Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Banshee's Demise
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Gazing at the burning black flames, Narsenti felt a profound despair, as if it had been scraped from the depths of some bottomless abyss.
Seeing the iron chains that wrapped around and controlled that despair, she felt a sense of grandeur and awe, along with a terror that transcended despair.
"Gotta run."
A realization she hadn't truly felt in ages flashed through Narsenti's mind. Interfering with another soul could backfire, allowing the target to interfere with you instead, reducing your efforts to nothing and inflicting massive damage.
But this wasn't mere damage.
She would die. She was going to die. If Narsenti still had a body, she'd surely be pissing herself right now.
"I've... I've lived for thousands of years."
Experience and memory were the sustenance of souls. The length of one's existence directly correlated with the soul's strength. There was no way a lowly being that hadn't even lived a full century could do this to her.
"...!"
The iron chains constricting the black flames rattled as they moved. The blood-red chains twisted together into a beast's collar.
The flames took on a beastly form and let out an eerie howl as it writhed. But the chains didn't budge an inch, tightening around the beast's neck and wriggling like living things as they yanked at the wolf's throat.
The beast, struggling in resistance, was ultimately dragged along by its collar.
"Controlling that? How is that even possible?!"
This wasn't just binding and restraining it. Subduing a wild beast and taming it were on entirely different levels. The mere fact that it had contained something like that within its own soul and suppressed it was already absurd.
Yet those iron chains—this being's soul—had succeeded in more than restraint. It had tamed it. The massive head of the beast, trailing along like a dog on a leash, approached Narsenti.
"S-stay back!"
The moment she tried to flee, slender red chains coiled around her legs. These were the same chains binding that apocalyptic beast. Narsenti had no way to escape them.
"Ah..."
And then, the black flames loomed right before her eyes. The flames, shaped like a wolf's head, were the size of a colossal mountain.
The beast opened its maw. The gaping jaws stretched into an endless abyss. The beast bit down on Narsenti.
She couldn't resist in the slightest and was devoured whole. However, true to her name as the banshee who had lived for eons, she succeeded in one final act.
'Immortal Legion.'
At the very least, she'd managed to inform the Immortal Legion's emperor of this existence's presence. Never confront this soul directly.
No being could withstand even an instant against this terrifying soul. She had to let them know.
And that was all. Banshee Narsenti—the banshee who had lived for thousands of years and served as the core of the 1st-grade Erosion Core, Jauron Valley—met an end as pathetic and feeble as her grand titles were glorious...
My dazed mind cleared. The massive girl statue that had dominated the waterfall screamed as it clutched its head, gradually fading away.
I smacked my lips and scratched my head.
"You gotta pick your targets when you're pulling shit like that."
My soul returned unscathed from that other world back to Earth.
You don't get a happy ending from directly witnessing the soul of someone who once averted the end of a world.
"Like trying to voice-phish the prosecutor general."
Wrong person to mess with, and that's the price. Mental attacks don't work on me. And if they try directly touching my soul? They all end up like that.
The hunters, equally dazed like me, slowly came to their senses and stared at the fading massive girl form with roars.
"Wh-what the hell?"
To Jung No-hoon's words, I gave a simple reply.
"Job's done. Let's prep to head home."
That thing was dead.
"But we didn't do anything."
"Self-destruct."
After answering Han Sang-ah's question, I glanced around. The beautiful mineral artificial garden, carved from jewels, was slowly cracking and crumbling as residue spread.
And so, the 1st-grade Erosion Core Jauron Valley ended in an utterly anticlimactic fashion. For something attempted while wrecking Harbin and contending with the Immortal Legion, its conclusion was pathetically shabby.
"Still, as the core of a 1st-grade Erosion Core, it tried something."
There had been a slight stir in the mana. I didn't know the details, but it seemed to have sent a message somewhere. I had no way to block that.
Boxes were distributed one to each hunter. The definitive proof of successfully eliminating the Erosion Core. Once they checked them, the hunters finally shook off their confusion and erupted in cheers.
"We cleared it! I didn't do shit, and the Erosion Core just blew up?!"
Jung No-hoon shouted that as he eagerly ripped open his box. Jeez, he's pumped. Thinking that, I opened mine as well.
"...A crystal?"
Inside the box lay a single transparent pink gem. The teardrop-shaped stone emitted a subtle glow.
I carefully picked it up with my fingers to inspect it this way and that, only to watch in alarm as my fingertips blackened upon contact. I hurriedly ignited Paradox Flame to burn away the toxic components eating into my finger.
"What the hell is this? What kind of reward is this?"
Poison or something. If I hadn't reacted fast, it could've been dangerous. Even that brief touch left my finger numb. It was plausible as a reward from subjugating Jauron Valley.
I stared at the gem for a moment before carefully closing the box. I'd have to get this checked out through Choi Seung-gi.
"Plus, it said we need a catalyst."
Maybe this gem could serve that purpose. No matter that it was the Immortal Legion—even what I faced was just one of countless branch executives. And the spear I'm using didn't come from a high-grade Erosion Core reward either.
To merge the two spears, a special catalyst was needed. This gem from subjugating Jauron Valley looked special enough.
"Ah, looks like we're heading back."
As I pondered with the box in hand, we were suddenly back atop the frozen lake before I knew it.
"Two down."
I muttered as I tossed and caught the box once.
"I'm—we're gonna be rich!"
Jung No-hoon let out a booming laugh as he shouted that.
"Yeah, good for you, punk."
I gave him a once-over, then spoke into my in-ear.
"Yoo Chan-seok here. The Erosion Core of 1st-grade Erosion Core Jauron Valley has been completely annihilated as of now."
—Yes, confirmed. Good work, Hunter Yoo Chan-seok.
Han Sang-ah silently examined the shoes she'd received as her reward, turning them this way and that. Dark purple low shoes with an eerie sheen.
I looked at her shoes and let out an "aha."
"Ghost Shoes."
Han Sang-ah turned to me at my words.
"What's that?"
It temporarily turned the wearer into a ghost-like state. From the mana dwelling within, about 5 seconds.
"Perfect."
I couldn't say for sure yet without knowing the gem's value, but Han Sang-ah seemed to have profited the most from this Erosion Core elimination.
The advantages of a temporary ghost state were straightforward. Attacks from others would have almost no effect while it lasted.
Of course, Han Sang-ah's own attacks would likewise have almost no effect while the ghost state held.
"Five seconds is a damn long time in a fight."
Maintain ghost state to prepare a strike, then unleash it the instant it ends.
"You need to go for the big one anyway."
For someone like Han Sang-ah, her combat style was already geared toward meticulously preparing and landing a single devastating blow.
Those shoes would probably stick with her for life.
"Anyway, the companies we contracted with are grinning ear to ear now."
They'd probably already gotten word. The companies that invested in us would be prepping champagne corks.
We'd stabilized Harbin and successfully cleared the Jauron Valley beneath it. I immediately addressed the hunters via in-ear.
"As previously notified, participants in the Jauron Valley subjugation have options."
Take the reward money and leave, or stay in Harbin and Changchun City to subjugate 2nd- or 3rd-grade Erosion Cores while contracting with companies developing the region.
"Please make your decision within three days and convey it through your operators."
Then the Gull operators would compile the hunters' intentions, organize the data, provide it to the investing companies, and bridge matches between compatible parties.
Of course, they wouldn't do the matchmaking for free, but it was obvious the fees would fall on the companies, not the hunters—practically free for us.
Like free entry for women at clubs. The desperate side always pays.
"Great job, everyone!"
Adakawa Nanami rushed over and hugged me once before grinning. Still in her fluttering outfit.
"Your popularity's gonna skyrocket back in Japan."
Adakawa Nanami nodded at my words.
"I'm the first Japanese hunter to participate in a 1st-grade Erosion Core subjugation!"
Sure, I soloed the finisher, but whatever. Participation in a successful 1st-grade subjugation earned rewards. And those usually boosted a hunter's abilities dramatically.
Take Han Sang-ah: being able to prep a strike for 5 seconds would make fighting monsters several times easier.
Adakawa Nanami had probably gotten some reward too, one that would elevate her skills.
"Great job, everyone."
I switched my in-ear to all-channel and gave greetings, then looked at Han Sang-ah and Jung No-hoon.
"Let's head back to Korea."
We had no more business here. The rest—developing the land, contracting hunters for protection—that was just standard company fare.
We packed up, said goodbyes to Adakawa Nanami, and headed straight for Korea. A few hours later, aboard the helicopter back home, my phone buzzed.
"What’s this?"
A message from an unknown number. Not just me—Han Sang-ah and Jung No-hoon got the same message from the same number.
[Hunter Yoo Chan-seok. We are Wonder Club. We've heard of your success in the Jauron Valley elimination operation. First, our congratulations.]
Boiling it down, it was simple.
"We've qualified for Wonder Club membership, and they're sending an invite."
A sort of social club exclusive to hunters with experience successfully subjugating 1st-grade Erosion Cores.
From the content, even the hunters ranked 2nd through 4th on Hope's List were apparently part of this Wonder Club.
Jung No-hoon said with a dazed expression.
"Holy shit, living long enough to get contacted by Wonder Club."
"That big a deal?"
Jung No-hoon nodded vigorously at my question.
"Big? It's massive. Everyone knows the hunters in that club prop each other up. It's like a guarantee of success."
Propping each other up, huh. Even with a successful 1st-grade subjugation under your belt, they didn't let just anyone in, apparently.
As the helicopter rattled along, I sank into thought.