Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: ACT. 8 ???(EX) (3)
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“This is a little strange.”
Watching the situation resolve itself, Jeong Ha-yeon let out a laugh.
“For all the survivors in Dongdaemun to coincidentally be players. If they weren’t, this would have been much slower.”
“…”
No one responded to Jeong Ha-yeon’s words.
Instead, the atmosphere seemed to sink strangely.
Cha Eun-ha, in particular, was biting her lip so hard you could almost hear it.
“You don’t seem to understand.”
“Pardon?”
Kim Ji-hyeon’s eyes were frighteningly hard, causing Jeong Ha-yeon to flinch and look away as she asked.
“Yang Gyu-hyeok collected taxes from the survivors within Dongdaemun. In coins. So, what do you think happened to the ordinary people who had no way of getting coins? Do you really think Yang Gyu-hyeok would have protected people who offered him no benefit, free of charge?”
“Ah… N-No way…”
Finally grasping the full story, Jeong Ha-yeon’s expression soured, and she said no more.
What became of the ordinary people driven out by Yang Gyu-hyeok?
Recalling the goblins that swarmed the area, the conclusion was obvious.
“Still, I thought I saw some children…”
“It was likely a deal where their guardians paid extra taxes on their behalf. It’s obvious.”
“…”
Jeong Ha-yeon bit her lip.
*‘This is why it was so easy to make Yang Gyu-hyeok lose his Ruler trait.’*
A tyrant is always destined to fall.
History has shown not a single exception.
“It’s my fault for not being enough. I should have done something about those bastards sooner.”
“No, Master. If you think about it, it was me who…!”
“Enough.”
Just as the master and disciple were about to display their affection for one another, Kim Ji-hyeon cut them off sharply.
“Our situation isn’t good enough to be regretting things that have already passed.”
Kim Ji-hyeon jerked her chin forward, as if telling them to look ahead.
“The river…!”
The flooding wasn’t just happening at the base.
It was happening everywhere in the area where the downpour was falling.
There was no way the river would be unaffected.
The only fortunate thing was that it was still crossable.
The bridge was slightly submerged, but it was still usable.
One misstep, however, and you could be swept away by the rapids.
But they were all players.
They should be able to handle that much themselves.
“Then let’s hurry…”
“Kyaaaaaaah!!”
The scream erupted just as Cha Eun-ha was about to move toward the bridge.
“What’s wrong!?”
“M-My child! My son is gone!”
“What?”
Trouble struck just before they were about to cross the bridge.
Did the child get separated from the group during the earlier chaos?
Or did a child’s typical distractibility and impulsive behavior cause him to wander off?
Cha Eun-ha, who had been at the front, was already nearby, her face filled with a sense of responsibility.
“I’ll…!”
“I’ll go.”
Just as Cha Eun-ha was about to step forward, I beat her to it.
Her startled eyes turned to me.
A good excuse to break away from the group and act alone had just presented itself; I couldn’t let Cha Eun-ha take it.
Besides, rescuing a child would be a good way to appeal to the angels.
I absolutely had to go.
“I’ll take responsibility for finding the child and bringing him back. So, you all go on ahead.”
“It’s dangerous alone! I know you’re strong, but this downpour doesn’t feel right…”
“It’s fine if I’m gone. But if you leave too, the group’s combat strength will suffer a huge loss. You know Jeon Do-jin-nim can’t use his powers right now. If he uses his lightning ability while everyone’s wet, we’ll all be swept away. If you’re gone too, and stronger monsters attack, the entire group will be in danger just to save one child.”
“My disciple. Young man Se-hyeon is right. It’s best to send him. His skills are proven.”
With Jeon Do-jin also chiming in, Cha Eun-ha had no choice but to nod and step back.
That’s all the justification I need.
[The ‘Angel of Benevolence’ is moved by your spirit of sacrifice.]
[You have been sponsored 500 coins.]
I turned my gaze to my original party members.
Jo Min-ah and Jo Min-woo were trying to act as if they weren’t anxious, but their worried eyes gave them away.
Right now, with their own parents’ fate unknown, I was the one supporting them.
It was obvious how anxious they would be if I disappeared too.
I gently approached Jo Min-ah.
“Oppa…?”
I placed the Seed of White Flame in Jo Min-ah’s hand.
If Jo Min-ah awakened, Jo Min-woo would naturally awaken too.
If there was a priority, it was Jo Min-ah.
“I might be late. So take this. I was going to give it to you two anyway. Don’t ever lose it. Min-woo. You protect Min-ah well.”
“…Yes, Hyung.”
Both of them lowered their heads slightly.
Perhaps having this conversation in the midst of this torrential downpour made it feel like a final farewell.
My reflection in their eyes seemed to carry a sense of tragic resolve.
This will be a catalyst.
The twins need to grow. Much more.
*Kyaaaak!*
*Uoooooh…*
Whether you could call it good timing or not.
The cries of unidentifiable monsters erupted from multiple points within the dark forest.
I didn’t miss the opportunity and shouted loudly.
“Go! From now on, don’t look back, only look forward! Until you reach City Hall!”
People began to move their feet, scrambling away.
They hurriedly ran across the bridge, struggling to get as far away from the danger as possible.
The mother who had lost her child kept looking back, but eventually, she squeezed her eyes shut and disappeared beyond the river.
It looked like she said something, but her words were lost in the sound of the rain.
*Please, I’m counting on you.*
Judging by the shape of her mouth, that’s what she must have said.
“Well then…”
[Using the skill, ‘Extreme Eye’.]
A child’s mana source is faint.
For that very reason, it’s easier to find.
The surroundings are teeming with monsters.
So all I had to do was find the one that was exceptionally small.
“Waaah! Waaaaah!! Mommyyy!!”
A young boy, looking to be about four years old, was crying pitifully.
It was a good thing the downpour muffled the sound; if not for the rain, he would have been discovered by monsters and killed long ago.
“Are you okay?”
“Hic!”
“Shh. There are lots of monsters around. If you make a loud noise, they’ll come for you.”
“…”
Understanding immediately, the boy nodded and held back his tears.
He might be young, but he was a child who had survived this chaos.
He must have at least that much sense.
I hoisted the child onto my back and surveyed the area.
As expected, that thing is nearby.
The cause of the downpour.
“Hey!!”
Just as I was planning my next move, Cha Eun-ha appeared.
Judging by how heavily she was breathing, she must have been moving with the group before her conscience got the better of her and she turned back.
I slowly raised the corner of my mouth.
I knew Cha Eun-ha would do this.
I quickly handed the child over to her.
“Perfect timing. I’m going to draw the monsters’ attention. You take the child to safety. It was hard to do that with him on my back.”
“Wh-What are you… The presences I can feel around here are no joke, and you’re going to take them all on alone? Are you insane!?”
“Who said I’m fighting them all? I’m just going to buy some time. If we leave these things be, they’ll definitely track us. That’ll make things harder.”
“Then I’ll do it! I know this area well!”
“No. Just from what I can feel, there’s a B-rank monster. It’s too dangerous for you.”
Cha Eun-ha bit her lip and clenched her fists.
Normally, her personality wouldn’t allow her to live with such a debt.
But the situation left her no choice.
Though the part about the B-rank monster was a lie.
“…Alright. But you have to come back safe. Seriously. I feel like I need to punch you once to get this out of my system.”
“Guess I’ll have to come back a little banged up, then.”
“Ugh, seriously!”
Cha Eun-ha spat out her words irritably, then hoisted the child onto her back and started back the way she came.
Only after she was out of sight did I let out a short sigh.
Finally alone.
I calmly composed my breathing and enhanced the effect of Extreme Eye.
The layout of the area and the locations of the monsters were all being mapped out.
Catching all of them would significantly affect my final score, but right now, there was something more important.
‘The Prince of Waves.’
The source of the downpour and the hidden boss of this chapter, which you could actually just skip.
Anything hidden is bound to have a good reward.
Moreover, while it would normally be incredibly tough to beat, I was currently disproportionately strong for this chapter’s setting.
There was no reason to pass this up.
I immediately moved toward the location where the monster would appear.
*Rumble…*
From within the raging torrent, something was emerging onto the land as if it were nothing.
Fishman.
Not a mermaid with a human upper body and a fish lower body, but a grotesque monster that was generally fish-like with two arms and two legs.
Its rank was D. Looking at that alone, it wasn’t that serious.
But in this situation, they were a pain to deal with.
Even more so in large numbers.
‘Their regeneration ability increases dramatically when they touch water, allowing them to heal from most serious injuries in a matter of seconds.’
Because of that, the basic strategy was to lure them out of the water to fight.
But what good was that?
Not when it was raining so hard that visibility was this low.
While their opponent grew exhausted, they would quickly recover and charge again.
In a situation like this, each individual became a top-tier D-rank monster.
“First, I have to take care of these guys for that one to appear.”
*Shing.* With a clear sound, my sword was drawn.
Was that the signal?
The dozens of Fishmen that had been in a standoff all rushed toward me at once.
[The ‘Angel of Benevolence’ clasps her hands and prays for you.]
[You have been sponsored 800 coins.]
I swung my sword.
A Fishman’s body split in two, and blue blood splattered before being instantly washed away by the rain.
*Swoosh!*
I parried a spear that pierced through the raindrops and slashed diagonally.
When multiple attacks came at once, I gathered darkness in my hand, shaped it into a blade, and swung it like a second sword, cutting down several at a time.
Even with their excellent regenerative abilities, if I killed them in a single blow, that trait was as good as non-existent.
Regeneration was just that, regeneration, not resurrection.
“They’re coming out in disgusting numbers.”
Fishmen continued to crawl out of the river.
It was enough to make me wonder where so many of them could have been hiding in this narrow river.
I cleared my head and swung my sword again.
My job was simple.
Kill everything that comes out.
[You have been sponsored 500 coins.]
[You have been sponsored 300 coins.]
[You have been sponsored 600 coins.]
*Hoo.*
In exchange for going through all this trouble, my rewards were increasing.
Perhaps the ‘Angel of Benevolence’ had spread the word, as a few more angels had started watching me, continuously sponsoring me with coins.
Not bad.
I stepped back slightly to compose myself and looked toward the river.
It should be about time for it to appear.
The moment I had that thought, the river suddenly surged, and something appeared.
It was another Fishman, but larger and entirely black.
Most importantly, it was emitting an incomparably powerful mana.
“So you’ve finally deigned to appear.”
The Prince of Waves.
A high-tier C-rank monster. A beast with combat power similar to a Death Worm.
I smiled faintly and readjusted my grip on the sword.