Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Leon Guild (3)
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The scene that followed was a one-sided massacre.
The sword, freely slicing through the air after leaving my hand, exploded the moment a sandworm poked its head out of the sand.
Chunks of the sandworm's flesh rained down onto the barren desert—once nothing but sand—with wet, splattering sounds.
Baek Seol-hwa, seeing one land right at her feet, recoiled in horror and stumbled back.
"...Ugh. Gross."
"When's this gonna end?"
"...In an open-field dungeon, a boss spawns after you kill a set number of enemies."
"Boss?"
Speak of the devil, as they say.
A massive vibration, incomparable to anything before, began rumbling from beneath the sand.
From what I could sense, it was at least ten times larger than any of the ones we'd faced so far.
"Hmm."
My gaze shifted to Aselin, who was standing idly by, watching the show.
I turned to her and said,
"You wanna handle that one?"
"...Out of nowhere?"
"Nah, I was gonna do it, but you look itching to jump in."
At my words, Aselin averted her eyes and muttered softly,
"Just... I'm hungry. If you permit it..."
The next instant.
Krraaaang-!
A colossal bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky onto Aselin.
And at its epicenter, a dragon so enormous it seemed to blot out the heavens revealed itself.
[...I'll gratefully partake.]
"...Boss-grade monster corpses fetch a pretty penny, though?"
"I'll get you dozens more."
I brushed off Baek Seol-hwa's complaint and looked up at Aselin's massive form.
Maybe because her horns had been severed, she didn't exude quite the same majesty as when I'd first seen her...
Kugugugu-!
Compared to the gigantic sandworm that emerged amid a tremendous earthquake, she looked like a bird towering over a mere worm.
Sensing something amiss, the sandworm tried to burrow back into the sand...
But a massive orb of lightning hurtled toward it, severing its body clean in half.
That sealed its fate.
Kwaduduk- Kwak-!
A gruesome crunching sound echoed from behind me.
"No need to watch. Let's go."
"Wait, hold on..."
"Hm?"
Degurur-
Something rolled to my feet.
It was a small, gleaming golden orb.
"Oh..."
As I reached for it, a bizarre energy swirling within tingled vividly at my fingertips.
Wonder what this is for?
I glanced at Baek Seol-hwa, who explained,
"It's the mana core from a boss-grade monster. Can be used as an energy source or to enhance an awakened's abilities."
"No kidding?"
"Of course. That's the whole point of clearing gates."
"Got it."
I naturally pocketed it.
No way I'd hand something like this over to someone else.
It was the same principle as a martial artist never sharing a spirit pill.
Baek Seol-hwa looked startled, but that was her problem, not mine.
"No, Oppa..!"
"This one's Aselin's snack. Got it?"
"..."
"If there's trouble later, just drag her off and make her pay in kind."
Aselin, gleefully tearing into the sandworm corpse, didn't hear our conversation.
What a shame.
With the gate's master defeated and the core in hand, the space began to shake.
Kugugugu-
Soon, blue crystals sprouted from spots all across the desert.
"And what's that?"
"Mana crystals too. Don't worry about 'em. Laborers will come collect them later."
"...Yeah?"
I eyed them for a moment, then licked my lips and turned away.
Taking every last one might be...
A bit much, even for me.
I wanted it all, but since they'd given us this much, it was only fair to yield.
This wasn't the martial world—it was the modern era.
To adapt here... I'd need to tweak my mindset a little.
"Letting it slide this time. Let's head out."
Muttering to myself, I stepped toward the shakily wavering gate entrance.
Crossing through, the familiar modern cityscape came into view.
Who’s the guy who beat up the New King?
Returnee, they say?
So who is he?
How are we supposed to know an unregistered returnee, you idiot?
Official) Busan S-rank gate clearer isn’t Han Su-hyeon
Really that person?
Yeah. They say he fell right inside the gate and cleared it from there.
"Hmm..."
I tossed my phone aside, relaxed my body, and sank into the plush mattress.
So, my impression after entering a gate for the first time...
"Easier than I thought."
Making money was way too easy.
Too easy, even.
Compared to the hellish trials I'd endured in the martial world, living well after returning was only natural.
But...
"...This is ridiculously easy."
The banking app on my phone showed an absurd 2 billion won.
I'd had plenty of wealth as the head of a massive faction back in the martial world, but martial world money and modern money weren't the same.
Modern life offered far more possibilities.
Back there, power was currency—gold meant nothing.
Yet now...
"What to do with it all."
With cash in hand, I had no idea where to spend it.
Buy a new house?
Or, in a world teeming with ability users...
Invest in gear, maybe.
Of course, that assumed I'd keep hunter work up.
"To keep at it, I need to register first."
My next destination was set.
Hunter Association.
The mandatory gateway for all ability users.
Sure, breaking a few laws wouldn't faze anyone trying to rein in the Heavenly Demon, but...
I pressed down firmly on Aselin's head and rose from my seat.
"Aack! What the hell?!"
"Gonna step out for a bit. Be good."
"Why should I obey your orders, you...?"
"Act up, and I'll shatter those horns."
"..."
"Get caught, and the rest go too. You know that, right?"
"...Have a safe trip."
Aselin stayed in human form, curling up on the sofa like a ball.
Doing cat-like things in human shape was kinda funny.
Is this what it's like owning a pet?
"While others get cats or dogs... a dragon ain't bad."
I patted her head; she glared back with obvious displeasure.
It was so amusing, I teased her for another ten minutes or so.
"Aaaah! Go! Just go!"
"Pffheheh, alright. I'm off."
I headed out just before she erupted.
Eh...
She's not a kid; she'll be fine alone.
No way she'd be dumb enough to run.
Besides, I'd planted my energy in her body—I could track her anywhere.
The Hunter Association building was so tall, looking up made my neck hurt.
How much cash did they sink into this?
Nothing like it in the martial world. I marveled at its grandeur, chuckled, and stepped inside.
Immediately, countless presences assaulted my senses.
"They said Han Su-hyeon just needs her ranking measured to register..."
Something about striking a sphere and analyzing it.
I smirked and drew the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.
Had I ever unleashed my full power since returning?
Not even a dragon had forced it out of me.
I gazed down at the small orb before me and muttered,
"You might be tougher than a dragon."
Kugugugu-
All Heavenly Demon Divine Art cultivators manifest unique abilities.
Mine was...
Gravitational Force.
Gravity, in other words.
An immense attractive force emanated from the Heavenly Demon Divine Sword, warping the space around it.
"High rank means access to high-level gates."
Places with dragons... and even stronger foes.
I wanted to meet them.
The gravitational force of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.
I unleashed its forms from my fingertips, cloaked around the blade.
Combining Form 1 and Form 3, an accelerated slash.
Heavenly Demon Divine Sword: Linked Five Forms
Heavenly God
The gravity-enhanced slash, swung with transcendent spirit, leaped beyond mortal limits.
A black line devouring all light tore through the air, slicing across the ranking orb.
Seokeok-!
Not just the orb—all devices measuring output and shielding the room from abilities.
Cleanly severed in one strike.
If that had been the end, the Association would've been thrilled.
But the massive gravitational pull trailing the sword's path turned the vast testing chamber into rubble, pulverizing everything inside.
Kwaaaaang-!
"H-Hiiiik!"
The ranking staffer's scream echoed through the collapsing room.