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As far as Ju Uiryeong knew, everyone except Kang Taesan was of a lower rank. Kang Taesan’s friend Byeon Yeongchan was B-rank, and the rest were C-rank or below. That Han Dokyeom was E-rank went without saying.
With the entrance sealed, the power of a single A-rank was insufficient to resolve this situation. Knowing that, everyone would gather to him, yet if he proposed a solution, they would ignore his advice.
Ju Uiryeong had essentially set up a test.
However, when Han Dokyeom bit his lip and opened his mouth, Ju Uiryeong realized his thoughts had been closer to the former. And it made sense, because—
“Everyone, do as Ju Uiryeong says! Hyung, don’t go far, come here! Kang Taesan-ssi, stop what you’re doing and gather! No, just everyone gather!”
“No, hyung! The viewers are raining curses—what are you talking about!? You want to end it like this?! Are you crazy?! I’ve drawn so much aggro, and now…!”
Baek Jiun, who had been filming the rapidly changing situation from a distance with his camcorder, recoiled in protest. Even he was now barely managing to dodge the swarming monsters by using the walls.
Then, Baek Jiun, who had been climbing the outer wall, missed his step and tumbled to the cave floor. That was when all the monsters began converging on one spot like zombies.
Ju Uiryeong, hiding his delight, let out a scream.
“Protect the video Hunter first! He’ll die like that! G-, Gapp-nim…! Please help save him!”
Feigning urgency, Ju Uiryeong hurried straight toward the swarm of monsters. The guards who sensed his presence charged at him with weapons raised, but the moment they entered a certain radius, they vanished and reappeared in the distant air, plummeting helplessly.
It was the ability of the Seat ‘Gapp’—the
[Your ‘Fame’ is rising!]
[Your ‘Fame’ has reached its current peak!]
It was a struggle to suppress the smile curling on his lips. The video Hunters’ camcorders were still rolling. He had to be careful with his words and actions.
The one fortunate thing was that his ‘Fame’ was higher than anyone else present.
Since ‘Fame’ applied to everyone within a certain area, for now it was limited to the eight people in this boss room.
No one here would surpass him anyway. He didn’t need to go to all this trouble, but higher prestige was always better—especially when it meant planting a positive image in people’s minds.
“Ah, my camera! You bastards, get away! Hyung, save me! Hyung!”
Baek Jiun’s angry screams echoed throughout the cavern. Yet Dokyeom showed no sign of moving. He was clenching his lips, staring intently at the witch who was curled up on the throne, shivering and clutching her head.
Watching this, Ju Uiryeong felt a sense of dread.
‘He’s not going to charge right in, is he?’
Was Han Dokyeom the type to abandon a comrade for the greater good? No, that wasn’t it.
Baek Jiun was already surrounded by a hopeless number of monsters. Even with his
And yet, Han Dokyeom was ignoring Baek Jiun’s crisis.
“Ah, hyung…!”
When Baek Jiun, who had been protecting the camcorder in his arms, let out a shrill scream, Ju Uiryeong saw Han Dokyeom moving swiftly.
His foot was aimed not toward Baek Jiun, but toward the witch who was trembling and muttering strange sounds.
“No!”
Ju Uiryeong cried out, his face turning pale. Han Dokyeom had ultimately decided to sacrifice others to achieve his goal.
This can’t happen…!
[Current number of guards killed: 199/50000]
“Han Dokyeom-ssi, what are you doing! People are dying here…! How can you be so cruel!”
Even at her sharp cries, Han Dokyeom’s resolve was unwavering. Ju Uiryeong’s eyes widened. This was bad. Killing the witch now would mean losing the skill. He hadn’t passed it on yet…!
Clutching the warmth pulsing in his pocket, Ju Uiryeong gauged the distance between Baek Jiun and Han Dokyeom. Just then, Baek Jiun’s phone and camera were knocked away.
Crunch—
The shattered devices were mercilessly trampled under the monsters’ feet. Baek Jiun’s screams sharpened. Ju Uiryeong’s gaze quietly followed the broken equipment.
“Someone… ugh, save me…! Hyung, God, Buddha…! Mom!”
Looking around, the others were in the same predicament as Baek Jiun, struggling for survival. Only Han Dokyeom, running toward the boss, was different.
At the frost-covered entrance, Hunters were desperately trying to break the door. And there were no more cameras around. Moreover—
[Your ‘Fame’ has reached its current peak!]
One corner of Ju Uiryeong’s mouth twitched. This was an opportunity. The situation was too tempting to let slip.
Ju Uiryeong’s feet followed Han Dokyeom’s back, not Baek Jiun’s desperate cries. He couldn’t let Han Dokyeom steal the spotlight.
“Han Dokyeom-ssi, wait!”
[Current number of guards killed: 200/50000]
In the running Han Dokyeom’s hand, a silver pistol clicked as it loaded. The barrel was aimed at the witch’s eye, which looked up in alarm at the death of her guards.
This was the ‘opportunity’ that came every time a hundred guards fell. The only place that could instantly kill the witch was that rolling eyeball. Everything else was protected by a nullification skill that no attack could penetrate—except for ‘Awakening’.
“
But as long as this skill existed, there was no way Han Dokyeom could accomplish anything before him.
By the time the brief utterance ended, Ju Uiryeong was already standing in front of Han Dokyeom, at the very moment the trigger was being pulled.
Han Dokyeom’s startled gray eyes reflected Ju Uiryeong’s figure. The trigger was already depressing in his hand.
Ju Uiryeong sneered at the frozen Han Dokyeom.
“Han Dokyeom-ssi. Remember last time when you said I didn’t seem like an A-rank?”
[Uiryeong-ah, are you really A-rank? Your body is the same, but your abilities are A-rank?]
“You know that was a really funny thing to say, right?”
And what’s so great about you, Han Dokyeom? You were just lucky.
Boom—!
The recoil sent his body stumbling back. Han Dokyeom fell on his rear, his gaze quickly tracking the bullet’s path. All Ju Uiryeong had done was redirect it at the moment the muzzle flashed.
The moment the gunshot faded, silence fell. But it was a prelude to something worse. Like now.
KEEEYAAA——!!
A piercing scream shook the cave with horrifying force. Breath caught in throats, eardrums compressed—terrible pain swept through. The scream turned into a gale, erupting like a storm and sweeping everything around.
That was the penalty for a failed attack.
Ju Uiryeong watched Han Dokyeom’s pale face, then activated
And silently observed the situation from there.
The bullet, its trajectory altered by Ju Uiryeong’s interference, struck beside the witch’s head. Terrified, the witch opened her grotesque mouth and screamed. Rage, resentment, and fear swelled within that scream.
KEEEYAAAAA——!!
“Everyone take cover…! Get down!”
Just before the compressed air burst out, Han Dokyeom shouted in a cracked voice. As his breath shattered, someone dove over Dokyeom’s body at the same time the scream turned into a shockwave that swept across the dome.
CRASH BOOM BANG—!
Dust, ice shards, and boulders flew everywhere, leaving gruesome scars on the walls. Ju Uiryeong, hiding behind the rock pile, hugged the thing in his chest and covered his ears.
It took a long time for the sound to settle. In the aftermath, only silence remained.
Ju Uiryeong took a deep breath, then stepped out from the silence. Everywhere, the torn bodies of monsters littered the ground. Among them, he saw Kang Taesan and his friend lying motionless with closed eyes.
The witch was back on her throne, trembling as if she had never screamed. Ju Uiryeong frowned and stepped toward her, avoiding the bloodstains.
“Ugh, huk…”
But his steps halted in front of someone lying face down, gasping in pain.
It was Han Dokyeom. Beside him stood a monster in human guise, eyes dark and growling.
If only that monster were mine.
Ju Uiryeong clicked his tongue regretfully at the man who showed fanatical loyalty. His gaze slowly moved to Han Dokyeom.
“Han Dokyeom-ssi.”
“You… ugh, you crazy… bastard…”
“What are you talking about? You’re the one who’s crazy. All that struggle, and look where it got you. Do you see yourself now? Like a crushed worm.”
The scene was too similar to that day, and it made him angrier. Back then, when he tried to take the child, he had been in the same position—standing over a fallen, gasping Han Dokyeom.
Just like now. But this time, the outcome would be different.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read I Just Wanted An Ordinary Life This Time! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : I Just Wanted An Ordinary Life This Time
