Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Hunting the Giant King (1)
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Lukkeu was known as one of the kingdom’s five great talents.
Hailed as a sword prodigy from birth, he had always enjoyed the steadfast support of his father, Marquis Lükburg.
Despite this, Lukkeu chose the harder path when an easier one was available.
It was to prevent even the slightest blemish from staining his father's name.
He finally became a knight.
But what was this?
‘Father has been demoted…’
Lukkeu needed something.
Something to restore his father’s tarnished name.
He also wanted to successfully complete the subjugation for his father, who had been filled with nothing but worry lately.
In truth, the subjugation was far too easy.
Lukkeu’s skills easily surpassed those of an average knight.
While his talent wasn't quite that of a Sword King, he certainly had the makings of a Sword Saint.
Because it was so easy, Lukkeu grew bold.
‘I will solidify my father’s position so he can at least be at peace here.’
Though his father was a demoted lord, he wanted to give him more strength.
And since subjugating the ogre chieftain was this easy, he believed the subjugation in the Forest of Green Leaves would be simple as well.
Indeed, things went smoothly in the Forest of Green Leaves.
Creatures called cyclopes, stronger than ogres, appeared, but Lukkeu was an excellent knight and commander.
Of course, Lukkeu had no intention of challenging the Giant King.
‘It will be a great achievement if word gets out that I, at my level, took down ten cyclopes with my soldiers.’
And so, he and his soldiers killed ten cyclopes.
That was the cause of the disaster.
The moment the tenth cyclops fell, what they had believed to be a giant boulder on one side began to crumble.
The being that rose from within stood five meters tall.
Watching the creature stretch its limbs, a single name came to Lukkeu’s mind.
‘A troll…?’
Of course, it was no ordinary troll.
This one was twice as large and had a ferocious face.
With narrow, snake-like eyes, it looked down at him as if he were an insect.
“Ah, ahhhh…”
“Uh, uhhh…”
The mere pressure of its murderous aura paralyzed the thirty soldiers, forcing them to back away.
Lukkeu was bewildered.
But he was a man capable of making swift, rational judgments.
‘It has to be now…’
An instinct seized him—if he didn't kill it now, while it was cracking its stiff joints just after waking, he never would.
He pushed off the ground and flew.
*Fwoosh—*
He slashed at the creature’s neck with all his might as he passed.
But something shocking happened.
The sword failed to cut deep, leaving only a shallow wound.
The problem was that the wound began to squirm and regenerate before Lukkeu even landed.
‘Even for a troll…’
Lukkeu had never in his life seen a creature with such regenerative power.
The Giant King then sneered at him.
Lukkeu realized that the Giant King had deliberately allowed his attack to land.
Soon, the creature’s belly began to swell.
Taking a deep breath, it threw its head back toward the sky.
“Kwooooooooar!”
[The Giant King awakens.]
[Rage of the Giant King]
[Regeneration against weapons with cutting and piercing properties increases by 300% compared to ordinary trolls.]
[The Giant King will recover its lost strength over time.]
[Giant King Lv. 281]
[Level will increase by 10 after 10 minutes.]
[It will recover its full strength within 40 minutes, and the Giant King’s final level will be 383.]
NPCs sometimes hear the messages of the gods, and sometimes they do not.
Usually, messages about creatures like this one were audible to them as well.
“Fi-fire!”
“Kill it!”
“Hieeeek!”
The terrified soldiers fired their arrows indiscriminately.
Another thrust with a spear.
And another hacked at the creature’s thigh with an axe.
But then.
*Squirm, squirm—*
*Pshhh—*
Smoke billowed as the wounds regenerated in just a few seconds.
‘This is impossible…’
Lukkeu’s vision swam.
An ordinary troll’s regeneration was already impressive.
They could heal their wounds in just a few minutes.
But this thing was far faster.
The problem was that the ‘cutting and piercing’ weapons mentioned in the divine message were exactly what his soldiers wielded.
Swords, spears, arrowheads.
All these weapons were only accelerating the Giant King’s regeneration.
“All troops, retreat…”
Before Lukkeu could finish his sentence.
*Splat—*
The Giant King smashed a soldier with its fist.
The soldier, crushed like a tomato, died instantly.
Thick blood splattered across Lukkeu’s face.
But he quickly regained his composure.
“Everyone, retreat! Break formation and do whatever you can to survive!”
The soldiers scattered and began to flee.
Lukkeu moved swiftly, severing both of the Giant King’s Achilles tendons.
*Thud—*
The Giant King, its balance slightly broken, let out a bizarre laugh.
“Geoh?”
Lukkeu then turned and ran for his life.
As he ran like a madman, he could see the Giant King suddenly appearing from the thickets to kill his soldiers.
After killing a few of them, the Giant King grew quiet.
It wasn't killing the other soldiers.
Instead, it repeatedly appeared around the fleeing Lukkeu.
Only then did Lukkeu understand.
‘It’s hunting.’
The Giant King was toying with him, hunting him as the leader of the group.
Suddenly, Lukkeu had a realization.
‘This is bad.’
The Giant King was cunning, even as it hunted him, the leader.
The reason it no longer engaged with the other soldiers…
‘It’s waiting until it’s fully awakened.’
And once it had finished awakening, it would lead the giants that had woken here and charge into the Araham territory.
Just then, as he was fleeing, Lukkeu saw the Giant King appear behind him.
*Craaaash—*
Kicked by its foot, Lukkeu was sent flying dozens of meters.
Shaking his head violently, Lukkeu wore a look of confusion.
A man was looking down at him.
“...You woke the Giant King? We’ll discuss this later. I will see to it that you answer for this crime.”
Seeing him, Lukkeu’s face twisted in misery.
“You…!”
His fists clenched.
Just a few hours ago, when the cannonball was about to explode, Lukkeu had also been there.
Yes, this was Hyun-soo, the man who had gotten his father demoted.
***
Having learned of the Gale Squad’s existence through the Hidden Piece, Hyun-soo needed a higher Subjugation Contribution.
It was currently a mere 35%.
Kan, the sub-commander of the Gale Squad, had developed a sense of loyalty to him and could be brought along.
‘But the other members are different.’
The Hidden Piece notification had told him why they wouldn’t follow him.
He had proven himself to Kan, but not to them.
Therefore, that proof could only be earned through Subjugation Contribution.
And then came a new story and a sudden quest.
[Sudden Quest: Hunting the Giant King]
Grade: SS
Restriction: The one who triggered the new story.
Reward: Subjugation Contribution +50%, a reward from Marquis Lükburg.
Penalty for Failure: Title will be revoked.
Description: The long-slumbering Giant King has been awakened by Lukkeu, son of Marquis Lükburg. Lukkeu is the Marquis’s only child, and his love for his son is special. Saving Lukkeu may lead to a special reward.
Marquis Lükburg.
Hyun-soo didn’t exactly have a favorable impression of him.
‘But I need the Subjugation Contribution right now.’
And Hyun-soo was not a reckless man.
“Kan, take all troops and return to the territory immediately.”
Kan and the soldiers were silent for a moment.
But their loyalty to Hyun-soo was now so high that they would not offer a single word of protest or concern.
“As you command.”
After sending them back, Hyun-soo came face to face with a pale-faced soldier.
*Thump, thump-thump, thump—*
He heard the sound of giant footsteps drawing near.
“What happened?”
Hyun-soo quickly received a briefing.
‘It regenerates quickly from any bladed weapon?’
Hyun-soo absorbed all the information about the Giant King.
“Return to the territory.”
The terrified soldier ran off as if fleeing for his life.
It was then that Hyun-soo saw Lukkeu fall before him.
In truth, Lukkeu was the cause of this whole mess.
But for now, that had to be put aside.
“...You woke the Giant King? We’ll discuss this later. I will see to it that you answer for this crime.”
“You…!”
Lukkeu growled back at him.
But soon, Lukkeu’s vision swam.
He had literally flown through the sky after being kicked by the Giant King.
As his consciousness began to fade, Lukkeu spoke.
“No… bladed weapon… works on it…”
“I know.”
Lukkeu watched Hyun-soo walk forward nonchalantly.
“Even without a blade, I have the ultimate weapon to kill it.”
He had vaguely heard that this man was the greatest blacksmith.
At that moment, Lukkeu lost consciousness, then awoke.
Upon waking, Lukkeu couldn't make sense of anything.
The scene changed every time he opened his eyes.
He blinked.
The Giant King was now right in front of them.
And above Hyun-soo’s head, tree branches were weaving together, forming a weapon.
‘The ultimate… weapon…?’
Even in his dazed state, Lukkeu mulled over the man’s words.
He closed his eyes again.
He opened them at the sound of a commotion.
The man named Hyun-soo was now holding the ultimate weapon he had spoken of.
“Th-that…”
Even in his disoriented state, a sound escaped his lips as he saw the weapon.
No, he couldn't help but make a sound.
“You madman, what are you going to do with a club… What in the world is that club?”
His eyes closed again, and darkness consumed him.
*Flash—!*
When he opened his eyes again, he saw Hyun-soo smiling as he faced the furiously charging Giant King.
He glanced over.
As if answering his earlier question, he began to speak.
“There was once a god.”
He shifted his weight to his back leg.
“That god was born to a mortal mother and an absolute god, a truly pitiful deity. His own mother tried to kill him with snakes right after his birth. You can imagine what a tragic life he led.”
It was a story unrelated to the myths of Ares.
“Amidst constant scorn and trials, on the day all the gods faced a crisis, he beat down the entire giant race with a single club and became a true hero.”
“Kheeeeeeeh!”
The Giant King let out a harsh roar and reached for Hyun-soo’s neck.
It was only twenty centimeters away. A little further and it would have reached.
But suddenly, the Giant King stopped in mid-air.
*Flinch—*
It tried to move, but couldn't. The power of Sovereign’s Command held it fast.
At that moment, immense power began to concentrate in Hyun-soo’s club.
[You can concentrate your stats into the club.]
[Strength is amplified.]
[Strength is amplified.]
[Strength is amplified.]
[Strength is…]
[...]
[Strength increases by 510%.]
He struck the Giant King with the club.
*Craaaaaaaash—!*
The Giant King went flying.
The trees and rocks it collided with shattered one after another as it flew for dozens of meters.
The Giant King, crumpled on the ground, seemed to have broken bones.
“Kuheeeek!”
But what surprised Lukkeu more was something else.
‘Recovery from bladed weapons…!’
Did a club count as a bladed weapon?
It did not. With its bones broken, the Giant King was unable to recover.
Lukkeu, who had regained his senses, asked the man who now rested the club on his shoulder.
“Who… who is that god?”
Hyun-soo smirked and replied.
“Heracles, the god of strength.”