Ch.207207. Formidable Enemy

Swimsuits each have their own charm. Especially when worn by women with good figures.

For instance, the red bikini Ariel is wearing is simple in a way. It has a ring connecting between the breasts, with straps crossing around the neck.

It’s a common style, but from the color to how it highlights Ariel’s strengths, it looks incredibly sexy.

Besides, Ariel has the largest chest among our trio.

My assessment: simple and powerful.

“No, I was ahead by one point first.”

Ariel’s red swimsuit flutters as she crashes onto the sand.

Literally willing to do anything for her goal.

“Hmm.”

I passed the ball to Seol Yu-hwa. Her swimsuit also accentuates her strengths well. She’s wearing a black monokini that daringly emphasizes her legs.

Those long legs, combined with her model-like figure, display a refreshing appeal.

“Ariel. Stop interfering! This is my territory!”

Seeing the ball, she waits patiently and sends it back to me.

When I deliberately set up a two-touch pass toward Yu-hwa, her long legs leap up in unison.

The moment an opportunity presents itself, she goes in for the kill.

“You shouldn’t be so obviously taking sides,”

Beside me, a distinctive blue and white competition swimsuit moves.

Eun Se-rin has combined the strengths of both women.

Reasonably long-limbed, reasonably well-endowed. The balance is enough to make any observer content.

Why am I checking out these women? Obviously for evaluation purposes.

The eldest among us adjusts her clothes and flashes a grin.

“Having trouble focusing? After getting an eyeful?”

Se-rin pokes my cheek.

Right, I was only concentrating to observe the synergy between the two. The swimsuits are just additional seasoning.

“I’m watching everything. Ariel! Can’t you be a little more composed?”

“I don’t want to.”

True to her personality, she resists my words and ends up colliding with Yu-hwa as she tries to intervene.

Yu-hwa shouts in annoyance.

“I can’t play properly because of you. Why do you keep coming into my area?”

“You’re probably just reacting too slowly.”

“You two fight so well.”

These two never mesh well together, always messing up during joint training with me.

Why am I so fixated on those two? As I’ve said before, not only are they my women, but when they combine forces, they show truly impressive power.

A good example was last year when Dokgo Jun came for inspection. When those two were on the same side, their destructive power was incredible. They outperformed us in an instant.

“It reminds me of the old days. Those two caused havoc against the Living Armor.”

“Yu-hwa identified the weakness and provided the solution, right?”

“And Ariel kept attacking until she was sent flying. Though everyone would act differently now.”

As the game resumes, Se-rin, having gathered enough data, stops the match.

“Alright, that’s enough. Shall we see the results?”

The gazes of the two women shift, and Se-rin checks the score.

“It’s a tie!”

It feels like she just read something written in the air?

“You two fought fiercely. It’s a draw.”

“Half and half? Then how do we divide the time?”

In response to Yu-hwa’s question, Se-rin shook her head.

“No, I said from the beginning that only the winner would get time, didn’t I?”

“!”

Se-rin linked her arm with mine and moved.

“Therefore, there’s no reward. Haha!”

“Are you kidding me?”

Ariel was clearly heated, too much to brush it off as a joke.

“Hey! You!”

“Call me Se-rin. Or better yet, call me unnie.”

Se-rin faced the angry Ariel with her usual composed expression.

“Are you messing with us? What, do you want us to form some kind of good combo? I hate it. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“This isn’t about making you feel better.”

“What?”

“It’s for your boyfriend’s sake. And since we’re on vacation, try to relax a bit. It’s fun, isn’t it?”

“…Acting so enlightened. Well, I guess that’s natural since you’ve given your body and soul to the Goegyeopdan.”

Finding this too harsh, I try to intervene, but Ariel brushes my hand away.

“Forget it! Don’t try to pity me.”

Ariel storms off in the opposite direction, fuming.

“Hmm…”

“Don’t go after her now. Wait a bit.”

Yu-hwa grabs my arm.

“She always does things her way. Sometimes she needs time alone.”

“Hmm.”

I could only watch in the direction Ariel had gone.

*

The larva entity had certainly sent specimens weak enough to avoid triggering alarms.

Each survived and sought its own way to exist.

Some absorbed others’ magical power and brainwashed them, some parasitized others, and some allied with other monsters.

They struggled to survive through various means.

But this specimen was different.

This one alone focused on predation rather than mere survival.

It devoured and grew stronger.

Then devoured more and grew even stronger.

From its weakest state, it hunted others, devouring them and maintaining its ferocious nature.

A species that grew so strong that even the monster faction found it surprising.

An entity that grew purely through combat, not parasitism or brainwashing.

The Flowing Milky Way had picked up this monster.

“Impressive. None of the original test subjects were as good as you.”

He introduced this monster to an ancient species.

“Absorption is an option, but it wouldn’t suit you.”

Previously, he had combined a larva species with a byproduct of an ancient species.

In other words, he created something to supplement the ancient species’ power rather than using the larva itself.

But the reality was that Do Jong-hyun had destroyed it.

‘This time will be different.’

They stare at each other and begin to growl. The Flowing Milky Way watches from a distance as the two entities face off.

“Interesting. There’s never been such a powerful larva entity before.”

This specimen alone had grown like a beast, fighting against opponents.

A monster that survived to the end through unconventional methods.

It was strong enough to battle an ancient species.

The Flowing Milky Way observed the outcome of the battle. Then he gave an order to the victor.

“Devour your defeated opponent. That’s the path to becoming stronger.”

Eventually, the loser was consumed by the winner.

“Now, I should throw a gift to those monster-humans enjoying their vacation.”

This time will be different.

Because a truly powerful entity among the ancient species will go.

“Mahanaga is… moving silently again? Do as you please.”

The Flowing Milky Way now initiated his operation to disrupt the peace.

*

I approached Ariel an hour later. She was still alone in the same direction, staring at the sea.

“You and I often meet by the sea.”

“Go away, stupid Do Jong-hyun.”

Ariel shouts without looking at me. Knowing her nature, she probably doesn’t mean it.

I naturally sit beside her and take her hand.

“I’m always the same. So cheer up. Se-rin is doing this for us.”

“Doesn’t she do it for me?”

Ariel, more sulky than usual, was looking at me with sad eyes.

“Don’t worry about formalities. I like you and I’ll do things for you.”

“…You’re good with words.”

“Because I’m sincere, my girlfriend. Will you stop being angry now?”

I naturally grabbed Ariel’s shoulder and pulled her toward me.

“Sigh. Having to accommodate each other is annoying.”

Ariel leaned against me, feeling my warm body temperature, her still-damp hair sticking to my skin.

“You’re cuter like this than usual Ariel.”

“What am I like usually?”

“Sassy.”

“And how does that sassy girl change at night?”

The mood quickly improved. After chatting a bit more, we were finally about to get up when suddenly an alarm started ringing.

Ariel and I looked at each other in disbelief as we stood up.

“Ah, bad timing. Do Jong-hyun. Do you have your cards?”

“Of course I do. They’re my lifeline.”

“Then watch my back.”

“Alright. Transform and finish this.”

I pulled out an evolution card from my deck.

Well, near water like this, there’s only one thing I usually transform into.

As I started transforming with the evolution card, my body became a huge dragon.

As the break occurred, the other two also rushed over.

“Ariel!”

While Se-rin threw a sword and Ariel caught it, monsters began to overrun our resort.

As I entered the water, I saw it.

One beast standing majestically among the smaller monsters.

Its body was armored, with spines protruding from its dorsal fin. It had bear-like thick muscles and solid tusks on its jaw.

It was drooling from a face that looked like a rotting mix of insect and beast.

And then it started rotating and releasing magical power.

I quickly activated one of my drawn cards, a barrier.

A technique purely focused on defense that creates a barrier around me.

To block the opponent’s attack and counter…

Crack.

But at that moment, I heard a sound I shouldn’t have heard.

The barrier was breaking all at once.

Look at this bastard?

It’s strong. Just before the barrier broke completely, I used propulsion to jump into the air.

I was trying to use waterfall climbing to body slam it, but this one was different.

With a heavy thud, I fell to the ground.

I did a body slam, so why was I repelled?

As it began to concentrate magical power in its crude claws, I moved.

Let’s assess. Retreating now isn’t a good choice.

I attempted a constriction in this gap.

The timing when it was preparing for an attack.

“?”

But what I saw then was an endlessly vast sea.

I had been thrown by it.

Realizing this, it narrowed the distance and followed me into the water.

[Traits]

-Apex Predator (Applies debuffs to enemies encountered in water and increases own stats by 2 ranks)

-Water Coordinator (1 rank up in water, can control water flow)

Fortunately, in water, all my traits are activated. This makes it easier to deal with it.

The sea water was parting at its gesture. I used ultrasonic waves to counteract it and aimed for the next move.

But my ultrasonic waves were crushed by its magical power.

[Skill]

-Barrier

[Sub Card]

-Shield

At this point, I instinctively deployed two barriers simultaneously.

This wasn’t planned, but truly instinctive, done in desperate urgency.

My judgment was correct. The double barrier was mercilessly shattered.

As the aftermath penetrated my body, I felt indescribable pain.

It’s strong.

My body was instantly spewing red blood.

[Sub Card]

-Hardness Itself

-Output Limiter Release Device

-Stat Up

I composed cards to protect my body as much as possible and block its attacks.

[Sub Card]

-Lightning

I replaced an attack card with lightning and struck it down from the sky.

[Fang Strike]

As I rushed in to deal damage, it came striding toward me.

Magical power concentrated in its grotesquely distorted face.

As its sharply glowing jaw approached me, I hastily moved backward with propulsion.

It doesn’t bother to chase me. Instead, it started shooting spines in all directions.

Wait, if it did that…

It means my girlfriends at the resort are in danger.

“You bastard!”

But at that moment, it staggered slightly and dropped to one knee.

Its body was moving unnaturally?

It’s Yu-hwa.

In this gap, I activated my card, Dragon’s Breath.

A means to intercept it according to my will. And at this moment, it released its spines.

The beam turned around and tracked the spines, shattering them, but the problem was that its claws were swinging toward me.

In extreme pain unlike anything before, blood was visible, far worse than earlier.

It’s strong.

This thing before me must be an ancient species. A truly, immensely powerful monster.

But my body was already about to collapse powerlessly.