TRHSOS 24

Chapter 24

“Why Did You Abandon Me”

“Quaaack—!”

Those are all duck dolls?!

Their foreheads are bright red, and they’re so angry—it’s ridiculously cute!

It’s scary because I might die, but when a whole crowd of cute things rushes at you, it somehow becomes even cuter!

But if I just stood here spacing out like this, I’d either get trampled to death by the ducks or have my eardrums burst from the noise. Either way, the ending was death.

“Damn it!”

Park Siwoo stared straight at the approaching swarm of duck dolls and muttered a low curse.

“Park Jiho, put up a guard! I’ll try to freeze as wide an area as possible.”

“Leave it to me!”

As Jiho spread out a wide guard large enough to cover me, Park Siwoo pulled out an ice gun and began firing wildly.

Wherever the bullets hit, the duck dolls froze and shattered into pieces.

It looked like they were somehow holding them off, but both Park Siwoo and Jiho were clearly struggling. It was obvious we wouldn’t last long like this.

Is there any way to get out of this crisis without revealing my identity?

At that moment, something flashed through my mind.

The being who always appeared playfully and threw me hints whenever I was in danger.

‘Unsoo!’

[The Constellation ‘Do You Believe in Fortune?’ looks startled and says, “Why are you looking for me first for once?”]

‘I need you!’

[The Constellation ‘Do You Believe in Fortune?’ blushes and says, “It’s troublesome when you suddenly come at me like that.”]

Every time, I’m amazed at how consistently they spout nonsense.

Is that a talent too?

‘Stop talking nonsense and just check my fortune.’

[The Constellation ‘Do You Believe in Fortune?’ gives a meaningful smile and says, “What are you curious about?”]

As expected, they’re quick to catch on. I like that about them.

‘How can I clear this dungeon without getting trampled to death by these ducks?’

[The Constellation ‘Do You Believe in Fortune?’ says, “When you can’t defeat the opponent by force, a good strategy is to give them what they want and persuade them.”]

‘What do the duck dolls want?’

[The Constellation ‘Do You Believe in Fortune?’ says, “I feel sore after checking your fortune,” and heads into the hot spring carrying a toy duck doll.]

‘Hey! If you’re going to leave, at least tell me the answer first!’

I called out urgently, but maybe they really went to the hot spring, because no answer came back.

‘That jerk always goes to the hot spring only when I’m about to die. Is he teasing me or what?’

“Hyung! The guard—!”

While I was fuming inside, I saw cracks forming in Jiho’s guard from the attacks of the duck dolls Park Siwoo hadn’t handled.

Unsoo said persuasion is a good strategy, right?

Yeah, let’s think. What do the duck dolls want?

From the moment we entered this field, the duck dolls were already in a bad mood.

That means there must have been a reason they were upset even before we arrived…

As I carefully looked around, I noticed something strange.

All the baths here are empty.

Thinking back, the field name was also ‘The Dried-Up Bathhouse.’

So the reason the duck dolls were angry might be…!

I immediately left Jiho’s guard and ran toward the bath.

“Unni, it’s dangerous if you leave!”

I heard Jiho’s urgent shout from behind, but I ignored it and jumped straight into the bath, twisting the large faucet on the wall with all my strength.

I tried until my hands turned red, but not a single drop of water came out.

It seems all the water flowing into the bathhouse has dried up.

My intuition was telling me, ‘This is what made the duck dolls upset.’

In that case, I have a method.

‘Haeryeong, fill the empty baths with hot spring water right now!’

[The Constellation ‘Ruler of Hot Springs’ grumbles, “Are you already abusing your power?” but summons the hot spring water.]

‘One more favor! If possible, make it fill up like hot spring water is bursting out of the faucet. If the water just rises out of nowhere, it’ll raise suspicion, okay?’

[The Constellation ‘Ruler of Hot Springs’ complains, “You ask for a lot.”]

Ignoring Haeryeong’s grumbling, I placed my hand on the faucet.

‘Alright, ready, action! Now!’

I twisted the faucet with all my strength once more.

At that moment, as if waiting for it, hot spring water gushed out of the faucet, instantly filling the bath.

Haeryeong always complains but ends up doing everything I ask.

“Quack?”

“Quack quack!”

As the hot spring water overflowed outside the bath, a commotion broke out among the duck dolls.

“Oppa, stop attacking!”

Startled by the word “oppa,” Park Siwoo hastily withdrew his gun.

“Quack!”

“Quack quack quack!”

The duck dolls floating in the overflowing hot spring water looked relaxed.

At the same time, their red, overheated foreheads returned to their original color.

“Duck dolls! Can you listen to me for a moment?”

“Quack?”

At my call, the ducks turned toward me one by one.

“That idiot, what is she trying to do again….”

Park Siwoo watched me with a nervous expression.

“We filled the bath with water, so can you let us pass safely? If you do that, we won’t hurt you anymore.”

“Quack quack!”

“Quaack quack!”

“Qyuiq!”

At my proposal, the duck dolls started talking among themselves as if holding a meeting.

After the noisy discussion ended, a few duck dolls entered the bath where I was.

They won’t suddenly attack me, right?

Just in case, Park Siwoo kept his hand tense on the gun.

“Qyuiq!”

“Quack.”

The duck dolls soaking in the hot spring made pleasant sounds and became docile.

“Qyuiq qyuiq!”

One of the duck dolls even rubbed its cheek against me.

It felt like it was thanking me for filling the bath with water.

So cute!

So it really was because the bathhouse water had dried up that the duck dolls were upset.

“Tickles!”

I affectionately stroked the duck doll’s cheek.

The squishy texture felt nice.

I kind of want to take one home.

I’m confident I could cherish it for life.

[‘Irritated Duck Doll (S)’ soaking in hot spring water switches to ‘Happy Duck Doll (S)’ mode and becomes docile.]
[The portal to the final field opens.]

“Did that really work? This solved it?”

Park Siwoo stared blankly at the duck dolls enjoying their bath.

“I’ll get going now. Thanks for granting my request.”

“Qyuuuk! Qyiq!”

The duck doll bit my collar with a sad expression, as if it didn’t want to part.

“I want to stay longer too, but this is a dungeon, so humans can’t stay long. If I get the chance, I’ll come visit again.”

“Qyuuuk….”

I said a sad farewell to the grieving duck doll and got out of the bath.

“I just thought I’d try filling the bath since it was empty… and it actually solved the problem? Turns out they were gentle kids.”

I acted as if I hadn’t expected it at all, in case someone got suspicious, but then Jiho suddenly grabbed me into his arms.

Because of that, Hyun Jungwoo fell to the floor with a thud, but Jiho didn’t seem to care at all.

That must’ve hurt.

“Unni, why are you so reckless? What if the duck dolls suddenly attacked you?”

“As long as I’m alive, it’s fine.”

“Seriously, Unni….”

Jiho looked like he had been really worried, and his eyes welled up.

“It’s too early to relax. The boss is still left.”

I patted Jiho’s head to comfort him and turned my gaze toward the portal to the final field.

“Ah… I thought my ears were going to burst.”

Just then, Hyun Jungwoo also seemed to regain his senses and got up, groaning while checking if his ears were fine.

“You’re lucky. I was thinking of leaving you behind if you didn’t wake up.”

“Siwoo hyung, would you really do that? When you say it, it sounds serious.”

At Park Siwoo’s remark, Hyun Jungwoo trembled as if the mere thought sent chills down his spine.

“I would.”

“I’m serious.”

As Park Siwoo and I answered at the same time like we had planned it, Hyun Jungwoo looked back and forth between us with an amazed expression.

“You two are definitely siblings. It’s hard to look this alike, you know?”

“That joke is in bad taste.”

“Bullshit.”

Park Siwoo and I both approached the portal with genuinely displeased expressions.

“If everyone’s ready, let’s go.”

At my words, Park Siwoo and Jiho nodded.

“Let’s go together!”

Hyun Jungwoo hurriedly moved his paper-thin body.

Before I knew it, I was standing at the front, riding the portal.

[Entering the dungeon’s final field ‘Why Did You Abandon Me.’]

Starting with me, everyone entered the final field.

Even the final field is a bathhouse.

This dungeon really sticks to its concept.

But what’s with this field name?

While tilting my head in confusion, a guide window appeared.

[The resentment of one who was abandoned blooms strongly. A gloomy energy begins to linger in the field.]

At that moment, black smoke rose in the field and formed a shape.

“Wait, that is….”

Upon seeing the boss’s form, Park Siwoo’s voice trembled.

[Final Boss ‘Abandoned and Marked, Returned Sauna Bucket, Una (SS)’ appears.]