Underworld VI

"Kyaaaaa!!"

"S-Save me!!"

People ran away with pale expressions.

The 10-meter monster that appeared in the middle of Seoul Station was an existence that could be called a calamity in itself.

On top of that—

"Kuruaaaa!!"

—groups of Reptilians that had previously been in hiding exited the tunnel and started to attack the civilians.

'Damn it!'

Ohjin bit his lips with a nervous expression.

'This is bad.'

Although whether or not the flesh giant destroyed Seoul Station or if the group of Reptilians killed the innocent civilians was none of his business.

'I need to protect them right now.'

If he didn't care for the sacrifices on the spot, the trust formed with Vega would break as the Goddess believed him to be the 'Hero' that would change the destiny of the world.

"Hmpf!" Ohjin kicked off of the giant's arm.

Slice!—

He cut the wire connecting him to the flesh giant with his knife.

"Kyaa!"

Bang!—

A child that seemed to be in primary school was pushed onto the ground by the people that were escaping.

The textbooks inside her backpack poured out.

"KarrrRRaaa!!"

"H-Hiik!"

A Reptilian approached the child one step at a time. Sticking out its dark red tongue, it aimed its sharp bone awl towards the weak prey.

"P-Please, save… me."

Drip, drip—

The child pitifully pleaded with tears dripping down her face.

However, there was no way that kind of plea would work against the extraterrestrial creatures that were monsters.

The Reptilian brought down the bone awl towards the child without hesitation.

And then—

Bang!—

"Kiiiiiii!!"

—the wire's weight precisely pierced through the Reptilian's forehead.

"…Ah?" The child that had been crying raised her head.

Bzzt!—

Ohjin, wrapped in blue lightning, landed in front of the child.

"T-Thank…"

"Hurry up and escape." He didn't have the leisure to listen to appreciations.

TTap!—

Ohjin sprinted forward and aimed the wire shooter towards the group of Reptilians.

Bang! Bang! Bang!—

As one of the wires had been cut, there were a total of five instead of six wires that shot towards the group of Reptilians.

Crackleee!!—

The bodies of the Reptilians that were charging towards the civilians spazzed out as blue lightning sparked.

'There aren't a lot of them.'

Was it thanks to the fact that he had killed so many on the path towards the flesh giant? There weren't many Reptilians that had come outside into Seoul Station.

'The problem is…'

Ohjin clicked his tongue while turning his head towards the flesh giant.

"GaRara! Gruuuuu!"

Boom! Crunch!—

The giant was crashing its body into the walls of buildings while clutching its nape that had been directly hit by Lightning Charge.

However, even that was momentary.

Releasing the clutch on his nape, its eyes opened wide with anger as it looked at Ohjin.

"Fuck."

Ohjin cursed out of shame.

Though that was the opportunity he needed to finish things up, he had lost the timing—as he had been busy saving people.

'It can't be helped.'

It wasn't like he could let the group of Reptilians massacre the escaping civilians, either.

'Back to square one.'

Clench—

He grasped his spear and lowered his stance.

Even though it could be called square one, it didn't mean that everything he had done until then was meaningless.

"Krrrrrr…"

"Does it hurt?"

Ohjin laughed as his lips twisted up.

The Lightning Charge had definitely left a scar that the monster couldn't recover from easily.

'Since I know that the attack's effective…'

All he had to do was shoot Lightning Charges until the giant was completely destroyed.

[My child. Are you sure you won't need the blessing?]

Dazzle—

Vega, who had flown next to him, asked with a worried voice.

"I'm fine."

He wasn't bluffing.

If he had thought that he was in a situation where the blessing was in urgent need, the first thing he would have done was put aside the act and beg her to grant him a blessing.

However…

'I can do it.'

An electrifying thrill ran through him when he finished preparing the Lightning Charge.

His body heated up from the ecstasy that came over him when he controlled mana as he pleased.

'If I receive a blessing right now…'

The power that was temporarily increased by the blessing would soon disappear like a mirage.

Perhaps along with the thrill and ecstasy he felt at that moment.

It could all disperse away.

'I can't let that happen.'

Focusing his mind on the sensation that heated up his body, he increased the strength in his grip around the spear.

"KaRaaaaaaAA!!"

Bang! Bang!—

The giant kicked off.

"Hmpf!"

He sprinted towards the approaching giant.

The four arms swung with enough momentum to crush him to dust.

Bang!!!—

"Kugk!"

Even though he was only grazed, his body was sent rolling on the ground from the shocking impact.

'A little more.'

He got back on his feet.

He ignored the dreadful pain that radiated across his entire body.

Boom! Bang! Kwaang!—

"Kughk!"

The opponent was too fast. Attacks that were so fast that he couldn't even see their origin rained down like a storm.

"Haa! Haa!"

Ohjin managed to narrowly avoid the attacks.

It was a dangerous situation where his entire body would get crushed the moment he took a wrong step.

Mental fear started to eat away his mind.

Bang!—

"KughK!! Kuh! Cough! Cough!"

The fist grazed him once more, and his body was sent flying back.

His sight wavered.

"GuRaaaaaarRRRR!!!"

Was it because it thought it had already been deemed the victor? The flesh giant let out a roar and charged at him with even more ferocity.

"Haa, haa, haa!"

Ohjin gasped for breath.

His footwork deteriorated as strength left his legs.

It was the worst situation.

It was to the point where it wouldn't be weird to immediately beg Vega for a blessing.

"Haa, haa, ha."

How—

"Ha, haa."

—was it that he was so happy?

"Ha, haha!"

How could such thrill and ecstasy be overflowing through him?

Bang!!!—

"Hmpf!"

He rolled and avoided the fiercely swung fist.

The giant stuck close to him, not giving him the room for rest.

Fists rained down like comets.

Boom! Boom! Boom!—

Dodge… Dodge… Dodge…

A smell mixed with iron, blood, and sweat stimulated his nose.

The senses across his body sharpened as if he was using the stigma of the Hunting Dogs.

The giant's movements he could not possibly follow before started to become clear in his eyes.

His messed up footwork found its original pace.

'Now…'

Things he could not see before started to appear before his eyes.

"It's my turn."

He stopped dodging and swung his spear.

Crackleeeeeee!!!—

A Lightning Charge exploded at the tip of his spear.

"KaRaaaa!!!"

One of the four arms was crushed to pieces.

"This is just the start."

Crackleee! Crackleeeee!—

He exploded out Lightning Charges one after another.

The giant wavered as it started to step back.

Following the giant, he continued to shove Lightning Charges without rest.

No matter how plentiful his mana was, consecutively using a skill that didn't take any efficiency into account couldn't help but strain his body, however…

'My mana isn't being reduced.'

It was the same phenomenon as before.

The more mana he used, the more mana would soar up with intense momentum.

It felt as if he was sucking water out of the ocean.

'If it won't reduce no matter how much of it I use.'

Ohjin's lips twisted up.

He poured out mana to the limit of what his body could handle for every single blow of Lightning Charge.

Crackleeee!!!—

"KaaRaaaaaaa!"

The flesh giant that couldn't endure the barrage of Lightning Charges turned its body.

"Where are you running off to?"

Ohjin spread his arms out wide.

He shot wires towards the debris of the buildings that were destroyed when the giant went on a rampage.

Bang! Bang!!—

Five wires stuck to the building's debris.

"Hmpf!!!"

Taking in a deep breath, he crossed his arms into an X.

The debris stuck to the wires wrapped around the giant.

'Now!'

Until the limit…

No, pushing mana over the limit!

Boooooooooom!!!—

A total of five Lightning Charges rode the wires and exploded simultaneously.

-Ring!

["Lightning Charge Lv1" has increased to "Lightning Charge Lv2"!]

["Lightning Charge Lv2"has increased to "Lightning Charge Lv3"!]

Alongside the message box that displayed that he had leveled a skill twice in one go—

Bang!—

—the giant's body fell to the ground.

There was a brief silence.

And then…

"W-Wow."

"Woaaaaaah!!!"

"H-He killed that monster!!!"

"W-Who is that Awakener? Which guild is he from?!"

Thunderous applause exploded out.

[M-My child. Are you okay?] Vega asked as she urgently approached him.

Ohjin smiled towards her and raised his thumb.

"I told you to wait right there, didn't I?"

Though the state of his body wasn't actually all that fine, he showed off as if it was nothing.

[Fuu… Seriously! Do you know how worried this lady was!]

"Huhu. I still won."

[Hmpf! Didn't you take quite a while after saying that you'll end it in an instant!]

Vega turned her head around while crossing her arms as if she was upset.

'…When did our Goddess become so cutesy?'

The appearance of Vega when he had first met her—aloof like a flower that had blossomed alone at a cliff—was nowhere to be seen.

'On a different note.'

Turning his head, he looked at the crowd that had surrounded him.

"Hugk! Thank you!! Thank you so much!"

"Pictures! Hurry up and take pictures!!"

The crowd that had gathered from the commotion already numbered hundreds.

'Well, I guess hiding my identity is over with this.'

As he had eliminated the monster in front of that many people, information about him would soon spread like the wind.

'And naturally, the fact that I'm a North Star's apostle will also be exposed.'

He didn't feel all that regretful since he had predicted that this would happen someday. It was just that it was pulled to a closer date.

"H-Hey."

Then, a person from the crowd initiated a conversation with him. It was a middle-aged male wearing a suit that seemed to be for work. He continued speaking while taking a business card out of his pocket.

"I'm Reporter Go Kwanghyun from Chollian News. Could I perhaps… ask which guild you are affiliated with?"

"I'm from the Association," Ohjin answered with a kind smile.

'It's already ended up like this; let's just go with a kind image.'

Approaching others with a likable image was extremely important.

'Since the better your image is, the easier to earn trust.'

And that trust would someday turn into nutrients.

"W-Was there an Awakener like that from the Association?"

"Wow… he was from the Association; I'd have never guessed."

"But doesn't he seem like a really nice person?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Exclamations could be heard from all over the place.

'Alright.'

Ohjin smiled in satisfaction.

"Thank you so much!"

"Whistle! You're so cool!!"

He could hear thunderous applause and appreciation from here and there.

'I should act humble.'

In order to possess a more likable image, there was nothing better than being humble.

"No. I've only done what I should ha—"

[Fufu! Did you all see clearly?!]

"Huh?"

Vega placed both arms on her hips and stepped forward.

[The hero that has saved you all is the very child of this lady!!!]

Hmpf!!—

With her back straightened, she shouted out as if boasting.

An appearance like that of a dull mom bragging about her son.

[…Ah!]

Clap!—

Then, Vega smiled brightly as if she had come up with a good idea.

'Why do I feel…'

Anxiety swept over him.

[By the way… you are all expressing your thanks only with words.]

'What?'

[How could you express your thanks like that when your savior is right in front of you!!!]

'What are you talking about.'

[Our child welcomes money very much!!]

'Fuck…'

[—Hurry up and present my child with money!!!]

'Fucking stop!…'

'I need to maintain a humble image!!!!'

His mouth opened wide with a dumbstruck expression.

"Uh… money?"

"Khm. T-That's right? He's the savior of our life after all."

With disappointed expressions, the people opened their wallets and handed money over to Vega.

[Fufu. How was that?]

Vega extended the money to him while puffing her chest out.

[This lady has arranged money for you!]

'Fuck me.'