Chapter 31
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Troll King Kataku (3)
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“Kwarararara!”
A dragon covered in white scales expelled a mighty breath from deep within its lungs.
It wasn’t the colossal dragon one might imagine—just barely over five meters long—but the breath laced with mana began freezing the trolls it touched solid.
Kwadududuk!
“Kuwaaaak!”
“Kraaak!”
As their bodies started to freeze, the trolls screamed in agony.
Their skin blackened with frostbite in an instant, and their muscles stiffened into unyielding rigidity.
Seeing a troll with one arm down to its leg frozen immobile, the dragon caught its breath in relief.
But that relief was short-lived.
“Krwoooo!”
Kwachang!
The trolls frozen by the dragon’s breath shattered their own bodies in a brutish counter to the attack.
“Kkueooo!”
Like shattering glass, the trolls writhed on the ground in torment, but they swiftly regenerated and charged back at the hunters with ferocious momentum.
The dragon, which had been blasting breath at the trolls, held back now that they were clashing in close-quarters melee with the hunters—fearing it might catch allies in the crossfire.
Instead, it clumsily whipped its tail in full-body spins or attempted awkward kicks to fend off the trolls.
[Dragon, not breathing.]
[That’s no dragon. But it’s not breathing, yeah.]
[Too weak and small for a dragon.]
[We can kill it.]
A few trolls, seeing the dragon withhold its breath, turned and used their skills to transform before lunging at Maeng Yu-na, who had become a dragon.
Though she’d transformed into dragon form via her hidden class Half-Human Half-Dragon skill, Maeng Yu-na’s role remained that of a mage—before or after the change.
Never having planned for melee combat in dragon form, she now stomped at trolls like bugs with clumsy movements instead of breathing.
But still unaccustomed to her draconic body, she wobbled unsteadily, and four trolls latched onto her leg.
[Rip it apart—!]
The trolls gripped her leg, intent on snapping it, twisting it every which way.
When the thickened, scaled limb proved tougher than expected, they switched to pounding it with their fists.
Kyaaaang!
The pillar-like dragon leg cracked under the trolls’ blows, and Maeng Yu-na let out a pained roar.
[Got it!]
[Dragon’s rare. King’ll hog it if he knows. We eat!]
A troll wielding an axe gripped it with both hands, hoisting it high to sever Maeng Yu-na’s leg.
Maeng Yu-na struggled to flee, but more trolls piled on, pinning her leg—she couldn’t shake them free.
Kkieeeeng!
A terrified wail erupted as the axe swung down.
Just as the axe was about to strike her leg,
a shadowy figure dashed in from nowhere, slamming into the troll with a shoulder charge and sending it flying.
[Kukoak!]
The troll’s bones shattered as it screamed and soared away, the figure blocking the others.
The trolls, startled by the newcomer, were even more shocked upon recognizing the hunter.
[D-Dragon, but human!]
[No! Human, but dragon!]
Heated arguments broke out among the trolls as Han Si-yeon—her appearance dragon-like from her hidden class Dragonkin skill—charged back at the bickering foes.
Dragon Claw
Mana condenses on Han Si-yeon's fingertips, hardening into long claws.
Han Si-yeon splayed her hand, slashing with her claws—trolls were sliced open, muscles parting to expose bone.
As she single-handedly faced three trolls, Maeng Yu-na reverted to human form and collapsed, groaning.
“Ah, ahk.”
Looking down at her leg, she wept from pain and terror.
The trolls’ assault had shattered the bone into fragments—a compound fracture where shards pierced skin and protruded.
In other words, from shin to calf, jagged bone ends had burst irregularly through her flesh.
“Hauk, haeup, heup, heuuk, heuueuk!”
For the first time, seeing her own body so gruesomely mangled, Maeng Yu-na hyperventilated.
With trolls rampaging through the fortress, everyone else was too busy surviving or fighting to notice her plight.
Kreuk.
At the ominous sound, Maeng Yu-na tremblingly looked up to see a troll eyeing her state, eyes wide as it approached.
“Ah, aa, ah.”
The troll’s face lit with predatory glee at her terrified expression—easy prey.
“S-Save... h-heuk, heeeuk!”
She wanted to scream for help, but hyperventilation choked even that.
As the troll lunged,
an arrow whistled from afar, piercing its temple.
Peng!
The arrow exploded shortly after embedding, blasting the troll’s head to pieces.
From a distance, Bae Deok-ho—who’d sniped the troll charging Maeng Yu-na with [Exploding Arrow]—staggered, groaning in pain.
“Euuuk. J-Ji-ye... really healed me good...”
As a key fighter, he’d received treatment from multiple healers, but wounds lingered unhealed.
He’d rarely been seriously hurt before; even minor injuries were near-perfectly mended by Kang Ji-ye.
Incomplete recovery felt alien to Bae Deok-ho.
The white bandages around his body soaked red as unhealed wounds reopened with movement.
Realizing drawing his bow would strain his abdomen, worsening wounds via pressure, he stowed it.
Mana hadn’t recovered either—he couldn’t spam [Exploding Arrow]. That last one might’ve drained his reserves.
But even without his bow,
Bae Deok-ho focused on what he could do.
“Hryaaat!”
Roaring, he kicked off with S-rank physical prowess, reaching Maeng Yu-na in a flash.
He scooped up the hyperventilating woman in both arms and bolted for the healing awakeners.
Midway, his eyes met a troll’s—it targeted his impaired movement.
“Damn it!”
Unable to draw bow and arrow while carrying her, Bae Deok-ho glared, plotting to dodge the attack path.
The troll raised its arm to strike.
Someone blurred past it like wind.
Its head fell from its shoulders like an autumn leaf.
“...You’re here!”
Recognizing the figure, Bae Deok-ho clutched Maeng Yu-na and sprinted full-tilt.
A spear hurtled toward him, but having spotted Lee Yu-rim, he didn’t slow—even if it could kill instantly.
Shock Reflection
Used by Kim Ho-myeong.
Kim Ho-myeong met the incoming spear head-on with his shield.
Using ‘Shock Reflection’ from prior hunts, the spear ricocheted exactly where he aimed.
“Ku-hup!”
The troll thrashed, clawing at the spear impaling its throat; Lee Yu-rim zipped past with her passive [Wind Body], severing its head.
Wi Dae-in—the hidden class Warlord and Daehan Guild leader—cast battle support spells on hunters while scanning the field.
Unlike his initial fear, the hunters fought desperately, felling trolls one by one.
Whenever they faltered, Kang Sa-hu’s summons joined, tipping balance back their way.
“Ha, haha. Good! Great!”
Hope gleamed in Wi Dae-in’s eyes.
“At this rate, we can take the boss too!”
He’d never seen it, but united, they toppled fearsome trolls sequentially. Gripping his signature hammer, he swung.
[Ridiculous.]
Watching from afar, Kataku wore a baffled expression.
Inside the fortress, events unfolded opposite his expectations.
[Risking their lives against mere bait trolls? And not even dominating—just evenly matched?]
Kataku never underestimated hunters.
Initially deeming them rabble from subordinates’ reports, he’d sent elite trolls to crush them.
Seeing Bae Deok-ho’s potent arrows shifted him to meticulous hunter-vs-prey extermination.
Now, he questioned if that was necessary.
[For this...?]
Irritated, Kataku glared at the ten captive hunters held by elites.
“......!”
Feeling his murderous intent, they shuddered.
Tortured in unimaginable ways during captivity—barely fed—their states were pitiable.
Clothes stained with unwashed filth reeked; some were skeletal, ribs protruding.
The top guild leader, defiant early on, now had fractured sanity from personal torment.
[Enough. No more to see.]
Kataku, who relished clashing full-force with strongest foes, lost interest. His gaze chilled toward the fortress.
Though disappointed, recalling intriguing Bae Deok-ho, he prepared his mightiest strike.
The attack he’d once used on Bae Deok-ho.
A lifetime honing to shatter skies with one punch—his proud power.
Legs, knees, waist twisting, mana cloaking his arm, Kataku thrust his fist straight.
[One Strike Shatters Heaven]
Kuwwwwah—
The punch compressed air to its limit.
Unable to withstand, it formed a sphere—then burst.
Paaaaang—!
A roar like a jet fighter at max speed.
Kataku’s full-power One Strike Shatters Heaven pulverized a rocky cliff, hurtling toward the fortress where hunters and trolls fought.
Paaaaang—!
Hearing the roar from afar aimed at the fortress, all eyes turned—faces drained in horror.
An attack like ripping space itself barreled toward them.
“W-What the hell is that—!”
Not just hunters—even trolls recognizing its power despaired, screaming.
As hunters and trolls wailed, the ground beneath blackened instantly.
Sensitive hunters noticed first.
Before all registered, the earth erupted like a volcano—bones surging up.
Kkadadadadak.
Tududuk.
The bones clattered grotesquely, intertwining into a bony wall.
“...Party Leader—!”
Bae Deok-ho bellowed, whipping his head toward Kang Sa-hu.
Seated on a bone throne, azure and emerald soulfire horns blazing upward, Kang Sa-hu gazed imperiously at the fortress.