Chapter 41 - Hero (4)
“Why.”
Right behind them.
Even amid the urgent chaos where the Ga Hwa-ryong was rampaging with its field fully deployed.
“Why go that far?”
Kim Sun-woo had no choice but to ask.
People became hunters for all sorts of reasons.
Most, like him, did it for the money. Others to raise their families, or chasing honor or some greater purpose, diving headfirst into the industry.
Even those who preached about the greater good or saving the world—there was one unchangeable truth.
The most important thing is yourself.
No matter how much money you made or glory you earned, it all ended when you died.
This time was no different.
A fight they were clearly going to lose.
Looking at Lee Sang-hoon's condition, holding out even a minute—let alone five—would deserve a standing ovation.
With the shelter evacuations nearly done, the smart move was to pull back and live to fight another day.
As a B-rank hunter, he'd lived without envy, and he must have a nice nest egg saved up.
So why stay in the jaws of death?
At Kim Sun-woo's question, Lee Sang-hoon let out a bitter smile and pointed toward the crumbled city below.
“Down there, there's this place called Ilseok Snack Bar. It was my go-to from elementary school all the way through high school—always stopped by on the way home. Their tteokbokki was out of this world, but now it's flattened, not even a trace left. The old man's grandson just started elementary school, and he was saying he had to hustle for pocket money.”
“......”
“Over there's Pandora Stationery. Me and the owner were tight, so whenever I'd swing by to play the arcade games out front, he'd hook me up with free snacks sometimes. Ah, at least that one's still got some building left.”
Lee Sang-hoon went on, pointing out more buildings, then flashed a toothy grin again.
“This place? It's my hometown. Where I grew up until I headed to the city as an adult. You think I can just stand by and let some worthless monster trash it?”
The bleeding must have finally stopped; he roughly wiped his nose crusted with blood clots and chugged a mana potion.
...Now that he noticed, empty potion vials littered the rooftop floor.
Not even that enough?
He downed the bottle in seconds, rummaging through his pouch for another—but it was already empty.
Smacking his lips in regret, Lee Sang-hoon wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked at Kim Sun-woo.
“So you go, Sun-woo. I can hold it solo for about five minutes. No plans to stubbornly die like a dog here. My life's precious too. A bright young guy like you kicking it in some backwater dump? That'd be the world's loss.”
“......”
Kim Sun-woo said nothing, just stared silently at Lee Sang-hoon.
Boom. Boooom.
The Ga Hwa-ryong, field deployment complete, began moving in earnest.
Lava overflowed, buildings collapsed, and the city was swallowed in crimson flames.
Then, sensing the pests bothering it, the beast zeroed in on their position.
As Lee Sang-hoon opened his mouth in alarm—
“You said that snack bar's tteokbokki was good, right?”
“...Huh? No, now's not the time for—”
“Once the shop's rebuilt, treat me. Gotta see what makes it worth risking your neck for.”
Kim Sun-woo chuckled, pulling a mana potion from his own pouch and setting it on the railing.
“...Pardon?”
Lee Sang-hoon gawked, but Kim Sun-woo was already at the edge.
“Easier with two than one. Exactly five minutes. After that, I'll beat the crap out of it and bail, resistance be damned.”
Thwack!
He kicked off the rooftop, hurtling straight toward the Ga Hwa-ryong.
As his figure shrank to a dot, Lee Sang-hoon let out an admiring whistle, shaking his head in disbelief.
“...Damn, bro. Loyalty like that is killer. Not running?”
Staying was his own stubborn call.
Didn't expect the kid to take it seriously.
Exhaling deeply, Lee Sang-hoon gathered his mana, his eyes blazing blue as he glared at the Ga Hwa-ryong.
“Fine. When this is over, full-course dinner on me.”
Fwaaaah!
The ground surged before the Ga Hwa-ryong, massive clumps of earth gathering.
As the dirt piled into a gigantic golem—
—Think that'll work?!
The Ga Hwa-ryong kicked off instantly, swinging its forepaw wildly.
Splat!
The golem's nearly formed head exploded, red flames igniting it.
A completed golem would've been a huge pain.
Having experienced it before, the Ga Hwa-ryong opened its maw for the kill shot—
Shiiiing!
A white flash pierced the darkness from atop a tall skyscraper.
Craaaack!
A single bolt of lightning slammed into the Ga Hwa-ryong's cheek.
The impact was solid; the beast staggered slightly, head snapping back.
But Kim Sun-woo, who had unleashed the Flying Thunder Flash mid-air, could only frown.
'Freakin' tough.'
Aimed for the eye, but it twitched at the last second—grazed the snout instead.
A clear gash on the scales, but no real damage.
If that's what hitting a weak spot got him, the rest...
Shiiiing!
Regaining its senses, the Ga Hwa-ryong swept its forepaw, smashing Kim Sun-woo and the building behind in one go.
—KABOOOOOM!!!
The near-sonic paw unleashed a massive shockwave across the city.
Kim Sun-woo dodged with maxed-out Dark Flow Step, landing on the golem's reformed shoulder.
“...Shockwave alone packs this punch. Grazed? Instant death.”
Surveying the wrecked city, he broke into a cold sweat.
Five minutes up already? Nope—barely thirty seconds.
Made him wonder if the Ga Hwa-ryong's field slowed time.
—Pesky flies.
The beast's eyes narrowed, a flaming halo manifesting above its head.
Boosted by the field, its firepower surged, spewing blaze-breath in all directions.
Fwaaaaaah!
Heat that'd sear skin from residual alone.
The golem twisted behind a building.
Kim Sun-woo leaped off its shoulder, appalled by the radiant heat even his fire resistance couldn't fully shrug off.
Hiding behind an intact skyscraper, he glared at the madly spewing Ga Hwa-ryong.
'Even Flying Moon Severing Shadow, the strongest form in White Flow Sword Technique, might not cut those scales.'
Full-power Flying Thunder Flash barely scratched the snout.
Flying Moon Severing Shadow hit harder, but not by much.
So the only way to hurt it...
'...The fourth form.'
The fourth form of White Flow Sword Technique.
Only Sword Gang would do.
Problem: he didn't know how.
Just got comfy with Sword Aura, now Sword Gang?
Absurd.
Boom! Kaboom! Boom!
As the flames died down, the golem and Ga Hwa-ryong clashed head-on again.
Wouldn't last long, though.
Lee Sang-hoon looked rough controlling it.
Aware of that, the golem unleashed a barrage without retreat.
—A lifeless construct dares...!
Its ferocity made even the field-empowered Ga Hwa-ryong hesitate.
'That's B-rank power.'
A minute in.
Kim Sun-woo exhaled, clearing his cluttered mind.
'When did I ever overthink?'
Not can I?—do it, and it works.
He never calculated odds.
Dove in headfirst, always succeeded.
He trusted his senses.
Sharper, keener now via the Mixed Emotions Pill.
—Sword Aura vs. Sword Gang? Density and sharpness, if you must quantify.
Recalling Baek Ryuk Geom's lectures and notebook, he desperately grasped it.
—Sure, Sword Gang needs minimum inner energy. But quantity alone doesn't cut it. Often dismissed as 'enlightenment,' but it's technical. At least, that's my take.
The old master said Sword Gang was about twenty times Sword Aura.
—Stack Sword Aura twenty times, you approximate Sword Gang. Metaphor, mind—not literal. Twenty auras won't block one gang. But.
The voice from the headset pierced his ears.
—Master Sword Gang, and you'll get why I said that. First, train stacking auras. You'll reach a pseudo-gang at least.
Zzzzz.
White radiance flickered over the Black Flow Sword.
'Old master's right.'
Gang or pseudo-gang—didn't matter.
He needed a sharper, harder blade.
One to slice scales, tear flesh, end it.
But stacking auras wasn't easy for him either.
Crunch.
He gritted his teeth.
Blood rushed to his forehead, blue veins bulging; breath held, all focus on the sword.
Drip.
Hitting a threshold, something snapped.
A metallic tang filled the air; nosebleed streamed.
Vision edges reddening—eyes bleeding too.
“...Screw it.”
Kim Sun-woo ignored it.
No time to wipe blood; total concentration on the Black Flow Sword.
How much blood had Lee Sang-hoon shed?
A normal person would've been dead ten times over.
Even a tough hunter would struggle to stay conscious.
Yet he fought the Ga Hwa-ryong, ability active.
Overdrawing inner energy, his insides churned; meridians screamed.
Still, Kim Sun-woo layered Sword Aura without quitting.
Ten layers, eleven, twelve...
...Absolute limit now.
Head foggy, lost count.
Shhhrk—.
The irregularly flickering white light stabilized.
Zzzzz.
Flowing smoothly along the blade, forging like a new sword overlaid on the Black Flow Sword.