READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 190
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The Disease fled with all its might. It threw a tantrum in the underground. Despite being in its territory, it had no intention of confronting the situation.
The path the Disease had passed was blocked by the Guardian Spirit and had vanished, but the starving beast kept chasing, not stopping to satisfy its hunger. The blocked route was being devoured by the Void, forcing it open. In that drooling appearance, any trace of the intelligence the Disease once had was nowhere to be found.
A beast, unafraid of injury and ready to face death. As the distance closed in, the beast lunged at the Disease’s outstretched tentacle, biting and bleeding while chasing it down.
A massive earthquake. Within the range touched by the Disease’s Guardian Spirit, unprecedented geological shifts began to occur. In that turmoil, the starving beast twisted and tore apart its already dying body, getting hurt more and more.
But the injuries weren’t substantial. Most of them were being consumed by the Void.
The Void and the Guardian Spirit held equal status in terms of skill—no, that wasn’t true. As long as the beast maintained its nature and not its reasoning, the Void was clearly above the Guardian Spirit at that moment.
[Void (A) – Status Elevation 1/3]
Moreover, the system was proving that fact.
Of course, that nature was undoubtedly part of the wolf, but it was a stretch to call a blindly starving beast that didn’t envelop itself in fear, see the future, or even understand language a ‘wolf.’
Due to the encroachment, its deteriorating stamina and wounds made the Disease slow and clumsy, while the beast became faster. While it didn’t consciously use skills, regeneration was healing the injuries.
With its stamina exposed, the Disease finally stopped fleeing. No matter how deep underground it hid, the monster would continue to chase.
With its mouth wide open, it would try to consume itself. After all, it was only a tiny beast that didn’t even come close to half its size. With frustration or rage spilling out, the Disease opened its mouth wide towards the path the beast was coming from.
Before it even revealed itself, the beast was swallowed whole in an instant. The one that sickened the earth, the Disease, sank its teeth and tongue into the beast.
Despite that, the beast also bit back, as if it didn’t care. It was melting away in the fluids of the Disease while gnawing and tearing at it. It was a sight akin to witnessing carnage. With no concern for life or future, it was merely trying to satisfy its hunger.
The catastrophic monster, the Disease, ceased to resist. No, it could do no more.
The emotion revealed in its dark red eyes was nothing but endless hunger.
―――It was just an insatiable hunger.
***
The underground was smashed by the struggles of the two monsters, revealing the earth. The moment the Disease emerged from the ground, the mages gasped, but they soon realized the breath had already stopped.
―――The calamity has fallen.
At last, the breath of the monster that was driving humanity to extinction was snuffed out. In disbelief, the mages questioned their own eyes. The name of the Disease carried that much weight.
Who would have predicted such a day would come? With a pounding heart, the girl who jumped from the ancient dragon dashed toward the fallen calamity. The wolf must surely be there.
There! It’s there…! It’s right there……!
Hong Yu-ri, unable to contain her emotions, ran toward the wolf with her arms wide open, only to halt in her tracks. The wolf was nosediving into the breathless Disease, as if completely oblivious to her presence.
Crunch. Crunch― only the sound of flesh chewing filled the air.
“……Alpha?”
At her timid call of the name, Alpha’s movements froze. Only then did Hong Yu-ri notice that Alpha was in an abnormal state.
The first thing to catch her eye was its appearance.
…It was not normal. Its fur and skin had melted away, barely visible, and even the flesh and muscle clinging to the bones were almost gone. In fact, there were far more parts where the bones themselves had vanished.
The flesh of the Disease flowed down through a gaping neck, unable to pass into its stomach.
……Above all, the reflection in those red eyes was no longer human. It wasn’t a hybrid or anything like that; the wolf saw her as ‘prey.’ It now viewed her as nothing more than a chunk of meat.
As the throat swallowed, Hong Yu-ri realized she was stepping back. When she heard a low, simmering growl, she understood.
Alpha had lost all reason and intellect. If she approached, she would be devoured. Swallowing dry saliva as cold sweat formed, Hong Yu-ri stumbled and tripped over a stone as the beast took a step forward. All she could do was lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling.
……For Alpha, who must have been hurt, she had brought his last dropped flask, a fake elixir, tightly held in her hand.
***
“Are you that worried?”
Looking at the dead earth, it was hard not to understand those feelings, but asking why she kept looking back was unnecessary. Nevertheless, Baek So-yul shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I’m fine.”
“Really…?”
When Anela also turned back, they had moved quite far from Namak Lake. There was no longer any destruction of the earth. In one way or another, the fight had definitely come to an end.
Despite glancing back repeatedly, there was no worry on Baek So-yul’s face. When Anela asked why she held an unknown sense of belief, she answered with a faint smile.
“Because I promised.”
That she would save her teacher without fail. That she would help no matter what. Until then, he wouldn’t be able to die. He wouldn’t break his promise……
***
When Marang’s jaws opened wide, Hong Yu-ri tightly shut her eyes, but she wasn’t chewed up. Before that, various spells had barely pushed the beast away.
“……!”
The spells unleashed by the Square Masters pushed the beast back. Barely surviving, Hong Yu-ri gaped in shock.
“……Why, why?”
Why had it come to this—Marang, having lost its senses, howled silently with its vanished vocal cords. Under the moonlight, everyone witnessing the silent crying beast trembled.
It was only when they realized that what lay before them was Marang, which had overcome the two calamities, that they shuddered. It had reached a point of near death, utterly exhausted, but the thought of being able to subdue it didn’t arise. ……It had to be killed.
The magic that had been withheld to take down the calamity was directed at the beast, and Hong Yu-ri clenched her hands and stood up. Rising to her feet, she stretched out her arms and stood firm before it.
―――Before the mindless beast.
Even as the mages called her name, she stood there with her arms open, staring firmly into its red eyes.
There was no reason to be unafraid. She painfully understood what those who had called the wolf an enemy must have felt. Her trembling legs had already gone weak.
But still, she wouldn’t step aside. The beast’s teeth were within reach. If its jaws closed down to chew, she would surely die. Though her crimson eyes trembled, she did not retreat.
As rough breaths began to pour from its slowly parting jaws, brushing against her face, she muttered, “――I’m sorry.”
With a low voice, the beast, the wolf, collapsed in front of her.
***
[……has reached maximum level. Lv.49 → Lv.50]
The wolf carefully lifted its eyelids. The first thing it saw as it turned away from what was before it was the Square Masters surrounding its slumped figure, preparing spells while in contact with the ancient dragon. Ready to escape to the fantasy world at any moment.
Reading the system’s message with blank eyes, the wolf sighed. The condition to achieve level 50 had been cleared by defeating the Disease, and it seemed to have regained its health.
“……Gyu-woo!”
The fairy patted it with its tail. It looked like it was throwing a fit, asking why it was waking up now, and the wolf tenderly stroked it until it settled down. Seemingly relieved, the mages began to retract the prepared spells one by one.
Turning its gaze back, the wolf saw the corpse of the Disease. The once-moving monster lay dead not too far away, now barely recognizable due to the extensive consumption.
“Dumbass…”
The comfort was not just from the fairy. A pair of scarlet eyes was looking down at it. While spewing all kinds of curses from its mouth, the shaking voice was telling the wolf it was exhausted.
“……Did you cry?”
“Shut it.”
Despite the cutting words, the wolf smiled wearily. The tear stains around its eyes were saying otherwise.
“……I’m sorry.”
Whether it was already morning or the sun had just risen after a long night, time had passed so much that it was hard to tell whether just half a day had gone by or if several days had passed.
“You bastard…”
The wolf thought that remark was quite accurate. While the magic had been retracted, the chains of magic binding it were still there. Perhaps having realized it regained its reasoning, the Square Masters tightly unbound the many layers of chains.
Only then did the wolf slowly rise. It was never the kind to be restrained by some chains…
“I’m sorry.”
At the sight of the wolf bowing its head, Hong Yu-ri grimaced.
“For what?”
The short, blunt response prompted the wolf to recall its last memories and shut its eyes.
“……Because I almost killed you.”
Even though instinct remained while reasoning had settled, that couldn’t serve as an excuse. The truth that it had sought to kill her when it had felt hunger was undeniable.
“…So, did you kill me?”
It sounded as if she was asking what it mattered. Although it seemed she was unconcerned, she could not hide her trembling. The wolf let out a deep sigh.
“…….”
It hadn’t killed her. Therefore, they were able to meet again. In that last moment, it recalled something.
That it had promised to save her, to help her no matter what during that moonlit night.
However, that promise had been horrifically broken.
The transformation she underwent meant she could no longer return. She would have to live on as a hybrid being, not human. And above all, it had almost killed her with its own hands.
Yeah. The promise was broken. It had broken it. By none other than itself…
“Look! Look at this!”
With an angry voice, two hands grasped the wolf’s head. The fingers barely reached as she stood on her tiptoes. Her bright red eyes were glaring at it.
“So you did kill me?!”
Those glaring eyes were still trembling. The feel of her rapid heartbeat against its hand indicated she was frightened.
Yeah, she must be scared… And yet, she was talking to it. Suppressing that fear and squeezing out her courage.
“Answer me…!”
With huffing breaths, the demanding voice made the wolf shake its head lightly.
“No.”
It wanted to turn away but couldn’t. The small hands gripping both sides of its head wouldn’t allow it. Even though they were weak enough to be easily shrugged off.
“Then look! Look at me!”
It was already watching. It saw her eyes. The horns that had sprouted from her forehead. The tail and wings behind her. Everything. She was similar to a human but no longer something that could be called a human.
“……You said you would help.”
The glaring eyes blurred. Forcing back the flowing tears, she spoke.
“You said you would help me! No matter how I changed, you promised to help!”
…That was a promise it had made, no one else. But was there any qualification to make such a promise? If only it had regained consciousness a moment sooner, she might have died. They would never see each other again….
“Keep your promise. Make sure you do. So……!”
The forceful voice spilled out everything that had been bottled up. Hong Yu-ri gritted her teeth, but that didn’t stop the flood of emotions. As she wiped her tears once more with her sleeve, something was stroking her head.
That familiar sensation. Trying to hide her reddened nose and eyes, Hong Yu-ri lowered her head deeply.
“……So, stay by my side.”
With the hand gripping her fur trembling for a different reason than before, the small voice—almost inaudible—echoed fiercely in her heart.
…The promise hadn’t been broken yet. And the bond hadn’t been severed. As long as that remained… the wolf exhaled the breath it had been holding.
“……Okay.”
It was the morning when the two worst beasts, the Plague and the Disease, that drove humanity to extinction finally fell.
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