Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Beautiful Times Continue
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But seriously, had they all turned into honey-mute idiots as a group?
Even my jokes fell flat. In the end, I had to yell.
"What the hell are you all doing standing around like idiots! A monster's dead—what do you think we need to do next? Hurry up and recover the core!"
Only then did a few of them start scrambling. The team members busily poked around the charred corpse with poles, searching for the core.
And yet, they all wore expressions like they had no clue what had just happened.
"Didn't you guys know your team leader was extraordinary?"
When I asked, the deputy leader spoke up on their behalf.
"Well, sure. But there's a limit to how extraordinary someone can be."
***
"So, when did you awaken?"
"I've thought it before, but you're one shady guy."
The team members were already treating me like an awakened hunter. They whispered endlessly, making sure I could hear.
"Damn right! Our team leader's always been shady as hell."
"What'd you say?"
They bickered among themselves. These bastards, really...
"And come to think of it, it's weird that the arrogant Michaela Family sold us that intel so easily."
"Thinking about it, the Michaela Family must be trying to scout you. With skills to turn that giant worm into a full roast, they'd definitely have their eye on you."
They spun their own tales and went wild with it.
"You idiots!"
I finally shrieked, and only then did they quiet down.
Still, the looks in their eyes as they gazed at me were filled with admiration. Whether hyena or hunter, it was pure awe for raw power.
Plus, even though I'd changed, the team members' goodwill toward me hadn't shifted. They still acknowledged me as team leader and followed my lead. Was this what loyalty was? For loyalty, it didn't matter if you were a hyena or a hunter. All that counted was the time spent together.
"Deputy leader. You said something to me before."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"That hyenas have no loyalty, but hunters do."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
The deputy leader claimed he'd never said that.
"It's a pretty good line and all... but there's no way I'd spout something that cringey. Honestly, I don't even like you, team leader."
This guy, really...
But he said he'd never said it?
I clearly remembered hearing it, but he denied it. What the hell? I was baffled and confused, ending up just scratching my head.
Well, whatever. That wasn't important right now.
"If you've all eaten your fill, let's get going. On your feet."
I cleared away the food and started prepping.
With the scouts in front, we cautiously headed toward the Dongjak District Office.
The Lord-class monster's corpse was there.
"We're here. Don't let your guard down."
They'd grumbled plenty during the break, but back to work, they snapped to my orders.
Moving carefully, we found the Lord-class monster's corpse in the parking lot in front of the Dongjak District Office.
"Holy shit! Is this a Lord-class monster?"
"Look at the size of it."
They couldn't hide their shock.
"Don't wuss out on me, you punks."
Since the team members hesitated, I grabbed the chainsaw with the diamond blade and started dismantling it myself. Blood splattered on my face, but I ignored it. How was this corpse not rotting or clotting up after all this time?
"Three hours! We'll leave in three hours no matter what. Hurry!"
As the team leader took the lead, the area buzzed with activity.
Now I stepped back and left the work to the team members...
Wait.
"No, hold on."
Something told me that wasn't right.
I couldn't explain why.
A few team members came over to the section I'd been working on and rolled up their sleeves. Even so, I shook my head.
"I feel weirdly overflowing with energy. I'll handle this part—go on."
After sending the team members away, my expression hardened immediately.
I had no idea why.
What was I so worried about?
My heart pounded. This isn't good... not good at all.
No fragmented memories triggering déjà vu related to this situation, either.
Something felt like an unavoidable catastrophe was coming if we stayed, but I didn't know what to do.
So I threw myself into the work.
About two hours later?
Cheers erupted from the side.
"Whoa! Team leader! It's a core. We found the core!"
The team members came rushing over. I quickly pushed through them.
"A core?"
"Yeah, look here."
The team member who'd found it puffed out his chest proudly.
And he deserved to.
I patted his shoulder once and examined the so-called core.
The core, also known as a magic stone.
While inside a monster's body, it's usually called a core; once extracted and processed, it becomes a magic stone.
"Beautiful."
The core from a Lord-class monster was bigger than a basketball, resembling a ruby.
But darker and deeper in color than any ruby.
It was seen as a source of extremely dangerous power.
"I'll extract it."
The team member who found it volunteered. I started to nod, then held up a hand to stop.
"Wait? You hear that sound?"
"A sound?"
"Yeah. Small and eerie."
I tilted my head, examined the core, then pulled out my shield. I'd remembered a function on it.
The Eye of Truth.
Wondering if there was something about the core I didn't know, I activated the Eye of Truth. A pure light projected from the shield onto the core, revealing what was hidden.
"Huh?"
Having shone the light, I couldn't help but panic.
Countless mysterious letters were engraved on the core's surface. They glowed and kept shifting.
What was it... it felt just like.
A time bomb.
"Hahaha..."
A dry laugh escaped me.
I had no clue what was what, or why a Lord-class monster's core had this magical device.
But one thing was clear: we'd triggered it by messing with it.
I blocked the front with my shield and shouted.
"Get back!"
KABOOM!
No sooner had I spoken.
I'd thought there'd be time to dodge, but the blast turned my vision white.
I felt my body lift into the air, and after that, everything was chaos.
I came to because blood pooled in my throat, making me choke.
"Kuhk! Khek-khek! Kuugh!"
Saliva and blood mixed, dripping long from my chin.
Looking ahead, hell unfolded. The Lord-class monster's corpse had burst open, its chest splayed, and the whole area was an inferno.
The black clumps scattered everywhere weren't hard to guess at.
"Ugh..."
Just looking made my heart tear, but for some reason, no tears came.
Maybe I'd anticipated this scene the moment I saw the magical device.
And then, amid swirling flames, a being fitting for this hellscape descended.
An angel with black wings.
An angel composed only of gray, black, and white.
Standing alone in black-and-white amid the flames, her figure seemed to mirror her own lonely plight.
She spotted me and approached straight away.
She frowned, about to say something, so I spoke first.
"Sorry. I ruined your trap."
Surprise flashed across Metatron's irritated face.
For some reason, I knew this was her trap.
She'd probably used the Lord-class monster's corpse to catch something.
"You were trying to catch something, right?"
"...Just who the hell are you?"
Metatron narrowed her eyes.
Interesting. For this great being to show wariness toward me.
"I'm just your average hyena."
"You're telling me a 'just average hyena' speaks as if he knows my entire plan? And I should believe that?"
"I don't even know how I know, so how am I supposed to explain it to you?"
Was it because I was dying?
Suddenly, all sorts of memories were resurfacing.
As expected, this wasn't just simple déjà vu.
So, if time really rewound, there were things I needed to know in advance.
"I have one question."
"You insolent human."
Metatron scowled but didn't refuse.
"When you use great power, does it drag the surroundings into it too?"
"What an out-of-left-field question."
"This shield. To me, it's a pearl around a pig's neck. Sui-el warned me. Not to use it recklessly, that it'd drag those around me into it."
"Sui-el said that, did she?"
Metatron pondered briefly, then nodded.
"Correct. Power outside the norm, like this shield, drags in the surroundings. And not just that—it completely rewrites the user's own fate."
Right. I'd felt that fate-altering power too.
Anyway, good answer. Sui-el's advice was spot on. If my delusions were true and time rewound, I vowed never to bring the Black Hyena team here again.
ROOOAR!
Then a chilling roar echoed.
Metatron bit her lip and gripped her sword. Then she said she'd grant me a merciful death. I quietly nodded.
***
I was watching the sunset.
And now I knew for sure.
The first time, I barely noticed.
The second, I had partial memories. Suspicion arose, but no certainty.
I just thought I was crazy.
The third time, I understood everything.
I'd finally fully recognized the time loop. All the memories remained intact in my mind without gaps. But whether this was truly the third time, I couldn't say. I judged it the third, but it might've looped hundreds of times already.
It was only the third in my awareness.
Either way, this phase was complete, with no missing memories.
That meant I could prepare for what was coming.
"Alright, Metatron. Things are gonna change a lot."
I figured she was watching this same sunset right now.
***
After fully recognizing the time loop symptoms, the first thing I did was investigate the shield.
The hidden option on the shield was surely causing the issue. I checked every nook and cranny but got no satisfying answers. Plus, I wasn't dumb enough to go around announcing I had an SS-grade magic item.
In the end, I went back to Sui-el, but she just shook her head.
"Sorry. The activation and use of hidden options is entirely on the user."
No helping it.
But it wasn't a total loss. Through Sui-el's introduction, I met a high-ranking hunter from the Michaela Family, and he shared something fascinating.
"Armaments with hidden options aren't rare. Functions vary, but they all share one thing.
They only have a set number of uses. Different for each item, but they all have an end."
Even S-grade and above were no exception. I didn't know about my SS-grade, but it was wise to assume the possibility.
Assuming the time loop came from this shield, it had a limited number of activations.
No one knew how many. Could be a few more, could be tens of thousands.
But the limit demanded caution.
I had to resolve the situation within those remaining uses. I needed to move strategically.
First, I went home and called the deputy leader to say there'd be no expeditions for a while.
"The weather's cold anyway. Let's think about it after spring."
"Got it."
Good. That ruled out dragging the whole Black Hyena team along like before.
The route was already scouted, so from now on, I could infiltrate alone without their help. Plus, I'd felt guilty for not telling them the truth and bringing them along. I'd thought repaying them with the jackpot from the Lord-class monster's corpse would suffice, but with reality shifted, there was no reason to bring them anymore.
Yeah. From here on, it was solo.
It'd surely be a lonely fight, but my mind felt much clearer.