Chapter 195
Translator: uly
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: Part 2 Episode 58
A colossal monster formed by the mashed-together corpses of other beasts. Yeouhee circled around the boss's domain, relentlessly dodging its attacks.
Even while evading, she had to endure the shockwaves, so it wasn't without damage.
She considered gathering the corpses and hiding inside, but all the beast corpses had clumped together into that massive monster, making it impossible.
The only option left was to carve out a nook in the wall or floor and deploy a gate shelter, but the giant monster's gaze kept tracking her, leaving no time to dig in.
'Should I attack it?'
This humanoid sword beast had its brain as the weak point.
If she climbed up its body and stabbed a blade into the brain or eyes, she might buy some time.
Of course, she had to account for the risk of getting flung off by its brute strength midway.
But Yeouhee was confident.
She knew she wouldn't die easily. Considering how she'd clawed her way from being pathetically weak during her Abyss days to A-Class, her lifeline was tough and long.
'Kids like you, full of anxiety and overcomplicated thoughts, need to deliberately think simpler.'
It was something Saebyeok had told her once, dragging her into a boss room in a D-rank gate.
There was a time when she'd only ever been rescued by Saebyeok inside gates, never swinging her sword even once.
Whenever her body ached and her life felt at stake, her mind would flood with thoughts, paralyzing her—and Saebyeok would always soothe her.
'Breathe. That means you're alive. Remember. Breathing means you're alive. Aren't you breathing right now?'
'Yeah!'
'Then you're alive. Living is that simple. Just breathe. Oh, and what did you say you were scared of?'
'Pain!'
'When it hurts, think like this. What even is pain? What does it mean to hurt? How do I even know what pain feels like? Isn't pain just something I made up?'
'Ugh... my head's spinning.'
Yeouhee glanced at her deeply wounded abdomen and legs, aware of her precarious state, but she forced herself to ignore it.
Staring at the overwhelmingly massive monster before her made her shoulders shrink just a bit.
'How do you stop fearing monsters? Simple. You're breathing right now, so you're alive. But this shitty bastard's getting in the way. It's annoying, so kill it, fucker. Just beat the shit out of it mindlessly. And while you're at it, think: What even is fear? Isn't fear just an illusion? How do I even know what fear feels like?'
'Pfft, hahaha. Saebyeok, you're hilarious.'
'Stop laughing. If panic freezes your legs, at least become a simple idiot, Yeou.'
'You mean act like Moon Serim?'
'Huh? Oh... yeah. Good example.'
'Not a big deal then.'
Yeouhee took a slow, deep breath and deliberately lingered at one spot to bait the monster's attack.
The monster swiftly extended its hand toward her now that the darting Yeouhee was locked in its sight.
Kwaaaang!
Yeouhee used the shockwave to launch herself into the air. She swung her arm toward the empty rear, adjusting her trajectory with an attack.
The recoil propelled her much farther forward.
"Urk."
Debris hit her again, wounding her body. But Yeouhee safely landed on the monster's upper arm, crouched, and leaped toward its shoulder.
From the shoulder to face height was reachable with her current mana reserves.
Yeouhee kicked off the monster's shoulder and soared, slashing her handcuff blade toward its eye.
Shaaack!
A tear-like slash mark ripped through the air as the monster's face was shredded. Its body was tough; she didn't pierce the brain, but she at least struck the eye cleanly.
'Now I need to quickly dig a hiding hole...!'
Her expression brightening, Yeouhee turned to check her landing spot. In that instant, the pain-wracked monster swung its hand toward her.
Thuuud!
The impact turned her vision white. It felt like all her organs would spill out her mouth.
The moment her body took that hit, Yeouhee instinctively knew it was over.
'Saebyeok...'
Calling out to the unreachable Saebyeok in her heart, Yeouhee endured the body-shattering shock, took a huge breath, and attacked instinctively in the opposite direction of her flight to slow herself a bit.
Even so, her speed toward the wall was fast.
I'm gonna die.
The thought suddenly hit her.
Regret surged briefly, but imagining Saebyeok showing up bawling at her funeral made her think dying might not be so bad after all.
She just wished she could witness it firsthand.
"Yeouhee!!!"
Then someone called her name from behind. Yeouhee turned to look where the voice came from.
Was it a desperate hallucination?
There stood Saebyeok, awakened and cloaked in red mana, arms outstretched toward her.
Kwaaaaaang!
Yeouhee crashed into the wall from the attack. So forceful was the blow that her body burrowed deep into it.
Hit too hard, Yeouhee squeezed her eyes shut tight and felt her heart pounding relentlessly one last time.
She waited for death.
'?'
But surprisingly, she kept breathing for a long while.
Cautiously opening her eyes, Yeouhee examined her intact body. Her back felt strangely soft.
"......"
It was a kid with sharp, handsome features and striking looks. Light brown hair and red eyes felt oddly familiar.
Someone who looked just like Dun was cradling her from behind.
This kid had absorbed the impact, letting her survive without bursting on the wall.
The utterly exhausted Dun cracked his eyes open sleepily and gazed steadily at Yeouhee.
"Keep the shelter up."
Stroking Yeouhee's forehead to calm her, Dun checked outside the hole.
The monster was charging toward them, fist raised for a finishing blow.
"What are you doing?"
Suspicious of Dun suddenly heading out, Yeouhee asked in a sharp tone.
"Stay put quietly."
Dun slipped Yeouhee's hand away, smiled, and wriggled out of the wall nook.
'What the hell is he planning?'
She briefly wondered if he was using her as bait to escape, but then he wouldn't have told her to deploy the shelter.
Yeouhee peeked out. She saw the mysterious kid and the monster charging at him.
He had no suitable weapon for facing the monster, and he didn't look built like a physical fighter—slender frame and all.
Standing boldly in front seemed like he meant to fight, but it looked like suicide.
Yet he didn't seem to think so—or maybe he had something up his sleeve—as he casually slipped his hands into his pockets.
The hulking monster swung the same sturdy hand that had flung her earlier toward the kid.
'He's sacrificing himself or what?'
Unable to comprehend, Yeouhee just frowned and watched the predictable outcome.
Like whacking a mole, the heavy fist came crashing down toward the small head.
Paaang!
The monster's arm that struck Dun spectacularly flew off—far into the air.
Yeouhee's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at his back. He hadn't even used mana, it seemed.
The Dun-lookalike leisurely strolled toward the monster howling in agony. He shook out his slim legs a few times...
Slaaaap!
Then lightly leaped and backhanded its face, smashing it effortlessly.
The once-mighty monster was molded like clay by someone far smaller in stature.
'Where the hell did this guy come from...'
Yeouhee gaped in shock.
He seemed stronger not just than the current No. 1, Lee Kyungseop, but even the pretending-to-be-weak Seol Doyun.
From the back of this kid so casually dispatching her insurmountable foe, Yeouhee felt an inexplicable nostalgia.
It was the same thrill, security, and sturdiness she'd felt watching young Saebyeok effortlessly slay impossible monsters.
A touch of euphoria, stability, and reliability.
Whether deja vu or not, the kid's small but upright back kept overlapping with Saebyeok's in Yeouhee's eyes, making her rub them repeatedly.
Dun, having splendidly felled the monster and lightly landed, spaced out for a moment.
His mind hazy, he shook his head and barely snapped back to reality.
'The monster's dead, right?'
Dun looked around, checking the corpse, but it was shattered beyond recognition.
Only after a bit did he realize it was fully dead—then his body swayed violently.
Staggering a few steps toward Yeouhee, Dun soon collapsed to the floor.
"Hey!"
Yeouhee, who'd been holding her breath watching, scrambled out of the wall hole and rushed to the fallen figure.
Having handled it so coolly only to crumple so delicately, she panicked and lifted the light brown head.
"You didn't even get hit. You dead?"
Yeouhee checked Dun's pulse. His heart was beating strong.
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Hearing the slightly loud breathing, Yeouhee stared in bewilderment at the soundly sleeping Dun on his back.
"You crazy fuck. How're you sleeping here!"
Slap! Slap!
Frowning, Yeouhee smacked Dun's cheeks, but he was out cold, not stirring a bit.
No sign of the gate closing—more monsters could spawn soon, and staying put might endanger them both.
Thought he was a hero; turned out a troll.
Clicking her tongue, Yeouhee scooped up the sleeping Dun.
Luckily, the earlier crash had carved a deep, narrow hidey-hole, and she had the gate shelter.
Hide, stay quiet, and wait for backup. Yeouhee shoved Dun into the deep wall crevice and squeezed in after.
'He really looks just like Dun.'
With the shelter deployed, Yeouhee gazed at Dun sleeping peacefully under her arm.
She'd always despised the pampered Dun despite his resemblance to Saebyeok, so her expression turned conflicted.
'A foreign hunter cosplaying as Dun?'
She suddenly recalled others mentioning spotting Dun.
'Must be hallucinating from nearly dying.'
Shaking her head with a hollow laugh, Yeouhee dismissed it. Whoever he was, he'd saved her life.
Even for ungrateful Yeouhee, who rarely held onto favors, she oddly didn't want to ditch this kid.
Yeouhee pushed the sleeping Dun to the very back and closely monitored the outside.
The eleventh monster respawn was happening, but luckily, it hadn't spotted her and Dun—it just dumbly patrolled the area.
* * *
Saebyeok arrived in Busan. The station was already packed with evacuating crowds.
Pushing through the throngs, Saebyeok checked news on her phone.
[[Breaking News] A-rank outburst gate safely closed!]
The news said the gate Woojin Byeon was handling had closed. At least that was good.
Accounting for news lagging behind live broadcasts, Woojin, whom she'd seen live, was probably rescued by now.
Heading to the Hysis Gate now, she'd likely find him getting treated by the medical team.
Saebyeok tamped down her anxiety, shifted to positive thoughts, and ran.
Beep, baaang!
Taxis were impossible; roads jammed with evacuees.
Rolling her eyes, Saebyeok spotted a guy parked by the roadside on a motorcycle, taking a smoke break.
"Mind if I borrow it?"
"!!!"
Saebyeok tossed her debit card at him and lightly hopped onto the bike.
Click, vroom!
With a roar, the motorcycle sped off. Leaning low and twisting the throttle, Saebyeok weaved fluidly through the stalled cars.
Each near-miss drew blaring horns from the vehicles.
Having memorized the Hysis Gate's location, Saebyeok rode without hesitation.
'Any faster route?'
Scanning while driving, she turned the handle toward a curb, ramped it, and gunned the engine.
Vwoom. The bike soared lightly. Body airborne, Saebyeok steadied herself, checked the landing and direction.
"Uwaaaak!"
Before Han Suhwan's barrier could form at the landing spot, a monster had appeared.
It had spotted people who hadn't evacuated in time and was threatening them.
Saebyeok yanked the handle and extended her knee, lifting the bike's front wheel.
Kududuk!
Using the bike's momentum, she slammed the wheel into the monster's vitals she'd spotted en route, then recentered for a smooth landing with minimal jolt.
The Hysis Gate was right ahead. Indifferently crushing one monster mid-ride, Saebyeok twisted the throttle again to accelerate.