The 20 members of the raid team, having traveled by car, gathered again beneath the dungeon. Everyone, except for a few Awakened from the Jincheong Guild who had previously seen the dungeon, was mesmerized by the sight of the floating dungeon. It was an understandable reaction, as it was likely their first time encountering such a scene. Kang Sihyun had had a similar reaction in the past.
Amid the murmuring crowd, surprised by the unexpected appearance of the dungeon, Lee Hamin and Ban Haru spoke up. They expressed their doubts about whether the previous dungeons were like this, while Hahyuk seemed lost in thought, murmuring lowly. One of the buffers, brought by Raochen, attempted to use a flight buff to ascend amidst the confusion but, just as Kang Sihyun had experienced before his regression, the skill failed to activate, leaving him to retreat in dismay.
This was a situation everyone had experienced once before.
Kang Sihyun, observing the dungeon that looked no different from his memory, glanced at the nineteen people who seemed to be asking what to do next.
“With a Quadruple asking for as many as 20 people to come, how do you plan on ascending now?”
One of the guild members from Jincheong asked in a snide tone. It was clear from his demeanor that, although he had come following the guild leader's orders, there was no trust for Awakened from other countries. Facing the openly hostile attitude, Kang Sihyun turned his gaze towards the floating black tiles in the air.
It was obvious that everyone would have to step on those tiles to ascend, but it was impossible. Even if they paired up, making ten pairs, at least four would be left behind. Knowing this, Kang Sihyun had deliberately brought along 12 more Awakened.
He had thought of a way to ascend to the dungeon without stepping on the tiles.
“I don’t plan on explaining in detail. If you all wish to ascend to the dungeon without leaving anyone behind, as suspicious as it may seem, please follow my instructions. The responsibility will fall on me and… Redem.”
He was confident of success, but one never knows with these things. The saying that anything could happen existed for a reason.
He didn't want to casually use Redem's name, but his own reputation wasn't enough to inspire trust, so it couldn't be helped. After all, once Hahyuk had vouched for him, mentioning the guild's name a second time wouldn't make much of a difference.
Thinking this, he boldly stepped forward, and a deflated laugh was heard from the side. Kang Sihyun deliberately didn't look at the source of the breath passing by his ear as he spoke.
“There are two ways to ascend. One is to step on those tiles over there, and the other is…”
Kang Sihyun trailed off and turned his head to look at the fantastical creature perched on Haru's shoulder.
“Pia.”
At his call, the fantastical creature, which had been preening its wings, lifted its head to look at Kang Sihyun. Seeing its translucent, sparkling eyes, Kang Sihyun reached out his hand.
“Come here.”
“Pyapyap!”
Fluttering over, the fantastical creature landed softly in Kang Sihyun's palm. He gently stroked the small Irregular's soft wings and bumped his forehead against Pia's face.
“Want to fly up there once?”
“Pya?”
“You don’t have to go too high. Just up to there and back, can you?”
Kang Sihyun pointed below the platform as he spoke. After blinking its eyes for a moment, the fantastical creature looked around at the other Awakened, then slowly increased its size. Its body, originally the size of a palm, grew fourfold, large enough to withstand strong winds. After hesitating for a moment, Pia playfully tapped Kang Sihyun's cheek with the horn on its head before soaring powerfully upwards.
Kang Sihyun pushed away the rising anxiety and watched his small partner’s flight. Pia soared into the air, fluttering its wings and effortlessly reached the spot Kang Sihyun had indicated. It was as expected.
“...It only interferes with skills.”
It seemed that only the use of skills, such as flight or protective shields, were hindered and dispelled, but ascending on one's own ability posed no issue. After all, that must be why it was possible to step on and ascend the tiles. Kang Sihyun felt a faint pleasure at his hypothesis being correct and called the small fantastical creature back. After bravely marking the spot Kang Sihyun had mentioned, Pia quickly descended back onto his palm.
“Pyapyap!”
The fantastical creature, now back to its original size, cried out triumphantly. Kang Sihyun tenderly stroked the proud Irregular.
He had always thought it
was a being he needed to protect.
He had thought it was fragile and needed protection, but he learned during the battle with Septimus before his regression that this wasn't the case.
Pia was brave, strong, and capable. Kang Sihyun realized how arrogant he had been to try to solve everything on his own without seeking the help of such a being.
This time, he would borrow even a cat's paw if he could. Since Pia was the beginning, he took a breath and glanced at the Awakened, who were looking at him skeptically, before speaking again.
“Pia, want to try getting even bigger?”
“Pyap?”
“I know you can get bigger. Right?”
“...Pyapf!”
As if caught in the act, the fantastical creature twitched and shuddered on Kang Sihyun's hand. Noticing Pia's hesitation, Kang Sihyun gently urged, and with a sigh, the creature relaxed its body and then puffed itself up.
It didn't take long for the body, previously the size of a palm, to grow larger than three adult men stacked vertically.
“Hey, you…”
Lee Hamin, seeing Pia grow more than three times its size in an instant, expressed his astonishment. Pia, pretending not to know anything, swiftly turned its head away as if it had been betrayed. Then, it spread its wings and fluttered them as if asking, “Is this okay now?” Kang Sihyun, unable to help but laugh at the gesture, nodded.
“Thank you, Pia.”
“Pyapyap!”
“Huh…”
Lee Hamin, looking incredulously back and forth between the harmonious Kang Sihyun and Pia, scratched his head. As he continued to explain with a hopeful look from Lee Hamin,
“…The remaining method, as you just saw, involves using Pia. Of course, this one’s picky and won’t carry just anyone, but if you ask, the members of Redem Guild, including myself, will be carried. That leaves sixteen of us.”
“Is there really a need to ride? If everyone can just step on the tiles and ascend, why not go that way?”
“Ah, did I forget to mention? Once a tile is stepped on, it cannot be reused. The moment you step on it, it disappears.”
“…….”
As he explained, realizing he had omitted an important detail, the gazes of the group turned sharp, their eyes conveying a "Why are you only telling us this now?" sentiment. There was no use in saying his memory had been spotty since he hadn’t been regressed for long.
“Anyway, that’s why we have to use Pia. There’s a limited number of tiles we can use.”
With an overly serene voice, the group looked towards the floating tiles in the air, their rolling eyes confirming the number of tiles available. Realizing not everyone could ascend, their faces quickly darkened as Kang Sihyun spoke.
“We’ll pair up those with good physical abilities with those who are support-type Awakened. If it looks like we can’t all ascend, then there’s nothing we can do but have two people cling to Pia’s legs and ascend that way. Pia, can you do it?”
“Pyapf!”
“There you have it. It might not look graceful, but if we want everyone to ascend, we have no choice but to endure a little embarrassment.”
“Are you too casual about talking about someone else’s business?”
“Then do you want to cling to the legs and go?”
“…….”
When Kang Sihyun quizzically responded to Lee Hamin, who had poked him in the side and whispered a question, he clammed up. Despite the bewildered faces, Kang Sihyun continued with his plan undeterred. If eight people ascend via Pia, that leaves twelve. Splitting into six pairs, they should be able to ascend. After finishing his explanation, even the Chinese Awakened began to discuss among themselves. Then, someone tugged at Kang Sihyun's clothes.
“Um, Kang Sihyun. Do we have to cling on as well?”
“Ah.”
It was a Korean Association affiliated Awakened, including Lee Hamin. Worried about having to dangle from Pia’s legs, they glanced at the fantastical creature’s feet as they spoke, and Kang Sihyun chuckled.
“Who knows.”
After giving a cryptic response, Kang Sihyun turned to look at the Awakened from Jincheong.
Specifically, at Raochen and his group.
“It’ll be up to Pia to decide who to take.”
Forcing someone who is unwilling could result in them being dropped while flying. Thus, for a stable ascent, it was best to let Pia choose who to carry. Explaining this made Lee Hamin’s expression darken.
“Oh, so it’s up to Pia… to decide who gets
carried.”
Hesitating for a moment on how to refer to Pia, Lee Hamin mumbled complexly. Kang Sihyun shrugged, feeling a mixed emotion in his voice.
Pia wouldn’t pick only those it liked.
If it were about carrying someone on its back, maybe, but not for those it would grasp with its feet. Kang Sihyun, knowing well Pia’s nature of constantly biting at Soowoo’s fingers and teasing, gave Raochen a meaningful look and smirked.
Somehow, he felt like he could see who would end up dangling from the feet.
They should have behaved better.
Remembering Pia’s look of disdain towards Raochen since being held by Lee Hamin, Kang Sihyun stroked his commendable partner. Raochen, Luoyang, Songzhan, and Wu Wujin were going to pay a hefty price for being unpleasant to him before the regression.
To ensure they wouldn’t think of stabbing him in the back again.
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