CSAAC CH 06

Chapter 6

“When did you even grab that?”

The scorpion monsters were dealt with surprisingly quickly.

Every time Lee Eunhyun touched down to pick up the fallen Hunters, I reached out and grabbed any unbroken healing potions I could find. Without saying a word, I poured them over the unconscious Hunters.

My hands were busy, but my mind was racing.

“Please save me.”

That was the only conclusion I could come to in this situation.

After treating the Hunters as best as I could, I dropped to my knees in front of him.

But his expression immediately turned uncomfortable, and he pulled me up.

“What are you doing? I don’t think I’ve acted threatening. Please stand.”

“I’m asking you to keep me alive until we get out of this dungeon.”

“Ah.”

I must have begged too bluntly.

He finally understood and brushed the sand off my knees, nodding.

“Of course I’ll save you. We’re going to be allies from now on, aren’t we? We should help each other.”

“….”

Allies?

What could I possibly offer him?

Is he making fun of me?

“Is there something you want from me?”

With just a flick of his finger, he could probably snap my neck. What could he want? Maybe something related to my job as a civil servant? But I’m not in a position to grant national-level support. I just record Awakening ranks.

“I thought we already talked about that yesterday. Didn’t you say you’d help me?”

Yesterday, I thought he was insane.

Now, it sounded different.

He seemed aware that the Hunters might wake up soon, so unlike yesterday, he didn’t reveal everything openly. Instead, he lifted a finger to his lips.

As if that could hide anything at this point.

Whether he really regressed or not, it was clear his Awakening rank was at least A-class.

He defeated multiple A-rank monsters without a scratch.

Maybe he really was S-rank.

“You look very guarded. That’s a little sad. Today was an accident. I won’t drag you into dungeons every time just to ask for help. You’re a civilian, after all.”

“Then why tell a civilian your secret? You must want something.”

The Hunters still weren’t waking up.

Lee Eunhyun hoisted them over his shoulders like stacked luggage.

Naturally, I picked up the remaining bags.

This time, he didn’t tell me to throw them away.

I quietly opened one, checking if there was anything I could use as a weapon.

Just because someone strong is here doesn’t mean I should let my guard down completely.

“Use that. It’s a gun that works inside dungeons. Easy to use. Doesn’t require Awakening power.”

“Thank you.”

Even with grown men stacked over his shoulders, he looked calm.

He pointed to a handgun slightly bigger than my palm.

I tucked it into my waist, closed the bag, and slung it over my shoulder.

Then he started walking.

It was an endless desert with no clear direction, yet he moved as if he already knew the way.

As if he had been here before.

“You’ve cleared this dungeon before, haven’t you?”

“Oh? So you believe me?”

“I have eyes. I saw what just happened.”

“I could still be lying for some other reason.”

He said that casually, but when I glanced at him, his eyes were dark and serious.

As if he was testing me.

So he’s not acting blindly.

“I trust my instincts. And right now, you don’t seem like you’re lying. You saved me, too. So I’ll believe you for now.”

“Good instincts, huh? You were pretty quick for someone without Awakening.”

Didn’t he just say I was slow?

I pressed my lips together, and this time his eyes curved into a gentle smile.

The atmosphere shifted instantly.

“This is new. I’ve never revealed this much so early before. Even when I told close acquaintances, they just treated me like I was crazy. No one believed me so easily.”

One of the Hunters slung over his shoulder groaned.

He was starting to wake up.

But the desert still stretched endlessly.

Even though I walked calmly, my neck and shoulders were stiff with tension, expecting the ground to erupt again.

“I think you do have evidence. The problem is how you talk. If you jump straight to the conclusion without explaining, of course people think you’re crazy.”

“Is that so?”

Honestly, I don’t even know what kind of conversation we’re having.

At first, I was just going along with his story.

But as we talked, I started wondering—

What if he really did regress?

It sounds like fantasy.

But so did gates and dungeons decades ago.

“I’m a bit impatient. I wasn’t like this before. But after repeating things over and over, sometimes my patience wears thin.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Could you at least frown a little when you say that? You don’t look unfortunate at all.”

Why should I care?

Right now, what matters isn’t whether he regressed seven times.

It’s surviving this dungeon.

“My goal, like I said yesterday, is a peaceful world. And maybe regaining a stable life for myself.”

“Great. Then start that noble journey by making sure I get out alive.”

“We’ll be out soon. Don’t worry. Actually, I was thinking of changing my approach this time. Instead of doing everything alone, maybe I’ll ask for help. And I think you’re the perfect person.”

“You picked wrong. I have no abilities.”

How long do we have to walk?

Just as I felt my throat going dry, a beam of light shot up from the sand in the distance.

At first, I thought it was another monster and stopped.

But it didn’t feel threatening.

I narrowed my eyes at the light—

And felt a gaze on me.

“…I think I chose well. I have good instincts too. Maybe not as good as yours.”

He looked exactly where I was looking.

I quickly turned my eyes away.

Just because someone seems suspicious doesn’t mean I should spill everything.

That would be foolish.

Unlike him, I can’t afford to expose myself recklessly.

“Like you probably guessed, we just need to walk to that spot. There’s a room below. Don’t be too surprised. Just prepare for the landing. How far can civilians jump? Five meters should be fine, right?”

“Guess what? If you don’t explain clearly and I fall five meters without warning, I could crack my skull.”

“Just kidding.”

Does this look like a joke?

When I stared at him coldly, he scratched his cheek.

“I’ve lived longer than I look. If you add up all the time I’ve spent as an Awakened, it’s quite a lot. I forget the difference sometimes. I’ll lower you down. Hold tight.”

Up close, the sand formed what looked like a glowing pit.

I pretended I couldn’t see it.

He dropped the Hunters into the light first.

Then he reached for me.

Before I even felt like I was being lifted—

We dropped.

In an instant, the scenery changed.

We landed inside a stone chamber.

“So there was a passage here. We might’ve wandered the desert until we died.”

“But with you here, we would’ve been fine. You can see things, after all.”

“All I see is a stone room with no exits.”

I denied it calmly, but his eyes lingered on me.