Chapter 85. Training or Tempering (5)

The sun sank low and bled into the horizon, painting the sky in shades of red. Eun-Ho and the team soared over the Han River, where the light shattered and scattered across the rippling water.

Their destination was the Night Island, a sandbar born from the river’s sediment. The wetland, located in the heart of the city, was a government-protected ecological reserve.

“Holy shit! Such a place exists in Seoul?” the foul-mouthed guy exclaimed, eyes wide with genuine surprise.

“You’ve never seen it while riding the bus? Crossing the Han, you’d have spotted it at least once,” Eun-Ho replied with patient courtesy.

The foul-mouthed guy shrugged and said, “Well, I don’t ride buses.”

Ji-Eun, who had been listening, blinked in disbelief. “If you don’t take the bus, then how do you get around? The subway?”

“... Why do you care? Fuck off. Don’t ask.”

“Ji-Eun! Don’t bother talking to him. Every time you ask something, he spits out curses!” said Ye-Ji.

Swear-Master shot back. “What the hell’s your problem?!”

Before their bickering could escalate into another round, Eun-Ho quickly stepped between them. “Ji-Eun! If he curses one more time, just throw him off right here!”

“What did you just say, you son of—”

“Enough,” Eun-Ho cut in firmly.

It was getting out of hand. Swear-Master and Ye-Ji had never gotten along, but now their relationship seemed worse than ever.

“What’s your problem?”

According to Ye-Ji, she hadn’t slept a wink ever since the two of them landed near Mapo Station. Swear-Master’d spent the entire night muttering curses. Given how cranky she seemed, it didn’t seem to be an exaggeration. Still, that wasn’t the strangest part.

“Why exactly were you swearing all night?” Eun-Ho asked.

“What?”

“I heard that you kept cursing nonstop. Why did you do that? There weren’t even any monsters around.”

Though he had a foul mouth, there had to be a reason. Nobody would ruin their own sleep just to swear into the dark.

When Eun-Ho asked casually, the man averted his eyes. “Because...”

Barely audible, his words forced Eun-Ho to lean in. “Sorry, what was that?”

However, the man exploded instead. “Because it was fucking unbearable, alright?!”

“What was?”

“It was pitch dark and no one was around. The ground was cold and hard. And shit, I thought you were dead already! How the hell was I supposed to not curse?!” Then he let out a long, ragged sigh. “Damn it... Why don’t I have any skills? I feel so useless, not being able to do a damn thing!”

Ah. So that was it,

Eun-Ho thought.

His sharp tongue was just a cover. What really ate at him was his own helplessness. It felt pointless to lecture him about right or wrong.

As he decided how to respond, something soft pressed against his face. His nose sank into something gelatinous that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

“What the...?”

It was cold and pliant, wrapping over his nose, face, head, until it swallowed his whole being. Like falling into an enormous drop of water, it pulled him inward. Invisible pressure squeezed him all over.

Whoosh!

Then, the pressure vanished all at once, like breaking the surface after nearly drowning.

Eun-Ho gasped for air and so did the others, pale and shaken, their chests heaving.

“I-I couldn’t breathe just now!” Ji-Eun stammered.

“What the hell was that?!”

Ji-Eun’s frantic glance showed she was just as lost. They barely had a moment to register their surroundings before the air itself trembled with a low, thunderous drone.

Woooooom!

The sound was familiar. If he hadn’t heard it countless times before, he’d have mistaken it for a generator.

“

Ugh!

It’s so loud!”

“What is that noise?”

“Isn’t it a motor?”

“No, it’s wings...” Eun-Ho whispered.

“... What?!”

The air rattled.

Whirrrrr! Swoosh! Swish! Whirrrrl!

Strange noises intermingled with the buzzing, but there was no mistaking it. That chilling hum echoed the massive insects’ wingbeats that once drilled into his skull in Beginner Swordsmanship Class.

At last, the hidden island came into view.

“W-what is that?!”

“Oh God...”

The Night Island they once knew was gone.

***

Certainly, the Night Island had once been designated an ecological preservation zone. However, no one had imagined that “ecology” would take on this form.

[You are entering a special zone, Giant Insect Colony!]

The term was unfamiliar, but no one asked what it meant. One glance at the scene before them was enough.

“Young man! Over here! Heeelp!”

The security guard, covered in blood, staggered forward with the help of an equally battered cleaning lady. Behind them, creatures just as large or even larger than the humans gave chase.

“By the willow tree!” she shouted.

“Please land us right away!”

“Okay!”

[Defeat the King and restore the ecosystem!]

Whatever “King” ruled this territory, they had no time to wonder. Even as the message flashed, a tide of creatures surged in on all sides crawling, scuttling, and flying.

[Defeat the One-Horned Dragonfly!]

[Defeat the Red Lanternfly!]

[Defeat the Chainsaw Stag Beetle!]

[Defeat the Universal Earwig!]

[Defeat the Shovel-Jawed Tiger Beetle!]

...

“

Gyaaaah!

Somebody save me!”

“Over here!”

The cleaning lady slung the frothing guard over her back and ran. “Mr. Kim! Stay with me, damn it!”

His leg was mangled. Blood poured from the wound, and his eyes rolled back, barely conscious.

“Sol-Ah! I’m counting on you!” Eun-Ho shouted.

“Got it!” she answered quickly.

Yul sobbed, clutching her father’s sleeve. “Dad! I’m scared!

Waaaah!

”

The sky thundered with the roar of countless wings, nearly drowning their own voices.

Wooooom!

“Yul! Don’t cry. Go to Sol-Ah and hold her hand, alright?” Eun-Ho urged.

“

Waaah!

But...” she whimpered.

“You and Sol-Ah will hide the wounded. Can you do that?”

Sniffling, Yul clung to Sol-Ah. “... Okay.”

Together, they guided the two injured elders toward a quieter corner where fewer insects swarmed. As they moved, their outlines gradually blurred, fading from sight.

Eun-Ho ordered. “While Sol-Ah heals them, Han-Wool and Yeo-Jin, please guard the others.”

“Understood!” Han-Wool replied.

“Got it!” Yeo-Jin said.

Once the injured were secured, Eun-Ho turned back.

The insect horde was already upon them. Creatures the size of men lunged from air, earth, and even underground, pincers and horns flashing.

Whoooom—!

Then, a monstrous stag beetle the size of a compact car charged forward. Its forehead crowned with twin horns that spun like chainsaws, while its shell gleamed pitch-black, polished to an oily shine.

[Defeat the Chainsaw Stag Beetle!]

At first he thought the word “chainsaw” was just a metaphor. However, up close, he wasn’t so sure. The jagged metal teeth embedded in its horns rotated with a piercing, mechanical shriek.

Time to test its strength,

Eun-Ho thought.

“Blade Wind!”

Swoosh—! Crack!

A sharp gust of sword energy shot forth from the Flame Sky-Shattering Blade, colliding with the beetle’s whirring horns. It didn’t cut clean through, but the wind shredded at the spinning blades, as though grinding them down.

As the vibration abruptly faltered, fragments of broken metal rained down before the stag beetle’s eyes.

Clang! Clang!

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Enraged, the creature clashed its twin chainsaw-horns together. It trembled violently, like a dying insect’s final spasms.

Jae-Hyuk recoiled in horror at the sight. “H-holy shit!”

Crunch!

Eun-Ho drove his blade between the beetle’s horns, forcing it deeper with sheer strength. The monster convulsed, shuddered once more, then collapsed in a lifeless heap.

[You have defeated the Chainsaw Stag Beetle!]

[You have earned 100 Welfare Points.]

Despite having a solid shell, it wasn’t as deadly as it appeared.

“As long as you avoid the saws, it’s manageable,” Eun-Ho said.

“Hyungnim...” Jae-Hyuk breathed.

Eun-Ho stepped aside. Normally, he would’ve handled all the enemies himself, but the swarm was too large. Besides, this battle was to be used for training purposes as well.

“Jae-Hyuk! You’re strong enough to crush them yourself. Don’t freeze. Fight!”

“O-okay... I’ll try...”

“If you can’t, throw your mace and recall it!”

“

Ah

, right! Y-Yes, Hyungnim!”

At last, the fear in Jae-Hyuk’s eyes began to fade. He’d grown braver through past trials, but grotesque enemies like these still rattled him. Really, who could blame him?

“God, they’re disgusting!” someone gagged.

Humans felt primal revulsion toward insects. Even small ones could be unsettling. Meanwhile, these ones were larger than people, their scaled wings and hairy antennae vividly visible down to each strand.

[Defeat the Shovel-Jawed Tiger Beetle!]

Thud!

Lee Ye-Ji had collapsed, knees buckling. Understandable reaction, but empathy didn’t mean leniency. Not when a pair of antennae, as thick as a human arm, reached for her face. She kept her eyes squeezed shut in terror.

“Get up! Grip your sword!”

“

Kyaaaah!

” she screamed.

“Ye-Ji! If you don’t face them, you’ll die! Straighten your back! Extend your arm and stab!”

“I-I can’t! It’s too scary...”

Skrit, skrit!

Then, the beetle with bright yellow jaws scuttled toward her on six churning legs. The distance closed in a heartbeat.

Slash!

Somehow, with her eyes still shut, Ye-Ji swung blindly.

Thunk-thunk!

The blade cleaved through, severing antennae and forelegs with a wet sound.

Impressive in its own way, but half-measures would only hold them back.

Eun-Ho pointed at the next one charging and shouted, “Think of that insect as the foul-mouthed bastard. Pretend you’re shutting his filthy mouth!”

It was then her eyes flew open. “I-I got it!”

“What the hell?!” the foul-mouthed one barked.

Maybe Eun-Ho should’ve tried that trick earlier.

“Fuck! You’ll pay for that later!” the man in question cursed in outrage, he was far too busy fending off monsters to argue.

“Your stance is fine, just swing harder!” Eun-Ho said to the foul-mouthed guy.

Whooom—! Swoosh! Swish! Thump!

Overhead, Ji-Eun carved through the air with her daggers, ripping into a dragonfly’s wings, then a lanternfly’s joints.

[Defeat the One-Horned Dragonfly!]

[Defeat the Red Lanternfly!]

No one had told her what to do, but she was pulling her weight all the same.

She’s steady as ever,

Eun-Ho thought, reassured.

Then, he turned to Han-Wool, locked in battle with a massive insect wielding crushing pincers.

“

Haah...

” Han-Wool gasped, struggling.

Eun-Ho raised his sword to intervene, but Yeo-Jin shrieked and stepped forward. “

Kyaaah!

Gross!”

Startlingly, it wasn’t fear that drove her next move, but aggression. Yeo-Jin darted in first, jabbing wildly with her spear.

Swoosh—! Swish! Thump!

“Go away, go away!” she cried.

Eun-Ho watched her with rising approval.

“She’s good,” he murmured.

Perhaps the makings of a fine warrior lay hidden beneath her panic. By then, the elders who had been receiving treatment stumbled forward.

“Young Man... Thank you!”

“You saved our lives!”

Though healed, they seemed utterly drained.

“Your faces are pale. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Eun-Ho asked gently.

“

Ah

, we’re just tired from not sleeping. Don’t worry,” one of them replied.

Had they been fleeing from these horrors all night? If so, exhaustion is natural,

Eun-Ho thought.

They hadn’t rested, not even for a moment.

“You can still rest more if you need to,” Eun-Ho said.

“No, no! We can’t just sit here while you children risk yourselves for us!” the cleaning lady insisted, waving her hands.

It was clear her conscience wouldn’t let her remain idle after the young ones had fought to protect her. Eun-Ho understood, so he didn’t press.

Besides, the swarm was already thinning. One by one, the insects overturned, legs twitching, and the deafening buzz began to fade.

“It’s almost over,” he said.

He truly believed it, until the ground shook and a cockroach the size of a house crawled into view.

[Conditions met.]

[The King of the Colony, Emperor Cockroach, has appeared!]

***

People often said there were two kinds of fear. The first was terror, the kind one felt staring into the eyes of a lion or tiger. The second was revulsion, the kind one felt when confronted by insects or filthy pigeons.

What Eun-Ho and his companions felt deep in their bones was the latter. An overwhelming disgust.

“Ah, fuck! What is this!”

“

Ugh!

”

That was when Eun-Ho learned something he had never wanted to know. It was the fact that cockroaches had two compound eyes, disturbingly similar to a fly’s.

I really didn’t want to know this,

Eun-Ho thought.

The giant roach didn’t seem to see clearly. Its eyes rolled aimlessly while its antennae swung about like radar dishes, searching.

It was one thing to glance down at a roach from above. To stand beneath one, craning his neck upward as it loomed overhead, was a horror beyond words.

Skrrt! Skrrrk!

Its antennae dangled like cables, swaying through the air and searching for prey. That meant Eun-Ho’s first target was clear.

Swoosh!

When his blade severed its antenna, the monster staggered, disoriented.

“

Hup!

”

He leapt, boots finding purchase on the monster’s hairy legs as if climbing a staircase, driving himself upward until he reached its head.

I’ll end it here,

Eun-Ho thought.

He had no intention of dragging this fight out. Besides, none of them did. Balancing on the two long grooves that ran across its head, he planted both feet and drove his sword down with a brutal thrust.

Crack!

The next moment, he pressed the red jewel embedded in the Flame Sky-Shattering Blade. A tremendous vibration surged through the blade, spreading through his stance to the creature.

The sword quivered and the cockroach convulsed. He also trembled with the force. Eun-Ho clung on, gritting his teeth, refusing to be thrown as the monster thrashed.

“Daddy! I’m scared!” Yul sobbed.

“Don’t look, Yul. Just don’t look,” Han-Wool urged.

The moment stretched on like an eternity. Suddenly, flames erupted, rising like a fire game at a festival.

Whoosh!

Crack! Tremble!

The monster shook once, violently, then stilled.

“Damn! It’s dead, right?!” the foul-mouthed guy asked.

“Probably,” Eun-Ho answered uncertainly.

They waited in silence until the system message appeared.

Ding!

[Congratulations!]

[You have defeated the Emperor Cockroach, symbol of unyielding adaptability and survival, in record time!]

[You have earned 500 Welfare Points.]

[Bonus rewards have been granted for a record-time kill!]

[You have earned additional 500 Welfare Points.]

Considering how grotesque the monster had been compared to its actual strength, the amount wasn’t extraordinary, but not bad either.

“It’s finally ov—”

As Eun-Ho was trying to leave the scene, another announcement rang.

Ding!

[You have overcome your instinctive revulsion!]

[Endurance stat has been increased (+1).]

That was true, because he had forced himself to endure. He just hadn’t expected a stat increase for it.

Ding!

[You have absorbed part of the cockroach’s formidable adaptability!]

[Would you like to check it?]

I’ve absorbed the cockroach’s adaptability?

Eun-Ho thought.

Uneasy, but unwilling to reject a reward, Eun-Ho was about to request an explanation. Then, a strange sound burst from the roach’s corpse.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

“What was that?”

“It came from the cockroach’s corpse!”

“Don’t tell me it’s...”

Splaaat!

Like a ruptured water pipe, eggs spilled forth in a grotesque flood.

A chill crawled down Eun-Ho’s spine. “Holy shit...”

For once, he almost wanted to curse along with Swear-Master.

“Everyone, weapons up!” Eun-Ho shouted.

They had to burn it all, before anything hatched.

“

Hieeeek!

Oh God, please save me!”

The cleaning lady shrieked, panic driving her to swing her spear wildly at the writhing eggs.

Whish! Whish!

“No! Don’t! If they break—” Eun-Ho shouted.

However, her weapon had already struck the surface.

Shrrrrr!

He squeezed his eyes shut, but a strange noise made him open them again.

“... What?!”

The eggs were gone. Not one, not two, but every egg that her spear had touched had vanished.

Whiiiirrr!

Besides, a strange motor-like hum filled the air.

“What in the world is this sound?!”

Thud!

The cleaning lady collapsed to her knees in shock, still clutching her spear. Then, its tip brushed against Swear-Master’s T-shirt.

Whiiiirrr!

This time, the fabric itself began to unravel, sucked inward as if pulled by a vacuum cleaner.

“Fuck! What the hell?!”

“What is this?!”

“Stop! I said stop!”

“How do I—

oh!

It stopped!”

Wait. Could it be...?

Eun-Ho thought.

“

Um...

I was just told that I’ve unlocked a skill,” the cleaning lady said.

Oh, is that really what I’m thinking?

Eun-Ho thought.