A Clear Definition
"...?"
Mijin's mind drew a question mark.
What was going on?
At some point, the halberd had stopped, refusing to advance any further.
Jinhyuk's hand was pressed against the center of the halberd.
'W-Why isn't this moving?!'
She strained with all her might, but the halberd didn't budge an inch.
It was impossible.
Her synchronization rate had surpassed 20 percent.
She couldn't imagine that the nobody standing before her had cleared more floors than she had.
Whoosh!
Jinhyuk yanked the halberd toward him.
Mijin's center of balance crumbled, and she was pulled along with it.
Afraid she'd end up sprawled on the ground, she let go of the weapon.
Screeeeech!
It had been all of 0.1 seconds since she'd lost her weapon.
"!!!"
The halberd's blade came flying toward the base of Mijin's neck.
In a panic, Mijin released her ability, canceling the halberd's summoning.
"Hah... hah..."
Having put some distance between them, Mijin touched her neck.
'W-What the hell is this guy?'
She couldn't believe it.
Killing another person.
For most people, it was an act that naturally provoked revulsion.
Unless they were a psychopathic murderer, especially someone like the Yoo Jinhyuk in front of her, who didn't even seem to have a history of so much as hurting anyone, let alone killing.
Even if a weapon ended up in their hands, it was only natural to hesitate before swinging it.
But Jinhyuk didn't hesitate.
The moment the weapon came into his grasp, he swung it like a macro input without a single flaw.
His expression unchanged, and aimed precisely at a vital spot that could end a life in an instant.
Crack.
Jinhyuk looked down at the hand where the halberd had vanished.
They said there were countless varieties of awakened classes.
Indeed, there were so many fascinating abilities.
"What's your class? Being able to summon a weapon like that must be really convenient."
"You seem to be misunderstanding something."
Mijin scowled.
"You're not thinking that just because you got one hit in, you're stronger than me, are you?"
"Of course not."
He shook his head.
He wasn't misunderstanding anything.
In the instant Mijin had swung the halberd, memories of training with Seira and Haeon had flashed through his mind.
There wasn't a single opening to exploit in the way Seira swung her wooden sword.
But Mijin was different.
She was full of openings.
It was a movement only someone who had poured everything into that one strike could reveal.
"If that's the case, then why are you so..."
Mijin resummoned her halberd and kicked off the ground.
"Casual about it!!!?"
'Again.'
He stared at Mijin as she charged.
And he was certain.
Sorry, Kancho, but it was even sloppier than when you'd swung a baseball bat, declaring you'd try baseball someday.
Still, he didn't let his guard down.
He didn't get arrogant.
Timing it perfectly, he widened the distance and dodged Mijin's attack.
Mijin ground her teeth and charged again.
Jinhyuk picked up a stray rebar lying around the construction site.
"Are you kidding me!?"
"Suuuuuh..."
He drew in a deep breath, taking in Mijin's movements with his eyes.
As the halberd swung, Jinhyuk circled to her side.
Mijin saw Jinhyuk move, too.
But her reaction was limited to her eyes.
Her body, utterly unresponsive, continued the attack motion it had been in.
Even though the enemy she was supposed to slash was no longer there.
Clang! Craaaack!
The rebar struck her left elbow and the back of her knee as it passed.
There was no hesitation, no fumbling.
He'd done it hundreds of times against orcs and ogres.
"Guhk!"
Her balance shattered, Mijin dropped to one knee.
Her elbow, pulverized in a single blow, could no longer hold the halberd.
An immense pain, like being struck with a blunt weapon.
How strong did someone have to be to pull off an attack like that with just rebar?
"You said your name was Mijin, right? I feel like you're making a huge mistake, so let me tell you."
Terrified, Mijin slowly turned her head.
Her eyes trembled violently.
"I'm stronger. Much stronger than you."
Jinhyuk raised the rebar.
"Uh... uh... W-Wait...!"
Craaaaaack!!!
The rebar struck cleanly behind her neck.
Mijin couldn't even scream.
Her cervical vertebrae shattered into pieces, bringing her life to an end.
"Fuuuuu..."
Jinhyuk exhaled deeply.
Then he raised his hand toward the second floor of the abandoned factory.
Leaning against the railing, Dark waved lazily.
Blood soaked even his eternal iron gloves.
Excluding Mijin, there had been fifteen others waiting in the factory.
The moment they'd arrived, Jinhyuk had sensed them with presence detection and summoned Dark.
And now, they lay scattered at Dark's feet, their bodies torn to shreds.
"Unexpected. I thought you'd have me handle taking their lives instead. It happens sometimes, you know—friends who break down from their first kill."
Dark wiped the blood from his face as he spoke.
Seira, her hands resting atop the demon sword Tarkan, silently watched Jinhyuk.
"Unnecessary. Unlike you, who lacks the very concept of justice, our master possesses a clear sense of it."
Killing one's own kind was, of course, an entirely different matter from slaying monsters.
During her time as captain, Seira had seen many crumble under that weight.
That was why she was certain.
Jinhyuk, with his clear boundaries of justice, would never break.
"You mean he'll bear the weight well?"
"No. It's different. Our master doesn't even perceive things beyond his boundaries as a weight he must endure. There's no need to withstand or overcome it in the first place. He simply killed a being that needed to be killed. That's all."
With that, Seira turned away.
To return to Node Island.
"Dark! Take care of this rebar!"
Shouting loudly, Jinhyuk left the factory.
Dark watched Jinhyuk's retreating figure.
"Snrk!"
The corner of his mouth lifted.
Since the fight had begun, Jinhyuk's eyes hadn't wavered even once.
Not even in the moment he took that woman's life.
"A being that never breaks..."
Dark trailed off, drawing a pleased smile.
"This is what my master should be."
After chuckling for a good while, Dark pushed away from the railing.
"Hey, you raccoon."
"Yoth limm."
"Did you hear the master? He said to handle the cleanup thoroughly."
"I won't get in trouble, right?! The boss didn't tell me to fully manifest!"
"Don't you get it on your own? What's more thorough than blowing it all away?"
Waving lazily, Dark released his manifestation.
Not knowing the way back to the officetel, he planned to rematerialize once Jinhyuk got home.
Kancho, ears perked, shrugged.
Then he pulled out a bunch of explosive clay from his pocket and scattered it throughout the factory.
Timing it to when the clay hit the floor.
Whoosh!
Kancho released his manifestation as well.
KABOOM!!!
Node Island Cafe.
Se-yeon bit her nails as she glanced at the clock.
-Cheon Se-yeon Hunter!
The part-timer who had stopped Se-yeon from leaving after checking the parking lot.
The message he'd relayed afterward was enough to make her doubt her ears.
'Wait at the cafe.'
Of course, she hadn't been sitting idle all this time.
Afraid their paths might cross, she'd decided to wait, but she'd already asked Jin Yun-ho from the Hunter Agency and all her connected contacts to track down that vehicle.
Just then.
Ding-a-ling.
The bell at the entrance rang.
"Oh!"
The part-timer shouted upon seeing the customer's face.
Se-yeon, who had naturally looked up, widened her eyes.
"Yoo Jinhyuk-ssi!"
There were plenty of eyes around, but she didn't care.
She shot to her feet and ran to Jinhyuk.
"Sorry I'm a bit late."
"Is that what matters right now? Are you hurt anywhe—...!"
She'd meant to ask if he was injured anywhere.
But she stopped herself.
He was too clean. Impossibly so.
Like he'd just showered and stepped out of his house.
"How about we sit in that corner seat over there? You're too famous."
"Ah."
Only then did Se-yeon look around.
The cafe manager approached her.
"Cheon Se-yeon Hunter-nim. Shall we go up to the second floor?"
"I thought you closed for the day after last call."
The manager lowered his voice.
"I'm a huge fan...! Could I just get one autograph before you go?"
"Of course."
Jinhyuk and Se-yeon headed to the second floor with their coffee.
Se-yeon observed Jinhyuk as he went ahead.
She'd been worried he might be holding back some hardship, but he didn't seem to be.
The moment they sat down, Jinhyuk pulled out the bizarre potion-making box.
Pestering a guy who'd just arrived with a barrage of questions felt wrong, so Se-yeon took a deep breath and focused on the box for now.
"The ingredients?"
"I brought them."
Se-yeon pulled three items from her inventory.
Jinhyuk's eyes shook violently at the sight.
"Th-These are dark matter?"
"Yes."
Jinhyuk was shocked again by Se-yeon's nonchalant reply.
He couldn't help it.
Each one easily surpassed 2 billion won.
This was the world those people lived in, he thought, as he carefully placed the ingredients she handed him into the box.
"Spin it? Once it spins, that's it?"
"It's fine."
"Here goes."
Jinhyuk pressed the pattern on the box.
As the box began to spin, emitting a bright light, Se-yeon clasped her hands together.
'Please be dark attribute! Please be dark attribute!'
Across from her, Jinhyuk did the same.
'Come on. Come on. Come on.'
He hoped it would work on the first try.
That way, he could use the remaining attempt elsewhere.
A moment later, a list of potions appeared before Jinhyuk.
"Is it there?! Is it not?! Is it there?!"
"Calm down. I'm looking."
Maybe because the ingredients were top-notch, the options felt far more plentiful.
"Ah."
As he scanned down the list, Jinhyuk's mouth fell open.
"Why?! It's not there?! Ugh!"
Se-yeon buried herself in the sofa, thinking, Of course my life would turn out like this.
It looked like clearing the 83rd floor was off the table.
Leaving Se-yeon behind, Jinhyuk created one of the potions.
Then, with a slight smile, he handed it to her.
"Huh...?"
Se-yeon took the potion and read the system description.
"Huh? Huh?! Huh?!"
She rubbed her eyes several times, but it was real.
[Darkness-Infused Potion]
Imbues a weapon with dark attribute.Effect lasts for 5 days.
"Wheeeee!!!"
Se-yeon screamed and threw her arms around Jinhyuk in a hug.
How long had she waited for this moment?
She hadn't cleared the 83rd floor yet, but she was certain now.
She could do it.
With this potion, she could.
"Se-yeon-ssi. M-My head..."
He'd tried to stay still, but if she squeezed any harder, his head might pop, so he signaled quickly.
"Ah, sorry. I got too excited and didn't realize."
Releasing him, Se-yeon beamed a bright smile.
Then she looked at Jinhyuk and bowed 90 degrees.
"Thank you so much. I really, really, really needed this."
Watching her joy, Jinhyuk smiled too.
With this, he'd fully repaid Phoenix's Breath.
Now, what should he make with the last remaining attempt?
----------
T/N:
Just for being a free member, you'll get 5 advanced chapters every week!
Access 35 chapters in advance on my Patreon:[email protected]//towerup