The Support Ate it All

When the five superhumans charged in with their hoes, the weed-covered field quickly turned into barren ground.

And like I had predicted,

[500-Year Tuber Fleeceflower (B)]

Another large root of fleeceflower emerged.

Thanks to this, any lingering dissatisfaction Jang Moo-geuk had was instantly swept away.

In fact, he looked more than pleased.

“Taking a quick detour to pick up two high-grade elixirs. This is a great start.”

“Kim-hyung, you really do bring us all good fortune with your knowledge.”

Go Hyeon-woo was eager to praise me as well.

In reality, though it might seem like we found this hidden gem effortlessly, this kind of hidden piece is notoriously hard to find.

This was because you would have to dig through every nook and cranny of the vast dungeon and even turn over the weed field.

While I could have easily sold this information, I chose instead to share it with my party members.

After all, it benefits me too.

[Blood-Spotted Herb (D)] x3

[Short Leaf Herb (C)] x2

[Sharp Leaf Herb (C)] x2

…

With the manpower I gathered here, we dug up a pile of poisonous plants.

They weren’t exactly low-value items, but thanks to my role in finding the elixir locations, they were all mine.

The elixirs would be shared later, while I’d make good use of the poisonous plants myself.

“Now then, shall we go collect it? The Ghost Dance.”

“Are we finally going?”

An undeniable sense of anticipation seeped through Jang Moo-geuk’s tone.

It made sense. What he had so eagerly awaited was now right in front of him.

We retraced our steps back to the edge of the bamboo forest and stepped inside.

As we continued to walk, the fog gradually began to settle.

The fog continued to thicken, to the point where not only our feet but even the figures of the people behind us became blurred.

But it was broad daylight, and the weather had been clear just moments before. Could such a heavy fog even form so suddenly?

Dang Gyu-young glanced around and spoke up.

“A formation.”

“That’s right.”

This area was layered with a rather advanced formation.

The fog obscured our vision and even created a disorienting effect that made it easy to lose all sense of direction.

Pressing on without any countermeasure in a situation like this would be a terrible choice.

I had no intention of doing so, so I turned my head to the back.

“Go Hyeon-woo.”

“Right here.”

At that, Go Hyeon-woo handed me a small wooden figurine that was barely the size of my palm.

It was the Dharma statue we’d obtained from the Black Death dungeon.

It was a remnant of a nameless swordmaster’s legacy, but it also served as a tool for dispelling formations with ease.

When we tackled the [Sealing Demon Chests] dungeon, we used it to locate the hidden Golden Merchant Guild Leader beyond the barrier.

It’ll work here too.

As soon as I held the Dharma statue forward, it took immediate effect.

Like a candle lighting up the darkness, the fog thinned around me to reveal the dirt path ahead.

Its performance is excellent.

The Ghost Dance was a rare legacy left behind by the Illusion Demon, one of the Four Supreme Demons Under Heaven.

It is not inferior at all to the Blood Ghost Blade Demon’s legacy, which was the destination of Pang Mi-ryeong’s raid team.

Just as the Treasure Map was needed over there, we too were supposed to have a similar key item prepared for this place.

Even so, the reason I chose to push forward was thanks to my first secret weapon, the Dharma statue.

While not the exact key, it would serve as a kind of master key.

And my second secret weapon was—

Me, of course.

Someone who could instinctively navigate through the barrier formations set up by former graduates.

Besides, I had broken through this place countless times even without the Dharma statue, so finding the path wasn’t difficult.

Of course, this didn’t apply to the rest of the party, so I gave them a quick reminder over my shoulder.

“From now on, stay close to the person in front of you and follow them while keeping your eyes on their back.”

“If we’re not careful, we’ll get separated?”

“That could happen.”

At my response, Dang Gyu-young smiled slightly, then extended her hand toward me.

“Shall we hold hands?”

“Let’s do that.”

It seemed a bit obvious that she wanted to take advantage of the situation, but holding hands would actually keep us more stable.

Perhaps she wasn’t only acting on impulse because she extended her other hand behind her.

“Da-bin, grab on.”

“Yes, President.”

Chae Da-bin then took Go Hyeon-woo’s hand, and Go Hyeon-woo grabbed Jang Moo-geuk’s hand, though the latter looked less than thrilled.

“…Is it really necessary to hold hands?”

“Haha, it’s all for safety, isn’t it?”

Once I confirmed that the human train was complete, I turned my gaze forward again.

Holding the Dharma statue out in front, I began leading the way.

“Alright, follow closely. The Kim Ho train is departing.”

“Departing~.”

Dang Gyu-young snickered behind me.

The Kim Ho train made its way through the bamboo forest, sometimes advancing in a straight line, other times swaying along the twists and turns of the terrain.

Occasionally, the path split into two or three forks, but most of the time, the way narrowed down to a single route as soon as I held out the Dharma statue. Almost like magic.

And in cases where it didn’t narrow—

I just have to look carefully.

By focusing my gaze, I could usually sense the correct path.

Moving forward bit by bit, we finally reached a wide clearing as the fog began to thin.

When I looked around, I noticed not only the tall bamboo stalks but also several statues standing in place.

Each statue held a short candle, and as we stepped into the clearing, the candles lit up on their own.

Fwoosh, fwoosh,

The moment all the candles were illuminated, the fog lifted in one corner of the clearing and a narrow path was revealed.

Dang Gyu-young pointed to it and asked,

“If the flames go out, does that path disappear too?”

“Yes, we need to keep them lit.”

Since the candles had ignited and revealed the path as soon as we entered the clearing, it meant that someone would have to stay behind to keep the path open.

But simply standing around here wasn’t going to be easy.

After all, the candles had revealed more than just the path.

Ssshhh…

From all directions, presences began to gather, and soon figures in black masks emerged from between the bamboo trees.

They were dressed head-to-toe in black with even their weapons painted in a dark color.

It was as if they had anticipated our arrival and lain in wait, but since that couldn’t have been possible, there was only one answer.

Go Hyeon-woo looked at them with interest.

“This is a formation technique, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s an Illusion Formation.”

A formation that manifests illusions.

Fog was only the beginning; it could cause natural disasters like firestorms, earthquakes, or like now, summon martial artists or monsters to appear.

“But if it’s just an illusion, can’t we ignore it?”

“Usually, yes. But this one is far from ordinary.”

After all, this was an Illusion Formation set by the Illusion Demon.

Its level was so high that the boundary between reality and illusion was blurred beyond comparison.

If we were hit by their attacks, we’d actually sustain injuries.

Go Hyeon-woo let out a murmur.

“Hmm, in that case, a battle seems unavoidable.”

“Be careful; they’re pretty strong.”

The strength of each masked figure in black wasn’t something to be taken lightly.

This Illusion Formation was the main reason we had left Shin Byeong-cheol behind.

It would take someone with the skills of Jang Moo-geuk or Go Hyeon-woo to stand a chance.

Sssss…

The masked figures were closing in and tightening their encirclement by the second.

Knowing that the fight was about to break out, I stepped up to the side path.

“Hold them off and buy me some time. I’ll be back soon.”

“Mhmm, go and come back.”

Leaving Dang Gyu-young’s words of farewell behind, I stepped onto the side path.

At that moment, the masked figures charged all at once and the clashing sounds of weapons rang out.

Yet before I had taken a few steps, the noise became muffled and then vanished entirely.

As if the sounds had been swallowed by the mist.

They’ll manage just fine.

There was no need to worry since they were skilled enough to avoid any serious accidents.

I just needed to focus on my role.

As I moved swiftly, the side path soon ended and another clearing appeared.

Compared to the spot where the others were fighting, this area was much smaller, with square marble tiles laid across the ground.

Like a personal training area.

Also surrounding the marble were giant statues of goblins and demons, each a head or two taller than a person.

They stood as though they were watching over anyone training here.

This was the place where the Illusion Demon’s treasure called the Ghost Dance could be obtained.

Of course, just finding it wasn’t enough.

I have to pass the trial.

When I stepped into the center of the marble floor, the atmosphere immediately shifted.

In an instant, fog swirled in like clouds. Everything was hidden from view.

All that remained visible were the marble floor and the statues of goblins and demons.

Rumble…

Then the statues began to move, and all at once they stood up and walked toward me.

Each of them held either a long staff or a club resembling a Yeoui staff as thick as a building pillar. Just a single blow of those seemed capable of breaking bones.

Anyone would have instinctively felt threatened in such a situation, but I simply stood on the marble with my arms hanging loosely at my sides.

Fighting them is meaningless.

After all, this was part of the Illusion Formation.

They were difficult to defeat, and even if they fell, new statues would quickly replace them, which would just waste my energy.

It’s not something I can force my way through.

While I could use a few tricks to reach the treasure, obtaining the skill or trait was another matter entirely.

I’d have to undergo the trial just as the Illusion Demon intended.

Of course, like with any trial, there were some useful tips.

Ignore the statues.

It didn’t mean I should just ignore them and take the hits.

It meant to abandon any fear of the statues and focus on something else.

I lowered my gaze just a bit in front of me.

Footprints were appearing one by one as if someone had walked this path before me.

I moved forward and carefully stepped on each one.

Whoosh!

The statues swung their heavy weapons, but I kept all my attention on the footprints.

I made sure to step precisely, with every movement flowing naturally,

Each step connecting smoothly to the next.

And then, even though I wasn’t trying to dodge, their attacks passed just a hair’s breadth away from me.

This is why it’s said to ignore the statues.

Just following instructions allowed me to avoid their strikes.

If I focused too much on them, my tension and scattered concentration would make it harder to hit each footprint precisely.

The Illusion Demon’s trial continued.

Though it felt like I had come a long way, I was still in the center of the training hall, still surrounded by statues.

Looks like the difficulty’s about to increase.

As soon as I thought that, the attacks of the statues became fiercer.

Where before two or three statues had swung their weapons, now it was five or six, and their speed had picked up as well.

In response, the footprints began appearing faster.

Sometimes they spread out with wide gaps; other times they zigzagged in erratic patterns, and I had to follow closely to avoid being hit by the statues.

Thud! Boom!

Heavy weapons crashed down behind or next to me. They filled the air with deafening noise and scattered clouds of stone dust.

Even so, I continued to ignore them completely, and I just stepped on the footprints over and over again in a state of half-consciousness.

I repeated this over and over who knows how many times.

Then, suddenly, the footprints that had appeared without pause were gone and I stopped in place.

When I looked around, I noticed the fog had cleared and the open space had returned to its original state.

The training area that should have been shattered into pieces was intact, and the stone statues were still in their places.

As if nothing had happened.

It’s over.

I had passed the Illusion Demon’s trial.

As if to confirm my thought, a message appeared in the corner of my vision.

[Acquired ‘Ghost Dance’.”]