Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 013
Chapter Title: Shadow Worm, Cha-Ratevil (5)
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6.
“Jeong Ha-kyeong, mind giving me a lift to the boss in your taxi?”
“Our two selves taking down the boss?”
She glanced at me for a moment, then shook her head.
“I thought you were just an idiot, but turns out you’re a batshit crazy lunatic.”
It was the reaction I’d half-expected, but it still stung a bit.
She could probably make it out alive on her own. And more than that, she was someone with massive trust issues toward other people. Just as I was about to sigh,
“But you know, when you’re gambling, you gotta side with the crazy bastard to win big. If loot drops, it’s solo for us two.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong let out her signature weary sigh and stepped up beside me.
“You’ll help?”
“Either way, escaping this place has fuck-all odds of success. If it’s a gamble, better bet on the winning hand.”
“Please…… you’re both insane…… totally insane. There’s no way we can break through that…….”
As Shin Tae-yeop whimpered in protest, several shadows approached.
“Lead Hunter bro, mind if we join that crazy party of yours?”
It was five Nightmare Hunters.
Hong Byeong-gyu, from the same A Platoon, stood at the front.
“We wanna try saving the Captain somehow too.”
They must have overheard. Emotion welled up, leaving me speechless for a moment.
“You sure about this?”
“Sure, my ass. He ended up like this protecting us. How could we live with the shame of owing a kid like you?”
“With five of you together, you might make it back alive…….”
Hong Byeong-gyu snorted at my words and muttered bitterly.
“Fuck running away already. Goddamn…… we’re Hunters, aren’t we? Wanna win for once. Why do we always lose to those fuckers?”
At his words, the other four gripped their weapons with grim resolve.
“Kim Gye-sang here. Sorcerer-type Hunter.”
“I’m Cha Seung-hyeon. Archer-type. Use chakrams.”
Shin Tae-yeop’s Hunter subclass breakdown came in clutch. Even in this desperate moment, introductions wrapped up in a single line.
Next, the vanguard stepped forward.
“Y-Yoon Geon-woo. Warrior-type Hunter, use halberds.”
“I’m Seong Yu-ra. Warrior too, main weapon’s serrated gauntlets.”
Nightmare Hunters favored serrated weapons.
You couldn’t hunt Nightmare beings with standard bladed ones.
Since you couldn’t cleave them in one go, you needed blades that could saw through bone after repeated shakes.
“Bro, if we just open a path somehow, we got a shot, right?”
Hong Byeong-gyu, armed with a serrated axe, stepped forward as the group’s rep. I hesitated, then dropped my gaze.
“I said that, but I can’t guarantee we’ve got a shot—”
“—It’s already a done deal anyway. We just wanna get in on the gamble, so don’t sweat it.”
The other four nodded.
I shot Jeong Ha-kyeong a look. See? There are still decent people in this world.
“Hmph.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong impassively raised both palms.
“Max 10 seconds. Hold out that long or whatever. After that, go inside or die outside—up to you.”
The five Hunters burst into hysterical laughter.
“That’s simple enough. Two seconds per man oughta do it.”
The next instant, they roared and charged out of the flame wall, into the curtain of human wheels.
10 seconds.
Jeong Ha-kyeong scooped me up in a flash.
Princess carry, they call it, but now’s not the time to care.
7 seconds.
Jeong Ha-kyeong’s eyes carefully scanned the battlefield.
Seemed like she was mapping the path.
How reassuring is this? The moment I thought that, Jeong Ha-kyeong sighed.
“Fuck my life, why’d I say yes? Must’ve lost my mind for a sec.”
1 second.
The path…… opened.
Jeong Ha-kyeong crouched low.
“Ha-kyeong.”
“Fuck it. Do it. Let’s do it. Just smack away anything flying at us. I fucking hate bugs.”
Instantly, intense acceleration surged through my body. At the same time, the surrounding light blurred like spreading paint.
The scenery whipped by in a flash.
Flame wall. Hunters. And into the darkness. We were super-speeding straight to the boss.
“Heeheeheehellohellohellooo hahaha!”
“Foofooound yooouu heehee.”
Human wheels came at us endlessly, and I swung the Dawn Sword nonstop.
Doing my best, but Jeong Ha-kyeong kept taking big and small hits.
Just a bit more.
Just a bit further and we’d break out. Finally…… a pitch-black silhouette came into view ahead in the passage.
That’s when the human wheels’ group action sent chills down my spine. Hundreds slamming together to build a wall.
……You bastards, no way.
To keep us from the boss?
Shockingly, the wall piled up at a speed that matched Super Acceleration. Already a meter high.
At this rate, we’d be too late.
I said urgently.
“Can you make it back on your own?”
“Uses left, two, so one remains…….”
Jeong Ha-kyeong was quick on the uptake and made realistic calls.
No time-wasting questions. No room to dawdle.
The next instant, I shot into the air. Jeong Ha-kyeong had launched me.
Hunter strength plus Super Acceleration’s inertia on sudden stop.
To exaggerate, I became a human jet for a moment.
The human wheel wall had piled up to eye level already. But,
“We” were one step faster.
──Tshaaaaang!
I tore through the air with the Dawn Sword.
Agonized death cries rang out. Beyond the spraying blood and flesh, the black silhouette came into clear view.
It was pitch-black all over, like living shadow.
Body and wings like a mantis.
Even scythe-like forelegs.
Disgust hit hard.
Hind legs like human limbs…… and that face…… I lack the courage to describe.
「……HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI…….」
It glared at me with countless bug eyes (precisely, human pupils densely embedded like bugs).
In that instant, I knew for sure: this was the boss.
=====
[Shadow Worm, Cha-Ratevil]
[■■■■■, ■■■■■, ■■■■□]
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Above its head.
Name and health bar floating there.
Must’ve taken a hit from Shin Tae-yeop’s flames—HP down one bar.
Here I go.
I spun in midair like a top.
“Haaaaaaaah!”
Dawn Sword traced a golden arc through the air. It clashed straight with the scythe foreleg, scattering sparks.
Hunt begins.
I have to take this thing down.
Only then can I save everyone here.
Tshaaaaang!
Clear metallic ring.
And blade burning blood-red.
「HIAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHAAA!」
Cha-Ratevil staggered back with a scream.
I didn’t miss the opening, spinning full circle in the air to land behind it.
Right here.
Perfect spot to fight.
Behind me, Shin Tae-yeop’s flames rose like a wall.
Lighting secured, no worries of shadows or human wheels at my back.
Caught my breath for a sec.
Just facing it crushed my body with overwhelming presence. Joints creaking all over.
Before I could fully steady, combat kicked off.
「HIHAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
Cha-Ratevil’s charge was insane.
Blink, and it was on me, scythe swinging for my neck.
──Chaaaang!
Razoredge close call.
If I hadn’t thrust up the Dawn Sword in that instant, I’d be dead.
Clangclangclangclangclang!
Storm of follow-up attacks right after.
Parry, roll dodge, retreat, advance.
Started with sparks flying in dozens of clashes, but soon I was the one giving ground.
This thing…… insane.
Each blow threatened to shatter my wrist bones. Power and speed no joke—zero openings for counter.
But.
Considering its Abyss attribute.
And large-class build.
I’d prepped a few trump cards.
Holy Flame Succession’s battle memories advised:
- Flow the offense to create an opening.
Scythe came at me again.
As it aimed to clash with Dawn Sword, I twisted my blade to deflect it sideways.
Shaaaak!
Scythe grazed perilously past my shoulder.
Sharp whoosh. Spine-tingling result.
Blade scar cratered deep into the platform floor. It laughed like it was showing off.
「……HIHIHIHIHEEEEEE…….」
But as planned.
Its foreleg was stuck in the floor, couldn’t pull free.
This brief gap.
I charged straight at its massive bulk; it countered with the opposite foreleg.
Parry? No.
Push right through.
Kagagagak!
Dawn Sword and scythe screamed friction, sparks flying.
Luminance attribute counters Abyss.
As expected, the grazed spot glowed red-hot. Cha-Ratevil shrieked in agony.
Now, just like this.
Chance for a finisher.
Kicked off the ground, leaped.
Gripped sword two-handed. Straight, straight, blade tip about to pierce its torso──
──Huh?
Where’d it go?
Bewildered, then the light dimmed. Not the lighting—at first glance.
A massive presence had blocked between me and the flame wall, casting shadow.
……Shit.
Instinct screamed what happened, but too late.
Its scythe was already slicing into my side.
Shaaak, sound of armor and flesh parting.
Chaeng, metal clash.
Death-throe pain flooded me, Dawn Sword flew up, I soared through the air.
How?
Rolled on the ground multiple times, spat blocked blood, then it clicked.
This bastard……
Hid in the shadows. Like in the torch shadow earlier.
Popped back up the moment I passed, smashed my back.
“Ha…… ha…… kuh…….”
Vision blurring.
Blood pouring nonstop from the deep side gash.
If battle memories hadn’t auto-parried the scythe with Dawn Sword for that instant, I’d be dead already……
One silver lining: human wheels holding back, wary of the boss maybe.
「……HIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…….」
Cha-Ratevil wailed like a woman climaxing. Then slowly, straight toward me.
Dawn Sword.
Where’s the Dawn Sword?
It was planted between Cha-Ratevil and me.
I crawled to the Dawn Sword.
Somehow gripped the hilt, used it like a cane to force my wrecked body upright.
──Kaaang!
Fierce blow came, flung me airborne again. Repeated three, four times.
Each time, I crawled back to Dawn Sword.
Head spinning.
Sensation chilling away from my body.
Gripped the hilt, raised my dying body again.
Thought it too easy?
No, knew from the start odds were nil. So why keep standing?
「Ssssshsss…….」
Cha-Ratevil, toying with me, made a weird noise.
「How…… such Ssssshh…… reckless folly…….」
Like hissing insect, but meaning clear. Transcendent power too?
「Insolent thing…… daring to face who…… Ssshhss…… with assured victory?」
I thrust the blade tip forward.
Opened my blood-smeared mouth.
Probably not for it, but answer to my own question.
“I’m not fighting…… because I think I can win…….”
Blade tip trembled like my voice.
Wrist bones shot, hard just to hold. Yet I didn’t let go.
“I’m fighting…… because I have to fight you here and now…….”
By not letting go, I wanted to say.
“Only by toppling you…… can I save everyone.”
You can destroy humans’ ‘bodies,’ but.
“……So come at me already, you goddamn bastard.”
You can’t break humans’ ‘convictions.’
「HIHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
Cha-Ratevil laughed madly.
And raised its eerie blue scythe high.
「That is called folly…… Ssshsss…… you dullard…….」
Shiiiiiik!
I……
I, Kim Baek-jun…… will never bend.
Stared it down. Tried to move somehow in that instant.
[《Holy Flame Succession》: Humanity stat (450) increased.]
- Humanity: 228 -> 678
Dazzling strings of light unfolded before my eyes.
[《Holy Flame Succession》: Succession progress improved (5% -> 10%)]
- Battle memory sync. (5% -> 10%)
- Physical ability sync. (5% -> 10%)
- Unique skill acquired: 《First Liberation: Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》.
[Unique skill, 《First Liberation: Dawnlight Yeomyeong Sword》 activated!]
The Dawn Sword blazed brighter than ever.