Chapter 42
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: I Became the Last of the Giant Clan
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His five senses had been heightened to an extreme by the awakened power of the giant.
Those senses reacted to the ferocious aura emanating from far away, causing his body to tremble.
In the midst of it, Kang Hyuk muttered to himself.
"...Warlord. So that bastard was the overlord of this area."
He hardened his expression.
Something was off.
No matter how prolific orcs were in breeding—enough to make others weep in envy—the number of orcs present here was abnormal.
"But a Warlord... If the orcs have a king, then this many makes sense."
A monster among monsters that had earned a B-rank rating.
The king of orcs, said to surpass even ogres and crush them.
If such a being was here, all the mysteries so far would be explained.
"And that Warlord is facing off against Yoon Hee-na. No matter that she's a B-rank hunter right now, she can't take down a B-rank boss monster alone."
Having thought that far, Kang Hyuk tried to communicate with the Association through the mana communicator attached to his ear.
Chiik...
But for some reason, there was no response from Headquarters Chief Lee Hyun-wook.
Kang Hyuk's face soured.
"Did something happen at the Association? Or... did they go to support Arena?"
Gazing toward the Association's encampment with his senses sharpened by the giant's power, Kang Hyuk judged the latter more likely.
"I can smell blood only from the direction where Team Leader Yoon Hee-na is. That means the Association wasn't attacked—they went to provide support."
With that, he began assessing the forces.
The Association and Arena. And the orc legion.
Supreme Commander Lee Hyun-wook and Ice Princess Yoon Hee-na.
Versus the Warlord's forces.
His conclusion made him furrow his brow.
"...Slightly, but the Warlord's side has the advantage. Even with Supreme Commander Lee Hyun-wook there, his abilities are buffs, not combat-oriented. Factoring that in... even if the Association went to support them, they're likely to be overwhelmed by the enemy's numbers."
Kang Hyuk closed his eyes, deep in thought.
"Hunters grow stronger by killing monsters. And conversely, monsters grow stronger by killing hunters."
With that worry in mind, Kang Hyuk started walking.
"So... if the Association and Arena fall to the Warlord, who knows how far that thing will grow. In that case."
His eyes gleamed.
"I'll hunt it down before that happens."
In the meantime, Kang Na-eun, who had been facing off against the troll, tilted her head.
"Team Leader? Why...?"
Just as she moved to block Kang Hyuk from stepping forward, an explosion rang out.
"...!"
At the same time, blood and flesh sprayed, and something collapsed.
Kang Na-eun's mouth fell open in shock.
"Wh-what?"
The head of the troll—the second ruler of the green-skins who had been firing those projectiles just moments ago—had vanished without a trace.
As she stood there gaping, unable to speak, Kang Hyuk issued a new order.
"From this moment, the detachment and I are splitting up."
The troll's death was shocking enough, but Kang Hyuk's incomprehensible order left everyone wearing stunned expressions.
They were on the verge of reaching the stele, the goal of this expedition.
Splitting the detachment's forces at such a moment?
But Kang Hyuk's subsequent explanation made everyone forget their doubts and harden their faces.
"Mana communication with the Association's main force is currently down."
"...!"
"Something must have happened to the main force. Given the faint smell of blood, it seems trouble has struck."
Kang Na-eun asked,
"D-does that mean... the main force left at the encampment was attacked?"
"Not certain. That's why I'm heading back to the main force to assess the situation."
The Association's team leaders snapped out of their daze and exchanged glances before shouting.
"E-even so, Team Leader Kang!"
"If you split off now, the detachment will be in danger too!"
Kang Hyuk turned his gaze toward the shouts.
The team leaders flinched involuntarily at his sunken eyes and shut their mouths.
"You're right. If I leave, everyone here could be in danger. But."
"..."
"On the flip side, all the battles we've fought to get here were victories you all achieved without me. In other words, you have the power to fulfill the quest conditions on your own."
"...B-but."
"And I'm not leaving without basis. Among the monsters my senses detect, there are no particularly strong ones. Even if there's something hidden beyond my senses, you all can at least escape."
The team leaders rolled their eyes, unable to refute.
As they trembled with unease, Kang Na-eun stepped forward, recovered from the earlier shock.
"You sure about that, Team Leader?"
"Dead sure."
"...Then go."
The team leaders cried out in surprise.
"...K-Kang Na-eun!"
"Shut it, 4th Team Leader. Are you saying we should abandon the main force to save our own skins?"
"Th-that's not—!"
"If not, then stay quiet. You think the Team Leader's going out for fun? He's heading into a place that might be even more dangerous than here."
Faced with her sharp rebuke, the 4th Team Leader backed down.
Kang Na-eun looked up at Kang Hyuk and said,
"Don't worry, come back safe. We'll do our best, and if we can't destroy the stele... we'll hole up somewhere."
Kang Hyuk let out a smirk.
"No matter where you hide, I'll find you."
Kang Na-eun smiled at his response.
Kang Hyuk then pulled out a teleport scroll.
At that moment, Lee Ye-sol hesitated before calling out.
"T-Team Leader!"
But Kang Hyuk's figure was already enveloped in light.
Her unspoken words were swallowed back.
'Be careful... come back safe.'
Returning to the encampment via the teleport scroll from Headquarters Chief Lee Hyun-wook, Kang Hyuk looked around.
The Association's main force, half its 200 members gone, came into view.
"Huh? Team Leader Kang?"
The 8th Team Leader at the encampment spotted him and approached.
"Already done? The stele?"
Instead of answering, Kang Hyuk scanned the encampment.
Confirming Supreme Commander Lee Hyun-wook was absent, he asked back.
"Where's the Headquarters Chief?"
"Headquarters Chief...?"
"And the rest of the remaining forces are gone too."
The 8th Team Leader stammered,
"A few hours ago..."
After hearing the explanation, Kang Hyuk narrowed his eyes.
"Tusinjeon... got completely wiped out?"
"...I can't believe it either, but that's what it looks like. A Tusinjeon streamer who got teleported out said so."
He added urgently,
"Where's that streamer?"
"Follow me. But... keep this quiet. Everyone's on edge as it is."
Kang Hyuk nodded, and the 8th Team Leader led the way.
Inside Headquarters Chief Lee Hyun-wook's tent.
There, they found Tusinjeon's nutuber trembling uncontrollably.
She didn't look well, so Kang Hyuk hesitated briefly, but given the circumstances, he approached and asked,
"Mind if I talk to you for a bit?"
Tusinjeon's nutuber, Lee Ye-min, looked up.
Seeing the man's cautious gaze, her eyes widened.
"Eh? Huh? Giant Kang Hyuk?"
"Not a giant, but yes... Kang Hyuk. Mind if I hear what happened?"
At his question, Lee Ye-min forgot her recent terror and flustered.
She explained as he requested, but the story was jumbled and inconsistent.
As Kang Hyuk's expression soured, he noticed the camera beside her.
"Can I take a look at this?"
Both Lee Ye-min and the 8th Team Leader watching from behind lit up.
"Y-yes! Not sure if it captured everything, but... I filmed as much as I could!"
With permission, Kang Hyuk turned on the camera.
A man's face appeared.
'Tusinjeon's raid leader, Jung Jae-hong... that guy.'
Reportedly a B-rank hunter.
A promising prospect with high expectations.
Most of the footage showed his combat.
Fast-forwarding through it, Kang Hyuk soon frowned.
'Why fight so recklessly?'
His combat style didn't suit a B-rank hunter.
Endless battles without rest.
Mana poured out excessively.
If he were just a regular fighter, fine—but as raid leader responsible for a whole party, and a mage needing precise mana control, it was way off.
'No cuts in the film, so no edits. He really fought like this? Even a B-rank shouldn't have mana left...'
His concern proved right.
[Huh?]
A hand shot out from the darkness.
It snatched and devoured Jung Jae-hong.
[H-huh!!]
Hell unfolded.
Kang Hyuk's face crumpled.
[What is that!]
[M-monster!!!]
[Everyone run!! We can't do this!]
Without their commander, Tusinjeon couldn't make sound decisions, and the hunters fell to the orcs and Warlord without proper resistance.
The main forces of Korea's top guild.
'What an idiot!'
A disaster that could have been avoided with better mana management by Jung Jae-hong.
One foolish commander's greed led to the worst outcome.
[Kraaah!!!]
The Warlord roared after devouring the hunters.
The camera in Kang Hyuk's hand cracked slightly under his grip.
"...!"
As the 8th Team Leader and Lee Ye-min eyed him nervously, Kang Hyuk composed himself and muttered,
"...Get some rest."
He exited the tent.
Snapping to, the 8th Team Leader hurried after him and shouted,
"T-Team Leader Kang! Where are you going?!"
"To the site. To help Headquarters Chief Lee Hyun-wook."
The 8th Team Leader fell silent.
'After seeing that, he's going to the site?'
Tusinjeon's raid, from Korea's No. 1 guild, was annihilated.
Heading to the site in such a situation was incomprehensible.
'What difference will going make? Besides...'
The place Lee Hyun-wook went to support Arena was hundreds of kilometers away.
That's why even he had used strenuous teleportation.
'No matter S-rank, he won't teleport there... run? That make sense?'
Meanwhile, Kang Hyuk thought amid the thickening stench of blood.
'The Warlord that ate Tusinjeon. Lee Hyun-wook and Yoon Hee-na alone can't stop it.'
And if they fell, it would grow again.
This C-rank gate would surpass B-rank and hit A-rank.
'An A-rank gate called a calamity. At that point, we might have to abandon Jeju Island. But.'
If he arrived in time to help Yoon Hee-na and Lee Hyun-wook, he could prevent the disaster.
'A D-rank hunter normally wouldn't help. But with S-rank talent, the giant's power, it surely will.'
So he had to reach the site in time.
Before Yoon Hee-na and Lee Hyun-wook fell.
But no easy way to shorten the travel time came to mind.
'No matter how fast, can't just charge blindly without direction. Then how...'
As he pondered, Kang Hyuk suddenly looked up.
Meeeoooow!!!
A familiar cry echoed.
Wings blotting out the sun appeared, and Kang Hyuk curled his lips.
'Time race: my victory.'
She barely dodged the downward strike.
"Team Leader Yoon!"
A familiar voice from afar.
Boosted by Supreme Commander Lee Hyun-wook's buff.
"H-Hunter Association?"
"It's Supreme Commander Lee Hyun-wook!"
"The Association's archangel is here!"
Arena, crushed by fear and despair, erupted in cheers.
Yoon Hee-na, having widened the gap with the Warlord, panted as Lee Hyun-wook shouted again.
"Everyone, form up! They outnumber us, but we can hold them!"
Not just Association hunters, but Arena hunters too moved to obey.
Kraaah!!
The orcs hesitated at the sudden shift in morale, letting out cries instead of charging.
Lee Hyun-wook clutched his throbbing heart, narrowing his eyes.
Teleporting the Association's forces here had cost him immense mana.
'...Some mana left, but I can't provide proper support like this.'
His gaze fell on the massive being glaring at him, arms crossed.
'Warlord... king of orcs.'
Monster names often derive from appearance or form.
In that sense, calling it the king of orcs was a very special 'naming.'
'Monsters titled 'king' are B-rank or higher. Naming reserved for the worst of the worst. And...'
This Warlord was the first to earn that title.
'The B-rank gate in Washington, USA. The one that emerged destroyed half the capital of a hunter powerhouse nation. And this Warlord before me...'
Possessed far greater power than that one.
Lee Hyun-wook's expression darkened inevitably.
'Can we really hold it with this force?'
B-rank hunter Yoon Hee-na was here, but it was unpredictable.
He and Yoon Hee-na, with depleted mana, couldn't fully handle that horde and the Warlord.
But he shelved the worry.
'No choice but to fight.'
An unavoidable situation.
More deliberation here was pointless.
His ability activated.
"Hup!"
A-rank buff ability.
Grace of Light manifested.
"...Archangel!"
"The angel has descended!"
"Headquarters Chief Lee Hyun-wook's power is active!"
Cleaving through the overcast sky, a great angel descended.
The six-winged angel pushed back the monsters and showered light on the hunters.
[What a repulsive stench.]
The Warlord ground its teeth, watching.
It hurled the club in its hand at Lee Hyun-wook.
Bam!
But Yoon Hee-na had leaped in and deflected it.
The Warlord's eyes narrowed at the sight.
[Are you the intruder?]
Yoon Hee-na tilted her head at the question.
"Intruder?"
[They yapped about it. A human massacring my people while I secluded myself.]
Yoon Hee-na's expression turned ambiguous.
She had killed quite a few orcs coming here, but not to the point of 'massacre.'
[Doesn't matter. Intruder or not, you're both dying today anyway.]
The Warlord punched the ground.
Kwajijik!!
The earth shattered, and rising black mist enveloped the battlefield in an instant.
"What?"
As someone cried out in surprise, the angel created by Lee Hyun-wook lost form.
"Wh-what!"
The shocked hunters gaped as the black mist that devoured the angel solidified into a barrier.
Yoon Hee-na and Lee Hyun-wook's eyes widened at the bizarre phenomenon.
'A barrier?'
'How can an orc... wield such advanced magic?'
Totally unexpected.
As their mouths hung open, the Warlord stepped forward.
[Now, let's begin.]
Over ten thousand orcs bellowed ferociously.
[A battle of kill or be killed.]
With those roars, the ground shook and the air warped as the advance began.
The Warlord let out a savage laugh.
[A war that ends only when one side is annihilated completely!]