Ch.26S-Rank 5th Place (1)

What am I experiencing right now?

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

Despite being exposed to a lethal dose of radiation, the slaps keep coming relentlessly as if it’s nothing.

Looking at this unknown mongrel moving perfectly fine within the worst radiation levels, the radiation itself is beyond absurd at this point.

Crack.

“Kuhak?!”

When his fist drove into her solar plexus after nearly knocking out her pointed teeth.

As she vomited yellow liquid like radioactive waste from inside, the monster grabbed her hair, not even allowing her to collapse.

She felt an inexplicable “fear” looking at this “monster bastard” she had never seen or heard of before.

‘I-I… me, the Radiation! Trembling before some unknown mongrel from who knows where?’

Impossible.

It couldn’t be.

Even if it were true, Radiation could never accept such a reality.

Because monsters like her were born from human fear itself.

For monsters who embodied fear itself to feel fear—

It was as impossible as the Sword Monster breaking its own sword.

Above all, there was only one situation where a monster was allowed to feel fear.

‘This bastard is ABOVE me?!’

Only when facing monsters born from even greater terror.

Only when confronting monsters with “the worst names” could this happen.

“Grrrr.”

‘Let’s end this.’

Kang Janghoon pushed the “domestic abuser” before him to the brink of death, just enough to satisfy Carmilla who was watching.

Then, seeing the girl behind him giving a thumbs up with all her might.

Squeeze.

“Kuuugh…!”

He sensed it was time to bring this to an end.

“Crack. Crack.”

‘Die, trash.’

But at that moment.

“W-wait!”

“…?”

Despite her body being covered in her own sulfur-colored blood.

She still had something left.

“Kekeke… if you kill me now, something terrible will happen!”

“Kruk?”

‘…What?’

The radiation monster showing her nearly knocked-out shark teeth with a grin.

“You. I don’t know what kind of monster you are or where you’re from, but isn’t saving Carmilla who’s collapsed behind you the priority?”

“…Kruk.”

‘And?’

“Kekekeke… then you can’t harm me. Because only I know the antidote for this radiation!”

“!!”

Of course, it was a lie.

The obvious setup of a poisoner carrying an antidote for unexpected situations.

Monsters never needed such things to begin with~.

‘Kekekeke. There is actually one way to cure it, but I’d have to be insane to tell you.’

Whatever reason this monster-like being had for protecting Carmilla, she needed to survive somehow.

Creating a situation where she couldn’t be killed but wouldn’t die either, Radiation was trying to make a deal…

Squeeze.

“Kuk?!”

She was thinking of ways to remain in the human world, but regardless, the grip around her neck tightened!

“W-what are you doing?!”

“……”

“Without me, Carmilla will die soon! Or are you just another monster after all? Do you hate saving humans?”

“Mister…”

What was this guy thinking?

She thought she could persuade him quickly since he seemed to be acting for Carmilla’s sake.

But his face looked like he was about to kill her any moment.

Had he given up on Carmilla?

…Or could he possibly know the “truth” known only to high-ranking monsters?!

Just as Radiation thought.

“Grrrr.”

‘What nonsense. I can just feed her your heart after killing you and she’ll return to normal, so why should I make a deal?’

“?!”

Humans harmed by monsters could return to their original state by “consuming” the dead heart of the monster that caused their fear.

But only a select few monsters knew this fact.

Only the highest-ranking monsters and high-ranking monsters below them would know this truth.

‘Who the hell is this guy…?’

The Radiation monster completely lost her smile.

But for Kang Janghoon, this information wasn’t particularly impressive.

Because in the countless wars between humans and monsters, this still undisclosed information was…

‘Why are you surprised? This was just explained in the game “tutorial”?’

The prologue of <Monster Front>.

It was basic game knowledge provided in the mandatory tutorial to help defeat boss monsters.

And so.

“Kruk.”

‘Go.’

“W-wait! Do you not know who my sister is?!”

Radiation made one last desperate attempt as she saw his fist tightening toward her.

“My sister is the famous monster! The ‘Monster of Nuclear Bomb,’ you bastard!”

“Grrruk?!”

‘N-Nuclear Bomb?!’

“Hehehe. Y-yes! You must have heard that name, right? I’m Nuclear Bomb’s only sister! The Radiation…!”

But.

BOOM!

“Grrrr.”

‘Wasn’t she just an NPC monster?’

As if deciding to think about that later, he finally pierced through her head with a punch.

That powerful blow created an updraft that made it rain in the area, just like with the Sword Monster before.

Perhaps thanks to that.

The yard that had been thick with radiation was being washed away by the rain.

Simultaneously, Kim Yongchan extracted the heart from Radiation’s already dead body and quickly split the bloody mass in two.

Drip.

He first put one piece into the mouth of Lajerita, who seemed most critical and wasn’t moving at all.

“Ah, mister…”

The other piece was for Carmilla, who was barely conscious.

“Kruk.”

‘You have to eat it whether you like it or not.’

Suddenly, a 2-meter tall monster pulled out another monster’s heart and held it in front of her mouth.

Normally, this might have caused disgust.

‘It’s the mister… I’ll trust him!’

Carmilla trusted the monster because he was “mister” and opened her mouth to bite into Radiation’s heart.

Of course, the taste was horrible.

“Uwup?!”

Like a combination of all the vomit in the world.

Stinky tofu or durian would seem heavenly compared to this foul, incredibly disgusting taste.

But because the mister gave it to her.

Munch… munch munch!

‘I’ll eat it! I’ll eat it all!!’

She swallowed the entire heart of Radiation, trusting him completely, and after a few minutes passed.

“Huh?”

Wiggle wiggle.

Her body, which had no sensation until just moments ago, could now move starting from her fingers.

Her falling hair had already grown back, and when she slowly got up, there wasn’t even any dizziness.

“I thought I was exposed to radiation… is this possible?”

Like a character whose status had been restored after completing a game.

Carmilla slowly moved her body around, then noticed her mother who still hadn’t gotten up.

“Mom!”

She ran to Lajerita and carefully checked her pulse.

What she felt was.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

“…!”

A heartbeat much more stable than before.

Thank goodness.

It was truly a relief.

Her mother had literally come back to life.

“Mister…”

“Kruk.”

“Thank you… thank you so much…!”

Carmilla, who had been holding back tears of frustration until just moments ago, now shed tears of joy uncontrollably.

Beyond saving her, he had reunited her with her real mother whom she thought she would never see again.

This debt could never be repaid in a lifetime.

Thinking this while crying, she searched her pockets wanting to give something in return.

Whoosh.

“Ah, mister!”

As if he didn’t need anything, now that he saw Carmilla was fine.

Having completed his task, Kang Janghoon simply smiled and left the place.

***

‘This should have changed the future of the ghost Carmilla from the original story, right?’

He had defeated the Radiation monster who hadn’t even appeared in the original story.

This surely guaranteed a bright future for that child.

Well, if any other obstacles appeared, he could help again as the “mister” the kid looked up to like a father.

Anyway.

He’d think about that later.

“There he is!”

“That’s the Grade 1 monster we’ve only heard about…!”

“Technically he’s ‘Provisional Grade 1’! They say the Hero Association is still updating his rank because they might have rated him too high from the start!”

What was this situation?

Perhaps because he had dealt with the real culprit of this incident too quickly.

The heroes of C City, none of whom had retired yet, seemed to be chasing him, mistaking him for Radiation.

And if they were just tracking him, that would be fine.

“Wait! Horn Mask.”

“Kruk?”

“I am B-rank hero – Highline of Fist! That’s the name of the woman who’s come to stop you!”

“Me too! I’m B-rank hero – Moist of Flood!”

They had anticipated his path and recklessly attacked him, only to be recklessly defeated.

“Argh?! My fist strike that can break concrete floors broke instead?”

“M-my legs! The legs that can swim over 10KM are broken?!”

“Damn, so this is what a Provisional Grade 1 is like?”

“He might soon become Grade 1 at this rate! Everyone keep your distance!”

No, you idiots.

Someone might think I did that to them on purpose.

I just want to escape, but Kang Janghoon was capable of harming humanity’s side just by his presence here.

As he broke into a cold sweat at the current situation where he was passively getting hit only to break them instead.

“Provisional Grade 1?”

“Yes, that’s right. Weapon Master.”

At the top floor of the tallest building in C City.

A woman who had been watching the Horn Mask monster hundreds of meters below as if he were right in front of her.

“This will be fun!”

Snow-white hair that glowed like moonlight even under the dark night sky.

Ruby-colored eyes with heart-shaped pupils that sparkled with excitement, and an outfit that was always bulletproof despite her voluptuous figure.

Her hero name was Weapon Master.

Her real name was “Yoon Ha-eun,” a powerhouse who had reached S-rank 5th place as a hero despite not yet being an adult.

She was also the main reason why <Monster Front>, originally rated 15+, was later changed to 19+.

“Just looking at him makes me a little wet…!”

Her back, of course.