I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 227

227.

The moment Seo-ah jumped, Yoo Ji-ahn swung Ruin Blade horizontally, cutting down all the enemies in front of him. In that brief opening, he spread his arms wide and safely caught Seo-ah, setting her down gently on the ground.

“Ah, thank you.”

“You really don’t listen.”

Even so, he seemed somewhat displeased.

“The important part starts now, right?”

Seo-ah said, fixing her gaze on the gate and gripping Yoo Ji-ahn’s arm tightly, as if nervous. Yoo Ji-ahn moved her behind him protectively.

“Stay behind me.”

Seo-ah obediently went behind Yoo Ji-ahn and quietly stared at his back.

‘…This is…’

Scratches were visible through the small tears in his clothes.

Because the area where he stood was the most intense, even the healers hadn’t been able to reach him yet.

Seo-ah gently placed her hand on Yoo Ji-ahn’s back and used her recovery skill. She felt Yoo Ji-ahn’s back muscles twitch and then relax.

The black hole within the gate emitted an ominous aura but remained still. The monsters that had already emerged were being dealt with by the hunters one by one, and the battlefield briefly entered a lull.

Tap.

Seo-ah turned her head at the familiar presence beside her.

“Eun-hee unnie [older sister/term of endearment for a close female friend]. Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Baek Eun-hee also looked exhausted from the fierce battle, but she didn’t seem to be seriously injured, which relieved Seo-ah.

Seeing Seo-ah’s urgent question, Baek Eun-hee smiled brightly.

“As expected, Seo-ah is the only one who worries about me. I’m fine. Is our Seo-ah hurt anywhere?”

“I’m okay. I kept looking for you, but I couldn’t find you…”

As she said that, Seo-ah grabbed Baek Eun-hee’s hand and cast all three of her buff skills on her. Because Baek Eun-hee was so agile and elusive, there weren’t many opportunities to find her and give her buffs.

Surprised by the sudden buffs, Baek Eun-hee widened her eyes slightly and smiled.

“Ah, thank you. You’re the best, Seo-ah. You’ve become even more amazing than before?”

To be honest, she was a little dizzy, but she pushed herself harder because it was Baek Eun-hee. She gave Baek Eun-hee all three buffs at 60% for a full hour.

Her mana was depleted because of it, but it didn’t matter. As long as Baek Eun-hee was safe until the end, it wasn’t a waste at all. Seo-ah quickly emptied a Maker’s mana potion.

Meanwhile, other familiar S-class hunters gathered around Seo-ah.

Hunters from Korea, including Song Jin-ah, Choi Eun-gyeol, and Cha Tae-woon, as well as foreign hunters like Jackson, Ruben, Mila, and Bacello, were also visible.

Seeing them all together was somehow reassuring. The anxiety she had felt earlier had eased considerably.

Song Jin-ah approached and placed her hand on Seo-ah’s shoulder.

“I’m okay… Ah?”

“Okay? Your energy is depleted.”

She hadn’t realized it, but as soon as she received the recovery skill, she felt her body, which had been aching and creaking, return to normal.

“Thank you.”

“We need to be a little more alert.”

Song Jin-ah held her twin swords in both hands again and looked inside the gate with fierce eyes.

Finally, the ends of the S-class monster’s tentacles began to appear little by little. The hunters immediately took a combat stance.

They all stood in a circle around her, as if protecting Seo-ah, and stared at the black hole in the gate.

As the black area grew larger and the surrounding red vortex almost disappeared, Yoo Ji-ahn jumped up at a speed that was invisible to the eye.

“Be careful!”

Kwang!

Something collided with Yoo Ji-ahn’s raised Ruin Blade, causing a tremendous explosion. On closer inspection, it was a long, clawed tentacle.

Even after being blocked by Yoo Ji-ahn, it relentlessly aimed for something. The number of tentacles, which had initially been one, became dozens and flew towards them.

It was the moment when the hunters each dodged them and unleashed their attacks. Several tentacles that had been moving individually suddenly flew in unison towards one direction.

“Seo-ah!”

Baek Eun-hee shouted urgently and threw herself forward, pushing Seo-ah away forcefully.

At the same time, several tentacles stretched out to where Seo-ah had been, piercing Baek Eun-hee’s shoulder and chest.

Thwack!

“Kuh.”

Baek Eun-hee’s body staggered from the strong impact, and her legs gradually lost strength.

“Unnie!”

Seo-ah, who had flown far away and fallen to the ground, jumped up and tried to go to Baek Eun-hee.

“Don’t come! That bastard is aiming for…”

Thud.

Baek Eun-hee, who had been trying to hold on, collapsed on the spot without finishing her sentence.

The tentacles that had slashed through her body wriggled and flew back towards the bloodied Baek Eun-hee. If left alone, Baek Eun-hee would die.

Moreover, the other hunters were unable to move because they were dealing with their own enemies.

“No… way.”

She couldn’t let Baek Eun-hee die.

Just before the tentacles reached Baek Eun-hee, Seo-ah used [Time Stop]. And at the same time, she used [Teleport] to pull Baek Eun-hee out of there.

Seo-ah’s magic could only stop time for about 2 seconds, but that was enough.

As soon as she [Teleported] Baek Eun-hee to the back, the spot was deeply gouged out by the tentacles.

Kwaang!

And the tentacle was soon torn to shreds by Wang Cheon-yu’s chains that flew in.

“Unnie, unnie…!”

Seo-ah immediately poured Maker’s potion on the unconscious Baek Eun-hee. The potion flowed, wiping away the blood and filling the outer wounds, but Baek Eun-hee still didn’t regain consciousness. The tentacle’s attack just now had been too fatal.

Seo-ah urgently used her recovery skill, but it was woefully inadequate. She desperately raised her head and looked for a healer.

“Someone, please…”

The S-class hunters, including Song Jin-ah, seemed too busy supporting the battlefield to notice. Seo-ah could clearly feel Baek Eun-hee’s breath fading.

“No, unnie, please…”

At that moment, as Seo-ah’s voice trembled, someone came and sat beside her.

“Hunter Jose!”

It was Jose, the A-class healer from the American team. Jose had joined late and found Seo-ah and Baek Eun-hee, approaching them.

“I hope I’m not too late.”

Watching Jose use his recovery skill, Seo-ah placed her hand on Jose’s back and cast [Love Yourself] at 100%.

She felt her mana drain away in an instant, and her vision flickered, but Seo-ah didn’t care. Right now, Baek Eun-hee was more important than herself. Baek Eun-hee had ended up like this while saving Seo-ah. She had to save her no matter what.

Kwaruru- Kwang! Kwaaaang!

Explosions were constantly heard in front of the gate. She was very concerned about that side as well. Everyone was continuing their difficult battle. Seo-ah listened intently, wondering if there would be more casualties or if Yoo Ji-ahn would get hurt, but she didn’t take her eyes off Baek Eun-hee and Jose.

How long had it been?

“Cough!”

“…Unnie!”

Baek Eun-hee turned over and vomited blood. She coughed laboriously, but Seo-ah could feel Baek Eun-hee’s consciousness gradually returning. Seo-ah finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seo-ah quickly handed the highest-grade potion she had received from Maker to Jose.

“Please give this to unnie. I have to go back.”

“To that place… you mean?”

Jose looked at the battlefield with a terrified expression. Only half of the S-class monster had emerged from the gate yet. But even that was incredibly powerful.

Dozens of deadly tentacles moved, targeting and piercing through in an instant.

The monster was huge, very fast, and even seemed intelligent. It casually brushed aside the attacks of tanks and melee dealers, and targeted ranged dealers, mages, and healers first.

Seo-ah squeezed her eyes shut at the sight of two healers being pierced at the same time. They were unlucky enough to have their hearts pierced directly, so there was no chance of recovery like Baek Eun-hee.

And the dealers, in the meantime, separated and attacked and destroyed the tentacles one by one.

Thanks to them, many tentacles were destroyed, but there were still many left. The battlefield was so chaotic with flashing magic attacks and flashes of light that it was impossible to even open one’s eyes.

The worst part was that it wasn’t the only one. The shadows that were faintly visible behind the tentacle monster, waiting for their turn, were chilling.

“Yes, I have to go.”

Seo-ah was also afraid. But they must be afraid too. Seo-ah had to go and soothe that fear even a little with [Silent Night].

“Please take care of unnie. And stay in a safe place because I’ll have to bring more injured people here.”

There had to be at least one unharmed healer in the back. Jose nodded while treating Baek Eun-hee.

“Seo-ah.”

Baek Eun-hee struggled to lift her head and looked at Seo-ah, and Seo-ah smiled brightly as she met her eyes.

“I’ll be back, unnie. Please recover quickly.”

Baek Eun-hee stiffened her lips and nodded. Watching her, Seo-ah drank the potion to the fullest and threw herself back into the battlefield.