episode_0246

The Kraken’s clone is comparable to an S-class, but falls short of Leviathan, the worst disaster I’ve ever seen.

Nevertheless, there was only one reason why I felt the guy was dying and unable to resist.

Because I am too weak right now.

Thanks to all of Juyeon’s buffs, he’s above grade A, but it’s not even close to that level.

This is because the gap between grades A and S is enormous.

“We only have a moment, so run in the opposite direction from him.”

That’s all I can do right now.

There’s just one problem.

“no.”

In an emergency situation where every minute and second was precious, Juyeon’s stubbornness kicked in.

With a frown on his face, he glares at the guy and lets out a bitter voice.

“You know. “What happens when a teacher dies?”

Her eyes shake slightly.

Han Ju-yeon’s life is no different from the lives of all of us who came here.

The moment she dies, all the buffs on S-class hunters, including me, disappear.

Even the shield that blocks falling acid.

In the worst case scenario, we could all die.

I thought that a smart lead actor would understand what I meant and accept it.

however.

“… “I still hate it.”

The answer that came back almost like a complaint disappointed me and made me questionable at the same time.

She is also definitely a veteran.

It also crisscrossed the United States, which was several times larger than Korea.

It’s hard to believe that she is throwing a tantrum like a child in an emergency situation.

Of course, I understand to some extent.

Since I am a junior on the same team as Seoyeon and a student at the Korean university where she is temporarily working, I must feel some sense of obligation.

However, the problem is that the situation is too bad to be caught up in such a sense of duty.

“teacher. “Now is not the time to get emotional.”

He reprimanded her in a calm tone, hiding his boiling emotions.

Then Juyeon’s eyes took on a more fierce rejection.

“… “I lived my whole life cold-heartedly.”

An inexplicable tingle is felt in the distorted face.

“I couldn’t help it at that time, so I was able to appease it somehow… , not now.”

Words that are difficult to understand are pouring out.

Now is not the time… .

“Teacher, what are you doing now?”

“therefore.”

She cuts me off and takes a step forward.

The expression on the face of the guy who came closer was determination.

He continues speaking with a resolute expression that makes it seem like nothing can break him.

“It won’t be taken away this time. Even if it means dying… , never.”

Each and every word spoken clearly is stuck in my heart.

I feel hot and stuffy inside, as if there is a fire mark that cannot be covered by anything.

How on earth can I get him out of here?

Just as I was thinking about it.

The Kraken’s clone, which had been standing for a while grumbling, finally began to move.

I immediately turn around and stare at him with Juyeon behind me.

There is no skin at all, and the shoulder muscles that are clearly visible to the naked eye are twitching.

At the same time, the experience accumulated thousands and tens of thousands of times demonstrated an ability close to foresight.

The guy’s left arm swings around in an instant, creating an afterimage.

A speed that is difficult to follow even with the eye.

however.

「Aegis.」

A solid shield created in a timely manner succeeded in blocking its attack route.

The report was not blocked.

I saw the slight movement that signaled the start and installed the shield in the predicted direction, but fortunately it only hit.

If I had hesitated even a little, I would have been blown away and landed in a wall full of slime.

Of course, just because the attack was prevented didn’t mean everything was okay.

“Ugh… !”

My whole body screams from the shock flowing through the shield created by attaching it to my body.

There was no way he could block the attack of an S-class, and even stronger than Kim Tae-yang, without taking any damage.

A pure white light is shot onto the arms and shoulders where the searing pain is flowing.

Juyeon is this guy’s healer.

I thought it was a waste of magic power, but… , I have already passed the stage where I will listen.

“Whoa.”

That makes it even more frustrating.

Because I don’t know how long I have to hold on until the S-classes come to help.

In such a gloomy situation, what is even gloomier is that it is not even possible to estimate how many more attacks he will be able to prevent.

I fold up my thoughts and bury them deep in my heart.

The only worries that remain in my mind are where the next attack will come from and how to block it.

After checking the guy’s moving muscles once again, I was raising my magic power.

A pure white light bursts out from behind and envelops an area within a 3m radius.

Soon, a chant is heard.

“Disconnection”

“… … .”

It is a disconnection, a disconnection.

The disconnect is one of the ultimate skills that healers with healing and buffer aptitudes can use.

It is the strongest protection magic that literally cuts off the space around me and renders the enemy’s attacks ineffective.

“… teacher.”

It’s surprising that he used a cutting ability that only the world’s leading healers can use.

Once again, a large amount of magical energy was used in a situation where saving magical energy was not enough.

Let’s turn our backs to him with a look of astonishment.

“Dojin.”

He continues speaking with his hand on my shoulder with an extremely serious expression.

“From now on, answer my questions honestly.”

What a question.

Why on earth did they create a gap by using disconnection to ask something?

Just as I was curious, the guy parted his lips.

“How much stronger do you think you can become to take on that monster in your current state?”

It was a truly difficult question.

Even though I wonder why I’m asking this question, I keep a cool head and try to accurately calculate the gap between him and me.

Isn’t this a question that goes to the point of disconnection?

Considering the quick movements of the guy just a moment ago and the dense concentration of magical power filling the surroundings… .

“I think I’ll have to endure twice as much.”

“… Then you win.”

“Not three times as much… , about 2.5 times.”

“I see.”

She approaches with a wry smile.

One step… , No, she opens her mouth, standing at a distance where it seems like if we take just half a step further, our bodies will touch.

“Then just endure it.”

I tried to voice a question out loud at the incomprehensible words.

“Huh… .”

“Pfft… !”

The guy who approached me gently put his arms around my neck and held me tight, covering my lips with his own.

Soft and moist feeling.

A languid floral scent wafting from your entire body.

The heat subtly radiating from my red face and the excited breath tickling my lips began to push away the death that was filling my mind.

* * *

What Han Ju-hee faced at the end of her path alone was a named monster.

‘Guardian of the Third Heart’.

A being that makes you think a lot just by its name.

While spewing out gushing flames at the monster, which was roughly shaped like a knight in armor made of tightly compressed flesh, thoughts continued to flow in her head.

‘If it’s the third heart… , Does that mean there are at least three hearts?’

It was something that was not included in the information about the Kraken stored in the association’s database before coming here.

However, one thing that comes to mind is some of the content I read in passing in a book when I was young.

Octopus, octopus, squid.

The three molluscs that look similar to each other have as many as three hearts.

‘Yes, I did.’

It must have been one heart that supplied blood to the entire body, the gills, and two hearts that supplied blood to the legs.

‘That means… .’

『I met a named monster. The name is ‘Guardian of the First Heart’… , Yikes!』

『Namgoong Hyuk, in battle with the named monster ‘Guardian of the Second Heart’.』

“… … .”

just as expected.

A voice from two people who took different paths resounds softly through the speaker attached to the badge.

My first thought was relief.

‘It’s a good thing I left Juyeon and that man in the hall.’

The named monster in front of me is comparable to S-class.

What would have happened if the two people with the least fighting ability had been led astray?

But even for a moment.

‘It’s still too early to feel safe.’

What each of the three met was the Guardian of the Heart.

It is a named monster, not a boss.

In other words, it means that the heart is beating somewhere that has not yet been visited or on a path that has already been passed.

‘If that’s the case… , most likely to be in the hall.’

Unlike the wide but single road we passed, the hall was wide enough to accommodate about a hundred people.

If the heart is hidden somewhere here, there is no better place than there.

At the time, anxiety was sprouting in my chest.

『… Boss ‘Kraken’s clone’ appears in the hall. The estimated rating is… , S rank or higher. Please join us quickly after the battle is over.』

The worst-case scenario I had pictured in my head came out through the badge.

“ah… !”

Even the name is ‘Kraken’s alter ego.’

In addition, there is a shocking report that it is S-class or higher.

Han Joo-hee narrows her eyebrows and chews her lower lip.

‘The two of us alone won’t be able to survive.’

Kim Do-jin’s combat power, which was strengthened by Han Joo-yeon’s buff, was rated A level when evaluated calmly.

He has a level of strength that is hard to come by in his early 20s, but what would he be like as Kraken’s alter ego?

No, it definitely won’t last.

Isn’t this the alter ego of a disaster-level monster?

‘No matter how much Juyeon helps… , it won’t last long.’

The threat of losing his younger brother spreads throughout his body.

‘We have to go help quickly.’

As if in response to those emotions, the magical energy that had been quietly sleeping within her body boiled over.

It bubbles like water in a kettle that has reached boiling point.

She hates unnecessary waste.

Therefore, when using magic to hunt monsters, you estimate the opponent’s power through simple attacks and then use only the amount of magic corresponding to that.

‘I do not have time.’

But now was an exception.

I don’t want to lose my precious little brother.

and… , Kim Do-jin-do.

The emotions that a person named Kim Do-jin evoked in Han Joo-hee were very strange.

‘It’s annoying.’

I don’t hate it, and I don’t like it either.

Either in a good sense or in a bad sense.

He continues to be annoying.

I didn’t know why, but I finally found out a few days ago.

‘It looks like him.’

Kim Do-jin was very similar to my husband.

The good points, and even the bad points.

That’s why I kept going back and forth between good and bad, which was annoying.

“ha.”

So I don’t want to make him die too.

Strictly speaking, he is a completely different person… , I feel like my dream will be disturbed for no reason.

The flames, which emit a heat that seems to burn the soul of the opponent and make them disappear without a trace, gather behind her and form one huge sphere.

The sphere created by concentrating 90% of the body’s magic power gradually became smaller following her hand gestures, and soon shrunk to the size of an apple.

When she saw this, her brows furrowed slightly.

‘This is still the limit.’

She thought things would have progressed a little more as time passed, but the fact that she was still in the same place made her feel very bad.

And, coincidentally, there was someone who could take out that anger.

That too in front of me.

“… “Let’s end this.”

「HellFire.」

It is the essence of fire magic created after years of research when she reached S-class, and is an unfinished work.

With a light flick of his index finger, a sphere the size of a fist flew violently and landed in the guy’s chest.

But that was just the beginning.

Coo coo coo… !

A flame compressed to its limit violently burns the surrounding oxygen, causing a chain explosion.

Kwaaa-!

Geek… !

Squeak!

A single-word scream heard from within the flames.

But it didn’t last long.

This is because the flames that clung to his entire body ate him up without leaving even the slightest trace.

As if killing and eating the named monster wasn’t enough, she indifferently turned her back on the kraken’s flesh as it continued to burn.

“ha… .”

As I breathe in lightly, my magical power begins to build up little by little.

It’s literally insignificant compared to the amount consumed, but this is something.

She continued to walk quickly and breathe quickly and went back the way she came.

Eventually, a wide hall appears at the end.

“Tsk… !”

A violent being radiating enormous magical power is writhing there.

After checking all over the hall with urgent eyes, I finally reached the end of the road.

I tried to go straight in and check the condition of my younger brother and Kim Do-jin.

Tung-

She couldn’t enter the hall.

This is because an invisible transparent wall was blocking the entrance to the hall.

I tried using magic with all my remaining mana.

Pow-!

no use.

Even after the blazing flames exploded, the transparent wall did not change in the slightest.

‘Destruction is impossible. then… .’

The only way left is to dispel the wall, which is presumed to be made of magic.

One problem is that it takes some time to do so… .

She placed both hands on the transparent wall and walked closer, quickly looking inside the hall.

And finally I found two people.

A cloudy, milky wall spread out in one corner.

Han Ju-yeon and Kim Do-jin standing there looking at each other.

‘What are you two doing now…’ .’

Just as she was about to question it.

A ridiculous scene unfolded before my eyes.

“… … !”

Han Joo-yeon and Kim Do-jin are entangled inside the wall and sharing a deep kiss.

It seems as if they are drawn to each other and forget all about the crisis surrounding them, but it also seems as if they are leaving their last traces on each other before they are trampled and disappear by that crisis.

It was that affectionate and that passionate.

So much so that even those who see it feel hot.

And I don’t know why.

Looking at the two people, Han Ju-hee felt like her heart was sinking.