I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 45

45.

Turning around at the sudden, intense gaze, Seo-ah saw one of the humans beside her drooling as he stared at the food. The human who had told them to eat was doing the same.

Seo-ah dipped a spoon into her bowl and held it out to the human next to her.

“Want some?”

Seeing this, Yang Tae-woo quickly offered his bowl to another human.

Drool dripped down their chins, and the two infected humans eagerly took the bowls and began to gulp down the contents.

“…Whew.”

It was fortunate that their instincts were overriding their reason.

“Glug.”

While they were burying their faces in the bowls, another human approached. It was the person Seo-ah had made eye contact with earlier.

He didn’t say anything but gestured for them to follow. Seo-ah and Yang Tae-woo exchanged glances and cautiously got up to follow him.

Then, the man said very quietly.

“You’re going to see the boss. Try to please him. Then you might survive a few more days.”

“Are you not infected?”

“There are a few more like me. If we’re useful and loyal, he sometimes lets us live. I don’t know how long that will last, though.”

“Why do you live under a monster? Why don’t you escape?”

“Escape? Do you know where this is? A very deep cave underwater. Besides, every passage out is swarming with strong monsters. It’s impossible for someone like me anyway.”

Then Yang Tae-woo interjected.

“What kind of guy is the boss?”

“The boss is also a parasite. I’ve never seen its true form; it’s currently using a human as a host. Don’t think of it like the other infected humans. You’ll probably understand when you see it, but it’s quite gruesome. It’s also intelligent.”

“…Parasites are always gruesome.”

At those words, the man’s expression subtly hardened. But he quickly lowered his voice, signaling a warning.

“Shhh. Guards are coming.”

Clack, clack, clack-

A sound like metal scraping echoed rhythmically. Seo-ah swallowed nervously. Yang Tae-woo seemed to be checking his body here and there.

If necessary, they had to hit something and run.

However, seeing the approaching figures, Seo-ah quickly abandoned that idea.

[Infected Scorpion] The sight of four scorpions marching in formation made her body stiffen involuntarily.

“Kieeeeek!”

As the scorpion screeched, the man gestured for them to come quickly.

Thus, they moved surrounded from all sides. If they even slightly turned their heads, the scorpions immediately threatened with their stingers. These creatures seemed to have some intelligence as well.

‘More precisely, it’s not the scorpions but the infecting parasites that are intelligent.’

The air here was constantly humid, and an unknown stench lingered. That stench intensified as they approached the boss’s lair.

“…Ugh.”

It was only when it became unbearable without plugging their noses that they arrived at the boss’s lair.

“Kieeeeek!”

The four scorpions screeched horribly at the same time. Seo-ah felt the hairs on her body stand on end.

Yang Tae-woo was completely covering his ears with both hands. Before entering the boss’s lair, Seo-ah cast [Fighting] and [Love Yourself] on both herself and Yang Tae-woo, just in case.

“Grrrr…”

“Ugh, sa, save me….”

Thud!

The scene that greeted them was horrific.

Various monsters were tearing apart the body of a fainted human. The scorpions around Seo-ah also joined the feeding frenzy.

While Seo-ah’s body stiffened, Yang Tae-woo subtly cast a healing skill on her. When Seo-ah turned around, Yang Tae-woo coughed, averting his eyes.

Yang Tae-woo didn’t seem to be greatly affected, perhaps because of his high mental fortitude or because he had been a hunter for a long time.

Receiving the healing skill slightly eased the tension in her body. The mental damage wasn’t completely resolved, but it was definitely better. She hadn’t realized that healing skills had such an effect.

“You… you came from the outside world.”

The man’s eyes gleamed with interest. But there was no time to answer. They were already close to the being the man had called the boss.

“Quickly… kneel first.”

The man said, naturally kneeling. But his shoulders were also trembling.

“Kieeeek.”

The human sitting on the chair on the central platform must be the host. With disheveled long hair and wearing something like an old crown, it looked much more grotesque than the other infected humans.

Only the whites of its eyes were visible, and thin tentacles wriggled from its mouth, ears, and nostrils.

There seemed to be more than just one or two.

Its size was considerable. It was hard to tell if that bulk was from the original host or because it was filled with parasites.

Seo-ah calmly activated ‘State Checker’.

‘Huh…?’

Looking at Yang Tae-woo, his gaze seemed to indicate that he saw the same thing as Seo-ah.

Then, the parasitic monster in human form spoke.

“Wel…come. You… *kark* [a mild curse], are the new humans…”

The boss monster haltingly spoke human words through a human mouth. It was a gruesome voice, as if multiple beings were speaking at once.

Then, a system window appeared in front of Seo-ah.

[Skill ‘Gentle Sunlight’ is activated!]

‘Huh…?’

Why is this suddenly popping up?

“Krrr, female… excellent….”

It seemed to have attracted attention in a worse way.

One of the tentacles wriggling in its mouth stretched out. Just as the tip was about to touch Seo-ah, she flinched and stepped back.

Then, the monster’s expression twisted grotesquely. Just as the tentacle was about to attack, the man who had brought them blocked Seo-ah.

“These ones are not for eating. I’ll give you more food, so please be patient.”

“Hun…gry, krrr.”

The boss contorted its face, then quickly turned away.

“Whew… we’ve gotten past one hurdle for now. Follow me.”

Park Seo-ah and Yang Tae-woo exchanged glances and followed the man.

They went out through the passage they had entered. They encountered some infected monsters in the passage, but they didn’t attack Seo-ah’s group.

The monsters were carving stone walls. This deep and complex cave must have been carved by these monsters.

Those monsters were all infected as well. And there were also severely injured individuals. They continued to carve the stone walls with their broken legs and pincers, creaking and groaning.

Just because they were monsters didn’t mean they didn’t feel pain.

“…….”

Seo-ah watched the monsters, continuing to follow the man.

In the meantime, they heard human voices from somewhere deeper inside.

“Water, please give me some water…!”

“What are you going to do to us!”

Surprised, Seo-ah stopped walking, and the man turned around. He had a gloomy expression.

“They are… members of my tribe who were captured together.”

“Le, let go!”

Then, a woman was seen being dragged from the inside by two infected human hosts, struggling.

Seo-ah didn’t know why, but she felt compelled to act.

Seo-ah quickly approached, grabbed the woman’s arm, and repeatedly hit the hands of the human hosts with her Bbyong Hammer. [A whimsical or cartoonish weapon.]

It didn’t work with just one hit, so she hit them two or three times before the infected humans retreated. They growled threateningly but didn’t directly attack Seo-ah.

“Hunter Yang Tae-woo!”

“Ugh, really.”

Yang Tae-woo grumbled and went to Seo-ah’s side, casting a healing skill on the woman.

“…You are.”

“Are you okay?”

The woman looked back and forth between Yang Tae-woo and Seo-ah, barely opening her mouth.

“Who… are you?”

“How many uninfected people are inside?”

The woman’s expression gradually clouded as she estimated the number. Her voice was tinged with tears.

“About… fifty. Originally, there were over a hundred, but one by one, they disappeared… sob….”

Then the man who had guided them approached.

“Why did you save her?”

“Because a person doesn’t just stand by and watch someone in danger.”

“…That’s a person.”

The man’s expression became strange. Seo-ah subtly avoided the man’s gaze and suddenly lowered her body.

The man’s feet were indescribably damaged, one side bleeding profusely and the other on the verge of rotting.

Seo-ah cast a healing skill on his feet and looked up at the man.

“Yes, that’s a person. So I have to save the trapped people.”

Even though his feet were being healed, the man didn’t show much reaction, as if it were someone else’s business.

“It’s impossible. I know you have special abilities, but it doesn’t seem like you have any combat skills… how do you plan to get through those monsters?”

“…….”

“Parasites are very greedy creatures. They never let go of what they’ve targeted.”

“…I see. Anyway, I want to see if the people are safe. Can you take us there?”

“That’s not difficult. It’s where you have to go anyway.”

“…….”

Seo-ah supported the woman and followed the man. Yang Tae-woo, who had been walking quietly, suddenly opened his mouth as if curious.

“How did you gain the parasite boss’s trust?”

“It’s not trust. It’s just that I’m useful, so he’s keeping me alive a little longer.”

“What use are you?”

“I happened to gain the ability to communicate with monsters. The boss wants to raise humans, not just kill them, so he needs me.”

“…I see.”

As they went deeper inside, there were indeed people locked in several iron cages, just as the man had said.

Of course, their appearance was miserable. Most of them were sitting with empty eyes, devoid of hope, but there was still a clear difference from the eyes of the infected humans.