Ch.73Who Am I?

Han Shinwoo was followed by an unidentified boy who roared and underwent kaijufication.

When the boy transformed into a form nearly identical to that earlier jet-black shape, Lee Heejeong simply fainted.

However.

“No matter what, you can’t be as strong as that monster!”

The reason this monster was using a weapon like a “sword.”

It could only mean its basic specs were lacking.

Her fear lasted only a moment.

Lee Heejeong transformed her entire arm into a blade, leaped instantly, and clashed her weapon against the nameless boy’s sword.

Clang!

Scraaape…!

“Ugh?!”

Just as she had expected.

Lee Heejeong was momentarily surprised that her arm was being pushed back—the boy must have had quite good equipment.

“Your side is wide open!”

Thwack!

She was a monster with supreme offensive power, able to turn her entire body into blades.

Pretending to fall backward, she transformed one of her perfectly functional legs into a blade and immediately kicked the boy’s side.

Clang.

“It’s hard…?!”

Perhaps he did resemble Han Shinwoo in appearance after all.

But he only looked somewhat similar.

“Sprout!”

Squelch!

“?!”

“Kyahaha! That’s it!”

Unlike Han Shinwoo, who hadn’t received even a scratch despite his strange posture, the black-bodied blonde boy’s skin had cracked slightly from her slash.

Lee Heejeong’s skill to generate blades from inside her body came with the restriction that it could “only be used on opponents who had taken damage,” so…

“No matter how strong you are, you can’t train your internal organs! You’ve lost.”

She cackled victoriously as she watched the boy drop to one knee while dozens of blades erupted from his side.

But then.

Bang!

Suddenly, at that moment.

“Huh?!”

The boy took his own sword and deliberately pierced his bleeding side.

Lee Heejeong stared blankly, thinking he had given up, when…

“Haaah…!”

“M-my body…!”

She was speechless as she watched him channel black demonic energy through the blade, deliberately bursting the wounded side that had been targeted by her skill, while simultaneously regenerating bone and flesh.

As the boy returned to his original state…

“So you can only draw blades against targets you’ve wounded.”

“…!”

“…As expected, this is all you’re capable of right now.”

“T-this is!”

“Playtime is over.”

As if he had deliberately taken the hit just to test her…

He instantly leaped toward Lee Heejeong, who was grinding her teeth in frustration, and sliced her body in two as it was transforming into blades.

Slash.

Four pieces.

Slash, slash.

Eight pieces.

Slash, slash, slash, slash.

He diced every part of her body except her head into countless cube-like pieces.

And before all those pieces could hit the ground…

“Keu, ugh…!”

“Spend the rest of your life in hell apologizing to the people you’ve killed, Lee Heejeong.”

“I-i, iiiii!!”

“Arondight – Activate!!”

The boy fired his holy sword, filled with darkness like the night sky without a single point of light, straight ahead.

The aftermath created a pillar of dark energy that shot up from the ground where they stood, piercing through the clouds like a black meteor.

“Phew…”

A moment later, the boy returned to human form, drenched in sweat, as he looked at the spot where Lee Heejeong had disappeared without a trace.

“Heh. How interesting.”

“…!”

But at that moment.

Someone took advantage of his momentary distraction and held a blade to the boy’s throat.

“To think the Jamsil monster was actually a young boy like this. And using a sword, no less. I couldn’t have imagined it.”

One small movement would cause a large wound to his neck.

Yet the boy smiled happily, as if pleased to hear that voice after a long time.

“The Jamsil monster… I guess that’s what he was called at this time? But you’ve got the wrong person, Ms. Katarina.”

“?! …You know me?”

“Of course I do. With your ability, search through the many parallel worlds. And look at what’s going to happen in the future. Then you’ll know who I am.”

She had just come out to get a gift for Riverine, who had been depressed lately because of the Jamsil monster.

Unexpectedly finding a mysterious boy who seemed to know her well, Katarina couldn’t just let him go.

“…Come with me for now.”

“Yes, understood.”

“On the way, your eyes…”

“You were heading to that crumbling detached house anyway, right? I already know everything, so let’s just go.”

“Who on earth are you?!”

Somehow caught up in the boy’s pace, she had no choice but to start walking with him.

***

…I don’t want to open my eyes.

I could have regained consciousness long ago.

But right now… no, I wanted to stay in this darkness forever if possible.

Because the moment I wake up.

Slash.

I would have to face reality.

The characteristic of a Fighter Hunter: the ability to turn all attacks into critical hits, in exchange for the restriction of not being able to wear equipment.

However, I knew all too well the fate of a Fighter Hunter who had lost major body parts like arms or legs.

“Now… I guess I can’t live as a Hunter anymore?”

I could have compensated for losing one eye by developing my other senses.

But I had also lost one hand and one leg.

Thanks to Shinwoo, I fortunately didn’t die, but that was all.

Yoo Cheran was afraid of returning to her past before she started dreaming again, so she was avoiding regaining consciousness.

But.

“…Still, I have to go back.”

If I keep avoiding reality like this, everyone will surely be sad.

Grandmother.

Master.

And Shinwoo, who saved me—they must all be waiting for me.

So, overcoming her fear, Cheran finally opened her eyes gently in the hospital room.

“Ch-Cheran!”

“Grand…mother…”

Her grandmother had apparently been sitting right next to her hospital bed, nursing her all along.

Seeing her grandmother burst into tears, Cheran thought she had made the right decision to come back.

‘I’m so glad. I can see Grandmother’s face again like this.’

And that wasn’t all.

“Ms. Cheran!”

“Shinwoo…? Why are you in my hospital room…?”

“Because I was worried and waiting for you all this time!”

“All this time…?”

When she turned her head, she could see the sunrise through the window.

That meant it was early dawn now.

So Shinwoo not only saved my life but also waited all this time for me to wake up?

“Thank… you… Shinwoo.”

One more dream that Yoo Cheran had never achieved since childhood, unlike her studies.

She felt even happier thinking she might have made a “friend.”

But she couldn’t fully relax and smile.

Because soon she would have to face the reality hidden under her blanket.

The condition of her body that would require her to file for retirement from Hunter activities.

“Inhale… exhale…”

“Ms. Cheran?”

After taking a deep breath and preparing herself, Yoo Cheran boldly threw off her blanket with her one functioning hand.

And underneath…

“…Huh?”

Though covered in bandages, the arms and legs that had been cut off were still attached.

“How is this possible…?”

She had thought the cleanly severed limbs would be impossible to restore, but now she stared in bewilderment at her well-treated wounds.

“What? Were you afraid you’d retire before me?”

“…! M-Master!”

Rolling entered the hospital room.

Seeing her master greeting her grandmother, Yoo Cheran decided to ask questions first in this incomprehensible situation.

“M-my leg! And my arm! How is this possible?”

“How? I went to some trouble to fix them for you.”

“You, Master…? But you don’t have any particular healing ability. So how…?”

“Well, I have something better than healing ability—connections.”

Rolling winked once and then showed Cheran a small glass vial.

At first, Cheran just tilted her head in confusion at the tiny vial.

“…?! N-no way!”

After thinking about what liquid could possibly be in that tiny vial…

Her jaw dropped in disbelief as she stated the answer.

“You used World Tree extract on someone like me?! Master.”

“Hey now. ‘Someone like me’? It’s not good to put yourself down, Student Cheran.”

“Stop joking around! Do you know how expensive and precious that item is…!”

Immortality.

Panacea.

Longevity.

It was the world’s most precious item, known by such names.

Learning that it had been used on her, Cheran’s eyes welled up with tears of relief and gratitude.

“Th-thank you! Master. Really… really thank you!”

“Oh, Cheran. My baby.”

“No need for thanks. If you want to thank someone, thank Princess Kurumi first. If she hadn’t removed the monster’s magical energy from your body, you would have died long before getting here.”

“…! Yes!”

Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, Cheran thought of Princess Kurumi who had given her first aid.

And Shinwoo who had come to rescue her along with the princess.

“Shinwoo. Thank you so much.”

Starting with her benefactor who was right here.

With that thought, Cheran finally gave Shinwoo, who had been standing by her side all along, a sincere smile of gratitude.

“I will never forget this kindness.”

But suddenly, Rolling, who had been listening to this conversation:

“Hmm? Come to think of it, Shinwoo. Why were you there in the first place?”

“?!”

“Huh? Ah, well, that’s…!”

Thinking about it…

It seemed very strange that Shinwoo, who was neither a Hunter nor involved in such matters, had been at such a dangerous scene, so she asked out of curiosity.

“M-Master! More importantly, please buy me a meal to celebrate my recovery!”

“A meal?! You just received World Tree extract and you’re asking for food?”

“…! W-well! I’m willing to sell my conscience this time!”

“?! The Yoo Cheran is willing to sell her conscience…?”

Her well-mannered student who always did as she was told.

Rolling’s attention naturally shifted when this proper Cheran suddenly sat up and rudely demanded food in an unusually strange manner.

At the same time.

“A-auntie! I’m hungry too! Please buy us food!”

“Shinwoo, you too?”

Rolling could only raise a mental question mark when this child, who had never once asked for pocket money while living with her, suddenly asked to be treated to a meal for the first time.