The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 35

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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 – Episode 35

As Yang Hwa Yeon had predicted from the headquarters beforehand, the Guerrilla Gate that opened in Dongdaemun was a Jungle-type Dungeon.
What is a jungle?
‘A forest where massive trees stand densely packed together.’
And environments where trees can grow so large are typically hot and humid.
My impression upon encountering such a Jungle-type Dungeon for the first time was simple.
“I want to burn it all down.”
How lamentable that the Justice Guild has no fire-attribute hunters.
“Wait, Guild Master Yang Hwa Yeon—couldn’t you burn all of this?”
Yang Hwa Yeon laughed brightly at my question.
“We’d burn along with it.”
“Ah, that won’t do.”
I’d rather be devoured peacefully by the apocalypse than perish in flames.
Among us, only I and Yang Hwa Yeon had the leisure to admire the jungle dungeon.
The moment we entered, Kang Han’s guild leader mode activated, granting him command authority over the raid strategy.
“We’ll need to push through the tall grass, so move in single file. Lee Yu Eul takes point, then Jang Su Ho, myself, and Lee Yu Chan brings up the rear, escorting Yeo Joo and Han Ji Sung.”
Normally Jang Su Ho would lead, but it seemed Kang Han intended to keep him in sight as a precaution against any unforeseen circumstances.
Everyone nodded firmly at Kang Han’s orders.
“Yang Hwa Yeon, do as you see fit.”
“Ah, so a hunter from another guild suffers in silence?”
Yang Hwa Yeon grumbled playfully, but Kang Han didn’t respond.
He simply pointed toward the dense jungle slightly to the right of the Gate and informed his guild members.
“The boss monster’s presence is in that direction. There’s considerable movement around the area. Rather than finding a path, it’s more efficient to carve one and push straight through.”
The difference between a Guerrilla Gate and a regular Gate lies in how you close it.
In a regular Gate, you must defeat all monsters inside and destroy the mana stone located somewhere in the room where the boss monster appeared.
However, in a Guerrilla Gate, you can clear it by defeating only the boss monster.
Naturally, the orthodox strategy for Guerrilla Gate raids became eliminating the boss monster with minimal combat in the shortest time possible.
I regarded Kang Han with newfound curiosity and asked.
“You can sense monster presences from that distance?”
The superhuman abilities of an S-rank combat hunter never ceased to astound me.
“…Everyone at this level can.”
Behind Kang Han’s brief reply, I saw Lee Yu Eul pick something up from the ground.
“It feels wasteful to use my blade for cutting grass. Would it be alright if I used this instead?”
Though worn, it was still a serviceable jungle machete.
A wide, large blade curved gently upward—the ideal weapon for carving a path forward.
‘Hmm, that might not be a bad idea.’
I knew the main weapon Lee Yu Eul would use in the latter half of 【Sejong’s Barrier】, so I quickly nodded in agreement.
“That direction, right?”
Yu Eul twirled the jungle blade a few times in her hand, then began cutting through the dense grass that reached roughly to her waist, forging a path forward.
As I walked for several minutes listening only to the sound of Yu Eul slashing through vegetation, my awareness that this peaceful place was inside a Dungeon gradually faded.
Moreover, as we drew closer to where the boss monster awaited, the increasingly suffocating humidity made each breath catch in my throat.
I ignored the sweat trickling down and poked Kang Han’s back in front of me repeatedly.
“What kind of monsters typically appear in a place like this?”
At my question, Kang Han turned to check on me before answering.
“In Jungle-type Dungeons, you generally encounter venomous insects, snakes, crocodiles, and the like. So if you feel something biting at your legs, evade immediately and alert us.”
“Of course it would be everything I hate.”
“You dislike snakes?”
“Snakes? I hate them. Reptiles and anything with scales like that—all of it.”
“….”
What? Why. Why did his mood suddenly shift?
Though I could only see his broad back, Kang Han’s reaction seemed distinctly odd.
‘Ah!’
It suddenly dawned on me.
“Of course, our Baek Young is an exception.”
“…Is that so.”
“Absolutely. Our Baek Young isn’t a snake.”
That one who understands every word humans say squeaks indignantly every time someone calls him a snake—there’s a reason for that.
“Though he is a Familiar, Baek Young is indeed a snake.”
“Well, I’ve never seen such a beautiful, adorable, and charming snake anywhere else.”
Now Kang Han’s back was flushing with embarrassment.
His broad back had plenty to say, it seemed.

* * *

“Let’s take a brief rest here.”
Our pace through the jungle was necessarily slow.
We had to continuously cut through vegetation to forge a path where none existed, and we couldn’t afford to lower our guard—venomous creatures and serpents could strike at any moment, forcing us to remain vigilant even as we walked.
Kang Han, spotting a large boulder suitable for sitting and resting, called for a break.
It seemed he was being considerate of my exhaustion and Han Ji Sung’s fatigue.
“Here, everyone drink some water.”
I retrieved cold water I’d prepared beforehand from my subspace and distributed it to each of them.
“Ahh, I feel alive again!”
Jang Su Ho drained an entire bottle in just a few gulps and let out a satisfied exclamation.
The other guild members felt the same way.
Even Yang Hwa Yeon, a flame-attribute user supposedly resistant to heat, gratefully emptied the bottle I gave her before tilting her head in puzzlement.
“This is strange. I’ve never seen a Guerrilla Gate this expansive before.”
“It’s at least medium-sized.”
Kang Han agreed.
Guerrilla Gates typically range from small to small-to-medium in size.
That’s precisely why their relatively low difficulty allows smaller guilds and rookies to attempt clearing them.
I couldn’t share the concern that had settled over these two at the dungeon’s unusual dimensions.
‘Compared to what’s coming, this is nothing but a trifle.’
The world hadn’t descended into apocalypse simply because hunters were dying in rampages.
For decades, people had indulged in complacent peace, but Gates were evolving in increasingly unpredictable directions—a transformation that rendered all that false security meaningless.
I examined the low shrubs surrounding the boulder with careful attention.
Broad leaves with pointed tips bore clusters of crimson berries hanging like ornaments.
They resembled small cherries and looked appetizing.

[ Portia Fruit
: Consuming it accelerates stamina recovery. ]

Oh my, what is this?
True to my Korean nature—always eager to taste anything rumored to be good for health—I reached for the fruit without hesitation.
That was as far as I got.
Before Kang Han’s grip closed around my wrist.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The sharp intensity in Kang Han’s eyes, his brow furrowed with concern, was unfamiliar to me.
“You can’t eat Dungeon produce carelessly. Especially someone with a fragile constitution like you—it’s far more dangerous.”
“Well… I suppose you have a point.”
Though by that logic, I could just eat it and heal myself if anything went wrong.
Perhaps caring for the twins had made him overprotective.
I retrieved the guidebook I’d prepared for moments like this from my subspace and opened it.
‘Please be here, please be here… there it is!’
I couldn’t reveal my Information Window skill, so it was fortunate I’d prepared this Maestro-published guidebook in advance.
“Look here. This is a fruit called Portia—it’s supposedly excellent for health. That’s why Maestro and Potion Makers buy them at premium prices.”
Only after I showed him the page with Portia’s photograph did Kang Han release the tension in his grip on my wrist.
“The taste isn’t bad either. Not overly sweet, but it has a flavor reminiscent of blueberries.”

[ Consuming Portia fruit increases stamina recovery speed by 0.5%. ]

The system that had warned me about potions remained silent this time.
“You two, eat these!”
I pointed toward the grass, and the twins and Jang Su Ho immediately grabbed handfuls of fruit and popped them into their mouths.
No questions asked, no hesitation.
Soon Han Ji Sung began tossing three berries at a time into his mouth like pills.
‘These people really do trust me that much.’
The thought flickered through my mind, but what did it matter? Good is good.
“You guys… are you always like this?”
I caught Yang Hwa Yeon’s curious whisper to Kang Han.
“Generally.”
Even as Kang Han answered, a red berry was caught between his lips.
“It does taste good.”
Yang Hwa Yeon murmured softly as she sampled a Portia fruit herself.

* * *

Like a swarm of locusts had passed through, it was when the seeds of the nearby Portia fruit had dried up.
Whoooosh—
I hadn’t even noticed the sky darkening behind the dense canopy of trees when suddenly a torrential downpour began to fall.
The raindrops were so heavy that my skin stung from the impact.
“Ow, that hurts.”
I’d never experienced rain like this in my entire life.
“There appears to be a structure over there. Let’s take shelter from the rain for a moment.”
In the downpour where I couldn’t see even a hand’s breadth ahead, I had no idea how Kang Han spotted it, but he pointed beyond a boulder and led our group forward.
What we arrived at was a stone structure that looked extremely ancient.
“It looks like some kind of temple, doesn’t it?”
Lee Yu Chan wrung out his outer garment as he spoke.
“Right? But it looks like it’s been in ruins for quite a while. Look at how vines and branches have grown right through it.”
Jang Su Ho blinked repeatedly in fascination as he surveyed the surroundings.
A crumbling temple nestled within the jungle.
And on one of the remaining intact walls, a massive carving of a crocodile and a man piercing the creature’s belly.
“Oh, here.”
I know this place.

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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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