Chapter 109
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: The Blind Hunter's Contradiction
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A strange silence lingered over the battlefield.
Suddenly, Kang Seol appeared as the embodiment of shadow itself.
And then the Blind Hunter Malacus revealed himself.
Krrr...
"All Shadow Summoners must die by my hand."
You are within the influence of the Place Without Light.
You are a shadow.
All stats are reduced by 20%.
"Everyone has something they desire, so I'll respect that."
"...I'll free all shadows from you. That's the path for their sake."
"I respect that too. Now let me tell you my desire."
Kang Seol gazed at Malacus and spoke.
"It's smashing you to pieces for turning Mirei into that."
"You can't beat me. How many Shadow Summoners do you think I've hunted?"
"Who knows? I couldn't care less. And besides, that's not me. So it means nothing."
"...You'll regret your arrogance."
Sss...
Malacus activated an artifact, and his form vanished in an instant. But a faint presence lingered, confirming he was still in this space.
'So that's where his confidence came from.'
Malacus hadn't provoked Kang Seol and Jamad without reason.
But.
'Even with 20% shaved off... my stats are still overflowing. It's fine.'
Chipping a single stone from a mountain doesn't make it any less a mountain.
Kang Seol remained an overwhelming force.
Kyung! Kyaaang!
Hunting Dog Dir uses Ambush.
Fail to defend perfectly and suffer 50% additional damage.
'Even that hunting dog has skills.'
He could inspect it with Insight even now, but he decided against it.
Whoooong—
Kwaaaaang!
Dir flinched at Kang Seol's swung fist and halted its attack, retreating.
Had it taken that blow head-on, the fight might have ended right there.
"Dir!"
Chwaaaak!
"Useless."
Pak!
Paaak!
The Shadow Hand moved precisely toward the incoming arrows.
Papapak!
No matter how many arrows flew, not a single hair on Kang Seol stirred.
"You're done, Malacus."
"...I admit you're strong. But it's premature to claim victory."
Krrr...
The forest fell quiet once more, and a message appeared before Kang Seol.
Malacus consumes the Elixir of Vengeance.
Malacus gains 30% additional stats against shadow attributes.
Malacus deals 50% increased critical damage against shadow attributes.
"That's all you came up with? Drugs?"
"They work well against scum like you. I've proven it countless times."
"Keep bringing up the past, and it only proves your judgment was wrong."
"We'll see."
Clank—
Dir's Suppressed Ferocity Necklace is released.
Dir receives Concentrated Ferocity effect.
Portion of damage offset by ferocity.
Persists until ferocity is depleted.
Fear is removed.
"Come on, let's clash for real."
"Hmph."
Kang Seol—or rather Jamad—clashed his fists together.
Kwang—!
A thunderous roar echoed as his body began to burn fiercely.
Switching to Volcanic Stance.
Flames cling to all attacks. Explosions at impact points. Persistent: Flames spread to high probability on contact. Persistent: Heat and warmth applied—self-damage from flames reduced 100%, enemy damage increased 50%.
Kang Seol became a fiercely burning bomb.
Kyaaaang—!
Tung! Tuwoong!
The sound of Dir charging and what sounded like arrows ricocheting off a strongbow rang out together. Malacus now seemed to be unleashing total offense without worry of hitting Dir.
'But...'
Kyung!
Hunting Dog Dir uses Desperate Struggle.
Reduces incoming damage by 50% for a short time and recovers quickly from impacts. If bleeding inflicted on foe, increases blood loss.
A beast stripped of fear was like a natural disaster.
It brought helplessness from the unavoidable and sheer brutality.
"Ha!"
Paaaak!
Kyeng!
A short backhand.
It struck Dir's maw.
But Dir, recovering swiftly, twisted its head back to bite Kang Seol's throat.
Papapak!
"Urk!"
The Shadow Hand grabbing the arrows felt different power than before. The immense force from the bowstring warned that even one hit would not end well.
"Don't whine."
"Handle your side first, then talk."
"Hmph! Soon."
Kang Seol's body, wrestling the now larger hunting dog, shifted stance in an instant.
Whoooong!
His shoulder hooked precisely under Dir's jaw.
"Got you, you bastard."
"Dir!"
Jamad, controlling Kang Seol's body, charged toward a massive tree with Dir hoisted.
Kwagagagagak!
Kwajiiik!
The giant tree toppled entirely, and Dir, flung after, snapped another before the impact ended.
Tadak...
Taaaak...
Hwaruruk!
Flames erupted at the collision point.
"Now then... damn it!"
Kyaang—!
But Dir's overflowing vitality revived it, charging at Kang Seol once more.
Hunting Dog Dir uses Shadow Ambush.
Vanishes from attack prep pose. Appears at attack start. If Dir not detected by foe, inflicts bleed + 50% additional damage.
"No ordinary dog!"
"Of course not. This dog is..."
Kwajiiik!
Dir's jaw snapped under Kang Seol's fist once more.
Yet Dir refused to yield.
Its eyes gleamed red.
"A shadow."
"Hey, hunter. Don't you find that contradictory?"
"......"
Tuwooooong!
Paaak!
Malacus's arrow, shaken, was plain as day to Kang Seol.
Malacus's Nullification Shot misses.
Kwajiiik!
Kang Seol's fist sent Dir flying again.
Kyeeeng!
Kujijik! Kujiiiik!
The surroundings where Kang Seol and Dir clashed were a mess of splintered trees.
"Aren't you the one arbitrarily wielding shadows?"
"Shut up! Dir... Dir is my one and only friend..."
"I see. So you revived the forcibly killed Dir?"
"Don't! Don't say it like that!"
Tuwoong! Tuwooooong!
Malacus uses Tangible Pain.
Arrows inflict fixed damage for a short time.
Papak—!
Keep firing arrows, but they wouldn't hit—pointless.
Foosh.
Suddenly, Malacus burst from the forest shadows, dagger in hand.
Did he have no other options left?
Kyaaaang!
It was his ace in the hole, blindingly fast to others, but useless against Kang Seol.
Pak—!
"Kuhuk... Hot... so hoooot!"
Kyeeeeng—!
Kang Seol seized Malacus's and Dir's throats simultaneously.
Bwoong—!
Kwajijik!
He hurled Dir far away with full force, then slammed Malacus into the ground.
"Kuhuk!"
"You, this walking contradiction, dare judge shadows? What a joke."
"Dir is my only friend."
"So? You revived a dead hunting dog? For your selfishness?"
"...Without Dir, I have nothing left. You all... you took everything—my parents, my eyes, my life. All I knew was... your Shadow Summoning arts."
"Pathetic. You, judge of Shadow Summoning, in this state. Do you even know what you've done?"
Malacus murmured, staring at the canopy.
"I know... it's wrong. I've known all along."
"What?"
"When you took my parents, my eyes, my life, Dir stayed by my side. He became my light in the darkness."
"......"
"After Dir died, I came to... and he was there. I performed this horrific sorcery... without even realizing."
"Contradictory."
"That's when I realized. Shadow Summoning... isn't wrong. It's not sorcery born from treating shadows as slaves, with such twisted intent."
The Shadow Hunter Malacus.
His answer lay here.
"...It's longing. Sorcery born from longing for someone. It's not cursed. It all... depends on the caster's intent."
"You realized that, yet kept hunting Summoners?"
"Can't atone. ...Can't wash it away."
"Mad bastard..."
Unable to cleanse the filth, he plunged his head deep into it. That was how Malacus had lived.
"Dir, come here..."
Kiiiing...
The massive hunting dog approached Malacus.
Malacus was already dying.
His throat charred black, voice cracking faint.
"Good boy... Don't be scared. We're just falling asleep together."
Kiiiing...
"To a world where no one torments or is tormented."
Malacus left his final words.
"I'm... the villain."
Kiiing...
Dir slept beside Malacus, then scattered like dust upon its master's death.
Foosh...
Malacus died a villain to the end.
Defeated Blind Malacus.
Villain's Possessions generated.
Adventure goal fulfilled.
Adventure ends upon time expiry or reward selection.
Defeated Hunting Dog Dir.
Additional reward granted.
Kang Seol turned around.
Mirei staggered toward him.
"Haha... bastard. Contradictory to the bitter end."
"Mirei. You alright?"
"No, feels like I'm dying..."
She said it like a joke, but it wasn't.
Plop.
She collapsed.
"Mirei!"
"Ugh... If only death had come a bit slower. I could've taken more of your image in."
"Your body..."
"I know. It's vanishing, right?"
Her limbs were fading from the extremities. Just like Dir had.
Only, her death progressed agonizingly slow.
"Incomplete life extension ends here. Haha... And thinking about it, maybe death waited for me."
"...What do you mean?"
"I was proven right in the end, wasn't I? No pathetic regrets left—amazingly."
"......"
"Snowman, you know? We have two paths."
"Two... paths."
"One is the well-paved road ruling over shadows to draw their full power. The other... untrodden, rough path of coexistence with shadows. Which one do you...?"
Mirei couldn't finish her question.
Kang Seol's unwavering gaze answered for her.
She welcomed it with the world's brightest smile.
She pulled a cigar from her bosom and lit it.
Whooo...
After a deep drag, she spoke.
"Sodin... thanks for enduring this long. We did it."
"......"
"Genius Mirei of the universe's 300th... no, final record. I proved it, Gregory. This is my last footprint on the world."
Her eyes grew cloudy.
"Go... show you... no, us to the world. That we..."
Her words faltered.
"Can coexist..."
Drop.
Only the cigar's scent remained in her place.
This was a place where even justice lost its way.
Pandea.
The world-changing Shadow Summoner Mirei and the twisted Shadow Hunter Malacus died here today.
Ally 'Shadow Summoner Mirei' has died.
This ally will not appear in future adventures.
Only Kang Seol, witness to their deaths, remained, keeping vigil for a long while.