Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Episode 55. Socks and Hat (3)
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Greenland.
The iceberg zone where snow falls.
In its deepest reaches, untouched by human feet.
Inside a massive crystal-shaped block of transparent ice.
A hatchling of the ruling species monster writhed its entire body.
As large as Yoo Ji-tae's upper body, the hatchling's forearm twitched, shedding ancient scales.
As small as the membrane around its eyeball, it spontaneously peeled away. Each time, the hatchling weakly opened its eyes and moved its eyeballs. Bits of the outer membrane flaked off with the motion, revealing newly formed membranes beneath.
Its horns and scales, which should have been hard, were soft and fragile. They swayed like leaves in the current of water within the ice crystal.
Watching this, it struck him anew that the enormous ruling species monster before him was merely a two-year-old, frail young life.
Even as it writhed desperately, if the membrane clung stubbornly and refused to peel, it filled the observer with pity.
How satisfying it would be to rush over and tear it off himself. But the hatchling had to overcome it on its own. Not all growth required pain, but some growth inevitably came with it.
As it shed its skin, Winter would inspect its newly revealed flesh, joints, and soft scales. That was beyond his involvement.
Thoughts surfaced.
What had guided the Blue Dragon's life?
Why had the woman with water-blue hair stood in his way?
What had killed her?
Breathing white puffs into the cold, Yoo Ji-tae continued these thoughts.
— ...I'll need you.
The Blue Dragon had demanded to travel with him.
— ...You think I'm doing this because I like you?
That companionship had been a demand, despite her dislike for him.
— ...But you can't live like that.
What reason could there be to interfere in the life of someone she disliked? Now that the Blue Dragon was gone from the world, he had no one to ask.
Then, suddenly, the regressor recalled what the child had said earlier.
— ...Mister, are you a good person?
Even after he said no, the child had seemed disappointed.
— ...That's no good.
— ...It'd be nice if you were a good person.
So, what was a good person?
Winter had answered that. Someone who picks up trash. Someone who feeds cats. Someone who plays with them. And...
Thud——.
His thoughts couldn't continue further.
Something had just shaken the earth.
It was no weak vibration. The aftermath scattered ice dust from the walls of the underground cavern.
Thud——.
When something heavy struck the iceberg zone again, Yoo Ji-tae briefly extended his innate senses to check outside.
With hands like massive iron mallets, a 3-meter-tall humanoid monster leaped high and crashed down, pounding the massive iceberg zone.
Thud——.
In that instant, the well-sealed entrance to the ice cavern shook, sending ice fragments tumbling down.
A small crack formed in the cavern wall.
And at the same time, a handful of filthy monster mana seeped in through the sealed entrance.
The man, who had been on edge after watching Winter's shedding for nearly thirty hours, flipped out.
Thanks to Bom's advice, he had brought a longsword. He grabbed it and turned immediately.
The Blue Dragon inside the ice crystal was almost unaffected by physical impacts anyway.
So he just needed to eliminate the source of that filthy mana.
A sudden doubt arose.
Monsters from the sea were inherently more dangerous than those on land.
Rifts in the ocean were beyond human exploration.
Many monsters died struggling as they emerged from those rifts.
Those that survived could withstand pressure, breathe underwater, and were strong enough to endure becoming targets of prior survivors.
Yoo Ji-tae, fully aware of this, wouldn't have been unprepared.
Right after hearing that Winter's chest felt itchy, he had sent a clone to wipe out nearby monsters.
Yet now, two 'Deep-Sea Humans' were rampaging. What was this?
His complicated thoughts ended there.
Emerging from the cavern onto the iceberg zone, Yoo Ji-tae ran.
His joints screamed.
The hand gripping the sword had skin cracked from prolonged frostbite, blood bursting forth. Dark red blood flowed, a sharp pain throbbed, but he ignored it.
Even without activating his powers or blessings, slaughtering a few monsters was nothing. And he was in a foul mood. Whatever it was, he had no intention of letting them die easily.
Soon, he spotted a monster not far away.
「Deep-Sea Human (Yeti)」
About 3 meters tall.
A short-haired species suited for activity in water. White fur sparsely covered its dark blue skin.
Deep-Sea Humans adapted their bodies to their habitat. This was a cold place, so they resembled yetis.
Bodies developed with thick fat layers to endure the cold. One male, one female, both bulky like spheres, bellies protruding like Mount Namsan, fists massive like mallets.
Having suppressed his presence to the limit, the two Deep-Sea Humans didn't notice him even as he approached.
One leaped high again.
It aimed to shake the ground, collapsing any underground caverns and easily hunting prey.
Its goal was surely to devour the source of that sweet mana scent.
But this time, the male couldn't slam down its fist. Yoo Ji-tae charged and plunged his blade into the female's nape.
Between tough muscles, the icy blade pierced. Blue blood spurted.
"Gruaaagh!"
The female Deep-Sea Human screamed.
The sword, bare of mana, supernatural power, or murderous intent, didn't sink deep. He kicked her chest, yanking the blade free.
The male swung its massive iron-mallet fist wildly. Whoosh, whoosh— the air split with heavy sounds.
Thanks to its repeated strikes, the surrounding ice ground had collapsed. Ice walls formed stair-like steps everywhere. Each mallet-like punch shattered massive ice walls like tofu.
But missing meant nothing. Yoo Ji-tae dodged simply and targeted the eyes. Even tough bodies couldn't protect those.
Puk.
One thrust burst the left eye.
Puk.
Another burst the right.
Meanwhile, the female spread her arms to embrace him. He ducked. Frozen joints screamed, but knowing he could still move, he ignored the creepy pain.
A miss. Regaining posture, the female lunged with outstretched arms. Timing it, he slashed with full force from collarbone through chest to belly. The blade tore flesh, fat bursting like a balloon.
Blue blood soaked him.
He roughly wiped his eyes and approached the thrashing female, thrusting into her throat.
"Grruaak! Grruaaaak!!"
The female Deep-Sea Human spoke. 'Spare me, spare me.'
With 「Fallen Babel (S)」, he understood the monster's words.
But he didn't stop.
Meanwhile, the blinded male, hearing the scream, found direction and roared. A cry to rouse monster courage and fury.
"Grrraaaar— ...!"
But the roar cut short. Yoo Ji-tae's longsword pierced its throat.
The massive body toppled, slamming the back of its head into a protruding ice wall step. The wall shattered, blue blood splattered.
He stabbed the fallen male's eyes.
Again and again.
Silently. Thoughtlessly. Just waiting for its life to end.
No matter how tough the flesh, it didn't take long for the blade gouging the eyes to shred the brain.
Foul substances oozed from the Deep-Sea Human's eyes.
By then, the female scrambled on all fours, fleeing desperately. Thinking it could survive in water.
Yoo Ji-tae closed in one step, slashing the fleeing monster's ankle. Human-like skeletal structure. Achilles tendon severed. The foot detached.
He stomped the other; she twisted, blocking with her calf. Tough bones prevented deep penetration. So he wedged the blade between her legs. A clear vital strike. She convulsed in panic, unable to turn now. He severed the remaining Achilles tendon, then approached the head to end it.
"Grraaak! Grrraaaak——!!"
The female screamed. Yoo Ji-tae understood.
His gaze shifted from her. Leisure returned to his beastly movements. He slowly scanned around. And searched for something.
It was puzzling, briefly.
What predator invaded his cleanly cleared area?
Likely one chased from another territory. Starving, probably.
In that context, the female said:
'Run.'
His numb gaze followed the voice, sweeping the far iceberg zone. Camouflaged, it wasn't easy to spot, so he briefly stirred mana to sharpen his sight.
Male and female present meant...
Inevitably, offspring too.
But he had no intention of sparing the young.
There it is.
Leaving the female unable to flee with both legs severed, Yoo Ji-tae turned.
She grabbed his leg. Despite bleeding out and nearly strengthless, it was desperate. So he stomped her head, specifically the eye socket. The eye burst.
He turned and ran toward the offspring. She crawled with her arms, writhing, but Yoo Ji-tae, covering five or six meters per stride, was already far away.
The hatchling, half-submerged with head out of the water, froze as he approached.
Watching its parents die before it slowed its human-like monster offspring.
By the time it shook off the rigidity to dive, it was too late. Yoo Ji-tae gripped its head with iron strength. Short hair made fur hard to grab. He dug nails into the nape skin. Skin tore, forming a fine handle.
He yanked it up with full force. The 1-meter hatchling Deep-Sea Human emerged onto the iceberg land.
Killing up to this point would eliminate the filthy mana's influence. Certain, he thrust the sword before the hatchling's eyes. Terrified and ignorant of resistance, it bowed its head and closed its eyes.
As the blade pierced the eyelid.
From the gap in his shirt, burst open to the third button from combat. The blue necklace snapped, dropping plop— onto the hatchling's head.
He halted.
Dark red blood from cracked, dry skin.
Dripped along the frostbitten black-dead hand. Drip, drip.
Body stilling, his mind whirled.
The necklace was woven from Winter's hair and scales before shedding. A birthday gift.
All pre-shed skin dissolved into mana, so its breaking now was natural. Not reason enough to stop.
But in his irritated, sensitive mood, as he moved to kill the offspring after the parents.
Yoo Ji-tae suddenly recalled words exchanged with Winter.
What makes someone a good person?
To his question, Winter answered. Someone who picks up trash. Feeds cats. Plays with them.
And.
— ...Someone who, doesn't get angry?
Well, you have to get angry when you're mad. Otherwise, people won't know.
Winter shook her head.
— ...Still.
Still.
— ...Someone who gets, less angry.
The regressor lowered his sword.