The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 422

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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 3, Episode 26

“What’s going on? What happened?”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
Startled by my cry, the Guild members stopped in their tracks.
‘The darkness concentration is high?’
Dark spores naturally came to mind.
That Double Dungeon that appeared suddenly due to a System error and nearly sent multiple S-rank hunters to their graves at once.
But I couldn’t find any trace of spores anywhere in this Dome.
Then why?
“Yeo Joo, what’s the matter?”
“Guild Master, stay close to me for now.”
I spotted Kang Han approaching to assess the situation and pulled his hand with all my strength.
With Sa Ma Young in my right hand and Kang Han in my left, other faces soon came to mind.
“Ah, I need to bring Ji Sung over here too. No, wait—we need to get out of here first and retreat….”
Retreat?
Was that even possible?
Time was still running out even now, wasn’t it?
My thoughts tangled into a chaotic mess.
Boom—!
Along with a tremendous sound, the lights directly above the raid party flared to life.
It was an intense illumination like stage lighting.
Starting from that, the lights suspended from the Dome’s ceiling ignited in a domino effect.
Bang, bang-bang, bang!
“What is this now?”
Sa Ma Young surveyed the brightened interior and lifted one corner of his mouth into a crooked smile.
“A Research Complex, they said. Interesting.”
The first thing that caught my eye was an enormous test tube.
Those placed here and there resembled glass tanks filled with black liquid.
However, everyone’s gaze, including mine, didn’t linger on them for long.
It was because of something filling the largest test tube at the center of the Dome.

[ Bio-Mother ( ? )
: Wakelas’s Legacy and Origin. Restricted Zone Administrator of the Research Complex.
Chimera Number 【 Origin-001 】 ]

Inside a translucent gray liquid that looked like diluted ink, a chimera floated with its eyes closed and body curled up.
The test tube was so enormous that the creature appeared small by comparison, yet it was unmistakably several times larger than I was.
“A spider?”
“But the head looks like a human woman’s?”
“And the skin seems reptilian too…”
The guild members erupted into debate over its bizarre appearance, unable to classify it as a single coherent lifeform.
But what truly mattered wasn’t what form this chimera called Bio-Mother took.
“You stopped us because of that monster?”
Kang Han asked, gripping my hand that held his arm firmly in return.
“No, the darkness concentration is abnormally elevated. And it seems like it might be because of that Bio-Mother…”
I wasn’t certain.
Just as other hunters sensed a monster’s presence or aura, I could only detect something emanating from the Mother inside the test tube.
“It doesn’t look like it’s planning to move anytime soon, does it?”
At my question, Kang Han stared at the test tube containing the Mother for a moment before nodding.
“Still no sign of activity. It’s uncertain whether it’s even a living creature.”
“Then let me check everyone’s toxin levels for a moment. Everyone, wait here.”
Fortunately, despite the warning message, the changes in my guild members’ toxin levels were minimal.
Only Kang Han required intervention.
I pulled out a purification potion and handed it to him. “Stay here for now.”
“Where are you going.”
Kang Han grabbed my hand as I offered the potion, asking anxiously.
“I’m going to take Su Ho and check that screen over there.”
Ever since the lights came on and revealed the test tube’s existence, something had been nagging at me.
That enormous screen beneath it, flashing with red letters.
I needed to properly read those words about a “Self-Destruct Protocol” or whatever it was, written alongside the countdown timer floating in the air.
“I’ll go instead. No, I should go.”
“That won’t work. If the elevated darkness concentration is because of that monster called Bio-Mother…”
If something went wrong, what would I do if the guild master went berserk.
I added the rest in a whisper so the others wouldn’t hear.
That sudden heightened sensitivity to darkness was definitely Kang Han’s weakness.
“That’s… well…”
Kang Han clenched his teeth so hard his jaw muscles bulged along his sharp jawline, but he didn’t stubbornly insist.
Instead, he had me take Jang Su Ho, Sung Yo Na who could compress space for rapid evacuation if needed, and Bang Wi Jin who could erect protective barriers.
But the situation escalated faster than expected.
It was just as we took a couple of steps forward, with Jang Su Ho leading at the front with his shield.
It was just as we took a couple of steps forward, with Jang Su Ho holding the shield at the very front leading the way.
“The screen is so large that we probably don’t need to go all the way to the front….”
Whoosh—!
Clang!
As something flew toward us with a sharp cutting sound, Jang Su Ho’s shield blocked it.
With a ‘crack!’ sound, what embedded itself in the ground was a black crescent-shaped projectile.
“Leave this to me now.”
As I found myself back in Kang Han’s sturdy embrace, his low voice reached my ear along with a cold automated announcement.

[ “Restricted Zone intruder detected. Intruder detected.” ]

Clang!
Simultaneously, multiple doors that we hadn’t even known existed opened along the Dome’s walls.
“Screech!”
“Grrrrr….”
“Clang! Clang!”
What emerged were chimeras of all shapes and sizes, radiating killing intent toward the intruders.

* * *

Boom! Crash!
“Aaaargh!”
As the battle erupted, my ears were ringing from the cacophony of sounds.
Even standing far back like this, I was suffering—did these fighters have eardrums made of steel?
The fact that I could afford such carefree thoughts was because the battle situation wasn’t unfolding too badly.
“Everyone’s holding up well.”
Though doors opened from all directions and chimeras rushed in, there were still no serious casualties.
What troubled me was one thing: the same pattern of combat had been continuing for quite some time.
“How much longer are they going to keep coming?”
I muttered while watching the doors that continuously opened and closed, endlessly spewing out chimeras.
Even worse, the doors’ positions kept changing, making it impossible to predict where or what kind of chimera would appear next.
“At this rate, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”
Once the countdown ends, the Dungeon will ultimately explode.
Time is not on our side.
Kang Han, who understood this fact better than anyone, was attempting various strategies to break the stalemate.
“It seems we failed to penetrate beyond the door again this time.”
Bang Wi Jin, who had been maintaining a protective barrier beside me while observing the battle, spoke with a grim expression.
I could see Sung Yo Na, who had attempted to slip through the door before it closed using her spatial compression skill, sitting down with an exhausted face.

[ Sung Yo Na – Darkness Addiction Rate 73% ]

For hours now, the stalemate had persisted—and this was the primary reason why.

[ ! Warning !
The darkness concentration in the surrounding area is abnormally high! ]

The darkness concentration within the Dome was already oppressive enough, but approaching the gate where Chimeras emerged or attacking the test tubes triggered a penalty—the darkness addiction rate skyrocketed.
“What in the world is this, really.”
Unless the Restricted Zone Dome itself was composed entirely of darkness, none of this made sense.
“I’ll go retrieve them.”
“Yes, please be careful out there.”
Ryu Sang Eun, unable to move directly due to my incorporeal form, delivered purification potions on my behalf and brought Hunters for immediate intervention when necessary—a role he had assumed without hesitation.
Bang Wi Jin’s barrier had effectively become a makeshift medical tent.
“I’ll leave the treatment of Sung Yo Na’s injuries to the two of you.”
“Yes!”
I smiled faintly as I watched Lee Dan Woo and Moon Na Rin respond with spirited determination.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed through the Dome, accompanied by Jang Su Ho’s cry.
“Ji Sung!”
“Ugh! Cough!”
On the opposite side of the Dome, Han Ji Sung, who had been supporting the forward battle with his skills, had collapsed and was gasping for breath.
The test tube directly behind him where he had been standing was shattered, its contents spilling out.
Had what was inside been in gaseous form rather than liquid?
The question flashed through my mind, but there was no time to dwell on it.

[ Han Ji Sung – Darkness Addiction Rate ?? % ]

Han Ji Sung was going berserk.
“Ryu Sang Eun!”
“Yes! Coming!”
Quick-witted Ryu Sang Eun carried Sung Yo Na in one arm and Han Ji Sung in the other, rushing back into the barrier.
“Hgh… ugh.”
Han Ji Sung whimpered in agony, black tears streaming from both eyes.
Sung Yo Na, not yet having crossed into the berserk threshold, spoke with a deathly pale face.
“I’m… I’m fine. Please help Ji Sung first…”
“I can treat you both at once. Don’t worry.”
I grasped both Sung Yo Na’s and Han Ji Sung’s hands with mine as I answered.
The remaining purification potions were running low.
I would have to use my skill directly.

[You use the skill ‘Dark Purification’.]
[Due to high affinity, purification efficiency increases.]
[Due to high affinity, purification efficiency increases.]
[Due to special constitution 【 Treasure 】, purification efficiency increases.]
…

There was a slight sense of exhaustion, but the aftereffects of using the skill weren’t severe.
‘This much should recover with just a stamina potion….’
A chill ran down my spine.
Goosebumps erupted across my skin.
Instinctively, I lifted my head and gazed at the test tube in the center.
“Ah.”
My eyes met a pair of pitch-black pupils stretched wide open.
Bio-Mother had opened her eyes at some point and was staring directly at me.

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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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