Ch.154The Worst Always Comes in Layers – 5

Here at the Superpower Academy, I awakened my abilities and avoided military service.

Before my possession, I had fulfilled my duty as a Korean man by serving in the military.

And among the military songs we sang, there was one called “The Final Five Minutes.”

The message was clear from the title: endure and persevere to achieve victory.

Among soldiers, we used to joke that it actually meant “hold on for five more minutes, then die.”

That “Final Five Minutes” automatically comes to mind now. Damn it, I might actually die here.

Woong— Boong—

Sujin Hyun and I are completely different. She’s avoiding the Cyclops’s attacks relatively well by transforming into shadows or momentarily erasing her presence.

My options are limited to two: run without looking back or roll like a dog.

Unfortunately, about 80% of the time, the sad reality was that I had no choice but to roll.

‘Has it not been five minutes yet? I thought it passed already?’

I frantically rolled across the ground and looked toward Sujin Hyun in the distance.

To avoid any interference, she had completely disappeared into the shadows, erasing her presence.

From within, she was steadily accumulating magical power, clearly aiming for one decisive strike.

The problem is that before she can act, I might become fish jerky for this one-eyed monster!

“Kuhek! Huk, heok!”

Something I hadn’t realized during my attacks: this monster bastard is incredibly fast.

The speed I felt earlier wasn’t even close to its true capability. I can’t believe Sujin Hyun held this thing off alone.

What’s more, whatever this thing is made of, it shows no signs of fatigue.

With such a large body, it should tire more quickly than us.

But no matter how much it runs, moves, or exerts force, it doesn’t seem tired at all.

I want to counterattack, but there’s no opening. If I turn my body, I’ll be rammed immediately.

As Sujin Hyun said, my magical power is depleted and my stamina is barely hanging on.

If I take one solid hit now, I won’t be buying time—I’ll be meeting an early, violent death.

Krrrr—

…What’s this? Why is this bastard suddenly turning its head after chasing me so well? Huh? Where’s it going?

Until just now, it couldn’t even detect Sujin Hyun’s presence.

But suddenly, as if sensing something ominous,

As if feeling the terrifying energy targeting it, the monster turns around.

And with frightening accuracy, it moves toward where Sujin Hyun is hiding.

I’ve been calling it a monster, but it really is one. How did it know where she was?

I quickly raised my sword and created a wind path on its back, but it didn’t even care.

It gives off a strong “you keep hitting me, I’m going about my business” vibe.

“Shit, seriously!”

In the end, there’s only one option left for me: to stand in front of this monster.

It’s ironic—I’ve been trying my best to get away from this thing, and now the situation has become laughable.

Krrr—

Even the monster seems slightly confused, tilting its head.

It makes sense—the guy who was desperately running away is suddenly blocking its path.

Okay, I’ve blocked its way, but what now?

The situation isn’t good for unleashing Minseong Kang’s sword technique again.

If I use my last shadow, I won’t last long due to magical power deficiency.

In terms of destructive power, Hyuk Kwak’s spear is an option, but right now I need defense, not offense.

‘I need to endure. I need to block. For about… 3 minutes.’

No matter how much I think about it, there’s only one answer.

The sword isn’t enough to buy time. I need to close the distance even more.

If I don’t want to be caught or struck by this thing, there’s no other way.

Pook!—

I stabbed my sword into the ground.

If Minseong Kang saw this, he’d be horrified at what I’m doing.

But if he saw what I’m about to do next, he’d understand completely.

‘I barely have any magical power left anyway. Let’s just burn it all like that crazy woman did.’

Rina Lee’s technique that I didn’t even dare to attempt before.

That golden energy flickering around her is her own magical power being burned.

Others would be desperate to conserve every bit of magical power.

But Rina seemed to have magical power to spare even when using such techniques.

Unfortunately, I’m not at that level right now. But if I do it, the power will be certain.

I remember how she wrapped magical power around her body.

And my Silver Gatekeeper trait is at its peak right now. I can do this.

I release all the magical power I’ve been trying to conserve.

Rather than binding it to my body, I spread it throughout my entire body.

Then I spin all that magical power at once, making it explode.

“Kkeuhk!”

Suddenly, a pain I’ve never felt before sweeps through my entire body.

How should I describe it? It feels like dozens of knives stabbing me.

The difference is that the sensation comes from inside rather than outside.

I’ve become so accustomed to injuries lately that I can handle it.

Otherwise, I might have collapsed from that pain without even realizing it.

KUAAAK!—

Here it comes. Something huge from above that could crush me instantly.

My instincts scream at me to dodge. If I don’t want to die, I must avoid it. Move!

I try to move according to those instincts, but somehow my legs won’t budge.

Is it exhaustion? Magical power depletion? No, it’s neither.

Amid the instinct to dodge, to survive, a question suddenly rises.

Why? Why should I dodge? Why should I run away? Can’t I just block it?

I’m already irritated about having to come out for dungeon subjugation on the weekend.

First Sujin Hyun, and now an S-grade monster on top of that.

Spending my precious weekend like this suddenly fills me with rage.

KUOOOOH!—

Damn one-eyed bastard. I wish it would shut its mouth.

That howling is making my head ring. I need to shut that mouth.

*

Sujin Hyun found herself bewildered by what she was doing.

There was no real reason for this. She could have ignored everything and just left.

But she fell for Seojin Baek’s words and ended up fighting the monster alongside him.

And now she’s pushing her already-strained body to its absolute limit.

‘Just a little more.’

Her ability is disadvantageous in a head-on confrontation.

Overwhelming spatial utilization, techniques to deceive presence and blur detection range.

Her power lies in creating perfectly advantageous situations before fighting.

But even she keeps one trump card for emergencies.

By concentrating all her shadows into one point to pierce through.

It’s a strike that sacrifices all the advantages of being a shadow.

KUGUGUGU!—

From the front comes a series of collisions so chilling it raises goosebumps.

She had only asked Seojin Baek to buy her some time.

Why is he not just buying time but fighting desperately to the death?

He’s even burning his magical power recklessly. The little he has left.

At this rate, he might cause irreparable damage to his body.

Magical power isn’t infinite. Using it to its limit damages the body.

That’s why magical power management is considered extremely important in any class.

Teams are formed to conserve even a little magical power.

‘What is that crazy guy doing?’

If anyone has a death wish, it’s clearly Seojin Baek.

At this rate, he’ll either experience magical power overload or physical collapse.

KWAJANG!— KWANG!—

A human is engaged in a slugfest with a Cyclops. How is this even possible?

Even for an S-grade, a direct hit from a monster of the same rank would be fatal.

Even those who fight head-on are “breaking through,” not trading blows.

But Seojin Baek wasn’t even doing that. He was just fighting like a madman.

As if declaring that the monster couldn’t advance one more step, challenging it to try.

His behavior reminded her of someone, to the point where even Sujin Hyun was dumbfounded.

‘Isn’t it you who wants to die? This is ridiculous.’

At the same time, something long forgotten stirred in Sujin Hyun’s heart.

Watching someone much junior to her fighting so desperately,

She remembered herself and her fiancé fighting like that in the past.

Believing it was their duty without being told, thinking it was what they had to do.

Getting injured, falling down, and even losing comrades, yet still protecting the world’s peace.

Memories of when they were once called heroes quietly surfaced.

Was there still something left to burn in what she thought was nothing but ashes?

She shouldn’t be thinking like this. It would be disrespecting those who had sacrificed.

It would make her no different from those she despised so much!

“We must fight. To return the original world to its original people.”

Those were his last words.

He didn’t beg for his life or seek revenge.

He still wanted to protect the world and its people.

He wanted to be a shield, blocking what needed to be blocked.

‘…Really. Both him and that guy. Are all your siblings like this?’

Perhaps that failed research, that cursed experiment,

Had succeeded in one way without them knowing.

Beings created solely and thoroughly for profit.

Yet who wanted to help people more desperately than anyone else.

If looking at just that one aspect, couldn’t it be called a success?

Passs—

A black dagger formed in Sujin Hyun’s hand, condensed from all her shadows.

All those shadows were compressed and waiting within it.

Although it could no longer deceive enemies or hide her presence,

Once it struck properly, it could create something even more powerful than Hyuk Kwak’s spear.

“Seojin Baek! Get ready!”

Using this would seal all her abilities.

Everything—hiding her presence, moving through shadows—all of it.

So someone needed to divert the enemy’s attention.

And Seojin Baek was performing that role almost perfectly.

“When I signal, get far away! This is my first time using this, so I don’t know what will happen!”

For the first time in a long while, she ran on her own two legs.

So this is how it feels. I’ve been relying on shadows for so long.

It feels somewhat unfamiliar but also refreshing.

“Now!”

At Sujin Hyun’s signal, Seojin Baek bit his lip until it bled and threw a punch.

When it connected with the Cyclops’s body, his arm was nearly crushed.

But the monster wasn’t unscathed either. A large hole opened in its chest.

As it staggered backward from the impact, Sujin Hyun successfully mounted it.

KWOOOH!—

Perhaps sensing the ominous energy, the Cyclops tried to grab Sujin Hyun.

Seeing this, Seojin Baek, with his nearly crushed arm, struck the monster’s body again with his other arm.

Uduk!—

“Kkeuik!”

His wrist snapped, creating a grotesque sight.

But the attack seemed effective, as the monster’s resistance decreased.

Meanwhile, Sujin Hyun nimbly climbed onto the Cyclops’s shoulder.

Then, grabbing its lip and launching herself, she instinctively identified its weak point.

A spot unprotected by bone or muscle, where a single strike could damage the brain.

Sujin Hyun roughly thrust the black dagger into the space under its jaw.

And ignited all her magical power stored within it.

KUUUU— KWAAAA!—

With a thunderous sound, the area began to turn into pitch darkness without a single ray of light.