Chapter 44
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Key
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There was a reason I grabbed the back of my brother's collar.
First, since it was a robe, grabbing the collar wouldn't choke him. Second, I figured grabbing the sleeve might get in the way. And lastly, my hand just naturally went there.
"Can't we just move together like this?"
"If I'm not careful, I might fall behind your speed, and monsters—"
Rumble. The ground split open, and a monster burst out. The scythe and sword moved in tandem, slicing the monster apart.
"…might pop out like this."
Thud. The monster's corpse rolled across the ground.
"So it's better if one person moves and carries the other quickly."
My brother looked at me like he had a lot to say, then let out a sigh and opened his mouth.
"Grab here."
What he pointed to was a red sash around his waist. I wondered if grabbing the sash would be inconvenient for movement, but since he told me to, I grabbed it without a second thought.
The moment I grabbed his sash, whoosh—my body floated up and shot forward in one swift motion.
'Moving without any chit-chat is pretty convenient.'
Things shattered repeatedly around us, and the scenery kept changing. Any monsters that popped out, I handled, while my brother just charged straight ahead. After the location shifted about a dozen times like that.
"Huh."
Screech. I dragged my foot along the ground to stop my brother. As weight settled on it, he came to a halt and asked what was up.
Ignoring the faint vibrations from the ground, I first looked around. There wasn't much to see in the surroundings—just buildings collapsing amid crackling flames.
But somehow, the scene felt familiar.
"Ji-eon?"
"Hyung, this feels familiar... Oh, right, you wouldn't know."
"Yeah?"
To confirm, I headed deeper into the burning village. It was just houses on fire, but surely around here...
Creeeak. I opened the door to one of the burning houses. The flames were ordinary ones without any special powers, so there wasn't even a stinging pain.
"Ji-eon? What's going on?"
"It's nothing."
A shattered table and bed, torn windows. It was a mess, so not exact, but the layout matched.
"This seems like the place where the first game took place."
"Yeah?"
"You might not know since your starting point was different, but I think it's right."
I stepped outside the building. The outside was still engulfed in flames. Had someone fought here and caused this? Or was it like this from the start?
'It's probably not related to the game.'
If not, it didn't matter. I turned my head and grabbed my brother's sash again.
"Let's go. I checked."
"......"
But this time, my brother didn't move. When I asked what was wrong, he suddenly shifted us to the outskirts of the village. He only stopped once we reached the edge.
"Looks like this is the spot."
"Yeah?"
I moved around to look ahead. And I had to agree with him.
An empty plain ahead, and behind us, a massive burning village.
"Oh."
The location of the second game. That very scenery now spread out before my eyes.
'First, second, and if the third is the same place too...'
It was definitely no 'coincidence.'
'Then.'
I glanced down at the ground. I'd been feeling irregular vibrations from it earlier.
That's when my brother asked.
"This seem right?"
"Yeah? Uh... not sure yet."
"This is it. No other path except going back where we came from."
"Then..."
"Pretty much certain."
Whoosh. Thick black smoke billowed out from behind my brother's back. It stretched out long and snaked deep into the village.
"Let's go."
"Huh? Oh."
My brother didn't have search skills, as far as I knew.
'Must've gotten it from the novel info.'
We followed the extended smoke. The deeper we went, the stronger the vibrations rumbling through the ground became. By the time we reached the village center.
Boom!
Someone flew sideways and crashed into a building. They burst right back out and dashed off somewhere.
'That was definitely...'
Pirate outfit. It was definitely Yun-sia.
We hurried after the smoke too, but it cut off in midair. I stopped and looked around, then took a step toward where it ended.
Wooong. Ripples churned in the empty air, and I reflexively pulled my foot back. Seeing that, my brother stepped forward. The ripples churned again in the air, and his figure gradually faded.
I followed him into the ripples. At the same instant, a barrage of noise assaulted my ears.
"They're trying to break out! Grab them!"
"They're heading that way!"
A massive hole torn in the sky, monsters pouring down, and hunters already gathered below.
"Han Ji-un Hunter! Han Ji-eon Hunter!"
Ji Hwa-yeon spotted us and approached. At the same time, ding—a notification sounded, and a hologram window popped up in front of me.
[You have found the exit!]
[However, the exit is blocked by monsters!]
[Eliminate all monsters trying to escape the barrier and find the key to exit through the exit!]
Before I could even process what was happening, another notification rang out.
[Personnel will be added. Assessing difficulty...]
[Assessment complete.]
Boom! It felt like time froze for a moment. I quickly looked around, and my eyes locked onto the pitch-black hole in the sky. More precisely...
"Unmeasurable rank monster incoming! Everyone prepare!"
A massive black hand with red nails slowly emerged from the hole.
The hand landed on the ground, shaking it, and people attacked it right away—but the black hand swallowed their attacks like they were nothing.
"It's the type attacks don't work on! Hold your fire!"
Ji Hwa-yeon shouted to the others. Some kept attacking, claiming they could pierce it, but most stopped.
The monster just stood there motionless, like a towering pillar.
I glanced at the hologram window from earlier.
[Difficulty: ■¿＆※△]
Yeah. We're screwed.
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than rumble—the hole revealed a face shrouded in foul smoke, and flash—its central red eye snapped open. At the same time, its gold-rimmed mouth cracked open...
"Everyone fall back! Retreat!"
Whoooosh. Energy gathered, forming a massive orb.
Then, boom! The energy orb shot to the ground, and black liquid instantly engulfed the surroundings. Those hit by the black liquid began vanishing one by one.
'Not melting. Teleporting, maybe.'
As the black liquid spread, I looked up at the familiar colossal monster.
'That thing's definitely...'
Splash. It engulfed me too in that state.
The sensation of being submerged in black seawater made it hard to open my eyes. Everything was pitch black, senses numbing. Regardless, I focused on other thoughts.
'Definitely.'
Black body, long arms, red nails, single red eye, gold-rimmed mouth. I couldn't see the full body, but the upper part was probably tangled wires. And if my memory was right, that was...
'The Tower Lord's true form.'
It matched the Tower Lord I'd faced before.
But calling this the Tower Lord himself felt off. For one, the Tower Lord always bragged about saving the final boss for last, so no way it'd appear now.
And above all, with the Tower Lord currently in a form like ours, there was no reason to reveal its true form now. It seemed to wield its power just fine without it.
So the answer was one.
'Just a remnant of the past or something.'
Or an illusion.
'Either way, making it immune to attacks means it's not something we have to fight right now.'
It told us to find the key. Key... key.
'Another scavenger hunt?'
As I floated aimlessly in the black liquid, lost in thought, something grabbed the back of my collar. I tried to turn and see what it was, but the black liquid blocked my view.
Whoosh! Splash. I was pulled out of the black liquid. I widened my eyes and stared at the person in front of me for a moment.
"You caught Han Ji-eon. Should I congratulate you or something?"
Ji Hwa-yeon came into view behind my brother.
Squelch. My body fully emerged from the black liquid and settled on the ground. Feeling drenched like after a swim, I shook my head to fling off the moisture.
"We've rescued all our people now, so no need for more fishing."
Just as she said, nearly all the Korean hunters were there. A couple might be missing, but in this situation, you couldn't save everyone.
'Finding this many is impressive, honestly.'
Plucking out just the Korean hunters from that black liquid where you feel nothing seemed near impossible, but apparently not.
The black liquid flowed like a river. No idea how far it had carried us, but getting back would take time. Not that it mattered—without a key, we couldn't clear the stage anyway.
"Oh, I have a question."
I looked at Ji Hwa-yeon as I said it. She tilted her head slightly, like what is it?
"How did the others find the way?"
"You ran into the baiting hunters, right?"
"Huh? Oh... yeah."
"We all met them once. They kindly smashed through space to somewhere else—only an idiot wouldn't notice and follow."
"Oh, I see... Wait. Hyung?"
"Yeah?"
My brother had only said he broke through space, not that he figured it out fighting someone. Wondering if I'd missed it, I asked.
"Did you meet them before finding me, then?"
"...What?"
"Those... baiting hunters."
"Nope?"
"Then how'd you find the way?"
Finding me could be luck, but thinking to smash space? The tower was new to him too, so he shouldn't know anything. How'd he move without hints? Did he know this too?
My deep pondering turned out pointless—his answer was pretty anticlimactic.
"I kept smashing things... and it worked."
"...Huh?"
...Got it. Smashing around led to success. Got it...
'Makes sense?'
Logically, you'd think to smash what's visible, not space itself... Though with my brother, maybe.
'I was just killing monsters nonstop, so no wonder I didn't find it... Luck really is skill, huh.'
At this point, my brother really was...
"But Ji-eon."
"Yeah?"
"About earlier."
My brother paused, then continued.
"Why'd you just stand there?"
"What're you talking about?"
"When the black liquid engulfed everyone. You were just staring at the monster."
"...Oh."
I grinned and replied.
"I was scared, obviously. Why bring it up and embarrass me, hyung?"
He paused at my deadpan response, then just went, "I see," and let it drop.
'He's got good instincts, surprisingly.'
Or maybe the Han Ji-eon he knew wouldn't run from that.
Juggling clear conditions and how others perceived me was annoying, so when I was alone, I focused on clearing. Apparently, that carried over unconsciously.
'Gotta be careful.'
Getting caught acting weird now would just cause confusion, no upsides.
'But why's it so quiet—'
No sooner had I thought it than rumble! A whirlpool swirled in the black liquid river, and a massive monster began taking shape. Ji Hwa-yeon immediately stepped forward and spoke.
"Finally time to use our training. Won't be perfect with so many missing, though."
Everyone got into battle formation one by one. As she finished speaking, Ji Hwa-yeon slashed her nails long across one arm.