Chapter 61
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Code Gray (3)
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Woof woof woof-!
Riding atop the sprinting Giant Hound and savoring the rush of speed and wind, Kang Sa-hu tilted his head in confusion at the beast's sudden halt and low growl, even though their destination was still some distance away. He pushed himself upright.
"What's up? Something wrong...?"
As Kang Sa-hu checked his navigation and straightened up, the Giant Hound let out a deep, rumbling growl from its throat. Realizing this was no ordinary situation, his eyes darkened heavily.
And it wasn't long before Kang Sa-hu understood why.
"...What the hell. Why are there monsters here?"
The reason the Giant Hound had stopped on the path he was heading was, astonishingly, monsters.
Not just one type, but a mix of at least three or four different species.
Kang Sa-hu jumped in surprise and quickly pulled out his phone to search the internet.
And then...
"...A Gate Break occurred, and access to the area has been restricted...?"
The UK spanned 240,000 square kilometers—more than twice the size of Korea—but its population was only about 17 million more than Korea's.
With relatively fewer Awakeners as a result, British Hunters had far too many Gates to hunt every single day.
In such circumstances, the royal family's chosen strategy was simple: Give where it's due.
Diverting already precious Hunter resources to a Gate Break site after the fact was like locking the barn door after the horse had bolted.
If it were a densely populated area or a national strategic point, recapture would be obvious.
But for most other places deemed unimportant, they simply herded the monsters into corners where they couldn't harm people and banned access.
And the world-famous tourist spot Stonehenge was no exception.
True, it was a renowned landmark, but otherwise just a cluster of stone pillars plopped in the middle of Salisbury Plain—hardly vital enough to deploy Hunters for immediate cleanup.
A Gate Break had happened, monsters had jumped through and settled in, and with time passing and no interference—only more monsters surviving—additional breaks had piled on, increasing the variety.
"Who would've thought Stonehenge would end up like this."
Korea might be short on land, but it boasted some of the world's rarest S-Rank Hunters, and above all, Hunters were actively hunting on their own initiative right now.
But not every country was like Korea.
Nations like the US, UK, Germany, and Japan had stabilized somewhat, but in places like China, Russia, the Philippines, and Thailand, Hunters had even staged rebellions to seize power.
In France, Awakeners were using abilities in protests. The world was still reeling vividly from the Great Cataclysm, chaos unfolding in real time.
Gazing alternately at the monsters prowling Salisbury Plain and the news articles, Kang Sa-hu assessed their ranks.
"Two D-Rank types, about three E-Rank types, huh."
Fortunately.
And naturally, no high-rank C+ Gate Breaks seemed to have occurred.
Even though multiple breaks had overlapped—increasing their numbers—it wasn't beyond what Kang Sa-hu could handle alone.
And above all...
"At least I don't have to worry about prying eyes."
With the title of EX-Rank Hunter from Korea drawing stares and feigned familiarity even at the airport, entering the Necromancer Society via the famous tourist spot Stonehenge could've exposed him.
Kang Sa-hu decided to view this positively: he could slip into the Necromancer Society without watching eyes, at least.
If he were an ordinary person, he wouldn't need to enter through Stonehenge's proper gate.
But unlike other Necromancers or people even before Awakening, Kang Sa-hu's Spirit was exceptionally vast and potent, making alternative passages difficult for it to traverse.
A slight misstep could cause a disaster, collapsing the entrance as his massive Spirit forced its way through. Thus, Kang Sa-hu had to enter the Necromancer Society via Stonehenge.
And above all...
It's been like this since before Awakening, but after Awakening and growing stronger, my Spirit has only grown larger and more powerful.
As confirmed in that B-Rank Gate with the trolls, the Spirits of Hunters who Awakened and grew through hunting were far vaster and stronger than ordinary people's.
Kang Sa-hu was no exception, so he knew firsthand how much stronger his own had become.
As such, he—of all people—had no choice but to pass through here, the largest entrance: Stonehenge.
Death that Rotates and Returns
Whirling blade slices through foes!
Shrunk to the size of a hand sickle and dangling quietly at his waist, his [Hell Duke Demadru's Blood-Drinking Scythe] leaped into his grasp. As he channeled mana, it let out a deafening screech and returned to its full size.
The Giant Hound, lying still with Kang Sa-hu aboard and awaiting his command, perked its ears at his mana and rose to its feet.
From afar, monsters that spotted him recoiled in shock. A faint blue-green glow emanated from Kang Sa-hu's eyes as he regarded them.
"Let's go."
Woof woof!
At Kang Sa-hu's order, the Giant Hound sprang up energetically and charged forward.
[So. You lost him?]
Hic!
A playful voice drifted through the earpiece.
But unlike usual, a chill seeped through even the electronic medium, making the apprentice Paladin feel his hiccups resume after barely stopping.
"I-I'm, hic! really sorry, Commander, hic! sir!"
[Right? You messed up, didn't you?]
"Y-Yes! I, hic, admit my mistake and apologize!"
[Oh my. Think an apology wraps it up?]
"S-So-Sor- hic! ry!"
Like a cat toying with a mouse, the Commander berated him for minutes, then seemed to relent—only to reel him back in. Her boiling mood swings slowly eroded the apprentice Paladin's sanity.
By the end, as he broke down sobbing, she finally lost interest and dropped the teasing.
[Sigh— No helping it. That guy's no pushover anyway. Code Gray wasn't issued lightly.]
Her words sounded like she personally knew the target, leaving the apprentice momentarily flustered—but her follow-up stole his soul entirely.
[We'll settle the apprentice's blunder by dubbing you 'Pissypants Paladin.' 'Pissypants Paladin.']
"G-Gasp! C-Commander! Please, anything but that...!"
At 'Pissypants Paladin,' the apprentice despaired—had he trained so hard for years as a Paladin just for this?—and cried out desperately.
Then a new voice came from beside her.
[Commander, preparations are complete.]
[Ah, good work. We have a hunch where he went. Don't get cocky trying to make up for it—stay put and wait, apprentice.]
"P-Pardon? C-Commander! What do you...?"
The apprentice hurried to ask, but she'd already ended the call without hesitation after saying her piece.
Staring at the disconnected phone, the apprentice exhaled shakily—whoosh—then inhaled deeply, holding his breath.
"...Wait there...?"
The vice-commander's voice reporting preparations complete from beside her.
The Commander's order to 'stay put and wait.'
And finally, her failure to dispatch backup or share countermeasures despite his inability to track the target.
Reviewing it all, the apprentice Paladin's face drained white again.
"N-No, no way..."
Shock made his voice metallic, but he was too stunned to notice.
"The Commander and Vice-Commander are coming here...?!"
Flinch.
Learning the Vatican main order's Commander herself was mobilizing, the apprentice Paladin felt the urge to pee again and clamped his legs together.
Grrraaawr!
Keraraak!
Guufoofoo!
Sounds straight out of a zoo.
No—even zoos didn't have such a riot of exotic growls and throat rumbles echoing from all sides. Kang Sa-hu hurled his great scythe.
Death that Rotates and Returns
Now expertly flung one-handed, the great scythe spun like a boomerang, hacking through nearby monsters left and right.
Grrraaawr!
Kyaaak!
British Hunters fretted over even minor injuries, and with breaks stacking over time, their numbers had swelled.
One skill cast turned Salisbury Plain thick with blood.
In the dark night, blue-green glow from his eyes, Kang Sa-hu narrowed them at the monsters.
No need to kill them all. Better not to.
Monsters that could harm people, yes—but also serving to scare off Stonehenge tourists. Kang Sa-hu had no intention of wiping them out.
This is the UK, after all. Clearing them all might please some, but could draw flak for freelancing in foreign turf.
Kehoo-!
A small monster—an Imp—lunged at him, only to be crunched and swallowed by the Giant Hound.
Watching, Kang Sa-hu eyed the monsters cowering fearfully from the Hound with an odd expression.
By rank alone, an E-Rank Giant Hound devouring a D-Rank Imp so easily didn't add up.
Yet here the D-Rank Imp feared the E-Rank Giant Hound. Ranks weren't absolute measures of strength, he noted once more.
Not just Giant Hounds—do my Soul Core monsters grow stronger as I do?
But many curiosities remained unsolved.
Beyond questions any Hunter might have about Monolith cores, Kang Sa-hu's own abilities had baffling aspects.
My skills. And the system window glitching, stuttering like it's breaking whenever I grow or change.
With utterly lopsided combat, Kang Sa-hu finally addressed the nagging doubts he'd brushed off.
To figure this out, I need to learn more about the Prophet.
Thoughts chaining to the 'Prophet.'
Recalling the spell he'd planted in her ear during their brief meeting, his glow intensified.
I've primed the pump. But to use it, I need the Necromancer Society—fast.
Needing Spirit for the spell—and with mana prep only—Kang Sa-hu's hands flashed like lightning, sweeping monsters aside.
Realizing he'd reached Stonehenge's circular plaza, he ignored the terrified standoff and unleashed his prepared spell.
"Fear Imprint."
⟨ Fear Imprint ⟩
As Kang Sa-hu cast the spell, Stonehenge's pillars amplified it, intensifying and spreading the terror.
K-Kreeeh!
Kiiiaak!
Sensing inexplicable dread from Stonehenge itself, the monsters scattered in panic.
Confirming it, Kang Sa-hu turned.
"Long time no see."
Stepping familiarly to Stonehenge's center, he scattered mana across the ground.
The pillars absorbed it, pulsing with faint green energy.
Unknown runes writhed like worms across their surfaces.
Rumble rumble roooar—
The earth shook, pillars glowing green in welcome.
Kang Sa-hu stood amid them, eyes scattering cloudy glow, gazing downward.