Chapter 50

Chapter 50

‘How did she get here?’

Honestly, I was a little surprised.

Right before the Transference Crisis had occurred.

I had asked Choi Yura for help through Hunter Link.

However, once the Transference Crisis actually began, I had abandoned my expectations entirely.

Because I had “never” thought she would be able to break through the sea covered by the Fog Labyrinth and make it all the way here.

“Are you not going to answer? Am I your maidservant?”

Clatter-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle―!

Choi Yura swung her chain without even turning her head.

Splaaaash!

Two Sea-Fog Floaters that had been drifting around and scattering their tentacles were torn to shreds.

It was skill befitting Choi Yura, who competed for a place at the very top among 4-Star Hunters.

“Why would you take it that way? I only asked for some help.”

“If I help you twice, I think I will die first.”

Choi Yura shot back sarcastically, as if she were dumbfounded.

I thought I knew why she was so irritated.

She must have gone through quite a bit.

She had probably crossed the threshold of death three or four times.

“Keep your promise once this is over. If you try to change your tune, I really will kill you.”

“Of course I will.”

Choi Yura’s goal was to take revenge on the one who had killed her former lover.

Just how thirsty for revenge did she have to be to break through the Fog Labyrinth, which was no different from a living hell, and come all the way here?

Right. After she had done this much, it was about time I told her.

She had come to save me at a crucial moment, so of course I had to repay her.

Skreeeech!

“Hey! Little brother! Have you been well?”

A middle-aged man riding a bicycle and speaking in a southeastern dialect greeted me familiarly.

Ugh, my eyes.

His lower half was clad in black tights made from reptilian monster hide.

On top, he wore a zip-up tee, with a Plate Carrier over it.

And on top of all that, he had black sunglasses and a bandana.......

Kim Yeongnam.

The Cycling Club...... no.

He was the Clan Master of the Boramae Clan.

“This Kim Yeongnam has come to rescue our little brother Eunseong! Hahahaha!”

“Th-Thank you.”

I was grateful, but I did not know why my face was burning hot.

“To save our little brother Eunseong, I rode a boat for the first time in thirty years! A boat!”

A bo...... what?

“Rah-rah, cha-cha-cha—!”

P-Please stop.

I was so embarrassed that I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.

“Ah, you are so loud!”

Choi Yura swung her chain and shouted shrilly.

“Do your work instead of wasting time spouting useless nonsense!”

“Good grief! Understood, boss!”

Without even getting off his bicycle, Kim Yeongnam took out a flail-shaped Spirit Sword and swung it indiscriminately.

Bang!

Splaaash!

The Sea-Fog Floaters burst apart as if exploding, scattering acidic body fluid.

Grades did not lie.

Although his appearance and manner of speech were embarrassing no matter where one showed him, as expected of a 5-Star Hunter, his destructive power was truly overwhelming.

There were more reinforcements.

They were Hunters who seemed to be around 3-Star, and they appeared to be members of the Boramae Clan.

“All right, all right! Here comes the heat!”

Fwoooooooooooooosh!

A Hunter as large as a bear sprayed a flamethrower at the Sea-Fog Floaters.

Crimson flames engulfed the Sea-Fog Floaters.

The other two Boramae Clan members also swung their respective Spirit Swords, dealing with the Sea-Fog Floaters one by one.

Clink, clink!

Secret Coins poured out.

No one paid any attention to the Secret Coins.

In particular, the veteran Hunters, including Choi Yura and Kim Yeongnam, even kicked the Secret Coins away as if they were spent shell casings.

“Gold coins?”

“Monsters drop gold coins too.”

At most, a few Prospective Hunters who knew nothing picked up one each out of curiosity.

Without even knowing how precious they were.......

With Choi Yura’s group joining us, the battle ended in victory in an instant.

Slaaaash!

I swung my axe and split the last remaining Sea-Fog Floater in half.

But then...............

Sparkle, sparkle!

“......Huh?”

Something seized my gaze.

A red crystal.

It was a mineral that pulsed red like a heart.

As if bewitched, I picked up the red mineral and checked the number of veins inside the crystal.

One, two, three, four, and five.

‘Another 5-Star???’

This time, a 5-Star Red Etherium had appeared.

***

The drop of a 5-Star Red Etherium gave the veteran Hunters quite a shock.

“You are lucky.”

Choi Yura spoke in a bitter voice, as if she could not believe it.

“Little brother Eunseong, did you have a good dream last night? Seriously. You actually landed something like this.”

Kim Yeongnam slowly lifted his sunglasses and looked at the 5-Star Red Etherium in my hand with his naked eyes.

“I-I am jealous.”

“Ugh.”

“I have never even won third prize in the lottery in my life, and now I am seeing someone land a 5-Star Red. Haa.”

Everyone was astonished.

That was how high the value of a 5-Star Red Etherium was.

So high that I could not openly rejoice.

“Big Brother, congratulations. Today...... Anyway, congratulations!”

Ra Sihyeon seemed about to say something, but when she saw my expression, she hurriedly changed her words.

If people found out that obtaining a 5-Star Green Etherium earlier had not been enough, and that I had now obtained a 5-Star Red Etherium as well...... I might be stoned to death.

“By the way.”

“Yeah?”

“Would you sell that to me?”

“Would you buy it if I sold it?”

“I-I was just saying. I do not have that much to spare.”

Perhaps embarrassed, Choi Yura subtly turned her gaze away.

Kim Yeongnam, on the other hand, was shameless.

“Little brother Eunseong.”

“Yes?”

“Do you perhaps accept installments? I think I could pay it off in about five years.”

“Weren’t you a man?”

“Th-That is.”

“Is a man not supposed to pay in one lump sum? From what I saw earlier, it looked like you were a former Marine......”

“Ugh.”

Kim Yeongnam made a face as if he had taken a hit.

“What are you going to use that for?”

“Good question.”

“Hmm.”

Choi Yura thought for a moment, then spoke.

“Just use it now.”

“Use it now?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“If you carry something like that around in a situation like this, an accident will happen.”

For an instant, the surroundings grew quiet.

A 5-Star Red Etherium.

A treasure anyone would covet.

Certainly, just as Choi Yura said, if I carried something like this around openly, there was no telling when or where I would be struck from behind.

After all, humans were beings who sometimes became ruled by greed.......

I knew that too.

How could I not?

I was the very person who had told Kim Seunghye to suspect everything until the very end.

Nevertheless, the reason I hesitated was because I could not be certain how to use it for maximum efficiency.

Should I consume it myself, socket it into a weapon, or use it to enhance a card?

I still did not know enough about my Role Category or my class.

‘What would be best.......’

Swoosh.

As if it had been waiting, the [Full Moon] card slipped out of the Deck and floated before me.

As though asking me to choose it.

‘All right. I will trust you.’

I reached out.

The card entered my hand.

Without the slightest hesitation, I brought the 5-Star Red Etherium to the card.

Sssssss!

The 5-Star Red Etherium seeped into the card.

Flash!

A dazzling flash burst from the card.

[Card Enhancement succeeded!]

Fortunately, it had succeeded.

If it had failed, I would have shed tears of blood.

I reached out and checked the enhanced card.

The name of the enhanced [Full Moon] card was.......

[Red Moon]

★★★★

Fragments of the red moon shall swirl forth as a storm of blood blossoms.

※ Attack Power, Attack Speed, Cutting Power, and Critical Hit Chance increase explosively.

The text written on the card was unusual.

‘The Card Spirit.......’

Beneath a red moon.

A man wearing antique clothing held several crescent-shaped blades.

Blades red as blood.

“Are you done?”

“Yeah, done.”

I answered Choi Yura’s question and put the [Red Moon] card into the Deck.

Out of curiosity, I wanted to try using it immediately, but since we were in a hurry, I held back.

I could just use it in the next battle anyway.

“Let’s go.”

I moved to the lead position.

“I am so jealous.......”

“Tch. What a filthy world.”

“So those who are meant to succeed really do succeed. Haa.”

Words full of envy and jealousy came from behind me.

“Did he save a country in a previous life or something?”

At someone’s thoughtless comment, I almost laughed without realizing it.

Saved a country, huh.......

Sorry, but it was the opposite.

Blinded by personal revenge, I had hastened Earth’s destruction.

***

Thanks to Choi Yura’s group joining us, we safely reached the transport section.

“Ugh! Ughhhh!”

“Uuuuugh!”

The people who had been struck by the tentacles groaned and writhed in pain.

Unable to keep watching, I called Undina.

“The toxicity is too strong, so I cannot detoxify them. I am sorry, Master.”

“There is nothing for you to apologize for.”

I knew that healing external wounds and detoxification were completely different fields, so I did not mind.

“P-Please save me. It hurts so, so much. Ugh, uuuugh!”

“Bite down on this for now. Hold on just a little longer. We will get out soon, and you will receive treatment.”

I took fentanyl lollipops from the emergency medical kit stocked in the vehicle and placed them in the injured people’s mouths.

The injured people’s groans subsided.

If they only calmed down after being given fentanyl, a powerful narcotic analgesic, just how vicious was the toxicity of the Sea-Fog Floaters?

“I will follow behind in a truck at the very rear. Eunseong, you take the lead.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

I climbed onto a bike equipped with an Etherium Battery and started it, when a minor scuffle broke out behind me.

“And what are you?”

“I am Eunseong Big Brother’s team member.”

Ra Sihyeon answered Choi Yura’s question.

“Move.”

“Why?”

“Whyyy~?”

“You can ride another bike.”

Ra Sihyeon pointed at a bike parked right nearby.

“I do not want to. It is annoying to drive myself.”

“I cannot drive a bike.”

“Then you can ride in a truck.”

“You can ride in the truck.”

“This little......”

Choi Yura approached Ra Sihyeon.

“You. Do you not know who I am?”

“I do.”

Ra Sihyeon retorted without blinking.

“So what?”

“What?!”

Choi Yura was startled.

It seemed she had never imagined that a mere fledgling would dare talk back to her so brazenly.

I understood.

Even I would have been surprised.

The kid really had no manners.......

“Hoo.”

I sighed and spoke.

“Ra Sihyeon.”

“Yes, Big Brother.”

“Ride in the truck.”

“......Yes.”

Ra Sihyeon headed to the truck without complaint.

“What is with that girl? Why is she so rude? And fearless too?”

“She is always like that.”

“Do you know her?”

“I first met her today.”

“Then how can you talk like you know her so well?”

“She looks that way.”

“Ah, fair enough.”

Choi Yura nodded as if she understood and climbed on behind me.

“By the way.......”

“Yeah?”

“You still have not learned how to ride a bike?”

“Th-That is.”

“Learn. I told you last time too. How can someone who is a Hunter not know how to ride a bike?”

“S-Shut up and just get going!”

“Ouch!”

Choi Yura pinched my thigh.

‘I will never give her a ride again.’

Vowing that I would absolutely never let Choi Yura ride behind me again, I spun my arm around and gave a hand signal.

Blink, blink!

The vehicles lined up behind us turned their hazard lights on and off until they flashed twice.

‘Let’s go.’

I slowly pulled the throttle.

With me at the lead, a line of all sorts of vehicles, including bikes, four-wheeled ATVs, tactical vehicles with heavy weapons mounted on them, and military trucks, left the transport section in formation.

No one turned on their headlights.

They kept engine noise as low as possible too.

In low gear, with unnecessary acceleration excluded, the entire column moved slowly while holding its breath.

I checked the time.

There were roughly five minutes left until the tide window.

The seawater probably had not fully receded yet, but it would not greatly hinder our movement.

Perhaps because dawn was about to break, I could feel the thick Fog Labyrinth gradually thinning.

Just as we carefully entered Jebu-ro.

Dadadadadadadadada!

Countless Man-Eating Pincers burst out from the mudflats on both sides and charged toward us.

“Floor it―!”

At Choi Yura’s shout, I pulled the throttle with all my strength.

VROOOOOOOOOOM!

The bike shot forward like a bullet.