Floor 3-2: Eyes of the Fallen Giant
"…."
The blond man ground his teeth, his face twisting in fury. It was obvious from a glance that something crucial had been exposed. The thug-like man smirked as if he'd expected this, pulling a gun from his coat with a scoff. Click. The barrel swung toward us.
Han Yuseon wore a smile. The skinny man gripped his dagger in reverse grip, assuming a stance.
A standoff, but…
Han Yuseon seemed far too relaxed. The blond man chewed his lip in thought before finally turning to the thug.
"Stand down. It's too late already."
"Boss, they're just kids anyway. Pretty faces, too…"
"I told you not to get cocky just because of your abilities."
The blond man's sharp rebuke dripped with irritation. The thug clicked his tongue in annoyance and lowered his gun.
"Got it."
The skinny man sheathed his dagger as well. The blond man nodded and snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The surrounding eyes vanished. He spoke up.
"You withdraw your threads too. We have no intention of attacking."
"Hah."
Han Yuseon snorted derisively.
"Even your acting is obvious, you trash. No need to snap your fingers to deactivate a skill, and no reason for this Koban guy to use polite speech."
Her red eyes glared at the blond man. She usually spoke politely, but like this, she sounded ice-cold.
"Get lost. Now."
"…."
The blond man furrowed his brow for a moment. But soon, a cheerful smile curved his lips.
"No way. The finger snap's just a habit when deactivating."
"Cut the bullshit. Why advertise a skill deactivation in battle?"
That was when it happened. The blond man flicked his eyes toward me. The instant the thug whipped his gun my way—
Slice.
His finger flew off. Silver thread had already coiled around it.
Thud.
The severed index finger hit the ground. The thug stared at it blankly. The moment Han Yuseon flashed a bright smile—
"Gaaahhh…!"
Pain contorted the thug's face. The blond man sighed.
"Damn it. Ivan, take him out fast."
"…Understood."
Countless eyes awaken. They scrutinize our every move.
Han Yuseon turned to me.
"Annoying ability… Don't meet those eyes, ma'am."
"Got it."
I nodded. The thug snatched his gun with his other hand and screamed.
"Die!"
"…And watch. See what kind of puppet I am. How ugly humans can be."
Absolute Bullet
Bang—!
This time, it seemed he hadn't activated it on purpose. A black bullet condensed with immense mana hurtled toward us. It struck Han Yuseon square in the chest.
But.
No trace remained. The thug's eyes bulged. Disbelief shook his gaze.
"N-No way! Die! Die already! Absolute Bullet can't miss…! It's got two years' worth!"
"The clothes Master gave me are pretty special. Think you can pierce Chilya? How's a bullet gonna pierce the sky?"
The skinny man lunged in. A glowing dagger gleamed in his hand.
Dimension Slash
He swung the dagger through empty air. A rift tore open, as if space itself split. Another rift appeared beside Han Yuseon, the dagger thrusting out suddenly.
Aim: her head.
Her indifferent eyes fixed on the blade.
As if she'd anticipated it.
Slice—!
Thread severed the dagger. Then the skinny man's wrist flew off. His hand tumbled across the ground. He clenched his teeth against the agony, stifling a groan.
In an instant, two were out. The blond man's face filled with dismay.
Han Yuseon shrugged.
"If you hadn't attacked, this wouldn't have happened. Master's mercy. Leave now."
"Kuhuhu."
The blond man suddenly grinned wickedly.
Unsettling.
Whenever villains did that, the final boss or ultimate weapon popped out.
Crunch—!
Darkness swallowed the surroundings. A massive hand burst from the void. Eyes covered its arm and palm. Then emerged a colossal giant from myth, eyes dotting its entire body.
Argos.
The blond man sneered unpleasantly.
"Your mistake was dragging this out too long."
"…I wondered when you'd bring it out."
Han Yuseon glanced at me. I stood still, expression unchanged.
…Not as repulsive as I thought.
For some reason, my mind felt cool and clear. Han Yuseon smirked.
"Look at that. That's worth fifty million won."
"…Did you drag this out just to wait for that?"
If she'd stalled for fifty million won dinner, there'd be no crazier psycho. I was genuinely dumbfounded, staring like she was insane.
Han Yuseon protested innocently.
"What else was worth waiting for? Tonight's Hanwoo double-up."
"Still, that's too pricey. No cheaper options?"
The blond man scowled at our banter, clearly annoyed. Fair enough. A giant at least ten meters tall loomed before us, and here we were chatting casually.
Argos grimaced and swung its fist.
Whoosh—!
The air screamed as if shredded. Even then, Han Yuseon puffed her cheeks like a sulking child.
"Master didn't feed me to grow that tall! You don't get my feelings."
"Agh… I didn't want to get that big anyway? That's not 'tall'—it's a monster."
I could see it. With my eyes.
Silver threads coiled around the fist, unnoticed.
Han Yuseon twitched her finger.
Piiing—!
The mythical giant—
"How dare you touch Master."
—crumpled into chunks. The spectacle of its massive flesh pulping was magnificent.
The blond man stared blankly our way. Our eyes met.
Terror dwelled in his gaze.
…
The blond man, Mikhail, stared at the petite girl in a daze. She had pale pink hair and was breathtakingly beautiful, like a doll. Outside the Tower, he might have admired her.
But the emotion surging through him was different.
Terror.
An endless, insurmountable dread. His body trembled uncontrollably.
The girl remained utterly expressionless throughout. Her blue eyes held no emotion—just cold detachment.
Aaah…
Mikhail arduously scanned his surroundings.
Koban, crushed under the giant's corpse. Only his lower half lay scattered on the ground.
Absolute Bullet. A simple ability that scaled with stored mana. Even pouring in two years' worth, it hadn't pierced her clothes.
Two years could one-shot a Floor 5 boss.
Ivan.
Ivan was already in pieces. Dead without a final scream. His lifeless eyes stared blankly.
Dimension Slash. Unpredictable, perfect for ambushes. Yet casually blocked.
Argos. The hundred-eyed giant from myth. One swing of its arm swept away any ability user or monster.
With that power, acquired by chance, Mikhail had lived like a king. No more scavenging trash in alleys. Everything was at his feet.
That was what an S-rank hunter meant.
…That thing.
Mikhail finally realized. He turned his creaking head.
That expressionless girl was—
A monster… a monster!
He had to escape. Survive. Warn everyone.
A monster lived in Korea. One no one could oppose—perhaps worse than when the Demon King came.
Mikhail whirled to run.
But—
"Huh?"
Slice.
He pitched forward. For some reason, his feet felt numb.
Thread had severed his ankles. Blood spurted from the stumps.
Even sprawled pathetically, Mikhail gritted his teeth and stretched his arms, crawling desperately.
I have to tell her… tell her…
Step. Step.
Leisurely footsteps approached from behind. The monster drew near.
Mikhail reached out an arm.
Slice.
His hand flew off before his eyes. It flopped limply to the ground.
Mikhail didn't give up. He could only inch along on his elbows.
Slice.
His arms were severed. He couldn't move anymore.
No further.
"Hah… hah…."
Mikhail panted raggedly and twisted to look back. His trembling eyes fixed on the girl.
Her blue eyes were cold. An emotionless abyss stared back.
The girl pointed a finger at him. A black-haired woman nodded.
No escaping. I'm dead.
Mikhail realized it and slowly opened his mouth.
"I have to… tell them."
A monster lives in Korea.
Slice.