Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Trend
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"Hoo... Hoo..."
Ragged breaths echoed through the cave.
Kim Cheolsu's Desert Eagle slide was locked back.
"Damn it..."
Ammo depleted.
Catherine's MK23 was in the same state.
At their feet lay the corpses of over a dozen merfolk, but right before their eyes, the 'Merman Warrior' still glared with murderous intent.
Their mistake had been assuming it was alone.
The Merman Warrior had been moving with five regular merfolk.
They'd taken out all the regulars, but the biggest headache remained.
It dragged a massive anchor toward them.
Drag—
Ku-guk—
The scraping sound against the floor rang out eerily, like a scene from a horror movie.
Kim Cheolsu bit his lip and drew his spare combat knife.
"Close quarters... The size difference makes this unfair."
Against a human, he was confident.
But this thing was a monster that shrugged off anti-monster rounds.
A tiny knife like this wouldn't even scratch it.
Still, Kim Cheolsu's fighting spirit didn't waver.
'The eyes. If I can just get its eyes, we can survive.'
Even in crisis, Kim Cheolsu never stopped searching for an escape.
"Looks like... we won't be getting a peaceful night's rest tonight?"
He picked up the suit jacket he'd shed earlier and wrapped it around his arm.
It was bulletproof-coated. Better than nothing.
"Yeah. I'll give your first date a 50."
Kim Cheolsu chuckled.
"Harsh score."
"It's for your valiant effort."
"Next time, I'll take you somewhere more impressive."
In this life-or-death moment, the fire in their eyes hadn't dimmed.
'We'll survive no matter what.'
"Krwargh!"
The Merman Warrior charged, swinging its anchor.
Kwang—!
Kim Cheolsu leaped aside. The anchor smashed the floor, sending stone shards flying.
"Kuh!"
Even the flying debris was dangerous.
He rolled and snatched up a merfolk spear from the ground.
Crude, but better than bare hands.
"Hah!!"
As Kim Cheolsu hurled the spear to draw its attention.
Catherine darted low, slipping between the warrior's legs.
Kang—!
Her dagger slashed its thigh but bounced off the steel-like scales.
"Tch!!"
The two fought desperately. But stamina and weapons were at their limit.
The shadow of death loomed ever closer.
Kwaaaaang—!
A storm of holy light swept through the narrow passage.
"Get out of the way!!"
Every swing of Eileen's Sword of the Goddess sent monsters flying like leaves in the wind.
The light pouring from the blade was evaporating the monsters in the darkness.
Yoo Jihyun was no slouch either, hurling Gale Rolls to devastate the path ahead.
But even the strongest hunters tire from nonstop sprinting and spamming skills.
The gate interior was far deeper and more complex than expected.
"Damn maze type! If Woojin oppa hadn't warned us, we'd be in deep shit."
Difficulty was low, but the terrain was the problem.
At this rate, who knew when they'd reach the secretaries.
Stamina management was key.
No issues yet, but in unknown depths, caution was needed.
This was a rescue, not a clear—more points to watch.
Then, Woojin, strolling casually from behind, pulled something from his pocket.
"Stamina? Drink this."
What Woojin tossed were ordinary pharmacy-brand energy drink bottles.
Tak—
Tak—
The two women caught them.
"What's this? Energy drink?"
"Yeah, +5 enhanced. Drink up. Gotta save the secretaries quick."
"...+5?"
Puzzled but compliant, they uncapped the bottles.
Gulp—
That instant.
Woooooong—!
Eileen and Yoo Jihyun's eyes widened in shock.
Just one sip.
Explosive vitality surged through their bodies.
The effect of 'Vitality Charge Lv. 6'.
"Th-this...!?"
Yoo Jihyun gasped.
"No way... Better than a pro buffer's buff! My body's light as a feather!"
Eileen clenched and unclenched her fist, shuddering.
Power overflowed uncontrollably.
"Insane... An effect like this from a pharmacy drink?"
Woojin shrugged.
"What're you waiting for? The secretaries are teetering on death's door. Run!"
Eileen burst into mad laughter, raising her sword again.
"Hahaha! You really are... Fine! Full throttle breakthrough! Keep up at full power!"
Kwaang—!
Eileen accelerated once more. No signs of stopping this time.
No one said it, but they shared the same desperation.
'Please, let us not be too late...'
Slip—
Catherine's agile form faltered.
Moving fast in the moisture-laden cave, she'd slipped.
Despair bloomed in her eyes.
'Damn!'
"Kraaa!"
The Merman Warrior slammed its massive anchor down at Catherine.
A simple brute-force strike, but lethal to a fragile human body.
"Catherine!!"
Kim Cheolsu threw himself, shoving her aside.
Chwak—!
The attack grazed his left back, blood spraying.
"Kuhk!"
A mere graze, yet mortal. His left arm wouldn't rise.
But Catherine was safe, thankfully.
"Cheolsu! Damn it!"
The Merman Warrior cornered them, spinning its anchor to tighten the noose.
Fatal wound, stamina drained. No retreat left.
Kim Cheolsu staggered up, shielding Catherine.
"While I hold it, run back the way we came. Hide there—you can last another hour or two."
"What are you saying?! You can't handle it alone! We'll fight together!"
Catherine grabbed his hem, but he didn't turn.
"This way, we both die. You're smart. Isn't our job to make better outcomes?"
"How can you say that now—!"
Kim Cheolsu continued calmly.
"I'm done already. Left arm's useless. No need for meaningless double death. And..."
Blood-smeared face grinning.
"A man's pride won't let him hide behind a woman he likes."
"...!"
His back was broad, voice firm.
He blocked the monster without hesitation.
"Come on! You monster bastards!! I'll take you!!"
The Merman Warrior mockingly raised its anchor high.
"Krrrorororo."
'This wound won't last long anyway.'
Kim Cheolsu steeled for death.
'When I go, I'll take your other eye, you freak!'
Resolved to die fighting.
He and Catherine had already claimed one eye.
One more, and she'd escape.
The anchor cleaved air toward him again.
'One chance! Dodge and close in!'
But then.
"Get out of the waaay!!"
'!!!?'
Thunderous voice—Kim Cheolsu recoiled fast.
And,
Flash—!
Blue lightning cleaved the dark, illuminating the cave white.
Tukwaaang—!
Pung—!
The Merman Warrior's upper body vaporized without trace.
In its place, Yoo Jihyun's Gale Roll impaled the spot.
Kim Cheolsu and Catherine's gazes snapped to the spear's origin.
There stood,
Eileen with her Sword of the Goddess, urgent expression; Yoo Jihyun mid-throw, blue mana cloaked; and Kim Woojin casually sucking on an energy drink bottle.
Eileen's face lit up, shouting at Yoo Jihyun.
"Well done! Yoo Jihyun!"
Yoo Jihyun wiped cold sweat, nodding.
"Whew, that was close."
Kim Cheolsu finally relaxed, legs giving out as he collapsed.
"Ha, haha..."
Woojin rushed to the slumped Kim Cheolsu first.
The wound looked severe.
"Bro, you nuts? A regular guy charging a C-rank monster with just a knife?"
Woojin's words drew a grin from Kim Cheolsu.
"Seemed doable?"
Not with wounds that could've killed him on the spot.
Woojin set his backpack down beside him and rummaged.
First, painkillers—standard red-packaged pharmacy ones.
"Take this."
Kim Cheolsu's eyes were drooping.
No quick first aid, and he might not make it.
Pharmacy painkillers for a flu in this mess? Absurd, but he trusted Woojin.
"If Kim Woojin's giving it... something magical'll happen, right?"
Woojin nodded.
"Yes. Trust and swallow."
Kim Cheolsu barely downed it.
Then, miracle.
Body-wide agony vanished instantly.
"Th-this?"
"Ugh, damn. Look at this blood. You got hit bad. Disinfect first."
The anchor graze spot.
Rusty, filthy weapon—tetanus or infection risk.
Woojin tore off the blood-soaked shirt clinging to him.
Normally agonizing, but painkillers made it fine.
Woojin doused it with disinfectant.
Kim Cheolsu's face eased further.
"Amazing. Much better now."
Then, trauma ointment spread on the wounds.
They wriggled, bleeding stopped, scabs forming.
Kim Cheolsu gaped.
"This... make sense?"
"More than a regular knifing a C-rank."
Finally, wrapped in bandages.
Confirming Kim Cheolsu stable, Woojin grinned mischievously.
"All done. You'll last to 100 easy. We didn't interrupt a mood, right?"
He chuckled raggedly.
"If you knew, you'd have given us space. Catherine was one step from falling for me."
Joking meant he was okay.
"Aigoo bro, that caveman crap from the '80s won't cut it?"
"Pardon?"
"Look at Catherine noona's face."
Kim Cheolsu puzzled, turned.
Catherine stood there.
Tears brimming, biting her lip raw, glaring fiercely.
"...Cat, Catherine?"
"You jerk...!"
Kim Cheolsu panicked hard.
"Y-yes!?"
Her voice trembled.
"Die for me? Ever think how I'd feel left behind!?"
A gem-like tear dropped at her feet.
Always death-ready by profession, but such sacrifice? Unfamiliar.
She was the sacrificer, not the receiver.
Kim Cheolsu floundered.
"N-no... I just..."
"Do that shit once more, and we're done for real."
"Wait... give me a chance to..."
"Got it! Whatever!"
Catherine yelled; Kim Cheolsu startled.
"Y-yes! Got it!"
With that, she turned coldly away.
Kim Cheolsu swallowed words rising to his throat.
'Wait... we haven't even started... and it's over...?'
Woojin patted his shoulder.
"See? Trend these days is surviving, even if it's messy."
Kim Cheolsu scratched sheepishly.
"Ha, nothing's easy... Trend's too hard for me."
Eileen and Yoo Jihyun watched with odd expressions.
"Hmph, openly dating now."
Catherine flushed at Eileen's mutter.
Yoo Jihyun eyed them enviously.
"Kinda jealous..."
Woojin smirked at the pair.
"Not over yet. Boss to clear. Not going home?"
Eileen and Yoo Jihyun gripped weapons.
"Hope the boss is still fresh."
"Haven't eaten half yet."
Kim Cheolsu quipped coolly.
"Ask for seconds; you'll get a fresh one."
"Oh? Plenty of time to vent then."
Wicked smiles curled on the world's top hunters' lips.