Chapter Index

    Boldly break it.

    Damn it!

    Quad deuk!

    And assemble in detail.

    A series of hardships carried out with faith in the resilience of the elixir and the strength of the newly acquired magic power.

    Limits are being broken.

    Without realizing it, the boundary that I thought was the end recedes back and gives me space.

    Oh my… !

    Bones compressed to new limits have become hard enough to deflect even a decent blade.

    Pudduk… !

    Muscle fibers that are shredded and connected have stronger elasticity.

    Realize through this body.

    My past injuries may have been problems caused by the limits I set.

    If I had had a body like this back then, I might not have suffered permanent damage.

    This is not the time.

    I try to shake off thoughts of deep regret and accelerate the finishing work.

    Now is the most important time to make the most of the best results.

    Delicately controlling the position of bones and muscles.

    The teeth of the gears, which are so small that they cannot be seen with the eye, must be meshed together in detail to make them turn.

    The highly trained body of a hunter is like a precision machine.

    Mistakes are prohibited, as even the slightest error can cause major problems.

    Tidik!

    Dang!

    One after another.

    Considering the harmony of the whole, virtual lines are connected to each part.

    And if you adjust the lines engraved on the bones and muscles so that they all connect as one.

    Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwak!

    My body begins to tremble with a loud noise.

    This is the startup sound.

    A loud roar made by the newly assembled body for powerful movement.

    Amid the pain that pervades the entire body, detailed movements of bones and muscles are gradually observed.

    The heart beats more vigorously and the blood flow through it.

    Open your eyes calmly, feeling your body fully activated.

    “Student Dojin… !”

    “Hey, you!”

    The voices of Baek Hyun-ah and Shin Yu-jeong can be heard clearly.

    Even more than that, the message floating in front of me caught my attention.

    [The sub-characteristic ‘Theatrical Retardation’ has been acquired.]

    * * *

    Cerberus.

    The sudden appearance of an EX-level dungeon boss monster heated up the venue.

    Unlike the Leviathan and Kraken that had previously appeared, this was a monster for which some data had been collected.

    But that made their headaches even more painful.

    This is because all of that data was created from the annihilation of hunters.

    “We need to recruit a large number of water attribute wizards.”

    “That will be handled at the Magic Tower.”

    “It would be better to focus on tanker positions for A-level hunters.”

    “Agree. It will be difficult to penetrate Cerberus with their attack power anyway.”

    The construction of the defense line went smoothly.

    Because it was all based on common sense.

    Cerberus fires high-temperature flames from its three heads.

    Therefore, it is only natural to form a defense line with those who are skilled in water magic.

    Additionally, since its hide is difficult to penetrate without the attack power of an S-class hunter, it was also appropriate to increase the ratio of A-class hunters who are good at defense.

    The problem is next.

    “Attacks are the problem.”

    “… … .”

    The Prime Minister’s words froze the room.

    Yes.

    In the end, to escape this crisis, you must kill Cerberus, who has taken over the center of Jongno.

    But there was one biggest difficulty here.

    Han Joo-hee raises her hand and opens her mouth.

    “My magic won’t be of much help in conquering Cerberus.”

    She is stronger than anyone else when it comes to dealing with large monsters, but she is an opponent who cannot demonstrate her strength.

    “I understand.”

    It was something that could not be helped.

    Her nickname is ‘Scarlet Witch’.

    As you can guess just by hearing the name, he is a wizard who is extremely skilled in fire magic.

    And the opponent Cerberus is also a fire attribute monster that spews hellfire from its mouth.

    It goes without saying that the thick leather has very strong fire resistance.

    “Hunter Joohee Han asks for rear support during this operation.”

    “Of course.”

    Han Ju-yeon, another S-class hunter and healer, was also sent to the rear support.

    There are now two S-class hunters left here.

    “In the end, I think Hunter Son Si-woo and Hunter Namgoong Hyuk should be in charge of the attack.”

    “… … .”

    “… … .”

    Son Si-woo and Namgoong Hyuk.

    Both sides are melee dealers who use one sword as their weapon.

    A deep look appeared on their faces.

    “Umm… , I guess it won’t be easy.”

    Namgoonghyuk sighs softly and falls asleep.

    Whether it’s a monster or a human.

    He used to show his winning spirit before his worries when dealing with strong opponents, but it seems that it wasn’t easy this time.

    After all, it was natural.

    All of those who were torn apart by Cerberus’ claws were at least as strong as, or stronger than, Namgoonghyeok.

    Of course, there is no guarantee that Namgoong-hyuk will also be torn to death helplessly just because they suffered.

    However, it is obvious that the probability of losing one’s life is higher than ever.

    His eyes turn to a certain direction while embracing the heavy feeling that permeates his entire body.

    At stake in the end is one person who remains silent in the heated room.

    “Still… , it might be worth a try with Son.”

    Siwoo Son.

    The moment his name is mentioned, his presence swells.

    The small ember that started burning burns even more intensely with Namgoong Hyuk’s next words.

    “Cerberus, a truly terrifying opponent. But I don’t think he’s stronger than Leviathan.”

    Leviathan.

    The worst disaster to mark the monster wave that started in the middle of Gangnam.

    When everyone was convinced of the fall of the Republic of Korea, he was the only one to face the disaster.

    “I think that since we have Son who stands alone against Leviathan, this matter can be resolved somehow.”

    “That’s right!”

    “It might really be possible with Hunter Siwoo Son… !”

    Small sparks gather together and spread into a bigger fire.

    Hope is rising.

    Son Si-woo, who defeated Leviathan, could do it again this time.

    In it, Son Si-woo remained silent without any significant change in expression.

    However, despite his expressionless expression, his insides were extremely miserable.

    ‘Oh, what should I do?’

    My heart is beating wildly.

    It wasn’t him.

    The person who defeated Leviathan single-handedly.

    No, even if the person in charge was there, nothing could be done about it this time.

    As a reward for protecting the Republic of Korea from Leviathan, his body was damaged.

    Are you going to fight Cerberus with this broken body?

    There’s no way that could be possible.

    Regardless of his inner thoughts, the divided opinions were unified.

    Son Si-woo and Namgoong Hyuk.

    By gathering around these two people and intercepting Cerberus.

    I was suddenly in a predicament.

    ‘No matter how much they do, they can’t deal with Cerberus. then… .’

    Even the people who help me with my work are unable to do this.

    I don’t have the skills to deal with Cerberus, and I can’t even represent them in front of everyone.

    ‘I will never die. ‘I’m going to die!’

    My mind, consumed by fear, thought of the last move that would narrowly avoid death.

    ‘It’s better to be honest… !’

    I’m talking.

    My physical condition is at its worst.

    The fact that he suffered permanent damage from dealing with Leviathan, making it difficult for him to continue his life as a hunter.

    Of course, he would later have to be questioned about the fact that he used a proxy to attack the dungeon.

    ‘But you won’t die.’

    The moment you are slowly driven away, your mind spits out memories at will.

    “Ah… … !”

    A huge monster is covering the sky.

    Huge, vertically slit yellow eyes are glaring at me as if I’m going to kill them.

    The only thing standing in front of him is himself.

    Even when his legs are shaking and his heart is pounding as if it will explode at any moment, he calmly swings his sword.

    ‘Huh, how is that possible?’

    Obviously he was scared too.

    Inside, I was screaming that I didn’t want to die.

    But how can we face disaster so calmly?

    I realize it again.

    The difference between myself and the character Son Si-woo.

    In front of that huge gap that could not be bridged no matter what he did, he shrank even more.

    ‘I can’t do it. That kind of crazy thing… !’

    Even if you die and wake up, it is impossible.

    To stand proudly in front of such a monster.

    okay.

    Let’s just say it better.

    You feel comfortable after talking.

    “Well, I… !”

    He closed his eyes tightly and was about to raise his voice.

    “I’m sorry, but I think it will be difficult for him to fully participate in that operation.”

    Han Joo-hee, who was sitting across from him, spoke first.

    And that too in the form of defending him.

    “… … ?”

    Kim Do-jin, surprised by this, looked at Han Joo-hee with wide eyes.

    It was my first time seeing this expression.

    The Prime Minister asked the woman who had a helpless expression instead of a cool and confident expression.

    “… Is there any reason why it can’t be done?”

    Then she stood up and bowed her head politely towards the people.

    “My husband… , I can’t fight right now.”

    Everyone’s faces, including the Prime Minister, became stiff.

    “What do you mean, you can’t fight?”

    Then she caught a glimpse of Son Si-woo, who was looking at her with wide eyes, and continued speaking in a calm tone.

    “Currently, he is… , under a curse.”

    “Curse… You say?”

    “Yes.”

    “What kind of curse is it?”

    “Weakening. Sealing part of the ability.”

    “Heeju… .”

    “I am constantly trying… , I’m failing again and again.”

    The fire that was burning quickly goes out.

    No, it went beyond that and made me feel miserable.

    Son Si-woo was that kind of person.

    A star of hope that shines alone even in desperate situations.

    the Prime Minister asked.

    “… Why did you hide that fact?”

    she answered.

    “Because I’m sorry, not anyone else.”

    “… … .”

    The weight of his name is dozens or hundreds of times heavier than that of other hunters.

    A guardian in charge of a nation.

    What would happen if news spread that he was cursed and unable to use his powers was completely obvious.

    It was impossible to blame that couple for that.

    ‘I would have hid my country too.’

    If the same thing happened, I would have hid it right away.

    “Then who is left now… .”

    “Namgoong Hyuk is the only hunter?”

    “Oh my god.”

    The situation became more difficult.

    Due to the departure of Son Si-woo and Han Ju-hee, it has reached a point where it is impossible to plan an offensive line.

    A heavy silence falls in the once bustling conference room.

    In this hopeless atmosphere, bad thoughts slowly began to spread in my head.

    Rattling!

    Suddenly, the door to the conference room opens.

    The person who opened the door and entered was none other than Kim Do-jin.

    He appeared late and asked everyone in the conference room with a cheerful smile.

    “Can I do the offensive line composition?”

    “… … .”

    The moment he saw him entering the conference room, the Prime Minister felt it.

    That there is still a small spark of hope left in this country.

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