Chapter 28: Calamity: Mixed Emotions

It wasn’t the first time Ji-woo had experienced the Nullifier control. So, he wasn’t surprised and scared anymore.

Ji-woo’s complexion didn’t change, the same as before. But actually, he suppressed the urge to be excited about the outbreak. Imagine a horde of monsters surrounding him in every other direction.

The battle would last for long enough to satisfy him. Of course, that was if the beasts or the monsters could keep up with Ji-woo’s strength.

Ji-woo wanted to check on his mother as soon as possible. But, he worried about bringing a mess inside the small restaurant if the three hellhounds chase him in there.

Sigh–

“Only three… “

Sho, Sho–

Ji-woo waved his hand to the Hellhounds in front of him like shooing a pet.

Ji-woo still had time to joke even though the atmosphere there was less than comfortable. The state of his mother, who was still unconscious. And his acquaintances dying before his eyes.

However, Ji-woo didn’t wear any contrite expression.

Rrggh, Rrrr–

The Hellhounds stretched their legs, ready to bounce on Ji-woo at any moment.

Suddenly, the beast target was vanishing from the scene.

Shewsh–

The Hellhounds were puzzled.

Zreet, Busshh–

Ji-woo appeared beside them and killed one of the hellhounds by swinging his right hand back and hitting it in the head.

The blood of the dead Hellhound splattered everywhere. Its body was still twitching even though losing its head on the ground.

The other two Hellhounds quivered to see their kind die mercilessly.

Ji-woo stared in boredom with half of his upper face covered in blood from a slain Hellhound. His clothes also got splashed with blood from that beast.

The two Hellhounds were scared now. They didn’t know how Ji-woo killed it. It only saw the body on the ground scattering the blood here and there.

Iing, Ieingg–

Tep, Teep–

The Hellhounds jumped and ran away from Ji-woo.

Degg–

Zreet, Busshh–

But just a millisecond after its leap, one Hellhound died with its body split into two between the upper and lower part, where the other one got caught on Ji-woo’s right hand.

The Hellhound body that split was twitching too. The same as the one from before. Its muscles stiffen with fear and die immediately after doing the tense movement.

Fwaahh–

From Ji-woo’s mouth, a hot smoke came out.

“Haa… Not good, I overdo. My body still needs the cooling down, huh?”

Ji-woo felt the overheat on his body while looking at his left hand that tore apart the Hellhounds.

Iing, Ieingg–

The Hellhounds on Ji-woo’s right hand let out a pitiful sound like asking for mercy. Its legs and body didn’t dare to move because of the pressure Ji-woo did on its head.

Ji-woo, not bothering by the cried out from the Hellhounds. He gripped his right hand.

Creekk, Busshh–

A Hellhound fell to the ground without a head, and blood dripped from Ji-woo’s right hand.

Now, all of the Hellhounds on the spot got already cleaned up by Ji-woo without leniency.

After taking care of the Hellhounds, Ji-woo went toward Eun-bi’s body at the shabby door. He walked like a god of death while drenched in blood in his black suit.

Ji-woo saw Eun-bi’s body on the ground. His eyes felt empty. But, his mind and heart were in turmoil.

The anger that Ji-woo had overlapped with the excitement of the fight. That was why he tried to suppress the two feelings. Therefore, he reacted dully to this dire situation.

When Ji-woo looked through Eun-bi’s body, he accidentally saw the condition inside the small restaurant.

Ji-woo saw his mother lying on the floor unconscious, along with small and light bruises around the arms and faces. The other people inside there have the same condition too.

His body trembled, and it shook him to the core. Ji-woo took a few steps back with fear.

The bloody face that killed the Hellhounds without mercy now showed a despairing look.

Ji-woo slapped his own face with both of the hands that were still shaking.

“Get a grip! It wasn’t like my first time to experience it.”

Ji-woo then cleaned up his bloody face with the black suit that he took off.

He then threw away the messy and dirty black suit to the ground.

Leaving only the white cloth that has a bit of blood on it, left on his body.

Actually, Ji-woo wasn’t someone that could kill living things easily, even though they were wicked kinds. But, having endured a tough time in the Great War, he was used to the spiral of death.

Now, after back to his original world. Ji-woo didn’t want to show this ruthless side of him to his mother and felt ashamed of it. Regardless she still fell unconscious and didn’t see it.

“Let’s check on Mother and the other condition first. After that, move them to a better place than here.”

Ji-woo casually spoke while holding his other shaking arm. His mother and the other inside the small restaurant were fine and didn’t have any fatal injury, just lost consciousness and had light bruises.

Chiit–

A military truck stopped at the small restaurant.

The soldiers that arrived at the scene tried to understand the circumstance while looking at the aftermath.

“This… What happens?!” A soldier asks his comrade.

“I don’t know either!”

Those soldiers stared at Eun-bi’s body at the door and headless Hellhounds around the area.

Ji-woo looked at the soldiers, who caught a glimpse of the scene from inside the room. He ignored those two and went toward the door.

Then, the soldiers were surprised to see a man come out from the small restaurant while holding a rather elderly woman in arms.

One of the soldiers quickly pointed his gun that he held to Ji-woo. And the other soldiers gave an instruction toward Ji-woo that walked passing Eun-bi at the shabby door.

“Don’t move! Sir, put down the women and state who you are. Now!”

However, Ji-woo didn’t stop at such a command and kept walking toward the back of the military truck.

The soldiers, seeing their order get ignored instantly, turned grim. The one that held the gun wanted to shoot Ji-woo on the spot.

Suddenly, the air felt chill and pierced the skin of the soldiers that were close to Ji-woo.

The rage caused by the fall of Eun-bi and his injured mother, coupled with the excitement of the battle from the Nullifier, made Ji-woo eager to fight the outbreak.

There was no way Ji-woo didn’t let out such a frightening atmosphere near him with such a combination of emotions.

The soldiers became stiff and couldn’t move because of the pressure from Ji-woo. Every step that Ji-woo took. It felt like a grim reaper was walking by held their hearts, terrifying them of death.

Ji-woo put his mother at the back of the military truck. Then, he went back to the small restaurant to pick up Eun-bi on the ground, carrying her the same way as his mother.

The soldiers could only watch Ji-woo bring so many people to the back of the military truck from inside the small restaurant.

Ji-woo looked at the people who got settled on the truck. For now, he could confirm the danger was gone.

Since Ji-woo could feel there was extensive Mana clashing a bit far from where he was standing at the moment. He was sure there were no beasts or any creatures close nearby.

If not because this was not the first time Ji-woo encountered such an occurrence. He might ignore everything and immediately jump up to the battlefield.

Ji-woo sighed and saw where the Portal Gate might have started. He then spoke to the soldiers that stood still like a statue.

“Take these people to a safe place and take care of them. Also…, call the Demigod guild, tell them the D-rank hunter Hwang Eun-bi has fulfilled her duty protecting the city from the outbreak.”

The soldiers nodded their heads repeatedly.

Weng–

Ji-woo jumped pretty fast from the ground, leaving only the dust behind him.

Hosh, Hosh–

The soldiers were relieved after Ji-woo’s existence disappeared from their sight.

One of the soldiers broke the silence, “Huahh, I feel like my neck will be tearing apart if I made some movement.”

The other soldier gulped.

“He should be a hunter, right?!”

…

“I’m not sure about that, but… Even the S-rank hunter that I’ve met before doesn’t have this kind of fearsome aura with him.”

The soldier that got asked was answering after a short break.

Their doubts were understandable. So far, a hunter had always put on their gear suit or carried an artifact item and weapon whenever they encountered a creature from the Portal Gate or went hunting in the dungeon.

There was no armor gear and no items either on Ji-woo. He didn’t even seem to have or carry any weapons at all. His appearance didn’t look like a hunter’s. He only wore white clothing and black pants.

“Enough. Let’s go back.”

“Additionally calling the Demigod guild too… ” The other soldier reminds them about the guild matter.

The two soldiers looked at the back of the military truck. There were unconscious people and a hunter covered in blood on her suit of equipment.

“This Portal Gate thing…

“We lose our comrades-in-arms while defending and protecting the people.

“These people… That has Mana blessing too… “

When people’s expectations and hopes for something were too big, it made them forget about the possibility of failure that might occur.

If everything were not going like what they hoped for, it would put them into misery.

And…,

Giving up and not believing in hope would become commonplace for these people.