Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: No Jun-yeop Dreams of Becoming an Archery Saint
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No Jun-yeop dreamed of becoming an Archery Saint.
But he was focusing on honing his marksmanship with guns, not archery.
Because when it came to the raw power of the weapon itself, guns outclassed bows.
Using a gun allowed for faster growth, especially at low levels.
In particular, No Jun-yeop had equipped [Phantom Shooter] in his third skill slot.
It was an active skill that activated upon equipping a firearm, summoning multiple ghostly gunners.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!!
Two hazy ghostly gunners materialized, lining up to No Jun-yeop's left and right, perfectly mimicking his rapid fire.
It was effectively three No Jun-yeops unleashing a barrage.
Even defensive skills that weakened projectiles were rendered meaningless.
"Argh!!"
The thugs restraining the Song clan blacksmith crumpled one by one, riddled with bullets.
The thugs didn't even have time to be shocked.
"L-Leader?"
Wriggle, wriggle!
Everyone's attention was fixed on the sky-blue-haired girl. Her roundhouse kick had sent the leader flying, and he lay sprawled out, unable to rise. The sight was too shocking.
Vrooooom!!
Butler Hwang didn't miss the opening created by Jang Yeonju and No Jun-yeop.
As befitting a butler of the Ducal House, he was multifaceted—he had even been a former F1 driver.
That meant he was one of only twenty people in the world to earn that honor.
He handled the bike far better than Jang Yeonju or No Jun-yeop.
"Get on!"
"...Whoa."
Butler Hwang wove through the oncoming thugs in a zigzag, executing a perfect drift to stop right in front of the Song clan blacksmith, leaving Jang Yeonju and No Jun-yeop in awe.
"Haha! Still as sharp as ever, Butler Hwang?"
Struggling onto the bike, the Song clan blacksmith let out a hearty laugh.
"I have to stay in top form until the Young Lord comes of age."
"Is Kang Dae-seong still a kid?"
"He's talking about the youngest Young Master."
"Did Dae-guk have another child?"
"...Are you quite alright in the head?"
"You rascal! Trying to act like we're the same age just because we're growing old together!"
"S-Sorry."
The Song clan blacksmith wasn't just a craftsman—his age alone made him a force of nature.
Even Butler Hwang, well over sixty, was like a late-born child or an early grandson to him.
No wonder even the Yaksha treated him with utmost respect.
"Hold on tight!"
Vroom!
Butler Hwang floored the accelerator.
He slammed into the thugs firing magic and ranged attacks at Jang Yeonju, then U-turned to block the path of those charging at No Jun-yeop.
Thanks to that, No Jun-yeop gained time to aim and unleashed another rapid barrage, securing their escape route.
"Hey, hop on!"
Jang Yeonju, retrieving the last bike, shouted to No Jun-yeop.
He leaped onto the back seat as if he'd been waiting. Just then, two hand axes flew straight at the back of his head.
If Jang Yeonju hadn't swung her hand blade to block them, his skull would have split open.
"Those crazy bastards are seriously trying to kill— Urk!"
No Jun-yeop ground his teeth in disgust, then screamed.
Looking down with trembling eyes, he saw Jang Yeonju's elbow buried in his solar plexus.
"Grab my waist, you idiot!"
"Then where am I supposed to hold?!"
"Squeak! That's my hip! Get it off! Move your hand!!"
"Fine! Sorry, just calm down!"
A body like a cola bottle.
So much to grab onto, but she freaked out at the slightest touch. It was tricky.
Grumbling, No Jun-yeop balanced using only his lower body strength and reloaded fresh bullets.
The scattered thugs were scrambling onto their vehicles.
A chase against a magitech bike?
"Country bumpkins, huh."
No Jun-yeop holstered his gun.
A magitech bike's top speed was 700 kilometers per hour.
It required a high-rank Awakener as the driver, but given Butler Hwang's skills, no ordinary vehicle could catch them.
No need to waste bullets trying to stop a pursuit.
Watching him intently, the Song clan blacksmith furrowed his brow.
"Those young punks aren't House Kang warriors, are they?"
"No, sir. They seem to be new subordinates acquired by the Young Lord who just enrolled at Lion's Castle."
"Kang Dae-guk's youngest son? Must take after his father and be a bit soft."
"No, if anything, he's even more formidable than Duke Kang."
"Then why are his subordinates in such a state?"
Just moments ago.
The thugs who had thrown axes at No Jun-yeop had gunshot wounds in their shoulders and thighs.
In other words, enemies No Jun-yeop could easily have killed had nearly killed him instead—despite him sparing them.
Showing mercy on the battlefield was the height of folly.
"Perhaps they haven't been fully trained yet. The Young Lord enrolled a month later than others, so time must have been short."
"Killing intent spreads faster than any training. If Dae-guk's youngest had inherited even half his father's nature, we wouldn't be having this pointless chat."
"......"
Butler Hwang couldn't quite agree.
He had watched over Kang Jae-hyeok for sixteen years.
In terms of temperament, he was in no way inferior to Duke Kang.
Recalling the boy who had slain an intruder assassin with a smile, he spoke calmly.
"I'll just say this: the eldest Young Master was reluctant to spar with him."
"...Dae-seong was reluctant?"
The Song clan blacksmith clamped his mouth shut.
No further explanation was needed when discussing Kang Jae-hyeok.
"You need a lot of talents to work for the Ducal House, huh?"
Nearly out of Grishi by then.
No Jun-yeop spoke to Butler Hwang.
At first, he had pegged him as dead weight.
But he'd actually been a huge help.
If Butler Hwang hadn't rescued the Song clan blacksmith in time, the fight would have dragged on, and unforeseen variables might have arisen.
"I can't deny it. But it's nothing to show off in front of Lion's Castle students."
"You're humble. Your driving skills alone make me feel outmatched."
"Anyone in House Kang's service ends up with talents they didn't have before. No need to worry yet."
"Pardon?"
No Jun-yeop tilted his head, not grasping it at first, then shuddered.
Jang Yeonju's eyes had darkened too.
They had sensed a presence lurking dozens of meters ahead.
It had appeared out of nowhere.
No illusion.
Both possessed Insight stats high even among second-years, honed to a razor's edge.
"Butler Hwang, from now on, just keep driving forward. No matter what, don't look back."
As Jang Yeonju issued the warning.
"Song, where do you think you're going?"
An unfamiliar voice rang out right in front of them.
The magitech bike was incredibly fast.
It closed the mere dozens of meters in an instant, naturally drawing near the unidentified entity.
'Beastkin!'
Jang Yeonju and No Jun-yeop were horrified upon seeing the intruder's form up close.
At first, they thought it was a madman in a white tiger mask.
But the moment they saw the vertical slit pupils in those blue eyes, they realized it was a true beastkin.
Beastkin.
Beings with human-level intellect, but with parts of their bodies bearing beastly traits.
One of the otherworldly races commonly encountered in Gates with civilizations.
But beastkin operating on Earth, outside Gates, were rare enough to count on one hand.
Why would an otherworlder operate on Earth?
Obvious.
They had some scheme, or they couldn't survive in their home turf.
High chance they were criminals.
"I warned you: until you make that item, you won't leave this place by a single step."
The white tiger beastkin said chillingly, extending a hand.
A tiger's forepaw.
Immensely large, brimming with power, each thick claw sharp as a blade.
Clang!!
Jang Yeonju whipped out a kick, striking the tiger's forepaw.
The blow, using the high-speed bike's handlebars as leverage, packed serious force.
But the tiger's forepaw was sturdy as a building pillar.
Unlike Jang Yeonju, who nearly fell from the recoil, it steadfastly advanced to grab the Song clan blacksmith by the collar.
"Get lost!"
Rat-a-tat!!
Fortunately, No Jun-yeop shone.
Activating his first skill to maximize marksmanship, dozens of bullets slammed into the white tiger beastkin's massive forepaw.
As a result.
Crunch!
The slightly recoiled forepaw barely grazed the Song clan blacksmith's collar.
"Insolent whelps."
Glancing as the bike carrying the Song clan blacksmith sped away, the white tiger beastkin gave chase to the bike with Jang Yeonju and No Jun-yeop.
Jang Yeonju, at the handlebars, hadn't regained balance yet, slowing them down.
"XX, running on all fours is freaking scary! Hey! Speed up! Hurry!!"
No matter how many bullets he fired, the white tiger beastkin's momentum didn't flag; as the distance closed, No Jun-yeop yelled desperately.
Jang Yeonju was giving her all.
Enduring the pain of her broken wrist and ankle, she barely steadied herself and wrenched the throttle.
But those few delayed seconds proved fatal.
As No Jun-yeop's first skill expired and his shots weakened, the white tiger beastkin accelerated further, its forepaw about to seize the rear wheel.
'Am I gonna die?'
A powerhouse unlike any he'd seen even on guild dispatches.
No Jun-yeop's heart sank as the beastkin's overwhelming presence loomed right before him.
Kwaaaaaang!!
A harpoon flew from the direction where Butler Hwang's bike had vanished, smashing into the white tiger beastkin's massive head.
'Dragon Harpoon...!'
An artifact deadly against large targets, especially those bearing the name 'dragon.'
The white tiger beastkin, unmoved by dozens of bullets, couldn't withstand it and was hurled far away, tumbling across the ground.
By the time it finally stopped and rose, both bikes had vanished from sight.
The dragon harpoon, staining its white fur red, was dragged away by its chain.
"You denied having such a thing even when I held claws to your throat..."
The dragon harpoon was the treasure the white tiger beastkin desperately wanted from the Song clan blacksmith.
Yet in this critical moment, it had tripped him up.
Roooaaarrr!!
Unable to contain its rage, the white tiger beastkin roared. Dozens of vehicles soon arrived behind it.
Brought by the gang that had lost the Song clan blacksmith.
Unable to meet its eyes, they trembled as it commanded.
"Find a way to infiltrate Lion's Castle, no matter what."
At least he had confirmation the dragon harpoon existed—a small consolation.
The white tiger beastkin's feral gaze softened gradually as it stared at the sunset dyeing the ruined city.