Chapter 41
Chapter 41
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: The Imprisoned Man's Ordeal
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The story of the man locked in the jail was one of unimaginable hardship.
He had racked up massive debt to cover his younger brother's hospital bills, which led him to take on all sorts of grunt work for the guild. And this was where it had all ended.
If he pulled off this job, he could've earned a huge payout, but he just couldn't stomach feeding people to a monster.
In the end, the man had tried to burn the Alraune in the dead of night.
But the Alraune sensed the danger and let out a scream that alerted the other Hunters.
Beaten to within an inch of his life, the man had now been locked up without a drop of water for three straight days.
"You're lucky they left a guy who feeds people to monsters alive."
"It's because of my skill..."
"Your skill?"
"Yes... The illusions posted up outside like guards... I made them all... with my skill..."
If the illusions vanished, they'd have to stand watch themselves, which would be a hassle.
That was why Tyrant's Hunters had spared him.
It was such a simple, selfish reason that Kang Jin-hyuk let out an involuntary chuckle.
"Please... save the people... If this goes on... all the women locked up here... will be fed to it..."
The man was more worried about others sacrificing themselves than his own safety.
He was a kind soul, the kind you wouldn't expect from a Hunter in a major guild.
Kang Jin-hyuk could confirm it wasn't an act by checking the man's karma value.
"What's your name?"
"Jeong Dae-yoon..."
Gripping his bat tightly with both hands, Kang Jin-hyuk repeated the name.
"Alright, Mr. Jeong Dae-yoon. Let's the two of us clean this place out."
"W-what are you doing...? If you swing that at the bars... the noise...!"
Jeong Dae-yoon fretted that the sound would draw other Hunters.
But Kang Jin-hyuk had no such worries.
A mysterious energy the man had never seen before poured out from the bat gripped in both hands.
Surrounded by a red aura, the bat sliced through the iron bars like a sword.
Jeong Dae-yoon gaped at the silently severed bars, unable to close his mouth.
"You cut iron bars... with a bat...? Who the hell...?"
"Less yapping, more drinking this."
Kang Jin-hyuk shoved a potion from his inventory into Jeong Dae-yoon's mouth.
The potion flowed down his throat, restoring his strength in an instant.
After downing it all, Jeong Dae-yoon coughed and spat out the empty bottle.
"Kuhak! Can't you give it gently?"
"Quit whining, big guy."
Kang Jin-hyuk swung the bat again, snapping the chains binding the man's hands and feet.
Now free, the man stretched his stiff joints.
"Thanks for saving me. So, your name is...?"
"Kang Jin-hyuk."
"Oh, you're that Hunter who took down the new monster species! I knew you were no ordinary guy."
Kang Jin-hyuk was surprised that Jeong Dae-yoon recognized him.
He knew he'd gone viral online, but he hadn't expected guild members from Tyrant to be paying attention.
Not wanting to waste time on chit-chat here, Kang Jin-hyuk played it cool.
"Just got lucky."
"No way. If it was just luck, we wouldn't have tried recruiting you."
"Tyrant did? News to me."
"It's still just internal discussions. There's a lot of pushback, so they haven't decided yet."
According to Jeong Dae-yoon, Tyrant only accepted top-performing B-rank Hunters, so bringing in a C-rank sparked major backlash.
It meant nothing to Kang Jin-hyuk either way.
"They're dreaming of handing out rice cakes while we're not even thinking about it."
"Hahaha, exactly."
Kang Jin-hyuk had zero intention of joining a trash outfit pulling stunts like this.
He'd turn down the guild master himself if they came groveling.
"Anyway, that's not important right now."
"Right. We need to rescue the prisoners and get out of here fast."
Jeong Dae-yoon thought they had to escape ASAP and expose Tyrant's atrocities.
But Kang Jin-hyuk had different plans.
"Running away won't solve anything."
"Running? I mean, we're outmatched, so we call for backup from outside, right?"
"Who's gonna help us? You planning to call the cops?"
Jeong Dae-yoon had no answer to Kang Jin-hyuk's question.
As a Tyrant guild member, he'd felt firsthand how much power the guild wielded.
"The cops will probably... try to cover this up."
"You know it. And you were just thinking about getting out?"
"No other way."
"Actually, there is. Titan guild members are waiting outside right now."
"Titan? Why are they here?"
"I asked their guild master for help."
Even hearing about reinforcements, Jeong Dae-yoon looked uneasy.
"Is Titan's guild master here too?"
"Seo Sang-ho's overseas on a commission, so no."
"Then we're screwed against these guys."
"Even with thirty Titan guild members?"
"Yes."
Jeong Dae-yoon spoke with the certainty of someone who'd seen the answers in advance.
Kang Jin-hyuk figured there had to be a reason for his confidence.
"These Hunters have some trump card?"
Jeong Dae-yoon nodded once and explained.
"The Hunters guarding this place all carry Alraune powder."
"Powder? Not pills?"
"Yes."
Pills were for executives and the guild master, so regular members only got scraps from production leftovers.
Those scraps were refined into powder.
Made from the same materials, it had power rivaling a fraction of the pills.
"The powder boosts stats massively, even if temporarily."
"So if they pop that and fight Titan..."
"Titan's guild members would be wiped out."
There were twenty Tyrant guild members guarding the place.
Outnumbered, but amplified by Alraune powder, Jeong Dae-yoon said they'd need about a hundred to match them.
"We need to thin out their numbers somehow."
"Got a plan?"
"One."
Kang Jin-hyuk pulled out prepared items from his inventory.
He explained the strategy he'd cooked up in his head to Jeong Dae-yoon.
Listening intently, Jeong Dae-yoon looked at him with wavering eyes.
"Is that really the only way?"
"It goes against my conscience, but no choice."
After a moment's anguish, Jeong Dae-yoon clenched his fist with a pained expression.
"No helping it. These bastards deserve it..."
"Good call."
Kang Jin-hyuk praised his resolve and handed over the prepared items.
"You're gonna take that chance to deal with the Alraune?"
"Yeah. Can't leave a people-eating monster alone."
"Then, while you're at it, I have one favor to ask."
"A favor?"
"Yes, very important."
Facing Jeong Dae-yoon's grim face, Kang Jin-hyuk glanced at the air.
"Whisper it, then."
"Huh? It's just us—why whisper?"
"Bugs, maybe."
"If there were, they'd have been here already..."
"Sheesh. Just do it."
Unable to resist Kang Jin-hyuk's urging, Jeong Dae-yoon leaned in close.
He still didn't get why, but it was the guy who'd saved his life, so he complied without argument.
* * *
Tyrant's Hunters, lounging in the waiting room playing board games, jumped to their feet at the deafening roar that rattled their ears.
The noise, strong enough to shake the whole building, signaled a breach in the barrier.
"Intruders?!"
"Who the hell comes to a place like this?"
The Hunters flung open the door and rushed out.
They spotted women fleeing through the entrance—and Jeong Dae-yoon, the guy they'd beaten and tied up.
"How the hell did that bastard...!"
"He must've hidden a potion!"
"That's why I said kill him!"
Caught off guard, the Hunters panicked visibly.
Not all of them, though.
A-rank Hunter Ha Jin-hwan took charge like a leader.
"Doesn't matter where he got it—he's given potions to the women too. If we don't stop them, they'll all escape the barrier."
"W-what do we do?"
"What do you think? Catch 'em! Move!"
At Ha Jin-hwan's order, the Hunters sprinted toward the entrance at full speed.
Hunters could outrun normal people by miles, so the women were in real danger of getting caught.
"Keep coming straight ahead, don't veer off..."
Jeong Dae-yoon watched the pursuing Hunters, then hit the switch in his hand.
A small spark ignited near the entrance floor.
Ha Jin-hwan spotted countless 'scrolls' piled around it and slammed on the brakes.
"Everyone, stop!"
His shout was desperate, but only half obeyed.
The rest were too slow and took the scroll effects full force.
Kwaang!
The explosion scrolls, triggered by the spark, detonated in a chain.
A massive fireball and smoke erupted like dynamite at the entrance.
The Hunters' screams were drowned out by the blasts.
"Fuck."
Only eleven Hunters remained, including Ha Jin-hwan.
At least the ones lost were all B-rankers.
The A-rank core was intact, so it wasn't total failure yet.
"Grab that motherfucker! Now!"
Even without Ha Jin-hwan yelling, the furious Hunters charged after Jeong Dae-yoon.
"We spared your life, and this is how you repay us?"
"You dogshit! I'll kill you!"
Jeong Dae-yoon had gotten the women out of the barrier, but they could still catch up.
To avenge their exploded comrades, the Hunters pursued with fire in their eyes.
Charging out without hesitation, they finally saw the outside world the barrier had hidden.
"Fuck..."
In what should have been an empty wasteland, thirty people had gathered.
Tyrant's Hunters spotted Titan emblems on their gear.
"Did that bastard Jeong Dae-yoon call them?"
"We confiscated his phone—how?"
Ha Jin-hwan decided not to dwell on how Jeong Dae-yoon summoned Titan Hunters.
He could figure that out later.
Right now, facing Titan was priority.
"Everyone, take your meds."
"R-right now?"
"You questioning me?!"
At Ha Jin-hwan's fierce glare, Tyrant's Hunters tremblingly pulled small packets from their pockets.
The yellow powder inside was the Alraune powder Jeong Dae-yoon had mentioned.
"You know the side effects? If you don't wanna die, wrap it up in an hour."
Ha Jin-hwan and Tyrant's Hunters dumped the powder into their mouths.
As it went down their throats, they felt their stats skyrocket.
A confidence surged through them—they could take on even an S-rank Hunter now.