Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Second Upgrade (3)
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All plans sound good.
Until your head gets smashed in. Or rather, until a dagger plunges into your vital spot.
'This is a problem...'
A curse slipped out naturally.
He'd found the right approach to clearing the trial. That much was good.
The problem was that the men in black helmets targeting him weren't machines.
Whenever his patterns changed, their tactics shifted accordingly on the fly.
Even if he tried to pull back and chain Shadow Magic, they stuck to him like glue, leaving no room to prepare. And any attempt at a surprise rush toward Stein met with ironclad defense, leading to counterattacks.
'And the bigger issue is...'
The man in the yellow helmet.
He commanded the Shadow Squad but unlike the black-helmeted men, he wasn't attacking.
He stayed by Stein's side, guarding against any contingencies.
'What reaper.'
It was an illusion.
Kim Gunja would be grateful just to get close to Stein.
A squad using Shadow Magic.
A powerful commander leading them.
Was it really possible to break through and land a fatal blow on Stein?
'Stein himself could probably do it.'
His movements on the battlefield were artistic and precise, like a one-man play worthy of the title "Reaper."
But asking the current Kim Gunja to predict and calculate every enemy's move was absurd.
The trial restarted with his eyes opening again.
Whoosh—
Clang!
Like gymnastics under the moonlight, Kim Gunja barely dodged the daggers from the men appearing like ghosts from all sides.
Slash—
But he couldn't avoid the blood gushing out.
As his injuries mounted again, his emotions grew complicated.
Then, as the full moon temporarily hid behind clouds, an unusually bright bonfire caught his eye.
'...Huh?'
Suddenly, he questioned why the bonfire was there.
And why they'd set up this whole 'stage.'
'Maybe this is...'
The unintended thought led to a shift in perspective.
If calculating every movement was impossible,
why not lure them into a calculable situation?
Clang—
Whoosh—
"...?"
A hint of puzzlement appeared on the black-helmeted man's face.
Kim Gunja was being pushed back far too easily compared to before.
Thud—
His body flew like a kite after blocking a full-power lethal strike.
And collided with one of the bonfires.
Boom!
The overturned bonfire scattered embers that quickly lost their glow.
With one less bonfire lighting the plaza, the lit area naturally shrank.
And Kim Gunja confirmed it.
The ghosts' range of movement had narrowed slightly.
'Even with dagger arts, they need shadows first.'
Of course, the narrowed range lasted only a moment.
The moon emerged from the clouds, casting shadows again.
But he'd found his thread.
The only path to Stein.
'I didn't need to match Stein's standard of perfection.'
The true Reaper?
Only Stein could achieve that.
Everyone has their own perfect stage.
Kim Gunja activated Shadow Walker, blending with the ghosts.
Clang! Thud! Whoosh—
One by one, the bonfires began to extinguish.
And at Kim Gunja's actions,
Stein began to react bit by bit.
#
Outside Everland in Yongin.
Employees gathered, chatting while looking at their phones.
"Man, lucky guy."
"Who?"
His coworker peeked at the phone and played knowing.
"Oh, Kim Gunja. The rookie Hunter who's starting to make a name. Re-Awakener, right?"
"Jealous. Life's all about that one big break."
"Not just the power—word is he's super diligent too."
"Nah, that's all PR. Hero Guild affiliation. They hype catching a frog like slaying a dragon."
"True. Still, getting into Hero Guild sets your life... What's up?"
The chatterer turned at a tap on his shoulder, then shut up with a 'whoops' face.
A man who'd been silent was glaring irritably, face twisted.
A lean young man with a very gloomy vibe.
"Why hold back after saying your piece? If you're gonna watch me, don't bring up Hero Guild at all."
The man, Yoo Sangjin's voice matched his scowl—gloomy and rough.
Everyone coughed awkwardly, averting eyes. Then a burly guy, unhappy with the mood, spoke loudly.
"Come on, acting all high and mighty like you've got some disease. Can't even talk?"
"High and mighty? Who's watching who? Damn it, seriously..."
"Damn it? This punk, thinking he can mouth off 'cause I've been easy..."
"Hey, hey, cut it out."
As tensions rose, others intervened.
"No fighting. Get caught, demerits hit your eval. Yoo Sangjin, relax."
"Tch, count yourself lucky."
The group dragged the big guy away.
"Damn it..."
Yoo Sangjin spat a curse.
Hearing "Hero Guild" triggered grinding teeth and emotions he couldn't control.
He'd worked at a Hero Guild mana stone processing plant, caught mana stone disease.
No compensation, barely any severance, kicked out. Now suffering aftereffects.
"..."
He glanced around, went to a corner, pulled a trembling cigarette from his pocket.
Unlike normal smokes, it had faint purple powder mixed in.
Flick, sizzle—
Lighting up and inhaling, his sharp gaze turned hazy instantly.
"Heh..."
In Everland's corner.
The gloomy man's expression vanished, leaving only a blissfully happy youth.
#
Kaaang—!
Under the moonlight, Stein moved for the first time.
His crescent dagger lightly parried Kim Gunja's lethal strike.
"Not bad."
Stein smiled faintly.
But contrary to his words, Kim Gunja's state was dire.
Dozens of daggers pierced his back, left arm severed by the yellow-helmet's dagger.
Cough—
Swallowing backflowing blood, Kim Gunja's lips parted slowly.
"This is... the most perfect stage... I can create."
Stein's smile deepened.
Kim Gunja had fought the Shadow Squad Crow, extinguishing all plaza bonfires.
Just before the moon fully hid behind clouds.
Perfect timing—he hurled a dagger to activate Shadow Walker.
The Shadow Squad couldn't pursue.
The perfect darkness from the clouded moon erased all shadows temporarily.
Shadows need light.
Kim Gunja timed that instant for Shadow Walker.
And against the yellow-helmet's counter, he traded flesh for bone.
Sacrificing his left arm to reach Stein.
He'd realized one truth through repeated deaths.
'Killing Stein was impossible from the start.'
How to beat someone unbeatable even alone, in this setup?
Ridiculous.
Stein's perfect stage? Probably 'battlefield utilization' leaving all possibilities open, thought Kim Gunja.
Stein was saying through the trial:
If your abilities fall short, use the environment to shape the situation.
Then turn it into your stage and dominate the field.
A Stein-like trial. Kim Gunja gave his answer.
Stein replied with a cold smile.
Correct judgment.
Stein slowly spoke.
"Keep pondering endlessly."
Stein's form vanished.
Chain Kill.
In a flash, graceful arcs sliced the night air like paintings.
No sound.
The yellow-helmet's head and limbs severed clean like fish fillets—an illusion.
"No matter how powerful the ability, you wield it."
The black-helmeted men surged like ghosts toward Stein.
Stein's dagger defied physics.
Counter Kill.
Throat-targeters' throats, heart-targeters' hearts, lung-targeters' lungs pierced—they fell like wingless birds.
"Don't get complacent. Always self-flagellate and temper. Don't rely solely on power."
Stein lightly tossed a black-mana-charged dagger skyward.
It split from two, three, to twelve.
Flying Kill.
Shuuuwaaak—
Like guided missiles, daggers rained on the racing black-helmeted men's heads.
Pfubububuk—
Geometric paths rendered defenses useless, wiping them out instantly.
'This...'
Kim Gunja had doubted when Stein first killed the yellow-helmet.
Seemed like a power flex on his own guards.
But consecutive dagger demos confirmed it.
Stein had another goal beyond the trial.
Showing his black-mana dagger arts' power and efficiency.
An investor's dissatisfaction with Kim Gunja using daggers only for Shadow Walker.
'Maybe sync rate and investor shares are linked after all.'
Stein's meaningful words solidified it.
"A master needing me to show my dagger arts outshine Heaven-Shattering Sword. Tch."
Other investors rebelled, realizing Stein's intent.
Stein's efforts tied to some goal, Kim Gunja thought.
As he organized his thoughts, Stein stared coldly.
"I'll watch. Don't disappoint me."
With that, Stein and the Shadow Squad dissolved like sand.
"..."
Whether a perfectionist, one thing was clear.
He hated losing to anyone.
Makes sense—that drive took him from the bottom to lordship.
His eyes snapped open with the alert.
Dark plaza, wounded body—gone like a mirage.
A human body diagram floated before him, as before.
He accepted the overlapping diagram without hesitation.
Fewer deaths than last time, but mental strain was no joke.
Time limit existed.
Upgrade alerts followed.
'Artifact point conversion.'
Very convenient.
Simplified process, and tricky items convertible to points easily.
Access rights—likely info-related.
The reward he'd hoped for most.
Tough, but solid payoff.
"Good work."
At Austin's welcome, Kim Gunja nodded playfully.
"Imagining it."
"...?"
Austin blinked uncomprehending, so he grinned.
"You said it, Austin. Whatever I imagine, it'll be more."
Austin smiled brightly.
"Of course, Master."
"Let's check if you're right. First, prep the perk."
Austin bowed, summoning it—then an unexpected alert.
Ding!
...Perk list expanded?
A hologram appeared with the thought.
Left arm and right leg unchanged.
Holy Knight Abel's left arm, Titan Emperor Pertaos's leg.
New holograms beside: heart and blood vessels.
"..."
Kim Gunja had his perk choice set: left arm.
Abel mixed holy power with lightning for attacks; healing unclear.
Last time, lower priority. Now, hoping for that slim chance.
Abel's holy power might heal, curing friends' disabilities.
But an unplanned addition: something promising.
'...'
Mind blanked briefly, but he didn't agonize long.
Sticking to plan.
His hand paused mid-choice.
No rush.
'Before choosing... checking the new perk's owner and abilities isn't bad.'
He reached out again.
To identify the new perk's owner—likely an investor.