I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 250

Side Story 5

Clang, clang, clang!

Park Seo-ah, Dwarf Number 8, went to work at the mine with her brothers the next day as well.

They mainly found iron ore, but very occasionally, they would also find magic crystals.

‘Yes! Jackpot.’

She secretly moved the magic crystals into her inventory, planning to give them to the Maker later.

“Let’s go a bit deeper inside today.”

At Number 1’s suggestion, the seven dwarves silently followed him deeper into the cave.

“Huh? The light’s out?”

She wondered if it was always this dark, but it seemed the lantern they had set up had gone out. Instead, Numbers 3 and 4 lit torches to illuminate the surroundings, and when the dwarves saw the cave ceiling, they cried out.

“Bats, huge bats!”

It seemed the lantern had been broken by the bats. Seo-ah also looked up at the ceiling covered in giant bats. The dwarves probably just saw them as bats, but Seo-ah saw something different.

[Giant Bats] were magical creatures.

Kieeeeek-

The dwarves fell one by one from the bats’ sonic attack. The sound echoed inside the cave, leaving them no chance to escape.

Among them, only Dwarf Number 8, Seo-ah, stood there, wincing with her ears covered. Seo-ah looked at the fallen dwarves and took out her [Bbyong Hammer].

“It’s a relief that they’re all just knocked out….”

She wouldn’t need to show them her fighting skills and arouse suspicion.

Perhaps finding it strange that Seo-ah wasn’t falling, the bat tilted its head and looked at Seo-ah. Then, its bright red eyes flashed as it launched another sonic attack.

Kieeeek!

“Ugh, that sound is really awful.”

When Seo-ah didn’t fall even after two attacks, the bat spread its wings wide. With its wings spread, it looked even bigger than the dwarves.

Seo-ah glared at the bat flying straight at her and firmly gripped her [Bbyong Hammer]. Then, after casting a buff skill, she jumped up at the right moment and slammed the hammer down on the bat’s head.

Kick! Kkweeeek!

Seo-ah swung the Bbyong Hammer at the bat lying on the ground one more time, and the bat’s movements stopped.

[You have defeated the magical creature ‘Giant Bat’!]

The [Giant Bat] disappeared, leaving behind [Bat Wings] as an item.

As she reached out to pick it up, she suddenly heard a thunderous sound from somewhere. Feeling uneasy, Seo-ah looked up.

‘This is, no way.’

The ground was shaking. The cave ceiling was cracking, and pieces of stone were falling.

The cave was collapsing.

“Ah, no.”

Seo-ah quickly got up and looked at the fallen dwarves. With her small body, she could only carry a maximum of two at a time.

But there wouldn’t be enough time to save them all one by one. Still, she had to save at least one.

She hurriedly tried to grab the back of one of the dwarves’ necks, but now, instead of stone dust, large rocks were falling down.

“Ugh!”

Seo-ah was almost hit by a rock.

‘What should I do? What should I do?’

Seo-ah’s skills were all skills that shone when there were hunters around. If she had known this would happen, she would have copied a defense skill.

“Ah, right!”

Seo-ah quickly used the [Clone] skill. It was a skill she had obtained while using [Genie of the Lamp] on Wang Cheon-yu. Instantly, seven more Dwarf Seo-ahs appeared.

“Carry the dwarves and get out!”

Each Seo-ah Dwarf was about to take one dwarf and head outside when the ceiling in front of Seo-ah cracked open.

Bang!

A huge rock was about to collapse. Seo-ah was about to use [Time Stop] when it happened.

The rock stopped in mid-air. The movements of the avatars and the flickering torch also stopped. Everything except Seo-ah had stopped.

‘Time Stop?’

Seo-ah had only thought about using it, but hadn’t activated the skill yet. There was only one other person who could stop time besides Seo-ah.

Seo-ah looked towards the cave entrance.

A beautiful woman with a pale face, her dress fluttering, ran in. She held up the falling rock with her hands.

‘Snow, Snow White?’

The [Time Stop] skill was released.

“Hurry and get out.”

Snapping out of it at the quiet voice, Seo-ah and the avatars carried the dwarves out of the cave.

After everyone was safely out, the mine collapsed with a loud rumbling sound.

“Y-, You, Snow White!”

Strangely, her real name wouldn’t come out. It seemed she couldn’t call her that until the story was over.

The mine completely collapsed, and a cloud of dust rose. And through it, the beautiful Snow White walked out.

“Snow White…!”

Seo-ah ran towards her, trying to hug Snow White’s skirt, but Snow White suddenly grabbed the back of Seo-ah’s neck and lifted her up to her eye level.

“Whoa!”

“Who are you?”

Seo-ah stared straight at Yoo Ji-an, no, Snow White, with wide eyes.

“I’m….”

The words Park Seo-ah still wouldn’t come out. Still, to treat a person like an object like this.

Instead of answering, Seo-ah took out her [Bbyong Hammer].

“……”

As if that was enough, Snow White, her expression softening, suddenly hugged Seo-ah and looked her over.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Seo-ah nodded and reached out to his face, gently touching his cheek.

“Seriously… look at that porcelain skin. There’s a reason she’s Snow White. But doing that… as a Hunter. Isn’t the dress uncomfortable?”

Seo-ah ended up giggling.

Snow White, as if speechless, walked towards the fallen dwarves with Seo-ah in her arms.

“It is uncomfortable. That’s why we need to finish this fairy tale quickly so I can get out of this godforsaken place.”

Yoo Ji-an seemed very dissatisfied with her role. For Seo-ah, it was a new side of her, so it was quite fun.

“We have to. What do we do now?”

“What else? We have to wake them up.”

Kwaruru, Kwang!

Flash-!

Snow White boldly struck all seven fallen dwarves with lightning at once.

“Kyaa! What if they die!”

“They won’t die. And I was being very gentle.”

How could someone survive being struck by lightning, even if it was gentle? But as she said, the dwarves really did start to get up one by one.

“Ugh….”

Some of them had smoke coming from their heads, but they generally looked fine. Number 7, sitting up and looking around, pointed at Seo-ah in Snow White’s arms and shouted.

“The youngest! It’s Number 8!”

Flustered, Seo-ah struggled and jumped out of Snow White’s arms.

Number 7, even though he was a child himself, stood in front of Number 8 and looked up at Snow White.

“Who are you! Why were you holding our youngest?”

One of Snow White’s eyebrows twitched. Before something could happen, Seo-ah quickly pulled Number 7’s shoulder.

“She saved us!”

At that moment, the other dwarves who had come to their senses also approached and began to chatter.

“Saved us?”

“Look! The mine collapsed!”

“Does that mean we don’t have to work anymore?”

“If we don’t work, we’ll starve to death!”

“I don’t want to starve to death!”

“But is that woman a princess?”

It was chaotic with child voices all talking at once.

“She’s Snow White!”

Seo-ah, pushed to the back, shouted loudly.

“Snow White?”

“Wow, she’s a princess!”

“She has nowhere to go, let’s take her home! She saved us!”

Some nodded at Number 8 Seo-ah’s jumping and shouting, but Numbers 1 and 2 were cautiously thinking.

“But we don’t even know how we’re going to make a living since the mine collapsed.”

“That’s right, letting someone who isn’t our brother into our house is a bit….”

Then Numbers 5 and 6 chimed in.

“But! She’s our benefactor!”

“She’s a beautiful princess!”

Snow White, who had been silent, stared down at Numbers 1 and 2 before opening her mouth.

“You don’t have to give me food. I’ll hunt for you instead.”

“The princess will hunt?”

“Awesome!”

“Does that mean we’re eating meat?”

The dwarves, except for Numbers 1 and 2, clapped. Among them, Number 8 Seo-ah clapped the loudest.

Numbers 1 and 2, swept up in the atmosphere, had no choice but to agree.

“Okay, Princess. You are welcome to our humble home.”

“I don’t know if it’ll be okay since the house is small.”

The dwarves walked ahead one by one in order of their numbers. Seo-ah was at the very end of the dwarves, with Snow White following behind.

As she walked, Seo-ah turned around and winked, waving her hand. Snow White’s fair and white hand lightly ruffled Seo-ah’s hair.