Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Evil Zone Sweep (11)
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Takahiro darted forward and shouted.
"Back!"
It was Japanese, but even without a translation, everyone could tell what it meant. Mino and Tae-il quickly fell in behind Takahiro.
"...Cha Su-ho!"
At Tae-il's call, Su-ho finally snapped out of it, and his feet started moving.
Why was the Bat Fiend Boss here? And it wasn't just the boss. As the black horde blotting out the sky began landing one by one, everyone's faces—including Su-ho's—hardened coldly.
Screeetch. Zzweet. Crackle.
"Damn it. They said it had intelligence, but I didn't think it'd ambush us."
Takahiro rolled up his sleeves. He was the only Hunter there right now. That meant if Takahiro died, Su-ho, Tae-il, and Mino were as good as dead.
Takahiro checked the watch on his wrist. An Ji-young's group had left just two or three hours ago, so they should've reached the cave by now. There was no time to waste. He needed to send her a support request. He tapped his watch twice, and red English text appeared on the screen.
Takahiro touched the red text. A message would go straight to Ji-young.
We're in a dangerous situation right now.
Screeetch. Zzweet.
Takahiro lifted his head with a resolute expression and stared at the swarm of bat fiends in front of him.
It was obvious he couldn't handle them alone. Even so, he didn't show it. If the Hunter got anxious, the Helpers would panic even more. After all, out here, the Helpers could only rely on their Hunter.
The bat fiends that had covered the sky had all landed now. Standing tall amid the horde baring their fangs like they were ready to tear everyone apart, the Bat Fiend Boss was smiling just like it had yesterday.
Crackle!
It happened in an instant. The front line of bat fiends lunged at once. Takahiro raised his hand high, then slammed it down toward the ground.
Boom—crash!
Lightning struck from a clear sky, zeroing in precisely on the bat fiends. The charred creatures plummeted to the ground, too weakened to even move.
The other bat fiends, seeing their comrades' corpses rolling ahead, sprang into action. They took to the air in a flash, claws outstretched toward Takahiro—only for another bolt of lightning to crash down on them.
Crash! Boom!
Sparks erupted in midair, chaining down to the ground.
Kyaaak!
The bat fiends let out eerie shrieks as they writhed on the ground, roasted crisp.
Takahiro didn't stop. A tingling sensation prickled his palm, but he had to prioritize clearing out the swarming bat fiends in front of him.
Watching Takahiro concentrate, Mino reached out a hand. Placing it on his back as if performing a Cleanse, she closed her eyes and focused.
"Tae-il."
Su-ho, who had been observing the situation, turned to Tae-il.
"...Got anything that could work as a weapon?"
"A weapon?! Wait, you're gonna fight?"
"I might not be able to fight, but I need to at least defend myself."
At those words, Tae-il fumbled around his body in agitation.
"H-here, I always carry this... Ah, found it! MacGyver knife."
What Tae-il pulled out was a multitool knife called a MacGyver knife. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing.
"You hold onto that."
Su-ho scanned the ground frantically. If there were no weapons, he'd just make one. And that's when a sturdy tree branch caught his eye.
It felt familiar. Back when he was a powerless F-grade Helper, he'd grabbed and swung a branch to protect Kang Hong-seok. Who would've thought he'd be doing it again?
It seemed like he'd been born with an unbreakable bond to tree branches in this life.
"Hey, Cha Su-ho. You gonna be okay with th— Aagh!"
The bat fiends' assault resumed. As if under orders, this time they doggedly targeted Su-ho's position.
Sparks flashed over the bat fiends charging at Su-ho and Tae-il.
Boom—crash!
It was tremendous power. He hadn't felt it in group fights, but watching Takahiro battle alone made it hit home.
Just how SS-grade he really was.
There was no hesitation. He kept slamming electric sparks down on the relentlessly charging bat fiends. Thanks to that, none of them could lay a finger on Su-ho, Tae-il, or Mino.
But this was the limit. The number of bat fiends in front of them was overwhelming, and lurking behind was their boss.
No matter how SS-grade the Hunter was, he couldn't hold out alone forever. Plus, Takahiro's main abilities were electricity and water manipulation. Water was useless here.
Crackle—!
He couldn't keep calling down lightning indefinitely. It took a ton of power for that level of lethality. If he used it until all the visible bat fiends were dead, he'd be consumed by overload.
"Hoo..."
As Takahiro exhaled deeply and refocused, Mino reached out again. She was about to perform a Cleanse. Su-ho couldn't just stand by either. Two Cleanses would finish it faster than one.
In a situation where they could all die like dogs, all they could do was Cleanse.
Su-ho gritted his teeth. In this moment, only one thought filled his mind: Jin Seong-hyeok.
But just a few days ago, he'd said he didn't need that power—that he'd protect himself. What confidence had he been riding on when he was still this weak and helpless?
Su-ho snapped out of his brief regret at the sound of Tae-il and Mino's screams.
"Guh..."
It was instantaneous. A bat fiend swooped down from above, claws extended, and raked vertically down Su-ho's back. Burning pain erupted from his back, and he collapsed to his knees.
The agony was so intense he could barely breathe. As Su-ho gasped raggedly with a twisted face, Tae-il rushed over.
"S-Su-ho..."
Tae-il fumbled for a self-healing patch, but his trembling hands couldn't even peel off the plastic wrapping.
"Just hold on, Su-ho... I'll... I'll..."
Too panicked to think straight, Tae-il muttered incoherently. Mino snatched the patch from his hand. As she hastily peeled the plastic and tried to apply it, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"This... what..."
Tae-il moved instinctively toward the frozen Mino, who hadn't even applied the patch. What could have stunned her like that?
And when he saw the surreal sight, Tae-il had to hold his breath.
Su-ho's torn flesh and muscle were knitting back together on their own. Self-regeneration—an ability possessed by only a handful of A-grade Helpers.
They'd known Su-ho had regeneration, but seeing it in action was even more astonishing.
The blood leaking from the wound stopped without any clotting aid. The writhing muscles seemed to reconnect fully, then flesh grew over them.
Soon, the fully healed skin was pristine, without a single scar. Without the blood, no one would've known he'd been injured.
"Cha Su-ho..."
The moment the pain vanished, Su-ho realized his regeneration was complete. He sprang into action. Looking at Mino and Tae-il, who were still half-dazed, he shouted.
"Duck!!"
A bat fiend flew over the hesitating pair, claws bared. They had to avoid getting hurt as much as possible. If Tae-il or Mino, who lacked regeneration, got injured, they could bleed out and die.
The arm-thick claws were about to slash down on them both. Su-ho, tree branch in hand and determined to save them, froze at the sight of flashing sparks.
Crash!
"Are you alright?"
It was Takahiro. Even in that chaos, the bat fiends pressed their attack without tiring. Facing the horde alone was taking its toll—red glints flickered in Takahiro's dark eyes.
No matter how many Cleanses they did, there was a limit. If he kept overexerting himself, he'd go berserk.
It was a hellish situation. Use power and self-destruct, or hold back and everyone dies like dogs. There was only one way out: buy time until the other Hunters returned. His bloodshot eyes locked on the bat fiends.
"I don't know how long my body will hold out, but..."
Takahiro muttered and took a deep breath. Searching for a way to stall without overusing his power, he blinked in disbelief.
Zzweet. Crackle.
The bat fiends were parting like the Red Sea. And standing alone in the open path between them was the Bat Fiend Boss.
With a chilling smile.
"I want to see something more interesting."
Takahiro shouted as the boss muttered and approached slowly.
"Everyone, be careful! Stay sharp!"
He didn't even think to speak Korean. With the Bat Fiend Boss stepping up, it was death or a dog's death without backup.
If escape was impossible, they had to strike first. Running or dodging wasn't feasible with three Helpers in tow.
Takahiro focused his mind. He gathered all his power.
A sphere of electricity formed above Takahiro and the Bat Fiend Boss. Sparks swirled, expanding the orb larger and larger.
Takahiro held his breath. Praying this one shot would end it.
"Go!"
The massive electric sphere plummeted straight onto the Bat Fiend Boss's head. A blinding light flashed, as if to swallow the surroundings, followed by a deafening explosion.
Boom—crash!
Tremendous power. The shockwave hit Takahiro and Su-ho, as well as Mino and Tae-il.
The small, skinny Mino was hurled all the way to a tree in the distance, knocked unconscious by the impact. Tae-il and Su-ho were flung rolling across the dirt. Takahiro barely held on, dropping to one knee.
A direct hit like that should've killed the Bat Fiend Boss. No, it must have.
Everyone tensed, eyes fixed on the dust cloud.
And through the settling sand and dirt, a shadow emerged. The shadow of the Bat Fiend Boss, standing perfectly unscathed. Goosebumps-inducing.
"Ha..."
Takahiro let out a dazed breath, his face blank with despair. Resignation filled his eyes.
Silence hung heavy. Takahiro couldn't even think to stand when a gust brushed his nose. Before he could trace its source, his face was smashed into the dirt.
Tae-il and Su-ho froze at the sudden turn. The foot planted on Takahiro's embedded face wasn't human. It was a black, furred beast's paw.
"So boring. Boring."
With a gravelly voice, the grotesquely twisting neck turned toward one spot.
Staring straight at Su-ho, the Bat Fiend Boss grinned chillingly again. Its bared, blade-like fangs were as huge as Su-ho's face.
"I smell it on you."
In the blink of an eye, the boss was right in front of Su-ho's nose. With its head twisted 180 degrees upside down, the Bat Fiend Boss spat its final words at him.
"The scent that makes us tremble in fear."