Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Secret (2)
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Dominic walked side by side at the front with Cha Su-ho, and from behind Su-ho's back came the murmurs of the hunters and helpers from Branch 2.
"We're going together?"
"Seems like it? Once we enter the Last Zone, we get to watch the fight?!"
"We probably will. I'm curious. How does an SSS-grade compare to Hunter Jin Seong-hyeok?"
Did they think he couldn't hear, or were they just careless? Su-ho did his best to ignore the voices coming from behind.
It was understandable to be curious. SSS-grade. They seemed to view Su-ho, who had cleared the Last Zone solo, as being on the same level.
The problem was that his rank was SSS-grade in name only—he still couldn't even use half of Jin Seong-hyeok's power.
"This way."
As soon as they entered the grand, castle-like main building, Dominic quickened his pace.
Passing through a corridor lined with paintings and statues, a massive iron door appeared. Standing before it, not just Su-ho but even the Branch 2 hunters and helpers felt like tiny figurines.
There was a fingerprint scanner beside the enormous iron door. Dominic pressed his finger to it, and with a low rumble—ku-gu-gung—the door began to open.
"Whoa..."
A short exclamation escaped Su-ho's lips. The interior visible through the door felt completely different from the outside. The exterior resembled a European royal palace transplanted wholesale, but inside, it was like stepping into a futuristic world.
A vast white space, with cutting-edge devices placed amid intersecting circles glowing blue.
A mechanical voice rang out, and a red light emanated from the robot as it scanned Su-ho.
"Since it's your first visit, the robot is scanning you. It's a mandatory security measure."
"Ah... I understand."
"This way, then."
Dominic started striding forward again. After passing five or six teleporters, a door marked with a red horizontal line came into view.
It was clearly no ordinary door, and in front of it stood a machine. Dominic placed his palm on the tilted screen.
A red light scanned his palm, followed by a soft ding, and the door began to open.
It was an incredibly thick door. Inside lay a single teleporter.
"This is the teleporter exclusive to Center 1."
There was one reason they had a separate teleporter leading to Center 1. It connected directly to the Last Zone. If monsters destroyed the Teleport Zone in the Last Zone and broke through, and then overran the teleporters in Branches 2 and 3 connected to Center 1...
It was to buy time in case of emergency.
"Shall we proceed?"
Su-ho nodded to the politely inquiring Dominic.
"Yes, let's go."
The teleporter to Center 1 was larger inside than the others. With so many Branch 2 hunters and helpers, they must have made it bigger to transport everyone at once.
One by one, they stepped inside. In the teleporter packed with hunters and helpers, all eyes turned to Su-ho.
Su-ho pretended to be unfazed under the piercing gazes.
It was a relief Jin Seong-hyeok was there in times like this. Talking to him at least distracted from the surroundings.
'Hyung.'
'What.'
The gruff voice was the same as always, but Su-ho was just grateful that Jin Seong-hyeok always responded when called.
'We can't enter the Last Zone right now, can we.'
'Even if we did, it'd just be the entrance. From what I see, they're barely holding the monsters back at the teleporter entrance.'
Jin Seong-hyeok let out a sigh. It was frustrating enough to warrant it.
Being stuck at only defending the Last Zone teleporter entrance.
Of course, the Last Zone wasn't easy. Jin Seong-hyeok, who could clear an Evil Zone in a day or a Dead Zone in two or three, had taken a full week for the Last Zone.
The monsters there were absolutely stronger than those in the Evil or Dead Zones, but their intelligence was the biggest obstacle.
The Last Zone monsters had started engaging in battles of wits.
When they charged headlong, he could just sweep them away, but those that ambushed intelligently after lying in wait gave Jin Seong-hyeok quite a bit of trouble.
'Scary. If they can't hold the teleporter, Last Zone monsters could just pour through...'
Not once had it reached saturation levels with Jin Seong-hyeok around. The growing monster numbers made the Last Zone even more dangerous.
'Before that.'
Strength entered Jin Seong-hyeok's voice.
'You have to stop them.'
I have to stop them. Su-ho's heart pounded at Jin Seong-hyeok's words. Responding in a tone devoid of his old pathetic self,
'I need to get stronger fast.'
Just then, the whirring from the teleporter stopped. The doors slid open.
It was an exotic sight. Teleport Zones were usually dim or deep inside somewhere.
But the one before Su-ho's eyes was entirely different. Instead of walls, floor-to-ceiling glass revealed an astonishing outside view. Azure sea and beaming sunlight. It felt like arriving at a resort.
"Whoa..."
Su-ho let out an exclamation as he looked around. Dominic, who had been watching, spoke up.
"Center 1 itself is made of special reinforced glass. It's designed not to shatter even in major natural disasters."
"Impressive."
"The Last Zone teleporter is this way."
Amid walls entirely of glass stood a sturdy-looking iron door.
Dominic scanned his hand on the machine in front of it. As one door opened, another slid open vertically right after.
Double doors for such a dangerous area.
'It's been a while.'
Jin Seong-hyeok's low murmur confirmed it—this was the Teleport Zone to the Last Zone.
Even as the teleporter to the Last Zone, it looked no different. Blue-glowing circles intersected and spun as usual, and the Branch 2 hunters and helpers stepped inside as if it were routine.
Dominic gestured for Su-ho to enter.
"We can only go as far as the entrance. And by now, Branch 3 is probably fighting monsters there."
"Got it."
Tension etched across Su-ho's face as he stepped into the Last Zone teleporter.
"One thing before we arrive."
Dominic pulled something from his pocket, and the Branch 2 hunters and helpers began reaching into theirs or their bags.
"What's that...?"
A long, oval-shaped object, perfectly sized for the hand. Dominic showed it to Su-ho and explained.
"It's spray. It masks your presence from monsters."
Spray that erases your presence.
Killian.
Killian had mentioned it. His blood contained a special component that nullified presence, so Branch 2 hunters and helpers made spray from it.
Chik, chik. Without asking, Dominic sprayed it over Su-ho's body.
"You might not need it, but since it's your first Last Zone, we'll apply it just in case."
There was no smell at all. But knowing the raw material made Su-ho feel a bit queasy.
"Even the weakest Last Zone monster is far too strong for us now, so we must use this spray."
With that, Dominic began spraying himself.
Chik, chik. Chik, chik.
Not just Dominic—the other Branch 2 hunters and helpers sprayed themselves too, filling the teleporter with endless chik-chik sounds.
As everyone finished, a mechanical voice announced perfectly on cue.
Hunters and helpers tensed for battle as the doors slowly opened at the announcement.
How bad was it that they were ready to fight even inside the teleporter?
And as the doors parted, Su-ho froze in place at the scene revealed.
Shwaaak!
Dark green liquid splattered into the teleporter.
"Monster blood."
Su-ho followed Dominic out, who said it nonchalantly, but his gaze remained fixed on one spot.
It was pure chaos. Not humans, but unidentified creatures lay in mangled pieces on the ground. Nearby, what appeared to be Branch 3 hunters and helpers unleashed attacks on a few remaining monsters.
The monsters hadn't noticed the hunters and helpers—probably thanks to the spray Branch 3 had used too. They thrashed wildly, spewing massive venomous stingers in all directions amid the onslaught.
Chiiik!
Su-ho's shoe sizzled after just one step. He quickly pulled back and looked ahead.
Under the Branch 3 hunters' indiscriminate attacks, one monster staggered and fell. As if waiting, one hunter leaped forward and cleaved it perfectly in two with a massive blade.
From the severed flesh poured wriggling things amid dark green blood. They began devouring the monster's corpse in seconds.
Su-ho felt the same emotion he'd had in the Evil Zone.
Brutal, grotesque, horrifying.
Despite encountering all sorts of repulsive monsters in the Evil and Dead Zones, his stomach churned like it was his first time.
The Branch 2 hunters and helpers, accustomed to it, simply watched Branch 3 fight.
A man with a thick beard conjured massive fireballs in both hands and hurled them at a monster.
Already battered by various attacks, the monsters burst into flames and collapsed one by one.
As the fires gradually died down, only charred monster remains were left. A sword-wielding Branch 3 hunter checked if they were dead and turned away.
As the Branch 3 hunters and helpers sighed in relief after the long fight, their eyes met Su-ho's.
Branch 3 versus Branch 2. The gazes they exchanged across the distance were sharp as blades.
"What, the slowpoke snails showed up early for once."
The bearded man glared sharply at Dominic. Dominic snorted in response.
"We hurried because we thought you'd cry in the middle of fighting while reading the Koran."
A man from Branch 3 shouted.
"You provoking us right now?!"
Dominic shrugged.
"With only four hunters and two helpers left, what if you all died? We came early to give you some breathing room."
"You bastard...!"
That was when it happened.
Ding. Ding.
An alert sounded from the watch on Su-ho's wrist. Probably a message from Min Gi-uk.
As Su-ho hurriedly silenced it, he slowly raised his gaze to the suddenly changed atmosphere.
All eyes were on him.
Branch 3 with looks of "Who the hell are you?", Branch 2 with "You idiot, you set off the alarm after masking our presence?"