Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: The Tiger Repays the Favor (1)
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Seeing the long gash on the Tiger Woman's shoulder and the blood oozing from it, Yury let out a sigh.
'The swing felt off somehow. The sword must've glanced off her breastplate and nicked her shoulder.'
Irritated by the realization, Yury grumbled in complaint.
"Isn't it cheating to wear that just to fight some newbie knight?"
The Tiger Woman scratched her cheek in response.
"This is standard gear, so I always have it on."
"Standard gear or not, I'm out here bare-chested, and you're decked out like that. Doesn't that seem a bit unfair?"
"Honestly, I didn't think I'd take a hit from a knight, so I was too lazy to take it off..."
She hadn't bothered removing her armor for the sake of fairness because she never imagined an attack from some lowly knight would even touch her.
But even by her own standards, Yury's strike from moments ago had been a pretty lethal blow.
The Tiger Woman glanced at her deeply slashed shoulder and spoke.
"That last one makes seven, right? Hmm... I do have a conscience, so I'll count this as one extra exchange—eight in total."
"Wow, so conscientious. You're so conscientious it's got me wondering where you keep that conscience of yours. But... huh? Where'd it go? Can't see your conscience anywhere. Where do you stash it?"
"Ahem, just chalk it up to bad luck."
"Come on! Don't be stingy—admit the loss already!"
"Sorry, no can do."
She shook her head firmly, her cheeks flushing just a touch.
"Because right now, I'm... a bit excited."
"...Auntie, calm down."
"Auntie? I'm only twenty-seven!"
"An eleven-year age gap is plenty to call you auntie, isn't it? And setting that aside, I'm not into older women anyway. Even if I were, not today."
"Heh heh, I never thought I'd be into younger guys either. For a fresh-faced knight like you to play with me this much... haaa..."
A dreamy moan escaped her lips.
She licked her lips, moistening them, and fixed Yury with an intense stare.
The hint of cruelty in her gaze sent chills racing up Yury's spine.
'...Two more aggressive moves, and I won't even have bones left.'
And as if to match her wordplay, Yury still had two more attacks to endure.
Trying to negotiate another deal after the last one was a lost cause; he'd have to settle for the one exchange she'd shaved off.
"Huu..."
Yury had already activated his neural enhancement four times.
He suppressed the sharp, rising pain with deep breaths.
Grip.
He tightened his hold on his sword and assumed his stance once more.
Delighted, the Tiger Woman shouted.
"Here I come!"
Seeing her poised to charge, Yury cried out inwardly.
'Your turn now, Boppi!'
Hurry up and do something about this damn older woman!
And as if he'd heard Yury's silent plea.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A massive rumble shook the earth.
* * *
Not far from the clearing where Yury and the Tiger Woman were locked in fierce combat, deep in the woods.
Boom!
"......"
The moment the first explosion rang out, Boppi recalled what Yury had told him and Arin.
[I know you're hiding something. I am too. But this time... don't hold back. Go all out. Otherwise, no ordinary method will create an opening.]
Yury was right.
On the first day they'd entered this Beast Forest.
He too had encountered a tiger.
And without mounting any real resistance, he'd been knocked out in an instant.
It was the first time in his life—since his childhood training under the tribe elders—that he'd been so utterly powerless.
So to help the one now fighting that tiger, he had to reveal everything he was hiding.
With that, Boppi stripped off his clothes.
Swish—swish.
In an instant, he stood in his undergarments, neatly folding his discarded attire and setting it aside.
Crunch.
He slammed his shield into the ground before him.
The shield sank about 15 cm into the earth.
Then Boppi clasped his hands together in front of his chest.
Clap.
Like a prayer, hands pressed in prayer position.
"Huu..."
Exhaling deeply, Boppi closed his eyes.
"Grgh."
A groan escaped his lips.
The transformation began.
Bulging veins erupted across Boppi's entire body.
Soon, the T-shaped red tattoo on his forehead glowed brightly.
And then.
Grind-grind-grind-grind.
Boppi's body convulsed.
Crunch-crunch.
Sounds unbelievable from flesh and bone.
Like something grinding and snapping into place, the noises continued as Boppi's form gradually changed.
His bronze skin darkened further.
His body grew, bit by bit, larger.
Squelch—squish.
His already towering 2.3-meter frame expanded once more.
2.5 meters, 2.8 meters, 3 meters, 3.3 meters.
He grew over a meter taller than his original height, but the changes didn't stop there.
3.5 meters, 3.7 meters, 4 meters...
And finally.
5 meters.
Boppi now stood as tall as the surrounding trees.
But it wasn't just height.
Black sclera dominating over 80% of his eyes.
Muscles scaled to his new size.
Skin that had shifted from bronze to a deep crimson-black.
These were traits of the ancient Giant Tribe, ancestors of the Yum who once rivaled dragons.
The mighty power of that great race awakened in their distant descendant, Bobikrtankapurtabi.
Boom.
His increased weight made the ground tremble with each step.
Now a giant, he bent down to retrieve his shield.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
And charged straight toward the clearing.
* * *
Boom!
The ground shook suddenly, vibrations traveling up through their feet.
The Tiger Woman, Yury, and even Arin watching from afar all turned tense gazes toward the source of the noise.
Boom! Boom!
As the sounds grew closer, the entire forest quaked, conifers swaying wildly.
The shaking edged nearer to the clearing.
And at last.
Boom!
Crunch.
A 5-meter giant burst into view, snapping a rotten tree in half.
The three onlookers cried out in shock.
"A monster!"
"A giant?!"
"My God, giant form?!"
Yury shouted first.
The Tiger Woman followed.
Arin's voice came last.
Hearing Arin, Yury tilted his head.
'...Giant form? What's that?'
As the question crossed his mind.
The giant entering the clearing let out a roar.
"I'm huuuungryyyyy!"
"Huh? That's...?!"
Recognizing the voice, Yury's eyes widened in realization.
The monster... no, the giant's true identity.
'Boppi?!'
Only then did he understand Arin's cry of "giant form."
'The Yum Tribe, inheritors of ancient giant blood, can transform into giants.'
He couldn't help but laugh inwardly too.
'These guys... way more capable than they let on.'
Arin and Boppi.
Through their bear hunt, Yury had sensed they were holding back.
Or rather, suppressing something.
Much like how he hid his demon arts and used them in secret.
So he'd prodded them a bit, telling them to bring out everything they had.
And yet...
'Hiding something like this!'
Arin with her bizarre archery that bent arrows in midair.
Boppi turning into a 5-meter giant!
This went beyond useful—it was downright overwhelming.
'Go get 'em, Boppi! Crush her!'
As Yury clenched his fist.
Boom!
Boppi's massive leg slammed into the earth.
Kwoom!
The force left a clear footprint, cracks spiderwebbing outward.
But while his foot advanced, his upper body lagged behind.
Tighten—tense.
The giant's muscles bunched instantly, roaring with noise.
Yury, watching, realized this was the opening Boppi was creating for him and readied his stance.
'I can end this with this.'
He had to prepare.
To seize the perfect chance Boppi was making.
As Yury focused, Boppi roared and yanked his torso forward.
"Huuuungerrrryyy!"
His muscles thundered in response.
Grind-grind-grind!
The reaction force from planting his foot.
Twist of the waist for rotational power.
Plus the giant's superhuman strength.
All channeled through his arm, whipping it forward like a lash.
Whoooosh—whoosh!
And in Boppi's hand was a 1.6-meter colossal shield.
"Grraaaah!"
Roaring, Boppi swept his arm low across the ground and released the shield.
Fling!
The shield tore through the air in a straight line toward the tiger.
In its wake.
Kaboomaaa!
A gale erupted.
"......?!"
Whoosh!
Winds from the shield's path ravaged the forest.
Yury was already moving.
'Now!'
He dashed toward the Tiger Woman on light steps, his heightened senses slowing the world around him. The shield neared her.
'No tiger can dodge that!'
Just a hastily thrown shield, yet the power behind it was absurd.
They say sufficient physical force rivals magic?
That shield hurtling at the Tiger Woman was that magic.
Even she couldn't escape unscathed.
Of course, he didn't think it'd fell her outright.
Yury aimed for the gap she'd expose while blocking it.
Closing in on that gap.
'...Huh?!'
Yury saw the Tiger Woman's metal gauntlets change.
Until now, her gauntlets had been at the River Realm.
But suddenly, they surged past River to Flame, Blaze, and Demon.
Yet that wasn't the end.
Hum-hum.
For a split second, reaching Demon Realm, enveloped in a translucent barrier.
Then the barrier slowly turned opaque.
It solidified around the gauntlets in an instant, erupting in blinding light.
The light condensed.
Yury's eyes bulged as the Tiger Woman punched unhesitatingly at the shield.
"Hah!"
A sharp kiai.
The massive shield halted midair, effortlessly blocked.
Kaaaaboom!
The explosion and surreal sight froze Yury in place.
And then an even more absurd scene unfolded.
Slam!
One downward punch made the shield stand vertically.
She drove her fist into its center.
Kaaaaboom!
With a thunderous boom, the shield rocketed back the way it came.
Boppi, shocked as it returned to him, reached out to catch it.
"Hungry..."
Screech—whish!
The 5-meter giant tumbled into the forest with his shield.
Crack—crunch—boom!
Seeing conifers topple where Boppi flew, Yury swallowed hard.
"Insane..."
Even if Boppi hadn't braced, to hurl a giant like that with a shield.
Yury eyed the Tiger Woman warily.
More precisely, the gauntlets on her arms.
'Those...'
No longer metal gauntlets—they resembled ones forged from light.
Yury grasped their nature and murmured.
"The Saint Realm..."