chapter 202

Chapter 202

A faint song could be heard throughout the temple.

“Isn’t this a hymn...?”

“I’m a Moon Church believer so I hear them sometimes, and it really sounds similar.”

The Sun Church priests were a little displeased.

“...If you really had to be strict about it, it does fit the format of a hymn, but...”

“No matter how similar it is to Earth’s music, you can’t say something from another dimension is the same.”

“I don’t know what kind of clue it could be, but it doesn’t feel good.”

A hymn was music meant to praise a god and foster faith. And on top of that, it had been revealed that this place had once been a Sun Temple, yet such a bizarre hymn was flowing out—this was blasphemy itself. It mocked the sun and praised something wicked.

The faint singing that echoed throughout the entire temple was eerie for its slight dissonance, and also languid, like a stretched-out summer dusk in its gentle melody, and it resembled the cry of a beast, making it impossible to understand.

It rippled like a whale’s cry spreading through seawater.

“...”

“...Anyway.”

Even amid the strange air, the hunters found what they needed to do.

“Is identifying the core the most important thing?”

“Yes, often the monster itself is the core, but... there are also quite a lot of cases where there’s a separate core.”

“And securing the safety of the kidnapped Hunter Seo Gio and Apprentice Priest Cha Isol is also important. Both are outstanding talents. We can’t just let them die like this.”

“Seems like we should take a look around.”

Kang Seodam said as he held up a small, round jewel.

“If it’s Apprentice Priest Cha Isol’s location, we can find it with this resonance stone.”

The resonance stone that Ruda said she had split with her partner Cha Isol vibrated even more vividly once they entered the frame. It was a pulse like a tiny heart that moved as if alive.

“It’s certain she’s inside this dungeon.”

“Then Hunter Seo Gio too...?”

“For now, we’ll move on the premise that the two are imprisoned in the same place.”

“How will you find the core?”

“Like I said earlier, we’ll split into two teams for now.”

One for hostage rescue, and one for identifying the core.

“Hunter Sanarae, I’m counting on you.”

“Mmm, I’m good at that. Don’t worry.”

“Even if a strong monster appears, make sure it doesn’t slip away elsewhere, and lead your team well...”

“Ha ha, don’t worry, don’t worry. We’re really diligent people.”

‘Hard to believe.’

Kang Seodam met the eyes of the hunters on Sanarae’s team. They were also holding back a sigh as they nodded. Since it was an urgent battle, hunters of all kinds had gathered, but at least there were no incompetent ones.

‘We can trust this side.’

He nodded.

“See you later.”

“Yes, see you later.”

They split into two.

* * *

A gardener is an existence that belongs to the garden.

They called themselves by various names. Some literally called themselves gardeners, and sometimes they were called servants or errand-runners, apostles or believers, and there were also gardeners who called themselves its children.

What you could learn here was that “gardeners” were those who could not defy the garden.

“Ah, Florist...”

Tap, patter...

Beneath the bowed head of Jung Yeongwon, petals stained with blood fell.

“Florist, I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Jung Yeongwon wept tears of blood and pressed a hand to the corner of her eyes. The feel of the abundant petals against her palm was soft.

Entranced by that pure smoothness like the skin of a newborn baby, yet at the rage and sorrow the Florist cried out, she too wept and begged forgiveness.

“Florist.”

“Yeongwon.”

“Ah, please...”

“You can’t lose your mind here, got it? Huh?”

“It’s too cold here for you, isn’t it?”

“Ah, this is driving me crazy.”

The man was the team leader who managed the team member Jung Yeongwon. He didn’t know she was a “gardener,” but he knew she was an existence bearing a huge mystery. With a troubled face, he guarded Jung Yeongwon, who was holed up in a narrow, dark place.

“What did you do this time to get scolded like this again?”

Bright flowers were blooming at Jung Yeongwon’s eyes and in her hair. Tender sprouts had come up on her fingers—a chilling scene of a living person being stained by nature.

If they were lunatics obsessed with works like the Collection Merchant, they might call it “beautiful,” or “artistic.” But to a man with ordinary sensibilities, it was nothing but a horrific, spine-chilling punishment.

“Florist, Florist...”

“Timing-wise, it seems like it’s after treating Hunter Yoo Seongun.”

Jung Yeongwon was one of Eununwol Guild’s top healers, but even she sometimes overdid it. Among those times, this was what she looked like when she borrowed power from her “god” without permission.

‘Was there a reason to go this far?’

Of course, if Hunter Yoo Seongun hadn’t recovered, they would’ve been devastated by the boss monster that had just appeared. Countless A-rank hunters had gathered here, but each and every one was precious manpower.

‘It would’ve become a mess if even one person was missing, but even so...’

In the first place, he had no idea how Hunter Yoo Seongun had recovered in such a short time.

Because it wasn’t something possible by human power, he guessed Jung Yeongwon had done something, but he couldn’t understand everything.

“...”

The man let out a long sigh and stayed by Jung Yeongwon’s side.

“I’ll block other people from coming in, so recover quickly.”

“Ah, aaaaah... hua...!”

“Good grief, what a mess...”

He didn’t know what was so urgent that she’d borrowed a god’s power.

‘She’s not a stupid kid.’

There had to have been a reason she had to do it. A reason he didn’t know.

The man stepped outside the room to guard the surroundings. When he closed the door, he saw, with a slightly startled face, a small figure standing nearby. He blinked, then grasped the situation.

“Little priest?”

“Ah, yes, I’m Apprentice Priest Lee Ruda.”

“Why are you here?”

“They said the others would entrust me to the Eununwol camp.”

“Ah-ha, the priests said that?”

“That’s right.”

“Then we should welcome you anytime.”

Eununwol was on friendly terms with the Sun Church and Moon Church. That was also true of apprentice priests from those orders.

“What position do you usually fill?”

“Tank.”

“I heard you already finished your contract with a god.”

“It’s thanks to the divinity who looked kindly upon me.”

“People say Sister Ruda was famous for receiving a god’s gaze the moment she was born.”

“It was a great blessing. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t even be here now. Whatever you ask of me, I will show results above the average.”

“You don’t have to say it like that...”

They said she’d forced her way into staying at the front line, but she was very low-postured. Perhaps she was bowing herself on her own out of discomfort, worried she might be kicked out. The man waved his hand with an awkward smile. A kid with excessively good vocabulary felt a bit unfamiliar.

“So you’re not here because you’re hurt somewhere, right?”

“That’s not it. I was just wondering where I should be...”

“Mm, I see. If possible, I’d like you to protect our camp.”

It was rare, but it wasn’t the first time he’d seen a kid like Ruda step up to the front. Familiar with it, the man organized what Ruda should do and where she should be.

“This is a place where most of the healers are gathered, so they’re all squishy.”

“I will do my best.”

“Yeah, and...”

“...”

“...Did you hear it?”

The sound of Jung Yeongwon writhing in pain, that is.

“Will you pretend you didn’t hear it?”

“I swear on the divinity I serve that I will keep silent.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

It was good that she didn’t ask why she’d ended up like that.

‘Because I don’t have the confidence to explain either.’

It wasn’t just a day or two that Jung Yeongwon had shown this side of herself—trembling before the ‘Florist.’ Since he was close to her, he could guess, ‘Maybe she serves a god,’ but even he didn't know the full extent of her circumstances.

‘Still, it won’t do any good to blab everywhere.’

Jung Yeongwon was a good colleague and a decent friend. If she had something she didn’t want to talk about, he honestly wanted to hide it together with her as much as possible.

“Could I hear how your tanking works?”

“I lure the monsters to gather them in one place, then I put up a barrier.”

“Like a ward. Then can you trap them completely?”

“It’s the concept of installing an intangible wall, so it isn’t impossible, but I’m not quite there yet...”

“Being able to set up even one wall is amazing. I respect that.”

What was I doing at that age?

“Then what is the form of that barrier like?”

“Recently, I succeeded up to making it a hemispherical shape.”

“Capacity?”

“Up to five adult men.”

“Oh, that’s pretty...”

It was impressive.

Among barrier forms, the most effective was a sphere, and a hemisphere was next. But most barrier-type hunters felt a big wall in changing the shape like that.

‘But she can already do a hemisphere, and can even contain five people.’

No matter how much she’d been chosen by a god, her talent was outstanding.

“Hmm, then if it’s just raising a rectangular wall?”

“With that, I can manage up to this tent. I can only block the entrance, though...”

“Then, little priest, conserve your strength as much as possible, and when the front line breaks and the tide pours in, you’ll step up then.”

“...I don’t want to talk back to the one with decision-making authority, but will that really work? In the situation you described, it would be time to consider retreat, and that’s basically the same as losing this battle.”

“As expected, Sister Ruda is smart.”

But that was enough.

“Your ability is meant to be used exactly then. In the final situation, when no one can protect you and the patients here, that’s when you step in.”

“...”

“Until then, I’m saying it’s fine for you to lounge around and do nothing. Got it?”

“That’s too apologetic to do...”

“If you feel sorry, then help the healers at least. I heard the Sun Church teaches emergency treatment from the apprentice-priest days, so go find people who need supplies or something and help them.”

“Ah, yes, I’ll do that.”

“More than anything, it’s because I don’t think there’s much need to worry.”

The man wore his characteristic smile.

“I’m not being relaxed—I’m trusting the people beyond the wall.”

A-rank hunters who could operate in the sea, and B-rank hunters who couldn’t measure up to that, had all gathered to block the boss. The man believed they would not let it into the inland.

* * *

“Huuaaaagh!!”

“Fuck, who brought an incompetent one!!”

“Who’s incompetent, you son of a bitch...!!”

Of course, the situation at the very front line wasn’t that easy.

“That damn thing, where the hell are they even drawing up this seawater from?!”

Thanks to Yoo Seongun’s performance, they had succeeded in freezing the surface and even below it. But unfrozen seawater kept surging up from the deep sea and attacking the hunters.

Of course, as if there was a limit to that too, the seawater being drawn up was gradually freezing in a slushy, fluid way, but...

“What kind of seawater has an ego?!”

“Holy shit, this is insane...!”

Kkwajik! Kkwajik! Kkwajik—!!

Seawater mixed with hard, thick chunks of ice moved like a living snake, flying in and stabbing into the hunters.

The hunters fought off the living ice along with the freezing seawater, while dealing with mermaids crawling up from the deep sea.

“What kind of mermaids are there so many of...!!”

“Hey, someone call some fire-type hunters!!”

“This isn’t something we can solve with just the manpower on this side...!!”

Watching those humans, the mermaids laughed.

“Ahahahahaha!”

“Haha, uhuhuhu...!”

“Aah, aaah!!”

Splash—!!

“Kkyaaaah!!”

“Hey, grab that bastard!!”

They didn’t use language, but they grabbed the ankles of panicked humans and dragged them down beneath the sea. If you fell into the inside of the solidly frozen sea, no matter how much of a hunter you were, it was difficult to survive.

Dealing with mermaids made of flesh wasn’t hard. You could tear them apart with your weapon, or freeze them with cold. The problem was the number of mermaids crawling up from the deep sea.

“Why are there so many...!”

Mermaids climbed up endlessly from the sea.

“Fuck, did the raid team really enter safely?!”

“Got word they entered the dungeon!!”

If they’d traveled by submersible, it would’ve been a huge disaster, but fortunately it hadn’t happened. Since it was such an urgent situation, even without hearing what kind of help the “Black Cloak” had given, the hunters could hear bits of news.

And Yoo Seongun went wild.

Pang—!!!

“...”

The ice of the snowfield is harder than anything.

He planted his spear into the ground, used the recoil to fly up, and in an instant created another spear. Then he froze the mermaid princess’s body and tore it apart at the same time.

Chwaruruk—! A sound like glass beads or diamonds scattering spread out.

But it soon healed.

“Well, that hurts.”

“Hah, seriously.”

Kwa-deudeuk!!!

Making yet another ice atop the glacier, Yoo Seongun landed. Then he ran again.

“What a big baby.”

A face hung with sneering laughter, a torso with no heart, legs that were surely just decoration.

Like a bullet, he flew out and froze and shattered the woman’s face again, but the result was the same. Not only Yoo Seongun, but countless hunters froze and smashed over and over, but it dealt no damage at all to the mermaid princess.

‘Of course.’

The sea exists even at the poles.

‘No matter how cold a place is, the sea exists.’

It can freeze in part, but you can’t freeze it all. Freezing the entire sea is the same as bringing an ice age to that dimension. You can’t do that, and you mustn’t.

‘So it’s impossible to freeze and damage a mermaid assimilated with that sea...’

Chwaaak—!!!

Sliding over the ice sheet, Yoo Seongun adjusted his grip on the spear.

‘The only thing cold can do is stop that thing’s movement for a moment.’

That alone was still a big help to humans. Every time the boss monster moved, huge damage occurred, so they had to at least freeze it. But this was just treading water.

‘And our side’s losses are bigger.’

The mermaid was a living, breathing sea, but humans weren’t cold itself. Even if they kept this war of attrition up, the only one benefiting was the mermaid princess. That thing could move as much as it wanted once humans grew exhausted on their own.

“Ha, fuck.”

Yoo Seongun’s face twisted viciously.

“What a sight.”

“Hunter Yoo Seongun, freeze it!!”

“I’m on it!!”

Ssweaeaeaeaeak!!!

Kwajijik—!!

Kwakwng, chaeng!!

He froze each seawater harpoon flying in like an arrow.

Yoo Seongun stepped on it and slid. The moment he tried to approach the princess’s main body, crash—the ice bridge broke, but he stepped on, jumped, and flew on other ice, reaching the princess again.

The moment their breaths touched.

“Hey.”

The sea spoke.

“Who will win?”

“Me.”

Yoo Seongun smiled firmly at the monster’s question.

“I’ll win.”

Kwajijik, pang—!!!

The princess’s face shatters and scatters.

“...”

Chwaaak!!

When he stepped on the glacier once more, the mermaid princess, recovered in an instant, laughed.

“...Ahaha, haha...!”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Isn’t it laughable how confident you are?”

“Because Hunter Seo Gio will be on my side.”

“How can you be sure of that? Do you believe he will love these ungrateful humans?”

“Then, of course. He was born that way!”

“Do you really think so?”

Aria asked.

“Do you believe that man is the embodiment of mercy?”

“You know he’s far from ordinary, right?”

“He was also a person.”

“...”

“He laughed, chattered, and liked to play tricks...”

Affection and hatred.

“Human.”

The mermaid says Giovanni was not some embodiment of mercy.

“He feels pain as pain too. If he’s suffering, he knows how to suffer, and if he’s sad, he cries too—he’s an ordinary person. And yet you only view the person named Gio as a single work.”

“Do you want to say I’m arrogant? Ignorant, and forcing it?”

“Ah, yes, it’s so terrible. Humans really are this disgusting. Why must that precious existence be caught among you and become an idol?! Why must he become a symbol of luck, and a saint of mercy...?!”

The woman was enraged.

“He is an ordinary human!!!”

She screamed.

(To be continued in the next episode)