Chapter 118
The Auction House and Thieves (8)
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“Alright then.”
Yoo Dahee stretched her wrists and ankles while grinning confidently.
“Let’s finish this quickly before other heroes arrive. Consider it an honor, Lee Jinhyuk. I don’t often kill people directly, you know.”
I was dumbfounded by Yoo Dahee’s friendly murder declaration.
In all my life, I’ve never had someone announce my murder to my face.
To be honest, it’s a bit intimidating.
“Are you giving me special treatment? How thoughtful of you.”
“Haha! Don’t mention it.”
Yoo Dahee laughed hollowly and made a joke.
She seems quite relaxed.
Objectively speaking, the current situation shouldn’t be favorable for Yoo Dahee at all.
So Yuyeong was already incapacitated, and Alex and John were panting heavily with injuries.
Currently, the only normal forces remaining on Yoo Dahee’s side were herself and Ryan.
While it’s undeniable that both of them are extremely powerful forces, it’s not like we’re significantly lacking in strength compared to them.
Moreover, time is on our side.
If we can just buy some time, the police or heroes will swarm in.
Yet Yoo Dahee doesn’t seem rushed at all.
It’s as if she’s confident that no matter how unfavorable the situation becomes, she’ll be able to escape with her comrades.
She must have something up her sleeve.
It doesn’t seem like she’ll simply take civilians hostage.
Well, unless Yoo Dahee is a fool, she must have prepared a trump card for emergencies.
What could Yoo Dahee’s hidden trump card be?
Actually, a few things come to mind.
Let’s consider the worst-case scenario…
…Could it be that Yoo Dahee will use her special ability?
Or more precisely, if she brought ‘that’ created by Yoo Dahee’s special ability, we could face a very troublesome situation.
Especially since we don’t know what might pop out of it.
‘Come to think of it, my bad premonitions have always been right.’
Since ominous feelings have almost always come true in the past, my anxiety intensified even more.
‘Assuming Yoo Dahee has a trump card, if she judges the situation to be very unfavorable when people swarm in, she’ll use it immediately.’
Then let’s end this before people gather.
I don’t expect to take down Yoo Dahee.
Let’s aim to injure her for now.
If we’re lucky, we might even take one of her arms.
Though that’s unlikely.
‘Well, rather than doing something to Yoo Dahee, it would be good if we could just draw her attention and deal with Alex’s group properly.’
“Then shall we begin… now!”
At that moment, Yoo Dahee’s figure disappeared.
Phantom Movement.
She used Phantom Movement again.
Only a faint afterimage remained where Yoo Dahee had just been.
Yoo Dahee deliberately moved back and forth in all directions to confuse our vision.
Pat! Papat! Pat!
Like lightning flashing from east to west.
It’s dazzling. My eyes can’t keep up.
Even veteran heroes seemed to struggle to follow properly.
“Over here, over here… huh?”
“Ha!”
Whoosh!
With a shout, Jin Soyeon’s sword sliced through the air.
The sharp blade grazed Yoo Dahee’s hair as it passed by.
Though it didn’t even cut a single strand of hair, Yoo Dahee stepped back with a slightly surprised expression.
It seems she didn’t expect Jin Soyeon, who is merely an academy student no matter how extraordinary, to be able to keep up with her movements using Phantom Movement to this extent.
Honestly, it was quite surprising.
Even Han Seowoo, a former professional hero, was hesitating, unable to properly read the movements, yet Jin Soyeon managed to block Yoo Dahee’s movements.
“What’s with you?”
Yoo Dahee blinked her eyes.
“Did you read it? The path and movement of the Phantom Movement?”
“What if I did?”
“Huh.”
Yoo Dahee let out a short exclamation.
“I knew you had skills to match John to some extent, but honestly, this is a bit strange.”
“What is?”
“You couldn’t even keep up with the Phantom Walk movements during the midterms, right? Come to think of it, your skills have improved incomparably since then?”
“You’re talking about ancient history.”
“It’s only been a few months at most, you know?”
It wasn’t unreasonable for Yoo Dahee to react with bewilderment.
“Were you hiding your skills back then?”
The difference in skill between Jin Soyeon during the midterms and now was so great that it could be said they were different people.
After her awakening, Jin Soyeon grew rapidly and attained skills equivalent to a top-tier or high-tier level in just a few months.
Of course, due to her lack of combat experience and skill proficiency, she can’t be considered a normal top-tier or high-tier hero.
However, when Jin Soyeon starts using her special ability in earnest, the story changes.
Her ability has such high potential that it’s possible to create numerous variables.
It’s quite an overpowered ability, befitting a protagonist.
According to the setting, if Jin Soyeon can utilize 100% of her special ability, she would be able to win even in a one-on-one fight against Yoo Dahee.
“If it’s not that, then did you grow? In just a few months?”
“…”
“If you have that level of talent, hmm. You’re interesting too.”
“…Shut up and come at me.”
“Well, alright.”
Yoo Dahee spoke while gradually raising her magical power.
“Shall we test you a bit?”
“Who’s testing who?”
Yoo Dahee charged in.
This time, she didn’t use movement techniques like Phantom Movement or Phantom Walk.
Jin Soyeon gripped her sword and shield tightly as she watched Yoo Dahee rush straight at her.
“Try to block this!”
“Kuk!”
She swung her fist, brimming with magical power.
Her delicate fist made contact with the shield.
Kwajik, aaaa, aaang!
At that moment, a deafening sound of air being torn apart erupted, and something like dust shot up.
Jin Soyeon bit her lower lip tightly as she blocked Yoo Dahee’s fist.
Yoo Dahee smiled as if enjoying herself.
“Haha, your shield is quite sturdy, huh? Must be a good one?”
“Soyeon!”
Han Seowoo immediately swung her whip.
A whip rushing at supersonic speed using spirit power.
The whip is humanity’s first sonic weapon.
Even an untrained ordinary person can create a sonic boom if they do it right, and it can exert enough power to tear flesh off.
But when a high-tier hero like Han Seowoo swings it seriously, it could crush bones beyond just tearing flesh.
It could even annihilate monsters, not just humans.
“Oh, that stings?”
Of course, it probably won’t inflict any significant wounds on Yoo Dahee.
But that’s fine.
Because Han Seowoo’s whip has tightly bound Yoo Dahee’s left arm.
After briefly looking down at her left arm bound like a snare, Yoo Dahee glanced sideways towards Han Seowoo.
“Aisha! Now!”
“Yes~!”
As soon as Han Seowoo’s shout ended, Aisha charged in.
Twin swords striking like lightning.
But Yoo Dahee smirked and swung her left arm, disregarding the whip bound to it.
Despite Han Seowoo holding on tightly, she was dragged along helplessly like a child playing tug-of-war with an adult.
Han Seowoo looked quite bewildered.
“You’re not even a physical enhancement ability user, how is your strength so…!”
“I’m just naturally strong.”
Yoo Dahee then grabbed Aisha’s twin swords with her right and left hands.
Although blue sword energy flickered from Aisha’s blades, Yoo Dahee crushed the swords as if it were nothing.
The two swords snapped like twigs.
Despite being quite fine swords, they couldn’t withstand Yoo Dahee’s grip.
Aisha frowned and retreated for a moment.
I quickly used my space ring to throw two usable swords to Aisha.
While Aisha was catching the swords, Jin Soyeon swiftly charged in.
Swift sword strikes that were almost imperceptible to my motion vision continuously threatened Yoo Dahee.
However, Yoo Dahee remained relaxed throughout.
Jin Soyeon swung countless sword strikes without rest, but none of them reached Yoo Dahee.
Not only Jin Soyeon, but Han Seowoo and Aisha also quickly joined in, yet there was no significant change.
Yoo Dahee skillfully blocked, dodged, and deflected their attacks.
Her fists, imbued with tremendous magical power, not only deflected all their weapons but also began to pressure them in return.
A marvelous sight of her alone blocking the attacks of three people.
How does she block six hands with just two?
No wonder she’s called a growth-type munchkin.
‘Shit, I can’t intervene.’
I clenched my fists tightly as I watched them fight Yoo Dahee. I wanted to help, but I couldn’t.
It’s already overwhelming just to follow their movements with my eyes.
I felt like I would only get in the way if I tried to intervene.
Originally, I planned to provide support with appropriate orders, my bow, and items, but seeing them fight directly, I didn’t dare to intervene.
…At times like this, I truly feel how powerless I am.
It hits home that all I can do is devise strategies, provide items, and give appropriate countermeasures.
I felt a strange sense of self-doubt, thinking that I would only be a hindrance if I directly engaged in combat.
To just stand and watch while Jin Soyeon and others risk their lives fighting.
How should I put it?
It doesn’t feel great.
If I had a useful special ability, I wouldn’t just be watching like this.
‘…I’m quite funny too. In the past, I didn’t want to fight because I was afraid and tried to ride on Jin Soyeon’s coattails, but now…’
When I first recalled my past life memories, I was terribly afraid of fighting dangerous villains and monsters.
So I tried to use the protagonist’s group… that is, Jin Soyeon, Lee Siwoon, Kang Daehan, and others to take down the Rebellion members who would wreak havoc on South Korea.
But now, I didn’t want to just stand still while Jin Soyeon and others were getting hurt.
I wanted to be of some help.
After all, they were risking their lives and getting injured because of me. I had to pay heavily for their blood.
If only I had power… something like a useful special ability… it would have been good.
Today, more than ever, I felt my own powerlessness.
“…Ah~ It was just getting good.”
“Haa, haa, ugh.”
Yoo Dahee muttered to herself in the middle of the fight.
It seems she received a call through the wireless earphone in her ear.
It’s probably Isabelle contacting her. Does that mean…?
“Is this as far as we go? You’re saying other heroes have almost all arrived? By the way, you’re quite skilled, aren’t you? Honestly, I was planning to take at least one arm, but I didn’t expect you to block everything.”
“Heu, heu, uuk.”
Jin Soyeon just glared fiercely at Yoo Dahee with blazing eyes while holding up her shield and sword, panting heavily.
“Lee Jinhyuk, you didn’t participate until the end? Why were you just watching? Did you think these kids would be enough? If so, that’s a bit insulting.”
It’s not that I didn’t want to join, I couldn’t join.
How could I join when it’s obvious I’d fucking die if I did?
“Or did you treat me as experience points for this girl? But well, she is certainly interesting. I could feel her getting stronger as we fought. Should I say she’s growing in real-time?”
“Haa, haa, haa.”
“I wasn’t sure earlier, but after fighting directly, it’s clear. She didn’t hide her strength during the midterms, she really did grow. With this rate of growth, she might become a monster later on?”
“Haa, haa, uhoo.”
Yoo Dahee wore an expression that seemed a bit expectant, along with a slightly regretful look.
“To the point where I feel a bit threatened… hmm… Alright, I’ll have to add you to the list of people to kill too. Personally, it would be more fun to let you live, but you could interfere with what I have to do in the future.”
“Ha, if you’re going to kill me, then try… haa, haa.”
“Kik kik. You’re about to pass out, kid. Why don’t you catch your breath properly before speaking?”
Jin Soyeon and I had gained Yoo Dahee’s attention, for better or worse.
It might be a good idea to seek refuge in the church until we can take down Yoo Dahee.
We should be safe in the church for now.
“Alright, alright, then let’s slowly… Ah, uh?”
Thud!
Yoo Dahee’s body momentarily flinched.
It looked as if she was being pressed down by powerful gravity.
No, not gravity. This is telekinesis, telekinesis.
And it’s quite powerful telekinesis at that. There’s only one telekinesis user of this level in Busan.
“Phew… I was wondering what all this commotion was about…”
A familiar woman’s figure began to appear in the distance.
“I came after receiving the contact, Lee Jinhyuk… But what on earth is this situation?”
“T-Teacher!”
“How many times have I told you to call me instructor, Jin Soyeon?”
Hong Daye, the high ranker.
The person who made a great contribution to resolving the Busan Infection Outbreak incident, and who was considered a top 10 candidate during her prime.
Despite suffering from aftereffects, her ranking is still 93rd.
It’s a testament to how outstanding her original skills were.
“White hair! I’ve got you now!”
A familiar voice was heard from a bit further away.
As I turned my head, I could see Kang Daehan running with a long spear, along with HanYoung Clan bodyguards.
Among them was Joo Hwayun, a top-tier skilled person.
“The humiliation from the midterms…! I’ll pay you back, white hair!”
“Oh, Daehan, let’s go together, it’s dangerous.”
Hong Daye and Kang Daehan’s group had arrived.
Now our forces far exceed Yoo Dahee’s group.
Therefore, Yoo Dahee will probably use it.
Her trump card.
If she really prepared something as a trump card, that is.
“Wow, a lot of people have come. Then I have no choice but to…”
Yoo Dahee took out something that looked like a small marble from her pocket.
Ah, shit.
It was that after all.
“…use this.”
“Hey, Yoo Dahee.”
“Hm? What?”
“I’ll let you go, so just take the kids and leave.”
“Huh?”
Yoo Dahee looks at me as if surprised.
“Looks like you know what this is? It’s strange, no one except our members should know about this, how interesting.”
“Forget it, just go.”
Now that I’ve confirmed that, there’s nothing good that can come from fighting needlessly.
Unfortunately, we won’t be able to arrest Alex and his group, but we’ve at least seized the space leather pouch, so half of our objective has been achieved.
Therefore, there’s no need to be too greedy…
“But I don’t want to? I’m just going to use it.”
“Hey, hey?!”
Hey, you crazy bitch!
Crack!
Suddenly, the marble shattered, activating its effect.
End of Chapter