Chapter 92. Iro (2)

Chapter 92. Iro (2)

“It’s firmer inside! Come closer!” Yeon Bo-Ra shouted, furrowing her brow as if straining with all her might.

Thud! Boom! Crack!

Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. Likely due to the chimera’s ceaseless assault, relentlessly pounding against the mud wall.

“Are you okay? You look exhausted,” Eun-Ho asked.

“I can’t compress it properly, so it’s unstable. But I’ll hold on as long as I can!” she replied, her voice tight.

He’d asked because she seemed to be barely managing, but her answer veered off, as if holding back the truth.

“You’ve really grown, Yeon Bo-Ra,” Eun-Ho said.

“

Pfft

. Are you treating me like a kid right now?” she shot back, half laughing, half indignant.

Eun-Ho felt both proud of her and grateful for her resolve.

Then, he handed over a plastic bottle he had just summoned. “Here, take this.”

It was filled with clear water, tinged faintly brown.

“What is this?” she asked.

“A tonic. It’ll boost your stamina.”

[Stewed Ginseng Root]

- Root of a young ginseng raised under a concentrated energy barrier.

- Absorbing it permanently increases Stamina.

- Because the exposure time to the barrier was short, the effect is limited.

In truth, its effects were so faint that it no longer did anything for him. However, for someone like Yeon Bo-Ra, whose strength was at rock bottom, it was a precious, restorative elixir.

“If you’re helping me anyway, drink this and endure a bit longer,” he urged.

She froze, holding the bottle, staring directly at his face.

“Aren’t you going to drink it?” he asked.

She only blinked, as if caught off guard.

“It’s not an offering, you know,” he teased.

When he prodded her, she finally let out a bashful smile and played with her hair.

“Hurry up. We don’t have time,” Eun-Ho pressed.

“Okay!” With an expression that wavered between joy and sadness, Yeon Bo-Ra drained the bottle. She swallowed hard and opened her mouth. “Thank—”

At that instant, the edge of the dirt wall collapsed.

Boom! Craaaaack!

Through the opening burst in countless arms, their ends fitted with hammers, drills, and other brutal tools, thrashing as they surged forward.

“Blade Win—” Eun-Ho began.

“Mol—” Yeon Bo-Ra shouted at the same time.

However, before either could act, a gunshot split the air.

Bang!

With a single shot, one arm was blown apart.

Bang! Bang!

Two more rounds, and two more limbs burst into pieces.

A golden flare tore through the thrashing flesh that writhed with blades, staves, and axes.

“Ji-Eun!” Eun-Ho exclaimed.

“Sorry I’m late! I’ll take care of this side!” Ji-Eun called back, steady as ever.

Bang!

With one eye closed, she extended her arm, calmly firing another precise shot. “I’ll rebuild the wall! Hold on a second!”

Meanwhile, Yeon Bo-Ra, focusing every nerve into her palms, cried out as the mud wall rose again, blocking the onslaught.

On the right was Ji-Eun’s offense and on the left was Yeon Bo-Ra’s defense.

These two... They’re so reliable,

Eun-Ho thought, his chest tightening with relief.

***

Bang—!

“Are you all right? I never should’ve left you alone like this!” Ji-Eun shouted the question with urgency, firing a golden bullet straight into the chimera’s leg.

“I’m fine! What about Yul?” Eun-Ho asked back.

“She’s with Han-Wool!”

Yul had lent her Hide-and-Seek ability to help infiltrate the spire. Just as Eun-Ho had asked, she had been safely returned to her father’s arms.

What a relief.

Not only that the precious child was safe, but she didn’t have to see this grotesque battlefield. If Yul had witnessed the monster’s grotesque arms bursting apart like mushrooms, sprouting all over it, she’d have screamed and cried her lungs out.

Splat—!

Chunks of quivering flesh rained down, littering the rough ground. Dark red blood pooled over the once-white marble floor, turning it into a gleaming red pond. Then, from within that carnage, the chimera roared.

“Wipe them out! All of them, now!” Iro ordered.

“

Graaaaugh!

”

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The chimera charged, abandoning the useless arms that kept exploding.

Baaaaam!

It slammed itself into the dirt wall—a suicidal move, something no intelligent being would ever attempt.

Thud!

The wall crumbled, piece by piece, starting from the edges farthest from Yeon Bo-Ra. However, with every collapse came a price.

[85.3%]

[82.0%]

[79.5%]

The more the wall broke, the more the creature’s stamina dropped.

How foolish.

The wall could always be rebuilt. Eun-Ho himself would never have traded away Stamina like that. It was clear proof that rage had clouded the creature’s judgment.

Through the gaps of the broken wall, Eun-Ho caught sight of the chimera’s torso, plastered with layers of crude armor.

“Do you think a few gunshots will stop me? Give up and come out, Eun-Ho!” Iro shrieked from within those gaps.

Eun-Ho ignored him and shouted to Ji-Eun instead, “The one in the white coat is the top priority! The chimera comes after that!”

“Understood!” Ji-Eun called back.

Boom!

Enraged, the beast unleashed its arms in full bloom.

Babababam—! Swoosh!

Webbed membranes stretched between the countless arms, whipping the air and conjuring a storm. A yellow sandstorm surged like spring dust, sweeping everything in its path.

[You have absorbed the Synthetic Toxic Gas!]

Besides, the twisted hoses lashed forward, spewing streams of pitch-black poison.

Pzzzz—!

[You have been exposed to high-level toxins!]

[You have developed the status effect, Poisoned!]

[85.7%]

His stamina dropped.

[85.1%]

No, it was still dropping, weakened by the wounds he had sustained atop the spire, and by the poison seeping in through air and water alike.

Ding!

However, a crisp chime echoed and a message window appeared before him.

[Due to the awakening agent, the immunity granted by the Stewed Groundsel Root has been amplified tenfold!]

[The foreign agents of the Synthetic Toxic Gas have been blocked!]

[Due to the awakening agent, the adaptive ability absorbed from the Cockroaches has been amplified tenfold!]

[All status effects have been cleared.]

That will do.

As long as his Stamina didn’t keep dropping from here, he wouldn’t be in immediate danger. The problem was everyone else.

“I-I can’t breathe!” Ji-Eun gasped.

“Ji-Eun!”

Her hand that held the gun dropped, as if her throat had been squeezed. Even her face went deathly pale. At that moment, a cool sensation slid over him, accompanied by a message.

[Your Stamina has been slightly restored by Healer Yoon Sol-Ah.]

[85.1% → 88.1%]

“I’ll provide support from the rear!” Yoon Sol-Ah shouted.

“I’m here too, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk added.

“Damn it, are you two okay?!” Swear-Master added.

They could have stayed hidden somewhere in the ruins, but they had run all the way here anyway, dodging the monsters’ gaze. They were drenched in sweat and panting for breath.

“Sorry we’re late! That idiot said Eun-Ho would be hiding over there...” Ye-Ji said.

“Shut up, won’t you?” Swear-Master snapped.

Eun-Ho found himself oddly glad for their ruckus. Gratitude welled up at the sight of people who had risked themselves to come help. It almost made him smile.

“Shall we teach that bastard a lesson?!” one shouted.

“Young Man! Which mess shall I clear first? Just tell me!” the cleaning lady replied with a salute.

However, thanks would come later. They had to finish the fight first.

He gathered himself and shouted instructions to the cleaning lady, “Target the poison! Aim for the hose openings!”

“Trust me! I’ll leave not a speck!” she answered like a general, raising her spear.

With a hiss, the spear’s tip drew in the inky poison that had been spewing from the hoses.

“You worthless trash, unfit even for experiments!” Iro snarled, voice trembling with fury.

Then, with a deafening force, the chimera roared, spilling its wrath.

Thud! Boom!

“I’ll start with you, you trash! Slaughter everything on this island!” Iro ordered, his eyes gone wild.

The chimera began to trample and pulverize the Sky Island, eliciting screams everywhere.

“

Kyaaaah!

”

“Help! Please!”

People ran, fell, and were crushed beneath its feet.

Boom—!

“It’s coming this way!” Yeon Bo-Ra shouted.

The chimera pounded toward the wall as if to smash through with its enormous torso.

Eun-Ho stepped forward, feeling the vibration thrum through the earth. “If you’re going to run away, now’s your last chance.”

Thud!

He scanned the faces of the people who had gathered despite the danger.

“I’ll fight, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk declared.

“Me too. We can’t have anyone getting hurt!” Sol-Ah said, resolute.

They looked at him with determination, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The cleaning lady made a joke. “If we run now, do we get to go to paradise or something?”

“Fuck yeah! Let’s pop every nasty arm on that gross shit!” Swear-Master swore.

Their faces showed solid trust and the courage that trust bred.

Then, Ji-Eun added softly, without needing a reason, “Come with us, Eun-Ho.”

Ding!

Just then, a bright notification chimed after a long while, piercing his ears.

[Survivor group from the Northriver area has begun following you!]

[The title Paver of Paths has been activated!]

What the...

[Followers: 12]

[Movement Speed has been increased by +1.2]

[Defense has been increased by +1.2]

This time, instead of Skeletons, it announced that living people were following him.

[Congratulations!]

[The hidden conditions, eradication of corrupt leadership, collapse of ruling systems, and revolt against systemic oppression, are resonating with your title Paver of Paths.]

Revolt? Me?

Eun-Ho thought, stunned.

Well... If they’re offering, I might as well take it.

Eun-Ho couldn’t understand how he could open up such a grandiose path, but for the time being, he’d accept these titles without further questioning.

[Followers: 12]

[You have led twelve people who once walked the Righteous Path onto the Traitor’s Road!]

[Resistance stat has been increased (+12).]

Twelve points increase in Resistance stat wasn’t much for using the Counterattack skills, but if he kept stacking it up, the effect could become tremendous just like when he had once pierced the sky.

I’ll hold out however I can and collect it slowly.

With that thought, he raised his voice.

“Ma’am, please focus on eliminating the poison! Jae-Hyuk, support her!”

“Got it!” the cleaning lady barked, lifting her spear.

“Understood, Hyungnim!” Jae-Hyuk added.

Seeing the two step forward so boldly filled him with a steady sense of relief.

“And the rest of you, fight from a distance if you can! It’s too dangerous to get close right now!”

The problem was that only Ji-Eun had reliable ranged attacks.

“Ji-Eun! Can you block the air above us?” Eun-Ho asked.

“Yes! I can scatter multiple blades!” she replied without hesitation.

He was grateful that Ji-Eun was always ready to say yes and willing to try. However, he knew it was too much to ask. Covering the wide sky alone was impossible.

Swoosh—!

He severed a flying arm while racking his brain.

“

Caw! Cawww!

”

Then, a chorus of crows suddenly filled the air.

Huh?

Stone crows swooped down, not just one or two, but in flocks.

“

Cawwww!

”

Stone crows? They looked oddly familiar.

Then, a sharp sound rang out, and two figures came into view.

“Cha Jin-Sol! Make them faster!”

“I’m trying! I’m drawing them so fast that my arm’s about to fall off!”

Those two...

Eun-Ho recognized them instantly. They were the tattooist pair he had met during the Character Evaluation. The blond kid had almost died fleeing from the White Serpent, and the girl had thanked Eun-Ho with a handmade healing ointment afterward.

Back then, he had used a giant needle to draw on ice and create some kind of gorilla or orangutan...

Eun-Ho thought.

“Materialize!”

Yup, just like that.

“For now, we just need to block that thing, right?!” the blond one said, stepping up.

That boy... I remember thinking he was lucky to have such a good friend,

Eun-Ho thought, remembering the previous short conversation they had.

“Thank you for saving him!”

“...”

“Hurry, say it!”

“... Thanks.”

They hadn’t forgotten and now they came to help. How could Eun-Ho not feel grateful?

Besides, they weren’t alone.

“We’ll help too,” said the couple who had survived the trial with the Dream Demons and later apologized for their misunderstanding.

“To live, we’ve got to take that thing down, right?”

“We may not be as strong as you, Eun-Ho, but surely we’re better than nothing!”

The chef from Yongsan, who had once kept them alive with unlimited pasta refills, appeared with more locals from the district.

[Several survivors wish to repay you!]

[Followers: 112]

[You have led a hundred people who once walked the Righteous Path onto the Traitor’s Road!]

[Resistance stat has been increased (+100).]

“We’ll help too!” others shouted.

“Should we build traps again, like last time?!”

Even the survivors of the Hunt trial, who had farmed points through auto-hunting, gathered around.

[Several survivors wish to repay you!]

[Followers: 195]

[You have led eighty-three people who once walked the Righteous Path onto the Traitor’s Road!]

[Resistance stat has been increased (+83).]

“Everyone—” Eun-Ho found himself at a loss for words when faces he hadn’t expected filled the clearing.

“I’ll shoot arrows from the back!” someone cried.

“I’ve got a throwing skill! Can someone gather things I can throw?” another offered.

“Me! I’ll do it!” a third volunteered.

Thud—!

The mud wall collapsed completely, but between the freed monster and Eun-Ho, an array of people and their abilities formed a chaotic barrier.

It was a total, glorious mess of attacks including arrows, stones, chunks of asphalt, daggers, spears, and even bombs.

In the center of that uproar, Eun-Ho felt a strange swell of emotion so sudden it made him almost embarrassed.

“Pour it all out! Trample them! Smash them! Melt them!” Iro’s mad, furious roar echoed with that command.

“

Uwaaaaah!

”

The colossal chimera opened its maw like something heaving up its guts. From within, a torrent of grotesque, multicolored orbs burst forth.

Flames, smoke, reeking fumes, and foul gas stained the sky, all of it focused on a single target: Lee Eun-Ho.

“Summon!” Eun-Ho shouted.

Luck had stacked upon luck to create this moment. He had to use it to the fullest. Therefore, for the time being, he had to block the attack.

[You have activated a shield as a temporary performer.]

[You have one remaining performance count.]

I have to do it clumsily.

Tens, hundreds, thousands of fragments, an avalanche of stone, rained onto his shoulders.

Twaaang—!

[You have blocked the approach of those who resist your will!]

Through the downpour, he plucked the pipa’s strings until they seemed to snap. He played it louder, louder, and even louder. As a result, the shield swelled, spreading without end.

[Several survivors admire your ability!]

[Followers: 240]

[You have led forty-five people who once walked the Righteous Path onto the Traitor’s Road!]

[Resistance stat has been increased (+45).]

Thanks to that barrier, those sheltered from the monster’s vomit now began to follow him.

However, Yeon Bo-Ra cried in horror, “Nooo!”

She knew better than anyone what the expanding shield implied as she had used it several times before.

“Your Stamina! It's draining!” she shouted.

“What?!” he asked.

“The more you hold that shield, the more Stamina it eats! And with that much area, it won’t even block attacks properly!”

She hadn’t grasped his intent, but the messages kept piling up anyway.

[Several survivors are moved by your tremendous self-sacrifice!]

[Followers: 330]

[You have led ninety people who once walked the Righteous Path onto the Traitor’s Road!]

[Resistance stat has been increased (+90).]

While he was absorbed in holding the veil, the Resistance stat climbed to three hundred and thirty. That meant he had a whopping 330% Counterattack ready.

My remaining Stamina is...

[54.5%]

[47.7%]

The chimera still led the fight, but only marginally. His Stamina had surged thanks to the awakening agent, and the creature was steadily worn down by the combined assault of three hundred and thirty people.

However, the enlarged veil had thinned. Fragments of the colored orbs began to pierce through, spilling over the shield top.

“Oh gosh...”

“Isn’t that dangerous?!”

“Oppa! Please, reduce the range! Quickly!”

Logically, he should shrink the field and increase its intensity immediately. Yet, if he expanded the veil here, his Stamina would fall slowly and steadily as he modulated the numbers with surgical care.

Twaaaang—!

[32.6%]

[25.1%]

[20.9%]

[14.2%]

...

When his remaining Stamina reached ten percent, he had just claimed the devotion of nearly everyone left on the Sky Island. All the conditions were fulfilled.

[Followers: 482]

[You have led a hundred and fifty-two people who once walked the Righteous Path onto the Traitor’s Road!]

[Resistance stat has been increased (+152).]

Now is the time!

He released the veil. Then he ran, repeating in his mind the one-shot, sure-win tactic they had discovered—or rather, fashioned together thanks to the people around him.

Swoosh—!