Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: The Girl Ultimately Despairs, Great Library Investigation Operation (6)
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10.
"Nickname?"
Do Ye-jin asked.
"Why do I need a nickname?"
"It adds flair, that's why."
Cha Seung-hyeon replied with a pathetic look.
"All famous hunters have nicknames. Choi Uk is Crow Hunter. The Lead Hunter is Lead Hunter. Im Yong-gon bro is Taesan."
It was the eve of departure.
After finishing her interview with Do Su-jin and returning, the entire squad was waiting for Do Ye-jin in the cafeteria.
"Hmph, so what grand nickname do you have?"
"For this body of mine, it's 'Sunset Robin Hood of Seodaemun-gu Who Summons Typhoons.'"
"?"
"Surprisingly, it's no joke."
Do Ye-jin tilted her head for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"You call that flair? Flair's gonna cry."
"But it's funny, right? Geon-woo hyung is 'Warrior of the Massive Spear Who Summons Typhoons.'"
Yoon Geon-woo shrugged uncomfortably, and Hong Byeong-gyu guffawed.
"My nickname is 'Glorious Hel-Joseon Barbarian Who Summons Typhoons.'"
"Why is everyone summoning typhoons?"
"It's themed, duh. That's why our squad's nickname is Typhoon Fam."
Fam...
It was obvious who came up with that dad-joke naming sense. Shin Tae-yeop spoke up.
"So we're giving you a nickname too. For reference, mine is 'Supreme Flame Man Shin Tae-yeop Who Summons Typhoons,' so remember it."
Shin Tae-yeop's was the best.
"This is insane. Why are all the nicknames so ridiculous?"
But the reason wasn't funny.
"We want people to laugh when they hear our nicknames. The world's already short on laughs, right?"
Shin Tae-yeop's insight always amazed her. He showed such mature sides that it was hard to believe he was the same age.
"Alright, with that said, let's open the Do Ye-jin Nickname Contest now."
For some reason, Do Ye-jin felt embarrassed. She wasn't a kid anymore—what was this about nicknames...
"I can just be Subordinate Weapon..."
Then Shin Tae-yeop sighed and straightened up, staring straight into Do Ye-jin's eyes.
"Ye-jin."
"...?"
"You're Do Ye-jin, a member of the 1st Hunting Squad. Not a subordinate weapon. Got it?"
Ah...
Do Ye-jin bowed her head in that instant. Her heart ached.
"Hmm... let's decide on a theme first."
"<Subordinatization> is her unique skill, so transformation as a theme?"
"And she's a middle school girl too."
At Cha Seung-hyeon's words, Shin Tae-yeop snapped his fingers.
"Transformation and middle school girl? Only one thing fits. Magical girl!"
Do Ye-jin waved her hands in refusal, but Cha Seung-hyeon burst out laughing, saying it was perfect.
"'Legendary Magical Girl Who Summons Typhoons'? 'Supreme Strongest Magical Girl'? 'Alabong Magical Girl'? Pick your favorite."
"No way! I'd die before that!"
"You gotta, even if you hate it~ No choice for you~"
"'Typhoon-Summoning Middle School Magical Girl' sounds good."
The one who said it in a serious tone was Hong Byeong-gyu. Because of that, everyone shut up and looked at him.
"Magical girls have special powers but fight villains for the world. It fits Ye-jin perfectly. Pure, always smiling, strong too—just like the protagonist from old magical girl comics."
"Me?"
"Ye-jin?"
"That idiot me?"
The questions poured out simultaneously.
Hong Byeong-gyu nodded with a hearty laugh.
"If there's someone who'll end this nightmare alongside the Lead Hunter bro, it'll probably be Ye-jin, not us."
"Ye-jin."
It was then.
Do Su-jin, whom she'd thought had left, had returned.
"Open your eyes already and come out."
Her sister stood at the doorway.
The amazing thing was that the other four seemed completely unaware of her presence.
"Why? Not now."
"Why?"
"I'm getting my nickname. I'll come out after this."
"No. Come out now."
Do Su-jin said firmly.
It was the first time her sister had been so resolute.
"Hmm... she's not wrong."
Yoon Geon-woo spoke up then.
"W-we know best. We're just decoys in this hunt."
Do Ye-jin turned to him and said.
"Decoys? No way! You're several times stronger than me, oppa."
"Ye-jin. No time for this."
Do Su-jin urged her, and Yoon Geon-woo crossed his arms with a grin.
"Even decoys have pride. We gotta be premium side characters at least, right?"
"Exactly!"
Cha Seung-hyeon chimed in, and Hong Byeong-gyu patted Do Ye-jin's shoulder with a guffaw.
"Don't worry about tomorrow's op. We'll protect you with everything we've got."
"So you can cry and reunite with Do Su-jin noona again."
"What? You were eavesdropping? Cha Seung-hyeon, you bastard?"
"You? You? Hey, asshole. I started hunter life at eighteen. Eighteen! Fresh out of middle school, skipped high school entrance, bombed those pointless mock exams like they were nothing."
It was fun.
So much fun, she didn't want to leave.
It felt like if she followed her sister out now, all this would vanish.
"Sixteen-year-old you couldn't even dream of achievements like that."
"So?"
"So use honorifics. Oh right. Does your sister have a boyfriend?"
"Why'd the question jump there?"
Shin Tae-yeop rested his chin on his interlaced hands with a serious face.
"That's a very important question. Answer properly, Recruit Do Ye-jin."
"Ye-jin."
Do Su-jin spoke again then.
"If you stay there, it'll all just be a dream. But... remember what Dad said?"
A dream you dream alone is just a dream, but a dream dreamed together becomes reality.
"Are you going to keep those lost things... as mere illusions in a dream?"
Tears mixed into her sister's smile.
"Ye-jin... let's go meet Dad together... We promised, right? To get everything back."
Her head rang in that moment.
And her left wrist burned painfully.
It was the watch her father had given her.
Right...
We were going to meet Dad.
And... and... the 1st Hunting Squad... was wiped out.
Everything was already lost.
The only way to get it back... was to face reality and fight to win.
Craaaaaack...
A crack appeared in the visible world. The next instant, cracks spread like spiderwebs, and the world shattered.
On Cha Seung-hyeon's face too.
On Hong Byeong-gyu and Yoon Geon-woo's bodies too.
The daydream collapsed hollowly.
And the nightmare called reality unfolded before her eyes again.
11.
10 seconds.
The situation was bad.
The library shaking from the bombardment.
Support fire from Choi Uk and Jeong Ha-kyeong leading the fever weapon hunters.
A barrage of bullets and shells poured down, but Yujurem remained absurdly intact.
This was the problem with fever weapons.
They allowed relatively safe engagements compared to cold arms, but couldn't finish off subordinates.
「UHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
7 seconds.
Yujurem let out a hideous laugh and spat poison needles toward the hunters.
"Dodge!"
The moment the poison needles touched.
The ground turned to sand and began crumbling powerlessly.
"Sh-shit, what the hell is this!"
"Uwaaaaaaaaah!"
"Grab me! Somebody grab me!"
Not yet? Still not?
As the support fire cut off, Yujurem began charging across the white sand beach.
Do Ye-jin didn't move.
Now... I... have to step up.
Her hand gripping the hilt trembled as she watched the overwhelming giant close in second by second.
- The most important thing in battle is the blueprint.
A combat lesson flashed in her mind.
She imagined a way to halt Yujurem's advance and put it into action.
5 seconds.
How on earth?
Yujurem read her move effortlessly. It just twisted its shoulder slightly where she'd aimed to land with her footwork.
...No way?
She floated in the air for a moment.
Dangerous...!
Every hair on her body stood on end. Completely exposed.
"...Guhk!"
Alone... no chance of winning.
The thought flooded her mind the instant Yujurem's ferocious body slam hit her dead-on.
She instantly deployed Sacred Dawn Sword.
It absorbed most of the damage, but even so, a body-shattering shock slammed through her.
No time to feel the pain.
The ground was a true sand quagmire.
Sink in and you're dead. She urgently deployed footwork and landed back on Ari Shel'rap's shoulder.
Damn it. Even buying time is this hard...
She coughed, a clump of blood pouring from her lungs. She barely held onto her fading consciousness.
Got cocky, huh.
Because of that overwhelming victory in the Buam-dong subjugation last time.
The opponent was a subordinate.
One as mighty as Cha-Ratevil and Ari Shel'rap.
1 second.
Yujurem charged again.
No other way...
It was insanely dangerous, but she'd have to fight atop Yujurem again.
Go, Kim Baek-jun.
The moment she tried to use footwork in grim resolve.
「PHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAA!」
Ari Shel'rap moved.
It thrust out its arms, grabbing Yujurem's repulsive horned jaw. Then slammed a powerful headbutt with its massive dragon head.
「UHAAAAAAAAA──────?」
Stunned?
The horrific laughter stopped in that instant. Could Do Ye-jin really harness a subordinate's power?!
"Now!"
Do Su-jin's shout rang out then.
She didn't answer with words. She answered with her sword.
Target in sight.
Crimson threads bloomed from the Dawn Sword's fissures, merging to forge the scarlet blade anew.
Twist the waist.
Pull the sword to the waist.
Pour every bit of humanity she could muster into the thrusting blade tip.
The target was firmly pinned.
No need to read movements, no need to stab in haste.
Just like that time.
In Twilight Paradise, splitting that house-sized boulder.
Brightly. Brighter. Even brighter.
Brighter, like the dawn of the old world.
As the dawn blade began blazing blindingly.
"Pierce!"
She stepped forward and thrust the blade tip into Yujurem's forehead.
"Sacred!"
Dawn Sword was the catalyst for humanity manifestation.
The overwhelming thermal humanity concentrated burst forth with a clear ring.
──Chararararararang!
Dazzling scarlet sword aura whirling.
"Again!"
Twist the waist again.
Pull the sword again.
Release humanity once more as a ferocious beam storm.
「KUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
Yujurem thrashed wildly. But Ari Shel'rap didn't let go.
So reliable.
"This ends it!"
Once more. Twist the waist.
Once more. Pull the sword.
Gather the last of her humanity, illuminating the blade with dawn.
"With sacred light!"
Crimson lotus storm.
The storm consumed Yujurem's body.
──Chaaaaaaaang!
It burned the corpses of the laughing, sobbing, muttering dead white, pressing onward.
「あ…… you…… it's you……」
The instant she roared.
Yujurem glared at the Dawn Sword and spat hatred-laced words.
「Because of 'that deed' you committed…… He…… the throne……」
It tried to lunge with limbs simultaneously, but... futile struggle.
「So I…… I will return underground again……………… UHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
Those limbs burned away on touching the vortex. She didn't hear its death cry.
What she focused on... were the words of the people bound to Yujurem's body.
She saw it.
As they burned in the dawn, serene smiles formed on their faces twisted in horrific screams.
And she heard this.
"Ahh..."
"Tha... thank you."
"The light... I see the light... now the light..."
Before these victims sacrificed to meaningless whimsy, she bit her lip in devastation.
"I'm sorry..."
As the frenzy of destruction ended.
The great library regained the silence of old. As dawn's heat faded, chill rushed over her body.
About 10, 20 seconds passed.
Shaking off the gloom, she looked up to see victory celebration system alerts floating before her.
[Hunt Success: Exalted Subordinate, 'Nightmare Weaver, Yujurem']
[Legendary Achievement Unlocked: Slayer of the Fourth Subordinate (6 / 30)]
[The stars pay homage to the hunter who slew the fourth subordinate!]
- All physical ability stats receive (+3) bonus.
No joyous laugh came.
The single emotion eroding her mind then: utter emptiness.
And later.
When she heard the op results from Choi Uk, that emptiness amplified further.
24 dead.
15 missing.
The Great Library Investigation Operation left such惨 results, yet was later evaluated as the turning point for the Jongno-gu reclamation battle.
[Alert: 'Sajik-dong' is incorporated into 'New Seodaemun-gu.']
[Alert: 'Purification Operation' begins in region 'Sajik-dong.']
But the worst tragedy was separate. She learned of it after returning to HQ.
[Nightmare Weaver, Yujurem]
[■■■■■, ■□□□□, □□□□□]
[Nightmare Weaver, Yujurem]
[■□□□□, □□□□□, □□□□□]
[Population Limit]
Paradise Name: New Seodaemun-gu
- Region 'Muak-dong' incorporated. (+500)
- Region 'Gyonam-dong' incorporated. (+500)
- Region 'Buam-dong' incorporated. (+500)
- Region 'Sajik-dong' incorporated. (+500)
Current / Limit
- [Paradise Main District]: 3,000 / 3,000
- [Paradise Subdistrict - 1]: 500 / 500
- [Paradise Subdistrict - 2]: 500 / 500
- [Paradise Subdistrict - 3]: 500 / 500
- [Paradise Subdistrict - 4]: 0 / 500