episode_0031

“—!”

The tank dummy swings a fist towards his former comrades.

Due to the massive fist made of flesh, the swordsman appears small like a child.

However, he is also a formidable Ranker at 58th place.

Dodging the fist narrowly, he smoothly climbs up the dummy’s shoulder along its descending arm.

Eventually, he raises his sword towards the dummy’s neck.

Seeing this, Seokhyun gestures as if controlling the tank.

In response, the dummy grabs the swordsman’s leg and slams him to the ground.

Struggling on the ground, he barely manages to stand up while being held by the shoulders.

In contrast, the dummy shows no sign of pain.

To him, senses like touch no longer exist.

The tank doll, kneeling heavily on the sunken ground, suddenly springs up towards the Ranker.

His massive shoulder is about to reach the swordsman.

Yet, instead of colliding with the dummy, he unexpectedly turns to face it and runs towards it.

Seokhyun involuntarily furrows his brows at this sudden action.

Is the Ranker acting irrationally due to the shock of his deceased comrade being targeted?

At the moment of impact with the dummy,

the swordsman gracefully launches himself in the air.

Rotating mid-air, he strikes down on the dummy’s neck.

Just like Sister Jisoo’s swordsmanship.

The tank’s neck, with nerves protruding, splits open.

Soon, black fluid spurts out.

The unpleasant liquid splatters in all directions.

As the ground is completely tainted black, the tank dummy ceases its movements.

“…”

The swordsman gazes at the sorceress, seeming to have fulfilled his duty.

She wields a large halberd, facing off against the boxer.

They once shared a special bond, having hunted Grade 3 monsters together in the past.

Their relationship, blushing at mere eye contact, has now ended due to the war with the One Mind.

The boxer sacrificed himself to save the endangered sorceress.

The price of that sacrifice was grim.

His half-head is stitched with flesh, but he remains lifeless.

As he charges to close the distance with the sorceress,

even a dead body remembers its instincts.

Meeting his familiar stance, the sorceress immediately strikes with her halberd.

Skillfully stepping back, she maintains her distance from him.

When he attempts to punch, the boxer’s feint catches her off guard.

But such a strategy works only against living opponents.

Despite his twisted leg, the boxer delivers a punch.

He repeatedly strikes the sorceress’s helmet.

Her helmet dents, causing her to stagger.

Regaining composure, she targets his side.

With failing legs, his reaction time slows.

Preparing for the next punch, the boxer allows her strike.

“…”

It was undoubtedly a perfect blow.

His body pierced, black blood drips from the wound.

Yet, he is not just a simple flesh puppet.

Knowing the nature he sought to protect, he grasps the embedded halberd in his body.

Slowly, he approaches her, still impaled.

The Ranker’s expression watching this scene is grim.

Like the day he first saw a monster five years ago, his face is fearful and resentful.

“—!”

The woman screams.

But her scream is more akin to a shriek.

She resents the enemy who employs such dreadful techniques.

Reflecting her emotions, the Ranker forcefully pulls out the halberd with explosive strength.

Soon, she strikes the boxer’s head with the heavy blade of the halberd.

As a result, the carefully stitched head splits completely in half.

The boxer doll then spews black oil like the tank dummy.

Covered in the oil, the sorceress shouts,

“Where the hell is this bastard, Juk-sa!”

Her voice, split like a lover torn in half.

“Come out, you coward!”

The Ranker’s cry echoes through the inn.

Watching the scene unfold, the physician coughs in vain.

The prosecutor was just as resentful as the detective.

He placed his trembling hands on the pile he had killed.

He tried hard to find traces of his colleague from the pile.

But the doll had only flipped Kang Daehyuk’s skin inside out.

His crumpled face was digging deeply into the prosecutor’s chest.

“…”

I held my breath on the counter floor.

So, did the prosecutor win…?

Anyway, since all the piles have been subdued and only Seokhyun is left.

Even then, it’s uncertain whether they can defeat them since they were cut down by Anna in the past.

With an anxious heart, I bowed my head.

And looked down at Jaehui clinging to my body.

“…?”

I wondered why she was so quiet all of a sudden.

The idol girl lay coldly unconscious as if she had been struck by someone.

And I soon realized who had made her faint.

It was none other than Jexa.

With red eyes and beautiful features.

This time, it was really her true form.

“Jexa…”

I called out her name with joy.

But she covered my lips, telling me to be quiet.

“Be quiet. They don’t know I’m here.”

I nodded repeatedly at her serious tone.

Then Jexan’s killer clung tightly to me.

And embraced me gently.

“Huh…?”

Just being embraced made my spine tingle.

After what happened with Jaehui earlier, I had become sensitive to repeated impure physical contact.

I felt Jexa’s cold breath on my neck.

I shivered at the chill.

“Stay still like this.”

I wanted to ask her why.

But with my mouth shut, I obediently placed my hand on her back.

Soon, flesh began to protrude around us like an igloo.

The three gradually disappeared into the darkness.

The detective touched the face of the tank pile.

The once silent doll suddenly wriggled and grabbed the detective’s arm.

The Ranker was startled by the flesh clinging to his arm like clay.

He tried to pull his arm away quickly, but the more he tried, the more it stuck.

The spearman was the same.

She was embracing the dead boxer.

As if forgiving the Ranker, the boxer pile also embraced her.

However, he gradually began to suffocate his lover to the point of asphyxiation.

Eventually, the bodies of the two dolls began to swell.

Even their human-like appearance completely expanded.

The Rankers know what that means.

Even the physician, ignorant of combat, knows.

The middle-aged man starts to step back in a hurry.

Then, remembering the forgotten pocket watch, he comes back and takes it.

The spearman looks at her bound lover.

Her face melts, and her lips tremble.

Her lips speak.

“Sorry, Surin.”

That’s it.

After those six letters, a strong light emits from her mouth.

Eventually, the two dolls explode with their abandoned comrades.

The skin bursts completely, sticking to the inn wall.

The flesh igloo also trembles violently.

Due to the explosion’s recoil, the inn debris flies around like bullets.

The igloo roughly blocks the debris.

But that’s not enough.

The flesh wall gradually distorts grotesquely and begins to puncture with fragments.

Sharp pieces narrowly miss my ear.

I groaned at the chilling sensation.

Jexa’s expression isn’t good either.

She was pouring all her concentration into maintaining the barrier.

Jexa’s chest begins to tremble.

The sound of teeth grinding is audible.

I wanted to help her.

Somehow.

It will surely be dangerous if it is revealed that I am incompetent.

But I didn’t want to pretend not to know about her efforts for us.

Focus.

Remember the past when you wanted to help your colleagues.

Remember that feeling.

I reach out my hands.

My only ability, Angelic Hand.

What was its fundamental power?

It was ‘heal.’

Healing fundamentally regenerates destroyed cells.

And Jexa’s barrier is clearly flesh made up of cells.

I opened my eyes wide and breathed life into my flesh.

Even if the debris tears and bursts, I continue to regenerate and revive.

Until no more enemies fall.

“…”

How much time has passed?

The world outside the barrier fell silent.

When she thought it was safe, she collected her flesh.

Gradually, a thick smoke revealed the appearance of an inn.

As the smoke dissipated, my mouth involuntarily gaped open.

The roof flew off coolly, illuminating the night sky.

The hall exploded, leaving it empty like a sports field.

“Well, damn.”

The words I only thought to myself popped out involuntarily.

She sighed deeply at the grim sight.

“I had a mountain of debt to collect, but it all went up in smoke.”

She staggered to her feet.

Then she checked the status of the Association’s rankers and members.

“As expected…”

She nodded as if she had roughly anticipated it.

I raised my head and looked at the spot where the pile used to be.

The marks of the burst flesh remained, but the rankers were nowhere to be seen.

“They escaped. The guy got his arm cut off, and the girl took all the explosions head-on.”

She casually mentioned, pulling out a cigarette.

And she lit the remaining embers from the explosion.

“You, are you for real?”

I looked at her with amazement.

I had never witnessed such an intense battle before.

“What, surprised?”

Clearly, despite being ranked 85th compared to their 50th ranking, she was overwhelmingly powerful.

But how could this be possible?

“I used to be 7th. Well, unofficially.”

She chuckled lightly at my astonishment.

“7th…?”

So, one of the strongest seven in Korea.

It was beyond imagination.

“I made a pile out of the body of the 5th ranker once. It was fun fighting the Association after that.”

She exhaled cigarette smoke.

And then, as if missing the glory days, she spaced out and coughed.

Relaxed, she leaned lightly on my shoulder.

I was startled by her demeanor.

The red-faced woman looked at me with a mischievous gaze.

I never expected those fierce red eyes to feel so seductive.

I tightly shut my eyes, trying to rid myself of that strangeness.

To me, she whispered, “You did well earlier.”

“W-what…”

She stared intently at my face.

“That heal.”

I thought she couldn’t see inside the dark barrier…

But she knew.

“You had a separate ability?”

“Oh, just a light heal…”

I murmured resignedly.

“Really, just healing?”

Her sharp gaze pierced through me like a reptile.

I swallowed dryly and avoided her gaze.

And muttered quietly, “Yes, just healing.”

I lied again.

I couldn’t possibly mention her painful memories.

“I’ll believe you…”

She playfully pinched my cheek as if finding my sulky expression cute.

And then, disliking the somewhat sullen atmosphere, she asked bluntly, “So, did you enjoy it earlier?”

“W-what?”

“On the counter floor. Hugging the idol.”

I bristled at her words.

There was a reason behind it, but I couldn’t explain from the start.

“I’m the victim here; I didn’t enjoy it at all.”

As I tried to turn away, she ran her finger down my neck.

The sensation was sensual.

“For someone not enjoying it, your expression was quite provocative.”

“You should have experienced that scent. Unbelievable…”

She laughed as if intoxicated by some drug.

I realized she could make such expressions.

“Well, it’s been a while since I felt this hot.”

“What?”

She turned to check on the still-sleeping Jihee.

The killer, confirming she was still asleep, pushed me against the wall.

I was taken aback by her sudden change in attitude.

It felt eerie, like being entwined by a red snake.

The killer’s breath drew closer.

But soon, she abruptly stopped.

“You’re too defenseless like this.”

She pinched my bra strap.

Then she gently lifted the fallen strap over her shoulder.

Gradually, as if nothing had happened, she stood up.

And leisurely brushed off her knees.

But I know.

Her breath, which had been cold until now, was just as warm as it could be.

Jaehui’s abilities are truly astounding.