EVS Chapter 42

Kwa-ga-gang!

With each thunderous roar, clouds of dust rose, blurring the view. The earth dragon, dancing to the rhythm of Sa-yoon’s swinging sword, opened its massive maw and charged.

Under the ashen sky, hundreds of fang-like teeth glinted, embedded like daggers. Covered in acidic bodily fluids, they were menacing and sharp enough to easily tear flesh with the slightest graze.

Those teeth, which had devoured hundreds, if not thousands, of creatures each time the ruined world was activated, now rushed toward Sa-yoon alone.

The beast avoided the arm wielding the sword and clenched its jaw, aiming to bite off the leg treading the air, the ankle. Sa-yoon’s foot entered precisely into the creature’s dark, reddish cavity.

Realizing it had secured its target, the dragon’s eyes narrowed. As if laughing, it squinted its eyes and snapped its mouth shut with a crunch.

Kkad-deuk!

A fierce gust of wind blew, accompanied by the sound of teeth grinding against each other. Despite their sharpness and eeriness, the dragon’s fangs failed to bite through anything. The dragon’s eyes widened. Just a step before its attack could connect, Sa-yoon had lifted his foot, extracting his body, and using his heel, he smashed down on the dragon’s head.

Kwa-gang!

The dragon, which had soared up from the ground, was smashed into the earth, its S-grade status rendered meaningless. In a way, it was a fitting appearance for a creature named the earth dragon.

“Geu-eo-eo-eo!”

As the beast wailed, dirt and rocks scattered in all directions. The sandstorm caused by the earth dragon’s crash repeatedly obscured the surroundings.

Sa-yoon waved his hand as if annoyed, and the intense sandstorm subsided.

“Keu-eo-eo…”

The fallen earth dragon groaned. Sa-yoon, holding his sword in one hand and Geon-joo in the other, narrowed his eyes upon seeing this.

“How inconvenient.”

His shoulders gradually grew stiff. No matter how skilled he was, this was a proper battle he was engaging in after a truly long time.

Unable to fully utilize his abilities in this fight, his body felt uncomfortable. To be more precise, he felt unsatisfied.

It was a rare opportunity for battle, but having to carry Geon-joo with one arm, being restricted and constrained, felt stifling and frustrating. Sighing like the earth dragon, Sa-yoon pondered for a moment before gazing at the man who was practically piggybacking on him with a fed-up expression.

Geon-joo, who was being carried like a piece of luggage with his abdomen pressed against Sa-yoon’s shoulder, sensed the gaze and turned his head.

“What is it?”

His voice was oddly disgruntled and sulky. Sa-yoon smiled, observing the face that seemed thoroughly displeased, as if his pride had been severely damaged not only by being dragged into an S-grade gate but also by being treated as a burden and carried like baggage.

“Pretty boy.”

“……”

At the neat voice, Geon-joo’s eyes narrowed. Below, the groaning earth dragon soared up once more. Towards the sky, the sky. As if an imugi ascending, it flew up and rammed its head towards Sa-yoon.

Sa-yoon, despite being aware of the attack, allowed himself to be hit.

Boo-ung!

Sa-yoon and Geon-joo’s bodies simultaneously shot upward. Having risen towards the sky, the only thing left was to fall. As Geon-joo unknowingly bit his lip, Sa-yoon calmly surveyed the surroundings, spotting a suitable location, and grasped Geon-joo by the collar.

The person whose collar was suddenly grabbed in midair turned to Sa-yoon. At that moment, the corners of Sa-yoon’s eyes curved.

“Pretty boy.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“For someone with the title of B-grade, wouldn’t it be a bit embarrassing to die from a fall?”

“What are you planning to-!”

“Enjoy the view from the first-class seat!”

With that shout, Sa-yoon tossed Geon-joo towards a spot where sand was piled up like a mountain. Geon-joo tried to break free in surprise, but it was already after Sa-yoon had thrown him.

What could a B-grade do when thrown by an S-grade?

Just fly where you’re thrown.

Still, to prevent injury, Sa-yoon deliberately threw him towards a sand-covered area. Confirming that Geon-joo, who had been shouting in midair about why he was doing this again, had safely landed there, Sa-yoon felt both his hands become free and turned his body.

Dusting off his hands and rotating his ankle once, Sa-yoon immediately headed straight for the earth dragon’s face.

With a human standing in front of a monster the size of an apartment building, he looked infinitely small. However, the S-grade aura emanating from Sa-yoon was by no means weak. Rather, it was brutal enough to devour the earth dragon and overwhelming enough to suppress the dragon’s energy.

Faced with that aura, the earth dragon, which had been charging in with great momentum, hesitated. While stepping forward using air-walking and confronting the earth dragon, Sa-yoon glanced at Geon-joo, who had risen from the sand dune.

Having inhaled sand into his mouth and eyes, he was coughing and spitting out sand while removing the dirt from his eyes, glaring at Sa-yoon with a rare display of a twisted expression. His eyes were reddened, indicating that quite a bit of sand had entered.

He’s going to cry at this rate.

In fact, Han Geon-joo did cry. It was as if a handful of sand had been shoved into his eyes, so it was physiologically impossible not to tear up.

Geon-joo, who confirmed Sa-yoon’s smile from a distance, raised his eyes. It was a look that seemed to say, “Why are you smiling after tossing someone?”

But Sa-yoon was simply delighted.

What are you going to do if you feel wronged?

If you’re truly aggrieved, hurry up and reach S-grade. Then, at least, you won’t be helplessly thrown when I toss you.

So, what should one do to become an S-grade?

This, too, is simple. Roll and tumble in this field until it feels like home, until you adapt and become comfortable.

In this place where various S-grade monsters lurk.

Talent?

The one and only under the heavens?

What’s so special about that?

When thrown and rolling, everyone turned out to be the same. A person who, when rolling to the point of death, vomits, sheds tears, and even wants to beg to be killed.

Sa-yoon, who had proven this fact countless times through this gate, re-gripped his sword. The earth dragon and Sa-yoon faced each other. The creature, which had shown hesitation in the face of Sa-yoon’s energy, seemed to have made up its mind and charged again, spewing flames.

The triangular face sliced through the air. Sa-yoon struck that face, which was rushing in with a rough sound of wind, with the side of his sword.

Peo-eok!

Although hit with a sword, it sounded like being struck with a hammer, a dull impact reverberating. U-deuk. The earth dragon’s head was forcibly bent.

Even without looking, Sa-yoon could feel that Geon-joo was making a quite surprised expression.

Sa-yoon didn’t stop there and rotated the sword in a full circle, slashing horizontally.

Seo-geok!

A long slash appeared on the creature’s face, and blood immediately gushed out. The blood flowing from the massive dragon’s face quickly soaked the ground like rain.

Ku-wo-eo-eo!

The enraged earth dragon roared. It opened its mouth wide, gathering energy. Noticing the brown energy accumulating in the deep cavity, Sa-yoon infused his sword with frosty energy and swung it.

Kwa-a-ang!

“Why has an S-grade monster been opening its mouth since earlier?”

If other monsters had heard this, they would have shed tears. If the pinnacle known as an S-grade monster couldn’t do that, who could?

Regardless of that, Sa-yoon, who could fight without hesitation, was not in his right mind. After speaking in a high-handed manner, he applied more force to the hand holding the sword, and a blue aura enveloped his body.

Hwi-i-i-ing!

A frigid wind rushed in as if winter had begun. A frigid wind strong enough to freeze even the skin of an S-grade monster in an instant.

Sa-yoon, clad in that wind like armor, leaped into the air.

Seo-geok! Seo-geok! Seo-geok!

Each time Sa-yoon swung his sword, an eerie slicing sound followed. The frosty energy trailed the sword’s trajectory, freezing the areas where blood flowed.

Once like that.

Twice.

Thrice.

Falling flesh, one, two, three.

As the attacks increased, the gleaming blue-colored skin on the earth dragon’s body also grew. It was an icy skin personally created by Sa-yoon.

“Keu-a-a-a-ak!”

The earth dragon’s screams continued. It thrashed its tail as if surrendering, but Sa-yoon, who had previously fallen for that deception, didn’t stop. Blue and red energies intertwined. The sword, enveloped in a deep blue-blooded aura, relentlessly continued its trajectory.

Seo-geok!

Eventually, the earth dragon’s arm was severed.

Kwa-a-a-ang!

The breath attack collided with the sword energy and exploded.

Ka-ga-ga-ga-gak!

The teeth clashed with the sword blade, completely negating the earth dragon’s ambitious attacks.

Sa-yoon didn’t use any skills other than air-walking, frost, and sword energy.

He didn’t use Murder Play or Berserk.

With less than half his usual strength, he toyed with the S-grade monster, the earth dragon. Literally toyed with it.

As if playing a game of freeze tag, he concentrated his energy to freeze the earth dragon’s entire body in an instant, then melted it again, stabbing his sword into the weakened flesh.

In a battle so brutal that even Satan would weep, the earth dragon continuously screamed. It soared in various directions, twisting its body to dodge Sa-yoon’s sword, then charged in when it saw an opening. Each time, Sa-yoon, narrowly avoiding capture, successfully evaded and thrust another attack.

As the battle continued, the victor became evident.

Ku-u-u-ung!

Finally, the earth dragon collapsed. The S-grade, who had tenaciously endured Sa-yoon’s sword, rushing in even when its body was frozen, and holding its head high, was ultimately defeated.

A heavy sound rang out, but Sa-yoon had no time to rest. The battle had been so intense that other monsters had heard the noise and flocked to the scene.

A massive insect resembling a mantis descended from the sky and charged at Sa-yoon.

An A-grade monster.

Next, a creature with a snake’s upper body and a horse’s lower body rushed in, and maggots burst forth as the ground split apart.

Dozens of creatures at once charged to kill the intruder who had invaded the gate. Sa-yoon, who had shaken off the horde with a frost-whirling sword, grinned from ear to ear.

He was Sa-yoon, who had single-handedly challenged even unconquered gates. Ordinary S-grade gates were not considered much of a threat.

If given a situation where he could rampage alone, like when he had faced the earth dragon earlier, he could easily handle an S-grade monster or two.

Nevertheless, the reason Sa-yoon remained vigilant in the field and repeatedly warned his guild members and Geon-joo about it was singular.

The moment one stepped into the field, it was like standing in the middle of hell, where natural disasters occurred incessantly.

With just a bit of carelessness or allowing approach, dozens of monsters would charge in. Dozens of monsters ranging from E-grade to S-grade, without distinction.

Dealing with them would exhaust anyone, no matter how strong they were. Then, the field would suddenly place a tornado in front of the person who had barely managed to face the onslaught of monsters and was worn out.

Lightning struck, and typhoons blew.

If one survived that disaster, the ground would split apart, and an S-grade monster resembling a fiend from hell, the Flaming Death, would open its maw.

A place where even if you died thirty times and came back to life, the thirty-first death would still arrive.

That place was the field.

That’s why Sa-yoon loved this place.

Even if more than a hundred of his own graves were created in this field, even if his bones that could no longer be seen were discarded somewhere when the gate activation ended, Sa-yoon adored the field.

Because it was a place where he could fight like a madman without any thought.

The corners of Sa-yoon’s mouth, who was swinging his sword like a lunatic, rose slowly.