[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 20: One-on-One (5)
"Lee Eunho, why don’t you have much stuff? Are you, like, a minimalist or something?"
I’ve never been one to buy a lot of things.
Not because I’m some lofty minimalist or anything.
I’ve switched jobs as often as rental contracts expire, and I’ve moved frequently.
It just felt wrong to keep accumulating new stuff.
I also didn’t like the idea of paying expensive rent just to store clutter.
So, I developed a habit of buying only what I truly needed.
And yet—
‘This is my first time buying something like this.’
I never imagined it.
That I would one day buy moldy bread to use as a gift.
But—
[A gift has been received from the recipient 'Choi Jaehyuk'!]
At least the biggest problem was solved.
Spreading the rules and strategies of this mission to the others.
[The 'Raven of the Administration Bureau' marvels at your unique use of the gift system.]
[An anonymous observer smiles contentedly, taking credit for your ingenuity.]
...Although it introduced a new problem, the mission came first.
“Confirm.”
Feeling a smug satisfaction as I suppressed the upward tug of my lips, I inspected the letter and box forming before my eyes.
Flaaash!
As I touched the angular envelope, it seemed to sprout like a seedling and unfolded its limbs outward.
──── ────
To: Lee Eunho
From: Choi Jaehyuk
Subject: Bro, are you okay? I seriously thought I was done for. Some weird monster fell straight from the sky, and no matter how many times I—
──── ────
“No matter how many times I” — and it trailed off like the title of a forgotten song.
It wasn’t an attempt to create suspense, nor was it some sort of artistic ellipsis.
There must’ve been a character limit.
Good thing I had compressed my message as much as possible.
Otherwise, I might’ve left out something crucial.
"I hope Jieun received hers as well."
With mixed relief and concern, I opened the box Jaehyuk had sent.
Scraaape.
The box, which felt like glass but opened smoothly, revealed its contents.
"Ugh..."
Sour milk.
So old that the white fermentation had coagulated into lumpy, unidentifiable solids.
【'The 'Prince of the Investigation Bureau' shakes his head at the mysterious culinary preferences of District 13.】
【'The 'Raven of the Administration Bureau' urges you to drink it quickly.】
“Store!”
I didn’t even want to touch it, so I tossed it into my inventory before shaking my head.
At that moment, the mission announcement blared.
[The final mission will begin in 10 seconds.]
This is the last chance.
I need to finish quickly and rescue the child.
Though I couldn’t see them, I felt certain that Jieun and Jaehyuk, who had also received my gifts, were thinking the same.
[Mission failure penalty: Greater Demon evolves into Titan Demon.]
I was equally certain they were as worried about the penalty.
Titan Demon...
Would it just be bigger?
Even the Greater Demon in the second loop had been larger than me.
[Final mission starting.]
[Defeat the Titan Demon!]
Sigh.
Letting out a brief breath, I bent my knees, widening my stance to lower my center of gravity.
Standing beneath the distorted space,
— Ssssssss!
A dark energy, somewhere between liquid and gas, filled the ceiling before vomiting out a massive form.
The Titan Demon fell straight toward my head.
Ordinarily, I’d dodge—but—
“Petrification! Summon!”
With my petrified hands, I gripped the electricity-charged blade and raised it high above my head.
In a split second—or rather, a fraction of one.
‘I have to finish this in one go.’
—Thud! Crackle! ZZZZTTTTTT!
[Activating 'Electric Discharge'!]
[Remaining uses: 4.]
As the Titan Demon descended, I thrust the sword up into its groin.
GAAAAAAAHHHH!
Reeling from unfathomable pain, the Titan Demon released its grip on the massive mace it held.
CRAAAASH!
Its thick hide desperately tried to shield its life, but—
The electrified blade, now blazing, sank deeper into the monster’s body.
—Spurt!
Splatter.
The giant corpse twitched, split in half.
Crimson blood poured like a waterfall, but I had neither the time nor the inclination to admire it.
[You have defeated the Titan Demon!]
[Train No. 18 cleared.]
09:45
Next up, Train No. 17.
This time, I’ll accelerate.
* * *
Switching between Petrification and acceleration, I managed to endure their cooldown times.
Petrification. Accelerate. Petrification. Accelerate. Petrification.
"Faster than the second loop!"
Without acceleration, I was slow; without Petrification, I couldn’t wield the electrified sword.
During the second loop, I had nearly wasted time waiting for cooldowns.
“Summon the Blue Iron Sword!”
When Petrification was active, I used the Blade-tipped sword.
— ZZZZZT!
[‘Electric Discharge’ activated!]
[Remaining uses depleted.]
[Demon defeated!]
“Hyung!”
“Sir!”
The two looked at me like I was a lifeline dropped from the heavens.
“Hyuuuuung!”
“Jaehyuk. Did you see Jieun?”
“Jieun-noona?”
Jaehyuk’s wide eyes and shaking head told me he hadn’t.
Strange.
Jieun had said she’d clear up to Car 6 and then return.
‘Did something go wrong?’
A chill ran down my spine as unease crept in.
Just then—
“Aaaaahhhh!”
A piercing scream rang out from beyond the glass door.
* * *
Opening the door to Car 5, I saw a demon perched atop broken seats.
In its hand was the nape of a schoolgirl, suspended in midair.
“Oh my! She’s been caught!”
“Stay calm! I’ll save her!”
Jieun’s voice trembled with none of the calm she demanded, her feet shuffling in place beside a panicked cleaning lady.
“P-please... save me...”
With a face that was anything but calm, Jieun was telling everyone to stay calm, while the cleaning lady was anxiously pacing back and forth.
"Pl-please save me..."
In her hands, she was holding onto the trembling friend of Yoon Sola, a short student who was pale and shivering.
She wanted to scream, but seemed to be holding her mouth shut, worried that it might provoke the demon.
Thud.
"Her shoe..."
"Shh, quiet!"
In the meantime, one of the girl's shoes, suspended in mid-air, fell onto the demon's foot.
Heeek—!
It seemed like the demon had hurt his neck, as he slowly lowered his head, making only a sound like wind whistling.
In the tense atmosphere, where even his hair seemed to stand on end:
"Heeek..."
The student, her face filled with fear, silently shed tears.
"Ha, student! What should we do?!"
"Mr. Song! Shh!"
Heeek—!
The distance from the demon was less than three meters.
If I used my acceleration skill, I could rush in and grab her...
"Acceleration!"
[Cooldown: 43 seconds, 42 seconds, 41 seconds...]
"Damn it!"
"I'll go...!"
"No, not you, Jaehyuk!"
It was too dangerous.
I stopped Jaehyuk, who was pulling out his sword.
"If you swing that large sword, you might accidentally cut the student!"
The demon must be aware of that, which is why he’s holding her like a shield.
"H-hyung! What should we do?!"
"39, 38, 37 seconds... We need to wait for the cooldown."
I gripped my sword tightly, intending to wait until the cooldown was over and then take action.
— Tap!
Jieun, who had been keeping her lips tightly shut, stepped forward.
She held a sword with a sharp blade in her left hand, and in her right hand, a dagger.
"Lower your head!"
Is she planning to throw it?
'This is dangerous!'
"Jieun! If you miss, the student will be in danger!"
I yelled urgently, but by then, Jieun's dagger was already cutting through the air, heading straight for the demon.
— Swoosh!
It flew in a straight line, unwavering, its trajectory ending exactly at the demon’s heart.
However...
— Swiik.
It seemed the demon had thought ahead, as he moved the girl to his chest, as if using her as a shield.
"Kyaaahh!"
"No!!!"
The student's scream as she saw the blade heading straight for her head.
Jieun's cry of horror.
This was bad.
Taat!
I sprinted, ignoring the acceleration, but the dagger, as fast as an arrow, barely missed my fingertips.
"Kyaaaahhh!"
And then...
— Pook!
It struck precisely in the demon’s forehead.
The entire length of the dagger, as long as an arm, embedded deeply into his skull.
"Kyaaaahhh! Someone, please save me! Kyaaahh... huh?"
— Squeak!
A thick stream of blood poured from where the dagger had struck, and the demon’s forehead split open.
"Did that just..."
"Did it curve?"
The dagger, which had been aimed at the student’s head, changed direction mid-flight.
So... the dagger, which had long since left Jieun’s hand, had changed course on its own.
"Did... I survive...?"
Thud!
The student, who had fallen from the demon’s grip, knelt down in relief, as if to give thanks.
"What is this...?"
Jieun, with a stunned face, alternated between looking at the student, who was crying and laughing, and her own hands, muttering two familiar words.
"Skill... Data?"
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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