Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: I Am Me!
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I slowly pried open my tightly shut eyes. And thanks to that, I could see it.
My left hand, emanating a dark crimson aura, was casually gripping the axe swung by the Orc Warrior.
In that instant, the back of my left hand split open lengthwise, revealing a single eye.
-That's my body. Don't damage it while I'm just letting you borrow it for a bit, human.
"Huh?! What the—my right hand's got a... no, it's the left hand, so left side?"
I muttered that, reminded of an anime where a parasite took over someone's hand. Even in a situation like this, thinking of anime made me feel pathetic yet admirable.
-You lunatic. Is this the time for chit-chat?
"Who knew the Black Flame Dragon in my left hand was real? I had my doubts, but..."
-Yo—
The eye on the left rolled upward in exasperation before snapping back.
-Don't drain my strength.
Sure enough, my arm got pushed back, and the axe blade inched closer. I quickly shut my mouth. Whatever it was, I'd survived thanks to the left side for now.
"Eek! Careful! You're gonna get pushed back!"
-Quit yapping.
The aura enveloping my left hand intensified, and with a 'crack!', the axe head shattered.
"Kruk!?"
The Orc Warrior panicked and tried to retrieve its weapon, but the left side shot forward like lightning, seizing the orc's head.
I had no intention of moving, but the moment the aura spread through my whole body, I lost control.
The sensation of my body moving against my will was far from pleasant, even as a compliment. It felt like I'd become a marionette puppet.
-Wh-what's going on?
My voice didn't come out; it echoed inside me. My bewilderment lasted only a moment before a chilling version of my own voice rang in my ears.
"What do you mean? I've finally returned to my rightful place. Phew. Took long enough. Twenty years..."
The left side said that as it tightened its grip. The Orc Warrior thrashed and howled, but it couldn't withstand the force.
The left side clenched its fist, and with a watermelon-splitting sound, the Orc Warrior crumpled to the floor like a puppet with cut strings.
The left side extracted a white magic stone from the shattered axe head and stored it in the inventory. Then it glanced around, spotted Kim Cheol-min's corpse, and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha. That idiot gave me the power boost I needed to get out. In a way, he's my lifesaver."
-What? What are you talking about?
"None of your business. It's got nothing to do with you anymore, so butt out. Anyway... I'm a bit short on blood. Guess I need to devour one more."
With that, the left side started walking toward Instructor Song. I shouted in panic.
-What do you mean? Devour? You don't mean... you're gonna kill Instructor Song?
"Borrowing your words, I'm going to take everything she has and keep living. Her body, her soul, even her scant mana—all of it will be mine. Hahaha!"
-What?! Stop! I said stop!
I bellowed, and my body froze in place for a moment. I let out a sigh of relief, but suddenly, darkness engulfed everything around me.
The only thing glowing brightly was my body—no, a fragment of my consciousness.
-What a pain you are.
-Pot calling the kettle black! Give me back my body now.
-'My' body. I just let you hold it while I built up my strength without getting caught. You're nothing but a shell.
-A shell?
-You can't handle the Demon King's power. I'm the one who inherits it!
A hand the size of a person appeared before me. Its palm split open, revealing the eye from the left side.
The gaze was beyond contempt—it was utter disdain.
I bristled indignantly, but the hand ballooned in an instant, large enough to engulf my entire body, and began pressing down on me.
Rumble—!
My body plunged underground. There was a splash, and then my consciousness sank toward the ocean floor.
I thrashed desperately to escape, but its power was overwhelming. My body sank, and my mind began to erode.
Eventually, I couldn't even recall who I was fighting or why.
And yet... I kept fighting.
To protect something precious.
'Hzz mrgrg!!'
* * *
"Ah!"
Song Hye-rin realized she'd woken up at some point. But while her mind had returned, her body was slow to follow.
It was a vicious paralyzing poison. If her stamina had been even a little lower, her heart would've stopped.
"Ugh!"
She forced her unresponsive arm to move and barely propped herself up. Cautiously opening her eyes, she surveyed her surroundings and widened them at the scene before her.
"This... what the hell..."
Dozens of orcs lay dead. And over there, looking like Hobgoblinman without a head, was a 2.5-star Orc Warrior.
An Orc Warrior was tough even for her to handle alone. No, truthfully, orcs required a team to take down easily—she couldn't do it solo.
"My god, who could have..."
Turning her head, she saw Cha In-hyeok. He stood frozen in place, like a statue.
The paralysis was gradually wearing off, enough for her to walk now. Song Hye-rin approached Cha In-hyeok cautiously.
His condition was dire. His left side was completely swallowed by darkness, turned pitch black, and even his relatively intact right side was slowly being consumed by shadows.
Whatever was happening, it looked incredibly dangerous. Cha In-hyeok's face, from what she could see, was twisted in agony and desperation.
"In-hyeok! You okay? What's wrong?"
But no response came, no matter how long she called. Instead, the darkness spread a little faster.
Soon, that ominous aura would claim his entire body. Instructor Song felt she had to stop it, no matter what.
"Snap out of it! You said you'd live! You have to live for your brother too!"
Song Hye-rin threw her arms around Cha In-hyeok and shouted. Loud enough for her voice to reach him. To touch his heart.
* * *
I was falling, deeper and deeper. So deep I couldn't tell if I was falling or floating.
Resistance felt pointless now. I just flailed my limbs like a tantruming child. Who was I even resisting?
I didn't know. Maybe I was just whining because it hurt.
For a moment, I thought I'd seen a similar scene recently. Who was it? Magical Girl Lilia? No, not her... What was the name?
I'm tired. No matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't come.
I was about to stop thinking altogether when a faint voice reached me from somewhere. A voice that felt nostalgic and dear.
"...Hey!"
"...You said you'd live!"
"You idiot! You jerk!"
Whoa, that sudden curse jolted me awake.
Thanks to it, the voice became clearer.
"You idiot! You said you'd live for your brother too!! Was that all lies!?"
Heavenly... breakthrough? Ah! Instructor Song Hye-rin!
Her face flashed in my mind, and memories started flooding back one by one.
From Instructor Song blocking Kim Cheol-min's sword, to me using berserk mode against the orcs, to the left side saving me from the Orc Warrior that nearly killed me.
-Everything's coming back. You bastard left side. Trying to give me amnesia!
-Don't call me left side! You otaku punk.
-Then what, Black Flame Dragon?
-Quietly stay buried. Rookie. It's better for you that way. You can't handle the Demon King's power and responsibility.
-I'd love to rest easy, but sorry, no can do. Too many people waiting for my return.
I turned around. Heavenly Breakthrough characters like Kimina and Simon, Magical Girl Lilia, Shinobi Yukie, Kage Gatsu.
All the characters who'd given me dreams and hope were pushing my back.
Then Moemoe Kyun, the Gobling sisters, Huh Min-ah, Song Hye-rin, and others joined them.
Next, Dad with his ever-warm smile. And even Mom, whose name and face I didn't know yet, lent her strength.
My body, my will, began pushing back the left side and slowly rising.
-No way! Pushed back by a pathetic otaku like you?
-Yeah. I'm an otaku! A fool who holes up in his room obsessed with anime, can't even stand before people. But! I'm also the disciple of a poor girl who loves throwing techniques, the son of an ordinary office worker who loves games, and a boy who wants to find his long-lost mom and live happily together!
-Ugh!
-I'll forgive you mocking me, but I won't forgive you belittling the friends who believe in me!
-What kinda bullshit is that!
-You get the gist, asshole!
The left side pressed down desperately, but it was futile. My will couldn't be stopped by anyone.
-I'm a digger. I'll drill through anything in my way!
No matter the pressure, I didn't yield—I drilled forward.
-Darkness is my ally, fear is my strength!
No matter how thick the darkness enveloped me, I found the light of hope within.
-Uwaaaah!!!
Finally, light appeared far away. My consciousness reached just below the surface.
-You... you don't deserve it! You can't handle this power. This is the Demon King's...!
-Demon King's power!? I don't need fancy labels to define myself! I am me! Otaku Cha In-hyeok!!
-Kgh! Such a repulsive aura!
-Repulsive!? Don't you know about respecting tastes!
With that shout, my body burst through the palm and leaped above the surface. Like a massive sperm whale breaching.
Soon, that giant body slammed back into the water. And I woke up.
"Hah! Hah! Hah!"
"Good. You're awake."
I was in someone's arms. As expected, the voice that called me back—Instructor Song Hye-rin. I hugged her tightly without thinking.
"Thank you, Instructor. I survived because of you."
"Mommy's here! Calm down, okay?"
Only then did I realize what I was doing and let go in shock.
"S-sorry."
"It's fine. But what happened? Who killed these orcs? And what was that with you?"
"I'll explain later. Let's get out of here first."
I stood on wobbly legs and climbed the pyramid. Then I pocketed the Dungeon Crystal in my inventory. The dungeon shook, and the void boundaries began closing in.
"What are you doing?"
"Destroying evidence."
"Evidence? What..."
"Evidence that I massacred the orcs."
"What?"
Instructor Song's eyes filled with shock. Yet she seemed to half-believe it. Well, it was just her and me here, so she'd probably guessed.
That's why I revealed the truth. I'd be suspected anyway, so better to come clean and ask for cooperation. Of course, not the full truth.
"...I'll explain on the way."
"No choice. Let's go!"
Instructor Song nodded at the dungeon's state. As I walked, I broached the topic carefully.
"Truth is, I'm someone who hunts as a hobby."
"Don't lie. I've seen One Punch Man."
"As expected of a crowd-pleaser..."
"Quit joking. Tell me seriously. What really happened?"
"Actually... I came from a secret government agency. Hiding my identity for now due to circumstances."
"What? No way!"
"It's true. How else could I kill all these orcs? There was even an Orc Warrior."
To convince Instructor Song, I needed a plausible story.
The reason I'm this strong. If I couldn't make her buy it, she wouldn't cooperate.
"You need at least 3-star to take down an Orc Warrior. So you've been deceiving me all this time."
Her expression hardened. I felt like I'd earned her resentment. My chest ached, but I had no other excuse.
"Why? If you're 3-star hunter level, why join the academy? Why approach me?"
"It's..."
"Because of my brother? Hoping he left something behind?"
Instructor Song shouted with conviction.
"It's pointless. He only said he was going to another world—nothing else! Mom and Dad don't know anything! So please, stop harassing my family!"
Her voice grew more emotional, until she finally burst into tears.