Chapter 476: Twilight and Dawn (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 476: Twilight and Dawn (2)
Boldly, I break it down.
Crack!
Crunch!
And meticulously, I reassemble it.
It was a continuous ordeal, one I endured by trusting in the Elixir's restorative power and the viscosity of my newfound mana.
Limits are shattered.
The boundary I had unknowingly considered my end retreats, making way for more.
Grrrk…!
The bones, compressed to a new limit, became hard enough to repel an ordinary blade.
C-creak…!
The muscle fibers, torn to shreds and reattached, now possessed greater elasticity.
Through this body, I realize something.
Perhaps my past injuries were a problem born from the limits I had set for myself.
If I’d had a body like this back then, maybe I wouldn't have suffered permanent damage.
This is no time for that.
I force myself to shake off the deep regret welling up in my thoughts and accelerate the final steps.
To make the most of this perfect result, this moment is the most crucial.
I have to delicately adjust the position of my bones and muscles.
I must make the gears, too small to be seen with the naked eye, interlock and turn perfectly.
The body of a highly trained Hunter is like a precision machine.
Even the slightest error can cause a major problem, so mistakes are forbidden.
Click!
Tick!
One by one.
Considering the harmony of the whole, I connect imaginary lines between each part.
And when I adjust them so that all the lines etched into bone and muscle connect as one…
RUMBLE!
My body begins to tremble with a deafening roar.
This is the sound of ignition.
A powerful cry from my newly constructed body as it prepares for vigorous operation.
Amidst the pain that floods my entire being, I can gradually observe the minute movements of my bones and muscles.
My heart beats more powerfully in response, and blood flows between them.
Feeling my physical functions fully activate, I calmly open my eyes.
“Student Do-jin…!”
“Hey, you!”
The voices of Baek Hyeon-a and Shin Yu-jeong ring out clearly.
But it was the message floating before my eyes that captured my attention.
[You have acquired the sub-trait ‘Body of Extreme Refinement (硏極之體)’.]
* * *
Cerberus.
The sudden appearance of an EX-rank dungeon boss monster sent the room into a heated frenzy.
Unlike Leviathan and the Kraken, which had appeared before, this was a monster on which some data had been collected.
But that very fact made it an even bigger headache.
Because all of that data had been compiled from the total annihilation of Hunters.
“We need to gather a large number of water-attribute mages.”
“The Magic Tower will handle that.”
“For the A-rank Hunters, it would be better to focus on recruiting those in the Tanker position.”
“I agree. Their attack power won’t be enough to pierce Cerberus’s hide anyway.”
Establishing the defensive line went smoothly.
It was all a matter of common sense.
Cerberus fires high-temperature flames from its three heads.
So, forming a defensive line with those proficient in water magic was the obvious choice.
Furthermore, since its hide was difficult to pierce without the attack power of an S-rank Hunter, increasing the proportion of A-rank Hunters skilled in defense was also appropriate.
The problem was what came next.
“The offense is the problem.”
“……”
At the Prime Minister’s words, a chilling silence fell over the room.
That was right.
To escape this crisis, they ultimately had to kill the Cerberus that had occupied the heart of Jongno.
But therein lay the greatest obstacle.
Han Ju-hee raised her hand and spoke.
“My magic won’t be of much help in taking on Cerberus.”
The one who was stronger than anyone when facing large monsters was now facing an opponent against whom she was powerless.
“I understand.”
It couldn’t be helped.
Her title was the ‘Scarlet Witch.’
As one could guess from the name, she was a mage who had mastered fire magic to its extreme.
And her opponent, Cerberus, was also a fire-attribute monster that spewed hellfire from its mouths.
It was only natural that its thick hide would be imbued with a powerful resistance to fire.
“Hunter Han Ju-hee, we ask that you provide rear support for this operation.”
“Understood.”
Another S-rank Hunter, the healer Han Ju-yeon, had also been assigned to the rear.
Now, only two S-rank Hunters remained here.
“In the end, it seems Hunter Son Si-woo and Hunter Namgung Hyeok will have to take the lead on the offensive.”
“……”
“……”
Son Si-woo and Namgung Hyeok.
Both were melee dealers who wielded a single sword.
Deep worry clouded their faces.
“Hmm… this will not be easy.”
Namgung Hyeok let out a small sigh.
Whether his opponent was a monster or a human, he was a man who usually showed more fighting spirit than worry when facing a strong opponent, but this time, it seemed, was different.
And for good reason.
Every single person torn apart by Cerberus's claws had been at least as strong as Namgung Hyeok, if not stronger.
Of course, just because they had fallen didn't guarantee that Namgung Hyeok would also be helplessly torn to shreds.
But it was self-evident that the probability of losing his life was higher than ever before.
Embracing the heavy sensation seeping into his body, his gaze turned to one place.
At its end was one person who had remained silent in the heated room.
“Still… if I’m with Brother Son, it might just be doable.”
Son Si-woo.
As his name was mentioned, his presence seemed to swell.
The small ember that had begun to glow now blazed fiercely with Namgung Hyeok's next words.
“Cerberus is a truly terrifying opponent. But I do not believe it is stronger than Leviathan.”
Leviathan.
The worst disaster, the one that had marked the beginning of the monster wave in the heart of Gangnam.
When everyone was certain of the Republic of Korea’s downfall, he alone had stood against the calamity.
“As long as we have Brother Son, who faced Leviathan alone, I feel we can resolve this matter somehow.”
“He’s right!”
“With Hunter Son Si-woo, it might really be possible…!”
Their individual embers of hope gathered and spread into a larger flame.
Hope swelled.
The belief that Son Si-woo, who had defeated Leviathan, could do it again.
Amidst it all, Son Si-woo maintained his silence, his expression unchanging.
But, contrary to his expressionless face, his insides were a wreck.
‘Wh-what do I do?’
His heart pounded violently.
It wasn’t him.
He wasn’t the one who defeated Leviathan single-handedly.
No, even if the real person were here, it would be no use this time.
His body had been broken as the price for protecting the Republic of Korea from Leviathan.
Fighting Cerberus with this broken body?
Impossible.
Regardless of his inner turmoil, the divided opinions unified.
Son Si-woo and Namgung Hyeok.
They would gather around these two and intercept Cerberus.
Suddenly cornered.
‘Even those guys can’t take on Cerberus. In that case….’
The people who helped him were also out of the question this time.
Not only were they not skilled enough to face Cerberus, but it wasn't like he could put them forward as his proxies in front of everyone.
‘I’ll definitely die. I’m going to die!’
His mind, consumed by terror, came up with one last resort to barely escape death.
‘It’s better to just come clean…!’
He would tell them.
That his body was in the worst possible condition.
That he had suffered permanent damage as the price for fighting Leviathan, making it difficult to continue his life as a Hunter.
Of course, he’d be interrogated about using proxies to clear dungeons afterward, but…
‘At least I won’t die.’
As he was slowly being cornered, his mind involuntarily spat out a memory.
“Ah…!”
A colossal monster was covering the sky.
A massive, yellow, vertically slit eye was glaring this way as if to kill him.
And standing before it was only himself.
Even as his legs trembled and his heart pounded as if it would burst, he calmly swung his sword.
‘H-how can he do that?’
He had been scared too, that was certain.
Inside, he had been screaming that he didn't want to die.
So how could he face that disaster so calmly?
He realized it anew.
The difference between the man named Son Si-woo and himself.
Faced with that enormous, unbridgeable gap, he shrank even further into himself.
‘I-I can’t do it. Something that crazy…!’
He couldn’t do it, not even if he died and came back to life.
To stand proudly before a monster like that and fight.
Yes.
It’s better to just say it.
I’ll feel better after I do.
“I, I…!”
He squeezed his eyes shut, about to raise his voice, when it happened.
“I’m sorry, but it will be difficult for my husband to fully participate in this operation as well.”
Han Ju-hee, who was sitting across from him, spoke first.
And she did so in his defense.
“……?”
Startled, Kim Do-jin stared at Han Ju-hee with wide eyes.
He had never seen such an expression on her face before.
Instead of her usual cool and confident look, she seemed at a loss. The Prime Minister asked her,
“…Is there a reason why he can’t?”
She then rose from her seat and bowed politely to everyone.
“My husband… is in no condition to fight right now.”
The faces of the Prime Minister and everyone else hardened.
“In no condition to fight? What do you mean by that?”
She glanced at Son Si-woo, who was staring at her with wide eyes, then continued in a calm tone.
“Right now, he… is under a curse.”
“A curse… you say?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of curse is it?”
“A weakening curse. It seals a portion of his stats.”
“The cure…”
“We are trying constantly… but we have failed every time.”
The rapidly burning embers of hope began to die out.
No, the mood turned even more grim than that.
That was what Son Si-woo represented.
A star of hope that shone alone even in the most desperate of situations.
The Prime Minister asked.
“…Why did you hide such a fact?”
She answered.
“Because he is Son Si-woo, and no one else.”
“……”
The weight his name carried was tens, hundreds of times heavier than that of other Hunters.
The guardian responsible for an entire nation.
If news got out that he was under a curse and couldn't use his powers, the consequences were as clear as day.
It was impossible to blame the couple for it.
‘Even I would have hidden it.’
If he were in the same situation, he would have hidden it too.
“Then the only person left is…”
“You mean only Hunter Namgung Hyeok is left?”
“My god.”
The situation had become even more difficult.
With both Son Si-woo and Han Ju-hee out, it was now impossible to form an offensive line.
A heavy silence fell over the murmuring conference room.
Just as a sense of despair began to spread and dark thoughts filled their minds…
Click!
The door to the conference room suddenly opened.
The one who entered was none other than Kim Do-jin.
Appearing late, he flashed a cheerful smile and asked everyone in the room.
“The attack plan, mind if I handle it?”
“……”
The moment he stepped into the room, the Prime Minister felt it.
That a small ember of hope still remained in this country.