Chapter 82
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 082
Chapter Title: Australia's Catastrophe, Phoenix - [3]
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The flesh and bones that touched the hammer were pulverized entirely. I could feel that sensation vividly through both hands.
Monster flesh and blood splattered across my face.
There was no time to wipe the grime from my face.
I slammed the hammer down, swung it wide, and brought it crashing down again. I smashed forcefully ahead, then rode the recoil to pound even behind me.
With the hammer in constant motion, the chill of the blizzard seeping into my force field felt almost soothing. I could sense my overheated body—from the intense exertion and repeated teleports—cooling down little by little.
Meanwhile, Baek Dam-bi wasn't slacking off. Drdrdrk—
My round girl had mounted a light machine gun on the rooftop and was unleashing a barrage—not firing blindly into the air, but precisely targeting them. Of course, as a spirit, she could see the souls amid the blizzard.
On the other hand, the Deathclaws seemed to realize their kin were dying off. Were they blindly trying to escape the crisis, even without visibility?
Inside the blizzard, the Deathclaws that had been standing still suddenly bolted.
They charged ahead without looking, their hook claws colliding with their own kind in the reckless rush.
In the chaos, they slashed and bit at each other, but with such numbers, a few still broke through unscathed toward the front.
If this kept up, some would escape the blizzard—and that would spell trouble. Even a handful of rampaging Deathclaws would be a catastrophe for people.
Sure enough, the Deathclaws bursting out of the blizzard were snared in the net.
However, oh...
The scenario I'd feared—a Deathclaw slipping the blizzard, entering the burrow, and infiltrating the shelter—didn't come to pass.
Outside the blizzard, a lone figure moved faster than an arrow. He swung a single sword, cleaving every Deathclaw that leaped out from the storm before they could even react.
No need to wonder who that swordsman was.
It was Han Hee. He'd stuck to a support role until now, but with things this dire, he'd finally resolved to slay the monsters himself.
As the blizzard tapered off, I emerged from the gore-soaked space.
There stood Han Hee, gripping his sword. The swordsman atop a pile of Deathclaw corpses looked impossibly cool.
I flashed him a grin, and he returned it—awkwardly, but genuine.
Han Hee said,
"This... keep it under wraps, if you would..."
"What a waste! You earned that kill fair and square—hiding it would be absurd... Anyway, sure, got it!"
"Thank you. Truly."
"No, thank you! Never seen a hunter take down monsters with a sword before, but damn, it works. Hammer kills are my Korean exclusive, so does this make you the first sword slayer in Korea?"
Seeing Han Hee crack a sly smile at my words, the praise clearly lifted his spirits.
To cheer him up more, I clapped his shoulder—good job—and he flinched but beamed. He zipped off, vowing to snag fresh magazines this time.
Meanwhile, Baek Dam-bi descended from the building. She glanced skyward and asked me,
"Now we take that one down, right? The phoenix?"
I followed her gaze to the sky, where the phoenix circled high above.
I shook my head at her.
"Nah, can't get that one. Why, you wanna?"
"Yes. If possible..."
This woman's drive to rack up feats matched mine perfectly.
I loved that about her. Cute as hell, for real.
"Chasing that Golden Arrow Award you mentioned?"
"Yes...!"
"Still a no. Look at it—not even descending. How the hell do we catch that?"
That was when I said it.
Baek Dam-bi, eyes still on the sky, went wide.
I whipped my head toward where she pointed and startled.
The phoenix was diving straight at us. Why?
And it looked way bigger than before—no illusion.
It had bulked up for the hunt. Wingspan swollen from ten to sixteen meters, plummeting toward us at ridiculous speed.
I grabbed Baek Dam-bi's wrist and teleported us to a nearby rooftop.
Her scorching wings grazed our former spot moments later. Asphalt melted there, and my heart dropped.
It had ignored me no matter what until now—why the sudden change...?
I nearly voiced it, then glanced at Baek Dam-bi and got it.
She seemed to as well.
She said,
"It's after me, huh?"
I muttered at the phoenix surging toward our rooftop.
"Sure looks like it...!"
As it dove again, I teleported us with Baek Dam-bi as far as possible.
Twice targeted now, it was obvious. That bird marked Baek Dam-bi as priority prey!
Ice ability users are easy, high-value targets. Gate monsters always prioritize them—and a powered-up ice spirit like her couldn't escape that fate.
Just as I absorb physical enhancement or gigantification from kills better, spirits work the same. To a flame spirit, an ice spirit might as well be a pink rat pup born to be devoured.
I was debating sheltering Baek Dam-bi when,
she asked,
"So, can we catch it now?"
The out-of-left-field question took a second to click.
Not that it was hard to grasp.
"Use yourself as bait?"
"Yes. Lure it in like this, and we can drag that bird into hammer range..."
I mulled it over, then nodded. When a hunt's viable, you hunt.
Especially that infamous firebird—worth the risk. Earth-born spirit, not Sowol native, so it likely couldn't open gates itself.
Post-hunt, it wouldn't auto-return; it'd roam the peninsula indefinitely.
Better end it while we could.
"So, what's the play? Me singing on the road to lure it?"
I answered Baek Dam-bi.
"Road lure's useless—we can't harpoon and tether it. And Dam-bi, your humming last time? If you sang, it'd bolt..."
"Pardon?"
Her eyes bulged; I rushed to explain.
"Lure it inside a building. Hard to escape once in. You get it?"
Of course, we'd seen it zip in and out fast. Blocking that needed prep.
"Jang-sil? Situation's wrapped. Spare a hand? We're bagging that fire hawk now..."
After radioing back and forth, once set, we sprang the trap.
Spotted the phoenix, teleported into a nearby building with Baek Dam-bi.
"Here it comes!"
The bait worked wonders. Mid-flight ahead, it plunged vertically.
Clearly homing on us inside. Spirits see souls through walls.
Sure enough, the diver reached our third-floor height in a blink.
Then, through the window gap, it burrowed into our floor.
As its shrunken body swelled post-window, I grabbed Baek Dam-bi and teleported.
Dropped her below, returned solo. Back-to-back teleports.
Alone now, I greeted the incoming phoenix.
Point-blank, I hammered down. Boom!
Hammer pierced its flame body, smashing the floor. Shockwave ravaged it. Parts scattered, reformed.
But even mid-attack, it ignored me. Frantic scanning—it hunted vanished Baek Dam-bi.
Like before she arrived, no interest in me. Spirit senses my force field exoskeleton, knows heat resistance makes me tough.
As predicted, sans Baek Dam-bi, it ditched the fight to flee.
As it flew forward for the window,
a colossal giant's face blocked it.
Seok Jang-sil. Spotting his massive rock palm, it halted mid-dive that way. Knew capture meant doom.
It pivoted. Spun in place sideways, flew short—halted mid-air again.
Unnatural stop, rejecting the sudden trap.
Ice sealed every exit from the floor.
Windows froze en masse. Ice walls devoured frames and surrounds.
Fire trucks had hosed everywhere earlier. Floor soaked—perfect for Baek Dam-bi's power. No random pick.
All four walls iced airtight. Doorway too—zero escape for the firebird.
Now, just two on this floor: me and the monster.
Baek Dam-bi's power surged again.
Blizzard whipped up here too, like before.
Denser now. Swirled viciously, battering walls, ceiling, floor—and us.
In blizzard blindness—not even my hands visible—that firebird stood out starkly.
No—trapped, its presence sharpened. Fire-ice clashing fiercely.
I saw its radiant blaze amid the storm, flame body steaming on blizzard contact.
Spirits see souls; it saw me too.
Monster and hunter locked eyes? Only one move left.
"Look at me, you bastard—!"
I charged; it flapped furiously. Scorching wingbeats.
Retreating yet countering—talons raked the air.
I pressed on undodging, hammered through flames. Boom!
Shockwave scattered it. Reformed, now pissed—flapped harder.
Huge wings swept me. Breath held in fire, hammered again. Boom!
Thus, in the blizzard, we fought for life or death. Heat and shocks traded—no killing blows.
My scatters met its reliable flame envelopes. No force field? Ash long ago.
Heat crept into my field too. Motion-heat baked me further.
Body feeling fireball-hot, I laughed.
Thrilling. Mythic firebird spewing fire-steam; me, hammer in hand, matching it.
This instant, its specialness mirrored mine—I felt it.
Non-awakened dregs, the mundane? Never had, never will.
Mouth open meant heat influx—so silent roar, hammer down.
Another trade; intruding heat overwhelmed the field.
My foe fared worse. Wings shrunk from sixteen to seven meters pre-entry—I knew: time's up.
Near-suffocation, teleported out.
Not escape. Final counter prep.
Airborne... Sky-high, sky proper.
Deep breaths savored cold air, then freefall began.
Embracing sky and gravity, motionless savoring. Full-body thrill.
Body-bucking acceleration hit—I teleported. To foe's heat-steam-blizzard lair.
Mythic steam-belcher reappeared; hammer down.
Incheon forever! Or so I yelled—no hearing it. Eardrums drowned bigger roar.
One strike ended all.
Sky-accel's full load.
Hammer clove body, floor-smash—shock rebounded to me.
Field shattered. Residual rocked limbs, internal bleeds everywhere—fine. Not dead.
Shockwave bloomed.
Aerial bomb blast sweeping floor... I watched phoenix flames swept, blizzard-fire waves crashing omnidirectional. Steam exploding outward. Overwhelming all.
Wave out, floor left: me, steam.
Phoenix dead. Name-chant ecstasy in head—but short-lived.
Ah...
Hot steam, blood-vomit. Legs unresponsive. Head-shock: teleport fail.
Retry-fail, that moment.
Shockwave'd pulverized glass, ice walls.
Open wide outside: one bird flew in.
Ice bird. Ten-meter wingspan.
"What the...?"
Ice-bodied phoenix twin—flinch—but let it grip shoulders. Sender obvious.
Ice falcon pierced steam, bore me outdoors.
Roadscape below.
My round girl too.
"...Baek Dam-bi?"
Below fire truck, Baek Dam-bi gazed up.
Blurred till now, super regen kicking: sight restored fresh.
She stared worried. Shouted, face matching voice,
"You okay? Big boom—you looked stuck!"
Neck freed soon. Nodded, smiled true—blissful.
Grueling, sweltering—but epic day. All ways.
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