“It seems that the service may have overstepped. I must exercise restraint.”
“You can’t show the end so easily. You have to tantalize them little by little, making them wait for what’s next.”
– “Eek! What do I do! Huh… Ugh… Huh… heehee…”
In the distance, I could hear Yeon-hee making a fuss. She was lying on the floor in a cat-like position, her feet pattering anxiously; it was incredibly cute. It was hard to tell whether she was crying or struggling to hold back laughter.
In any case, the reaction wasn’t bad. I couldn’t understand how she had endured for two whole days while being so happy about this.
Honestly, such behavior was impossible for me if I had spent the whole day in human form. It was just a brief moment for me to hold back—who could remain indifferent when watching Yeon-hee like that?
In a way, this was playful banter only possible because of the “cold” skeleton.
* * *
Hyeon Joong-seop, the younger brother of Hyeon Joong-gil, the leader of the Ilseom Guild.
Sitting as the Chief Elder, he was effectively acting as the representative of the Ilseom Guild.
His older brother, who fell into the curse of early Awakened Ones, had limited freedom of movement; thus, his influence steadily grew, reaching a level where he essentially held all the power in the Ilseom Guild.
And kneeling before him was a handsome man, weeping silently.
“You pitiful fool… Did I raise you just to see such a shameful sight?! Tsk tsk—”
“Father…!”
“I’ve warned you repeatedly to stay away from women, and yet here you are, creating such a disgrace!”
“Please help me! I can’t live without Min-sol… please…”
“I even turned a blind eye to that girl who conspired with those dirty fools for personal revenge. And you couldn’t even do that right! How do you even dare to think of bringing such a pitiful girl into our family?!”
“How difficult do you think it’s been for me?! Please just consider it. Just until the treatment is done…!”
Among Hyeon Joong-seop’s three sons, the youngest, Hyeon Woo-seok, surprisingly was in a romantic relationship with Heo Min-sol.
I don’t know how he fell for such a sly girl, but it was clear he was head over heels for her, showing a pitiful side of himself without even holding back.
The only relief was that they were having a secret relationship within the guild, so others remained unaware…
“Hoo…”
With a talent rivaling that of his eldest brother Hyeon Il-hwan, the youngest son was truly remarkable. This kid was his only hope of surpassing Hyeon Joong-gil in potential.
“Ugh…!”
Hyeon Joong-seop, having an explosive temperament, wanted to hang up and beat his useless son to bring him back to his senses. However, he refrained, fearing that such a talented child might stray from the path of the sword for a mere girl.
“Ahem—”
Hyeon Joong-seop managed to suppress his anger, which had risen to his throat, back down into his chest.
He was someone they needed to take great care of. To fully take over the Ilseom Guild, that was essential. Keeping this kind of debt wasn’t a bad idea either.
“Fine, you can go!”
“—!! Are you really serious? Thank you! Father! Thank you!”
“Tsk tsk—”
Even though Hyeon Joong-seop clicked his tongue and grimaced, Hyeon Woo-seok was just overjoyed as if he had grabbed a lifeline from the heavens.
His beloved, who had faced an unexpected disaster in the dungeon and lost her hands and feet. The only thing that mattered to him now was that he could do something for her.
After bowing repeatedly, Hyeon Woo-seok exited the office, and Hyeon Joong-seop slowly sipped his tea and spoke.
“Young Ah—”
“… Yes.”
A sinister voice echoed from somewhere. Someone else was present in this room besides Hyeon Joong-seop.
“Let’s set up a meeting with the management. We need to buy some time.”
“Yes.”
“And that girl, Heo Min-sol.”
“As you instructed, I’ve stationed people around her. I’ve also placed two sensing specialists at her home.”
“Tsk—”
“I’m sorry. I should have handled it sooner. That’s my fault.”
“It’s fine. Make sure that girl doesn’t get hurt anymore. We must keep her alive until Woo-seok moves on. She’s a deficient girl, so that should happen soon enough.”
“Understood.”
As Hyeon Joong-seop gestured, the person he had been speaking with vanished into thin air.
“There’s nothing about them that pleases me.”
Hoo—
The tea he was drinking today felt especially bitter.
* * *
“Graaaah―!”
“Haha, that guy really has a booming voice. Cough—”
The monster, Venomous Behemoth, stood at 30 meters long and 20 meters tall.
Hyeon Joong-gil, who was gazing indifferently at the monster, simply called it “Spike Hippopotamus.”
With a face reminiscent of an extremely angry hippo, it sported four arms and two legs. Its body was covered with densely packed spikes and a thick shell resembling a turtle’s back wrapped around its belly and back. It even emitted poisonous mist at regular intervals from its spikes.
Additionally, a massive horn on its forehead resembled that of a rhinoceros, large enough to match a 1.5-ton truck.
With specs that could rival great beasts, it was not easy for even powerful S-rank Hunters to take it down, especially since the poison constantly emitted from its spikes could be absorbed not just through the air but through the skin, corroding armor in an instant.
Thanks to this, getting close was already a challenge, and even when one did, they found it tricky to counter.
This creature had appeared just three days prior near Socheon-do, 45 kilometers east of Baengnyeong-do. In that time, the island had become a wreck. While the population was less than 200, casualties were minimal, but the problem was that this monster could move through water.
It was a convenient idea to take care of it before it completely descended into the deep sea.
“These kids these days, tsk tsk tsk—”
Hyeon Joong-gil clicked his tongue, recalling a conversation from yesterday. He had shown reluctance at the idea of S-rank Hunters coming to support this far and had hesitated while the hunt kept getting delayed until it eventually came to him.
At least Hyeon Joong-gil didn’t face too many restrictions, which allowed him to operate this way, but it was still no easy task to act outside the confines of space. Even now, he could clearly feel the world’s will trying to push him away.
“How grateful it is to be able to use one’s abilities to protect the lives of others.”
But that seemed to be his personal opinion. Up until he expressed his intent to participate, there had only been five Hunters who showed willingness to join him. Even with threats and penalties from the association, many A-rank and above Hunters refused to comply.
Of course, being far from the capital had a part in this as well, but the main issue was whether they could win against this “Spike Hippopotamus.”
There’s definitely a clear existence of favorable matchups, and two of the most dreaded types among hunters were those with strong defenses like this guy.
To inflict any damage, one would need to penetrate that sturdy defense, but not many Hunters possessed such ability.
The Spike Hippopotamus before them was a monster that required over twenty S-rank Hunters to strike at a single point for more than thirty minutes to take down. Of course, it wouldn’t allow them to do so.
– “Joong-gil, I don’t think anyone can hold on any longer.” –
A man was bouncing over the beach with a message written on a large whiteboard, directed towards him.
His friend had told him to write whatever came to mind, but it didn’t meet his standards.
“Haa… with levels this low…”
The world was quickly collapsing while the skills of those known as Hunters were utterly disappointing. Twenty S-rank Hunters and thirty A-rank Hunters had already started to fall, coughing up blood one by one.
– “Boooom—”
Another burst of poisonous mist erupted from the spikes on its body. The volume was immense, enough to obscure vision completely.
“Everyone, retreat!”
Hyeon Joong-gil, who had been quietly watching from behind, finally decided to step in. In truth, it could have ended much earlier had he taken action from the start, but there weren’t many opportunities to fight such monsters with someone backing him up, so it was a learning opportunity for them.
However, it was no longer sustainable. He had intended to create an opportunity to gain experience, not to suffer losses among his promising recruits.
At his shout, the struggling Hunters stepped back, finally catching their breath.
– “Phew… I really thought I was going to die. This would be a disaster if it gets broadcasted, damn.”
– “Yes, there are already over ten drones for the broadcast.”
– “Ugh! Even among monsters, this one is an exception! I told you I didn’t want to come, damn it.”
– “I can’t even land a hit… I can’t land a hit at all! Other monsters weren’t like this.”
– “Still, I’ve gained tons of experience after a long time. Haven’t done any damage, but I’m satisfied.”
– “Same here. I’m more or less content. Hehe.”
Their voices faded away from Hyeon Joong-gil’s ears.
He had long been absorbed into a space occupied solely by the monster and himself.
Hoo—
A single, regulated breath wafted into the air like a mirage.
[Ilseom – Thunder Slash]
──────
“What?!”
The ticking of the clock came to an abrupt halt, and the only thing flowing was a single ray of light that Hyeon Joong-gil had drawn forth.
No sound, no vibration; just one slash. There was no room for any noise to interfere with this sequence of actions.
Silence—
A beam of light swallowed sounds, cutting through the air and tearing apart the sea as it passed through the monster target.
Swaaaash—
At the same time, the sea split in half, and the starting point of land appeared to have twisted and spread apart. And right at that junction stood the monster, perfectly bisected.
“Grrr…”
The clock’s hands began to move once again.
Crack—!
The sight of a massive beast, seven stories high as tall as an apartment, being split apart sent the drones broadcasting the event into a frenzy. Though they kept their distance due to the poisonous mist, capturing this moment was worth far more than their expensive equipment.
The Hunters couldn’t even muster a shout, their mouths just bobbing like fish out of water. What on earth had just happened? Not a single person could step up to explain.
The Transcendent.
What he had just done was a miracle that should not even be attempted to be understood.
Even if they were to train for ten thousand years to achieve immortality, could they even reach his toes?
It was a sight that couldn’t simply be nodded at.
Boom! Kwoong—!
As the split monster collapsed, a message verifying the monster’s defeat flashed in Hyeon Joong-gil’s mind.
What followed was the large Mana Stone of the monster, which had sunk into the shallow waters, being washed ashore. However, Hyeon Joong-gil was no longer present at that spot.
The remaining Hunters were left dumbfounded, but soon realized what was happening as they saw others rushing quickly.
The monster’s spoils! The monster’s Mana Stone!
It was an incredibly valuable trophy, and if there were even an artifact among them, it could change their lives completely.
The broadcasting drones calmly documented the scene of the greedy pack of hunters swarming towards the monster’s corpse.
* * *
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
