Chapter 36
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Rio de Janeiro (5)
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Hidden Quest accessed.
Loading...
Load complete!
'Lost Spirits': You have obtained the soul stone of the lost spirits. Their souls are filled with resentment, hatred, sorrow, and rage. To soothe them, you must gather their deceased bodies.
Current bodies defeated: (15/100)
"..."
I'd only heard rumors about hidden quests existing, but I never imagined I'd actually encounter one.
This was a rare quest that wouldn't show up on YouTube or Google.
No one knew the rewards.
This was a true hidden quest.
And the rewards were something no one had ever experienced.
I might gain a massive amount of experience points... or maybe receive a curse.
'...A hidden quest.'
The deceased bodies were none other than zombies.
Taking down 100 zombies wasn't hard.
But this was just a simulation.
I had no idea why such a quest had come to me.
As I pondered, one corpse caught my eye.
It was a boy in hunter gear, his face still boyish.
Probably one of the sacrificed cadets.
'Yeah. Curse or whatever. I can't just ignore this with my seniors right in front of me.'
They existed so that I could exist.
For their honor, I had to accept this quest.
I slipped the red soul stone into my pocket.
"Captain!! Are you okay!!"
"We saw a flash. New enemies???"
The scout who'd gone ahead came running back breathless.
"Nothing. We need to hurry. We've wasted too much time here."
"...Ah! Yes, sir. Just give the order."
I stepped into the underground roadway shrouded in thick darkness.
Before long, a bright light began to appear.
Hundreds of rose petals swirled through the air.
The zombies stood there dumbfounded amid the petals.
In that instant, the petals turned into blades, slicing through the zombies' necks in one go.
It took just one second to decapitate dozens of them.
Hong Ga-yeon's swordsmanship.
Blossom Fury.
A technique that mercilessly shredded enemies with countless petal-like blades.
She sheathed her sword.
The petals vanished.
Hong Ga-yeon called out to Smith.
"...Smith."
"Yaaawn. Yes, Princess. Er, I mean, Miss."
Smith approached her, yawning.
"Current status? Where's the scout team?"
"...Scouts just exited the underground roadway. Whatever happens, they'll be faster than us."
"...No casualties?"
"Pardon? Ah, yeah. Whatever..."
Smith eyed Ga-yeon suspiciously.
She didn't show him her face.
"Why are you so concerned about some nobody?"
"When did I say that? You know how important the scouts are. And checking on allies is just natural."
"Ah, sure, sure~ Got it."
Smith uncapped his canteen and chugged it down.
It was cola he'd stashed earlier.
As he savored the fizzy refreshment, one of his subordinate cadets approached.
"Smith. Radio from the scouts. No zombies on Road 41."
"Got it~ Road 41 clear. Hear that, Miss?"
"Yeah. Let's hurry."
Hong Ga-yeon hopped off the wrecked car and headed toward the intersection.
Her Western squad began advancing behind her.
The Western squad entered Road 41.
As Kang Tae-hyun's radio had reported, there were no zombies here.
They'd scouted that Roads 41 to 50 were secured by military barricades.
In other words, they could move to Road 50 without encountering enemies.
Still, the complete absence of even a single zombie didn't make sense.
"Miss Ga-yeon?"
As she walked the suspicious road, a familiar voice called out.
He was perched atop a streetlamp.
Hong Ga-yeon frowned the moment she saw him.
"Oh~!! Your Highness! Long time no see. Wow~ We hardly cross paths at school."
"Long time no see, Smith."
He flashed a bright smile at Smith.
The blond man.
Even in the battlefield, he was dressed like a celebrity.
His hair styled with wax.
p>Sharp nose and striking features.
Not just sunscreen, but gold rings adorned every finger.
He exuded overwhelming charisma.
"...Wow. He's handsome."
"You don't know him?"
"Huh? Who is he? A model?"
The women in the Western squad were already buzzing over his looks.
"William Mountbatten Jr. British royalty."
"Whoa... royalty??"
William descended from the streetlamp.
His landing was as soft as petals touching ground.
"Come visit England sometime. My father’s looking forward to it, Miss Ga-yeon."
"...This is a battlefield. Focus on the fight."
William smiled at her curt response.
"You're right. This is a battlefield. But when there's no danger, we should recharge. How about tea while viewing the tower I built?"
They rounded the four-lane corner.
Hong Ga-yeon's eyes widened slightly at the sight.
The reason for his confidence.
The road leading to Road 50 was piled high with zombie corpses.
At least a few hundred, by the looks of it.
William Mountbatten Jr. All zombies he'd slain single-handedly.
His butler and maid were setting teacups atop the zombie tower.
William stepped on the hunter-turned-zombie corpses and climbed up to sit.
Ga-yeon's brow furrowed at the sight.
"Perfect spot for tea. Staring out at this battlefield refreshes the soul. Shall we compose a poem together? Or... sing?"
"...No business here, so we'll be going. Excuse us."
Hong Ga-yeon bowed her head slightly.
Her Western squad resumed marching.
"It's a red carpet for you, Miss Ga-yeon. Safe travels. And say hi at school."
The asphalt road to Road 50 was stained red.
Zombie blood.
Hong Ga-yeon walked across it.
William watched her with a pleased smile.
'...Ah. A truly perfect being.'
Looks, honor, strength.
She had it all in perfection.
A composure and power hard to believe from an 18-year-old.
William sipped his tea, admiring her.
'I want her. I want her so bad. I want to possess her...!'
The only woman who could satisfy him.
The sole such being on Earth.
"I'll love you forever, Hong Ga-yeon."
William chuckled softly to himself.
"Whoa... that's a massacre, huh?"
"..."
"Zombies almost seem pitiful..."
A blond man was slaughtering zombies.
His weapons: a single sword and shield.
Definitely William Mountbatten Jr.
British prince, hailed as the next king.
In his previous life, a cadet who gave up S-Rank hunter potential to become a 'knight.'
I knew his strength well from back then.
Among S-Ranks, he was on the strong side—anyone could tell.
His knightly code prized honor.
But his actions seemed far from honorable.
Zombies or not, butchering former hunters mercilessly.
Then stacking their corpses.
"...Let's go. None of our business."
Whatever his intentions, eliminating monsters wasn't wrong.
It just left a dirty feeling.
I switched on the radio.
-No abnormalities on Road 41.
"Finally, Christ the Redeemer is right ahead."
We'd reached the hill with the statue.
Rendezvous point for Classes B and C.
We'd cleared all zombies en route here.
Current bodies defeated: (81/100)
Zombies were slower and weaker than pigmen, so no big issue for me.
Looking at the city, shells were still falling here and there.
The training was nearing its end.
Climb this hill to the statue, and it was over.
Time taken to reach here: about 8 hours.
Even active hunters were starting to drop from fatigue amid the fights.
'...Total casualties: 358.'
Hunter Network's published casualty notice.
In real combat, that'd be heavy losses.
Unavoidable with mostly clumsy first-years.
"Hammered."
"Yes, Captain."
He came right over when I called now.
Proper respect for superiors—he listened intently.
"Gonna step away briefly. Hold the area."
"Where to?"
"None of your business. Radio if trouble."
"Ah, yes, sir! Roger!"
"Yeah."
I returned his salute and headed down the road.
Planned to clear the hidden quest before the main force arrived.
[Form Change: Spear → Sword]
As I entered the four-lane road, zombies scattered around reacted.
"Grrr..."
"Gr..."
I gathered light into the sword.
Mana at about 30%.
A slight dizziness hit.
But no problem.
I'd massacred monsters in worse conditions.
"Visible ones: 11..."
No mercy for monsters, of course.
But seeing most in hunter gear stirred emotions.
"Sorry, seniors."
I closed in fast, slashing two.
The cut surfaces burned from the light attribute.
Three more rushed from behind.
I calmly skewered one first.
Then grabbed its collar and hurled it as bait.
"Grrrrr..!"
"Guaaah!!!"
I beheaded the ones devouring the corpse.
Black blood sprayed skyward.
I cut down the rest without mercy.
"Guaaahhh!!!"
One lumbering between cars.
Huge build.
Probably a fighter in life.
Nearly 2 meters.
Hard to decapitate giants in one swing.
Adapting weapons to foes.
Basic tactics.
[Form Change: Sword → Spear]
Against monsters bigger than you.
Always lower your stance first.
Stay out of attack range, blade aimed at it.
"Graaahhh!!!"
The giant zombie's massive arm whooshed over my head.
To grab me, it had to bend at the waist.
That bend creates an opening.
I didn't miss, thrusting at its gut.
Pfshk!
Pulled out immediately.
Spears can't regenerate if broken.
Use with care.
"Graaahhh!!!"
Enraged, it flailed to grab me.
I circled, stabbing relentlessly.
Pfshk! Pfshk! Pfshk! Pfshk!
"Graaah...!"
The giant zombie's body became a pincushion, blood spurting everywhere.
Injured creatures slow down or cower.
Its slowed swings couldn't reach me.
"Shining Spear."
As it bent to grab me.
That's the chance.
I swung without hesitation.
Slash-!
The giant's head flew into the air.
Blood splattered everywhere.
My combat suit was now covered in zombie gore.
"...This stench never gets easier."
I wiped blood from my cheek.
In my past life, one zombie would've taken dozens of clashes.
No—without light magic, it'd end in a draw.
I felt my strengthened body anew.
One giant zombie and eleven regulars.
Twelve mid-to-low threats—barely a warm-up now.
'...Don't get complacent. Aim higher.'
[Form Change: Spear → Bracelet]
All nearby zombies defeated.
I pulled out the soul stone.
Hidden Quest 'Lost Spirits' completed.
Claim your reward.
Following Hunter Network's guidance, I cupped the soul stone in both hands.
A small light formed, then suddenly entered my Switch Weapon.
'Not a buff for me...?'
First time hearing of benefits going to the weapon instead of the user.
Awakened weapons existed rarely, but only for specific ones.
Curious.
I opened the Switch Weapon's details to check the reward.
'Switch Weapon' status window accessed.
Loading...
As the status opened, Hammered's urgent voice crackled over the radio.
-Captain. Group approaching. You need to see this.
Couldn't ignore his panicked tone.
Status could wait till after the exam.
I closed it and headed to the rendezvous.
Hammered was visible in the distance.
Good—no one else had arrived yet.
"Who's coming?"
"Yes. Look toward Road 31."
I followed his gaze to Road 31.
Dust cloud blocked visual, but a group was heading our way.
Hunting the approaching zombie horde—definitely hunters.
But which group mattered.
'...Sigh... Why the reckless bet... Ah, well. Yoon Seo-hyun probably provoked first...'
Mitsuda had told me about their wager before coming here.
This sector: V and U Classes vs. B and C.
One of those units.
The issue: who arrived first.
"...Yeah. Coming into view. Who is it?"
"..."
I stared silently at Road 31.
(To be continued...)