The Returned Hunter Has Awakened to a Hidden Class - Chapter 47
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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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47
Chapter 47
The Fertile Lands (1)
[Swamplands – Sanctuary of Rest]
Kim Jun thoroughly searched every corner of the sanctuary.
Behind collapsed walls, under broken altars, between old blankets.
“Where the hell are they….”
But no matter how much he searched, Presendia and Putra were nowhere to be found.
The only one remaining in the sanctuary was Pasia, curled up in a corner.
“Huu…uuk…■■■ took…my sisters…”
Pasia’s lips trembled as she tried to speak.
But at that moment-
Zziiiik-
As if a black hand had torn through the sentence, the girl’s words were covered with ‘black blocks’ mid-speech.
[System Warning: Inaccessible Information]
Kim Jun’s eyes wavered.
“…It’s blocked?”
The Tower itself was intentionally blocking information.
As if saying ‘you’re not supposed to know yet.’
Pasia couldn’t continue speaking, her small shoulders trembling violently.
Kim Jun immediately pulled out Ariadne’s Thread from his wrist.
‘I’ll use this to confirm their location.’
A strand of light extended from Pasia’s fingertips.
It seemed to point toward Presendia and Putra’s whereabouts, but.
Snap.
The light beam fell helplessly to the floor, no longer continuing.
“This is…”
The thread that had never failed before.
The tool that had never once lost its direction.
But this time it lay limply on the ground, nothing more than a powerless string.
Andras spoke in a low voice.
“Master. The children are not here.”
Kim Jun gritted his teeth.
“Right. They’re not on this ‘floor’ right now.”
Each floor was an independent world.
Ariadne’s Thread would always point to its destination within the same world, but it couldn’t reach beings in other worlds.
That fact was proof that Presendia and Putra had moved to a different floor.
Moreover, though it was processed with black blocks, from context it was obvious someone had kidnapped the girls.
‘Whoever it is…’
He clenched his fist.
The continuous invasions. Various other traps.
‘They’re openly trying to interfere.’
Kim Jun’s mood became extremely unpleasant.
However, there was something more important than anger right now.
He looked around the interior of the sanctuary.
It was sufficient for temporarily taking shelter, but woefully inadequate for leaving a child for long.
Wind leaked through the broken stained glass windows.
If it rained, this place would become a puddle.
Moreover, the only food was a few pieces of dried, crumbling biscuits.
There was no drinking water at all.
He couldn’t leave the young girl here alone and head to the 19th Floor.
‘Should I move?’
‘It seems I’ll have to.’
One place came to Kim Jun’s mind.
[Fertile Lands – Aurellius County]
A land where peace and abundance coexisted, unlike the typical Dark Souls worldview.
Vast granaries, abundant water resources, and solid city walls.
Even during the era when Hunters came and went, this place was more like a resting place than a battlefield.
However, Kim Jun knew.
Before his regression, Count Aurellius had suddenly started a war and attacked the Lion King’s Citadel.
‘Even though there were Hunters there?’
‘He didn’t care. The pretext was for the Hunters’ safe journey, wasn’t it.’
The reason was singular: to find traces of the Royal Blood.
And later, his power grew even greater.
To the extent of invading across dimensions to Tebe on the 5th Floor.
At that time, he was no longer a simple lord, but a monster with numerous arms grotesquely attached to his body.
Twelve arms extended in different directions from his twisted shoulders, each hand gripping different weapons.
On the right side were a massive axe and mace, on the left were a longsword and shield, and two more arms sprouted from his back holding a bow and magic staff.
The madness of the Royal Blood had transformed him into this hideous form.
He barely maintained human form, but had already become something closer to a monster.
‘I mustn’t be fooled by appearances.’
Kim Jun’s eyes grew coldly calm.
Outwardly a count protecting abundance and peace, but in reality one who lusted for blood and power.
‘Can’t we just beat him up, Master?’
‘Exactly that.’
It was truly a simple and satisfying answer.
If words don’t work, subdue with force.
Negotiation can be replaced with intimidation.
The Count’s soldiers couldn’t possibly stop Kim Jun and Andras as they were now.
Leave Pasia in a safe place, and in the meantime head to the 19th Floor himself.
If Presendia and Putra were anywhere, it would definitely be there.
The plan was simple and clear.
Kim Jun shouldered his greatsword and stood up.
“Pasia?”
“Yes…”
“I’ll take you somewhere safe. Do you trust me?”
“Yes…”
*
[Grassland]
The green meadow looked peaceful, but the reality was different.
“Intruder!”
A knight in iron armor shouted and charged forward.
Rebel Knights.
Those who had rebelled against the order of the Descendants of the Crimson Blood.
Outwardly packaged as righteous resisters, but in reality nothing more than raiders.
Monster-like beings who hunted Hunters to accumulate experience.
Crack-!
Kim Jun’s greatsword drew a semicircle, splitting the torsos of three knights.
“Kyaaaak!”
Debris rolled and fell onto the grassland.
Swish-slash-
When Andras swung the 「Corpse Mountain Blood Sea」, the grass field became a sea of blood.
The green grassland was dyed red in an instant.
Kim Jun walked in a straight line, cutting down only those who blocked his path.
Since the main stronghold, Strasper Fortress, was far off to the side, there was no need to bother visiting it.
After cutting and slashing, turning the grassland into a wasteland for about an hour.
“Master, I have doubts.”
“What is it?”
“Wasn’t the boss of this floor in the Lion King’s territory? Then why are the lands behind left so empty?”
Kim Jun stopped walking for a moment.
That was right.
The Tower always forces you to consume all areas.
‘As if telling you to enjoy all the prepared content.’
Normally, there would be mid-bosses in each region, and you’d meet the final boss in the deepest part of the map.
But this floor was different.
The boss, the Lion King, was already positioned at the starting point – [The Primordial Land], and the [Swampland], [Grassland], [Fertile Lands], and [Shadow Lands] that followed were just left empty like ‘abandoned areas’.
‘Why place the final boss from the beginning? It’s also strange that the door to the next floor is there.’
Kim Jun furrowed his brow for a moment.
“Maybe the Tower made it that way on purpose.”
“You mean it’s an intentional arrangement.”
“If they let people move to the next floor without gaining enough experience here, they might be planning to kill everyone on the 19th floor.”
“Hmm…”
Questions remained, but there was no time to look around now.
After passing through the grassland, fertile land appeared in the distance.
[Fertile Lands – Aurellius County]
High castle walls, endless golden wheat fields, and the sound of bells ringing in the distance.
The only place on this floor that looked like a ‘human world’.
Halt!
“Stop right there.”
As they approached the city gate, two guards crossed their spears to block the path.
“Welcome, Hunter. What brings you to visit this place?”
One guard smiled and greeted them politely, but.
“I’m here to make this my land.”
“…Excuse me?”
Kim Jun’s words were enough to immediately break the atmosphere.
He meant it literally.
Kim Jun intended to ‘conquer’ this place.
Originally, he planned to threaten them moderately to make them obedient, but he changed his mind.
‘Thinking about it, this is right.’
No matter how much he threatened them, there was no telling what Count Aurellius, obsessed with power, might do to Pasia who possessed Royal Blood.
There was no need to take that gamble.
“If you understand, open the gate.”
“Hunter. You must be joking, but…”
“I’m not joking.”
The guard’s expression hardened instantly.
His eyes turned cold.
The soldiers watching from the watchtower began gripping their weapons tightly one by one.
Clank clank clank clank-
Archers appeared on the castle wall.
They drew their bowstrings and aimed at Kim Jun and Andras.
Creak-
“Hunter. This is your final warning. We are generous to all who set foot on this land, but we are not merciful enough to show clemency to invaders.”
“That goes for me too.”
Enough meaningless conversation.
Kim Jun wrapped 「Dragon Eater」 with 「Black Flame」.
Sizzle-crackle-
Andras also began wrapping 「Corpse Mountain Blood Sea」 with 「Black Flame」.
Hissss-
Rather than the sound of flames igniting, it was an eerie sound like skin being torn away.
“Wh-what is this…!”
The hellish flames gradually spread and devoured the air.
The area in front of the city gate transformed into a blazing hellscape.
“Shoot! Kill the invaders!”
Twang twang-!
Hundreds of arrows filled the sky and poured down toward the two.
However-
Whoooosh!
Before they could even reach, dark red flames engulfed the arrows.
The arrows swallowed by the flames turned to ash in an instant and scattered.
“Andras.”
“What, Master.”
“Proceed.”
“Kekekekekekekeke…”
Andras’s mouth stretched wide as if tearing to his ears.
At that moment, the suppressed madness exploded.
*
“Kihihihihihi!”
With laughter close to a shriek, Andras charged forward.
Every time 「Corpse Mountain Blood Sea」 moved, soldiers flew like fireballs.
“Aaaaah! Block them! Block them right now!”
The commander screamed, but that order only summoned greater madness.
“Die! Wahahahahahaha!”
With the shared effect of the 「Blue Abyss Talisman」 that Kim Jun had granted, Andras was much more powerful than before.
Like a machine gun, he unleashed skills rapidly.
“Kihahahahaha!”
Whoooooosh-!
Sizzle-crackle-!
Dark red flaming sword energy spanning dozens of meters swept through the street.
The courtyard in front of the city gate turned into a sea of fire, and the soldiers who had once stood in neat rows collapsed as ash.
“Hey, destroy things moderately. Pasia has to live here.”
Kim Jun frowned.
“Ah.”
Andras seemed to pause for a moment, but soon burst into laughter again and threw himself forward.
“Kuhahahaha!”
Beyond the city gate to the massive castle, all the way to the Count’s residence.
Soldiers poured out endlessly.
But it was useless.
Thud-!
Crash-!
Even when stabbed with spears, arms severed, legs sliced off.
Andras only swept forward with even more frenzied momentum.
The more flesh was torn and bones shattered, the more savagely the crimson flames blazed.
The demonic trait of his body seeming to regrow even as it was destroyed.
For the soldiers, it was enough to induce panic.
“Aaaahhh!”
“It’s a Monster! A demon!”
Screams and cries erupted one after another.
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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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