Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Park Kang-hyuk VS Lucas Howard (3)
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The South Korean citizens watching the duel could only stand there dumbfounded for a moment.
"Lu... Lucas Howard is holding his own?"
"The slashes... Park Kang-hyuk has more of them. But they say Lucas's pack more power. Looks like it'll come down to who runs out of mana first..."
"Park Kang-hyuk's not gonna get himself killed here, is he?"
The South Korean public predicted that Park Kang-hyuk would exhaust his mana first.
However, after dozens of minutes of continuous clashes, Lucas's slashes finally weakened dramatically.
To the point where they were shredded like paper by Park Kang-hyuk's strikes.
Flash!
At last, Kang-hyuk moved from his position.
"This... fucking..."
Lucas gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face.
Clang!
"Urk...!"
Lucas was pushed back by Kang-hyuk's sword strike.
"Already done? I've still got plenty left."
Lucas clenched his fists, his killing intent surging.
"Raaah!"
Lucas kicked off the ground and charged at Kang-hyuk.
Clang! Clang-clang! Clang!
"Weak."
At Kang-hyuk's single word, veins bulged in Lucas's eyes.
"You cheating bastard...!"
Clang!
Kang-hyuk parried Lucas's straight sword upward and followed with a kick straight to his gut.
Thud!
"Guhk...!"
As Lucas desperately tried to bring his sword down, Kang-hyuk knocked it away again.
Clang!
Weak.
Lucas's straight sword radiated sword aura at the level of Lowest Grand Master... no, even lower.
In contrast, Kang-hyuk's curved sword still flickered with High Grand Master-level sword aura.
Kang-hyuk struck Lucas's elbow and thigh with the flat of his blade.
Thud! Thud-thud!
"Gaaaaah!"
Kang-hyuk carefully controlled his strength as he began shattering every bone in Lucas's body.
He wouldn't kill him.
Just regulate it so highest-grade potions could heal him.
Thud-thud-thud!
"How does it feel? Losing to one of those Asians you looked down on?"
"Grk... grrr..."
Even as foam bubbled from his mouth, Kang-hyuk's beating didn't stop.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
"Remember this with your body: South Korea isn't a place where scum like you can run wild."
Kang-hyuk launched a kick at Lucas's face.
Thud!
"Khek...!"
Finally, Lucas was sent flying hundreds of meters before crashing into the ground.
Kang-hyuk sheathed his curved sword and looked up toward the drone.
[Ah...]
The stunned host swallowed hard.
[With Hunter Lucas Howard rendered combat-ineffective... the duel goes to Hunter Park Kang-hyuk!]
As the host's voice rang out, tens of thousands gathered at Gwanghwamun Square erupted in cheers.
"Woooaaah!"
"Park Kang-hyuk won! Fuck, he beat Lucas!"
"Park Kang-hyuk is now the world's strongest hunter!"
South Korea's hunter scene had always been respectable in the past.
But compared to neighboring countries, it still fell short.
China and Japan boasted multiple S1-rank Hunters on top of their National Power-level Hunters.
But things were different now.
South Korea had its first National Power-level Hunter, Park Kang-hyuk, along with the GH Guild's S-rank Hunters.
And that very Park Kang-hyuk had defeated the so-called world's strongest, Lucas Howard.
"Wha... what the hell?!"
The citizens panicked at the sight on their screens.
A helicopter landed on the ground, and Zeus Guild members rushed desperately to Lucas.
Lucas's body was a tattered rag.
"How dare you to the Master...!"
"I'll kill you!"
Zeus's three S1-rank Hunters and five S2-rank Hunters roared in fury and charged at Park Kang-hyuk.
The S3-rank Hunters administering highest-grade potions to Lucas wore panicked expressions.
"Wha... what...!"
"Team leader?!"
Despite the S3-rank Hunters' calls, the Zeus Guild members didn't stop.
Shing!
The Zeus Guild members drew their straight swords.
As GH Guild members stepped forward, Kang-hyuk raised his left hand to stop them.
"Master?"
Kang-hyuk drew his curved sword from his waist once more and threw himself forward.
Boom!
"Argh...!"
Zeus Guild's S1- and S2-rank Hunters were all sent flying by Kang-hyuk's attack.
"It was a fair duel. Besides, Lucas has a history of severing limbs in past fights against National Power-level Hunters. He should've been prepared for this much..."
"Shut your mouth!"
The S1-rank Hunters regained their footing and charged at Kang-hyuk again.
"Haa..."
Same old story.
Kang-hyuk narrowed his eyes and assumed the Black Moon Swordsmanship stance.
High Grand Master-level sword aura still flowed from Kang-hyuk's curved sword.
Thud!
"Cough...!"
"You thought I was out of mana after fighting Lucas?"
"Urgh..."
"Too bad. I've still got plenty."
Kang-hyuk grinned as he struck the Zeus Guild's S1-rank Hunters with the flat of his blade.
Thud-thud-thud!
"Wha... what..."
The S2-rank Hunters stared at Kang-hyuk in shock.
The S1-rank Hunters had collapsed in an instant.
"Keep coming."
Kang-hyuk leaned his upper body forward and charged at the S2-rank Hunters.
Whoosh!
"...?!"
The Zeus S2-rank Hunters flinched and retreated at Kang-hyuk's sudden appearance before them.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
"Argh...!"
"Gaaaaah!"
The five S2-rank Hunters flew dozens of meters, tumbling across the ground.
"If anyone objects to this duel, come out now! I'll face as many as it takes!"
Thoom!
As Kang-hyuk unleashed his mana explosively, even the South Korean Hunters who had descended to the wasteland trembled and stiffened.
Kang-hyuk waited about ten seconds.
"Looks like none."
Kang-hyuk sheathed his sword and approached the GH Guild members.
"Good work."
Vice Master Arbon handed Kang-hyuk a towel.
Kang-hyuk brushed the dust from his body with it.
"Hunter Park Kang-hyuk!"
Hunter Association President Lee Ho-seok ran up to Kang-hyuk.
"A... are you hurt anywhere...?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Thank goodness. And congratulations. You're the world's strongest Hunter now, Hunter Park Kang-hyuk."
Kang-hyuk gave a wry smile and shook his head.
"Hunter Lucas had the edge in slash power. I just overwhelmed him with sheer mana volume."
"That mana volume is part of your ability too. And you won the duel, Hunter Park Kang-hyuk. Moreover..."
Ho-seok narrowed his eyes and glared at the Zeus Guild members.
"Attacking you after the duel ended... the Zeus Guild Hunters' outrage was utterly revolting."
"Haha..."
"I had no idea you still had that much mana left after taking down Hunter Lucas."
"I just have a bit more mana."
Ho-seok chuckled softly and nodded.
"And I heard Britain's Alice Hunter and China's Hwaryeon Hunter didn't duel Lucas. Their abilities are in no way inferior to Hunter Lucas."
At Kang-hyuk's humility, Ho-seok glanced at Lucas.
He's really different.
National Power-level Hunters tend to be quite arrogant.
To the point they don't flinch under government pressure.
But Hunter Park Kang-hyuk was far more mild-mannered than other National Power-level Hunters.
Of course, who knows how he'll change in the future.
He might turn into a tyrant like Lucas.
'I need to keep a close eye on him so he doesn't.'
Ho-seok smiled as South Korea's S-rank Hunters approached beside him.
"Congratulations, Hunter Park Kang-hyuk."
"Congratulations."
Kang-hyuk smiled back at the greetings from Goguryeo's Woo Sung-hyun and Teynen's Lee Soo-jin.
"Thank you. By the way, the Zeus Guild members..."
"We'll deport them immediately."
Ho-seok answered firmly.
They had charged at Kang-hyuk without accepting the duel result.
South Korea naturally had to make an issue of it.
Ho-seok's shoulders straightened proudly.
South Korea no longer needed to cower before a Hunter like Lucas Howard.
The world's strongest Hunter, Park Kang-hyuk, existed now.
Ho-seok approached the Zeus Guild members with the Association's S3-rank Hunters.
"We will now deport all Zeus Guild members."
"What...!"
"This is handling the outrage of Zeus's S1- and S2-rank Hunters who tried to harm Hunter Park Kang-hyuk despite refusing the duel result. If you resist... the South Korean Hunters here will have no choice but to subdue you."
The Zeus Guild's S3-rank Hunters gritted their teeth.
Lucas was still unconscious.
The S1- and S2-rank Hunters were the same.
Fight South Korea's S-rank Hunters in this situation?
Especially with Park Kang-hyuk standing there with a calm expression—his presence was overwhelmingly intimidating.
"Urgh..."
"W... we'll head back to America right away."
Ho-seok nodded at one S3-rank Hunter's response.
And so, Lucas and the Zeus Guild's S-rank Hunters boarded a military aircraft bound for Incheon Airport.
In the meantime, Kang-hyuk took a helicopter back to Dongjak-gu.
"You were amazing today!"
Kang-hyuk chuckled softly and bowed his head at the pilot's words.
As he rode in a vehicle with GH Guild's S-rank Hunters toward the 2nd Headquarters, he spotted crowds lining the streets.
"Tha... that's the car! It's Hunter Park Kang-hyuk's car!"
"Woooaaah!"
"Park Kang-hyuk! Park Kang-hyuk! Park Kang-hyuk!"
The people chanted Park Kang-hyuk's name and cheered around the vehicle.
Thanks to the security, the car quickly entered the underground parking.
Cheers continued in front of the 2nd Headquarters for dozens of minutes.
As Kang-hyuk took the elevator to the top floor, the secretaries greeted him with applause.
Clap clap clap clap clap
"Congratulations!"
Kang-hyuk smiled faintly and nodded slightly.
"Thank you."
Kang-hyuk and Arbon entered the master's office.
"Whew, they hype it up too much for beating one kid."
"Calling a guy in his fifties a kid might be..."
"True. Reaching High Grand Master in your fifties... maybe not a kid after all?"
Lucas might even be able to take down the Demon King Lucifer from his past life.
Demon King Lucifer had needed centuries to reach High Grand Master.
Lucas Howard, on the other hand, achieved it in 19 years with cooperative assistance.
Reportedly, it took about 8 years to Mid Grand Master.
And 11 years from Mid Grand Master to now.
Either way, terrifying growth rate.
"Someday, he'll reach Highest Grand Master too."
"Unless he's defeating dimension lords, it'll take at least ten years."
"No, considering his growth so far... maybe less than ten."
"Shall we eliminate him?"
"If his personality were even a bit better, I'd have let him be..."
His temperament was dangerous.
He might hold a grudge from today's duel and come for his life.
'Of course, I won't die...'
His family was different.
Still, he had use for now.
Kang-hyuk sighed and sank into his chair.
"Go rest."
"Yes, sir."
After sending Arbon away, Kang-hyuk immediately turned on his computer to check reactions on SNS and E-tube.