Chapter 43
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: CDT (4)
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1st Hunter Officer Academy Headquarters.
The staff there had been massacred by the sudden invasion of summoned beasts.
They had deliberately targeted the academy's leadership, who lacked mana.
Squelch. Squelch.
Blood stuck to their feet, leaving footprints everywhere they went.
But they had no worries.
"Hee hee hee hee hee."
"Heh heh heh heh heh."
Heart Queen. Spade Jack.
The creatures slaughtered everyone in sight.
They sought only one place.
-Command and Control Room.
It was the operations control room, where all authority over the training grounds could be exercised.
Bzzz-.
"Hee hee hee hee."
"Heh heh heh heh."
The Trump Soldiers had already killed everyone in the command and control room.
The red lever.
Pulling it would release all barriers in the training grounds.
"Hee hee hee hee."
"Heh heh heh."
Heart Queen grabbed the lever and pulled it down.
-WARNING! WARNING!
All systems shut down, and even the power cut out.
As the Trump Soldiers disabled the barriers, thousands of crows began swarming the training ground's outer walls.
It was Kirius's black barrier.
"Hee hee hee hee!"
"Heh heh heh heh."
Queen and Jack exchanged glances and laughed.
The two summoned beasts completed their mission and headed toward the door leading back to the hallway.
Stab!
In that instant, a dagger pierced Queen's throat.
"Hee hee... hee hee...!"
Queen looked toward where the dagger had come from.
A man stood guarding the door.
Ha Dong-hwan and the security team.
He twirled the dagger effortlessly.
"That bastard Jackson... He's a dumb fucking idiot, that's for sure..."
He suppressed his emotions tightly and continued stoically.
"But he was a good colleague who bought me drinks now and then. You know?"
"Hee... hee...! Hee!"
"Heh heh heh heh."
Ha Dong-hwan's brow furrowed.
"You're all fucked."
"Hee hee hee hee!!"
"Heh heh heh..."
Darkness.
Nothing was visible.
He'd sensed an attack once, but it never occurred to him that he wouldn't be able to dodge it.
Blood seemed to be trickling from his forehead.
Touching it with his finger, sticky blood coated it.
"...Fuck. Where the hell am I..."
Pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen.
I transformed my slime weapon into a torch and illuminated my surroundings.
"...!"
What emerged from the darkness was hundreds of crows encircling me.
Each and every one was alive.
Even as I approached, the crows didn't budge.
Stabbing at them with my sword left not a single scratch.
"...This is..."
A repulsive sensation revived.
It was just like the feeling when he first met his death.
I spun the torch around.
This was a special barrier.
It couldn't be opened from inside unless released from outside.
"Ugh... ugh... urk!!!"
Fucking mana.
Just sensing it through breathing made me want to puke.
I wiped my mouth and scanned the surroundings.
Then one crow caught my eye.
"Haa... haa..."
It was a crow, but man-sized.
No, it was a monster shaped like a human with only a crow's head.
Having pored over the Monster Encyclopedia 1,500 pages strong ten times over, I recognized it instantly.
'No such monster exists...!'
The crow with red eyes approached me slowly.
I gripped my sword immediately.
Contrary to my expectation of an aggressive reaction, the crow knelt before me.
It spoke in a bizarre voice.
"...I am the king's shadow, come to serve you."
"..."
I listened silently to what it had to say.
"Like the great king, you hold the key to the answers of this world. The world has chosen you."
"...I wasn't chosen by anyone. Don't spout nonsense."
I stayed on high alert.
This mana was more disgusting and filthy than any monster I'd encountered so far.
No telling what skill it might use.
"No, you have surely been chosen. As proof, hasn't something contrary to the world's logic happened recently?"
"...Something contrary to the world's logic?"
"Yes."
...Regression?
It knew about the regression?
This crow bastard?
"I won't inquire about the ability with which you were chosen. Do you understand now? You are chosen, a vessel needing no human host to become the creator. A vessel to become a god. A vessel to stand above all. That's why I've come to serve you."
"..."
"Just a moment. Please wait. My other king. I'll quickly kill the bugs outside, and Kirius, Joker, and your two loyal subordinates will come to serve you."
My eyebrow twitched.
"...What do you mean by 'bugs'?"
At the word "bugs," the crow slyly curled the corner of its mouth.
"Killing all the interfering hunters... the bugs. That is this mission..."
"..."
"Don't be too angry. They're just created beings, illusions anyway."
I spoke calmly.
Suppressing my emotions as much as possible.
"Who is this great king you speak of...? And who are you lot?"
The crow fell silent for a moment.
As if pondering something, it kept its head bowed for a while.
Then it spoke.
"The great king... is one who, like you, holds a single key. And we are the 10 shadows personally chosen by the king to protect such kings..."
The crow rose from its kneel.
Whoosh-!
Enormous black wings sprouted from its back.
The crow approached me slowly.
And extended its hand.
A hand covered in dense black feathers.
"Come. Take my hand and accept the power. Then all will be yours. Your desires. Your precious things. Everything you wanted. You can achieve it all."
"...What I want?"
"Yes. What you want. Family. Peace. And even love."
My little sister flashed in my mind.
If I could just see my innocent sister again, I'd sell my soul.
But to obtain everything so easily like this.
Just by taking a hand... everything.
A chuckle escaped me.
"Don't just dream it—make it real. Take this and bask in eternal comfort and all glory. My other king—."
The crow knelt again and offered its hand.
From that massive hand, an object began to take shape.
Made of black material, it gradually formed.
...A black mask.
"Haha..."
It felt hollow.
The mask was barely 30cm.
Just grab it, and everything would be resolved.
Yeah. Just grab it.
"Come on..."
I reached out my hand.
[Shape Change: Sword → Dagger]
Stab! Splashhhh-!!!
I slashed my palm along with the mask.
Black blood poured out.
"...Fuck..."
I took a step toward it.
And beckoned.
Come closer.
The crow just lifted its head and stared silently.
"...The dead stay dead..."
Killing hunters.
Killing my comrades.
Destroying my last hope, everything I had.
From the moment it said that, I'd decided.
[Shape Change: Dagger → Sword]
Kraaaack-!
I wrapped my sword in sparks.
The fluorescent blade glowed, ready to cleave the crow at any moment.
How could I not be furious hearing that?
There was no way I'd accept such an offer.
God?
King?
What I want is humanity's eternal peace.
My dead sister won't come back.
That's obvious.
Empty dreams are most ideal when they remain dreams.
"Keke... kekekehe... kekekuk...!"
The crow's palm wriggled and reattached.
Its hand elongated like a hook.
"It doesn't matter. The great king ordered me to bring you, even if by force."
It approached me slowly.
I'd died once.
Twice was impossible.
I gripped the sword hilt with both hands.
"Try killing me. If you can."
Boom! Bang!
Fireballs flew toward the barrier.
"Ugh... hng...!"
Bang! Boom!!!
No matter how many skills Ah-young cast, the barrier didn't even scratch.
Drool dripped from her mouth, her eyes were unfocused, and her legs trembled uncontrollably.
Her mana was already below 10%.
It was a miracle she was still standing.
"Hng... hng..."
Still, Ah-young kept firing fireballs through choked sobs.
Even if she collapsed, her resolve was to save Tae-hyun.
Clap clap clap-.
Kirius wiped away tears as he applauded.
"Haa... What touching camaraderie... So sad. Why can't you understand there's no saving him, huh?"
Kirius stepped down from the barrier and approached Ah-young.
He caressed her chin.
And wrapped his arm around her waist.
She couldn't resist once and just panted raggedly.
"...Hunters are such fragile beings. They have power, but too weak to save humanity with it. That's why we're just trying to change the world. Soon, the 'king' will save us all and rise as the world's ruler. Don't think too badly of us, miss."
Lick. Lick.
Kirius licked Ah-young's cheek with his tongue.
Unable to resist, she just rolled her eyes to look at him.
"Salty. So salty. But delicious. I can feel the deep mana scent... You're special, aren't you?"
"...Haa... haa... st-stop..."
"Mmm. Sorry, miss. I can't stop. Your body is like liquor filled with mana. It's driving me crazy."
Kirius refused to let go of Ah-young.
She couldn't even blink.
Her eyes were open, but all strength had drained from her body.
She stood only because Kirius held her waist.
A hunter out of mana was like a goldfish out of water.
Unable to resist further, just shedding tears.
Kirius whispered in Ah-young's ear.
Like the sly whisper of a serpent.
"I want to eat you... Can I?"
"...N-no... p-please... no..."
Whoosh, whoosh!
Numerous crows swarmed around Kirius and Ah-young.
The crows slowly formed a black wall, enclosing them.
A completely empty space.
A place with only Kirius and Yoon Ah-young.
The sky's space shrank bit by bit.
The last tear dropped from Ah-young's eyes.
In that moment, wind blew.
"...Wh-what..."
Whooshhhh, whooshhhh!!!
The crows forming the barrier began burning and vanishing.
The crows screeching in agony didn't fly far before all incinerated.
Kirius let go of Ah-young and looked around.
The barrier had completely burned away.
Kirius smirked.
He knew without looking.
"You... trying to interfere with me?"
Thin air.
There, the form of a massive flame dragon soared.
The flame dragon circled her, then bared its scorching fangs and growled at Kirius.
The woman enveloped by the flame dragon.
She radiated an aura so intense it hurt the eyes, clearly furious.
Kirius was impressed.
"Wow...! Amazing... Perfect density. Hahaha...!!! Incredible! Truly incredible!!! As expected of an S-Rank!"
Kirius laughed maniacally.
...Ah-young collapsed to the ground and looked up at her.
Tears streaming, she wailed like a child.
"Family head... Family head...!"
Roarrrrr-!
The flames she emitted melted even the concrete they didn't touch.
Yoon Soo-ah.
Current S-Rank hunter.
The world's greatest mage.
The Yoon Family's third head.
...And Yoon Ah-young's family.
Yoon Soo-ah's hair whipped in the wind.
She looked like a devil.
She glared down at Kirius like a bug.
And said,
"...Get away. From my beloved little sister."
(Continued in the next chapter)