Chapter 104
Chapter 104
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Cleanup (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Hey, Piss-Pants."
"Yes! Lord Joo-hyuk!"
The moment I called out, he bolted from the line and dropped to his knees before me, slamming his forehead into the ground.
"What business do you have with me!"
Even after I'd killed his colleague Min-ho or whatever his name was, there wasn't a single superfluous movement in his actions.
'This guy's gonna live a long life.'
Ignoring his innate male disadvantage, he had the mindset of a top-tier slave among the surviving summoned.
"Any deserters among you guys?"
"Pardon? What do you mean...?"
Piss-Pants looked baffled, clearly not grasping the intent of my question.
"Two people are missing."
"I-I wouldn't know, but if you command it, Lord Joo-hyuk, I'll round up the summoned right now, drag those two who dared upset you here, beat them bloody, and present them before you!"
"Hm. Never mind. Looks like you really don't know. But seriously, what's your real name?"
"My name has been Piss-Pants since the moment you named me, Lord Joo-hyuk!"
A perfect 120 out of 100 answer.
I couldn't help but let out an incredulous chuckle.
"Good. Piss-Pants, I'm temporarily appointing you as the male slave overseer."
"Thank you!"
"Manage them well until I get back. If anyone vanishes or causes trouble in my absence, you'll take the punishment instead."
At my declaration, Piss-Pants's face drained of color.
"Your words honor me, Lord Joo-hyuk, but my abilities fall short for managing so many people!"
"Then grow them. Oh, and if you get power-drunk and lay a finger on even one female summoned, you're really dead."
"......"
To prevent damage to my newly acquired bio-point auto-mining machines, I moved a bit away from them and activated Partial Gigantification.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Side effect of DNA 'Partial Gigantification' activated.] [Difference from existing body parts exceeds 5x.] [Base metabolic rate increases 10x while ability is maintained.] My lower body exploded in size in an instant, and I slammed my massive legs into the ground.
BOOM!
My body rocketed into the sky like a cannonball.
Reaching hundreds of meters up in a flash, I steadied myself mid-air and surveyed the entire field.
'Where'd they bolt to? Probably toward the field boundary.'
Free-falling back to earth while scanning around, two black dots caught my eye.
'Pretty far already?'
The two escapees had put quite a distance between themselves and the battlefield.
Too fast to Warp right away during freefall, so I'd use it once more after landing.
I concentrated force into my feet for landing, but as I was about to leap again, a sudden ravenous hunger hit me.
It was the side effect of Partial Gigantification—my base metabolic rate had spiked 10x. That jump and landing had burned a massive amount of calories.
'Oh right, the side effect. Forgot about it since it was so negligible before.'
Plus, I'd been massacring summoned non-stop, so no time for meals in between.
'Just grab something quick.'
I opened my inventory and pulled out the combat ration from the random draw.
[High-Calorie Combat Ration]: Tastes awful due to military supply corruption, but provides a full day's calories for an adult male. I tore open the packaging and checked the contents: a rock-hard energy bar, mystery meat jerky, and a few biscuit pieces. For now, I bit into the energy bar.
Crunch.
Something shattered in my mouth.
"Fuck."
The taste was even worse. A horrific texture like chewing wet cardboard, with an overly sweet tang that scrunched my face.
"What the hell kind of taste is this?"
Forget survival—pure murderous rage toward whoever pulled off that supply scam.
I couldn't stomach chewing this food-shaped abomination, but tossing it felt wasteful. After a moment's thought, I decided to swallow it whole.
'Partial Gigantification.'
This time, on my jaw and mouth area.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Side effect of DNA 'Partial Gigantification' activated.] [Difference from existing body parts exceeds 3x.] [Base metabolic rate increases 6x while ability is maintained.] [Warning: Insufficient calories to maintain ability. If status persists, Partial Gigantification will auto-deactivate, and cannot be used for 24 hours.] I dumped the entire contents—bag and all—into my enlarged mouth and swallowed.
"Urk."
[Required calories fully satisfied.] *
With my hunger sated, I canceled Partial Gigantification and Warped toward the direction I'd spotted from the sky.
A few Warps later, close enough that the dots resembled human shapes, I realized one face looked familiar.
One lay collapsed on the ground, the other knelt desperately tending to them.
Orange bobbed hair and clothes that couldn't hide her massive breasts. The woman whose ass I'd trained not long ago.
"Come on, Hyuk-jin! Please... just open your eyes!"
Their identities: Hyuk-jin and Han Yu-ra.
'Well, shit. These two were in on the quest too?'
Honestly, it pissed me off.
I'd invested no small amount of resources and time to take over her group—all to claim her body and mind as mine.
Me, who hates losses more than anything. If I'd spent that time productively elsewhere, I'd be at least half again as strong now.
And yet they joined a quest made to kill me? The 'Kim Joo-hyuk Raid'?
That was as good as betraying me and branding me the enemy.
'Repaying grace with enmity.'
I decided to approach quietly. To deny them time to react, I silenced my presence and Warped behind Han Yu-ra.
"Hyuk-jin... can you hear me?"
Her voice brimmed with worry. Standing behind her, I looked down at Hyuk-jin.
His condition was far worse than expected. Gunshots riddled his abdomen, shoulder, and thigh. His breathing was ragged and irregular.
'Barely missed vitals, but that's it.'
In reality, he'd have bled out long ago. The only reason he clung to life was Pellios's buffs.
He'd roughly staunched the wounds with cloth torn from gear, but that was laughable first aid for such injuries.
'No tools to extract bullets, so it's par for the course.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 'How did it come to this?'
Han Yu-ra clutched Hyuk-jin's cooling body, murmuring in dazed despair.
It had all started a few days ago.
Precisely, from the moment Kim Joo-hyuk—the man who claimed to be her fan—settled into the outpost.
At first, everything seemed perfect. Under his abilities and endless support, the outpost became incomparably prosperous and safe.
'There were some... slightly lewd acts in the process, but...'
A small price compared to securing the group's safety.
The problems arose after security was locked down. Subtle oddities she'd overlooked before started catching her eye.
They used to run into other survivor groups while hunting, but lately, that had dwindled sharply.
Summoned who came for bartering suddenly went radio silent.
Then one night.
After her usual anal training, staggering back to her tent while sniffling, Han Yu-ra overheard two voices.
"Master. Heading out to hunt again today?"
"Gotta. Still need more stacks."
"Can I come along today? It's been ages since I guarded your side."
"Nah. Just shaking off the stiffness from sitting around. I can handle it solo."
And finally, the fateful day dawned.
Kim Joo-hyuk Raid.
When the system message appeared, the outpost descended into chaos.
"What... what the hell is this!?"
"Kill Summoned Kim Joo-hyuk? Why? What'd he do?"
"Check the info! Kills: 395! Points: 920k! That's real?"
The outpost summoned fell into turmoil. Hard to accept their savior was a mass murderer.
Then, vivid footage of Kim Joo-hyuk's killings played in everyone's minds for minutes.
After that, opinions flipped instantly.
"We gotta join! Look at those points! We'd rule Floor 1 like kings!"
"You're insane? It's Kim Joo-hyuk! No way we stand a chance!"
Han Yu-ra was just as rattled. That's when Hyuk-jin approached.
"Noona. I think we should go as representatives."
"What? Hold on. We don't even know if it's true. Could be someone's scheme."
"...But if we sit this out, the outpost fractures. Someone has to step up."
Hyuk-jin was right.
Plus, Han Yu-ra had harbored doubts since meeting Kim Joo-hyuk.
His power and abilities defied those of an ordinary summoned.
Why was he so strong?
'If he really gained that strength by slaughtering summoned...?'
To confirm the truth, she and Hyuk-jin joined the raid as outpost representatives.
She planned to ask him point-blank if it was true. And if not a shred of lie...
'I'd punish him for everyone.'
*
In the end, Han Yu-ra regretted her choice.
'Should never have joined the quest. Then this wouldn't have happened.'
Groaning, she gazed at Hyuk-jin fading away, blaming herself. Blood kept oozing from his wounds. At this rate, he'd die soon.
"Nu... na..."
Hyuk-jin painfully opened his mouth.
"Yes, Hyuk-jin. I'm here. It's okay. You'll be fine soon."
Han Yu-ra steadied her voice, feigning calm. Her hands trembled uncontrollably.
She'd tried every first aid she could. Problem was, she was a top archer, not a medic—amateur at best.
"Noona... still time... run..."
"What are you saying! I'm not leaving you!"
"No... I'm done for... because of me... you can't be in danger too..."
Hyuk-jin spat blood with every word.
Then, the voice of the culprit behind it all rang out.
"Bullshit. What a soap opera. You two filming a morning drama or what?"
"...Kim Joo-hyuk!"
Han Yu-ra nocked an arrow and whirled, aiming to kill him here and now.
However.
It never happened.
"On second thought, looks like you two need this."
Because in his hand.
Was the most desperately needed potion ever.