These Lunatics are Obsessed With Me

"No…!”

I caught a glimpse of Hae Song-ha slowly turning his head with a puzzled expression on his face. At that moment, I started hearing a strange crackling noise—like static from a broken machine—disturbing my hearing.

[…Key Character… Confirmed. Protection… Activated.]

‘What…?'

The intermittent mechanical sound was similar to the system's voice but slightly different. The system's voice was a low—curt female voice—but the voice I just heard sounded like a man whispering. As I frowned, something leaped up in front of my eyes.

Swoosh!

“Ugh…!”

“Ah!”

Creatures emerged from the sand and charged at Baek Si-hoo. Startled, Baek Si-hoo retrieved his sword and retreated.

“Kyaang! Kyaaang!”

“…!”

As if in response to Lati's long cry—a sharp—cat-like sound echoed around us. Dozens of foxes leaped out of the sand and began attacking Baek Si-hoo.

“Fennec foxes…?”

With their big ears—small bodies—and high-pitched cries—they were unmistakably desert foxes. I watched in surprise as these creatures suddenly appeared to assist us. Despite their appearance, they were clearly dungeon monsters.

But to appear out of nowhere and help us… I glanced at Hae Song-ha—who appeared just as confused as I was—and recalled the status window I had seen earlier.

‘Title: Loved by Animals (S)’.

“…”

What perfect timing to receive help. Despite the strange system's voice I heard earlier and all the confusion I had, none of it mattered now. Survival was my priority. I grabbed Hae Song-ha—who was still dazed—and shouted.

“Let's get out of here first!”

“Ah, yes, yes!”

Hae Song-ha replied in surprise. Kang Soo-hyun approached the fallen Eden—grabbed his shoulder—and lifted him while muttering something. Eden then rose to his feet like a zombie.

“Are you oka… Whoa!”

“…”

Eden stood up without a word and suddenly used his power. He lifted me up and started flying. I glanced back to see Kang Soo-hyun carrying Hae Song-ha on his shoulders, trailing behind us.

It seemed like Kang Soo-hyun had said something to Eden… Even though I felt uncomfortable, I remained silent because I thought I should leave this place first.

“By the way… Are we now going to the raid team’s place?”

“Yeah… I guess?”

“Oh…”

Since the only people who could help us were from the raid team, it appeared that Kang Soo-hyun had been heading in that direction from earlier. Kang Soo-hyun looked at me and nodded. Hae Song-ha’s face then went pale.

"Well, speaking of which, the raid team now…"

"What happened?"

I felt a familiar uneasiness as Hae Song-ha cowered like a frightened squirrel. Nothing seemed to go right in this Muspelheim dungeon, and Hae Song-ha’s reaction only confirmed my anxiety.

"The raid team is in danger!"

“…”

Why is there a problem again? What's going on there! My head began to ache as much as my throbbing neck.

Hae Song-ha said he had detected my location since the area merged. For some reason, he believed there was a high probability of an altered boss monster where I was… I felt like I was being treated as a troublemaker, but I let it go and listened to Hae Song-ha’s ongoing explanations.

Hae Song-ha tried to speak with Kang Soo-hyun, but he was nowhere to be found. It seemed Kang Soo-hyun had left the raid team with Eden. Since Kang Soo-hyun wasn’t the type to take initiative, it was likely Eden who persuaded him.

Left on his own—Hae Song-ha began to carefully observe the raid team—as Seo Ha-joon’s condition had become strange again.

And then, ‘that' attacked the raid team. It was the Dune Centipede, the ruler of the desert and the original boss monster of Muspelheim Dungeon—a massive—centipede-like monster.

My face contorted as I heard Hae Song-ha's words.

“I heard it never leaves its territory?”

“Yes, that’s what I heard too, but suddenly…”

“Sigh…”

My head throbbed even more. I took a potion from my inventory and drank it. The pain in my neck eased a bit as I listened to Hae Song-ha’s story.

“Let’s head there for now. I should be able to use my skill soon enough.”

“Will you be alright?”

“Hyung, are you okay?”

Hae Song-ha and Kang Soo-hyun looked at me with concern and asked. I had to use my skill even though I felt like I was going to die. First, I reached out to use my skill on Eden, who looked like he was about to collapse.

‘Even if I’m not okay I have to… Damn it.'

But before I could reach Eden, my head started spinning. It seemed like I had anemia from losing too much blood. I gritted my teeth as I felt the dizziness spreading from my head throughout my entire body.

"I'm fine. I won't collapse because I need to use my skill."

“Ah… Really?

I nodded in response to Kang Soo-hyun's blunt words. Then, I looked ahead while watching the scenery passing by. I could see something black beyond the hazy sand. The long—segment-like protrusions stretched towards the sky—looking menacing even from afar.

“Is that it?”

Perhaps because I was within range, a small piece of information about the monster appeared next to me.

「Dune Centipede (Ruler of the Desert)

Rank: ??

Level: ??

?? ?? ?? ??, ?? ?? ??」

“According to an S-rank hunter in the combat unit, the Dune Centipede is classified as an S-rank monster.”

“Ah, I see.”

They all just appeared as question marks to me, whether it was S-rank or SS-rank. I nodded bitterly and observed the raid team’s battle from afar. I couldn't see it well because it was far away. But I could tell that they were struggling. Even though it wasn't a boss monster, an elite S-rank monster was still a tough challenge for them.

I tried to figure out who could benefit from my skill despite my throbbing head. Casting it on an S-rank hunter would be most effective if possible.

Seo Ha-joon was still in a strange condition… An S-rank hunter with combat skills would be ideal.

Without Kang Yoo-hyun and Sung Yoo-bin, our strength was considerably diminished. I had always naively believed that as long as the protagonist or heroine was present, everything would work out, but it seemed I was being too complacent.

In a dungeon, anything could happen. Moreover, the story flow had diverged significantly from the original plot. I felt responsible for this.

Anyway, I knew I wouldn't survive if I didn’t get it together. In front of me was the original boss monster—and behind me was Baek Si-hoo—who was just as threatening as the boss monster.

‘First, let’s help the raid team to take down that centipede.’

As soon as I made my decision, the state of the raid team came into view.

“Aaargh!”

“Shield! Why aren't you using your defense skill!”

“Damn it! What are you doing?”

“…”

It was chaos. It was embarrassing compared to the Freya Guild leading the battle in the Sæ Dungeon. Without Seo Ha-joon’s command, they were struggling this much against a single elite S-rank monster. It was ridiculous. I surveyed the battlefield and saw someone fighting at the front of the combat unit.

“Huh? That person…”

What was his name again? Was it Lee Geun-ho? I remember he claimed to be an all-rounder, despite being only B-rank. However, he had a good sense. He was more skilled in hit-and-run tactics and using his abilities compared to the other S-rank hunters.

Thinking it through, it made sense. The other hunters were accustomed to following commands within the raid team. So, in this situation where they needed to act independently, they couldn’t fully utilise their abilities.

But that person was different. Though he was an all-rounder and often regarded as disposable due to his low rank, he was skilled in tactical fighting. I glanced in his direction and called Kang Soo-hyun.

“Soo-hyun-a!”

“Yes, hyung.”

“Let's go to him.”

“Who?”

"The one with the brown hair over there.”

Kang Soo-hyun—quick-witted as always—looked precisely in the direction I was pointing. His eyes narrowed slightly as he assessed Lee Geun-ho. He seemed hesitant about using my skill on someone unfamiliar. However, I didn’t have time to convince him now. When I tugged on his sleeve, Kang Soo-hyun let out a small sigh.

“Okay, let's go.”

“Hunter Hae Song-ha, stay with Eden here!”

“Ah, okay.”

Hae Song-ha nodded at my words. Kang Soo-hyun and I quickly entered the battlefield. We soon approached Lee Geun-ho, who was catching his breath after momentarily retreating from the centipede.

“Hunter Lee Geun-ho!”

“Oh? Hunter Han Yi-jin?”

“We don’t have much time, so I’ll get straight to the point. I’m going to cast my auxiliary skill on you.”

“On me?”

Lee Geun-ho tilted his head, seeming doubtful about my offer to use my skill on him, a lower-ranked hunter. In fact, I had never applied my skill to a B-rank hunter before, so I was uncertain about its effectiveness.

“Oh, it's because Hunter Lee Geun-ho seems more skilled in fighting than the others.”

“Ah…”

Lee Geun-ho, after tilting his head and scanning the devastated surroundings, smiled. He turned to me and continued to speak jovially even in this situation.

“That sounds fun.”

His voice sounded a little low and languid.