Chapter 36
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Monolith's Core (2)
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Kang Sa-hu summoned the Giant Hounds and Corpse-Eating Apes the moment he entered the gate.
It hadn't been long since they'd battled the formidable troll, but the summoned beasts that had lingered in his domain and absorbed the troll's blood and flesh appeared as robust as ever.
No, they emerged even stronger and more muscular than before they'd feasted on the troll's meat and blood.
"Go hunt the monsters inside the gate. Try not to damage their bodies too much—pierce clean holes in their necks or target their hearts."
Woof! Woof woof!
Kraa!
The Giant Hounds and Corpse-Eating Apes barked vigorously in response, understanding the command, and charged forward.
However, the three Giant Hounds with their cheeks puffed out like balloons, having received prior orders, stood near Kang Sa-hu, blankly awaiting his next instruction.
"Spit them out now."
At his command, the Giant Hounds immediately opened their massive jaws wide and dumped out what they'd been holding inside.
Kang Sa-hu first picked up the nine Monolith cores and fragments that tumbled from the Giant Hounds' mouths, grabbing a Monolith fragment.
Fwoosh.
He gathered mana in his hand, shaping it like fire, and gripped the Monolith fragment to observe any reaction.
But nothing happened. Just to be sure, he even channeled spirit through a hunter's soul core, yet still no response.
'The fragments have no function.'
He hadn't placed much hope in the Monolith fragments anyway, so their lack of reaction didn't disappoint him.
After confirming this, he ordered the Giant Hounds to shove the fragments aside and picked up a Monolith core.
According to the prophet's information, the Monolith had three key functions.
The first was the measurement function that quantified hunters' stats—a capability he already knew about. The two he hadn't confirmed yet were the class change function and the shop function.
When he'd heard that, a piece of information had flashed through his mind, resolving one long-held question.
'The vast mana circuits I sensed in the Monolith core from my awakener rank measurement.'
The first time he'd infused mana into a Monolith to shatter it, the Giant Hound had fetched what seemed to be a Monolith core fragment from within.
Back then, he'd felt within that tiny core an unbelievably complex and sturdy network of mana circuits.
He hadn't grasped their significance at the time, but now that he knew the functions, he understood how to use the Monolith core.
Kang Sa-hu closed his eyes, focused his mind, and stirred his mana.
At first, it seemed like the mana was being absorbed, but just like when the Monolith had shattered before, he felt the circuits heating up. He sensed the activated internal circuits through his mana and tried to direct them toward a function.
Zzzzt. Zzzzt.
Concentrating on the mana he poured in, he could feel the circuit's structure—divided into three main branches.
'Right now, the circuit is set to flow only toward the measurement function.'
Feeling this, he forcibly redirected the mana flow to the second circuit, encountering a heavy barrier.
It felt like something deliberately blocking mana from entering.
Like a dam holding back a river of mana rainfall.
But convinced there was a path beyond, Kang Sa-hu massively increased the amount of mana he channeled into the Monolith.
Kukukuku.
The torrent of powerful mana slammed into the system barrier like a flood.
The barrier, built to block mana interference, shook violently. Before the tremors stopped, his majestic mana surged again.
Like hammering a wall with a sledgehammer, he battered the system barrier with mana several times.
At some point, mana began seeping into the crumbling system.
As mana raged from both sides of the barrier, it reached a tipping point—the sturdy wall collapsed with a rumble.
The Job Change System has been activated.
As if affirming his efforts, words floated into his mind, curling the corners of Kang Sa-hu's mouth upward.
Checking class.
But that smile soon twisted into a bitter one.
Non-existent class.
Confirming class for job change.
■ Class. Non-existent ■ class.
Seeing the familiar sight of the system glitching and text corrupting as it broke down, Kang Sa-hu hurriedly adjusted the mana flow.
As the mana drained out completely, the job change system shut down like a fluorescent light flickering off. He let out a small sigh.
He was plenty satisfied with his Necromancer class anyway, so he hadn't been clinging to the job change system. Still, the fact that he couldn't use it left a slightly bitter taste.
'It's not over yet.'
But that was just the current situation.
There might be other ways later, so Kang Sa-hu tamped down his disappointment and stirred his mana once more.
His eyes grew serious as he targeted the third function he'd been most anticipating.
The shop function, which let him buy items using points earned from clearing gates.
'Unlike the first two, this one I have to use no matter what.'
Not being able to see his own stats held little meaning for him.
He knew his own changes better than anyone, and lacking numbers wouldn't shake his confidence.
The same went for job change.
Even if he had the chance to switch classes, he wouldn't have used it unless there was some huge advantage.
Long before becoming an awakener, he had been a pure Necromancer.
That was his identity, forged by his own hands over a lifetime—not something granted by others.
So he was content with his Necromancer class.
But the shop was different.
It had nothing to do with his self-identity or trust, so he absolutely had to use it.
Having succeeded once already, breaking the second barrier with mana didn't take long.
It consumed more mana than expected to shatter the barrier, but as it activated using his own magic power, Kang Sa-hu focused intently on the shop function.
The Shop System has been activated.
Checking user's possessed points.
Displaying currently purchasable items.
Having scanned all the messages that arose in his mind, he opened his eyes.
What he saw was like peering into a vending machine: small square slots containing items, with the required points listed beside them.
'...It worked.'
Confirming the mana consumption for activating the shop had stabilized with no issues even after time passed, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Even so, he couldn't rule out any potential glitches, so he quickly scanned the items.
Stamina Potion – 100 points
Mana Potion – 300 points
The first things that caught his eye were the potions.
As their names suggested, they restored spent stamina and mana. Turning his gaze elsewhere—
But the shop's inventory was vast, nearly endless, with varying stock levels—some items had only one in stock.
And some were locked tight with padlocks, their contents hidden.
As Kang Sa-hu frowned at the overwhelming selection, a message window popped up as if reading his thoughts.
Would you like to switch to 'Recommended Priority Listing' suitable for the user?
It proposed a tailored feature right on cue, and Kang Sa-hu nodded.
As if understanding his assent, the vast array of items shuffled like puzzle pieces falling into place, rearranging neatly before him in order of system recommendation for him.
He frowned at the prioritized list.
Most of the top recommendations were inexplicably wrapped in heavy chains, invisible. The few visible ones all demanded exorbitant points.
"I thought I'd finally unlocked the Monolith's functions..."
Disappointment flickered in his eyes, a sharp glint emerging.
About to look for unlocked items instead—
He sensed something off, froze, and stared hard at the chains.
Kii... Grrk.
As if shuddering under his gaze, the chains writhed with an eerie rattle.
"Come to think of it."
He recalled the first Monolith core he'd obtained.
It hadn't been visible with mana alone, but viewing it through spirit sight had revealed the system. His eyes gleamed with ominous light.
Not the sight of the living, but of the dead's spirits.
Gazing at the chains through spirit sight, they thrashed like flesh burning in fire.
Amid the convulsions, he glimpsed the recommended item: requiring 100,000 points, its golden name standing out unlike the others. His eyes lit up.
He couldn't be sure what it was, but it was top-ranked among recommendations for him.
The high point cost intuitively screamed quality.
'I don't know exactly what it is.'
His first purchase from the shop, and unsure what he even needed—the system itself was suggesting it.
Kang Sa-hu decided to take the item beyond the chains.
No reason to delay once decided.
Kwarrrrk.
Kikikikigi!
Ominous light exploded from his eyes, forming horn-like shapes.
Blue and green glows made the thigh-thick chains scream and convulse just from being stared at.
Unauthorized access.
The system's warning popped up in startled alarm, but he only intensified the glow.
He'd forcibly opened the locked shop with mana from the start—this was inherently unauthorized.
And above all—
"Does the system dictate permissions to me?"
He had no intention of obeying the 'system framework'—neither living being nor spirit—within its allowed limits.
Kikikiki!
Kang!
Finally, the chains snapped.
The shattered fragments disintegrated, vanishing from existence.
Ignoring the persistent warnings, Kang Sa-hu gazed at the now-revealed item.
Its identity, inscribed in shining golden letters:
Hell Duke Demadr's Blood-Drinking Scythe
A scythe.
The night before, Kang Sa-hu had gone to bed late after hunting a D-rank gate, so he rose leisurely and checked his phone.
After entering the D-rank gate and using the Monolith core to activate the shop—
When he opened his eyes, his summons had already cleared the gate.
Normally, clearing a D-rank gate with E-rank Giant Hounds and F-rank Corpse-Eating Apes would be impossible.
But his summons, strengthened through repeated gate hunts and Devourer’s predation ability, had long surpassed their limits.
Moreover, they hadn't just slaughtered monsters recklessly—they'd killed cleanly with minimal external damage per his orders.
Somehow, before killing, they'd terrified the D-rank gate's goblins so thoroughly that the monsters lost all will to resist and offered themselves as soul cores willingly.
'It's been a while since I properly checked on my summons.'
Thinking of how superbly they'd exceeded even his expectations—
On the video app NewTube, a popular video topped the charts: families of hunters killed while gate hunting, sobbing in grief. His face hardened.
Hesitating, he tapped the video. Parents hoarse from crying called their child's name.
Loved ones collapsed, wailing their partner's name.
"......"
His eyes deepened as he silently watched.