Chapter 108
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Air Raid Shelter
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Beep――
"Ugh......"
Tinnitus rang in my ears. My vision was painted pure white, nothing visible, yet every now and then a scorching heat brushed against my skin.
Ever since Asura's Dance had activated, I couldn't sense a thing. Even swinging my hand out in front of me only brought the faint touch of grass and trees against my fingertips.
'Could it be that Choi Min Hunter has no memory of this moment either?'
Everything up until now had been crystal clear, but this part was so hazy. It seemed like Choi Min Hunter's reason had snapped. Every time a beastly howl echoed, warm, sticky liquid poured over my hands. Slaughter was definitely taking place.
"Eek."
In an instant, the light blinding my eyes vanished, revealing the ruins of the Gapyeong area.
Whoosh――
Rain was falling. Cool rain that soothed the sweltering heat and overheated emotions. Choi Min Hunter stood before me, silently letting the rain wash over her. Around her lay unidentified clumps of what looked like monster fragments. She gazed down at them vacantly before crushing one underfoot.
"It seems you've awakened..."
A woman's voice rang out. Turning toward the sound, I saw a blue-eyed woman staring at Choi Min Hunter with utmost caution. Her deep-set eyes and thin double eyelids strongly resembled someone I knew.
'...Ah, it's that person.'
It was the young Kim Kang-hee, who had become Hunter Association Chairman after cleaning up the war with unregistered awakeners. He slowly rolled his blue eyes, trying to grasp the situation.
From the blood-soaked face of Choi Min Hunter, to the monster corpses at his feet, then to the crumpled car and the middle-aged man's body. Having roughly pieced it together, Kim Kang-hee closed his eyes for a long moment before lightly bowing his head.
"For now, please get in the ambulance. We'll contact the teacher later."
"...Just think of them as dead."
"Pardon?"
Choi Min Hunter turned to gaze at the shattered car.
――If only I hadn't left Mom and Hyeok in that car, they might have survived. No use regretting it now.
I already knew fate couldn't be changed. Choi Min Hunter looked down at her hands, igniting flames there. Kim Kang-hee watched, covering his mouth with one hand.
"Fire attribute, S-Rank defensive skill. It's called Air Raid Shelter."
"S-Rank?"
Awe seeped into Kim Kang-hee's voice, but he quickly lowered it, suppressing his emotions. As Choi Min Hunter clenched her fist, the flames turned to smoke and dissipated. She lifted her head, shifting her gaze back to Kim Kang-hee.
"Whether you register as a hunter or not, I don't care. Just think of them as dead."
Choi Min Hunter staggered off somewhere. Kim Kang-hee made no move to stop her, merely watching her receding back.
"Chairman, evacuation and body recovery are complete."
"...Got it. For now, call in all the high-rank hunters and start gate scouting operations."
Hum, hum――
The Gourmet's Fork flew toward Choi Min Hunter. Following it, I saw her walking unsteadily, on the verge of collapse. She pressed on through the poison mist and thick black smoke, endlessly toward some destination.
With each step, crimson footprints marked her path.
――Die. Die by my own hand. This is the only way to atone.
Choi Min Hunter arrived at a deserted clearing. Next to it flowed foul wastewater――a remote spot where no one would notice even if someone died.
Fwoosh.
Crimson flames engulfed her hands, then spread across her entire body. She collapsed to the ground, head bowed deeply.
Before long, Choi Min Hunter had become the flames themselves.
"Why......?"
Her voice pierced through the crackling as the flames consumed wooden debris on the ground.
"Why aren't I burning? These are the flames that killed that massive monster."
The hellfire that devoured all things couldn't consume Choi Min Hunter. Amid the scarlet blaze, she retained her form perfectly, seeming instead to devour the flames.
Complete dominion over the fire belonged to her. Staring down at her hands, she began to laugh once more.
"Ahahaha......! Hahaha!!"
The laughter didn't twist into screams. Choi Min Hunter laughed heartily, as if genuinely amused by the situation.
Boom!!
The flames encircling her suddenly expanded, forming an Air Raid Shelter.
――A space that blocks external attacks. It can't stop death from within. This is where I'll die, my coffin.
Choi Min Hunter lay back, gazing upward, and peacefully closed her eyes. Because she called it a coffin, the space truly felt like a massive one. I took a step toward the sleeping Choi Min Hunter and carefully knelt beside her.
"Choi Min Hunter... Wake up."
"......"
"If you fall asleep here, you'll really be trapped in a nightmare!"
I shook her body, but there was no response. It had grown ice-cold, her limbs withered. Unaffected by time, she wasn't aging, but her body was steadily dying.
I forcibly tried to lift her, draping her arm over my shoulder.
Crack.
"Huh?"
Then, from a corner of the Air Raid Shelter, came the sound of something cracking. I set Choi Min Hunter down and turned toward the noise, spotting a black fissure.
Hum, hum――
The Gourmet's Fork reacted furiously toward the fissure. That meant the real Choi Min Hunter was trapped inside.
I rushed straight to the fissure.
[Latent Nightmare]
[Viewable with the Savior's left eye and the Regressor's right eye.]
[Qualification confirmed.]
[Reproducing the latent nightmare.]
Crackle.
Without hesitation, I stepped into the fissure.
"...This is inside the 'Air Raid Shelter' too."
Looking up, crimson fire enveloped everything.
No one but me could enter this space. That explained why Hunter Cha Do-yun and Hunter Han Jin-woo had failed.
'Then I really have to bring Choi Min Hunter out from here.'
Crackle.
I dashed to the center of the vast Air Raid Shelter. There lay Choi Min Hunter in the exact same position as before.
Hum, hum, hum――
Even the Gourmet's Fork wailed fiercely. This had to be the real Choi Min Hunter. I pushed more strength into my legs as I ran toward her.
"Choi Min Hun... ter?"
Clang.
Suddenly, cracks spiderwebbed across the ceiling of the Air Raid Shelter. Brilliant beams of light poured through the gaps.
'Physical attacks shouldn't work here. What's going on?'
The pure white light relentlessly illuminated Choi Min Hunter, until her eyelids finally trembled.
――Still not dead? How much time has passed? So blinding...
Choi Min Hunter's thoughts flowed into my ears. I stood still, watching her and the mysterious light beams. The white light coalesced into a large orb, floating leisurely through the shelter before settling quietly beside her head.
"A human who has escaped time... It's miraculous you're barely clinging to life."
The white orb examined Choi Min Hunter before perching by her head again. She groaned weakly, struggling to open her eyes. Blinking repeatedly, she stared at the light beside her.
"...What is it?"
"Are you coming to your senses a bit?"
It was a calm, clear voice without emotion. Choi Min Hunter scowled at the light. It retreated slightly before adding,
"Allow me to introduce myself first. I am the Adjuster, the being in charge of this world's balance and order."
"Whoa......"
An exclamation slipped from Jin-woo's lips unbidden. The battle unfolding before him was the most destructive and brutal he'd ever witnessed.
No sooner had the nightmare's origin leaped from the ground wreathed in blue flames than shadow hands shot out, slamming it back down. A pitch-black blade immediately followed, slicing it into dozens of pieces.
It would have killed any ordinary human or monster outright, but since it wasn't the true subject of the nightmare, it couldn't be slain. The nightmare's origin spewed flames in all directions and soared back into the sky. Se-bin yielded a step, retreating.
"I'm afraid to provide support lest I get in the way."
Do-yun lowered Morning Glory and stood beside Jin-woo, who nodded in agreement. Their relentless exchange left no opening for wind arrows.
As the nightmare's origin took to the air, Moon Shadow snatched it mid-flight, yanking it earthward. The moment their silhouettes overlapped, thin longsword and flames clashed, scattering hot embers wildly. It was overwhelming just to follow with the eyes.
Kaboom!!
A red fireball plummeted toward the ground where Se-bin stood, erupting like a volcano and swallowing her in an instant.
"Hunter Kang Se-bin!"
"Cough, cough! Ack......"
Se-bin, who had instantly concealed her presence, reappeared beside Jin-woo. She coughed dryly, then poured water from her inventory over her face. One arm was completely charred black.
"Hang on just a moment!"
Swish――
Healing Hand layered over Se-bin's arm, sprouting new flesh only to crumble away. The wound was deep; the leaves melted upon contact. Jin-woo gritted his teeth, focusing entirely on the healing. Se-bin grimaced slightly in pain but kept her eyes locked on the nightmare's origin.
"I've never actually fought the real Choi Min Hunter, but at least this nightmare origin is weaker than her."
"Hmm... Is that so? The explosive power seems similar."
"Just the explosive power."
Thud!!
Moon Shadow seized the nightmare's origin again, smashing it into the ground. Though it incinerated everything around and shook off the shadow, another shadow hand promptly emerged to throttle its neck. Do-yun watched wide-eyed before turning back to Se-bin.
"See? It can't even dodge properly."
Se-bin, still receiving treatment on one arm, wasn't even fully focused on the fight. Yet she manipulated shadows freely, suppressing the nightmare's origin, and casually downed a stamina potion.
'A face that knows no fear.'
Do-yun averted his gaze, lost in idle thought. Just then, Se-bin's arm returned to normal. She stood, resuming her stance.
"How long has it been since Ji-ui went in?"
"About three hours now."
Se-bin's brow twitched.
'Hope nothing's wrong.'
She drew a deep breath and raised her blade toward the nightmare's origin once more.