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How much time had passed? I was pushing my way through the thick, swirling smoke. Having run to my absolute limit, my breath hitched in my throat, and my lungs burned with an aching fire. Perhaps it was because I had just channeled a surge of guiding into Yoon Geon-woo, but I found myself twice as exhausted as normal.
My breathing was ragged, and my legs trembled, yet I couldn’t stop running. Every fiber of my being urged me onward, a desperate plea for speed. Reaching a higher vantage point, one that afforded a clear view, was the only viable option left to me.
‘Are Yoon Geon-woo and Park Hyeon-seo safe?’
Though I couldn’t see clearly, occasional flashes of blue flame suggested that Yoon Geon-woo was actively using his abilities. I recalled what I knew about the unwelcome guest he was likely confronting.
‘An A-rank beast. The Ophidian.’
The white Ophidian that had appeared at the boundary line was classified as a medium-to-large magical beast, resembling a snake. Its serpentine body was supported by numerous legs, and its scales were famously impenetrable.
Despite its massive size, it was known for its ability to conceal its presence, moving stealthily, earning it the moniker ‘Stealthy Intruder’ among Espers. It was also a high-grade, rare magical beast, notorious for its venomous bodily fluids, making it an exceptionally difficult opponent. How had such a creature manifested here?
‘It was a good thing I fired the smoke grenades beforehand.’
The Ophidian possessed virtually no hearing, relying primarily on its sight and smell. Therefore, the smoke grenades I had launched would prove to be a fatal blow to it.
Of course, these were all things I had learned from illustrations and texts during my
‘Could an unconfirmed gate have opened?’
Unlike in the past, a magical beast had appeared in an unexpected location, without any prior warning. A gnawing worry seized me: had a gate perhaps appeared inside the training grounds?
In the past, it wasn’t uncommon for magical beasts to be ejected from newly formed gates. However, most of the beasts observed until now had been low-grade, small-sized creatures. For a large, medium-to-large class magical beast like this to emerge from a gate was an exceptionally rare occurrence.
If a magical beast managed to escape a gate, it could undergo grotesque morphological changes, which sent my worries spiraling in countless directions.
‘What in the world is happening?’
From the very moment I realized I had regressed from the past, I had hoped that the future would unfold differently than before.
The Cross-Class and the Death Game. The gunshots and regression I had experienced because of them. Even though a series of traumatic and shocking events had unfolded, leaving deep scars, hadn’t they all been orchestrated by human hands until now?
If, by some remote chance, the appearance of this magical beast was connected to catching the culprit who had killed me, I had no idea whose doing it could possibly be.
CRASH—
BOOM!
No sooner had I resumed my frantic thoughts than several deafening roars echoed around me, shaking the ground where I ran. Even amidst this chaos, battle raged on both sides of the boundary line, and in its wake, the surrounding temple structures began to crumble.
‘Damn it, is it the Ophidian?’
Massive debris began to rain down above my head, setting off an urgent alarm in my mind, screaming at me to evade it. But in that moment of sudden terror, my body froze. A direct hit from something that size would undoubtedly crush my skull.
WHOOSH—
As I flinched, the thick smoke parted with a violent whoosh. It happened so quickly that before I could react, I was snatched by someone who had suddenly burst out of the smoke.
“Ugh, ugh!”
With a cry of alarm, I instinctively swung the taser gun I held tightly in my hand. Yet, the one who had seized me seemed to anticipate my counterattack, instantly immobilizing my movements.
As my entire body was restrained, a chill ran down my spine, and cold sweat beaded on my skin. This was surely an attack by a magical beast. I squeezed my eyes shut, but for some reason, a familiar voice echoed from above my head.
“It seems you’re useless at everything except shooting. Can’t even dodge something like this.”
Glancing up, I saw Yoon Geon-woo, his gaunt cheeks smeared with copious amounts of red blood. From him emanated a metallic scent of blood, mingled with the dry aroma of burning wood.
“Yoon… Geon-woo? Your face… what happened? Are you hurt?”
As I stammered, startled, Yoon Geon-woo replied with a voice thick with annoyance.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not my blood.”
His habit of cutting off sentences remained unchanged. If the blood on his face wasn’t his, then whose was it, to have him appear covered in it? Still, the fact that he wasn’t hurt himself was all that mattered. Yoon Geon-woo’s sudden appearance, just when I thought I was doomed, was a sight that brought tears to my eyes.
“I seem to recall telling you to stay put and provide cover fire. Are you desperate to have your head blown off?”
“…Did you come looking for me?”
I had assumed he would be battling the Ophidian, but it seemed he had inexplicably come searching for me. Feeling both relieved and touched, I spoke in a more animated tone than usual. Naturally, I didn’t receive a particularly pleasant response.
“You must be doing well, chattering away like that.”
“No, it’s not like that. Without you, I felt like I was moments from death. You have no idea how much I missed you!”
Every word was the unvarnished truth. I, on the other hand, had suffered terribly trying to locate him after he vanished into the billowing smoke. As I replied with a desperate tone, I heard Yoon Geon-woo let out a heavy sigh.
“Oh, right, you saw the magical beast appear earlier, didn’t you?”
“The white snake bastard?”
“Yes, the Ophidian! But… where’s Park Hyeon-seo?”
“……”
When I inquired about Park Hyeon-seo’s whereabouts, Yoon Geon-woo’s expression subtly twisted. Unable to grasp his meaning, I spoke again.
“You went to get him earlier, didn’t you? And earlier… why did you use the taser gun….?”
“Hey, friend or not, don’t trust anyone during combat.”
For some reason, Yoon Geon-woo cut me off before I could finish my sentence. He hadn’t answered my question, so what was he trying to say?
“…You too?”
“Damn it, I…”
As I looked up at him with a questioning gaze, Yoon Geon-woo muttered in a disgruntled voice.
“You said we were a team. I am.”
Had all my painstaking efforts finally paid off? That guy, calling himself part of a team, with his own mouth! I couldn’t believe the words that had come from Yoon Geon-woo. Seeing him quickly clamp his mouth shut, it seemed he, too, was surprised by what he had just uttered.
“Yes, I should trust you. Because we’re a team.”
Oh, you sweet thing. All the trouble I’d gone through, risking myself to provide cover fire, had been worth it. Yet, before we could even finish our conversation, a heavy impact resonated from nearby.
CRASH—
This one felt different from the previous impacts. There was no doubt that the magical beast was close by. As proof, a pair of eyes glowed menacingly within the thick smoke.
Realizing the magical beast was almost upon them, Yoon Geon-woo instantly leaped to a higher point, where the smoke hadn’t yet settled. Naturally, I was still held firmly in his grasp, tossed around by his movements.
“Hold on.”
“Ugh, w-wait!”
Perhaps it was due to the multiple guiding sessions we’d shared. The guy who used to go ballistic at the slightest touch of a fingertip had initiated contact. Before I could even call for a time-out, the thick arm that had been gripping my nape now wrapped around my waist.
Thanks to his monstrous physical capabilities, Yoon Geon-woo deftly navigated through the raining debris. Given the significant difference in our physiques, I found myself abruptly dangling, carried by Yoon Geon-woo. I repeatedly slapped Yoon Geon-woo’s arm, which was wrapped around my waist.
“Ugh… I… I feel like… I’m going to… throw up…”
The guy, who possessed terrifying strength, dragged me along without any finesse. While I didn’t want to complain when I was being helped, it was undeniable that he was treating me worse than a mere sack of luggage.
He randomly changed directions, and because I was flailing in mid-air, his powerful grip tightened around my waist, making me nauseous. Having already suffered a profuse nosebleed and completed such an arduous guiding session, my body simply couldn’t endure any more.
“Haa… ugh… ugh…”
Since I had barely touched my breakfast, only sour stomach acid emerged from my empty stomach. As I trembled from the horrible sensation of my insides twisting, I felt the grip around my waist loosen slightly.
“Hey, are you really that bad?”
I had expected to hear a scolding, but Yoon Geon-woo surprisingly spoke with a calm tone.
“You can just hang on, right?”
“Ugh… what… what do you mean…?”
“I need to deal with that snake bastard, so just hold on tight as best you can.”
Unable to comprehend his words, I could only stare blankly at Yoon Geon-woo’s face. Yet, as if my reaction didn’t matter, a blue flame ignited around Yoon Geon-woo’s body. It quickly transferred to me, and before I could even object, I was flung into the air.
“Ugh… Aah!”
This lunatic! This crazy bastard! It was Yoon Geon-woo who had thrown me, engulfed in blue flames. As resentment and a myriad of curses flashed through my mind, I could only let out a low groan from the powerful impact that struck my body. The blue flame that had transferred from Yoon Geon-woo seemed to have provided a protective shield, but the pain was still intense.
“You jerk… ugh, treating a person like luggage…”
Groaning, I managed to open my eyes and realized I had been thrown onto the highest section of the crumbling temple. It was so high it nearly touched the ceiling of the training grounds, offering a panoramic view.
Time Elapsed ┃ 42:02
Remaining Personnel ┃ 08/34
My gaze naturally fell upon the display board, and I saw that only eight students, including Yoon Geon-woo and myself, remained alive in the Death Game. Park Hyeon-seo was not among the survivors.
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