Chapter 913
Chapter 913
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 913
Chapter Title: Hawaii
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A nagging sense of unease settled over Jang Go-jun.
He wasn't sure if it was because of his sudden arrival or if things had been this way all along, but the atmosphere at the table had turned stifling. Conversation had died out, replaced by the rhythmic clinking of utensils against plates.
Sung Yu-jin had retreated back to the barbecue grill, claiming they were short on meat; Han Ha-rin was preoccupied with sipping her water, and Han A-young was focused intently on her food. Midway through the meal, A-young let out a strange, sudden shiver. Go-jun wondered if the jet lag from the flight to Hawaii was finally catching up with her.
"A-young. Are you feeling alright?"
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I think the time difference is just making me a bit drowsy. I'm fine," she replied with a quick smile.
Jang Go-jun gave a brief nod. Even hunters were still human; they might handle jet lag better than most, but they weren't immune to it. Determined to lift the heavy mood, he decided to lean on his gift for gab.
"You know, four people have actually ascended to S-rank through the Hero's Vortex dungeon we’re entering tomorrow. There are no guarantees, of course, but you might just hit S-rank this time, A-young. The Hero's Vortex is..."
Go-jun continued his lecture without pause, but the mood failed to improve. Ha-rin and A-young only half-listened, their attention remains firmly on their plates.
After dinner, the group gathered in the lobby, as it was far too early to call it a night.
Sitting on the sofa, Jang Go-jun found himself swallowing dryly. Han A-young and Han Ha-rin had just finished their showers. They were dressed in simple shirts and shorts—nothing provocative—but their damp hair and dewy skin were enough to stir his senses.
He had known A-young for a long time, but this was the first time he had seen her looking so... defenseless.
"Hyung. I’m going to grab a shower too," Sung Yu-jin said, patting Go-jun on the shoulder.
"Oh? Yeah, sure. I'll go after you," Go-jun replied.
With Yu-jin gone, only the three of them remained in the lobby, the TV droning on in a foreign language with the nightly news.
"......"
The silence was awkward. Jang Go-jun tried to dredge up a memory of a time when conversation with A-young flowed naturally.
"A-young. Ha-rin. Let’s head out for breakfast tomorrow. We’re in Hawaii—we have to try the local spots. A morning stroll would be nice too".
"...I don't know. I’m not really a morning person, so that might be tough," A-young said, shaking her head apologetically.
"Early mornings are a burden for me as well," Ha-rin added firmly.
"B-but it's Hawaii," Go-jun persisted, though the sisters remained unmoved. A few minutes later, Sung Yu-jin returned.
"Hyung. Shower's all yours," Yu-jin announced.
"...Right. Thanks," Go-jun said, standing up.
As he headed toward the bathroom, he stole a glance back. He worried briefly about leaving Yu-jin alone with A-young, but with Ha-rin there, he figured nothing untoward would happen.
He emerged ten minutes later, his brow furrowing slightly. The atmosphere had shifted again. A-young was gulping down water, while Ha-rin sat with her arms crossed, seemingly lost in deep thought with her hand over her mouth.
'...What’s going on now?'
Sung Yu-jin, who had been sprawled out on the sofa, sat up.
"This is getting boring. Let's play some cards—I'll go grab a deck. Oh, Go-jun hyung, you want a beer?"
"Yeah. My throat's pretty dry. Thanks," Go-jun replied.
Yu-jin returned with the cards and beer. Go-jun chugged the cold brew with a satisfied sigh and joined the Han sisters in the game.
The game was enjoyable enough, but a sudden, heavy drowsiness hit Jang Go-jun. It wasn't even 10 p.m. yet. Normally, he’d be full of energy at this hour, but sleep was pressing in relentlessly.
He began to nod off, and just before his head could drop completely, Yu-jin gripped his shoulder.
"Hyung. You look like you're about to pass out. We’ve got a big day tomorrow—let’s call it a night and head to our rooms".
"Yu-jin... you're right," Go-jun mumbled.
The gathering dissolved instantly. They killed the lobby lights and retreated to their respective rooms.
Go-jun stumbled toward his bed, overwhelmed by a level of exhaustion he hadn't felt since becoming an A-rank hunter.
Thud.
He collapsed onto the mattress and succumbed to sleep without the slightest resistance.
When he finally opened his eyes, it was already 9 a.m. Feeling oddly refreshed, he chided himself for oversleeping and stepped out into the lobby. It was silent and empty. There was no sign that anyone had gone out yet, so he assumed everyone was still asleep.
'Everyone is sleeping this late... Were we all that exhausted?'
At 10 a.m., a door finally opened. Han A-young emerged, yawning with messy hair as she made her way down the stairs.
"A-young. Did you sleep well?" Go-jun asked.
"Huh? Yeah. The bed was so comfortable I’m still a bit sleepy," she replied.
Despite her words, A-young looked completely drained, as if she had pulled an all-nighter.
"A-young. You’ve got something in your hair," Go-jun pointed out.
"...Really? It’s probably just some leftover makeup," she said dismissively.
"There's something on your wrist too".
"Oh, a mosquito bite. There are tons of them around here".
"......"
Jang Go-jun chose not to mention the faint marks on her neck and collarbone. For a fleeting second, he doubted they were mosquito bites, but he lacked the courage to press the issue.
They grabbed a quick lunch and made their way to the dungeon.
???
A-rank Dungeon: Hero's Vortex.
The site was dominated by a large facility managed directly by the Hawaii state government. They had constructed the building right over the entrance for absolute oversight.
Armed hunters patrolled the perimeter—B-ranks at minimum, with a few A-ranks mixed in. It was clear that both Hawaii and the U.S. government took this location very seriously.
'Hunters from all over the world line up for a chance to use this place. It makes sense—it's the only dungeon purely dedicated to training rather than hunting. The daily fee is at least 100 billion won'.
We had secured access for two days. Any stay longer than that incurred massive penalties as per the contract. No nation on earth was going to pick a fight with the U.S. over dungeon fees.
"We’ll be lending each of you these specialized watches. They’ll sound an alarm after 40 hours, at which point you must exit. There is a team of Russian hunters scheduled right after you, so please be punctual".
The dungeon keeper emphasized the deadline repeatedly before finally guiding us to the entrance.
1 p.m.
The air near the entrance rippled, and four hunters burst out. They were tanned and rugged—Middle Eastern, most likely. They were muttering in a language I didn't recognize, their voices thick with joy. Clearly, they had achieved whatever they came for.
"Korean hunters. You may enter".
I stepped through, and my body felt as though it were being sucked into another dimension. When I came to, I was standing alone in a massive, open space that looked like a military drill field.
I instinctively activated Heavenly Eye and scanned the horizon. Hundreds of kilometers away, there were other training grounds just like this one. I had no idea who else was currently inside.
"What exactly are you looking at? I’m the one you should be focusing on".
"......!!"
A woman's voice came from behind me. Startled, I whipped around to see a woman with short blonde hair and a sturdy, athletic build. Her muscled arms and legs were clearly defined, and her abs were visible through her tight-fitting clothes. Her red lips were pressed into a thin line, and her sunken brown eyes regarded me coolly.
"It’s a pleasure. I’m Bellis. I’ll be providing the training best suited for your current level".
I recognized her from the pre-entry briefing. She was one of the instructors assigned to the Hero's Vortex.
The dungeon assigned each of the four entrants a specific instructor based on their needs. Bellis was known as the fundamentalist—meaning I was in for 40 straight hours of basics.
"You came here because you want to get stronger. If you do exactly as I say, you will be. We'll start with running".
"Instructor Bellis. I’m already plenty strong. I didn't come here just to go for a jog," I countered.
"Strong? To me, you look like a greenhorn who hasn't even begun to understand his own potential. If you want to grow, stop talking and start obeying. I’ve dealt with plenty of punks like you before".
I crossed my arms. A hunter only got one lifetime entry into the Hero's Vortex. Was I really expected to waste that opportunity on cardio? It was absurd.
'I'm never going to see this woman again anyway. Might as well have my way with Bellis so I don't leave with regrets'.
If I just followed her orders, it would be nothing but training.
"I don't need the basics. Teach me something actually useful".
"Cocky brat. Do you even understand why I'm here?"
"Of course I do. You're here to fuck me, obviously. Is 'battle sex' your thing? Because I’ll be more than happy to send you to heaven".
I grinned. She was just a manifestation of the dungeon—there was no need to hold anything back.
Bellis didn't even flinch at the crude talk. She smirked, her lip curling in a mix of amusement and disdain, though her eyes remained cold.
"It’s been a while since I’ve dealt with your type. A clueless punk with a big mouth... I don't entirely hate it".
Her lower body shifted as she closed the distance. She pulled her elbow back, her fist clenching. It was a good thing Heavenly Eye was already active, or I might not have seen her move.
But seeing it was only half the battle.
'Moment!'
As time slowed down in my vision, I tilted my head to dodge her strike and slammed my own fist into her jaw.
The impact rang out clearly, launching Bellis into the air.
'The hit landed, but she's not done yet. Brain Lightning!'
Three bolts of lightning struck Bellis while she was still airborne, dead-on. At the very least, she should be stunned from the shock.
'Time to claim my prize'.
I approached her motionless body as it hit the ground. She had a powerful, muscled frame, but her breasts were full and heaving with each breath.
Thud! Suddenly, her hand shot out and gripped my right ankle.
"You're still conscious?"
"Playing dead is a tactic too," she rasped.
Lightning crackled in my palm as I swung toward her. Thwack! Thud! Thud! I landed several more hits, but she didn't budge.
"Weak. If you want to knock me out, you'll have to hit harder than that," she challenged.
"Damn... what kind of woman is this tough— Ack!"
She slammed me into the ground, her grip on my ankle like a vise. Only my instinctive mana reinforcement saved my bones from shattering on impact.
Before I could regain my balance, she flung me in the opposite direction. She swung me around relentlessly. I kicked out with my free foot, trying to break her hold, but there was no give in her. I targeted her face, her breasts, her groin—nothing worked. She was a woman of absolute steel.
"Useless. My body has been perfectly tempered," she said coolly.
"Is even your pussy tempered? You crazy bitch!"
"Every single part of the human body can be tempered," she replied.
"No, eyes and dicks usually can't. Assholes either," I spat back.
"They can. If you can't do it, it's only because your will is lacking".
"Aaargh! Fuck!!"
Bam! Bam-bam-bam! Bam-bam!
She continued to smash me into the ground mercilessly. This was actually getting dangerous.
'Genius Time!'
Suddenly, her grip released. Bellis's eyes widened in surprise.
"What was that? Your power is... strange".
"Stormbreaker!!"
I summoned the Stormbreaker armor, my sword held high as red lightning arced across my body.
'Moment!'
I closed the distance in an instant, my sword aura flaring as I targeted her left arm.
Shadow Heaven Style: Thunder Light.