Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: 9. Whether Even One Person Exists (7)
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At that moment.
In the face of a situation where they refused to give up until the very end, Yeon Gyu-seong couldn't hide his bewilderment.
"...Just how long do you plan to keep this up?!"
It was already over.
Not only had they failed to deal with the hobgoblin, but Yeon Woo-bin had depleted all his mana just handling the monsters below. In truth, he figured the boy would raise the white flag by now. No matter how desperate he was, this was just a test—no way he'd be foolish enough to thrash about to the bitter end in such a hopeless scenario.
But then.
Yeon Woo-bin entered meditation.
From that point on, he couldn't stay seated. As Yeon Gyu-seong grew visibly anxious, his secretary spoke up.
"Shall we send in the security detail?"
"Damn it."
He couldn't bring himself to answer.
He hadn't surrendered yet.
If he sent in guards to rescue his son now, their father-son wager would end in the boy's victory.
He couldn't allow that.
It would mean throwing his son into the jaws of death, so even as his body trembled, he couldn't utter the words "save him." The problem was that meditating on the battlefield was incredibly dangerous. If Yeon Woo-bin took any external shock, he might not die but could suffer permanent damage. It was an agonizing dilemma. He desperately wanted to save his son, but recalling the moment he'd lost his wife and sobbed uncontrollably left his mind blank.
Yeon Gyu-seong spoke.
"...If—and I mean if—I can't break my son's stubbornness. If, regardless of the bet's outcome, he wants to live on as a hunter to the end, then there are two things I need to confirm. How Woo-bin responds to variables beyond what he can handle. And..."
Beyond the screen.
He watched one person.
In truth, this whole situation wouldn't have been possible without that tenacious figure holding on for dear life.
"What kind of people the comrades he believes in really are."
Meditation.
Yeon Woo-bin's consciousness sank into darkness.
His vision went pitch black as he severed ties with reality, focusing solely on the flow of mana.
Boom!
"Ugh."
The sound pierced the darkness.
He hadn't visually confirmed it, but the image of Jeong Chan-woo enduring agony while blocking a rock attack flashed in his mind. In truth, Yeon Woo-bin hadn't been injured once during the fight. He'd taken some scrapes from rolling on the ground a few times, but the monsters had never directly targeted him.
It was all thanks to his comrades.
Kang San at the vanguard.
Jeong Chan-woo at the rear.
They'd staked their lives.
In situations where he hadn't even recognized the danger, they appeared out of nowhere to take every blow in his place.
'Why am I fighting so desperately like this?'
It was just a test.
No one had pushed him down this thorny path.
If he compromised with reality, his father's power would grant him a peaceful life. Yet he'd defied his father's wishes. Knowing it would hurt him and strain their father-son bond, Yeon Woo-bin still refused to let his unique talent go to waste.
He was just like his father.
What if.
Really, what if.
A danger arose that even his father couldn't handle—what then?
In a world where a nation's president could die, no matter how great his father's power, could it truly protect him?
Kyaak!
He heard his mother's scream.
Like his mother who had been swept away by the crowd and vanished, if he faced the same situation again, he needed the strength to push through and reach out to her. He wanted power that surpassed his own limits—to protect those around him.
His father and he himself.
They cared for each other.
They just had different ways of showing it.
And like Jeong Chan-woo, Yeon Woo-bin had found his ideal in Kang San.
'I want to become like Mr. Kang San. Someone who steps forward for the people he wants to protect, staking his life to achieve his goals no matter what. I can't live forever in my father's shadow. If I hadn't been under Mother's shadow back then... she might not have died.'
He steadied his breath.
His mind cooled.
Kang San was needed for the future ahead.
Beyond just passing the test, he wanted to build that future alongside someone like Kang San.
'It's not just because it's safe with Mr. Kang San. No matter how disadvantageous the situation, no matter how slim the odds of victory, he never gives up. He fights to the end and always finds the answer. If I can learn even a part of that, if I can have such an incredible person as a comrade, it'll be immensely helpful as a hunter going forward. So I need to prove I'm worth having by his side. Right now, no one recognizes Mr. Kang San, but in the future that will come, not just anyone will be able to stand beside him.'
A needle in a bag.
Its presence would reveal itself eventually.
Even if he was just an E-Rank hunter now, he was certain the future would be different.
Therefore.
He needed proof.
Proof that Yeon Woo-bin was a mage of great talent, that he'd be indispensable as a comrade. It wasn't just about finishing the test. Yeon Woo-bin was thinking of the future beyond that.
Swish.
His consciousness sank deeper.
He immersed himself in his own world.
He lost track of time.
Controlling the mana spreading through his body, he focused on recovering the purest mana possible.
He trusted his comrades.
They would hold out.
And so time passed.
Just three minutes.
But it felt like thirty.
Every ticking second brought claws and weapons brimming with killing intent from all sides. Kang San had no time to check what was happening in the rear—he had to block it all.
Whoosh.
Crunch.
"Hup."
He blocked a troll's face with both hands.
As its razor-sharp teeth snapped viciously right in front of him, he ducked, and an arrow embedded itself in his brow the instant he did.
Thud!
It was Jo Han-byeol.
The troll shrieked in rage with the arrow lodged in its head.
A troll wouldn't fall to a mere arrow. As it swung its arms wildly, Kang San raised his shield once more to block. Thung! His body lifted off the ground. It was taking a heavy toll on his stamina. At first, he hadn't faltered under such attacks, but as fatigue accumulated, even he began to show signs of strain.
'This is the limit.'
He knew it himself.
It was an impossible fight.
The human wave tactic was finally waning, but at the cost of excessive stamina drain, with Kang San at the forefront bearing the brunt.
But.
He couldn't give up.
Beyond burning time, giving up was no longer an option in the life Kang San lived.
'It's not just for the mission. Beyond the fact that failure means losing everything, to live this new life, I need conviction. Conviction that no matter what perilous trials I face, my comrades will be safe with me. I need to prove myself right now.'
It was the core issue.
Regardless of success or failure.
He needed a process that would give him that conviction.
Kyaak!
The troll lunged at his face.
Kang San let the attack glance off before explosively unleashing his mana.
'Blood Demon Sword Art, First Form: Blade Kill.'
Flash.
Thud!
The head flew.
At the same time.
Blood Demon Art Effect Activated
Attack power temporarily increased by 40%.
Forty monsters.
In an instant.
His mind expanded.
His head burned hot, and sharper sensations flooded through every cell in his body.
Blood Demon Art.
Feral instinct dyed in madness.
A dangerous state.
But he saw it as an opportunity.
From experiencing the link phenomenon before, he'd confirmed that Guardian's Will could control the feral state.
'Turn the risk to my advantage.'
Thud.
He kicked off the ground.
The moment Guardian's Will activated.
Abnormal status cleared, stamina restored.
It was reliable for Kang San. He plunged into the enemy swarm, unleashing a barrage.
Kyaak!
A goblin's face appeared.
He split it in one stroke, then cleaved the next goblin charging behind it.
The Blood Demon Art-enhanced attack power overwhelmed goblins now, and even trolls lost limbs when struck with the Blood Demon Sword Art. His head spun. Killing intent filled his mind, his scanning eyes pinpointing vitals. In flashes of the sword, he severed them. Even the troll's armored hide crumpled amid dying screams.
Thud.
Rumble.
He drew a line.
Between himself and his comrades.
A line carving through the escaping monsters beyond.
Kang San was the breakwater, holding back the crashing waves.
"...!"
From beyond the sky.
Until a massive fireball flew in.
Boom!
Roooar!
Flames engulfed his body.
Baring his teeth against the inferno's heat, Kang San gritted through it.
"Grrrgh."
A brilliant light enveloped his body.
Guardian's Will meant he'd have died from that attack without the skill.
Clang clang.
[...Human... die...]
Beyond it.
The hobgoblin came into view.
Though Guardian's Will restored his stamina, Kang San knew the situation was worse than before.
The hobgoblin's target had shifted.
The monster, which had aimed for the rear dealer, now fixed its viscous killing intent squarely on Kang San.
"...What a bullshit difficulty."
He steeled himself.
Shield pressed to his body, Kang San prepared to face the enemies once more.
But then.
"Get out of the way!"
Right behind him.
Yeon Woo-bin's urgent cry rang out.
When he finally opened his eyes.
Yeon Woo-bin felt something extraordinary.
Skill evolution.
An monumental event.
Whether through mental growth or gaining insight in meditation, the process was unclear, but Yeon Woo-bin knew his ability had reached a new stage. And the effect was immediate. Not only did the Magic Eye amplify his mana, but upon cooldown fulfillment, it enabled magic from a new realm.
'Salamander's Breath.'
Roar.
Roooar!
He cast the spell.
And.
'Frenzy.'
Magic Eye effect.
It explosively boosted the spell's power.
As mana surged with Yeon Woo-bin at the center, flames erupted like a volcanic blast, sweeping the surroundings.
"Gasp."
"...W-what the..."
The sheer force left Jo Han-byeol and Jeong Chan-woo, who had been guarding him, stunned.
They flinched away from the scorching heat that seemed to burn on contact.
The problem was.
Kang San stood at its edge.
Fearing he'd get caught in it, Yeon Woo-bin shouted urgently.
"Get out of the way!"
Kang San reacted swiftly.
Even without understanding intellectually.
He trusted Yeon Woo-bin's command.
The moment Kang San leaped aside, the rampant flames engulfed the monsters.
Boom!
Roar.
Roooar!
Kieeeek!
It was an astonishing sight.
Salamander's Breath from the Magic Eye already rivaled C-Rank destructive power, but Frenzy proved even greater might. Monsters melted in seconds. Even the hobgoblin fared no better. It had closed in to attack Kang San—a fatal mistake. As the flames reached it, the hobgoblin startled and jumped back.
A rift.
He didn't miss it.
"Now's our chance!"
Kang San charged forward.
Bursting through the engulfed monsters toward the hobgoblin, it hastily began casting.
Flash.
Clang!
Blood Demon Sword Art.
The spell was canceled.
With its prized minions swept away.
The hobgoblin couldn't endure the momentary gap.
In this situation.
Kang San wasn't the only one maintaining focus.
'Focused Shot.'
Whirr.
A single arrow from afar.
It finally.
Thud!
Pierced the hobgoblin's brow.