Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Great Tiger
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This wasn't your typical Siberian tiger from the zoo.
It weighed more than twice as much, and its size was massive enough to call it a rhino.
Its sharp claws gleamed.
I placed my hand on the great tiger's head and whispered softly.
“Revive.”
The taxidermied body began to move bit by bit. Its eyeballs rolled, and its toes twitched.
It blinked, and our eyes met.
I glared at the great tiger and gave the command.
“Sit.”
It plopped its butt down like a docile house cat. Just like a tiger performing tricks on a circus stage.
“Good boy.”
※ New Recruit: Great Tiger (Animal)
Level: 21
HP: 5040/5040
Mana: 0/0
Stamina: 65 Attack: 44
Defense: 36 Speed: 80
▶ Roar (Mana Cost: 0)
- Stuns all except the summoner for 1 second.
▶ Bleeding (Mana Cost: 0)
- Wounds inflicted by the Great Tiger cannot be healed. (Duration: 180 minutes)
I'd used up a ton of Jenny, but now I had a reliable beast by my side.
I stepped out of the auction house and prepared to head back to the ruined village.
Michael turned his canteen upside down, shook out the last drops, and said to me.
“Cheonjae Kim.”
“Yeah?”
“It's so hot. How about a cool drink before we go? We might die if we head out like this.”
“……Then how about we grab a drink at that cafeteria up ahead?”
“Very good!”
Fair enough. We'd have to cross the tropical Central Plains again, so replenishing fluids was smart.
I headed to the cafeteria in front of the auction house and looked for an outdoor terrace seat.
The great tiger was too massive to fit inside.
The front of the cafe was packed with neatly arranged flowers and trees—it could’ve been called a garden cafe.
‘That guy……’
A white-haired old man.
The swordsman I'd seen in the ruined village.
He was sipping a cool coffee alone.
We pretended not to notice him and headed to the center to order drinks from the server.
“Michael, on the way back, you can ride the great tiger, so it won't be as tough.”
“Ride an animal? No! Animal abuse!”
“Then walk.”
Michael rolled his eyes.
“……Great Tiger is a summon. Summons aren't animals.”
“This guy's twisting it however he wants……”
A short-haired, cute server brought two iced Americanos to our table.
“Enjoy!”
We sipped our iced Americanos slowly while scanning the surroundings.
That's when an annoying guy caught my eye.
“……What the hell.”
A necromancer in skull armor.
The guy who'd been lurking outside slipped slyly into the cafe.
Creak.
He pulled out the chair in front of me.
Thud.
And plopped right down, speaking to me.
“Hey.”
Yellow slicked-back hair and narrow eyes.
He looked sleazy.
I ignored him, sipping my iced Americano, and turned my chair away.
As I stared off into the distance, he tapped the table with his finger.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
“No answer?”
Slurp.
“Can't talk? Mute? Don't you see me?”
Slurrrp.
He grinned and leaned his face toward me.
“……You. You came here looking for Cheok Jun-kyung, right?”
Cheok Jun-kyung.
I slammed my iced Americano glass down on the table hard.
Bang!
“You?”
“Yeah. Wanna see? Hey, Cheok Jun-kyung!”
I turned my head toward where he was looking. A man as tall as a basketball player, clad in black armor, stood there.
A beastly face covered in countless scars.
He replied from outside the cafeteria.
“You called?”
A gravelly voice.
It echoed like he was speaking from inside a cave.
The skull-armored necromancer grinned excitedly at me.
“See?”
“……Here to brag?”
“Nah. To trade.”
I tilted my head.
“Trade?”
“Yeah, trade. How about you sell me that great tiger over there?”
“……No.”
Slurp.
“Without hearing the offer?”
“……A one-on-one swap for Cheok Jun-kyung, and I'll consider it.”
“No can do. Our Jun-kyung here's a higher-grade summon. In exchange, I'll give you Woo-gwi and a thousand Jenny.”
Woo-gwi, the hidden summon material from the zombie house.
So this guy got it first.
I frowned suspiciously.
“You have Woo-gwi?”
He beamed.
“Yeah.”
“……What's your name?”
“Me? Why?”
“We haven't introduced ourselves yet.”
The skull-armored necromancer clamped his mouth shut, clearly reluctant to give his name.
I finished my iced Americano and stood up.
“Hey, wait. I'm Yi Ryang-hun. Yi Ryang-hun.”
“Yi Ryang-hun? I'm Kim Cheonjae. See ya.”
“Wait, hold on. Fine, Woo-gwi plus two thousand Jenny on top. That's a fair deal, right?”
I pointed my index finger at Cheok Jun-kyung.
“One-on-one for that guy. Nothing else, or no deal on the great tiger.”
Yi Ryang-hun shrugged.
“Ha…. You know that's impossible, right?”
“Then no deal.”
Michael, gauging the mood, chugged his iced Americano and stood up to follow me.
Yi Ryang-hun reached out to block my path.
“Wait.”
I looked down at him.
“Why?”
“……If I can't get it through a trade. I'll take it by force.”
“What?”
“Even if I have to kill you to get that great tiger.”
Crazy bastard.
He wants to fight right in the middle of Kyungseong?
A glance around the cafe showed plenty of players stronger than us.
He had to know starting a pointless fight could get us both killed.
“Then come out to the Central Plains. Too many eyes here.”
“Nah. What if your buddies are waiting out there? I say we settle it here.”
“What?”
“One-on-one. Fair and square.”
2:2?
I looked around.
No clue who might be in his group.
Several players gathered around our tables, like thieves swarming at the scent of a fight.
“Fighting here is dangerous. Might be no winner.”
“We'll see about that.”
“……Idiot.”
Aura poured from Cheok Jun-kyung's body. Beating him head-on was impossible.
The guy once called a sword master.
I sat back down and asked Yi Ryang-hun.
“You'll kill me to get the great tiger no matter what?”
“Yeah.”
“Psycho? Gonna kill me over a summon for no reason?”
“Yeah.”
His casual words and calm expression about murder.
Not your average thinker.
“……How about this instead?”
“Huh?”
I kicked the table hard.
Bang!
It flipped toward Yi Ryang-hun, blocking his view. I kicked it again, and he toppled backward in his chair.
Crash!
The fallen glass shattered, shards scattering everywhere.
I drew my steak knife and aimed it under the table at his throat.
Cheok Jun-kyung bellowed.
“You bastard!”
He swung his sword at me.
Whoosh—
Park Gyuhwan, waiting nearby, swung his greatsword to block it.
Clang!
Park Gyuhwan glared at Cheok Jun-kyung.
“Don't do anything stupid. Your master's head's about to roll.”
“What?”
“Stay put if you don't want to see your master die.”
Park Gyuhwan's hand trembled.
Cheok Jun-kyung's raw strength, swinging with one hand, was clearly superior.
I smiled at Park Gyuhwan.
Unyielding will, even against a stronger foe.
Not bad.
‘…….’
What now?
Something glinted under my chin. I looked down to see a silver blade flashing.
Following the blade up slowly, the white-haired old man was pointing his sword at me.
“That's far enough.”
Click.
A gun cocking sounded behind the white-haired old man.
Michael had his pistol trained on the old man's back.
“Lower the sword. Right now.”
Total chaos.
Was that old man Yi Ryang-hun's ally? I thought he was with the holy knight's group.
My head was spinning.
I said to the white-haired old man.
“Wonder who dies first if you don't move that sword?”
“……Young man, you've got guts.”
“You too, old timer. Gun to your head and not even blinking.”
“Heh heh—”
“Move it?”
“You first.”
“……You two are just alike. Words fall on deaf ears.”
-Roar, Great Tiger.
The great tiger leaped up and let out a massive roar toward the sky.
-Roaaarrr!!
Roar
- Stuns all except the summoner for 1 second.
A powerful wave shook my hair, engulfing the area.
1 second.
Enough time for me to end this.
I kicked the white-haired old man's gut and slammed the steak knife into Yi Ryang-hun's palm.
Crunch!
Yi Ryang-hun screamed.
“Arghhh!”
The old man lost balance, crashing backward and toppling tables and chairs.
Thud crash!
Michael aimed his gun at the falling man and yelled.
“Freeze!”
The old man froze in confusion. With the barrel at his head, he raised both hands.
“Damn.”
“Get down.”
“…….”
I pressed my foot on Yi Ryang-hun's throat and whispered.
“Let's end it here. Don't come at me again. If this weren't Kyungseong, your head would've been gone.”
Veins bulged on Yi Ryang-hun's forehead.
I yanked the steak knife from his palm and stood.
Splat!
Blood poured from his hand. He kept glaring at me.
I ignored him and walked toward the cafe exit.
The knife had vampire blood on it anyway—he wouldn't move for a while.
“Let's go, Michael.”
As we headed out, Michael kept his gun on the old man.
“We go now. Move and hole in head.”
The white-haired old man sighed.
Outside, I mounted the great tiger and said to Cheok Jun-kyung.
“Protect your master better. Next time, no mercy.”
* * * * *
On the way from Kyungseong back to the ruined village.
Michael, riding the great tiger, asked me.
“Cheonjae Kim. Why'd you let those guys live? They seemed like they'd come at us again.”
“……Wasn't letting them live. Any longer, and I'd be dead too.”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
I rolled up my sleeve and showed Michael.
“Curse. Yi Ryang-hun cast it on me the moment he fell.”
Veins from my wrist to elbow were swollen purple.
“B-blood vessels turning purple……”
“Sacrifice. One of the self-sacrifice spells.”
Sacrifice.
An ultimate spell that curses the enemy at the cost of your own life force.
After the curse, his HP bar above his head had dropped about 50%.
Using half his life for a curse meant he was ready to die too.
If he hadn't let his guard down, my arm would've exploded.
“Sacrifice……”
“If we'd kept fighting, my whole body would've swelled like this. The more his HP dropped, the stronger the curse on me.”
“What now? Your arm……”
I stroked the swollen veins and replied to Michael.
“Head back and get it treated first. If it works.”