Infinite Evolution Hunter - Chapter 223

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

223
Phillarion broke into a cold sweat as the crimson giant burst through the tempest and hurtled toward them.
“Hurry! Move faster!”
Spurred by Phillarion’s urgency, the Elven warrior rushed through the Gate, which sealed shut an instant before the giant reached it.
“Scatter, all of you! The giant won’t pursue anyone fleeing—only those carrying the Essence!”
At Phillarion’s command, every Elf dispersed in all directions.
True to the intelligence gathered beforehand, the giant ignored the fleeing Elves and stood motionless, staring at the spot where the Gate had just closed.
Seconds later, the giant extended its hand toward the sealed Gate. The right arm it had reclaimed from the US Military Base was no longer translucent—it was now formed of solid crimson flesh.
The giant grasped the sealed space and tore it open as if rending cloth.
“…What?”
Phillarion’s concentration shattered mid-flight, and his altitude plummeted in an instant.
Through the torn space, the Elf who had fled to Wihol with the Essence moments before came into view.
Unable to comprehend the unfolding situation, he stared blankly at the giant, his body frozen as the creature’s hand reached toward him.
“What are you doing?! Dodge now!”
Another Elf seized him and pulled him away, while the giant thrust its upper body through the rift and extended its arm further.
“Flee! Get the Essence far from here!”
The Elf holding the Essence took flight and escaped, while the other Elves hastily formed a formation and attacked the giant with ice magic.
Even Master-rank warriors would struggle against such a foe, and the warriors remaining in Wihol were far beneath that caliber.
The attacks proved ineffective, but the Elf carrying the Essence had already escaped beyond the giant’s reach.
As the giant endured the assault, it calmly surveyed Wihol once, then drew in a deep, deliberate breath.
“…Flee! Run!”
Phillarion cried out, but the Wihol warriors beyond the torn space could not hear him.
“ROOOAAARRR!!!”
Inferno poured from the giant’s maw, engulfing Wihol, and countless Elves—including those attempting to flee—were reduced to ash and vanished.
Only two Essences, stored in a container crafted by the Elves from the World Tree, floated suspended within the flames.
As the giant inhaled, the fire and the Essences were drawn into its mouth.
Upon consuming the Essences, its left thigh and right arm were restored, and its semi-translucent form became far more solid and vivid throughout.
Withdrawing its body from the torn space, the giant surveyed the horizon in all directions before fixing its gaze in one direction. It had located another piece of itself.
The giant launched itself toward its next destination.
“Damn it….”
As the torn space slowly sealed, Phillarion watched Wihol transform into a sea of flames, tears of blood streaming down his face.
* * *
Upon hearing news of the US Military and the Elves, the Dwarf Forces decided against taking any risks.
“Discard it immediately and return!”
Keldric, the Dwarf King, could have sacrificed his own life for the Fire Essence. Yet he could not afford to lose countless warriors and the outpost they had painstakingly constructed merely to obtain two small Essences.
The Dwarves abandoned the Essences in the barren wasteland, and the giant, sensing them, absorbed the Fire Essence that lay on the ground.
“…Cowards, I see.”
The giant watched the Dwarves flee into the distance, abandoning the Fire Essence.
“A warrior’s shame.”
Red beams shot from its eyes, incinerating the fleeing Dwarves. Though casualties were unavoidable, the giant attacked from its position and did not pursue, allowing most of them to escape.
Now all of the giant’s body parts had been restored, and the transparency had vanished except for the center of his chest.
Through the transparent chest, I could see the space where his heart should have been was completely empty.
To find his heart one last time, the giant took flight again.
* * *
Having received intelligence from the US Military and the Elves, Rigen had already entered combat readiness.
“Ridi! Are you ready?!”
Jae-in shouted to Ridi, and she burst up from the ground.
“Yes. Preparations are complete. As you instructed, I’ve buried the essence of fire obtained from the heart deep underground. But will this actually work?”
“I don’t know…. We just have to try and see. Alice, are the evacuations done?”
“All non-combatants have been evacuated.”
“You go too.”
“But I’m your assistant, aren’t I? I need to watch your back.”
“Thank you.”
Jae-in tapped Alice’s shoulder lightly.
At that moment, a green gas spread from Jae-in’s hand.
“Huh?! My lord! This can’t—”
Alice lost consciousness without any resistance.
“No matter how skilled you are with magic, seeing you fall for such a shallow trick shows you’re still just a child. Please have her transported to Earth as well.”
Jae-in asked another Hunter to arrange it, and Alice was sent to Earth.
“Everyone, prepare for battle!”
The US Military and Elves grinding their teeth for revenge, the tense Rigen forces, and the Korean Hunters all aimed their weapons in the direction the giant was descending.
The Fire Giant slowed his descent as he saw hundreds of warriors gathered below.
“Fire Giant, what should I call you?”
Jae-in stepped forward and asked.
“Call me Mars, human.”
“We have inadvertently taken your heart. We will return it to you. Please forgive us.”
Jae-in knew well that Ji-seok had reservations about this invasion, and she agreed with that sentiment.
They were the ones who had entered this giant’s land, so they had to avoid any further conflict. Besides, it didn’t seem like they could defeat this giant without Ji-seok.
“Forgive? Who said I was angry?”
“…”
Jae-in felt harsh curses rising to her throat along with the words, “But you killed the US Military, the Elves, and the Dwarf Forces.”
“So if we return your heart, you’ll leave?”
“Of course. On this vast world of fire, I was a body that would rot away without ever fighting as a true warrior. I hold no grudge against you who awakened me with your heat.”
I didn’t know what had irritated this giant enough to make him kill the US Military, the Elves, and the Dwarf Forces, but for now, the giant was listening to my words. All I had to do was maintain this peace until Ji-seok arrived.
“Then, would it be alright if we remained on Mars?”
“Of course. Warriors are always welcome. Since so many warriors have gathered, let us begin the Festival of Fire!”
“The Festival of Fire?”
“Everyone fights until they become ash!”
“What? We don’t want to fight!”
“Burn! Clash! Prove your existence through the trial of fire!”
The Fire Giant, who had been conversing calmly moments before, went berserk the instant the Festival of Flames was mentioned.
Observing Mars’s mental state, Jae-in understood he was not the type to return peacefully simply because his heart was restored.
“Damn it! Deploy shields! All forces, fire!”
The Elves gnashed their teeth and unleashed frost magic, while the spirit users from Moon City poured out their own chilling spells.
Mars struck the shield with his spear, and it shuddered violently.
“Hoo….”
The shield was several times stronger than Mars One’s, so it withstood Mars’s spear strike, but it trembled as though it might shatter at any moment under the assault of a being of a different caliber.
“Liquid nitrogen! Dump everything we have!”
Liquid nitrogen procured from Earth was sprayed at Mars under high pressure. While the direct damage was minimal, it succeeded in suppressing the heat to protect the Hunters and weakening Mars.
“Hmph! My flames will not be extinguished by such measures!”
As the giant Mars, who had consumed countless essences of fire, roared, those with weak spirits collapsed en masse from the overwhelming pressure.
Mars then swung his spear. The Earth Telus Allied Forces’ attacks noticeably diminished, and now only the shield remained as their final bastion.
“Damn it…. Albert! Betty! Charles!”
From a Gate that opened behind the giant, Blue Dragons emerged and unleashed ice breath upon the Fire Giant.
As the ice breath of three Blue Dragons converged, it became far more powerful than liquid nitrogen. The flames blazing around Mars’s body weakened, and his colossal form began to freeze. Yet his expression seemed almost delighted.
“Dragons, you say! Now this is a worthy fight!”
Mars forcibly moved his frozen body, shattering the ice, and charged at Albert, the largest of the three.
Albert shrieked in terror and fled backward, while Betty and Charles unleashed their frost breath.
“Everyone! Don’t get caught! King Ban!”
“Yes!”
Jae-in poured liquid nitrogen down the back of Mars’s neck, and Ban launched himself toward the giant’s throat like a projectile.
“Hmph!”
Wary of striking the chilled neck, Mars batted the incoming Ban away with his fist, and the rebounding Ban crashed deeply into the ground.
“Your Majesty!”
Ridi rushed toward Ban.
“Damn it…. Is there no way….”
The elite forces assembled for Mars development fell away one by one.
To defeat a being of a different caliber, one needed a being of a different caliber.
“Chairman….”
The absence of Ji-seok was keenly felt.
“There’s no choice. I told you not to, but…. Raise it!”
“…Are you really firing it?”
“Of course! Do you want us all to die?! Raise it now!”
Something hidden underground emerged to the surface as its hatch opened.
It was the antimatter cannon created during the exchange match after Newus’s founding. It was the same shape as before, only slightly smaller.
“Antimatter cannon charging complete!”
The antimatter cannon was already fully charged underground as a contingency for a one-in-ten-thousand catastrophe.
“Don’t blame me even if you die!”
“How could I not blame you?!”
“Fire the antimatter cannon!”
Ignoring the researcher’s protest, I ordered the launch.
“I don’t care what happens anymore!”
The researcher slammed the button down.
Whoosh!
With the same dull sound as before, black antimatter wrapped in blue mana shot forward.
The antimatter was larger than the previous shot, and its speed noticeably faster, but not beyond Mars’s ability to evade. Yet the warmonger Mars didn’t dodge at all—instead, he roared with delight.
“Finally, something that sets my blood ablaze! Come on!”
Mars drew his spear back and thrust it directly at the antimatter.
“Everyone brace for impact!”
I screamed and dove into the trench first.
“That damned maniac! Is he trying to kill us all?!”
The Hunters followed suit. My recklessness was already legendary among them.
“Are you insane?!”
The Dwarves and Elves who understood the weapon’s power also cursed and scrambled into the trenches.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!!!
“Uoooooo!!!”
As the antimatter collided with the spear tip, a massive shockwave erupted.
Mars’s spear shattered from the tip, the shaft warping under the force.
But Mars didn’t retreat—instead, he stepped forward.
The spear was obliterated, yet Mars withstood the shockwave.
“Hahahaha! Huh?!”
But as the black antimatter vanished, a black hole formed, pulling everything toward it.
Even Mars’s massive frame lost its balance, his body dragged toward the void.
“Graaah!!!”
Mars wrapped both hands around the black hole and seized it. His helmet and armor were sucked in entirely. Yet Mars held the devouring black hole fast with his bare hands.
“Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!”
Mars roared, pressing the black hole with both hands, and gradually his hands drew closer together.
Finally, Mars’s hands came together completely.
As he opened his palms, the black hole vanished without a trace.
“Hahahaha! That was exhilarating! Do you have more?!”
Mars swept his hair back. His armor and spear were gone, but his body remained intact.
I emerged from the trench, standing tall with resolute eyes fixed on Mars, while the warriors gathered on Mars watched my back.

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