Chapter 191

〈Chapter 191〉 Part 1, Chapter 9, Section 25

With the Korean Heroes leading the rear guard, the Heroic forces effortlessly blocked the first assault of the Heuk Jeon-jal (Black Scorpions). But now, with a brief moment of respite, they had to deal with the Black Scorpions that had bypassed their defensive lines by crossing the lake.

“First things first, everyone fall back! Rearrange our ranks centered around the rear!”

Yuhwangsook (a male hero) swung his twin blades to deflect an attack from a Black Scorpion leaping onto the shore. His horizontal slash severed the scorpion’s tail and split its body in two.

“Who would’ve thought this would become the front line all of a sudden…!”

Yuhwangsook sighed at his own miscalculation. The carefully planned defensive perimeter on either side of the lake had proven useless, and the blame was falling squarely on him for designing it.

‘Who could’ve predicted these scorpions were such good swimmers?!’

With righteous indignation, Yuhwangsook swung his rabbit-eared blades – a side effect of his special ability – slicing through wave after wave of leaping Black Scorpions.

“Hwangsook Commander! It’s too dark to see! We need immediate action!”

“If there’s anything else we can do here… Gah! Contact everyone! Tell all Flame Mages and Light Mages to set fire towards the lake!”

Someone placed a hand on Yuhwangsook’s shoulder.

“I’ll handle it.”

Cheonja (the Son of Heaven), clenched his fist. At the prospect of their national leader stepping forward, Yuhwangsook worried but understood desperate times called for desperate measures.

“Then over there-”

KAAANG!

In the distance, a pillar of white flame shot up into the heavens, incinerating the landed Black Scorpions in an explosion of magical power.

“<Hwakwon>…! That man who inherited the title after the death of the last S-Rank!”

“…Isn’t he the celebrity rumored to have a scandal with Cheongnyeon?”

Cheonja’s eyes half-closed. Clutching his fist, he watched the pillar of fire illuminating several kilometers.

“S-Rank, you say? Him?”

“Yes. The one who slew the Dimensional Gate-blocking Fire Dragon in Seoul.”

“…I cannot lose.”

Cheonja summoned his magic power. Around him, gray flames began to swirl.

“I am no longer the weak one sitting idly by! I am now a Special Ability User!”

KIEEEK!

A Black Scorpion erupted from the water. With its near meter-long body, it leaped high into the sky, its tail aimed at Cheonja.

“Gasp!”

Cheonja raised his sword high. Gray flames ignited along the blade aimed at the scorpion, then radiated outwards in diagonal beams.

KYAAAAAAH!

The Black Scorpion was consumed by the gray flames mid-air, meeting its end. The power that incinerated this B-Rank monster in one strike greatly boosted the morale of the Chinese heroes nearby.

“WAAAAAAAAAH!!”

Even taking down a mere B-Rank elicited cheers that reached the heavens. Cheonja basked in their applause as he stepped forward.

“Hwangsook Commander! What do people call that man’s flames?”

“…There’s only one person in the world who wields ‘White Flame.'”

Cheonja looked at the white flames burning from the scorched Black Scorpion corpses far away, then stabbed his sword into another corpse.

“White Flame…”

WHOOSH.

The gray flames around Cheonja began consuming the Black Scorpion. Though smaller than White Flame, the gray flames gradually expanded, illuminating the surrounding darkness.

“In that case, I shall name my flames ‘Bright Flame’!”

Naming one’s own flames would be considered outrageous by anyone who heard it, yet Cheonja exuded pride.

“Hwangsook Commander! Regarding these flames-”

“Yes, yes. …Impressive indeed!”

Yuhwangsook was conversing with someone on-screen. Lowering the screen, he quickly reported the exchange to Cheonja.

“Burning the Black Scorpions is enough! By setting fire to their corpses, we can use them as torches to illuminate the darkness!”

“…Understood.”

Cheonja’s spirit was dampened. He wondered who came up with such advice, but lighting up the darkness took priority now.

“Hwangsook Commander! Instruct the heroes! Order them to position one Black Scorpion corpse at each location!”

“Understood!”

Yuhwangsook immediately shouted orders into his watch. Cheonja watched as more white flames rose from the opposite side, clenching his fists.

“I cannot lose…!”

Cheonja’s pride and bloodlust began to boil.

* * *

KWAHNG!

An explosion sounded. The venomous stinger lurking in the darkness clashed against a fist wreathed in white flames.

KEEKGEEKG!

Though point against area, the fist held firm, repelling the stinger without retreating an inch, then slowly pushed it back.

The great burst of white flames from the fist tip illuminated the surrounding darkness, revealing the monstrous figure threatening the martial artist.

“A-Rank…!”

Isunghyung instantly identified the rank of the Black Scorpion attacking him.

Whether S-Rank or A-Rank, Black Scorpions possess similar offensive capabilities, requiring close inspection of their size to differentiate.

KAANG! KAANG!

The Black Scorpion swung its pincers while attempting to land ashore. However, Isunghyung kicked aside the pincers and blocked the attack with an elbow strike.

“HAAAAP!”

Flames reignited on his fist. Extending his leg forward, twisting his waist sideways, and pulling his fist back, he struck before the scorpion could stab again, smashing its head with a lightning-fast punch.

KOOO-WOOM!

The Black Scorpion’s body caved in.

Isunghyung’s Hwakwon broke through the tough exoskeleton, pulverizing the innards, pinning the scorpion to the ground, then ignited flames within its body for the finishing blow.

WHOOSH!

The Black Scorpion’s body began burning in white flames, becoming a torch that illuminated the darkness, its fiery beacon growing larger.

“Everyone fight near the flames! Beware of night attacks!”

Isunghyung’s voice carried magical power, which the experts detected, quickly gathering around his created torches while those less skilled followed via translation devices.

“Thank you!”

“Not at all!”

A blonde, blue-eyed hero gave Isunghyung a thumbs up. While continuing to create more torches by defeating Black Scorpions leaping along the riverbank, Isunghyung responded.

[Yah! Be careful!]

A screen popped up on his watch. Usa’s flushed face appeared in the lower right corner with a small map.

[How far are you going?! Planning to light up the entire lake?!]

“Seniors please continue intercepting from the center! I’ll keep illuminating the darkness!”

[Ah, that crazy guy really!]

Isunghyung lowered the screen. Though getting scolded by Usa later concerned him, lighting up the entire lake took precedence now.

KIEEEK!

A small Black Scorpion leapt from the water, aiming for Isunghyung’s face. He caught its pincers mid-air and slammed it to the ground.

BOOM!

Though only about 30cm in size, it still burns. Isunghyung made a bonfire with the scorpion, delighting nearby heroes relying on flashlight beams.

“Hwakwon!”

“Black Scorpions will be drawn to the White Flames! Prepare yourselves!”

CRUNCH, CRUNCH!

As soon as Isunghyung finished speaking, the swimming Black Scorpions went berserk. Both their instinctive rage at the desecration of their fallen brethren and their rational desire to extinguish the White Flames exposing them drove them into a frenzy.

[Hwakwon!]

Another face appeared on the screen. This time it was not Usa but the Field Commander himself.

“Field Commander! My apologies, but I must continue-”

[Carry on! Illuminating the darkness on the right side is entrusted to you!]

“…Yes sir!”

Isunghyung ran along the riverbank creating bonfires. These fires became traps luring the Black Scorpions.

“Be careful! Avoid the Black Scorpions’ venom!”

While collecting cores was important, he didn’t want anyone injured by monsters. Isunghyung grabbed the tail of a Black Scorpion stealthily extending its stinger above the water surface and threw it onto land.

WHOOSH.

White Flames consumed the Black Scorpion. Its flames became new lanterns attracting more scorpions.

The western side of the river was lit by Isunghyung. On the opposite bank, slightly slower but similarly gray flames burned Black Scorpions, spreading light.

“Haha.”

Even from afar, the identity was unmistakable. Those flames definitely belonged to Cheonja. Isunghyung’s senses confirmed it.

WHOOSH.

Other flames emerged between the White Flames.

Not the distinct colors of Isunghyung’s or Cheonja’s flames, but ordinary red flames still sufficiently brightened the surroundings.

If this continued, the entire lake would be illuminated, allowing everyone to hunt Black Scorpions more easily.

“HYYYYAAAH!”

Hwakwon leapt into action once more.

White Flame and Bright Flame.

Two differently colored flames became streetlights along the riverbanks of the lake.

* * *

At that moment.

On top of an ice wall, SS-Rank special ability user Seok Harang was deep in thought.

“Hehe, hehehehe.”

Seok Harang chuckled like a malfunctioning robot, unable to stop laughing. Perhaps building the wall so high was just to hide her embarrassing behavior.

“Big brother gets so flustered when I say things like that… Pfft!”

Clutching her stomach, she giggled uncontrollably. Despite verbally abusing him as a “crazy woman,” her magical power fluctuated wildly at just those words.

Phoenix had wavered. At Seok Harang’s “big brother” comment.

“Well, it’s fun anyway, my goodness.”

Finding his flustered reaction so amusing, she uncharacteristically made sexual jokes, causing her to fan herself to cool down the rising heat.

“Dayturnsnight… Saying we should fight at night was completely… Eek?”

Reconsidering her own statement, Seok Harang’s ears turned red.

“You, you crazy thornflower!”

She slapped her lips with her palm, embarrassed despite no pain. What if he misunderstood? What if he really thought she meant fighting in that way?

“That guy sounds like Gold Horseman…”

Joking about such matters even crossed her mind.

– I never lose, even in bed.

“Wha, Whaaa?! D-Doran really?! Kyaah?!”

Seok Harang pulled at her hair in frustration as her fantasies spiraled out of control. Her limited sexual knowledge as a 21-year-old virgin fueled increasingly wild imaginings.

Lying on a bean bag, gazing into each other’s eyes, bodies intertwined, arms reaching under armpits to embrace, whispering each other’s names while kissing.

[Seok Harang.]

That’s right. Just like now. Unconsciously, Seok Harang smiled sleepily.

“…Why?”

[Seok Harang?]

“…Uh?”

Was he really calling her? Feeling the magical power from her hairpin, Seok Harang’s heart sank. As they say, speak of the devil. Phoenix was contacting her.

[Hmm, ahem. What’s up?]

[Nothing. Just wondering what you’re doing.]

“…You don’t think?”

Seok Harang quickly scanned her surroundings. No cameras, drones, or suspicious blue canaries filming her. Could someone be secretly recording?

[Are, are you secretly watching me right now?]

[What nonsense. Stop daydreaming and provide support already! Don’t you see how hard the heroes below are working?]

The magical power transmitted through the division carried a hint of anger. Feeling unjustly accused of wrongdoing, Seok Harang pouted.

“What hard work? Can’t they just catch the Black Scorpions?”

[Didn’t the Executioner almost die three times already?!]

“Eh? What did you say?”

Seok Harang’s eyes darted downward. There sat the Executioner, black venom dissolving the dirt beneath him where he’d collapsed.

[Not just the Executioner! Yunsa and others are struggling against the Black Scorpions too!]

“Just, hold on! [Hold on!]”

Seok Harang surveyed the battlefield. During her daydream, waves of Black Scorpions had already overwhelmed the heroes multiple times, expanding the conflict across the entire lake.

“Wha, when did it get this bad?!”

[Hold on or whatever, provide support now!]

[Ah, got it!]

Seok Harang hastily conjured an ice spear in midair. Below, directly behind the collapsed Executioner, a Black Scorpion emerged from the ground preparing a surprise attack from the rear.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

PAANG!

The ice spear shot out like lightning, piercing the Black Scorpion’s tail. The venomous stinger stopped inches from the Executioner’s temple, and before any poison could drip from his shoulder, Yunsa yanked him to safety.

“Wha, wha, what’s going on?! Why did it suddenly-”

Not just the Executioner. Across the battlefield, many were clearly seen narrowly escaping severe injuries from the frenzied Black Scorpions. Seok Harang fired ice spears to restrain them, preventing further harm.

[Don’t kill them. Killing counts toward your kill count. As an SS-Rank, show some virtue in letting others take the kills-]

“Ah, quit your incessant chatter.”

Seok Harang removed her hairpin and stuffed it into her back pocket.

“What was I thinking about during my daydream…!”

Though wrong, she felt unfairly treated. To vent her frustration, she raised her hands high to the sky.

“When we return to Seoul, we’re really going to settle this, you chicken bastard!!”

PAPOPOPOK!

Ice shards rained down across the battlefield from Seok Harang’s attack.