Chapter 30

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 30

Chapter Title: I Became the Last of the Giant Clan 30

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Abdullah panicked.

He couldn't make sense of the situation at all.

'What... what the hell?'

This dungeon wasn't a naturally occurring one.

It was an artificially created 'man-made dungeon.'

That's why ordinary hunters couldn't detect its presence due to the barrier erected outside.

In other words, the weirdo in front of him had no business being here.

'No way... a Tyrant Guild member? No. I don't recognize the face.'

Tension surged through him because of that.

No matter how he'd gotten in, the assassin's instincts screamed that this man was dangerous.

At that moment, his ability activated.

A D-rank ability rated as Shadow Step.

It was a supernatural power that allowed him to meld his body into any shadow present.

Shiiik!

Using that power, Abdullah instantly flanked Kang Hyuk and thrust his dagger forward.

Paat!

But it wasn't an ordinary dagger.

Crude though it was, it was one of the superhuman techniques called sword aura.

Infused with mana.

'Kill him in one blow! No mistakes!'

Just as Abdullah's dagger was about to sink into Kang Hyuk's nape along with that thought...

Meeuuu!!!

A baby Black Wyvern had appeared out of nowhere.

The wyvern bellowed, disrupting his balance.

"What?"

Abdullah's mouth fell open in shock.

Why was the offspring of a sky-dominating monster here of all places?

But he had no time for deep thought.

"Quick on your feet as ever, past or present."

His vision cut off along with the mutter.

"So I'll make sure you can't move a muscle."

A colossal pressure slammed him to the ground.

"Guh!"

Pain tore a groan from his lips.

Fragments of the shattered floor sprayed upward at the same time, but the pressure pinning him down showed no sign of letting up.

"Uwaaaah!"

It dug in.

Even as the ground crumbled, the pressure kept driving his body deeper.

His flesh couldn't withstand it, screaming as bones cracked with vivid sensation.

"Guh!"

Only when the nerves in his limbs severed did the agony finally end.

"...Kuh, kuhek."

Kang Hyuk, watching Abdullah amid it all, caught his breath.

And he muttered to himself.

'As expected, I can't reach the level I showed back then.'

Kang Hyuk had run several simulations to deal with Abdullah.

But the Abdullah from back then differed greatly from this one.

The future Abdullah who came to kill him was a C-rank assassin, while this one was barely scraping by as a D-rank hunter.

And a D-rank assassin couldn't threaten him in his current state.

'The Giant power enhanced after taking down the ogre. And Black. Even injured, a D-rank hunter's abilities aren't enough to threaten me.'

Amid it all, Abdullah screamed.

"Who... who the hell are you? A spy sent by America?"

Kang Hyuk grinned wickedly at the question.

Then he grabbed Abdullah's face again and slammed it down.

"Uwaaaah!"

"Shut your trap. I'm the one asking questions."

At those words, Abdullah barely lifted his gaze.

His lips trembled as he stared at the man with the black mask and blurred features, likely from magic.

'Who is he?'

He wandered the world on Xiao Ran's orders, yet he'd never heard of a hunter like this.

A hunter handling both tamer and physical abilities?

'To tame a baby Black Wyvern, he'd have to be at least A-rank. A hunter like that would definitely be on my list...'

Yet this hunter wielded physical abilities beyond taming.

He'd blocked the lethal strike earlier not with raw strength, but with an 'ability.'

That meant he was a dual-ability user, handling two powers. Such beings were nonexistent worldwide.

Abdullah couldn't wrap his head around it, and Kang Hyuk seized the opening to eye the black coffin.

'I know that black coffin.'

Old memories resurfaced with the mutter.

It was the site of the S-rank gate that razed the future capital of Korea.

Screams and death.

In that horrific scene of lives and fates hanging by a thread, he'd smashed that black altar again and again.

'The energy pouring from that black coffin sustained the 'S-rank gate.'

A memory he couldn't forget even if he tried.

So it wasn't a mistake.

The coffin before him matched the one he'd seen at Gwanghwamun perfectly in appearance.

'The only difference is that over a hundred were piled up at Gwanghwamun back then. Surprisingly... this coffin is identical to those.'

Kang Hyuk couldn't help but smirk.

The Chinese national-level hunter who doomed future Korea.

The fact that Abdullah, under Dragon God Xiao Ran's command, was trying to take that coffin meant the traitors knew its true nature all along.

'So they were the ones who moved it. Now the pieces fit.'

With that thought, Kang Hyuk muttered.

'They know how to open gates artificially. Through that coffin.'

Then he burst into laughter with a smile.

"Hahaha..."

As Abdullah's eyes darted about, Kang Hyuk slowly asked.

"Answer truthfully, and I'll spare your life."

"M-my life?"

"Yeah. I was gonna kill you, but I'll give you a chance. What's the role of that coffin? What does it do?"

Abdullah clamped his mouth shut at those words.

And hesitated.

'If I don't talk... this guy's gonna kill ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me.'

Instinctive hunch.

His only option was clear.

'Talk and live.'

He had no loyalty to Xiao Ran anyway.

He was just a hired mercenary; as long as his life was guaranteed, he could break any contract.

No need for honor here.

Just as Abdullah opened his mouth to answer...

"...!"

His throat suddenly constricted.

"Uwaaaah!"

At the same time, the tattoo on his bald head blazed fiercely.

Kang Hyuk's eyes flashed at the sight.

'A curse. Xiao Ran's ability.'

Meanwhile, Abdullah cried out desperately.

"M-Master!!! I wasn't gonna answer! I was gonna lie to escape! Please... just... spare my life... please!"

But the tattoo on his head burned even fiercer.

Kang Hyuk's hand gripping his throat slowly released.

"Ughhh..."

Abdullah foamed at the mouth and closed his eyes.

Kang Hyuk realized intuitively.

'He's dead.'

The assassin from the future who tried to kill him.

The infamous mercenary Shadow of Speed met an unexpected end.

A strange emotion stirred, but that was it.

He had no pity to spare for this money-mad killer.

'Murder, arson, kidnapping. Every crime under the sun. Trash.'

With that, Kang Hyuk turned his gaze.

And scanned the surroundings.

'Xiao Ran's curse activated... Does that mean he's nearby?'

He pondered, then shook his head.

No energy signature was felt.

'Then... probably because Abdullah violated the terms.'

His lips curled at the thought.

'Willing to curse and bind him just to protect the coffin's secret that badly?'

Then he slowly turned to the coffin in question.

A message appeared then.

The coffin's lid creaked open with the message.

Kang Hyuk's eyes gleamed.

'The future me never managed to open that coffin.'

Five traitors.

National-level hunters had interfered.

Seoul was swallowed into the abyss's darkness as the price of failure.

'But now. I'm staring at that coffin twenty years ahead of that future.'

A strange excitement gripped his body.

The perfect chance to thwart Korea's downfall—and those five national-level hunters' plans—was right before him.

'What the hell... is inside it?'

He leaned down to peer inside.

Kang Hyuk's eyes widened.

"...This is?"

China's Forbidden City.

Xiao Ran, overlooking Beijing from the upper floors of the massive control tower beside it, tilted his wine glass and muttered.

"He's dead."

Scales glinted faintly from beneath his dragon robe, flashing in the light.

"Failed the mission and died."

He set down the glass with a mutter.

And turned.

A secretary in a crisp suit bowed as if waiting.

"The dispatch team is assembled."

"...Risk of detection in Korea?"

"They'll infiltrate via the East Sea coast, so no major concerns, sir."

Xiao Ran muttered at that.

"Same as before."

"...?"

"That Middle Eastern mercenary would handle it perfectly. Bring me the best results. That's what I thought. But..."

His golden eyes flashed.

The secretary froze.

"What were the results?"

"Th-that..."

"Not only did the experiment fail, but the item itself was stolen. And we still don't know who took ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it."

Killing intent poured out.

The secretary dropped to his knees under the suffocating pressure.

"Xi-Xiao Ran, sir... mercy, please..."

"If criminals begged for forgiveness, why have laws, rules, or order?"

Xiao Ran raised his hand as he spoke.

At that instant.

Kwaduduk!

The secretary's neck twisted grotesquely.

The other secretaries' eyes wavered at their colleague's silent death.

"We'll dispose of it."

They dragged out the cold corpse impassively.

Xiao Ran flicked his tail peeking from his robe and muttered.

"Summon the Three Generals."

The remaining secretaries flinched.

"We must resolve this incident."

His golden eyes flashed again.

"Even if it means war with Korea, we'll recover that coffin."

The coffin was empty.

To be precise, it contained nothing.

"What?"

Kang Hyuk leaned in closer in confusion, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠still, nothing.

He furrowed his brow upon straightening up.

'Empty? Did they teleport it out before I opened it?'

No mana ripple suggested that.

A teleport spell would have left a detectable wave.

"Hmm..."

Stroking his chin, he eyed the floating message.

"Conditions were met clearly..."

As he muttered and looked back at the coffin...

Meeuuu!

Black fluttered off beside him.

Meeuuu!

Circling the air in distress.

"What's wrong, Black?" Kang Hyuk asked, puzzled.

Meeuuu!

"...?"

"Meeuuu!"

Kang Hyuk narrowed his eyes at Black's cries.

He peered into the coffin again.

"Something's in there?"

Meeuuu!

"...I don't see anything?"

Black dove into the coffin at the question.

Kang Hyuk reached out in alarm, but too late.

"What?"

Black vanished inside.

Frozen in shock, Kang Hyuk hesitantly called.

"Black...?"

Meeuuu!

The familiar cry echoed from beyond the coffin.

Snapping to, Kang Hyuk swallowed dryly without realizing.

'No way...'

Heart pounding, he stepped forward.

That instant.

"...!"

His senses and body blurred, a sensation like entering a gate overwhelming him.

Shocked, he opened his mouth as a massive roar resounded.

Krrawrawrawr!!!

The ogre's cry from earlier.

And also.

Chwiik!

Orcs' cries too.

Kang Hyuk steadied himself and looked around.

"... "

Towering dead trees.

Bushes reaching his waist.

Two suns in the sky.

Clearly not Earth, he muttered.

"...Another world?"