"..."
Watching the two figures emerge from the shadows into the throne room, Kargalgan very much wanted to say that the portal blockade had already been lifted.
But in the next moment, the incessant command ringing in his mind made his pupils contract, and the words that escaped his lips became:
"How dare you show yourselves before me, humans."
The fear and chaos in his thoughts, under the command echoing in his brain, transformed into fury. Staring straight at Cha Hae-in, he raised his right hand.
"Gravitation Magic."
Without even giving the other a chance to respond, Kargalgan's subconscious drove him to attack immediately.
Cha Hae-in's magical aptitude was exceptionally high.
As previously mentioned, those with magic hypersensitivity generally possess an extraordinary perception of magic.
While severe cases suffer from magic, turning this gift into a curse, for mild cases—those who can adapt to magic through certain means—it is a blessing worthy of being called heavenly grace.
If before she would have dodged this attack purely on instinct and intuition, now she clearly understood why she needed to evade.
It was roughly the difference between 'true insight' and 'imitation insight'.
The moment she sensed magic materializing to assault her, Cha Hae-in's body had already moved to dodge.
Both parties widened their eyes simultaneously.
'This strong?' they both thought.
Cha Hae-in had assumed that even though this was a particularly unusual A-rank gate, it wouldn't exceed her understanding. But that single move just now made her gasp in shock.
She had never encountered a magical beast that attacked so swiftly and could speak human language.
And also...
She glanced at the spot she had just occupied, now a massive crater in the ground.
Even for someone like her, taking that hit head-on would have hurt. A lot.
Castorice wasn't surprised the other could speak human language.
Although she herself had no desire to delve into the pasts of the deceased, Sung Jinwoo was intensely curious about these magical beasts, or rather, the Denizens of Chaos.
After using the authority of the underworld, lent by Castorice, to peer into the memories of those Denizens of Chaos, his back was nearly drenched in cold sweat.
Through multi-faceted viewing and piecing together, he had assembled a truth that filled him with lingering fear.
A so-called truth, lacking completeness, could become mere conjecture and misunderstanding.
Sung Jinwoo wasn't so single-minded as to take his version of the truth as absolute fact, but that didn't mean he could continue using the power granted by the System without any misgivings.
Yet... another problem arose here: he needed the medicine provided by the System to save his mother.
He had no choice but to walk this dark path to its end.
This made him grateful once again for the deal he had struck with Castorice back then.
After all, to be honest, he hadn't lost anything. Instead, he had gained considerable help and a chance to risk his life without any lingering worries.
The price of helping manage the underworld wasn't so hard to accept either. Just think of it as getting a job. Much easier than a regular one.
And the biggest benefit was gaining a backer of unfathomable, but undoubtedly immense, depth.
So, even knowing this power definitely came with strings attached, Sung Jinwoo intended to keep using it—at least until he obtained the medicine to cure his mother.
He knew he had become a "privilege hound" now. Even if his mother truly reached her end, he could literally reunite with her on the other side.
But... his sister was still in this world. So, it was better to heal their mother.
After learning about the state of the chaotic denizens, although Sung Jinwoo didn't voice the uncertain, possibly incomplete truth in his mind, he did tell Castorice about their circumstances, partly as a report on his work.
And from him, Castorice gained more information about that other world.
The so-called Denizens of Chaos, the Magic Beasts, were merely pawns sacrificed in the games between the Rulers and the Monarchs.
To put it bluntly, they weren't much different from humans.
In fact, the reason the vast majority of them attacked humans was because of brainwashing orders implanted in their minds by the Rulers.
Of course, "not much different" referred to their social structure. Even without those orders, the inherent nature of these beasts was no friendly matter for humanity.
"Hymn of the Blazing Fire!"
Roaring flames erupted from all around Cha Hae-in. She wasn't wearing any gear, but an attack of this caliber couldn't possibly harm her. It couldn't even touch the hem of her clothes.
With a spring of her legs, she closed a distance of over a hundred meters in an instant.
A golden blade, like sunlight made manifest, was held high above her head as she brought it straight down upon Kargalgan.
"Hymn of Protection!"
A massive ice-blue shield materialized between the two.
A shield sturdy enough to withstand a full-force A-rank strike without a scratch dissolved like butter under the golden radiance.
But before the light could land on Kargalgan's head, Cha Hae-in planted a foot on the shield, using the leverage to propel herself backwards.
The next moment, four weapons simultaneously struck the spot she had just vacated.
Wielding them were four High Orc guards whose aura was utterly distinct from the other High Orcs present.
Cha Hae-in frowned slightly.
By herself... she couldn't see a way to achieve victory quickly.
If she had her full set of gear, Cha Hae-in would be confident of emerging the ultimate victor. But...
Both sides understood perfectly well that this simple exchange had all but confirmed this would be a war of attrition.
And both sides knew even better that Cha Hae-in's current state, armed with only a single sword, would inevitably turn that prolonged battle into the last scenario she wanted.
Gear could tremendously enhance physical capabilities—not just strength and speed, but also resistance to damage.
Lacking gear meant Cha Hae-in had to constantly consider how much punishment she could take. Injury would not only sap stamina but also distort her movements.
As if sensing Kargalgan's advantage from the shifting momentum, the High Orcs on both sides began a deafening chorus of cheers.
The throne room became incredibly cacophonous, setting the other hunters hiding in the caverns on edge.
However...
"Castorice."
Cha Hae-in looked at the purple-haired girl who had, at some point, walked up beside her. Her eyes held trust and a request. "The guards and the High Orcs... can I leave them to you?"
"Please leave it to me, Cha-sunbae."
Castorice had no objection. The smile on her face was serene, but only now did Cha Hae-in notice the unshakable composure that always lay beneath that serenity.
Cha Hae-in had just been bombarded with a heap of theory.
Digesting it required real combat to truly assimilate.
And right now, there was a perfectly suitable target—powerful enough, unlike a training partner where she'd have to hold back, and brimming with enough tension to be genuine.
Castorice naturally had no intention of stealing the spotlight now. Seeing Cha Hae-in digest her gains was exactly what she wanted.
Finally wresting a sliver of reason from his fury, Kargalgan now noticed the purple figure, belatedly realizing there was another presence here besides the humans.
He very much wanted to ask why she would side with humans against him. But spurred by the command in his mind, what burst forth was:
"Arrogance! I shall bury you here along with them!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.