Chapter 17: Chapter 16

Translator: – –  Editor: – –

Sarang looked at the aglanta flying toward her and froze, but she soon thought about what Junhyuk had said and lifted up her shield. If she covered her neck and chest, she wouldn’t die so easily.

Bang!

“Gh-argh!”

The aglanta flew and hit Sarang. All she could do was try to stand still on the stone. The ten-foot long aglanta had hit her, and it wouldn’t have made any sense if she were still standing there.

Junhyuk put pressure on his thighs and crouched. The muscles were getting bigger until he jumped from the stone into the river.

Sarang was drowning in the water after getting hit by the aglanta, so Junhyuk caught her. As soon as he grabbed her, he made a force field.

Snap snap snap snap!

Soon, there were seven aglantas near them. The aglantas were coming from the water below them, making the water rush upward. Sarang and Junhyuk were able to ride the wave made by the aglantas and float on the water.

Junhyuk held Sarang and rushed toward the aglanta going toward him. He collide against the head of the aglanta and, using the shock from the collision, he was able to get back on the stepping stone.

The aglantas flew toward him. Junhyuk knew he had wasted five seconds already, but there were only five stepping stones remaining.

The problem would be that if he were to get hit by an aglanta, he would fall from the stepping stones even though he had his protective force field on.

Junhyuk embraced Sarang and jumped. When he stepped on the first stepping stone, an aglanta flew toward him. He escaped it by ducking and jumped high.

The aglantas were expecting that Junhyuk would step on the second stone and flew in from both side of the stone, but Junhyuk lowered his body and was able to jump two stepping stones at once.

There were still two more stepping stones to go, and one second remained. Junhyuk held Sarang in his arm. He twisted his waist and threw her. She flew toward the shore, safely, without a problem, and she screamed:

“Argh! Big bro!”

Junhyuk focuses his mind and scoped out the movements of the aglantas. As the aglantas flew toward him, his protective force field started to dissipate. Junhyuk used a high level of concentration and escaped from the flying aglantas.

He could not handle his two-handed sword well enough and did not use it to slay the aglantas.

He ducked to escape the flying aglanta and jumped toward another stepping stone. As he was about to land, an aglanta aimed at his ankle and flew toward it.

Junhyuk folded his leg, hit the aglanta with his knee and grabbed it by its horn and spun around.

The aglanta was ten feet long and weighed a lot, but Junhyuk’s muscle were strong and had more energy than before, so he was able to spin the aglanta by its horn. Three aglantas collided against each other.

Junhyuk let go of the aglanta he was holding and jumped on the next stepping stone. The aglantas sensed he might escape from them and flew in from every direction.

There was no space for Junhyuk to escape. There were four aglantas flying toward him. At last, he held fast to his two-handed sword. He couldn’t compare the aglantas to the wolves, especially when he had to fight on stepping stones and how dangerous that is.

Thuck, thuck!

Then, a saber flew out and slayed two aglantas. There were two aglantas remaining. Instead of swinging his sword, he jumped toward the shore with all his might.

He rolled on the ground and lay there still. He had spent too much energy spinning and throwing an aglanta and was now less tense and couldn’t feel his body.

A shadow appeared covering his head. Artlan looked down at him without talking and turned around.

“We will rest for 5 minutes. Then, we will move.”

Junhyuk lay on the ground and looked up at Artlan.

“Thank you.”

“Hm.”

Artlan laughed sardonically and left. Junhyuk got up slowly. Sarang came up to him and embraced him.

“Bro! I thought we were gonna die!”

Junhyuk comforted Sarang as she cried.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m OK.”

“That’s a relief.”

In all honesty, Junhyuk had no intention to fight a group of aglantas even though he had a protective force field. If it had been possible, he had wanted to save everyone, but he did not have the time. In fact, if he tried to save everyone, they would all have been dead, including himself.

He wanted to save at least one person and decided to save Sarang.

“It’s terrible! Everyone died.”

Junhyuk tapped on Sarang’s armor and said:

“You followed my instructions. That’s why you are alive.”

Sarang lifted her head, and Junhyuk continued slowly.

“You have a will to survive, and that’s why you were able to use the shield and fend off the aglanta attack. If not, I would have been unable to save you.” Sarang snivelled, and Junhyuk continued, “I already told you. You have to save your own life.”

Sarang snivelled some more and tried to stop crying. Junhyuk held both of her cheeks in his hands and looked into her eyes.

“Do you want to go home?”

“… Yes,” Sarang replied curtly, and Junhyuk talked to her with confidence.

“Then don’t look back. Even if the only way for you to stay alive is stepping over me, you should step over me. That’s the only way to survive on this merciless Dimensional Battlefield.”

Sarang looked at him vacantly and asked:

“Did you do the same?”

Junhyuk smiled bitterly.

“In the beginning, I wanted to save everybody, but I learned it had been futile from the start.”

Sarang stared at him and realized everything. He had experienced everything she was experiencing now. He had already endured the panic, the same panic she was enduring now.

She became confident that if she followed his instruction, she could also return home. She looked determined, and Junhyuk looked at her and smiled:

“Us two. We will return.”

“OK.”

—

They did not encounter any more monsters in the forest. Artlan looked as though he had walked this road before and was not talking. He took the lead, and both of them followed him, including Sarang who looked determined and was also not speaking.

They had run for three straight hours, and Junhyuk sensed the air around him change. It was a war cloud. He felt the war cloud, which meant a battle was being waged.

Artlan turned back and said:

“Let’s hurry up!”

Artlan took the lead, and Junhyuk followed him. Sarang was following them carefully. She asked:

“Why am I shivering, Bro?”

Junhyuk looked at her.

“We will invade a battlefield now.”

“Invade?”

“Yes, our target is an enemy hero. We will go in and slay the enemy leader, simple enough.”

“Then, we will be among enemies.”

Junhyuk nodded.

“Correct.”

Sarang Kim was nervous. Junhyuk continued talking:

“Anyway, penetrating the enemy position is up to Artlan. Killing the enemy leader is also Artlan’s task. We only have to give him assistance while trying to stay alive.”

“We only have to try and stay alive?!”

“Don’t let go of your shield.”

She clenched her shield. Junhyuk talked to her calmly:

“The enemy’s strength is bigger than you expect. You should hold your shield tighter. If not, you might lose it.”

“OK.”

As they came close to the outskirt of the forest, they heard explosions.

Boom, boom!

Junhyuk asked Artlan, who was ahead of him:

“Is Vera over there?”

“Yes, that’s why we should go.”

Artlan spoke and took the lead. Outside of the forest’s boundary, they could see minions battling and another group, who was made of people taller than the minions.

Vera was six feet, five inches. She threw her fireballs toward a giant man who was holding a shield. The battle took place on a big road.

Artlan looked at Junhyuk.

“Do you know that guy?”

“Grangsha?”

“Correct. When I attack him, put a force field around me.”

“Then, may we keep our distances from you?”

Artlan looked at him and said:

“They will focus their attention on you, anyway.”

“But it’s still better than being in the middle of the battlefield.”

“Do what you want.”

Artlan spoke and moved. He looked like an assassin. He went behind the enemy line and crouched, then jumped up high.

Junhyuk looked at him and talked to Sarang before going:

“Wait here.”

After he spoke, Junhyuk ran toward Artlan so that he could stay within range when he made a force field. He had to be close to Artlan, since the force field could be transferred only over a short distance.

He had to go into the battlefield.

While running, Junhyuk saw Artlan coming down and striking Grangsha.

Thuk!

“Ugh!”

Grangsha moaned from the pain of the wound on his back while turning to face Artlan and swinging his sickle. Grangsha was famous for utilizing his shield and sickle when he attacked.

As Grangsha swung his sickle, Junhyuk made a force field around Artlan.

Thump!

The sickle bounced off, and Artlan smiled and shouted:

“You are dead!”

Artlan swung his saber with speed, and Junhyuk looked around. The minions were all looking at him.

The opposing minions were basically not humans. They had green skin, wore purple armor, and had wider shoulders than humans, which made them stronger. They were holding axes and went toward him.

If Junhyuk moved, Sarang would be in danger. He knew that, so he stood his ground and walked toward the opposing minions coming toward him. He knew from the last time he had been there that the opposing minions were stronger than ordinary human minions.

Clang!

Junhyuk struck an axe with his two-handed sword. The difference between a novice and a minion was not only power. Basically, a novice had more force.

In the past, when an opposing minion struck his shield he felt like his arm would break, but, now, it did not feel so bad.

Junhyuk swung his sword hard.

Thack!

The sword got stuck on the opposing minion’s armor. Deflecting an axe gave him a false sense of his strength. He again realized he was not a hero like Artlan.

Junhyuk was surprised. Then, an opposing minion flanked him and swung his axe. Junhyuk was stuck and he kicked the minion he was stuck to while trying to pull out his sword, but he didn’t have enough time.

Then, he saw a shadow in front of him.

Bang!

Sarang was standing in front of him. He swung his sword.

Thuck!

The opposing minion’s head was sliced, and it splattered blood on Sarang as she held her shield up. She stood next to Junhyuk. He was proud of her, who just saved him, but it was not the time for chit-chat.

“Step back.”

“I will protect you.”

“No, step back.”

The opposing minions advanced toward them. Junhyuk ran forward swinging his two-handed sword. He thought he shouldn’t get it stuck again, and instead aimed for their weak spots.

Clang!

He could easily parry an axe, and was really focused. As the axe bounced off his sword, he struck the neck of the minion who was holding it. As he sliced the minion’s neck, other minions went toward him. Junhyuk stepped back.

Hit and run.

Junhyuk counted the number of opposing minions. There were other minions at the front line of battle. The opposing minions who caught Junhyuk’s attention were eight.

There had been ten of them initially. Two had died, and eight remained. Junhyuk looked at them and, holding his sword, he said:

“Come on!”

The opposing minions showed no fear of him. Opposing minions might get scared when facing a hero, but usually they don’t care about dying.

They had scared him in the beginning, but now they didn’t. He could deal with them. Vera referred to the opposing minions as gold coins.

“Let me earn some money!”