VSP 155

Sejun warmed up without much complaint. Ruya was the one who actually moved his body, but he needed to show Cha Dogyeong that he was ready and willing to follow his lead.

However, Cha Dogyeong didn’t look at Sejun even once.

-Okay.

-Let’s go.

He heard the others’ agreement through the artifact on his ear.

There wasn’t really a formal system for cooperative attacks between them. They weren’t an army, and they hadn’t received training. However, they’d survived many crises together, so they knew how to coordinate their movements like they were following a rhythm. One thing was certain now, just as it had been in the beginning: Cha Dogyeong always attacked first.

Cha Dogyeong reached his hand forward. The air was distorted by the condensed energy swirling at his fingertips. A blue-white flash sparked, and a deafening noise followed a piercing, high-pitched sound that seemed to tear the atmosphere apart.

Boom!

The moment the energy mass hit the ominous egg, a shockwave spread in all directions and blew away the surrounding debris. The ground split from the impact’s aftermath, and cracks spread everywhere. Clouds of dust and debris swirled like a storm.

Sejun wondered if the attack was more ruthless than usual, but he figured it was just his imagination. He shielded his eyes from the swirling dust storm and let out a small sigh.

“Ruya.”

Sejun called out to him. Ruya had been resting inside him with his presence hidden, but he appeared immediately at his call.

[At full power?]

“It’s not necessary yet. Just grow a little bit.”

Ruya nodded and flew forward quickly. He soared into the air with a single flap of his wings. He increased his size just a little, circled perfectly to gain altitude, folded his wings, and dove. He looked just like a meteor.

Ruya hurtled toward the egg that Cha Dogyeong’s attack had already cracked. Just before impact, he grabbed the egg with his hind paws and slammed into it with his full body weight.

Crash! The ground caved in as the shockwave spread, and the egg’s surface began to crack like a spiderweb. The other hunters’ attacks poured into the gaps. The egg began to crack even faster.

Despite their efforts, only the outer shell had broken a little. Whatever was inside wouldn’t show its face until the egg was completely destroyed.

“Keep going.”

They followed Cha Dogyeong’s command and continued to unleash attacks on the egg without a word. The egg continued to crack under the impact, but it didn’t spit out its contents. It seemed like it was trying to protect whatever was inside. It was strange and unpleasant, as if they were stomping on a life before it could even be born.

Gurgle.

Then, at some point, the ominous purple energy at the egg’s bottom surged and began to soak into the ground.

Wow, it looks ominous even at a glance.

Sejun clicked his tongue inwardly, but he didn’t panic. It was Asura’s nature to take root in the ground like that. Asura was a monster with three faces and six arms, and his lower body was always stuck in the earth. His mobility was terrible, but his massive size, incredible defense, and coordinated attacks with six arms made up for his weaknesses. The fact that it had taken root meant Asura would soon burst out of the egg.

“Stop.”

The attacks ceased the moment Cha Dogyeong spoke. The eggshells tumbled to the ground with a loud clatter. They were much larger than chicken eggs, so the impact made the ground shake and clouds of dust rise with a rumbling sound. It was a bit heartbreaking to see the surrounding buildings crumble like Lego blocks, but Sejun could only hope they’d bought dungeon insurance.

Everything was quiet for a while. The egg’s membrane’s inside was just a dark void, and the hunters watched the scene without making a sound. The news cameras’ footage was probably catching this too. Some people might think it was better to attack now, but Asura was practically invincible right now. His weakness, the head, hadn’t been exposed yet.

[Seo Sejun.]

Ruya had returned to his side and spoke to him while they waited for the creature to appear.

“Yeah?”

[Aren’t you scared?]

Sejun tilted his head at the sudden question. He wondered what there was to be afraid of.

“Scared? When did you ever see me feel afraid?”

[I did, just once.]

Sejun really couldn’t remember such a thing. But Ruya was certain.

[It was when you realized our world’s story would end.]

“Ah.”

[You were terrified then.]

His pride wouldn’t usually let him show fear, but he had to admit this. Sejun nodded.

“Who in this world wouldn’t be afraid of a moment like that?”

[What about now? Aren’t you scared?]

Sejun chose to just smile instead of answering. He couldn’t bring himself to say it. To be honest, he was terrified. Nobody knew if everything would work out. Even that damn original author probably didn’t know. He was just clinging to this because it was his only hope.

Their peace lasted only until then. Not long after their conversation, a giant red arm burst through the membrane inside the eggshell with a destructive sound. It was massive, like a giant’s arm. It swept through the area as if it were looking for a support, then it grabbed a building and crushed it to balance itself. Then came another arm, and another… until six arms had emerged from the egg. The giant red arms that stuck out of the broken egg weren’t funny; they were grotesque. They were muscular and tough, and they looked like they’d been soaked in blood.

-Can’t… head…

-…where… the hell…

The communication through the artifacts had been fine until now, but it started to cut out with static. Sejun tapped the artifact with his hand. He used the same logic people once used to fix old TVs. However, that didn’t work on modern artifacts, and the scattered voices became even harder to hear. It was the same even when he changed the channel. The egg had been leaking an unpleasant energy since the beginning, and it seemed to be emitting some kind of interference now that it had hatched.

“Hmm.”

He thought he might still be able to communicate with Cha Dogyeong since he was close, but the problem was that Cha Dogyeong didn’t want to talk to Sejun. Things were getting complicated, and they were only just starting.

The three red-skinned heads finally began to rise from inside the egg once all the arms were out. They looked like demons that had crawled out of hell as they appeared, dripping with a dark purple liquid that looked like blood. That sight was so familiar to Sejun that it felt like it was burned into his brain. The stench that assaulted his nostrils was familiar too. Sejun let out a small sigh.

“That’s a real disaster.”

The three faces opened their mouths at the same time and began to shriek. The heads screamed in different pitches, and it was the kind of sight that would haunt someone’s dreams.

“Ruya.”

Ruya puffed up his body even though Sejun hadn’t given him an order yet. He landed as a dragon a house’s size. The blue energy that drifted from him held an incredible amount of vitality, which was fitting for an EX-rank summoner’s beast.

Sejun suddenly thought it was a good thing the artifact wasn’t working properly. From this point on, they wouldn’t have time to worry about briefings. The one who struggled the hardest to kill their opponent would be the winner. Sejun looked toward Cha Dogyeong and their eyes met. There was no time to wonder how long he’d been watching. Sejun knew when the best time to attack was, and Cha Dogyeong felt the same way.

-Grrr!

The middle head, the leader, growled. Cha Dogyeong didn’t hesitate and threw himself toward Asura. Sejun clicked his tongue and climbed onto Ruya’s body.

“Show them a summoner’s true worth.”

[Of course.]

Sejun laughed at his confident answer. The situation was terrible, but he didn’t feel like he’d lose. He muttered to himself, not knowing if the other Sejun could hear him.

Watch closely, Seo Sejun. This is how a top-tier summoner fights.

Sejun settled into his position, and Ruya flew toward Asura without hesitation.