I Became a Mythical Hunter After Killing the Golden Goblin - Chapter 89

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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 89. Monster Wave
〚Special Stage: Monster Wave
Difficulty: Common ~ Epic
Rank: SSS+
Description: The Imoogi that slumbered beneath Baekdu Mountain has awakened. At a single roar, a single movement, a single command from the beast, all monsters begin their advance. Prevent the monsters from claiming human lives, and stop the Imoogi from accumulating further karma!
Objective: Block Monster Wave (0/10)
Success: Differential rewards based on contribution
Failure: Nations—South Korea, China, Russia annihilated. Birth of Calamity-class Demon Beast—Black Dragon [Legend-SSS+]〛
〚Will you participate in the Monster Wave?〛
〚YES / NO〛
Staring at the message that materialized before me, I steadied my breathing. A Special Stage—what they called an event that erupted without warning.
Unlike Hidden dungeons, these stages showered participants with exceptional rewards, so Hunters typically chose to participate.
Whether they were strong or weak made no difference. My preparations were complete. I’d leaked information to Dangun Ji-hyuk to minimize casualties, and I’d even requested assistance from the S-rank Hunter, the Spirit Language Mage.
‘I did reveal information about the Tower of Ascension.’
Was he truly the Black Market’s master? No—the Branch Director was simply too competent to hide anything from. I’d had no choice but to conceal my knowledge as a regressor.
With the Spirit Language Mage, I could likely secure an SS-rank rating, which would prove invaluable.
‘And with Longinus on my side, there shouldn’t be any problems.’
If variables emerged, it would be Misfortune again—but there was nothing I could do about that. I could only gamble on the fact that it hadn’t fully recovered its strength yet.
‘After summoning Azazel, something that shouldn’t have been possible…’
The odds of getting through unscathed were actually higher. More than anything, Heavenly Fortune, which had recovered faster than Misfortune, would have accumulated reserves by now.
Without hesitation, I selected the YES button. My body was engulfed in light, and as the world warped, the space around me transformed.
A void of nothingness—and from within it, a single message materialized.
〚Please select the zone in which to participate in the Monster Wave.〛
〚Nationality—South Korea. Selectable zones: 31~40〛
Normally, the choice would have been meaningless. While difficulty varied slightly by zone, elite forces dispatched from each Guild would be mixed in at appropriate ratios anyway.
If one zone was breached, the others couldn’t cross their boundaries to reinforce it, so if we concentrated forces in one area and another broke through, it would be catastrophic if the wave reached South Korea proper.
‘Though if a zone does fall, some would remain to serve as a second line of defense and hold the perimeter.’
Regardless, my destination was already decided.
“I select Zone 35.”
The zone where the Imoogi would emerge—the same zone that had suffered near-total annihilation before my return. I moved toward it.
***
〚You have been summoned to Zone 35!〛
〚Time remaining until the first monster wave: 23:47:39〛
One day. That was all the time I had been given. Yet already, countless Hunters had been summoned and were claiming their positions.
Clearly something anomalous. There was only one reason for it: me—a returnee, a variable. The butterfly effect of another future drawn forth by my wings.
“Looks like all the guild members have already been summoned.”
I could see groups bearing the emblems of various guilds gathered in the distance, setting up tents and stacking supplies.
There would be ten waves in total. Clearing a single wave typically took half a day to a full day, and after each wave ended, a day of rest was granted. By the time all waves concluded, at least eighteen to twenty days would have passed.
It meant enduring this place for more than half a month. No easy feat. But having already committed to participation, there was no turning back.
The terror of the monster waves extended beyond mere numbers. The buffs from the Imoogi and the demonic realm it had created made the monsters exponentially stronger and more savage.
Casualties were inevitable.
“But this time will be different.”
The Imoogi would make its appearance directly. This calamity-class monster—the master, source, and origin of this demonic realm—would emerge in person.
If I killed it, the monster waves would simply end. They would cease entirely.
‘And if we alone kill the Imoogi, the North Korean territory becomes wholly South Korea’s.’
That was the agreement. A pact forged before the entire world between South Korea, China, and Russia over the demonic realm: whichever nation defeated the Imoogi would claim ownership of the former North Korean lands.
It was a well-known fact that numerous high-rank Hunters from all three nations had attempted to breach the barrier and capture the Imoogi during the waves, only to be annihilated when they approached Baekdu Mountain.
I steadied my breathing and took in the sight of Zone 35. Passing by Hunters claiming their positions, I moved toward the rear. After all, what I needed was not to actively block the monster waves and accumulate contribution points from the front lines.
‘Even a single critical hit on the Imoogi would grant me more contribution points than twenty days of grueling work up front.’
Plus, I’d gain the Tower of Ascension privilege and tower shares. Perhaps the Dangun Guild, myself, and the Black Market would split the contribution points three ways?
‘There will certainly be other S-rank Hunters and guilds involved.’
The Imoogi would fall easily. I would make sure of it. Swiftly, before others could accumulate their own contributions.
‘The Imoogi would appear exactly seven days from now. At dawn on the eighth day, when the fifth wave began.’
That meant I had a full seven days to activate my spear. Seven days—if I continued using time acceleration, I might be able to reach fifty percent or more activation.
It had taken approximately eighteen days to reach one hundred percent activation without time acceleration. Two and a half weeks. With time acceleration available now, fifty percent should be entirely feasible.
Of course, activating continuously for an entire week would be both simple and grueling. Especially since I needed to maintain minimum contribution points per wave.
The problem was that I couldn’t move freely while activating. My original plan had been to activate from a distance and kill enemies with thrown spear techniques, but unfortunately, the terrain didn’t permit it. The ground was flat.
‘I could use some help here.’
There was only one place to turn: the Dangun Guild. And Dangun Ji-hyuk. I had already given him information to enter Zone 35.
Convinced that I knew something, he had complied with my request (somewhat reluctantly?). He seemed to suspect I might be the culprit, but with Ki So-young’s personal guarantee, he had chosen to trust me.
‘After all, he won’t be able to learn detailed information about me.’
Level-zero security. A classification even a god couldn’t breach. Even Dangun Ji-hyuk, South Korea’s most powerful figure, couldn’t access it.
‘Well, if he investigates thoroughly, he’ll figure out my past eventually.’
That aside, if he knows my past, there’s no harm in showing him Longinus. But others—absolutely not.
They cannot know I possess such overwhelming power. Especially not the guilds that serve as the hands and feet of my enemies!
‘When the Imoogi appears, the zones will disappear and merge.’
It meant I might encounter my enemies as well. Hunters among them certainly existed, and they wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
‘I cannot give them a share.’
I knew full well I couldn’t avoid giving them one entirely. It was inevitable. The Imoogi wouldn’t only face attacks from me, Dangun Ji-hyuk, and Seo Ye-rin—those bearing the letter S wouldn’t simply refrain from attacking.
‘Perhaps Dangun Ji-hyuk even leaked some information about the Imoogi, so they’ve prepared even more intensely.’
So I would hunt the Imoogi as swiftly as possible, preventing them from doing anything. I moved to a place where prying eyes couldn’t reach, donned my mask, transformed Man-byeon into armor to conceal my identity completely, and headed toward the Dangun Guild’s tent.
Countless Hunters had already gathered there, and at their center stood their leader—Dangun Ji-hyuk, naturally.
True to their status as South Korea’s number-one Guild, they were making preparations that bordered on flawless, with some even running through formations to prepare for actual combat.
“Stop right there.”
It was only natural that someone would block my path as I moved toward Dangun Ji-hyuk. From their perspective, an unidentified man had breached the zone.
Misunderstandings could be cleared up easily enough. I explained how I’d made it this far and asked for their understanding.
“I’ve come to meet Dangun Cheonje. Would you mind letting me through?”
Since I’d done nothing wrong, I spoke with confidence. Yet the Guild member regarded me with suspicion, his mind already categorizing me as little more than a terrorist or enemy.
“Get lost. The Guild Master isn’t someone an unknown suspicious character can just meet! Do you think the Dangun Guild is that easy to approach?!”
“How bothersome. Why don’t you just go tell him I’m here?”
At my words, the Guild member’s face twisted. He was merely standing guard—his power felt like that of a low-ranking Guild member at best—yet his reaction was extreme.
How could someone lack emotional control to this degree? Could he even manage normal social interactions?
No, wait. That wasn’t it. He was simply intoxicated—drunk on the fact that he was a member of the Dangun Guild, mistaking the name Dangun as his own.
“Look, just….”
“Words won’t work! You dare approach the Dangun Guild like this?!”
The Guild member bristled with anger at my dismissal, radiating killing intent as his hand moved to his sword. The desire to draw it and cut me down emanated from him.
“I’m warning you kindly—step back. If you come any closer or make any move, I will treat you as an enemy of the Dangun Guild and strike you down!”
A sigh escaped me. Honestly, this was tiresome. If I’d come in the form of Shin Ju-ha, whose face wasn’t widely known, he probably would have disrespected me even more.
‘His power is roughly D to D+ rank.’
Even the low-ranking Hunters standing guard at the number-one ranked Guild possessed at least baseline strength? Not even F-rank—D-rank was the minimum for Guild members here.
I clicked my tongue. The situation had become troublesome. I’d planned to slip in unnoticed and receive Dangun Ji-hyuk’s help to activate the Tower.
‘And I’m running out of time.’
Time was precious to me. I needed to activate the Tower even one second faster.
I surveyed my surroundings. Eyes were beginning to gather on me. This wasn’t good. If I overpowered this Guild-drunk fool here, all attention would focus on me. The situation would escalate. I might truly become their enemy.
The best solution would be if the person in question came out himself. I shifted my gaze to Dangun Ji-hyuk, who sat deeper within the space.
Our eyes met. And Dangun Ji-hyuk smiled.
‘Really. How troublesome.’
A conversation through eye contact. He was telling me something: Go ahead and prove yourself to me, since I’ve chosen to trust you.
He rested his chin on his hand and observed the situation, as if telling me to break through his own Guild members.
“Fine. There’s no choice. No choice at all.”
Since I was the one with more to gain, I had no choice but to move.
Resolved to extract proper compensation for this test, I pushed off the ground.

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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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