Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Pedestal of Distrust (6)
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“That’s not something you can take lightly—you’ll have to put in some real effort!”
Though he hadn’t meant for Geon-ju to stab the dandelion on purpose after learning about it, since Sa-yoon was the one who’d told him, he felt a sense of responsibility and offered faint encouragement with words of cheer.
O.
Whether because the Palsilocus had entered combat mode, the airborne creatures brought down by its roar were fully counted toward its own kill tally. They’d been deemed deaths during battle.
Feeling pleasantly opportunistic, Sa-yoon propped one foot on a tree branch, rested his chin on his hand, and spectated Geon-ju’s fight.
He’d clearly told him to ask for help if it got tough. So Sa-yoon planned to strictly observe until Geon-ju called for aid.
He won’t say it easily.
Han Geon-ju, with his flashy, delicate-looking face, had strong pride. Sa-yoon smirked mischievously, imagining him struggling until scratches marred that pretty face, never once calling his name no matter how hard it got.
Let’s see you suffer a bit.
It was the perfect chance to straighten out his pretty boy’s bad habits—like constantly trying to match him or throwing around lines like “Are you insane?”
Yet Geon-ju didn’t falter even before the Rank 1 Palsilocus.
Shiiik!
The stems coiled belt-like around the Palsilocus’s waist lashed out like a single whip toward Geon-ju. Sa-yoon’s eyes widened slightly as Geon-ju dodged them with impressive speed.
His agility was no joke. It was movement worthy of a higher rating than what showed in his status window.
Kwajik! Kwajik!
The stems that missed Geon-ju repeatedly pierced only the innocent ground. A single hit would be fatal, but fearless Geon-ju navigated the storm of whipping stems with ease.
He showed no fear of the stems grazing his feet by a hair’s breadth. Instead, he pierced through the barrage, slipped into a gap, and swung his blade.
The False Medusa’s Fang wounded the creature.
Perhaps because they’d entered the same gate as a party, Sa-yoon could see the stacks building on the Palsilocus too.
If he kept dealing damage like that and piled up 10 stacks, he might win—even if it took a while.
“...He’s doing well?”
Sa-yoon hadn’t expected much from his first fight against a strong monster. As long as he didn’t break down crying, that’d be a win. He’d only planned to help if Geon-ju called after tiring himself out in a few clashes. But this unexpected sight piqued his interest.
His pretty boy was performing beyond imagination. Against any other foe, Sa-yoon would’ve been certain of victory right then.
Unfortunately, the matchup sucked.
The Rank 1 Palsilocus’s stem attacks were just the opener. The real assault began with its pier blasts.
No sooner had he thought it than the enraged beast tore its mouth wide. Geon-ju, who’d burrowed in aggressively once more, sensed the danger and swiftly dodged.
Kwagagagak!
Black energy grazed Geon-ju’s hair as it passed. The ground where the pier hit sank like melting, hindering movement further.
“Nicely dodged.”
Even Sa-yoon would struggle to handle a pier injury. Without potions, the best he could do was freeze the wound with frost energy to stem excessive bleeding, rush to clear the gate, and get to a healer.
Relieved he didn’t have to sweat that scenario, Sa-yoon straightened from his slouch.
The fight was getting fun. He looked forward to Geon-ju’s next move.
That was the decisive gap between Rank 1 and Rank 2.
The Palsilocus closely pursued Geon-ju as he fled the pier. Despite its massive, intimidating size, its movements were leagues beyond the somewhat sluggish Rank 2.
It perfectly closed in behind him, then drew back its fist-clenched arm. Geon-ju gritted his teeth with a grind.
Kwaang!
He took the swung fist head-on and flew back without resistance.
“Oof, that’s gotta hurt.”
Fully in spectator mode, Sa-yoon whistled in admiration. Crashing somewhere at that speed would add acceleration for extra pain.
“Kuhuk!”
Sure enough, Geon-ju slammed full-force into a nearby tree and crumpled like a folding chair. Lucky his bones didn’t shatter.
About time to call for help?
For inexperienced Geon-ju, battling a Rank 1 Palsilocus from the start was overwhelming. This helpless knockdown proved it, so Sa-yoon clicked his tongue and prepared to stand.
Just in case his pretty boy stubbornly pushed and risked death, he readied to dash out instantly if danger peaked—right then, the fallen Geon-ju staggered to his feet. But the Palsilocus had already arrived in front of him.
He was cornered. The beast snorted and reached out.
That’s dangerous.
If he didn’t dodge, its grip would crush every bone with raw strength.
Call me.
Sa-yoon stared intently at Geon-ju wiping blood from his mouth, murmuring inwardly.
0.1 seconds.
He was confident he could react in that instant. So...
Call me.
Trust me.
Ask for help.
As he sent hypnotic gazes, Geon-ju—eyes fixed on the oncoming hand—subtly stepped back. Too late to fully escape. Just as Sa-yoon sighed in despair at the futility...
Kwaaang!
The massive fist cratered the ground. Dust clouds billowed, obscuring vision. Sa-yoon narrowed his eyes, peering through the dirt haze.
Tadadada.
Footsteps echoed—like small animals scampering swiftly. Squinting harder as the dust thinned, Geon-ju came into view.
“...”
By a hair’s breadth, he’d evaded the fist—and now raced atop the Palsilocus’s buried arm.
He reacted to that?
Sa-yoon was speechless. Even at low A-rank level, it outclassed B-rank Geon-ju.
Kwang! Kwang!
The roaring Palsilocus swatted like swatting flies as Geon-ju playgrounded its arm. He dodged every ferocious, rapid swing. The Rank 1’s hand repeatedly whiffed, smacking only its own limb.
Absurd.
As dumbfounded Sa-yoon watched, he noticed white lights flitting around Geon-ju’s body and tilted his head. Sensing something, he checked Geon-ju’s status window.
Your sharp instincts will save you from danger!
- Suggests an escape route in crises, up to 2x/day. Accepting guarantees escape regardless of stats (failure chance if rank gap ≥2 levels).
- If survival threatened, Agility +100% for 1 min. Exhaustion for 10 sec after.
- Activates muscle reinforcement.
“...What?”
Sa-yoon was floored. Even as an exclusive skill, he’d never seen an awakener with something like this—or a rookie with such instincts—in his 10 years as a hunter.
No matter how sharp the blade, it’s useless without the wit to wield it. A great skill means nothing without timely use. This situation wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Long story short: In that split second, Geon-ju reacted, activated the skill, and counterattacked. Success or failure aside, it was bold and clever.
Dumbfounded and silent, Sa-yoon watched as Geon-ju climbed the arm to the Palsilocus’s head, reverse-gripping the False Medusa’s Fang. Sa-yoon scowled fiercely.
You idiot!
Geon-ju’s form matched exactly how Sa-yoon had fought the Rank 2—aiming for the Palsilocus’s weak point, the eye.
But Geon-ju lacked Hares’s Dagger. No explosion skill either. Without a one-shot kill, clinging to a stronger foe to hit its weakness was suicide.
Smart Geon-ju surely knew that. So this act meant one of two things:
Either no other options, or “help if you don’t wanna see me die.”
From his personality so far, the latter was far more likely.
Cocky bastard.
He was a master at holding Sa-yoon hostage with his own life. Sa-yoon wanted to let it play out his way, but Geon-ju dying would be a mess.
“Damn it.”
Out of options, Sa-yoon finally leaped from the tree.
That instant.
-Kyiaaaak!
Geon-ju finally stabbed the Rank 1 Palsilocus’s eye. The thrashing beast staggered. Looking precarious like a paper doll flapping in the wind, on the verge of falling—Sa-yoon clicked his tongue and lunged forward, but then its eye locked straight on him.
In that state, Geon-ju’s eyes crinkled in a vivid smirk, clear even mid-flail.