Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: 15. The Tenth Trial (4)
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Kim Myung-min's judgment.
Kang San knew it too.
The relentless plunging movement was aimed at mutual destruction, but there was no way Kang San could allow that.
'If Kim Myung-min dies, it's all over no matter what.'
If a casualty occurred.
The trial would end in failure.
The problem was that if it wasn't just anyone but Kim Myung-min who died, their chances of surviving against the Werewolf Lord were slim to none anyway.
The deliberation was truly brief. In a situation where there wasn't even time to think it through properly from the start, Kang San activated his Pain Sharing skill without hesitation.
At the same moment.
The Lord's claws ripped through Kim Myung-min's chest.
Crunch!
“Arrrgh!”
Kang San's eyes bulged wide.
An immense shock pierced straight through his mind, blood spewing from his mouth as he collapsed flat.
His consciousness snapped in an instant.
Kang San clearly recognized it as death, but fortunately, he had a safety net prepared for exactly this.
“Urk.”
His head slammed into the ground.
The Werewolf's attack was utterly beyond endurance, but thankfully, Guardian's Will nullified the damage from that one attack which had dropped his stamina below the threshold. If Guardian's Will hadn't existed, even knowing Azmun's trial would fail, he never would have rolled the dice like this against the Lord.
“This is insane.”
Kim Myung-min grasped the situation.
As the Pain Sharing description explained, he understood why he'd survived the mutual destruction play.
'How in the world...'
It was a nonstop chain of absurdities.
But rather than drowning in emotions, Kim Myung-min knew this was their chance.
His chest had been grazed, but it still dealt solid damage to the Lord.
Right on cue, Yoon Ji-tae finished preparing the magic he'd hinted at earlier.
“Everyone, take cover! Fire Field!”
Boom.
Roar, rrrrrroar.
Flames surged forth.
A full 5th-circle spell erupted, filling their vision with a blaze that devoured everything around them.
This time, even the Lord couldn't evade it.
As the Lord was swallowed by the inferno, Kim Myung-min popped a special smoke grenade and bolted straight for Kang San.
'I absolutely won't let you die.'
His stamina had recovered.
But Kang San still hadn't come to.
Kim Myung-min hoisted the limp Kang San onto his back and raced toward the team.
He knew it was a last-ditch desperate measure.
But as he'd said from the start.
Right now, survival was all that mattered—they had to make the best play for it.
Fire Field and the smoke grenade.
They bought time by tangling up the Werewolves' feet, allowing Kim Myung-min's group to reach their destination.
The spot where they'd first rescued the targets.
A terrain naturally walled in by cliffs, with dense underbrush ahead—perfect for holding off a mob.
The rescue targets had hidden here precisely because they knew it.
Kang San came to.
He shook off the mental damage quickly, but the problem was Joo Seok-hun.
“Seok-hun! Seok-hun!”
Kim Myung-min shouted his name and pulled out potions.
Expensive stuff, but he dumped them liberally over Joo Seok-hun's wounds without a second thought.
The priest stuck close, focusing intently.
“Heal.”
“Hand of Gaea.”
Whoosh—
A bright glow enveloped him.
Yet he still wouldn't wake.
It wasn't because Joo Seok-hun's defense was weak.
To take down an A-Rank Werewolf Lord, sacrifice was inevitable. Joo Seok-hun had flung himself in with a mutual destruction vibe, grabbing the Lord while getting slashed and stabbed repeatedly, culminating in that fatal blow. Even a B-Rank couldn't tank that. His shredded body proved it—he'd clung to the Lord's flesh desperately, soaked in blood.
Fortunately, the wounds were healing bit by bit.
He just hadn't regained consciousness yet, but recovery was visibly underway.
Only then did Kim Myung-min stand.
He instructed the others to keep using potions on him, then called over Goo Yeon-su.
“Radio?”
“...Tried multiple times, no connection. Probably the full moon. Even finding our way here, the forest was unnaturally warped. The moon's overflowing energy must be twisting everything visible.”
“So no way to reach base.”
“Unfortunately.”
Not good.
They'd only stalled briefly—the Werewolves would swarm soon.
The Lord knew exactly where the humans were, and it wasn't letting them slip away easily.
Kim Myung-min looked around at his team.
“Rangers on site check in with base every 30 minutes mandatory. Even if we couldn't report our situation due to comms failure, no response from a mandatory check-in will definitely trigger a rescue team. Last check-in was 20 minutes ago. So if we hold out another 10 minutes till the next check-in, plus time for rescue to arrive... about 40 minutes total, and we're golden.”
40 minutes.
A daunting stretch.
Kim Myung-min tried to stay as calm as possible.
He'd learned the hard way from past ops: if he cracked, they were done.
“Everyone, prep for combat. The Werewolves will hit us here soon.”
Short talk done.
Kim Myung-min approached Kang San.
“Why'd you do it?”
Kang San's face was pale.
Even with Guardian's Will healing him, his body couldn't just shrug it off like nothing happened.
“...Had to. If the team leader dies, our survival odds plummet, right?”
“You're really something. Back at the promotion exam, watching your test footage... you threw yourself for your comrades, so selfless and bold. But today? You acted like someone paralyzed by fear, ranting about hypotheticals that hadn't even happened, making me think that side of you was a fluke. For a moment, I wondered if you fit with the Rangers at all. But that's beside the point now. Thank you. You saved my life.”
“Save the thanks till we survive. That said, no main tanker—can we hold?”
He checked Joo Seok-hun.
Even if he woke, he wouldn't be at full strength.
Kim Myung-min replied.
“Probably not. Actually, that's why I have a favor to ask. Normally, Gi-dong would take main tanker, but against full-moon Werewolves, a C-Rank can't hack it. I know you're D-Rank too, so this is awkward to ask, but could you and Gi-dong hold the front together? Terrain lets us ignore the rear—if we plug the front solid, we can last.”
“Got it.”
“...Sorry to put you in this spot.”
No other options.
They had to make do.
No teeth? Use gums. Joo Seok-hun out? Everyone pitches in.
Kim Myung-min said no more.
In prep, if he'd heeded Kang San's advice, maybe they'd have planned for the worst.
But that was hindsight.
Even rewinding time, Rangers couldn't prep for everything—it just wasn't their style.
Kang San readied for the fight ahead.
Then he felt Yoon Ji-tae's gaze on him.
“...”
His eyes.
Complicated.
Made sense.
Before deployment and even during, he'd unloaded negativity on Kang San. Now, seeing him step up in the crisis, it must've stirred thoughts. They needed to talk. Problem was, no time for it now.
Kang San spoke.
“...Any words between us? Save 'em till we get back alive.”
Clank, clank.
He gripped his shield tighter.
Far off.
Wolf howls echoed.
The approaching sounds heralded the Werewolves' charge.
“For now, let's prep to greet those bastards.”
A sudden curiosity struck.
If he died without settling his past life's karma.
Would he bear it in a new life, or fall to hell to pay it off?
One thing was sure.
The gleaming eyes flickering one by one in the darkened brush paradoxically proved they were still alive.
Just as Kim Myung-min predicted.
10 minutes later.
No response to the mandatory check-in, and base went on high alert.
Comms blackout meant trouble, so main force mobilization was ordered immediately.
Unlike the Rangers.
Government Hunters.
They were deploying for rescue.
And for this incident, orders reached the Capital Defense Force too.
Send some troops for scouting, stand by in case monsters break out of the gate. 3rd Battalion drew scout duty. In the bustle, 2nd Company's captain traded updates with command.
“Yes, sir. Scouts from 1st Company. Vetted soldiers enter first, secure intel for swift ops when main force arrives. 2nd and 3rd Companies hold perimeter—bomb any outbreak.”
This op.
Unusual.
Rangers got solid intel pre-drop; isolation like this was rare.
Click.
Comms ended.
The captain frowned at the dossier.
“...What the hell's going on?”
Inside.
Incident details.
Op zone: C-Rank Moon Hill. Scout teams confirmed only C-Rank Werewolves repeatedly. No wild cards. Hence C-Rank rating. Kim Myung-min's Ranger team shouldn't face comms-losing crisis, even against numbers.
Whatever.
Prep for worst-case.
Even if it turned out a radio glitch, overpreparing was safety's rule.
He checked his gear.
Briefing done—time to lead troops outside.
But.
“What? Assembly's ordered—why're you here?”
“Mind a quick word?”
Outside the company office.
A familiar face as the captain stepped out.
Kim Chun-sik.
Troops already mobilized; his live-ammo loadout screamed full gear. He shouldn't be here. Orders put him in the yard, awaiting command.
A regular grunt?
Might've caught hell.
But the captain recalled Kim Chun-sik's feats—and the battalion commander's fondness.
“Make it quick.”
“Yes, sir.”
This situation.
Far from normal.
Kim Chun-sik knew it, but from the moment he saw the op roster, his heart raced wildly.
[Ranger Team]
-Team Leader: Kim Myung-min
-Yoon Ji-tae
-Joo Seok-hun
.
.
.
-Kang San
That last name.
His eyes nearly popped.
Dead certain it was that Kang San—details matched.
That's why.
Consequences be damned, he had to see the captain.
Kim Chun-sik said.
“Heard 1st Company handles scouts.”
“And?”
“I volunteer too. Deploy me with 1st Company.”
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