Solo Leveling: Banishment of the Anomaly

Sensing the direness of the situation, Joo-Hee gulped, her hand instinctively brushing her neck as an overwhelming dread washed over her.

If they stayed and burdened Jin-Woo any longer, she felt certain that someone—perhaps some of them—would die.

Jin-Woo's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"Joo-Hee, Mr. Song, go. Take the others and leave. I'll hold him off while you escape."

His tone was cold, resolute. He glanced at them over his shoulder, his expression unreadable.

"I'll explain everything later. Just go!"

Joo-Hee's heart clenched painfully.

She balled her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

'How useless am I?' she thought bitterly.

'Even without a system, I still can't do anything. I'm no different now than I was in my old world—weak... and powerless...'

Song Chi-Yul's face twisted in anguish as he stepped to Joo-Hee's side, guiding her toward the others.

His hands trembled slightly, a reflection of the turmoil within him.

The scene before him was all too familiar—he'd once left Jin-Woo behind to fend for himself in the double dungeon.

Now, he was doing it again.

"Jin-Woo… I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," Song Chi-Yul murmured, his voice heavy with guilt.

But he didn't wait for a response.

Turning toward the others, he shouted, "Sang-Shik, Jeonho, move! Head for the exit!"

Despite knowing that Jin-Woo will succeed in killing Kang Tae-Shik, Joo-Hee was still anxious for unknown reason why.

Sensing this source of anxiousness, she stopped and summoned every ounce of courage and shouted, "Jin-Woo, you'd better stay alive! We'll get help soon!"

Before leaving, she made sure to buff Jin-Woo, even using half of her remaining mana to do so.

Jin-Woo nodded once, his back to them, his stance firm as he faced Kang Tae-Shik.

The older hunter stood like a predator, his bloodied daggers glinting in the dim cave light, his smirk dripping with malice as he stand on wait.

Kang Tae-Shik's laughter echoed eerily, his eyes tracking the retreating group like a wolf eyeing fleeing prey.

"Run? You're going to run?" He licked his lips mockingly.

"You think I'd let you get away so easily? How amusing."

Without warning, Kang Tae-Shik surged forward, a blur of speed and bloodlust.

But Jin-Woo was faster.

He intercepted the attack, his dagger meeting Tae-Shik's blade in a resounding clash.

Sparks flew as their weapons scraped against each other, the force of the collision reverberating through the cave.

"Not so fast," Jin-Woo growled, his eyes sharp and unyielding.

Tae-Shik's smirk widened.

"Oh? Just because you managed to parry some of my attacks, you think you can stop me now? You're just a nobody!"

The two moved in a deadly dance, each step calculated, every strike lethal.

Jin-Woo ducked under a swipe aimed for his throat and countered with a thrust of his dagger.

Tae-Shik deflected it with ease, twisting his body to slash at Jin-Woo's side.

Jin-Woo narrowly avoided the attack, rolling backward and springing to his feet.

He gritted his teeth.

Tae-Shik wasn't just fast—he was precise, each strike aimed to kill.

"Not bad for a false ranker!" Tae-Shik admitted with a sneer.

"Let's see how you can respond to this."

With a sudden increase of speed, Tae-Shik broke the lock and slashed Jin-Woo's body countless times.

Jin-Woo barely blocked as he gritted his teeth, skidding back slightly but maintaining his distance and balance despite having few minor bleeds.

'There's should be enough distance between us now. They won't see me using my skills.'

"You piece of shit, can you stop talking already? It stinks," Jin-Woo said tauntly, his voice low and steady.

"Stinks...? How brave of you to say that," Tae-Shik growled, veins bulging in his forehead, ready to burst.

"Let's see if you—"

With a sudden burst of mana and speed, coupled with Joo-Hee's buff, Jin-Woo caught Tae-Shik off guard. He dashed to the right, spun to the left, and aimed his dagger at Tae-Shik's head.

'Shit! He's gotten faster! How?!'

The attack grazed Tae-Shik's cheek, drawing blood and activating the dagger's poison ability.

"Poison?! I see. So your dagger has special effects. You've truly been hiding your true skills, huh?" Tae-Shik growled, wiping the blood from his cheek.

Tae-Shik's mind raced.

'Tch. This fucker. I need to end this quickly. Or else it would be hard to catch up to those rats.'

...

As Joo-Hee, Chi-Yul, and the other two hunters ran, the silhouettes of Jin-Woo and Tae-Shik faded into the distance.

Yet, the echoes of their fierce battle still reverberated through the cave, a constant reminder of the danger they had narrowly escaped.

Chi-Yul glanced at Joo-Hee, his face etched with worry and curiosity.

"Did you know about Jin-Woo's strength, Joo-Hee?"

Joo-Hee shaked her head, her voice steady as she acted and lied.

"No, I didn't."

Chi-Yul frowned, deep in thought.

"Then… the only explanation is that he reawakened after that accident—or during it. After all, it was already strange how he managed to survive that dungeon in the first place."

Behind them, Sang-Shik and Jeonho remained silent, their expressions tense as they processed the gravity of what had transpired.

The near-death experience weighed heavily on them, and as they reached the intersection leading to the cave's entrance, the realization hit harder: if not for Jin-Woo, Joo-Hee, and Chi-Yul, they would have died.

Sang-Shik clenched his fists, guilt tightening in his chest.

'I keep owing that kid my life. I... I need to face him and apologize before it's too late. Jin-Woo... you better stay alive and make it back.'

As the group pressed forward, each lost in their thoughts, Joo-Hee's anxiety grew unbearable.

Every step only intensified the nagging feeling in her chest.

'Did I overlook something important?' she thought, biting her lip.

'I'm supposed to heal and provide support. Even if I wasn't at his side, I buffed him—that should've lasted for a while. But why do I feel like something is wrong?'

The unease in her mind quickly spiraled, her instincts screaming at her.

Suddenly, an invisible force seemed to grip her body.

Her steps faltered, and she came to an abrupt halt, her limbs and all her muscles refusing to move.

"Joo-Hee!" Chi-Yul's voice rang out as he turned to look at her, panic flashing in his eyes.

"What are you doing?! We need to get out of here—now!"

But Joo-Hee couldn't answer. She couldn't move. Her entire body felt heavy, her mind trapped in a fog.

Then, without warning, a sharp, familiar pang reverberated through her mind, and a green-glowing notification flashed before her eyes.

_______________________

[Overall system upgrade has finished.]

[Primus-grade system has successfully evolved to Acolyte-grade.]

[The host will now undergo a body shutdown. Conciousness is disabled while enhancements are processed.]

_______________________

Joo-Hee's eyes widened in shock as her vision blurred, feeling as though her soul was being sucked into a void.

She felt her consciousness slipping away, the weight of the system's control rendering her powerless.

'Acolyte-grade…?' she thought hazily, just before the world around her faded into darkness.