Chapter 49

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 49

Chapter Title: Targeted by the Editing Monsters

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'Damn it, this again.'

Thump, thump.

The sensation from that time was gradually coming back to life. The memory of desperately clinging on while being chased by monsters.

Was it because the mission progress had risen so much? As soon as I closed my status window, another one popped up right in front of my eyes.

Now their defense was going up too?

A series of horrific situations left my mind numb.

Whoosh.

"Eek!"

Sudden heat washed over my face, and my body floated up into the air.

"Choi Min Hunter!"

"......"

Choi Min Hunter had scooped me up and flown into the air, putting distance between us and the monster clump that had crashed into the ground.

Krunch.

And right away, a black shadow gripped the monster clump tight.

"All the monsters are chasing Shin Ji-ui Hunter right now, right?!"

Han Jin-woo Hunter shouted loudly. With my arm around Choi Min Hunter's neck, I first scanned our surroundings.

Se-bin blocking the boundary monsters before they could fully form, Ha Mi-jun Hunter, Kim Min-sook Hunter who had flung her two hearts toward the monsters, and Han Jin-woo Hunter mounted on his 'Lucky Rabbit's Foot.' Despite the sudden situation, everyone had quickly found their roles and were carrying them out.

"Choi Min Hunter! How about putting Ji-ui inside 'Air Raid Shelter'? That seems safest!"

Ha Mi-jun Hunter yelled from below. When I turned to look at Choi Min Hunter, he shook his head while glancing at me.

"Air Raid Shelter completely isolates the inside from the outside. To figure out how to tackle the boundary monsters or their HP values, I need to stay with Shin Ji-ui Hunter."

Choi Min Hunter replied in a fairly loud voice.

Crack.

At that moment, the monster clump broke free from the tree vines and shadows, splitting into three separate monsters.

Status windows popped up one after another like annoying ads blocking internet news. Corpse Mobile and Today's Weather is Clear had separate annihilation conditions, while the rest needed to be taken down with regular attacks.

Krunch.

Tree vines and shadows wrapped around them again. But it only held them in place—no meaningful damage was dealt.

"I'll be the bait!"

"You sure? These aren't ordinary monsters—they're boundary ones."

"You don't even have a movement skill. Too dangerous."

The minor commotion from the previous timeline echoed in my ears. It was just as risky back then as now, but this time was different.

Click.

I brought Ego to my lips and shouted toward the others.

"I'll be the bait, so attack them while they're distracted!"

I couldn't hear what the people below said—the monsters' rampage drowned it all out.

"Choi Min Hunter, take me as far away as possible."

"You sure about this?"

Choi Min Hunter looked at me with lowered eyes.

'Is he worried...?'

A hint of unease flickered in his impassive gaze.

"Don't worry."

"...Understood."

Screeech―

"Kgh."

No sooner had Choi Min Hunter replied than sharp spikes chased after us. Clutching his neck, I aimed Ego with my right hand.

Bam-bam-bam!

I held the trigger down long, the air vibrating as the sound waves shattered the spikes on contact.

Screech.

"Ugh!"

One spike outside the sound wave's range grazed my calf. Blood seeped through the torn fabric of my pants, a dull ache spreading.

Boom!!

Choi Min Hunter detonated an explosion, flying us even farther until the monsters were mere dots.

'Finally starting to talk.'

Seeing one with reduced HP meant the other hunters had begun fighting too.

The irregular status windows made my vision spin. I couldn't afford to get hit while reading them.

Looking down, we'd secured some distance from the monsters.

"You can set me down now."

Thud.

Choi Min Hunter nodded, landed swiftly, and stared straight at me.

"Be careful."

"You too, Choi Min Hunter."

What? Why doubt my words?

Choi Min Hunter looked at me with slight surprise before gently setting me down.

'I remember she's not dangerous.'

My memory of her exact personality was fuzzy.

Thud-thud-thud-thud.

No time for idle thoughts.

I gripped Ego firmly and eyed the approaching monster horde.

The giant paper crane with hairy human legs was Paper Crane That Can't Fly, the bird ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in a ballet tutu with three beaks but no eyes was Lake of Grotesque Birds, and the scales floating tilted in the sky with bloody fish chunks dripping from one pan was Tilted Scales.

I couldn't spot the other two.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

First, take out the ones I could handle in full combat.

Screeech.

"Ah, ahh. Wow, they're huge."

Speaking into Ego amplified my voice to echo across the entire space.

"Ballet-tutu monster bird HP 5,000, scales 10,000, paper crane 12,000! Keep attacking for now!"

Whoooosh―

As if responding, the cry of two hearts rode the air.

Considering they'd chased me this far despite hunters like Se-bin and Ha Mi-jun Hunter who could restrict movement, their defense had definitely risen compared to the previous timeline.

'Need a plan.'

Paper Crane That Can't Fly's words appeared before me. It was a monster with fast mobility and wide-area attacks. Disrupt formations with AoE, then strike with its beak—that was its basic pattern.

Fwoooosh―

"Ugh!"

The distant Paper Crane That Can't Fly flapped once, unleashing a massive gust that sent me tumbling forward.

Boom!!

I instantly switched Ego to shotgun form and fired at a distant tree trunk. Thick blades hit true.

Bam!!

Planting my feet, I pulled the trigger to propel myself aside. Simultaneously, a massive beak stabbed where I'd fallen. A split-second later, and I'd have been impaled.

Paper Crane That Can't Fly had destructive attack power, but once its beak stuck, it took time for the next strike—a fatal flaw.

Bang, bang, bang.

I reverted Ego and fired sound bullets.

Screeeech.

"What?!"

With its beak stuck, Paper Crane That Can't Fly vigorously flapped, deflecting my bullets into the sky.

Kaboom!

This time, a scale dish fell from above. Dodging back, I rapidly fired at Tilted Scales in the air, but it twisted its bulky body to evade, slamming fish chunks to the ground each time.

'They'll surround me soon.'

Tilted Scales was already observing my every move from the sky, and the remaining two monsters closed in faster.

Click.

I hooked my finger on Ego's trigger and held it long.

Humm, humm, humm.

A quiet sound wave swept over all monsters, freezing their movements momentarily.

"Wh-what?"

Three identical responses came back. The windows didn't fade—instead, they pressed closer, sharper.

'How do these things know that...'

Bam-bam!

"Eek!"

Choi Min Hunter's flames blocked my front, followed by the rustle of burning paper.

Crack.

A dark shadow hand seized Lake of Grotesque Birds' neck, hurling it skyward into Tilted Scales.

'Why are these things spouting such nonsense?'

Ego muttered in disbelief.

'...It's not nonsense.'

'First time meeting them, and it's not nonsense? Come on.'

Logically, Ego was right. But there was a hypothesis where both Ego being wrong and the monsters remembering me held true.

'That this isn't my first regression.'

Thump, thump, thump.

My heart raced so fiercely it shook my whole body. If this truly wasn't my first return, why didn't Ego remember prior timelines? Was this interference blocking memories too?

"Kh, u-uuugh......"

"Gasp."

The boundary allowed no time for reflection. Flesh chunks—no, corpses—from the scale dish began bursting from the ground.