[T/L: I'm changing the name "Guardian of the Gay-Like Dick" to "Guardian of the Gay Dick" and also the nickname "GGLD" to "Gekkosu."]
***
As soon as I woke up to the morning sunlight, I apologized to Min Ha-yeon.
"Haah… I'm sorry."
"Sorry? What's there to be sorry about when you're just drunk…."
The chatterbox, who had been watching my conversation with Min Ha-yeon, typed in disbelief.
└Guardian of the Gay Dick: Liars, lol.
"It's true that I fell asleep at the table because of me, right?"
"Huh!? Uh, yeah! It's not a big deal…"
By the time I woke up, Min Ha-yeon had already gotten up and completely hidden the crime scene.
She shamelessly sat at the dining table, pretending to wait for me.
I got up, straightened my clothes, and said.
"We should start preparing soon."
"Huh? Prepare for what?"
"We need to buy potion ingredients and make some in advance."
"Ah…"
Min Ha-yeon raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked at me.
I wondered if I had said something wrong and asked.
"Why?"
"No… Have you been getting up early and preparing all this time?"
"It's nothing much. Just some shopping and alchemy, that's all…"
I answered casually and left the inn with Min Ha-yeon.
"I'll stop by the herb shop and the potion shop first. Let's meet at the agreed spot later."
"…Alright."
Min Ha-yeon made a somewhat regretful expression but agreed and headed towards the hotel.
Min Ha-yeon probably had a rough idea that the opponent we'd be facing was different from the ones we'd fought before.
But she had no idea what kind of opponent it was…
She'd probably prepare quite a bit herself.
She might buy expensive arrows or exchange opinions with other party members in advance.
As I walked around, I noticed that other people were also bustling about, likely because it was the last day.
I stopped by the potion shop first.
'Anti-magic resistance potion… Let's buy some first.'
I thought about increasing my anti-magic resistance directly, but if things went wrong and I got caught in a regression, spending 10,000 Enels would feel like a waste.
Thinking that, I looked up at the shelf where the beginner's anti-magic resistance potion should have been…
'What the!? Why is it gone!'
The shelf greeted me with the word "Sold Out."
It seemed someone had bought the potion that usually guarded the shelf.
'What a madman… Why would anyone buy that…'
Aside from me, there shouldn't be anyone crazy enough to buy that potion.
When I came earlier, there were quite a few people saying they'd take down the boss since it was the last day.
It seemed someone had spent their entire fortune to buy it.
[Suho, why don't you try making the potion yourself?]
'Ah… That would be cheaper.'
But judging by the high price of the potion, it was likely to consume a lot of mana.
I checked the recipe for the [Beginner's Anti-Magic Resistance Potion] on the list.
=======
[Beginner's Anti-Magic Resistance Potion]
Blue Slime Core + Empty Vial
=======
I looked at the ingredients listed in the recipe and communicated.
'What's this? I've never seen this item before…'
[It seems to be a rare item that only drops from monsters, not sold in shops.]
'Damn… Can I make it with Enels?'
[Yes. It requires 1000 Enels.]
'Phew… Make one for me.'
I hurriedly made one beginner's anti-magic resistance potion.
'I don't have enough time to think about the blessing…'
[This time, let's be as careful as possible and think about the blessing after the regression.]
'That's a good idea.'
I agreed with Armonia.
There wasn't much time left, and if I got caught up in regression while overcomplicating things in such a short time, it would be even more troublesome.
Since it would take some time to get involved with Min Ha-yeon again after the regression, I decided to think about it then.
As I thought that, one regret came to mind.
'…Regression feels bad at times like this.'
[…? What do you mean?]
'I'll remember, but the other person will forget everything.'
It's only been a few days since I met and became close to Min Ha-yeon, but it's still hard to let go.
The thought of Min Ha-yeon, who had the NTL trait, disappearing and returning to being a cold woman wasn't something I could easily brush off.
It wasn't easy to calm my troubled heart.
[I understand how you feel. But if you keep in mind that there are better connections waiting for you, it might help you feel more at ease.]
'Yeah…. The others are important too.'
I forced a bitter smile and headed to the meeting spot.
***
"Ha-yeon, I have a favor to ask. If your boyfriend says anything to me, please bear with me."
I gave Min Ha-yeon a heads-up just in case.
Back when Min Ha-yeon saw me as just the fourth party member, it wouldn't have mattered, but now that we're closer, I was worried she might do something drastic given her personality.
If she made any strange bombshell statements to Han Yeo-reum, the next round could become very complicated.
"…Boyfriend?"
"…? I mean Han Yeo-reum."
"Ah… He's not my boyfriend."
Min Ha-yeon shook her head and smiled slyly.
"He won't be my boyfriend for much longer."
"…Are you breaking up?"
"Yeah!"
She laughed cheerfully, her voice and expression full of hope.
"I'm going to break up with him… I'm even thinking of kicking his thigh so hard his bone breaks."
"Hey… That's a bit…"
"Just kidding! Hehe…"
Min Ha-yeon giggled and playfully tapped my shoulder.
"But the breakup isn't a joke… I'm tired of him now…"
"…."
This wasn't exactly good news.
If Min Ha-yeon made any bombshell statements right now, the boss battle would be the least of our problems.
From the next regression onward, there was a high chance I wouldn't be able to join the same party as Han Yeo-reum.
If that happened, I wouldn't be able to figure out exactly when Han Yeo-reum would die…
And it would be harder to get involved with Min Ha-yeon.
I tried to persuade her.
"Ha-yeon, how about we talk about that later?"
"Why?"
"We're about to face the boss battle. Lives are at stake… I'm worried about a sudden breakup announcement…"
"…What, are you worried about Yeo-reum?"
Min Ha-yeon looked at me as if she couldn't understand.
But I understood myself.
'Not at all! I'm worried about myself.'
[….]
Of course, I had no intention of repeating what I said in the communication.
I played the role of a good guy.
"But you were party members. Even if things were bad, it's still sad."
"…Are you an idiot? Why are you so unnecessarily nice…"
Min Ha-yeon looked frustrated but seemed to understand.
"Sigh… Alright. I guess it's better to talk when we have more time."
"It's better for you too, so I thought it'd be good."
I subtly hinted that Han Yeo-reum might become a helpful person in the future, and if that happened, it could create a difficult situation for her.
Min Ha-yeon smiled and tapped my shoulder.
"Hehe… Are you worried about me?"
"Well, is there any reason not to be…"
"Hmm… I've changed my mind."
"Huh?"
"I'll break up with him right away."
Damn, what's with the sudden change…?
I made a dumbfounded expression and asked for the reason.
"Why?"
"It just doesn't make sense to do it for free."
"…? What do you mean?"
What kind of calculation? I didn't understand Min Ha-yeon's words at all, so I asked again.
"What do you mean? What calculation?"
"It's a loss to grant a favor without any conditions."
"…? Favor?"
"Yeah, you're asking me not to announce the breakup, right?"
"…."
Well, it is a favor…
I had no idea what she was thinking and could only stare blankly at Min Ha-yeon.
Min Ha-yeon, with a mischievous expression, said.
"If you grant me one favor, I'll postpone the breakup announcement."
"…? What favor?"
"I'll tell you after the boss battle."
"Hmm…"
I thought for a moment, then answered.
"Alright."
"Oh… Really? Do you know what I'm going to ask?"
"Well, it's your favor. It can't be anything weird."
"…Really?"
Min Ha-yeon met my eyes and stared at me seriously with sharp eyes.
I answered without much thought.
"Yeah, I'll grant any favor."
"…Great!"
Suddenly filled with motivation, Min Ha-yeon smiled brightly and took out her bow from her inventory to check its condition.
I looked at her and smiled weakly.
'You'll forget everything…'
[Don't worry too much. You can build a good relationship with Min Ha-yeon again.]
'Yeah, you're right.'
That's true.
But the problem is that those words don't resonate with me…
It didn't take long for the rest of the party members to gather after Min Ha-yeon and I waited.
...
...
...
"Hey, make some more potions."
"…That's the maximum."
Han Yeo-reum asked me to make more potions before entering the boss field.
I immediately made and gave him the potions, but Han Yeo-reum wasn't satisfied and kept pestering me to make more.
Min Ha-yeon frowned and made a face but remained quiet.
"What, you call that the maximum?"
Han Yeo-reum was looking at the 50 green potions I had made.
50 green potions were by no means a small amount.
I suppressed my irritation as much as possible and answered calmly.
"I can make more right now, but it's more efficient to provide additional potions as needed depending on the situation."
"Stop joking and just give them to me. You won't have the time to provide them like that anyway."
"…? Do you know about the boss?"
"…."
At my question, all the members turned their eyes to Han Yeo-reum.
The only two people here who knew about the boss were me and Han Yeo-reum.
No one in the village knew the boss's identity.
Because the system was set up so that if you either defeated the boss or were defeated by the boss, you would automatically leave the village.
If you defeated it, you'd leave the village earlier than others, and if you were defeated, you'd leave this world immediately…
But I could confidently say.
'It wasn't made to be defeated…'
[I also wonder what they were thinking when they made it.]
The boss was on a completely different level from the monsters roaming Zephyrum Village.
Its skills were almost cheat-like, and it had a resilient body that wouldn't die from a single hit from my slingshot.
'…Was it made to reduce the numbers?'
[…That's entirely possible.]
When summoned, about 500 people would come.
Those summoned would fight monsters in the village for seven days, burning with confidence.
Because it was too easy and relaxed.
Our party was no exception…
But would they really just focus on reducing the numbers?
I asked the chatterbox just in case.
"Hey, do you know anything about the boss?"
└Guardian of the Gay Dick: …I can't talk about that.
"Hmm…"
It's not that he won't.
He said he can't.
└Guardian of the Gay Dick: Important parts like the boss monster are off-limits. If I give even the slightest hint, I'll be penalized immediately.
"Ah… Thank you."
No wonder the guy, who seemed to have a loose tongue, had been quiet since earlier.
After finishing the conversation with the chatterbox, I looked at Han Yeo-reum again.
The other girls were making curious expressions, but Han Yeo-reum tried to brush it off with an awkward explanation.
"The boss monster definitely won't give us any time to rest."
"…That's true. Alright."
I made 25 more and handed out 5 green potions to each.
Han Yeo-reum looked at me suspiciously but didn't press further.
The start of the boss battle was simple.
Party members would place their hands on the crystal orb in the center of the colosseum, and they'd be transported to the forest where the boss appeared.
Only me and Han Yeo-reum knew what came after.
And only I knew the true nature of the boss monster's skill.
Han Yeo-reum definitely wouldn't know either.
Because time stopped the moment the paralysis wave was cast.
The people inside the colosseum were noisy.
Except for the first day, no one would have come here.
They wouldn't want to remember their heads exploding.
But today, it was packed.
Han Yeo-reum took out a small vial from his inventory and poured its contents into his mouth as he walked to the center of the colosseum.
"…?"
I wondered what it was, but I didn't care enough to pay attention and walked to the center.
When the six members reached the center, the noisy crowd quieted down and looked at us.
We were the first to go, so we stood out.
Han Yeo-reum lowered his voice and said.
"Let's go."
Everyone nervously placed their hands on the red crystal orb.
'Armonia, get ready. We need to warp as soon as the paralysis wave is cast.'
[I'll focus so I don't make any mistakes.]
'I'm counting on you…'
Armonia wouldn't make a mistake.
But this moment couldn't afford even the slightest error.
The moment my party members and I placed our hands on the crystal orb…
A bright light flashed, and I felt myself being transported somewhere.
***
"Is this… the place?"
"Yeah, it seems like it."
At Park Jin-hee's words, Han Yeo-reum looked up at the sky with a tense expression.
Armonia explained Han Yeo-reum's behavior.
[The boss monster will spawn in the air and descend in about 10 seconds.]
'Okay…'
Right now, Han Yeo-reum and the three beauties were grouped together, while Ha-yeon and I stood together.
Han Yeo-reum looked at me standing close to Min Ha-yeon, made an annoyed expression, and looked back at the sky.
'That idiot is staring too obviously…'
[….]
It's not like anyone would know we regressed because of that, but if it kept piling up, it would definitely look suspicious.
As I looked at Han Yeo-reum with pity…
Whoooosh!!!
Suddenly, six bee-like monsters the size of exercise balls descended from the sky, making helicopter-like sounds.
"Whoa… They're here!!"
"B-Bees?"
The three beauties were so scared by the sudden appearance of the bees that they couldn't even hold their weapons properly.
Min Ha-yeon was also startled by the bees kicking up dust, but she immediately drew her bowstring and said to me.
"Suho, get behind me."
"Okay. Ha-yeon, drink a potion quickly."
"Ah! Got it!"
Min Ha-yeon took out a beginner's Artemis potion and drank it immediately.
While the others were focused on the Shock Bees, I quickly drank the beginner's anti-amgic resistance potion.
As soon as I drank it, Armonia explained.
[In the 5th round, the paralysis wave was cast about 20 seconds later. Be careful.]
'Got it! I'll survive until then.'
The six Shock Bees, making helicopter propeller sounds, scanned their surroundings and immediately locked onto their targets.
Whoooosh!!!!
They headed straight for Han Yeo-reum and the three beauties.
"Damn it!!"
"Ahhh!!"
Han Yeo-reum and the three beauties were startled by the sudden appearance of the Shock Bees and were too busy running away in panic.
Meanwhile, Min Ha-yeon focused her shots on one of them.
Min Ha-yeon's bow, enhanced by the potion, was sharp and relentless.
Swish!
The arrow on her bow left without passing through my line of sight and directly hit one of the Shock Bees.
It definitely hit, but…
Crack!
The arrow shattered into pieces upon hitting the Shock Bee's body.
"What, what's this!? The arrows aren't working!"
And with Min Ha-yeon's shout, a scream echoed.
"Ahhh!! Aaaaaah!!!!!!"
A woman named Sun-hee, who had been wielding a sword, had her arm bitten off by a Shock Bee's jaw.
"…."
Everyone was terrified by the sight, including Min Ha-yeon.
'Damn it!! Hurry up and cast the paralysis wave!!'
At this point, even I couldn't stay calm.
But at that moment…
'Ah! Is it now?!'
[Yes! I'll get ready!]
I saw three Shock Bees landing on the ground.
They weren't landing all at once with their wings folded, but slowly descending.
And the moment the three of them slowly touched the ground…
Bzzzt!
With an electric crackling sound, a blue semicircle spread out from the ground.
The moment the blue semicircle spread, Min Ha-yeon froze.
The women froze, and the woman whose arm had been torn off while screaming froze.
And then…
"W-What is this!?"
"…."
[….]
Han Yeo-reum didn't freeze.
***
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