ReLife Player

[Hound(6 )]

«Huff, huff, huff…! Run!»

He was out of breath. Eunhyuk had the urge to stop and catch his breath, but he forced himself to keep going.

It had been so long since he abandoned his bag.

The same was true for the children behind him. They had abandoned their packs to make themselves as light as possible.

«Uh, how much further do we have to go…!»

«I don’t know!»

Eunhyuk nervously responded to Minji’s protest.

I want to know!

I don’t know.

How much longer we have to run.

How far I have to run.

Eunhyuk didn’t know. Even now, he was thinking about it countless times.

«Kaaaaaaaah-!!!»

«Ugk, players! Call the players!»

«What is the Changhae Clan doing!»

He could hear the sounds of death coming from up above, the same place he had passed by earlier.

Part of him wanted to run to save them.

But he had made a promise to Eunha.

To lead the party and protect his people.

To put his own life first.

I’m sorry, I’m sorry…!

He gritted his teeth.

Maybe this could help.

He had learned to wield a sword and learn mana to become a player who saves people in danger.

Eunhyuk resented the fact that he had to use what he had learned from Eunha solely to protect himself.

«Don’t look away.»

It was Minji who grabbed him when he was about to turn his head at the sound of another scream.

«…Come on, run away. We can’t help them.»

«Ugh…!»

He couldn’t argue.

He knew it too. That even though he had gained strength since that day last year when he almost lost his life to the goblins, it was still not enough to deal with monsters.

I know, I know, I know, but…!

I’m frustrated. I want to be stronger, stronger, stronger.I want to grow up.

The screaming never stopped.

A throaty scream for help.

The sound of monsters scratching their throats and growling.

It was hell. The mountain trail where I’d been running with my friends at lunch had become a deafening inferno.

«Don’t look back, don’t look back. Don’t look back, don’t look back.»

Minji muttered over and over again under her breath. It felt like she was mumbling to her friends, but it was more like she was brainwashing herself.

She couldn’t wait to get home, tears welling up in her eyes every time she heard a scream, and the sound of a dog barking in the distance startled her.

She could hardly believe her ears. If Eunha hadn’t been there to comfort her, if her friends had been as terrified as she was, she wouldn’t have been able to get away.

«Don’t look back. Never.»

She repeated again.

‘You watch the kids and make sure they don’t do anything rash’

‘…Is that it?’

‘That’s it’

The only thing that kept her sane was the last thing Eunha said.

I can’t help..!

She knew why he’d told her to watch her friends.

He knew she wouldn’t help the party, but he’d forced her into a role to keep her sane.

I’m a hindrance. If it weren’t for me, they could go faster.

I shouldn’t even be thinking that.

Frustrated. I’m angry.

She would have been a real obstacle if her pride hadn’t reared its ugly head.

«Hayang, where do we go next?»

Minji scanned her surroundings through her fevered mind. Eunhyuk, who was leading the party, was in no position to look around. Neither were Seo-na or Hayang, who were doing their own thing.

In the end, Minji was the only one who could coordinate the party.

It was ironic: the moment she was pessimistic about her situation, she became the leader of the party.

«Haa, huuf, ha…! I don’t think the left side will work…!»

Hayang’s mana sensing had always been excellent, as she had subconsciously taken in the information that mana conveyed.

However, it was not easy to consciously do what she was doing subconsciously.

She knew that her role could mean the difference between life and death for the party.

Her head was pounding. The information Mana was conveying was vast.

It was like reading several books at once.

If she let her mind wander, she’d never be able to pull herself out of the lake of information.

Still, she desperately sifted through the information. She tried to take in the information as if she were choosing which book she wanted to read.

«Outside, to the left, something ominous…!»

She couldn’t describe the process of interpreting the information in words.

An uncomfortable sensation ran through her body.

That was all she could say.

«…There’s a sound coming from the left.»

It was Seona who reconfirmed the uncertain information. Still not used to feeling mana, she relied on her animal senses.

To her left, she heard a series of hounds’ breathing. Human screams mingled with them.

She must not tell them. This sound.

You must keep the sounds in the distance to yourself. There was no point in telling my friends about this horrible sound.

It would dampen the mood of the party.

So you keep it to yourself. Keep your mouth shut. Don’t tell them.

It was Seona who was mentally backed into a corner. If Minji hadn’t regained her composure, Seona could have lost her cool and made a bad decision.

«More, more, more…! Push through it!»

The children’s stamina had long since been drained. They didn’t have the strength to run anymore.

Nevertheless, they squeezed what little strength they had left. If they stopped, they would be caught by the horde running from the top of the mountain.

«Why, why…!»

Why can’t I see the player!

It was time for Eunhyuk to curse the player who still hadn’t appeared.

«It’s up ahead, watch out!»

Hayang shouted urgently. She sensed the omnipresence of mana in the direction she was running.

On Mount Bukhansan, there was a layer of mana scattered by a pack of hounds. There was the mana unconsciously released by people, and even the mana of players who fought battles in places unknown to him.

So mana was ubiquitous.

And unfortunate,

«»»Ah…»»

children witnessed the birth of a monster before their eyes.

A hound tearing through the ubiquitous mana. The red-eyed hound shook off the mana from its body like dust.

Grrrr.

Eunhyuk stiffened the moment he saw the hound.

Was it really this scary?

The Hound that Eunha had defeated hadn’t been this terrifying. The goblins he had faced in kindergarten were more frightening.

It was inevitable. The hound that Eunha defeated was a weakened monster during the process of breaking through the cocoon.

It was different from the hound born inside the cocoon.

The creature in front of him was undoubtedly a monster of the seventh rank.

Grrrr.

The Hound spread the black aura that was wrapped around its body.

«What, what, is this…!»

Marking. The hound had the tenacity to not let go of its prey once it had set its sights on it.

The children tried to shake off the fog, but it was futile.

He was already ready to hunt his prey.

Ah-wooo!

It stretched its long neck toward the sky.

Born from the omnipresent mana, the Hound was the second-highest-ranking monster in the pack.

Krng

Grrr.

Grrrr

«Ah…»

«How, how can this be…»

Seona’s face turned a deep blue. The scattered sounds began to converge.

«Ah….»

Hayang did the same. The piercing sensation was coming from all directions.

There was no way out.

«What is this…!»

Minji panicked again.

The swarms that were gathering one after another were nothing short of horrifying. Lips twitching, growling, drooling, and glaring with red eyes.

«Uh, what can I do….»

Eunhyuk was overwhelmed by the horde that was swarming the area.

It was not the time to think about being strong.

He couldn’t do anything if he didn’t live.

He had to live.

No, he wanted to live.

Even alone.

If I, if I alone run away─.

‘─Remember this. You’re the only one who can protect the party. You’re the only one who’s the strongest.’

If I hadn’t remembered that promise, I might have abandoned them and run away.

Eunhyuk clutched the branch he’d given him as they descended the mountain path.

‘Spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Eunhyuk, which foot should go out first?’

‘Me? Uh, I’ve never really thought about it.’

That’s when Eunha said something.

‘Even players get nervous when facing monsters, so I have to remember which foot I go first.’

‘Why?’

‘Because when you panic, your feet tend to get crossed.’

‘Hehe, so what, what do I do then?’

‘…You’re right-handed, so just start with your right foot.’

‘Okay!’

‘Right foot, right foot…’

I put my right foot forward from memory. The branch was clutched in a suspended grip, ready to strike at any moment.

«Huff, aPlayer, can you feel anything, Hayang?»

«I, I don’t know! It’s, it’s, i-it’s, it’s all just a bad feeling….»

One step, another step.

The hounds, who refused to give up their prey, closed the distance.

Eunhyuk pushed his teammates back. The kids hugged each other and clung to the wooden pillar.

«Captain….»

I can do it, right?

‘Captain! But how do we deal with monsters stronger than me?’

‘You’re being silly, you need to work on your stamina and mana, you can’t even breathe yet….’

‘I want to know! Please, captain, tell me!

‘…Run away. Run, no matter what. Unless you want to die.

‘Not like that!’

«Hah…, look at its feet. You can predict the movements of most monsters by looking at their feet.’

‘Wow, predicting where the monster will attack by watching their feet!’

‘Intelligent monsters can also deceive your footsteps. That’s when you have to look at their eyes. It’s best to watch both their eyes and feet… but you might not be able to do both.’

«…Eyes.»

Eyes. He glared at the first hound to step forward, echoing Eunha’s words.

«»Kaaaak-!!!»»

«Charge!»

The Hound lunged at him as if to see what he could do.

Eunhyuk, who was staring into its eyes, let out a cheer and struck the branch.

Crunch.

The blow didn’t land, but the creature that had jumped into the mix of fakes was startled by the attack.

It didn’t seem to expect him to react appropriately.

«I did it, I did it.»

«You didn’t do anything!»

Minji was right. The hound’s threat had only been dispelled once.

The pack still surrounded the children.

«Uh, what can I do….»

Terrified and unable to stop her tears.

Everywhere she looked, there was no life. She couldn’t see a corner to escape.

Boom…!

Eun-hyuk was running away from the hounds, but the end was near.

They were telling him to dodge one more time.

Dodge one, dodge two, and so on.

They could have killed him at any moment, but they were going to keep playing this game until he collapsed from exhaustion.

It was a hound’s habit to bite its prey’s throat and cut off its breath the moment it gave up on life.

«Ugh, damn it…»

Once he crossed three dogs, he couldn’t stop them.

Eunhyuk knew. What their intentions were.

Still, he didn’t bend his knees. If they’re looking for the moment when he gives up, then paradoxically, it means that he can live until he doesn’t give up.

So even if he fell, he would get up.

Fall, get up, fall, get up…

He wouldn’t let go of even a straw of hope.

Because…

«I am… a dealer! …Cough…!»

«Eunhyuk!»

Four dogs. He barely avoided two, but one stabbed him in the side. From the opposite direction, another one jumped out and trampled on him.

As if they were telling him to try to stop this too.

«Kerr, kerr…!»

He couldn’t breathe. The fourth hound had squeezed his windpipe.

He struggled with all his might, but the more he did, the harder it pulled.

«Eunhyuk!»

No!

At this rate, it’s all over.

Seo-na repeatedly shouted to herself to calm down.

Anyone, anyone?

Help, please!

They were friends that I first made. They were friends that I could share my heart with.

I didn’t want to lose everyone here. I didn’t want to die. Not with my friends.

I wanted to live. With my friends.

So I prayed desperately.

For [mercy] that I had given up on long ago.

Please come and help me.

For [salvation] that I had resigned myself to never having.

[Whoever] it is, [please help me.]

With only the desire to live.

Whoever it is, [please help me.]

With only the desire not to lose.

Magic is the combination of concrete imagination and mana to manipulate the laws of the world.

And concrete imagination is the product of a desperate mind.

[Whoever it is,]

There was a crackle of electricity,

And golden fur shot up.

[Whoever it is, please help me─!!!!]

☆

A shot rang out.

The wind blew.

It was the order of nature for the wind to blow.

For the first time, the flock thought so.

The wind was blowing.

The wind blew.

The wind blew?

Like an inescapable wall.

Like a cage they were trapped in.

The herd suddenly realized they were caught in the wind.

The wind had picked up.

The leaves that had fallen and the flowers that had bloomed in the fields were scattered by the wind. It blocked their vision.

The smell of blood, sweat, and their own scent mingled with the wind. It disrupted their sense of smell.

The wind was bitter.

Trees with weak roots were uprooted by gusts.

The ground shook, and even the rock walls were torn apart.

«─Eh?»

Only the children were unaffected by the wind.

The tree they were leaning on didn’t sway in the slightest.

«─I’m sorry, you were scared, weren’t you?»

In a world where petals and leaves fluttered about.

Isolated from the gusting world, the children couldn’t take their eyes off the woman who appeared with the wind.

A short-haired woman with a leather jacket draped over her shoulders.

Her hair was fluttering in the gusts of wind.

And-.

«Can you close your eyes for a moment?»

─The sound of a rattling folding fan echoed.

«Because I’ll punish these bad dogs for you.»

Shin Seoyoung.

Shin Seo-yeong of Shinpung. (1)

It was the appearance of the Twelve Guardians.

Notes!

(1) Shin Seo-yeong of Shinpung: «Shinpung» is a Korean name that can mean different things depending on the Hanja characters used to write it, so the exact meaning of the name may vary. However, «Shinpung» can generally be interpreted as a reference to a divine or spiritual wind, which is fitting given that the first character of the name «<신풍(神風)>» also means «divine wind». I don’t know if this was the author’s intention but I’ll rather go with the exact translation of it.

E/N: I just realize that for me to catch up with the manhwa as quickly as possible I will need to update 4 chapters per day…omg.I’ll try!!