Traces of the SunCh4.7 - Foreshadowing (7)

Editors: Spade, Roki

Proofreader: Sapphire xO8jmE

---

Yisun’s arm was scratched by the monster’s long nails as it forcefully dragged him down.

The moment he let out a startled cry, dozens of attacks rained down on the monster. Every single Hunter behind Yisun had attacked the monster simultaneously. The barrage of attacks almost sounded like an explosion.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

The monster’s arm was not only injured, but completely minced to dust. Yisun was briefly admiring the Hunters’ exquisite aim, as they had managed to hit only its arm with precise aim, when he felt the belated pain of his injury. His entire lower arm was scraped in a long line, and blood trickled down.

“Ugh…” c3WAml

Yisun grasped his arm in unfamiliar pain and moaned briefly. As the Hunters called out to him in panic, Sa Hyeon suddenly appeared behind him. He had been attacking the boss monster when he heard the commotion below and approached.

Na Gunwoo immediately rushed to Yisun’s side and tried to cast a healing skill, but due to the dungeon’s magic interference, the casting was interrupted. Sa Hyeon’s face instantly froze over as he watched the whole thing unfold.

“What on earth were you doing?”

“I’m, I’m sorry…….”

uEQKPF

“Making a mistake is one thing, but is this how I taught you to deal with it when something like this happens?” Sa Hyeon asked coldly, looking at the Hunters.

Although using fire magic and attracting the monsters’ aggro was unintentional, he was undoubtedly at fault for not dealing with the aftermath properly. At the front, Ki Joohyuk bowed his head in apology, but Sa Hyeon’s face remained icy.

Having barely managed to staunch the bleeding on his arm with one hand, Yisun assured them that he was fine. His voice trembled slightly–it was the first time he had ever received such a large wound. However, Sa Hyeon simply pretended like he didn’t hear him. The fact that he was anything but okay was so obvious that he didn’t bother to respond.

Yisun staggered a little and leaned to his side. The stone felt clammy under his bloodied hands. Only then did Sa Hyeon’s gaze return to him, assessing his condition. Na Gunwoo hastily pulled a potion out of his bag and emptied it over Yisun’s arm. Healing potions were meant to be applied, so several high-grade potions were poured onto his arm. However, this was only a temporary measure, and the wound was not fully healed. wePEBc

Although the bleeding subsided, Yisun could only bite his lip and tilt his head backwards to endure the intense pain. Then, the boss monster caught his attention.

“The boss monster… seems to have become clearer…”

Sa Hyeon raised his head at the faint whisper. When the boss monster attacked or took damage, it turned translucent, but even before that, its body had been slightly blurred. But now it had a clear, concrete shape, hovering slightly closer to the ground.

Sa Hyeon’s eyes swept over it curiously. At the same time, Han Arin and Shin Jian, who were still attacking the boss monster from above, were also discussing the situation. Han Arin’s  attacks involved raising the earth, so she was much more sensitive to the boss monster dropping down in height. tmPS5p

Yisun’s gaze fell to the ground, and Sa Hyeon looked in that direction as well.

“The altar,” Yisun muttered softly.

The stone he was leaning on earlier turned out to be the temple’s altar, and on it, a vivid stain of his own blood. In the dim room, Sa Hyeon’s eyes glinted strangely as he noticed it.

In the midst of all the blood and chaos, Yisun managed to recall the clue to the Fourth Temple. jtUO5R

‘To offer a sacrifice for the prosperity and glory of Ephesus…’

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

C rjmglolmf.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Cr yibbv rajlcfv atf jiajg, atf vflas vfrmfcvfv ogbw atf jiajg klat j mifjgfg lwjuf. Dfobgf Tlrec, ktb mbccfmafv atf vbar, mbeiv bqfc tlr wbeat ab rqfjx, Vj Lsfbc qeiifv tlw jkjs ogbw atf jiajg jcv qertfv tlw jujlcra atf kjii. Xgjyylcu Tlrec ys atf rtbeivfgr jcv wbnlcu tlw yftlcv tlw, Vj Lsfbc ujhfv lcafcais ja atf jiajg, mifjgis ecvfgrajcvlcu atf meggfca rlaejalbc.

Soon, Sa Hyeon sighed heavily and looked at the Hunters. JOUDed

“Let’s do this properly.”

It was a short command, but the Hunters knew the meaning behind it and  nodded stiffly. With a last warning glance at their faces, Sa Hyeon moved over to the ground where Han Arin stood. He informed her of his plans, then disappeared before she could even react or respond, her face immediately showing alarm.

Han Arin, letting out broken ‘You- you crazy-’ sounds, eventually bit her lip and descended with a bewildered expression. The raised ground came down with a muted rumble, and Shin Jian was also standing on the ground, seemingly under Sa Hyeon’s orders as well.

Soon, Sa Hyeon stood on the altar. igXtwl

He held an obsidian black sword in his hand, and in the dimly lit room, the dark smoke around it was thicker than usual. Sa Hyeon extended his left arm and looked down at it, as if simply ascertaining its position. His gaze was profoundly detached, but Yisun felt an inexplicable chill, a strange feeling of unease.

Stab.

Sa Hyeon stabbed his own arm. The blood made horrifying sounds as it dripped down onto the altar. Sa Hyeon briefly checked the spilt blood, then stabbed his arm once more, making a deeper cut. A much larger amount of blood poured out, pooling below.

Yisun sucked in a sharp breath. He himself was hurt, yet as soon as he witnessed Sa Hyeon bleeding out in front of him, he felt as if he’d been doused with cold water. Amidst the space filled with the stench of dead monsters, only the smell of his blood seemed intensely overwhelming. 0c8Q6R

Yisun’s pupils shook uncontrollably. Having someone else bleed out in front of him was so terrifying that he felt suffocated. He was intermittently gasping for breath. There was too much blood.

Drip. Drip. Blood trickled like a river down the arm that was stabbed over and over again. Sa Hyeon finally dropped his arm and exhaled slowly. His blood-stained face appeared even more lethargic than usual.

The Hunters of Chord, initially bewildered by their leader’s behavior, gradually came back to their senses and raised their eyes. Han Arin had been looking up for some time now, a disgruntled expression on her face. And there it was— the boss monster, looking much less transparent, was slowly descending.

[…A sacrifice… to offer…] H3tTm9

The boss monster’s chilling voice echoed like thunder through the space. Sa Hyeon tilted his head and let out a low laugh. Even as the boss monster approached, he showed no signs of vigilance and stood unguarded.

When the boss monster descended to within a meter of Sa Hyeon, it suddenly disappeared. As the Hunters held their breath, it suddenly appeared right in front of him, grabbed him by the neck, and slammed him into the altar. Sa Hyeon, who was standing there just a moment ago, fell backwards with a thud.

[I shall wet the altar with your blood!!]

The space crackled and rumbled as the crimson eyes glowed dangerously. The air seemed to sharpen as if it were about to tear him apart. Sa Hyeon coughed softly for a moment as he lay on the altar, then slowly raised a hand to grasp the statue’s arm. It was more so a gesture of confirming the boss’s concreteness than an attempt to fight back. Finally, with his head leaning back against the floor, he let out a breathy chuckle. DhPviE

“Haha…”

It was a rather unexpected laugh. The boss monster was tightly holding his throat with both hands, yet he simply relaxed his frown and laughed languidly.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

Suddenly, Sa Hyeon disappeared from the altar.

“Whoa.” Ki Joohyuk inhaled sharply as he watched it all unfold. X3tB p

Sa Hyeon reappeared from above the boss monster, grabbing it by the back of its neck and slamming it into the altar. Sounds of the altar shattering and the boss monster’s indignant shriek resounded in the space, but, heedless of its protests, Sa Hyeon gripped the back of its neck and slammed it down once again.

And then the boss monster disappeared. The figure that vanished as if fleeing reappeared out of thin air, and Sa Hyeon immediately lunged towards it, unleashing a flurry of attacks. The statue couldn’t turn translucent when it came into contact with the altar, and thus, could no longer attack. Realizing that the altar was some kind of clue, Sa Hyeon deliberately forced the statue to touch it, and it worked.

Han Arin, who noticed that the boss monster couldn’t turn translucent anymore, immediately floated up to support. Han Arin extended her staff to make the statue dodge forward, and then Sa Hyeon appeared right there, swinging his blade. In the darkness, blood dripped on the ground wherever he leapt. The eerie sound of blood hitting the floor, drop by drop, echoed through the room.

The boss monster, now riddled with cracks and slowly crumbling, suddenly raised its arm. The air instantly crackled. It was the same situation as when it had tried to strangle Sa Hyeon earlier. It was as if the air had turned into sharp blades, scraping against the walls. 8jCrxd

The Hunters staggered and covered their ears in agony at the hair-raising and abnormal sound. Yisun’s head felt like it was going to split, but he kept his gaze fixed forward.

[Alas, it is all for the sake of Ephesus….]

“That city was lost thousands of years ago!”

Han Arin quickly shifted the ground behind her and swung her extended staff. The boss monster’s body, previously tangible, disappeared in front of her. It turned translucent again. Han Arin cursed under her breath, while Sa Hyeon followed up and attacked the statue again. Only, this time, it retreated entirely and disappeared into the distance. A2VLok

The entire temple began to shake. Distant howls sounded from the forest in the distance, chilling the air. Horrifying wails echoed around them, as if something was writhing in agony while being burned to death. Following that was a huge rumble coming from outside, the ground shaking as the monsters from the forest rushed towards them.

The monsters that had been squatting in the bushes until they entered the temple were now rushing in. Since the boss monster’s death also crippled the minions’ health, the Hunters didn’t bother to catch the ones that were hiding, yet now they were all surrounding them.

Sa Hyeon quickly scanned the boss monster’s lower body. During their aerial battle earlier, they had attacked its carved lower body and caused it to crack, preventing it from summoning any more monsters. That’s why it had resorted to calling monsters from outside.

They had to finish this quickly. Sa Hyeon’s gaze sharpened, scanning the goddess’s body. There were wounds and cracks where he had attacked just a moment ago. Han Arin’s attacks went right through the statue’ body, yet his attacks had hit. It was so dark, one could barely see their own hands in front of them, but Sa Hyeon’s gaze was fixed on its body, and when he confirmed the bloodstains there, the corners of his lips lifted in a smile. 2WBa5V

This time, Sa Hyeon decisively slashed at his right hand with his blade. When Han Arin, who was nearby, asked him if he had lost his mind, he monotonously replied that he could still attack just fine. He clenched and unclenched his hand, waiting until his palm was completely soaked in his own blood.

[You shall be… a sacrifice…!]

The boss monster floated in the air above and stared down at Han Arin and Sa Hyeon with raging eyes. At that moment, Sa Hyeon, who was on the ground, looked up at the statue and laughed. It was a much deeper laugh than before.

With his lips still curled in a smile, he immediately moved in front of the boss monster. His pitch-black eyes glowed chillingly in the darkness. lR4jGQ

[Futile…!]

The boss monster shouted, moving away to avoid being caught, yet Sa Hyeon appeared right in front of it.

Chrysanthemum Garden.

“Your movement pattern is so predictable,” Sa Hyeon said kindly, and immediately seized the monster by the throat with his bare hand.

The monster seemed to be trying to disappear, but only a few areas of its neck turned translucent, while the part grabbed by Sa Hyeon’s blood-stained hand remained tangible. With a strangled grunt, the statue tried to move away, but Sa Hyeon promptly caught up. He’d already figured out the pattern of its movements, and he’d also noticed that every time it moved, it would pause for about a second. XVhdAY

So, appearing in advance where the boss monster would move, he locked eyes with the statue and smiled. Before the frozen monster could react, he grabbed it by the face and forcefully threw it downward. The statue let out a resounding crack as it fell from the ceiling, crashing into the altar in an instant.

[Sa… Sacrifice…]

The boss monster tried to utter something, but was silenced by Sa Hyeon, who appeared above it. The statue’s entire body was smeared with his bloodied hands. Sa Hyeon leaned down, casting a shadow over the flailing statue on the altar. The monster’s crimson eyes shook uncontrollably in the darkness.

Sa Hyeon smiled at the sight, his face a little languid. His face was pale due to all the blood he had lost, adding a chilling air to his otherwise relaxed smile. UbCvXt

“Gods are more foolish than I thought.”

An obsidian sword appeared from thin air as Sa Hyeon extended his hand to his side. It condensed like smoke and took on a distinct shape, and Sa Hyeon grinned as he adjusted his grip on it.

“Can’t even tell that the only one becoming a sacrifice here is you.”

Sa Hyeon’s sword pierced into the boss monster’s body. The blade was deeply embedded into the statue’s chest, and the blow was delivered with so much force that its entire upper body cracked before shattering. The boss monster’s core, which was exposed through the gap, broke along with it. KsQUjV

Accompanied by the loud sound of shattered glass, the small ember-imbued black orb completely shattered. Sa Hyeon, who watched the whole thing unfold, slowly stood up.

Up until then, the Hunters had been frozen stiff and holding their breaths. Only when Sa Hyeon stood did they let out a collective sigh as they watched his shoulders relax and his black sword disappear. Still, even though their leader’s expression clearly indicated that the battle was over, tension still lingered across the Hunters’ faces.

“…Haa.”

“Whoa…” GKhE4y

They exchanged a few agitated glances. Rather than the forest demons that had fallen short of entering the temple thanks to the death of the boss monster, they felt more relieved that Sa Hyeon’s rampage was over for now. It was a frightening fight.

Yisun, who had pushed his way through them, immediately rushed to Sa Hyeon’s side, his complexion having turned into a concerning ashen shade. Na Gunwoo also moved with him, and now that the boss monster was dead, immediately cast a healing skill on him.

A blue glow flowed from the tip of Na Gunwoo’s rod and slowly seeped into Sa Hyeon’s skin. The latter sat on the edge of the altar, quietly receiving healing with his arms outstretched in front of him.

“Blood, you’re bleeding… so much…” A pale-faced Yisun delicately examined Sa Hyeon’s arms, stumbling over his words as he took in the mangled sight of both limbs. Sa Hyeon had slashed both his left and his right hands with his sword, and so both were bleeding profusely. As the pervasive, thick, and numbing aroma of blood and gore assaulted his senses, Yisun could only draw in a few intermittent breaths. A sound that resembled a stifled sob escaped his lips, as if he was barely holding himself together. n4GOiD

Sa Hyeon smiled faintly at the sight. He found it amusing that Yisun kept his guard up, cautiously distancing himself and avoiding him for so long, yet as soon as a little blood was shed, he immediately came running over and fussing. It was also a little funny how his face was contorted as he tried to hold his tears back. Sa Hyeon cast a sideways glance his way.

“What’s wrong, hm? Were you scared because you thought I was going to die again?”

Please visit chrysanthemumgarden (dot) com

“You’re bleeding so much…  too much…”

“And so, you came to cry again?” iQUvXT

Before Yisun could answer, Sa Hyeon’s hand reached out. His fingers swept under the corners of Yisun’s reddened eyes, checking if tears were falling. His hand was still stained with blood, as it hadn’t been completely healed yet, but he didn’t really care, and neither did Yisun. Rather, the calming warmth of a human body could be felt through the damp liquid, a warmth that seemed to be much higher than usual.

As he shivered, finding solace in the heat against his cheek, a clear voice followed.

“I’m not going to die, Yisun-ssi.”

The sentence was enunciated clearly, yet at the end of it, Sa Hyeon exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. His outstretched hand dropped as well, and when he felt the flinch in Yisun’s grip on his sleeve, Sa Hyeon’s bloody hand lightly patted the back of his hand, as if to reassure him that he hadn’t fainted. 9TgNid

It was a small gesture, merely moving a few fingers, but Yisun exhaled deeply at the act. The tension that had been building up inside him all this time seemed to leave his body along with the released sigh. Maybe because he was startled, his heart fluttered in his chest for a moment.

The dreaded fourth dungeon had been successfully cleared.

---

Min: Three more dungeons to go~ ! also unhinged Sa Hyeon was… quite something

bpCyX9