I Became a Mythical Hunter After Killing the Golden Goblin - Chapter 79

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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 79. Artificial Dungeon: Damp Pit – Crawling Labyrinth (2)
Shin Ju-ha’s prediction proved accurate. Every monster within the labyrinth converged toward that singular chamber—the heart of the maze, granted only to the Boss.
Maggots crawled upward as though entranced, moving in eerie unison. They ascended with purpose and order, hurling themselves into the black flames that blazed atop the central Altar of the Boss Room.
“!@#$!@#$!@#$”
Nam Woo-i, who manipulated them through dark magic, smiled. There was only one reason why this place contained merely standard-grade maggot monsters.
As sacrifices. Maggots were the demons’ favorite meal, and as offerings, they possessed value exceeding at least standard-grade—perfect for the purpose.
Though I had created an artificial dungeon, I deemed it insufficient to kill Shin Ju-ha alone. This was the method I had proposed directly to the demons.
After all, my unique ability merely manifested a portion of the pit that Deriachs had constructed.
Since the system’s constraints prevented me from placing truly powerful monsters inside, my plan was to pre-load the dungeon with monsters of exceptional sacrificial value and offer them myself.
It was a loophole—a deliberate attempt to circumvent the system. Yet there was no problem whatsoever. It wasn’t illegal; I might receive a system warning, but no direct intervention would occur.
The demons, too, would incur losses despite the sacrifices, but the proposal held merit. Certainly, I had sealed that absurd spear with its impossible rank and power, and I had countered the abilities it displayed. Yet I remained uneasy regardless.
Moreover, if I sacrificed over 600 of the 666 entities that could be placed in the Crawling Labyrinth, a descent—however incomplete—would become possible. The prospect delighted me immensely.
How long had it been since I last manifested in this realm? And beyond that, I could tear apart with my own hands the vermin who had destroyed my plaything and insulted me.
This entire plan was conceived by Deriachs and me alone.
“In my assessment, Lee Ji-yong will die by Shin Ju-ha’s hand.”
Though I had followed Lee Ji-yong’s orders and received considerable assistance, even receiving counsel at times, my evaluation of him remained harsh.
Justifiably so. Over these past days, through incomplete lucid dreams, I had witnessed Shin Ju-ha’s martial prowess—whether from past or present, I could not discern—and it was formidable enough to challenge even a C-rank like myself.
Of course, I could not be certain that what I saw in those dreams encompassed Shin Ju-ha’s full capabilities. Nor had I unleashed my Ma-in transformation, so I could not claim to have fought at full strength.
Yet one truth remained absolute.
Lee Ji-yong, called the Holy One and possessed of absolute confidence in his own abilities, was objectively weaker than me. That disparity meant he could never defeat Shin Ju-ha.
Watching him look down upon me and issue commands as though I were a subordinate, hearing him confidently declare he would face Shin Ju-ha first and, without killing him, hand him over—I had to suppress my laughter.
“Even with Shin Ju-ha’s constraints, he will defeat Lee Ji-yong.”
So I would use Lee Ji-yong as bait, a pawn to buy time for the descent.
When I first presented this plan to Deriachs, there was one concern: I had intended to offer Lee Ji-yong to a superior demon.
Yet Deriachs proved surprisingly indifferent.
Rather, there was no need for concern.
-It matters not. What we demons desire is spirit over flesh. Superior demons would actually prefer a body unbound to Earth. With only a soul, we can forcibly inscribe a contract upon it. Simply offer the corpse to the Altar when this concludes. That suffices.
Thus, a new plan was established without Lee Ji-yong’s knowledge.
Remorse? Guilt? Such things were naturally absent.
Not because Nam Woo-i was evil, nor because I was a demon.
‘You intended to use me and discard me anyway.’
I understood the hearts of creatures like Lee Ji-yong perfectly. They pathologically despised the emergence of their own vulnerabilities.
Lee Ji-yong would mercilessly abandon me once this affair concluded. Abandonment meant erasing evidence, and the finest method of erasing evidence was murder.
He was a Ma-in, the Holy One of Changsung Guild, directly designated by a chaebol heir—his survival probability approached zero.
Strike first before being struck from behind.
Fortunately, I had dreamed of Shin Ju-ha several times, witnessing his fighting spirit and stubborn will in their entirety. He never falls.
Lee Ji-yong, a half-formed Hunter sustained by massive support, bloated with vanity and arrogance, was fundamentally different at his core.
Thus, I devised this scheme without his knowledge. Using him as bait, I would summon Deriachs, and with overwhelming power, I would crush him so thoroughly that he could not even dare to resist, could not even harbor hope.
His despair would deepen when his battle with Lee Ji-yong left him incomplete.
Then I would toy with him before tearing him apart in the cruelest manner imaginable.
‘I’ll entrust my brother’s vengeance to you, Deriachs. Please take care of it.’
-Kkhahaha! Yes, don’t worry. That worm who broke my toy and insulted me! I promise to torment him to death in a way that will satisfy you!
Well, the most unfortunate aspect of this plan is that he, in his complete state, cannot personally avenge his brother.
‘In the end, I’m avenging my brother with my own body.’
Deriachs will take control, but ultimately my body will be the one to kill that bastard.
As I console myself this way and continue chanting dark magic, pushing maggots into the Altar, a thunderous boom echoes in my ears.
“Finally, you’ve arrived.”
The long-awaited opponent has appeared. As expected, reality surpasses imagination. I thought he’d wander around for at least another ten minutes before arriving.
Nam Woo-i’s incantations accelerate, and the dark magic grows more potent, ensnaring the maggots with greater intensity.
***
Twenty minutes. That’s how long it took to find the Boss Room of the labyrinth.
The labyrinth was larger than I’d anticipated. The size of a small city, perhaps.
Had fortune not favored me, I might still be wandering.
Yet I could not proceed to the Boss Room. I stood in the middle of the corridor connecting the Boss Room to my current location.
“Finally you show up. I was dying of boredom waiting. You bastard.”
〚Special BOSS Rare-RANK D- LV 58 The Chosen One-Explosive Fist (爆裂拳) Lee Ji-yong〛
A creature that should not be here has appeared.
I froze for a moment.
Why is that bastard here?
And as a Special Boss, no less.
The question was answered soon enough. There could be only one conclusion.
“This insane bastard. He’s joined hands with Ma-in? Changsung has truly gone too far. Has Chairman Lee Seo-yong lost his mind? And he didn’t even stop his grandson from doing this?”
“You son of a bitch!!!”
I draw my blade against him as he charges forward, wreathed in flames like a man possessed.
〚Skill: Flowing Water Form (流水化) (Epic) activates!〛
The Chosen One, Lee Ji-yong. A martial artist who wraps his fists in flame to strike his enemies. His unique ability is the Scorching Fist (Unique-S+).
A respectable ability, certainly. But hardly one of the highest caliber.
The reason he’s considered a prodigy and called the Chosen One is due to the enormous wealth and support Changsung pours into him.
Had that bastard not been a third-generation chaebol heir, his natural limit would have been around B-rank, starting from the C-rank he’s currently reached.
That said, I don’t dismiss what he’s accomplished. Money is ultimately a form of power.
Is it wrong to grow stronger by spending money on runes, purchasing skills, and hiring masters?
No, that too is Lee Ji-yong’s power. I have no intention of dismissing it.
It’s simply that despite growing in such a manner, it won’t be enough against me. He’s grown only so much and lacks real combat experience.
Look at how simple and absurd his punches are.
Back in the Association Lobby, I had to strain myself just to deflect his attacks once.
Now, somehow… he just looks weak.
His fists arrive, exploding upon successful impact.
Pathetic. His level is nearly twice mine, yet my stats surpass his.
I raise my blade. My sword flows like water, smoothly enveloping his fist and deflecting it entirely.
Crash! Boom!
I altered the trajectory of his fist, redirecting it downward, and he lost control of his own momentum entirely—his fist and body careened past me before slamming into the floor.
The impact detonated upon contact, and naturally, I found myself caught in the blast radius.
Fortunately, I possessed some resistance to flames, though my bangs singed slightly.
“How foolish. Does he truly believe reckless aggression alone guarantees victory?”
Had I been in his position, even if my attack had been deflected, I would have immediately seized control of my body to correct my trajectory mid-flight, or pulled back defensively.
But then again.
‘I’m still far from reaching that level.’
He was the man I’d practiced this swordsmanship against every single day before my regression—my ultimate aspiration. Compared to Geom Cheon, China’s SS-rank Hunter, and his Flowing Water Sword [Legend-C], my technique was utterly pathetic.
The Sword Emperor, as he was more famously known, wielded a blade that transcended mere technique—it was pure art incarnate.
Every movement flowed like water itself, endlessly adaptive, and that overwhelming ability to neutralize every attack directed at him with a single blade filled me with such envy.
My Flowing Water technique paled in comparison. At best, I could only defend against these crude, linear assaults.
The Sword Emperor, meanwhile, didn’t merely deflect all attacks—tangible or intangible—that came his way; he turned his opponents’ own force against them, crushing their will entirely.
‘With more refinement, I’ll reach that pinnacle.’
I lowered my blade and watched Lee Ji-yong rise to his feet, trembling violently.
Humiliation, irritation, rage, panic, inferiority—countless emotions blazed in his eyes.
“You dare mock me after blocking just once?!”
He launched himself forward again. Even a rotten fish retains its form, and I harbored no complacency.
Though I harbored no doubt of victory.
〚Skill: Surging Magma (Epic-C+) activates!〛
〚Skill: Blazing Flesh (Unique-B) activates!〛
〚Skill: Explosive Fist Method (爆裂拳法) (Epic-S-) activates!〛
.
.
.
Having squandered fortunes to reach his current level, he unleashed a cascade of skills as he hurled himself at me.
I focused. I engaged seriously. Leisure was a luxury I could no longer afford. Behind him, the number of worms entering the Boss Room had already visibly dwindled.
The dungeon window displayed barely a hundred monsters remaining.
Whatever scheme unfolded, I would not permit it to proceed unchecked.
‘If I kill Lee Ji-yong, the situation becomes far more complicated.’
My relationship with Changsung would become irreversible.
Of course, they were already my sworn enemies, but I’d held my breath and lived in hiding because I lacked the strength to face them directly.
Killing him would render all my efforts to evade Chairman Lee Seo-yong’s attention meaningless.
‘But I cannot afford to let him live.’
Even in defeat, Lee Ji-yong would continue pursuing me, crossing lines with increasing recklessness.
‘No—the moment I joined hands with Ma-in, we crossed the point of no return.’
Had I leveraged Ma-in strategically, I might have managed against Changsung alone. Other enemies wouldn’t aid a Changsung Group allied with Ma-in.
So I would kill him. Hesitation evaporated. The power of arrogance—no, the power of The Sun—infused my blade.
Lee Ji-yong’s eyes widened as he charged. Why? Shocked that I would disregard my constraints and wield The Sun’s power?
“Let’s see whose flames burn brighter.”
This was the authority of three levels—not mere fire, but the flames of an entity that had once created an entire world.
My blade sweeps through the air. Lee Ji-yong’s fist collides against it.
A tremendous explosion erupts, and smoke billows thick around us. From within that haze, the figure sent flying backward is Lee Ji-yong.

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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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