The Babysitter Wants to Stop Dying

Chapter 9: Terror (4)

"You son of a bitch! How the hell did you sneak in?"

The more Cobe spat out curses, the louder the Administrator laughed. His always expressionless face was now tinged with madness.

"Foolish Association bastards. You shouldn't have been so complacent! Top secret? The Center? Kuhahaha!"

"Damn it! Why won't it break?"

The Administrator was giggling despite the continuous barrage of electric spears. The barrier was slowly cracking, but the Administrator showed no signs of anxiety.

"By the way, it's truly magnificent. To think such a young child isn't being caught by my detection ability! Is she using her ability and sleeping now? Ah! I might really be able to fulfill my long-cherished wish through that child!"

The Administrator was just spouting whatever he wanted to say one-sidedly.

"It's a good thing Andy died. The fool who couldn't distinguish between things got excited and tried to kill everyone. What would I have done if our Lottie had died?"

He seemed to be talking about the guy who died with Rowena. It gave me chills how he could talk about his own side like that.

"By the way, Cobe Alecman, isn't it getting a little tough now?"

"Tough my ass. I'm going to turn a guy like you into a crispy roast, so just stay still!"

But Cobe's speed was noticeably slower than when I had woken up. The size of the electric spears he materialized was also smaller than usual.

It was when I was feeling a severe sense of powerlessness, that all I could do was stand behind Cobe.

Kwajik!

Finally, the barrier surrounding the Administrator shattered.

"Cobe Alecman. You're as amazing as I've heard. To think this defensive barrier broke!"

Now all that was left was to defeat him. But Cobe's reaction was unusual. He hesitated, gritted his teeth, and then lowered his raised hand. Alarmed, I shouted at Cobe.

"Hey! What are you doing!"

"But what to do. Even that great Ranker is about to die now."

Even as the Administrator slowly approached, Cobe just flicked his fingers a few times and didn't summon any electricity.

"Cobe!"

"Don't call me! I'm out of electricity!"

"...?"

"I can't. I can't do it! It's all over now. Damn it! No wonder I didn't want to be assigned here!"

Cobe plopped down on the floor and started whining with a crying voice.

"I don't wanna die... What, what are you doing!"

In a situation where every second counted, my hand moved first. I grabbed the opponent. Cobe, with his collar grabbed, was powerlessly pulled into my grasp.

"Why isn't the electricity you shot at me day in and day out coming out?"

"You think I want to die? I need time!"

"Time? What time!"

"I need time to recharge! You think I can just shoot electricity indefinitely!?"

Is he saying he's discharged right now?

Cobe struggled and pushed me away.

"There's a set amount I can use in a day! That's why I trained every day to increase that amount! Arsen, are you an idiot?"

You trained so hard by killing me, and now you're discharged?

"I'm so jealous! You get to live again even if you die!"

"You don't have any left?"

"I don't wanna die either-!"

What should I do with this childish man. I looked back at the whining grown man.

There's Lottie. I couldn't give up.

Even though I had always harbored a plan to escape the Center someday, my immediate priority now had become that little kid.

I was planning to run away on the pretext of a vacation, but just this once, cut me some slack, Lottie.

Whether I leave the Center or not, I had to see Lottie's safety with my own two eyes now.

I gritted my teeth and squeezed Cobe's hand tightly. As I carefully intertwined our fingers, his eyes widened.

"What, what is this? Why are you suddenly holding my hand? Don't tell me, Arsen, did you like me? Are you hoping for some romance before you die? No way! I like women!"

"Stay still!"

I was about to slap his cheek, but I shouted instead. Cobe, who was trying to pull his hand away, flinched and stopped.

"Trust me. It'll feel strange, but just stay still for a moment."

I have to concentrate. How did I connect with Lottie?

I had used Lottie's ability without knowing it.

I don't know if I'm borrowing it or copying it, but anyway, if I did it once, can't I do it twice?

‘Please, please, please! If only I can use Cobe's ability!’

I didn't know the principle of how it worked, but I just put strength into my whole body.

Is this what they call giving it all you've got? I filled my mind with the sole obsession of absorbing Cobe Alecman's energy.

It was at that moment.

Pajik!

"What, what is this?"

A vivid blue spark fiercely leaped up over my right hand. Cobe stared at me with a dumbfounded face at the unbelievable sight. And then,

Pajijijijik-!

‘It's working!’

A huge mass of electricity instantly enveloped my hand and spread out in all directions. Enveloped in the bright blue electricity, I felt as if I had become Zeus.

The only difference was that I was also getting a little electrocuted.

‘Damn, it's tingling all the way to my toes.’

Whether it was a side effect of the ability, my whole body was tingling, but when I focused my mind solely on my right hand, the mass of electricity formed into a ball.

And without hesitation, I threw it.

The electric ball slammed into the Administrator, who was staring this way with a face as bewildered as Cobe's.

"Keuheuk!"

With the barrier gone, the Administrator had also become a somewhat strong human who conducted electricity well.

As I immediately created the next electric ball, changes began to occur in my body.

‘Is this a backlash?’

The pitch-black marks spreading from my fingertips were spiky, as if lightning had struck me directly. The irregularly torn patterns slowly crawled up my arm.

‘It feels like every single blood vessel is tearing.’

The longer the mass of electricity was maintained in my hand, the more they increased.

I have to end this quickly. The patterns weren't just for show; they were inflicting a pain as if I were being electrocuted. Perhaps if it passed a certain level, my life could be in danger.

Then Lottie would be exposed to this mess alone for over two hours again.

"You, what are you! How are you using my power!"

I had no time to answer Cobe, who was asking with a dazed face.

"This is so freaking tingly! Here comes another one!"

The lightning-shaped black marks continued to creep up from my hand. I threw the mass of electricity exploding in my palm again. Electric fragments scattered like sparks in all directions.

Pajijijijijik!

Devouring all the electricity around, the mass of electricity, which had evolved from the size of a baseball to a soccer ball in an instant, slams right into the Administrator.

"Keuhaaak!"

The man who had seemed like an iron fortress trembles with his limbs spread out.

I don't know what Nat*** Wea was, but it was amazing. But I had to expect the duration to be short.

Cobe Alecman's ability is too powerful. I could tell by feel. With a low unlock rate, it probably wouldn't last more than a minute.

‘Then I'll just beat him up as randomly as possible!’

Kwajijijijik-!

Kwakwakwang!

With the barrier gone, the Administrator was no big deal. A few more zaps and he looked like he would faint soon.

"Owowowowow! Let go of this, let go of this!"

Behind the mercilessly flying mass of electricity was Cobe Alecman, writhing in agony.

Cobe, who had been staring blankly at his copied ability, soon began to scream at his wrist, which was about to be not just twisted, but torn off.

Whether it was because Cobe's usual sturdy body had its stats lowered due to being discharged, or whether I could also use his physical abilities.

I don't know where this strength is coming from in my crappy body.

For now, contact seemed to be the most basic condition for synchronization, so I couldn't let go of Cobe's hand. He, whose hand was being twisted by me, jumped around trying to escape from my grasp.

‘Last one...!’

The largest mass of electricity I had thrown so far, in the shape of a plausible harpoon, pierced through the Administrator. The guy, who had rolled his eyes back and trembled, finally fell backwards.

‘It's over.’

My legs gave out and I let go of Cobe's hand. I patted the shoulder of the man who was staring at me with a dumbfounded face.

"Thanks for saving me."

I don't know since when, but he was protecting us until I woke up, so I should at least say thanks.

I walked with trembling legs and picked up the lying Lottie. She was still asleep, seemingly very tired. She must have used 'Stealth' while I was dead.

"What are you, really?"

As I was used to, I put the apron around my neck and lay down. As I lay there blankly with the little one on my stomach, Cobe shook his head with a still disbelieving face.

"A Player."

Cobe opened his mouth to say more, but I waved my hand, saying it was a bother, and closed my eyes. I couldn't think of anything. I just wanted to rest a little....

Biiiiiiii-!

...but.

Cobe's complexion changed, and he shot up and started running towards the Administrator. The Administrator, who had regained consciousness at some point, was blowing something.

A flute?

"This crazy bastard is opening a Gate!"

When I was wondering what nonsense I was hearing, the Administrator was laughing with a blackened face.

"Since it's come to this, let's all die! Everything for the grand revenge! Kuluck!"

"This bastard, really!"

As Cobe's kick knocked the Administrator out again, the space behind him began to distort. Soon, it slowly took shape.

A Gate.

"Haha. Now it's a Gate? Isn't this really forced?"

All the strength drained from my body. I don't even have the strength to lift a finger. Cobe also seemed to not have regained his strength yet, and was just staring blankly at the opening Gate with me.

I barely looked down at Lottie in my arms. A sense of guilt washed over me at her sleeping face. Will I be unable to protect her? Will everyone die, and only I revive amidst the corpses?

"Damn it-!"

Something clad in carapace crawls out from the giant, dark, wavering crack in the dimension. My body wouldn't move.

Ah. I'm sorry, Lottie.

What are these tears flowing down my cheeks?

With an unknown emotion, I just put all my strength into my arms. I hoped that with luck, it would just kill me and not find the little one. The probability of a sleeping child using her ability was extremely low, but I hoped it would be so.

It was when I was lying flat on the ground, unable to brace for death and just praying it would pass by without seeing us.

Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang-!

Kieeeeeek!

Kureureuk-

Kigagagak!

"Disgusting bastards."

With ear-splitting screeches, something splattered down from above. Green fluid drenched my entire body.

"What a fucking mess. What did you crawl out to eat?"

I raised my head at the sticky laughter that was close to a sneer.

"Anyway, our Vice-captain, his intuition is just amazing."

There, a man's monster-slaughtering show was unfolding.