Chapter 58

After a brief silence, Han Sang-ah spoke in a dry tone.

― This is a bit troublesome. If the number of slimes increases too much I’ll be in danger. To be blunt, if they go up to about ten I won’t be able to handle it.

If the slimes grew beyond her ability, she would be pushed on the defensive. If she was on the defensive, she couldn't kill them. And If she couldn't kill them, I would die of hypothermia.

But if she killed too many, my temperature would spike and I would die of fever.

“There might be a way for me on this side to control how many slimes you face.”

― Yes, look for that.

What would I need to do to control the slime count? Thinking that, I charged at the monster sitting on the throne. Dodging the rain of ice spears, I came to stand before it.

Around the queen’s body, sharp stakes of ice thrust upward, seeking my life.

― …Wait, the big slime just stopped producing little ones. No, it’s still making them, but it’s really slow.

Her words puzzled me a bit.

All I had done was approach my enemy. I quickly backed off for now.

“What about now?”

― Ah, production sped up again.

Damn it. The closer I got to the monster, the slower it spawned slimes for Han Sang-ah to fight.

If production slowed, she would face too few, and I would freeze. If I got too far, the slimes would overwhelm her and she would fail to kill them, and I would freeze to death. Either way, I’d die in the end.

“Not a single thing about this… is good!”

As if reflecting my mood, the Paradoxical Flame wrapped around me swelled. The problem was the monster’s magic resistance was incredibly high. Until I burned through that resistance, I couldn't burn anything else.

I could of course let the flames rage unchecked like in the Erosion Core on Gyodong or Tsushima Island, turning it into a wildfire disaster.

‘But I’m not alone here.’

Even if I incinerated everything and we killed the monster, when Han Sang-ah and I regrouped she would be swallowed by my flames without even time to scream. I had not taught her so much just to throw her away.

“Hold out as long as you can.”

I could last for a long time. But how long could she? Unlike me, Han Sang-ah drew from her own body’s stored mana. That meant it would eventually run dry.

― I didn’t come here to hold you back.

This Erosion Core only allowed two entrants in the first place anyway. I had chosen to bring Han Sang-ah instead of Lee Se-eun, deciding the gain was greater. There was no holding anyone back here.

I knew exactly how much mana Han Sang-ah had and what her skill level was. Judging from the danger of the slimes she faced…

‘She can last at least three days.’

As long as she stayed awake and focused of course. Luckily she had trained for this countless times. I believed she could endure.

“Whoa.”

Just then, a spectacle spread before me. Within the raging snowstorm, the sky rained down crystalline spears of ice, while the frozen earth beneath thrust up spikes.

Had I been watching and not the target, I would have thought it was breathtaking.

“Damn bitch.”

The curse came out on its own. A blade grazed my skin, and from the cut, frost bloomed across my body.

“A curse?”

That much I was more than capable of handling. The Paradoxical Flame burned it away immediately. The curse wasn’t the problem.

“The real issue is keeping the right distance…”

Too close I would die, and too far I would die as well. The enemy was strong, and I was constrained.

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

“At least let’s make this ice harmless, shall we.”

I brought my flames to the ice scattered around. I couldn't burn the ice itself, but I could burn the curse within it.

― …

It strangely felt like the monster was giving me a distinctly displeased glare. Was it because I had burned away its curse?

“Hey, sorry if I made you mad.”

I still had no intention of putting out the fire though. It’s not like it was going to spare me just because it wasn’t mad, right? Across the transparent ice stretching like spiderwebs, black flames spread and burned, and a bizarre landscape of fire and ice writhed together like snakes.

In this new world, I charged with my spear.

* * *

Han Sang-ah was going through just as much hassle as Yoo Chan-seok. The reasons differed, but their situations were the same.

“…A little faster.”

― Got it.

Even so, they were adapting well. In battles with your life on the line, even the smallest mistake usually led to harsh words.

But Yoo Chan-seok knew from experience that was the wrong way. And Han Sang-ah was not the type to speak harshly to others in the first place.

She swung her sword, slicing a slime in half, then dodged the tentacles lunging for her and fell back.

― I’m cold. If you can, speed it up.

At his words, she wrapped her sword in lightning and slashed into the next slime. In an instant, five strikes cut down another.

It was efficient with no wasted motion, ending one slime’s life exactly.

The fruit of endless repetition.

“How is it now?”

― Yeah, it’s better n… ow! Kagh!

Something had gone wrong. But Han Sang-ah didn’t flinch at Yoo Chan-seok’s strained voice.

If he died, he died. The only thing she could affect was his body temperature by killing slimes. Nothing else was in her control.

Even when he cried out, she asked the only question that mattered.

“How’s your temperature?”

― Still okay. What about the slimes?

She was currently facing three at the moment. Looking past them to the bubbling giant slime spawning more, she made her judgment.

“Still manageable. About… twenty seconds of you being close would still be fine.”

― Twenty? No, try to hold on for twenty five.

“Alright.”

They asked unreasonable things of each other without hesitation, and tried their best to comply. This went back and forth and the more they did, the more cuts and fatigue accumulated.

“Haa…”

Han Sang-ah tumbled across the ground after a blow to the stomach, then steadied herself.

“Yoo Chan-seok, this will go on forever at this rate.”

― I get that feeling too. You brought that up because… ugh! You have an idea, right?

She glanced at the great slime churning in the distance.

“I’m going to end the life of the big one pooping out the little slimes.”

Chipping away at the little ones wasn’t working. It seemed like killing the giant slime was the answer.

― That’s… Damn it. That might also kill our only way of keeping my temperature up.

“Do you want a slow death, or a fast one?”

Yoo Chan-seok gave a coughing laugh after hearing her.

― What a lovely choice I have. If I have to die anyway, I’d rather choose a quick one.

“Good. But if I go for it, I can’t manage your temperature.”

If she kills the big slime and the method of regulating his temperature vanishes, he would die. If she fails to kill the slime, then Yoo Chan-seok would still die anyway.

― So that means I just have to endure the cold huh.

“Mhm.”

She answered flatly.

― Alrighty. Let’s shiver through it. Begin.

“I’ll clear the small ones fast, then strike the big one. When I signal, keep your monster as far from you as possible.”

She couldn’t have small fry interfering while fighting the giant. She would wipe them quickly, push his temperature dangerously high, then unleash her finishing strike.

― From fever to hypothermia right after. Yikes. What are you making, noodles? It’s like you’re boiling them, then dunking them in cold water.

She ignored the joke from Yoo Chan-seok. Without this, they’d just slowly melt away like shrimps in a whale’s gut anyway. Or more accurately, they wouldn’t die, but just end up buried in debt instead.

Drawing out all her mana, she cut down the remaining slimes.

“Now, keep your distance.”

― Alright. Let’s hope this works.  

She sheathed her blade, inhaled deeply, and summoned every drop of mana. Emptying herself, forcing all power into one strike.

If it killed the great slime, it’d be a success. If not, failure.

She felt hollow inside because she used up all her mana in her body. It felt as if an organ had been ripped out because of how empty it felt.

“Haa…”

― I’m going to… freeze to death.

Yoo Chan-seok spoke, urging her. But she had no choice but to charge more. She wrung herself dry. After all, there was a saying that even a dried rag gives out a drop when twisted.

“Hold on for me.”

Like squeezing the last water from a sponge, it took time and pain. Blood felt like it was drying out inside her. But drawing this last bit took effort and a long time.

“…”

Now, there was no more time and no more efficiency left in her. If this didn’t work, they would learn that it had been reckless from the start.

She gripped her sword and charged at the giant slime. Blue-white sparks trailed behind her.

“Disappear.”

One strike. She drew and slashed in one motion.

Flash.

The world seemed split open as the blade carved a massive line into its body. Spinning with the motion, she slashed down again, making the strike into a cross of light.

The giant slime was cut into four pieces. Lightning spread through its jelly, crackling with sparks inside. The incandescent cross-flash grew, covering and devouring its body.

“Khah… ugh…”

She dropped her sword and collapsed. She didn’t even have the strength to move a finger.

As if to prove that she had pushed her power to the very limit, for a brief moment strands of Han Sang-ah’s hair turned white in patches. To anyone watching, it might have looked like she had deliberately bleached her hair and added highlights.

Han Sang-ah could not tell whether her strike had landed properly or failed. The moment she delivered the slash, she collapsed and fainted on the spot.

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