Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Wide Area Aggro (4)
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Forest. Desert. Ruins. Ocean.
Kim Gunja had chosen the forest out of the four themes for one simple reason.
It was the most suitable place to make use of the abilities he'd gained from customizing.
Austin had explained customizing materials like this.
—It's also possible to buy materials with points and acquire the abilities imbued in them.
It wasn't limited to just physical abilities.
Though the rank was low enough that there was no sync rate, depending on the customizing judgment, it was possible to gain the abilities or knowledge that the original owner of the material possessed.
'At first, I just thought of it as some minor bonus possibility...'
[Orc Tribe Hunting Knowledge] and [Goblin Tribe Alchemy Knowledge].
Honestly, they were abilities he figured he could take or leave.
Compared to modern knowledge, they were pretty primitive.
But when the knowledge of the two tribes combined, an unexpected synergy emerged, and adding modern tools on top of that created several means that could be surprisingly useful depending on the situation.
Just like right now.
Awooooo—
Starting with the howl of a C-rank Giant Wolf, howls from other monsters echoed from all directions.
"K-Kim Gunjaaa!"
"You crazy bastard! Stop it!"
Despite the pale-faced shouts from Han Jihan and Geum Jinung,
"We're just getting started, aren't we?"
Kim Gunja ignored them and fired off another signal flare with his hunting gun.
Pheeeeeew— Boom!
As the signal flare burst high in the sky, the 'special pheromone' he'd concocted scattered around.
A pheromone designed to lure monsters belonging to the carnivorous order with their keen sense of smell.
The effect was tremendous!
Most of the monsters on the artificial island's forest were carnivores, after all.
In short, most of the monsters inhabiting the forest were swarming toward the center where the signal flare had burst.
Toward Kim Gunja and his team.
"Ha, haha, hahahaha!"
Was it because she sensed the approaching monsters? Cha Gangju's eyes turned blood-red, and veins bulged prominently on the backs of her hands, her neck, and her face.
Her Berserker trait was strongly activating as her instincts detected danger.
"Are you insane and trying to die?!"
Park Juhwan growled as if he were about to grab him by the collar, but Kim Gunja responded calmly.
"No?"
"Then what the hell is this?!"
"To hunt more efficiently."
"What...!"
"It's simple. You know most of the time we've spent hunting has been wasted on tracking, right?"
Just as Kim Gunja said.
Unlike gates, tracking monsters on the artificial island took a significant amount of time.
That was due to the circumstances of the association hosting the exam.
They had to conduct a practical test while minimizing human casualties as much as possible.
As a result, they could only populate the environment mainly with monsters that didn't form packs, which lowered the monster density.
Hunting in such an environment was inevitably inefficient.
If anything, the time split between tracking and combat was about 7:3.
"So, how do we minimize that time? Simple. Instead of us hunting them down, we make them come to us."
"...!"
It wasn't wrong. Still, he couldn't understand it.
"There's a thing called moderation, though!"
"What moderation are you talking about?"
"Instead of doing it on this massive scale, do it little by little..."
"Like we've been doing so far?"
"...!"
"That's exactly why we need this method. And..."
Kim Gunja's gaze turned to Cha Gangju.
Her eyes were fixed solely ahead, on the oncoming horde of monsters.
Fierce fighting spirit rippled over her shoulders and hunting spear.
It was hard to believe this was the same person he'd hunted with until now—she looked completely transformed.
"Geum Jinung, you've been underutilizing Cha Gangju's abilities."
Kim Gunja knew.
Whether physical or magic level, what kind of power an Awakener who had reached level 6 could unleash.
He'd seen it plenty from Sin Yeji, after all.
On top of that, Cha Gangju's Berserker grew stronger the longer the battle lasted.
So, rather than one by one, all at once.
That was the way to maximize Cha Gangju's abilities.
"Plus, we've secured the terrain advantage. No matter how many monsters swarm us, we won't get surrounded."
Just as he said, Kim Gunja and his teammates had slipped into a crevice in the rock wall, standing with their backs to it.
It was wide enough for three grown men to fight while maintaining some distance.
'And if monsters move in this large a group, the safety personnel won't just sit idle.'
So, he didn't have to worry much about emergencies.
Of course, he didn't mention that part.
It was better if they focused desperately on hunting.
And that this stage was created more for himself than for Cha Gangju or the others.
With the corner of his mouth curling up, Kim Gunja drove the point home.
"So stop whining and get ready to fight."
Artificial Island Control Room.
The hands of the busy association staff and scouts had all frozen.
And their eyes were fixed on a single screen.
Number 17.
There, an unprecedented spectacle in the history of the Hunter License Exam was unfolding—one that had never happened before.
"Berserker..."
Someone muttered in German.
Berserker.
There was no other way to describe her.
Cha Gangju was moving like the incarnation of battle itself.
She fearlessly shoved her fist into a Giant Wolf's maw, piercing its throat.
She blocked a Gray Bear's forepaw with her shoulder, then drove her left-hand spear through its brow.
Even if they were only E to C-rank monsters, taking those attacks bare-handed with a physical level of 6 would still cause shock.
Yet she didn't retreat.
She chose frontal breakthrough over evasion.
The more wounds she took, the more ferociously she pressured the monsters.
Her fighting spirit grew stronger, and amid the spray of monster blood, she even let out mad laughter.
It was truly unparalleled, an overwhelming display of combat prowess.
"...Beyond imagination."
"Amazing. Who knew the Berserker trait could produce such an incredible synergy..."
The scouts had no choice but to reevaluate her upward.
Cha Gangju had more than earned it.
Their gazes shifted to her teammates maintaining formation behind her.
"Cha Gangju's performance is impressive, but her teammates are no slouches either."
"Yes, they're fully up to Hunter standards. They're steadily finishing off the monsters she lets slip by."
At first, they seemed at odds, but as the monsters charged, they synced up without hesitation.
Not getting hung up on personal feelings and focusing on the hunt—that kind of teamwork deserved high marks.
"But is that guy with the Right Arm Swordsman trait really D-rank?"
"Yeah. He's way too composed for that, and his movements and swordsmanship look top-tier."
"Maybe he's leveled up to C-rank?"
"Hmm. Looking at his registration date, it's only been three months. Possible?"
Even the one who said it was skeptical, but there was no other explanation for the scene.
"Not a reawakening, surely. Maybe he was always near C-rank."
Everyone nodded.
They had no choice but to think that way.
And as time passed, Cha Gangju's movements began to slow bit by bit.
Her Berserker trait was impressive, but not infinite.
"Looks like she's hit her limit."
"The power distribution is a bit regrettable. Seems like inexperience."
"It's more than a bit—they're using exam gear and still fighting like that. Impressive."
"The future looks promising. Might have to pay contract fees rivaling Jin Garyul's."
Just as the sharp-eyed scouts said.
Since this was Cha Gangju's first time pouring out all her power like this, it was inevitable.
No sooner had those words ended than the safety personnel on standby nearby prepared to intervene.
Once the safety agents jumped in, that team's hunt would end.
But since they'd already secured far higher scores than the other teams, it wasn't much of a loss.
That's as far as it goes, everyone thought.
Until the man, Kim Gunja, fell back.
"He was holding out fine, but he's the first to pull back."
"Hm. Makes him seem D-rank after all. Hard to predict this examinee."
That was the moment.
When Kim Gunja began acting strangely.
For a brief moment, everyone puzzled over his pose, raising his sword behind his shoulder like a hammer thrower.
"Wh-what is that...!"
"...Impossible!"
"R-replay request! Can we check that scene again?!"
"That... D-rank...?"
Screams and groans erupted in the relay room.
Unlike Cha Gangju, who swung her hunting spear like a woman possessed, her teammates' hands were growing heavy as they held the formation from behind.
Amid that, one amusing fact came to light.
"Young master! Dangerous! Fall back a bit more...!"
"I got it! Damn it!"
It was the relationship between Geum Jinung and Park Juhwan. The two had known each other from the start.
Park Juhwan seemed to be something like Geum Jinung's bodyguard.
No wonder he'd taken his side so much.
But how did they end up in the same randomly assigned team?
"You okay?"
Han Jihan asked Kim Gunja, who voiced that doubt.
Kim Gunja's movements had noticeably slowed compared to the beginning.
In truth, it was for pacing himself, but Han Jihan had no way of knowing that.
Kim Gunja, who had been watching Cha Gangju's movements, made a request to Han Jihan.
"Sorry about this, but can I fall back for a bit?"
Han Jihan nodded readily.
"Of course. Just leave it to me. Haha."
He was overly cheerful and kind. Kim Gunja nodded in thanks.
Unlike the others, not a drop of sweat beaded on Han Jihan's face, but Kim Gunja didn't notice.
His mind was fully focused on what he had to do next.
"Alright then..."
As he fell back, he took a deep breath.
Suddenly, he recalled something Chunduk hyung had said the day before the exam.
—Too bad. If only you could control the power, it'd be so useful...
He'd been talking about Heaven-Shattering Sword.
His skill wasn't yet good enough—he always had to go all out just to execute a single form.
If he tried to hold anything back, it wouldn't produce the power.
—How should I put it? The monster uncle's sword is all about one-strike kills, right?
That's how Yeji always described it.
About the style that poured everything into a single blow without thought for what came after.
And their combined opinion was the same.
—Don't use Heaven-Shattering Sword for hunting.
—Better not to use it during hunts.
To that, Kim Gunja had replied,
—We'll see.
He knew.
Heaven-Shattering Sword contained profound mysteries, but he was far too lacking to wield it properly.
Surely someday he could swing it multiple times, but not now.
But so what?
Does that mean he shouldn't use what he had? Wasn't that giving up too easily?
If there were drawbacks,
Then just create a situation that compensated for those drawbacks.
Right?
And right before his eyes, the perfect stage for that had been set.
Staring at the monster horde filling the narrow pass, Kim Gunja extended his left palm forward.
His right arm, gripping the hunting sword, swung back over his shoulder.
Slowly, to the limit.
Kududud—Crack.
His twisted muscles screamed.
Haaaa—.
White breath escaped Kim Gunja's lips as he circulated mana according to the Heaven-Shattering Divine Art's incantation.
His mana circuits roiled violently, as if burning up.
Woooong— Woo wooong—
The hunting sword, dense with mana, emitted a harsh metallic ring and glowed blue.
The moment everything reached its critical point.
Kim Gunja's arm whipped forward like a lash, leaving a slow afterimage.
Thwoom—!
With the deafening boom of air exploding.
A white flash passed between Han Jihan and Geum Jinung, streaking past Cha Gangju like a beam of light.
And then,
Splurt—
Starting with the first sound of bone and flesh bursting,
Spluuurt—!
A chain of similar tearing noises followed.
The heads, arms, chests, and so on of the monsters lined up in a straight line exploded like fireworks in sequence.
Only after piercing dozens of monsters did the spent hunting sword embed itself in a massive tree trunk, trembling.
Watching his teammates turn back with shocked expressions, Kim Gunja was convinced.
Drawbacks could just be offset by strengths.