Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: Gate of the Cyclops
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“Ugh….”
Go Yunsu, whom Go Yohan was searching for, opened his eyes amid excruciating pain.
Pzzt.
Like sparks flying, memories from just before he lost consciousness resurfaced.
Boarding the plane to Korea, recollections from the moment when arrival was near.
“……!”
The sensation of mana expanding alongside brilliant light.
“Ra….”
Go Yunsu forced out a voice through his parched throat.
“Rachel…!”
At that instant.
KABOOM!
A massive explosion rang out.
His hazy mind cleared, and strength surged into his powerless body.
Thud!
Amid the enormous tremor of the earth, Go Yunsu instinctively thrust out his hand.
In it was already gripped his prized weapon, the unique spear named Lanand.
Shrieeek!
It clashed with something charging at him like lightning.
KABOOM!
Triggering another explosion.
“…Did I pass out?”
Go Yunsu asked.
“Yes.”
The response came from beside him.
At that, Go Yunsu felt indescribable relief.
Heh.
“This… damn it.”
The smile Go Yunsu wore was one of self-mockery and emptiness.
Now he remembered.
“How long… was I out?”
“Not long.”
The voice from beside him again.
Ta-at!
It distanced itself, thrusting a spear identical to his toward the giant.
Giants with muscles firm and compressed—unlike the ogres that were five or six times human size with explosively swollen bulk.
Above all, what set them apart from ogres was the massive eye set in their faces.
‘Cyclops.’
A monster discovered only once.
Known to appear as the boss of an A-rank gate, it was said to rival S-rank in individual prowess alone.
Clang! Boom! Clang!
The charging man and the Cyclops continued colliding, resounding with deafening roars.
“Urk!”
Go Yunsu groaned, his body swaying.
A massive hole was pierced through his thigh.
“…….”
Everything came back to him.
Shrieeek!
The plane’s crashing roar, ringing like tinnitus.
At that time.
-Skull Pendant!
The man in the front seat had shouted.
He was a guy Go Yunsu met while studying abroad in the UK, a British Indian named Paluka.
One of the top UK rankers, they’d built a friendship by chance and spent quite some time together as comrades and friends.
When Go Yunsu mentioned going to Korea, he’d insisted on tagging along.
Clang!
He had.
-Take out the Skull Pendant!
Amid the plummeting plane, he’d suddenly yelled that.
In his hand was a cross-shaped pendant.
What was that?
-Shield! Shield… activate!
Realizing something from Paluka’s words, Go Yunsu pulled out the Skull Pendant he’d kept safely tucked in his bosom.
Wuuung!
It activated, enveloping Go Yunsu and those around him.
He still vividly remembered that solid mana.
A shield that could perfectly block any damage for a certain duration.
But that alone wasn’t enough.
-Paluka!
Go Yunsu shouted.
-Is there a way to amplify this shield! Hurry!
At his shout, born of sudden realization, Paluka bit his lip and handed over the cross pendant.
And astonishingly, the pendant that had only protected Go Yunsu and his surroundings began glowing, wrapping around the entire plane fuselage.
“Ugh….”
“Aaah….”
Groans came from behind.
The massive wreckage of the crashed plane came into view.
But.
Smirk.
Go Yunsu could smile.
Because they were all still alive.
“…Save the thanks for later, you rascal.”
Thanks to the shield, and Paluka.
But the one he was thanking was someone else.
Also.
“…Rachel.”
At the front, among the passengers, stood a woman guarding them.
With red hair fluttering, standing in midair, she appeared unconscious but was pouring her power into protecting the passengers amid this battle.
Clang!
The flashback ended there.
Tightening his injury with mana, Go Yunsu kicked off the ground as well.
Shrieeek!
He too thrust Lanand toward the Cyclops.
*
*
*
The Cyclops’ massive body collapsed with a thud!
“Ha, haha….”
Go Yunsu laughed in disbelief.
The Cyclops’ infamy was legendary among players.
So much so that guilds would even yield a gate to others if its boss turned out to be a Cyclops in an exclusive gate.
“…You okay?”
Go Yunsu asked Paluka.
“Still holding up.”
That confident voice only added to the absurdity.
“For UK ranking 89th, isn’t this a bit much?”
“…….”
Paluka gave a wry smile at Go Yunsu’s words.
Probably guilt over the deception.
“No need for that. We survived thanks to you.”
“…….”
“That wastrel sent you?”
“…….”
Silence was the answer.
“Just one question—we’re still friends, right?”
At those words, light entered Paluka’s pupils.
“If you’ll allow it.”
“Then we’re friends. No more lies, Paluka.”
At Go Yunsu’s words, Paluka trembled as if moved.
But that wasn’t all that mattered.
‘Where the hell is this?’
The plane heading to Korea had crashed amid light.
If so, the crash site should at least have been Earth, but the surrounding scenery and the Cyclops just hunted told him otherwise.
‘A gate.’
This place was a gate.
Step, step.
He wasn’t without doubts about how it happened.
Thud.
Go Yunsu caught Rachel as she fell to the ground, drained of strength.
“Paluka.”
He asked Paluka, who had followed.
“Rachel—was she sent by that guy too?”
The atmosphere was different from before.
With Paluka, the answer wouldn’t matter much, but now, it seemed everything could change based on the response.
“…….”
Knowing what Rachel meant to Go Yunsu, Paluka could empathize.
“Why… the hesitation….”
“No.”
Paluka stated firmly.
“That person knew about Rachel too, but she’s not his.”
“Then what was that pause?”
Paluka had clearly hesitated in answering.
And then.
Swoosh.
Paluka approached, spear lowered, and spoke.
“Because I don’t know her true identity either.”
“…….”
“As you know.”
Everything happening now revolved around Rachel.
Not just Go Yunsu—everyone on the plane had been in mortal danger.
Though she’d instinctively used her power to protect the passengers while unconscious, that alone wasn’t enough to trust.
“She wasn’t even a player.”
To begin with, until moments ago, she’d been a regular person, not a player.
*
*
*
“Rachel, you coming around?”
Some time later, Rachel, who had passed out, opened her eyes.
Murmur, murmur.
Many people already seemed to have awakened from the shock.
The players among the passengers had formed a defensive line with Paluka, while Go Yunsu tended to the unconscious Rachel.
“Yunsu… urk!”
Rachel called Go Yunsu’s name upon waking, only to feel a headache like her skull was splitting.
“It’s okay, you’ll be fine.”
Along with Go Yunsu’s voice.
[You have been chosen.]
A voice she’d never heard before echoed deafeningly in her head.
“Yunsu…! I!”
Rachel’s eyes widened.
Pushing past the ringing voice, her hazy memories began resurfacing.
[Judging compatibility.]
“Yunsu!”
It was because of her.
The plane crash—countless lives had nearly been lost in an instant because of her.
“The people…! Yunsu, and you?”
“We’re all fine.”
Only then did Go Yunsu prop Rachel up at an angle and say.
“Me, everyone. No one died.”
“…Good.”
Pzzt!
Sparks from mana flew, and Rachel’s eyes began to close.
“Thanks to that guy.”
“…….”
“Remember? I told you. There’s a guy at my house even crazier than me, a bigger wastrel than me.”
How could she not.
Listening to Go Yunsu’s voice, Rachel gradually lost consciousness.
“That guy’ll come. Calls himself a villain, but he’s on a whole other level from a punk like me.”
“…Yunsu.”
“The plane’s passengers all survived because of him. Paluka says he was sent to protect me, even.”
“…Paluka?”
“So rest easy and sleep, Rachel.”
Go Yunsu said, grasping her hand.
“Everything’ll be fine. The villain poser, the holy chuunibyou, is coming. No matter what, he’ll handle it all.”
Rachel’s eyes were already closed.
At her steady breathing, Go Yunsu stood.
“Situation?”
He asked Paluka.
“…Not good.”
They’d given up on escaping via gate clear from the start.
Go Yunsu’s injury was one reason, and the report from Paluka’s brief scouting another.
“Three Cyclops ahead. Six more from behind, heading straight here.”
They’d tried luring them elsewhere, but failed.
As if this place was their definite destination, the monsters advanced directly.
Swoosh.
He raised his spear.
“Let’s survive.”
Go Yunsu said.
“…Can’t show that guy a pathetic sight.”
Thinking of the brother and family he’d reunite with after so long.
Rumble!
Go Yunsu drew forth all his mana.
Shwaaa!
Swinging his spear, ice walls erupted around them in all directions.
The spear master, Go Yunsu.
Even the British royal family coveted him—his ice walls formed a sturdy fortress.
KABOOM!
But the finally arriving Cyclopses barreled through, ignoring it all.
“Paluka.”
Go Yunsu kicked off first and said.
“Let’s hold out until that guy gets here.”
If it was that guy—if it was Go Yohan.
KABOOM!
He’d surely come here searching for him.