Chapter 17
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Corpse-Eating Ape (2)
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When Kang Sa-hu said he wouldn't summon the Giant Hound,
Lee Yu-rim felt a pang of panic, but at the same time, she was secretly thrilled at the chance to properly showcase her own worth.
She had always regretted that, back when they first met in the F-rank Gate, she hadn't been able to perform at her best—overshadowed by the power of his Giant Hound.
Shocked by his abilities, she'd gone out of her way to research necromancers, much like a student cramming for an exam. She'd scoured the internet, NewTube videos, encyclopedias, and even fantasy novels and movies, gathering every scrap of information she could find from all sorts of sources. Comparing it all to Kang Sa-hu's powers had led her to one firm conclusion.
He was a necromancer specialized in summoning.
Of course, he had used magic to take down the F-rank Gate boss directly.
But since she'd never seen or heard of anyone wielding summoning powers over the dead alongside magic, she figured he couldn't use it freely.
The abilities of Awakeners, much like in the media, probably didn't exceed three skills at most—that much was certain.
Yet now...
The rock-solid judgment she'd built over days of research melted away like a candle in the wind the moment she laid eyes on the apes rolling helplessly on the ground before Kang Sa-hu.
"Wh-what... is this...?"
There were no visible wounds, but the apes tumbling around had already lost all will to fight.
No, "lost will to fight" didn't even begin to cover it.
They thrashed about in terror, eyes darting wildly as if possessed, or curled up tight, trembling uncontrollably.
Some had even died with their jaws dropped open so wide it seemed their jawbones might snap, frozen in expressions of pure horror.
Necromancer's magic: Fear Imprint.
Instills the terror of death.
Kang Sa-hu kindly explained to the stunned Lee Yu-rim.
But even his gentle words couldn't snap her out of it.
'Magic? A magic skill? Then how many skills does he even have?'
Just counting what he'd clearly demonstrated so far—including the one he'd just used—came to four.
The summoning skill that produced Giant Hounds.
The spell that seemed to crush bones when he killed the F-rank Gate boss.
The skill that reversed blood flow, wrecking organs from the inside.
And now, this one that sowed chaos through fear.
Any three of those alone would be incredible, and this latest power was no slouch either.
"What's wrong? You can finish them off now."
Kang Sa-hu asked, puzzled by Lee Yu-rim's dazed stare.
The magic he'd used only imprinted a momentary terror of death to induce chaos.
Unless their soul-related hon or body-related paek was weak enough to trigger a heart attack, it had no direct lethality.
The ones that died were simply too frail in paek, suffering actual cardiac arrest, or shattered mentally from the shock.
That said, he lacked the physical strength to go around snapping necks one by one, and without a proper weapon, it only made sense to leave the cleanup to Lee Yu-rim.
But she interpreted his words differently.
'Even though we're future teammates, he's making sure I don't feel useless by leaving me a role.'
In her eyes, if he wanted to satisfy his greed or flaunt his authority, killing the apes himself would be most efficient.
That way, he'd rack up experience from the kills and could brag to others about solo-clearing an F-rank Gate meant for two.
Yet here he was, handing her the easy task of just slitting throats with her dagger.
'This... this is the caliber of a true Party Leader.'
At first, Bae Deok-ho—the oldest among them—had jokingly started calling him Party Leader, and Kim Ho-myeong and Kang Ji-ye had followed suit.
But to her, it had been half-joke, half swept up in the mood. She hadn't truly seen him as her Party Leader.
People who acted kind while secretly plotting to screw over their followers.
Those obsessed with standing out, desperate to wield power over their subordinates.
That was the kind of "leader" she'd learned about the hard way in life.
But now...
Even with no one watching.
Even though he could hog everything himself.
His thoughtfulness toward her, just like with everyone else, made her feel—for the first time—that he was genuinely her Party Leader.
"...Thank you, Party Leader."
Lee Yu-rim dipped her head in a quick bow, then hurried to slit the apes' throats so he wouldn't have to wait.
Filled with genuine gratitude and now truly acknowledging him as her leader, she wanted to prove her skills here, to earn his recognition.
Kang Sa-hu had noticed the "Party Leader" title creeping in at some point but chose not to question it.
'Must be the Raid Leader thing.'
He'd once searched "Hunter Party Leader" on NewTube to figure out why, and learned that groups of Hunters called their head "Raid Leader."
He had no idea when he'd become this group's leader, but someone had to make the calls.
And if no one objected, there was no need to shove the burdensome role onto someone else—that was his take.
Kang Sa-hu watched as Lee Yu-rim moved like the wind, diligently killing the terror-stricken apes that couldn't get their wits about them.
He nodded approvingly at how cleanly she pierced their throats.
'If I'm planning to summon them later, it's best to let her handle the finishing blows.'
Of course, part of it was observing the skills of his new teammate, but personally, it was mostly to preserve intact corpses.
Turning a monster with just a hole in its neck into a zombie was worlds apart from one shredded to bits.
And above all, sensing her frantic energy, he'd deliberately given her something to do.
As he stared at the dead apes, the familiar hologram window popped up.
The Corpse-Eating Ape rejects becoming a Soul Core.
You can force it into a Soul Core state, but potential and durability will be affected.
The familiar Soul Core skill message.
But to grow stronger, he needed better methods.
And that meant experiments and trials, so unlike with the Forest Lizards, he didn't rush to force the apes into Soul Cores.
Instead, as he invoked his necromancer powers, the spirits of the still-corporeal dead shuddered violently in fear.
Blue-green glows faintly emanated from their eyes.
As Kang Sa-hu's mouth opened, their spirits quaked harder.
"Become a Soul Core."
[......!]
The apes, now spirits clinging only to their souls after death, trembled violently.
From their perspective, nothing made sense—from start to finish.
One glance at that human's eyes, and insane terror had overwhelmed them, leaving them rolling on the ground, unable to fight properly before dying.
That alone was maddeningly unfair, but now he was speaking directly to their dead souls, issuing commands.
As they rebelled against the absurdity, Kang Sa-hu nodded.
A half-hearted strong spirit might feign loyalty while plotting rebellion.
But these apes, having glimpsed the abyss-black depths of Kang Sa-hu's intent, rejected him on pure instinct.
Forcing them into Soul Cores was an option, but it would tank their durability and potential, so he opted for another approach.
"Fine, then. Thrash about as much as you like."
The necromancer's soul-resonating voice struck the apes like a hammer.
Dead, with no ears to block it and no flesh to shield them in spirit form, it felt like whips lashing bare skin.
Their spirits surged like waves in agony and fear, but his words continued.
"I guarantee it. Those who resist will suffer even more. I'll make you wish for oblivion."
Their spirits rippled again at the chilling words and resonating voice.
Surprisingly, no more words followed.
Instead, eerie green iron chains materialized before each spirit, coiling around them like serpents.
Krrrrr... clank!
Kiiiiieeeek!
The bound spirits screamed, unleashing ear-splitting wails of torment as they tore at themselves.
The glow seeping from Kang Sa-hu's eyes gradually faded.
He turned to see Lee Yu-rim, who had finished off every Corpse-Eating Ape, standing there awkwardly, waiting for him.
"Good work."
She flinched at his words, then bowed her head.
"It's thanks to you, Party Leader."
'Thanks to me? What exactly?'
He found it odd how deferential she was acting, as if he'd done something amazing.
But she'd already shown she hadn't read the group chat's Gate hunting plan properly and had squealed in surprise when he said no Giant Hound.
In his mind, she was already slotted as a "quietly quirky teammate," so he just let her keep saying it was thanks to him.
"Just the boss left now."
"Yes, Party Leader."
Her eyes lit up at the mention of the boss.
She probably wanted to handle it herself.
Having already let her clean up the neutralized apes as a courtesy, he was fine handing the boss over entirely if she wanted.
As she spoke politely, Kang Sa-hu gazed at the sprawled ape corpses, chin in hand, deep in thought.
"Lee Yu-rim. What if you tried tackling the boss solo? Interested?"
"Y-yes?"
She blinked in confusion at the unexpected suggestion.
But before the Great Cataclysm, he'd made a living soothing the spirits of the dead and seeing them off.
He had a keen sense for people's desires and emotions.
"It's been on my mind since our first Gate together, and even now. I can tell you want to test your abilities."
"...!"
Her face flushed at his words.
But since they rang true, she couldn't deny them.
All she could do was shiver at how her Party Leader saw not just as a Hunter, but with insight that pierced right through his team members.
With her silent, Kang Sa-hu nodded, confirming his hunch was spot on.
"I'm curious too, you know. Just how strong you are. And how much you've grown since first awakening as a Hunter. Bet you're wondering the same."
"...Yes, Party Leader."
Shivering at his perceptive insight that read her innermost thoughts, she'd now tacked on the honorific, but he brushed it off as usual.
"Then try it when it's just us. In the safest Gate there is—an F-rank."
"B-but..."
Lee Yu-rim trailed off.
It wasn't fear.
But Kang Sa-hu clearly felt stronger than her.
Meaning, if she could solo the boss, so could he.
In other words, on top of letting her finish the neutralized apes, he was now offering the boss too.
This went beyond courtesy—it was like handing over his entire share.
But Kang Sa-hu met her gaze with eyes that saw through her, nodding slightly.
She seemed to sense danger and burden in soloing the boss.
Of course, ever safety-minded, he had no intention of leaving her high and dry.
He could support with magic anytime, or step in directly like with the King Forest Lizard if things got dire.
Above all, her performance against the boss would shape what roles he'd assign her in future hunts—he needed to gauge her capabilities.
"It'll be fine."
"...!"
His words, as if reading her mind, left her staring blankly, thoughts swirling.
Unwavering, sincere eyes.
Unlike the gazes of others she'd known, these held true heart.
'...Could I trust this man?'
As she looked at him with trembling eyes,
Grrrroooaaar!
The moment their talk ended, a thunderous roar erupted from a massive chimney amid the crumbled buildings.
A long arm poked out first, followed by the boss monster—limbs longer than the other apes—revealing itself.
"I'll be off, then."
"Yeah. Don't worry. Stay calm."
Lee Yu-rim gave a small smile and nod at his words.
She vanished like the wind, launching an attack at the boss's leg in an instant.
Speed like the gale itself.
"Alright, let's take a good look."
This was his first real chance to properly assess his future hunting partner's abilities.
Kang Sa-hu focused intently to get a clear read.