Chapter 35

Translation: godtl

It felt like an icy winter wind slapping him straight in the face.

Facing the SSS-rank trait Heavenly Execution Star head-on, Si-mun couldn't help but marvel.

'So this is the killing intent of the Heavenly Execution Star.'

Even though she was far from wielding its full power—

No, even though she was clearly being controlled by it—Mal-suk's aura still delivered tremendous pressure.

Especially considering.

That Si-mun could easily take down Drakan, an upper-tier Gold-rank monster.

The mere fact that she could make him feel this pressure demonstrated just how formidable the Heavenly Execution Star truly was.

Simultaneously, he felt a warmth completely opposite to this murderous aura.

'Mal-suk has really been holding back for me all this time.'

In his past life, he'd been Level 1.

And even that had been whittled down by his Mana Disability, leaving him with stamina worse ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than an ordinary sick person.

To the point where just the roars of Green Skins like orcs.

Or the ferocious cries of other monsters would freeze him in place, unable to move.

Yet whenever he was with Mal-suk.

Or whenever he received her protection, he'd never once felt anything like this.

Only.

'So this is why the enemies who faced her trembled so violently.'

He'd only vaguely guessed at the Heavenly Execution Star's killing intent from how her opponents shook like leaves.

'It's a killing aura that triggers a creature's primal fear. More precisely, it stimulates the survival instinct.'

Literally making you feel the terror of "I'm going to die."

That was the foundation of the aura emanating from the Heavenly Execution Star.

Then.

A cheerful voice rang out from the center of his chest.

The Philosopher's Stone.

'Ah, sorry. It's my first time experiencing Mal-suk's Heavenly Execution Star directly.'

'Do what?'

As the stone shouted.

"Kyaaaah!"

Mal-suk charged at him, bloodstained fingers raised high.

'You worry about the strangest things.'

Chuckling inwardly, Si-mun casually tilted his head to the side.

Whoosh.

Mal-suk's hand grazed past his ear with a sound of tearing air.

"Hoh?"

This is no joke.

Si-mun looked at Mal-suk, who had just lashed out at him, with admiring eyes.

'My base stats shouldn't be lacking at this stage.'

But against Mal-suk with the Heavenly Execution Star activated, that alone wouldn't be enough.

Having reached that conclusion, Si-mun immediately flicked his fingers.

Snap.

[Black Panther's Body Tissue] instantly spread throughout his body, centering around his core muscles.

It enhanced his overall physical abilities, including his reflexes, to those of a beastman's.

"Grr?"

He then grabbed Mal-suk's other arm mid-swing and immediately flipped her over.

Whoosh.

Whether it was due to the Black Panther's superior physical abilities.

Or because Mal-suk's momentum from her consecutive attacks had been too strong.

Thud.

Mal-suk was slammed hard into the ground some distance away.

The impact must have been substantial.

She twitched slightly, struggling to get up.

'See, I told you she's overly reckless.'

Si-mun calmly walked toward her, observing her state.

Of course, with [Black Panther's Body Tissue] spread throughout his body.

His gait was as fluid and leisurely as that of a feline's.

"Kuh, keuk!"

Mal-suk let out a small groan.

Yet her bloodshot eyes still faintly glowed with a crimson light.

The Philosopher's Stone voiced its concern, but.

"Don't worry. In that state, she couldn't touch a single hair on my head. Though I suppose the thick grass must've cushioned her fall? That's a relief."

Si-mun observed Go Mal-suk's condition without batting an eye.

"Hmm. At least twenty lacerations. Multiple broken fingers and ribs, plus severe blood loss."

If this were an ordinary Silver-rank player,

they would've been long dead from such injuries. Yet here she was, still trying to rise.

'Your tenacity is truly something else, Mal-suk.'

No matter how extraordinary the Heavenly Slaughter Star trait might be, he knew full well it didn't erase pain.

After all, Mal-suk from his past life—who also possessed the Heavenly Slaughter Star—had told him as much herself.

And yet—

"Gahk!"

"Tsk."

Even with her hands shattered, she was still trying to attack him?

"Stay still."

Without so much as blinking, Si-mun seized Mal-suk's arm and—

—snapped it clean in half.

"Grrrk!"

-Oh god oh god oh god.

-Savage Si-mun. Seeing him like this, he's not inferior to Go Mal-suk at all.

-He seemed like such an angel earlier, but he's actually pretty ruthless.

-Well, she was trying to kill him. Should he just stand there?

-FR. People who've never matched against Go Mal-suk wouldn't get it. Even if you severed all her limbs, she'd still come at you with her teeth.

The chat reactions were spot-on.

The Heavenly Slaughter Star truly exhibited its peak performance when its bearer was intent on killing someone.

No matter what state her own body was in, she'd obsessively focus solely on slaughter.

Sigh. Good thing I met the Heavenly Demon before the regular Arena started.

Otherwise, the world would've never witnessed the emergence of the supreme high-ranker known as Go Mal-suk, the Heavenly Demon.

[The Constellation Heavenly Demon frowns slightly, thinking, 'Surely you're not planning to kill her?']

A message from the Heavenly Demon floated before Si-mun's eyes as he sighed.

'Of course not.'

Si-mun let out a quiet chuckle at the Heavenly Demon's concern.

'I'm obviously keeping her alive. It's not like I enjoyed breaking her arm, you know.'

The faint remnants of the Heavenly Slaughter Star still lingered in her eyes.

He'd "reluctantly" snapped his old friend's arm to further suppress that trait.

Truly.

'First, I need to heal her before the Heavenly Slaughter Star completely fades. Can't let it extinguish entirely.'

The current Mal-suk was barely clinging to life thanks to the Heavenly Slaughter Star.

"Ughh..."

With only weak groans escaping her lips,

Si-mun watched the now-subdued Mal-suk and reached into his inventory.

But then—

-Wait. Oppa, you're not planning to heal her with a potion, are you?

'That was the idea.'

-But the ones you have left are only E-rank. How do you expect to save her with those?

'Ah. Right, forgot about that.'

Accustomed to stocking his inventory exclusively with S-rank or higher potions, Si-mun had momentarily slipped up.

Clicking his tongue, he closed the inventory.

"Guess there's only one option left."

Even without potions,

he possessed a transmuted substance overwhelmingly effective for physical healing.

Si-mun immediately channeled his Transmutation Power.

'It'll cost some Achievement Points, but...'

Worth it.

Beyond simply healing an old friend—

both materially and emotionally,

he'd always received far more from Mal-suk than he could ever repay.

'Now that I think about it, this prickly woman took pretty good care of me, didn't she?'

Kim Si-hyeok—that annoyingly perfect younger brother.

Mal-suk, who never batted an eye at anyone else's requests,

would grumble whenever he asked her to gather herbs or materials... yet she always came through in the end.

'Well, to a high-ranker, material items are just inventory-clogging trash anyway.'

She probably just tossed him whatever scraps she had lying around.

Shrugging, Si-mun flicked his finger.

[The Philosopher's Stone demands 300 Achievement Points to compensate for the insufficient Equivalent Exchange.]

[Do you accept? (Yes / No)]

Perhaps the injuries weren't as severe as when he'd healed the dwarf girl Marnel.

Unlike back then, the Achievement Points required for transmutation were only 300.

'The Philosopher's Stone—this must be the normal Equivalent Exchange rate.'

Standard price, huh.

Si-mun let out a hollow laugh at the Philosopher's Stone appraising a Constellation's artifact like some market commodity and selected 'Yes.'

Hmm.

With a clear chime, a small rod reminiscent of Astrapē materialized in the air.

Thin, thread-like snakes coiled around the rod like vines, wrapping around its entire length.

Without any explicit command from Si-mun,

the Staff of Asclepius positioned itself above the fallen Go Mal-suk on its own.

Just as it had when healing the dwarf girl Marnel in the previous arena.

Whoooosh.

A sacred, warm energy radiated forth, akin to Holy Power.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

Broken bones, countless lacerations—

[The Philosopher's Stone minimizes Rebound.]

[In proportion to the Philosopher's Stone's grade and level, 50 Achievement Points have been refunded.]

'Only 50 points refunded this time.'

Mal-suk's battered body rapidly regenerated alongside the Philosopher's Stone's payback.

The chat erupted at the miraculous sight,

but Si-mun, who had already minimized the chat window, noticed something else entirely.

'The Heavenly Slaughter Star's energy is fading?'

Even in that state, Go Mal-suk hadn't lost consciousness.

Thanks to that, her bloodshot eyes remained open,

and the crimson energy swirling within them—

the aura of the Heavenly Slaughter Star—was gradually diminishing as her wounds healed.

'The Staff of Asclepius should only heal physical injuries, though?'

Si-mun tilted his head at the anomaly.

Then—

'That could be it.'

He nodded slowly at the Philosopher's Stone's suggestion.

'The Heavenly Slaughter Star's automatic activation conditions are usually triggered by bloodlust or when the wielder's life is in danger.'

Which meant—

if she fully recovered like this, or if she no longer perceived a threat, it might deactivate on its own.

And as proof—

"W-what the...?! How is this...?!"

Mal-suk, now restored to her usual state, was frantically checking her body in shock.

But her bloodstained, torn T-shirt and jeans remained unchanged,

causing Si-mun's expression to stiffen slightly as he watched her.

'I need to connect Mal-suk and the Heavenly Demon as soon as possible.'

Finger-snapping.

Something anyone—no, everyone—could do.

Well, maybe not everyone—some might struggle at first.

But with a little practice, anyone could manage it.

A mundane, everyday action.

And yet—

Snap.

The results unfolding before his eyes were anything but ordinary.

"Run— Aaagh!"

Squelch!

A single, casual flick of his fingers turned the surrounding nature into weapons, shredding his enemies.

Crash.

Thud.

Other times, his movements—more precise than any combat specialist's—utterly obliterated them.

The beast-type monsters, Vegetation Keepers, and their plant-based summons he'd encountered on the way—

"Gyaaah!"

"R-run! It's a monster!"

"Tskrrrruk!"

Every time that man flicked his fingers, the monsters died in truly varied ways.

"Crazy bastard......."

Who would've thought the day would come when I'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be the one saying this to someone else.

Go Mal-suk clicked her tongue as she watched Kim Si-mun's back, effortlessly mowing down enemies.

'Is that Magic Class or Combat Class?'

Not only did the earth, rocks, and trees transform at will to attack, but—

'Looking at how he throws punches, he wouldn't lose to me even in a straight-up fight.......'

One-on-one, I'd probably get wrecked without even getting a proper hit in.

In fact, she vividly remembered the time when the Heavenly Slaughter Star activated.

How she had been subdued by Si-mun and even received healing from him.

But—

'No! That time, he was in shit condition because he had to deal with twelve of them!'

The last shred of pride buried deep in her heart refused to acknowledge it.

To be precise.

'I'm not weak.......'

She simply couldn't bring herself to admit it.

Because the moment she acknowledged her own weakness again—

She wouldn't even be able to keep up this Player act anymore.

And then, all those unresolved desires would spill into reality.

And in the end, she'd end up taking it out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the closest person again—

Slap!

"Enough!"

She slapped her cheeks with all her might, the stinging pain jolting her back to her senses.

Gritting her teeth, Go Mal-suk clenched her fists.

"Fuck! I'm Go Mal-suk. Since when have I ever knelt after getting my ass kicked?!"

Unaware that she had even dropped the dialect she usually slipped into unconsciously—

She clenched her fists and charged at a nearby bear monster.

'Just watch and copy. How hard can throwing a punch be?!'

Though in her head, she was screaming that even copying ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a fucking nightmare.

But her body, as always—

Analyzed the movements of the strong opponents she'd faced to the best of her ability.

And adjusted accordingly.

'Here, like this.......'

The punch Kim Si-mun had used to sweep through enemies earlier.

Mimicking that simple motion, she swung at the bear's face—

Crunch!

"Guh......."

The head of the bear, twice her size, exploded.

"Ha, fuck!"

Considering she was bare-handed without any equipment, it was an incredibly encouraging result.

But—

'Tch! This isn't the feeling I wanted...... Ugh! Fuck, this is so cryptic!'

Her face twisted with dissatisfaction.

Beside her—

"Not bad."

A voice filled with ease and familiarity reached her ears, as if he'd known her forever.

A man with sharp features and a clean face.

Kim Si-mun.

"W-what? When did you get here?!"

"Just now. Anyway......."

Si-mun, who had been watching her with a complicated gaze, jerked his chin toward the back.

"Looks like it's just the two of us heading to the center."

There—

"What kind of bullsh— Holy shit!"

Three bloodied bodies—two men and a woman—lay collapsed.

"The Cheetah Guild trio?"

"No wonder there were so many monsters. They must've done a skip-run."

"Ah."

Go Mal-suk nodded at his words.

Skip-run.

A tactic where players avoid fighting monsters encountered along the way—

And just sprint straight to the next checkpoint.

'No wonder there were over twenty monsters even at the entrance to the center.'

Because those three had skip-run all the way here, the monsters had piled up along the path.

Though, to be fair, that monster Kim Si-mun had wiped them all out.

But twenty-plus monsters were no joke.

And considering the Vegetation Keeper's summons, the actual number was closer to thirty.

'Idiots. Acting all high and mighty, but why skip-run? If you're not good enough, just wait for us.'

They could've at least entered the center together.

As she smirked bitterly—

Fzzzt!

A rough sparking sound reached her ears.

The sound of the Barrier leading to the heart of the Evergreen Forest opening.

"Mal-suk, let's go in. No matter how many teammates we have, first place is first place."

Si-mun strode toward the sparking, now-open Barrier without hesitation.

Go Mal-suk, who had been staring bitterly at the Cheetah trio's corpses—

"Huh? Ah! Wait for me, you bastard!"

Snapping out of it, she hurried after him.