Ch.151The Worst Always Comes in Pairs – 2

Those bastards. At least they built this secret lab to be sturdy.

Looking around as I exit, it seems about half of it is still intact.

Despite how intensely Sujin Hyun and I fought, only the areas directly affected collapsed.

Thinking about how much tax money they must have poured into this place irritates me.

Wooooo!―

As soon as I emerge from underground, I’m greeted by a massive void emitting an ominous howl.

The moment that pitch-black maw opens wide, monsters will come pouring out.

And as luck would have it, this gate is estimated to be S-rank.

What kind of monster will emerge from there? How strong will it be?

My mind fills with worries about how to deal with this damned gate. My stamina and mana are severely depleted from fighting Sujin Hyun….

“Wait, stop. Where are you going?”

I immediately grab Sujin Hyun as I sense her presence fading.

“Where would I go? I need to escape, obviously. You might be a power-user, but I’m not. I’m a villain, remember? Whether this area gets completely destroyed by the gate or people get hurt, it’s none of my concern.”

“…”

Shit. She’s absolutely right, and I can’t argue with that.

But I can’t let her go either—I don’t have confidence handling this alone.

If I were in perfect condition, maybe, but I’ve used up all my strength fighting this woman.

Damn it. If it weren’t for Sujin Hyun, this wouldn’t be happening. This is partly her fault too.

So she should help me close that damn black maw!

“…Are you really okay with this?”

“With what? Oh, are you asking about abandoning you, who was acquainted with my fiancé? I told you I don’t care anymore. Since you rejected my offer, whether you fight or die doesn’t matter much to—”

“That’s not what I mean. If we don’t deal with that gate and the monsters quickly, you’ll be in serious trouble too.”

At my words, Sujin Hyun narrows her eyes slightly and stares at me silently.

Kuguugu―

The gate’s entrance is about to open. The mana vibrations are getting stronger.

I need to convince her now if I want any chance of dealing with the monsters quickly.

“You said it’s S-rank, right? That means the monsters will be incredibly strong. If they devastate the area, do you think the underground facility will remain intact? Your plan to leave some evidence will be ruined.”

“That’s true, but…”

“And if this gate becomes unmanageable, that incident you’re so eager to expose will be buried immediately. The world always reacts more sensitively to immediate threats than past events.”

The people Sujin Hyun wants revenge against are all high-ranking officials.

And the way those officials cover up their wrongdoings hasn’t changed.

They divert people’s attention elsewhere while quietly handling things behind the scenes.

In the current situation, an S-rank gate is more important than secret training and experiments.

Assessment of the situation, aftermath management, and public attention will all focus there.

If the damage becomes astronomically large, even reporters will flock there exclusively.

“Think about it. If we don’t handle this quickly and the surrounding area gets devastated, they’ll say: ‘This is exactly why we were conducting research and experiments to create secret weapons. It was all for the survival of South Korea.'”

“Who would believe that…”

“You think they won’t? They will, once they see S-rank monsters destroying everything on broadcast.”

It seems my persuasion is working.

Though it’s less persuasion and more just talking things through.

Seeing Sujin Hyun contemplating like this suggests it’s having an effect.

Kuguugu―

“The gate is about to open. Run if you want to. I’ll hold out alone until reinforcements arrive and clean up together. But by then, the area will be completely devastated, the research facility will be gone without a trace, and people will only remember the S-rank gate and monsters, nothing else.”

To signal I’m done talking, I draw the sword I retrieved from the rubble.

I face the gate, not sparing another glance at Sujin Hyun.

Though internally, I’m far from cool about this.

‘Damn, I’m nervous. If she really leaves, I’m in serious trouble.’

After the gate incidents, S-rank power-users like other ability users are being dispatched everywhere.

Even if they come immediately after hearing about an S-rank gate in Changwon, it’ll take at least 30 minutes.

In those 30 minutes, monsters could wipe out an entire district.

So don’t go! Fight with me! Even villains aren’t friends with monsters.

If I fight that thing alone, I could really be screwed!

Those few seconds felt like minutes, even hours.

We’ve fought together, so let’s suffer through this weekend together, okay?

“…Fuck.”

That “fuck” is definitely a positive one. Yes, without a doubt!

“You bastard, why are you so good at running your mouth?”

As Sujin Hyun turns and stands beside me, I feel relieved inside.

Phew. I almost had to struggle through this weekend alone.

“You’ve never fought an S-rank monster before.”

Not monsters, but I’ve fought similar things.

Like Hyuk Kwak, or you just recently.

The Elder is an S-rank power-user too, so aren’t they similar?

“If you’re thinking about that bastard Hyuk Kwak or me, forget it right now. Fighting ‘humans’ and fighting those damn monsters are completely different.”

Almost simultaneously with those words, Sujin Hyun and I leaped sideways as if on cue.

Immediately after, an ear-splitting explosion engulfed the world.

KWAAANG!―

That decibel level should be from magic or some kind of explosion.

But the source of the sound was neither magic nor an explosion.

It was the sound of a huge hand emerging from the black maw and striking the ground.

“Hey! You can’t die, got it?! Someone who withstood Hyuk Kwak and me dying to some monster freak would be fucking embarrassing! For you and for me! Understand?”

“Is this really the time to worry about that?!”

Now I understood why she told me not to think about fighting her or Hyuk Kwak.

Why she compared humans and monsters.

What gradually revealed itself before us was, quite literally, a monster.

It was so enormous that I had to tilt my head all the way back just to see it.

All the monsters I’d faced before now seemed like child’s play in comparison.

“Ah! This is bullshit! Such terrible luck! Of all things, a one-eyed freak?!”

The monster Sujin Hyun identified was none other than a “Cyclops.”

The moment I heard that, I involuntarily cursed, “Shit!”

Unlike other S-rank monsters, it doesn’t have deadly poison or flames.

It can’t fly, nor can it burrow underground for surprise attacks.

It doesn’t move in packs like dire wolves or use the environment like mist tigers.

And that’s precisely the problem. That’s why both Sujin Hyun and I are gritting our teeth.

Despite having no special traits, it’s still S-rank. You know what that means.

It has no outstanding advantages, yet it’s classified as S-rank purely based on its raw power.

KUOOOOO!―

“Urrrgh!”

D-damn! Is this just a roar? Not some martial arts lion’s roar?!

For a moment, my body felt crushed. It wasn’t an illusion. It really happened.

My mind became dizzy, and the mana inside my body was completely disrupted.

“Seojin Baek! Above!”

I know without you telling me, you one-eyed freak! Do you think I’m an ant?!

I barely avoided its foot falling from above and rolled across the ground.

If I’d been a little slower, I’d have been flattened like dried squid. No, like an A4 paper.

If a crazy monster like that advances into the city center, it would be a true disaster.

There would be tremendous casualties, and the area would be literally devastated.

Even if it doesn’t go to the city, the underground facility will be destroyed.

That can’t happen. Although I strongly dislike Sujin Hyun’s methods,

I also somewhat believe her revenge is justified to some extent.

For that, some evidence must be preserved.

Attention must be drawn not only to the S-rank gate and monster but also to that facility.

‘So, I need to hold that one-eyed freak back by any means necessary.’

– The Third Eye is activated.

◎ The Silver Gatekeeper

: Trait activation conditions have been met.

: Trait is currently active.

: Readjusting opponent’s rank.

: Rank adjustment – Master level or higher identified

At least it doesn’t say “identification impossible” like before. Should I consider this fortunate?

The fact that it’s not unidentifiable but shows a rank is evidence that I’ve grown too.

◎ Sole Arbiter

: Trait is currently active.

: This opponent has not received promotion from Seojin Baek.

: Recognized as assessment target.

KRO!―

Its punch speed is incredible for such a huge body.

Almost matching Sujin Hyun’s shadow, or even slightly faster.

This is why they call it a monster. No normal being could move like this.

◎ Overtime

: Trait activation conditions have been met.

: Trait is currently active.

: Assessment is possible despite undesignated location.

“Kup!”

Even though I kept my distance, the impact still indirectly reaches me.

At this rate, a direct hit would definitely be fatal.

I could withstand at least one attack from Hyuk Kwak or Sujin Hyun, but not from this thing.

– Gatekeeper traits are maximally manifested.

So is it an entity that cannot be resisted? A being that cannot be blocked?

No way. If I worried about such things, I wouldn’t have made it this far.

“Focus! I’ll divert its attention, so give it a try!”

“Got it, just make sure you draw its attention properly!”

– All abilities have been amplified.

The fatigue weighing down my body seems to ease somewhat.

Meanwhile, Sujin Hyun’s shadows all rush toward the Cyclops at once.

After exhaling lightly with a “hoo,” I immediately kick off the ground and charge at the creature.

– No one may pass without the Gatekeeper’s permission.