Friendly Party (3)
'That was close to fucking up.'
It took dismantling nearly every barrier in the venue before I finally found Baek Ayoung. I'd reverse-engineered most of the barriers inside the party hall myself. I'd run into so many people along the way, but one hunter I'd met mentioned spotting her tucked away in a corner—that's what let me track her down. The others were probably still fighting the remaining mines in the center of the hall while cracking the last barriers. I raced alone to the corner where she was, knowing backup would take a while to arrive. Staring down the mines, I drew up my mana.
There were a lot of them, but their individual powers were pathetic. Sure, reversing those Rune Barriers had burned through a ton of mana, but the fruits of all my mana expansion training paid off right here. I still had plenty left to handle this.
Whoosh!
I torched the mines, scorching them off her, then checked Baek Ayoung's condition. Tears like chicken droppings welled in her eyes, but her face was flushed beet red.
"Stay still. It'll be over quick."
Her wound was bad. Her clothes were shredded on her back, exposing bone. But with her skills as a saintess, it'd be fine. She'd heal it in no time.
Grrk... squeak... crackle...
I subdued the mines in an instant with my flames. Glancing at the pile of burning corpses, I turned to tend to her.
"Ayoung. You okay? Hang tight while I heal you up."
The immediate threats were mostly cleared now. All I had to do was get her back to the crowd. But... what was this nagging feeling like I'd forgotten something?
"Mmm... Hoyeon, thank... "
Whoosh!
Thud.
Something shot out from my blind spot. Clang!
Good thing I reacted fast and blocked it with Cotton Guard, but that attack wasn't aimed at me. It was her.
Step. Step.
A freak in a bizarre skull mask emerged from the shadows, gripping a sinister sword.
"...Fucking hell."
Why does this shit only happen to me every damn day?
Just from the aura rolling off him, this guy was leagues beyond those pathetic mines. Tension made my body twitch involuntarily. My heart pounded faster. My battle instincts had kicked in.
'Can I even win this?'
My long-dormant combat sense, now burning hot, was screaming danger. The prickling mana and killing intent pressing against my skin were the strongest I'd ever felt from any enemy. And I had to protect Baek Ayoung while fighting. That skull mask had clearly targeted her just now. No idea why, but it was after her.
"H-Hoyeon. Run. You have to run."
"Calm down. It's fine."
She'd sensed the ominous pressure too and looked tense as hell.
"That's S-rank hunter level. If it's after me, just get people—"
"Just stay put."
"Th-this isn't the time for—"
Baek Ayoung wasn't thinking straight. Probably freaked out from facing such a overwhelming foe. Scared I'd die, too. Right now, she needed reassurance. I locked eyes with the skull mask while glancing back at her.
"I'll keep you safe no matter what. Just watch, Ayoung."
"Y-you... "
I shielded the wide-eyed, gaping Baek Ayoung behind my back and sized up the skull mask. He was holding a sword, so close-quarters combat. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
My heart hammered like an unstoppable 8-ton truck. My senses sharpened, time around me seeming to slow as exhilaration surged. Remaining mana: about a third. No way I could drag this out.
'Feels like someone's scripted this for me.'
Perfect timing, too—my newest skill was an instant burst type. When the protagonist gets a setup this good, he delivers. That's what protagonists do.
I ignited my last reserves, heating my body red-hot. As I powered up, the skull mask raised his sword into stance. Normal mines grunted uncontrollably, but this one's eerie silence confirmed he was the real deal.
'Golden Eyes.'
My irises glowed gold, dissecting his every move—from joint trajectories to mana flow. That let me predict attacks. If he channeled mana into a strike, I could even trace its path.
Kagagak!
His form blurred in an instant. I threw up Cotton Guard everywhere. He closed the gap and went for my limbs, but his blade just clashed against my shield. Undeterred, he chained into the next slash.
'Acceleration.'
Tak! Kang!
Killing intent jolted through me like electricity. Five wind-like blades, each zeroing in on vitals.
"Hup...!"
Even with Golden Eyes and Acceleration, I couldn't dodge them all. A grazing slash on my forearm drew blood for the first time in ages. Chilling numbness spread from the wound. But I wasn't just taking hits. I exploited his opening to weave a spell.
Crackle!
Ice climbed from his feet. Casting mid-block and dodge wasn't easy, but I pulled it off. He surged his mana to halt the freeze at his ankles. I hadn't planned to end it there, though. The real win was buying time.
That clash told me plenty. To him, it was just a probe. For me, full throttle. The power gap was that wide.
'Keep this up, and I'm done.'
Throb.
I began overclocking the mana cycling through me. My circuits widened, output spiking.
'Blood Beat.'
The skill expands mana circuits for a burst. Base: 30% boost, 1 minute. Not enough now.
'Not mastered it yet, but no choice.'
I cranked it higher. Circuits stretched forcibly, pain ripping through me. Hurt like a bitch, but bearable. Clear Mind apparently boosted pain tolerance too. Felt like death, but I could move.
'Exactly 10 seconds.'
This overdrive: 10 seconds tops. I'd edge him out in that window. Another tidbit from the skirmish: his suit resisted fire and ice. My spells hit softer than usual. Prepping gear for that meant he knew my magic. But that could backfire on him. I'd hidden plenty of cards.
Thud.
Gritting through the agony, I unleashed a cold mana blast. No holding back—the freeze locked his suit solid. Couldn't ice his body, but the suit? Done. He'd shake it off quick with that resistance. Eight seconds left anyway.
I dumped every last drop of mana into my right hand. No point saving if this missed. Whirr—
Wind mana spiraled into a sphere above my palm. Total commitment left me drained, vision spinning. Mana exhaustion incoming. But I clenched my jaw and advanced. Three seconds. Limbs quaking, but miss this, and it's over.
Krunch!
My all-out 'Spiral' punched through his heart. His suit thawed just then, sword arcing down. But it froze inches from my shoulder—as did he.
Grrrk...
A faint groan escaped the silent mask. Then he crumpled.
Thud!
Chest cored out, skull mask dead. I dropped to my knees.
"Hoyeon!"
Head spinning. Blood Beat's ten seconds up, leaving pain beyond words. No fighting for a while. Aftereffects would linger.
Flop.
My body hit the floor uncontrolled. Baek Ayoung rushed over, burying her face in my chest, sobbing.
"Why'd you do that? Why..."
Warm light enveloped me, easing the pain. But mana exhaustion plus Blood Beat hangover? Not fading fast. Her healing strained against my wrecked circuits.
"I'm fine... This'll heal quick."
"Hic... sniff..."
Watching her treat me through streaming tears, gratitude mixed with doubt.
'Quest not complete.'
No completion popup. Saved her, but no clear meant threats remained.
Shink!
Grrk...
From the charred mine corpses I'd torched pre-skull mask, one stirred and hurled a dagger. It collapsed after, like it'd gathered strength for a final strike.
"You little shit..."
One slipped through. No mana left for Cotton Guard. A light dagger wouldn't kill her, but...
I yanked Baek Ayoung close on reflex.
"Huh?"
Using her momentum, I swapped positions.
Pfshk!
It stabbed my back—not deep, thankfully.
"Ah..."
But it hurt like hell. Probably poisoned or drugged. Body tingling like that time I tanked the ogre on purpose.
'Oh man, I'm passing out.'
I know my body best. Can't hold on.
"Why take it for me? You wouldn't have been in danger, but why...!"
Current Status: Why... why do you make it impossible for me to hold back? Why...
"...Ayoung."
I forced my mouth open with every ounce left. Moving tongue and lips felt like ripping wounds.
"You still don't get why I'm doing this?"
"Wh-why... "
She was practically sobbing through the healing. Perfect timing for a confession. But I couldn't get the words out. Vision fading.
'Hope I don't wake up in hell.'
Please, let it be the hospital room. And don't let her affection drop.
I'd planted the flag with my last strength—surely it'd stick.
"Hoyeon... Hoyeon!"
I felt her clinging, wailing, then blacked out.