The Returned Hunter Has Awakened to a Hidden Class - Chapter 54
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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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54
Chapter 54
Shackles Released
His companions’ reactions to hearing the whole story were varied.
“Something like that happened?”
“Hmm… we’ll need to be more careful from now on.”
“Guild leader. Please, let’s go to-ge-ther from now on.”
At Lee Seo-yeon’s sharp tone, Kim Jun could only nod his head.
There was nothing to feel wronged about.
‘If we don’t know what the trigger is, it’s right to avoid isolation as much as possible.’
The mark hadn’t been erased yet.
It just wasn’t activating because the conditions weren’t met.
He could be forcibly summoned again at any time.
By the way.
“But what the hell is this guy, hyung?”
Park Min-soo’s fingertip pointed at Andras, who was grinning strangely.
“Ah. He’s my summon.”
When Kim Jun answered nonchalantly, everyone’s eyes widened simultaneously.
“…A summon?”
“A demon? You, oppa?”
“Hmm…”
Three pairs of eyes focused on Kim Jun at once.
Within them was a mixture of surprise, suspicion, and subtle unease.
Andras seemed to enjoy such gazes, curling the corners of his mouth into a sinister smile.
“Kehehehe… Nice to meet you, humans.”
Flinch-
All three stepped back simultaneously.
Their instincts reacted to the murderous aura.
Kim Jun sighed and waved his hand dismissively.
“Don’t worry. He obeys absolutely.”
“That’s not true, master.”
“Please shut up.”
*
“Ah, finally liberated.”
“I feel alive!! Master!”
20th Floor.
The moment they set foot, the ‘Dark Soul’s Law’ that had weighed down the previous floor scattered into pieces.
The heavy gravitational feeling that had enveloped their bodies disappeared, and the shackles that had blocked their blood vessels seemed to be released.
Their muscles responded sharply again, and their movements became light as feathers.
And above all.
Woooooong-!!
Overflowing mana filled their bodies like a waterfall.
For a moment, power that seemed to burst their blood vessels overflowed to their fingertips.
[Lion’s Talisman], [Blue Abyss Talisman].
The equipment that had been bound by the ‘law’ of the Dark Soul Staircase and couldn’t display its true value finally regained its original power.
‘I can breathe.’
This wasn’t simply recovery.
Endless charging.
Even if he used skills recklessly, the mana gauge would fill up completely before hitting bottom.
As if the concept of ‘mana depletion’ had disappeared.
Kim Jun clenched his fingers and smiled.
He swung his sword once.
Swoosh-!
It was just a light 「Slash」, but the horde of monsters filling dozens of meters ahead were simultaneously cut down and collapsed.
Blood and crimson flames mixed together, staining the grassland.
“Wooow…”
An exclamation naturally flowed from Park Min-soo’s mouth as he watched from behind.
20th Floor. The Monster Wasteland.
There were no complex puzzles or hidden paths here.
Only about 2,000 monsters crowded on an endless plain.
The condition was simple. Cut them all down.
That was the only gate leading to the 21st Floor.
In other words, the complete opposite of the suffocatingly oppressive 19th Floor.
“Kihehehehehehehehehe!!”
A literal stage of slaughter where they could swing freely to their heart’s content.
Kugugugugung-!
The horde of monsters charged forward, raising a dust storm.
Giant ogres, hundreds of wolves, Reaper Knights covered in blades all over their bodies.
The sight of various monsters rushing in like waves was a disaster in itself.
However, Kim Jun was relaxed.
His steps were light, his breathing calm.
Kwang-!
An ogre brought down its club.
The earth cracked and rocks exploded, but Kim Jun’s sword didn’t budge an inch.
Rather, the club shattered into pieces and the ogre’s arm was torn off with it.
Shiiiiik-!
The next moment, the monster’s torso was cleanly severed.
“Wh, whoa…”
Ryu Ji-a licked her lips.
Hundreds of monsters charged simultaneously, but Kim Jun’s movements were faster.
Crimson 「Black Flames」 erupted explosively, devouring the monsters line by line.
[Ogre Defeated: +120]
[Wild Wolf Defeated: +28]
[Crystal Golem Defeated: +16]
.
.
.
System windows continuously appeared, covering the screen.
“This isn’t… hunting, it’s just slaughter.”
Park Min-soo shrugged his shoulders.
Han Su-in silently raised her hand holding her sword, then slowly lowered it as if there was no need to step forward.
Even Lee Seo-yeon widened her eyes, caught her breath, and muttered admiration to herself.
Kwaddddddeuk-!
Kim Jun’s sword drew a semicircle.
Dozens of monsters touched by that trajectory flew into the air at once and were torn to pieces.
「Black Flames」 burst through the severed fragments, instantly devouring another group.
The surviving monsters didn’t cower in fear.
Because the system forcibly commanded them to ‘advance.’
Even though they were monsters, they looked all the more pitiful.
They were like livestock heading to a slaughterhouse.
Kwaang-!
As 「Black Flame」 burst forth in a straight line, the orc horde split in two.
For an ordinary Hunter, even facing a single orc pack would be a nerve-wracking opponent.
But Kim Jun’s sword wasn’t simply cutting—it was closer to ‘erasure.’
“We can’t just stand and watch! Let’s join in too!”
Thud-!
Park Min-soo planted his shield into the ground.
The iron club of an Iron Troll charging belatedly struck the shield, sending sparks flying.
Both legs sank into the ground, mud splattering, but the battle line didn’t budge an inch.
“Kyahat, this kind of thing is my specialty.”
From behind, Ryu Ji-a gathered her mana.
Pazizik-
A dark blue circle was drawn on the ground, and lightning shot up from within the circle.
In an instant, about a dozen monsters were set ablaze by the lightning.
Hwaaaat-!
Lee Seo-yeon’s spells flowed out in succession.
Rings of light flashed and sprang up from beneath her companions’ feet.
Their accelerated movements dominated the battlefield.
Park Min-soo’s shield became even sturdier.
Peo-peo-peo-peo-peo-pung-!
Kwajijijik-!
Ryu Ji-a’s casting continued without hesitation and endlessly.
Han Su-in stood side by side with Kim Jun.
“…”
Though they exchanged no words, their two swords matched their breathing perfectly.
Kim Jun’s sword swung heavily, burning away the entire front row with a single streak of black flame.
Not missing the gap Kim Jun had created, Han Su-in’s 「Dragon Tail」 seeped in like a shadow.
Each time her blade flashed, the surviving monsters lost their necks, and arms scattered through the air.
A combination of overwhelming force and speed.
It was like Kim Jun sweeping away a massive wave, while Han Su-in erased the remaining spray.
Andras chuckled at the sight.
‘Master’s companion has arrived.’
‘…;’
The battlefield was truly a slaughterhouse.
In the center of enemy lines, Kim Jun and Han Su-in carved through the monster formations.
In the middle, Park Min-soo blocked charges with his shield, maintaining balance.
From the rear, Ryu Ji-a’s flames and lightning caused chain explosions.
And Lee Seo-yeon continuously supplemented all those flows.
Paat-!
As a beam of light grazed Park Min-soo’s shoulder, the torn wound healed instantly.
The legion of thousands of monsters surged like a wave.
Kiiiiiii-!
Kieeeeek-!
But in the end, the wave couldn’t overcome the rock.
Kwaddddddeuk!
Sword light and magic intersected, shield and light supported.
In just 30 minutes, they had all fallen.
[20th Floor Clear!]
[21st Floor entrance is now open.]
*
They could breathe again.
After passing through the 19th Floor that had been oppressed by Dark Souls rules, they had stretched their wings fully on the 20th Floor.
“Phew, now I can really live.”
“Surely we won’t encounter that kind of theme again, right?”
His companions’ moods had lightened considerably.
But only Kim Jun’s expression was different.
“Hmm…”
The whereabouts of Presendia and Putra were still completely unknown.
The only fortunate thing was that the Quest hadn’t changed to ‘Failed’ yet.
‘It means they’re definitely alive somewhere.’
‘It must be the 75th Floor, master.’
‘Right.’
Since Ariadne’s Thread had reacted clearly on the 75th Floor, it was certain the two girls were there.
The problem was that he couldn’t go there right now.
—-
[75th Floor Quest Conditions]
– Eliminate Drackenhardt’s Undead Knights (0/12)
– Destroy key occupied facilities (0/3)
—-
On the surface, they seemed like simple conditions.
But those were just the ‘minimum requirements.’
The reality was completely different.
The Undead Knights weren’t simply 12 in number—thousands of them swarmed about.
Each one was a monster with sub-boss level combat power.
Even the Undead Soldiers beneath them easily exceeded 10,000 in number.
It wasn’t a scale he could collapse alone, and at his current level, it was close to impossible.
‘You need to build more strength, master.’
‘Right. That would be correct.’
Both Kim Jun and Andras could only nod their heads.
But that didn’t mean hope was extinguished.
The fact that the Quest was still ‘In Progress’ was proof that the two girls were at least ‘not dead.’
If the NPCs had died, the system would have mercilessly issued a ‘Failed’ judgment.
Even reflecting on what Pasia had said, it was closer to someone ‘targeting and taking them’ rather than trying to harm them.
In other words, rather than trying to take their lives, they had been isolated somewhere.
‘Then what I need to do now is…’
Faster.
Stronger.
Climb higher.
Kim Jun’s will blazed.
To save Presendia and Putra, he had to break through any floor, no matter what.
With that resolve firmly in place, he pressed forward—
Ding!
[You have entered the 25th Floor.]
[Quest Generated: Save the invaded Artemis]
[Objective: Completely annihilate or repel all monsters that have descended from other floors]
[Reward: Artemis Access]
Before they knew it, they had reached the 25th Floor.
21st Floor, 22nd Floor, 23rd Floor, 24th Floor.
While climbing up with intense focus, he couldn’t even remember how they had passed through those floors.
But the moment Kim Jun set foot on the 25th Floor, his consciousness snapped back to reality.
KWAAAAANG-!
It was because of the scene that unfolded before his eyes.
A burning fortress.
Blood-red smoke rose from the collapsed towers, and the agonized groans of screaming soldiers filled the entire floor.
The sky had already turned black, and red flames climbed the city walls as if they would collapse at any moment.
“Everyone, get ready.”
Kim Jun’s voice rang out low.
The scene before them was not a simple hunting ground.
25th Floor, Artemis.
For Hunters, this was land as important as Tebe itself, the ‘City of Knowledge’ where skills were born and evolved.
A floor where Hunters could fuse their existing skills together to reborn them in completely new forms, or acquire unique skills that existed only in this place.
Swish-
As intact as possible.
As quickly as possible so they could function properly.
Whooooosh-!
“「Acceleration」.”
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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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