I Awakened With My Dark History - Chapter 03

========== CHAPTER 3 ==========

The water drained out through the paths extending in all directions, leaving only puddles in the cavern.

Before anyone knew it, the restored dome ceiling had once again separated the underwater area from the cavern.

However, that dome couldn’t chase away the monsters that had already entered the cavern.

After a wave of fish-like monsters passed, the ones who took over the cavern were the bipedal Fish-men monsters.

With webbed hands and feet, holding things like tridents, they kept gathering people from somewhere.

They caught the living and dragged the dead.

And they gathered them all in one place.

Hwik. Cheol-peok. Tuk.

“Eek!”

Someone flinched in terror.

But some people opened their eyes wide, checking the ‘people’ the Fish-men were throwing.

“M-mommy…”

“Shh. No. Come here. It’s okay.”

The adult pulled the child, who was trying to go forward, into their arms, bursting into tears.

The child burst into tears, but the adult didn’t let go of the child.

The purpose of the monsters’ actions was unknown.

It seemed like they were checking their prey, or perhaps getting them checked by someone else.

It wouldn’t have been strange if someone died in the process. They were all terrified, holding their breath.

“Did they say the hunters still haven’t arrived?”

“What if they kill us all too?”

“The hunters will come before that.”

“Have you seen my child? I lost hold of my child’s hand.”

Whispered murmurs busily passed between the people.

Meanwhile, the Fish-men continued to move people, stepping on the water-logged ground.

The Fish-men made strange sounds, clicking their shark-like teeth together.

Then, they suddenly looked back at the people.

The people hurriedly avoided their gaze and flinched.

Ttak. Tta-dak. Ttak.

Ttak-ttak. Ttak. Tta-da-dak.

After the sound of teeth clicking continued, the Fish-men raised their tridents high.

The person holding the child reflexively tensed their arms and flinched.

And then…

“Pour out.”

A pungent smell of ash rose from somewhere.

And Thorn Bushes that sprouted from under the ground tangled around the Fish-men’s feet.

Tta-da-da-da-dak!

The sound of teeth created a loud noise.

At the same time, someone pointed a finger and shouted.

“H-hunter! It’s a hunter!”

The people followed the finger and looked up.

A human figure could be seen floating high, as if reaching the dome’s ceiling.

Hidden in the backlight, he was clearly hostile toward the Fish-men.

Tta-da-da-da-da! Tta-dak!

The Fish-men viciously clicked their teeth and threw their tridents.

However, the opponent moved his transparent wings and easily dodged the tridents.

Then, he spoke in a voice so dignified it resonated through the cavern.

“How dare you challenge this Demon King; your courage is commendable.”

Along with the peculiar tone, flames rose from the hunter’s hand.

“Ugh, I really should’ve recorded a video… It’s the regret of a lifetime.”

The student next to them muttered regretfully, as if even moved by the sight.

The hunter threw those flames toward the Fish-men.

Tta-da-da-dak! Tta-dak!

The Fish-men made unintelligible sounds as they burned in the flames. However, there were still many Fish-men alive.

With the physical abilities of monsters, the Fish-men climbed the dome and rushed at the hunter.

The hunter twisted his body freely in mid-air, dodging the Fish-men’s attacks.

His red eyes, the color of flames, curved slightly.

The way his mouth curved into a smirk even looked somewhat amused.

“You wretches know the fun of a fight! Amuse this Demon King!”

As if the fact that he had been wielding fire was a lie, the hunter struck down a rushing Fish-man with his fist.

Leaving the Fish-man that had fallen to the ground and been crushed behind, the hunter moved again.

He grabbed one rushing at his back and threw it to the ground, and caught a trident aiming for his vital point, using it to skewer the Fish-man instead.

Unlike the hunter who was free even in mid-air, the Fish-men helplessly sprayed blood.

“Waaaah! It’s a hunter! A hunter is here!”

“We’re saved!”

The people clenched their fists and cheered toward the hunter.

“Everyone, everyone…!”

Just then, a calm voice cut through the crowd.

The people turned their heads to check the owner of the voice.

And the owner of that voice, Choi Arin, felt a bit intimidated by the sudden attention.

“Ahem. Hmm. Ah… You see, the hunter told me to evacuate everyone while he draws their attention.”

“What? Did you find the way out?”

Someone shouted loudly with a hopeful voice.

Only then did Choi Arin realize the fact that she didn’t even know the way out of the dungeon.

And the fact that she should have found the dungeon gate in advance.

“Ah, no. That’s not it. He said it’s hard to fight while protecting everyone if the monsters swarm… so he told me to just get to safety for now.”

“What are we supposed to do if we run into monsters after getting separated from the hunter!”

“Isn’t that hunter here to rescue us? Does it make sense to tell us to wander around on our own?!”

“H-here, there are people who are injured and can’t move. What about these people?”

As the adults’ shouting poured down, Choi Arin’s face turned pale.

It wasn’t easy to handle the questions pouring in during a situation she had never experienced before.

Buuuu—

Just then, a massive flute sound silenced the commotion. People covered their ears and crouched down.

“What is this sound!”

“Kyaaak!”

The sound of water, which they had forgotten, began to be heard again.

The sound of something massive crossing the water and getting closer was something no one could forget.

Among the people turning pale and blue, someone grabbed Choi Arin’s arm.

Choi Arin was startled and turned her head.

Fortunately, they were familiar faces.

“Arin! Are, are you here alone? Didn’t you go with Cho-eun?”

Choi Arin’s tension snapped and released upon seeing her friend and her parents.

The presence of adults she could rely on removed the burden.

And at the same time, it made her remember her friend’s situation, which she had forgotten.

“Ah, that is…”

Choi Arin hid her notebook behind her back and rolled her eyes here and there.

If she let her guard down, her gaze kept drifting toward her friend above her head.

“She’s, safe! But we came together and that… well, ah! The hunter gave her a task, so she’s at the path! We can go together!”

Choi Arin gave a thumbs up, without any meaning.

It was a movement that came out reflexively due to tension.

Kkureureung!

Chwa-ak, kung!

Something popped out from the paths connected to the cavern.

Huge Moray Eel Monsters with Fish-men riding on their necks opened their mouths.

Syaaaak.

As the Moray Eels raised their bodies, they easily reached Ha Cho-eun’s position.

The Moray Eels and Ha Cho-eun didn’t move easily, as if assessing each other’s situation.

Ha Cho-eun came down slowly toward the people entirely.

“H-hunter. The monsters…”

“Why haven’t you evacuated yet?”

Ha Cho-eun scolded without even looking back.

Choi Arin felt strange as if she were being scolded by her friend, but she nonchalantly shifted the blame to others.

“Because the people wouldn’t go.”

“You want to die here?”

The people were startled, but they hid behind the hunter who had come close.

“That’s not it, how are we supposed to go on our own? We don’t even know where the gate is or the way, so you have to come with us, Hunter!”

“I think it would be dangerous for us to go alone…”

“Plus, there are injured people here. My wife is severely hurt and can’t move.”

Bright red eyes turned toward the back. Soon, the people doubted if their eyes were playing tricks on them.

The eyes they thought were definitely red shimmered with a pale pink light.

“There are injured people?”

The people nodded busily.

A different kind of tension than before could be felt on the hardened face.

“If that’s the case, it can’t be helped. Stay there.”

Ha Cho-eun flew up high and raised one hand.

“As a Fairy who has received the teachings of the flower garden, I cannot turn a blind eye to people in trouble.”

“Pfft! Ugh-huh-huh-ugh.”

A strange sound cut in from somewhere, but no one realized it.

It was because the sound of the only hunter smiling brightly and shouting toward the air was too loud.

“Everyone, right? Now, let’s protect the people with me!”

The ground undulated, and vines sprouted upward.

The vines began to wrap around the people, creating a solid defensive barrier.

Then, the hunter raised the other hand as well.

“Bloom wide! Even if broken, even if withered, let’s open wide again!”

Pink petals appeared densely from the vines.

The petals descended onto the injured and healed their wounds.

The defensive barrier, now filled with pink petals, no longer showed the outside.

The last thing seen of the hunter was him flying around busily, avoiding the Moray Eels and the Fish-men on top of them.

It looked like the dull Moray Eels or the Fish-men on top of them would never be able to catch the hunter.

However, the person in question’s assessment was different.

‘I can’t hold on any longer.’

The Moray Eels were gradually increasing, and the Fish-men’s attacks were becoming sharper.

He wasn’t being pushed in terms of speed, but his stamina could no longer support him.

Furthermore, unknown boxes had been obstructing his vision since a while ago.

“They’re all annoying.”

In the combat situation, Chloris stepped back.

The Fairy who liked to meddle wasn’t needed in this situation.

The Demon King who liked to punch wasn’t of much help right now either.

In the end, he had to step up himself.

He flew with wings that were not his own and stood in the very center of the dome.

The highest position always made him feel at ease.

Perhaps because it was close to the sky.

Close enough to convey his words to the sky.

“Sky, listen.”

Even if the dome and the underwater environment were separating them, the sky was by his side.

Clouds began to spread from his feet.

The clouds grew bigger and thicker, dyeing pitch black.

“Pierce them all.”

The sound of ice shards colliding inside the clouds could be heard faintly.

Before long, the ice shards became massive awls.

Kya-ha-aak!

At first, the ice awls that fell one or two at a time gradually poured down like rain.

The huge Moray Eel Monsters were pierced by the ice awls and screamed.

Tta-da-dak! Ttak-ttak!

A Fish-man grabbed the reins of a Moray Eel Monster and raised its trident.

He pointed his finger toward the Fish-man who was trying to throw its trident while dodging the ice awls.

Puk! Puk! Puk!

The ice awls twisted their tips and pierced the Fish-men’s bodies.

The Moray Eel Monsters that lost their masters also became prey for the ice awls.

And the cost of controlling the skill drained away.

His head felt clear, as if he had just woken up from a dream, and yet still groggy, as if he had just greeted the morning.

All he could feel within that was the fact that his body was falling toward the ground.

Even though it was certain he would die if he fell like this, his body couldn’t move an inch.

Strangely, sleepiness poured over him.

‘This is the end.’

His eyes closed comfortably, sliding shut.

Teop!

However, his body didn’t fall onto the hard ground.

Ha Cho-eun barely opened her eyes, enduring the pouring sleepiness.

‘A person?’

“I thought I was late. Thank goodness.”

The face couldn’t be seen properly.

The only thing she could see was the alien, bright yellow eyes. He smiled.

“Rest now.”

The light voice felt strangely familiar.

So she let her guard down and ended up closing her eyes.