Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Franklin's Stand
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After hearing the Blue Dragon Guild Master's confession, a reconnaissance team was belatedly dispatched to the Blue Dragon Guild's training grounds.
"He's there, right?"
A blonde with an appealing vibe, short stature, and a large face with a square jaw appeared on the screen. It was captured by the long-range camera of the Hunter sent for scouting. It matched the description Sonorim had given exactly.
"...So he hasn't moved from there?"
"I don't know what his goal is, but given how arrogant he is, it's not surprising that he didn't run."
Sonorim added.
"Isn't that a good thing? Let's go."
Hunter Jeong Min-gi, who had been listening to the story, stood up and took the lead. Hunters and the government's Anti-Hunter Special Forces followed behind him.
Military vehicles and helicopters encircled the training grounds from a distance. Fortunately, it wasn't a densely populated residential area, making the evacuation order easy to issue. Even as they formed a circular perimeter around the area, Franklin didn't move.
"No movement?"
"He's just sitting there talking with the Blue Dragon Guild members."
"The content of the conversation?"
"It's not clear, but it seems like he's asking about the situation on Earth."
"No need to wait any longer."
The Anti-Hunter Special Forces pulled out their large-caliber rifles. With barrels over 1.5 meters long and a total length exceeding 2 meters, they were more like cannons than guns. They were special ammunition developed by Jae-in at Regen—carved from magic stones and inscribed with spells.
"The power has been verified. It's incomparable to existing sniper rifles."
The Anti-Hunter Special Forces commander, with his short-cropped hair and beret, spoke confidently.
"We tested it, but it didn't quite reach One Flash level power..."
"You test products on your own body?"
Hunter Jeong Min-gi made a face like he was grossed out.
"That's the only way to be sure."
I'd shot it at myself during the development phase. For a D-Rank or E-Rank Hunter to easily fire an attack equivalent to One Flash with a gun carried significant meaning. Though each round was ridiculously expensive, it would be effective enough in a surprise attack on a B-Rank or A-Rank Hunter. But against an S-Rank—and one Sonorim described as top-tier among S-Ranks—would it work?
"Ahem. Facing it head-on prepared is different from a surprise ambush. Let's give it a try."
The Anti-Hunter Special Forces commander pushed forward. The Hunters would have to go in anyway, so a test shot wouldn't hurt.
The sniper took position. Everyone held their breath to avoid disturbing the sniper's focus.
Boom!
The special magic stone round for Anti-Hunter use left the barrel, followed by a shockwave and deafening roar.
The guy noticed and slowly turned his eyes toward us in that split second. Then he smiled.
The bullet struck his head. Upon impact, it produced a different shock sound than at launch.
A bit of dust rose, but we could already tell he was unharmed. He slowly turned his head back from where the bullet had pushed it, brushed his rippling hair behind him, and turned his body toward us.
Then, pointing at us with his index finger, he said something short.
Two kilometers away. I could see him, but the other Hunters were watching through binoculars. I wondered what even Franklin could do from that distance, but the Blue Dragon Guild members who heard him charged at us like a pack of dogs.
As expected from the guild with the largest numbers, even if not the strongest, there were a lot of them. And every single one had a Devil's Tear attached to their neck, face, or head.
"Don't approach! Subdue them! Try not to kill them!"
Getting too close meant getting caught in the explosion if they detonated. But stopping Hunters charging at full tilt without injuring them wasn't easy.
"Over there!"
"Damn it! I don't want to die!"
The defenders and attackers clashed. Fortunately, our side's Hunters were much higher level, so they subdued them one by one without fatal injuries.
At that moment, Franklin snapped his fingers.
Boom!
The Devil's Tears on two subdued Hunters lying on the ground exploded massively.
"Argh!"
Even at a distance, our Hunters were blown back by the blast. It was impossible to keep the incoming pack at bay while maintaining distance.
And atop the corpses of the exploded Blue Dragon Guild members—and the Hunters caught in the blast—new Devil's Tears formed.
"That... didn't happen at the Awakening Bureau, right?"
"If they die to his attacks when he's nearby, he steals their souls."
Sonorim answered my question.
"So... it's infinite?"
One exploded, but two or three more appeared.
Even now, Blue Dragon Guild members were exploding up front, and our Hunters who got too close were supplementing Franklin's Devil's Tears by getting caught in the blasts.
But the government couldn't just snipe all the Hunters taken hostage.
"Oppa..."
"Damn... no choice."
I nodded, and Na-young stepped forward, extending her staff as black waves spread forward.
The charging Blue Dragon Guild Hunters collapsed unconscious one after another.
"What... what is that?"
The commander asked.
"I put them to sleep. Isn't this better?"
It was the S-Rank skill Mind Control, recently realized while learning magic knowledge from Sonorim. It interfered with the mind, like Blind or Nightmare. The direction was just different. With greater understanding of magic, Na-young could now interfere with targets' minds in the desired way, even putting them to sleep at will.
Her skill window now had Blind and Nightmare replaced by Mind Control.
Like her existing curses, Mind Control was harder the higher the target's level or Intelligence stat, the more targets there were, or if issuing commands against their will. Telling that many Blue Dragon Guild members to charge at Franklin suicidally would be tough, but putting them to sleep was easy. Their low average skill level helped too.
"Well done."
I lightly patted Na-young's shoulder.
It would have been better to use it from the start, but I wanted to keep this skill hidden as much as possible. They only knew it put people to sleep now, but sharp people might guess it could manipulate minds. Then, people around wouldn't look kindly on Na-young the witch.
"As expected, Hunters have to catch Hunters."
Hunter Jeong Min-gi drew his sword.
"Only those who can completely dodge those tears or survive the explosions come with us. Everyone else, fall back further."
At Hunter Jeong Min-gi's words, the Hunters retreated en masse. If strong Hunters got captured and followed Franklin's orders, it'd be a bigger headache. Strong ones might resist Na-young's Mind Control too.
Once even the A-Rank Hunters had pulled back completely, only I, Hunter Jeong Min-gi, Sonorim, Blitz, and Na-young remained. S-Rank support from abroad hadn't arrived in time.
"Na-young, you go back too."
"My curses might work?"
"I get your attack power, Na-young, but can you dodge his attacks?"
Sonorim asked.
"...Be careful."
Na-young reluctantly fell back. I, Hunter Jeong Min-gi, Sonorim, and Blitz advanced, weaving between the unconscious Blue Dragon Guild Hunters.
As we approached, Franklin waved his hand through the air like he was playing an instrument, and Devil's Tears bulged into existence in midair. He kept waving, and the existing ones elongated, splitting into two, then three. They kept splitting exponentially.
"Uh... isn't that cheating?"
"Yeah..."
It was a number even Hunter Jeong Min-gi had to agree was insane.
"That many... Each one of that guy's Devil's Tears is made by sacrificing the powerless."
Sonorim gritted his teeth. He was even crazier than expected. Power from sacrifices—and there were already over a thousand visible.
"Sonorim, any strategy for those?"
"Sorry. All I know is we have to break through the Devil's Tears and attack him directly."
"Is that so? Well then..."
Hunter Jeong Min-gi slowly sidestepped. Then he pulled his arm back and thrust it forward in an instant.
One Flash.
He found a tiny gap amid all those orbs and pierced it.
But a Devil's Tear flew into the path of the One Flash and exploded.
"Huh... He reacted to that speed?"
"It won't be easy. Devil's Tears are fearsome, but Franklin's own body is probably enhanced with sacrifices too."
"The stench of Orcs has spread to Earth. How the hell did you cross from the Western Continent?"
Franklin said to Sonorim. Contempt filled his arrogant voice and expression.
"By borrowing the power of the Great One."
"Ah, that Great One who abandoned all life on Tellus?"
"You couldn't comprehend His profound will. I came on His orders to close the Bridge Gate."
"Huh, our goals align unexpectedly."
"Don't lump me in with a murderer like you. We came to talk. How about you—how did you get here? Find some magic artifact Helen left behind?"
"What, Helen? No, I offered sacrifices and asked the demons. Dimensional travel isn't hard for demons anyway."
"Demons... that would be you. How many did you kill for that price?"
"Who knows... Thousands? Tens of thousands? Good thing, right? You Western Continent bugs multiply like cockroaches no matter how many you kill, so thinning you out makes Tellus more pleasant."
Sonorim's face twisted at the nonsense.
"Calm down. Getting excited won't make him easier to beat."
Blitz soothed Sonorim.
"Rushing straight on has no chance of winning. Let's split into four directions, disperse the Devil's Tears, then attack."
Blitz transformed into his Werewolf form. As rumored, his recovery was good because he was truly a wolf beastman, not human. Silvery-white, glossy fur covered his body.
The transformed—or rather, unmasked—Blitz was a head taller than the typical Werewolf from the Gates. And his blue eyes were clear, unlike the murky gaze of monster Werewolves.
"I'll take the right."
Blitz went right, Sonorim left, Hunter Jeong Min-gi held the front.
I circled around to the rear and took position. Franklin just stood there watching, as if enjoying our desperate struggles.
"All set? I've waited long enough."
Blitz spread his hands wide, and 20-centimeter claw-like auras formed at the tips of his ten fingers.
"Wolf and Orc. Oh ho, Malbokia's Blitz and Sonorim? The ones who always ruined the Empire's events. What gives you the guts today, when you'd run with tails between your legs whenever I showed up?"
"I'll avenge my brothers here, even if I die."
Blitz charged first, and simultaneously, Hunter Jeong Min-gi unleashed a barrage of One Flashes. I rushed from the right, and Sonorim poured blue flames from his staff.
Deeming Hunter Jeong Min-gi the biggest threat, he stared that way and snapped his fingers.
Devil's Tears flew at the four of us from each direction like they had eyes. Blitz and I couldn't push through the explosions and were flung back; Sonorim's flames were scattered by the blasts. Hunter Jeong Min-gi's One Flash detonated a Devil's Tear but didn't reach Franklin.
"We have to block that damn attack too?"
Only about ten of the countless orbs in the sky had burst in the clash. One solid hit on us, though, and we might be out of commission.
"It's going to be a long day."
Hunter Jeong Min-gi fired One Flashes in succession, bursting Devil's Tears while seeking an opening. Franklin wasn't standing still anymore. Dozens of Devil's Tears flew toward us like they had wills of their own.