Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Fallen Boss and Her Misunderstanding
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‘Wow, this is what the Devourer's Essence does?’
I stared blankly at the message floating before my eyes.
I'd figured I'd collapse after taking the boss's deadly poison.
But that attack had been completely absorbed by the ‘Devourer's Essence’.
And the result... was beyond incredible.
Complete absorption of the Devourer's Essence.
Acquisition of a new skill and the ‘Poison Resistance’ trait.
And on top of that, all stats up by 5!
It was an effect so unbelievable even while watching it happen.
This was the reward for taking down a mid-boss, no less.
I'd expected it wouldn't be ordinary.
But to think it would grant benefits this massive.
As expected of the opportunity meant for the protagonist.
‘This situation is utterly ridiculous.’
I swallowed hard and checked the newly acquired skill.
▶ Name:Monster Devour
▶ Grade:A
▶ Level:1
▶ MP Cost:None
▶ Skill Effect:
Restores a certain amount of HP every time you kill a regular monster.
Killing a named monster randomly absorbs one of the boss's stats.
Monsters feel an instinctive disgust and fear toward you.
▶ Skill Name:Bio Revival ▶ Grade:A▶ Level:Max▶ MP Cost:1 Essence
▶ Skill Effect:
Consumes an essence in your body to revive once even after death. Can be used up to 3 times. ▶ Essences Held:1
“Insane...”
It stole the defeated monster's stats,
and even allowed for a single revival.
Upon closer inspection, it really was an overpowered skill.
Even if I were this novel's protagonist, I'd wonder, ‘Is this okay?’
Of course, it had its limitations.
You had to kill monsters to see its effects.
‘For now, let's calm down and get a grip.’
I took a deep breath and looked up.
The boss zombie was watching me warily.
And it wasn't just because the poison hadn't worked.
An effect—or rather, side effect—of the ‘Monster Devour’ skill.
The monster was wary of me.
Not that I planned to get along with them anyway.
‘First things first, I need to take that thing down.’
The desperate situation hadn't changed.
The boss was still fine, and the protagonist Lee Yoo-ri was down.
I had no choice but to defeat that monster myself.
I picked up the fallen baseball bat.
Or at least, I tried to.
Seeing the corroded bat left me dumbfounded.
To think its poison was strong enough to destroy my weapon.
And I'd taken that hit without a scratch?
‘It really is ridiculously overpowered.’
But this made fighting difficult.
I had no suitable weapon to kill the boss with.
Even if the baseball bat had been intact,
I doubted an attack that couldn't even fell a mid-boss would help.
‘Then... another way...’
I scanned the surroundings briefly.
And spotted the one weapon that was still intact.
“Ha.”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
The situation was just too perfect.
I'd stolen the opportunity meant for the protagonist,
and that protagonist was now collapsed.
Perfectly timed revival ability acquired.
And right in front of me, that cursed sword.
It was as if it was telling me to fight in the protagonist's place.
‘Ridiculous thought.’
Whether this world was a novel or how the story would unfold from here,
honestly, I didn't care.
What mattered was that today wasn't the day we died.
“That'll do just fine.”
I reached for Lee Yoo-ri's sword on the ground.
That's when Lee Yoo-ri grabbed my wrist.
“Stop... it.”
Her breathing was ragged, barely able to speak.
Yet her grip was still strong.
“I warned you. This sword is cursed... If you use it... you'll die.”
I knew.
Not just from what she'd told me before,
but warning messages were flooding in rapidly.
It seemed even the sword hated me pitifully.
But I had no choice.
“Just rest. I'm fine.”
“Idiot... you'll die...! You'll die...!”
“That's why I'm saying I'm fine.”
I forcibly pried the sword from Lee Yoo-ri's hand.
She gritted her teeth, looking at me as if in agony.
Had she grown fond of me while we fought together?
A foolish expression that made me chuckle.
“You said the boss wouldn't be stolen, but look at us now.”
“Lee Ji-hoon!”
Lee Yoo-ri called my name for the first time.
But I ignored her and stood up.
The boss was still glaring at me.
I gripped the hilt tightly as I stared it down.
-Sizzle!
A scorching heat burned my hand like a burn,
and at the same time, pain like a branding iron seared through my chest.
‘Making it unusable unless you're the owner, huh?’
I gripped the hilt even tighter.
An inexplicable force flowed through me, wrapping around my chest.
A sensation of my soul being crushed.
The touch of encroaching death.
I could feel the truth in Lee Yoo-ri's warning.
‘Doesn't matter.’
A red aura spread from the sword, just like it had with Lee Yoo-ri.
At the same time, I felt the life force draining from my body.
Time was running out.
If human death were compressed into 10 seconds, would it feel like this?
‘Ten seconds is plenty.’
I completely abandoned my life.
Life force draining rapidly.
At the same time, an intense red light erupted from the sword, incomparable to before.
‘This life, I'll pour it all into this one strike.’
I had one more life anyway.
It was a fair trade for taking down the boss.
“Raaargh!”
The boss roared at the sight.
Long tentacles burst from its back.
They charged straight at me.
“Hoo.”
I took a deep breath and raised the sword straight.
I didn't have Lee Yoo-ri's masterful swordsmanship.
Much less Hye-na's smarts or kindness.
“But I can kill you.”
As the boss zombie closed in, I swung the sword.
A deafening boom and spreading red light.
The straight beam engulfed the boss zombie completely.
I looked up, and the zombie had vanished without a trace.
Notifications blared noisily in my ears.
‘Yeah, this is the thrill.’
The next message popped up before I could even finish reading.
I'd even claimed the world-first zone boss kill.
A strange euphoria ran down my spine.
It made risking my life to take down the boss worth it.
‘Metafiction is a bit of a buzzkill in moments like this.’
I wanted to roll around in joy,
but this trait kept me calm even now.
As I was checking my rewards,
A message I couldn't just gloss over appeared.
‘Lee Ji-hoon... Is he alive?’
The fallen Lee Yoo-ri stared blankly at the man still standing.
Lee Ji-hoon.
The peculiar guy she'd disliked from the start
had finally defeated the boss on his own.
‘...I made a mistake.’
The ‘Moss Zombie’ was top-tier among zombie monsters.
It shouldn't have appeared here.
The reason such a boss showed up in the first stage
was probably... because of her.
‘Because I'm a reincarnator who's already lived through the apocalypse.’
Nothing else explained this situation.
She'd never even seen error messages in her previous life.
In the end, she'd put everyone in danger.
‘I never imagined I'd end up helped by him instead.’
Honestly, Lee Yoo-ri had been confident.
She thought she could take down most bosses solo.
But she'd fallen pathetically to a mental attack,
and Lee Ji-hoon had fought in her place.
‘And now Lee Ji-hoon's life is...’
If he'd died in ordinary combat, she wouldn't feel this bad.
This was a battlefield where all humanity risked their lives.
How could she treat one person special?
But sacrificing himself changed everything.
‘Lee Ji-hoon knew he'd die and still chose it.’
The sword Lee Yoo-ri wielded was special.
It devoured the life force of the unworthy.
Consuming life force granted momentary immense power,
but at the cost of shortening the user's lifespan.
Especially if used enough to kill a boss...
‘Lee Ji-hoon's lifespan probably won't last much longer.’
He'd known that already.
After defeating the boss and receiving massive rewards,
anyone would be thrilled.
But Lee Ji-hoon remained expressionless and composed.
What use was joy when death loomed?
That's why his face was so cold.
‘Why go that far for someone unrelated...’
He'd given up his own life to save others.
Of course, Lee Yoo-ri knew it was the best choice.
Failing to clear the boss meant everyone died.
But knowing it logically and acting on it were different.
Who would fight for others knowing they'd die?
‘Now I owe him a debt. And he's about to die...’
Protected during battle,
taking hits in her stead,
even sacrificing his life to save her.
She'd never accrued such a debt in her life.
Not even in her previous one.
Honestly, she even felt guilty.
‘...But if there's a way, there still is.’
The silver lining was that Lee Ji-hoon was still alive.
Though how long that would last, she didn't know.
A year? Or just months?
It wouldn't be long.
‘I'll find a way to restore his life force within that time.’
Conveniently, the apocalypse was underway.
With the zone boss cleared, the main scenario would begin.
It would be filled with suffering and horrific disasters.
But also opportunities.
‘Lee Ji-hoon, I won't let you die like this.’
He'd risked his life to save others.
Then protecting that life was the duty of the saved.
Lee Yoo-ri struggled to her feet, vowing inwardly.
Feeling sorry toward Ji-hoon, who had sacrificed his life for her without hesitation.