Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: My Hero (8)
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Lee Gyeo-ul aimed the convection warhead at Shin.
No time for flashbacks now. She shoved all stray thoughts from her mind and focused on the present.
The convection warhead launched at hypersonic speed, targeting the dragon's massive body. The compressed air began mercilessly shredding the thick draconic scales.
"Grraaah!"
Blood poured down like a waterfall. The colossal dragon screamed as it plummeted to the ground.
Boom!!
The half-constructed buildings were demolished in an instant. Staring at the rising dust cloud, Lee Gyeo-ul clicked her tongue.
The enormous dragon was rising again. Despite taking countless hits, it showed no signs of collapsing.
"Keh heh heh... Good. Very good."
In contrast, red sparks crackled across Lee Gyeo-ul's entire body—a sign she'd reached her limit.
"It's been ages since my blood boiled like this. I never dreamed a human's fangs would ever reach me in my lifetime."
"Your hide's tough as hell. What the fuck do you even eat?"
This thing was leagues beyond ordinary monsters. Most dimensional beasts or grotesque freaks would have their lifelines severed by a single slash.
Probably one of the strongest in the 21st Century Secret Society.
"If you enjoy it that much, why not skip the rift bullshit and wreck the city yourself?"
"I'd love nothing more, but I don't care much for my young master's tantrums."
Shin glanced toward the rooftop where the rift was forming. It would be complete soon.
If Shin hadn't come to Academy City on its own whim, Lee Gyeo-ul would have stopped the rift cold.
"Still, deciding to rampage this time seems like the right call."
Shin flashed a vicious grin.
"Hell Dog. If you're here, that means the 'Queen' is too."
Lee Gyeo-ul's expression twitched.
"There are three places with the Queen's data. First: Academy City, where she's isolated, protected, and monitored. Second: the Hunter Association you belonged to, where you first discovered her... And third."
The place where Han Cheong-ah had been isolated for about a year.
The lab that uncovered her ability to control dimensional beasts.
"Paju Superphenomenon Research Institute... The Archive heist was swept under the rug nicely by Dragon Boy, but it was all pointless in the end."
"You."
"I've already sent freaks to where Han Cheong-ah is. The moment the rift completes, the Queen will descend upon Academy City."
Han Cheong-ah's information had fallen into enemy hands.
"Useless fucking idiots..."
Lee Gyeo-ul spat curses at the researchers.
She had no idea how the cabal had breached the institute's security and stolen the data.
But what mattered was that they now knew everything about Han Cheong-ah.
'Still, she should be fine for now.'
Baek Do-hyun was glued to Han Cheong-ah's side.
From her recent fight with him, Lee Gyeo-ul judged he was at least as strong as a top-class hunter.
Illusions, heat manipulation, vampire physical prowess.
Not quite on her or this dragon's level, but a solid fighter. Escaping with Han Cheong-ah if things went south? Doable.
But then.
Somehow, the Beolha junior's side had gone suspiciously quiet. Baek Do-hyun was charging toward her with a white-haired woman in a conical hat.
Leaving Han Cheong-ah behind.
"That goddamn moron..."
Lee Gyeo-ul spat another curse, her eyes ice-cold.
Situations always twisted toward the worst possible outcome.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Baek Do-hyun!"
En route with Mimir, Lee Gyeo-ul's sharp voice cut through the air.
"What the hell are you doing here?!"
Probably pissed about him ditching Han Cheong-ah. Her tone dripped with fury.
"I've wrapped things up on my end! The guy's stashed in the hideout, so you can relax..."
"You fucking idiot!"
Lee Gyeo-ul dodged Shin's attack and barked at him.
"This isn't the time! Cheong-ah's in danger!"
"...?"
Why was Han Cheong-ah in danger?
The enemies didn't even know she existed.
The cabal's Archive raid had been thwarted completely. Nothing threatened her.
"Cheong-ah's info leaked to the enemy! They pinpointed the lab studying her and stole everything from there!"
"Ah...?"
Lee Gyeo-ul's bombshell sent chills down my spine. My mind blanked for a second.
Lab? Data theft? What the hell was she talking about...?
"Cheong-ah's in trouble... Quit standing there like a dumbass and run, you moron!"
Her barrage of insults snapped me back to reality.
Cold reason kicked in.
Red Ark Chapter 3, the Academy City Assault arc, revolved around one girl.
Hordes of monsters pour from artificial rifts, and a virus she spreads turns every psyker around her into dimensional beasts.
She orders the extermination of all civilization on the island, and the beasts obey their queen.
A catastrophe beyond anything so far was about to hit Academy City.
In the assault arc, Lee Gyeo-ul dies saving Han Cheong-ah.
Cheryl gets crippled fighting dimensional beasts while evacuating civilians.
Countless others wounded, fallen, dead.
Han Cheong-ah regains her sanity through the protagonist and Yubyeol-ha's efforts, but the moment she realizes what she's done...
"D-Dracula."
Mimir placed a hand on my shoulder.
"L-leave this to me and that guy."
"......"
Mimir gave a shy smile.
"Dracula's earned my trust, so I'll give it my all... Don't worry too much."
Her timid tone somehow felt rock-solid.
I nodded.
"Got it."
"Yeah."
Mimir floated up slowly, her face set with resolve.
Right. Lee Gyeo-ul alone might struggle, but with Mimir backing her up? She'd manage.
Which left...
The absolute top priority right now.
I kicked off without hesitation.
Twisting fate was my job.
Like hell I'd let it flow toward the darkness.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Weren't you on their side?"
Lee Gyeo-ul shot Mimir a side-eye.
This witch had been guarding the rift while she and the Beolha junior fought.
"Y-yeah. But I decided to betray them..."
"Hate flighty girls like you."
Mimir's eyes went wide at the jab, shaking her head furiously.
"M-my hips are heavy! I agonized over it a ton before betraying them...!"
"Reason."
"Huh...?"
"Why you betrayed them."
Mimir pulled her conical hat down low.
Reasons weren't singular. But the biggest one...
"D-Dracular felt trustworthy. I had this friend I knew forever who desperately wanted to die..."
"Mimir. What the hell are you doing?"
No time for casual chit-chat, apparently.
The rage-filled dragon glared at Mimir.
Normally, she'd shrink under that pressure, but having resolved to betray them, she started venting her pent-up hatred for the cabal.
"That's what I've always wanted to ask you lot...?"
Quiet fury laced Mimir's voice.
"Acting like gods with your 'humanity reduction plan' bullshit... Honestly, I hated it from the start. N-not a single thing..."
"Humans aren't your damn toys... You idiots who can't even make a smartphone... Know your limits."
"Living hundreds of years and all you know is smashing shit and slimy politics, you morons... Ugh...?"
"Who the hell are you to pontificate on humanity's survival...?"
"O-of course, watching them pollute the planet recklessly for 'progress' or selfishly drive other species extinct made me want to kill them more than once or twice..."
Lee Gyeo-ul tilted her head listening to Mimir.
This witch didn't like humans much either...?
The more she heard, the scarier it got.
"I-I hate Zero One's methods. If I were Zero One, I'd have talked to humans about extinction first!"
Mimir vented her heart like fizzy soda.
Shin must've taken that personally—fire spewed from its maw.
"Eek...!"
"Hey."
Lee Gyeo-ul asked Mimir right before their final clash.
"What's your name?"
"I-I'm Mimir."
Lee Gyeo-ul liked how freely Mimir cursed.
"Got it, Mimir. Let's wipe that arrogant bastard off the face of the earth."
"Y-yeah!"
And so, the witch and the hunter joined forces to slay the dragon.