RE: Player again

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[Chapter 092] [Evil for Evil (8)]

Distortions were occurring one after another.

This was because monsters were all rushing in as the barrier collapsed.

Above all, the barrier wasn't broken through systematically, but physically destroyed.

Rather than releasing the mana forming the barrier into the atmosphere, it was torn apart, so debris was inevitably scattered.

Additionally, many people were gathered in the Slayers' village.

It would have been strange if distortions didn't occur.

"Kyaaaah─!!"

"Please save us─!!"

"Quickly evacuate! The crows will be swarming in soon!"

"Abandon the brats and run! Don't even worry about them!"

In this situation, the Slayers all chose to abandon the village and flee rather than stay to defend and fight.

It wasn't that they couldn't defeat the monsters with their skills.

But while defeating monsters, they could end up confronting Players who figured out the village's location and arrived.

That would be the end.

Surely Players who lost comrades wouldn't show mercy to the Slayers.

Moreover, the Players had the numerical advantage.

That's why they didn't look back at all at the students screaming for help trapped in cages.

They were Slayers.

For them, their own safety was always the most important thing.

"...Everyone gather in one place without scattering!"

"Don't panic! If we just endure a little longer, the instructors and Players will come save us!"

The students fell into panic.

Since the cages only had latches, the students hurriedly ran out while the Slayers were gone.

At that time, Min-ho and Eun-hyeok shouted for the students not to scatter.

The two who stopped punching each other as soon as they grasped the situation were shouting at the top of their lungs with veins popping on their necks.

Nevertheless, the students couldn't maintain their composure seeing the aura of distortions and monsters appearing nearby.

If Seo-na hadn't appeared, they would have scattered and become food for monsters.

[Everyone calm down and stay right there! The first targets monsters will aim for are people alone, so don't scatter and gather in one place!]

Behind Seo-na who sent telepathy, 8th tier monsters were following.

She who had her device taken away didn't have the strength to face them.

At best she could only gather her internal mana and throw it at them.

Eun-hyeok and Min-ho who noticed that immediately passed by her and swung their swords at the ones rushing in.

The two who had already killed monsters several times under the Slayers' 'game' easily annihilated the 8th tier monsters.

"Seo-na! Are you okay!?"

"Eun-hyeok, are you okay?" "I'm fine. But what suddenly happened?"

Eun-hyeok was in terrible shape.

Nosebleed smeared all over his face and covered in dirt and dust.

Nevertheless, he was busy examining her face with red swollen cheeks.

A situation where monsters kept appearing one after another.

There was no time to exchange words in this urgent situation.

Seo-na gently admonished Eun-hyeok who was putting his hands on both her cheeks and checked the students' situation.

Fortunately, the students were gathered in one place as she instructed.

"Everyone pick up weapons lying around!"

"Guys! Let's all get our act together and quickly deploy a barrier!"

Meanwhile, Mok Min-ho who found Cha Eun-woo among the students led the anxious ones.

Eun-woo picked up fallen weapons and somehow tried to comfort them while her hands trembled.

Fortunately, they were academy students.

Though anxious and trembling, those with weapons stepped to the perimeter, while those without weapons tried to deploy barriers inside the perimeter.

"I just reached Parang oppa by telepathy. If we just hold out a little longer, people will come help us!"

"Seo-na, is that true!? Was it really Parang oppa!?"

It was unexpected real combat.

Seo-na spread hope to those who were tense.

Their faces brightened somewhat at her shout.

Above all, Bae Su-bin whose eyes had lost their luster regained vitality.

She who came to her senses asked Seo-na again if Parang was really alive.

Seo-na who nodded gave instructions to the students.

Among them, only she and Eun-hyeok had experienced real combat.

But Eun-hyeok had to guard the front lines as a Dealer.

In the end, the only one who could give instructions was herself.

But what are these monsters?

What on earth is Eun-ha thinking...

On the other hand, she couldn't erase the questions that came to mind.

Surely the endlessly rushing monsters were all Eun-ha's doing.

Then why on earth did Eun-ha lure in monsters?

She couldn't understand.

Moreover, she didn't even have time to think carefully.

I won't let this slide.

Instead, Seo-na cursed Eun-ha who must be somewhere here.

She was grateful he came to save them, but she didn't want things to become a mess.

[Parang oppa! Where are you! Come quickly! We won't be able to hold out like this!]

The reason she sent telepathy to Parang was because she thought Eun-ha must be next to him.

She eagerly waited for Jin Parang to send telepathy back.

Fortunately, a reply arrived soon.

Though not the content she hoped for.

[Ha-yang is heading your way! Don't send telepathy to us, send it to Ha-yang! Then Ha-yang will be able to pinpoint your exact location!]

"...What are they really doing."

Seo-na grumbled after pinpointing Parang's location by telepathy.

Parang and Eun-ha weren't coming to the village but roaming the outskirts of the forest.

"And where is Ha-yang..."

Her grumbling didn't stop.

She couldn't detect Ha-yang's presence. It seemed she was using concealment magic.

Still, she wasn't anxious because she thought Ha-yang would be able to pinpoint their location.

Sure enough.

─Queen of Hearts' Declaration

When she came to her senses, trump cards were flying in circles in the sky all around.

Seo-na looked up at the huge dome-shaped barrier and sighed in relief.

"Guys, was I very late? Is anyone hurt? Are you okay!?"

"Ha-yang!"

"Seo-na! What happened to your face!?"

Jung Ha-yang who suddenly revealed her presence.

She who had a black cloak draped over her shoulders looked around gasping for breath.

Then she found Seo-na and burst into tears.

Seo-na was the same.

The two embraced each other.

But they couldn't keep crying like this.

They had to face the rushing monsters.

Moreover, they had to face the monsters trapped inside Queen of Hearts' Declaration.

"Haa... haa..."

"...Giving up already?"

"...No. I'm still okay."

Min-ho and Eun-hyeok were facing monsters without feeling relieved even with the barrier deployed above their heads.

The two were squeezing out their strength. They were forcibly enduring despite lacking internal mana.

"...I'm going. Follow me well."

"You just don't fall."

"Look who's talking."

"Hmph, seems you still have strength left."

Eun-hyeok giggled proudly.

Then Min-ho snorted.

The two didn't exchange many words.

They knew what to do without speaking.

At once.

Mana Crasher

Eun-hyeok's blade contained mana.

He who dashed forward unleashed the power gathered in his sword all at once.

But even that didn't deal much damage to the 7th tier monster.

Conversely, he who moved with a large motion exposed his side to the creature.

Just as the one raising its claws was about to push its claws into his side─

""─Switch.""

The two shouted simultaneously.

Switch.

A play style used when there are 2 or more Players.

It was a combat style where another comrade quickly follows up with an attack in place of a comrade whose opening is exposed after finishing a big attack.

The key to Switch was breathing.

The moment breathing was off, the Player with an opening could get badly hurt.

But the two's breathing wasn't off by even an inch.

Exquisite timing.

Min-ho shouted a battle cry and stabbed his sword into the back of the monster whose opening was conversely exposed.

Kiaaaak

The creature thrashed.

Min-ho who jumped right onto its back put strength in his feet and pressed down on its body.

Meanwhile, Eun-hyeok who gathered mana in his sword again stabbed it into the creature's head.

No matter how powerful a monster, it couldn't survive having its head hit.

The two's coordination caught the monster off guard and helped end its life.

Nevertheless, the two weren't intoxicated by the joy of victory.

"You can still do more, right?" "That's what I want to ask."

There were still monsters left.

Even if they completely eradicated the monsters inside the barrier, it was uncertain how long Ha-yang's protective magic could withstand the monsters' attacks.

So the two who put their backs together didn't let go of their swords.

☆

It was strange.

Every time he killed a monster, he felt something welling up inside his body.

His blood boiled.

At first he killed low tier monsters.

But the more he saw their blood, the more he smelled the thick scent of blood on his body, his vision turned red.

"─Jin Parang! Get a hold of yourself!"

Someone called him.

But he didn't want to respond.

He wanted to be intoxicated by this feeling a little longer.

That feeling intensified every time he faced something stronger than himself.

Awoooo─!!

It was ecstasy.

It was intoxication.

Before he knew it, reason flew away.

Only the instinct to tear apart everything visible before his eyes dominated his entire body.

"─Hey! Jin Parang!"

Shut up.

Don't interfere.

Nevertheless, he could distinguish friend from foe.

He shoved aside the nuisance fidgeting at the edge of his vision, and charged at the monsters rushing in with killing intent.

He swung his front paws.

Several monsters were skewered on his claws like kebabs.

It was cumbersome to run.

He quickly threw them into the herd and leapt powerfully from the ground.

Then he bit and tore off the neck of one nearby.

Kueeeeek!

A sound like slaughtering a pig.

That sound didn't continue for long.

He chewed the flesh remaining in his mouth and slaughtered the remaining monsters.

He quenched his thirst with their blood.

"s**t! To think even a Blade Wolf would appear!"

A very familiar sound.

There was no way he could forget this sound.

Wasn't it the voice of the guy who dropped him off the cliff?

The man aiming at him with the dagger he had been juggling.

He was definitely the one who dropped him.

Grrrrrr

I wanted to see you.

The action was immediate.

He kicked off the ground and charged at the guy.

The Slayers shot magic at him but he ignored it.

Strangely he didn't feel fear that he should avoid it.

It didn't hurt even when hit.

"s**t─!"

A Slayer carrying a shield stood in his way.

Not a chance.

He rammed with his head.

The man seemed to block him at first, but eventually couldn't overcome the strength and rolled in the mud.

He stomped on the fallen guy with his front paw, and imbued mana into his claws covered in thick blood.

"Quickly block it!"

"A big attack is coming─!!"

The Slayers shouted.

Graaaah

He barked even louder than that.

They tried to cut his claws by swinging a huge sword.

But what broke was the sword.

For an instant, deep dismay filled their faces.

It was none of his business.

He swung his claws the rest of the way and made holes in their heads.

Now only one was left.

No, one creature.

"Uh... uwaaaaah!"

The guy who dropped him from the cliff fled in a hurry, leaving behind his dying comrades.

He couldn't let that be.

Just once.

He merely gathered strength and jumped, but his vision was instantly pushed back.

The uncontrollable boiling strength blocked the man's path.

The half-crazed man put up powerless resistance but it was useless.

The man's knife didn't work.

Grrrrrr

What, is this all you've got?

It was bland.

But he had to pay back as much as he received.

He tore the already dead man's body to shreds.

Ripping off the head and throwing it into the sky.

Tearing off limbs and scattering them in the grass.

There was no meaning to those actions.

There was no respect for combat.

There was no respect for humans.

"Yeah... just do as you please, hyung."

He killed a person for the first time today.

He killed a person as if killing a monster, perhaps even more cruelly.

But he didn't feel guilty about killing a person.

He didn't feel the slightest resistance to having committed murder.

To Jin Parang, murder wasn't an immoral and inhumane act.

For him who was born and raised in the slums, morality and ethics were too futile.

Because morality was the voice of those with full stomachs, and ethics were the claims of the weak.