I Awakened as a Dark History - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 55
I fell into the trap and smacked my lips in frustration.
Yu Ho-yeon narrowed his eyes, glancing sideways at me as he spoke.
“The gap in power between high-rank and low-rank Hunters is that vast. Don’t make a mistake and live to regret it.”
“I won’t.”
His tone suggested he was certain of my error and remorse.
Honestly stung, my voice came out curt again.
Yu Ho-yeon eyed me with fresh suspicion.
I hurried to make excuses.
“……It wasn’t a skill that got me.”
Yu Ho-yeon exhaled in relief.
Just how much did this man know?
Curiosity sparked in me. But probing into it was a double-edged sword.
To dig into this secret, I’d have to reveal who I was.
So I swallowed my curiosity and held my tongue.
By then, the Paralysis seemed to be wearing off—Yu Ho-yeon started to sit up.
“Ugh.”
I reached out and steadied his back.
“Is the Paralysis wearing off?”
“Mostly.”
Yu Ho-yeon moved his body bit by bit, working through the numbness.
“This beast’s rank must be quite high. To paralyze even an S-rank Hunter’s resistance……”
“Probably. We had bad luck.”
We had bad luck, and those criminals had good luck.
If we’d just left them in the dungeon, they would’ve died for certain.
I sighed and rested my chin on my hand.
Then, something glinted between the rubble of Rock Mountain—or rather, the beast’s corpse.
It felt like light reflecting off some transparent object.
‘An item, maybe?’
Yu Ho-yeon had already worked through the numbness and could move freely.
I felt reassured and got to my feet.
“I think an item dropped over there. Let me go check it out.”
“All right.”
Yu Ho-yeon let me go without protest.
I leaped down onto the debris, then dropped to the ground.
Looking back up at where we’d been, I was struck anew by how high it was.
‘We were right in the middle of Rock Mountain.’
If you thought of it as a hiding spot, it was perfectly positioned.
I pushed aside my musings and headed for the item.
Rubble covered it, but it wasn’t a serious problem.
Thud! Crunch.
I shoved the rocks aside, and the object’s identity became clear.
Rock Cradle Core (SS-rank)
A core that uses living creatures as fuel to create golems. The essential nucleus itself.
It possesses immense magical power and limitless potential applications.
The nucleus, nearly human height, resembled an unrefined gemstone.
Even from the system’s description alone, its power seemed considerable.
I swallowed my admiration and lifted it with both arms.
Fortunately, with my enhanced strength, the stone wasn’t heavy.
Though my posture certainly looked clumsy as a result.
As I fluttered back into place, Yu Ho-yeon greeted me.
“What is that?”
“A Rock Cradle Core, apparently.”
I set the stone down on the ground, and a small voice came from below.
“Rock Cradle…….”
“Chairman?! You’re awake?”
Seo Il-hak had opened his eyes at some point and was staring at me and the stone.
He started by apologizing, still lying down.
“Yes. I’ve only just……. I’m terribly sorry. I fear I’ve imposed upon you both.”
“Well, that happens.”
I shrugged off Seo Il-hak’s apology without ceremony.
“More importantly—do you know what a Rock Cradle is?”
“It’s a monster reported from dungeons overseas. It creates golems and gargoyles of its own to defend itself and hunt.”
“It sounds like a fairly intelligent monster?”
“Not at all. If anything, it has almost no intelligence. From what I’ve heard, it has no abilities except making golems.”
Seo Il-hak’s paralysis was gradually wearing off—he began moving his body in small increments.
Yu Ho-yeon noticed and helped him up by the arm.
“So it has a Paralysis ability—that’s the first I’ve heard of it too.”
Seo Il-hak steadied his breathing, forcing his body to move through sheer effort.
Fortunately, that effort paid off.
Seo Il-hak stood up quickly and caught sight of the Rock Cradle Core.
“If I’m not mistaken, the Rock Cradle Core is considered the finest of all processable items. And its size is absolutely enormous.”
I swallowed.
Strange. Why was my mouth flooding with saliva like this?
“So this means…….”
“If it went to auction, hunters would flock from all over the world.”
The dust clinging to the core suddenly felt impossibly large in my perception.
As I wiped it clean with my sleeve, Seo Il-hak chuckled softly.
I only just managed to pull my hands away from the core.
“……The Hunter Association collects it first, then distributes it, right?”
An SS-rank item I’d never seen before—I couldn’t even guess at its value.
But even split three ways, it would be an astronomical sum. That much was certain.
“The Association’s Contribution Rate is low, so acquiring ownership of the core will be difficult. It would be better if the two of you took it.”
Yu Ho-yeon and I stared at each other.
Before he could speak, I beat him to it.
“Just…….”
“One-third each! How’s that?”
Taking two-thirds myself might seem highly unreasonable.
But this was a rational judgment.
Yu Ho-yeon had guided me to a location where I could attack the Rock Cradle, and I had eliminated it.
It’s not that his contribution was negligible, but the fact that mine was greater was self-evident.
Most of all, the system itself had testified to this.
My Contribution Rate ranked first.
I had earned the right to claim two-thirds of this massive core.
“What do you think?”
Having heard me out, Yu Ho-yeon let out a dry laugh.
“Fine.”
“Yes!”
I embraced the core for a moment, even forgetting about my Synchronization Rate.
And I asked him straight away.
“Should I send you the money? Or would you rather take a cut of the item itself?”
“Leave it with the Association. Tell them to distribute it among us.”
“There’s a way to do that? Perfect! Let’s do it that way!”
As long as I got two-thirds, the method didn’t matter.
While I grinned like an idiot, Seo Il-hak and Yu Ho-yeon rounded up the suspects.
“We’ve secured all the suspects. We should make our way out.”
“Yes!”
I kept my body and mind light, gathering only the Rock Cradle Core.
The exit Gate was in the same location as when we’d entered.
We descended the Rock Mountain, treading over the rubble.
At the very base of Rock Mountain, a Gate spiraled before us in a vortex.
We stepped through it immediately.
The Association Hunters who had been waiting outside jumped to their feet.
“Association Director, Hunters!”
They rushed forward and took custody of the Hunters we’d captured—or rather, arrested them.
They secured handcuffs on the criminals and loaded them into an ambulance.
It seemed they must have called for it while we were in the dungeon.
‘Lucky them—the hospital before jail or a holding cell.’
I’d have preferred they went straight to prison, but their injuries were severe.
I watched the ambulance with heavy eyes and let out a sigh.
“They’ll face proper punishment, won’t they?”
I’d pulled them free from the skill’s aftermath myself, but I still found them repugnant.
Because I’d seen the victims with my own eyes.
With the victims’ suffering still fresh, the thought of them forgetting everything within a few years of punishment and living on as Hunters felt like it would make me furious.
Seo Il-hak opened his mouth as if agreeing with my anger.
“It’s true—Hunters’ sentences tend to be short because of how useful their abilities are.”
‘I should have left them in the acid a bit longer.’
My Synchronization Rate hadn’t even improved, and now I was hearing news that made me want to eliminate them altogether.
“However, a sentence served in prison isn’t the only punishment imposed.”
“What good is a punishment that isn’t served behind bars?”
I clicked my tongue, but Seo Il-hak replied as though I was mistaken.
“They face a period of mandatory Labor Reformation—being deployed to dungeon management and combat operations under the Hunter Association’s direct supervision.”
“Labor Reformation?”
It was the most welcome thing I’d heard all day.
“Please trust the Association. We will ensure the victims’ suffering is not in vain.”
I pressed down the corners of my mouth as a smile threatened to break through.
It was an effort to keep my character intact.
“Well, let’s see how it goes.”
Perhaps because it was pointed but not sharp.
Seo Il-hak nodded as if taking my words to heart.
His steadfast demeanor—so resolute that I had no choice but to place some trust in him—eased my mind slightly.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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