Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Skill Up (2)
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Pubkil flinched at the sight of the flame chains floating in midair, but soon growled and approached Su-ho.
"What? It's not that human."
Pubkil muttered as if it had mistaken Su-ho for someone else, then bared its teeth.
"After slaughtering my friends like that and coming back again. Humans are truly revolting."
Saliva dripped from Pubkil's long tongue protruding from its mouth.
"We kill them on sight too, so I guess I can't really complain."
Its gleaming eyes fixed on Su-ho.
"Still, you have to die, human."
With a sharp bark, Pubkil leaped into the air. Just as it opened its jaws wide and was about to land in front of Su-ho, the flame chains boldly blocked its path.
Kwachik!
It was an unexpected turn. Pubkil clamped down on the flame chain blocking Su-ho's front and shook its head violently.
Su-ho had been relentlessly training his flame chains ever since Sterion had dismissed him. He needed a test subject anyway.
Su-ho wiggled his finger. The wildly thrashing flame chain suddenly went taut, then wrapped around Pubkil's body.
Kkieeeng!
Watching the flame chains bind Pubkil's body, Su-ho recalled Clark—drawing out his telekinesis like threads to slice monsters apart like cake.
He wondered if maybe he could do the same.
But with flame chains instead of telekinesis.
Su-ho's eyes flashed. The chains squeezed Pubkil even tighter. A burning smell wafted through the air. Pubkil's flesh charred and sizzled where it touched the flame chains.
There was no need to torture the writhing Pubkil in agony.
He had to end it in one go.
Su-ho extended his hand. Then, as if pulling a thread from thin air, he swept his hand from outside to inside.
Chwarrr.
It happened in an instant. The scene he'd doubted could even work unfolded right before Su-ho's eyes.
The flame chains floating in the air afterward looked different, as if declaring their task complete. They weren't the imitations of Jin Seong-hyeok's flame chains that Su-ho had been creating until now.
Flame chains the same size as the ones Jin Seong-hyeok produced hovered before Su-ho's eyes. And below them, Pubkil lay in pieces, sliced exactly as it had been bound by the chains.
It was a gruesome sight from the ground, but Su-ho's attention was entirely on the flame chains.
'That... that thing...'
'Looks like you can wield the flame chains freely now. Just get a bit stronger.'
Surprised by Jin Seong-hyeok's acknowledgment, Su-ho asked,
'It changed this suddenly? I didn't even do anything...'
'You've been training. This is the result.'
Still, Su-ho found it strange. Being able to use the flame chains—Jin Seong-hyeok's signature move—felt utterly surreal.
Su-ho reached out his hand. With a mere gesture, the flame chains flew above his head and circled gracefully.
'Then shall we put it to proper use?'
'Huh?'
'Pubkils hunt in packs. Scouting's no different.'
Jin Seong-hyeok added a cautionary note.
'It's not just one. So choose: head back to the gate now, or fight a pack of five or six alone.'
Take on five or six by himself?
Even SS-grade Hunters struggled against that many Pubkils solo. Physical Hunters especially, without wide-area mental abilities or weapons, found it overwhelming.
'If the flame chains move right, we've got a solid chance.'
Jin Seong-hyeok burst into incredulous laughter at Su-ho's words.
'So you're gonna try it?'
'Can't pass up a golden opportunity. And if it gets dangerous...'
'Don't count on my help.'
'Then I'd die.'
Jin Seong-hyeok clicked his tongue at Su-ho, who brazenly grinned as he spoke.
'Did I raise a tiger cub or something?'
'That would've been great.'
Presences approached. Su-ho swallowed dryly as black shadows appeared one by one. He knew full well this was reckless. Even so, he wanted to test it.
How far could he push the flame chains?
Kreurrung.
The pack of Pubkils finally revealed themselves. They scanned the surroundings cautiously before baring their teeth at Su-ho.
"Was it you? The one going around killing our family?"
Su-ho sighed at one of them's words.
"To be precise, I only killed one."
"So you admit to killing anyway?"
Before he knew it, the Pubkils were closing in, surrounding him.
Kyung!
With short barks, they charged simultaneously. One Pubkil latched onto Su-ho's leg in a flash.
Euduk—the vivid sound of bone snapping rang out. Su-ho gritted his teeth. No time to feel the pain. One slip, and it'd be his head next, not his leg.
Whirlic—
The flame chains wriggling like snakes above Su-ho's head severed the Pubkil's neck in one stroke.
The headless body tumbled to the ground, and the charging Pubkils froze.
His broken bones and torn flesh and muscle began to knit back together.
'Perfect for practicing flame chain control.'
No sooner had Su-ho spoken than the flame chains moved. A mere flick of his finger, and they obeyed his will perfectly.
Kek!
Kkieaeng!
Hot heat grazed Su-ho's cheek. In the blink of an eye, the chains whipped around him.
Thud thud, plop plop.
The necks of three or four Pubkils were sliced clean off. Their headless bodies convulsed on the ground.
Su-ho never forgot his first meeting with Jin Seong-hyeok. Monsters' necks had fallen like dominoes at a single gesture.
And now, Su-ho was using the exact same technique, felling monsters just like that Jin from back then.
"Ha..."
His breathing grew labored from overusing his mental power. Seeing Su-ho pant heavily, the remaining Pubkils hesitated and backed away.
Their eyes had changed. Fear flickered in their gazes.
"No, it wasn't him."
"It just looks similar...!"
Su-ho straightened up as the Pubkils muttered incomprehensibly to each other.
"No idea what you're on about, but sorry—I've got one more test to run."
Su-ho pointed at the Pubkils. The crimson chains rippling in the air seized them instantly.
Kyung kyung!
Their flesh cooked in the blazing flames. As the howling Pubkils writhed, Su-ho raised his palm skyward.
Pajijik. Staring at the sparks dancing from his palm, Su-ho suddenly recalled the threads Clark drew out with telekinesis.
What if he drew out electrical energy like threads?
No need to hesitate. He'd come here to train, so he'd try anything.
Su-ho spread both hands. Mimicking Clark, he flattened his palms and focused his mind on the tips of his fingers, right under the nails. To draw electrical energy from all ten fingers, not just his index.
Thin threads of electrical energy extended easily from his index finger, but the others just sparked—pajijik—without stretching.
Lack of power?
'No. It's not lacking. The outlets are blocked.'
'Blocked?'
'Yeah. Focus. It'll drain a ton of mental power for all ten.'
Su-ho clamped his mouth shut. The flame chains couldn't hold the Pubkils forever. With resolve to end it quickly, he poured his mind into his fingertips.
Soon, they tingled, then stung sharply.
'Cha Su-ho.'
As if that were the cue, Su-ho replied to Jin Seong-hyeok calling his name.
'Think it's working now.'
The moment he spoke, blue electrical energy extended long from all his fingertips simultaneously. Su-ho thrust his hands out. At the same time, the crimson chains around the Pubkils loosened.
Kek!
Blue-tinged electrical energy lashed out like whips—tuduk—slicing the Pubkils cleanly. Dismembered corpses rained from the sky. Seeing the chunks made Su-ho's stomach churn.
'...Gotta find a less gruesome way.'
'Not something you'd expect from a killer. Anyway.'
Jin Seong-hyeok chuckled softly before continuing.
'Pulling threads with electrical energy, huh.'
Attacking with threads like Clark.
'Satisfied with the one try. Won't use it again.'
'Why, too gross?'
'Yeah.'
'Can't help carving them up. Pubkils survive even in fire.'
Even as Jin Seong-hyeok framed it as not his fault, Su-ho felt uneasy.
Su-ho had always thought monsters just needed killing. But unlike the Evil Zone, Dead Zone monsters all spoke, stirring odd feelings.
And in Korean, no less. He'd killed them, but taking lives left a heavy, unpleasant weight on his chest.
Su-ho pondered. Maybe dialogue could prevent invasions—keep them out, let them live among themselves?
Reading his thoughts, Jin Seong-hyeok clicked his tongue.
'If talk worked, it would've ages ago. These things only know killing.'
Jin Seong-hyeok's voice carried weight, as if he'd tried conversing himself.
'Didn't you learn in class? Monster casualties. Entire nations razed, 10% of civilians dead that day.'
He meant the day monsters emerged from the zones into the world.
'Sneakier, crueler ones will come. Remember: Sterion and Pubkils are nothing in the Dead Zone.'
The sole Last Zone survivor and Dead Zone boss slayer, Jin Seong-hyeok knew monsters best—their true nature included.
'Don't catch feelings for instinct-driven beasts. Regret comes too late to turn back.'
Was it imagination, or did Jin Seong-hyeok's words drag with regret, like his own?
'Hyung, did you...'
'What.'
'Ever feel something for a monster?'
'...What?'
'Like... a comrade, friend, or pet like civilians keep.'
Hunters and Helpers didn't keep pets. Zoos baffled them. Daily monster wars made other animals feel just like monsters.
'Pet...'
Muttering softly, Jin Seong-hyeok spoke through gritted teeth.
'There was that time I thought: if I raised one myself, from a clueless baby monster, maybe it'd be fine.'
'Then...!'
A mocking laugh burst from Jin Seong-hyeok.
'If only that pup hadn't chomped my finger while I slept.'