I Became The Rankers’ Number One Pick [EN]: Chapter 99

99.

Yoo Ji-an surfaced, holding Seo-ah, and gently set her down on the ground.

“Hah, cough, cough.”

Like a cicada clinging to an old tree, Seo-ah clung to Yoo Ji-an, gasping for breath.

Yoo Ji-an didn’t immediately release Seo-ah, holding her even tighter. As if wanting to reconfirm she was alive, Yoo Ji-an remained like that for a moment.

Quietly held in his arms, Seo-ah slowly caught her breath and cautiously looked around.

“Haa, uh… just a moment ago, uh? Where did they go?”

The black mages and skeleton soldiers that had filled the lake’s surroundings were nowhere to be seen.

“Park Seo-ah.”

Yoo Ji-an slowly helped Seo-ah stand. Seo-ah held onto Yoo Ji-an’s arm for support, placing her feet firmly on the ground. Fortunately, the feeling in her legs had returned.

“Seo-ah.”

It was the first time he had called her by her given name alone, and Seo-ah looked at Yoo Ji-an with a slightly surprised expression.

Yoo Ji-an then pointed to one side of the wall with his characteristic calm demeanor.

“It suits you, but those clothes are a bit uncomfortable here.”

“Ah… yes.”

She understood immediately what he meant and wholeheartedly agreed. The water-soaked dress was heavy and cumbersome, useless for fighting or running away.

“I’ll keep watch, so hurry and change.”

There was obviously no screen or anything in this situation. She had no choice but to trust Yoo Ji-an, who had turned his back.

Nodding, Seo-ah moved to the wall and quickly began to take off the heavy dress.

The water-soaked fabric clung to her skin, making it difficult, but there was no time to dawdle. Almost tearing it off, she quickly took out her own clothes and squeezed into them.

Even while doing so, Seo-ah glanced at the back of Yoo Ji-an’s head.

‘Come to think of it… just now, underwater.’

It wasn’t a mistake. Their lips had definitely touched.

‘That’s usually a ki… no way.’

Seo-ah stopped changing and unconsciously touched her lips, then quickly lowered her hand, startled by the thought that had crossed her mind.

‘That was strictly CPR for survival, nothing more, nothing less.’

Even as she thought that, the scene from before kept replaying in her mind. Seo-ah shook her head and finished putting her arm through the sleeve of her top.

Fortunately, she wasn’t deeply poisoned by the drug, so she didn’t have much trouble moving.

“I’m done changing.”

At Seo-ah’s words, Yoo Ji-an glanced back. Her eyes were drawn to the slightly damp ends of his hair.

Hunter combat uniforms were generally waterproof and didn’t get wet, but his hair was unavoidable.

Seeing his moist skin under his wet hair and the firmly closed lips beneath, Seo-ah quickly looked away.

“So, um. What do we do now? This seems to be a black mage’s lair. There were a lot of skeletons earlier… and that black mage knew we were from another world. He said there were others who came before us…”

As she spoke, Seo-ah regained her sense of reality and looked at Yoo Ji-an with a serious expression.

Then, she suddenly noticed that his right eye was subtly gold. Had it always been like that?

“Uh? Your… eyes…”

Yoo Ji-an gently grabbed Seo-ah’s shoulders and met her eyes.

His handsome face suddenly approaching, the incident underwater flashed through her mind again, but she tried to pull herself together. She also felt like she was the only one who cared about that ki… CPR.

“How do my eyes look right now?”

At Yoo Ji-an’s words, Seo-ah carefully examined his eyes again.

“They’re black… but there’s a slight golden color inside your right eye. Why is it like this?”

“If both eyes change color, don’t look back and run away.”

“Yes?”

“It’s stabilizing now, but… I don’t know how much power that guy has stored up.”

The last words were almost a soliloquy [speaking one’s thoughts aloud when alone].

“Let’s go.”

Yoo Ji-an gently grabbed Seo-ah’s wrist and slowly began to move inward.

Even though she must be curious about the reason to run away, Seo-ah silently followed where he led.

It was probably Seo-ah’s unique consideration.

The spot where Seo-ah’s wrist and hand touched suddenly bothered him. Her skin was too soft, and he was careful because it felt like it would break if he used the wrong amount of force.

But he couldn’t let go.

He never wanted to create a situation where he lost Park Seo-ah again and she was in danger.

As Yoo Ji-an walked with Park Seo-ah, he felt the rampaging energy within him gradually stabilizing.

There had been signs of it since he jumped into the water after using the skill [Explosion]. Perhaps the anxiety that Seo-ah was in danger had brought the rampage forward faster than usual.

Then, after finding Seo-ah in the water and confirming that she was still alive, it rapidly stabilized.

‘I can’t be 100% sure yet, but.’

His guess that Seo-ah was the key to controlling his rampage seemed to be somewhat correct.

[※ If you fail to activate the title ‘Annihilator (Locked)’ within the period, you will die. (D-832)]

It had been quite a while since he met Park Seo-ah, but the countdown was still in progress.

If that (Locked) disappeared and he properly became the ‘Annihilator,’ he would no longer rampage.

However, Yoo Ji-an only knew that Park Seo-ah was related to the rampage, but he didn’t know exactly how to unlock it.

Originally, his initial plan was to cause a real rampage and test her usefulness.

To stop the end of the world and face that guy on the final battlefield, he had to become the complete ‘Annihilator.’

Back when he signed a contract with her at the Hunter Association, he hadn’t given much consideration to Seo-ah’s safety.

‘But.’

If his expectations were wrong, or if the situation went differently and he failed to control the rampage.

‘Park Seo-ah might die.’

Just the thought of that now darkened his mind.

Yoo Ji-an, who had been walking, stopped and turned to look at Seo-ah. Seo-ah also stopped and stared at Yoo Ji-an.

They were clear, pretty eyes.

“Why?”

“How is your locked position doing?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I’m currently carrying out a mission.”

“Is it going well?”

At that question, Seo-ah smiled ambiguously.

“It would be nice if it was going well…”

“Is there anything I can help with?”

Seo-ah seemed to have something to say, her lips moving, but she shook her head. It seemed she couldn’t say it.

Looking at Seo-ah like that, Yoo Ji-an suddenly thought.

Her position being locked and his title being locked. Could there be some connection?

But what was more important than that right now was still one thing.

“Don’t forget what I said earlier. Even if it’s not this time.”

“What? Earlier… about running away?”

“Yes. It’s a sign of rampage.”

“Ram…page. Then what happens?”

“I become a monster who has lost his mind.”

Yoo Ji-an said calmly and started walking again.

“……”

Seo-ah followed, but this time she didn’t answer his words.

At the point where the dense tree roots on both walls gradually disappeared and turned into stone and dirt walls, Yoo Ji-an stopped as if he had found something.

Of course, Seo-ah couldn’t see or feel it.

“You said that there were others who came from another world before us.”

“Yes, a hundred years ago. But it seems they all became skeleton soldiers of the black mage.”

“If so… then it’s been at least a hundred years since then.”

“When was that?”

Yoo Ji-an didn’t answer and turned to look at Seo-ah.

“Park Seo-ah.”

“Yes.”

“Are you confident in your running?”

“…Uh, I don’t know.”

After becoming an E-rank Hunter, her strength and agility had reached 20, making her much faster than before. But it would be a bit much to say she was confident in front of an S-rank Hunter.

“If you go straight ahead, there’s an exit. An exit to the surface.”

“Do I have to run?”

“Yes, run straight to the exit. Never look back.”

At those words, Seo-ah felt uneasy.

“What’s in front? And what about you, Hunter Yoo Ji-an?”

“After you leave, I’ll sweep away those guys and then leave.”

“Alone?”

“What difference does it make if you’re here?”

There wasn’t much to say in response. She was an E-rank, and she would definitely be more of a hindrance.

“Okay. But… be careful.”

Seo-ah gave Yoo Ji-an all the buff skills she could. It was all she could do, so she hoped it would be of some help.

“If you want me to be safe…”

Yoo Ji-an muttered, taking out Ruin Blade and holding it in his hand.

“Don’t get hurt.”

“Yes?”

“It’s coming.”

With Yoo Ji-an’s short warning, that unpleasant voice was heard again.

【It seems another one has been caught. In my trap.】

Screech, screech –

The ominous shadow of a bat grew in size, filling the walls.

Without the actual form being visible, only the sound of flapping wings flew from all directions.

Yoo Ji-an whispered lowly to Seo-ah, who was about to flinch.

“It’s an illusion, don’t be fooled.”

At that, Seo-ah widened her eyes. Certainly, that guy had an excellent ability to exploit the opponent’s psychology.

But Seo-ah thought Yoo Ji-an next to her was even more amazing.

‘How does this person know and see through everything like this.’

Before she could even be curious, she heard the sound of footsteps coming in perfect formation, and numerous skeleton soldiers appeared.