Chapter 232
Chapter 232
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 232
Chapter Title: A Hero for the Little Things (2)
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“Shwiik, shwiiik!”
An unpleasant, metallic shriek, like nails scratching against a steel plate.
The monster, with scythe-like forelegs bent at a right angle, flapped its wings and took to the air.
“Ah! Mister! A-Above you!”
Io shouted in a panicked voice.
Unlike the flustered Io, Oh-jin calmly looked up at the high-flying monster and slowly raised his spear.
“Shwiiiiik!”
The monster, soaring about thirty meters high, swung its scythe-like forelegs wildly.
A pure white sword ki formed on its forelegs before shooting out viciously.
It was a sword ki with enough cutting power to slice through thick steel plates in an instant.
“Now monsters are using sword ki, too.”
Where in the world did they even find these creatures?
Oh-jin let out a dry laugh as he looked up at the shower of white sword ki raining down at a terrifying speed.
‘The Hourglass Stigma.’
The world slowed down, like a slow-motion video.
He dodged the barrage of white sword ki with leisurely movements.
Just barely, enough for it to graze the collar of his shirt.
He minimized his actions and drastically reduced his movements to prevent unnecessary energy consumption.
“Shwiiik?!”
A look of astonishment filled the monster’s hideous, fly-like eyes.
It was the kind of reaction one might have upon seeing a person strolling through a heavy downpour without a single drop of rain on their clothes.
Sensing something was wrong with its animalistic intuition, the monster flapped its wings violently and flew even higher.
“Shwiik! Shwiiik!”
A wingless human wouldn't be able to follow it this high.
Having secured its safety, the monster calmed its excitement and lowered its head.
“Even if it can use sword ki, it’s still an idiot.”
Oh-jin smirked and aimed his wire shooter at the monster hovering in the air.
*Thwang!*
Six wires shot out like arrows and wrapped around the monster’s body.
“Shwiiik!”
The monster desperately twisted its body, swinging its scythe-like forelegs back and forth.
Oh-jin’s body was flung into the air by its immense strength, like a weight at the end of a string.
“M-Mister! It’s dangerous!”
Io cried out with a pale face, looking up at Oh-jin, who had been launched high into the air by the monster’s power.
“It is dangerous.”
Using Lightning Step to gain a foothold, he launched himself even higher than the airborne monster.
Oh-jin, now positioned behind it in mid-air.
“Not for me, but for that praying mantis bastard.”
*Vrrrrrrrr!*
With the roar of a motor, the wires connected to the monster rapidly retracted.
Oh-jin aimed his spear downward, falling at a terrifying speed with the pull of gravity and the acceleration from the wires.
‘Falling Lightning.’
*Zzzzzzzzap!*
A single blue bolt of lightning pierced through the monster’s body.
Unable to even let out a final scream, the monster died instantly, its body shattering and raining down in pieces.
“Hoo.”
Three Green-grade and one Blue-grade.
Oh-jin looked at the nearly 300 points he had accumulated and smiled faintly.
‘Still, catching whatever I see on the way is slowly racking up points.’
Of course, if he had focused solely on hunting monsters without Io, he could have earned far more.
“Mister, you’re the best! That was so cool!”
Seeing Io’s eyes sparkle as she made a fuss, any thought of regret vanished.
“By the way, are you hungry?”
It had been nearly two hours since he started moving with Io.
He didn't know how long she had been waiting in the forest, but it was about time for her to get peckish.
“I’m starving!”
Io, looking excited enough to drool, moved closer to Oh-jin.
“Then have some of this for now.”
“What’s this?”
“A calorie bar.”
Just one bite is enough to fill you up.
“…Do you always carry these around, mister?”
“Two of these can get me through a day.”
He didn't eat them often anymore after getting an earful from Riak, but back in the day, calorie bars were his staple food, offering high efficiency for their price.
“Heeh. That’s really unexpected.”
“Unexpected?”
Io took a bite of the calorie bar and continued speaking.
“When I think of the Lightning Wolf, I picture a natural-born genius. I thought you were an elite from a wealthy family.”
“Like Namgung Hwi?”
“Ah, yes! Exactly!”
He let out a dry laugh as he watched Io nod with her bright, clear eyes.
He had never imagined that ordinary people would have such an image of him.
“I’m from an orphanage, too.”
“Huh? Really?”
Io’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Why, disappointed that I’m different from the image you had?”
“No! I like you even more now!”
Io giggled and clenched her small fists.
“Does that mean if I Awaken later, I can become a cool hero like you, mister?!”
He wasn't sure if he deserved to be called a ‘cool hero.’
Oh-jin smiled faintly and patted Io’s head.
“Yeah, you probably can.”
“Hehe. Meeting you here must have been fate!”
Leaving the brightly smiling Io behind him, Oh-jin turned around.
“Let’s get moving.”
“Okay!”
Io stuck close behind Oh-jin.
They moved like that for about ten minutes.
*Swoooooosh!*
The refreshing sound of a waterfall was accompanied by a cool, moist breeze.
‘Looks like we’ve crossed into the aquatic zone.’
The terrain Oh-jin had initially aimed for.
True to its name, a fierce river flowed beneath a massive waterfall.
“Wow! Mister! Look at the waterfall!”
Io clapped her hands and jumped up and down like a seal that had found water.
“Watch your step.”
Whether it was artificially made or not, the current was incredibly strong.
Even an Awakened could be swept away if they lost their balance and fell in. If a powerless civilian were to fall, the outcome would be unthinkable.
‘While I’m here, I might as well hunt some monsters.’
As expected, there seemed to be no other Awakened around—
“Hm?”
“Huh? Mister, is that a person flying over there?”
A strong wind blew over the fierce river.
Riding that wind, a handsome young man was flying toward them like a noble hermit.
It was an Awakened Oh-jin had seen before, Namgung Hwi.
“Hmm. I didn’t expect to meet the Lightning Wolf here.”
Namgung Hwi smirked as he looked at Oh-jin.
His eyes lit up with interest as he glanced at Io standing behind Oh-jin.
“It seems you’re looking for the safety zone.”
Namgung Hwi chuckled and spoke in a mocking tone.
“It’s been a while since the tournament started, and you still haven’t found the safety zone? I’m disappointed.”
“I take it you’ve found it?”
“Huhu. Of course. I just safely escorted someone to the safety zone.”
Namgung Hwi shrugged and nodded.
He approached Io and asked in a suggestive voice.
“My dear little lady. Why don’t you follow me instead of that mister? I’ll guide you to the safety zone right away.”
He sounded like a shady man trying to lure a child with candy.
“Once you’re in the safety zone, you won’t be in any danger, right? I can take you there immediately.”
Namgung Hwi proposed with a bright smile and a gentle voice.
From Io’s perspective, it was a great opportunity to get to the safety zone immediately without having to dangerously follow Oh-jin.
“No way!”
Io hugged Oh-jin’s arm tightly and shouted with a defiant expression.
“I like my big bro more than you, mister!”
“I-Is that so?”
A crack appeared in Namgung Hwi’s bright smile.
Oh-jin chuckled as he watched Namgung Hwi, who was trembling with his fists clenched.
“Rejected twice, huh?”
“Sh-Shut up!”
Namgung Hwi shouted, his face turning red.
For him, who was born into the most prestigious family in China and had lived his life as a prince, such a firm rejection was an unfamiliar experience.
“And who said I don’t know where the safety zone is?”
“…Weren’t you looking for the safety zone?”
“Yeah, I was.”
Until you showed up, that is.
‘Hound of Vega.’
*Crackle, crackle.*
A faint electric current spread out in all directions.
His extremely sensitive sense of smell traced the path of Namgung Hwi’s scent.
Namgung Hwi’s route was mapped out in his mind.
“3km to the southeast… not that far.”
“……!”
Namgung Hwi’s jaw dropped in astonishment.
“H-How in the world did you…?”
“How did I find it? You told me.”
Oh-jin grinned at Namgung Hwi.
“When did I…!”
Namgung Hwi, who was about to argue, recalled the electric currents that had spread out just moments before.
“You have a tracking skill.”
Namgung Hwi bit his lip, his expression twisting fiercely.
Oh-jin shrugged and turned away smugly.
“Well, thanks for telling me~ I was having a bit of trouble finding it.”
The sound of his chuckles echoed by the river.
“……”
Namgung Hwi’s expression turned cold as ice.
A faint killing intent began to rise.
“If you’re planning something foolish, you’d better stop. You know candidates aren’t allowed to attack each other, right?”
Oh-jin said, turning back to Namgung Hwi, who was emitting killing intent.
“Of course, I’m well aware.”
Namgung Hwi’s lips twisted into a sneer.
“However, in life, unavoidable accidents are bound to happen, aren’t they?”
Taking out a fan from his sleeve, Namgung Hwi glared at Oh-jin with fierce eyes.
“Yes… For example, losing your footing in a sudden gust of wind and being swept away by the rapids.”
*Whoooosh!*
A sudden gale struck.
Oh-jin’s body was swept up by the gust, lifted into the air, and then plunged into the furiously flowing river.
“Ah, Mister!”
Io called out to Oh-jin in a desperate voice.
“Or a sudden whirlpool causing the waterfall to collapse.”
*Swoosh!*
Namgung Hwi spread his fan wide and swung it forcefully toward the waterfall.
A massive whirlpool formed and slammed into the cliff face.
*Kugugugung!*
The cliff collapsed, and a massive torrent of water poured down as if a dam had broken.
“Huhu. When I was up there earlier, I saw quite a lot of aquatic monsters above the waterfall.”
Mixed in with the gushing water, dozens of monsters rained down.
The monsters that fell into the rapids quickly cut through the current and swam toward Oh-jin.
“My, my, all sorts of things happen in this world.”
Namgung Hwi shamelessly generated wind and flew up.
“In such an emergency, I can only save one person with my abilities… It is truly lamentable.”
“Kyaa! L-Let go of me!”
The wind Namgung Hwi created wrapped around Io’s body and lifted her into the air.
He looked down at Oh-jin, who was being swept away by the swollen river from the collapsed cliff, and smiled viciously.
“You know.”
Oh-jin, who had been pushed by the wind and swept into the rapids, was swimming with far more leisure than Namgung Hwi had expected.
He was as relaxed as if he were soaking in a calm, warm pool.
-Ting!
[The area is filled with the energy of water!]
[The efficiency of the skill 《Hydro-affinity Lv MAX》 has increased explosively!]
[The power of the ‘Seahorse Stigma’ has greatly increased, allowing free movement and breathing underwater!]
Oh-jin dismissed the blue message window that appeared before his eyes and leisurely looked up at the airborne Namgung Hwi.
“All sorts of things really do happen in this world, don’t they?”
Not only did he reveal the location of the safety zone, but he also flooded the entire area and even herded monsters for him to farm points.
“If you give this much away, what’s in it for you?”
Oh-jin grinned brightly as he looked at the monsters swarming toward him from all sides.