—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Hmm…”
With a strange floating sensation her consciousness transferred to another place.
Opening her eyes inside the capsule, Ha-neul gasped for air.
“Haa…!”
She had logged out in a very dangerous situation. Even though Yor was strong, his opponent was a monster among monsters, over level 170.
A force that required at least a Knight Commander of the Empire to even attempt to confront.
And she’d been forced to log out while he was being chased by that very monster.
She could respawn, but an NPC like Yor… if he died, he was permanently deleted from the world. And that was the worst possible outcome.
“No, no…!”
Anxiety welled up within her. Her heart pounded like she’d just run a marathon. She wanted to log back in immediately, but that was impossible.
Ha-neul was forced to wait an agonizing three days. The source of her anxiety was baffling, even to herself. But emotions were difficult to control.
Restless and worried, Ha-neul called her sponsor and younger sister, Chae-rin.
[T/N: in this case when she says younger sister she means like in a friend kinda way like it’s a Korean thing they ain’t actually related but I forgot how to write the word so please don’t lynch me in the comment section lel]
She knew Chae-rin was recovering from overexerting her mana, but she needed to confirm Yor’s safety.
-What? Really? Okay, I’ll check on him right away.
Chae-rin was shocked but agreed to help. At least this way, she could get some answers. But her worries lingered. She prayed for his safety under the night sky.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Thud! Thump! Crash!
One of the advantages of fighting large monsters was that their attacks were easier to predict. Even though Noho was cunning, it couldn’t feint its attacks.
Its sheer size made any deception obvious. So, its attacks were straightforward and clear.
CRASH!!!
…The downside was that each attack was devastatingly powerful. It could shatter trees like twigs. Even with my regeneration, a direct hit from those paws could be fatal.
‘…Still.’
I thought as I dodged its attacks.
‘It’s manageable.’
It wasn’t impossible to deal with. I could at least predict the attacks, and while they were fast, I could dodge them in time. I could at least hold my own against this monster.
It wasn’t easy, though. Each dodge felt like walking a tightrope.
Ting- Ting-
My nerves frayed with each close call. The intense focus was exhausting. My stamina was dwindling, and my breathing grew ragged.
‘But, this is something.’
I smiled despite the difficulty. I wouldn’t have even dared to face it a few years ago. Back then, I had barely managed to wound it by sheer luck.
Things were different now. I wasn’t sure if it had weakened or if I had grown stronger, but it was a welcome change.
‘The problem is how to attack…’
Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself.
Growl!
It suddenly turned and swung its tail like a whip. A surprise attack, now that it realized its claws weren’t working. And it was a good choice.
I wasn’t focused on its tail, and the attack radius was enormous.
‘I can’t dodge it.’
I quickly raised my spear. If I couldn’t avoid it, I had to block.
The massive tail slammed into me.
Thump!
“Ugh!”
I grunted.
The tail was powerful, even without claws. The sheer force sent me flying.
Whoosh!
Fortunately, it was better than being hit by its paws. And its tail was still a part of its body.
Cough-
I coughed up blood.
I definitely had internal injuries. But I ignored the pain and coated my spear with the blood from my mouth, even the blood that was spilling out. I needed sharpness. I envisioned a blade that could cut through anything.
As I finished, I swung my spear at the tail.
Slice!
“ROAR!!!”
A chilling sound echoed as a portion of its tail was severed. A chunk of flesh, about twice the size of my torso, fell to the ground.
It wasn’t a large wound – only about two feet of its tail, the very tip.
But it was a significant injury. A part of its body had been severed. First its foreleg, now its tail.
Noho backed away, its golden eyes glaring at me.
I spat out the remaining blood in my mouth.
“How about it? Want to keep going? I’m still good.”
No, I wasn’t. I was exhausted.
‘Please, let’s just stop here.’
My inner thoughts were the opposite of my outward bravado, but I couldn’t show weakness.
If I did, it would attack again. I projected an image of strength, even though I was struggling. It would be considering its options.
The injuries were minor to the beast, but it should retreat to avoid encountering other predators in the deep layer. It was no longer worth pursuing its prey.
“…Growl.”
Fortunately, it was a rational creature. It growled once more before turning and heading back towards the deep layer.
I watched it disappear, my gaze fixed on its retreating form.
“…”
There would likely be a rematch in the future. And next time, I hoped to be the one preparing its funeral.
After it completely vanished from sight, I let out a small sigh.
“Phew…”
I’d survived.
Time to go home.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“…Ah! Mr. Yor!”
As soon as I returned, I saw Chae-rin anxiously waiting near my cave. She’d probably rushed over after hearing from Ha-neul.
She ran towards me and checked me over before sighing in relief.
“Phew, you’re safe. I was so worried when I heard you were in danger…”
“It was dangerous… but I’m fine now.”
I reassured her.
She looked behind me.
“But… what’s that?”
“Oh, this? A trophy.”
I was carrying Noho’s tail. I couldn’t just leave it behind. And this was also food. A valuable tonic, at that.
Not just any plant could be considered a medicinal herb in the deep layer. Creatures like Noho, saturated with demonic energy, were potent elixirs in their own right.
And as the apex predator of this forest, Noho was undoubtedly a high-quality elixir.
‘I’ve never had tiger meat before.’
I was sure it would be delicious. I stored the tail in my storage space.
It was late, so Chae-rin returned after checking on me. She was still recovering, so she couldn’t stay long.
Three days later, Ha-neul visited.
“Yor! You’re really okay!”
“Ah, uh.”
Hug-
She immediately embraced me. Even though Chae-rin had confirmed my safety, she had been worried.
Seeing is believing, after all. Her actions were spontaneous, driven by genuine concern.
“…C-Can you let go now?”
“…Huh? Ah!”
Fortunately, the awkward moment didn’t last long. Ha-neul quickly regained her composure, her face slightly flushed. It seemed she was embarrassed by her own actions.
It was unusual to see her express such strong emotions.
‘Well, it shows how much she cared.’
I smiled. It was the first time someone had worried about me like this. It was a bit embarrassing, but also… nice.
And with that, the deep layer exploration came to an end. It was dangerous, but I’d achieved my goals.
I’d tested my strength and acquired a valuable ingredient, even if it wasn’t a medicinal herb.
A few more days passed.
The next new moon arrived, and I endured Berserk B.
The day after enduring the episode, I received some news.
The altar of the 66th demon, Kimaris, had been destroyed. The knights had won this battle.
However, a 13-year-old Carrier had appeared.
This Carrier had killed 120 people, including knights, adventurers, and civilians.
Before the nations could celebrate their victory, they had to prepare for the next demon’s arrival.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
