Chapter 16: One big room

Mister Oh-ho-ho, transformed into a giant mass of flesh, was grotesquely regenerating, the severed parts making gurgling sounds.

Was he immobile while healing, or was he not serious, as if possessed by something?

A golden opportunity.

The four rookies before him immediately took fighting stances.

Kang Arin raised her fists and asked everyone:

“Can we win?”

It wasn’t a question of doubt.

Understanding the difference in strength between yourself and your opponent is a basic skill for an Incarnation.

If the enemy is too strong, it’s common sense to run away and come back for revenge after becoming stronger.

However, escape wasn’t an option now.

Ham Yui looked around at the team.

“I don’t know.”

First, let’s analyze the difference in strength.

Their opponent is an experienced D-rank who has seen plenty of real-world combat.

Even if called a pebble, he’s a veteran for a reason.

Moreover, he’s now a monster, resistant to electricity and capable of regenerating wounds.

“The matchup is bad. Our Constellations aren’t bad, but…”

Fortunately, their Constellations weren’t bad.

Ham Yui herself has the Hunter of the Moon, a B-rank by ranking standards.

Baek Taeyang has the King of the Monkeys, whose upper limit is unpredictable but measured at A-rank level.

As for Kang Arin and Cheok Chaerin….

“Well, let’s just say they’re around A-rank.”

“S-rank.”

“Right, at least S-rank!”

Cheok Chaerin and Kang Arin, surprisingly in sync despite the dangerous situation.

Ham Yui sighed and looked at Mister Oh-ho-ho, who was writhing.

“Mister said there’s a big difference between D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, and A-rank, right?”

“He did.”

Kang Arin agreed.

E and D ranks are pebbles, C-rank is Hunter, B-rank is Elite, A-rank is Superhuman.

There’s a reason slang exists for each rank; the gap between them is huge.

As for Mister Oh-ho-ho right in front of them…

“He’s at least B-rank.”

“How do you know?”

“Hunter’s intuition.”

Ham Yui, seemingly able to assess his strength thanks to her contracted Constellation’s traits.

A B-rank monster with immense stamina and bizarre abilities.

A challenge that would require at least five talented C-rank Incarnations to barely defeat.

But their current party consists of four F-rank newbies.

And they don’t even have a tank to draw attention and absorb attacks.

In other words, combining all the information, their chances of winning are….

“Less than 5%.”

“That’s the worst.”

“The worst.”

“This sucks.”

Kang Arin, Cheok Chaerin, and Baek Taeyang gave their brief and concise impressions.

Unfortunately, the strongest among them right now is Cheok Chaerin.

She has powerful abilities and a solid foundation.

However, including Cheok Chaerin, they’re all newbies.

In other words, they haven’t even built up the basic stats that time would usually provide.

They’re relying on ‘good’ abilities from ‘good’ Constellations, but even Cheok Chaerin is a newbie.

But they couldn’t complain forever.

Cheok Chaerin drew her sword and asked everyone:

“How are we going to fight? Every man for himself?”

“…….”

Ham Yui, contracted with the Goddess of the Hunt, racked her brain.

They currently have no tank or support.

And Mister Oh-ho-ho has monstrous stamina and countless hands.

If they went with every-man-for-himself, the martial artists, Kang Arin and Baek Taeyang, except for Cheok Chaerin, wouldn’t have a proper chance to attack.

Ham Yui looked at Cheok Chaerin and said:

“Unni Cheok Chaerin, please control your tempo and keep the lightning pressure on.”

“…I will.”

“We’re going for ‘one big shot,’ so don’t exhaust yourself.”

Cheok Chaerin’s role changed to tank and main damage dealer.

She knew it was a makeshift change, but there was no other choice. Then, she spoke to everyone.

“I have a plan.”

Everyone listened to Ham Yui’s simple and concise plan.

Kang Arin asked with a silly grin:

“What’s the name of this plan?”

“Seriously, in this situation… ‘One Big Shot’.”

“Heehee… I like it!”

Ham Yui casually named the plan, as if annoyed.

Cheok Chaerin drew her sword and spoke to Mister Oh-ho-ho, who had finished regenerating and was watching them with interest.

“An appealing plan.”

Ham Yui, also drawing her sword, spoke to Kang Arin and Baek Taeyang.

“Kang Arin, punk.”

“What should I do?”

“It’s Baek Taeyang!”

As if acknowledging Ham Yui as their temporary strategist, they answered immediately.

“The three of us need to spread out and circle him.”

“Got it!”

“Tch!”

The tactic was decided.

They took a 1-1-1-1 formation.

Mister Oh-ho-ho finally started to move.

【Son! Don’t you want to play hide-and-seek? Then you’ll be tickled as punishment!】

“He’s coming!”

Who is the monster mistaking us for?

Mister Oh-ho-ho wriggled and stretched out dozens of hands.

The hands reached out gently, as if with no intention of harming them, but….

“Shit, don’t let his hands touch you!!”

Baek Taeyang shouted.

As he skillfully deflected the hands with his staff, he saw it.

Sharp thorns, like the teeth on a suction cup, protruded from the palms and skin.

If those hands touched them, their delicate skin would be ripped off.

The four party members quickly moved to avoid them.

“Current Flow”

As planned, Cheok Chaerin scattered lightning to stop his movement.

She hoped the red lightning would stop Mister Oh-ho-ho, even for a moment, but….

A strange hide blocked the lightning from penetrating his body. The lightning barely pierced the hide, electrocuting him and making his flesh twitch. He ripped off the affected flesh with his own hands and regenerated.

“Tch, it’s not working.”

“I’ll go first!!”

Kang Arin shouted and kicked off the ground.

She clenched her fists and charged towards Mister Oh-ho-ho’s face.

Strong physical abilities and a punch with all her weight behind it.

–Whack!

A crisp impact resounded.

Mister Oh-ho-ho’s heavy head snapped back from Kang Arin’s punch, but… it bounced back elastically, like a spring or a roly-poly toy.

-Crash!

Kang Arin, still in mid-air, was caught off guard by an unexpected headbutt.

Fortunately, she managed to block it by crossing her arms, avoiding serious injury, but she crashed into the stone floor.

“Ugh…”

【Are you hurt?】

A kind voice.

Mister Oh-ho-ho reached out with dozens of hands to check on Kang Arin.

If those were normal hands, it wouldn’t be threatening, but… the skin on his palms was like sandpaper, a dangerous weapon.

If he grabbed Kang Arin’s arm and helped her up, the skin would be peeled clean off.

“Oh no…!”

Kang Arin tried to stand up, her legs trembling from the impact.

But her legs were still shaking from crashing into the ground.

Just as the hands reached out to touch her…

“You idiot!!”

Baek Taeyang swung his staff and knocked away dozens of hands.

And while the hands were momentarily stunned from the impact, Ham Yui quickly darted in. She slashed horizontally across Mister Oh-ho-ho’s torso, tearing his hide, and then plunged her sword in.

–Thud

The sword was deeply embedded.

But Ham Yui didn’t pull it out.

It was the perfect timing for ‘One Big Shot.’

Her blue eyes flashed as she muttered:

“Burst.”

As soon as she spoke, water erupted from the sword embedded in Mister Oh-ho-ho’s torso.

The wound swelled from the strong water pressure, and the cut widened.

Water gushed from the bleeding wound, and then it exploded.

An attack that would be fatal to an ordinary large monster.

But Mister Oh-ho-ho wasn’t an ordinary monster.

He wasn’t ordinary at all; he was a monster they had never seen before.

Even with a large chunk of flesh ripped out by the powerful water jet, he smiled.

【My son is strong!!】

He swung one of his giant arms at Ham Yui with the back of his hand.

Baek Taeyang and Kang Arin tried to intercept and block the attack, but….

-Crash!!

The three of them were hit simultaneously and smashed against the wall.

The difference in strength was too great for newbies who hadn’t even been Incarnations for a month.

Even diamonds, if unpolished, are just rocks.

Fortunately, Baek Taeyang had used his staff to lessen the impact.

And Kang Arin, whose body was strengthened by her ability, further cushioned the blow.

Thanks to their double defense, no one died.

“Ugh…!!”

“Holy sh*t…!”

Yes.

They barely survived.

Kang Arin stumbled out from the wall, dazed.

Baek Taeyang stood up, his broken staff and twisted arm dangling.

The main damage dealers were severely injured.

Ham Yui gritted her teeth, helped them up, and apologized.

“…I’m sorry.”

The three of them almost died.

It was her fault.

It was her fault for stepping up and giving the wrong order.

Just as self-loathing started to creep in, Kang Arin smiled.

“Heehee…”

“Why are you smiling?”

“We’re going for ‘One Big Shot,’ remember? Ouch… that hurts like hell.”

Baek Taeyang, trying to straighten his twisted arm, nodded towards Cheok Chaerin, who was standing in the distance, gathering red lightning with her index finger extended. The power she was amassing was clearly terrifying, as if she couldn’t waste the opportunity they had created.

‘One Big Shot’

Cheok Chaerin’s lightning control was so good that it could be considered a divine power, not just an ability.

Transforming her body into lightning, firing lightning blades, scattering it… she had diverse applications.

They believed that with her level of control, ‘One Big Shot’ was possible.

Cheok Chaerin had first unleashed a current flow to create an opening.

Then Kang Arin and Baek Taeyang charged in and successfully drew his attention.

Seizing the opportunity, Ham Yui slashed his hide and plunged her sword in.

She used her water ability to widen the wound and make it nice and wet.

Like wetting a condemned prisoner’s head before they sit in the electric chair.

His lightning-resistant hide was torn, exposing his flesh, now soaked in water, perfect for conducting electricity.

Ham Yui smirked.

“Not bad for a makeshift plan, right?”

“Of course.”

“We almost died.”

When everything turned crimson.

Mister Oh-ho-ho, who had been watching Kang Arin’s group, leisurely turned his gaze towards Cheok Chaerin.

Like a father playfully entertaining his child, without any intention of fighting.

That created the opening.

Red sparks crackled in Cheok Chaerin’s eyes.

The ball of electricity gathered at her fingertip crackled furiously.

The scattered stones on the floor trembled as if afraid.

The technique that destroyed the training center, a place that would normally require at least a B-rank Incarnation to damage, after receiving the ability from her Constellation.

“Lightning Bolt “

At that moment, the rocky cave flashed crimson.

A light so bright it felt like a red sheet of paper had been placed before their eyes.

A pillar of red lightning fired from Cheok Chaerin’s fingertip, traveling in a straight line and piercing through Mister Oh-ho-ho.

Power beyond measure, capable of piercing through a B-rank monster.

Furthermore, Ham Yui’s sword, embedded in his abdomen, acted as a lightning rod, gathering the electricity.

The lightning rod guided the electricity into his abdomen and the water-filled wound, frying his insides.

And when their vision returned… half of Mister Oh-ho-ho’s five-meter-tall upper body was gone.

****

We were currently in Artemis’ domain, watching the Incarnations through a lake.

It seemed there were different ways to observe their Incarnations.

Anyway, Ham Yui’s plan was successfully executed and….

“Four rookie F-rank Incarnations defeated a B-rank monster.”

“Yui… thank goodness….”

Aphrodite reacted calmly, while Artemis let out a sigh of relief.

However, I crossed my arms, looked down at the lake, and said:

“He’s not dead.”

“What?”

Artemis asked back with a pale face.

Although I wasn’t seeing it directly, so I couldn’t be certain, but….

This was a feeling based on my experience fighting bizarre monsters and gods, always facing opponents stronger than myself.

The monster in front of them, despite having half its body blown away, wasn’t dead.

“What kind of monster is that?!”

And my words turned into a prophecy.

The remaining half of his body began to regenerate. New arms sprouted and intertwined, forming a torso.

A grotesque sight, with eyes blinking open all over his growing body.

He was already a monstrous figure, about five meters tall… but now he was growing even larger, with more eyes and arms sprouting….

All traces of his former humanity were gone.

【Ugh! Daddy is hurt!】

[…F*ck.]

Baek Taeyang cursed.

Not only Kang Arin but also Ham Yui and Cheok Chaerin were speechless.

Even Artemis’ face turned pale.

She looked at me, seeking answers.

“…What is that?”

“I wonder.”

The strange purple eyes in the cave.

They disappeared when I glared at them, but I don’t know what they were.

Even Artemis’ appearance was different from the Artemis in my original world.

So I couldn’t guess based on appearance alone, and I’ve never seen a monster or god with that kind of ability.

I had a lot on my mind, including my complicated plan to screw over Zeus at the upcoming Gods’ Exchange Meeting… but first, I have to save Kang Arin and Cheok Chaerin, who are in a desperate situation.

I looked at Artemis, who had much more experience than me.

“Is there any way, now?”

“…No.”

She was grieving. She was filled with regret and anxiety, but that was all.

I asked Artemis:

“Don’t we have to help them?”

“There’s no way… sigh, it can’t be helped.”

She gave up with a sad expression.

Yes, that’s what gods are.

Artemis cherishes Ham Yui very much.

But only within her own limits.

To put it simply, Artemis is just an otaku.

She spends money and time on her 2D character.

But she only does her best within her limits; she doesn’t accept them as a part of her life like a lover or a friend.

She’ll be sad if Ham Yui dies.

And she’ll invite her to her domain, comfort her, and let her live there.

But that’s temporary, and Artemis will find a new Incarnation.

Like buying a new hamster.

Gods, beings similar to humans yet fundamentally different.

I felt disgusted for a moment, but I took a deep breath and tried to understand.

If someone has lived for over 3,000 years, they can’t pour their heart into every single person.

Suppressing my anger, I unclenched my crossed arms.

“I’m going down there.”

“What…?”

Artemis looked at me as if she couldn’t understand.

Ignoring her gaze, I lightly stretched and bounced in place.

“But the system…!”

Artemis’s worried voice, filled with various emotions, reached me.

Worry that I might be harmed by the system, and hope that I could save Ham Yui.

To her words, mixed with those two emotions, I could only answer this way.

“Tell the system to f*ck off.”

I can’t take it anymore.

I activated my fifth divine ability.