues, but

Like the time Go Hyun-woo encountered White Snake, luck was not on our side today.

Around the E floor,

Dang Gyu-young suddenly flinched and frowned.

Damn, weve been caught.

It seemed something unusual had snagged the attention of the scouts she had sent out.

Chae Da-bin asked,

Who is it? A teacher?

Looks like Kwak Seung-jae.

Perhaps she decided that it was already too late to flee, so she took no further action.

Instead, she quickly coordinated her story with the first-year students.

Listen, we just came down to have a look at the underground area. We havent touched any of the dungeons. Okay?

Yes, senior-nim.

Rumble, rumble, rumble

After we stood still and waited for a few seconds, a wooden door suddenly emerged from the ground.

The door opened and the person who walked out was, as expected, Kwak Seung-jae.

He bowed slightly to Dang Gyu-young.

Hello, senior-nim.

Hello, Seung-jae.

I found this on the D floor and came to check it out.

Kwak Seung-jae lifted a wooden cage.

Inside the cage, a couple of trapped shadow butterflies were fluttering their wings.

There were only a small number of people with the right aptitude to use Shadow Magic, and the level of difficulty to master it was high, so very few people were able to master it properly.

And those who had honed [Shadow Butterfly Flight] to use them as scouts were likely few within Dragon Slayer Academy and could probably be counted on one hand.

Therefore, the shadow butterflies were very likely conjured by Dang Gyu-young.

Moreover, sending out scouts was akin to announcing ones involvement in questionable activities.

If they were merely descending for a dungeon raid, encountering anyone should not have been a concern.

Following this line of thought, Kwak Seung-jae immediately tracked down Dang Gyu-young upon detecting the shadow butterflies.

His suspicion was spot-on.

His gaze swept over me, Go Hyun-woo, and Shin Byung-chul in turn.

Being first-years caught wandering the underground levels left no room for excuses.

Kwak Seung-jae offered to everyone,

Please accompany me to the student disciplinary committee room for a moment.

Lets do that then.

The reason Dang Gyu-yeong didnt put up any resistance even though she could easily overpower Kwak Seung-jae was because this was the dungeon building.

The slightest disturbance would attract the staff stationed throughout the premises and the patrolling students to converge on this spot.

It was likely that someone was already waiting near the exit by now.

She calculated that it was better to go along for the ride than to try to make things bigger than they needed to be.

Kwak Seung-jae seemed to be aware that we couldnt hastily act and turned his back to us without much wariness.

After closing the wooden door and casting a spell for a brief moment, he reopened it.

The view beyond the door had transformed into the student disciplinary committee room.

Please come in.