The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 296

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 2, Episode 117

Whoooosh.
Across the snowy field where wind bit at exposed skin and snow swirled in the air.
Hunters who had passed through the pitch-black Gate began appearing one after another.
The moment the camera crew arrived last and snow crunched beneath their feet, a notification window suddenly materialized before everyone’s eyes.
It was a Quest.

[ ! Quest !
Ascend the Mountain of Trials and prove your worth.
Only those who conquer the summit shall bear witness to what awaits. ]

“As expected, we’re given a Quest.”
Park Song Hwi spoke while examining the system window with a dry gaze.
It had become a frequent occurrence in recent times.
Quests, primarily issued only within Gates of B-rank or higher danger levels, had resulted in countless failed raids.
If the Quest conditions weren’t satisfied, the Gate wouldn’t close even after clearing the boss.
“Ja Kyung.”
As Park Song Hwi extended his hand, Ryu Ja Kyung retrieved a mapping artifact and poured mana into it.
Shhhhk.
With a faint sound like someone drawing with a quill pen, intricate lines began forming on the blank parchment.
Moments later, Park Song Hwi lifted his gaze from the completed map and surveyed the dense forest sprawling before him.
“This is definitely not a small-scale Dungeon.”
Though it differed from the Gate Prediction Division’s initial classification, Park Song Hwi showed little concern.
“It happens often enough. No need to hesitate.”
His deliberation was brief.
“Let’s move. Drive hunting takes considerable time.”
“Uncle, wouldn’t it be better to take time and devise a strategy?”
Ryu Do Kyung attempted to stop Park Song Hwi from advancing, but received only a reprimand tinged with reproach.
“No need to overthink. I’ve cleared dozens of Glacier Dungeons of this type.”
“But since we’ve been given a Quest….”
“Enough.”
Park Song Hwi cut off Ryu Do Kyung’s words decisively.
“Prolonged deliberation serves no purpose. This is a contribution competition—find as many monsters as possible and slaughter them. That’s all.”
“Right, Do Kyung. Caution is good, but you must also know when to make bold decisions.”
“It would be better to follow your lead for now. Isn’t that why we asked for your help in the first place?”
Tap, tap.
Jung Jin Won slung his bow over his shoulder, patted Ryu Do Kyung on the back, and disappeared into the forest behind Park Song Hwi.
“Sigh.”
Ryu Do Kyung’s long exhale transformed into white breath in the cold of the Snowy Field before vanishing.
“Oppa.”
“It’s my fault. I wasn’t asking for help.”
Ryu Ja Kyung, who had bitten her lips tightly alongside Ryu Do Kyung as he spoke those regret-laden words, soon began moving forward with heavy steps.
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the Justice Guild, where conversation flowed without pause, was entirely different.
“Wow, how is this supposed to be small-sized? It’s at least medium-sized, if you ask me.”
Lee Yu Eul spoke loudly enough for the camera crew to hear every word.
She’d learned this technique the way Yeo Joo had done it before.
In principle, if the Gate Prediction Division’s forecast proved wrong, the guild could halt the conquest and withdraw, but this was a method of making a show of taking on the risk and continuing anyway.
“That mountain mentioned in the quest—that must be it, right?”
Yang Hwa Yeon pointed toward the towering mountain in the distance, barely visible through the haze of snow, and clicked her tongue.
“What, is it Mount Everest or something? Why is it so ridiculously high?”
“It’s a good thing we packed plenty of stamina potions!”
Sung Yo Na let out a relieved sigh, saying, “Just as expected of you, Yeo Joo.”
“The Cheongmun Guild has already set out. What should we do?”
At Han Ji Sung’s question, Kang Han lifted his eyes from the map and gazed toward the mountain.

“If a climbing quest comes up, don’t think about anything else—just sprint for the summit.”

It was something Yeo Joo had asked of me last night.
Not content with that, she’d even checked at the lakeside just moments ago, asking if I remembered it well.
I always took her words to heart, but I had found it strange how she’d emphasized it again and again.
Yet a Quest related to mountain climbing had actually appeared.
Even the Gate Prediction Division, which had undergone countless updates over the years, often failed to accurately predict even the size of dungeons.
Until hunters actually entered the Gate themselves, it was nothing more than speculation based on accumulated data.
But Yeo Joo had predicted the Quest with perfect accuracy.
‘How did she know?’
She was a woman full of secrets.
She’d revealed a few things, including the Dark Purification skill, but I could already sense there were secrets she hadn’t yet shared.
This situation was probably one of them.
Yet I felt no suspicion.
‘She’ll tell me when the time comes.’
That was always how Yeo Joo was.
My unwavering faith in her left no room for doubt to take root.
Kang Han calmly pointed to the forest drawn on the map and the snowy field that would appear beyond it.
“Most of the monsters will be positioned at the base of the mountain, especially in this forest and snowy field. However.”
His sturdy, well-groomed finger came to rest on a high mountain peak.
“We’ll break straight through to the mountain. We’ll eliminate any monsters we encounter on the way, but we won’t deviate from our path searching for more.”
The guild members exchanged quiet glances at the unexpected directive.
Considering contribution points, the standard approach would be to postpone the Quest to reach the summit and instead seek out fields dense with monsters for mass hunting.
Especially given that they were in the middle of the Guild Cup, where they needed to compete over dungeon clear contributions.
Yet no one voiced a question.
‘There must be a reason.’
It wasn’t blind faith that followed orders without thinking.
It was the solid trust they’d built up following Kang Han as their guild master.
After storing the map in the Subspace, Kang Han straightened up slowly and spoke to the four of them with a slightly playful tone.
“So our healer doesn’t worry, let’s run without getting hurt.”

* * *

My guess had been correct.
Though the lakeside was packed with people, the actual number of hunters present was extremely small.
When I turned off the selective visualization function of the “You See What You Know” skill, the information window that appeared was, fortunately, at a level I could manage.
However, there was one problem.

[ Potion of Vitality ( D ) ]
[ Tunnel Serpent Leather Wallet ( E ) ]
[ Fluffy Gelming Prairie Wool Scarf ( E )]
.
.
.

This meant that item information for ordinary people was also displayed.
‘There’s always a way.’
I addressed the system without panic.
‘Exclude Item Information and show only the Awakened status windows.’
[ The ‘See What You Know’ skill will be applied only to Awakened information. ]
As expected.
My vision, which had been dizzy from hundreds of Item Information windows, cleared instantly, and only the nameplates floating above the scattered Awakened individuals remained.

[ Jo Jae Won C ]
[ Kim Ji Hyun E ]
[ Choi Jin Woo D ]
[ Park Chang Won E ]
.
.
.

Just as doubt crept in—had my instincts failed me?—I found it.
“Found you.

[ Bishop Yi S ]

He stood beneath a massive Zelkova Tree, some distance from the Lakeside.
Unlike last time, there was no Bodyguard accompanying him, and seeing him standing alone and concealing himself so quietly made it obvious he was up to something shady.
I spoke quietly toward Ryu Sang Eun without taking my eyes off Bishop Yi.
“Ryu Sang Eun, do you see that sinister-looking man standing alone beneath the Zelkova Tree over there?”
“Huh? Where?”
Right, I’d forgotten.
Bishop Yi could change his appearance however he pleased.
It was an ability that didn’t work on me, but Ryu Sang Eun would be seeing Bishop Yi as a completely different person right now.
“That large Zelkova Tree over to the right. The person standing alone beneath it—what do they look like?”
“Uh… ah, you mean that female student in the white padding? Looks like a high school girl.”
“A fe… female student? This bastard…”
Now he was even changing his gender?
I was actually grateful I couldn’t see what a man in his thirties looked like transformed into a teenage girl.
“Anyway, that person. Can you approach quietly and subdue them?”
At my question, Ryu Sang Eun, who had been shivering from the cold, tilted his head and suddenly broke into a grin.
His lips, stiffened by the cold wind, cracked as his tongue licked away the bright red blood that had formed.
“Ah, that’s exactly my specialty. I’ll go ahead and wait, so take your time coming, Yeo Joo.”
“Don’t touch them until I get there. If they notice and try to run, hold them down firmly.”
“Yes, understood.”
With those words, Ryu Sang Eun vanished before my eyes.
Yet despite that, no one else noticed—only I, who continued conversing, was aware of it.
“…I really need to be good to Ryu Sang Eun.”
I pulled out a C-rank Concealment Mask I’d brought just in case and hurried through the crowd toward the Zelkova Tree.
It took quite a while to arrive, and I was anxious the whole way, but fortunately Bishop Yi was still there.
As I approached, Ryu Sang Eun emerged from behind Bishop Yi and waved toward me.
“Ah, damn it. Why is this so difficult? Ah, got it!”
Bishop Yi, fiddling with something like an old gaming device and unaware that Ryu Sang Eun and I were drawing near, suddenly felt me drape my arm roughly across his shoulder and speak.
“Hey, smile.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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