The Returned Hunter Has Awakened to a Hidden Class - Chapter 124
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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124
Chapter 124
Pool of Dragon Veins (1)
35th Floor.
[Pool of Dragon Veins].
It was a place without the characteristic dampness of the Underground or the suffocating heat of the Hell Layer.
Instead, the entire Space was filled with the energy of life.
Waterways stretched out in all directions.
Naturally connected channels flowed throughout the Staircase, linking every corner.
The water wasn’t stagnant.
It moved constantly, making subtle sounds.
Splash-
Babble-
Clear water sounds filled the Space.
Trees stood densely along the waterways.
Thick trunks and endlessly extending roots.
The roots burrowed into the ground, intertwining with the channels, and water flowed between them again.
A structure where dragon veins and water veins intertwined and breathed together.
It wasn’t an unfamiliar sight to Kim Jun.
It was one of the places he often visited to clear his head for a while.
When he raised his head, he could see the Ceiling.
There was no Sun.
Yet it was bright.
Green energy gently filled the entire Staircase.
The source of the light wasn’t clear.
Whether it was the trees or the water.
Or perhaps the dragon veins beneath.
In this place, even that distinction was meaningless.
And then.
He saw things crawling over the water.
Like earthworms.
“Are those earthworms?!”
“No. They’re imugi.”
Beings that failed to become dragons.
Imugi scattered across the field.
Though they hadn’t reached the level of dragons, their status was incomparable to ordinary field monsters.
Even before his regression, he had to cut down these creatures again and again to reach Azure Dragon.
However.
Swoosh-
The current Kim Jun had no intention of wasting time here.
Right now.
He was in a self-imposed speedrun state to obtain the Gate of Hell.
He needed to quickly catch two dragons and head Underground Floors.
“「Acceleration」.”
In an instant, Kim Jun’s figure disappeared in a flash.
Cutting across the winding waterways.
Squeezing between trees and roots.
Sweeping away the imugi that were in his path.
Screeeeeech-!
With a thunderous roar of tearing air.
Kim Jun charged straight toward the depths of the Pond.
*
The Four Guardian Deities that exist in the Tower of Trials.
Were somewhat different from the traditional Five Elements concept.
For example, Jujak.
In the Five Elements, it governs Fire.
But it wasn’t a being that only dealt with fire.
Even the attribute of wind.
It could manipulate freely.
Hyeonmu was the same.
It governs Water.
But it handled not only water but also the energy of the earth together.
Then what about Azure Dragon?
Azure Dragon was certainly a being that governed Wood among the Five Elements.
However.
Perhaps because of its status as the ‘highest-ranking race’ recognized by the Tower.
The range of attributes that Azure Dragon handled was exceptionally broad.
Fire.
Wood.
Water.
The three fundamental attributes.
In addition to that.
Even Lightning and Ice derived from them.
Five types.
Azure Dragon freely manipulated all of these attributes.
And not just that.
Not separately.
But skillfully mixing them.
Attacks combining Fire and Wood.
Strikes merging Water and Lightning.
A combat style that calculated attribute compatibility and changed form accordingly.
That’s why Azure Dragon was a particularly troublesome opponent among the Four Guardian Deities.
Versatile.
And equally dangerous.
Just listing the attributes brought back vivid memories of that time.
Before regression, how all those attributes had mixed and come flying at him.
Kim Jun moved along the waterway.
Going through that battle again in his mind.
The winding waterway.
Water channels tangled like roots.
The gradually widening space.
He remembered this terrain too.
And finally.
The point where the waterway ended.
His view opened up, revealing a massive freshwater lake.
The water was calm, but the air hung heavy.
Kim Jun stopped walking.
This was the place.
The location where, even before regression, all those attributes had poured down at once.
The center of the freshwater lake.
With thin mist spread over the water surface.
At that point where all the waterways converged into one.
There was the Azure Dragon, glowing with blue light.
A long, extended body.
Each scale glimmered softly as if holding light within.
Beneath it, the flow of dragon veins pulsed like a heartbeat.
The gaze looking down at Kim Jun held no emotion.
Neither curiosity nor anger.
Just assessment.
As if gauging whether the being who had set foot in this place
was qualified as a ‘challenger’ or not.
At that moment.
[Boss Appears!!]
[Welcome, Azure Dragon, Emperor of the East]
[We greet the being who reigns over the flow of dragon veins]
[Ruler who governs the energy of life!]
[Prove the order of heaven and earth!]
[Being who bears both destruction and regeneration!]
[Give the challengers a true trial!]
“…Anyway.”
Kim Jun muttered quietly while scanning the status window.
“Why do these cringeworthy introduction messages only appear for the Four Guardian Deities?”
It was the same with Hyeonmu.
It was the same with Jujak.
As if the Tower’s Administrator gave these four beings special treatment.
They had unusually formal phrases attached to them.
Was it deliberate care?
Or was it set up that way from the beginning?
Well, either way, it wasn’t important to Kim Jun.
[Boss: Wood among the Five Elements, Azure Dragon]
[Grade: A]
[Level: 75]
[Health:
3,500,000,000/3,500,000,000]
[Rewards: Wood attribute, 「Attribute Mutation」, 「Azure Dragon’s Scale」, 「Dragon Vein Essence」, 「Azure Scale Armor」]
What caught Kim Jun’s attention was just one thing.
「Attribute Mutation」.
The Wood attribute itself honestly didn’t have much merit.
Kim Jun’s current class was too heavily skewed toward Fire and Dark.
His Dark attribute was already maxed out from his contract with Lucifer.
He planned to put all his remaining stat points into Fire attribute as well.
The moment he split them up, he’d become neither here nor there.
That was the choice Kim Jun was most wary of.
But 「Attribute Mutation」 was different.
This skill didn’t ‘increase’ attributes, but ‘changed’ them.
Based on attributes already possessed.
It converted them to attack with different attributes.
In other words.
If Kim Jun with Dark attribute 100 attacked with Lightning attribute?
The power of Lightning attribute 100 would come out as is.
Same if he changed to Ice.
Wind, Water, Lightning.
There was no need to raise the attribute values themselves anew.
Attribute compatibility.
Attribute resistance.
Field characteristics.
Now there was no reason to be bound by such things.
Of course, there was the limitation of a week-long cooldown.
It was a skill that Kim Jun had used effectively even before his regression.
Meanwhile.
Azure Dragon’s gaze changed slightly.
Kim Jun wasn’t looking at him, but had his eyes fixed only on the reward status window.
The sight of him resting his hand on his chin
It caught my eye.
After a moment of silence.
“Human.”
The Azure Dragon’s voice echoed and spread throughout the entire freshwater lake.
“How dare you let your eyes wander when I am right here before you.”
Only then did Kim Jun raise his head.
“Ah.”
A short gasp.
“Right. Sorry.”
His tone didn’t sound apologetic at all.
Kim Jun readjusted his grip on the greatsword and looked at the blue dragon again.
Be honest.
To Kim Jun now, the Blue Dragon was less of a “dangerous boss” and more like a material he needed to obtain.
That’s why even more.
The compensation was calculated first.
That attitude might have rubbed the Blue Dragon the wrong way.
“What an arrogant human!”
“What an arrogant human!”
“I would treat you well.”
Craaaaaash-!
The blue dragon’s mouth opens.
A tremendous energy erupted explosively from the center of the freshwater lake.
Blue breath.
But it wasn’t a simple breath.
Flames burst out first.
Then lightning strikes repeatedly.
The energy of water swirls between them, changing its form.
Lightning.
Fire.
Thunder.
Water.
An attack where three attributes intertwine into a single flow.
It came pouring down toward Kim Jun with a howl that seemed to tear through the air.
Under normal circumstances.
No, it’s an attack that leaves 99% of hunters with no choice but to dodge.
But Kim Jun didn’t move.
One swing of the greatsword.
Vroom-!
I just swung it.
CRASH-!!
The sword and breath attack collided head-on.
A thunderous roar erupted.
Flames and lightning scattered in all directions, dispersing like water spray.
But Kim Jun, who stood at the center of it all.
He didn’t back down even a single step.
The elemental energies infused by the azure dragon slid and bounced off the blade of the great sword.
“…What?”
For the first time, the Azure Dragon’s eyes wavered.
It’s an attack that combines fire, lightning, and water.
It’s not something that can be blocked by elemental compatibility.
But.
It was blocked.
Not with a shield, not with a barrier.
Just with a greatsword.
Kim Jun readjusted his grip on the greatsword and said.
“You’re good at mixing elements.”
A calm assessment.
Kwaang-!
This time lightning struck first.
As if piercing down from the sky.
The energy of water amplified it and exploded.
Kim Jun didn’t dodge this time either.
Kaang-!
The sword split the lightning.
As flames followed.
Charrrr-!
He deflected them along the blade’s surface.
Azure Dragon’s attacks continued in succession.
Fire and lightning.
Lightning and water.
Even binding attacks mixed with wood energy.
Elements poured down relentlessly.
But Kim Jun didn’t retreat a single step.
He didn’t dodge either.
He simply.
Blocked.
Cut through.
Deflected.
As if all those attacks were.
‘Not worth dealing with seriously.’
Azure Dragon’s breathing became slightly disturbed.
‘This is impossible.’
I am one of the Four Guardian Deities.
A being that reigns over the dragon veins.
Yet a mere human.
“Done?”
At Kim Jun’s single word.
Azure Dragon’s pupils shook greatly.
At that moment.
Kim Jun took a step forward.
“Exactly.”
The sword’s tip pointed at Azure Dragon.
“I’ll only beat you down to 10%.”
Simultaneously with those words.
A strange sensation burst from Kim Jun’s body.
[Title Effect Activated: 「Dragon Hunter」]
[Effect: Greatly increased damage when attacking dragon-type targets, increased critical hit rate, fear resistance nullified]
The aura changed.
The pressure emanating from the sword.
Became one level sharper.
Azure Dragon instinctively lowered its body.
Dangerous.
A completely different kind of threat from all the humans so far.
Kim Jun saw that reaction and.
“Too late.”
Smiled briefly.
Boom-!
The ground caved in.
Kim Jun’s figure disappeared.
The next moment.
A greatsword swung like lightning from Azure Dragon’s side.
Kagagagang-!!
“Kruut!”
Scales split apart.
Blue blood scattered through the air.
Azure Dragon roared.
For the first time, not from anger.
It was a clear roar of pain.
“Impossible!”
That arrogant human.
For some reason, didn’t chase him.
Didn’t run away either.
Just.
Circled around, gauging the situation.
As if asking.
How far does your best go?
Show me everything you have.
Even so, attacks that controlled the intensity while avoiding fatal wounds.
That attitude.
Directly grated on Azure Dragon’s nerves.
Guardian of the Four Directions.
Emperor of the East.
A being that reigns over the dragon veins.
Against such a being.
A mere human was moving as if testing him.
“…Fine.”
Azure Dragon’s eyes narrowed.
“If that’s how it is.”
Azure Dragon raised his head.
The lake’s surface churned.
Trees shook from their roots.
Water flowing through channels shot up in reverse.
The air grew heavy.
Heavy enough to make even breathing difficult.
“「Ten Thousand Forms Return to Dragon Style」.”
With those words.
Azure Dragon’s mouth opened.
Kwaaaaaaaaa-!!
It was a breath attack.
However, it wasn’t a single-attribute breath.
Fire erupted first.
Lightning seeped into it.
The energy imbued with water amplified the explosive power.
The energy of wood threaded them into a single flow.
Fire.
Water.
Wood.
Lightning.
Ice.
All the attributes that Azure Dragon commanded.
All of it fused into one.
Crackle-!
It lost its color.
It wasn’t blue.
It wasn’t red.
It didn’t flash.
All colors mixed together.
In the end.
Roooooooar-!!
A turbid color poured toward Kim Jun in first, second, third waves.
Endlessly unleashed.
A turbid, chaotic dragon’s breath.
It wasn’t fire that burned something.
It wasn’t lightning that tore things apart.
It wasn’t water that swept things away.
In itself.
It was ‘annihilation’.
Where the breath passed.
The waterway evaporated.
The surface of the pond dried up.
Trees instantly withered and twisted into ash.
They weren’t even uprooted.
Their very existence was erased.
The ground cracked.
The floor was gouged out.
The entire terrain of the Staircase changed completely.
The place that was called the Pool of Dragon Veins.
Was no longer a pond.
Only a massive.
Trace of incineration remained.
The black breath devoured everything.
And.
Even the spot where Kim Jun had been standing.
Whoooooosh…
Only after a long while.
Did the energy settle.
The dust settled.
The heat dissipated.
Azure Dragon caught his breath and looked down at that spot.
Nothing could be seen.
A moment of silence.
As if breaking that silence.
Words flowed from Azure Dragon’s mouth.
“Did I get him?”
At that moment.
Azure Dragon realized.
That he had just said something he shouldn’t have.
And from above Azure Dragon’s head.
“you think?”
Kim Jun came down.
Puuuuuk-!
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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