Chapter 55 – Divergence (Part Four)

“Wh-what do we do?”

The other Awakened standing behind Lee Tae-hee stammered.

The man, who had been helping her protect the civilians and fight the monsters, was frozen stiff at the sight of the white beast.

He’d been on countless missions for a fairly well-known company, but he had never seen a monster like that.

“Take the people and get as far away as you can.”

“But that thing is blocking the way…”

At his words, Lee Tae-hee glanced around.

The small alleys on either side had collapsed and were blocked, and the beast completely obstructed the path ahead, making it impassable.

Going the other way wasn’t an option either; that was the direction the Gate had opened, and there were still many monsters left.

As a C-rank Awakened, it would be difficult for him to lead the people safely through that horde of monsters alone.

“…We have no choice. Can you provide support?”

“Yes…? Ah, yes! I have to, whether I can or not.”

He nodded.

It wasn’t a matter of whether he could or couldn’t.

Their lives were on the line.

“Just look for an opening to pin it down with your ability from the rear. And maintain your distance, no matter what.”

Even as she spoke to him, Lee Tae-hee never took her eyes off the beast.

The Chaser simply stood still, watching the two Awakened who were whispering warily about it.

For a monster, its intentions were hard to read.

“I doubt it’s planning to let us pass quietly.”

Lee Tae-hee carefully took a step forward.

She had sent a signal as soon as it appeared, so Il-hyeon was on his way to join them, but judging by the creature’s murderous gaze, things wouldn’t stay quiet until he arrived.

Plus, if the two brothers who had been struck down by the Chaser received immediate treatment, there was a chance they could be saved, given they were high-ranking Awakened.

The creature’s arm, which had been dripping blood, flashed.

*Clang!*

The Chaser’s crossed arms and Lee Tae-hee’s sword collided.

The impact was so powerful it echoed loudly, and as the creature tried to overpower her with sheer force, Lee Tae-hee gritted her teeth and met the attack.

Then, she activated her ability.

*Vwoom!*

The space turned gray, slowing everything down except for Lee Tae-hee.

The Chaser tried to resist the disorienting sensation of the distorted timeline, but it was useless.

Even for a high-rank monster or another Awakened with high ability resistance, it would be impossible.

Her ability wasn’t just highly ranked; it was on another level entirely.

Within the slowed flow of time, Lee Tae-hee twisted her sword free.

Then, she slid inside its guard and swung her sword again.

*Swish!*

Caught off guard by the sudden ability, the Chaser failed to react in time and received a long gash across its abdomen.

Red blood, just like a human’s, poured out.

*’Tch…’*

But Lee Tae-hee frowned in disappointment.

The cut was too shallow.

She had intended to slice it in two at the waist, but the creature had dodged so quickly that she only managed to graze it.

She should have landed a significant blow the first time she revealed her ability to it, but the result was less than she’d hoped for.

But there was no time to dwell on her disappointment; she had to engage again.

Sparks flew each time its fiercely swung blades clashed with her sword.

“What in the…”

The man muttered blankly, watching the spectacle.

Unlike the Chaser, the man couldn’t even perceive the distorted flow of time caused by her ability, and the thought of intervening in such an incredible exchange never crossed his mind.

It was on a level far beyond anything he had ever seen or heard of.

But the situation wasn’t leisurely enough for him to just stand and watch.

While the Chaser was clearly struggling more in the slowed time than when it fought the two brothers, it didn’t mean Lee Tae-hee had the upper hand.

“Kuh!”

After several more exchanges, Lee Tae-hee staggered and was the first to retreat.

It wasn’t just the speed; each of its attacks carried enough force to make her arm go numb.

Engaging in a direct contest of strength by clashing blades would only drain her own stamina.

This couldn’t continue.

With that thought, Lee Tae-hee deactivated her ability, and the gray world returned to its normal colors.

“Bind it!”

Lee Tae-hee shouted quickly.

Snapped to his senses by her cry, the male Awakened thrust both hands forward and clenched them tightly in mid-air.

And a blue light filled Lee Tae-hee’s eyes.

Pulling her sword back tightly, she swung it, sending a translucent slash flying forward.

The Chaser tried to dodge the approaching, unidentified slash.

But something was holding its body firmly in place.

The force holding it was weak and could be broken easily, but by then it was already too late to completely evade the slash.

Realizing it was just a minor, obstructive ability from the Awakened standing behind, the Chaser reflexively raised its arm without a second thought.

As long as an attack hit its arm, all impact would be absorbed, so a frontal assault meant nothing.

But this time was different.

As the slash drew near, the Chaser, raising its arm to block, instinctively sensed danger.

Too late, it tried to twist its body as much as possible to avoid the incoming attack.

But one of its arms was already caught in the slash.

Blood spurted from its shoulder, and the Chaser looked down at its arm in disbelief.

One of its supposedly indestructible arms had been severed and was now rolling on the ground.

The reason it was possible was simple.

Lee Tae-hee hadn’t cut its arm; she had cut space itself.

“Huu…”

Lee Tae-hee exhaled, and the blue aura in her eyes subsided.

Her second ability, the power to cut space.

It consumed a significant amount of energy, befitting its immense power, but the effect was undeniable.

The Chaser staggered for a moment, then stopped in its tracks.

It pressed down on its shoulder to stop the gushing blood and glared fiercely at Lee Tae-hee.

Its eyes, which had held a hint of composure amidst the thick killing intent, were now completely changed.

Then, it began to frantically unleash sword energy in all directions.

*Boom! Craaash!*

“Get down!”

The male Awakened shouted, and the civilians behind him dropped to the ground in terror.

Buildings exploded on all sides, and everything on the street—the pavement, cars, everything—was torn to shreds.

Lee Tae-hee distorted time again to effortlessly evade the attacks, but the problem was what lay behind her.

“Aaargh!”

A civilian caught in a stray blast of sword energy screamed.

His leg had been severed and mangled, and he crawled on the ground, half-mad with pain.

“Stop it!”

Lee Tae-hee yelled.

And she rushed forward to stop the rampaging creature.

A massive wave of sword energy flew straight at her, but she couldn’t dare to dodge it.

At this angle and with that much power, dozens of civilians behind her would be annihilated.

*Krrr-unch!*

With a harsh sound, the beast’s sword energy met Lee Tae-hee’s blade.

The immense force inevitably pushed her sword back, twisting its angle.

And blood sprayed.

*Splurt!*

Losing her balance, Lee Tae-hee tumbled to the ground.

Realizing it was impossible to block it completely, she had deflected the energy to avoid a fatal blow, but three fingers on her right hand were sliced clean off.

Her middle, ring, and pinky fingers were severed more than halfway down, blood pouring from the stumps.

“Ughhh…”

Lee Tae-hee groaned, clutching her uncontrollably trembling hand.

Even for a highly skilled, high-ranking Awakened, it was a brutal injury for someone so young.

“Are you okay?!”

The startled man started to approach, but Lee Tae-hee held up her other hand to stop him.

*’My left hand is fine. I can still hold my sword.’*

Lee Tae-hee steeled herself and got to her feet.

She found some solace in the fact that it was her right hand, her non-sword hand, that was mangled.

She couldn’t give up and collapse now.

There was no time to hesitate over a little pain.

If she didn’t overcome this, everyone here would feel this pain multiplied several, no, dozens of times over.

“Ugh…”

“Please…”

Behind her were countless people who were looking only at her back.

Innocent people who had just been living their daily lives, knowing nothing of this.

Lee Tae-hee slowed time once more.

The world turned gray. Even in the slowed time, the Chaser was rushing to kill her as she wavered from her injury.

Lee Tae-hee gripped her sword tightly with her one good hand.

*’Cutting space alone isn’t enough…’*

The ability to cut space was powerful, but it was also difficult to use.

As Lee Tae-hee had yet to fully unlock its potential, the preparation needed to use the ability was long, and it was hard to land a hit on a powerful, high-tier monster like the Chaser.

That’s why she had to use both abilities at the same time.

To tear space from within accelerated time.

A feat she had never once succeeded in, despite countless attempts.

But this time, she had to succeed.

The monster’s blade came at her, aiming for her heart.

It was her opponent’s strength, something she shouldn’t clash with, but she paid it no mind.

She just pulled back her sword and gathered all her strength.

Once again, a bluish aura filled her pupils.

And then.

She thrust her sword with all her might.

Just as she had practiced hundreds, thousands of times.

*Shhh-lick!*

As its blade met her sword, the creature’s arm split open, and her sword continued onward, cleaving its head in two.

*Splat!* Blood erupted like a fountain from the creature, torn apart along with space itself.

The Chaser collapsed, losing all its strength, and stopped moving.

“I did it…”

Lee Tae-hee muttered, breathing heavily.

She had succeeded in defeating an A-rank monster all by herself.

Something she herself had thought impossible.

Cheers erupted from the civilians behind her, and Lee Tae-hee looked up at the sky with a relieved smile.

But soon, Lee Tae-hee’s expression changed.

Looking at the sky, she noticed something strange.

The force field surrounding the city, which should have disappeared, was still there.

“Wasn’t that the Chaser’s special ability…?”

Confused, Lee Tae-hee muttered as she looked around.

She could even cut the force field with her ability, but it regenerated instantly, making it impossible for her to break out on her own.

The Gate had already spewed out all the monsters and closed. It was baffling that the field remained even after she had eliminated the only ace monster.

*Thwump!*

“Ah…?”

Lee Tae-hee stared blankly down at her stomach.

A sharp tail had suddenly shot up from the ground, impaling her.

The white tail moved, lifting her into the air.

Her body went limp, skewered before she even had a chance to struggle.

She desperately tried to summon her strength, but none would come.

“I’m… sorry… ugh…”

The people stared in disbelief and despair.

A tear escaped and trickled down her forehead.

*Thud!*

Lee Tae-hee’s body was thrown violently to the ground.

She lay sprawled like a puppet with its strings cut, blood pouring from the hole in her body, forming a pool.

And from the ground beneath the twitching tail, a monster emerged, pulling itself up with its arms.

It looked identical to the Chaser but had a large tail, appearing like a white demon.

Seeing the creature, the man slowly let the sword he was barely holding slip from his grasp.

Any further resistance was futile.

The last thread of hope had been severed.

***

In the heart of the ruins.

Amidst the overturned streets and collapsed buildings, spattered with bloodstains, stood Il-hyeon.

The torn bodies of people were scattered about like refuse.

Il-hyeon spotted Lee Tae-hee buried among them and ran to her.

He knelt beside her and checked her condition, but it was already too late.

Her abdomen was pierced and mangled, and the blood flowing on the ground had formed a river.

A tear fell onto her face, her pupils already dilated.

He had to get up, but he couldn’t bring himself to move.

“Ugh!”

He heard a sound, someone still alive.

Il-hyeon instinctively got up and pulled a man out from under the rubble of a collapsed building.

Il-hyeon’s expression twisted when he recognized the survivor’s face.

“You said you could handle it, you son of a bitch!”

Il-hyeon roughly grabbed the fallen man by the collar.

It was Park Sang-min, from the government team.

But Il-hyeon, about to berate him in a fit of rage, hesitated.

Park Sang-min also had a hole in his chest and was on the verge of death.

Il-hyeon quickly used his transformation ability to heal the large wound.

The wound sealed quickly under his ability.

“It’s no use. Hide until help comes from the outside.”

“Don’t open your mouth. Just shut up.”

Il-hyeon growled at Park Sang-min, who was coughing up blood.

But as the man had said, it looked hopeless.

He had lost so much blood it was a miracle he was still alive, and his visible internal organs were a complete mess.

Park Sang-min already wore a look of resignation.

Il-hyeon slowly let him go.

Further treatment was pointless.

“I’m sorry.”

Park Sang-min said weakly, then closed his eyes for the last time.

Il-hyeon slowly dusted himself off and stood up.

There was nothing around him but the bodies of the dead.

He was the only one left.

“…There’s nowhere to hide. I have to see this through to the end.”