The S-Rank Character Is My Alt

Chapter 17: Welcome to the Sacred Battlefield (6)

[Kyaaaaghhh-!!]

Half the field had been covered in ice. Perhaps deciding it couldn't continue, the dragon began to fly.

Each time its wings beat the air, gusts of wind roared, and Lude had to clutch the black half-scissor he had driven into the ground even tighter. He scowled, barely managing to look up.

“Damn it… looks like a new phase has started.”

The dragon circled the field in wide arcs. Lude wanted to change the entire field’s attribute before it could transition into the new phase.

But his stamina had dropped more than he had expected. From afar, Kang Ihyun seemed to sense his condition and began to run toward him.

[Kieeeekkk-!!!]

The dragon soared, spinning in the air, and let out a piercing roar. The field shook violently in response.

From places where the ice had not yet hardened, magma spurted upward. The fragile ice he had barely created was melting under the searing heat.

Rumble after rumble filled the space as if the ceiling itself was moving in answer to the dragon’s voice.

‘If this were a real gate… the ceiling would have collapsed by now.’

Cracks already stretched across the ground and walls. If this had been reality, just thinking about it made his spine crawl.

Since it was virtual reality, there should be no real danger. At least, that was what he thought, until a message popped up in front of him.

[Warning! Falling rocks detected.]

[These rocks are not virtual. Avoid them at once.]

“What?!”

Startled, Lude looked up. With a deafening crash, boulders fell into the magma. Lava splashed upward, melting through the stone floor.

“This is real!”

The world’s greatest illusionist widened his eyes in shock. This was no illusion. They had dropped real debris from above and synced the field to match it. If hit, it would be truly dangerous.

“Are these Sanctuary bastards insane? What kind of guild makes a mock battle like this?!”

Thud, rumble… More ominous sounds echoed. Lude lifted his gaze. Stones in the ceiling quivered dangerously with each roar of the dragon.

[Massive rockfall imminent. Take caution.]

“Ugh dammit…! Hey! Kang Ihyun!”

The only option was to avoid as best he could. Lude cast a barrier of spirit energy around himself and sprinted toward Ihyun. Ihyun, also shielded, was rushing toward him.

As the two closed the gap, Lude readied his golden half-scissors in his other hand, channeling the borrowed power of a constellation into it, preparing to split the space if needed.

“Lude!”

“Hurry! Get over here!”

Boom-! The moment they met, the ground convulsed. Rocks rained across the field, the impact sending tremors through every direction. Lava erupted around them. Lude grabbed Ihyun as they both toppled.

He had no idea if he had managed to activate his skill or not. The confusion was that great. A choking mist and clouds of dust smothered them.

Only after a few minutes later, Lude coughed violently, forcing his eyes open.

“Cough… Hah, damn it… those bastards…”

He coughed again and slowly realized his body was intact. His skill didn’t activate properly, but he was met with relief with the fact that he was still intact.

As he let out a sigh of relief, he realized someone was above him and looked up.

“Lude, are you okay?”

Ihyun had thrown himself over him, shielding him from the falling debris. Broken stones and spilled magma surrounded them. It was clear Ihyun’s sacrifice had spared him.

“Hey, you…! Are you okay?!”

Lude hurriedly scrambled up to check him. Thankfully,Ihyun seemed uninjured, but the white armor he had worn was gone.

“Yup! I’m glad that you’re okay.”

He was dressed now in only a simple white undershirt. Startled, Lude reached out his hand.

Clink. He noticed something was draped over his arm, and slowly looked down over his body.

[You are wearing the Armor of Sacred Flame. Your defense has increased.]

The white armor had been transferred onto him. It was clear at the last moment, Ihyun had stripped it away and given it to Lude. Lude quickly looked up and spoke to Ihyun.

“Why did you do this? What if you got hurt?”

“I… I’m fine. I’m sturdy. I also can’t let you get injured, Lude…”

“Are you insane?! You could have just shielded me while wearing it! You’re gonna get seriously injured one day if you’re like this!”

“It’s fine!”

Ihyun smiled brightly, as if he really didn’t mind at all.

“I recover quickly even if I get hurt! Even if I lose a limb, it regenerates instantly. So it’s more efficient for you to wear the armor.”

“No, but that’s not the point. Heal fast or not, it hurts if you get hurt. Why do you do this?! Do you not trust me?!”

“B-But it really is the most efficient way. It hurts, sure… but only for a moment. I’ll be fine!”

His tone made it sound as if this had always been normal for him. Lude stopped talking after hearing him. No, it was more like he wasn’t able to.

Lude suddenly thought of his mother. She would come home almost every day wrapped head to toe in bandages. Sometimes at night his father would stick medicated patches all over her body.

The ordinary kind of patches did not work, so they had to use the harsh ones made for Awakeners, the kind so strong that Nari was never allowed to touch them.

At that time, there were not many Awakeners. Naturally, there was no way the supply of medicine for them could be enough. His mother lived every day on ordinary painkillers and antibiotics, even though it barely had any effect.

Priests who could treat them were always fully booked, so most Hunters in their own way, would slap on a splint for what they considered a light injury. Though for ordinary people a fracture was anything but light. Then, they would charge into the next gate.

Nari’s mother also kept throwing herself into gates while constantly injured.

‘My mom was originally so pretty, the prettiest in the whole world. But every day she had bandages or plasters on her, so she could not even show her beautiful face properly.’

Feeling upset, little Nari once asked her mother,

‘Mom, can’t you just let someone else do it? Aren’t you hurt? I wish you would stop with the bandages.’

‘Our Nari is worried about mommy huh? Mommy is fine. I’m much stronger than other people. It can’t be helped. Heroes are always the ones who get hurt.’

‘But I don’t like it when you’re hurt. Don’t be a hero, mom.’

Nari squirmed as she buried herself in her mother’s arms. Her smiling mother stroked her head.

‘Then in the future, Nari can grow up to be even greater than mom, and save mom.’

‘Me?’

“Mhm! Then mom can rest easy, right?’

Her mother patted Nari’s back. Her embrace always smelled of antiseptic. Nari hugged her tight.

‘Then when I grow up, I’ll be a Hunter. So people like you won’t have to get hurt anymore.’

‘Yes, yes. Our Nari can do it. My daughter is so sweet, what am I going to do~ You make me cry~’

Saying that, her mother patted Nari through the whole night.

At twenty-five, Shin Bitnari, now one of the best Hunters in the country like her mother, finally began to wonder for the first time. What had her mother really thought when she heard those words?

“Hah… damn it.”

Lude scowled and grabbed his black scissors as he stood. He had thought things would change a little after ten years, but the Hunter world was no different now than it had been.

One breakthrough and your life was overturned. It was the number one dream job of elementary school kids. But behind the glamorous exterior, it was the profession that ruined body and mind the fastest.

Of course. In this place, if you did not reduce yourself to a tool, you could not survive. Like Kang Ihyun, and like Nari’s mother. And she hated that.

“Kang Ihyun.”

“Y-Yes…?”

Sensing Lude’s grim expression, Ihyun flinched. His face was fierce.

“Don’t do that anymore.”

He rose slowly and picked up his black scissors. Black energy rippled around him. He looked up at the dragon circling above.

“N-No, I really am fine. It’s nothing for me! Once I heal, it doesn’t even hurt…”

Lude looked at him. Black mist billowed from his body. His figure wavered. In his flickering eyes, Kang Ihyun was reflected.

[Illusionist Exclusive High Tier Skill :: Release Persona.]

‘Not all of it. Just a little. Just a tiny bit.’

[5% of the spirit force forming Persona is released.]

Lude drew a bit of energy out of his avatar. His body rippled, and dense spirit force dripped away. His form grew a little faint.

‘Pain is still pain. Whatever you do, you yourself always come first.’

He no longer wanted to see people who said it was fine to sacrifice themselves, that throwing away their bodies was the most efficient way.

Nari hated the smell of antiseptic. And she had become stronger than her mother, just as her mother had said.

‘So if I could just let go of a little greed, just a little. And if I could set aside the fear of being found out… if I could just open my heart a little…’

Spreading his dense black spirit force across the entire field, Lude looked at Kang Ihyun. Ihyun watched him tensely.

“Do you think it’s really okay just because you don’t mind?”

Lude spoke slowly. His expression was cold as always, but his voice was gentle.

“...It bothers me to see it.”

[Trait :: Natural Lucid Dream activates!]

Black energy filled the field. At once, a biting chill swept through. The sweat on Ihyun’s cheek and the blazing columns of flame froze solid in an instant.

Thud! The dragon’s wings froze and it crashed to the ground. In the white world, only white breath came from its mouth.

The field’s property had been overturned. There was no reason to continue the mock battle. Before Lude, a message appeared congratulating him on final acceptance.

From the speakers in the white room, an announcement flowed out.

“The class 2 gate has been cleared. Clear time, 29 minutes 45 seconds. Contributors, Lude, Kang Ihyun.”

* * *

“God damn it!!”

The white room after the mock battle. Attack drones, holograms, temperature machines all shut themselves off. Lude kicked a rock lying on the floor, furious.

It was the size of his waist, but with his kick it tumbled far away like a beach ball. He fumed inwardly.

“They made it out of sponge to look like real stone… seriously… ugh…”

Picking up the soft rock that had fallen on him, Lude sighed. He knew illusions and hallucinations perfectly, but not special effects makeup. So he hadn’t known. That was why he thought it was real…

[The Lord of Chaos shrugs, saying no one would design a mock battle so dangerous you’d actually get hurt.]

“That’s true… but still, isn’t it illegal not to warn me?! Huh?!”

Still shaken from thinking it was real, Lude raked a hand through his hair and sighed. Then he walked over to where Kang Ihyun sat.

“H-Hey!”

“Huh…? O-Oh… Yes…?”

Ihyun, crouching, looked up and gave him an awkward smile. Why is this guy always so blank, Lude thought to himself. He spoke while blinking his eyes.

“The guildmaster is calling. I’m supposed to go to the office. I don’t know the way, so take me there.”

“Huh? Eh? Oh… N-Now? Why?”

“Why do you think?”

Lude glanced back at Ihyun who was staring at him, patted his shoulder, and sighed.

“I got the job.”