Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Training (1)
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Cha Su-ho slowly opened his eyes, and the sight of the Dead Zone filled his vision.
His first impression was one of barrenness. It wasn't exactly a desolate wasteland, but it felt strangely empty. The sparse trees and yellowish sky created an illusion as if he'd stepped into a desert.
Su-ho wrung out his damp clothes and let out a short breath.
'This is the Dead Zone... right?'
'Yeah.'
Dead Zone. Unlike the Evil Zone, the Dead Zone was on another level entirely. It was one of the monsters' origin points, a place where even groups of SS-grade Hunters struggled during sweeps.
Moreover, the monsters here possessed intelligence and could speak. The peculiar thing was that they primarily used Korean instead of English.
'It's so bleak.'
'Well, it's still better than the sticky Last Zone.'
'...The Last Zone sounds scary just from the name.'
True to its name, it felt like a place where everything might truly end.
'By the way, what kinds of monsters mainly appear here?'
The Helper manual barely touched on the Dead Zone or Last Zone. Naturally, since only those of sufficient grade received separate training for them, F-grade Su-ho had never learned about it.
'It's cute.'
'...Pardon?'
Su-ho asked again, as if he'd misheard.
'I said it's cute.'
'...You're saying the monster is cute...?'
Su-ho recalled the monsters he'd seen so far. Centepede-like ones, Mawders with multiple mouths, bat-like Betteds, and the grotesque creatures from the Evil Zone.
'They're all creepy-looking... and you call them cute?'
Su-ho was speaking seriously to Jin Seong-hyeok when something appeared behind a dry, birch-like tree. Instinctively, Su-ho assumed a combat stance.
Pajijijik-. Blue electric whips sparked from his fingertips with a crackling sound.
'...Huh?'
Su-ho's pupils trembled. He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.
What slithered out from behind the tree was a hamster-like monster. Though its size was three or four times larger than Su-ho's body, it was unmistakably an adorable hamster.
The monster blinked its three large eyes—one on its forehead—and tilted its head at Su-ho.
"Qyuung."
Qyuung? Did it just say qyuung?!
Wagging its crocodile-tail-like appendage side to side, the monster slowly approached Su-ho.
Seeing it creep closer while cautiously glancing around, Su-ho couldn't help but chuckle at its cuteness.
'Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok, this... isn't a monster, right? It's too cute to kill.'
Unlike the hideous monsters from the Evil Zone, this one was so adorable. He couldn't understand why it was in the Dead Zone.
'A few people got swallowed up after letting their guard down like you.'
'Pardon? Ah... Gah!'
It happened in an instant. The monster, now right beside Su-ho, opened its mouth, and octopus-like tentacles stabbed into his chest.
'What the...!'
A blue whip sliced through the air, severing the tentacle embedded in Su-ho's chest.
Kieeeek-!
Su-ho pulled out the tentacle from his chest while watching the monster writhe and emit a bizarre shriek. Even severed, it wriggled like a maggot in his hand.
Su-ho gathered electric energy into the hand gripping the tentacle, just as he would for an energy orb.
Pajijik-. With a burning smell, the tentacle turned to ash in an instant. Su-ho dusted it off and looked up to see the monster.
Its diamond-shaped mouth gaped open, flipping its face inside out, revealing writhing tentacles amid rows of disgusting teeth. They moved as if each had a life of its own.
Repulsed, Su-ho stepped back. The pain in his chest was fading, so regeneration had already begun.
'...Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok.'
But something was off. Despite regenerating, breathing grew harder, and dizziness set in.
'Sterion.'
Jin Seong-hyeok continued toward the gasping Su-ho.
'Everyone lets their guard down because it looks cute, just like you. The tentacles in its mouth are poisonous. Normally, contact causes instant paralysis, but your strong regeneration is slowing the spread.'
'W-Wait. Paralysis...?'
'Rip out the flesh where the tentacle touched if you want to live.'
'...Rip it out?!'
'It'll regenerate anyway.'
Su-ho was stunned by the casual suggestion to tear off his own flesh. But he had no choice but to follow Jin Seong-hyeok's instructions.
He dug his nails into the affected area and squeezed his eyes shut.
Ttutdutduk-. Flesh tore with excruciating pain, but he had no choice if he wanted to survive.
Chak! A chunk of flesh with a strange mass dropped from his hand. It seemed the tentacle's poison had coagulated his blood as it tried to spread.
'Lucky. Now that the mass is out, you'll be fine.'
Blood began soaking his chest profusely, and regeneration kicked in immediately.
'The problem is the blood smell drawing more monsters.'
With Su-ho's current skill, facing multiple Dead Zone monsters was impossible.
'Take down this one quick and head back.'
At Jin Seong-hyeok's words, Su-ho stripped off his tattered shirt and tossed it to the ground.
'Got it.'
Su-ho focused his mind, summoning flame chains. As the familiar heat wrapped around him with a whirlick-, he stared calmly at the Sterion.
The Sterion tilted its head again upon seeing the flame chains flickering around Su-ho's body.
"Why do you have that?"
It flipped its face back and spoke to Su-ho.
"Tell me. Why can you use that technique?"
Su-ho knew Dead Zone monsters could speak. What felt alien was the clear Korean coming from its mouth.
"I said, tell me."
As the Sterion approached, Su-ho extended his hand. The flame chains slithered like snakes, blocking its path.
"No reason to explain to a monster, and sorry, but I'm in a hurry."
In an instant, the red chains seized the Sterion's body. The smell of singed fur and burning flesh filled the air. Yet it merely tilted its head.
"Huh? It's weaker than I thought."
It was true. Jin Seong-hyeok's flame chains would have sliced it apart effortlessly, but Su-ho's were mere imitations, so it was expected.
Still, calling it weak stung. As Su-ho faltered in shock, a tentacle shot from the Sterion's mouth toward his neck.
Pajijik-! The blue whip severed the tentacle aiming for his throat. But there was more than one. Parasite-like tentacles poured from its mouth, all targeting Su-ho.
Puk, puk, puk-!
The tentacles pierced Su-ho's body simultaneously, wriggling into the air and dragging him upward with them.
"Guh."
Su-ho spat out a line of red blood and furrowed his brow.
'Cha Su-ho!'
'...I know.'
Su-ho knew he'd die if he stayed like this.
"It's been a while since I had human."
Its diamond-shaped mouth widened further. Tentacles writhed inside, as if demanding food.
Su-ho's body, suspended mid-air by the tentacles, was pulled toward the Sterion's maw. As it drew closer, the tentacles tightened around his limbs, immobilizing him.
He was about to be devoured helplessly.
'What now?'
To Jin Seong-hyeok's question laced with an offer to help, Su-ho replied with a faint smile.
'No.'
Pajijijik-. Blue sparks erupted across Su-ho's entire body. The azure energy enveloping him like roaring flames began devouring the tentacles.
Su-ho had been waiting since the first tentacle pierced him.
The Sterion had many tentacles—severing them endlessly was inefficient; binding them would be easier to handle. If the flame chains lacked the power to bind, he'd have to sacrifice his body.
Kiyaaaak-!
As the energy touched the tentacles, the Sterion twisted in agony. And that was the moment.
Seizing the loosened grip, Su-ho swiftly raised his right hand. A blue energy orb had formed there, the size of the Sterion's face.
Su-ho smirked as if he'd planned it all along.
He had to end it in one shot.
"Eat this."
He shoved the energy orb straight into the Sterion's mouth. It exploded in a brilliant flash of light.
"Hah... hah."
Su-ho tumbled to the ground amid the Sterion's obliterated remains, gasping for breath.
'Still as reckless as ever.'
Su-ho laughed at Jin Seong-hyeok's voice.
'By the way... Mr. Jin Seong-hyeok...'
His vision spun. The world whirled around him.
'Wait, you...!'
'I... feel really dizzy.'
He'd forgotten. The tentacles embedded in his body. Realizing the poison must have spread fully by now, Jin Seong-hyeok pushed Su-ho's consciousness aside without asking and took control.
"Ugh."
The body no longer obeyed, but he had to act. He couldn't let it die like this, even with multiple holes in Su-ho's body.
There was no time. His raised hand plunged into his own body. It was a gruesome sight—piercing oneself with one's own hand.
Yet there was no other way.
Tuk, tuk. Flesh chunks began dropping to the ground one by one. Only after removing the last piece did Jin Seong-hyeok gasp for air.
It was familiar to him. His immense regenerative ability had toughened him to such body-ravaging feats, or perhaps dulled his pain response.
"Hah, it's been ages since I felt pain like this."
The agony threatened unconsciousness. With Jin Seong-hyeok's power, Su-ho's body would regenerate quickly, but the issue was returning control.
Jin Seong-hyeok's original body would shrug off such wounds, but not Su-ho's. No matter how trained, it couldn't compare.
Breathing raggedly, Jin Seong-hyeok took a step. Blood surged with each movement, his body swaying unsteadily.
Please, hold on.
Vowing to prevent such recklessness when Su-ho awoke, Jin Seong-hyeok hurled the body through the gate connected to the bathtub.
Challalalak-.
Water splashed outside the tub. In the half-empty bathtub, Jin Seong-hyeok—in Su-ho's body—panted heavily.
He looked down at the body. Fortunately, the wounds were healing. But dizziness lingered, likely from blood loss.
'Cha Su-ho.'
No response. He'd probably passed out briefly.
Jin Seong-hyeok pondered gravely. Despite knowing he could cut them, Su-ho had deliberately taken the Sterion's tentacles. Even aware of the danger.
He must have thought bound tentacles would make attacking easier. Back in the Evil Zone, Su-ho had unhesitatingly shoved his arm into a monster's mouth. Likely planning to detonate an energy orb inside again.
It worked this time, killing the monster, but for Su-ho—who might face dozens, hundreds—it was a bad habit.
It needed fixing.
The habit of yielding his body to kill monsters.