Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Ah, Mistake
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"Haa, haa."
Khan had never felt exhausted while climbing or doubted his ability to annihilate enemies.
Even the frigid ice wall on the 62nd floor, called an impregnable barrier, had fallen to his hidden ultimate technique.
He regretted not catching that damn waddling penguin himself, but he'd never been overpowered by raw force.
"Hraaaah!"
Was it from pushing his body to the absolute limit? His lungs screamed for air.
His heart pumped furiously, on the verge of bursting as it raced blood through his veins.
At first, he felt like he'd collapse if his focus slipped even a moment. But at some point, even that thought vanished.
He simply gave his all. Dodging attacks and landing effective strikes. Relentlessly.
A state of no-self.
Before he knew it, Khan had forgotten this was just a spar. Nothing remained but the burning will to topple his foe.
Snap.
His attacks didn't land. Even when they seemed about to connect, an invisible wall blocked them from touching the man.
Beautiful.
That was the pinnacle of martial intent. A true apex predator of this world!
In Khan's eyes burned only the black figure gazing down nobly from above.
He ignored all else—the screams of his straining muscles on the verge of tearing, the creaking of joints worn from intense exertion.
This was fun. He could hunt again!
Since starting his tower climb, Khan had been hailed as humanity's pinnacle.
Before that, he'd lived as a simple nomad hunter. The world, nature, was cruel. There was only one rule.
The weak get eaten.
Humans were so frail. Always the prey in nature.
No sharp teeth or claws, mediocre speed, soft skin, unremarkable strength.
Yet they hunted. Prey hunting predators.
Hiding from predators one moment, then mounting horses and nocking arrows to become the hunters themselves.
Galloping across vast plains, honing skills and tools to survive.
Khan had nearly died countless times.
Coming face-to-face with a bear by the river, mauled by a snow leopard after falling from his horse, trampled by a rampaging steed.
Yet he always survived.
By nature's logic, he should have been their meal. Instead, he hunted them.
The thrill of preying on creatures overwhelmingly stronger than himself!
The ecstasy of climbing the food chain, step by step!
Khan felt alive.
He wanted more—stronger prey. Overwhelmingly superior foes to hunt and prove himself. To place nature beneath his feet.
Perhaps he'd mastered the hunt too well. A mere human prey, yet he'd conquered the plains.
'What do I hunt next?'
One day, a mysterious tower pierced the sky.
'Is there strong game inside?'
Soon after, the tower collapsed. He thought he'd be devoured by nature, but he survived again.
Coming to China, he learned of humanity's power.
No forests, but buildings. No horses, but strange machines to ride. Plains beasts caged behind iron bars for spectacle. Food aplenty without hunting.
That's when he realized. Humans were nature's true predators.
The mighty nature he'd revered was reduced to a mere tool for mankind.
"So that's what humans are! I've always been the predator!"
It wasn't coincidence he could hunt them. The law of nature.
He awakened to his truth—and humanity's—as nature's apex.
But it felt empty. Hunting as a predator was too easy.
Everything became trivial after that. Among humanity, rulers of nature, he claimed the food chain's peak.
No one could devour him. From humble nomad to civilized conqueror, the world at his feet.
What happens to one at the food chain's summit for five years?
Endless void.
Nothing brought joy.
He tried every pleasure the Chinese called elite pastimes, but none matched the thrill of the hunt.
No woman stirred the excitement of the chase. No dish outdid the flavor of his kills.
His sole amusement: the tower.
Believing it held prey to fill his void, he climbed endlessly.
A hunter's paradise teeming with game!
Then, curiosity led him to a neighbor's land. There, he found it—the true pinnacle! The genuine apex predator!
He kicked off the ground and charged again. Until that man filled him completely!
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ '...Is he okay?'
Khan's eyes were a bit unfocused. At some point, he stopped talking altogether—had he lost his mind?
But his movements were even more precise than before. Superhuman technique beyond belief.
Moon Byul couldn't mimic it, but he had no reason to.
Snap.
This one move was enough.
Magic circles bloomed everywhere, impeding Khan's approach.
Khan dodged every attack by a hair's breadth, charging relentlessly.
When Moon Byul evaded the rush, a spear matching the speed of sound flew at him.
'Time to wrap this up.'
He wanted to end it, but no suitable spell came to mind. What magic could disable a bull-rushing man without killing him?
'He's tough; he won't die.'
Even taking spells head-on only briefly stiffened him before he resumed charging. His skin was steel, not flesh.
Snap.
The magic circle opened, hurling a star.
Like the one Han Yu Seong had sliced with tools—same intensity.
The difference? He threw it at moderate speed.
Thinking of a baseball, around 160 km/h. Heavy mass, but it wouldn't kill on impact.
Facing the star, Khan kicked off and met it head-on.
"Hraaaaaah!"
With a shout, he spun his spear like a drill.
Whirrrrr——
Piercing the star with a screech, his red spear hurtled toward Moon Byul.
'Wait, isn't this just a spar?'
If his body were organic like a normal person's dummy, that hit would've meant instant death—no life flashing before his eyes.
Too fast for even that. Of course, he dodged.
Boom!
The spear retracted to Khan in a flash. Quite the weapon.
Rumble...
The ground, air, mana—all vibrated.
Probably meant something big was coming.
A mana bow formed in Khan's hand. He nocked the antler spear like an arrow.
—Crack.
The ground split around his stance.
With a thunderclap, the spear left the string.
As Moon Byul selected a spell to deflect, the tower's message appeared.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Highest floor has been updated.] Hm?
Looks like the Mangul party cleared it properly.
As Moon Byul glanced at the message, a recovered Khan shouted.
"Fool, dodge!"
In a life-or-death fight, a moment's lapse brings disaster—you don't need to see it.
Reacting to Khan's cry, the antler spear was already spinning right in front of him, its sharp tip aimed to burst his skull.
Boom! —Splash.
"Kyaaak!"
A massive explosion rocked the building like tofu, shattering spots everywhere. The reinforced glass on the second floor where Xiao Hao watched exploded into shards.
Shattered stone turned to gray mist, blinding visibility. Xiao Hao couldn't see the outcome.
'What? What happened? No way... he's dead?'
Xiao Hao had seen it.
Khan's final secret technique: Divine Bow.
The pinnacle of skills honed over a lifetime as a nomad. The absolute art that pierced the frigid ice wall solo without preparation.
In the fog, the silhouettes of two men faced each other.
As the mist slowly cleared, what she saw was Moon Byul reaching out with a troubled expression.
"Uh... how!"
Surviving was possible—his magic defied imagination. But not a single scratch?
"Ah, damn, you're seriously strong."
The voice was Khan's.
As the fog lifted from Khan's spot, revealing him at last, Xiao Hao couldn't help but gasp.
"Khan!"
Thud.
Unable to stand, Khan dropped to his knees.
From his cleanly severed arm down to the shoulder poured thick, dark red fluid.
Tap.
Moon Byul descended gracefully from midair.
'Ah, my mistake.'
This was bad. He should've held back, but surprise made him overdo it.
He wouldn't die, right?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Room 1 opened, and today's heroes shuffled out.
"Guild leader, I'm off tomorrow."
"Me too."
"Whoo~."
"Me too, with Wisph."
Exhausted, they collapsed on the spot.
"Congratulations, our heroes!"
Waiting Director Seo In Ah greeted them.
"Where's everyone else?"
"They went home, obviously. Do you know what time it is...?"
They'd cleared way later than expected.
The plan was to finish before evening, party, and rest.
"Damn that penguin bastard!"
So Seori vented.
"No more aquarium for me. Filthy penguin."
"Me neither."
"I wanna wash up."
The pent-up party members chimed in.
Seo In Ah lit a camping artifact she'd prepared.
Despite preparations, the 62nd floor's extreme cold demanded thawing.
"Come gather around, everyone."
Starting with So Seori, they huddled around the artifact, warming up.
"Ah, so warm. Got any beer?"
"Quit whining."
"Warm up first."
Awakened climbers could summit Everest without heart attacks.
They boasted superhuman physiques.
But cold was still cold.
They wouldn't freeze or catch colds at -20°C sleeping outside, but it sucked.
"Shall we close up and head home?"
"Just a bit longer; it's too nice."
"...Want blankets? Just sleep here?"
As Seo In Ah and Baek Yi Su bantered, So Seori's phone rang.
"At this hour...?"
"Probably the chairman. I mentioned it."
Likely calling to congratulate on the clear message.
Sure enough, the screen showed "Chairman."
"Yes, Chairman. We cleared it. Yes, yes...?"
"What?"
Not just congratulations—So Seori's face hardened in real time.
"Yes, heading to the Association."
"Wait, now?"
After hanging up, Baek Yi Su asked what was up.
"Just me."
She changed into combat gear in the locker room and emerged.
"Guild leader, what's going on?"
To Song Hyun's question, So Seori replied.
"Looks like our precious boy beat someone up."