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Chapter 27: Sacrifice (2)
"Accelerate!!"
Swish!
I had never been so relieved to feel the heavy air stilled by suspension.
Practically flying to where Jieun lay buried, I tore away the concrete slabs covering her.
What was revealed made my heart sink.
‘This can’t be...!’
A crushed occipital bone.
From her small head, an alarming amount of red, translucent liquid was flowing.
A lifeless body, limp and devoid of strength.
It was a scene of utter despair to anyone who looked.
But—
Thump───.
Amid the slowed flow of time, a faint heartbeat was still detectable.
...It wasn’t too late yet.
“Summon!”
A sticky lump gradually took form on my palm.
Though I had only managed to scrape together a small fragment, it was large and thick enough to cover both my hands.
Layer upon layer of golden pastry-like textures glistened with yellow honey that dripped between the cracks.
▣ Stone Honey of the Giant Bumblebee
- High-quality honey collected by giant bumblebees between trees and stones.
Consuming it permanently increases stamina and strength by 1.
Whether stamina or strength mattered didn’t concern me now.
What mattered was this:
- When applied to damaged areas, it restores them to perfect condition. However, it cannot be used if the heart has stopped.
The effect of the stone honey: "restores to perfect condition."
Thump───.
Her heart, though on the verge of ceasing, hadn’t fully stopped thanks to the suspended acceleration.
‘With this!’
Swipe—
I brought the stone honey to her caved-in occipital bone and pressed it firmly, the layered honeycomb gradually melting.
This must be what it looks like when liquid gold flows down.
‘Please, please, please, please, please...!’
I added fervent prayers to the precious golden nectar, worth far more than its radiant hue.
Slither...
The fully melted honey spread out, enveloping the hollow area in a smooth, rounded motion.
Moments later, a radiant burst of light flashed brilliantly.
—Whoosh!
From within the golden membrane, pristine white bone and the gray matter it enclosed began to reconstruct.
The wax that formed the honeycomb’s foundation melted, becoming scalp tissue.
Over that, transparent skin formed, gradually covering the area.
Tick.
As if something had been set back into place—
“Haaah...!”
Jieun’s eyes snapped open.
“!!”
[Survivors in the 'Yongsan-gu' area: 1,000.]
“...Eunho?”
【'Ferryman of the Administration Bureau' is shocked, asking where the giant bumblebee’s stone honey came from.】
【'Prince of the Investigation Bureau' exclaims that not even stone honey can revive the dead, mouth agape.】
【An anonymous observer wonders about the secret of revival.】
The number of survivors had risen back from 999 to 1,000.
And the observers were in an uproar.
But none of that mattered to me.
‘It worked...’
Looking at Jieun, blinking in confusion, I finally exhaled the breath I had been holding.
Thud!
Relief overwhelmed me, and my legs gave out beneath me.
As I sank onto the debris of the wrecked building, which now looked like it had been hit by a bomb—
[The data needed to unlock a trait has been collected.]
A sudden influx of information hit me like a hammer—
[Congratulations!]
[The spirit of resistance defying even the flow of life and death, unorthodox strategies that overturn the board instead of yielding to authority, and the natural disposition of a revolutionary have unlocked a unique trait!]
[The trait 'Rebel' has been bestowed upon the subject, Lee Eunho.]
—And messages of mysterious origin.
“A trait?!”
【'Ferryman of the Administration Bureau' stumbles backward in shock at Lee Eunho's outburst.】
【An anonymous observer licks their lips with gleaming eyes.】
【Many observers are curious about Lee Eunho’s trait.】
As the observers gasped in astonishment—
[Check your trait effects!]
There was much to examine, but for now, the most urgent thing was—
“Ugh...”
Jieun.
The woman who nearly died—no, who actually died—saving me.
“Ah, uh...”
Phew.
I let out a deep sigh from the depths of my chest as Jieun struggled to sit up.
Thank goodness.
She was alive.
"Just now, I definitely...”
Thank you.
For keeping your heart beating.
For holding on.
But—
“Jieun, you just came back from the dead.”
It had been pure luck.
If I hadn’t greedily stolen the stone honey—
If I had been even a little slower—
If I hadn’t suspended time to keep her heart from stopping—
Jieun would now...
“That’s right... My head was definitely injured...”
“What were you thinking? You should’ve protected yourself first.”
My voice, inadvertently accusatory, spilled out from the shock.
And charged.
"Summon Blade Tipped Sword!"
Clang!
I raised the sword to block its gaping maw lined with gleaming fangs.
The weight and pressure of its colossal body bore down on me.
— Hah!
I kicked its jaw to create some distance.
Then I drove the blade deep into its dark body.
Schhhk!
The blade slid in smoothly.
Odd.
Its black hide looked tough, and its muscles and bones should've offered more resistance, yet they didn’t.
【An anonymous observer is astonished at your sudden change.】
【"Prince of the Investigation Bureau" asks if you've been hiding your swordsmanship skills.】
【"Raven of the Administration Bureau" knew you weren't just an ordinary person and nods in approval.】
‘It's thanks to the swordsmanship skill.’
I wasn’t sure back when I took down the man-eating plant, but now I’m certain.
「Basic Swordsmanship (Lv.2): Increases attack power by 15 when using any longsword.」
A flat 15 attack power increase.
That’s why I could carve through the monster’s hide and bones like butter.
Which means—
‘I can fight without relying on acceleration!’
[You have eliminated the 'Venomous Sky Tiger'!]
[An additional reward has been granted for defeating an out-of-specification target.]
[You have gained 50 Welfare Points.]
"Eunho?! What was that just now...?"
"Hyung, why have you suddenly changed like this?!"
"I'll explain later! To the right!"
"Eeeek!"
—Bang!
It wasn’t just one.
Another tiger that charged hastily tried to sink its fangs into Jaehyuk's armor but failed and backed off.
One, two, three, four...
Counting the ones sneaking closer from behind, there were seven in total.
I could fight them alone if necessary, but...
"Can you do it?"
"I-I'll try! Summon!"
Swish—! ROAAARRR—!
While slicing through another charging tiger, Jaehyuk prepared for battle.
[You have defeated a ‘Venomous Sky Tiger’!]
[You have earned 50 Welfare Points!]
Perhaps encouraged by seeing me slice through them with ease, he exhaled a deep breath with a determined expression, alternately glancing at me and the tigers, and charged forward.
"Here I gooo—!"
This time, as if mocking him, the tiger bared its fangs not at steel but aimed straight for Jaehyuk’s neck.
Trembling legs.
A face filled with the kind of resolve you’d only see in a shonen manga.
A loud, dramatic cry of "Uaaaargh—!"
And with that, Jaehyuk thrust his sword...
Clang—!
"...?!"
...only to have it bounce off.
It was stopped cold against the tiger’s hide.
"Huh...?"
Jaehyuk stumbled back, looking back and forth between his now-empty hand and the tiger.
It’s okay to be inexperienced.
Even for me, without my swordsmanship skills, it would’ve been tough.
But...
"Jaehyuk! I’ll help!"
If it’s Jieun's skill...!
"N-Noona!"
Jaehyuk, flustered, stepped aside as Jieun confidently stepped forward.
[You have defeated a ‘Venomous Sky Tiger’!]
[You have earned 50 Welfare Points!]
Even as I dealt with another tiger charging at me, I couldn’t help but glance over.
Teleknesis... that’s what she called it.
How will she fight?
By lifting the tiger and slamming it down?
Or shooting a weapon at it?
“Haaat!”
Jieun fixed her intense gaze at the ground near the tiger’s feet, as if her eyes could pierce through asphalt.
‘Ah! She’s going to smash it with a concrete slab!’
Just like how she had been attacked earlier.
Her resourcefulness was impressive.
With immense anticipation, I couldn’t take my eyes off her even as I kept slicing through monsters’ fangs and necks.
And then, moments later...
Crackle!
Rising shards of concrete.
Crackle crackle!
More shards.
Crackle crackle crackle!
...A whole lot of shards.
‘Huh?’
It was as if she was preparing for a feast, collecting countless tiny fragments into the air.
Was this intentional...?
“Ah... this isn’t what I meant...”
...Guess not.
—ROAAARRRR!
After hesitating briefly, the tiger, realizing there wasn’t much threat, charged again.
Sigh.
[You have defeated a ‘Venomous Sky Tiger’!]
[You have earned 50 Welfare Points!]
【An anonymous observer is highly pleased with the exclusive point gains of target ‘Lee Eunho’!】
‘I wanted to share the welfare points, but...’
I guess the time hasn’t come yet.
"Acceleration!"
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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