Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: One Acts, One Observes
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Communications were flying back and forth rapidly through the in-ears. Since Han Sang-ah and I were set to infiltrate via the refrigerator, Lee Se-eun was assisting with the other hunters to help us enter the Erosion Core.
― Compiling the number of detected entities. A total of 778 slimes have been detected so far. Coordinates of the detection areas...
The hunters were provoking the slimes scattered around Bratsk and luring them away, creating an opening for Han Sang-ah and me to approach the Erosion Core.
It seemed like a straightforward plan, but the problem was the sheer number of slimes crawling around the Bratsk area.
778 of them. Far more than I'd anticipated. And in this environment, the operator team hired by Lee Se-eun began to shine.
"Definitely the kind of skill that makes them worth being her regulars."
Han Sang-ah nodded at my words.
Through the radio, the operators provided only the essential information each hunter needed, guided their movements via in-ears, and warned of potential dangers they might encounter.
Seagull, was it?
"We got operator support back in Gyodongdo Island too."
"But it's on another level."
Honestly, I'm not one for comparisons, but there's a world of difference between state-run operators and private ones. Public enterprises and private companies always have that gap.
― Prepare for entry. Proceed as instructed in five minutes. Approximately 25 slimes are predicted near the destination. Maximum margin of error is five.
The instructions came through the in-ear. Han Sang-ah and I took a deep breath. So, our turn had finally come.
― The moment we confirm the two hunters entering the Erosion Core, all units will retreat. As you're aware, communication inside the Erosion Core is impossible.
We dashed across the snowy Siberian plain, following the operators' guidance. The region was already frigid, but the Erosion Core's influence made it even colder. And as we drew closer, the chill grew more intense with every step.
"Damn."
I brushed the ice shards clinging to my eyebrows.
― You're almost there. Roughly five slimes are heading toward the two hunters.
"Guide them away from us as much as possible."
I had no intention of wasting energy here. No telling what lay beyond that Erosion Core.
― We're doing our utmost, but about three seem unavoidable.
With hundreds wriggling around, having to deal with just three made me feel like bowing in gratitude to the operators.
As predicted, the slimes lunged at us.
"Ignore them."
"Got it."
We couldn't afford to waste time on those things. There were only two of us, but we had the skill to dodge their attacks while pressing toward the goal.
Dodging the tentacles thrusting toward us, Han Sang-ah and I ran relentlessly. The landscape gradually shifted. The forests vanished, replaced by shattered roads and snow-blanketed abandoned factories.
"We've reached Bratsk."
― Confirmed. Keep going straight.
Bratsk wasn't a particularly large city. Leaping over crumbled factories and racing through broken walls and residential zones, we arrived at our destination: the housing district.
No sign of a single soul, and with every breath, I could feel my body temperature plummeting. All that frigid air was pouring out from the massive hole looming before us.
The culprit Erosion Core—Bratsk's Refrigerator.
― Enter the Erosion Core within 30 seconds. Any delay will force unnecessary casualties on our allies. No communication possible inside. Good luck.
30 seconds. No time for mental prep. We'd have to dive right in. Once we did, comms would cut out naturally, and the operators would immediately order the engaged hunters to retreat.
"Han Sang-ah, here we go!"
She nodded at my words. Do or die.
We leaped into the Erosion Core simultaneously.
Vision went dark for a moment.
A heavy thud echoed, and the darkness brightened sharply. Then, a voice boomed.
In this bone-chilling cold that sliced at the flesh, the air itself froze into letters before our eyes.
What the hell? At that moment, a voice rang in my ears.
― Yoo Chan-seok, what are you doing? Don't move.
It was Han Sang-ah's voice. But Han Sang-ah herself was nowhere to be seen.
― There's a blade right at your throat.
I voiced my doubt. What are you talking about? The place I stood in resembled a vast palace hall—enormous and completely empty. Cautiously, I moved my hand toward my neck.
Nothing was visible, yet my fingertip grazed something sharp, drawing blood.
"No way."
Could I not see anything? I quickly tried to assess the situation.
"Han Sang-ah, do you see anything else?"
― There's a blade at your neck, and wires like tripwires set up all around. The space is riddled with traps. And three doors connected to here just opened.
I could see the doors opening.
― One slime emerging from each door. But it seems I can't touch anything. Everything just passes through my body.
But I couldn't see the slimes she described. I had a rough idea of what was happening now.
"Hey, looks like you're my eyes."
Dangers were invisible to me, but I could act. Han Sang-ah could see every threat, but she couldn't act.
― ...I think I get it.
Without Han Sang-ah's guidance, I was utterly clueless about my surroundings. She knew exactly what was going on, but was powerless to intervene.
I understood what "two as one" meant.
― Still, the slimes' movements are incredibly slow. Maybe 20% of the speed of the ones outside.
At her words, I inspected the floor. It was laid out like tiles in a grid pattern—transparent ice and white ice alternating.
Drawing on my accumulated experience and instincts, I racked my brain and reached a conclusion in an instant.
"Listen up. Using my current position as the center, call out the slimes' positions and the traps using the tiles as coordinates. You can do that, right?"
― Smart thinking. I'll give it my all.
I drew my spear and stared into the seemingly empty hall.
"No need to panic. A little slip-up is fine. Just don't get me killed. I'm too young to live as a debtor."
― Right?
First things first—the blade aimed at my Adam's apple needed handling.
― No, a bit lower! Yeah, it's fixed there.
As I moved my hand, Han Sang-ah's warning came a split-second late. After nicking my fingertip again, I followed her guidance to locate the device securing the blade's hilt and smashed it with my spear.
― An axe is falling from above. Dodge to the side—three steps. No, sorry. Three steps left.
I shifted my feet to the left as instructed.
"Honestly, it should've already smashed into my head by now."
― ...It was falling really slowly. About one-fifth speed, just like the slimes creeping up now.
Some consideration since she had to instruct while I moved.
― Sorry. I need to call it out faster.
"It's fine. Focus. No time for apologies."
This was too perilous a situation to waste time on sorrys. "Blind man" fit perfectly.
My life depended entirely on Han Sang-ah. This wasn't mere invisibility—I couldn't sense threats in any way.
Every attack, evasion, and defense had to follow her instructions.
"I trust you. Like I said, minor mistakes are okay."
Threats like "mess up and you're dead" or "do it right" were pointless bullshit. Unnecessary tension just botched things.
― ...Got it. Trap at 3-15. Touch it, and arrows will pour from holes in the walls.
"You can see the mechanisms?"
― Yeah.
Unable to act, she could see everything in detail.
― 7-8. Floor button—spears will shoot up from below. Slimes at 18-5, 31-7, 5-7. Closest one's swinging a tentacle at you, left to right at 17 degrees. Back two tiles.
Han Sang-ah spat out instructions as fast as a rapper. I moved in perfect sync.
"Urk."
― Sorry.
A slime attack or trap grazed me, leaving a wound.
This insane stunt couldn't always be flawless. No one had ever experienced anything like it. Even with everything but me slowed to one-fifth speed, it was brutal.
Difficulty beyond comparing to cute games like three-legged races.
"Trap layouts—you know them. No need to explain to me."
Just say "don't go." Her instructions needed to be as concise as possible. While taking hits, I streamlined them.
After repeated errors, Han Sang-ah and I succeeded in optimizing her calls.
― Two traps. Zero-five-one-three, one-two-zero-eight.
Suddenly, I was dredging up bizarre military number-counting from memory.
That meant 0513 and 1208—grouping two digits for coordinates in this vast grid: (05,13), (12,08), and so on.
― Move to two-three. Post-move, enemies at zero-three-one-five, two-zero-one-five, one-three-zero-five.
Slowly, bit by bit, we were adapting.
Honestly, my head throbbed, my body ached—it was pure hell.
― One eliminated.
Finally, through sheer effort, we'd taken down a slime. Of course, with no way to confirm myself, I just took her word for it.
Nearly five hours later, we successfully eliminated all three slimes.
― My head's pounding.
"You too? Same here."
At that instant, my consciousness suddenly pulled away. The massive hall I'd been in unfolded below me like a bird's-eye view.
And in the spot where I'd stood moments ago was Han Sang-ah in my place.
"Hey, looks like roles swapped."
― Yeah.
Now I had to guide her, and she'd move on my calls. This was madness.
This time, five slimes made their entrance.
"Five of them. Good luck."
Even five was manageable—they moved agonizingly slow, and though roles had flipped, we'd adapted decently. Not impossible.
― I don't want to die either.
Don't screw up. With roles reversed, we dove back into the headache-inducing ordeal.