Ch. 37: Library Dungeon

I'm not much of a romantic person. I mean, I spent most of my days reading... eating... sleeping... reading... reading... did I mention reading already?

I like reading action, and romance is a plus if the author adds it in. I never did spend any time outside the house. A reading Otaku like myself would rather befriend food and books outside than people. You're probably thinking why I'm going at a tangent. I swear, I'll get to the elephant in the room.

But the bottom line is... no people means no interaction, no interaction means no connection, and no connection means no relationship to fall in love and date. I have none of that. So, kissing someone who skipped all of that is a huge shock... Wait... didn't Business man kissed me first!? That's CPR, so maybe that doesn't count. right?

" . . . " Hyun-cho looks down at me in surprise and jerks back. He glares at everything except me. I wanted to say something, anything about what just happened, but a small skinny body slams into me and falls inside the coffin.

"Noona!" Jung-woo hides his face between my melons, "I did it! I saved you!"

I laugh at the boy, happy to see him doing well.

"I know. How exactly did you save me--"

CRACK!

"Umm, I think it's time for us to leave." Vincent pops out behind Maddock, who was silently giving me the angry look. Hyun-cho rushes in and plucks Jung-woo off me before pulling me out as well. However, as soon as he lets go, my legs give out underneath.

"We just detoxed your body, so your body isn't in the best of shape. Until you can move again, I'll be carrying you."

Woah, woah, woah. Carry me?! Images of princess carry pop into my mind. Heat and embarrassment creep up to my cheeks as I anticipate for him to carry me. The next thing I knew, his rough, warm hand pulled me off the ground to my feet. In one sweeping motion, Hyun-cho carries me princess style.

"I rather be killed a thousand more times than be carried like this." I mumble to myself, hands covering my face.

However, the moment was short-lived when dozens of footsteps march into the room. Snow White the Queen walks after with a grin on her face.

"Thought I'd let you all off easily?"

"Mother, what is the meaning of this?!" Maddock steps in front of the group facing the soldiers glaringly.

"Oh, sweetheart. Step aside. These peasants are a dime, an apple. They have threatened the Queen of this kingdom. I won't allow such dangerous people to continue to roam free." She glares back, looking straight at me, especially Hyun-cho.

"Hmph, you may have defeated a few measly soldiers of mine, but I don't think you can fight against a hundred men." She chuckles.

Vincent unsheaths his sword halfway, only for Hyun-cho to stop him.

"No. I'll handle this."

He sets me gentle down the coffin edge to sit and turns to face the army whose weapons were drawn out. One man in particular had a very fancy sword pointing towards Hyun-cho.

"You have killed my men and disrespected my Queen. For that, you must pay with your lives." The familiar voice of Sir. Kalhiem takes me by surprise. He was somewhat of the same age as the Queen, with graying hair, wrinkles in his face, and eyes that could cut through stone.

The air was tense, and I looked back and forth between Hyun-cho and the soldiers. Vincent, Maddock, and even Jung-woo stood behind him.

"Besides, Maddock, kill them all!" Sir. Kalheim shouts, charging straight to Hyun-cho.

To my surprise, the old knight could stand toe to toe with the regressor. I couldn't exactly help since I was still waiting for my body to recover. So far, I have gotten out of the yellow zone to green. My strength slowly comes back to me.

"Ahhh!" A soldier comes charging my way. I grabbed the nearest bouquet of flowers and threw them at his face.

"Ugh!" He stumbles a bit before swiping the flowers away. He doesn't get far when a sword pierces his chest, quickly coughing out blood.

"Are you okay?" Vincent kicks the soldier off his sword and makes his way to me. With his back towards me, he cuts down anyone that comes near.

"Noona!" Jung-woo rushes to my side. I stand up and use him as a cane.

"I'm fine." There were birds and rodents attacking soldiers. Some of the birds sweep down like flying missiles and pecking them, or the rodents would slip under their armors and bite them from the inside.

"Ahh! Get this thing off me!"

"Die!"

"Wuah!"

"Take her away." Hyun-cho shouts, magic aura covering his black sword, "Vincent!"

Vincent slams his blue sword down the ground. Ice crystallizes from the ground and freezing all the soldier's legs, immobilizing them.

"Sorcery!" One of them yells.

However, only Sir. Kalheim, who had avoided the ice and saved the Queen, were able to move. Hyun-cho points his sword to the two.

"I told your butler if you did something I didn't like. I'd kill you myself. You brought this on yourself."

"Wait!" Maddock who has been knocking the soldiers our steps between Hyun-cho and the Queen.

"I know what she did is wrong. But this is too much. Despite her actions today, she's a great ruler. Who will rule if she were to die?!" Maddock shouts.

While this was all happening, Jung-woo was stealthy trying to get me out of the room. However, there was only one exit and entry. It was where, Sir. Kalhiem and Snow White were standing a few meters away from it.

"You wretched thing!" The Queen spots me and Jung-woo with so much hate. She pushes off, Sir. Kalhiem, steals his pocket knife and runs to me.

"No!" Jung-woo waves his hand towards the Queen. Birds and rodents instantly swarm her. Birds pecked at her hair, arms and hands. One manages to stab her eye. The rodents bite her legs and ankles.

"Ahhh! Get these disgusting things off me!" She swings her knife blindly. She then steps on a rat and twists her ankle, falling to the ground.

"M-my queen!" Sir. Kalhiem rushes to her, killing every bird or rat he sees.

"Noona!" Jung-woo calls my attention away, "We need to get out of here!" He hurriedly drags me towards the door.

"Noooo!" A loud piercing cry rips, and everyone looks over to see Sir. Kalhiem  craddling Snow White on his arms. It looks like when she fell, she had accidentally stabbed herself on the gut.

"Mother!" Maddock runs next to her. Sir. Kalheim passes the Queen to her son. His attention turns to me.

"YOU!" He runs to me and Jung-woo, sword slashing down to me. Without thinking much, I push Jung-woo away and watch as the sword cuts my chest.

"Ugh!" I fall against the wall. Blood sips through the clothes I was changed into.

"Marianne!"

"Noona!"

Vincent blocks Sir. Kalheim's second attack, while Jung-woo cries helping me stop the bleeding.

"I'm fine. I can heal myself." Upon mentioning it, [AUTO-HEALING] has been activated. The stinging pain I had felt was slowly residing.

"Activate, [HEALING OF AN ANGEL]." Besides myself, I healed Jung-woo, Vicent, Hyun-cho, and even Maddock. The wound flashes green and disappears along with the pain.

"Ack!" Sir. Kalheim, who was being distracted by Vincent, completely forgot about Hyun-cho. Hyun-cho had sneaked behind him and stabbed in from the back. The soldier falls down to his knees, gritting in pain.

"I told you I'd kill you." Hyun-cho says before quickly and swiftly decapitates the soldier's head off in one move.

Now. It was just the frozen soldiers, Maddock and a dying Queen left. Maddock was glaring at us, especially at me.

"Heal her." He growls. The cooldown takes a few minutes to finish.

"She needs medical attention. I already used my power. I can't do it." Plus, she tried to kill me and my friends.

Snow White smiles to her son, "I don't have much time. But I hope you can take over for me." Her strength leaves her, and her eyes dimmed.

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HIDDEN DUNGEON: STORY TIME

STORY TIME DUNGEON CHALLENGE: PARTICIPANTS MUST COMPLETE THE ENDING OF A STORY. FAILURE TO COMPLETE THEM WILL RESULT IN THE PARTICIPANTS' ENTRAPMENT UNTIL, ANOTHER PARTY SHOWS UP.

CURRENT STORY: SNOW WHITE - COMPLETED.

Participants: Marianne Primrose, Dal Jung-woo, Ho Hyun-cho, and Vincent Lambardi.

REWARDS WILL BE DISTRIBUTED BASED ON CONTRIBUTION. [IN PROGRESS]

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Everyone who participated in this dungeon receives the notification. Another notification pops up:

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CONGRATULATIONS. YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE STORY TIME DUNGEON. YOU WILL NOW BE TELEPORTED OUT IN: 00:00:00:10

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"We did it, Noona!" Jung-woo cheers next to me while I ruffle his hair. By now, I can stand and move my body properly. White light engulfs us, getting ready to teleport.

"Where are you going!?" Maddock was standing in front of us.

"Mad..." I didn't know what to say. He was so kind to take care of me and offered to help, and this is how I leave him.

"Go." He mumbles, "Before I change my mind and fight you."

Speechless, guilt, and sadness wash over me.

[YOU WILL NOW BE TELEPORTED].