〈Episode 17. SSS-Rank Talent (5)〉
Lycaon, prince of the Imuntar race, bowed respectfully to me. Then he promptly turned his back and faced Antinus.
Having a non-human ally on your side really was reassuring.
"Antinus."
"Lycaon…"
"What in the world do you think you're doing?"
The queen of parasites laughed.
"Have you forgotten our mission? Why are you fighting the humans of this world?"
"Kikik, mission? Did we ever have such a thing?"
At her mocking tone, Lycaon's expression hardened.
"We are Guides. Beings who stand against the approaching calamities and show the inhabitants of other worlds the proper path."
"So you've already been bewitched by those goblin bastards. Wake up, Lycaon."
"The one who needs to wake up is you, Antinus!"
Lycaon's voice was gradually rising.
"Have you forgotten the sacrifice of the warriors of Chronos? The moment when the five ruling species were annihilated—have you already forgotten that? We must stop the calamity here. Cooperate with the life-forms of this world, protect this terraformed planet, and rebuild the civilization of Chronos in this world! That is our sacred mission!"
The restoration of Chronos civilization.
Antinus stopped laughing.
"Lycaon, that's impossible. This planet is destined to be destroyed. That is the fate of the scenario."
"No. This time is different."
Lycaon's eyes flicked briefly toward me.
"My liege defeated a lesser calamity before the calamity even began. As proof, he possesses our race's talisman. Perhaps… perhaps the end can be prevented."
"A mere lesser calamity? If it was a degraded version, we could have stopped it ourselves anytime."
"This is only Earth's fifth scenario! No planet has ever eliminated a lesser calamity before the fifth scenario even began. Think carefully, Antinus! There is still hope on this planet!"
Antinus's compound eyes blinked slowly.
An insect-like cry, thick and phlegmy.
Deep, viscous resentment clung to her voice.
"Don't play the hypocrite. You say you came here to stop the calamity? If you truly intended to help them, why didn't you oppose it from the very beginning—when the calamity's destination was designated as 'Earth'?"
"That's…"
While listening in, Han Sooyoung quietly approached my side.
"What are those guys even talking about?"
It seemed Han Sooyoung didn't know the detailed backstory of this scenario either. In the third or fourth regressions, the Guides never had conversations this deep. But this wasn't the right situation to explain anything.
Antinus continued.
"Lycaon! You're the same as me. We came to this planet for revenge! To repay those who brought calamity upon us with the same calamity in return!"
"If you do that, you will die as well. The Star Stream's plausibility will not forgive a Guide's unilateral decision."
Antinus laughed.
"Lycaon, the real me died together with my people of Chronos."
"…You're impossible to reason with."
Baring his fangs, Lycaon unleashed his killing intent.
"Antinus. Our bond ends here."
"Kikikik! Lycaon! Pitiful wolf of Imuntar! Have you forgotten the history of Chronos? Wolves have never once triumphed over insects!"
The battle between the prince of wolves and the queen of parasites began.
Grrrrrr!
Lycaon roared.
The flow of the surrounding air began to change.
Some winds sped up, others slowed down.
And some grew violent.
"I am no longer the 'Imuntar' you once knew!"
Kugugugugu!
The surrounding winds scattered all at once, pressing down on Antinus's momentum.
Lycaon's evolved [Path of the Wind] was finally revealing itself.
"Kiiit… how amusing! Let me see just how much your 'Path' has grown!"
Antinus moved first.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
The atmospheric barrier created by [Path of the Wind] collided with Antinus's tail.
Sparks flew in midair, accompanied by the sound of tearing hide.
For that moment, both Han Sooyoung and I stood there, entranced, staring up at the sky.
This was a battle between 5th-grade non-human species.
A clash of otherworldly beings that transcended physical superiority and even racial compatibility.
Breaking through a gap in the air, Antinus's form leapt in an instant, arriving right before Lycaon's snout.
Shraaaak!
Antinus's tail, transformed through external mutation, surged toward Lycaon like a massive spike. It was only a single strike, but that one blow could have decided the battle.
And yet, at that moment, Antinus's movement suddenly slowed.
As if some repulsive force were pushing her tail away.
"Kiiit?"
Meanwhile, Lycaon's movements subtly accelerated.
A fleeting burst of speed rendered the attack meaningless.
Antinus's tail sliced uselessly through empty air.
[The 5th-grade Insect King Species 'Parasite Antinus' has activated 'Accelerating Wings Lv.8'.]
Antinus's wings spread wide. Her form, vibrating violently, vanished.
An S-rank mobility skill, [Accelerating Wings].
Beating her wings hundreds, thousands of times per second, her body covered Lycaon from all directions as if she were teleporting. Without time to evade, Antinus's two arms—transformed into scythes—flew toward Lycaon's blind spot.
[The 5th-grade Insect King Species 'Parasite Antinus' has activated 'Praying Mantis Shattering Strike Lv.8'.]
As her accelerated scythes shredded the wall of air, a horrific rupture rang out. The blow was so fast that, this time, even Lycaon seemed unlikely to evade it.
And yet—Lycaon dodged.
At the decisive instant, Antinus's attack slowed once more, and Lycaon's movement accelerated again. Attacks grazed past him by a hair's breadth. Antinus's compound eyes flared wide.
Yoo Sangah asked in shock,
"What on earth is that skill? Is it [Instant Acceleration]?"
"No," I replied. "That's [Path of the Wind]."
The secret art of the Imuntar race, [Path of the Wind].
At first glance, it looked like the two of them had changed speed, but in reality, it was Lycaon's ability. All the surrounding air flowed according to his will.
"Kik… damn wind…!"
Antinus seemed to notice it as well. There was wind along every path she moved. Antinus got caught in the wind, and Lycaon used it to his advantage.
It was a skill that allowed him to evade Antinus's [Praying Mantis Shattering Strike] and control the movements of [Accelerating Wings]. The paths the wind created could act as footwork, martial arts maneuvers, or, at times, evasive or offensive techniques.
This was why I needed that skill.
If I could master just [Path of the Wind], I could replace many other skills I might need with this single ability for a while.
Lycaon roared.
"Queen of insects! Kneel before the wind!"
The wolf of the wind moved. Sharp claws cut through her wings as he rode the wind's currents, and kicks fired like a gale smashed into her abdomen. The added speed of the wind intensified his rapid attacks, breaking through the tough armor of Antinus.
"Gyaaah…!"
Antinus, now missing half of her wings, plummeted.
If I hadn't given him that insight, Lycaon probably wouldn't have been able to defeat Antinus now.
I thought of it as a good deed—but in the end, it worked in our favor.
Chijik, chijijijik—!
The signs of a plausibility storm grew even stronger over Antinus's body.
"Kiiit! It won't end like this!"
Antinus spread her half-wings and attempted to recover during her fall.
―Kim Dokja! Kill her! Quickly!
Even before I could hear Yoo Joong-hyuk's voice, I was already running toward Antinus.
['Blade of Conviction' activates!]
Chijijijik!
I might have been caught in the plausibility storm, but that wasn't important right now.
"My world, my race, my children!"
She headed straight toward the [Calamity Meteor].
"I will make them pay for destroying my world!"
All of her magical power shot toward the calamity meteor.
Great Lycaon ran forward to absorb the magical impact, while I swung the flame-imbued 'Blade of Conviction' at Antinus's falling neck.
The insect's snout curled in a sneer.
Did I block it?
When I turned my head, Lycaon was looking at me, pale-faced.
"Grrr… Liege, I'm sorry…"
And then there was silence.
A flash exploded from the [Calamity Meteor], and an immense blast covered me. One of the meteor fragments struck my head hard. The world shook as if I'd suffered a concussion. I saw Lycaon get swept up by the explosion and thrown away.
Guides cannot withstand the power of a calamity.
Just as history cannot be rewritten after a defeat, the balance of the world was collapsing.
[You have failed to clear the scenario.]
['Calamity of Questions' descends upon your world.]
For a moment, my vision went completely black. With a thunderous roar, my body was buried beneath the rubble of shattered buildings.
When I barely regained consciousness, only Yoo Joong-hyuk's voice echoed loudly.
―Kim Dokja! Wake up! Quickly!
―…I'm awake.
―Move! If you act now, you might still stop the calamity!
Honestly, I thought it was impossible.
Without [Path of the Wind], the [Calamity of Questions] had already hatched.
Attempting a suicide charge to stop it would be reckless; it was wiser to consider another route.
As if reading my mind, Yoo Joong-hyuk spoke.
―So that's how weak you really are?
―What?
―All those things you said to me… were they lies?
I reflexively lifted myself up.
This guy…
―The one who told me not to give up on the world, has he already caved to this much calamity?
A bitter laugh escaped me.
Of all people, I never imagined I'd hear that from Yoo Joong-hyuk.
I should feel mortified enough to die from shame.
―Of course not, man. I was just thinking for a moment.
Damn it, Yoo Joong-hyuk was right.
Even as a reader who had fully completed the works, I was already discussing 'impossibility.' Clearly, it was far too early for that.
I pushed through the rubble and ran outside.
Kugugugugu.
The [Calamity Meteor], which measured eight meters, had split in two.
Something had surely hatched from within.
I quickly scanned the surroundings, but the calamity itself was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey… what the hell is going on…"
Han Soo-young, who had been nearby, approached me with a restless expression.
Yoo Sang-ah was nowhere in sight.
And then, a small voice reached my ears.
"Here…?"
About ten steps away stood a boy—probably a high schooler, judging by his appearance. Completely naked, with not even a scrap of clothing, he muttered to himself.
"Here… could it be…?"
He looked around repeatedly, disbelief written all over his face.
Hearing him mutter, I thought: I need to kill that kid right now.
But my body wouldn't move.
[Due to the earlier-than-expected hatching, the power of the 'Calamity of Questions' is weakened.]
[Because of the early hatching penalty, you cannot attack the 'Calamity of Questions' for approximately 3 minutes.]
Damn it…
So the penalty hit us instead of that brat?
Those goblin bastards… how the hell do they run things?
The boy strode over to a woman lying nearby.
She had been a member of Dokhee's group.
With a bright, innocent voice, he called out to the filthy woman.
"Lady! Are you okay?"
"Uh… ugh… who…?"
"Hey, can I ask you just one question?"
No. She mustn't answer that question.
I wanted to shout, but no sound came out.
"Where… am I? And what year is it?"
"W-why are you suddenly asking that…?"
"You're asking me back?"
The woman, seemingly entranced by his strange tone, began to answer.
"This… this is Seoul… and… this year is…"
The moment her words fell, a system message sounded.
[The first question has been resolved.][The first seal of the returnee 'Myeong Il-sang' has been lifted.]
"Hahaha… hahahaha!"
"W-why are you laughing…?"
The boy laughed maniacally at the confused woman.
"Do you know how hard I've suffered? You don't, do you?"
"W-what?"
"You haven't lived for a hundred years, right? Haven't experienced a place where you're the only human… do you even know there are other dimensions besides this one?"
"Other… dimensions?"
"Disgusting bugs, werewolves, the Join tribe… I'll give you a question, wanna try to answer?"
The flustered woman opened her mouth, and the boy asked:
"Bugs, wolves, birds. Which of the three species is the strongest?"
"W-what… strongest at what?"
The boy laughed like he was about to die of joy. It was a spine-chilling laugh.
"Then… which of the three tastes the best as meat?"
As I listened to the words coming from the [Calamity of Questions], I thought:
Yeah… maybe it made sense that Antinus wanted to destroy Earth.
Because it was humans—this planet's humans—who had destroyed their world.
The woman ultimately could not answer the boy's question.
"P-please… save me…"
With a grinding sound, her neck was severed. The boy laughed maniacally and scanned the surroundings.
"Now, from here on, this is the obvious scenario, right? Those S-rank incarnations? Let's deal with them. Crush the oppressive alliance too. Wait… before that…"
[Early hatching penalty has ended.][The force controlling your movement has disappeared.]
Damn it. Too late.
Just as I was about to shout, the boy disappeared in a flash—reappearing a distance away at the location of another new woman.
"Haha! You're pretty, miss! Huh?"
I cursed under my breath.
―Yoo Sang-ah, move!
Drawing her dagger, Yoo Sang-ah cautiously addressed the boy.
"…Who are you?"
The boy grinned at the question.
"Curious?"
With a hand that moved at an invisible speed, he grabbed Yoo Sang-ah's chin.
"Want me to tell you?"
One of the five calamities that destroyed Chronos—the [Calamity of Questions].
He was a returnee from Earth, someone who had traveled to this world and come back.