Chapter 39
Chapter 39
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: 9. The Presence or Absence of a Single Person (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Memorized spells couldn't be spammed.
They had to be used precisely at the right moment.
Yeon Woo-bin judged that now was exactly that moment—the perfect timing to deliver a devastating blow and turn the tide of the battle.
"Salamander's Breath."
⟨ Salamander's Breath ⟩
Fwoosh.
Fwoooosh.
Flames erupted.
Boosted beyond the realm of 3rd-circle magic by the effects of his magic eyes and Elemental Blessing, the special-class spell Salamander's Breath unleashed explosive power. It was a veritable flood of fire. The surging inferno rose like a tsunami, sweeping away the monsters ahead in a single overwhelming surge.
Fwaaaah!
Kieeeek!
Kreeeek!
A troll charging right in front of him was engulfed on the spot.
Its tremendous regenerative ability kicked in the instant the flames touched its skin, but even that couldn't hold out. Its flesh melted away, and its bones crumbled to ash with a crackling sound. The goblins nearby were charred pitch-black. If even trolls—known as the natural enemies of mages—couldn't withstand the attack, there was no way the goblins could.
At least dozens of them.
All wiped out by a single spell.
The mercenaries, who had been losing their will to fight, could only gape at the overwhelming spectacle Yeon Woo-bin had just demonstrated.
"...W-What the hell."
"Didn't they say he was D-Rank?"
It was simply unbelievable.
They knew better than anyone that a D-Rank mage couldn't produce power like this. In terms of sheer destructive force, it was on par with C-Rank. It dawned on them anew that Yeon Woo-bin was no ordinary person.
But there was no time for admiration.
Yeon Woo-bin shouted.
"Quick, reform your lines! If we can just buy some time, we'll definitely pass this test!"
Everyone snapped back to reality.
Just as Yeon Woo-bin had anticipated.
Yeon Gyu-seong had warned them that this test posed tremendous danger under the pretext of protecting the mercenaries' safety, causing them to lose their fighting spirit early. They'd planned to give up the moment it felt overwhelming, but with Yeon Woo-bin performing like this, they decided they had to keep going as long as they could.
Besides.
They were comrades right now, weren't they?
The tanker gritted his teeth and raised his shield.
Shing.
Kwa-kwa-kwang!
The monsters surged forward.
Despite attacks raining down from all directions, the tanker activated Iron Body and his defensive skills, holding on tenaciously.
Thanks to him, the formation was reformed.
The sub-tanker and warriors found their positions, creating a defensive line to hold back the waves of monsters. In the meantime, Yeon Woo-bin's spells struck again. His pounding heart had calmed at some point, and even his minor spells demonstrated tremendous destructive power thanks to his magic eyes and Elemental Blessing.
Kwaang-!
Fwoooosh.
A sense of certainty welled up within him.
The talent he possessed.
This was the real deal.
Under his father's protection, he'd buried it away, but now he knew without a doubt that he possessed a brilliance too radiant to hide.
'I'm strong.'
He could win.
He could pass.
Confidence spread through him.
Results he'd achieved on his own—not thanks to anyone else's help—directly bolstered his self-esteem.
Victory was in sight.
And then.
Another variable arose.
Jingle-jangle.
It was an unwelcome bell sound.
Beyond the monsters.
A hobgoblin emerged from the dank darkness, shaking a staff adorned with bells, its eyes gleaming black.
Jingle-jangle.
Jingle-jangle.
And then.
A shocking sight unfolded.
The monsters that had fallen to the flames began rising one by one, their bones creaking with eerie groans.
Kruk.
Krrruk.
"...N-Necromancer!?"
Hobgoblins were unusual monsters.
With intelligence rivaling humans, they could devise strategies to command other monsters or learn special techniques like this to deliver unexpected strikes. That unpredictability earned them their reputation. The necromancer hobgoblin was Yeon Gyu-seong's ace in the hole. In truth, a team of appropriate rank might withstand goblins and trolls working together, so he'd prepared this to deliver the final blow.
Krakrak.
Kaaak!
Zombies charged from all sides.
Slicing or shoving them had no effect.
Having lost their souls, they wouldn't go down, and with them swarming from every direction, panic spread across the tanker's face.
"T-This is cheating."
Their morale crumbled.
The mercenaries knew it too.
With this level of forces—even if filled with D-Rank monsters—this was a hunting ground worthy of C-Rank classification.
The difference in resolve showed immediately.
As the tanker floundered and gaps appeared, the team collapsed like dominoes under the overwhelming numbers.
Kwajik.
"Aaaak!"
The sub-tanker had his shoulder bitten.
It was a troll that had lost its lower body, dragging its upper torso along before leaping and pouncing. Tangled with the troll, the sub-tanker stabbed frantically at it with his sword in terror. But the already regenerative troll, now a zombie too, barely budged from the dull thrusts.
The collapse had begun.
The warrior was surrounded by zombies, flailing about, and even the assassin-type dealer couldn't keep his wits amid the teeming foes.
Yeon Woo-bin's mind went blank.
The scene before him.
Pure chaos.
No matter how powerful his spells, he couldn't see a way to clean this up.
'This isn't right. Even if you want me to give up, you can't go this far.'
Emotions surged within him.
He wanted to prove himself.
To show his father that he met reasonable standards.
But the response was harsh.
This test, far beyond normal bounds, had its outcome decided from the start.
Failure.
You absolutely.
Can never live as a hunter—that unyielding will.
Yeon Woo-bin wanted to keep fighting.
Just like what he'd learned from Kang San in the ant cave: as long as you didn't give up, there was always a way to survive.
The problem was.
"Aaaak! Stop! Enough already! What kind of test is this!?"
Seeing the sub-tanker screaming in agony, Yeon Woo-bin couldn't stubbornly press on.
Because of him.
Others could get hurt.
His father had clearly targeted even this soft spot in his heart from the beginning.
In the end.
"I lose! I admit defeat, so end it here! Please!"
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Raising the white flag was his only remaining choice.
The situation ended.
The mercenaries were rushed to the hospital, and facing the haggard Yeon Woo-bin, Yeon Gyu-seong spoke.
"You failed the test. As per our agreement, never speak of living as a hunter again."
Grip.
He clenched his fist.
He had to accept the results.
That's what his father had taught him, but this time, he couldn't.
Yeon Woo-bin looked up at his father with teary eyes.
"...This isn't right."
"What's not?"
"How is this a normal test? I'm D-Rank, and the mercenaries you hired are max D-Rank. Trolls and a necromancer hobgoblin on top? You pitted us against enemies no ordinary D-Rank force could handle. This is a test anyone would fail, not just me!"
"So what? What's the problem?"
"Huh?"
"Looks like you're misunderstanding something. That doesn't change the facts."
Yeon Gyu-seong's expression turned icy.
He had no intention of indulging his son's whining.
"What you're trying to do is that dangerous. Variables can pop up anywhere, anytime—opponents stronger than expected, unforeseen situations, or monsters beyond what you can handle. You think you'll comfort yourself with excuses like that? Woo-bin, what do you even think a hunter's job is? Even those with far greater talent than you meet stronger monsters and die screaming. That's the hunter world. How can I trust you, who complains at the slightest challenge beyond your rank? You're my only family—how could I just stand by and watch you throw yourself into the jaws of death!?"
His father's voice grew more impassioned.
His son didn't know.
The day his wife died.
His world had collapsed.
From then on, he'd lived with venom in his heart, vowing over and over to raise his son safely.
His son could resent him.
That was a privilege for the living.
If it meant saving his son, he'd sacrifice hundreds of others to block his decision.
"And was this really an impossible test? If you'd been stronger, if you'd shown the ability to handle all variables. It was a test entirely possible at your rank. The failure lies in your lack of that ability. So I absolutely cannot send you to your death. The moment you get arrogant, the moment you face something beyond your capabilities, a situation like today will come again."
"..."
His father's words.
Were right.
The hobgoblin, the trolls.
In the end, they were just D-Rank monsters.
If Yeon Woo-bin's abilities had surpassed them, he surely wouldn't have raised the white flag.
But why.
Suddenly, one person came to mind.
'If Kang San had been here. I could've passed the test.'
Tanking wasn't his role.
If someone had just bought him a little time, he was confident he could've swept away D-Rank monsters like these.
He didn't want to give up.
He couldn't accept it.
Just as his father's will was desperate.
Yeon Woo-bin's will burned just as fiercely.
On the day his father's world had crumbled.
Yeon Woo-bin's world crumbled too.
Yeon Woo-bin said.
"...Give me one more chance."
"What?"
He stared straight at his father.
Even if it was pathetic, he clung to it one more time.
"If I fail again, I'll follow your words without any excuses."
Silence fell.
Yeon Woo-bin's resolve had clearly been breaking.
It seemed like he was starting to accept and internalize his opinion, but suddenly his eyes changed, and he switched stances.
Yeon Gyu-seong said.
"One more time? What exactly do you mean by that?"
"Just what I said. You can set up the test however you want, but I'll personally select the people taking it with me. If I still can't pass then, I'll admit I'm lacking, just like you say, and accept it."
"..."
He stared piercingly at Yeon Woo-bin.
Disappointing.
Shifting the blame for failure onto his comrades' shoulders.
He hadn't wanted to see such irresponsibility from his son.
'To completely break Woo-bin's spirit, I should crush him one more time, leaving not even a shred of hope.'
He'd accept it.
But with conditions.
"In exchange for retrying, I'll raise the difficulty. That okay with you?"
"...I'll accept."
"Fine. Then I'll give you exactly three days. Prepare within that time, and we'll do the test here again."
"Got it."
With that, the conversation ended.
Yeon Gyu-seong turned away coldly.
His firm resolve not to be swayed by sentiment was clear.
Left alone, Yeon Woo-bin collapsed to the ground, clutching his face.
"...Haa. What the hell did I just do."
On the edge of a cliff.
The last person who came to mind was Kang San.
The issue was, he wasn't sure if it was right to ask someone who had no connection to him to share this danger. It was a huge imposition. Dragging Kang San into personal trouble and putting him at risk.
But.
There was no other way.
Despite knowing it was wrong because he couldn't bear to give up, he'd gone and done it.
If Kang San refused, Yeon Woo-bin would have no choice but to accept his father's decision.
Yeon Woo-bin immediately sent a message.
[Are you free to talk right now?]
The very last.
Yeon Woo-bin reached out for the straw called Kang San.