VSP 163

He told himself he had misunderstood the other because he was too incompetent, he had thought the other disliked him because he was too weak, and that was why he couldn’t even approach him properly. He was sorry that he should have reached out more.

He had much to say, but now was not the time. Sejun pressed his forehead against Hoya’s.

Hoya stuck out his tongue and licked Sejun’s face once more. It felt like his skin might peel off, but Sejun smiled.

“I love you, Hoya.”

The moment when Sejun condensed all the things I wanted to say into one word,

[Lucky Love Mode shouts, ‘I like beastmen too!’]

Huh?

Sejun blinked blankly. He felt like he heard a system notification sound that was familiar, yet felt strange because he hadn’t heard it for such a long time.

[Sejun-n!]

However, the moment he heard the voice of the system, the one he had heard almost every day after becoming a hunter, and the one he had spent so long searching for, wondering where on earth he had gone, Sejun realized it wasn’t an illusion.

[That damn Lucky Love Mode doesn’t know time or place. Everything is gone, so why hasn’t that thing disappeared yet? I’m so annoyed I could die.]

<Kya-ha-ha!>

The system grumbled the moment he returned after a long time, and another voice burst into laughter without a care.

The system clearly his throat, embarrassed to have complained right after meeting again.

[…Anyway, Sejun-nim, I will check your physical condition first. Given the circumstances, I will do it briefly for now.]

“……Uh.”

When Sejun answered in a daze, the system quickly checked Sejun’s condition and started speaking like he was a rapper.

[Are you okay? Your heart is beating fast. Since you are faint-hearted, I understand that you’re shocked by the current situation. I’m just checking if there are any side effects because your mana increased suddenly and your physical abilities improved…….]

Sejun suddenly realized something as he listened to the system’s annoying voice. He couldn’t tell if the system was criticizing him or praising him.

He realized that everything around him was returning to what it used to be.

His heart fluttered. Sejun felt his insides overflow with emotions like joy, but instead of venting them, he bit his lip and held it in.

Since the things he missed and wished would return had indeed returned, it might have been nice to be more emotional, but unfortunately, the situation wasn’t very good.

His mouth felt dry and coarse. It wasn’t just because his mouth was full of dust from the battle happening everywhere.

“System.”

[Yes.]

Sejun interrupted the system’s nagging. He would continue forever if he didn’t stop him.

“If there’s no big problem…… no, even if there is, for now.”

Sejun swallowed dryly.

“……Let’s go.”

Sejun’s gaze was directed to a chaotic battlefield where a battle was still raging even as he stood there.

[If we consider time and place, that’s correct.]

For now, there doesn’t seem to be any problem with your body either. The system said.

Unlike the time when he couldn’t do anything, now Sejun had power.

The power he should have had from the beginning; the power that had finally returned to its rightful place.

Moreover, that power was given to him to defeat that monster. They said Asura was created based on the participation of two EX-rank hunters.

[…….]

Hoya lowered his body in front of Sejun. It was a pose he had never seen before, but now Sejun knew what it meant without anyone explaining it.

He climbed onto Hoya’s solid body. As soon as Hoya confirmed that Sejun had secured his position, he didn’t hesitate to jump toward the battlefield.

***

He felt like he should go somewhere a bit higher.

Hangyeol, who was fidgeting with the artifact by his ear, clicked his tongue. Now there weren’t many buildings left to climb in the vicinity.

Although he was classified as a mental type, to be more precise, Hangyeol focused more on the detection type and foresight.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t read the monsters’ thoughts, but usually, they would avoid and attack before he could check, so he didn’t need it in normal times…… but this opponent required it.

The problem was that even if he read the boss’s thoughts and knew what attack he would unleash next, the artifact, the means to convey it, was broken.

To repair it, he would have to pick up a new signal. He thought he might be able to do it with his ability, but the problem was that he couldn’t head to a higher place, away from the sight of the monster that was running wild.

-Kuaaaack!

-Kuaaa!

Nearby, a monster boasting power that even Hangyeol saw for the first time was screaming deafeningly. It was hard to handle even one head, but his ears felt like they would burst from the monstrous roar of three angry heads screaming at once.

Asura had fully revived as much as he had had a long recovery time.

Although his lost arm and eyesight didn’t return, the dark red aura emanating from his body looked ominous. His attack and speed had increased significantly, making him much trickier to deal with than before, and he even used techniques he hadn’t seen earlier.

The problem was that the moment the attack stopped, Asura would continue to pull his body out of the ground, and once the monster became free, it would be the end, they had no time to rest.

Cha Dogyeong was fighting alone, but he was also human. Naturally, if he would eventually get tired, and if injuries accumulated, he would retire.

Compared to that, Asura didn’t get tired. The monster even picked up his own severed arm that had fallen to the ground and swung it.

Where was Seo Sejun, where was Sejun-hyung?

Although it was uncomfortable even to think about him, the power of that existence was certainly worth expecting.

However, after Asura’s revival, Seo Sejun hadn’t appeared.

Did he suffer any injury? Hangyeol clenched his teeth. But there was nothing he could do.

-@%@^5%……!

“Ugh!”

Hangyeol, who was hiding to find cover, immediately jumped at the murderous feeling he felt behind the building.

A tremendous roar followed, and Hangyeol’s body was blown away by the impact. He immediately fell and rolled, but his whole body ached.

He looked back with a shocked expression as he saw Asura’s severed arm flying toward him. That bastard, even if it was severed, he threw his own arm at him?

Even while dealing with Cha Dogyeong, perhaps because he had free arms and faces, he continued to attack the other hunters.

Hangyeol quickly moved to find cover again. He wouldn’t have felt this bitter if he could at least attack, but unfortunately, Hangyeol wasn’t a combat type, and with his meager combat skills, he could only imitate A-rank combat, so detection was the way to go.

If only the artifact would properly work.

He didn’t know when the artifact would normalize, and he wasn’t leaving the battlefield because he was worried about Yerin, but he didn’t know how much longer he could hold out.

If his detection range were wider, he would rather do it from a long distance…… Hangyeol, who had been mumbling to himself, was startled when he belatedly discovered someone.

“What, is that Choi Hangyeol?”

It was Lee Dohun. Next to him was Na Yookyung.

“Hi, Hangyeol.”

Na Yookyung waved her hand with a smiling face. She outwardly looked fine, but Lee Dohun was a mess, as if he had suffered a disaster.

“Are you both okay?”

“Neither of us is okay.”

The answer to the question wasn’t very positive. Looking closely, Na Yookyung also looked pale, she must have suffered an internal injury.

“Yerin and Sehyun seem to be together…… I heard briefly a while ago that Sehyun’s injury also seems serious.”

“…….”

Everyone was a mess. There was no room for maneuver, and morale had long since hit rock bottom.

Since now wasn’t the situation to complain about minor injuries, it meant that currently, the only people who could move their bodies enough to attempt a capture were Choi Yerin and Cha Dogyeong.

“It means we’re screwed if Choi Yerin and Cha Dogyeong stop.”

Since Yerin’s mana also had a limit, realistically, it would be the end if Cha Dogyeong left his spot. Asura’s lower body was already just about to pull out.

If things went south, Hangyeol would have to run out even knowing it wouldn’t work. But that would only be sacrificing his life to buy time.

“……?”

At that moment, something started falling from the sky.

It was rain.

“Damn, nothing is going right.”

Seeing the rain, which suddenly turned into a downpour, Lee Dohun grumbled.

It was just as he said. In a situation that wasn’t good to begin with, even rain was falling. It was weather that nullified Choi Yerin’s fire-attribute powers.

The streets started getting wet in an instant.

The three people, whose miserable appearance became even more miserable, laughed helplessly while looking at each other. Nothing was going right.

-No…… healing…….

Over the crackling artifact, Yerin’s voice was heard.

With her power no longer effected, she had to switch to healing. She sounded completely drained of her strength. Now, only Cha Dogyeong remained.