Chapter 61

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 61

Chapter Title: Became the Last of the Giant Clan 61

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Xiao Ran's incantation activated.

Thanks to that spell, Yang Chen gained power that surpassed his limits.

"Graaaargh!"

He had transformed into something beyond human classification, but it didn't matter.

'Kill him. I have to kill this bastard!'

In exchange, he had obtained the power of a beast.

The power itself.

Shweek!

Using that power, he lunged into Kang Hyuk's embrace in an instant.

Kang Hyuk, caught off guard by the unexpected move and losing a step, came to an abrupt halt. Yang Chen's jaws aimed straight for his nape.

But.

"...!"

What snapped wasn't Kang Hyuk's neck, but Yang Chen's two molars.

"...Grahhh!"

Yggdrasil's Mantle had moved to block Yang Chen's fangs.

As he screamed in disbelief at that impossible sight, Kang Hyuk asked a question.

"Where are your other comrades?"

A sliver of reason remaining in Yang Chen's mind reacted to those words.

"From what I know, you bastards move in groups of three, right?"

It was a secret known only to his master.

That secret had been exposed.

The moment his eyes widened in realization.

"...!"

Another inscribed spell activated.

Boom!

A pale, indistinct something burst out amid the exploding flesh.

Kang Hyuk's eyes narrowed at the sight.

Fwosh!

In that interval, the pale something that had escaped Yang Chen's body streaked through the air toward somewhere.

To block its path, Kang Hyuk swung his fist.

Bam!

Yet the giant's power, capable of striking anything in this world, had no effect on that pale something.

'The giant's power doesn't work on it... Does that mean it's a soul inscribed with a spell?'

The body was dead.

Proof of that: no life force could be felt from Yang Chen's corpse.

But from that something that had escaped the body, the life force previously emanating from it pulsed strongly.

'Xiao Ran... So it's a soul modified by that bastard's spells.'

He nodded in realization.

It was entirely possible for that vile dragon.

Kang Hyuk glanced around the scene for a moment before picking up the unconscious Kang Na-eun and thinking.

'As expected... Things are proceeding just as I anticipated.'

A hunter capable of beast transformation.

Among them, the one so deeply inscribed with Xiao Ran's spells was one of the Three Generals.

That guy alone.

'He must have seized this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠labyrinth dungeon as the opportunity to reclaim the coffin. No matter how bold Xiao Ran is, he can't recklessly scheme against me right now.'

Having thought that far, Kang Hyuk curled the corner of his mouth upward.

"...Then this is my chance."

He murmured while gazing into the darkness beyond.

"The perfect chance to take down Xiao Ran's dog."

They must have chosen this labyrinth dungeon to handle the matter in secret.

'Mutant gates cut off all communication with the outside. They planned to use that to take the coffin back from me.'

No matter how promising a hunter the Dragon God Xiao Ran was in China, he hadn't yet ascended to a position of unchecked power.

In the midst of that, threatening him—the focus of not only Korea's attention but the world's gaze—would have been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too burdensome.

'So they tried to settle it discreetly using the gate's unique advantages. Inside a gate where external communication is severed, anything can happen, and the sudden death of an S-Rank talent is entirely plausible.'

But they had overlooked one thing.

'That the gate's advantages apply to me as well.'

All outside communication and connections were severed.

In other words, the Three Generals who came to retrieve the coffin—or Xiao Ran's assassin known as the Dog General—could receive no external aid.

'No matter how unnatural Xiao Ran's spells are, they can't defy the gate's laws. Especially not the current Xiao Ran.'

That made this an opportunity.

A chance to easily dispose of the Three Generals without Xiao Ran's support.

'Even I can't confidently claim superiority over a Three General backed by Xiao Ran. But... if that Three General lacks Xiao Ran's aid, I can deal with him effortlessly.'

Thus, Kang Hyuk twisted the corner of his mouth upward.

The trap they had dug had turned into an advantage for him instead.

But he didn't let his guard down.

'Under Xiao Ran's orders, he's a mad dog that wouldn't hesitate even at death. If things go wrong, I can't predict what he'll do.'

So he had to eliminate him quickly.

The atrocities a mad dog unbound by common sense could commit would surpass imagination.

'In the end, it's a race against time. Whether I catch him first, or he pulls off his scheme first.'

Having thought that far, Kang Hyuk took a deep breath.

Then he closed his eyes and drew upon his power.

In that instant.

With the activation of the giant's power came the awakening of a sixth sense.

That transcendent, alien sensation gathered and delivered every piece of information from the labyrinth to Kang Hyuk.

"... "

Raising his head within it, Kang Hyuk gazed in one direction and curled his lips.

"...Over there."

The faint stench of dog shit wafted toward him.

"...!"

Yang Chen halted while exploring the labyrinth's paths.

Then he gaped in shock.

"What?"

Sudden pain surged through him.

The information conveyed within it.

Those details replayed repeatedly in his mind, vividly transmitting exactly what his other "self" had endured.

He couldn't believe it.

"My third self... died? And to an... S-Rank talent?"

But the scenes vividly depicted in his mind told a story no different from what he understood.

'He really died... Erased by the S-Rank talent Kang Hyuk.'

Once confirmed as truth, he ground his teeth.

"Damn Bangzi bastards... Hiding intel like this."

Even if the soul was divided, that didn't diminish its strength.

Objectively, his other self that fell to Kang Hyuk was at least on par with a B-Rank hunter.

Yet in the memory's scene, that other self—which rivaled a B-Rank hunter—vanished after just a few exchanges.

'Even after activating Lord Xiao Ran's spell! That means... Korea's S-Rank talent possesses far greater strength than we anticipated. But...'

Yang Chen momentarily doubted if that was even possible.

'That S-Rank talent... He's a rookie hunter with less than a year under his belt. That punk taking down another me who rivals a B-Rank hunter?'

For hunters, talent was the measure of strength.

But no matter how high that measure, limits existed.

'Less than a year in... And he crushes a B-Rank hunter equivalent... Does that even make sense?'

There had been hunters with astonishing growth rates before, but even they grew within the bounds of common sense.

Yet the glimpse of Korea's S-Rank talent's power he had just seen was hard for Yang Chen to accept within his common sense.

'Even our great sovereign... Took three years to reach B-Rank hunter level.'

Yet Kang Hyuk matched—even rivaled—that sovereign's strength.

Yang Chen furrowed his brow but shook his head.

There were questions about the memory, but information inscribed in the soul couldn't be wrong.

Meanwhile, rumors he'd gathered about the S-Rank talent while collecting intel now lent credence to this information.

'Image making. I thought it was just that much... But now I have to assume all those stories are true and act accordingly.'

A cold, rational judgment.

Yang Chen pondered how to pressure an S-Rank that exceeded expectations.

'Hmm...'

He wasn't a hunter driven by justice.

Nor a warrior fueled by competitive spirit.

He was a rabid dog among rabid dogs, one who could devour garbage at his master's command.

And that rabid dog would do anything to fulfill his master's orders.

'Originally, the plan was to stealthily locate the S-Rank talent, pry the coffin's location, or kill him... But with things like this, no need for a head-on fight.'

With that thought, Yang Chen curled his lips.

'Better to grab elements that pressure him moderately and shape the battlefield to my advantage. Much safer.'

A variable had arisen, but controlling variables was an assassin's job.

And he was at the pinnacle of assassins.

Meaning he could commit any filthy act for his goal.

Having thought that far, Yang Chen raised his head and looked ahead.

"... "

A girl with strikingly pale skin entered his view.

The awakened sixth sense.

Relying on that sense, Kang Hyuk pressed forward relentlessly.

Krwaaaargh!

Countless traps and monsters confronted him along the way.

But nothing halted his steps.

Boom boom!

Exploding traps were blocked by Yggdrasil's Mantle draped over his shoulders.

Thud!

The salamander spewing flames was reduced to embers by the giant's power and vanished.

His contribution points piled up at a frightening rate, and the labyrinth dungeon gradually faded.

But Kang Hyuk didn't smile at the messages.

'Yang Chen...'

The presence of that far more dangerous entity than the labyrinth before his eyes had vanished in an instant.

'Is he plotting something?'

Thus, he spurred himself on even harder.

As he pulverized everything blocking his path at that speed, he spotted Park Seo-jun and Lee Hwan-seung in the distance, locked in combat with salamanders.

"...Team Leader?"

The two were protecting roughly 1,500 rescued civilians, holding the safety line just as instructed.

"See, what did I tell you! Seo-jun! I said Team Leader would come soon!"

"...I said nothing."

"Damn it!!! We believed in you, Team Leader!! Hurry over!"

With exaggerated cheers, Lee Hwan-seung unleashed fire magic, hunting the salamanders.

Boom!

In the meantime, Kang Hyuk approached Lee Hwan-seung and Park Seo-jun and asked.

"No issues, everyone?"

"None, sir! What issues could there be? We just guarded the civilians we rescued nearby and waited, as you ordered!"

Lee Hwan-seung tossed his usual joke.

"But the labyrinth progress kept rising. It was you, Team Leader! Now at 50%, no need for the boss monster..."

Then he clamped his mouth shut upon glimpsing Kang Hyuk's expression.

"... "

In the short time he'd known him, Team Leader Kang rarely showed emotional shifts.

Whether good or bad news.

Yet the expression on Team Leader Kang now was richer in emotion than any he'd seen recently.

'...He's angry?'

'He's pissed.'

Lee Hwan-seung and Park Seo-jun flinched and shut their mouths.

The Team Leader, who always treated them with a faint smile, now looked like a completely different person with his hardened face.

'...Blood scent.'

Kang Hyuk murmured in that interval.

'The smell of blood ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wafting from not far away.'

He'd smelled plenty of blood on the way here, but the scent now tickling his nose was fundamentally different.

'...Deliberately spread wide. Like an invitation here.'

With that thought, Kang Hyuk curled his lips viciously.

"...!"

As Lee Hwan-seung and Park Seo-jun recoiled again at that twisted smile, Kang Hyuk turned his head and spoke.

"I've cleared most traps and monsters on the way here."

"Yes, sir!"

"So keep holding position as is. If any issues arise, report via mana communicator."

The two nodded vigorously at the command.

Kang Hyuk dashed off again.

Boom!

In that instant, the air split, and everything around blurred.

Running ceaselessly like that, Kang Hyuk soon halted at one spot.

"...Guh, ack!"

A scream reached his ears.

And at the fishy blood stench wafting in, Kang Hyuk hardened his expression.

"S-Spare... me."

"P-Please... don't... "

No one among the people in sight was dead, but all writhed on the ground with small, light wounds.

It was a deliberate massacre.

Kang Hyuk paused briefly, surveying the scene, then approached a man barely clinging to consciousness and asked.

"You okay?"

"R-Run... Monster... "

At those words, Kang Hyuk hastily staunched his wounds as best he could.

But without proper treatment, the man's life force rapidly faded.

"... "

Watching silently, Kang Hyuk slowly rose.

At the same time, shadows rippled.

"Like the trap I prepared? Bangzi?"

Familiar yet alien Chinese.

Understanding the meaning barely, Kang Hyuk turned his head.

And spotted a girl held captive in Yang Chen's hand.

"... "

Lee Ye-sol.

One of his team members.

"Now that you've grasped the situation, let's keep it simple, Bangzi."

Yang Chen pressed a dagger to Lee Ye-sol's throat.

"Answer my questions and obey. Disobey, and I'll carve wounds into this bitch one by one."

With those words, Yang Chen drew the dagger across Lee Ye-sol's neck.

"Eek!"

Lee Ye-sol let out a groan and trembled.

Kang Hyuk, silently taking in the sight, tilted his head.

"First question. How did you find that dungeon in Gangwon Province?"

The question followed.

"Did you know? Or coincidence? Answer clearly. Any lies or empty words, and I'll slash this bitch's throat right away."

Kang Hyuk fell silent at the question.

Then he wore a sinister smile.

"Cut it."

Yang Chen's eyes widened simultaneously.

"...What?"

Kang Hyuk repeated.

"I said cut it."

Clumsy Chinese from the S-Rank's mouth.

That Chinese meant to slit the throat of the girl he held.

'...Did I misunderstand? Telling me to cut my own person's throat?'

Stunned momentarily, he quickly regained his professional composure and actually slashed Lee Ye-sol's neck.

"Agh!"

Lee Ye-sol's scream burst out simultaneously.

"Think clumsy provocation will work?"

Yang Chen flicked the blood from his blade demonstratively ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and shouted.

"I'll ask again! How did you— the dungeon...!"

But his shout didn't finish.

"You bastard!"

The halted S-Rank talent began to move.

Thud thud thud!

Even smashing the ground beneath his feet in a showy display.

Yang Chen's eyes bulged as he stumbled back.

'...Threats don't work?'

He was an assassin, torturer, terrorist.

Thus, he could tailor threats and pain to any human type, and the S-Rank before him seemed the easiest to break.

'A justice-driven idiot. From the known info, exactly that type.'

So he figured threatening with his subordinate would work perfectly.

Those justice types couldn't stomach such scenes and would bend to his will.

But his prediction missed.

"What are you waiting for?"

A twisted smile on his lips.

"Cut it. And you'll answer for what follows."

His advancing footsteps grew closer.

"Whether you slash that woman's throat or not, you're dying here. In that case, might as well slash and die, no?"

This scenario wasn't in his calculations.

Cold sweat trickled down Yang Chen's back.

He realized simultaneously.

'This bastard... He's the same type as me?'

Trash who would do anything for their goal.

The residue of that trash emanated from the S-Rank talent now.

'My judgment was wrong, huh?'

Swallowing dryly at the thought.

Yang Chen swiftly shifted his thinking.

'No choice then.'

He gripped the dagger tighter.

'Take this woman's life and retreat for now. The S-Rank talent... This Bangzi exceeded my expectations.'

Then, forcing a smile, he aimed the blade at Lee Ye-sol's throat.

"...Fine, let's try it, Bangzi."

Simultaneously, he hoisted the captive Lee Ye-sol up.

"See if you keep that expression after this bitch dies."

With that, he swung the blade toward her nape.

The moment Kang Hyuk's lips curled up at the sight.

"...!!!"

Red blood sprayed into the air.