ETVHC 53

CHAPTER 53……………………………………….

“It was because he used a flying-type summon.”

Riding that bird, Gagiho moved at least twice as fast as Jun.

— Since when have you been there?

Kim Jun, who hadn’t even imagined Gagiho would appear, hurriedly created distance and protected himself with poison just as he had earlier.

— A healthy body. You’ve got a very fine vessel.

Gagiho’s eyes gleamed with sickening greed as he muttered hoarsely, as if he hadn’t even heard Jun’s question.

“He’s dangerous.”

Just as I feared, Gagiho had zero interest in the treasure chest. No—more accurately, he considered the treasure chest something that naturally belonged to him, so he didn’t feel the need to prioritize it.

“What he’s after right now is Jun. He waited for the map to be completed.”

“Run, Jun!”

I shouted loudly, praying the walkie-talkie would work.

“I don’t think he hears you. That crazy bastard… he’s not normal, is he?”

Ryu Jisu must have sensed the danger too; he stared anxiously at the screen.

“He probably got even more fixated after fighting earlier.”

Kang Gun-hoo remained the only one among us who looked completely unfazed, as if he couldn’t even see Jun was in danger. I knew he had neither blood nor tears, but I couldn’t help the sudden resentment rising in me.

— Shall I bring this one out this time?

Gagiho ignored Jun’s defensive stance and drew a summoning circle.

Guuuuuuung.

The creature that appeared this time was far larger than the earlier one—this wasn’t just chanting, but a summon enhanced with a full magic circle. A massive monster emerged, its huge body topped with a serpent’s head. The sight alone was terrifying. But Gagiho didn’t stop there—he cut the snake’s skin open and crawled inside. Anyone watching felt nauseated, not just uncomfortable, but Gagiho slipped in as naturally as putting on a mascot suit.

“Wh-what… what is that?”

Even Ryu Jisu—who prided himself on his courage—shook in terror. I couldn’t even breathe as I stared at the screen.

Creak… creak…

The limp snake corpse made a grinding, unoiled gear sound before its eyes snapped open. Its body was entirely serpentine, but the eyes were unmistakably human.

“He has a skill that fuses himself with his summon. People usually don’t use summons as disposable bodies like that… but I guess his personality plays a big role.”

Even after witnessing the grotesque scene, Kang Gun-hoo explained calmly as if giving commentary. I kept pressing the walkie-talkie with trembling hands.

“Jun? Jun!”

No response. Even if he heard it, he wouldn’t be able to answer in this situation. The fused Gagiho walked forward, stepping on the poison Jun had scattered. His feet corroded, but the monster’s hide wasn’t his real body, so it caused no real damage.

— Urk!

Jun barely dodged the snake tail whipping toward him from every direction, stumbling backward. Realizing the poison was useless, he immediately drew out plant vines, but it was nowhere near enough to stop someone who had absorbed the monster’s strength into his own.

“Woojin, are you that worried?”

Kang Gun-hoo grabbed my restless hand.

“You saw how well he fought earlier. Just trust him for now.”

“No matter how well Jun fights, he can’t beat someone like that. You already know that!”

My voice came out almost like a scream.

“The kid hasn’t given up yet. And if it gets too dangerous, he can surrender himself. Whether he wants to fight or not—it’s his choice. Woojin, you’re a bit too sensitive about other people getting hurt.”

Rationally, I knew Kang Gun-hoo was right, but I couldn’t control my emotions.

“Ah! Woojin, look!”

Ryu Jisu pointed. At first glance it looked like just a patch of thick grass, but looking closely, a box the size of a parcel was hidden there. Jun wasn’t just retreating—he had been edging closer to the treasure. And now, the distance between him and the box was less than a meter, a nail-biting moment.

— Kkiiiiiik.

The black bird that had been circling suddenly dove like a blade of wind and attacked Jun. While he staggered in confusion, Gagiho seized Jun by the throat.

— Hey, no cutting the line.

Jun kicked desperately in midair, but only managed to scratch the monster’s hide—not enough to drive Gagiho back.

I shot to my feet and looked for Shiri.

“This isn’t happening. I surrender—he surrenders!”

[The participant is still able to declare surrender. Therefore, a teammate’s surrender attempt is denied.]

“His neck is being grabbed!”

Ryu Jisu fiercely protested Shiri’s ruling.

[His mouth is not completely obstructed. Also, the participant currently appears fully willing to resist.]

I turned back to the screen. Jun clutched Gagiho’s arm with trembling hands, forcing out poison. Thanks to his effort, the outer hide melted and Gagiho’s wrist finally slipped free of the monster skin.

— Kek… kek.

But it was only a meager defiance. Jun’s face twisted in pain before our eyes. My eyes grew hot.

“What if he ends up with an injury that can never heal…”

The corpse of my brother Seo Go-gyul, who died a year ago, and the apparition of Baek Woojin’s adoptive father from my dream overlapped with Jun’s face. My vague, lingering fear was becoming reality. I felt like I would go insane, terrified that Jun would end up like the people who had died before my eyes.

Jun grabbed the hand choking his neck in a final desperate struggle. Bang! Gagiho’s hand burst and burned.

Thud!

Unable to endure the pain from Jun’s attack, Gagiho hurled him to the ground. Unfortunately, he threw him with such force that Jun lost consciousness the moment he hit the floor.

— How dare you injure me?

Gagiho flicked his hand sharply and swung the snake’s tail—its massive stinger aimed threateningly at Jun.

“I surrender.”

I didn’t wait any longer; the words crawled out of my throat.

[Hmm… Yes. The participant is unconscious and unable to surrender. This time, the teammate’s surrender is accepted.]

Shiri took the microphone Kei handed over.

[A-ah. Round 1 is over! Any further attacks will be considered grounds for elimination.]

The tail stopped right in front of Jun’s nose. That bastard clearly knew he had already won, but he still wanted to torment Jun as much as possible. My heart pounded wildly and my teeth ground together.

— Shame. I could’ve torn off at least an arm.

Rage consumed me entirely.

[Due to extreme emotional fluctuation, synchronization temporarily rises to 50%.]

The perfectly timed system window dripped cold water over my overheated mind.

“Jun!”

When the round ended, Ryu Jisu was the first to run to Jun, who had been returned unconscious.

“If I had known this would happen, I would’ve listened to you, Woojin… I shouldn’t have egged him on.”

Ryu Jisu gripped Jun’s limp hand tightly, biting his lip. But regret always comes too late. He didn’t have any ill intent—he just thought too optimistically, thinking, ‘Would he really get seriously hurt?’ because he didn’t know much about Hunters. It wasn’t a crime big enough to warrant guilt.

“I was the one who knew everything, yet still thought carelessly.”

Looking at Jun’s injured, bleeding body, the anger I thought had settled began to burn again.

“Maybe I still considered this a game, even after becoming attached to these people.”

If I had fully believed it was real, would I have given up convincing them so quickly just because they thought differently from me?

“No. This isn’t the time for pointless thoughts.”

Jun needed treatment first and foremost. I raised my hand and called for Shiri.

“Can we call a healer from outside?”

[Until all round results are decided, the guild may not leave this location, nor may any other guild or guild member enter.]

Ever since the synchronization rose, my chest felt hot and tight, while my head stayed cold, the mismatch unsettling. But at least it allowed for rational thinking. If I hadn’t kept myself in check, I might have crushed this chatterbox rabbit doll before I could even call the system fragment for first-aid treatment.