# Chapter 18

"Ugh, god damn it," said Dahyun as left the car and glanced back. Jisook was smiling brightly at her until the end. It was as if she was telling Dahyun to not worry about her and go. Dahyun bit into her teeth and she jumped lightly onto a line of cars.

She then took off the cap that she had on herself deep until now. Long, waist-deep red straight hair fluttered down in the wind. The color was so intense that it made her white skin look paler. Dahyun slowly started to pull up her mana. A powerful wave of mana swept up and red hair stretched up into the sky.

"The Sorceress of Flame! Whoaaaa!"

People around began to recognize her and began to shout in excitement.

"Red Witch from the Rainbow Six is here!"

"It’s the Destroyer! We’re alive!"

These were all words that describe Kim Dahyun, a S Rank Awakener.

"Back off as much as you can! That Rupture is about to burst! Run!”

"What? What about the Headquarters support!" Someone asked loudly in a startled voice.

"I don't know the details. I think they will come after it pops. Hurry up and back off as much as you can! It's dangerous!" said Dahyun.

Chaos escalated at Dahyun's cry. There were people getting injured as they pushed each other in the run, but this was the best Dahyun could do.

It was time to focus on the Rupture. It was then. The phone on her wrist vibrated.

[Rupture Warning Announcement.]

[Dungeon Management Bureau of Awakener Management]

[Rupture near Seoul Sector B-3-NA]

[2nd Grade Hazardous Class Demonic Beast, Steelhorn Ram are expected.]

"Steelhorn Ram? Of all things, why is it them,” Dahyum spat. Dahyun was one of the six South Korean S-Rank Awakeners but still had limitations of fire element magic type.

"I'll have to risk my life on this," said Dahyun to herself. Actually risking life did not matter to her. She was ready to die anytime after she decided to start a career as a hunter.

"But I’ll protect my mom whatever it takes!" said Dahyun.

The Rupture was getting stronger and stronger. A red flame, the size of a fist, began to form around Dahyun. A total of 10 fireballs gradually turned blue, absorbing Dahyun's mana.

Blue Flame of over 50,000 Fahrenheit. It was the strongest flame she could make.

The Rupture finally burst, ripping the space. Then a herd of steelhorn rams began to appear through the teared space. Beasts were well over 10 feet tall with a huge Steelhorn that looked sharp, and a body covered with fluffy white fur.

"You will have to go through me!" claimed Dahyun as she swung her arm at herds of Steelhorn Ram that charged. A blue flame flew like light and stuck in the head of a Steelhorn ram. The blue flames set off a massive explosion that burned the entire body of the Steelhorn.

Ram. The beast fluttered and shook violently. Then the blue flame, which had been engulfed as if to burn the whole body, gradually faded away.

Dahyun frowned as she was watching.

"I knew it’s not going to work,” said Dahyun.

The Steelhorn Ram was the worst opponent to fight for magic type Awakeners. It’s fleece-like body hair was armor with tremendous magical defenses, and its thick leather, hard horns and skulls made it almost impossible to deal a fatal blow through magic.

As such, the basic approach to deal with the Steelhorn Ram was to inflict a physical attack. Dahyun’s speciality was in wide ranged magic attacks, which made it worse.

"Then I’ll throw until it strikes you down!"

A Steelhorn ram with the flame completely extinguished prepared to charge Dahyun. Then it kicked off the ground to charge and Dahyun quickly swung her arm. More fireballs were thrown at the ram.

"Here’s the second shot!"

Steelhorn Ram shook off and resisted the flames again.

"Third! Please die for god’s sake!!"

The roaring of a Steelhorn Ram heard through the exploding flames.

"It’s dead!" shouted Dahyun as the flame exploded the skull of a Steelhorn Ram. The smell of burnt meat filled the area. Of course, Dahyun didn't have time to care about such trivial things. She just managed to knock down only one Steelhorn Ram that was leading the herd.

She saw a total of eight Steelhorn Ram running out from the ripped space. She now had six blue flames around her and it was going to take at least a minute to recreate those blue flames. She was only able to take down one ram, or two if she risked her life. Dahyun finished the calculation and laughed bitterly.

Then she threw four flames at the Steelhorn Ram. Blue flames instantly struck into the head of the Steelhorn Ram, causing a massive explosion. The Steelhorn Ram fell to the ground.

There were seven Steelhorn Ram left now.

Dahyun looked around, but she could only see people shaking with fear as they tried to get further away.

"Damn those headquarters people. So slow."

Dahyun reached out her hands and grabbed the blue flame floating in the air. Blue flames in her both hands exploded, and Dahyun's whole body was engulfed in blue flames.

"I wished I didn’t have to use this.”

It was the strongest ability that Dahyun had, that burned her mana to use superhuman power. However, it was also a dangerous skill that burns life slowly and eventually turns one into a handful of ash when mana runs out.

Dahyun frowned briefly at the pain that seemed like her body was eaten away, but soon focused on Steelhorn Ram that was charging toward her. Dahyun was already ready to die when she decided to use her ultimate skill. She now just hoped that she did not waste her life in vain.

Dahyun's senses heightened as sharp as a blade, and felt like everything around her began to move slowly. Her use of ultimate skill had brought her into a new world with her superhuman senses. Thanks to that she was able to read the situation calmly while watching the seven Steelhorn Ram rushing at her.

‘I can see them. I can feel them. But can I do it?’ thought Dahyun. Although Steelhorn Rams were almost tangled up together as they charged, Dahyun hit the exact forehead with her fiery fist at the one in front.

“UGH!” Dahyun groaned at the moment of strike. It was an enormous feat that her delicate hands stopped the three-ton monster’s dash. But that was it. Steelhorn Ram faltered a bit but began to charge even more fiercely.

Dahyun jumped over the head of a Steelhorn Ram, and kicked the knee of the monster behind it. She did it because she realized that her attack was weak to strike hard skulls and hairy bodies.

As expected, there it worked. Steelhorn Ram collapsed, and Steelhorn Rams stopped from behind. She didn’t mean to take care of them all from the beginning.

‘I just need enough time for headquarters to come. That's the only way to save my mom.’ she thought. She just needed to focus on attacking their legs and buy some time. Then suddenly all the Steelhorn Ram lowered their bodies and began to move forward in groups, while swinging their steel horns. Unfortunately, they seemed to be more intelligent than they look.

"Ugh!"

And there was another problem. Mana began to be depleted and her skill slowly began to eat away at her life. She didn't have much time.

Dahyun ran fast, and aimed for the knee of a Steelhorn Ram, but was hit by its swinging horn and bounced back.

"Argh!"

Even in her right state, it was hard enough to attack, so it was no wonder she couldn’t make it anymore. However, Dahyun did not step down.

No, she couldn't back down.

‘If I die, I die!’ she thought. Behind her was the road full of cars, and mom was waiting not too far from there.

‘Just one more minute! One more minute!’

But contrary to Dahyun's firm will, her legs lost strength.

"Ugh!"

Dahyun stared at the ram charging at her with red eyes and barely turned her head to look at the back.

"Mom, I'm so sorry.”

***

Gyungho appeared suddenly over the cracked sector B-3-NA area. Of course, no one could see the sudden appearance because he was using a stealth skill to hide.

"I hope I’m not too late."

Fortunately, Jisook was still safe due to Dahyun's desperate use of her ultimate skill. The problem was that Dahyun, fighting against Steelhorn Rams with flames all over her body, was gradually weakening.

"S-shit!"

Gyungho saw Dahyun suddenly collapsing and the Steelhorn Ram rushing toward her and quickly reached for coins in his pocket and sprayed it in the air. Coins magically hovered in the air. Gyungho’s mana began to flow out and stormed.

The skull of a thick Steelhorn Ram would usually withstand most attacks, let alone an attack with a small coin. However, with the swordsmanship skill of Level 10, coins were transformed into the strongest weapon by infusing it with mana.

Gyungho then looked at the mana infused coins and increased mana input further. It was the power of his skill Amplification Level 10. The mana on the coin increased, increasing penetration and cutting power by ten folds..

As soon as Kyungho's hand moved slightly, a white mana coin struck down like a flash of light. The coin struck, making a white trajectory glow, penetrated the heads of Steelhorn Rams that were charging toward Dahyun.

Heads of all Steelhorn Rams exploded. Gyungho then hurried down to the ground where Dahyun fell. Gyungho saw a blue flame eating away Dahyun’s life and brushed it off. The blue flame faded away like magic.

"You haven’t changed a bit. Reckless as always. It must’ve been painful after your mana depleted,” said Gyungho.

Life energy getting burned away was a huge pain. Gyungho knew how painful it was better than anyone else so he became saddened. After getting out of his stealth skill, Gyungho reached out to Dahyun's stomach and began to activate her mana core with his mana.

Gyungho could not heal Jisook from her illness, but he had tricks up his sleeves when it came to a mana problem.

“Hang in there,’ said Gyungho.

He was better at controlling men than his cooking skills.

White light lingered above Gyungho’s hand and Dahyun’s pale cheeks began to blush up. After concentrating on mana control for a while, Gyungho took his hand off of Dahyun’s stomach with a short sigh.

He then got up and cut the Steelhorn Ram’s horns and meat from its buttocks and placed it into his dimensional space and checked on Dahyun. Her breathing was returning to normal and the mana was flowing back again.

“You punk, it’s been a long time. I’ll see you soon,” said Gyungho. He then turned around to look at Jisook, hid himself under a stealth skill and flew away.

After Gyungho was gone, Dahyun groaned faintly.

“Nngh…”

She barely pulled herself up and checked on her body.

“Huh?”

She knew that the blue flame was burning her away just until a while ago.

“That’s right! Mom!”

Dahyun however, remembered about Jisook and quickly got up and turned around.

“M-Mom!”

There she saw Jisook sobbing from a distance.

***

A fancy sports car accompanied by a loud noise stopped in front of the restaurant. It was Dahyun.

“Gyungho! Dahyun is here!” said Jisook.

She tried to pretend nothing had happened, but her eyes were swollen from crying. Gyungho acted as if he didn’t notice and greeted Dahyun following in.

“Dahyun? Whoa, it’s been a long time!”

But Gyungho actually had just saved Dahyun’s life. Dahyun was clean, as if she had just come back from a hair salon. She had a light blue short sleeved one piece skirt, and she looked pretty thanks to her tall height and slender figure.

“I heard from Mom that you got mixed into the Rupture. It’s good to see you back in one piece,” said Dahyun.

Gyungho knew that she was acting.

“You are in one piece, right?” Dahyun asked as she walked over to Gyungho and scanned.

“Yeah, I am actually healthier now,” said Gyungho.

That’s when Dahyun drew closer and gnarled in a low voice.

“You bastard, I’ll beat you up if you make mom sad again. Got it?”

She then smashed Gyungho on his back. But Gyungho still smiled.

“You haven’t changed,” said Gyungho. Dahyun was still the same Dahyun from ten years ago.

“I bet you two have a lot of things to catch up on. I’ll go prepare lunch,” said Jisook.

“That’s alright mom. I already made tteokbokki. I just need to reheat it,” said Gyungho.

“Oh, but Dahyun said she doesn't want to eat tteokbokki,” said Jisook as she turned to Dahyun worryingly.

#

Dahyun grinned and shook her head.

“No, mom. Gyungho was made for us after 10 years. I can’t refuse that,” said Dahyun.

“Are you sure? Okay then, I’ll reheat it and get it out,” said Jisook.

“It’s alright. You two sit down and wait,” said Gyungho as he pushed Jisook to the table. He then added, “Just don’t be surprised when you find it too delicious. I’ll be back in just a moment!”

Gyungho smiled as he went back into the kitchen.