Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Ruined World (7)
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“Wait a second, what the—!”
Boom!
As always, Geon-ju's words fell short, and the grotesque beast, suddenly turned into a human cannonball, crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar. Since Sa-yoon had hurled it from a distance where it looked as small as a finger, the impact against the earth was anything but quiet.
Is it dead?
Geon-ju, harboring a reasonable suspicion, gripped his sword tightly upon seeing the monster rise with a sickly hiss.
His eyes met those of the one-eyed monster. Facing an A-rank for the first time sent chills rippling across Geon-ju's skin.
He had once faced a Rank 1 Phalarocus, but this felt different—the pressure, the aura, the atmosphere, everything was on another level.
Sa-yoon had thought it suitable for Geon-ju since their builds were similar and sent the grotesque beast his way, but an A-rank was still an A-rank. The overwhelming presence emanating from a body so human-like was no joke.
Perhaps angered by being thrown, the grotesque beast snorted and flexed its fingers. Cling, cling. Its hard, razor-sharp fingertips, like forged steel, grated with an eerie friction.
Hiss!
Springing to its feet, it let out a cry while glaring at Geon-ju. Unable to vent its rage at Sa-yoon, the beast poured all its fury onto Geon-ju—the only one guilty of entering the gate alongside him, in Sa-yoon's eyes.
Its surging aura shot forth like a spear. Geon-ju grimaced at the intangible force. At the same moment, the grotesque beast kicked off the ground and charged.
Fast!
If this were his first encounter with a high-rank monster, his body would have frozen, unable to react to such speed and momentum.
But Geon-ju had already faced the Unknown. Even if he'd been dangling helplessly from Sa-yoon's back, he'd seen the Earth Dragon up close and witnessed every battle Sa-yoon fought while carrying him, from the front row.
Compared to the auras those monsters had exuded back then, this grotesque beast's was feeble.
So that's why experience matters. Gaining a small epiphany, Geon-ju brought his gripped sword up to his chest.
Clang!
The blade clashed with its fingertips. Aiming straight for his heart, the beast's claws thrust toward his chest—Geon-ju parried them downward, gritting his teeth.
“What kind of strength...!”
The grotesque beast's claws pressed forward with enough force to pierce the sword. If this weren't an SS-rank blade, it would have shattered long ago.
He'd let his guard down because their sizes were similar, but this unexpected monstrous power...
As Geon-ju groaned and gripped the sword with both hands to hold his ground,
“I'm going insane, pretty boy. Are you seriously tanking that brute force? Did you sell off that annoying prodigy talent I saw in the Field of Distrust to some noodle shop? Tilt the sword and deflect it!”
Sa-yoon, who had sped up to spectate the clash between Geon-ju and the grotesque beast, watched the fight and yelled in exasperation.
One moment he was all sweet talk with 'pretty boy this, pretty boy that,' and now his voice dripped with undisguised disappointment. Biting his lip, Geon-ju twisted his wrist as instructed.
The blade angled away, letting the grotesque beast's claw glance off. The tense deadlock broke, tilting the beast's body. Seizing the opening, Geon-ju shifted left and swung at its neck.
Slash!
The silver blade sank half a handspan into the grotesque beast's flesh.
Hiss!
Reacting to the pain, it hastily raised a hand.
Clang!
Once more, sword met claw, and both Geon-ju and the grotesque beast leaped back simultaneously, creating distance.
They fell into another standoff.
Hiss, hiss. The beast's breathing grew rougher from its maw. It now regarded Geon-ju warily. Geon-ju, too, realized that even an A-rank couldn't overwhelm him effortlessly with his superior sword, igniting fervor in his eyes.
No more reckless charges—he bided his time for an opening. He'd confirmed from the earlier clash that this was a winnable fight, but that didn't mean he was on equal footing. A single lapse could mean death, so Geon-ju added caution to his offense, steadying his breath as he withstood the beast's ferocious aura with his entire body.
'Focus... and when it shows an opening...'
“Well, well, performing a ritual? What if other monsters show up—gonna handle them too? Read the flow, pretty boy. Press the advantage when you're winning, pull back when it's risky. Who the hell retreats when they're ahead? You think life's all luck? Fights are about luck and flow!”
Sa-yoon's voice boomed like a scolding out of nowhere. Geon-ju ground his teeth at the lament that this so-called prodigy was worse than a dullard.
He couldn't focus on the battle at all.
Who was the one who dragged him into this gate against his will?
Frustration and injustice boiled inside him. Meanwhile, Sa-yoon's 'advice' disguised as nagging continued relentlessly, until Geon-ju finally leaped forward in annoyance.
Closing the gap in one bound, he glared and swung his sword.
“Ambush it! So what if you lack skills? The best attacks in a fight are the unexpected ones!”
Cling! Cling! Cling!
The grotesque beast, which had blocked with one hand at first, now used both to counter the onslaught. With its second hand joining, Geon-ju was pushed back in strength. As his brows furrowed, crunch! The beast seized the blade with its hand.
“What the...!”
SS-rank.
In the moment of shock at it grabbing the blade that could cleave deep with a graze,
“Kick the gut!”
“...?”
“The belly—kick the belly!”
His body reacted before his mind to the advice ringing in his ears. He raised his foot, kicked its abdomen, and yanked the sword free. The grotesque beast screeched simultaneously.
—Chieeek!
Blood dripping from it, the enraged beast charged again, fiercer than before. Geon-ju, gripping the blade tightly, inhaled and prepared to meet it.
“Why tank a charging enemy? You an A-rank? Dodge and ambush! Ambush!”
Is a ghost of botched ambushes possessing him or something?
As he braced against the bull-rushing beast, Sa-yoon raised a vein on his neck, scowling in disapproval. Poking Geon-ju's chest before grabbing his nape and groaning, he looked like Geon-ju would collapse any second if he didn't obey.
In the end, Geon-ju yielded and dodged.
Twisting aside from the bull-like charge, he struck its exposed neck. The sword flew toward its nearly regenerated throat once more. Chieeek! The grotesque beast wailed its signature cry.
“Think ahead, pretty boy. What's next?”
Sa-yoon, who had been yelling nonstop, now advised in a low murmur, his excitement subsided. The voice sounded like a warning—Geon-ju swung.
Cling!
As the blade veered from its neck to clash with claws, Geon-ju kicked with his foot; when that was blocked by sharp talons, he endured the pain and thrust at its shoulder.
Stab deep, then smash its head with his elbow. The staggering grotesque beast spewed blood and roared.
—Saaak!
“...!”
Its movements accelerated. Geon-ju instinctively raised his sword to block as the beast moved too fast to track fully, furrowing his brow.
Cling! Cling! Cling!
The attacks poured in. Twisting and deflecting weren't enough against the overwhelming momentum—Geon-ju permitted one strike.
Stab!
“Ugh!”
A claw pierced his shoulder. Swallowing a groan, he retreated; the beast, seizing momentum, pressed relentlessly with its talons as weapons.
'What now in this situation...!'
He'd heard fights were about flow, and now he felt it shifting to the grotesque beast. As he pondered a counter,
Sa-yoon, watching the battle, yelled in frustration.
“What are you doing, man! When it's urgent, don't think! Swing on instinct! You're the genius, right?”
Think ahead earlier, now this?
Unswallowed complaints surfaced on his face at Sa-yoon's flip-flopping words. But what could he do? When an S-rank says swing, a B-rank swings. Swallowing his bewilderment and resentment, Geon-ju gritted his teeth and swung.
Clang, clang, clang!
Claws and blade clashed and parted repeatedly; their visions flushed red in turns. Geon-ju now knew that yielding ground after injury meant defeat. Retreating easily invited more attacks, so like a fearless beast, he pressed deeper.
Give flesh to take bone.
Slash!
Allowing a claw into one shoulder amid the barrage, Geon-ju stabbed the beast's exposed eye with his sword tip. A white hand then grabbed the arm clutching his shoulder and flipped it over.
“That's it!”
Sa-yoon, now a mere spectator rather than advisor, jumped up clapping and cheering. No sooner had it hit the ground than the beast rolled forward nimbly, refusing to fall as Geon-ju intended, and rose.
As the grotesque beast staggered to its feet, Geon-ju charged. Their fierce exchange continued evenly. Drip. Cold sweat trickled down Geon-ju's face.