Blood pools into the floor warm with blood. The historical artifacts both weapons and the more auxiliary items of the past litter everywhere. It is a mess. There are also a few concrete blocks everywhere all due to the Djinn’s monstrous strength. However, the once-powerful Djinn is slowly losing that strength.
The Djinn is pale from the loss of too much blood, and I can tell he is on his last stand.
“Hey, Djinn… Who do you work for?” I ask.
Pure hateful desire to inflict the equal amount of pain I am experiencing wells in my heart. I can still stand, but the pain of the arrow stuck on my left arm scraping on my bones is just excruciating. There are also various bruises spreading on my body.
But the Djinn has it worse. He looks like a porcupine with all of the arrows sticking to him. There are also a few spears sticking from his body and even cuts from swords and axes on his skin all from my personal love, tenderness, and care.
“What does it feel like? These artifacts should not really be the best out there, but they are tough to work with. You cannot even break the spear on your leg, thus hindering your movement. You can also choose to just pull them but, oh no, you’d leak more blood by then~” I playfully taunt him, provoking him to attack.
Clearly, the Djinn has become smarter standing just right there waiting for my next action.
I glance at Yoenha who is hiding from behind the Djinn. She is as bad as I look. Her one leg is as limp as moments before. By indiscriminately attacking the displays and where Yoenha might have been hiding, the Djinn manages to snag a jackpot and almost rips off Yoenha’s leg.
“I must say, nameless Djinn… You have a lot of blood. Look everywhere, it’s yours…” I theatrically stretch my arms, adding a sense of gravitas to my only audience.
Yoo Yoenha doesn’t qualify as an audience, at best, she is my helper from backstage.
I am still spry in my steps, all thanks to the running and stamina-building that I am doing lately. I walk closer to the weakening Djinn’s space and mock him. “This is preposterous! A single Djinn cannot handle freshmen cadets? What a shame…”
The Djinn remains unmoving, and there is pressure on his gaze. I can tell. He is focusing and preparing himself to give a final hoo-hah. “I am just the best at dodging, man. You cannot even inflict any serious injury on me when I kept on bouncing around you.” I raise my both arms, gesturing at how unfortunate it is.
I feign a lack of pain in my hurting left shoulder. I am thankful for Suho’s training. The intense exercises must be the reason for my current mental fortitude. In an unassuming stance, I pick up the dagger that I first used while engaging the Djinn in combat.
Now that I see it. The dagger is not so bad. I am not good with measuring things with eyesight alone, but this looks like the average knife sold in the department store. I admire the sharp gleam of the dagger and good-humoredly wave it around.
Another thing I have to thank for is that my dominant arm is not busted. I am a rightie, and that means… I cannot be left. “Hah~” I snicker at my inward joke. “Ha ha ha~”
“You know, I can just leave you right there and bleed to death.” I place the dagger in a backhand grip. “But you see, I am a very cautious person. The chances of you escaping if I let you be is high…”
Moreover, I am a petty person. My laughter dies with me killing my emotion. The sudden silence brings the tension to a new all-time high.
And then… I sprint off into a run.
The Djinn roars its final moment and raises both of his fists and with all of his might, smashes the concrete floor causing debris to spike up and for the earth to literally divide into pieces. Djinns are just that inhumanely impossible.
But I maintain my focus. The dust, smoke, and rocks rising to the air prove to be a problem as they obscure my eyesight. Light flashes through from where I remember the Djinn should be, and further to the left is a giant shadow.
I immediately understand. Yoo Yoenha must be flashing a flashlight as a means of tracking the Djinn. I immediately set off in the wary Djinn’s direction. From when I pierce the veil of cloud and dust, I suddenly see the Djinn’s fist closing at me, and its size only gets bigger and bigger.
My heart stops for a moment, and with a thought, I activate my Gift, [Nobody Knows]. And under the effects of [Not Here], I become invisible. From his left, I reappear with a different spear. I thrust it with all my might and aim for his left arm, and piercing beyond that is his chest where his heart should be.
Proving the monstrous physique of Djinns, my foe raises his remaining fist trying to bring me with him to the pits of hell. However, his fist fails to come to descend on me.
I smile. I display the very same unnerving smile that always plasters my face when I act crazy. “Hey, where did my dagger go?”
The Djinn’s right arm goes limp, as he realizes too late that there is a dagger’s hilt peeking from the tendons within his elbow. Yes, that’s my dagger right there, its edge buried to his elbow…
“Hah~” And the Coup De Grace. “I wasn’t able to cut your balls, but I will settle with your life.”
The Djinn drops dead, and his head falls on the bloody ground.
“Damn, there is just too much blood on the floor… I am lucky I didn’t slip or something…”
Just a while ago as I am under the effects of invisibility, I am hoping to make a big cut on the guy’s throat and literally dry him of his blood. But my legs are already too weak at that time from too much moving and dodging that I cannot even tiptoe, not to mention jump.
That is why I have to settle on a different strategy— this… My eyes didn’t last on the dead Djiin any longer. The adrenaline is slowly fading, threatening to engulf me with a great lot of hurt. I want to rest.
“Yoenha, we won…” I lie on the big guy’s body using it as a couch while I declare our victory.
I see Yoenha approach, dragging her equally hurt body, and similarly chooses to lie on the dead Djinn a few spaces away from me. “Yes… We won…”
“Hey,” I call to Yoenha. “You don’t think he’ll suddenly wake up, right?”
Yoenha is speechless. She grabs a short sword nearby her and drives it on the Djinn’s skull where his brain should be, however, her strength is too little. The two of us are tired. Extremely tired.
I hold Yoenha’s hand and put more weight on it. Together, we put an end to the Djinn’s life. A Djinn is a creature of evil, and I have no qualms about killing it. A dead Djinn is a good Djinn. I close my eyes, finally fainting. For now, I shall claim my rest.
In the lonely partition of the museum, a dead Djinn evaporates into black dust and maleficent mirage erasing this world of one more evil. The two Cube Cadets without the big lump supporting their backs fall on each other’s backs instead.
A boy. And. A girl. Back to back. Holding hands. It is a nice picture, doesn’t it?
***
VIP Hospital Ward.
Yoo Yoenha opens her eyes nary an emotion on her face. She tries her best to adjust her state of mind, but the nightmare is just too much. It is traumatizing. How can she eat her favorite food now?
It is truly and utterly a terrible nightmare.
The hamburger suddenly starts talking, and the french-fries are trying to kill each other spraying ketchup as blood in a mad massacre. And then a great flood consumes them, and the culprit is none other than a can of Coke.
It is… horrifying…
“D-daughter! Daughter! DADDY IS HERE!” A middle-aged man goes crying to Yoo Yoenha, and his tears are overflowing like the Han River.
“Who are you?” She dismisses her father with cruelty.
Yoo Jinhyung, the Guild Master of Essence of the Strait, makes a sad face and is on the verge of breaking down. There is a reason why Yoenha can easily dismiss her annoying father.
It is because Yoo Jinhyung is not here as a Guild Leader but as a fool for his daughter
“I’d rather see Mom…” Yoenha offhandedly comments.
“Daughter. Do you remember me? If you remember your mom, then you should remember me… Oh no… Is this amnesia?” The father fusses about the daughter and the daughter continues to ignore the father.
Yoo Yoenha’s mind wanders on the confrontation. She and Hyon Hyung are able to beat a Djinn. They are meager freshmen of Cube, and while they possess impressive combat abilities, it is still too much for them to confront a Djinn especially someone who should be at the upper ranks of intermediate rank.
“Father, what happened?” She inquires with the light of excitement in her eyes.
There are so many things she can do with the reputation of being able to defeat a Djinn. Forget the bragging rights. Her clout within Cube should also increase several levels and above.
However, contrary to her excitement, Yoo Jinhyung shows a dismal look. “It is bad. One Cube Cadet died, and one was severely injured. Public opinions are on the negative…”
“Huh?” Yoenha’s confusion is apparent. She recalls giving instructions to the other cadets to assist the civilians to escape through the fire exit, and… she and Hyon Hyung are able to defeat the Djinn.
Yoo Jinhyung quickly explains. “There were three Djinns…”
Shock. Fear. And a late sudden release of relief. Yoenha is lucky to survive that. But if that is the case, and there are two more Djinns, then having only one casualty is unreasonable. Why is that a big deal?
Yoenha tries to find her smartwatch, but it is not with her.
Yoo Jinhyung fakes a cough. “Ahem~ I cannot let you go surfing the internet or anything. You have to rest, if you wish to learn anything, I will tell you…”
“Then tell me. What is it that you are not telling me?” She tensely asks her father.
“Hmmm…” Yoo Jinhyung takes his sweet time to organize his thoughts. “Three Djinns showed. Each of them is equally strong according to our readings. And from testimony, it appears the other two have the ability to revive after receiving a fatal blow. Those Djinns are very adept at playing dead…”
Once more, Yoenha shudders at hearing this. She is lucky. They are lucky.
“And…” Yoo Jinhyung stops his words midsentence. “Ryeo Dae. Dead.”
Yoo Yoenha feels disconnected. She knows the name. Among her classmates, she is among the better ones and someone she plans to include in her clique as she sees a bright future for her. That person has a shy persona but a likable attitude.
“And also, Chae Nayun is severely injured and currently comatose.” Her father adds.
Yoenha’s breathing halts, and a mixture of pain and confusion assails her mind. While she is not friends with Nayun, they are at least acquaintances. As someone who holds a special place in Shin Jonghak’s heart, she is also Yoenha’s source of envy.
Despite that, Yoo Yoenha cannot think badly of Chae Nayun.
“This…” Yoenha bites her lips in guilt. “I…” When she is thinking about how to take advantage of the crisis, the others are suffering a great deal of pain. This is just too… distasteful.
***
Meanwhile.
Hyon Hyung unaware of what is happening... is sleeptalking. His voice is slurred, but there is passion in his words. Rather than being deep asleep from exhaustion, he might as well be having a vacation and adventuring in fantasy land.
However. The inside of his dreams is certainly not of a sane mind.
“We! The French fries revolutionary army shall show to that bun-head idiot who is boss! ADVANCE!”
When in reality, he actually sounds like this.
“ZZZzzzZzzz… I am z’a French… wi’z ma~rio and wee is luigi… zzzzZZZZzzzzZZ…” ~snores*
Blood pools into the floor warm with blood. The historical artifacts both weapons and the more auxiliary items of the past litter everywhere. It is a mess. There are also a few concrete blocks everywhere all due to the Djinn’s monstrous strength. However, the once-powerful Djinn is slowly losing that strength.
The Djinn is pale from the loss of too much blood, and I can tell he is on his last stand.
“Hey, Djinn… Who do you work for?” I ask.
Pure hateful desire to inflict the equal amount of pain I am experiencing wells in my heart. I can still stand, but the pain of the arrow stuck on my left arm scraping on my bones is just excruciating. There are also various bruises spreading on my body.
But the Djinn has it worse. He looks like a porcupine with all of the arrows sticking to him. There are also a few spears sticking from his body and even cuts from swords and axes on his skin all from my personal love, tenderness, and care.
“What does it feel like? These artifacts should not really be the best out there, but they are tough to work with. You cannot even break the spear on your leg, thus hindering your movement. You can also choose to just pull them but, oh no, you’d leak more blood by then~” I playfully taunt him, provoking him to attack.
Clearly, the Djinn has become smarter standing just right there waiting for my next action.
I glance at Yoenha who is hiding from behind the Djinn. She is as bad as I look. Her one leg is as limp as moments before. By indiscriminately attacking the displays and where Yoenha might have been hiding, the Djinn manages to snag a jackpot and almost rips off Yoenha’s leg.
“I must say, nameless Djinn… You have a lot of blood. Look everywhere, it’s yours…” I theatrically stretch my arms, adding a sense of gravitas to my only audience.
Yoo Yoenha doesn’t qualify as an audience, at best, she is my helper from backstage.
I am still spry in my steps, all thanks to the running and stamina-building that I am doing lately. I walk closer to the weakening Djinn’s space and mock him. “This is preposterous! A single Djinn cannot handle freshmen cadets? What a shame…”
The Djinn remains unmoving, and there is pressure on his gaze. I can tell. He is focusing and preparing himself to give a final hoo-hah. “I am just the best at dodging, man. You cannot even inflict any serious injury on me when I kept on bouncing around you.” I raise my both arms, gesturing at how unfortunate it is.
I feign a lack of pain in my hurting left shoulder. I am thankful for Suho’s training. The intense exercises must be the reason for my current mental fortitude. In an unassuming stance, I pick up the dagger that I first used while engaging the Djinn in combat.
Now that I see it. The dagger is not so bad. I am not good with measuring things with eyesight alone, but this looks like the average knife sold in the department store. I admire the sharp gleam of the dagger and good-humoredly wave it around.
Another thing I have to thank for is that my dominant arm is not busted. I am a rightie, and that means… I cannot be left. “Hah~” I snicker at my inward joke. “Ha ha ha~”
“You know, I can just leave you right there and bleed to death.” I place the dagger in a backhand grip. “But you see, I am a very cautious person. The chances of you escaping if I let you be is high…”
Moreover, I am a petty person. My laughter dies with me killing my emotion. The sudden silence brings the tension to a new all-time high.
And then… I sprint off into a run.
The Djinn roars its final moment and raises both of his fists and with all of his might, smashes the concrete floor causing debris to spike up and for the earth to literally divide into pieces. Djinns are just that inhumanely impossible.
But I maintain my focus. The dust, smoke, and rocks rising to the air prove to be a problem as they obscure my eyesight. Light flashes through from where I remember the Djinn should be, and further to the left is a giant shadow.
I immediately understand. Yoo Yoenha must be flashing a flashlight as a means of tracking the Djinn. I immediately set off in the wary Djinn’s direction. From when I pierce the veil of cloud and dust, I suddenly see the Djinn’s fist closing at me, and its size only gets bigger and bigger.
My heart stops for a moment, and with a thought, I activate my Gift, [Nobody Knows]. And under the effects of [Not Here], I become invisible. From his left, I reappear with a different spear. I thrust it with all my might and aim for his left arm, and piercing beyond that is his chest where his heart should be.
Proving the monstrous physique of Djinns, my foe raises his remaining fist trying to bring me with him to the pits of hell. However, his fist fails to come to descend on me.
I smile. I display the very same unnerving smile that always plasters my face when I act crazy. “Hey, where did my dagger go?”
The Djinn’s right arm goes limp, as he realizes too late that there is a dagger’s hilt peeking from the tendons within his elbow. Yes, that’s my dagger right there, its edge buried to his elbow…
“Hah~” And the Coup De Grace. “I wasn’t able to cut your balls, but I will settle with your life.”
The Djinn drops dead, and his head falls on the bloody ground.
“Damn, there is just too much blood on the floor… I am lucky I didn’t slip or something…”
Just a while ago as I am under the effects of invisibility, I am hoping to make a big cut on the guy’s throat and literally dry him of his blood. But my legs are already too weak at that time from too much moving and dodging that I cannot even tiptoe, not to mention jump.
That is why I have to settle on a different strategy— this… My eyes didn’t last on the dead Djiin any longer. The adrenaline is slowly fading, threatening to engulf me with a great lot of hurt. I want to rest.
“Yoenha, we won…” I lie on the big guy’s body using it as a couch while I declare our victory.
I see Yoenha approach, dragging her equally hurt body, and similarly chooses to lie on the dead Djinn a few spaces away from me. “Yes… We won…”
“Hey,” I call to Yoenha. “You don’t think he’ll suddenly wake up, right?”
Yoenha is speechless. She grabs a short sword nearby her and drives it on the Djinn’s skull where his brain should be, however, her strength is too little. The two of us are tired. Extremely tired.
I hold Yoenha’s hand and put more weight on it. Together, we put an end to the Djinn’s life. A Djinn is a creature of evil, and I have no qualms about killing it. A dead Djinn is a good Djinn. I close my eyes, finally fainting. For now, I shall claim my rest.
In the lonely partition of the museum, a dead Djinn evaporates into black dust and maleficent mirage erasing this world of one more evil. The two Cube Cadets without the big lump supporting their backs fall on each other’s backs instead.
A boy. And. A girl. Back to back. Holding hands. It is a nice picture, doesn’t it?
***
VIP Hospital Ward.
Yoo Yoenha opens her eyes nary an emotion on her face. She tries her best to adjust her state of mind, but the nightmare is just too much. It is traumatizing. How can she eat her favorite food now?
It is truly and utterly a terrible nightmare.
The hamburger suddenly starts talking, and the french-fries are trying to kill each other spraying ketchup as blood in a mad massacre. And then a great flood consumes them, and the culprit is none other than a can of Coke.
It is… horrifying…
“D-daughter! Daughter! DADDY IS HERE!” A middle-aged man goes crying to Yoo Yoenha, and his tears are overflowing like the Han River.
“Who are you?” She dismisses her father with cruelty.
Yoo Jinhyung, the Guild Master of Essence of the Strait, makes a sad face and is on the verge of breaking down. There is a reason why Yoenha can easily dismiss her annoying father.
It is because Yoo Jinhyung is not here as a Guild Leader but as a fool for his daughter
“I’d rather see Mom…” Yoenha offhandedly comments.
“Daughter. Do you remember me? If you remember your mom, then you should remember me… Oh no… Is this amnesia?” The father fusses about the daughter and the daughter continues to ignore the father.
Yoo Yoenha’s mind wanders on the confrontation. She and Hyon Hyung are able to beat a Djinn. They are meager freshmen of Cube, and while they possess impressive combat abilities, it is still too much for them to confront a Djinn especially someone who should be at the upper ranks of intermediate rank.
“Father, what happened?” She inquires with the light of excitement in her eyes.
There are so many things she can do with the reputation of being able to defeat a Djinn. Forget the bragging rights. Her clout within Cube should also increase several levels and above.
However, contrary to her excitement, Yoo Jinhyung shows a dismal look. “It is bad. One Cube Cadet died, and one was severely injured. Public opinions are on the negative…”
“Huh?” Yoenha’s confusion is apparent. She recalls giving instructions to the other cadets to assist the civilians to escape through the fire exit, and… she and Hyon Hyung are able to defeat the Djinn.
Yoo Jinhyung quickly explains. “There were three Djinns…”
Shock. Fear. And a late sudden release of relief. Yoenha is lucky to survive that. But if that is the case, and there are two more Djinns, then having only one casualty is unreasonable. Why is that a big deal?
Yoenha tries to find her smartwatch, but it is not with her.
Yoo Jinhyung fakes a cough. “Ahem~ I cannot let you go surfing the internet or anything. You have to rest, if you wish to learn anything, I will tell you…”
“Then tell me. What is it that you are not telling me?” She tensely asks her father.
“Hmmm…” Yoo Jinhyung takes his sweet time to organize his thoughts. “Three Djinns showed. Each of them is equally strong according to our readings. And from testimony, it appears the other two have the ability to revive after receiving a fatal blow. Those Djinns are very adept at playing dead…”
Once more, Yoenha shudders at hearing this. She is lucky. They are lucky.
“And…” Yoo Jinhyung stops his words midsentence. “Ryeo Dae. Dead.”
Yoo Yoenha feels disconnected. She knows the name. Among her classmates, she is among the better ones and someone she plans to include in her clique as she sees a bright future for her. That person has a shy persona but a likable attitude.
“And also, Chae Nayun is severely injured and currently comatose.” Her father adds.
Yoenha’s breathing halts, and a mixture of pain and confusion assails her mind. While she is not friends with Nayun, they are at least acquaintances. As someone who holds a special place in Shin Jonghak’s heart, she is also Yoenha’s source of envy.
Despite that, Yoo Yoenha cannot think badly of Chae Nayun.
“This…” Yoenha bites her lips in guilt. “I…” When she is thinking about how to take advantage of the crisis, the others are suffering a great deal of pain. This is just too… distasteful.
***
Meanwhile.
Hyon Hyung unaware of what is happening... is sleeptalking. His voice is slurred, but there is passion in his words. Rather than being deep asleep from exhaustion, he might as well be having a vacation and adventuring in fantasy land.
However. The inside of his dreams is certainly not of a sane mind.
“We! The French fries revolutionary army shall show to that bun-head idiot who is boss! ADVANCE!”
When in reality, he actually sounds like this.
“ZZZzzzZzzz… I am z’a French… wi’z ma~rio and wee is luigi… zzzzZZZZzzzzZZ…” ~snores*
