Baek Sorin — Part 2
Thud!
Baek Sorin swung her sword with all her might.
A perfect stance, fierce momentum.
Unlike before, she instantly split the zombie’s skull open.
The zombie’s head cracked apart, its body slumping forward.
However, Baek Sorin’s face, behind her goggles, was deathly pale.
“T-Teacher… what should I do?”
The same common knowledge from our world held true in this one.
If you’re bitten by a zombie, you become one.
I made a gesture, lowering both hands.
“Calm down and sit.”
“How can I calm down! I’ve been bitten by a zombie!”
Baek Sorin screamed.
A typical reaction from the Heavenly Killing Star.
I sat down first, tapping the spot next to me.
“Don’t throw a fit, just sit. If you get angry, your blood will flow faster, and you’ll turn into a zombie quicker.”
“Ugh…”
Baek Sorin stomped her feet, but eventually calmed down.
Her eyes were still bloodshot, though.
After sitting beside me, she scratched at the ground a few times before looking up at me with her red eyes.
“There’s a solution, right, Teacher? You wouldn’t have brought me here without a plan, would you?”
In fact, I did have one.
I hadn’t just prepared healing potions—I’d brought plenty of holy water too.
Holy water had the power to repel all evil and mutations.
But…
Instead of handing her the holy water right away, I gazed at her with calm eyes.
“Why… why are you looking at me like that?”
Baek Sorin asked, her voice tinged with guilt.
She must have realized that she’d overreacted.
Yeah, it’s probably a good idea to address this now.
“Sorin.”
“Yes?”
“Why do you think I took you on as my disciple?”
“Uh…”
Baek Sorin looked a bit unsure.
“I don’t really know, but… you saw potential in me, right?”
“That’s right. Didn’t I tell you? You’re going to rewrite the history of the superhuman world. Out of everyone I’ve seen, your talent is unmatched. Only Seo Woojin comes close. The rest, no matter how famous or gifted, weren’t on your level.”
“No way. I appreciate the compliment, but if that were true, wouldn’t I have already awakened as a superhuman?”
“That’s because your talent isn’t the same as a normal genius.”
I paused briefly, then spoke with a voice full of conviction.
“Sorin, listen carefully.”
“Yes?”
“You are the Heavenly Killing Star.”
Heavenly Killing Star!
Baek Sorin’s mouth dropped open.
Her body began to tremble.
“M-Me? I’m the Heavenly Killing Star?”
“That’s right.”
“No! You must be mistaken! There’s no way I’m some murderous psychopath! I’m not a psychopath!”
Looks like the Heavenly Killing Star doesn’t have a great reputation in this world.
But in the game, it was a toT-tier trait.
You couldn’t gain experience from anything but combat, but you’d get 1000% combat experience in return. That alone made it unbeatable.
Sure, you’d fall into a frenzy state at the start of combat, but so what? With a few supportive traits or mental defense items, it was completely manageable.
“Being the Heavenly Killing Star doesn’t mean you’re a psychopath or that you’ll necessarily become a murderer.”
I calmly explained.
“The important thing is whether you can overcome it or not. If you overcome it, you become a fine warrior. If not, you turn into a berserker and, just like you said, meet a murderer’s end.”
“But in the dramas…”
“Are you going to trust TV shows, or trust me?”
Baek Sorin bit her lower lip.
She glanced at my helmet, shield, boots, and axe.
Probably recalling the awakening ritual she’d witnessed just three days ago.
Then, slowly, she nodded.
“I trust you, Teacher.”
“Good decision. Now, take off your shoes.”
She removed her sneakers, and I unzipped the lower half of her protective suit to inspect her leg.
Black veins were crawling up her skin like spider webs.
Even worse, they were spreading in real time.
The area where she was bitten had already turned black and was on the verge of necrosis.
“Teacher…”
This was the moment to reassure her.
I reached deep into my golf bag and pulled out two small vials.
The liquid inside sparkled like starlight.
Holy water.
Even though it was the lowest grade, it was more than enough to handle a zombie infection.
Baek Sorin eagerly reached out, but then hesitated.
“Teacher? Do I have to… do something with this?”
A reasonable guess.
If I were just going to heal her, I would have given her the holy water right away. There was no need to mention the Heavenly Killing Star.
I placed the two bottles of holy water in front of her.
“To overcome the Heavenly Killing Star, you have to awaken the related abilities. You know that, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve thought it over, and this is the best way. Getting bitten by a zombie and coming right up to the edge of turning into one.”
“Uh…”
“You’ve read biographies, right? About people who awaken at the brink of death and overcome the crisis.”
Baek Sorin’s face twisted in distress.
“Biographies? That’s something out of a novel, not real life…”
Really?
I’ve never read any books in this world, so I wouldn’t know.
But a man has to speak with confidence.
I casually waved it off.
“You’re more than capable of being the hero of a novel. You’re the Heavenly Killing Star, after all.”
“But being a Heavenly Killing Star isn’t a good thing…”
“If you use it well, it can be. The same water can become poison if a snake drinks it, but turns into milk when a cow does. Trust me. If I didn’t think it would work, would I have spent all that money to buy holy water? One of these bottles costs 5 million won.”
“5-5 million won?”
“Yeah. I’ve already spent 20 million won on you. Your annual salary’s already gone in just one day. Do you think I’d spend 20 million if I didn’t believe it would work?”
Baek Sorin looked horrified.
Well, when it comes to anything related to superhumans, the numbers are on a whole different level.
After a moment, she clenched her eyes shut.
“I’ll do it.”
“Good decision.”
“But… if it looks like I’m in real danger, you have to help! I don’t want to turn into a zombie and die!”
“I promise. But hold out as long as you can. Drink the holy water only when you’re seconds away from turning. Got it?”
“Y-Yes!”
Baek Sorin clutched one of the holy water bottles to her chest, her eyes squeezed shut.
Frustrated by the heat, she even stripped off her protective suit, leaving her in just a short-sleeved T-shirt and dolphin shorts.
The black veins were now racing across her pale skin.
“Sorin, keep repeating your name to yourself.”
“My… name?”
“Yeah. I heard that when you turn into a zombie, the last thing you forget is your name and sense of self. If you can’t remember your name, that’s the signal. That’s when you drink the holy water.”
“Got it.”
Time passed.
Two hours, maybe more.
By now, the black veins had spread all over Baek Sorin’s body.
The area where the zombie had bitten her heel had completely rotted away.
“Baek Sorin, Baek Sorin, Baek Sorin…”
She was muttering her name aloud.
As expected of a superhuman warrior, she held out longer than most.
But even for an SSR character, the end eventually comes.
Suddenly, she threw her head back.
“Ugh!”
With a groan, her eyes rolled up into her head.
“Ba… Baek… Bae… Ughhh…”
Her voice turned into a beastly growl, replacing human speech.
It was time for her to drink the holy water.
If she delayed even a second, it might be too late.
I instinctively reached out to Baek Sorin.
It seemed like her mind was already gone, but to my surprise, she let out a thunderous shout.
“I am Baek Sorin!”
Her eyes, once wild, now gleamed with sharp clarity.
Her body was at its limit.
But her mind had endured.
She had half-crossed into the realm of superhumans, her eyes radiating a cold, unwavering focus.
One minute later, Baek Sorin drank the holy water.
She had managed to withstand the deathly magic that had nearly invaded her brain.
Whooosh.
A pure light washed over Baek Sorin.
Though some parts of her flesh had decayed, they quickly healed.
I dabbed healing potion onto gauze and applied it to the damaged areas.
Soon, everything was back to normal.
“Well done. You did far better than I expected.”
“I thought I was really going to die.”
“Do you feel any special changes?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure about that yet…”
According to my calculations, it’s not time yet.
Maybe Warrior Kim with his blank-slate body could manage it, but for other characters, it’s quite hard to gain a trait.
We’d have to repeat this a few more times. Maybe close to ten.
“Let’s keep going. Oh, you might as well take off the armor suit and just fight like that.”
“What? You’re joking, right?”
“With all these healing potions and holy water, what’s there to worry about? Plus, the more injured you are, the faster the effect will work.”
Baek Sorin’s mouth gaped open as she pointed at her current outfit in disbelief.
Her top was a cropped, short-sleeved T-shirt that exposed her midriff.
Her bottoms were dolphin shorts, leaving little to the imagination.
One of her sneakers was chewed up, dangling off after being bitten by a zombie.
I was serious as I spoke.
“Training is more effective under extreme conditions. You know that the Heavenly Killing Star grows stronger when it’s wounded, right?”
“I-I know that, but isn’t this a bit much?”
“You think I had it easy training? I became strong by nearly losing my life several times. You think I pushed those other kids hard for no reason?”
“Hah… This is totally like Spartan training.”
“You can give up if you want, but you know what happens if you quit here, right? You’ll end up with nothing but debt.”
At the very least, I’d have to recover the cost of the potions and holy water.
Baek Sorin squeezed her eyes shut.
“I’ll do it. I’ve already been bitten by a zombie, so if I give up now, I’d regret it too much.”
“Good choice. Once you start, you might as well finish.”
“I get it already.”
Maybe because of the awakening of the Heavenly Killing Star, Baek Sorin had become a bit snappy.
I let her take the lead.
Her attire was quite the sight—dressed in light clothing but wearing only a helmet and goggles.
Baek Sorin, now somewhat tense, cautiously moved forward in the darkness.
“Ahh!”
And so, the first battle began.
Without the armor, her approach was much more hesitant.
Because she couldn’t charge in boldly to attack, she got hit by the zombie several times.
If it’d been holding a sledgehammer, it could’ve ended badly.
At least it only had a rusty steel rod in its hand, which helped her hold out.
“Don’t kill it just yet. Let it bite you once.”
“Oh, come on…”
Though she looked like she was about to cry, she obediently followed my instructions.
She deliberately let the zombie bite her before finally decapitating it.
And then, we rested.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time to relax.
Whether it was due to the noise from the fight, two more zombies appeared.
Baek Sorin stood up with a look of utter annoyance.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Let them bite you once each, too.”
“What? You can’t be serious. I’m already feeling dizzy.”
“I’m not joking. I told you, you need to push yourself to the limit.”
“Why are you doing this to me…”
Baek Sorin grumbled, but she still followed my instructions.
Despite being hit and scratched by the zombies’ claws, she allowed herself to be bitten once more before quickly beheading them.
That’s Heavenly Killing Star for you.
She had adapted by the second battle, even without any armor.
“I am Baek Sorin, I am Baek Sorin…”
The zombie infection was progressing rapidly.
In just a few minutes, her entire body had turned black.
Baek Sorin was enduring it in sheer agony.
Only when black foam began to froth at her mouth did she finally drink the holy water and return to normal.
“Hah! I’m still alive, right?”
“Just a few more times, and we’ll be done.”
“Ugh… we still have more?”
“We’re almost there.”
I meant it.
The moment the holy water cleansed her body, I could sense the surrounding mana slowly flowing towards Baek Sorin.
Her mana circuits were forming.
The unique ability of Heavenly Killing Star was stirring within her, awakened by the crisis.
One more intense push, and we’d be there…
“Oh, right.”
“What now?”
“Follow me as you heal.”
Chaaang!
I drew my sword.
The holy sword greeted me with a burst of radiant light.
As the sacred light filled the dark surroundings, Baek Sorin gazed at it in awe.
I took the lead and started descending.
“Grrraah!”
“Grrrk!”
Zombies?
I cut them down with a single strike.
There was no need to aim for the neck or pierce their heads like Baek Sorin had to.
Engulfed in black flames, my slashing attack split them in half instantly. The black fire that burst from their wounds incinerated them.
“Wow, you really are on a different level, Teacher.”
“This is nothing. Most superhumans can do this much.”
“Do you think I could, too?”
“Once you awaken and find the right weapon, you’ll be more than capable.”
We kept descending.
It wasn’t exactly like the game, but it was close enough.
Eventually, we arrived at a massive cavern.
It was the kind of ominous place where a boss monster would most likely be.
And sure enough, in the center stood a hulking figure.
Its grotesquely bulging muscles made it look almost like a gorilla.
It wasn’t just a regular enhanced zombie—it was a mutant zombie.
Baek Sorin’s face turned pale.
“T-Teacher? You’re not expecting me to fight that thing alone, are you?”
“That’s right. It’s a perfect level-1 mutant. One hit could rupture your organs, so make sure you dodge. And its body fluids are zombie venom… You should just swallow it. That’ll speed up the mutation.”
“This is way too much… Did I scam you in a past life or something?”
“Think whatever you want. Just fight well. I won’t let you die, but whether you get hit or not is up to you.”
“Ugh, seriously…”
Gripping her sword, Baek Sorin stepped forward.
Obviously, she was no match for it.
This was a level-1 mutant zombie.
Not just any low-level opponent, but a powerful enemy with excellent stats and solid traits.
It was the first-floor boss of the forbidden zone in the mall and the gatekeeper of the second floor.
Baek Sorin could barely launch an attack, spending most of her energy just dodging.
Thunk!
“Agh!”
Even when she managed to land a blow, it didn’t do much damage.
Naturally, it wasn’t long before she took a direct hit and was thrown aside.
“Ahhh!”
She coughed up blood as the mutant zombie charged toward her, relentless.
Hit after hit, she took the brunt of the blows.
Her left arm broke, and her ribs cracked, possibly piercing her lungs, as she struggled to breathe.
Even so, she held onto her sword. That alone was praiseworthy.
Eventually, she found herself crawling on the ground, half-crushed under the zombie’s foot.
“Grrrr!”
Just as I was about to intervene, Baek Sorin pulled off a miracle.
The mutant zombie lunged, jaws wide, ready to devour her.
In that desperate moment, her sword pierced through its soft palate, straight into its brain.
The mutant zombie collapsed on the spot.
“Ugh!”
Pinned beneath its heavy body, drenched in its blood, Baek Sorin didn’t even scream.
She merely groaned and spat out black, blood-tinged saliva.
“Well done! Really well done!”
I clapped, genuinely impressed.
The fear of possibly dying.
The oppressive weight of the corpse pinning her down.
The biting pain gnawing at her like termites.
The rapid zombification due to the extreme toxin coursing through her veins.
All these stress factors forced Baek Sorin towards one inevitable outcome.
Awakening.
I could see it—the mana surging toward her, dancing like a wild current.
Through my goggles, I detected it.
Mana circuits were sprouting along her spine and in her heart.
If left unchecked, it would awaken as a deathly, dark trait.
Ssssshh.
I poured three bottles of holy water over her head.
Even though it was the lowest grade, it was more than enough.
I didn’t stop there.
I also pressed a lower-grade healing potion to her lips and generously applied it to her wounds.
Baek Sorin’s eyes, which had seemed vacant for a moment, regained their clarity.
She was absorbing the mana, but not indiscriminately. It was being filtered.
At the same time, her mana circuits were changing.
What had once felt like rotten, sticky mud had transformed into something solid and firm, like a volcano brimming with molten lava.
I could feel it.
The meaning behind the shift in her mana circuits.
[Indomitable].
The first step for SSR Baek Sorin.
We still needed Rampaging Train and Nine Lives, but the foundation was set.
‘Perfect.’
Just as I clenched my fist in triumph, I felt a strange sensation.
I looked at Baek Sorin.
The words Heavenly Killing Star and Indomitable floated to the surface like fragments of a sentence.
On top of that, I could now precisely sense where and how she was injured.
I could also assess the condition of her clothes and the sword in her hand.
This wasn’t [Detection].
It was a powerful trait that allowed me to intuitively grasp an opponent’s condition.
Something far beyond detection, particularly invaluable in PVP.
It was [Insight].
–TL Notes–
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