Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: The Hyena King Heading to the Death Zone
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After that, I learned from Suiel about the precautions needed when handling magical items.
Whether by sheer luck or not, this Shield of the Solar Deity Oz had no rank restrictions. Thanks to that, even I, a civilian, could use it.
However, when unleashing the shield's special ability, the user couldn't assist, relying solely on the shield's power, so its might would be somewhat diminished.
"For example, think of it like this. When running a laptop, plugging it into the charger makes it run faster than on battery alone."
It was an easy-to-understand analogy.
"Come find me for a while. I'll teach you the knack for using the special ability embedded in this shield."
"Thank you so much, Suiel."
"As long as you don't die, that's enough."
Suiel's face was filled with exhaustion.
I was probably the same. We had a ton to talk about, but pushing further today would be too much.
"It's nice to know there's a tomorrow. It lets us put off today's troubles."
***
Four days after the life-or-death lottery draw.
"I'm exhausted, so exhausted."
I returned home utterly drained.
Lately, I'd been meeting Suiel constantly to learn how to use the magical item. Today was the last session, and it was finally over.
Thanks to her, I'd at least gotten the basics of the shield down. There was still a long way to go, but that was for me to figure out on my own from here.
I'd received an immense favor from Suiel this time.
I hoped a day would come when I could repay her.
To do that, I had to survive first.
"Hoo..."
With a sigh heavy with fatigue, I set the shield by the window.
Now that the training was done, it was time to finally face my destiny.
No dodging.
No delaying.
Truth be told, I had a rough idea already.
Why the 99% death probability had popped up.
Even before hearing Suiel's prophecy, my heart had already turned fully toward one place.
The location where Metatron appeared in Wind Walker's photo.
It was like the recklessness of a moth to a flame.
Unable to resist, charging straight in—just the same.
Plus, Suiel's prophecy had shown that avoiding it was pointless.
If I stayed in Anyang out of fear of death, fate would strike suddenly from behind.
And facing it that way? No happy ending.
Fate doesn't reward cowards.
According to Suiel, with my grandiose destiny as a Kingslayer, the backlash from trying to evade it would be huge.
The most common pattern? Anyang getting destroyed or my big sister dying. I got mad and protested at the time, but Suiel calmly replied.
"Don't you get why heroes' stories always have family dying and hometowns destroyed?"
That one line left me speechless.
Fate seemed to follow some law beyond human wisdom. If so, I had no choice but to confront it head-on, grasping for that 1% chance. It wasn't just about me. If things went wrong, my sister could die too, so I had to meet Metatron. Suiel said fate harshly prods those with rightful callings. To dodge the whip, I had to move first.
On top of that, there was an expectation I couldn't voice to others.
For ten years, I'd buried my resentment and lived on. Because I couldn't become a hunter.
But Metatron might grant my wish. Among angels, she was an outsider, an irregular. Maybe she had something beyond the standard hunter system—that hope bubbled up.
Honestly, I'd just planned to retire.
I was tired, sick of throwing myself into recklessness like a kid throwing a tantrum over not becoming a hunter. I just wanted a quiet life with my sister. But now, this sudden Kingslayer fate forced me to leave. And the hope of maybe becoming a hunter reignited the fire in my heart.
Frankly, I wasn't fearless.
Gazing at the beautiful sunset by the window, I wondered if this was my last.
Today's sunset felt especially warm and gentle.
I always wanted to see this languid, affectionate dusk.
Unknowingly, I stroked the Shield of the Solar Deity and murmured.
"I wish this time wouldn't end."
***
Black Hyena Team.
The top hyena team in Korea, with me as leader.
This cheeky crew was now tackling a job bigger than anything before.
Recovering the corpse of a dead Lord-class monster.
Thanks to Wind Walker's intel, we'd pinpointed its location.
"Our team will secure the Lord-class monster and, if possible, its magic stone too—if it's still there."
In the briefing room, team members couldn't tear their eyes from the photo I'd revealed.
I'd shared the photo from Wind Walker and announced the recovery plan for the Lord-class monster corpse. Everyone was buzzing with barely contained excitement.
"A Lord-class! If we snag that, we can quit this crap for good!"
"Isn't it dangerous?"
"Idiot! It's dead!"
"Who the hell killed it?"
I deliberately withheld info on Metatron, following Suiel's advice.
I recited my prepared excuse.
"Analysis shows it was killed by another Lord-class monster."
"Question, boss."
"Shoot."
"It's been nearly a week since the photo date. Will the corpse even be intact?"
"No worries there. Reliable info says Lord-class monster corpses don't rot easily. Other monsters fear them and avoid eating them. They start seriously decaying after about three weeks, when packs finally swarm in. If we move in time, we'll find it pristine. And right now, we're the only ones who know. Keep it airtight, everyone."
With this life-changing jackpot on the line, everyone was fidgeting with anticipation.
But worries lingered.
The deputy leader was already voicing them.
"But the location in the photo—Noryangjin, right? Extremely risky for hyenas to infiltrate. No hyena's ever even reached it."
As the mood shifted, I came on strong.
"We'll be the first. Anyone scared can sit it out."
Ten years taught me: leaders must be tough.
Especially leading weak hyenas like us.
Hit hard first, then ease in—that steered the team my way.
"True, no hyena team's entered Noryangjin. But hunters go in and out all the time. Objectively, it's not even top-tier hunting ground."
One more hook to reel them in.
"I bought intel on Noryangjin's hunters from Michaela's crew. No sweat. Know the info, know the enemies, and hyenas survive anywhere."
Suiel helped with this one.
Michaela was her direct superior, so she pulled strings.
"Ooh! From Michaela's family!"
"They're strong but such assholes—hyenas usually steer clear. Impressive, boss. Your connections are no joke."
"The Hyena King indeed!"
Team members chimed in with awe.
Michaela's hunters were renowned for strength.
Michaela herself ranked second among seraphim.
But just as infamous for arrogance. Her haughty nature rubbed off on her subordinates.
By the way, Hyena King? Not me, surely. Must be some hotshot hyena earning that lately.
My job made me curious as hell.
Probably an obnoxious prick. Hyena King, with me, Yu Je-a, around? Cheeky.
"Michaela family intel is solid. Worth a shot."
"Once-in-a-lifetime chance."
Mood swung positive; deputy shot me a "can't stop you" look.
He was like the team opposition leader, always braking my wild plans.
His advice kept us balanced so far. Even he saw the merit outweighed the risk this time, so no more objections.
"Die or not—that's the hyena way, right?"
He joked under my gaze.
Light laughter rippled.
With our sole brake on board, the team treated it as done.
I nodded and announced.
"Good. Departure in three days. Total secrecy, prep thoroughly. This op's way riskier than anything before. Know you could die. But if we return safe, remember: goodbye to this stinking, filthy grind."
A Lord-class corpse outprices an Aegis destroyer.
Hundreds of billions per member—who wouldn't bite?
I proposed to them.
"Let's disband the team while we're at it. Nail this, then we all retire!"
Cheers and applause erupted.
"Yeah! Disband!"
"Air-dissolve it!"
Only hyenas would cheer dissolving their own outfit.
Simple: for us, it meant a happy ending.
***
I'm not dragging the team blindly into danger.
I had confidence we could pull this historic job off.
My personal fateful challenge came after the side loot haul. I hadn't told anyone yet, but post-success, I'd hand over to the deputy and bail.
With his experience, leading them back safe was a breeze.
Still, I couldn't go solo. Their help was essential.
Pioneered routes? Better alone.
But post-op, uncharted territory—team crucial.
That's why leading them, even without full disclosure. Sorry about that.
I apologized inwardly to everyone.
In return, I'd ensure they returned loaded with Lord-class byproducts. Billions each would compensate for the blind drag-in.
That's how I'd frame it.
"Je-a, sis begs you—can't you not go?"
Morning, packing to leave—sis blocked the door.
Lately, she crashed at my place often.
I knew she planned to move in slyly. Her stuff kept piling in her room. Normally, I'd boot her out, but the prophecy softened me.
Just seeing her made me tender, guilty.
If I died, how would she manage? Worry gnawed.
She's capable, smart—why can't I trust her fully?
Her scatterbrained side, probably.
Who'd take her in? Endless frets.
Even her usual visits, once annoying, I welcomed.
These days with sis were precious.
Even heading to die, her warmth kept me steady.
Sis is sis, after all.
Thought of hugging her goodbye but ditched—too awkward.
Wanted to say I love you, but words stuck.
If I return safe, I'll apologize for worries, say I love her.
Then this heavy mouth would open.
I feigned nonchalance.
"Hey, worrywart. Think I haven't hit Seoul before? Move. Let me out."
"Je-a. Sis is just really anxious this time."
Women have sharp instincts, huh.
Never like this for past hyena runs.
She sensed something off instinctively. Our sibling intuition was killer since kids.
"Why now? Getting old, worries piling up?"
Grumbled outside, apologized inside.
Sorry, prickly little bro.
Finally, I patted her back lightly. Rare affection from me—that was my limit.
Deep down, wanted a tight hug. Might be last time seeing her.
"Back quick. Always am."
"Promise you'll return."
Judging resistance futile, she just clutched my sleeve.
"Yeah, I'll return."
"Always careful."
"Yeah, got it."
I hurried out after.
Lingering by sis melted me.
Truth? Not that she's unreliable or klutzy.
Hated how she weakened me.
***
"Time for lunch boxes."
Gwachun City, Gyeonggi Province.
Gateway to the hunting grounds.
Old scholars crossed Namtaeryeong Pass here en route to Hanyang for exams.
Now hunters crossed for hunts.
Gwachun had weak monsters, so even hyenas roamed freely.
Lunch box time? Families' packed meals.
Hyena families don't know.
We eat only dungeon-dried rations inside.
Tasteless but nutritious, like special forces MREs. Odorless key.
Why hide? Hyenas don't tell. Already filthy frontier work—add starving on hard sticks? Heartbreak for families.
So we conceal it.
Normal food scents lure monsters—risky. Hunters fine, but hyenas paranoid over trivia. Never brought regular eats inside.
Thus, pre-Namtaeryeong, we'd share family lunches in Gwachun. Leftovers to local troops.
"My mom's so devoted."
Deputy, with elderly parents, smiled at his box. Simple, old-country fare. But warm. How much effort trimming those sweet potato sprouts? Hours, peeling with dim eyes.
Families want to send off frontier hyenas with hearty meals. We quietly accept to honor that. Seeing it tugged heartstrings.
Swore silently: bring the team back safe, no matter what.
With faint hope, I opened sis's box.
Surely packed with love...
Huh? What's this.
Paper note atop the lunch.
Sis's message?
Not her style.
Curious, I read:
[3345232-01-453424 ××Bank. PIN 1226
If you don't return, sis'll blow your secret stash on luxury goods.]
"Hahaha."
Laughter burst out.
So like sis.
PIN too? Made sense on think.
1226: parents' old car plate. How'd she guess my PIN? Sis knows me inside out.
Memo screamed: "Still in sis's palm, kid."
"Yeah, gotta return."
Sis never splurged on luxury. Once she did? Late bloomers go wild.
She'd drain my account dry. Now I really had to come back.
Ate amid those thoughts.
Delicious.
Wish I could eat sis's lunch again.
"Kids, time to do our job!"
All done eating, geared up.
Lunch over, attitudes flipped like clockwork. Veteran faces all.
They knew hyena vulnerability in hunts intimately.
To return to family arms, never drop guard.
"Target: Noryangjin. Scouts up front."
Hyenas slowly climbed Namtaeryeong Pass.
Each carrying their stories.