Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: 15. The Tenth Trial (6)
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Kang San wondered what the most despairing moment of his life had been so far.
Was it when he failed?
No.
Failures that repeated endlessly, failures so familiar they were sickening—eventually, they stopped feeling like despair. It was just how things were. For someone as unfortunate as him, failure was a foregone conclusion, a reality he had to accept. If he'd despaired every time, he wouldn't have been able to breathe, let alone live.
Still.
There were times he couldn't bear it.
Times when failure wasn't even an outcome of trying—it was something he had to accept without even attempting.
Kang San could never forget that moment.
"……."
He was dazed.
On the day of the exam he'd prepared for while bleeding from his nose, no matter how hard he pushed, the door wouldn't open.
He tried smashing it with a chair, screamed for help until his throat burst, but the door stayed firmly shut. At first, he had no idea why. But when it finally opened, Kang San witnessed the truth.
A bicycle.
Not even his own—a random bike had toppled over right in front of the door, blocking it.
A middle-aged man gave him an awkward look.
"Sorry about that. I'll be more careful next time."
The truth was cruelly absurd.
The man from the first floor had nowhere proper to park his bike, so he'd left it in the basement.
It had fallen and jammed the door, and now the guy was brushing it off with a casual laugh. That was the first time murderous rage boiled up in Kang San. Every dark thought imaginable flooded his mind. Was his life doomed to endless failure? No matter how hard he tried, would there never be any reward? Was daring to change his fate such an outrageous greed that it got ruined by something this ridiculous?
Suddenly.
A thought struck him.
If his future was hopeless anyway, wouldn't killing the man who caused this bring some peace?
Humans have that nature—if they can't climb, they drag someone else down with them.
"……Fuck."
He covered his face with both hands.
No, of course not.
He couldn't kill someone over something like this.
Even if the man's actions led to a bad outcome, that didn't justify murder.
That was Kang San.
No matter how wretched his life, he always looked for fault in himself first. He never wanted to vent his rage at others or the world.
And above all.
'I want to live.'
Just like everyone else.
Not a pathetic life of committing murder and rotting in prison, but a normal, everyday one.
So he suppressed the killing intent.
Because he knew the price.
To live within the bounds of sanity.
That was it.
The only reason he hadn't gone astray was truly that simple.
A criminal once said something.
On the day his teacher verbally abused him, a demon began to grow in his heart.
People are shaped by their environment, sure—but not everyone in the same situation breaks the same way.
Kang San was proof.
He had a backstory that most criminals would spit out as an excuse, yet he grew up straight and formed his own values. A life different from others. He refused to commit crimes, go to prison, live hiding his identity—that kind of life. Sometimes a demon howled inside him, but he ignored it.
Everyone did.
No one was a saint, but not crossing that line was the bare minimum to function in society.
Kang San's previous life was different.
He crossed it. Became a murderer.
This life's Kang San was different.
He held the line. No matter the misfortune, he'd never done anything he couldn't stand tall under the heavens for.
That's why.
He couldn't die here.
This wasn't how his endured life was supposed to end.
He had to survive.
Clear this damned previous life's trial and live a normal life with everyday leisure, like everyone else.
'I will never die.'
That instant.
His heart stopped pounding.
Blood turned ice-cold in terrifying clarity, and he began rationally analyzing the situation before him.
Kyaak-!
Bang.
He blocked the charging werewolf.
Even then, his eyes darted around.
Assessing the surroundings.
'Roughly thirty werewolves in sight. We've taken some down, but with the lord here, our forces can't handle it. What we need is time until reinforcements arrive. We have to hold out somehow.'
Whoosh.
He dodged an attack.
Kang San kicked off the ground.
In the chaotic melee, his decision was to finish off the downed werewolves.
Stab!
Blood Demon Art
Attack power temporarily increased by 15%.
Five monsters down so far.
All in precarious states where he'd merely cut their last breaths, but now Kang San actively sought them out to finish the job. Perfect targets abounded. Werewolves dazed by Yoon Ji-tae's magic fell helplessly to his strikes.
It was deliberate.
He was intentionally stoking his feral instincts.
He knew he couldn't endure this absurdity without drawing on Blood Demon Art's power intermittently.
Kyaaaak.
Crunch.
By a hair's breadth.
As the thickening feral line surged toward his head, Kang San inhaled sharply and twisted his neck aside. As a D-Rank, evasion was his best bet. He shoved the foe back with his shield for a split second, letting the sub-DPS unleash a barrage. A glance showed Yoon Ji-tae boiling with mana.
Tap-tap—
He plunged into the gap.
He knew it was dangerous.
But without landing Yoon Ji-tae's attacks efficiently, the party's odds plummeted.
Kyaak.
Kraaaak!
The enemies clustered.
Too many to evade. Kang San raised his shield.
"Iron Body."
Thud.
Boom-!
He was pushed back.
The impact felt like it would vomit up his guts.
But that block gave Yoon Ji-tae his 'coordinates.'
"Fire Cannon."
Roooarrrrrr.
Boom!
Kieeeek!
The spell erupted.
Werewolves screamed amid flames that seemed to engulf the world. Kang San tore a protector scroll, boosting his defense temporarily. He couldn't retreat from the inferno—he pressed forward, forcing the enemies to flail in the blaze.
Then.
"Above!"
Kim Myung-min's voice.
Killing intent poured toward him. Without looking, Kang San rolled across the ground.
Boom-!
The lord.
Its savage strike whistled over his head. Even as his breath came ragged, Kang San kept his eyes locked on the lord. He couldn't lose sight. When its killing intent drew a clear line, he reacted instinctively, twisting away.
Whoosh-!
"Ngh."
Confirmed.
The lord had targeted him.
Kang San gritted his teeth, retreating, then reacted to the next surge of intent.
Whoosh.
Whoosh, whoosh-!
Attacks that chilled his heart.
Even blocking with his shield would shatter him, so he discarded that option entirely. It felt like walking a tightrope. Unlike before, Guardian's Will was gone. Luca Bellino's safety net had vanished. From now on, one mistake meant death.
Fucking hell.
To whatever unknown force orchestrated this, he wanted to prove it wouldn't go their way.
Pop.
Blood splattered his face.
A werewolf's attack.
Distracted by the lord, he hadn't fully evaded. The lord instantly exploited the crack.
Tat-tat-tat-!
He saw limbs torn asunder by killing intent.
Death incoming.
Thud.
He advanced instead.
Into the tangled killing intent.
There was a path to life—the only one.
Up close enough to feel the lord's breath, his eyes met its as he brushed past.
And then.
"Blind."
Kraaak!
He tore the scroll.
The spell briefly blinded it, and something dropped from the sky in perfect sync.
"Lightning Strike!"
Whoosh.
Rumblerumblerumble.
Kim Myung-min.
Kang San confirmed him closing in while downing werewolves. He'd deliberately exposed a gap to bait the lord's move. That created the opening. Against an A-Rank monster, the spell lasted maybe 1-2 seconds—but enough for Kim Myung-min's strike.
Boom boom boom.
Kreeeeek!
The lord screamed.
It staggered back from the limb-shredding assault and searing lightning.
Kang San didn't charge.
Buy time.
He stuck to his role, and so did Kim Myung-min.
Eyes fixed on the lord's next move, Kang San glanced at the surroundings and responded.
"Shield of Trials."
"Urk."
Flash.
Kraaaak!
Right on cue.
Team members buckled under fierce attacks.
Without a tanker, the DPS facing werewolves alone had hit crisis during those minutes focused on the lord. Kang San spotted it instantly. A werewolf about to rip out Gu Yeon-su's throat snapped its head toward him at the last second and charged.
At the battlefield's heart.
Kang San held every detail in his palm.
Rational.
Past experience told him blurred judgment or tunnel vision would let one crack swallow them all. Shield of Trials was overpowered. Surrounded by charging foes, he recalled the old man's tale of the Heavenly Net activating.
That man.
How had he reacted then?
How could a fragile human survive that web of killing threads?
Grind.
He clenched his teeth.
Advanced.
Paths to life were everywhere.
Forward, backward.
Hesitation killed chances—he knew that threatened him most.
He moved boldly.
Even shoving his head into enemy jaws if needed, ignoring no warning from the killing intent. Skin tore, soaked in blood. Breath grew short, heart dropping countless times as the lord closed in.
Amid it all.
"Blood Demon Sword Art, Second Form: Pursuit Kill."
Whirrr.
Thwack-!
He didn't miss the opening.
To keep the lord wary, a snake-like strike sliced its forearm.
Fear?
Pain?
Numb to it all.
Fully immersed, Kang San focused solely on the now.
'I'll survive.'
Senses expanded.
Downing high-grade monsters accelerated the feral surge beyond normal.
No worry of succumbing to killing intent.
Same situation.
Others became villains; he didn't.
He trusted himself.
Unlike his past self that dragged him to the depths, he wouldn't fall this time.
Swish.
His body heated up.
Blood dripped everywhere, but his mind was sharper than ever, tracking swarming foes. Where was Kim Myung-min? Safe rear DPS? Their attack timings? Thoughts packed his head.
The time thus earned.
Not wasted.
Swish.
"Holding off the lord? You really D-Rank?"
Joo Seok-hoon approached from the side.
Snapped out of it, he stared at Kang San in shock.