RE: Player again

277

[Chapter 092] [Evil for Evil (6)]

The reason Jin Parang was called wasn't just because of his temperament of paying back as much as he received.

It was because once consumed by his gift, he turned into a mad dog unable to distinguish friend from foe until he lost consciousness.

"It's good that you've awakened your gift... but if you can't handle it properly, you shouldn't handle it at all."

Groan...

Eun-ha sighed while tapping the unconscious Jin Parang. Parang who had been wrapped in dark blue wolf fur was gradually regaining his human form.

Gift .

Generally, gifts manifesting in Eins had the effect of transforming into beasts with extraordinary strength by wrapping internal mana around the body.

In Parang's case, the Ein base was the 5th tier overrank monster Blade Wolf.

"Even though you turned into a mad dog, you're still wearing your weapon properly. Though it was made for that purpose..."

In his previous life, Parang used a Claw that could freely transform its shape along with his gift.

When he activated , the Claw assimilated with the gift and transformed into claws that could tear through steel.

Blade Wolf, a monster that could easily tear through even steel.

That's why Eun-ha had requested a Claw suitable for Jin Parang from Byeok Hae-su in advance.

It took a long time to gain enlightenment before the regression...

For this stupid hyung to awaken his gift at this time...

Eun-ha was glad Jin Parang awakened his gift at age 15, but couldn't be entirely happy.

was dangerous.

If one couldn't overcome the wildness dwelling in their body, they truly became a rabid dog.

He wanted an obedient hound that followed its master's orders, not a rabid dog.

Proper management was needed for Jin Parang to properly handle his gift from now on.

I should treat this hyung first.

An Ein's physical abilities exceeded the level of ordinary humans.

Moreover, Parang who activated had the power to instantly heal most wounds.

Nevertheless, Parang's internal mana was currently depleted from overusing his gift.

As a result, his healing ability was slow.

Blood was flowing from various parts of his body as if he had been attacked by monsters.

"Ha-yang, potion." "...Huh?"

"Give me a potion."

"O-Okay..."

It was good I brought potions.

Eun-ha reached his hand back asking Ha-yang for the bag.

But Jung Ha-yang was hesitating unable to approach closely while holding the bag.

Now that he looked, she couldn't even make eye contact with a bright red face.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"That... Parang oppa's clothes..."

"Ah, this?"

Jung Ha-yang speaking while glancing.

Eun-ha pointed at Jin Parang lying naked as if it was no big deal.

It was a result of .

His body must have grown rapidly, so there was no way his clothes wouldn't tear.

Even the academy uniform made with mana-infused fabric couldn't withstand .

As a result, Jin Parang who lost consciousness and collapsed was wearing nothing except the Blue Claw on his hand.

"What's there to be embarrassed about..."

Eun-ha chuckled seeing Jung Ha-yang react to seeing a man's body.

Jin Parang wasn't even an adult yet.

So what was there to be embarrassed about?

"Of course I should be embarrassed, how can I not be embarrassed..."

Ha-yang grumbled in a sulky voice.

Eun-ha held back laughter and accepted the potion and cloak she handed over.

Then he fed the potion to him who was breathing evenly, and finally covered him with the cloak.

"But Eun-ha. Parang oppa being here means the other kids must be nearby too, right?" "It would be good if that's the case..."

Eun-ha trailed off.

Jin Parang used .

That means he must have been in danger enough to awaken his gift by survival instinct.

Then students in danger should be visible around.

Or the sound of them shouting.

But only Jin Parang was here.

He didn't think other students would be nearby.

"But this worked out well."

Nevertheless, Eun-ha was satisfied.

Because just having Jin Parang was enough.

With him who could use telepathy, searching Seoraksan would become much easier.

It meant they no longer needed to go through the trouble of Ha-yang breaking barriers and thoroughly searching inside like before.

"For now, let's ask about what happened... when this stupid hyung wakes up."

Even a tiny gap.

If even a tiny gap could be made in the barrier, Parang just needs to send telepathy through there.

Jin Parang who had sent telepathy to Seo-na before should be able to pinpoint her detailed location if she's caught in the detection net.

So now that Jin Parang was found─

"Ha-yang, you conserve your strength. The next one we find will be the last."

─It was as good as discovering those guys' village.

☆

The students kidn*pped by the Slayers could do nothing but cry.

Those exposed to malice for the first time in their lives were shocked to see a world they didn't know.

The Slayers who kidn*pped them had no morals and common sense didn't apply to them.

They had no reason.

If there was a reason, it was just boredom, which wasn't even a proper reason.

They simply felt exhilaration from trampling on, abusing, and tormenting those weaker than themselves.

"...Is this all you can do? At this rate we'll have to switch to another kid..."

"...Not yet..."

What was even more surprising was that they were Players the students had aspired to become.

That these guys were the same kind as the Players they had met until now or seen in the media.

Students who had held ideals couldn't believe that fact.

"Why are you scared of something like this? You're the 031st class, right? Having a 0 attached means most of you are well-off kids, don't you know there's not much difference between what you do and what we do?"

A drunk Player pressed his face close shaking the bars.

Eun-woo who was startled embraced the trembling girls and looked up at him blankly.

Her pupils were trembling all the same.

But she had to hold back tears.

Because Mok Min-ho was participating in the 'game' in her place.

Because the people here were relying on her.

"If you're weak you get eaten, if you have nothing you live getting abused."

"......" "And if you don't like that, you have to become strong. Or get your hands on something. If you can't do that either─"

The drunk man wiped his lips with a red face.

"─Live like us. Because the strong ones in this world aren't those who follow the law, but those who break it."

It was nonsense.

The Slayers were just living according to their desires.

But the frightened students couldn't deny that and had to just listen quietly.

Min-ho...

Above all, Eun-woo was distracted watching Min-ho swinging his sword while being jeered at.

She prayed with her hands clasped.

Please let nothing happen to him.

Please someone save us.

But her prayers were in vain.

"Hey, isn't it boring if he keeps doing that?"

"Yeah, I agree, totally agree. It's strange the kids aren't afraid of monsters, is there any need to keep doing this?"

"Hey, change the game! Let's do something else!"

Now the Players who were betting with food raised their voices saying it was boring.

At this, Nam Ki-han decided to stop the 'game' and start another 'game'.

"Then how about this?"

"...!"

Nam Ki-han grabbed Eun-hyeok who was receiving treatment from a Supporter by the nape and threw him into the middle of the arena.

Eun-hyeok who couldn't even properly break his fall at the sudden event rolled on the ground.

"Fighting monsters with brats isn't fun... but how fun would it be to have kids fight each other?"

Silence fell for a moment.

Soon those who grasped Nam Ki-han's words raised cheers heating up the atmosphere.

While Min-ho and Eun-hyeok facing each other in the arena flinched.

The two who had their weapons taken away could only blankly look at each other.

But Nam Ki-han put his hands on their shoulders and lit the spark.

First to Mok Min-ho─

"─That girl earlier is your girlfriend, right? If you don't do this, I'll throw that kid to the monsters. But can your girlfriend kill monsters too?" "......"

And to Choi Eun-hyeok─

"─You asked to save the fox Ein, right? If you win, I'll think about it."

Nam Ki-han had already grasped the two to some extent.

He knew.

That those who have something to protect are weak in front of what they need to protect.

So Slayers who had nothing to protect were stronger than anyone.

Because Slayers valued this moment most, tried to kill the opponent before dying themselves, and weren't bound by anything.

"What will you do?"

""......""

His words became the fuse.

Mok Min-ho threw the first punch.

"Min-ho─!!"

Cha Eun-woo shouted his name at the top of her lungs from far away.

But he hit Eun-hyeok again who stumbled back losing his balance, with his back to her.

"...!"

This time Choi Eun-hyeok didn't stay still either.

He who brought both hands in front of his face avoiding the incoming fist threw a punch looking for an opening.

He didn't stop there.

He who charged without thinking ahead and behind fell to the ground with Mok Min-ho.

And straddling his chest, he clenched his fist.

But Eun-hyeok couldn't swing his fist in the end.

"...Do it." "......"

"...If you don't, I will."

It was a dogfight.

Mok Min-ho didn't hesitate.

What he needed to protect was clear.

It was Cha Eun-woo who had been holding back tears until now but could no longer hold them back and was crying loudly.

He quickly got up while Eun-hyeok hesitated, and reversed the position laying Eun-hyeok on the ground.

The positions were reversed.

Eun-hyeok tried to defend against Min-ho's attacks by covering his face with both hands.

Conversely, Min-ho gritted his teeth and hit Eun-hyeok.

Such a situation continued several times with the dominant one changing.

The two only glared at each other and hit without exchanging any words.

But the two understood each other.

While understanding each other, they were also looking for a chance to somehow escape this situation.

☆

[Hey, do you think you can block this by covering your ears?] [Kids like you need to be trained from a young age. That way you won't get cursed at.] [Where do you keep trying to be clever?]

Meanwhile, Seo-na who was dragged out of the cage was being attacked by Shim Su-ji.

Violence wasn't just actions accompanied by physical behavior.

Telepaths had their own attacks.

Mental attacks through telepathy.

It was an attack that collapsed and subdued the opponent's mind.

Because telepathy couldn't be defended against.

When continuously exposed to telepathy, one would unknowingly be dyed by the mind of the person sending the telepathy.

[Don't do this!] [Oh? Now you're even resisting?]

Shim Su-ji's telepathy stabbing her mind incessantly without rest.

Seo-na desperately endured her voice.

Seo-na instinctively knew her sense of self would waver if she wavered at Shim Su-ji's telepathy.

That's why she countered the mental attack.

She who was still young hadn't learned how to deal with a Telepath's mental attacks.

But she was aware that she shouldn't just listen to the opponent's telepathy like this.

So she shot telepathy at Shim Su-ji containing her intense feelings.

[I understand so please stop...]

"...Kyaak!"

[What do you understand? Geez, you're so stubborn. Hey, you won't be able to live in this world living like that.]

But Seo-na's telepathy didn't fully reach Shim Su-ji.

Shim Su-ji who felt the telepathy trying to grab and shake her mind kicked Seo-na.

Then she grabbed her nape lifting her up and slapped her cheek.

Mental attacks and violence.

She who had gone through harsh experiences as a Telepath knew how to subdue the opponent.

[This unni is telling you out of concern, Telepaths take telepathy interviews when entering clans. But... sometimes bad clans try to dye Telepaths in the clan's color.] [...Don't listen. Don't listen, Seo-na.] [Listen well, you bitch.]

Shim Su-ji grabbed Seo-na's fox ears and dragged her around.

She whose ears were grabbed had to stop her telepathy while crying.

Ears acted like antennas for Eins.

When her ears were grabbed like this, she couldn't use telepathy.

Even in this situation, Shim Su-ji's telepathy kept stabbing her heart.

[There aren't many clans that will accept stubborn Telepaths like you. We just need to act as radios.]

"......"

[The more incompetent you are, the more you just need to act as you're told from above. So break your stubbornness, kid. This unni will carefully change you today.]

"...na."

[Huh?]

"...I'm Jin Seo-na."

[What is this kid saying? Have you still not come to your senses?]

"...I'm not 'you b***h', I'm Jin Seo-na. Jin. Seo. Na."

[......]

Seo-na didn't yield.

If she couldn't use telepathy, she could speak with her mouth.

She spoke her name while frowning in pain.

Jin Seo-na.

This name had many meanings.

She may not have before, but now she had become attached to her name.

She really liked this name the church people called her.

Happy feelings welled up whenever friends called her name.

So she would say it.

Over and over.

"─I'm Jin Seo-na."

She would firmly assert herself.

Seo-na looked up at Shim Su-ji again raising her red eyes.

[Hey, do you think you're something? I don't know why but you seem arrogant... people don't care at all who you are. You're just one of many Eins. What people need is just a radio that can use telepathy as ordered, a radio.]

"...Was that how it was for unni?"

[......]

She had been exposed to Shim Su-ji's telepathy since being dragged out of the cage.

So Seo-na could glimpse Shim Su-ji's heart a little.

That's why she felt like she knew something about the person called Shim Su-ji.

This was an extremely dangerous situation.

Saying she understood her also meant she was infected by her mind.

"But I won't be like that."

However, Seo-na didn't lose her sense of self.

She was just surprised receiving a mental attack for the first time.

Shim Su-ji's telepathy only echoed hollowly in her heart.

In other words, it didn't touch her heart at all.

"My friends say I'm okay because I'm me. They like me not because I'm an Ein, but because I'm Jin Seo-na."

[...You...]

"Does unni have even one friend who says things like tha...kyaak!"

[Right, how nice. To have such good friends. But do you think that won't change when you go outside? Do you think they'll care about you when everyone's busy?]

Jin Seo-na had lacked confidence until now.

She usually didn't assert her own opinions for fear of being rejected.

Jin Seo-na had low self-esteem until now.

She always compared herself to others and endlessly lowered herself.

This was a point that didn't change even after meeting friends.

She still thought she lacked confidence and had low self-esteem in her own opinion.

Nevertheless, she believed in her friends.

'It's okay because it's you.'

'It's okay. Me, the captain, Minji, Hayang, we all like you.'

'It doesn't matter that you're Ain. What matters is that you're our friend. You can be happy. I promise.'

That day, the day when a fox rain fell.

Eunhyuk told her.

Those words took root in my heart and supported the existence of Jinseo.

Although I still feel inadequate, it made me strongly want to be around the people I like.

That's why she didn't waver.

I didn't doubt my friends.

“… Sister… , what a poor thing…!”

[What the hell do you know!]

She firmly believed that Eunhyuk, who was fighting with Minho from afar, had not yet given up.

She firmly believed that Jinpa-rang was not dead.

Hayang firmly believed that Minji would somehow save him.

And─.

[Jinseo-na!]

“… Yeah, I’m here… .”

─I had no doubt that the Milky Way would appear at such a time.

So Jinseo raised both hands and grabbed Simsooji's wrists, which were holding her ears.

[What the heck is this…!]

“… Aaaah! This crazy b***h!”

She bit Shim Soo-ji's wrist.

Shim Soo-ji threw her while struggling.

She hit the wooden pillar behind her and fell to the ground with a thud.

[…I’m going to kill you.]

An angry Sim Soo-ji was approaching, grumbling.

However, Seona, who was lying on the ground, raised the corners of her lips without fearing her.

The fox twitched its ears.

Sparks flew.

[I told you, telepathy won't help. This place is covered by concealment magic─.]

Sim Soo-ji, who was about to laugh because it was so absurd, soon stopped walking.

But it was already too late.

Advertisements[─I'm here.]

The channel is already connected.

The telepathy that Blue had sent a little while ago was proof of that.

[Jinseo is here.]

At that moment, the barrier shook.

Loudly and violently.

Soon the barrier was shattered into pieces.