How to get on the protagonist’s flower path

Behind her, I could see Dum Dum bound by the Shinvahron and the Hunters.

The Harpies, having lost their leader, scattered and flew away, casting shadows.

Beyond the shadows, the lively voices of Min Jae-yoon’s group could be heard.

Shinvahron frowned at me and then let out a deep sigh as he began to take control of the situation.

“First, let’s manage the situation and then talk.”

After defeating the monsters, Shinvahron checked on the Hunters’ condition.

“Where is Min Jae-yoon? Did he harm anyone?”

……His first question was clearly tinged with his own bias.

Fortunately, an oblivious Hunter responded cheerfully.

“No! Jae-yoon helped us a lot! It’s embarrassing, but we received a lot of help.”

“If he hadn’t created some kind of magic, all the civilians would have been dead, right?”

“When that strong monster appeared, I really thought I was going to die!”

Hearing that, Shinvahron replied.

“It was a crisis.”

“That’s right?”

“If you’re strong alone, you can escape.”

“Well, if I had tried to escape alone, I might have been able to, but that’s not the point. Right?”

At that Hunter’s words, Min Jae-yoon smiled shyly.

“It was what I had to do….”

In front of her refreshingly kind smile, Shinvahron tried to respond but ended up closing his mouth.

Choi Ga-ram clapped his hands, trying to settle the situation.

“Okay. It seems we’ve roughly confirmed everything, and the barrier is mostly restored, so now let’s think about what to do with our troublemakers.”

Feeling a twinge of guilt, I quietly avoided eye contact.

Dum Dum glanced at me, as if seeking approval for what was about to happen.

Seeing him quietly point to his sword, I nodded.

“Please wait.”

Freed from the Hunters’ restraints, Dum Dum approached Choi Ga-ram and Shinvahron, suddenly thrusting his sword forward.

“Is this another hero talk?”

“No.”

Choi Ga-ram spoke in a tone that seemed to indicate he was fed up, but Dum Dum reacted without hesitation, drawing his holy sword, Blue Twilight, from its sheath.

Blue Twilight emitted a powerful light with a low, resonant hum.

“This is about the greater troubles that lie ahead.”

I looked out the window. The blue evening had turned into a black night. The deep, dark midnight was approaching fast.

It’s too late, holy sword!

“Greater troubles?”

When Shinvahron asked Dum Dum back, Dum Dum replied.

“The ‘Tier Boss’ will appear.”

At those words, the nearby Hunters reacted.

“What?”

“Is that true?”

“Captain, we’re barely able to maintain the situation as it is.”

The Hunters stirred, filled with fear.

And understandably so. A ‘Tier Boss’ is a monster that could only be encountered during the time when we were climbing the tower.

It is the ruler of the layer lurking on each floor, a manifestation of the tower’s will to prevent humans from ascending.

In gaming terms, it’s akin to a boss stage overseer. Naturally, it’s incredibly powerful.

Moreover, when a Tier Boss appears, it is said that a ‘Monster Raid,’ facing a single massive enemy, and a ‘Monster Wave,’ dealing with multiple enemies, will occur simultaneously.

Thus, the emergence of a Tier Boss was not good news in the current precarious situation of the fortress.

Even so, this was not acceptable in front of the civilians.

As if sharing the same thought, Shinvahron’s cold voice cut through the Hunters’ fearful confusion.

“Enough! What kind of situation is this for a Hunter!”

At his sharp words, the Hunters flinched and fell silent. Shinvahron quickly turned to Dum Dum and asked again.

“What’s the basis for that? Is it just that holy sword?”

Dum Dum glanced at me before responding.

“Yes. But Captain, you must know that the records of the Savior clearly state that when a Tier Boss appears, ‘Blue Twilight’ emits light.”

Right.

I told Dum Dum that we needed to inform him about the Tier Boss.

We couldn’t face the final phase without any preparation.

At that moment, someone suddenly interrupted.

“That’s a lie! It’s a lie! How can I believe what you’re saying is true?”

It was someone who seemed to have lost their mind in fear. The problem was that a few others were echoing that sentiment.

“Right. Did you just make that up?”

“Even if you say something like that, it doesn’t mean it’s true!”

It was quite pathetic to see several Hunters driven to label someone a braggart out of fear.

Ignoring them, Shinvahron looked into Dum Dum’s eyes and soon spoke in a firm voice.

“Enough!”

At his words, the commotion quieted down once more.

All eyes turned to Shinvahron as if waiting for a judge’s verdict.

Fortunately, that judge was on our side.

“We will prepare to tackle the Tier Boss.”

“Then…!”

Just as Dum Dum was about to say something, Shinvahron continued.

“However! The students will wait in the shelter.”

Dum Dum protested at that.

“Why? I can definitely be of help in tackling the Tier Boss. You know the boosts given to a hero, right?”

No, don’t oppose it directly. Let’s just sneak away.

“I believe the reason was already conveyed by the vice-captain? Remember, you are a student before you are a hero.”

Seeing Dum Dum frowning as if he couldn’t accept it, Shinvahron let out a sigh.

“I mean, there’s no need for you to bear that obligation just yet. And…”

Shinvahron’s gaze shifted towards us, who had been quietly observing the situation.

“Even if that’s the case, there’s no need for you to bear it alone.”

Without hesitation, she turned and said,

“I will take my leave now. You are to join Shinvahron and head to the shelter. That’s an order.”

Choi Ga-ram, who was about to follow Shinvahron, seemed to remember something and approached me again.

“Hand over all your teleportation items.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

I tried to deny it.

“Another Hunter said they saw you teleporting, so what’s with the denial? Considering the timing, there’s no other explanation but teleportation.”

“I’ve used them all.”

“Really?”

“Do you know how expensive those teleportation items are?!”

Even with my brazen response, Choi Ga-ram shot me a doubtful look.

“If you get caught, they’ll be confiscated.”

“Wow, a Hunter is robbing a student of their items.”

“I’ll give you money instead.”

Uh, can I just take out a teleport ticket and hand it over now?

Momentarily shaken, I pulled myself together again. Get a grip!

“…I really don’t have any. Let’s hurry.”

“Is the silence too long? Ugh… Fine. Use it only when you’re evacuating. Got it?”

“I told you, I don’t have any.”

Just as Choi Ga-ram, who had gained nothing from my denial, was about to follow Shinvahron,

Boom—!

The fortress shook.

I looked up to see a long, pitch-black leg looming over the barrier, darker than the night sky.

As I followed the slender leg, it led to a body that resembled a spider, exuding a dark aura.

I stood there momentarily stunned by the surreal sight when Choi Ga-ram tightly grabbed my shoulders and shouted.

“Get to the shelter now!”

Only then did I snap out of it and, led by Min Jae-yoon’s hand, ran toward the inner corridor of the fortress. Fortunately, Dum Dum was still running alongside us.

After a while of running, we found Shinvahron waiting anxiously for us inside.

“Let’s go!”

Because the southern area had already been breached once, we were advised to move to the northern area, where the barrier was still strong.

I considered using a teleport ticket but decided to save it, just in case.

We ran diligently, but the southern area was quite large, and there were places where monsters had attacked, leaving holes in the walls.

As Dum Dum ran, he stopped upon seeing one of the holes and muttered.

“It’s dangerous. We’re surrounded.”

True to his words, spider webs had begun to encircle the barrier.

The strong spider webs surrounded the fortress like a cage. Small spiders that emerged from the gate began to spread across various parts of the barrier.

At that moment, the fortress shook once more.

Boom—!

The strong tremor almost flung me out of the fortress, but fortunately, Dum Dum caught me.

“What was that?”

Since this was already happening, I leaned out to see outside. A startled Shinvahron pulled me back in and shouted.

“It’s dangerous!”

“I know. Sorry.”

“Be careful….”

I patted Min Jae-yoon, who had flung himself into my embrace.

I glanced out the window for just a moment, but it was enough to get a rough idea of the situation.

“But guys, I think we’re screwed.”

That filthy large Tier Boss with a grotesque number of legs had indeed made a hole in the barrier.

And it was right around the center where we needed to pass.

I cursed inwardly at the thought of that thin spider leg that had broken through the barrier. Damn it.

“There’s a hole in the barrier?”

“Yeah.”

“Should I head to the southern shelter…?”

“First, let’s assess the situation.”

I nodded at Dum Dum’s words. After some discussion, it was decided that I, with the highest level of clairvoyance, would take a look at the situation.

“I’m going to check outside, so please provide some cover.”

When I looked outside, I could see Shinvahron and the other Hunters engaging in a spider raid, but the situation didn’t seem favorable.

In addition to Shinvahron’s group, many Hunters were battling the monster wave. However, it seemed that they were stretched thin, as most of them were focused on that area.

“…This is bad.”

I noticed monsters attacking our barrier as well.

These were not from the Tier Boss gate but from a previously opened gate.

The gate closure items were the first to drop from the fortress. That’s why things had come to this point.

Furthermore, the number of Hunters fighting against the regular gate was significantly smaller compared to those at the Tier Boss gate.

“Is it… that bad?”

I seriously nodded at Min Jae-yoon’s words.

The fortress was too long. The monsters attacked widely, but there was a severe lack of Hunters to respond.

I suddenly realized why the will-o’-the-wisps could help turn the situation around.

It draws aggro from the monsters and teleports allied forces to the caster. Plus, it has a self-destruct feature.

If we could gather all the monsters and allied forces in one place to fight, it would make things much easier.

Moreover, the self-destruct feature…

“Is your sister being overwhelmed?”

My thoughts were interrupted by Shinvahron’s trembling voice.

Shinvahron looked as if she wanted to throw a tantrum like a child in an impossible situation.

“Yes.”

When I answered calmly, Shinvahron’s expression turned sad, as if she had swallowed something she was holding back. I opened my mouth to say something comforting but fell silent, not knowing what to say.

At that moment, Dum Dum spoke up.

“I’m going to support Shinvahron. You guys head to the shelter.”

“What?”

“Si, Siwoo?”

“Siwoo, I—”