I Mean It, Completely.

Nature had once been nothing more than a C-rank or D-rank group at best.

But after Sujin and Yeonhwa pushed past their limits, they no longer looked like the same people they once were.

< div style="text-align:center;border:3px solid #fbbf24;padding:25px;box-shadow:0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.6),inset 0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.1);background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1a0f00 0%,#000 50%,#1a0f00 100%);border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:20px;">

< div style="text-align:center;border:3px solid #fbbf24;padding:25px;box-shadow:0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.6),inset 0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.1);background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1a0f00 0%,#000 50%,#1a0f00 100%);border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:20px;">

< div style="text-align:center;border:3px solid #fbbf24;padding:25px;box-shadow:0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.6),inset 0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.1);background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1a0f00 0%,#000 50%,#1a0f00 100%);border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:20px;">

" Kuuuung....!! "

" Kruuuh──! This damn oversized bastard! "

I was still being pushed back on the power front.

Yet Yeonhwa was no longer just using the fire she wrapped around her sword. She began reinforcing her body itself with it. The performance had stepped up a full tier beyond simply wrapping mana around the blade.

The opponent I once could barely face, I could now stand against.

" Taaaaang!!! "

" Hit.... right? "

As for Sujin, the power of Samdasu, her Intermediate Spirit after awakening, had compressed into an even denser water bullet. The attack power had doubled from before.

< div style="text-align:center;border:3px solid #fbbf24;padding:25px;box-shadow:0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.6),inset 0 0 25px rgba(251,191,36,0.1);background:linear-gradient(135deg,#1a0f00 0%,#000 50%,#1a0f00 100%);border-radius:8px;margin-bottom:20px;">

" ....? "

" Hieeeeeeeeng! Not even a scratch on meee!!! "

A mere Intermediate Spirit's power was nothing against this opponent. It was a hardcore Runeo, not a simple awakening event!

" Taang! Taang! Taaaaang!! "

The King Turtle didn't just take hits—it didn't even seem to feel them. It was almost ticklish.

Unlike Yeonhwa, who had barely managed to hold her own after crossing her limit, Sujin's attacks were useless.

" Jackal (Jokjeong).... even after awakening, you're still just a Jackal....! "

A first-star species awakening still loses to a natural third-star!

" Assafinda hikikomori Nam Sujin awakening and still gets one scratch on the boss?! "

" Poorgam! Reality is really poorgam after all! "

Sujin let out a wailing scream as I grabbed her.

Actually, this was the normal one. Yeonhwa was the abnormal.

Originally, Yeonhwa had become an awakener-spirit contractor while exploring dungeons as an ordinary awakener. Her starting point was completely different from that of a pure civilian who suddenly became one.

" Huu.... haaaaa.... "

This was why it happened.

It was obvious, of course, but....

" ....It's fine. I knew from the start that reality was poorgam. "

Nam Sujin's life was a living icon of defeat.

Defeat and failure had always been right beside her, so they were no longer even despair—they were just everyday life.

That's why she didn't step back. She didn't fall.

An entire lifetime of failures made her all the more unyielding.

" But.... ignoring me completely like this is too much! "

Her voice sounded urgent, but Sujin wasn't rushing. She was waiting for the perfect moment.

All she wanted was that one instant.

" Oh.... oooooong!! "

The King Turtle moved, opening its mouth just as I slammed my fist into its throat.

" ──Now! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"

Keyboard Warrior.

The domain I had finally reached as an Assafinda hikikomori gamer.

" Taaaaaaaang!!! "

" ──Oooooook??! "

" Dasu ya! "

I grew sensitive to weaknesses.

Extremely wary of anything that would upset my opponent.

Since I had nothing left, I couldn't hesitate.

" Rip it apart! "

[ Beeeeeiiiiit!!! ]

The prerequisite for a weakling beating a strongling.

Unnecessary cruelty. Beyond-imaginable brutality.

And most of all, the ability to actually carry it out and never let go.

" Gagagagagagagag!!!! "

" Kuooooooong?! "

" Yes....!! "

The moment my mouth opened, the bullet flew straight for its throat.

The instant it touched, the compressed power released, and the water blade savagely gnawed at the King Turtle's throat.

Even an S-rank monster has soft innards.

And when its guard is down, it becomes even more vulnerable.

" Ook.... oooooook....?! "

It took an almost imperceptible hit.

The water dripping from its mouth turned from transparent to red.

It coughed up blood. It screamed in pain.

" Does it hurt? Are you in pain?.... Hhh... hhhihh....! Hhihihh! "

The moment a strongling shows weakness to a weakling.

The weakling throws off the weakling's mask forever.

And

" Sujin! Nose! Block its nose! "

" Ne? You want to suffocate it? "

" That's besides the point, but──hurry! "

The weakling of the situation wasn't just Sujin.

'Why only me...'

If ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it had been Sujin and Yeonhwa who had crossed their limits, I might not have felt so guilty.

Harin, however, empathized with the electric mouse's heart that still hadn't evolved in real time.

Yet no matter how unjust it felt, I had to do what I could.

" Uooooong....? "

" "Aren't you acting like nothing happened? "

I blocked its nose with water, cutting off air flow.

It couldn't open its mouth anymore. I remembered what happened the last time I tried.

But I couldn't just stand by and let it suffocate. It lived in water.

Closing a breathing hole in water wouldn't help it.

" Sujin. Keep going. Please? "

" Ne....? "

Sujin looked at me with that ironic smile.

I summoned electricity again and fired the probe straight into the King Turtle's nostril.

" Hug... ♬ "

" "Unnie? "

The probe sank deep into the sealed breathing hole.

But the sealed hole blocked my attack as well, and that was exactly the situation I had wanted.

" Pajijijijik! "

" ....Uooooong?? "

" Water is made of oxygen and hydrogen. "

Knowledge forged from Suneung special lectures.

I split the water with electricity and filled the King Turtle's body with oxygen and hydrogen in an instant.

" Yeonhwa unnie! Do it like before! "

" Okay! Huuuuuuue──! "

Yeonhwa's attack.

The flame-wrapped tip aimed again for the King Turtle's nose.

" .... "

The King Turtle didn't dodge.

It had felt the burn once before and didn't hurt anymore.

It judged that deflecting it like last time would be enough and took the hit head-on.

" Duuuung...! "

" ....Oong? "

The sword struck the nose.

At the same time, flames—fire—dove into the nostril.

An explosive series of sparks spread geometrically.

In the span of a heartbeat, the fire filled its body.

" Twuaaaaaang!!! "

" ────!!! "

" It did it....! "

The King Turtle's breathing organs exploded all the way to its lungs.

It staggered, unable to withstand the shock as flames erupted from its mouth.

" Move! "

" ───! "

Sunwoo's shout.

Sunwoo wrapped not just wind around her staff, but water and electricity as well.

" Wait, Coach! That thing will recover if it gets wet── "

" ──I'm fine! I saw it all! "

Water-mixed attacks could heal the monster, but thanks to Harin's insight, this was a new technique.

The combination of water and electricity, plus Sunwoo's original arrangement, was different.

" Kuakuwakuwakuwaku! "

The attack shot forward like a drill and got jammed deep into the King Turtle's mouth.

It had sealed its lips, but this was the combined power of an Upper Spirit and an Intermediate Spirit, plus an A-rank spirit contractor's concentrated blast.

" Oooooong?! "

" Dieeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! "

The wind, like a drill, pierced the sealed mouth and tore it apart.

It rushed straight into the King Turtle's body.

In an instant, its insides were flooded with water.

" Ran! "

[ Auuuuuuuuuuu!!! ]

Followed by the water's electrolysis.

Water turned into oxygen and hydrogen.

" Harin! The probe is done! "

" Ne...? "

I used the remaining electricity to charge the probe lodged in the nostril.

I focused voltage, and the probe, now white-hot, naturally became a flame's catalyst.

" Chijik...! "

At first it was just a tiny spark.

But the oxygen and hydrogen already filling its body reacted.

" Kuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!! "

" Kuooooooong!!! "

" ....Crazy bastard. "

" Just as I thought.... Leeheeto-nim...! "

" Hue.... I even thought we were doing well.... "

The explosion power was on an entirely different scale from before.

The dazzling blast that showed an A-rank awakener's power left the King Turtle on its knees.

Even with damage clearly visible, I warned.

" Don't let your guard down. "

" ......? "

" That one. It's not dead yet. "

Sunwoo, who had faced a raid boss before, focused mana back onto her staff.

And as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if her words were proof, the King Turtle, still on its knees, stopped moving but grew even more resolute.

" O.... oooooong!!! "

" Ugh... water on the floor...?! "

" Just a second.... it's not only that! Sea water! Water is rising! "

The King Turtle's kicks sent up streams of water from the sandbank.

At the same time, sea water began rising slowly.

Tide. Waves of evil.

Its movement was restricted outside the water, but once it was submerged, everything would change.

" Hold it off for one more moment. I'll handle the rest. "

" ....Huuuuuuu. Yeah. This damn thing is done! "

" Just like earlier, right? "

Sunwoo stepped back after leaving the request.

Yeonhwa grabbed her blade again. Sujin aimed her gun.

And

" Nitro....! "

[ .....Nyarling. ]

Nitro turned its head as if today's quota was finished.

The contract was fulfilled. Nitro no longer lent me its power.

'Why at a time like this....!'

It was almost over.

If I just took this one down, it would be done.

But Nitro wouldn't follow anymore.

It ignored my wishes and clung only to its own.

" Kk.... Jeon Harin! "

" Harin unnie...? U, un, kyaah?! "

" Yeonhwa unnie! Sujin!! "

As Harin's response delayed, the pain of Yeonhwa and Sujin grew.

Yeonhwa, who had taken direct hits, accumulated more wounds.

Sujin, with no mobility, faced each small attack like a threat.

'It's all my fault....'

I should have used it more carefully.

I should have been more cautious.

I blamed myself. I regretted it. Still, I begged Nitro again.

" Unnie is sorry... so please. Okay? Please... I need your power right now....! "

[ ............ ]

I pleaded with more desperation.

I grabbed both her hands.

Help me. Share ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠your strength.

But Nitro didn't hear. It wouldn't listen.

The contract was fulfilled, and there was no reason left to do more.

" Why.... why.....! "

It refused.

It refused again.

Of course. It was a contract like that.

It had been that way from the beginning.

[ Nyaang.... Shaaaaaak! ]

" U, uuuh.....! "

Stop acting so annoying.

If you keep whining, there's no contract anymore.

Nitro showed its teeth with a nasty grin.

" ....Mii.... "

In the end, Harin did what she always did, unable to help it.

" Mii..... "

Saying that the spirit wouldn't listen, she turned back...

" You're a crazy feral bastard!!!! "

[ Nyaaaaaang?!?! ]

I grabbed Nitro by the back of the neck and snatched it up.

Something I would never have done in my usual self.

" Shaa... kishaaaak!!! "

Don't do it.

If you keep doing it, there's no contract, no nothing.

" Do you really think I'd lend you power? "

Nitro's feral, hateful thoughts poured into me in real time.

Yet

" ................ "

My usual Harin would have stopped there.

Nitro was an electric spirit, and Harin was a spirit contractor who controlled it.

If Nitro disappeared, I would simply be an ordinary A-rank awakener with no special title.

For that name, for that title, Harin had always bowed her head to Nitro and supported it.

" ──La. "

[ Nyaang....?! ]

But

" Aaaaaah! I don't know! I can't hear you! I don't want to know, I have no intention of knowing! "

[ Nyaaaak?!?! ]

The usual Harin wasn't here.

Showing to others mattered. How they saw her mattered.

Logical, intelligent, wise, sensible. Instead of the 'ideal awakener Harin'.

" Give me! "

[ ........... ]

Selfish as I please.

" Your power! All of it! Take everything! "

[ .....Nyaang. ]

Irrational, illogical.

And most of all, purely.

" Pajik, pajijijijik! "

[ Nyaang, nyaang....! ]

" I'll buy you all the things you want later! Contracts and whatever, we can pretend they never existed!!! "

Electricity surged.

Nitro's whole body threatened with electric bolts.

My hand stung and ached, but I didn't let go.

" So shut up and listen to me, you feral little shit!!!! "

[ ─────! ]

Even so, her resolve to stay true to herself was the most spirit-contractor-like thing I had ever seen.

" Even if I lose this power, we'll all go back together. "

Intermediate Spirit Nitro. Evolution complete.

--- REMINDER: All system notifications, comments, letters, status windows, and special in-universe content MUST use styled

blocks with inline CSS from the templates. Never output them as plain

text.