NOVEL WEB Chapter 43
“Pant… Pant…”
Professor and Hye-won, who approached the Death Hunger, collapsed in the blink of an eye, leaving Han Min-ha to catch her breath shakily.
Professor, with a saw blade embedded in his chest, and Hye-won, whose shoulder was pierced by a venomous needle, lay motionless on the floor.
Is… Are they dead…? Both of them…?
Min-ha glanced around frantically.
But there wasn’t a single training staff member in sight anywhere in the training area.
Without realizing it, she felt for her pocket but, her usually ever-present cellphone was gone.
Ah! I left it at the office earlier…
When she turned to look at the door leading to the management office, it was locked — a sturdy iron gate blocking her path.
She ran to it and beat on the door, but there was no sound or response from the other side.
There must be… an emergency phone around here somewhere…!
The two figures incapacitated before her, the Death Hunger’s bowling ball-like eyes rolled as it moved its body in search of its next target.
Chick-chick-chick…
Though the training area was large, it was still confined. Soon enough, the Death Hunger spotted Min-ha hurriedly feeling along the wall for an emergency bell.
The Death Hunger’s eight legs shuffled quickly to turn its body toward her.
“Ughhh…”
Min-ha almost collapsed on the spot, overwhelmed by the sight of the Death Hunger’s gaze locked onto her.
Tee-rick te-rick! Kree-lick!
The Death Hunger rotated its two pincers and its eyes spun once around before settling firmly on Min-ha.
A red laser shot between the eyes, targeting the center of Min-ha’s chest, marking her as its target.
Min-ha wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but she knew being targeted by the laser couldn’t be good.
As soon as the Death Hunger lunged towards her, Min-ha bolted into a desperate escape.
The Death Hunger was fast.
Like an arachnid, it moved with eight legs at incredible speed, chasing after Min-ha.
Kwa-whoah-whoah-whoah!
Trampling over the dirt and spewing a small sandstorm in its wake, the Death Hunger pursued Min-ha with relentless vigor.
Though Min-ha couldn’t use Aura, she had inherited the bloodline of a Hero, and her stamina had vastly improved through Hye-won’s special training since the beginning of the term.
This allowed her to maintain a surprisingly faster pace than the Death Hunger.
Had it not been for Hye-won’s training, Min-ha would likely have already fallen to exhaustion, been trampled underfoot, and killed.
However, the training arena was circular; if she kept running, there would be nowhere to escape, endlessly spinning in circles with the Death Hunger.
Moreover…
As Min-ha ran, she glanced towards Professor and Hye-won lying collapsed on the ground, both of them motionless, not even twitching a finger.
She couldn’t just leave them there.
But if she tried to approach them, the Death Hunger might trample them underfoot.
“Huff… Huff!”
Struggling to breathe, Min-ha quickly assessed the situation.
The Death Hunger was tough.
Without Aura, there was no way to break through its protective exoskeleton and strike effectively.
She scanned around for anything that could be used as a weapon, but the immaculately clean training area lacked even the most common scrap of metal or tool to use.
What should I do…?
If only I could buy just a little more time…
At that moment, Min-ha felt a shadow pass over her head.
A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she threw herself to the side. The spot she had just occupied was pierced by the Death Hunger’s venomous needle.
The Death Hunger, unfazed by the failed attack, simply retracted its needle and resumed the chase.
At that instant, Min-ha had a sudden thought.
Though Min-ha couldn’t use Aura, her current physical strength far surpassed that of an ordinary high school student.
Maybe… Perhaps this way…
Just for a moment, it might work…
Min-ha stopped running and spun on her heels.
She then charged directly toward the rapidly approaching Death Hunger, vaulting herself onto its back.
Kee-lick kee-lick! Chick-chick!
The Death Hunger’s eyes spun rapidly to look at Min-ha perched on its back as its eight legs moved in unison, spinning its massive body around.
Min-ha clung tightly to the creature’s back with her four limbs, resisting while keeping an eye on the tail needle.
The Death Hunger, unable to raise its pincers due to joint limitations, eventually curled its tail.
Just as the tail aimed to strike Min-ha, she leaped with all her might.
The tail needle, targeting Min-ha, plunged deeply into its own back.
The Death Hunger’s movements ceased momentarily like a machine turning off.
By using her superior physical ability to outwit the mechanical scorpion, even Min-ha, who was usually bottom of the class, had managed to outsmart it…!
Seizing that brief opportunity, Min-ha dashed to Professor and Hye-won.
“Professor!”
Professor, with a circular saw blade embedded in his chest, was down but mercifully not bleeding.
But removing the blade could cause it to act like a cork being pulled, allowing blood to gush out, so Min-ha hesitated to touch it.
“Hye-won! Wake up!”
Hye-won, who had been struck by the venomous needle in the shoulder, was also unconscious.
There was no way of knowing if the Death Hunger’s needle contained actual venom, but fortunately, Hye-won was still breathing faintly.
Relieved that both of them were still alive, Min-ha sighed in relief.
But that relief was short-lived.
The Death Hunger, which had been frozen on the other side, began to stir with a faint mechanical sound.
Min-ha alone couldn’t move both of them to safety.
“Professor! Hye-won! Wake up!”
Min-ha desperately shouted and shook them, but neither moved an inch.
Where are the staff members? What are they doing?
Meanwhile, the Death Hunger turned its gaze toward Min-ha, its eye balls rolling around as it maneuvered its body.
The sound of its pincers clicking and the sight of it turning toward the trio made Min-ha bite her lip.
I need… I need Aura…
Professor and Hye-won who pulled me back from quitting and brought me here…
My only friends…
To save Professor and Hye-won… I have to do it!
But how… How do I use Aura…?
I don’t know… I don’t know!
If I could comprehend it, I would’ve understood it long ago…!
I’m sorry, Professor… I’m sorry, Hye-won…
I really don’t know…
The Death Hunger was already close now.
Its emotionless black bowling-ball eyes and its machine-covered body.
Its unsettling pincers and the needle that wouldn’t dull even after multiple attacks.
Ah… Aura…!
If I give up now, then Hye-won… Professor…!
Me too… I want to be like Professor…
The moment the Death Hunger’s needle stabbed down toward Min-ha’s head, she clenched her eyes tightly and extended her hands forward.
* * * * *
Clapping could be heard from somewhere.
Min-ha thought it was the sound of angels welcoming her to heaven.
Wait… Did I live a righteous life to deserve heaven…?
Probably not.
Because the one clapping wasn’t an angel.
“Marvelous.”
Slowly opening her eyes and turning her head, she saw the professor clapping.
“Professor… Professor…?”
Though the professor’s shirt was tattered, he maintained his usual serene expression with a smile.
“You should’ve done this earlier… You’re wasting time…”
Beside him, Hye-won was brushing the dirt off her clothes, grumbling as she got up.
“Hye-won…? What is this…?”
“Over your head.”
Following Hye-won’s pointed finger, she saw a small square defensive barrier floating above her head.
“Uh… It’s a protective barrier…? Uh… So… then…?”
“Would an academy professor really fall for a measly monster like that, dumbass?”
“Ah…”
At that moment, Min-ha realized everything.
It… It was a staged situation…
“Great job, student Min-ha. I apologize for not telling you earlier, but I judged that we wouldn’t have achieved the intended purpose otherwise.”
“Ah… Yes.”
“Even though it was a practice monster, with its poison removed and greatly weakened, you still handled it well. Especially the trick where you made the Death Hunger attack itself was highly ingenious.”
“Weakened… specimen…”
“Well… It might’ve been challenging if you couldn’t use Aura… But now, I think it can be considered truly weak.”
The professor then gestured to behind Min-ha’s shoulder.
Turning her head to where the professor pointed, Min-ha could only gape in silence, unable to say a word.
The spot where the Death Hunger had been just moments ago was now empty.
In its place, shattered and twisted mechanical parts, presumed to be the remains of the Death Hunger, were scattered in a wide semicircle around Min-ha.
“When cornered, a common person might fall off a cliff, but a hero soars.”
The professor stood beside her and said.
“Student Min-ha has soared. So now, take this moment to realize it.”
The professor reached out and pulled Min-ha by the wrist.
“Student Min-ha has fully qualified as a hero.”
The professor raised Min-ha’s hand to his eye level, revealing a flickering purple Aura emanating from it like flames.
Yesterday’s sun and today’s sun are the same.
But Professor Hyun’s prediction that yesterday’s Min-ha and today’s Min-ha would be different proved correct.
“Thank… you…”
With those words, Min-ha wobbled and nearly collapsed.
The professor chuckled softly as he supported Min-ha.
“Let’s grab some food.”
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