VSP 164

Asura, who had been looking around, suddenly dug his fingers into his chest as the number of enemies decreased significantly, and tore off his outer skin.

“Ugh, fuck, what’s he doing?”

Hangyeol cursed without realizing it. The creature, of all things, looked so human-like that it was almost disgusting.

Hangyeol, who was trembling, quickly opened his eyes wide.

A crimson core was visible inside Asura’s own chest, which he had torn off.

It was the boss’s core, and it was located right where a heart would be.

The sense of wonder about revealing one’s weakness like this didn’t last long.

Thump-thump-thump-thump.

The dark red core’s pulse grew louder. Hangyeol shouted with a pale face.

“Everyone, get as far away from that bastard as you can!”

Lee Dohun and Na Yookyung flew away immediately as if they hadn’t been exhausted. Hangyeol also moved as far from Asura as possible. He saw Cha Dogyeong, who had been nearby, back away as he sensed the danger.

However, even he couldn’t escape completely. Not long after Hangyeol shouted, the surrounding space was instantly torn apart. Hangyeol saw Cha Dogyeong take the hit directly and fly back. The building’s remaining debris turned into fine powder, and the sight gave him goosebumps. Even a blender couldn’t grind things that finely.

Asura’s chest healed in an instant as if it had never been torn. The sight was gruesome, but Hangyeol racked his brain to visualize the best way to win.

The core was the source of life. No matter how strong a monster was, it couldn’t survive if its hidden core was destroyed. Asura would also stop moving if that core broke.

However, the skin covering the core would be incredibly tough, and the core’s own defense would be high. It wouldn’t be easy to break. Asura revealed the core for an attack, but that was probably a display of absolute confidence. He believed humans couldn’t hurt him even if he showed them where to strike.

But Hangyeol thought it was worth a try. There was no other solution in this situation. If Cha Dogyeong acted as the main damage dealer and the others could just tear the skin away, then maybe…

But was this plan realistic? Most of them were injured, so it wouldn’t even be easy to tear the skin. Cha Dogyeong’s energy had weakened significantly after he was blown away. He had taken a direct hit.

“Cha Dogyeong! Hey, Cha Dogyeong!”

Hangyeol called him through the artifact, but there was no response. Maybe there was a communication error, or perhaps he wasn’t in a state to answer.

The attacks stopped, Asura looked around and tore his chest skin again. He was going to unleash the same attack once more. This time, the core took longer to gather power. The next attack would be either wider or stronger because the preparation time was longer.

How many people could dodge that? Hangyeol bit his lip as he felt the end approach.

Crack!

A blue flash sparked, and something flew toward Asura before anyone could see its shape. It struck Asura so hard that his body staggered.

–Grrr!

Asura roared in pain. His legs, which had been emerging from the ground, stopped.

It was Hoya. Hoya had grown much bigger than usual and was now attacking Asura. Hangyeol recognized the summon’s unique blue light because he had seen it often. But the important part was that it was Hoya, not that mysterious dragon.

…No way?

“Sejun-hyung?”

Hangyeol called his name.

“Oh, Choi Hangyeol!”

Sejun jumped down from the top of the building where Hangyeol was hiding. The height was significant, but Sejun effortlessly landed.

“I’m glad I found you.”

Hangyeol stared at Sejun blankly. It was Seo Sejun. It was the Seo Sejun he knew well, but he looked different. This wasn’t that strange feeling he’d had lately. It was definitely the Seo Sejun he knew… he had returned, but this reliable presence was unfamiliar.

But it was Seo Sejun.

The man who had made him smile every time they met.

Ironically, it was only at that moment that Hangyeol was able to name for the first time the vague feelings he had for the person in front of him.

The problem was that the timing and place were terrible, and the realization came too late.

“…Sejun-hyung.”

“You really look like a mess. Are you okay?”

Sejun frowned when he saw Hangyeol’s battered state, then he scratched his head awkwardly. He realized his own condition wasn’t much better. Both of them were soaked by the rain and looked like beggars.

“Do you know where Cha Dogyeong is? Can you sense him?”

Hangyeol didn’t ask why he wanted to know. He didn’t ask what he was going to do either. Such questions were a luxury right now. Hangyeol shook his head.

“I don’t know exactly because there’s too much interference. Cha Dogyeong’s energy is usually stronger than others, but it’s weak now because of the damage. He feels like any other hunter.”

“…But you can still tell where he is, right?”

“Roughly.”

“That’s enough. Tell me.”

Hangyeol pointed to Dogyeong’s suspected location.

“Be careful.”

He only said that to Sejun, who was about to leave. Even if he didn’t fully understand the situation, the energy from Seo Sejun was similar to the being that had occupied Sejun’s body until recently. He didn’t need to worry about Sejun’s strength, but he could at least tell him to be careful.

“Don’t worry, you be careful too!”

Sejun waved his hand and flew away. His back disappeared with the sound of the wind. He looked fast and light.

“…”

It was a good thing that Sejun had become stronger. However, Hangyeol felt like Sejun had suddenly drifted far away from him. He felt like he wouldn’t be able to catch him. It felt like he’d missed his chance and was far too late.

“Haah.”

Hangyeol had mocked Lee Dohun and told him to look at his own feelings, but now he wondered who was really laughing at whom. Would his rival laugh at him if he saw him now?

‘You’re actually a fool,’ he would say. Then he would suggest getting some soju.

Nothing changed. Hangyeol stifled his turbulent emotions and moved his body. He didn’t have time to rest. He could only endure the mockery or drink soju after everything was over.

***

When Dogyeong and Sejun were separated, the shockwave Asura released wasn’t just filled with energy.

The speed, the speed was so fast that it was a split second of quick judgment and movement that saved Do-kyung.

The problem was that the moment was too brief. It was so fleeting that even Dogyeong couldn’t fully grasp the situation.

“Seo Sejun!”

Dogyeong didn’t even see if Sejun had dodged the attack. They escaped in different directions, the shockwave naturally separated them. The structure where they had been resting crumbled under the pressure. Dogyeong looked around hurriedly, but no one was there.

“Sejun-hyung!”

Dogyeong called out desperately, but there was no answer. His heart began to throb painfully. It felt like someone had grabbed his racing heart and squeezed it. He felt like he might vomit.

But Dogyeong didn’t have time to search for Sejun. Asura’s power after his revitalization was beyond imagination. Most hunters were out of the fight, therefore Cha Dogyeong couldn’t leave his post. If he left, the flow of the attack would break, and Asura would escape from the ground.

Choi Yerin had been attacking with him, but she had to switch to healing other hunters because the sudden rain weakened her power. This tied Dogyeong down even more.

–Grrr!

When Asura tore his chest and revealed his core, Dogyeong hesitated for a second. Should he attack the core or retreat? That was probably one of the few chances to solve this hopeless situation.

But the penalty for a failed attack was too high. He didn’t have much time to decide. It was just a split second for a normal person, but Dogyeong hesitated, and that was the problem. When the shockwave from the core shook the area, Dogyeong was still within its range.