I Became an NPC That Rankers Are Obsessed Over

Chapter 3 - Victory Cry 3



Ji-soo charged toward the unconscious ranker.

With each step she took, the wounds all over her body began to glow red.

Soon, flames burst from her injuries, as if manifesting her hatred.

It was true, as they said—when the Flame Swordsman reached a state of extreme awakening, even their blood ignited into flames.

Under the intense sunlight, a deep shadow fell over the ranker.

Ji-soo’s sword rose high into the air.

I thought everything would end well when she struck the murderer with her blade.

No matter how strong the ranker was, they wouldn’t be able to withstand her sword, which had torn apart a wyvern.

Of course, that was if the blade could actually touch her opponent.

Ji-soo’s sword stopped just short of piercing the ranker’s crown.

That was because strange black hands clung to her blade.

The hands emerged from the ranker’s shadow, binding not only the sword but Ji-soo herself.

I still can’t forget that bizarre sight.

It was a skill I’d never seen before, resembling the Gravitational Pulse used by the red-eyed woman.

Finally, the owner of the skill—a boy—revealed himself from the ranker’s shadow.

“First to kill wins, huh? Looks like you’re the one about to die.”

Clicking his tongue, he looked at his comrade, whose eyes had rolled back, with disdain.

The boy, wearing a black dress shirt, had the tattoo “08” etched clearly beneath his eye.

As he finished speaking, heavy footsteps echoed between the ruins of a building.

The source of the sound was a massive man in a sleeveless shirt.

On the shoulder of the bald-headed man was the serial number “06.”

It was then that I realized.

These rankers had been watching us from afar the entire time we were raiding.

“Strange. 09 has high magic resistance and rarely succumbs to status effects.”

06 stared at his comrade in wonder.

“What kind of ability is this? It’s like her body has been completely hollowed out.”

He grabbed the limp 09 by her hair and shook her back and forth.

“I was watching with my shadows, and it was that guy. The moment his hand touched 09, she ended up like this.”

“We left him alone because he was just an F-rank hunter, but it seems he had some hidden ability.”

Now I remember.

They are rankers from the top guild in Asia, “Counters.”

They are fixers, known by numbers instead of names, who handle the guild’s dirty work.

Their main task is ambushing unaffiliated hunters during raids.

“Hey, 09, wake up!”

The muscular man lightly slapped 09’s cheek.

But she didn’t budge.

Tilting his head, the man raised his arm.

The skin on his raised arm split, revealing grotesque, spiraling muscle beneath.

When 06 swung his monstrous arm, 09’s neck twisted 180 degrees, and she collapsed to the ground.

The sound was as grand as when the wyvern fell.

“Ah…”

I thought she had surely died from that brutal blow.

But 09’s eyes regained focus, as if awakening from deep thought.

She sat cross-legged on the ground.

Her cheek, struck by 06, was only slightly swollen with no major injuries.

“You’re pathetic. How do you let yourself get beaten by an F-rank bug?”

When the man mentioned me, 09 turned to stare at me.

Her lifeless, red eyes locked onto me, sending a cold sweat down my back.

“I just remembered something disgusting.”

09 stood up leisurely and approached me, as if suddenly interested.

The closer she got, the more my body began to tremble instinctively.

“Where are you going?”

As I retreated, she smiled as if looking at a small animal and chased after me.

Her eerie laughter left me stunned, and I turned my head completely and ran.

I ran and ran.

I abandoned my sister, who had always protected and trusted me, and fled like a madman.

“Are you seriously running away and leaving your teammate behind?”

The ranker murderer’s voice grazed the back of my neck.

Her words made me flinch, but I didn’t slow down.

“…!”

As if condemning me, a dagger plunged into my side.

Falling to the ground, I writhed in guilt.

“Do that again.”

09 looked down at me and spoke.

“Do it again. Do it. Here’s your hand. Just place it right here, like this.”

She grabbed my arm and placed it on her shoulder.

When there was no response, she frowned and began to pester me.

“What’s wrong? Are you shaking?”

She looked concerned as she stared at me, an F-rank hunter sprawled on the ground with a dagger in my side.

Clicking her tongue, 09 turned toward the other Counters and shouted.

“Don’t kill him yet. I have to confirm something.”

They nodded lazily and watched over us near my restrained sister.

“See? I even spared your teammate. Now show me.”

“I don’t know…”

“What? I can’t hear you; you’re too quiet.”

Blood pooled in my throat, making it hard to speak.

What does this woman want from me?

“I don’t know…”

“What do you mean? You used it. You used that skill on me. The moment you touched me, it sent me into the past, bringing back all those wretched memories.”

I have no idea what she’s talking about.

All I did was grab her shoulder with the thought, “I need to protect my sister.”

“I said I don’t know, you crazy bitch!”

Tears and snot ran down my face.

My spit splattered across 09’s face.

But her dead eyes didn’t so much as flinch as she silently stared at me.

“Is that so?”

She grabbed my arm.

“Then there’s no other choice.”

“…!”

09 ripped off my arm as if it were a toy.

“Then I’ll just take your arm. I’ll have it studied in the lab.”

Blood poured from the torn stump of my arm.

The sudden pain left me with my mouth hanging open, unable to make a sound.

“What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? You can’t even use your ability properly, so I’m offering to research it for you. You should be thanking me.”

She let out a small laugh as if she couldn’t understand me.

Twisting my torn-off arm this way and that, 09 returned to her group.

“Alright, now we’re done, right? Let’s kill them all and grab the loot. I’m tired.”

The boy, 08, spoke indifferently.

“Oh, right. The knife!”

09 came back and yanked the knife from my side.

As the blade came out, foaming blood bubbled from the wound.

“So, where should I start cutting her first?”

The insane murderer 09 approached my sister as she spoke.

She rested my arm on her shoulder, humming a tune as if she were in a great mood.

“Should I start with her fingers so she can never use a sword again?”

09 shook my sister’s fingers playfully as she asked.

“No, no. These days, prosthetics are so advanced they can even make artificial hands pretty well.”

06 grabbed my sister’s hand and examined it thoughtfully.

It was as if one hand wasn’t enough for them.

“Ah, then should I start with her legs? If she has to use prosthetic legs, her arms won’t be as useful either.”

09 wiped the blood off her knife carelessly, then slipped on some of it and stumbled.

“What are you guys talking about? You need to kill her properly. The guild master said to eliminate any promising individuals early on.”

08 pulled a leather case out of the shadows.

Inside were several menacing daggers arranged in a row.

“If you stab her in the wrong spot, she might explode. Killing her won’t be that simple.”

06 picked up one of the daggers and carefully examined where to stab my sister.

“Oh, the Flame Swordsman, huh? Of all things, we had to deal with such a troublesome one.”

09 grumbled in annoyance as she took the dagger.

“If 09 had stupidly used her skill at maximum intensity, the entire area would’ve been blown away.”

The boy poked the flames rising from my sister’s shoulder with his finger.

He flinched and quickly put his burnt finger in his mouth.

“There wouldn’t have been any loot left, not even dust.”

As he shook his head, 09 grumbled.

“Ah—so I adjusted the intensity! It was so hard to keep her alive.”

She pulled out a few daggers from the case as if picking out pretty accessories.

The three top-ranked hunters in Korea began gathering to kill a single hunter who had just recently been promoted to B-rank.

They stabbed my sister’s body here and there with the precision of defusing a bomb.

Like they were playing with a pirate toy.

“Hey, hey, not there. I’ve got a bad feeling. It might explode!”

Stop it…

You’re already strong enough.

Why are you doing this to us?

You have money, fame, and power. You could’ve just killed that wyvern with your own hands.

“Why are you doing this to us… to me… you psychopaths!”

I screamed until my throat felt like it would burst.

But all that came out was a faint metallic sound from my shocked throat.

I have to protect my sister…

My vision blurred.

In situations like this, the protagonist usually awakens and grows insanely strong.

They’d defeat all the garbage standing before them in an instant.

Why can’t I do that…

Through the distant figures, I could see Ji-soo’s face.

Her disheveled hair covered her face, already slashed apart by knives.

I thought it was better that her face was hidden.

I couldn’t bear to look at her mutilated face.

I wished these tears blurring my vision would forever cover my eyes.

“——-.”

Cold raindrops fell on my head.

I was grateful for the pouring rain.

The loud sound of the rain drowned out the noise of knives piercing my sister’s body.

The blood streaming from my side thinned as it mixed with the rain.

Eventually, the city grew quiet.

Though a lot of time passed, I, like the F-rank bug I am, still couldn’t die.

Is my damned healer’s body clinging to life?

I closed my eyes.

I don’t need this terrible life anymore.

If God pities me, I can only hope He ends this nightmare soon.


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