Etranger

After seeing Suki and Beckham’s actions, San clicked his tongue and looked at Biyeon. Biyeon was also shocked at their behavior.

The dominant and subservient roles of a typical master-slave relationship was expected, but to exchange their blood like that before a battle… an image of vampires only seen in the movies briefly flashed through their minds.

The opponent’s blood was one of the reward items for the victor of this battle. What if they lost? A shudder ran down Biyeon’s back.

Yamato and Nami seemed to follow the same script. After completing a similar ceremony, the pair slowly made their way to San and Biyeon.

It was if they wanted to take out the trash before fully focusing on the clearly stronger pairing…

The square was dry and dusty. Leaves and dust swirled around like mini tornadoes.

“It’ll be difficult for them to survive this time around, right? Those two teams are the strongest in Phase 1 history,” said Nil.

“Of course. But why did Master order this direct confrontation? Is there something we don't know?” asked Null, staring at the screen with an interested expression.

“I don’t know. But what’s certain is that they’ll die today.”

“Their bodies should be the same as when they were summoned, so we’ll have to quickly recover their minds before the original code is lost. From Phase 2, each individual’s evolutionary code is mixed and mutated together… I’m really curious about their original code.”

“Where will Suki and Yamato’s team be moved to after this mission?”

“Since they’ve already exceeded our original target numbers, they’ll probably go to 49 Pian. That idiot pairing will probably be transferred directly to the Master.”

“Anyway, we’re parting with this plaza after today. We’ll be going back after today’s experiments are concluded. This place is really amazing. It’s really uncomfortable in the human world compared to here. Even from a distance, we can control everything here…”

“Shh- it’s starting. Isn’t this the first time the two strongest teams are facing off against each other?”

“I think everyone’s paying attention to this place. It’s the most interesting game.”

Nil looked at the numbers at the bottom of her screen. She saw Suki and Beckham’s stats on her screen.

[Combat Power]

Suki: 6,152         Beckham: 4,993

Yamato and Nami’s stats were also superimposed on the screen.

[Combat Power]

Yamato: 5,820        Nami: 5,340

Finally, a screen showing San and Biyeon’s stats could be seen off to the side.

[Combat Power] 

San Kang: 2,210    Biyeon Kim: 2,063

San and Biyeon’s eyes shone. They turned their heads and looked into the other's eyes.

“Did you hear it?”

“I did. Since we’re in this situation, we should openly show our strength.”

“Nice. Kang San… you really put up with a lot. Biyeon, you also worked hard. Hahaha!”

Suki and Beckham tilted their heads. Was it the exaggerated confidence that came from novices who didn’t know any better?

“Those dirty spring chickens are pretty noisy. Are they thinking of fighting without drinking nectar? And what’s with their outfits? Argh! I’m turning red in embarrassment for them. Why are they so tacky? Do they even know how to fight? And why are they holding hands with each other?” Suki spoke aloud.

Having said all this, Suki and Beckham still kept part of their gaze on Yamato and Nami, who were moving diagonally to them. Yamato and Nami were approaching San and Biyeon.

The Japanese pair were holding swords similar to samurai swords. It was something that they had since they were summoned.

Suki and Beckham also approached San and Biyeon with their sharp swords hanging downward from their relaxed arms. However, Yamato and Nami didn’t let their guard down.

They weren’t worried about the country bumkins in front of them. Rather, they were putting almost all of their focus and attention on the violent, overpowering aura spilling out of Suki and Beckham.

Both teams were roughly twenty meters away now. San squeezed Biyeon’s hand tightly. Biyeon looked around the surrounding plaza while holding San’s hand.

The two still seemed relaxed. Their acceleration began. They progressed smoothly from the 1st to the 3rd stage of acceleration.

Their internal body rhythms resonated through their hands. The three stages of vibration passed from his body to hers and vice-versa.

Eventually, the energy explosively amplified like a particle accelerator, informing all the cells in their body to prepare for battle.

San tightened lips broke into a smile. Biyeon’s eyes became distant for a moment. The thrilling sensations overlapped within their bodies. Their two bodies became one, quickly awakening their senses.

San and Biyeon’s body rhythms and sensations became tightly connected to each other. Their minds were now able to openly communicate with each other, like cell towers that sent voice messages through the airwaves.

With just their will and senses, they could now communicate in real time.

In addition, the thoughts relayed by the polymer nano-machines, which were in the salt that they ate in the morning for this exact purpose, will deliver the necessary information from the enemies by reverse extraction.

With this, their operational preparation for both ground and information warfare were over.

Ten meters.

Suki and Beckham stopped walking. Yamato and Nami also stopped. The three pairings were facing each other in a triangle.

The two pairings seemed like they would  momentarily unite and strike one. Now was the time for compromise. With their eyes, they already came to an unspoken understanding. They were preparing to gather some info on each other’s battle strength… but…

The four were staring blankly at San’s movements with their mouths agape.

“From now on, let’s never get hurt. We have to cut junk food out of our diet, too…”

“Imported meat is not very good.”

The sloppy, country bumpkin looking man was walking slowly towards Suki’s team. He lit a cigarette while squeezing his gun between his armpit.

On the other side, with a bayonet dangling in one hand, Biyeon walked cheerfully towards Yamato’s team.

Episode 1. Book 3: Escape – Chapter 9

Suki was exasperated.

He was approaching them from the front. He was smoking a cigarette and touching it leisurely. He was acting like a neighborhood gangster. She thought he acted exactly like he looked.

In this warm weather, he was dressed in full military uniform with a thick jumper. In addition, a bayonet was attached to his rifle. She wondered why he was carrying a rifle that he probably didn’t have bullets for.

She thought he was trash. He seemed slow and his weapon couldn’t produce any real combat power. ‘This guy is total trash’, she thought.

“Ha- you little piece of shit.”

Suki lifted her sword and quickly pounced.

At the same time, Beckham jumped into the air at a 45-degree angle. They didn’t need to explore or think any further. They wanted to eliminate this guy quickly and hit the Japanese pairing.

“Too slow…”

San slowly rotated his rifle with his right hand. With his left hand, he flicked off the ashes on his cigarette… The bayonet bounced off Suki’s sword before clashing with Beckham’s follow-up strike.

The bayonet rifle was in the correct strike position at the exact time, as if it was originally supposed to be there at a specified time.

Suki and Beckham quickly retreated after the first clash. She quickly stepped back and bit her lips. Beckham tilted his head and touched his hand.

They should have followed up on their initial attack, but they weren’t in a position to do so. Suki opened and closed her sword hand. It was numb with pain.

At the moment of impact, about half of the joints on her right hand cracked by the vibration that came from the clash. Worse still, the joints crumbled into pieces as she applied strength. Her finger bones were also starting to shatter.

She raised her sword to check its condition. The blade was terribly broken. Suki and Beckham looked at San with their narrowed black eyes.

Was he still a know-nothing country bumpkin? Even in their nectar-maddened state, the two’s facial expressions overflowed with extreme embarrassment.

Instead of laughs, their eyes were filled with unknown emotions.

“What are you using… Who are you?” Suki asked in a trembling voice.

San took another drag from his cigarette. He continued to walk leisurely forward.

“Hmm- If the strongest person in this town is already showing a face like this… it’ll be too embarrassing for the people watching. Why don’t you guys try again-”

Suki and Beckham were still rushing backwards, trying to secure some space from San. They surmised that the opponent’s speed was slow.

They wanted to believe so. Beckham quickly pulled out another bottle of nectar and threw it at Suki. He also poured some nectar on his broken right hand. However, he knew that the nectar was not as effective for broken bones unless he poured it directly onto the bones. It would take some time to heal their current injuries. 

There was no other choice but to heal themselves by drinking the nectar directly, but then the problem was that the balance of their body would be broken since their energy consumption would quickly drain them. Regardless, Suki and Beckham began drinking the nectar.

Staying vigilant, they continued backpedaling.

“Where did that overbearing spirit go… and your abundant confidence? I’ll give you time to regroup while I finish this cigarette. Go ahead and put your heads together to find a way to live. I’ve never murdered another human like you guys have. Honestly, I still don’t want to kill people. I think I’ll feel better about killing you guys if I can justify it in my mind as self-defense. C’mon, try your best…” San spoke in a lazy voice. His slow steps had already stopped.

The cigarette in his left hand was only a quarter burnt. He sat on a nearby rock. His occasional murmuring permeated the surrounding area.

He didn’t seem concerned with the people in front of him. San stared into the air. His cigarette smoke scattered in the wind.

“It’s still too early. You guys probably need more time… Anyways, why are you guys so weak…”

Still in a mental haze, Suki and Beckham felt a creepy jolt of electricity rush up their spine. This person was unlike any other being they fought so far.

For whatever reason, these two operated in a different ‘dimension’. Just as fish can’t exist outside water, they couldn’t shed the destructive aura that permeated the entire space… Didn’t they just call him trash earlier?

“Keu-ack” 

“Keu-a-ack-”

Screams were heard from the side. Beckham and Suki turned their heads to the side. Their eyes widened. Yamato and Nari were being hunted.

Yamato and Nami weren’t attacking. They were fleeing with all their strength.

One side of Yamato’s head was depressed inward, and Nami was fleeing all around like a headless chicken while holding onto her crushed right arm.

Biyeon, with her bulky military outfit on and a bayonet in one hand, was jumping around in the air, leaving a hazy afterimage behind her.

Her movements looked unrealistic, as if pieces of a movie scene were cut and put back together with various frames missing in the middle. Her tremendous speed left only a brief silhouette. Her movements left the nectar-fueled Yamato and Nami looking like snails.

“I know the power that drug gives you guys. Actually… no one probably knows it as well as I do,” San said as he got snubbed his cigarette against the rock and got up. He raised his bayonet.

Suki and Beckham positioned themselves to San’s left and right while maintaining a tense posture. The bones in their hands were somewhat healed, but their hands were visibly trembling.