From Today, I'm a Player

Chapter 192: Emotion Pt. 2

“Mr. Kim!”

They heard Kim Su-Yeong screaming from where Sangun and Lee Jun-Kyeong should have been, where it should have been the safest. Those who were facing Odin all turned their heads, even while in front of such a powerful enemy.

“...!”

Their eyes widened. Even with their backs to Odin, none of them could easily turn their heads back to their battle. They couldn't believe what was going on in front of them.

“AGHHHH!” Kim Su-Yeong screamed again.

Then, Won-Hwa made his move.

“Mr. Kim!”

It might have been the instinct of a person who treated people, but moving faster than anyone else, Won-Hwa seemed to have forgotten what the situation around him was.

“ROARRR!”

There was a huge roar, and Kim Su-Yeong’s screams became even more desperate.

“AGHHHH!”

“Sangun!”

Sangun’s arm had pierced through Kim Su-Yeong’s chest. At the same time, Won-Hwa had arrived near them both. Thinking that Sangun had just moved on instinct, accidentally, Won-Hwa approached the two without hesitation.

Crash!

Won-Hwa suddenly bounced off something invisible. However, even in that split second, he had been able to grab ahold of the injured Kim Su-Yeong.

“Mr. Kim…”

“Cough…cough…gasp…”

Kim Su-Yeong moaned as he spat out bloody phlegm. He pointed behind Won-Hwa’s back and spoke with a flustered voice, “Mr. Won-Hwa!”

Boom!

Another explosion followed. Won-Hwa still had Kim Su-Yeong in his arms. He hunched over on the ground as he realized that the coming attack wasn’t something he could dodge.

“Damn it…”

Jeong In-Chang hurriedly ran forward and blocked the attack coming for Won-Hwa. It was the arm of the one they had risked their lives to protect.

“Grr…”

Sangun’s arm was attacking them.

“Sangun! You crazy bastard!” Jeong In-Chang shouted as he blocked Sangun’s blow with Gram. “What are you doing?!”

Anger, bewilderment, futility–a cry mixed with emotion erupted out from Jeong In-Chang’s mouth.

‘If there’s something we have to be relieved about…’

He wasn’t sure if he should be suspicious about some ulterior motives or not.

‘Odin is just watching.’

There was no better timing than now for Odin to attack them. They were all about to turn their backs on their mightiest enemy and fight with their allies. It was the worst of the worst.

"Hehe…”

A small chuckle echoed through the air.

“Ahahahaha!!”

The chuckle soon developed into a cheerful laugh. Even while he heard the sound of laughter from behind him, Jeong In-Chang was more preoccupied with having to use all of his strength to block Sangun’s arm.

“Ugh!!”

He could feel an enormous force from Sangun’s blow. It was as if an entire mountain was pressing down upon him. Sangun roared like a beast. It was impossible to communicate with him, and his eyes were just like when he had gone crazy on Mt. Baekdu.

They were blood-red eyes. Sangun seemed possessed by Madness.

“Get it together!”

It didn’t seem as though he could hear anything even when Jeong In-Chang shouted. But, in the midst of this situation where no one could easily open their mouths, a voice rang out.

“This is just the beginning,” Odin said in his hateful voice. “Show me what you’ve obtained.”

At the words of Odin, who gave a command like a master.

Crack!!

“...!”

Sangun’s arm began to twist, beginning to exert an even greater pressure.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Jeong In-Chang’s feet began to plunge into the ground.

“Mr. Won-Hwa…” Jeong In-Chang called out in a strained voice.

In response, Won-Hwa, who had the critically injured Kim Su-Yeong in his arms, nodded.

“Leave,” Jeong In-Chang said, his voice firm as if he had made his decision.

Dun. Dun. Dun. Dun.

Something began to pulse and vibrate from the point in the ground that Jeong In-Chang had been pushed down into. From the moment that he had to fight against Odin, from the moment that he had to raise his sword against a companion, Jeong In-Chang had felt an unbearable stuffiness.

“Mr. Lee…”

There was a lot of stress and pressure on him. Odin was hinting that he knew something that they ddin’t, Sangun had changed, Kim Su-Yeong was heavily injured, Won-Hwa was tied up, and Lee Jun-Kyeong was still unconscious. All of this was on his shoulders. But then, in that moment, Jeong In-Chang heard a voice.

[<Ogre Prince Siegfried> is watching you.]

[You are…]

It was a sweet and cold voice.

[You are qualified.]

Jeong In-Chang felt a great surge of strength envelop him.

[<Ogre Prince Siegfried> has granted you some of his powers.]

The power he had obtained could only be described as Evolution.

***

“Fenrir…! Hold on a little longer!”

The sobbing Ungnyeo continued to emit her aura through both hands as Odin’s chain, Gleipnir, was being eaten away by it.

“Ugh…”

Fenrir groaned in pain as the chain continued to suffocate his body. However, he endured it staunchly.

Shhhh.

Gleipnir was melting. Bit by bit, it emitted a bright light as if it was being corroded away.

“Just a little bit more…”

Ungnyeo continued to speak as she emitted her aura, trying to reassure Fenrir. However, there was a problem.

‘It’s not working.’

Although it may have seemed like Gleipnir was slowly corroding away, the reality was different.

Swish!

The pitted chains quickly restored themselves to their original state again, constricting Fenrir’s body even further. The explosions that wracked the ground outside, her worries about her companions, and even the pain that Fenrir was undergoing were all pressuring her greatly.

“Ung… nyeo…”

“Yes…?”

"Calm…”

Funnily enough, however, Fenrir was the one to calm Ungnyeo down, who seemed to become increasingly desperate.

“I’m…fine…”

With chains pierced through his flesh, and blood flowing along the links, it was easy to see that Fenrir was being inflicted with indescribable pain.

“Ung… Nyeo…”

Fenrir looked over at Ungnyeo again and spoke. His face was mired in pain but his eyes were getting clearer.

“You…can do it…”

Ungnyeo wondered when he had started talking so well. When had he learned to comfort her like this? Seeing how much the young Fenrir had changed, had grown, Ungnyeo laughed lightly.

“Ha…”

She could do this.

‘No, I have to do it.’

Having made up her mind, Ungnyeo closed her eyes tightly. When she opened her eyes again, a bright blue light was emanating from her gaze.

Shhh.

It was an orderly and calming power.

“Fenrir,” she called out in a firm tone. “Even if it hurts, endure it.”

Her words were like a warning. The bronze sword in her hand started emitting a bright blue light like her eyes.

Nod.

Fenrir nodded as Ungnyeo held the bronze sword aloft.

Clang!

She swung down with all of her might.

***

“ROAR!!!!”

A beast's roar echoed through space. However, it wasn’t just simply noise.

“Just how…!”

The roar was mixed with all sorts of indescribable emotions: pain, desire, sadness, anger. However, the roar wasn’t alone.

“Snort!!”

It wasn’t the sound of a beast, but it was a cry similar to that of a beast. The two beings that created such a commotion crashed into each other. Two huge paws and two huge hands interlocked and clashed, both exuding immense strength.

Now, Sangun’s paws had even changed into the shape of the tiger that had ruled Mt. Baekdu. On the other side was Jeong In-Chang’s massive hands. He had grown and transformed into something that was no longer human.

“You crazy bastard!”

Rather than a human, he had become an ogre. His appearance was that of a courageous ogre that could even tear a dragon to shreds.[1]

Explosions and storms of mana erupted whenever the two collided. However, the problem was that even in the midst of it all, no one could touch Odin, who was the main culprit behind the entire situation.

“Hmm…”

The bastard was still engulfed in a green light, arrogantly looking down at the fight. No one could approach him, as those who may have been able to handle him were too busy fighting each other.

Crash!

Mr. Kim!”

In another place, Won-Hwa was treating Kim Su-Yeong. The Hunter had a massive hole in his chest that was made by Sangun’s arm. Although Won-Hwa tried to stop the bleeding and mitigate the damage with his powers and the aid of potions, it was an impossible to treat injury.

“Cough!”

Part of his heart had been torn out. Needless to say, it was a wound that would have killed any normal person instantly, but Kim Su-Yeong was a Hunter, and Won-Hwa was one of the leading Physician Hunters of this era.

‘We need a divine treatment…’[2]

Although Won-Hwa was somehow barely holding onto Kim Su-Yeong’s life, it was impossible to maintain this forever.

‘Unless we get an elixir…’

Kim Su-Yeong would die if things continued in this manner. Although the silver acupuncture needles tightly packed on his body were holding his life together, Kim Su-Yeong’s vitality was still leaking through the hole in his chest.

"I was…” Kim Su-Yeong said in a small voice. “Wrong…”

"No. Hold on!” Won-Hwa said to Kim Su-Yeong as if he was screaming. “No…”

Kim Su-Yeong’s face was that of someone who could already feel his impending death. He had determined eyes and a quiet voice. His calm heartbeat was seemingly ready to stop at any moment.

“Mr. Lee will take care of everything…”

He had blind faith in Lee Jun-Kyeong, almost like a church member’s faith in God. Kim Su-Yeong’s faith was no different from Kim Su-Yeong’s promise to himself.

“Please convey… this to Mr. Lee…” Kim Su-Yeong said with a forced smile on his trembling lips. “Although it had only been for a moment… to be able to be together…”

There was no more pressure in the hand that Won-Hwa was holding. Slowly, Kim Su-Yeong’s body was growing cold.

“Tell him it was an honor…that I could have been some sort of help in any…”

The faint breathing of Kim Su-Yeong stopped. He could have lived even a second more if he hadn’t said a word, but he hadn’t cared. He had forced out what he had wanted to say, consuming what little vitality he had left in return.

In the midst of a noisy battlefield, a situation where his allies were fighting each other and his enemy was looking down upon them and laughing, he had died. No one had paid any attention to Kim Su-Yeong due to the massive battle and fear of death.

“...”

Won-Hwa bit his lips.

“You were of great help. Mr. Kim Su-Yeong. Thank you for everything.”

The voice he had wanted to hear quietly came from behind him.

1. A play on words. While the Hanja is different, both courageous and dragon have the word ? in it. ????

2. ??, or the skill of God, is the hand of a doctor who is greater than a mortal. When someone is this good, there isn’t anything they can’t heal. Hua Tuo is one of the few doctors to be given this title in Korean history. ????