Ch.147147. Perfect Organism

Woooong-

When Sunhwa first heard Behemoth’s cry, she thought the creature was cute.

But immediately after, hearing screams from outside, she had to revise her opinion.

Those screams were far from the high-pitched squeals people make when seeing adorable small animals.

If she had to categorize it, it was more like the scream of someone who had seen something they shouldn’t have.

Moreover, seeing Amon rubbing his face upon hearing that sound, the owner of that cute cry didn’t seem very welcome.

‘What does it look like?’

With her heart pounding from a mix of fear and curiosity, she left the building.

And once outside, she spotted a creature.

When she first saw it from behind, she thought of an elephant, just much larger.

Then as the creature turned slightly to the side, the word “dinosaur” came to mind.

“Huh?”

And when the head, previously hidden by its massive body, became visible, she understood why people were screaming.

It had the face of a primate, with elephant tusks protruding like a saber-toothed tiger’s fangs.

At the end of its elongated elephant trunk were tentacles, and thin membranes like bat wings could be seen under its forelegs.

And finally, vertical pupils like a lizard’s.

Woooong-!

The impression of cuteness was definitely canceled.

“What is that…!?”

Sunhwa turned to Amon who was following behind, her face filled with shock.

But Amon’s reaction was different from what she expected.

“Oh. Looks like it’s still evolving. We might be able to take it down at this stage.”

“What?”

“It means it’s still in fluid form. And its genetic coding seems incomplete too. I don’t see any insect features.”

“Wait, so when it becomes an adult… No, I don’t want to ask. I’m not asking.”

Sunhwa shook her head in disgust.

Amon understood her reaction.

The adult Behemoth he had seen through screens was a creature that evoked physiological revulsion even beyond the uncanny valley.

‘It would walk on two legs with its trunk turning into octopus tentacles and dragonfly wings growing, right?’

Anyway, from that point on, it was a monster whose biological classification was questionable.

Compared to that, the Behemoth that appeared now was almost cute.

Amon patted Sunhwa’s shoulder, who still hadn’t regained her composure.

“Snap out of it. If we space out, people will become food for that Buooong?”

“Buooong?”

“That’s roughly what its cry sounds like.”

Actually, it was an expression used to refer to Behemoth in his past life’s community.

At first, it was a nickname given because its cry was cute, and later because its attack patterns were so deadly.

‘Every time it cried “buooong,” there would be an instant death pattern.’

It usually cried “woooong,” but occasionally it would cry “buooong,” and then my character’s screen would turn black and the retry button would appear.

Hence the nickname, Buooong.

Whether this world’s Buooong had such abilities was uncertain, but according to that convergent evolution thing, he suspected it might.

Amon finished his not-at-all nostalgic reminiscence and said to Sunhwa:

“Get ready. We need to take down Buooong.”

“What’s its ability?”

“Adaptation and evolution. Its body changes to match attacks it receives, so be careful.”

In the game, if you attacked with a specific element, it would become completely immune to that element.

If you attacked with fire, it would gain resistance to fire, and then you’d have to attack with electricity or ice weapons for a few minutes.

Then when it gained resistance to other elements, its fire resistance would decrease, so you could burn it again.

“Since it’s a living organism, there’s no such thing as permanent absolute immunity.”

It wasn’t called adaptation for nothing.

The fully biological Behemoth was a monster that rapidly evolved by discarding existing traits to adapt to situations, not one that gained permanent immunity to a single attack, which would be biologically impossible.

Of course, that alone made it threatening enough, but it didn’t mean it was impossible to kill.

“Oh, and its physical resistance will naturally be high.”

However, this only applied to chemical or elemental resistances; physical resistance would continuously increase.

Just like Amon’s “adaptation” essence.

Realizing this fact, Sunhwa turned her gaze to Amon.

“Don’t you do the same?”

“Don’t I?”

“Hmm…”

Sunhwa began to recall elements related to Amon.

Can he fly? Yes.

Does he have adaptation? Yes.

Is his stamina almost infinite? Yes.

Does he recover quickly? Yes.

Does he walk on two legs? Yes.

Are bullets ineffective against him now? Yes.

“Hmm…”

Recognizing the meaning behind her gaze, Amon stated firmly:

“It’s true that I’m a combination modeled after it, but I’m not a Behemoth.”

“Will you perhaps grow insect wings later…”

“That won’t happen.”

“Scales…”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Ignoring her as she kept going off on tangents, Amon turned his gaze toward the Behemoth.

The Behemoth was already engaged in battle with the main force.

Judging by the other Horde operators visible among the main force, it seemed the control had been successfully broken.

While assessing the battle situation, Amon also checked on his comrades’ well-being.

[This is Bravo One. We took down the King, but didn’t expect there to be a Queen.]

Amon called out to the radio.

Sonia’s reply came through:

[Was it female?]

[It’s hermaphroditic.]

The hermaphroditic mage chimed in:

[Oh, just like me.]

[Is that important?!!!]

Kathy’s interjection was a bonus.

After confirming that his comrades were still at ease, Amon immediately began briefing on the strategy to tackle the Behemoth.

[To tackle the Behemoth, you only need two elements.]

In modern society, the easiest elements to obtain are heat and electricity.

Heat from flamethrowers and bombs, electricity from power lines or transformers—sources are abundant.

They had also requisitioned poison gas shells, and had divine magic from Sonia and the holy knights at their disposal.

In the game, while the laboratory where Behemoths mass-reproduced was a threat to humanity, a single Behemoth entity was only moderately threatening.

‘It doesn’t seem to have any companions.’

An incomplete fluid form and just one entity.

Compared to the game, it didn’t seem very difficult.

The main difference from the game was that there was only one coin, but still, the difficulty level was much easier.

[Let’s stick to the plan.]

Soon, following Amon’s instructions, the assault team began to move.

Flames from flamethrowers and bombs scorched the skin, and blades and lead bullets peeled off the softened skin.

When the skin adapted to fire, they would electrocute it, and they also actively utilized poison gas shells and bombardment with divine magic.

Due to its massive size and excellent regenerative abilities, progress was slow, but taking down the Behemoth was just a matter of time.

The Behemoth, pushed into a defensive position, struck the ground hard and roared toward the sky.

Buooong-

[It’s the Buooong! Everyone get away!]

The infamous Buooong pattern.

The Behemoth causes an earthquake and sprays neurotoxic spores through its trunk.

When your body freezes momentarily from the poison, the Behemoth flies high into the air and crushes you with its body.

It’s a troublesome pattern because the earthquake destroys buildings before spraying the poison, leaving nowhere to hide or take cover.

But the assault team, forewarned by Amon, responded quickly without panic.

There were mainly three methods:

First, wear protective clothing.

However, this was only possible in games where you could change clothes in 0.1 seconds.

Realistically, it’s impossible since you can’t fight in protective gear.

Second, set fire to the path where the spores are approaching.

The spores are very vulnerable to heat, so this method can completely block them.

Most of the assault team was able to block the spores using this method.

However, Amon preferred the third method.

“Amon? Where are you going?!”

Ignoring Sunhwa who called out to him urgently, he ran in the opposite direction from the others.

After moving sufficiently far from the main force, Amon allowed the spores to paralyze him.

For some reason, as soon as the Behemoth detected that Amon was paralyzed, it flew into the air.

A shadow fell over Amon’s head.

“Amon!!”

Boom!

Sunhwa’s urgent cry was drowned out by the sound of the Behemoth crashing down on Amon.

Sunhwa’s face turned pale.

Without time to reflect on why he had acted that way, she began to move her feet for revenge.

Just then, a familiar voice reached her ears.

[Repent.]

“Huh?”

Turning her head in that direction, she could see Amon chanting from a location away from the Behemoth.

The third method Amon used:

If you have a means to move even when paralyzed, deliberately getting paralyzed is also an option.

In fact, using this method causes the Behemoth to be greatly stunned by the impact of the fall, making it a frequently used technique in speedruns.

In Amon’s case, he could use teleportation from one ley line to another even when paralyzed, and could still chant.

So he avoided the Behemoth’s body press with teleportation and began chanting.

[I will crush them as a potter’s vessel is broken to pieces.]

Soon, a pure white stake formed behind Amon’s back.

The stake pierced the chest of the still stunned Behemoth.

[Postula a mater!]

With Amon’s shout, the stake exploded, opening the Behemoth’s chest.

“It’s the heart!”

Someone from the assault team shouted. It didn’t matter who.

The Behemoth’s source of life, its heart.

Everyone knew that destroying it would end everything.

Amon, still not moving well due to the lingering paralysis, gestured to Sunhwa with his eyes.

She received his gaze and drew her sword.

“Void Slash.”

Her long-range sword technique split the Behemoth’s heart in half.

Splash.

Hot blood gushed out like hot spring water.

Watching the frantically beating heart stop, Sunhwa breathed a sigh of relief.

It had been a long day indeed.

.

.

.

“It’s not over!!”

Amon’s scream-like shout pierced the ears of those who were feeling relieved.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the Behemoth’s corpse(?).

Twitch.

The massive creature they thought was dead began to move, and in response, the heart that had been split in two began to beat violently again.

Shocked, Sunhwa prepared another sword technique.

But Amon appeared in front of her.

“Get away!!”

Immediately after, the Behemoth spewed out massive amounts of steam.

Sunhwa and Amon, who had been closest to the Behemoth to secure the range for the Void Slash, were engulfed in steam.

Others who were at a distance from the Behemoth were also thrown around by the blast pressure.

While everyone was confused by the unexpected situation, Sonia discovered something near the Behemoth’s heart.

A mass beating violently like a heart inside the split heart.

While she was questioning the identity of this mass, which seemed more like a brain than a heart, Sunhwa landed beside Sonia.

“Sonia! Amon…! Amon!”

Sunhwa cried out, uncharacteristically tearful.

Sonia could see why.

Half of Amon’s body, cradled in Sunhwa’s arms, was covered in burns.

These were incomparably worse than the burns Sunhwa had suffered a few days ago.

Forgetting they were in battle, Sonia called out Amon’s name.

“Amon! Amon!”

“Don’t… wor… ugh…”

Amon barely responded.

Sonia immediately checked Amon’s nose hair.

“It’s singed.”

“What does that mean?”

“His lungs are completely burned!”

She frantically poured divine power into Amon’s chest.

The healer from the Holy Knight Order administered emergency treatment to Amon’s skin.

Where did it all go wrong?

Was it because she failed to react in time?

Before that, was it because her slash was unstable…

Her thoughts began to spiral into negativity.

Just then, Amon, whom she thought had lost consciousness, grabbed Sunhwa’s wrist.

“Sunhwa…”

“We’re treating you, so talk later.”

Sonia tried to dissuade him, but Amon rejected the treatment and continued speaking.

“Heart… not the problem. It’s the implant…”

It was a difficult sentence to understand, but Sunhwa grasped its meaning.

‘It’s not a pure biological creature!’

Thinking about it, it made sense.

If demons could receive implant procedures, why not Behemoths?

Having realized the truth, she brought her ear to Amon’s lips and asked:

“What should I do!?”

“Behind the pericardium. Maxwell’s perpetual device…”

“Got it. I’ll cut it and…”

“Outer…”

“There’s an Outer fragment, right? I’ll be careful, so rest now.”

With a sense of responsibility, Sunhwa rose from her spot.

She left Amon, who was still being treated, behind and headed toward the Behemoth.

The Behemoth was still spewing steam from its entire body, threatening the assault team.

“Ugh! It’s hard to maintain the front line!”

Torso, the buffalo tanker, groaned.

While the vanguard was supposed to hold off the Behemoth so the rear could attack, the hot steam made it difficult to endure.

In this situation, Sunhwa joined the front line.

“Kathy.”

“How’s Amon?”

“He’ll be fine.”

Whether lungs singed by fire could be called “fine” was questionable, but she believed in him.

Kathy also seemed to understand something from Sunhwa’s eyes and didn’t ask further about it.

Instead, she demanded an explanation of the current situation.

“How is it still alive when its heart was split?!”

“He said it’s a resuscitation device. Seems like there’s a backup heart to replace the cut one.”

“What about that heat?”

“Maxwell’s perpetual device. And he also detected a fragment of the Outer.”

“Amon told you all this?”

Sunhwa nodded.

Kathy turned her gaze from Sunhwa to look at the Behemoth.

“Do you have a plan?”

At Kathy’s question, Sunhwa fidgeted with the handle of her sword.

It wasn’t her fault, but she had failed to sever the Behemoth’s heart in one go.

Could she ask to be entrusted with the task again in such a situation?

Just then, Kathy muttered as if talking to herself:

“The chest has regenerated. Without firepower like Amon’s, we can’t pierce through those muscles. There’s no one who can handle the heart, the perpetual device, and the Outer fragment.”

“…”

“If we retreat now, the city could be in danger.”

Kathy, who had been muttering, looked toward Sunhwa.

“Do you think Amon protected you just because you’re a comrade?”

“What do you mean?”

“Despite appearances, he’s quite cold-hearted. When we explored dungeons together, he even used me as bait.”

The Amon that Kathy knew was someone who constantly calculated during battle.

If comrades’ injuries led to victory, he would gladly accept that.

But conversely, if his comrades were more important for victory than himself, he would gladly sacrifice himself.

“If he needed himself, he wouldn’t have protected you to that extent.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Sunhwa didn’t hide her discomfort.

Although Kathy was his lover and Sunhwa was “still” just a friend, it wasn’t pleasant to hear Amon described that way.

But Kathy continued regardless:

“You seem to misunderstand. I’m not saying Amon is cold-blooded. This is the form our ‘trust’ takes.”

“!”

“We can willingly sacrifice ourselves because we believe someone among us will secure victory. If we lose, we all die, but if even one of us wins, we can all smile together in the hospital room.”

Kathy, who would accept injuries for the sake of victory.

“And that’s why Amon protected you. Because he believes you can take down that thing, he threw himself in harm’s way.”

“Me?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. But I trust Amon, so I trust you. So I’ll ask again. Can you do it?”

Sunhwa’s face was reflected in Kathy’s straightforward eyes.

After a moment of silence, Sunhwa, having steeled her resolve, nodded.

“I have… one method.”

“That’s enough.”

“…What’s the plan?”

“Did you forget my ability?”

Kathy smiled, showing her red threads.

Only then did Sunhwa realize that all of this had been a setup by Kathy.

She wanted to say something, but decided against it.

Because she somehow understood their way of trust.

Whether she read it from the future or it was evident from her expression, Kathy smiled and said:

“Trust is inherently mutual. Just by someone believing in you, you can start believing in yourself.”

Instead of answering, Sunhwa gave a thumbs up and ran toward the Behemoth.

Watching Sunhwa’s back as she headed toward the Behemoth, Kathy whispered to herself:

“I hope you gain a good realization too.”

*

Honestly, although she was told to believe in herself, Sunhwa had no plan.

Her sword is sharp.

But not enough to burst open the chest of that massive monster and cut its vital point like Amon did.

‘How am I supposed to deal with that shell that even blocks grenades?’

Due to the steam, no one could get close, so long-range bombardment was the main approach, but the results weren’t great.

As Amon had said, the physical resistance had increased to the point where even grenades barely scratched it.

‘My sword is physical too!’

In such a situation, what meaning would her sword have?

As she drew her sword with these concerns, she felt a sensation different from usual.

The sword was different from normal.

Her Taedo was burning with blue flames. Not only that, but red cold energy was flowing from her Hwando.

“This is…”

She was confused by this inexplicable phenomenon.

These abilities weren’t part of the sword’s capabilities as she knew them.

“Receiving with Taedo, cutting with Hwando… Ah!”

Suddenly, she recalled something.

– “The ability of an essence is a concept. Not a sentence.”

She remembered Amon’s explanation about essences in the past.

Essences apply to concepts.

Using Amon as an example, Sky Step isn’t about kicking off from empty space, but about ignoring gravity once.

Since inertia is also gravity in a broad sense, Amon can move beyond human limitations.

‘Then my sword too…’

Having realized her ability, she steeled her resolve and headed toward the Behemoth.

The closer she got to the Behemoth, the more her throat burned.

But seeing the sword’s flames and frost intensify, she was convinced.

“終爲斯鋒自斃身 (In the end, by that blade, one takes one’s own life…)”

Only then did she understand why she had such a sword.

On the day she cut down the monster that had taken over her master’s body in Joseon, she thought an essence had been applied to her sword.

But that wasn’t it.

‘Mental image…’

The realm of warriors that her master had emphasized so much.

She had taken a small step into the mysterious realm where mental images are embedded in the sword.

Immediately, her past life flashed before her eyes like a panorama.

– 劍起風雲萬里驅 (Raising the sword to sweep across ten thousand miles.)

At first, it was admiration. Admiration for heroes.

She hated evil and declared herself a righteous outlaw, but faced with the walls of reality, she compromised by joining the Sword Circle.

Always as an assassin of the Sword Circle, cutting down only the wicked.

– 血光赫赫震皇都 (Achieving glory bright with blood)

But when that sword cut down their families, delusion took root in her sword.

Indeed, was my justice truly right?

一朝功業如飛電

The merits achieved in a morning vanished like lightning, and her sword ceased to punish the wicked.

And from that day on, only one sijo (Korean traditional poem) took root in her heart.

終爲斯鋒自斃身

One who rises by the sword shall fall by the sword.

From that day on, she always revered the words “karma.”

She considered it karma that she was cut, that she suffered hideous burns—all of it.

This was why her sword manifested such abilities.

Receiving the opponent’s sword with Taedo and returning that force with Hwando.

This was the result of embedding in her sword the desolate mental image that a sword ultimately returns to a sword.

劍指蒼茫心未決

Pointing the sword, yet the heart remains undecided.

What should she pursue?

Still, she wasn’t certain.

But at this moment, she seemed to know what she should pursue.

The flames of the sword, having found its path, began to burn more fiercely.

She approached the Behemoth without hesitation.

“Danger… huh?”

An operator who tried to stop her from approaching the Behemoth made a dumbfounded sound.

And for good reason—despite getting closer to the Behemoth, Sunhwa showed no signs of feeling the heat.

Receiving everyone’s gaze, she approached the Behemoth spewing hot steam.

‘Not yet…’

The sijo was not yet complete.

But she was confident.

Here and now, she could complete this mental image.

Ting.

-Woooong?

She swung her sword at the scales in a dance-like motion.

Naturally, the sword bounced off weakly.

The Behemoth snorted through its trunk, as if mocking her attempt.

But she didn’t lose heart and continued her dance in the steam, avoiding the trunk that fell toward her head.

‘風塵宛轉苦年年’

Life had been nothing but pain.

Partly due to hardships and adversities, but mostly because she couldn’t find meaning, it was so painful.

But now she had found a reason to wield her sword.

– “A sword must have a master.”

Her master, on the verge of death, emphasized the need to find a lord.

She had simply thought that lord meant a king.

But for a swordsman, a lord wasn’t simply someone to serve and attend.

今知正路惟忠義(Now I realize the right path is only loyalty)…

‘No!’

She hastily revised the sijo.

今知正路惟戀愛(Now I vow to walk only for love).

It didn’t have to be loyalty. It just needed to be someone precious who gave her a reason to hold her sword.

In the past, for warriors, that subject was the king; now, for her, it was a man.

The completed line was engraved on her Taedo.

A sijo that exuded presence within the blue flames.

She swung her sword at the scales once more.

Slash.

A thin but blue wound was engraved on the scales.

The Behemoth was still at ease.

And she too was at ease.

Her sword dance soon reached its climax.

自許丹忱衛紅緣

Vowing with a red heart, I shall protect this bond.

This phrase was engraved on her red Hwando.

She swung her red Hwando at the blue wound she had just made.

What happened next was enough to bewilder the Behemoth.

Slash.

A leg cut off without resistance.

Woooong??!!

As the Behemoth’s body tilted and fell, the corners of her mouth turned up.

‘It wasn’t about returning the sword.’

Receiving with Taedo and returning that impact with Hwando was just a fragment of her potential.

The true ability of the sword, or rather, of her was…

‘Adaptation and evolution!’

Ironically, it was the same as the Behemoth’s.

Taedo adapts to the opponent, and Hwando evolves based on that information.

That’s why Taedo spews fire and Hwando emits cold energy,

and why Hwando can cut without resistance the skin that Taedo has cut once.

All of this was the result of this ability.

‘No, adaptation and evolution sounds a bit off.’

Even as she explained it this way, she found it strange.

Adaptation and evolution was somewhat…

‘It overlaps with Amon’s concept.’

So she decided to define it a bit differently.

Not adaptation and evolution, but a shield and sword for the one she loves.

It’s a bit strange, but that’s what she decided.

Buooong!

She was brought back to reality by the Behemoth’s roar.

Another Buooong pattern.

Now with added steam.

She recalled the three evacuation methods Amon had told her about, but chose a fourth option outside of those.

The Behemoth was causing an earthquake and extending its trunk upward to scatter spores into the sky.

At that moment, her sword cut the tentacle trunk that was dispersing spores.

Keeeeek!

The Behemoth, perhaps not expecting its trunk to be cut, expressed extreme pain.

The fourth strategy that Amon hadn’t mentioned because it was dangerous:

Cutting the trunk in that brief moment.

She headed toward the Behemoth’s chest area as it writhed in pain.

And she released all the power she had accumulated in her sword in one strike.

Flash!

With an explosion that seemed unbelievable to have been caused by a sword, the area around the Behemoth’s chest was engulfed in a flash of light.

When the flash subsided, there stood the Behemoth with its chest opened, just as Amon had done.

She immediately began searching for the life-support implant.

Finding the implant wasn’t difficult.

The problem was that she couldn’t deliver the finishing blow because her arm was broken from the previous strike.

Her arm hung limply with a dislocated shoulder.

The Behemoth’s wounds had already begun to regenerate.

But she wasn’t anxious.

Because her role was now over.

“Amon!!”

In response to her call, Amon ran toward the Behemoth with its chest opened.

The Behemoth trembled and spewed heat to prevent Amon’s approach.

But Amon only mocked the Behemoth’s attempt.

“Adaptation isn’t your exclusive patent.”

Of course, he hadn’t developed complete immunity.

Even at this moment, his skin was being burned in real-time.

But Amon was confident he could end the Behemoth’s life before that became an issue.

Ignoring the heat, Amon rushed toward the life-support implant.

“Ay- Maen!”

With a resounding shout, a brilliant silver flash struck the life-support implant.

Slash- Thud.

The heavy metal was cut in half and fell to the ground.

And as Maxwell’s heating device turned bright red, Sunhwa picked up Amon like a princess and evacuated.

“Eh? Teleportation?”

She had teleported away with Amon in her arms.

While Amon was shocked at how quickly she had copied the skill, the Behemoth behind her exploded.

Boom!

With her back to the explosion, which was probably the umpteenth one today, Sunhwa smiled.

“There’s a saying in Joseon. People who like each other start to resemble each other. Looking at my sword and teleportation, don’t you think that’s true?”

“Huh?”

Looking down at Amon, who made a dumbfounded sound, she smiled softly.

“I look forward to our future together, my lord.”