Chapter 47
“Uwaaaaaaaa!”
“Ppaeeeeeeak!”
A hammerhead the size of a human torso and rake claws no smaller than that crossed paths…
Puck!
Kwaang!
The two monsters plunged their weapons into each other’s flesh.
The Darkwing’s claws pierced Mason’s abdomen and both shoulders, and Mason’s dual hammers left deep scars as they grazed the Darkwing’s neck.
‘Missed!’
At that moment, Mason’s expression contorted.
‘I was too hasty!’
Originally, Mason’s plan was a cross-counter.
He intended to blow off the Darkwing’s head with a single blow, combining his own strength with the momentum of the Darkwing’s charge.
However, he was too hasty.
In the blink of an eye. It was a short moment, truly a split second, but it arrived first.
Instead of a cross-counter, Mason’s attack had missed, and the Darkwing had landed a counter.
It was the fault of Mason, lacking in finesse, for aiming for a technique that was too difficult.
Puuuuk!
“Kkeueueueuk!”
The Darkwing pushed its claws in with its weight. At the same time, it drew its legs together, tearing Mason’s flesh.
“Kyaaaak! Kyaaaaaaaaak!”
The Darkwing bounced up and down, slamming Mason to the ground.
The enemy who killed its young. It must want to tear him apart right this instant.
However, the Darkwing spread its wings wide, keeping Mason firmly in its grasp.
Mason was not dead yet, and the fight was not over.
Then it had to get as far away from the nest as possible.
The Darkwing flapped its wings and soared into the air.
“Yes, I was too greedy…”
At that moment, Mason stretched out his arms and grabbed the Darkwing’s ankles.
“But if it’s this…!”
Thump, thump.
Mason lacked weight compared to the large monster. Lacking weight, Mason couldn’t put enough speed and mass behind his strength.
But the strength itself wasn’t going anywhere.
If it was in a stationary state like this, no, even in a stationary state like this.
Mason’s strength wouldn’t disappear!
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Mason roared, putting strength into his grip.
Crack! Crack!
The Darkwing’s toes that pierced Mason broke, and Mason moved his hands to grip the Darkwing’s ankles.
Thump!
The Darkwing’s body swayed. But the Darkwing, with admirable willpower, didn’t stop flapping its wings.
It was just as Mason had intended.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Mason clung to the Darkwing’s body and climbed up.
Finally, he reached the Darkwing’s back.
Behind the back, the perfect blind spot for birds.
It was a point from which there was no escape.
“Hoo…!”
As he took a deep breath, Mason’s wounds began to heal.
Mason grabbed the Darkwing’s wings.
Finally realizing the situation, the Darkwing tried to shake Mason off by stopping abruptly in mid-air.
But it was futile.
Once Mason’s grip had seized the bones, no living creature in this world could escape.
Especially if Mason was enraged!
“Uu… Eueueueu…!”
Mason gritted his teeth and endured. He endured the pain, the gravitational acceleration, and the Darkwing’s desperate resistance.
It was all for this moment.
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
Puchi!
The moment the Darkwing’s left wing twisted.
Unable to withstand the pressure of the air as it glided, the wing broke off.
“Ppaeeeeeek!”
The Darkwing began to plummet.
With the instincts unique to birds, the Darkwing tried to recover with its remaining wing and attempt a landing. Instead of falling headfirst, which was dangerous, it tried to protect its body with its sturdy back muscles.
The problem was, on its back was a humanoid monster.
“Where do you think you’re going…!”
Mason threw himself towards the right wing.
Whoosh…
Thud!
The moment his hands touched the wing.
The possibility of landing vanished for the Darkwing.
Puchi!
“Ppaeeeeeeeeeeeeak!”
All that remained for a bird with broken wings was to fall.
Thud!
“…Heu.”
And that was the same for Mason.
Crack!
He had barely protected his head, but it was as if he had fallen on his neck.
Both Mason and the Darkwing twitched, battered and bruised.
“Keu…”
The Darkwing survived thanks to the barrier, and Mason regenerated his broken body.
Somehow, the two monsters stood up and looked at each other.
“Ppaeeeeeek!”
Towards the enemy who killed its children.
“Uwaaaaa!”
Towards the enemy of humanity.
The two avengers charged towards each other.
Kwak!
The Darkwing’s beak bit into Mason’s neck.
At that moment, Mason stretched out his arm, wrapping it around the Darkwing’s beak, and reached out with his other hand.
“Come!”
Whoosh… Thwack!
The dual hammers that flew in struck the back of the Darkwing’s head.
Mason grabbed the hammer handles in that state.
“Woooeoeok!”
Crack!
A blow that landed precisely on the Darkwing’s head!
At that moment, the Darkwing struck Mason with its broken wing.
“Keuk!”
No matter how strong his strength was, he couldn’t overcome the weight difference. The moment Mason’s body was flung into the air, the Darkwing launched itself, crashing into Mason.
“Kkeuk…!”
With his feet off the ground, there was no way for Mason to resist. He was helplessly pushed back by the Darkwing’s tackle, crashing into buildings and trees.
Thud, thud, thud, thud.
A tremendous shock ran through his back. Like iron placed on an anvil struck by a hammer, Mason, pushed by the Darkwing’s body, was forced to crash into the terrain with his spine.
“Eek…!”
Of course, Mason wasn’t just taking the hits passively.
Bang! Bang!
Every time Mason landed a punch or elbow, the Darkwing’s body staggered.
However, even as it staggered, the Darkwing didn’t lose its momentum.
Because every inch it pushed Mason back was another inch of safety for its young.
‘My feet! If I can just get my feet on the ground…!’
At that moment.
Stagger!
Unable to withstand the punch, the Darkwing faltered, its feet slipping, and Mason’s feet touched the ground.
At that moment, Mason opened his eyes wide and roared.
“Uwaaaaaaaa!”
Whoosh…
Mason flipped the Darkwing over.
Crash!
Mason, having thrown the Darkwing, stomped on its chest.
“Haaaaaaa!”
Thump! Thump!
His hands grabbed the Darkwing’s head.
Tendons bulged, and at the same time, a crackling, crackling sound came from the Darkwing’s neck.
He was trying to tear its neck out while it was still alive.
“Ppaeeeeeeak!”
At that moment.
Thud!
The Darkwing’s body sprang up like a coiled spring.
Even with its wings broken, the muscles of its back and chest, unique to birds, were intact. It had used its back muscles to push off the ground and fling Mason away.
Thud!
As Mason crashed into the outer wall of a building with his back and shook his head to regain his senses, the Darkwing charged towards him once again.
“Come!”
The hammers were drawn into Mason’s hands.
It was the same composition as the start of the fight.
The charging Darkwing and Mason ready to counter.
Battered and bruised, but nothing had changed.
The composition, the stance, the fury, the hatred.
Nothing had changed for these two monsters.
Except for one thing.
“Uwooeoeoeok!”
Except for the experience Mason had accumulated.
Thud!
The dual hammers landed precisely on the Darkwing’s head.
And this time… they didn’t miss.
Crack!
As the sound of bones breaking from the Darkwing’s skull rang out, the hammerheads, unable to withstand the impact of the two monsters’ collision, broke off from the handles.
Thud…
The blood-stained hammerheads fell to the ground…
Kuuuung…
The Darkwing’s massive body collapsed powerlessly.
A long fight. A long fight that tested wisdom, courage, and even fighting spirit.
But that long fight was finally over…
“Hoo…”
And the victor… was Mason.
His comrades were running towards him from afar.
Mason, stomping on the limp body of the Darkwing, roared.
“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
It was a roar of victory.
๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑
That night.
While the dismantling team was hard at work, Mason was walking the streets at night.
It wasn’t just a simple walk. It was a night patrol assigned to him by Sung Kijun.
They had already cleared the surroundings when setting up camp, and now that they had defeated the boss of this area, none of the monsters in the vicinity would dare attack.
It was likely a pointless act.
However, doing what needed to be done, even if it was pointless, was Sung Kijun’s way, and if Mason thought it was right, following it was his way.
“Mason.”
“Seo Yeonhee.”
At that moment, Seo Yeonhee walked in from outside the camp.
“Was everything alright at Namsan Tower?”
“Yes, everything was fine.”
She had just returned from Namsan Tower, leading the retrieval team.
“The dead chicks and one live chick. We safely retrieved them all.”
“I see…”
The dead chicks would have some value, but the real treasure was the live chick.
Monster 2nd Generation. Studying the ecology of monsters born from other monsters would breathe new life into monster-related research.
“Give the live chick to Osung. Throwing them a bone will save your face.”
“I didn’t know you were the type to care about such things.”
“I’m always a considerate person.”
Mason, with a wry smile, looked at the Darkwing being dismantled.
“This raid was a truly tiring fight.”
“Still, the reward will be substantial.”
“Yes, it will…”
The price of a B-Rank raid boss itself wouldn’t be small, but the best part was that they had put the government in their debt.
Under the Player System, if the government ordered something, they had to provide appropriate compensation.
They would be able to receive something that couldn’t be obtained with money.
“You don’t seem that happy?”
“…I can’t deny it.”
Mason smiled bitterly.
“I think I chased it for too long.”
“You saw the bones.”
“Yes, it deserved to d*e. But… I also saw its maternal side.”
The Darkwing fought to drop Mason away from its nest and died looking towards its chicks until its last breath.
He was angry and hateful. But… at the same time, he felt complicated.
“I think I got too immersed in its perspective…”
“Are you alright?”
Seo Yeonhee’s question held multiple meanings.
Mason nodded.
“I killed something that needed to be killed, so what’s the problem? It’s just a momentary whim.”
“I see. Then that’s good.”
“What about you? Are you alright?”
“I can’t say I am.”
Seo Yeonhee looked at the ruined night streets of Itaewon.
The good old days. The streets filled with memories of her former lover from those days when every street was ablaze with lights all night long.
“But… I have to keep it as a momentary whim, what else can I do?”
Someday, other monsters would settle in Itaewon. Among them, there would be another boss monster, and even a raid boss would establish its territory.
Peace. This brief tranquility was earned through countless sacrifices.
On a battlefield of blood and death, any emotion other than anger and hatred would be nothing but a momentary whim.
But… even a whim would be fine.
At least for today, it would be alright.
“The fight… isn’t over yet.”
A brief respite until they head to the next battlefield.
