Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
58. Natural enemy (2)
Dokgo Miro sensed that a big problem occurred during filming.
Everything from device communication being blocked to the main MC Choe Jina personally coming to get her was strange.
‘Usually senior Yeom Junyeol-nim would come to get me… did the recording prolonged?’
The studio she arrived at with Choe Jina was a mess.
Ye Raehun, who finished pre-recording, was holding a khakkhara and making a barrier, while the staff members were anxious.
And she didn’t see some of the 1st year class 0’s children.
In particular, her childhood friend, who said she would be here, was absent.
‘Where did Han Yi go?’
Besides, the remaining children also seemed somewhat uneasy.
She was curious what on earth was happening, but the staff, including Choe Jina, didn’t open their mouths at all.
At Dokgo Miro’s questions an answer that they will explain when they finish the pre-recording came back.
‘I guess something big enough to influence the stage happened. A fight… no, is it a otherworld conquest?’
Thanks to her street fight career, Dokgo Miro knew very well what the tense atmosphere right now meant.
Judging that the Players were preparing for battle, Dokgo Miro checked the state of the mike and movement path on the stage, while spinning complicated thoughts.
‘What is the difference between the people who stayed and the people who left?’
Seeing how all teachers were absent, she thought that the people experienced in combat went to conquer the otherworld, but her thoughts changed.
Because the 2nd year class 0 students were here.
‘It makes no sense to send the 1st years out and leave the 2nd years.’
Dokgo Miro pretended not to know and waved her hand towards the Eungwang School’s students.
The 1st year class 0’s children happily waved back, and the 2nd year class 0’s gang smiled broadly for a moment, as if Dokgo Miro’s greeting felt so good.
“Miro-ah, keep it up!”
“Good luck!”
“Dokgo Miro will absolutely win!”
Following the cheering voices flowing from the Eungwang School’s side seats, sporadic applause was heard from here and there.
Dokgo Miro wasn’t able to figure out the situation yet, but she was certain what the people currently sending out an applause and the people, who left to conquer the otherworld were thinking.
‘They didn’t speak about the otherworld conquest, because they’re considerate of me, who is about to stand on stage’.
Dokgo Miro confirmed the staff’s signal and stepped on stage.
Feeling the camera sensors capturing her through the lenses, Dokgo Miro almost reflexively flinched, but she held herself back.
‘The people who aren’t here right now are also cheering for me. I need the camera to show those people my stage!’
Dokgo Miro stared right into the camera lenses and waited for the accompaniment to start.
On the lips of Dokgo Miro, who faced dozens of cameras, a smile appeared.
* * *
Underground parking lot.
Between the cracked ground and debris of crushed cars, Enemies were running wild.
The speed the Enemies poured from the otherworld’s entrance was unusual.
“The speed of Enemies appearing is too fast…!”
Sweat dripped from Sawol Seeum’s forehead, who tied the two feet of the Enemy with the Wind Art.
Sawol Seeum looked around to request for help, but Mun Geurin who fought supporting Han Yi, didn’t seem to have any moment to spare.
Min Geurin ran over the Enemy’s shoulder with a foot wearing a Player shoe, and as if her foot suffered shock when she kicked its head, she grimaced.
“Ack…!”
Min Geurin was wearing Player shoes like usual, but those were for preventing the soles and footbeds from wearing out because of Min Geurin’s feet power, not for fighting.
There was a great difference in the shock absorption and attack power assistance between the boots worn when using the Feet Combat Arts and Player shoes, so fighting wasn’t easy.
This seemed the same for Han Yi.
Taking the Enemy’s attacks and fighting with the bare hands without protectors, consumed few times more power than usual.
“Hyodon-i fights well even bare-handed.”
Among the 1st year class’ students who stepped up as the defense team, the one who took down the most Enemies was Maeng Hyodon.
Maeng Hyodon moved more calmly on the battlefield than during the last practice lesson, and it seemed that Tak Geosan’s combat posture correction had some effects.
“Without protectors, it’s difficult to maintain superpower wave on the fists…! How on earth are you doing this?”
Peuuk!
Instead of replying to Han Yi’s question, Maeng Hyodon ran to annihilate the last Enemy and blew his bare fist at the Enemy.
With the powerful blow targeting the flying Enemy’s head and another kick from Min Geurin, the Enemy was seriously injured.
The instant the attack landed, Maeng Hyodon instilled great superpower wave into his fist, and Han Yi, who sensed the Enemy’s internal organs turn upside down, made an amazed face.
Maeng Hyodon rolled up the school uniform sleeve that slightly lowered, and said:
“I just have more experience with bare fists to begin with.”
“Experience?”
“Uh… Hey! Sawol Seeum, step back!”
“Danger!”
Grrrrrrr….!
The Enemy, which freed its feet from Sawol Seeum’s Wind Art, pounced at him.
Just before the Enemy’s claws could touch Sawol Seeum, Han Yi and Maeng Hyodon jumped high and nimbly strike with their fists, pinning the Enemy to the ground.
Sawol Seeum breath out, seeing that sight.
“Th-thank You…!”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes! But those Enemies are too powerful! Will Jiho be okay?”
Currently, there were four otherworld that occurred in the underground parking lot.
At first there were three otherworld entrances here like Jo Uisin said, but in the meantime, one more was added and manpower was dispersed to deal with it.
Jegal Jaegeol was with the pro Player team in a place that the eyes could reach, but Hwang-ho went somewhere where he wasn’t visible.
The moment they arrived, Hwang-ho proved his ability by eradicating the first Enemy before Jegal Jaegeol could activate his kotodama and said arrogantly:
— There is no need to worry about this one. Even if something happens, the four of you have to move together.
When the fourth otherworld occurred, Hwang-ho’s expression stiffened and he left somewhere.
Even though they saw Hwang-ho’s ability with their own eyes, they couldn’t help but be nervous.
“Let’s wrap up all things here and go search for the lunatic.”
“Yes…!”
After a few minutes of such a fight, they barely entered a state of lull.
Perhaps the otherworld that Jegal Jaegeol and the pro Player team was in charge of also became temporarily quiet, Jegal Jaegeol came to the 1st year class 0’s children’s side.
“Is anyone hurt? Sorry for burdening you…. I don’t see one person.”
“Ah, Jiho went to the direction of the fourth otherworld!”
“… No matter how skilled he is, acting alone in the abnormal situation is forbidden. Which direction did he go?”
“Behind that pillar over there!”
Jegal Jaegeol looked at the direction where Hwang-ho disappeared, as he spoke.
“I’ll go there and come back. Support should come any time now, so until then…”
“Teacher-nim, behind….!”
At that moment, Han Yi raised her voice, as if her Presence Detection skill activated.
* * *
Teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim in my vision was immediately covered by light and was no longer visible.
Because of the light reflecting in the shattered whole-wall window and the light carried by the sunlight arrows teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim shot relentlessly, it was difficult to even open my eyes.
As if disruption of vision was no matter for teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim and Cadmus, the battle continued.
Whoosh-woosh! Swish! Paaa!
Cadmus deflected the pouring arrows with the spear, and moving between them like flying, while blocking the beans of light with the lion skin shield.
But it was impossible for the target within the shooting range of the Great Blue Sky Archer to avoid or block all the arrows.
The wounds left on Cadmus’ body by the arrowhead of the arrows shot by teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim increased and soon, some arrows dug deep into his body.
‘… He still moves!?’
Even after being directly hit by the power of the divine archer, who had a myth of taking down a dragon, Cadmus continued to energetically move.
If I didn’t eliminate the javelin beforehand, he would had counter-attacked and threw the spear at teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim.
Paaat! Whoosh! Paaaa…!
At that moment, jade color mixed in the light of the sun.
Yong Jegeon’s Space Art created a wall between Cadmus, cutting off Cadmus’ retreat route and starting to erase the shooting blind spots.
“Leave that dragon to me and teacher Ham Geunhyeong, and heal first.”
Yong Jegeon spoke with a firm tone, as he looked at me.
My wrecked appearance was reflected in his wide open jade eyes.
As I was wearing Yong Jegeon’s clothes that didn’t fit my body, because I returned to the appearance of Jo Uisin, and was dripping with blood, I hardly looked like I could stand on the battlefront.
‘If I don’t heal my body right now, I’ll become a burden.’
With teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim joining, the battle completely tilted to this side.
There would be no need for me to step out anymore.
Judging by this, I decided to leave this place to our class homeroom teacher-nim and vice homeroom teacher-nim.
From among the two cards that were still in front of my eyes, I selected Gwak Gyeong-gu’s card.
⟨Using target character’s Gwangrim ‘100 Seconds of Grace’.⟩
Paaa….
When the 100 Seconds of Grace activated, warmth started to circulate in my body.
The sensation of wounds closing, blood coming back, and the bones that were broken or cracked, healing up was still unfamiliar, but my mind gradually became clear.
As much as it was a great ability, the Gwangrim usage time completely disappeared and the superpower wave consumption was enormous, but it was worth using.
Just when the regeneration was completed, I felt a ‘creak’ and small pain on my grabbed shoulder.
“That’s Gyeong-gu’s power, huh? If I closed my eyes, I would think that Gyeong-gu was standing in front of me.”
It seemed that strength entered Yong Jegeon’s hand, with which he kept supporting me after I was pierced by Cadmus’ Dragon Teeth.
Seeing as Yong Jegeon’s superpower wave and jade space kept blooming in front of us, the battle continued as before, but from Yong Jegeon’s somewhat sunken tone, he didn’t feel like the playful[1] dragon in the middle of the battle.
Because I watched the arrow rain and Cadmus’ attacks through the Space Art Yong Jegeon unfolded, it felt like watching a battle through the screen.
“I felt it with the ‘Trace of Absentee’ before. You have used it on Cymopoleia, right?”
I remembered that incident too.
That day I used Oh Hyeji and Gwak Gyeong-gu’s Gwangrim on the deck of Cymopoleia, that incident became a trigger for Yong Jegeon, who was detecting the presence at the long distance to learn of my identity.
“Was it like this at the time too?”
When Yong Jegeon asked like this, ‘100 seconds of Grace’ regenerated my body and was released.
But as it only regenerated the body, the holes ripped in the clothes and blood stains because of the wounds that went from the back to the abdomen remained the same as before.
It was a similar situation to when I was pierced by Zhu Ganglie’s Nine Iron Teeth Rake and regenerated on the Cymopoleia.
‘It was probably like that at the time.’
Just when I was about to solve the situation to a degree and go back, I was seized by Hwang Jiho and had to listen to some sounds, so that time had many similarities with the current moment.
I thought so, but it was difficult to answer Yong Jegeon’s question.
“Seeing how you don’t refute, I guess I’m right.”
Wham! Creaaak..!
Suddenly I heard a crashing sound.
Cadmus’ broken spear was stuck in the thick space Yong Jegeon unfolded.
The spear was directed at Yong Jegeon.
‘… He is targeting Yong Jegeon to the last moment, huh!’
I didn’t know what he was thinking, but it was clear that Cadmus prioritized the completion of his mission over his life.
Usually, if he was put at a disadvantage, he should target the archer if he was moving for the sake of his life, but the spear tip headed for Yong Jegeon, instead of teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim.
The momentum was interrupted due teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim’s fierce attack, and completely died thanks to the arrow aiming at the spear after the javelin, but seeing the space half-broken even in this case, it was terrifying.
Thud.
Cadmus crumpled under the arrows in the spear throwing posture.
The god of archery succeeded in hunting down a dragon.
This sight was reenacting the scene from the myth when Apollo captured Python after shooting a thousand arrows.
As if Yong Jegeon prepared for another incident, he built space walls around Cadmus like before, and then opened his mouth again.
“I probably have no qualification to say anything, engaging in your plan by exchanging clothes and owing you my life. Considering teacher Ham Geunhyeong-nim’s personality, he will try to understand why you acted this way and respect it. However…”
Yong Jegeon stopped talking for a moment.
After he let go of the hand grabbing my shoulder, he continued.
“I don’t know about your disciple.”
Before I could properly understand those words, Yong Jegeon’s gaze turned from Cadmus, who collapsed on the ground, to behind our back.
I followed Yong Jegeon’s gaze and turned my head.
In my vision, with a face white like a sheet, stood my disciple, Yeom Junyeol.
*~*~*
[1] playful — 유희 (yuhwi) I also translate it as a game, it’s Yong Jegeon’s category.
Translator’s note: Jo Uisin’s natural enemy no 2, people being worried, angry and sad about his injures.
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