I Became a Mythical Hunter After Killing the Golden Goblin - Chapter 38

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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 38. The Final Wave
“No… this can’t be…!”
Min Cho-rong jolted upright with her eyes squeezed shut and her face contorted, crying out. Whether she’d been trapped in a nightmare reliving the moments before losing consciousness, cold sweat drenched her pallid features.
She frantically scanned her surroundings, and the moment she spotted me, tears erupted as she rushed forward.
“Wahhh!! What do I do? Gun-dan… Gun-dan…he…!!”
I was startled by her sudden charge, but gently patted the sobbing girl’s back. Then I whispered.
“Gun-dan is alive and well over there.”
“Wh… what?”
At my words, Min Cho-rong’s expression shifted to confusion as she followed where my finger pointed. There she saw Gun-dan, who had already risen before her, scratching his head sheepishly. Her gaze immediately transferred from me to him, and she began squeezing out tears anew.
For someone who appeared to be merely a high school student, the ordeal she’d endured was far too cruel to bear with composure.
Watching her like this, I lamented this cursed existence. Not a single moment passes without difficulty—truly, a damned life.
“Cursed dungeon. Cursed misfortune.”
I muttered the curses quietly, clicking my tongue, before loosening my stiff body and rising to my feet. The system window before my eyes revealed why the Queen had resorted to such measures.
〚Hidden Condition Fulfilled!〛
〚Condition—Invaded the Giant Ants’ nest through the Corridor in reverse and eliminated 10 or more Giant Ants outside the Chamber.〛
〚The Dungeon’s Hidden BOSS: Unique-Rank [C] LV 45 Giant Ant Queen noticed the intruder’s presence through the corpses of elite soldiers lying in the Corridor.〛
〚The remaining time of the 4th Wave is drastically reduced and becomes far more powerful!〛
This mess was entirely my fault. I’d been reckless, wanting to clear the Dungeon early, and ended up alerting the Queen to the intruder’s presence. As a result, she’d grown furious and unleashed her subordinates.
My inexperience with Dungeons was painfully obvious. I’d only ever survived in the Tutorial zone and the lowest-tier Dungeons with no real danger, so I hadn’t accounted for variables like this.
I’d grown intoxicated by the power I’d gained. I’d been far too excited crushing monsters stronger than myself.
If I’d simply endured five waves quietly, I could have escaped the Dungeon without incident.
The problem was that my blunder wasn’t over yet.
〚By satisfying the Hidden Condition, the Dungeon’s grade and stage are transformed!〛
〚Hidden Stage—Unique-Rank [C]: Generational Succession is activated!〛
〚The Queen’s eggs begin to hatch! Endure until the eggs complete their resurrection!〛
〚Remaining Time: 1:36:43〛
Two hours. If we could just survive that long, we’d escape this cursed Dungeon alive.
Of course, it wouldn’t be easy. There could be another crisis like the one we just faced.
In roughly ten minutes of combat, I’d slain about 150 Giant Ants, but a similar number remained—and these weren’t mere soldiers but elite guards and royal guards, far more formidable.
And then there was the Hidden Boss herself, the Queen. With my most powerful resource, Equivalent Exchange, now unavailable, the situation was nothing short of dire.
The one silver lining was that Gun-dan’s unique ability had awakened. The size and durability of the Holy Fortress he’d manifested while dying had proven far more powerful than I’d imagined.
The condition for awakening was the resolve to face death itself while protecting someone. His unwavering determination to stand firm for my brother and Min Cho-rong had awakened his ability.
‘Before my regression, he’d injured his face during this ordeal and always wore a mask to hide it.’
In any case, he would now grow into the world’s greatest tank that I knew of.
While our overall strength had increased significantly compared to the previous three waves, the prospect of facing the remaining Giant Ant army after the Hidden Stage opened filled me with far more despair than hope.
Had I used my privileges or brought forth some famous divine relic to use, I might have cleared it easily. But that opportunity was already lost.
Yet I couldn’t give up. After coming this far, there was no way I could surrender. I would use everything I had and survive no matter what!
I opened my status window to check the results of the frantic battle.
『Status Window
Name: Shin Ju-ha
Title: World Destroyer [SSS]
LV 21 (83%)
Status
Infinite (Mythic) F (12+20/100)
The Sun (Mythic) F (12+20/100)
Heavenly Fortune (Mythic) F- (11+20/100)
Misfortune (Legendary) F- (12+20/100)
Indomitable (Legendary) F- (16+20/100)
Remaining Points: 7
Authority
[Golden Tower LV2][Heavenly Fortune LV1][Noon Sun LV2]
Unique Ability
[Curse of Misfortune (Legendary) LV MAX][Infinite Celestial Meridian (Mythic) LV2][Supreme Soul (Mythic) LV1][Equivalent Exchange (Primordial) LV2][Sun’s Eye (Mythic) LV1]
Skill
[Wings of Arrogance (Mythic) LV1][Heart of the Colossus (Legendary) LV1][Flowing Transformation (Epic) LV1]
The result of slaughtering the Giant Ants in a state of complete absorption was a staggering seven-level increase. Without hesitation, I invested all seven points into my Infinite stat.
A surge of vitality swept through my body before fading, and my flesh grew even more formidable. I closed the status window and spoke calmly to Min Cho-rong and Gun-dan, whose cries had finally ceased.
“Prepare yourselves. They’ll be pouring in soon.”
The end is drawing near. And when it arrives, I will not be lying defeated.
***
First and foremost, stamina is the most critical factor in this final battle. Our objective isn’t to defeat the enemy—it’s to endure the remaining time.
In that regard, this chamber was terribly unsuitable for defense. With all four directions exposed, we had to be ready to respond to attacks from anywhere at any moment.
Then blocking these openings should be the priority. Of course, even if we seal them, the Giant Ants that burrow through earth won’t be stopped entirely, but at least we could buy ourselves some time.
I hadn’t failed to consider this after finishing the first wave.
The issue was that blocking one corridor might incur some penalty, and I had explored the enemy’s lair through those passages myself. Most importantly, though, my Sun’s magical power and blade couldn’t destroy the corridors.
But now there’s no turning back. To increase our odds of survival even slightly, I had no choice but to take the risk.
I examined the items from the Golden Tower in my inventory one by one and extracted a total of eight bombs—the ones boasting the greatest explosive force.
Even though I’d continuously consumed potions during combat to heal my wounds, my proficiency in Authority had increased with my growth, resulting in a higher extraction limit. This margin was manageable. Though I would have extracted them regardless.
〚Item: Mana Furnace Bomb [Advanced-S]〛
I installed the eight strongest bombs I could extract—two each—on the ceiling of each corridor.
Then I selected one of the four directional passages and detonated the bombs.
—–!!!
With a tremendous roar, the corridor collapsed. The underground trembled and the chamber shook from the explosion—I nodded in satisfaction.
“Wow! Why didn’t you bring these out from the start!”
“…The…firepower is…incredible!”
At Min Cho-rong’s breathless exclamation, I turned with an awkward smile. I was saving the remaining three directional bombs. They would become traps to tear out the enemy’s throat.
“Eighteen extractions remaining.”
Without hesitation, I extracted ten more bombs of various types. I carried them to the three remaining corridors, placing them strategically along the passages before returning.
This wasn’t the end. I pointed to the corpses of Giant Ants piled like a mountain in one corner and issued an order.
“We’re using these to block the entrance once more. Stack them like a fortress wall, Gun-dan.”
The corpse of the Giant Ant was massive and unyielding. Gun-dan’s Sacred Citadel was a defensive ability rooted in his physical form, but even with slightly diminished efficiency, he could imbue the ability onto other objects as well.
So we began constructing fortifications and swiftly erected a fortress. Though calling it a fortress was generous—it was nothing more than a circular wall built from the corpses of ants.
“The preparations are complete.”
Now all that remained was to wait for them.
“Gun-dan, hold the line. If we can just endure, victory is ours.”
“…I will!”
As if to repay the debt of his life that I had saved, I patted his shoulders while he gazed at me with eyes full of reverence.
“But no matter how I look at it, Gun-dan seems much older than you. Why are you speaking informally to him, oppa?”
“I saved his life, didn’t I? A lifesaver can speak however they want. Besides, he’s the same age as me. Twenty years old.”
“Huh?!”
Watching Min Cho-rong stare at Gun-dan with an expression of disbelief, clearly trying to lighten the mood with a joke while desperately hiding her trembling hands, I clicked my tongue.
“You hold the line too. Pour all your healing and buffs onto Gun-dan. I’ll manage with potions. And….”
I drew out my words. This really wasn’t like me to say something like this.
“Don’t worry too much. Just trust this oppa!”
I said this while stroking Min Cho-rong’s head, and her eyes widened like saucers before she covered her mouth with a steady hand, flashing a playful smile.
“Is this a confession? My, but I’m still a minor. Still, if you really like me that much, oppa, I suppose I could consider it. Now, go fight for me!”
Just as I was about to flick her forehead in retaliation for her teasing—
My senses finally detected the movement of the Giant Ants. Seeing my expression harden instantly, Gun-dan also rose his massive frame, and Min Cho-rong quickly moved beside the egg and capsule, taking a deep breath.
“They’re coming. Get ready.”
However impressive our preparations were, it still took time for them to arrive. The time remaining until the Queen’s egg hatched was now less than an hour.
“Phew…I’m trembling!”
Though I spoke with forced brightness, tension and fear permeated all our bodies. Yet hope was drawing equally near.
Boom! Boom! Thud! Thud!
The moment I heard the sound of the ants charging, I drew the Flame Sword from my inventory. The Giant Ants emerged from the Corridor and began their assault toward us.
‘Not yet.’
I waited for the timing slowly, aiming for the moment when I could eliminate the maximum number of Giant Ants.
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
The instant the foremost creature, dragging its massive body like a tank, half-emerged from the Corridor—
I released my mana!
The bombs infused with my mana responded to the signal and unleashed fire in unison.
BOOOOOM!!!
The three Corridors and the traps set beyond them were engulfed in massive flames and collapsed, while the Giant Ants rushing toward us were swallowed by the explosion, announcing the beginning of our final battle.

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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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