RE: Player again

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[Chapter 101] [Even If You Mix Blood with Blood (7)]

She is ordinary.

Minji realized this fact again as she fled from monsters chasing her scent.

Even using the magic of the black cloak, she couldn't escape from them, and if so, she was just wasting her internal mana.

Her internal mana was already low from maintaining the cloak's magic for a long time.

Woof woof!

Grrrr

Minji panted heavily.

It felt exactly like being driven in a hunt.

She couldn't be certain, but somehow it felt like she wasn't escaping from them, but advancing in the direction they were guiding her.

That soon became a certainty.

The creatures suddenly jumped out from the sides to make her go in the opposite direction, even though they could have attacked her.

Shit...

This moment of fleeing for her life was so frustrating.

It was frustrating, hopeless, and above all, she had to feel powerless.

She could keenly realize how weak a being she was.

She was weak and ordinary.

Woof!

"Kyaa! Ugh...!"

The monster with a mix of dog and monkey features was very good at climbing trees.

Minji screamed in surprise when she saw a monster suddenly jump down from a tree she was passing.

At that moment, her foot that hurriedly stepped forward slipped on a slope.

She rolled down a muddy hill and fell onto a rice paddy ridge, struggling to get up.

The sensation of being covered in mud was unpleasant, and tears welled up from the pain of falling off the ridge.

Nevertheless, she gritted her teeth and ran desperately to survive.

Just a little more...

Faster...!

Her feet sank into the ground with each step.

The creatures seemed to have been waiting for this moment, trying to surround her at the edge of the rice paddy ridge.

Minji quickly took the twin swords hanging at her waist in a reverse grip and swung them at the charging creatures.

Woof woof!

The blades didn't reach the creatures.

As if mocking her, they raised their front paws and dodged the passing blades.

"...Don't mock me."

There was nowhere left to run.

She swung her swords aimlessly to threaten the charging creatures.

They dodged well.

It seemed like they were waiting for her strength to run out.

Knowing this but being unable to respond was so frustrating.

What if their opponent had been Eunha?

Surely the creatures wouldn't have acted like they were testing him.

Eunha would have just killed them.

Then what if their opponent had been Hayang?

Surely the creatures wouldn't have been able to block the magic Hayang would deploy.

Then what if their opponent had been any of her other friends?

Everyone... wouldn't have lost.

The assumptions were meaningless, but surely they wouldn't have struggled like her.

In the end, she was weaker than them.

She had less talent than them.

She was ordinary.

Her arm was bitten.

She screamed at the sensation of electricity spreading through her blood into her body.

Even so, she reflexively manifested her internal mana when she saw another one charging in the moment she closed her eyes.

Just then, the ring hanging around her neck absorbed the mana manifested outside her body and recreated the providence in the world.

One-time use artifact "Frost Nova".

The cold air that spread out from her body instantly froze the creature hanging on her forearm.

That wasn't all.

An ice barrier formed around her, deflecting all the attacks of the charging creatures.

It was a formidable magic.

None of the creatures touched by the cold air survived intact.

Monsters whose legs were rapidly cooled had their frozen legs shatter miserably the moment they stepped on the ground.

Woofs rang out, and creatures who lost their legs in this way collapsed.

Monsters far from the protective magic showed signs of hesitation after witnessing this.

"...Ugh..."

Minji swallowed her groan.

She thought the frightened creatures were retreating, but they were prowling around her with wariness.

When the magic protecting her disappears, the creatures would charge in again.

In the end, the situation hadn't changed.

To them, she was just prey, and she was still in the position of the hunted.

Mana Drain

Even if that was the case.

She didn't want to die here.

She tore her sleeve and applied pressure to her bleeding arm just before the protective magic faded, then gripped her sword tightly.

Even in this situation, her mind was still seeking ways to survive, and excessive excitement beyond pain heated her body.

She didn't want to remain in the position of the hunted and die like this.

What was the reason she had wanted to become a player in the first place?

To stand side by side with Eunha?

No—

"—I—!"

At the moment the thick ice barrier was melting.

She, who had been timing when the protective magic would completely disappear, gritted her teeth and sprang forward.

The presence of players was detected beyond there.

If she could just break away from these creatures, survival wouldn't be difficult.

While seeking the shortest route, she swung her sword powerfully at the monster jumping in front of her.

The blade didn't go in deep, but the creature startled by the sensation of its skin being cut by the blade leaped up from its spot.

"—I will live—!!"

I don't want to die here.

I didn't live to die to such creatures.

I'm not someone who just swallows fear and waits for someone to come save me.

I've made painstaking efforts all this time.

To keep up with Eunha, with my friends.

Because I thought if I could stand side by side with him who shines like the brightest star, I too would shine brilliantly following him.

If I truly wish for that, I can't give up here.

I knew it would be difficult from the start, and this much doesn't even count as difficult yet.

So I can still do more.

So with more vigor.

Mana... Crusher!

She expanded her blade and swung it with all her might towards the creature charging from the side.

The blade imbued with internal mana cut through the creature.

So even faster.

Thanks to the one-time use artifact, their numbers had considerably decreased.

So breaking out of the encirclement wasn't difficult with just a little more effort.

She whipped her body.

While using Mana Drain to replenish her lacking internal mana from the creatures, she dodged attacks using her agility, which could be called her only advantage.

Strangely, the blade felt light.

Then not just the blade, but her whole body felt light.

At first, she thought it was an illusion.

Faster, faster, faster!

That's how I can get there!

No, it's not an illusion.

She realized what phenomenon was happening to her body only when her internal mana was about to hit rock bottom.

Gift.

Why did she only realize this now?

However, her body was using the unfamiliar power familiarly, as if it had known from the beginning.

Although she didn't know exactly what this power was, she could tell that the more internal mana she consumed, the faster her body became.

Her body was lighter than ever.

There was no weight at all in her hand swinging the blade.

Faster, faster, faster, faster...!

I can still do more!

Her feet that had been sinking into the rice paddy ridge now advanced quickly as if she had mastered walking on water.

On the other hand, the monsters chasing her kept getting stuck in the rice paddy ridge.

Nevertheless, they were still persistent and still fast.

Mana Crusher

So just a little faster.

She swung her blade towards the creature chasing her diagonally.

Although her speed faltered for a moment, she was able to knock down the charging creature.

And she accelerated again.

Propulsive force was added to her speed proportionally to the amount of mana consumed.

Before she knew it, she was exhibiting speed that was breaking away from the creatures.

"...Ugh!"

The wind blowing from the front was fierce, and it felt like this body would be torn apart by the wind if she increased her speed any more.

Only then did she realize.

Just a little more... would have been enough.

That this was the limit.

To exert this power, internal mana had to be somewhat depleted, and in that situation, even if mana was consumed, when it suddenly became faster, mana would hit rock bottom.

It was so sad that she didn't have the mana to support this power like Hayang, Subin, or Eunwoo.

"...Just a little more...!"

She forcibly squeezed out mana.

Then her mana circuits went berserk and pain engulfed her as if someone was gripping her heart.

Above all, her body that had become faster this way was wounded by the wind that had become sharp like a blade.

It was so sad that her mana control ability to compensate for lacking mana was terrible, unlike Eunha.

It was so sad that her physical strength wasn't good, unlike Eunhyeok, Seona, Parang, or Minho.

Mana Cru—!

The magic couldn't be completed fully.

Her body that had been advancing while shaking off the creatures became heavy and slow, like a booster that had run out of propulsive force.

The magic she was deploying in that state scattered in the air, unable to supply the mana needed to materialize into reality.

Minji felt an enormous sense of loss as she watched the mana enveloping her body dissipate futilely.

No more... I can't.

This is all I can do.

She gained the power to become stronger.

However, while realizing that power, she also saw her limit.

She could understand without being told.

If Gift is a power that realizes itself, it also makes one realize where one's limits are.

The limit she had vaguely felt until now, she clearly realized as she became unable to activate her Gift.

Her limit is up to here.

It's absolutely impossible to surpass this limit, this wall.

...It's impossible.

There's no way this is possible.

God is unfair.

Everyone has walls.

A different world would unfold if one could surpass the wall of limits.

However, God unfairly distinguished between people with vessels that can surpass this wall and those that cannot.

A difference that can't be changed by effort alone.

The contents that can be put in a vessel can be changed depending on effort, but the size or shape of the vessel containing the contents can never be changed.

That's why the moment all her contents hit rock bottom, she faced the true nature of her vessel.

The belief that she could overcome it with effort until now crumbled miserably.

That there are things that can't be achieved no matter how much effort is put in.

She despaired the moment she faced her wall.

...Move.

However, the greater the despair, the brighter hope shines.

I can still... do it!

It was the law that makes one struggle, gathering even non-existent strength to find hope shining in the darkness.

Ma—

"—Aaaagh!!"

However, hope was fleeting because it doesn't come true.

She, who tried to activate Mana Crusher but ended up causing a mana runaway, was engulfed in excruciating pain as if her whole body was being bitten.

In the end, she fell forward and rolled on the dirt ground, screaming in pain.

And the monsters chasing her gathered around her, growling lowly.

It was the end.

Kim Minji looked at the creatures slowly closing the distance and sensed her death.

"—Who says so?"

At that moment, a thick scent of blood spread.

☆

"Hey, Kim Minji. Are you okay?"

"...Yeah."

"You're not okay. Just looking at you, you seem to be in a lot of pain right now."

"I don't think it's as bad as the blood-covered dummy oppa..."

"This isn't my blood. Do you think I'm the type to get beaten up somewhere carelessly?"

It took quite a while to search for Kim Minji's presence.

Apparently, she had used the Avenger's Cloak while fleeing from monsters, so her presence couldn't be detected repeatedly.

Surely if it were Seona, she would have tried to trace Minji's presence while deducing her movement route.

However, Jin Parang, who was running around on foot, couldn't use the same method as her.

He didn't have that kind of talent.

So what?

Isn't it just a matter of running around?

However, Parang didn't dwell on the talent he didn't have.

If he couldn't find with his head, he could find with his body.

There were many ways to achieve a goal, and if he couldn't choose the best, he could choose the next best.

This was the only aspect where he and Eunha were in sync.

Neither he nor Eunha cared about means and methods for their goals.

Instead of not doing what they couldn't do, they would just create another option.

If they could do something but weren't doing it, they would somehow make it happen.

There wasn't necessarily only one way to achieve a goal, and if not the best, they could choose the next best.

"Anyway. Leave it to me now."

Parang had been certain that Kim Minji was in danger on his way here.

So he prioritized finding Kim Minji even if it meant being chased by monsters, rather than taking time to search.

Thanks to that, Parang had to deal with chasing monsters while trying to find her.

He spoke as if it was nothing, but in fact, most of the blood Parang was covered in was his own.

Honestly, his body was exhausted to the limit.

However, he couldn't show weakness in front of Minji, who was sitting on the ground looking dazed.

"This is something I haven't shown even to that bastard Noh Eunha yet... so be grateful."

"......"

A group of 7th tier monsters.

There was no way he could take down such monsters.

Moreover, he was in a state of complete exhaustion.

It was impossible to fight while protecting her from them.

If not for his Gift.

Can I handle it properly this time?

Of course I can handle it properly.

Parang answered his own question.

He had endured Eunha's hellish training to control his Gift until now.

Moreover, currently an unknown certainty was telling him that he could handle his Gift properly.

So he decided not to be afraid.

He had never been afraid from the start anyway.

There was no reason to be afraid anywhere.

Because it's my power after all.

Jin Parang had a strong sense of self.

Therefore, he overestimated his power, but therefore he could firmly believe in his power.

That with this power, he could do anything.

He had no doubt.

So here—

—Shut up and listen to me.

Jin Parang, who smiled showing his canine teeth, wrapped the mana manifested outside his body around his entire body.

"In this state, I can't even speak to other people, so you'll have to somehow make excuses for me."

Gift "Wolf's Fang".

Parang spoke to Minji while trying to somehow control the flow of his Gift activating.

Minji's answer didn't come, but he couldn't say anything more to control his Gift.

Ah, I forgot one thing.

Please take care of my clothes.

Whatever.

Anyway, when this is over, I can just take clothes out of my bag and put them on.

Jin Parang, enveloped in a sense of fullness, roared towards the monsters.