Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Evil Zone Sweep (8)
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The bats hanging upside down blanketed the cave ceiling without a single gap. As mutated monsters, they were on an entirely different scale from the bats we knew.
Hard to gauge precisely since they were dangling, but from Cha Su-ho's rough estimate, each one seemed about as big as he was tall.
“Uwaaah...!”
Startled, Tae-il collapsed to the ground right then and there. His voice began echoing through the cave.
Chwijit. Chwijijjit. Jijik.
Just as the sound of them sharpening their nerves came from the ceiling, it started piercing his eardrums like a knife.
Chwijit. Chwijijjit.
And then, one by one, red eyes began glowing in the darkness. The hunters and helpers watching those scattered crimson glows grew increasingly grim.
Vetted? Around now, Jin Seong-hyeok would've stepped up with an explanation, but Cha Su-ho's mind registered nothing.
Whatever it was, he'd been the one to declare he wouldn't rely on Jin Seong-hyeok. And Jin, confident in his own assertion, had no reason to help.
Cha Su-ho shook his head, as if shaking off thoughts of seeking out Jin Seong-hyeok, and asked Kwon Oh, who stood at the front.
“Hyung Kwon Oh, what's a Vetted?”
Kwon Oh glared up at the ceiling as he replied.
“Mutated bat monsters... The problem is, all those up there are boss-grade.”
Not just one or two—the entire ceiling packed with boss-grade monsters.
Chwijit. Chwijijjit. Jijik.
The eardrum-scraping noise sent chills racing across their skin once more.
An Ji-young gestured for Su-ho and Tae-il to move deeper in.
“Rin-ah, get behind me.”
Eun-woo pulled his partner, A-rin, behind his back. Kwon Oh grabbed the still-frozen Tae-il's arm and dragged him along, ignoring An Ji-young's gesture. Su-ho hurried after Kwon Oh.
The helpers clustered in a circle, with the hunters forming a ring around them, backs turned outward.
An Ji-young glanced back and shouted at Kwon Oh.
“Kwon Oh! If they attack from above, you defend.”
“Got it!”
As Kwon Oh drew his defensive sword, Shao Li whipped out her own from her bosom, as if she'd been waiting. Both veterans of the field, they could provide hunter support.
A-shang and A-rin, with their high Clean efficiency, along with Su-ho, handled the hunters' Cleans. The terrified Mino and Tae-il huddled behind Shao Li and Kwon Oh.
Once they'd stepped into the cave, retreat wasn't an option. There was only one way out: kill every last Vetted carpeting the ceiling.
Su-ho reached out. There were six hunters: An Ji-young and Eun-woo, plus Takahiro, Liu Xian, Mei, and Kai Qing.
An Ji-young and Mei were physical types, so Cleans during movement would be tough. Quick on the uptake, A-shang was already behind Kai Qing, knowing the telekinesis user needed constant Cleans.
If A-shang handled two shares—Kai Qing and Liu Xian—and A-rin took Eun-woo, that left just one hunter: Takahiro.
With Mino cowering alongside Tae-il, Su-ho was the only one for Takahiro.
Su-ho swiftly positioned himself behind Takahiro. The hunter glanced back and gave a curt nod of thanks. An Ji-young, watching with a satisfied smile, suddenly spotted something—her eyes iced over.
The Vetted, flicking their red eyes at the hunters and helpers, began parting their jaws and spreading their wings one by one.
The unnaturally huge, razor-sharp fangs visible between their gaping maws looked ready to rip out throats on sight. All at once, the Vetted snapped their wings out straight—and the hunters dropped into combat stance.
Chwijit. Chwijijjit. Jijik—!
As the spine-tingling screech rose, Kai Qing muttered sharply at the Vetted plummeting like dive-bombers.
Time seemed to freeze. Kai Qing clenched his fists, staring at the Vetted locked mid-air.
Kiyaak—! Boom—.
As if bombs detonated inside them, short shrieks rang out, and Vetted bodies began exploding here and there with pops. Tae-il and Mino squeezed their eyes shut against the blood raining from above.
Plip plop—shattered Vetted corpses poured down like a storm of flesh. As the chunks fell, Liu Xian swiftly telekinetically halted them overhead.
She conjured fireballs and incinerated the hovering corpses in one go.
Su-ho was just starting to relax, watching the Vetted reduced to black ash in seconds—
Jijijjit—!
That sound made him slowly lift his head again. His eyes widened in shock.
“...Insane.”
The grotesquely packed Vetted hadn't diminished at all. If anything, they seemed angrier, claws bristling at their wingtips.
Jijit!
The Vetted surged again, diving straight for the hunters and helpers, jaws gaping wide.
Kai Qing and Liu Xian controlled them with telekinesis; Takahiro zapped the immobilized ones into electrocuted husks.
Mei, Eun-woo, and An Ji-young handled the stragglers they missed.
Vetted corpses already piled at Eun-woo's feet, his expressionless face swinging his blade mechanically.
Mei unleashed indiscriminate counters. The dull thuds came at machine-gun tempo.
Su-ho stared in dismay as the Vetted kept respawning endlessly.
An Ji-young hopped humming onto a Vetted—its glazed eyes showed she was puppeteering it. She flashed a bright smile at the wide-eyed Su-ho.
“Know what my dream is?”
In this situation? Su-ho looked flustered.
“You said conductor last time...”
“Dancer. Dancer.”
An Ji-young raised her arms, cocking her head like she was about to bust a move.
“Alright, everyone—dance time.”
At her words, a cluster of Vetted stiffened, then slowly mimicked her head tilt.
“You guys dancing alone's no fun.”
She stepped; the tilting Vetted spun in unison.
“Go join the fray.”
No sooner said than the Vetted launched at their screeching kin on the ceiling, tearing into them mercilessly.
Chichijik!
An Ji-young hummed and danced as the Vetted shredded wings and ripped each other mid-air.
Eun-woo shook his head at her twisted taste and refocused, blade in hand.
Light and efficient. His movements were pristine, no waste.
Whoosh—each swing cleanly bisected Vetted, yet they charged relentlessly.
Eun-woo exhaled heavily and looked up. The colossal ceiling brimmed with endless Vetted. No end in sight.
A-shang rushed to slap Kai Qing's back amid the slaughter. The vast telekinesis had drained him heavily already. His furrowed brow eased, breathing steadying.
Takahiro panted too. Su-ho extended a hand, watching him.
“Clean, coming up.”
The instant Su-ho touched Takahiro's back, his face darkened. The hunter's body brimmed with murky, nauseating energy clumps. Focusing, Su-ho burst one blockage—pop.
Vetted kept diving from above. He had to finish fast. Su-ho poured all focus into his palm. The floating clumps detonated in chain reactions.
Just five minutes in, Su-ho let out a small breath. No more clumps. He pulled away.
“Clean complete.”
Takahiro was stunned. Never had he gotten a perfect Clean this quick. The chest pressure, the sticky dread—all gone long ago.
He turned, staring in disbelief. Su-ho asked innocently,
“Was it... not enough?”
Not enough? The opposite.
“No. Very satisfied. Thank you.”
Su-ho nodded at Takahiro's halting Korean, eyes shifting to An Ji-young. She puppeteered Vetted and flung telekinesis. She needed a Clean, but her focus was solely monsters.
“Hunter An Ji-young!”
She scowled at Su-ho amid the infighting Vetted.
“You were supposed to call me noona.”
Title in this chaos? Su-ho shook his head.
“Clean! Get your Clean.”
“Pass. I'm fine.”
“You'll overload! Hurry—!!”
A black shadow flashed in Su-ho's eyes as he yelled. Another swarm arrowed in.
Toward Su-ho and the helpers.
“Cha Su-ho...!”
An Ji-young's voice rang. Time crawled for Su-ho. He stared blankly at the fang-bared Vetted hurtling at him—then liquid splashed his face.
“Su-ho!”
Kwon Oh. Sword raised, blocking his front. Su-ho snapped to.
“Kwon Oh-hyung!”
“Over here... Ugh!”
Kwon Oh clutched his forearm with a sharp grunt. The attacking Vetted bared claws again—this time for his throat.
“Kwon Oh-hyung...!”
Su-ho moved on instinct. Snatching Kwon Oh's sword, he swung wildly. No finesse—just flailing.
But it worked. The berserk swings diverted the charging Vetted—from Kwon Oh to the hunters.
And to ash in their hands. Su-ho gasped raggedly, watching.
Thirst gnawed—not for water, but for more than futile sword-waving. Envy for hunters turning Vetted to dust in an instant.