Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Eyes of Judgment
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"Jackpot!"
It was while I was taking a short break, sitting down.
Kwon So-ye suddenly shrieked from afar.
"Oh my god. Isn't that guy Thunderclap? I'm sure I saw him on TV!"
She must have spotted the people walking in from the entrance.
Three hunters were approaching from there.
Guide Kapu.
Absolute Unmatched Maximilian.
And Thunderclap Floa.
I'd already heard through the chat that they had joined Demir's Workshop.
'Unexpected.'
Especially in Floa's case.
I'd been planning to use her like a wish ticket whenever needed.
For her to come volunteer on her own— that was surprising.
"Uwaaaah, I'm a huge fan of Thunderclap."
Kwon So-ye was surprisingly fidgety.
The Druid.
Guardian of the forest, wielder of spells rooted in the life that grows from the earth.
"Oh my god, the supporter is Thunderclap?"
I'd already explained everything to her and Im Soo-jin.
The existence of "Gotham."
How dangerous and vicious those bastards were.
I'd even told them they could go home if they wanted, but they stubbornly refused.
This was a chance to gain experience, or so they said.
"You bastard!"
Pazzzik!
Floa spotted me and charged over with tremendous momentum, sparks flying.
"Long time no see?"
Just like back in the trial.
As if to vent her frustration at not being able to hit me directly.
Kwaaaaa!
She thrust her fist at me with incredible speed.
I furrowed my brow slightly.
"That's a rough welcome."
Floa.
The only one I spoke casually to.
Now, even that side of her felt endearing.
Hwaruruk!
I immediately slammed the God-Slaying Staff into the ground.
At the same time.
Tudududuk!
Four skeletons rose from the floor.
"Sun, Eldrin, Kaden, Dana."
Given the situation, I'd even called Eldrin.
I didn't like losing to her either.
"Uhya! Nice!"
As the distance closed with Floa, I transformed my weapon into a spear.
At the same time.
Kung!
Kaden drove Behemoth's Bone Shield into the ground.
Dana positioned herself behind it.
Taat! Tatat!
Eldrin and Sun dashed to the flanks.
And I.
Swish.
Slipped into the shadows.
"What?!"
In front of Floa, only Kaden's shield remained.
Her flanks opened up as she failed to slow down in her panic.
Whoosh!
Sun's Sun Chain Strike.
Shushushung!
Eldrin's Advanced Rapid Fire poured in.
"Eh, ehhh? Wait a sec?"
Sorry, but these aren't your average bones.
They're absolutes who devoured the final bosses of other worlds.
And now they could use up to 50% of their power.
Not just that?
They were all dragon bone—tough as hell.
But.
"No need to hold back. She won't die from that—just hit her."
"As you command, my lord."
Hwooung! Hwoong!
Sun stabbed at Floa with all his might.
Kwaaaaang!
Floa smashed headlong into Kaden's shield at full speed.
It felt like watching an electric monster body-slam.
"Krhm?"
Kaden grunted as if struggling to hold.
Healing from Dana rained down on him.
"Hey hey hey, this is cheating... gang-up!"
"Who told you to charge in like that?"
Sssit!
My spear appeared behind her, aiming precisely at her nape.
That made it 2:0?
"......"
We could have kept going if we wanted.
But neither she nor I did.
Just like how I skipped Dana's 3-second invincibility Radiance or the buffs from the other bones to save cooldowns.
She wasn't showing her full power either.
Just a light greeting.
"......Insane!"
Kwon So-ye, who'd watched it all, gasped in shock.
"Wow, all that in 5 seconds. Is this what heavenly realm combat looks like?"
At least Kwon So-ye reacted like that—better than nothing.
"......!"
Im Soo-jin next to her was tense, swallowing hard.
Not just her—the old guy Maximilian had half-drawn his sword in surprise.
Gi So-yul had fully drawn her dagger, radiating killing intent.
I hurriedly wrapped it up to calm everyone.
"Hey, you're scaring people like that."
Swish.
I withdrew the spear and chided her.
"Ahaha, sorry. Got too excited from how happy I was."
Floa finally came to her senses, pazzzik! reabsorbing the sparks.
Whew.
Every time I saw it, she was like an electric eel.
"But cut me some slack. When else am I gonna get to attack you? You'll shoot up to the top ranks soon anyway. Hahaha!"
Floa laughed heartily, scratching her head.
"Whew."
I sighed and gathered the hunters together.
Some were meeting for the first time.
Time for introductions.
* * *
[Space Sorcerer (Spacian) : Hey, team leader?]
[Space Sorcerer (Spacian) : Mind if I bring some folks from Idam too?]
[Space Sorcerer (Spacian) : Got rankers and some solid hunters. They'll help in the war.]
[Skeleton King : Who am I to stop you? Everyone's got grudges overflowing. Bring whoever wants to come.]
Starting with Floa, Kapu, and Maximilian.
Rankers began gathering one by one.
"I'm here. Luckily, the Japanese Association let me go without issue."
A cat beastkin arrived first.
"Whoa, Hoon! I'm here too! Those rotten bastards. Let's teach 'em a lesson!"
Soon after, Olena showed up.
She'd run into Judgment Spear at the airport on the way.
They entered together amiably.
Whoosh!
Judgment Spear dropped his spear tip.
"......We can't just let this slide."
He hadn't changed.
The spear blade he lowered gleamed murderously, demanding the villains be handed over.
"A mafia that toppled a nation. My spear wails for them."
Killing intent swirled in his eyes.
And last.
"Uwaaaaa!"
"Waaaaah!"
Suddenly, massive cheers erupted from afar.
The kind only thousands could make.
'They're here.'
Citizens scarred by national overthrow.
Those forced into the mafia to survive.
Russian hunters surged in like a massive wave.
Sssit!
And beside me.
Vladimir appeared via space magic, a welcome sight.
"T-team leader......"
His face mixed joy, gratitude, and pain.
He looked at me.
I shook my head.
"If you're gonna say thanks, save it. I'll collect on the help later."
Just looking at his face told me how tough things were.
No need for empty words.
Ssssit! Sssit!
Behind Vladimir, three burly figures appeared.
One was plump and chubby, the other two blond and silver-haired like brothers.
'Those guys.'
The brothers Vladimir had mentioned.
The possible traitors.
"Nice to meet you, bro!"
"Honor to meet bro's friends!"
Good grief.
I swallowed a laugh rising in my throat.
'Vladimir must be having a hard time.'
Had my experience grown that much?
I could read their thoughts just from their looks.
'All three.'
The uneasy emotions in their eyes.
The scent of betrayal.
Thanks to sensory training?
Restricting my senses had made reading emotions easier?
You know how they say experienced adults can tell at a glance.
That's how I felt.
But why hadn't Vladimir noticed?
'It happens.'
He'd probably sensed it but didn't want to believe.
Like not wanting to believe a lover's affair.
"You guys......"
Judgment Spear, however, couldn't let it pass.
Whoosh!
Zhang Wei aimed his deadly spear at them.
"You deliberately joined in mass slaughter?"
"......!"
Hiccup!
Vladimir's shoulders trembled.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"What are you talking about?"
"S-suddenly, to strangers? What mass slaughter? Out of nowhere?"
Naturally, the three denied it vehemently.
"Denying it......"
Judgment Spear's eyes narrowed.
"For spies, your acting is quite amateurish."
"......"
Step.
Vladimir quietly walked toward Judgment Spear then.
Back turned to the trio.
His closed eyes trembled, as if barely holding back an emotional storm.
As expected.
Had he already suspected?
"B-bro?"
"What's with the reaction?"
"Spies? What do you mean? And with our abilities, how could we even do mass slaughter?"
Hic!
One let out a hiccup.
"Hup!"
Another held his breath.
Why?
"......"
"......"
Because.
They realized thousands of Idam members were watching them.
"Eek! Wh-what...... so many hunters?"
"We really know nothing. We have no idea why this is happening."
The trio kept denying.
Whoosh!
But Judgment Spear didn't stop.
Instead.
He scanned the thousands of surrounding hunters and began selecting with his spear.
"You, you, and you."
Like picking fish at a market.
Indeed.
Were they all spies?
The chosen ones looked around bewildered, faces saying why them.
'Hmm.'
Now even I was intrigued.
The trio I could sense from experience.
But how was he picking the others so confidently?
Wasn't his Judgment Spear skill about motives only after kills?
Could just selling info trigger it?
[Judgment Spear : Come to think of it, I forgot to mention something.]
[Judgment Spear : Like Kapu said, I leveled up my 'Eyes of Judgment' (SS Grade) skill.]
[Judgment Spear : It used to show how many people someone killed and why.]
[Judgment Spear : Now it reveals involvement or intent even without kills.]
[Judgment Spear : Extremely satisfying skill.]
'Crazy.'
What kind of skill is that?
Practically a skill to preemptively cut crime at the root?
'And.'
Even more shocking.
'Used an SS-Grade Gift Box just for 'Eyes of Judgment'?'
A choice I could never imagine.
Judgment Spear really was mad for judgment?
[Water Witch : Crazy......]
[Absolute Unmatched : You seriously leveled that? Judging villains over ranking up?]
[Spring Apostle : Whoa, beyond imagination?]
[Water Witch : Can't even think bad thoughts in front of Judgment Spear now. Does it read minds or something?]
[Judgment Spear : Regrettably, no.]
Hey.
Regrettably?
'Anyway.'
Thanks to Judgment Spear's eccentric personality, things resolved smoothly.
One, two, three.
......
Twenty, thirty, forty.
Judgment Spear silently speared them out.
"Th-this."
"Crazy?!"
The picked ones' faces turned pale.
Why pale?
'They know.'
Too accurately picked.
That itself was proof.
Even if most didn't know each other, some spies among the crowd would recognize.
Idam members, grasping the situation, herded them to the center.
"......You were a traitor too?"
"These...... fucking bastards. Not content with villainy, now harassing citizens just trying to survive?"
"Worm-like scum! No wonder you follow the Worm King!"
Soon, the space filled with malice.
In the center, 50 hunters gathered.
'50 out of thousands......'
Few? Many?
[Space Sorcerer (Spacian) : Thanks, Judgment Spear.]
At that moment.
Vladimir, eyes closed in silence, opened them.
[Space Sorcerer (Spacian) : I'll handle it from here.]
Grind!
His teeth ground loudly.
[Space Sorcerer (Spacian) : Gotta clean out the worms before a proper fight.]