Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Experimenting with Subordinates' Power (3)
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6.
Time spent on the raid: 18 hours.
Preparation · Ambush · Lure. The collaboration between Shin Tae-yeop and Choi Uk yielded impressive results.
[Notice: 'Buanam-dong' is incorporated into 'New Seodaemun-gu.']
[Notice: 'Purification work' begins in the corresponding area 'Buanam-dong.']
[Population Limit]
Paradise Name: New Seodaemun-gu
"We won againnnn!"
"Whooooooo!"
"Hou! Hou! Hou! Hou! Hou! Hou! Hou! Hou!"
Cheers filled Buanam-dong in Jongno-gu.
The streets were a volcanic mess. Im Yong-gon hoisted a massive striped soulstone high above his head.
It was Erzertra's soulstone.
"Guildmaster!"
"Lead Hunter!"
Hunters from the <Association> swarmed in from all sides, surrounding us. They let out cheers one after another.
"That was incredible, seriously! That aerial intercept."
"I thought you fired a railgun or something."
"When that bug bastard hit the ground, my panties were soaked—two layers' worth."
"Oh man, bro. We gotta issue diapers to the guys from now on!"
Hong Byeong-gyu's pun drew laughter from all around.
I sheathed the Dawn Sword into its scabbard with a satisfying click.
It hurt.
My body was a total wreck.
Even so, I could smile.
Amid a hunt that felt like a nightmare.
Even in moments more painful and grueling than death itself, seeing my comrades' laughter eased my breathing and renewed my strength.
"For this reckless strategy to succeed, it's all thanks to you all."
The hunters waved it off.
"Aw, come on!"
"Just being part of this strategy is an honor."
"Don't fall for it, everyone! That's just his play to charm the ladies!"
I looked over my comrades carefully.
Noble pure-white linen shirts.
Black one-piece chainmail · leather boots · leather longcoat · gauntlets.
Uniform attire across the board.
It was the <Association>'s hunter uniform. It looked familiar, and yep, it was exactly what you were thinking.
The <Association>'s uniform had been designed, with great honor, based on my own outfit.
Oh, and for reference, [heavy armor] hunters still dressed in their own styles as before.
"Guildmaster."
A serious voice called out right then.
"Care for a word?"
Raven-beak gas mask. Choi Uk.
I couldn't see Choi Uk's expression, but judging from his aide Shin Tae-yeop's grave look, it wasn't good news.
No sooner had I followed Choi Uk into the abandoned store than Jeong Ha-kyeong's sigh reached my ears.
"What the hell is the problem?"
"Uh…… I don't know why it didn't work either."
"What? Fuck, because of that, we had to pull off that insane skyscraper dive?"
"Ye-jin's trying her best too."
When Do Su-jin jumped to defend her sister, Jeong Ha-kyeong let out a hollow breath.
"Trying her best? Is that enough? We got lucky with only seven casualties. If there'd been more, the situation would've been total shit."
It was the situation I'd expected.
Jeong Ha-kyeong was grilling Do Ye-jin.
"Ha-kyeong."
I spoke softly but firmly.
"I'll handle this. You must be tired—head back first."
Jeong Ha-kyeong sighed and walked over to me. Her gas mask dangled from her hand, and the dark circles under her eyes from exhaustion were truly hollow.
"You're always too soft."
"You think so?"
"Keep that up, and it'll never end. This battle was dangerous too. Look at your arm—it was nearly severed."
With that, Jeong Ha-kyeong left. At the same moment, a wave of mist swept through the area.
Civilization Tuning.
When I opened my eyes again, the furniture was neatly arranged in modern style. The fishy stench of blood and dust was gone, replaced by the smell of wood and oil.
"Don't take it too hard. She's just got a sharp tongue by nature."
I said to Do Ye-jin.
"No hard feelings. She's on edge because Geon-woo got badly hurt."
Do Ye-jin forced a mask-like smile. It was the kind that seemed ready to crumble at the slightest touch. Shin Tae-yeop shook his head.
"No need for self-blame. That pathetic failure was all part of this genius Shin Tae-yeop's calculations."
"No, as harsh as it sounds, Sergeant Jeong's right."
The one who directly contradicted him was Choi Uk.
He perched on the table and set his raven gas mask beside him.
"It's been six days. Six days. It's time to produce results, one way or another."
"But how?"
I asked.
In this raid—in other words, the strategy that subordinate transformation might succeed upon encountering another subordinate—hadn't that gone up in smoke too?
A heavy silence fell.
Outside, the victory celebrations rang out with song and clamor. Shin Tae-yeop spoke.
"If we approach it like a game, I think I get why subordinate transformation is failing."
"Got any guesses?"
"I mulled it over, and…… level might be the issue?"
"Level?"
"Level quantifies the soul's rank, right? Think of it like a game."
Shin Tae-yeop raised his index finger.
"Wouldn't the hypothesis hold that the subordinate transformation skill can't activate because the level is too low?"
7.
"What is all this?"
<Association> headquarters, Gyeongbok Palace.
Choi Uk sat at his desk.
Candlelight gloomily illuminated the tower of thick ancient tomes.
"Documents borrowed from the library."
I opened one of the tomes.
But…… incomprehensible language…… dense paragraphs…… my head hurts. I shut it immediately.
"You're going to master all this?"
"There's a famous verse in the scriptures."
Choi Uk never looked up from his books. He said,
"The truth shall set you free. We're in darkness now. Knowledge is the lamp. How do you navigate darkness without a lamp?"
Our intellectual levels…… are worlds apart.
Choi Uk pointed to the reception table with just his finger, eyes still on the book. When he was absorbed like this, his eyes were almost frightening.
"The item you requested is there."
A gray greathelm sat on the table.
Sleek, elegant design.
Eerie color evoking a skull.
The faceplate intricately engraved with human · centipede · eagle motifs.
"It took every soulstone assigned to you, and 120 more."
"I see."
"Your team gladly donated soulstones for you."
"I'll have to thank them all."
Looking closer,
There was something unusual.
It's a helmet…… but no eye holes or breathing holes?
Legendary gear's identity, I suppose?
Equipment forged from the nightmare of Buanam-dong, Erzertra's soulstone……
"Try it on."
[Legendary Equipment Equipped: Gaean-gol Helm]
As I donned the helmet on my head,
A heavy weight enveloped it, and an [info window] popped up before my eyes.
Bladestorm Lotus Blossom.
Erzertra's wind power, huh.
Perfect for wide-area use.
I read the tooltip over and over.
Chaos…… Does it mean they caused destruction to draw out the gods?
But if Choi Uk's guess is right, weren't the Holy Apostles and nightmares opposing forces? Something doesn't add up.
"It's tricky."
"It has to be. The tooltip conveys information obliquely."
"Can you figure it out, Captain?"
"That's why I've got these books piled up."
"So you don't know either."
I teased playfully, but Choi Uk responded flatly.
"Right. But the unknown just needs to be learned. Anyway, can you see?"
I startled at that moment.
I flipped the faceplate up and down repeatedly, until my mind went blank.
What is this helmet……?
I was confused if I was even wearing it.
My vision was crystal clear whether the faceplate was up or down.
"Clear as day. Weird, though. From the outside, no holes at all. Breathing's fine too."
Just like [Shadow Exoskeleton Cloak]. A feature that blatantly defied this world's order.
"Breathing hole. Breathing hole. Breathing hole."
That's when the girl's voice came.
I jerked in surprise and whipped my head toward the sound.
"……?"
But there was only Choi Uk's grenade launcher.
"Hello. Hello. Hello."
My sanity froze.
The grenade launcher…… is talking? It twinkles with starlight each time it speaks—definitely.
"Lyn seems to want to greet you."
Choi Uk closed his book and looked up. The cool-headed middle-aged man's eyes gleamed.
"Amazing. She's shy, only speaks when we're alone."
"Lyn? That name…… if my memory's right……?"
Lyn script.
From the tooltip I remembered well, Lyn was the name of Choi Uk's only daughter.
"Yes. My daughter. Her soul is bound there."
I was at a loss for words.
Choi Uk's only daughter had been torn limb from limb by heteromorphs, or so I'd heard.
"……Really?"
"Does it sound like a lie? A gift from the Holy Apostles in exchange for accepting the contract."
Unbelievable.
Choi Uk—the Choi Uk who rarely showed emotion—made a bitter face.
"Now I wonder if that was the right choice."
"……Captain."
I opened my mouth, then closed it.
I didn't know how to express my condolences. Choi Uk said,
"I've delivered the helm. Enough chit-chat. Let's get to why I called you."
"……?"
"I intend to train Do Ye-jin as a hunter."
"What?"
I barely managed to ask.
Do Ye-jin? Hunter? The info wouldn't connect in my head.
"As Shin Tae-yeop said, there's something we haven't tried in the subordinate experiments. Her level."
"I heard earlier. But didn't Do Ye-jin already become a subordinate in the Nightmare Zone?"
"During the Gyonam-dong raid? She was in an uncontrolled berserk state."
Choi Uk leaned deep into his chair with a weary gesture.
"Whether there's a level restriction, or raising her level makes controlling subordinate power easier. It's worth trying."
I thought for a moment, then said,
"Planning to pour <Association> soulstones into Do Ye-jin?"
"I considered it, but to maximize the subordinate weapon's effectiveness, that's not the way."
"……?"
"Do Ye-jin's subordination is a unique skill. All unique skills have time or usage limits. Subordination likely has the same."
"……Makes sense."
The Dawn Sword has time and usage limits per liberation state.
"In short, the subordinate weapon must be one that takes you to the subordinate's source material to use."
I was speechless.
Not because I didn't understand, but overwhelmed by the leap of insight.
"But the Nightmare Zone is a land of death. Assigning a large escort team of 20+ like this every time is a waste of forces."
"Agreed."
"Thus, we conclude she must be trained as a hunter."
But how exactly?
To train her as a nightmare hunter means allowing her weapons……
"I'll include her in the upcoming third batch of recruit training."
"Isn't the risk too high? Expect backlash from members."
Choi Uk glanced at me, instantly seeing through my intent.
"If there's a chance to give Do Ye-jin comrades, it's now."
"……?"
"Training together builds camaraderie, no? Even beasts bond with those they run with—how much more so with people."
I was convinced by Choi Uk's logic. So I honestly shared my true concern.
"What worries me is those 'recruits training together' with her."
I'd seen the ugly side of rear-line hunters more than once or twice.
"Oh, that?"
Choi Uk smiled as if he'd anticipated even this.
"Don't worry. I've got it all planned."
- Area 'Muak-dong' incorporated. (+500)
- Area 'Gyonam-dong' incorporated. (+500)
- Area 'Buanam-dong' incorporated. (+500)
Current / Limit
- [Paradise Main District]: 3,000 / 3,000
- [Paradise Sub-District - 1]: 500 / 500
- [Paradise Sub-District - 2]: 500 / 500
- [Paradise Sub-District - 3]: 0 / 500
[Gaean-gol (怪眼骨) Helm]
[Description Summary]
- 1: Ashen bone helm.
- 2: Essence of a subordinate who served a nameless demigod.
[Equipment Rank & Type]
- Legendary / Heavy Armor
[Exclusive Skill: 《Bladestorm Lotus Blossom》]
- Temporarily unleashes the subordinate's power, summoning chaotic bladewinds around the user.
- Charges: (1) time
The nameless demigod is said to have commanded 118 lords under it.
The authority bestowed upon Erzertra was chaos.
The great star beings have always despised order and loved chaos.
Only within the darkness of chaos
Do the powerless finally begin to crave the gods' grace.