Chapter 48: It's All Mine (1)

It's All Mine (1)

Run.

Zhang Wei, struggling with pain, incessantly uttered this one word. Moreover, his vocal cords were burnt and losing their function. The only sound that could be heard was his faint, weakened gasps.

*plop*

The chained man fell into the lava pit. Zhang Wei closed his eyes. He had never seen anything like it. This insidious thing had swallowed a person whole.

Bubbles rose where the man had disappeared.

Meanwhile, Zhang Wei's body was regenerating and gaining life again. Outraged, he lowered his head.

'How long will I have to suffer this pain......Wow.'

He could hear the sound of something breaking.

Zhang Wei's eyes widened. To his astonishment, his chains broke. His hands were now free. He regained full consciousness and slowly threaded through the lava towards the man as if wading through a strong water current.

"I can't do this!"

A magnificent voice filled the place. Red molten lava splashed against him like waves in an ocean. Numerous waves pinned him down.

Ka-dumph.

A strange thing happened. The waves split in the middle as if pulled apart by large hands. Zhang Wei started moving again.

'I am without hope. I can only await my demise. Soon the pain will end.' Suddenly, a ray of light shone in his eyes.

Klanggg.

The chains were taut and pulled him back. Zhang Wei did not falter and kept struggling forward towards the man.

Whether the body had melted or his flesh burned.

Weird.

Thang Wei pushed his body forward. The lava had burned his face. He had been freed from the chains, not because they had broken, but rather because his hand was gone.

"Alas!"

A weak sound escaped his throat. The man lied in front of Zhang Wei. Looking down at him, he slowly reached out.

"Let's go."

He felt a burning sensation in his heart. He couldn't even remember the last time he had heard another person's voice. Be saved and survive. He was almost overwhelmed by emotion.

His desire to be a doctor, and then training to become a hunter, all of the memories were resurfacing.

Get up.

Zhang Wei's hand, amputated mere seconds ago, was now whole again. He could make out something that resembled a hand. He grabbed hold of it and pulled the man out.

"Get back right now! Where humans transgress the will of nature, where inferior things...!"

A loud voice rumbled.

Crumble.

He was attracting all kinds of monsters from everywhere. They were dangerous. Some were people burnt head to toe; others were figures whose form rose more than 5 meters.

"Up."

The man muttered in cryptic pronunciation. Maybe he wasn't Chinese, but Zhang Wei understood it and got on his back.

"Hold tight."

'What is he muttering about?'

He had no time to ask.

One rustling of the wind and the scene in front of us changed.

"Creally...Ryu!"

Somebody tore the body of a flaming giant asunder. He didn't know what had just taken place. All that he had perceived was the sensation of wind moving, the blur of the man's movement, and the demise of dozens of monsters in an instant.

* * *

Dragon (龍).

I could confirm that the monster was the most powerful of all races. Even though all the modifiers had disappeared, I was immensely powerful.

ROOOOAR!

The power possessing the strongest monster on Earth was beyond my wildest expectations.

"Everyone who saw the dragon's flight said, 'It was like witnessing a flash of light.'"

The body was wingless, yet its energy was boosting the strength of my legs. Every time I touched the ground, my legs catapulted my body forward like a bullet.

I kicked at my foe's head with incredible speed and power. The impact produced an ear-splitting sound, and the monster's head exploded like an overripe grape. After only one kick, my enemy already lay dead in front of me.

[Unfortunately, you can't use the breath. A dragon that can't breathe fire... Hahaha.]

As the traveler said, the breath was unavailable. My oral cavity structure was completely different from that of the dragon, and even if I could exhale fire, it would melt everything on its way up my body.

I didn't even have an accessory to allow breathing.

Exciting.

My heart was beating against my chest — vigor coursing through my body. My body was brilliant. I was faster than ever before and much stronger. I had a head-splitting headache, and my veins were crystal clear against my skin.

With him, my body moved at an unimaginable speed.

Everything stopped.

It was only me.

Wow.

I was passing by the monsters that are still in motion, injecting small attacks.

Head, chest, side, eyeball, nape... I ran, cracking my fists in the vital spots.

"Ke-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ee-e-e-e e-e-ee on them!"

When I trotted away from the monsters without slowing down, from afar, I could hear an odd sound of something being ripped apart.

When I gazed back, their bodies were collapsing like broken dolls hanging by unwoven threads.

The heads broke, a gaping hole appeared in the chest, their flanks exploded, and fountains of blood gushed forth. As I took in the glorious sight, I didn't watch where I was going.

"...Hey!"

A long chain darted towards us. It wasn't a threat.

['Never back down']

[No one can stop this being.]

[Resists all restraints.]

[Resists all movement impairing effects.]

Teeing!

The chain broke, and I ran non-stop with Zhang Wei on my back. The attacks that found their way to us were blocked by the scales imitating the 'dragon'. Petty bridles were not meant to reign in the power of the dragon.

[To use the 'Red Orb' to leave, you must first reach the beginning of the rift.]

Binggg.

The elite Lizardmen's swords and spears missed my head by mere inches. Instead of striking them with my first, I flicked my fingers to use magic.

Kroooooahh!

A deafening roar, which could make your eardrums burst, was heard. The Lizard's heads turned to ash.

"The dragon's real weapon is magic."

Since my skills were not sufficient yet, I couldn't use advanced magic. Still, if one used simple flame magic produced from the dragon's essence, it transformed into the magic of enormous power.

Sparks, storms, sometimes lightning and ice.

Owing to the Akashic Records, the 'Battery's' mana had drained. Thanks to it, I had been able to bring forth resourceful magical properties like the 'dragon', which makes even the weather wary.

"........."

Zhang Wei's expression was hilarious. Watching the mighty magic sweep away the monsters made his jaw drop.

How long did it go on like that?

Wow.

Red beads constantly fell to the ground. Perhaps we had arrived at the beginning.

"Phew..."

[The remnant of the soul remains, and some of its abilities are added to the body.]

[The soul is low, it cannot handle its full power.]

The link got severed.

The enhanced strength was fading, and I felt my legs getting weaker.

I spit out the red marbles, picked them up, prepared to leave, and gazed at the notification window that had appeared in front of me.

[You have acquired the skill 'Dragon Heart (F)'.]

I think I just hit the lottery.

* * *

"Woman...Where are we?"

Puzzled, Zhang Wei continued to mutter. I listened to him and spoke Chinese again after a while.

"This is Korea. This was probably where I entered the rift, I think you also came through here."

"Oh, I see. Versus... Republic of Korea. You are very fluent in Chinese."

Zhang Wei seemed pretty out of it. He spoke gibberish and quickly sat down on the floor.

"Ah..."

Then, after checking a bruise for a moment, he started blushing and bowed his head.

"... Thank you. Thank you for saving my life."

He sobbed heavily with his head bent down. Emotions started flowing in. I patted his back a few times and comforted him, then left him for a while.

"Who..."

It was tough to see this famously strong person so weak. I looked up in the sky for a moment, then proceeded to take my cell phone out of my pocket and make a call.

I was calling Han Yeon-soo. I had something to discuss with him regarding Zhang Wei. We had to prepare many things to get him to stay in Korea and work as a 'hunter' to help prevent the second disaster.

He didn't answer the phone...

"Did something happen?"

"He always answers his phone."

I opened the messenger app to write him a text.

"......"

[999+ new messages]

When I saw the number of messages, I felt goosebumps on the back of my neck.

'One week...you've been gone one week..'

I had lost my sense of time in the rift. I felt overwhelmed by the realization and completely forgot about Zhang Wei.

'I bet they are angry because I didn't call them...'

It was my fault for not making contact.

He was probably very worried about me. I should apologize to him. I started opening all the new messages.

Most of them were texts from people who didn't know what was going on and worried about me.

Yoo Ji-Yeon and Lee Jin-woo were just sending their regard, and Sung Hyun-woo, who had just bought himself a smartphone, had sent me a few pictures. And...

Han Yeon-soo: "I don't know what happened to you, whether you're focussing on training again or whatever you are doing. I don't think I'll be able to contact you for about three days. If you need something, you can contact my assistant. Something urgent has come up..."

"Urgent?"

Quickly, I connected to the Internet -

[Currently most popular search terms]

[1. Association]

[2. Great Crack]

[3. Association Greater Rift]

[4. Great Crack Status]

[5. Seoul Shelter]

"Ah."

I immediately knew what was so urgent.

The bomb that I buried in the Association's front yard had a devastating explosion while I was away saving Zhang Wei.

'You should go there right away.'

I put my phone back in my pocket. When it started to appear in the most searched terms, it meant that some time had already passed since the crack had occurred.

Han Yeon-soo had sent me the message yesterday during lunchtime...At least a day had passed since the occurrence.

'There will be no serious damage yet. It's an association after all.'

It would be better to go there as soon as possible. My presence wouldn't have benefited the situation much, but Zhang Wei could make a difference.

'And... There is something to take.'

Thanks to the nightmare, I had realized the importance of armament. There was no reason not to get stuck into the first wave, were the armaments far worse than that nightmare were waiting.

"There....?"

I went back to my room and watched Zhang Wei wipe away his tears and take a deep breath.

"Oh, yes."

He looked much better than before. Honestly, I didn't want to take someone who has gone through so much so soon, but... to keep it simple, he was too powerful, it would be foolish not to take him with me.

"If you're okay, can you help me out with something?"

* * *

"Hold it straight. Straight!"

Dudududu!

Constant gunshots. It was common knowledge that bullets were ineffective against monsters. However, if somebody fired a continuous volley of bullets, they could inflict substantial damage.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

Soldiers fired their rifles. A pungent smell, a mix of blood, and gunpowder filled the air. The Association had finished the evacuation of civilians; Nevertheless, monster hordes were still pouring through the rift. It was only one crack among countless others — no sign of a decrease in their number.

"Stay back!"

Fortunately, the crack location was the premises of the Association, where the most prime and elite Korean hunters gathered. You can't hurt the monsters with a few bullets, but the hunters' growing number ensured the situation was dealt with.

The hunters seen in the news occasionally slaughtering monsters created storms with a simple hand gesture and swept the area clean.

The only word that comes to mind upon witnessing the scene was 'heroes'. After every kill, the soldiers cheered.

"Wow ahhh!"

The atmosphere was hopeful. The monsters were great in quantity, but they were weak. It seemed that the Association's manpower would suffice.

The chairman of the Association was asked,

"Chairman, are you really not going to join the fight?"

"Haha, join? I can assure you, my sister, I am but a mere powerless civilian."

Yet, the best hunters knew: this was only the beginning. A real wave would soon come, and when that moment came, all the weaker hunters and the soldiers would get trampled and killed.

"Citizen... Yes, you will."

Of course, Han Yeon-soo was also among the elite. Hearing the chairman's reply, he slowly deployed his soldiers with a dissatisfied posture. He couldn't even estimate how long the fighting was going to take.

"Ahhhhhh!"

In the front line, someone screamed.

"Huh... Ah ah ah... Inside... A strange monster from the inside...."

Han Yeon-soo gazed inside. From within the crack, gigantic black tentacles started emerging out of the rift. It was presumed to be a sea rift. The monster with the tentacles resembled a gigantic Kraken.

"Healer. Don't you have a healer?"

"If the second-class tank collapses..."

"Please save me, save me."

Pooh-!

In quick succession, numerous tentacles, protruding from the rift, pierced the hunters' bodies guarding the front. Blood splattered all over the place, and the heavy tanks collapsed as if their armor was made out of paper.

"Ahhh...."

In an instant, the tide of the battle shifted. The rifts hadn't made use of their complete arsenal yet. The collapsed tanks were crawling on the floor and crying out.

"Save me..."

The bleeding was very severe. Dozens were dead. The moral of the soldiers and hunters was fading. Despair started spreading through the ranks.

"Get up! What are you doing!?"

Han Yeon-soo let out a mana shout. Only a few heard it and responded. Damn it, at this rate; the front would collapse before the Association's real support forces arrive. The chairman was still unwilling to join even as dozens of his men were dragged into the rift..

Hell! It's one of the cubs.

Han Yeon-soo gathered his mana. This has to be stopped somehow.

Back in the days of the Great Rift, they had gotten out of worse situations.

From the darkness, hideous hands arose. The Queen's army was beginning to reveal itself.

And at that moment...

"Just stand here Mr. Zhang Wei."

A familiar voice came from somewhere.

"I really just need to stand up?"

"Yes. I am better versed with your abilities than you."

He saw a familiar face. He was walking from the rear with a strange man, and in this desperate situation, he had an infinitely carefree expression.

Notification.

[The trait 'the One who rejects death' affects all humans in the area.]

['Zhang Wei' does not want people to die.]

['Zhang Wei' wants the maximum number of survivors.]

This unexpected notification window floated in front of everyone's eyes.

"I am sorry, I was not able to contact you."

Jeong Si-woo tapped Han Yeon-soo's shoulder and passed by.

More and more notification windows were popping up in front of everyone.

[All injuries heal.]

[Physical resilience increases dramatically.]

[Mana resilience increases dramatically.]

['Saint's Space' has been activated.]

Only

[→ As far as I can see, no one will lose their life.]

The people's disposition began to change. Power was emanating from the notification windows. Everyone felt the rush of life surging through their bodies.

Minor injuries healed, and even major injuries were being mended. Time seemed to reverse itself. The tide had shifted; we were nearing victory again.

"Listen, everyone!"

Jeong Si-woo's incredible voice resonated. After this bizarre predicament, it appeared to have a greater impact on everyone than Han Yeon-soo had spoken before.

"Listen to me, and let's act fast ."

The voice was loud as if he was standing right next to him.

Jeong Si-woo, the world's best analyst and respected leader, recognized by all hunters, began his rise anew.