Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Another Puzzle Piece (1)
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Hong Sua and Im Taehyun shouted at the top of their lungs.
"It's a gate break!"
"Run! Hurry!"
It didn't take long for the amusement park to descend into chaos.
They could see the black wyvern gracefully soaring overhead.
"Ugh, black wyvern!"
"Gate break!"
"Kyaaah!"
Gate break.
To the people living in this era, it was like a natural disaster.
No matter how much they prepared, victims and fatalities always emerged from torrential rains and blizzards.
"Im Taehyun! Evacuate with the civilians!"
"What about you, Team Leader?!"
"I have to catch that bastard!"
"Pardon?!"
Before Im Taehyun could even process Hong Sua's words, she kicked off her high heels and bolted toward the stage.
To grab A-rank Hunter Ha Jin-sang, who was trying to flee the scene.
"Mr. Ha Jin-sang! Where are you going?!"
Ha Jin-sang glanced back at Hong Sua's desperate cry.
"Who are you?"
"Hong Sua, scouting team leader for Infinite Guild!"
"Ah... from Sanwang..."
Ha Jin-sang looked troubled as he eyed the gate.
It was writhing, on the verge of spewing out monsters any second.
"It's a gate break! We need to buy time for the civilians to escape before reinforcements arrive! You're a hunter, aren't you?!"
Hong Sua pointed at the hellish scene unfolding around them.
Amid the panicked crowds fleeing, the elderly and children moved sluggishly.
"No way you're running away...!"
"I'm going to get my gear."
Ha Jin-sang cut her off sharply and pointed at the gate.
Skeleton soldiers were emerging first, followed by an undead horde.
"Undead units are top-tier monsters even in A-rank gates. Soldiers, knights, and a dark sorcerer's curses—how am I supposed to handle that alone?"
Who cares about that right now!
Swallowing a curse, Hong Sua tried to persuade him.
"Can't you see those people?! If you just buy a little time, more lives can be—!"
"Ms. Hong Sua, hunters aren't gods. We can't do everything alone. I'll grab my gear and come back with the support team. Then..."
With that, Ha Jin-sang turned away.
"You son of a bitch!"
Unable to hold back, Hong Sua swore, but Ha Jin-sang ignored her and slipped away.
And then,
Screeech—
The grating noise signaled the start of the gate break.
Clatter, clatter.
Hong Sua bit her lip until it bled at the sight, then started running again.
Not away from the gate, but toward it.
Im Taehyun, who had been helping with evacuations, shouted in shock.
"Team Leader! Are you insane...!"
His cry didn't finish.
In Hong Sua's path was a child who had fallen and was crying.
As the skeleton soldier locked onto them, Im Taehyun's mind went blank, and he sprinted full speed ahead.
Not in the direction people were fleeing, but toward Hong Sua.
Im Taehyun arrived first, scooping up the child in a flash.
"Waaah!"
"You...?!"
Hong Sua was startled to see Im Taehyun, who hadn't fled.
Panting, he yelled while clutching the kid.
"What are you doing?! Run! I don't wanna die here unmarried!"
Without looking back, he bolted, and Hong Sua chased after him at full tilt.
And then,
Neigh— clatter—
Skeleton soldiers and knights on skeletal horses began pursuing the fleeing crowd.
#
Thwack—
The spear shaft embedded in the skeleton soldier's skull sparked with golden lightning.
Crackle—!
Like rotten wood crumbling, the bones forming its upper body collapsed.
Whoosh—
The skeleton knight's massive greatsword swung at Kim Gunja's torso.
But it was an attack unfolding within Kim Gunja's domain.
There was no way he couldn't dodge.
As he retracted the spear and spun, the greatsword slammed into the ground beside him.
Boom—!
The concrete shattered, and skeleton shieldbearers charged with shields raised from the cracks.
Clang—
Kim Gunja jammed the retracted spear into the ground and summoned his lightning energy.
Golden waves radiated forward from the spear shaft.
Crackle—!
The charging skeleton shieldbearers' ankles shattered, sending them tumbling down in a heap.
Unlike the soldiers, the skeleton knight hesitated briefly before raising its greatsword again and charging.
Kim Gunja yanked the spear from the ground, pulling his left shoulder back into a thrusting stance.
Crackle, crackle—
The spear in his left hand began to slowly rotate, drawn by the magnetic force of his lightning energy.
Kiririk—
As the golden lightning churned in his grip, the rotation accelerated rapidly.
Once it reached a critical speed, Kim Gunja thrust forward, unleashing the force.
The spear, swirling with golden vortexes, shot forward fiercely.
Krunch—!
The rotating lightning exploded, shredding the skeleton knight and the spear-wielding skeletons behind it.
Perhaps because they were undead.
Even with his spear techniques not yet mastered, they showed impressive power and efficiency.
'...Better than expected?'
Of course, his elevated physical and magic levels, plus experience, played a part compared to when he first used Heaven-Shattering Sword. Still, it was remarkably satisfying.
Thunder Dragon Holy Spear.
It was one of Holy Knight Abel's signature spear arts.
Divided into anti-personnel, anti-army, and anti-divine forms, the Wave Thunder and Wind Thunder he just used were both anti-army techniques.
As the name implied, they excelled against groups rather than individuals.
'Fitting for a war hero's skills.'
Holy Demon Great War.
Abel's world was a continent locked in endless conflict between gods and demons.
Thus, despite being a temple knight, Abel spent most of his time on battlefields, earning his title as a war hero.
For such a man, his abilities specializing in war and combat felt natural.
Yet that didn't mean he lost the holy knight's strengths.
"——!"
"——!"
As robed skeleton dark sorcerers began chanting, Kim Gunja felt his strength drain from his body.
His vision blurred, and his legs grew heavy as if shackled.
'A curse...'
The most troublesome attack type for hunters.
S-rank top hunters could overpower curses with sheer physical and magic prowess, but average hunters lacked such power.
That's why dark sorcerer-types were always high-risk monsters.
Swish—!
Skeleton archers loosed arrows in sync with the curse.
To easily finish the debilitated Kim Gunja.
But Kim Gunja was no ordinary hunter.
Crackle—!
Holy lightning from his left arm surged through his mana circuits, flooding his body.
A foul smell rose as the binding mana evaporated into smoke.
The curse nullified.
As if never weakened, he casually swung his spear to deflect the arrows.
Clatter—!
The arrow barrage rained harmlessly to the ground.
Expecting another wave, he readied himself, but the undead assault halted abruptly.
"......?"
He didn't know why, but no reason to waste it.
Kim Gunja circulated Heaven-Shattering Divine Art to recover as much mana as possible.
[Impressive.]
A gravelly voice echoed—not in his ears, but directly in his mind.
The skeleton horde parted, revealing a knight wreathed in jet-black aura striding forward.
Unlike the others, it wore ornate armor and helm, exuding a distinct presence and will.
The boss: Death Knight.
[I salute your strength in nullifying the curse. A holy knight?]
His left arm, he almost replied, but settled on his class instead.
"Hunter."
The Death Knight responded unexpectedly.
[Surprising. A non-holy knight hunter wielding holy power. And the courage to hold my army alone deserves praise.]
Kim Gunja smirked.
What did a wraith knight know about praise?
[You are worthy to cross blades with me.]
Shing.
The Death Knight drew its sword and advanced.
The other skeletons and sorcerers held back, making its intent clear.
'A boss demanding a duel...'
He'd heard of bosses with egos acting this way under certain conditions.
Prioritizing desires over slaughter.
Here, it reacted to his holy power nullifying the curse.
'Gate breaks don't end by killing the boss.'
Still, a good opportunity.
Commander-type bosses were trickier leading troops than alone.
Especially the Death Knight's resurrection powers—exhausting for a solo Kim Gunja.
[Come. On my honor as a knight, no soldiers will interfere...]
In this grateful standoff, Kim Gunja didn't hesitate.
Whoosh—!
A thrown dagger flew at the Death Knight's head.
It dodged easily, roaring in fury.
[An ambush! You know nothing of honor!]
Honor, my ass.
He'd said he was a hunter, not a knight.
Using Shadow Walker, Kim Gunja appeared behind the Death Knight.
Hummm—
Crimson aura flared as Blood Moon resonated.
[...You bastard!]
The Death Knight whirled to counter.
A-rank boss reflexes were sharp, but Kim Gunja had first strike.
Not wanting a prolonged fight, he channeled Heaven-Shattering Divine Art.
'Sword aura's still too much, but with Blood Moon...'
He could mimic it.
A dense crimson net draped over the Death Knight.
Shrrrk—!
[......!]
Sword, helm, and armor sliced apart, bones ground to bits—yet it held form.
[For... mation...!]
As it summoned black mana to regenerate,
Kim Gunja's left hand pressed atop its skull.
[......!]
"Begone."
Crackle—!
Its mana scattered under holy lightning.
Weakened, the lightning invaded, reducing it to dust.
Clatter. Clatter.
With the commander gone, the waiting skeletons mobilized again.
A bead of sweat trailed down Kim Gunja's jaw as he retreated to the steel door.
'...Pushed it a bit.'
Heavenly Net for a one-shot drained his mana.
Forms from 7 onward guzzled mana for their power.
"......"
Staring at the gate endlessly spawning monsters despite the boss's fall, he circulated Heaven-Shattering Divine Art to refill mana.
The gate break was just beginning.
#
Warehouse entrance.
Clang! Boom—!
Yu Sang-jin, knocked out by Kim Gunja, stirred at the racket.
"Ugh, ugh. Urk, urgh..."
As魅化's effects wore off, chills and headaches hit; he dry-heaved.
"Huff, huff. Ah, my head..."
Leaning on the wall, he tried recalling why he collapsed—nothing.
Hands shaking, he patted his pockets.
Fury surged at no魅化.
'Right, came to pick it up...'
Staggering up, he shuffled inside.
魅化 filled his mind.
Clang! Crunch!
The ongoing noise pounded his head.
'Why's it so damn loud today.'
No one at the table in the fork where魅化 deals happened.
'Where'd they go...'
Knowing right led away from魅化, he turned left.
Clang! Crackle—
Growing noise sparked caution; his brain kicked in.
'What...? Sounds like fighting...'
At the bent corridor's end, a man blocked a door, back turned.
Sensing him, the man spoke without looking, casually.
"Gate break. Dangerous—head somewhere safe."
Undead hammered his front.
But more shocking: his body soaked in sweat, floor puddling.
Yet he hadn't yielded an inch.
"...Wha...?"
At Yu Sang-jin's odd reaction, Kim Gunja glanced back.
Yu recognized him.
Hero Guild hunter his colleagues gossiped about—and he cursed.
'Hero Guild's Kim Gunja!'
Memories flooded: colleagues' words.
—Not just skills, super diligent hunter, they say?
—Nah, all hype. Hero Guild style—catch a frog, brag like a dragon kill.
Yu agreed.
Hero Guild ruined his life, career disease from hard work crushed.
No way diligent.
Just selfish scum joining for gain.
But the scene screamed otherwise.
He was different.
Gaping at the unreal sight, Yu stammered,
"Y-You're..."
Clatter—!
Kim Gunja swept ahead with Blood Moon, shaking off sweat irritably.
"Hunter. You gonna evacuate or not?"
Spectators hindered lightning use.
Seeing Kim Gunja's expression, Yu realized he was in the way.
"Ah... Y-Yes... Th-Thank you..."
Yu thanked hastily, retreating the way he came.
Glancing back once more.
Clatter! Clang! Boom!
A lone man's back, silently holding the gate break, unseen, unthanked.
"......"
Yu etched it in, then hurried away.