We kindly ask for your understanding regarding the inconsistency of character pronouns, particularly for the Entities (ex. The Greedy Predator). In Korean, pronouns are rarely used, making it challenging to ascertain a character's gender or identity until later narratives unfold. Update twice a week [SUN] & [THURS] starting August 2024! Also please check out our new Hunter series!
“Fine.”
With a smirk, Seora turned around, holding her gun. The mountains echoed as if Typhon would burst out any moment. Seong Jarim grabbed her. Concern etched on her face. “Will you be okay?”
“How would I kill it alone?”
“What? Then why are you so confident?”
“Well, I’m not fighting alone. He told me to kill Typhon; he didn’t impose fighting alone as a condition.”
“…True.”
“And it’s fine. At first, I worried whether I could handle it because I didn’t know what it really was, but now that I do, strangely, I feel relieved.”
“Huh? Why?”
Instead of replying, Seora just smirked.Typhon. A creature also known as the strongest in Greek mythology. The very menace that even caused gods to turn tail and flee.
It was also called a dragon in myths.
【Facing a dragon. Activates ‘Title—Dragon Slayer’. Attack power increases by 30%.】
The title was earned in exchange for cutting off three heads of the Dragon of Revelation in the Labyrinth. She’d never expected it would be this helpful.
Boom! The ground shook, and a volcano erupted. From beneath emerged Typhon once more.
Then, things she hadn’t noticed before caught Seora’s eye.
Typhon wasn’t intact. Crushed under the volcano for thousands of years, the harpoon shot by Seora piercing its body, and even its arms that were made of hundreds of snakes were far from unharmed. It seemed the shotgun blasts from above the sea had harmed its arms.
“Let’s start with the arms, then.”
Some of the snakes burst from the shotgun hits, but dealing with over a hundred of them individually was still a headache.
With a smirk, Seora transformed Hit into a Gatling gun. One thing she learned in the Labyrinth was that in numerical inferiority, there was nothing quite like this Gatling gun.
As she pulled the trigger, another battle commenced.
***
Seated on the main porch, Shin Dowon was savoring the essence of winter when a peculiar sensation made him lift his head. Something hotter than the flame of Mount Gwanak brushed past his hair.
“…What’s this?”
Why would there be such heat in winter? It almost felt like the touch of his guiding deity.
“That can’t be.”
As he glanced around, a wry smile soon appeared on his face.
The realization of his limited life hit Shin Dowon about five years after his awakening. It was too swift, quicker than expected.
Then, his deity murmured grimly. His talent was extraordinary, therefore the price was steeper. With the protection of Hephaestus, the more he utilized his abilities, the shorter his lifespan would become. ŗâŊо฿ËŠ
Yet, Shin Dowon didn’t mind. His deity had made him more useful than anyone else in the new world. The line inherited from his ancestors sustained him until the end. Hence, he could accept an early death.
However, his deity wasn’t as resolute. Unable to let him face death so swiftly, the deity unilaterally terminated the contract and departed, urging him to seek a bit more happiness.
Shin Dowon felt disheartened. His abilities remained, but the companion who rejoiced in what he created had vanished. That alone deteriorated his life drastically. His lifespan didn’t extend after the deity’s departure; instead, the shock gnawed at him more.
Alone and melancholic for years, when he felt he might truly perish, he sought someone to live on with his last spark.
Yun Seora. Just thinking of her made him chuckle.
“What a truly amusing person.”
Had he ever laughed after the Entity’s departure? The only time was when he saw that absurdly cocky fellow. Despite being Hyeon Jaehui’s daughter, she bore no resemblance. She seemed more like Song Hanna, if anything.
“Shin Dowon!”
Yes, that sudden, unrestrained manner of showing up without prior notice, calling people out…
Huh?
“Yun Seora?”
He thought it might be a hallucination, but it wasn’t. Yun Seora was actually waving at him from outside.
“What’s going on? More importantly, why do you look so unsightly…”
Yun Seora and Seong Jarim looked unsightly. Their hair and clothes were covered in soot, and seeing blood stains here and there, it seemed like they had just come from some intense battle.
“Could you tidy up before showing up? Did you go around like this?”
“Your bluntness hits hard as soon as we meet. I did it for you.”
“What?”
Yun Seora confidently produced something from her bag and abruptly extended it. The scent, reminiscent of wine, pricked his nose. It was a thrilling aroma, a mix of grapes and intense floral notes.
“What’s this…?”
“Drink it.”
“What? Wait, hold on!”
However, Seora didn’t listen. She grabbed Shin Dowon’s chin and poured what she had into his mouth.
“Yun— ah!”
“Drink! Hurry up!”
The liquid, barely a gulp’s worth, succumbed to his burning throat. Finally, Yun Seora withdrew, looking satisfied.
“What on earth is this…!”
It was a taste so incredibly sweet and exquisite that it made one question if it belonged in this world, yet there was no time to savor it. Shin Dowon, about to rise in anger, widened his eyes at the system message that appeared before his outburst.
【Awakened ‘Shin Dowon’ has consumed Nectar. By God’s grace, arsenic poisoning will disappear.】
Nectar…? The drink of the gods from mythology? What he just drank was that very nectar? And what’s more, the arsenic poisoning disappeared?
“How… What in the world…”
“The God of Fire and Volcanoes sent it. He couldn’t give it to you due to conditions attached to it until now. He’s been searching for a way to give it to you after canceling your contract.”
As the name of the deity he still awaited was mentioned, Shin Dowon stared blankly at Seora.
“It’s not too late. Drink it and live your life.”
Tears welled up in his eyes. His heart swelled at the realization that he was still remembered.
“How could you…”
“It’s a long story. Anyway, now you can live longer. Well, you might die a bit earlier than others, but it’s not an imminent death anymore.” Yun Seora beamed brightly, a face filled with pure joy. “I saved you. I saved you with the nectar obtained as payment for slaying the dragon. So now, your remaining life belongs to me.”
“…”
“You chose me to burn your life? You made a good choice. Keep living for me. Lift the hammer for me, create weapons for me. It was your choice, and your choice saved you.” Yun Seora shook the combat gear he had made. “Continue making them for me. For my sake. Burn all your remaining life for me. In return, I’ll make you the greatest worksman in the world.”
Haha… He was truly overwhelmed. Shin Dowon burst into laughter. He felt insane. What had he done? Why did he choose someone like this?
It was absurd, but he couldn’t say a word.
She was right. Since he had made the choice, honoring that promise until the end was the only thing he could do.
Shin Dowon responded by bowing his head.
***
Seora briefly explained what had happened in the Gangneung dungeon to Shin Dowon. He listened silently, his eyes gradually widening until, in the end, he looked at her with a bewildered expression.
“So, even though it’s an alter ego, you demanded nectar from the deity?”
“Demanded sounds harsh. I just mentioned things wouldn’t be pleasant if it wasn’t handed over.”
That sounds like a demand. Shin Dowon rubbed his forehead. “Even so, why would you take such a risky move?”
“Well, the deity was carrying guilt towards you, so it was possible.”
“…”
Guilt. Shin Dowon let out a bitter laugh. Alongside gratitude for not being forgotten, he felt a hint of resentment, thinking if that was the case, the deity should have stayed by his side until the end.
“You didn’t mention him coming back to me?”
“Well, after handing over the nectar, he said it’d be meaningless to make a new contract. He mentioned a lifespan increase of just 5 years for the remaining 1 year.”
“Five years would’ve been enough for me.”
The time spent with the deity was the most brilliant in his life. If he could taste that happiness again, even for a moment, he’d be content leaving this world.
“It’s truly unfortunate.” Seeing the tinge of bitterness on Shin Dowon’s face, Seora shrugged. “If you’re going to die with or without him, it’d be better for him to stay until your end. I guess he doesn’t understand that sentiment.”
“…”
“Of course, I do understand the sadness of being left alone.” Seora smiled brightly.
The smile held a profound sorrow for someone so young. Shin Dowon recalled that Seora lost both her parents when she was just ten. She knew grief caused by death all too well. Unfortunately.
“But what can I do? You can’t force someone who doesn’t want it. Shin Dowon, you should just give up and live your remaining life well. Remember what I said? If you create something mediocre, I’ll openly show disappointment. If you don’t want to be laughed at, ignite your flames properly.”
Shin Dowon blinked, then chuckled. The image of a young child he had held in his mind paled in comparison to Yun Seora’s current display of courage.
Yes, she was right. He would burn this resilient life passionately, considering each day as if it were his last. Perhaps, then, when there wasn’t much life left, his deity would return.
Cruel as it may seem, he also wished his death could be witnessed by the deity. What could he do? He was a selfish human.
“But Yun Seora.”
“Yes?”
Eating the snack Shin Dowon had given her, Seora’s eyes widened.
“How did you know my deity was Hephaestus? I never told you, and even the association’s president doesn’t know. Almost no one knew, so how did you know and get the nectar from him?”
His question caught Seora off guard while she was munching on the snack. She quickly diverted the conversation, mentioning stains on the new combat gear or some f*cking volcanic debris.
“…”
“…”
Shin Dowon’s gaze sharpened. Seora twisted her head, avoiding his stare.
“Could you, by any chance, see information about others?”
“…”
“Did you knowingly ask me various things while pretending not to know?”
“…”
No answer. Seeing Seong Jarim, who was lying on the raised platform, giggling, it seemed she also knew this fact.
“You’re an extremely high-risk L-class.”
Shin Dowon chuckled incredulously upon uncovering Seora’s secret.
To gather information from others and threaten a deity for nectar… Perhaps such an awakened individual would be unprecedented worldwide. Shin Dowon was sure that there was no one in the world stronger than Yun Seora. Two people like her could truly cause a lot of trouble.
***
“The god Typhon. You’ve worked hard, Seora.”
Back at the association, Seora reported the incidents in Gangneung to Song Hanna and Do Junyeong, excluding the part about providing nectar to Shin Dowon. It wasn’t particularly important, and there were more urgent matters at hand.
“By the way, it seems dungeons like the one where the deity appeared will occur more frequently in the future. Oh dear, it’s becoming increasingly complex.”
The faces of Song Hanna and Do Junyeong, seated in the president’s office, weren’t exactly pleasant. It seemed that instead of seeing more hope, things were becoming even more challenging.
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