Chapter 46 : Surprise Attack
Chapter 46: Surprise Attack
“Right now, the wisest method is to just hide as we are.”
Lee Yujin, who sat leaning against a tree trunk with Baek Woohyun’s support, said.
“Unlike the information that it’s small-scale, this is a medium-sized Reverse World, so there are many places to hide. It’s a blessing in disguise in its own way. Well, anyway— I think the best option is to find a suitable place like this and just endure until the rescue team comes.”
Just as Lee Yujin said, if you only looked at the outwardly revealed situation, this was indeed the wisest method.
Because clearing a medium-sized Reverse World would be difficult with just one seriously injured senior agent and one probationary agent who just came out for their first practical training.
Especially considering there was even a group of veteran awakeners targeting their lives.
However, this was merely a story only when looking at the outwardly revealed situation.
The monster called Baek Woohyun wasn’t an existence that could be described with something like the mere expression of a probationary agent.
Even now when he had weakened to the level of a newborn baby compared to ‘that side,’ he was confident he could clear the Reverse World. He had sufficient skill to do so too.
“But…”
Lee Yujin, who trailed off, met eyes with Baek Woohyun.
She, who saw the achromatic pupils that showed no emotion, smiled faintly.
“It seems Junior has no intention of hiding and waiting like that. Right?”
“……Yes, that’s correct.”
Baek Woohyun didn’t bother denying it.
Just because it was a wise method didn’t mean he had a reason to follow it.
For rapid growth, appropriate danger was necessary.
If it was clearing a medium-sized Reverse World and Choi Hyeongcheol’s group, they could sufficiently play that role, so he intended to willingly take on some danger.
“Good. Then try doing as you wish once. I’ll hide appropriately nearby.”
“You won’t stop me?”
“You don’t look like you’d listen even if I stopped you. My body isn’t in good condition either, so I don’t want to waste effort on something that won’t work.”
Lee Yujin continued with a chuckle.
“And I already heard about the performance Junior showed during the research facility escape. If you have the skill to handle dozens of security guards so overwhelmingly, you won’t die anyway.”
“……”
“Just be careful of Choi Hyeongcheol’s group. Even for you, Junior, it’ll be dangerous against three veteran awakeners. If it really seems dangerous, immediately run away and hide in a suitable place. Got it?”
“Understood.”
Baek Woohyun calmly nodded at Lee Yujin’s worried advice.
He didn’t bother throwing out the question of how to run away if it was a dangerous situation while dealing with veteran awakeners, when that would already be as good as dead.
Because she would also know well the contradiction in the request she made. Seeing her face tinged with a bitter smile.
“……”
Baek Woohyun, who finished the conversation, found a position suitable for hiding, carefully brought Lee Yujin there, and finished the work of making it a hideout.
Even so, it was just covering appropriately with trees and such, but it would be difficult to discover unless they opened their eyes wide and searched thoroughly.
Because in this forest where everything was dyed in ash color, it was hard to distinguish even this level of subtle difference.
“Phew—”
Baek Woohyun, who was left alone, lightly caught his breath and closed his eyes.
Because what was needed now wasn’t sight but hearing that had become even more sensitive.
When he concentrated all his nerves on his ears, his senses that had already become sharp through [Perfect Being] went wild. They began catching all the sounds of the forest.
The sound of leaves swaying in the wind, the sound of insect-type monsters crawling around, and even the silence that descended when all of that occasionally became quiet.
“── ─── ── ──”
“─── ────”
Finding human voices among that wasn’t very difficult. Because they were moving while talking openly.
Well, the insect-type monsters were pathetically weak anyway, and they had injured Lee Yujin, who was the only dangerous one, through a surprise attack, so they could afford to be relaxed.
Baek Woohyun? To them, he was just a mere probationary agent, not a target they needed to be wary of. There couldn’t be people who feared a chirping chick.
‘Is it there?’
Finally, Baek Woohyun, who specified Choi Hyeongcheol’s group’s location, opened his eyes.
‘To deal with those bastards—’
First, it seemed difficult to attack head-on and win. You could even say it was impossible.
It was natural because no matter how much Baek Woohyun was a monster called a superhuman, there were things that couldn’t be done in a weakened state like now. Because there were physical limits.
If just one or two more Core Elements were released than now, the story might have been different, but that was just a hypothetical, so moving on.
That said, it wasn’t that he absolutely couldn’t win. Because there were many ways to win besides fighting head-on and defeating them.
When the opponent was off guard like now, those methods could be considered infinite. Whether ambush or traps, they would be tremendously effective against careless enemies.
And he was a personality with no hesitation in using such means to win against enemies.
“Good.”
Over the face of Baek Woohyun who muttered briefly, confusion was placed. It was exactly an expression a ‘probationary agent at a loss from a sudden accident’ would make.
Additionally, when he opened his eyes slightly wide and raised the corners of his mouth slightly, even his impression changed dramatically. It was at the level where the word ‘cold’ changed to the word ‘naive.’
The only commonality existing between the two words was that they were two syllables, meaning the current Baek Woohyun and the earlier Baek Woohyun looked like completely different people except for having eyes, nose, and mouth.
In that state, he refined his voice several times saying “Ah, ah,” and as the repetitions continued, confusion could be felt seeping into his previously flat voice.
He, who made such thorough preparations, headed straight toward where Choi Hyeongcheol’s group was.
Just then, Choi Hyeongcheol’s group was approaching while chattering among themselves, so it didn’t take very long to meet.
“—Who are you!”
“I’m Baek Woohyun, a probationary agent affiliated with the Otherworld Management Bureau.”
Baek Woohyun stepped forward smoothly in front of Choi Hyeongcheol who shouted and answered.
Since he was still wearing the mask of a naive probationary agent, the wariness quickly disappeared from the faces of Choi Hyeongcheol and his group who confirmed him.
What took its place instead was a thin smile.
A somehow twisted smile, close to mockery.
“The passage suddenly collapsed and I got separated from Senior Lee Yujin, so could you possibly explain what happened?”
“Ah~ Of course. Naturally I’ll explain.”
Choi Hyeongcheol walked toward Baek Woohyun with a beaming smile. It was an attitude of not thinking at all that the opponent before his eyes would attack him.
Then, the moment he was about to open his mouth, Baek Woohyun pulled out the military dagger he had hidden in his sleeve and swung it. While maintaining that naive-looking expression as is.
Was that why? Following the creepy sound of slash as flesh was cut, the blood pouring down like a waterfall somehow felt unreal.
Because Choi Hyeongcheol, who had made a dumbfounded expression, ended up seeing the military dagger stuck precisely in his chest the next moment.
“Wow, this worked.”
“He precisely stabbed the gap when they were off guard. Once the distance is closed, it’s hard to survive against Hackphysical enhanced with [Perfect Being], you know?”
-Knife stab successㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-The idiot got hit by thisㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-But honestly, it’s understandable; I was startled when he refined his voice;;
-Even if I can’t see the expression, I know. Acting GOAT ㄷㄷ
***
“What?!” “No way—”
When the two companions reacted, Baek Woohyun had already pulled back as if bouncing backward.
The flow from the surprise attack to the escape was so natural that it looked like they moved according to a script they discussed beforehand!
“Kugh—!”
Choi Hyeongcheol, who belatedly coughed roughly, collapsed right there. It was a natural reaction seeing the amount of blood pouring from his neck.
With his carotid artery cut precisely, losing a tremendous amount of blood in real-time, he couldn’t possibly stand there.
Baek Woohyun, who indifferently glared at him who finally collapsed flat, slowly seeped into the shadows of the ash-colored forest.
“What are you doing! I’ll be doing emergency treatment, so hurry up and chase him down and kill him!”
“Got it!”
When the enemy attached to Choi Hyeongcheol’s side shouted, the other enemy hurriedly nodded and ran out.
Neither of them showed any sign of considering that they might be taken down by Baek Woohyun if they went alone.
However, it was hard to say their judgment was wrong, because Choi Hyeongcheol was merely ambushed while off guard.
Since Baek Woohyun didn’t properly clash head-on and win, they had no choice but to overlook him.
‘Still.’
Baek Woohyun revealed himself again when the enemy had just set foot on the spot where he had disappeared.
He, who appeared silently from between the dim tree shadows, thrust his dagger. It was a surprise attack that started precisely from a blind spot in the field of vision.
There was no way the enemy who was running recklessly could block such a perfect ambush that would make one get hit in a careless moment even when properly on guard.
‘Off guard.’
“—!”
Stab!
When the startled enemy’s eyes widened, it was already too late.
Because the blade of the thrust military dagger had already dug into the enemy’s throat.
The effort to desperately grab it and minimize damage became meaningless as Baek Woohyun decisively shook it off and pulled out the dagger sideways.
The blade that had been lodged deeply burst out cutting the neck in half, and the enemy with rolling eyes staggered and collapsed.
It was an absurdly futile death indeed.
“……”
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Baek Woohyun, who immediately pulled out his chain scythe, began spinning it round and round.
The enemy who was busy performing emergency treatment on Choi Hyeongcheol’s wound didn’t notice even though he openly showed his intent to attack.
Surely believing that the other comrade who followed would take care of it. Though the comrade he believed in like that was sprawled out with half his neck torn.
Swish—!
Baek Woohyun, who held a faint sneer, threw the chain scythe toward the enemy’s back of the head. The scythe containing all the centrifugal force advanced like lightning cutting through the wind.
However, perhaps the opponent wasn’t completely letting down their guard either, as they immediately rolled their body to avoid as soon as a threatening sound was heard from behind.
Since it was a fairly agile movement, the scythe futilely only cut the spot where the enemy had been.
“Hup!”
What was unfortunate for the enemy was that even that was Baek Woohyun’s aim.
As he inhaled and yanked the chain, the scythe that had been moving strangely in midair soon struck down fiercely toward the defenseless Choi Hyeongcheol.
The enemy who had already dodged once had no way to block the scythe striking down into Choi Hyeongcheol’s brow.
Stab!
An attack that mercilessly cut off the lifeline he had barely attached!
With his head pierced precisely, Choi Hyeongcheol’s possibility of survival could be considered nonexistent.
Baek Woohyun, who finished the confirmation kill, nodded satisfactorily and retrieved his chain scythe.
“This bastard…! I’ll kill you! [Rock Spike]!”
Rumble!
The enemy who saw his comrade murdered before his eyes ground his teeth. He glared at Baek Woohyun with eyes full of rage and killing intent.
As if responding to his emotions, the surrounding ground shook while spewing heavy reverberations, and seven spikes made of rock surged up around Baek Woohyun.
A situation where his whole body would be pierced by rock spikes if he stayed still!
“……!”
Crash—!
Baek Woohyun grabbed the middle part of the chain, then swung it rapidly as if drawing infinity (∞).
The scythe that tore through the air smashed all seven rock spikes that aimed at him. It was as if a protective barrier made of chains formed around him.
“[Wave of Earth]!”
However, the enemy’s attack didn’t end there.
Immediately, there was a rumble— as another ground reverberation occurred, and a tremendous-scale wave made of earth rushed toward Baek Woohyun.
Befitting an attack unleashed with a veteran awakener screaming in rage, it was a fearsome supernatural ability technique both in appearance and power.
‘I can’t block this.’
It was impossible to block unless he crushed the entire ground. That said, the range was too wide to dodge. It was enough to cover and block almost his entire field of vision.
At least it seemed he could dodge if he jumped high, but the enemy behind this [Wave of Earth] wouldn’t leave that be.
He would certainly pour out attacks aiming at him while floating in the air unable to move.
‘Then.’