Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 69
"Finally here, huh."
Kang Se-jun pulled back, panting, as he fought the magical beast alongside Joo Eun.
"It's the first time I've felt relieved seeing someone else. Thank God you're here."
"Seeing this mess, I get why you couldn't escape. If you'd come to pick us up, everyone would be dead instead."
The polite speech he used around others was nowhere to be found. Anyone who touched her now would regret it more than fighting a Rank-1 beast.
He quietly backed off right away.
"Uh, huh? Whos that...? Wait, hold on. Kang Se-jun-ssi?"
Pulling Joo Eun, who still hadn't grasped the situation, behind him was a given.
"Yoon Se-ra-ssi..."
Se-ra frowned at Do Jun-young's pitiful state.
Good thing she trusted Baek Hee-won's words. If she'd delayed even a little longer, she would've lost not just Yoon Jae-hun but everyone here.
"I'm fine, Do Team Leader. I'll handle the rest."
"It's dangerous."
"I can land the finishing blow with my own strength. Don't worry."
Of course. Her overflowing rage seemed to fuel her, granting her boundless power.
"Elizabeth-ssi, stay out of this one. I'm prepared for my identity to be revealed, but I want to keep our contract a secret."
When Park Jin-yong had come alone, the System Administrator's blessing had protected her. Using it now would make things easier, but it would draw everyone's suspicion. So she had to fight solo.
No, that was just an excuse.
She simply wanted to face this bastard with her own power alone.
That was enough.
As the tension gripping her body faded, her stiff fingers loosened, and a sense of ease returned. In its place bloomed the confidence that she really could do anything.
"Field deployment."
Now there was no reason to hesitate.
A massive red cube enveloped the magical beast's head.
Everyone's eyes widened at the familiar skill.
Se-ra pulled the trigger amid the pouring gazes, aiming at the glowing beast.
Boom! The explosive power had grown even stronger, perhaps from the skill experience gained.
The destructive force, greater than when she'd killed the Rank-2 killer serpent, scorched the Rank-1 beast's entire body. But it endured, thanks to its fire attribute.
Bang! With a single swing of its hind legthe same one that had struck Yoon Jae-hunthe cube shattered. The shockwave made blood surge up her throat. As expected, a Rank-1 beast was on another level entirely.
"That thing seems way different from the Rank-2 killer serpent. Is a one-rank difference really this huge?"
"That one back then was a newborn hatchling."
Ah. Se-ra nodded in understanding at Kang Se-jun's words.
"Need help?"
"No, I'm good."
Se-ra spat out the blood pooling in her mouth and refused Ja-rim's offer. She wasn't about to retreat after one cube got destroyed.
'I need to use the skill differently.'
Once an awakener acquires a skill, they instinctively know its basic usage. But applying it creatively in battle is entirely up to the individual awakener.
Se-ra was no different.
Through several battles, she'd gradually learned how to wield this skill.
Triggering explosions, capturing ghost species, using it as footing, trapping enemies to protect allies.
Skill 'Field Domination' truly dominated the deployed field in every way. Its applications were endless.
That was the advantage of spatial abilities.
"Field redeployment."
Her reddened left eye specified the zone once more.
This time, not just the beast's head, but its entire bodyand the whole space where it rampaged.
Extending to a range that wouldn't affect her allies.
Enough to create the illusion that the ground before her was entirely dyed red.
She aimed her gun at the cube. More seriously than ever, holding her breath for precision, with unbreakable will, Se-ra pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet, infused with all her mana, pierced through the entire space.
"...Holy shit."
Ja-rim, watching from the side, let out an exclamation. She wasn't alone. Kang Se-jun, Do Jun-young, Joo Eun who hadn't understood, and even those farther away.
"What the fuck is that..."
As the bullet pierced the red cube, it split into dozens, hundreds inside. The bullets filling the cube assaulted the beast relentlessly.
Even if it destroyed one, another tore at its wounds. When bullets collided, causing small explosions, holes punched through its body.
As the bullets dwindled and Se-ra's mana drained, lava-like crimson blood pooled inside the cube.
By the time the beast collapsed, utterly spent, no bullets remained.
It was a sight that awed even S-ranks who had cleared countless dungeonsa truly miraculous scene.
"...Headbang?"
Joo Eun murmured unconsciously.
"Kang Se-jun-ssi, that, that was..."
"Shh. It's not over yet."
Kang Se-jun kept his eyes fixed on Se-ra.
Strange. She was still S-rank, so why couldn't he tear his gaze from her back? It felt like facing the absolute strongest.
Kruk, kruruk. As Se-ra released the field, the beast crashed down with a thud amid a flood of blood.
A wave of sulfur stench hit them. Everyone pinched their noses at the foul odor, but Se-ra strode forward unfazed.
"Took way too long."
The beast's form, buried in lava and hot blood, was horrific.
Its tail and legs torn, the regrown head severed, its blade-proof hide shredded.
Se-ra stared straight into its still-struggling crimson eyes.
"Twelve years. Yeah, a full twelve years..."
This wasn't the winter her mom died. Yet that bone-chilling day flashed before her eyes.
The day mom's blood flowed like snowflakes on the piled white snow.
What look had this thing given her mom back then?
"I wanted to kill you."
After becoming S-rank, she could've quit anytime.
If she'd truly wanted to resign, Song Han-na would've let her go without question.
Yet she'd made endless excuses to stay at the Association because of this.
Even with stats no better than a civilian's, enduring constant humiliationshe'd gritted her teeth for this moment.
Being stationed at Association HQ meant even an F-rank could access this place.
From age ten to now, for twelve long years, Se-ra had sharpened her blade of vengeance to kill this thing with her own hands.
The funny part? Even facing its dying form, she hadn't realized it until now.
Whether she'd deceived herself or honed the blade so quietly even she didn't know, she couldn't say.
But one thing was certain.
"Finally granting that wish."
Her desire to kill it was utterly sincere.
Se-ra changed Heat's form.
Shotgun revolver.
Its brutal destructive power belied its exquisitely beautiful silver body. Would this bastard remember it?
Her combat archer mom's main weapon.
Reproducing even the form and patterns perfectly, Se-ra pressed the muzzle to the beast's forehead.
"Now disappear."
Bang! The roar silenced its ragged gasps completely.
The dead beast's blood was so hot, sticky, revolting...
And satisfying.
The grueling battle that had lasted twelve years finally ended.
The message, long-awaited yet hollow, rang out like fanfare.
But the contributor list didn't end there.
"..."
Tears finally dropped from Se-ra's eyes at the last name to appear. Her trembling hand caressed it.
The system still remembered her mom's name, even after twelve years.
She'd been that strong.
"...Ha, haha. Bro and I, we'll never beat Mom, even in a lifetime."
Se-ra buried her face in her hands. Laughter spilled from her mouth, tears from her eyes.
Joy at finally succeeding, thrill of revenge, lingering attachment she now had to release. Emotions too vast for words overwhelmed her.
Mom, you see? Dad, you watching? We did it. Jae-hun and I, all the hunters nowwe did it together.
In the end, we all did it.
"Mom..."
Her strength gave out, and Se-ra collapsed into the hot blood pooling on the floor with a splash. Not even the rising heat from the blood could match the blaze in her chest.
"Se-ra-ya."
Ja-rim approached but soon stopped.
A warm glow shimmered in Se-ra's hair as she made sounds between laughter and sobs.
Only one being could emit such beautiful gold in the dark night without a sunrise.
The System Administrator, who cherished Se-ra so dearly.
Her tear-filled eyes caught the message.
Hands of light tickled her hair, stroked her forehead, patted her shoulder. Unthinkingly, she reached out. The light wrapped around her wounded hand like a clasp.
Her chest tightened. This time, tears of a different emotion threatened to fall.
Mana: L-rank
Mana Sensitivity: EX
Combat Power: L-rank
Title Granted: Complete
Adult Contract: Impossible
Awakening Limit: None
Name: Yoon Se-ra (L-rank)
Titles: System Administrator's Contractor , Ruler of Space (L-rank), Sniper Overlooking the Battlefield (S-rank), Mask of a Thousand (A-rank)
Trait: Unique Ability Type Sniper
Contracted Adult: None
Special Notes: Sole contractor of the planetEarth's administrator
Rank upgrade due to stat increase. The message went out to all Korean awakeners.
But Se-ra had no time to savor it.
Another message visible only to her appeared.
Synchronization. Flustered by the unseen message, she panicked.
What did this mean? Synchronization? What...
Voice transmission unlocked? For the System Administrator?
Wait, then...
Ah. Realization hit as a voice tickled her ear.