The Regressed EX-Class Martial God Decided to Become a Thousand-Star Hunter - Chapter 50

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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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Episode 50
50.
Yoris’s eyes widened as well.
“Emil, your magic dispelled that quickly? Was there a Mage on their side?”
……
Emil couldn’t find words to answer his leader’s question.
He still didn’t understand what had happened.
He was a fairly skilled Mage.
By Hunter Rank standards, he fell into the B+ tier.
Yet he couldn’t even figure out how the magic he’d cast directly had been dispelled.
More precisely, he hadn’t detected that the opposing team had a Mage at all.
Yoris, reading his distress from his expression alone, placed a hand on Emil’s shoulder.
“Don’t lose yourself. This was an unforeseen situation from the start.”
“……I’m sorry, Yoris.”
After patting Emil’s shoulder in reassurance, Yoris’s gaze shifted to a man of short, slight build.
He was the leader of the second team Yoris had hired for this operation—Anton Baretzki, who held the Hunter job class.
“You can track without Tracking Magic, can’t you? Follow the traces?”
“Of course, White Knight. Shall we pursue them right now?”
“No. They’re the type who can cut through Emil’s magic without hesitation. They’ll be more cautious than they appear. Let’s wait for the next opening.”
“Yoris. Why don’t we just rush them and tear them apart? We outnumber them anyway.”
The speaker was Amy, a red-haired woman.
Her fierce eyes burned with unmistakable combat intent.
It was hardly surprising.
As he’d said, Yoris’s Party, combined with Anton’s team that had joined them in the dungeon, numbered six total.
Their opponents, meanwhile, couldn’t even form a basic three-person party.
Even if they were of comparable skill, the simple calculus was that numerical superiority could crush them instantly.
Yoris knew that too.
But he shook his head.
“I’m not sure about the woman, but Ju Do-gyeom is definitely dangerous. We can’t afford to have even one of our party members get hurt.”
To be honest, he wasn’t afraid of someone getting injured.
Or, to put it even more bluntly, the death of one or two people didn’t bother him in the slightest.
That was simply Yoris’s nature.
Outside the dungeon, he maintained an image of kindness and consideration for the sake of his reputation as the White Knight. But within the dungeon, he’d done every dirty deed imaginable on his climb to A Rank.
Then why worry about someone getting hurt?
It certainly wasn’t because he feared Ju Do-gyeom.
If he really decided to go all out—
‘I could tear that bastard apart alone without much trouble.’
The issue was conservation of strength.
The Magical Tool at his destination.
To obtain it, it was better to preserve his full combat force as intact as possible.
Otherwise, he might need to spend another few months in preparation.
That was why he held back.
Tsk.
Yoris clicked his tongue.
Emil and Amy, who had worked alongside him for years, read that frustration clearly.
Restraint didn’t suit him, and it chafed. But there was no helping it.
The interior of the Mana Erosion zone in the decaying field was a location both of them had explored only twice before.
Throwing in a reckless gamble wasn’t the right move.
It was the kind of caution any Hunter with long experience should have possessed.
* * *
Shortly after leaving the Tree Forest that had served as their Rest Stop.
Ju Do-gyeom’s Daebu came down vertically from above Kim Han-ryul’s head.
Kim Han-ryul’s eyes went wide with shock, his face turned up toward the threat.
Slice—!
The sound of something being cut rang out just behind the back of his skull.
Then, as Ju Do-gyeom retrieved and spun the Daebu, a similar sound came again.
Slice—!
Kim Han-ryul, unless he was a complete fool, couldn’t help but realize this was no accident.
“What—what was that just now?”
“Tracking Magic. The other side has a Mage after all.”
Ju Do-gyeom, speaking tersely, placed the Daebu back into his Inventory.
His eyes, which had been pitch-black, now swam with a crimson gleam.
Kim Han-ryul, who had witnessed this sight more than once before, gave a casual nod and spoke through gritted teeth.
“The vibe felt off, but they were definitely dangerous creatures.”
……
Ju Do-gyeom nodded instead of answering.
But his thoughts ran in a different direction.
‘It wasn’t mere danger—they carried genuine killing intent.’
Yoris was certainly a skilled Hunter.
He could conceal himself so thoroughly that even Kim Han-ryul, whose future potential was high enough to survive until the very end of humanity, would have difficulty perceiving him.
Yet he could not escape Ju Do-gyeom’s gaze.
Beneath that smiling expression, killing intent flickered ceaselessly.
‘Next time we meet, we’ll have to fight.’
The future he had already glimpsed had changed, so certainty might be considered reckless; but Ju Do-gyeom thought otherwise.
‘Yoris and I are after the same thing.’
How did he know?
Simple.
The source of the killing intent that Yoris had unconsciously, relentlessly exuded.
The emotions that dwelt in his eyes.
‘Greed, worry, and anxiety.’
These could only emerge when someone coveted something over which they could claim ownership.
Tsk.
Ju Do-gyeom clicked his tongue.
Then he drew from his Inventory an elegant box crafted from platinum.
He unlocked it and opened it; inside lay cigarettes arranged in neat rows.
『Mana Initial Cigarette.』
『Temporarily increases Mana Power by two ranks for three hours.』
About six remained.
There should have been ten originally, but some were missing.
‘Jin Woo-sung must have used them.’
This was the other item he had recovered from Jin Woo-sung’s possession alongside the phone.
Ju Do-gyeom placed one of the cigarettes between his lips without hesitation.
Then he realized his mistake.
“……I have no fire.”
He had never smoked before, so he’d forgotten.
While he was panicking.
Click-!
A trigger sound, and flame suddenly bloomed beside him.
It was Kim Han-ryul, who had been watching Ju Do-gyeom’s movements, wielding a miniature flamethrower fashioned in the shape of a pistol.
“What’s with the sudden cigarette?”
“Necessity. Thanks.”
Through it, Ju Do-gyeom lit the cigarette.
He drew a deep breath.
Hiss—!
The sensation of smoke filling his lungs at once.
His throat burned and itched, but he swallowed it down.
With cold, settled eyes, he continued his thoughts.
‘I’d meant to go slowly, but I’ll have to change the plan.’
A competitor had appeared, one who harbored even killing intent.
Moreover, with two teams combined, their numbers totaled six—three times his and Kim Han-ryul’s strength.
Exhale—!
As Ju Do-gyeom sat deep in thought, the cigarette burning quickly, and smoke exhaled in long plumes, a message chimed in his mind.
『Mana Initial Cigarette effect activated.』
『Temporary Mana Power Rank increase C- => C+』
Ju Do-gyeom nodded, then snuffed out the shortened cigarette between his fingers and tossed it to the ground before speaking.
“Kim Han-ryul. The motorcycle.”
“What? You said you wouldn’t use it because there were too many monsters?”
“It’s fine. Just follow my lead.”
“What do you mean……?”
“Kim Han-ryul, we don’t have time for long explanations.”
Inside the Rest Stop.
Quiet for now, but there was no telling when or how the other man’s mind might shift.
Kim Han-ryul nodded, recognizing the resolve in Ju Do-gyeom’s voice.
The next instant, two motorcycles materialized out of thin air.
Ju Do-gyeom spoke.
“Keep tight to my tail. From here on, I won’t be holding back.”
“What—if all I’m doing is following…”
Vroooom!
Ju Do-gyeom shot forward like an arrow loosed.
“Hey, at least give a guy some warning before you take off!”
Kim Han-ryul yanked hard on the throttle, scrambling to keep pace.
* * *
Rest is vital for everyone.
Not even high-rank Hunters are exempt from that truth.
Full power only ever comes at peak condition, always.
That’s why the Yoris Party had stopped at the Rest Stop.
But circumstances had changed.
The roar of exhaust had erupted and was now fading into distance.
Yoris, who’d been sitting and fighting to stay composed, lurched to his feet.
“We move now.”
His party members, all bearing expressions of weariness, nodded in unison.
They were still in condition enough to push forward.
* * *
Vrroooom!
Exhaust exploding, Ju Do-gyeom’s motorcycle tore forward.
Astride it, his eyes burning red, every swing of his axe, every throw of his Morning Star, shredded the monsters in his path.
Yes.
That was the right word for it.
Simple death, or even explosion, didn’t do it justice.
Ju Do-gyeom was like a runaway engine of slaughter.
Just chasing in his wake, dodging and weaving through the flood of monsters pouring at them, was overwhelming.
Curses spilled from Kim Han-ryul’s lips.
‘In…sane…’
He’d thought he understood the man was a monster.
He’d killed Jin Woo-sung, after all, so there had to be something special he couldn’t have predicted.
Intellectually, he’d known it.
But seeing that reality with his own eyes was a completely different sensation.
‘How is he treating these iron-hard bastards like common trash mobs?’
Having fought them himself, he understood it down to his bones.
He considered himself decent among C-rank Hunters, yet those Eroded Monsters had given him serious trouble—here they were worth less than goblins in Ju Do-gyeom’s presence.
If he’d had the luxury, he would’ve asked.
‘Captain, level with me—are you A-rank or higher from the start?’
But there was no space for that question.
Beyond the weight of Ju Do-gyeom’s expression.
Just keeping up with him at this pace was pushing the absolute limit.
‘This is driving me crazy, I swear!’
It was then.
Crack!
Butchering a charging monster, Ju Do-gyeom’s Morning Star swept the ground in one fluid motion, snared something, and hurled it to Kim Han-ryul.
Even through his shock, instinct kicked in—Kim Han-ryul’s hands shot out and caught it cleanly.
A flower wreathed in blue light.
The Purification Flower.
‘Wait—did he seriously just adjust his chain’s force precise enough to pluck only the flower while riding at this speed?’
Beyond monstrosity, wasn’t this the kind of technique only a god of weapons could achieve?
‘That’s… possible?’
The flower in his palm, questions erupted.
Ju Do-gyeom’s eyes—no longer red, now black—spoke again.
“One hour left.”
“Right, got it!”
Kim Han-ryul shouted and bit down on the flower.
Ju Do-gyeom, who had been running ahead, found himself in the same predicament.
Red light flickered across his vision once more.
Though he’d swept away a horde of them moments before, a fresh wave of monsters had emerged.
The Daebu and Morning Star carved through the field again.
* * *
After roughly three hours of this.
A considerable stretch of relentless driving.
The two of them discovered another Rest Stop.
Ju Do-gyeom didn’t hesitate—he shoved his motorcycle straight into the clearing.
Trees blocking the path fell effortlessly before the Daebu.
Kim Han-ryul suppressed a scream that nearly escaped his lips and hurried after him.
They arrived at an open courtyard.
Ju Do-gyeom climbed off the motorcycle and coughed.
“Cough.”
A cough?
Kim Han-ryul looked at him, puzzled.
Blood was trickling from the corners of Ju Do-gyeom’s mouth, his face gone deathly pale.
Kim Han-ryul cried out.
“Captain—!”
“Don’t make a fuss. It’s just a minor internal injury.”
“How can I not make a fuss! You’re bleeding from your mouth—a potion, wait, I bought one before—”
Recovery Potions were expensive items by nature.
But any Hunter of decent rank carried one as a matter of course.
Ju Do-gyeom was no exception.
While Kim Han-ryul was still fumbling about, he pulled a potion from his Inventory, uncapped it, and downed it in one go.
Kim Han-ryul’s mouth fell open again.
“All at once—! That must hurt like hell!”
Potions were expensive, but their effects were beyond question.
Even severe external and internal wounds would seal themselves in moments.
But the price came at consumption.
The recovery pain was notoriously excruciating.
Most Hunters carried anesthetics alongside their potions for precisely this reason.
Yet Ju Do-gyeom had downed the potion without anesthetic.
Not for any particular reason—it simply worked far better that way.
The Thousand-Kill Nature maintained beyond his limit had inflicted no small amount of internal damage; drawing out the potion’s full effect was an absolute necessity.
The empty vial in his hand.
After his throat convulsed several times, heat began spreading through his core.
Ju Do-gyeom quickly sat down and crossed his legs.
It happened immediately after.
Heat roiled up like a furnace from deep within.
The inferno spread through his entire body, transmuting into agony.
Heat shimmer rose from his skin—visible even to Kim Han-ryul’s eyes.
The warmth radiating outward was palpable enough to heat the very air around him.
With his eyes shut, Ju Do-gyeom merely furrowed his brow—nothing more.
The only sound that escaped him was.
“Mm……”
A faint, almost sighing whisper.
“This is insane……”
Kim Han-ryul uttered the same amazed exclamation for what felt like the hundredth time and slapped his own cheek hard.
This was no time to stand gaping.
Ju Do-gyeom had driven them forward like this because he was keeping the Yoris Party’s pursuit in mind.
He didn’t think they were capable of matching such reckless abandon.
‘Just in case. I need to stay sharp right now.’
He had to protect his captain—protect Ju Do-gyeom.
Even if it cost him everything.
A fierce resolve kindled in Kim Han-ryul’s eyes.
* * *
By Kim Han-ryul’s sense of time, it felt like half a day or more.
In reality, roughly two more hours had passed.
Ju Do-gyeom’s eyes snapped open.
A fierce light blazed in his eyes, as if about to erupt.
『Skill, Jijyeol Gi-gong (6-Star) has been promoted.』
『Unique Skill, Limit Maintenance (Lv.MAX) has been acquired.』

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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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