Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: 25. Nightmare (1)
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Right now, in this situation.
Saito Shusuke was stunned.
Kang San's condition was far from normal.
Countless gashes and slashes covered his body, and dark circles shadowed his eyes—he hadn't gotten a proper rest in who knew how long. And yet, he insisted on staying behind. Kang San's resolve to take responsibility to the end, claiming he had the power to resolve the issue himself, was something no ordinary person could accept.
Suddenly.
A wave of shame washed over him.
Saito Shusuke had risen from past traumas to become an S-Rank Hunter, one of the absolute elite.
Now in his mid-forties.
He wasn't as righteous as he once was.
Back when he first picked up the spear, he remembered having grand ideals about punishing the wicked. But over time, that ironclad will had faded. Reality was like that. Even a single person had limits to what they could handle, and as compromises piled up amid tangled interests, the sharp tip of his spear had dulled.
And this mission wasn't even for justice.
'...Why the hell am I even here?'
Shimizu Hiroshi.
He'd received a call from a political heavyweight.
In exchange for fulfilling the man's request, he'd promised political backing—and Saito judged that having such a solid supporter wasn't a bad deal. Even S-Rank Hunters were human, after all. In a society where human connections wove a complex web, ties to ordinary folk like Shimizu Hiroshi were crucial for a powerhouse to survive. The survivors' fates had never mattered to him. Rather than those unknown souls beyond the Red Zone, just rescuing Kang San and satisfying Shimizu would suffice.
That's how he'd stepped into the Red Zone.
No matter how dangerous its mysteries, the gains from this job made it worth the risk.
'This guy's the real deal. Nothing like me.'
Kang San's actions.
Not a shred of personal gain.
No political benefits from aiding a foreigner, no rewards from anyone for saving lives. It could only be described as pure benevolence. A man who accepted sacrifice as a given and had even saved Saito's mind from thrashing in nightmares. A strange resonance stirred in his chest. Wasn't this Kang San the very figure nine-year-old Saito Shusuke had dreamed of becoming?
Emotion surged.
Swallowing his trembling voice, Saito Shusuke spoke.
"I will remember the hero's sacrifice."
"Pardon?"
"I, Saito Shusuke, will bear witness to your resolve and sacrifice with these eyes and return. Survive, no matter what. Return alive and show the world that justice has not died."
"...Huh?"
Kang San blinked in confusion.
There seemed to be a misunderstanding, but exhaustion left him no energy to clarify.
"Ah, sure."
Saito Shusuke's gaze burned with determination at Kang San's awkward smile.
Whoosh—
Light flared.
The people praying in Kitakyushu Square turned hopeful eyes toward the teleportation signal.
"...Please."
Kang San.
They prayed for his return.
But the figure emerging from beyond dimensions was a completely unexpected face.
Shh.
"Gasp."
"Saito Shusuke?"
"Didn't you say Spear Ghost was dead?"
Spear Ghost was Saito Shusuke's moniker.
According to Nakamura Genji's testimony, the man supposedly slain by the evil spirit appeared hale and hearty before the crowd. People surged forward. Among them, Nakamura Genji wore a fierce scowl.
"Explain yourself."
The rescue team.
They'd self-destructed.
Especially when Saito Shusuke rampaged, his spear claiming countless lives.
Even knowing he'd fallen to the evil spirit, no one could welcome his presence warmly.
Saito Shusuke spoke.
"...First, my apologies to everyone. As rescue team leader, I failed my duty—instead, I fell to the evil spirit and attacked my own people. I will take full responsibility. As for how I returned, Kang San saved me. He found me thrashing in nightmares and redeemed me, bringing me back to my true self."
"Kang San himself? Is he still safe?"
"Yes. Without him, I'd have remained a madman. I tried convincing him to come back with me, but he took on the sacred mission of slaying the Red Zone's evil spirit. I'm sorry. His will was unyielding; I couldn't sway him."
The atmosphere shifted subtly.
Redemption, sacred mission.
Saito Shusuke's attitude toward Kang San had changed.
In the end.
Back to square one.
Kang San remained in the Red Zone, continuing the sacrifice everyone fretted over.
"What are you all doing here, anyway?"
"Well..."
He heard the explanation.
About praying via Eyrin's skill.
Saito Shusuke's eyes gleamed.
"I'll join you."
He stepped forward.
Kneeling beside Eyrin, he clasped his hands with genuine sincerity.
"Kang San. Please return safely. I, and all of us, earnestly pray for the hero's homecoming."
His tightly clenched fists.
His heartfelt expression spurred the others to resume their prayers one by one.
After sending Saito Shusuke off.
Kang San moved out immediately.
The situation had improved somewhat.
He'd recovered stamina with supplies from Saito, and the prayer buff persisted.
'...What the hell is going on?'
Prayer buff.
He couldn't comprehend it.
He had no way of knowing Eyrin had a prayer skill or that countless people in Kitakyushu Square were praying for his safe return. He simply gave thanks for the sudden power boost. He didn't know how it happened, but a 50% blessing was tremendous.
Several days passed.
Kang San pressed on diligently.
With the one-week limit, he never expected to reach the evil spirit in just a day or two.
Along the way, he encountered survivors multiple times but received no special rewards for rescuing them this time. He suspected the Red Zone trials ended with the "25th Trial." Fortunately, he had spare teleport scrolls and distributed them to survivors, saving one for himself.
On the fifth day.
He finally reached his target.
The map pointed to an underground entrance, where Kang San noticed something odd.
"...Fog?"
Beyond the passage.
Fog crept up thickly.
A hypothesis formed: perhaps the fog engulfing the entire Red Zone originated here. He steadied his breath several times. Entering this unknown space to face an S-Rank evil spirit meant a life-or-death crossroads.
'Can I take down that monster?'
Truthfully, he wasn't sure.
It was S-Rank, after all.
Considering his clash with Saito Shusuke, objectively, it was impossible.
But this was a special case.
Evil spirits had never shown "physical might" before; their S-Rank devastation likely confined to mental realms. And in the mental domain, Kang San transcended B-Rank labels. He'd endured countless inexplicable trials since childhood, and accepting them had cornered his mind repeatedly. Overcoming them each time had forged the power to dispel even evil spirit nightmares.
Of course, just a hypothesis.
If it wielded physical force, Kang San wouldn't survive an S-Rank monster.
But.
'I have no choice.'
He steadied his breath.
He had to face it.
No matter what lurked beyond, as a trial-bestowed challenge, evasion wasn't an option.
'Let's go.'
He stepped forward.
Into the underground depths.
Into pitch-black darkness.
Thud. Thud.
Footsteps echoed loudly.
In the silent, deathly space, even dripping water from the ceiling made his heart pound.
How long had he walked?
The underground was shorter than expected.
At the dead end, Kang San spotted something.
'This is...'
A corpse.
Once a living person, now slumped against the underground wall.
A grotesque sight.
Faded, moldy clothes attested to ages passed, yet the flesh retained a lifelike hue, unrotted. Brutal bite marks scarred it everywhere. Exposed skin bore sharp and blunt teeth imprints of varied sizes, legs torn off entirely, knee bones glaring white.
The most horrific part.
Beyond sunken sockets, bloodshot eyes glared directly at Kang San.
Not a corpse.
It was something still alive.
You've finally arrived.
His mind.
The hoarse voice he'd heard before burrowed in.
Its mouth didn't move an inch, yet the clear voice continued.
Kikikik.
Its mouth twitched.
It laughed.
The evil spirit gazed at Kang San.
Rumble—
The space quaked.
Kang San didn't flee.
Showing his back wasn't an option.
Its eyes bulged.
Space twisted.
Fierce longing, fierce grudge.