180 – The Anguish of the Returner (2)
When I came out of Choi Ji-won’s house, there was already a b*tchy atmosphere.
“Mom, can’t I play more?”
“Jimin, let’s go in quickly.”
A child innocently fussing at his parents, and a mother taking her child away with a pale complexion. Since mothers these days are quicker to hear rumors, they must have heard rumors that a monster has appeared.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Cars… “
“First of all, get on. But you probably won’t be able to get to your destination by car.”
Even as I started the car, I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.
“Get out of the way, you bastards!”
“Come out! “Come out!”
And my prediction was correct, and the closer we got to Namsan, the more the road lost its function. As cars pile up, the speed slows down, and as the speed slows down, some people abandon their cars, and because of those one or two, the road completely loses its function and other people abandon their cars, repeating the vicious cycle.
“Let’s get out of the car right now. Let’s run and go. I do not have time.”
“… “
Choi Ji-won became impatient when she saw that, but on the contrary, my heart sank heavily.
This moment is a precious moment that I have waited 10 months to reach. Therefore, it is a rational decision to collect as much information as possible.
However, Choi Ji-won is now trying to save people. There is no point in asking her, ‘Will I have to fight to gather her information?’ Because Choi Ji-won is that kind of person.
“… “
Choi Ji-won gets hurt… perishing. She doesn’t want to be seen.
“Jiwon.”
“Huh?”
“Maybe… If a situation arises where you get seriously injured… I will regress. So please be as careful as possible.”
“… Okay.”
Choi Ji-won nods at me while running. Even though she got her consent, her anxiety didn’t go away.
As she ran toward Namsan, worrying over and over again, her and Choi Ji-won’s steps naturally slowed down.
“… “
“… “
Arrived. There is a tiger around here. The thick bloody smell from the tip of her nose is the proof.
As I slowly walked towards the source of the smell of blood, Choi Ji-won’s expression soon became stiff.
“… Ah.”
Residential area near Namsan. This place had everything that a residential area in Seoul should have.
Trees along the road, stopped cars, tall electric poles, and cozy villas.
“f*ck… “
Numerous corpses, crushed and torn apart. Bodies were strewn everywhere, as if an immature elementary school student had been playing with toilet paper soaked in water and throwing it against the wall.
Most of the bodies were unrecognizable lumps of blood, and the few that remained had terrible fear and pain etched on their faces.
In addition, there are cars that have been crushed and distorted, buildings that have been half-destroyed… Blood flowing down the drain.
“Wook… “
I felt nauseous without realizing it. It’s not the first time someone has died. However, all the deaths I have experienced have occurred in the tower. This means that it was an extraordinary thing within an extraordinary situation.
Just because the background of death was moved to modern times, an unbearable feeling of disgust came over me. The corpse of a young man who looked like a college student, with only the upper body remaining. The body of a middle-aged woman wearing hiking clothes. A police badge shining among the crushed blood.
“If only I had come a little faster… “
Choi Ji-won mutters with a pale complexion. She was right. If we had arrived a little earlier, this tragedy might have been prevented. She was at the age where she used to say, ‘As long as monsters appear, we can’t save everyone.’ Even in front of this scene, she couldn’t bring herself to say those words.
“Khuaaa!!!”
What woke Choi Ji-won and me from our shock was the sound of a huge roar that rang out from the direction of Namsan. At the same time, a tingling presence stimulates the skin.
“… “Are you in combat?”
“Let’s go.”
Let’s try our best to ignore the corpses scattered here and there and run with all our might towards Namsan… Finally, I was able to face the huge tiger that Choi Ji-won had mentioned.
“Krrr… “
A hiking trail where trees are shattered and the ground is turned upside down. At the top of the stairs of this cruel hiking trail with blood stains everywhere, a huge tiger lowered its posture and bared its teeth.
The size of the tiger was larger than the white porter truck I saw on the way, and judging from the golden glow emanating from its eyes, it seemed that the tiger had not simply grown in size.
“Whoo, whoo, whoo.”
“Kids who are not in good condition should get out… “
The huge tiger was confronting a group of about twenty players, and at first glance, there was not a single player in good shape. The only consolation is that the tiger also suffered several fairly deep wounds.
Among the corpses scattered around, there were quite a few corpses wearing dwarven armor. Whether for compensation or for the sake of people, there are more than one number of players who pounced on a tiger and died horribly.
“Uh, Brother Junho?”
“Choi Ji-won, it’s Choi Ji-won!”
Rather than confronting each other like that, the players cheered softly when they saw me and Choi Ji-won.
These are the faces in my memory. We met once while traveling. Several of them were members of Kang Chan’s guild, and the rest were also known as talented people.
“That tiger has the ability to briefly teleport!”
“You may become transparent for a moment. Be careful!”
The players looked confident that Choi Ji-won and I would sort out the whole situation.
“What about Kang Chan?”
“Brother Chan went on a business trip to Daejeon… He probably won’t be able to come for a while. “We have to handle it on our own.”
“… “
In fact, the best power in Korea right now is Kang Chan. Since Korea is a country with a small population, the number of outstanding players was small, and among them, Choi Ji-won and I were left out because we did not climb the top. Other players aren’t much help, to be honest.
If I had known this would happen, I would have had Choi Ji-won climb the tower separately. It seems like they were too greedy in gathering information and tried to take too safe a path. f*ck, what an idiot.
“Junho, can you stand a little further away? “Don’t get hurt.”
While I was blaming myself, Choi Ji-won was preparing for battle. With her boobs pinned to the floor, she fixes her hair in a ponytail and glares at her tiger.
The tiger was also walking slowly and glaring at Choi Ji-won. The eyes of the two creatures did not separate from each other’s movements for even a single moment.
“… “The heart of Seomjeon.”
The moment when blue sparks began to fly from Choi Ji-won’s body as he finished all preparations and held the bungbungi with both hands.
Wow!!!
With a loud noise, the two monsters disappeared. If I hadn’t had magic in my eyes, I would have missed that movement.
“Do you mind if I don’t help you?”
“I have to protect you all.”
In the scene just seen momentarily, Choi Ji-won blocked the tiger’s teeth with his sword while simultaneously kicking the tiger’s stomach with his foot. Maybe they did it on purpose to keep the tiger away from me.
I also didn’t want to worry Choi Ji-won, so I just watched the fight between the tiger and Choi Ji-won from afar. If you get caught up and go back… There was no such inconvenience.
“How is it going?”
“Choi Ji-won is winning.”
I watched the battle closely with my eyes focused on magical power.
Choi Ji-won was pushing the tiger without hesitation. She did not allow the tiger to attack her even once, and as time went by, the wounds on her tiger skin grew more and more.
The sight of all of the tiger’s attacks missing by just a hair’s breadth makes it seem like a stunt planned in advance with Choi Ji-won. Every time blue lightning flashed, the tiger screamed in pain, and drops of blood formed on the tip of Choi Ji-won’s sword.
However, as time passed, the composition began to change strangely.
“… “Choi Ji-won is pushed out.”
The tiger’s body is full of wounds, but Choi Ji-won’s body is relatively intact. However, in the flow of battle, it was Choi Ji-won who was gradually pushed out.
The reason is clear. It’s physical strength.
Choi Ji-won is using the trait called ‘Heart of the Demon’ to push his body beyond its limits. Although the burden has been reduced by sharing the roles between two personalities, it is clear that it is impossible to continue with lightning flowing throughout the body.
The Banmyeong Tiger is fiercely resisting based on its overflowing vitality and regenerative power. Choi Ji-won is slowly getting tired, and the tiger is pushing himself into the wild. If we continue like this… Choi Ji-won loses.
“It won’t work.”
Here, I felt like I had to take a risk and intervene. Rather than seeing Choi Ji-won die, it would be better for her to return with her injuries.
“Uh, uh… “
“Fog?”
As the chill gradually rises, fog naturally comes out of the body and the heartbeat slows down. Feeling coldness spread throughout my body, I jumped into the battlefield.
“Krrr.”
“Is it Junho?”
A tiger is glaring at me from the corner of its eye, and Choi Ji-won is embarrassed as if asking why he came. The fierce battle pauses for a moment due to my intrusion.
Even if there is a return here… First, I will kill that tiger. Achievement levels can increase, traits can be created, and enlightenment can be gained.
But even putting all that aside… As I saw earlier, I felt like I had to kill the monster that had driven Choi Ji-won, who had killed people so cruelly, to be relieved of my senses.
“I’m going.”
I feel aching pain, and my slow heartbeat becomes even slower. Even though I was prepared to return, the time I could move with all my might was about 5 to 10 seconds. Finish it in there.
“Whoa.”
The exhaled breath freezes and sparkles in the air, and at the same time, I feel a hot energy near my waist. A sword was being created in the sheath obtained on the third floor.
A scabbard that responds to my emotions and creates a weapon appropriate for them. What I feel right now is anger.
A cold energy surrounds the hot sword. This is possible. Finished in one shot.
Bend your left knee and at the same time look towards the tiger’s head. The feet are also in good posture.
Do your best, Ben…
Kwaaan
Before I could take action, a loud noise echoed through the space. Shaking ground. Flashing light.
It feels as if a bomb has exploded. Tinnitus rings in my ears, and the dust is so thick that I can’t see an inch in front of me.
“What, what?”
What is it? Did the tiger do something? So there was no movement?
As I let out a strong chill in embarrassment, the dust cleared and my obscured vision returned to its original state. What was caught in the sight that had returned to its original state.
“… “
Choi Ji-won is standing with a puzzled expression while taking a breath.
“… Uh?”
A man stands on top of a corpse that has become a tiger/lice with its waist broken, and looks around with dignity.
A coldly handsome face. Short sports cut hair. A dangerous atmosphere emanating from the whole body.
“Kim Jun-ho. “Am I a little late?”
The man who greeted me with that growling voice… He was Kang Chan, who had gone on a business trip to Daejeon.
“Uh, uh… “
I was curious as to how Kang Chan had already arrived here, but there was something else that really caught my attention.
A girl wearing a hood, standing next to Choi Ji-won and looking at me.
Even though she was wearing her mask, I recognized her.
“… Doksuhee?”
She… She was Dok Soo-hee, who betrayed me on the third floor.