Chapter 20
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Became the Last of the Giant Clan
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"If this had been a real battle, you would've just died, Kang Na-eun."
Those words snapped Kang Na-eun out of her daze.
She hurriedly stepped back, replaying the recent memory.
'Wh-what just happened?'
The glimpse of death she'd seen in an instant—a massive, irresistible presence—flashed through her mind.
'I felt that just from a single punch?'
Incredulous, she clenched her fist.
Cold sweat beaded on her skin, reminding her that sensation hadn't been a lie.
"Wh-what just happened?"
The onlookers, who had been watching the spar, murmured in shock.
A crack had appeared in the D-Rank mage's barrier surrounding the arena.
"With one punch..."
"It cracked that barrier?"
Exclamations rippled through the stunned silence that fell over the arena.
All eyes turned to the lone man standing in the center.
"Shall we end the spar here?"
Kang Hyuk asked in the meantime.
Kang Na-eun's eyes widened, and she forced strength into her still-trembling hand.
She exhaled sharply, steadying her racing heartbeat.
"Thank you for going easy on me."
She bowed deeply, her waist bending to a full 45 degrees.
Kang Hyuk's lips curved into a smile at the sight.
"So from now on, I'll give you my all."
In her, he'd glimpsed the essence of the future S-Rank hunter he knew.
With a nod, he gestured for her to continue.
His signal furrowed her brow.
'Foolish. To provoke someone with S-Rank talent, the kind called miraculous.'
She acknowledged her opponent, her eyes gleaming with resolve.
'He's no rookie. He's one of the world's 36 monsters. I need to go all out.'
With light steps, she advanced.
In that instant, her figure vanished.
"...!"
Ordinary spectators' eyes bulged, unable to track her; even the hunters narrowed their gazes.
Bam!
Kang Na-eun reappeared before Kang Hyuk's face, unleashing a strike.
In response to the sharp thrust, he unleashed his power.
Power of the Last Giant Clan has been activated.
You have acquired Giant's Vision.
Power of the Last Giant Clan: 3%
The movement of the spear, which shouldn't have been visible, transmitted directly into his vision and mind.
With minimal motion, Kang Hyuk evaded the strike.
But the attack didn't end there.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kang Na-eun pressed on with blinding speed, leaving afterimages.
Kang Hyuk murmured in subtle admiration.
'She's E-Rank now, but this is the talent that reaches S-Rank in the future.'
The thrill of real combat after so long lifted the corner of his mouth.
Within it, he unleashed another power.
Power of the Last Giant Clan has been activated.
You have acquired Giant's Footwork.
Power of the Last Giant Clan: 3%
As the Giant's power activated, his footing lightened.
He effortlessly dodged the spear thrusting from a blind angle.
The crowd gaped at the near-miraculous evasion.
"...Huh?"
"N-No way... He dodged all of them?"
"He's not even moving? Just tilting his head while standing in place?"
Murmurs of bewilderment spread as the spar unfolded contrary to expectations.
Most had favored Kang Na-eun to dominate.
Even with S-Rank talent, she was a veteran hunter with two years of association experience, battle-hardened.
It was hard to imagine her crumbling against a newbie.
'Plus, Kang Na-eun's talent is incredible too.'
'B-Rank judgment—nothing to scoff at compared to S-Rank.'
Thus, they'd predicted Kang Hyuk's S-Rank talent wouldn't suffice for his debut spar.
Yet reality flipped the script.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Kang Hyuk dodged Kang Na-eun's fierce strikes with absurd ease.
Strikes too fast for even seasoned hunters to follow fully.
'...Shouldn't it be the other way around?'
'Kang Na-eun dodging while toying with him...'
'Kang Hyuk flailing desperately for one hit...'
As murmurs faded into rapt focus, Kang Na-eun seized the opening.
She thrust again.
Whoosh!
A feint mixed with variables.
Using an afterimage to conceal the true strike aimed at Kang Hyuk.
"...!"
But he ignored the feint, twisting his head to evade the real attack.
This confirmed it for Kang Na-eun.
'He's... seeing my attacks and dodging?'
The man before her could pierce every one of her strikes.
That's why he evaded them all with such minimal motion.
She couldn't help but be stunned.
Even with S-Rank talent, could someone truly see and dodge strikes honed over years?
"..."
Shaking off the thought, she retreated.
Steadying her ragged breath, her eyes sharpened.
'Don't overthink it. If that were possible, her earlier punch wouldn't make sense either.'
Hunter talents defied common sense.
And this man was an S-Rank talent beyond even that.
'Treat him as an unwinnable foe... a monster. Attack accordingly.'
Resolved, she closed and opened her eyes.
In that moment.
"...!"
Red dots appeared around Kang Hyuk's body.
Her talent, One Strike Vital Points, had activated—revealing her opponent's weaknesses.
Whoosh!
Kang Na-eun lunged swiftly.
Kang Hyuk narrowed his eyes at the changed movement.
'Activated her talent.'
For the first time, he moved to evade.
Boom!
The ground where he'd stood shattered, debris flying.
Without respite, the spear relentlessly targeted his arms and thighs.
To those deadly strikes, Kang Hyuk smirked.
'One Strike Vital Points. The talent that made her an S-Rank hunter. It uncovers weaknesses in any object or creature.'
And now.
She was fixating on his thighs and elbows, unbuffed by the Giant's power.
'Judged those as weak points via One Strike Vital Points?'
He nodded in thought.
Getting hit there without Giant's power would hurt considerably.
'In that case...'
His eyes gleamed.
'Use those "weak points" against her.'
For the first time, he advanced.
"Hup!"
Kang Na-eun prepared her counter.
Boom!
Debris erupted from his stomp.
A temporary wall formed between them; she exploited the gap, thrusting her spear.
"Hah!"
"Blocking his vision since he dodges too well?"
The crowd gasped at the clever tactic, using the terrain ingeniously.
But Kang Cheol-woo, the Demonic Power God.
The S-Rank hunter saw differently.
'That blocks Na-eun's vision too.'
His eyes lit up watching Kang Hyuk.
'And he didn't panic.'
As she thrust through the debris gap, certainty swelled.
This strike would surely hit the monstrous rookie.
But the moment Kang Hyuk stirred his power, her confidence shattered into shock.
Power of the Last Giant Clan has been activated.
You have acquired Giant's Skin.
Power of the Last Giant Clan: 3%
The spear grazed his elbow.
But the expected result didn't follow.
"What?"
As debris settled, Kang Hyuk's elbow reappeared.
The red dot—deemed his weakness by One Strike Vital Points—was gone.
'Th-the weak point vanished?'
She let out a sharp cry of alarm, panicking.
Her razor focus broke.
In that gap, Kang Hyuk slammed down on her spear-wielding wrist.
"Agh!"
Pain like a sledgehammer blow made her scream and drop the spear.
As she crumpled.
Kang Hyuk's fist halted before her nose once more.
Whoosh!
A massive gust rippled.
Her short brown bob whipped in the wind.
Her mouth fell open amid the silence.
"..."
Moments passed; Kang Hyuk withdrew his fist.
He extended a hand, pulling her forcibly to her feet.
"That was a good spar."
The words brought her back to reality.
She glanced at her dropped spear and at Kang Hyuk, untouched by sweat.
"Win or lose, I gained a lot from this. As a senior in the field, the movements you showed me taught me much."
He bowed his head.
Overwhelmed by shame, she averted her gaze, unable to bear it.
'...If he says it like that, what does that make me?'
As she bit her lip in irrefutable defeat.
Clap, clap, clap...
Applause echoed from somewhere.
"...?"
Not just the stunned crowd—Kang Hyuk and Kang Na-eun turned toward the sound.
Their eyes widened.
"An excellent match."
The Hunter Association President.
Kang Cheol-woo, father to Kang Na-eun, the one who'd just sparred, stood there.
"D-Dad?"
Kang Na-eun murmured in surprise at his unexpected arrival.
Descending the platform, he ignored the stares and approached Kang Hyuk.
"I'd only seen your talent on video and was always curious. Now all my questions are answered. They called it S-Rank physical talent, so I thought you'd have an indestructible body like China's Sun Wukong. But..."
He trailed off, eyes gleaming.
"It's not that. Your true power isn't the body—it's the strength."
Kang Hyuk nodded slowly at the precise insight.
"Something like that."
"May I ask the name of that ability?"
"Giant's Power."
Kang Cheol-woo savored the terse reply.
His lips curved.
"Giant's Power... Giant's Power... Yes. A perfect name. True giant's power—crushing everything."
Baring his fangs in a grin, he suddenly exuded fierce aura.
"...!"
Kang Hyuk narrowed his eyes at the pressure.
Kang Cheol-woo spoke.
In that instant.
"In that vein, 1st Team Leader. Spar with me..."
Beeeep-!
A sudden red alert blared.
"What the?"
Everyone in the arena whipped around toward the sound.
An emergency broadcast rang out.
[Gate. A gate has occurred.]
[Breaking news, breaking news. An E-Rank gate has occurred at Gangnam M High School.]
The blaring announcement accompanied the red alert.
The crowd's eyes widened in shock.
"A gate?"
"Move! Assess the situation and check available teams—now!"
They scrambled to their roles and duties.
Kang Cheol-woo fell silent, turning his gaze.
He pondered, then murmured.
"...Pleasure deferred. 1st Team Leader, we have an incident."
Looking down at Kang Hyuk, he asked.
"How about you handle this gate yourself?"
The casual bombshell stunned onlookers.
Secretary General Lee Ye-jin hurried over in alarm.
But he raised a hand to halt her, speaking again.
"Gangnam's your sector. You've warmed up with the spar—perfect debut. What do you say?"
"..."
"If you're not confident, no pressure. You haven't finished training. Up to you."
Kang Hyuk feigned contemplation in silence.
Not from doubt.
'Accepting immediately looks bad.'
He was still a rookie without real combat experience.
'No need to drag it out, though.'
Ending the pause, he replied.
"If you entrust it to me, I'll do my utmost."
Kang Cheol-woo nodded.
"Contact the situation control room. Dispatch 1st Team Leader and his team for this gate."
He gestured.
"Don't overdo it on your first real op. If it's too much, rely on Na-eun and your team."
Kang Hyuk gave a light bow.
He turned and left with his 1st Team members.
Lee Ye-jin approached immediately.
"P-President! Even so, sending him on his first real mission so hastily... Isn't the risk too great?"
To her question, Kang Cheol-woo watched Kang Hyuk's retreating figure with his team.
"It is. That's why he needs experience fast."
"What do you...?"
"I've focused on 1st Team Leader Kang Hyuk's S-Rank ability till now."
Kang Cheol-woo's eyes gleamed.
"But that spar showed me his weapon isn't just that one S-Rank power."
He bared his fangs.
"He's... a natural-born fighter."
Gazing at Kang Hyuk's back, he grinned wickedly.
"So he needs to fail. A catastrophic failure."