Min-ho turned around, and as the dust cleared, he could see the Worm Hound on its back, pushing the pillar off its body.
'This damned Spector,' Min-ho gripped his dagger.
He wanted to attack, but since its weak spot was at its back and was now hidden away from them, his mind began to race.
He began to count his options—if it was better to help Jang-book and finish his Worm Hound off so the four of them could take down this one, or if they should find a way to finish this one here and now.
Each solution had its own set of risks, as he feared ignoring this Worm Hound would only get Sae-wee and Dok-su killed if he and Jang-book didn't manage to kill the other Worm Hound in time.
Or if trying to kill this one and failing would only lead to Jang-book's death—and thereby theirs as well.
His thoughts and heart felt split, and a fear crept up on him as he found he didn't know what to do.
"Hit it on the arm!" Jang-book yelled, snapping Min-ho from his thoughts.
He turned to Dok-su, who was holding a badly wounded Sae-wee up.
"I put a weak spot on its arm! Hit it there!" Dok-su clarified.
Min-ho hesitated for a brief moment, but then he ran without thinking twice. It didn't occur to him that he had forgotten which arm to attack until he was within the Worm Hound's striking range.
It lashed out, swinging its razor-sharp claws at Min-ho's head. He ducked under the attack but lost his footing on the pillar and began to slide.
He didn't stop the momentum, instead using it to strike the Worm Hound's right arm.
His dagger slid off its hard surface, failing to make an impact.
'Left arm,' Min-ho said as he landed on the Worm Hound's abdomen.
It opened its mouth full of teeth and attempted to chomp down on Min-ho.
He acted fast enough to leap backward and away from the attack. But while he was still airborne, the Worm Hound's claws were coming for him.
His breath caught when he realized he wouldn't be able to dodge the attack.
But just then, he realized which arm was coming for him.
Gripping his sword tight, he swung it. The blade made contact with the arm and sliced through it like butter.
Its razor-sharp claws were gone, but the arm still slammed into him, twisting him in the air so he came crashing down like a broken hovercraft.
He fell hard on rocks, and he felt something inside him shatter. Maybe a bone or an organ—he didn't know—but he couldn't deny how it felt. Like there was a hole in his ribcage.
"Ahhh!"
"KKKKAAAAAA!"
His groan came at the same time as the Worm Hound's piercing cry of death. A second later, the automated voice rang in his head, which was accompanied by a notification screen.
[You Have Slain A Tier Three E-Ranked Spector 'Worm Hound']
[You Have Acquired 500 Coins]
The only thing he took away from the notification was that he had killed the Spector. Pushing the pain aside, Min-ho got up with a groan as his abdomen felt like it was housing broken glass every time he moved.
He bit his lip and forced himself up.
Holding in the pain, he dashed for Jang-book, who was also covered in wounds and blood, both dried and fresh.
Upon arrival, Min-ho lunged at the Worm Hound's back, somehow completely unnoticed.
He didn't give it a second thought before ramming his dagger into that weak spot Sae-wee had shown him.
"KKKAAAAAA!"
[You Have Slain A Tier Three E-Ranked Spector 'Worm Hound']
[You Have Acquired 500 Coins]
The Worm Hound fell, with Min-ho still on its back.
Jang-book fell to the ground, panting hard. Min-ho slid off the Worm Hound, then sat on the floor, leaning against it as he held his rib.
The pain only seemed to grow as time passed.
But he didn't think too much on it, as they had survived this deadly encounter.
From his side, Jang-book walked up to him.
"Can you walk?" he asked Min-ho, even though he was barely holding himself up.
"I think…" Min-ho winced when he tried to get up. Then he shook his head. "It seems I can't even stand."
"Did you buy a Blood Burner?" Jang-book asked, and he nodded.
He opened his shaky palm, ready to summon the Blood Burner into his hand.
Jang-book held his hand and pulled him onto his feet.
Min-ho bit his lip from the pain screaming throughout his body.
Jang-book threw Min-ho's arm over his shoulder and helped him toward the others.
"Don't drink it yet," Jang-book said. "Not on an empty stomach."
Min-ho paused for a moment. He hadn't even taken into consideration the pain he would go through once he drank that potion.
It would be able to cure a good chunk of his most serious wounds, if not all, once ingested. But in return, it would cause extreme pain to the one who drinks it—which would require some time for recovery.
As they made their way toward the others, Min-ho could see Im-hee and Ji-su emerging from the corner they had hidden away. Im-hee was guiding the now-blinded Ji-su toward his brother.
Upon reaching them, Im-hee attempted to heal Sae-wee, but she refused.
Looking at his teammates, Min-ho felt his heart bleed at how broken down they were.
He was reckless. He didn't keep his guard up because Ji-su had said there weren't any Spectors within the next 100 meters before he went blind.
'Of course they could have come in at any time,' Min-ho berated himself.
Had fate not shone upon them this day, they would all be dead before they even started.
Min-ho clenched his fists.
'This won't happen again. Not if I have anything to say about it.'