After some time had passed, the figures, numbering at least five hundred, were all thrown into the flames. Kang Sihyun, listening to the screams of those who burned and resurrected in that hellish ordeal, clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. The blocking skill was desperate. He bit his lip, thinking even if his eardrums were damaged, it would dull this sensation. His heart kept pounding.
Fire was the most terrifying.
More than cars.
More than water.
More than death.
It was something he couldn't endure even after several years. When he was in elementary school, he was startled by just the flame of a lighter, and until he graduated middle school, he feared even turning on the gas stove. By the time he graduated from high school, the situation had improved somewhat, but seeing the ashen smoke rising from factories still made him uneasy. Despite working various part-time jobs and thinking he had become somewhat okay, after coming to this world, there was a setback.
The skills used by fire attribute Awakeners were not just about the level of a gas stove flame. Moreover, he used it to its maximum range. Feeling the heat of the flames blazing from the ground reaching him in the air, Sihyun felt nauseous. He didn't regret choosing it, knowing it boasted the highest efficiency. However, even after several years, he couldn't help feeling ridiculous flaring up in the flames.
"Breathe properly."
Ruth, who had been patting his back since earlier as he struggled to breathe, spoke as if scolding. Trying to sync his breaths with the rhythm of Ruth's patting, Sihyun swallowed and exhaled repeatedly, then he gasped, coughing up breaths in chunks, grabbing Ruth's shoulder. Ruth seemed annoyed by his labored rebuttal, so he pushed Sihyun's head onto his shoulder, telling him to breathe. Spotting the figures burning below, Ruth's eyes widened. After taking a deep breath, or perhaps summoning an unknown strength, he either hit or patted Sihyun's head with a force that was hard to discern.
"Still, thanks to you, we got out early."
Perhaps feeling puzzled by the black things resurrecting frighteningly after dying again, the tent vibrated. Ruth, who was staring at the wriggling and swaying curtain, raised the corners of his mouth.
"Turn that off."
Pointing to the flames that had been disturbing Sihyun's breathing since earlier, Ruth said. With his eyes closed, Sihyun poured water onto the flames as he used the skill. With a sound of relief, the flames died down. Only then did Sihyun feel his breathing return to normal.
It was like fainting at the sight of the sea.
This time, he almost passed out for real.
As he exhaled a long breath in relief, Ruth, feeling Sihyun's grip on his shoulder weaken, firmly grabbed Sihyun's waist.
"Don't relax, kid. It's just the beginning."
And keep the purification skill on standby. That guy's not called Venom for nothing.
Ruth's voice felt noticeably softer compared to before. Nodding slightly, Sihyun turned his body slightly to confirm what Ruth was looking at. Even though he was holding onto him to prevent him from falling, it was still uncomfortable to hang like this.
"Can't you let me down?"
"Do you want to die?"
"The ride's not that bad."
Chuckling nervously, Sihyun complied with the warning, folding his arms quietly. Well, where in the world would be safe as the top-ranked Awakener? It might be a bit uncomfortable, but it was the best lifeline. He assessed the remaining mana in his body while pampering himself. It seemed like he had used about twenty percent in the recent battle. Fortunately, both Ruth's and his protective armor were still intact.
Though thin, it wouldn't break easily. It could withstand at least four attacks from an orc chief's level. However, he wasn't sure how it would fare against a higher-risk target.
At that moment, the space above the black corpses rippled once, and something human-shaped emerged. Like the black entities, the slimy figure lowered its head and looked at Ruth. It stretched out its hand.
"Hold tight."
Whoosh!
Gradually, stems extended from the black fingertips. Whether moving according to its will or freely changing direction, Ruth dodged the attacking stems. One of them grabbed Sihyun's foot. As it clung, the protective shield Sihyun had raised cracked, making a cracking sound.
Sihyun swiftly stomped on the stem holding his left foot, causing it to retract. Ruth checked the partially broken shield near the attacked foot and opened his mouth.
"Hit it again. That thing's toxic all over. Even if it just touches you, your skin will melt."
At the chilling words, Sihyun quickly raised the shield again. Still not feeling reassured, he overlapped the shield with about ten percent of his remaining mana. This way, he could block the previous attack at least six more times.
"Is that Venom?"
"Yeah. Looks like he's got some weird attacks besides his appearance."
Other guys just shot toxic droplets from their fingertips.
Adding quietly, Ruth this time extended both arms and countered Venom's attacking stems. Dodging every attack in sequence, he descended. Acceleration was added to his flight.
"Diving in."
With a brief briefing, Sihyun firmly held onto Ruth. As they were prepared to try "that" if necessary, Ruth swiftly countered the lightning-fast stem attacks, too quick to be confirmed by the naked eye. He stuck close to Venom and pierced his abdomen with lightning.
Zap. Venom screamed as lightning pierced his body. Reacting instinctively to the sound of the explosion, Sihyun withdrew his protective shield and tightly shut his eyes as a bright light hit him. As the surroundings gradually darkened again, he slowly opened his eyes and checked the front. Venom's remnants clung to the transparent shield.
"..."
Watching the disturbing sight, Sihyun withdrew the shield with a grimace. Looking around, he saw no more movement.
Was disposing of a high-risk Irregular really this easy? It was a bit of a struggle, but compared to the time with Kraken, it was ridiculously simple. Blinking in disbelief at Ruth, who brushed through his blond hair and exhaled, Sihyun met his gaze.
"Why."
"Just because. Feels like something ended quickly."
"Normally, Venom finds it harder to withstand attacks before his entity appears. And like I said."
"...?"
"I'm stronger."
"...Ah, right."
For a moment, Sihyun almost felt a sense of awe towards the man speaking with a raised corner of his mouth, but he quickly responded indifferently, forgetting any sense of reverence. Despite his reaction, Ruth, unperturbed, boasted once more before abruptly losing his words and gazing down at Sihyun. Feeling the persistent gaze, Sihyun realized he was still sticking too close to him and took a step back.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You used to be afraid of the ocean, and now you're scared of fire too, kid."
"Don't mention it if you know."
"Yeah, thanks to you, we finished smoothly, but if you're gonna shake like that, don't even bother."
"I wasn't going to use it. But if you're worn out dealing with them, we're both dead, aren't we?"
I used it just in case. Just in case.
Ruth, adding as if making excuses, erupted in anger, asking if he was being ignored. Sihyun had learned how to deal with such situations through many similar experiences. First off,
"So, when will this space disappear?"
It was enough to steer the conversation.
Ruth, who couldn't have missed such an obvious tactic, looked at Sihyun with suspicious eyes before responding.
"Normally, it disappears within five minutes after the main body dies, but considering that he was a Lord, it'll probably take ten minutes."
"How did he break through the barrier?"
"I can't know that. And there's something more important."
"Yes?"
"The fact that Venom, who used to only appear in the U.S., made a rift and came out in Korea is important. And he's a high-risk one at that."
Ruffling his hair, Ruth stared into Sihyun's blue eyes. After briefly lowering his pupils, he furrowed his brows and spoke up.
"Kid, do you remember what I said on the ship?"
"Yes."
"Since Titan appeared, the behavior of these Irregulars has been strange. The number of Irregular groups coming out of rifts has increased, and they've been appearing in the heart of the city more frequently. Especially in the U.S. and Korea. That's why Redem Guild's leader came to Korea to see what's going on, but now, with Venom appearing in Korea, too, doesn't something seem odd to you?"
Listening to his words, it did seem strange indeed. Why was this phenomenon particularly severe in the U.S. and Korea? Why did Venom appear in Korea when Ruth came over? Rolling his eyes as he searched for commonalities between the Titan incident and his explanation, Sihyun suddenly spoke up with a thought.
"...You and I are together."
"Yeah."
"...You're in the U.S., and I'm in Korea."
"The commonality between you and me is that we're both Triple or higher."
After exchanging a few words, silence fell for a moment. Sihyun, who knew what Ruth was implying, hesitated before speaking up. As the time he mentioned began to pass, the curtain began to lift. Looking at it, Ruth opened his mouth as if to speak on behalf of the words Sihyun had swallowed.
"Even if we don't know the reason, it seems like these Irregulars are targeting either you or me."
"......"
"Or they might be after someone with three or more cores."
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