How to Get on the Main Character’s Flower Path

 

***

 

[Story Fragments have been added.]

 

While swimming in the ocean for a while, a notification window suddenly appeared before my eyes.

 

“What is this?”

 

I tried to check the fragment section,

 

[Currently collected Story Fragment: 5]

 

– Academy’s Genius Commander: 1

 

– ???? ??? ???? ?? (Locked): 4

 

I realized that a red gem had been added to the part full of question marks, so I left it alone for now. If possible, give me something I can read. Why do you keep adding things I can’t even see?

 

“The monsters really don’t attack…”

 

I nodded at Na Yuri’s words from the side.

 

“That’s right. How strange.”

 

The monsters that looked like pufferfish were paying attention to us when we didn’t attack them first and were eating the seaweed nearby.

 

In fact, they would sometimes come towards us and loiter. We approached the seaweed that the puffer monsters were eating and diligently collected the round fruits that were open there.

 

Scammer said that these pearl-like hard fruits were an item called ‘Mermaid’s Breath’, and that when consumed, they would allow one to breathe underwater for two hours.

 

I put them in my pocket, admiring the smooth shine that the fruits gave off like real pearls.

 

“I think this much is enough.”

 

Na Yuri and I filled our pockets and returned to the group. Scammer greeted us.

 

“Thank you for your hard work.”

 

Na Yuri, who would normally have made a sharp remark, simply remained silent and handed him the pouch she had filled.

 

Just as I was about to hand the pouch I had tied to my waist to him,

 

I heard a low, heavy voice that was unfamiliar but not so unfamiliar.

 

“You’re here, Player.”

 

I quickly raised my gun and shot at the place where the voice came from.

 

However, the magic bullet I shot was blocked by someone’s shield.

 

“Goodness, you’re one tough girl.” 

 

That someone was a long-haired young man with pointed ears.

 

I glared at the man who was leisurely approaching us with wary eyes.

 

Those pointed ears were evidence that he was an elf, or an elf half-blood. Among the characters I know, the one who was an elf half-blood and belonged to the Wild Hunters was—

 

“Nice to meet you, juniors.”

 

Shin Haewoon. A character who specializes in handling water.

 

Not good.

 

Scammer realized the situation and I heard him clicking his tongue behind me.

 

I glared at Tornito behind Shin Haewoon.

 

“Is it time to say hello?”

 

The tiger bastard made eye contact with me and made a strange expression. He then shook his head slightly and held a weapon that looked like lightning in his hand.

 

The moment he saw the weapon, Scammer’s eyes widened in shock. Without even being able to breathe, he hurriedly summoned a flag and waved it around.

 

At the same time, a pure white light sharply enveloped us.

 

Whoosh, bang—! 

 

Later, I heard a thunder that seemed to shatter the entire world.

 

The dazzling light gradually subsided, so I opened my eyes.

 

Zzzzp!

 

In front of us, a shield with cracks like broken glass was barely holding on, vibrating. It was a shield that Scammer had hastily created with his skill.

 

He took the fierce attack head-on and vomited out a handful of blood.

 

The flag he was holding in his hand turned to ash after completing its mission.

 

He turned around and hugged me. He asked me carefully, even as blood dripped from his mouth.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Without even asking, thanks to his appropriate skill, the group was all safe.

 

Check on your own condition, you idiot!

 

I couldn’t bring myself to shout that. This was the answer that came out with great effort.

 

“…I’m okay.”

 

I answered and glared at the tiger bastard.

 

The tiger bastard’s lightning-like weapon was gathering light again. The group began to confront the enemy, protecting me and Yuhan. I spoke to Na Yuri.

 

“Yuri, please take care of Yuhan.”

 

Na Yuri looked at Scammer and me, then she nodded.

 

“…Yes.”

 

Na Yuri, who had the magic of fire, would better stay with him in this situation.

 

Everyone’s attacks were directed at the enemies at the same time.

 

However, the water barrier didn’t waver and blocked everyone’s attacks.

 

“Strong…!”

 

“Ugh…! Where did that guy come from?”

 

The moment Min Jaeyoon and Shin Baran shouted that, the air, no, the water, vibrated.

 

The space we were in began to create a huge and overwhelming flow according to Shin Haewoon’s will.

 

The water that made up this space-time obeyed Shin Haewoon’s orders and squeezed us tightly.

 

“Hana, let’s make space!”

 

“Ugh…!”

 

Choi Soojung and Lee Hana urgently created a space without water with the wind and built a wall with ice. However, the wall would break apart powerlessly whenever the water would surge.

 

It was as if a huge force of nature was targeting us.

 

Min Jaeyoon used her magic to shoot a curse at the enemies through a shield made of ice, yet it was swallowed by the water.

 

No matter how much Park Siwoo charged at them with his weapon, the water would create a huge flow and swallow his weapon.

 

We were bounced away and swept away only because of that huge flow of water.

 

The space became narrower and narrower as if it was strangling us.

 

If this continued, we would die because of this overwhelming force. I clenched my fists as a strong sense of crisis rose up in my mind.

 

“Water and,

cough,

electricity. In this dungeon, we are no match for those guys.”

 

At that moment, Scammer said with a groan.

 

“Especially that elf guy,  must be drawing on the magic of the water.”

 

“Is that possible?” 

 

Na Yuri asked Scammer as she fed him the potion. Scammer, who took the medicine, immediately felt much better and his breathing became easier.

 

“That guy… has such skill. So fighting that guy in a dungeon with the ocean as the background is no different from trying to dry up the entire ocean. We’ll all die if we keep going like this.”

 

Then he took something out of her inventory. It was the scales he had previously obtained from the Temple of the Beast.

 

“So if we want to win, we have to change the field to one without the water magic…! This side has a slightly better chance!”

 

At that moment, the thunderbolt of the tiger bastard was completed again. Scammer shouted.

 

“Scales, judge us!”

 

The moment the desperate voice cut through the air, the scales shone brightly.

 

At the same time, a brilliant light completely different from the sharp light of the thunderbolt enveloped us all.

 

***

 

Sleepy.

 

A rough, calloused hand caresses my cheek. A low, heavy voice rang in my ears.

 

“Get up.”

 

“Don’t wanna…”

 

I giggled bashfully in a daze and rubbed my cheek against his hand.

 

The person who was trying to get me up sighed lightly as if he had no other choice. Then he lightly lifted me up and started to move.

 

I could see his tail slowly wagging.

 

I thought with my dazed head. Was there a half-human man among our group?

 

My blurry vision gradually became clearer. The tail I saw before my eyes was a tail with yellow and black stripes that stood out.

 

The moment I realized that, I came to my senses.

 

“Huh?!”

 

“Are you finally coming to your senses?”

 

The face looking down at me was definitely that of a tiger bastard.

 

I was about to shoot him with my gun right away, but I realized that I didn’t have a gun at my waist. He said as he put me down.

 

“I took your weapon.”

 

This crazy…

 

I quickly turned on the meta point store and tried to push him away. Yet his big hands grabbed my wrists first.

 

“You don’t need to use that ability right now. If you promise to cooperate, I’ll return the weapon right now.”

 

“Cooperate?”

 

What the hell is that? I asked back with a frown.

 

The tiger bastard nodded and explained.

 

“You may not know, but this dungeon is called the ‘Left Side of the Scales.’”

 

At those words, I recalled the scene from earlier where Scammer was shouting something while holding the scales.

 

Did the power of that item transport us to different dungeons?

 

“The difficulty of this dungeon changes depending on who enters the dungeon. You never know who you’ll be with.”

 

The problem is that I have no information about this dungeon, which is presumed to be a game event. So I decided to listen to the tiger bastard for now.

 

“Why is that?”

 

“It’s because it’s a dungeon that reconstructs people’s memories to create trials.”

 

“Memories…”

 

That really is an unlucky place. I couldn’t hide my nervousness.

 

“Also, we need to know the clearing method for each trial.”

 

“So you and I have to cooperate?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Yeah, fine.”

 

I let out a deep sigh.

 

What a misfortune. About why I got involved with this guy.