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Chapter 154

A multitude of thoughts raced through my mind. The palm approaching me, with long, menacing fingers poised to grab, felt incredibly ominous.

Despite that, Kim Yoo-min couldn’t move. She felt like a fool unable to act.

“What are you standing there like an idiot for?! Dodge, you fool!!”

At Yoon-woo’s urgent voice, Kim Yoo-min snapped back to reality. She quickly moved to avoid the approaching hand that was now nearly in her face.

Just tilting her head slightly could have been enough to dodge, but instinctively she threw her entire body sideways.

Though it seemed excessive, she realized that her instinct was correct only after witnessing what unfolded next.

Bam!!

It was a lackluster movement, akin to trying to swat a fly. Without pouring mana into the swing, merely extending her hand created a shockwave that propelled her body even further away.

“Yikes…!!”

“Shar!! Bring Yoo-min over here!!”

“Got it…!!”

Kim Yoo-min dashed through the air, crying out while being swept along by Shar’s wind magic, rolling right next to Yoon-woo.

“Wh-What is that monster, Choi Yeon-woo?!”

“No time for explanations! Where’s the professor!?”

Professor Yoo Ha-yeon, who was leading the students along with Yoon-woo, shouldn’t have been far; she had just stepped out to grab some things from the dorm.

“I was just saying I was going to the dorm as well….”

“Guess we can’t rely on that then!!”

Before the two could finish, Christopher swung his fist. A classic telegraph punch. His novice strength went into the blow, connecting with nothing but air.

Thud!!

It was a technique favored by Je Gal Seong-ryong, a strike that created a shockwave. While Seong-ryong combined aura and technique, Christopher’s was purely a brute force replication of martial arts.

The air roared violently as a current separated the two. With an explosive sound accompanying the destruction, Yoon-woo delicately adjusted his mana, sending a message to Yoo-min.

– Don’t even think about fighting, Yoo-min. Its defense is as outrageous as its destructive power.

Surprised by those words, Kim Yoo-min turned her head to question Yoon-woo, only to have her focus snapped back to Christopher, who was charging at her.

In the meantime, Yoon-woo began condensing his Aura Blade. With Kim Yoo-min appearing, the situation had improved.

If it were the Gloomy Monster from ten years later, it might be a different story, but for now, even with a wall of difference in expertise, as long as she focused on evasion, there was a solid chance to dodge attacks.

Especially considering it was Kim Yoo-min he was dealing with, known for her exceptional agility; surely she’d buy them enough time.

Of course, the win condition for Yoon-woo and his team wasn’t to defeat it directly but merely to hold out until backup arrived. Yet in their current 3-to-1 matchup, they could afford to attack.

If they didn’t respond with full effort, facing Christopher’s overly expansive strikes could lead to dire consequences. Thus, someone needed to initiate a counterattack to prevent Yoon-woo and the others from exhausting themselves first.

It felt like his arm was extending. The Aura Blade lightly covered the surface of his sword. This was the ideal form taught by Yuri. But now, he discarded the ideal and slammed the aura into the blade, increasing its size.

Right now, he needed power beyond efficiency. There was no alternative but to brute-force the aura into the weapon.

‘If only I could manifest an element…!!’

What emerged was a massive Aura Blade, different from the area-based one used against Sebek, enveloping the sword. With this bulky sword in hand, Yoon-woo charged at Christopher.

Meanwhile, Kim Yoo-min was heaving ragged breaths, likely due to the mental strain. The stress of being threatened by a monster seemed to be exhausting her more than usual. Thankfully, Shar had noticed Yoon-woo’s intentions and was using magic to assist Kim Yoo-min.

‘But why is he suddenly targeting Kim Yoo-min…?’

Though he never understood the Gloomy Monster’s behaviors, neither before nor after his regression, right now it was utterly incomprehensible. People say trying to understand a madman’s actions is foolish, and perhaps it was true.

Taking advantage of Christopher’s vulnerable back as he focused on Kim Yoo-min, Yoon-woo brought down his sword with full force. Remarkably, he didn’t attempt any defensive maneuver. It reminded him of his duel with Richard.

Thud!

The dull sound echoed as the blade connected with flesh, a result he hadn’t expected. Surprisingly, it was a success; he managed to cut through skin.

“…Ouch.”

Christopher muttered in a slow voice. In response, Yoon-woo couldn’t help but chuckle. No matter how new he was to being an Expert, saying “ouch” after being hit with an Aura Blade on his back?

More importantly, there had to be a time limit somewhere. Why was he acting so relaxed? No matter how behind schedule, Yuri would show up within two minutes, yet this guy was taking it easy.

He dragged in Saturday’s minions just to create a few minutes’ delay. Who knew what he used to summon them.

Regardless, he felt they could hold out long enough for Yuri to arrive. However, that was only if this guy didn’t continue to act so nonchalantly, so he couldn’t let his guard down.

Just then was the peak of being too relaxed.

“…Hmm, quicker than I thought.”

As Kim Yoo-min panted and caught her breath, Christopher murmured. Looking half-dazed, she glared resentfully at Yoon-woo. What could he say? That bastard was suddenly focusing solely on her.

“Shall I try a little harder…?”

With those words, Christopher suddenly bent down. Like he was about to sprint, his crouch was precise. The only difference was instead of placing his palms on the ground, he buried his fingers into the earth like drilling through clay.

Seeing that, flashes of battlefields swept away by the Gloomy Monster filled my mind. Mountains crumbled, hills turned flat; just how fierce were those battles to cause such destruction? But what if that was not the case?

“Hey, run…!!”

The ground trembled ominously. The source was clear; it came from Christopher’s hands buried into the ground as if he were trying to lift something heavy.

Creeeak! The earth itself shattered like the roots of a tree breaking apart. The ground Yoon-woo and Kim Yoo-min stood on heaved upward. A small hill was suddenly uprooted—

*

“…D-Dad…!!”

A light slap on my face jolted me awake. Had I spaced out for a moment? With a ringing in my ears and pain coursing through my body, I opened my eyes.

It was a dim… cavernous space. Just moments ago, it had been sunny and over a grassy hill. Confused, I opened my mouth to speak.

“Ugh, Shar… what’s the situation?”

“Tae-oh will explain. Fortunately, you weren’t unconscious for more than a few seconds. We need to hurry and find Yoo-min unnie…!”

For some reason, the Gloomy Monster had started targeting Kim Yoo-min. Seeing that it hadn’t finished while he was out cold suggests it likely headed for her. The reason remained a complete mystery.

[The ground has completely turned over. To describe the current situation, it’s like digging a hole to bury someone and then putting the dug-out dirt back over them, sealing the lid. I found my sister. Come on, this way!]

Hearing Tae-oh’s explanation confirmed it. The place I thought was a dark cave was actually a ceiling filled with familiar trees overhead. The ground had flipped over so thoroughly that Yoon-woo and Yoo-min had no chance to evade.

At least the foliage held the ceiling intact, providing them enough space to move. If they didn’t hurry, they’d be buried alive.

No matter how awakened one was, the weight could crush them to death, so they needed to find Kim Yoo-min and get out fast.

Luckily, Yoon-woo could navigate through the darkness without needing to use his sight; he connected with Tae-oh and started moving through the shadows in a hurry.

*

“Huff, huff….”

Breathing felt difficult. Yes, undoubtedly due to exhausted stamina, but there was also a lack of oxygen in this place. Thankfully, he could assess the surrounding situation through sensing, which was fortunate; without it, he’d be prone to claustrophobia in such an environment.

Additionally….

“Don’t run away… I’m too lazy to chase you.”

Before me stood a nonchalant voice of a crazed murderer. Kim Yoo-min was under intense stress from this situation. Dying at the hands of a monster was terrifying yet comprehensible. But a human killing another human… that was beyond her understanding.

“Why, why is this happening…?”

Tears threatening to spill from her eyes felt unbearable to hold back. Despite her determination, one drop rolled down her cheek.

“…Hmm? What’s this? Maybe Choi Yeon-woo will realize something after losing someone…”

“What… are you talking about…?”

She felt the man tilt his head like an owl. In that motion and his voice, she sensed a chilling fear. The exchange of words was established, but she instinctively felt no understanding could be reached here.

“I don’t know who you are, but… you’re probably Choi Yeon-woo’s friend, right? I’m sorry to say… but I see you as a sacrifice… for his growth….”

What on earth was he talking about? It was odd to even think about killing without knowing who she was. Even more bizarre was acting as if everything was for Yoon-woo’s sake. Her brother’s previous words flashed in her mind.

“Yoo-min, don’t talk to those shady folks at first sight… There’s no need to. They’re not people you can talk to and understand.”

This was exactly that situation. It was incomprehensible. Even Yoo-min, who believed people could generally understand each other through conversation, acknowledged that fact.

What stood before her, represented by this man, belonged to a group of Demon King Corruption, presumably comprised solely of individuals like this. People who only wanted to say their piece.

As she backed away from the fear, Kim Yoo-min stumbled over a stone. The Gloomy Monster, approaching at a zombie-like pace, swiftly closed the distance.

“Ah, so you finally understand me…? I’ll make sure to kill you without pain, so don’t worry….”

A smile finally appeared on the man’s face. The hand reaching out was terrifically terrifying, like the bony fingers of the Grim Reaper, and Kim Yoo-min—

Thrust her fist forward.

Most unsettling was the palm. She had realized through experience that even if possessed with impossible strength and durability, the basic mechanics of movement weren’t all that different from human nature.

When he swung his arm, only the space in contact would shatter, while untouched areas like his hair or knees would remain intact.

Like a lightning bolt, her right fist struck the man’s wrist just as he reached for her. A hollow sound echoed as his arm rebounded.

Almost simultaneously, her left arm shot out, instinctually responding. Her body felt so rigid that if she struck, her hand would undoubtedly break. Meanwhile, he wouldn’t suffer even a scratch.

So she aimed for the “joint.”

A flash flickered. Christopher’s knee buckled, collapsing to the ground. For the man, it must felt like running into a tank on the street—sharp pain resonated at his chin.

“…Huh?”

Before him stood a girl with black hair, tearfully glaring with clenched fists.

……So this is what I look like?

Only then did Christopher realize the person before him was human.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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