Chapter 50
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Housewarming
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“What, what is that?”
“What else? Hunting.”
Lee Chun-bae’s claw struck at another intern. The intern barely dodged, but his skin was slightly grazed. Then paralysis began to spread through his body.
“What is this? Paralysis poison?”
“The human body is so fragile. Isn’t it? You’ve become an Awakener and all, but you can’t even overcome a little poison like this.”
Lee Chun-bae grabbed the man by the throat as he fumbled with trembling hands for an antidote and lifted him up. Scales had already sprouted on the back of his hand.
Crack!
The intern’s neck snapped, and another one died. Now only eight remained. They all started running away without a second thought.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Everyone, run!”
But the swamp terrain made movement sluggish. Meanwhile, Lee Chun-bae moved like a fish in water, swift and free.
“Hiss! Where do you think you’re going?”
Lee Chun-bae let out a gruesome sound as he blocked the passageway. At some point, his pupils had turned into the vertical slits unique to reptiles.
“You crazy bastard! What the hell have you done?”
“It’d be more accurate to ask what I’ve become.”
Lee Chun-bae said that as he raised his claw. The claw, which had looked a bit large before, now fit his hand perfectly.
“Ugh... Monster...”
“Monster, huh.”
The claw flashed, slicing through the intern’s neck, heart, and guts.
“Sounds better than I thought.”
“Damn it, are we just gonna take this lying down? We’re 2-star Hunters too!”
An intern bellowed and swung his sword. Lee Chun-bae’s finger, caught off guard, was severed.
“Yeah! We can do this! If we team up...”
But before he could finish, bubbles formed at the wound, and the finger regrew.
“Oh dear, were you hoping?”
Lee Chun-bae chuckled lightly and plunged his claw into the Hunter’s chest. It seemed he’d taken the hit on purpose to instill greater despair.
“What in the world! Who the hell created that monstrous hybrid?”
Song Hye-rin muttered unconsciously before covering her mouth. Lee Chun-bae’s vertical pupils were fixed on her.
“You looked half-decent, so I was gonna let you live till the end, but you just had to run your mouth and hasten your death.”
Lee Chun-bae glided toward her across the swamp. Song Hye-rin resisted by throwing whatever weapons she could grab.
A dart hit his instep, a shuriken his chest, and a throwing star flew in an arc toward his face.
Fast, powerful attacks. And Lee Chun-bae... just took them.
“That tickles!”
He closed in on Song Hye-rin in an instant and swung his claw. The assistant instructor barely dodged.
Splat!
She’d actually been grazed a bit, but her orc leather armor kept her from being poisoned.
“Not bad gear! Won’t make much difference—maybe a few extra seconds though!”
Lee Chun-bae’s attacks kept coming. Song Hye-rin rolled and leaped to evade, but she was pushed all the way to the edge of the void.
“Heh heh heh! Die quietly now.”
Lee Chun-bae raised his claw high. Just as it was about to slash across Song Hye-rin’s face.
Whoosh—whoosh!
A small axe flew in, whipping up a gale.
“Guh! What the—?”
Lee Chun-bae hurriedly raised his claw to block, but the force behind the axe far exceeded his expectations.
Crunch!
The axe cleaved through his wrist. Naturally, the steel claw clattered to the ground.
For the first time, the ever-smug Lee Chun-bae’s face twisted.
“Who’s there!”
“Me, you fucking prick.”
A masked man of average build appeared out of thin air. A question mark floated in Lee Chun-bae’s slit pupils.
“Who the hell are you?”
“You dumbass? Why’d I be wearing a mask if I was gonna tell you?”
“You said ‘me,’ right? Do I know you?”
“Ah, that was just a line I always wanted to say... Anyway, your rampage ends here, Lizard Chun-bae.”
“L-Lizard Chun-bae?”
“Yeah. Lee Chun-bae. Huh? Calling you that makes you sound North Korean.”
“You little shit... You trying to mess with me?”
“You’re the one who’s been messing with people’s lives this whole time.”
The masked man’s voice hardened. It felt like barely suppressed rage was leaking through his breath.
“Try messing with me. Next time it won’t end at your wrist.”
The masked man smirked as he added.
“Mutant.”
“Hiss! How dare you!”
Mutant. That was Lee Chun-bae’s berserk button.
* * *
‘Good. Lured him in successfully.’
As expected, Lee Chun-bae couldn’t hold back his anger and charged at me.
Splash! Splash!
He must have a water movement skill, because he moved freely through the swamp. Almost as fast as a naga.
‘Normally, this would be a huge disadvantage...’
But after taking in the baby naga as kin, I’d gained an unexpected benefit.
[Kin trait activated: Naga racial skill ‘Aquatic Movement.’]
Surprisingly, making the naga my kin let me use their racial skill without learning it separately.
That gave me four skills in total.
Camouflage, paralysis poison, super regeneration, and aquatic movement.
All perfect for a swamp and against a lizardman.
‘Meaning no swamp penalty for me anymore.’
Clang!
Claw met axe, sparks flying.
“Guh!”
He’d charged with full power, so I was slightly pushed back in strength, but I didn’t lose balance. Thanks to the aquatic movement skill.
“No way! How?”
“I used to splash around in hot tubs back in the day!”
“You insolent little brat!”
“What’re you saying, you tattooed freak!”
Axe and claw clashed endlessly. It was almost an even fight. Almost...
‘Damn, I’m getting pushed back bit by bit.’
There was a stat gap. Considering he was a 3-star Hunter near max level, holding my own was impressive, but losing ground was losing ground.
To close the gap, I needed Breeze. Problem was, it was buried in the swamp, hard to find. Recovery would retrieve it, but...
‘Don’t wanna reveal Recovery like this.’
As a trump card, I wanted to save it for a decisive moment.
‘At least I smashed one claw. Lucky.’
My first throw had severed his wrist and taken out a claw, so now he was fighting one-handed.
Plus, thanks to my skills, I was immune to paralysis poison, and I’d popped two antidotes beforehand just in case.
“Why aren’t you poisoned? You bastard! What the hell are you?”
“That’s what I wanna ask. What drug did you take to turn your eyes into that?”
We were in the middle of trading barbs when Song Hye-rin’s shout came from afar.
“Kage Gatsu!”
At the same time, she hurled the Breeze she’d dug out of the swamp with all her might. Aimed at Lee Chun-bae’s nape.
“You impudent bitch!”
Lee Chun-bae twisted his neck at an unnatural angle to dodge, not falling for it twice.
“You’re the impudent one.”
I seamlessly caught the Breeze as if we’d planned it and sliced off his arm—the one with the claw.
“Grahhh!”
Splash!
Now Lee Chun-bae was unarmed. The tide had turned in my favor. But then he spun and bolted.
I chased, thinking he might target Song Hye-rin, but shockingly, he blew past her and out of the boss room.
“What the—?”
“He’s chasing the ones who ran earlier! The other interns!”
“But why ditch the fight...”
“He’s trying to rank up! It’s been five years since he hit 3-star. Promotion’s gotta be close!”
“Gasp!”
If she was right, we were in deep shit. I was barely holding on now; at 4-star, even unarmed, he’d crush me.
“Q-quick, we have to stop him!”
But before we could move, screams filled the dungeon.
Not just one. My mind instantly flashed to massacre.
“What if Lee Chun-bae hits 4-star? Can we win?”
“Probably not. But no choice. He’s headed to the passage—no escape now.”
“Escape...”
I glanced at the otherworld passage, then at Song Hye-rin.
No doubts like ‘Can I trust her?’ crossed my mind.
Only one thought filled my head.
‘I have to save Instructor Song!’
“Trust me, Instructor?”
“Uh... Feels like I’ve heard that before. What, just gonna hold hands and sleep?”
“I’m serious!”
When I pressed urgently, Song Hye-rin smiled and offered her hand.
“I’m serious too. At this point, I’d believe you even if you said you just hold hands and sleep. You’ve saved me twice now.”
“...Then let’s go!”
I grabbed her hand and hurled Breeze at the Dungeon Crystal with everything I had. Strengthened by Strong Throw, it shattered in one hit.
Boom!
Massive mana absorbed, experience skyrocketed. Insane growth for max level.
‘Destroying the crystal gives way more EXP than claiming it.’
No time to check the status window though. The dungeon was shaking. Had to hustle to the first floor.
“Recovery!”
I retrieved Breeze quick and bolted down the passage. Not the Earth side—the otherworld side.
She had every reason to question it, but Song Hye-rin followed silently.
Tap-tap!
No monsters blocking the way. I’d cleared them on the way down.
She probably guessed. That I’d infiltrated via the otherworld.
My heart pounded with anxiety. What would happen to me? To us?
Then her hand tightened on mine. A reassuring, steady pressure.
Flash!
We escaped the dungeon. We emerged in the middle of a swamp under two moons.
“So this is what the otherworld looks like...”
Song Hye-rin gazed around with a wistful expression before speaking again.
“So, what now?”
“Uh... How about a simple housewarming?”
* * *
“What in the world is...”
I’d brought Song Hye-rin to the Demon King’s Castle. To outsiders, it was a monster-infested demon den, but to me, it was my second home.
“No need to tense up. It’s safe here.”
I blocked her throwing arm just in case and called Moemoe Kyun.
“You called, Master?”
“Yeah. Nothing happened?”
“Five orcs intruded and died. Otherwise, all quiet. Oh! Dug a pit for the baby naga next to the royal quarters.”
“She settling in okay? Worried she’d be scared in a strange place.”
“If anything, the other monsters are scared of her. Age aside, there’s a clear rank difference.”
As I got the briefing, Song Hye-rin asked in a trembling voice.
“W-what are all these?”
“As you see. My home. These are my friends.”
Behind me lined up Moemoe Kyun, the Gobling trio, Pork, and others.
“Hey, standing like that makes us look like gangsters. Back to normal.”
“N-normal? B-beat again?”
Gobling accused me.
“What’re you saying? When did I ever beat you?”
“N-no, d-did beat, f-for real.”
“Shut it if you don’t wanna die.”
I gritted my teeth and whispered. His face went pale, and he clammed up.
“Haha. Korean’s still new to them. Haven’t been learning long.”
I laughed awkwardly to cover when the baby naga waddled out from inside, rubbing sleepy eyes.
“Mama?”
“Mama!”
The hand-sized naga toddling over stirred my paternal instincts.
“Aww, my little one! Already walking! Good girl!”
Then our eyes met Song Hye-rin’s. I cautiously covered the naga’s ears and whispered.
“She’s not really mine. More like adopted. Uh, doesn’t mean adopted isn’t real family. Just biologically speaking...”
“I get it without you saying.”
It was the first time. Song Hye-rin’s face showed utter pity.