The Returned Hunter Has Awakened to a Hidden Class - Chapter 6

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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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6

Chapter 6

Resolution (2)

 The dilapidated warehouse district of Tebe outskirts. 

 Blood pooled at the entrance of an alley reeking with the stench of decay.

 In this place where not a single ray of light properly entered, what had been someone’s precious person just hours ago now lay as a corpse, growing cold.

“Kekekeke. The harvest is already looking good.”

“What’s with these F-ranks crawling here saying they’ll climb the Tower.”

 A man in a black hood roughly wiped his blood-stained blade on his sleeve while cackling.

 On the ground lay a novice Hunter who seemed to have just passed twenty, dead with eyes staring into the void. His expression was frozen with the shock of his final moment.

“This guy’s equipment is pretty good? Some rich family’s son? A D-rank with A-grade equipment.”

 He spat while stripping the armor from the corpse. This night of tragedy for someone was merely a pleasant hunting time for them.

“That’s already the seventh one today. Everyone’s leveled up quite a bit, right?”

“Of course. Experience points are the same whether from monsters or humans. I’m already level 6.”

 These were members of the Assassin Guild ‘Eum’. In just one day since arriving in Tebe, they had hunted dozens of Hunters. To them, human lives were merely materials for experience points and equipment.

 But there was something they didn’t know. 

 The fact that another hunter targeting them was already close by.

Step.

 Footsteps echoed from the alley entrance.

“Who’s there?”

 The hooded assassins turned around simultaneously. A single silhouette slowly approaching through the darkness. Under the dim moonlight, its outline became clearer.

“What. Did you watch everything?”

“Oh, he’s alone? Since you witnessed our work…”

 Before the words could finish, a massive sword tore through space. It was a perfect slash that didn’t even make a sound of wind.

Swoosh-

 A red line was drawn across one of their necks, and the head dropped and rolled on the ground.

 A bizarre scene unfolded where the body still stood but only the head was gone.

“Wh-what, using a greatsword like a dagger!”

 The remaining assassins cried out in shock and hastily drew their weapons. But it was already too late.

 Kim Jun fully revealed himself from the darkness. Blood was still dripping from the greatsword in his hand.

“Scum.”

 A voice filled with rage pressed down on the entire alley.

“Why did I let you vermin live.”

 The assassins looked at each other.

 What reflected in each other’s eyes was primitive ‘fear’.

 Absolute helplessness felt before overwhelming power. The instinctive terror of prey before a predator paralyzed their entire bodies.

Tremble tremble-

 Kim Jun slowly walked toward them. But they couldn’t run away, let alone move a single step. With their limbs frozen stiff.

“L-listen…”

 The one who seemed relatively smart among them began pleading with a trembling voice.

“We’ll give you all our coins, equipment, and information, so please spare our lives…”

Thunk-!

“Kheuk!”

 The greatsword pierced through his chest. Blood gushed out from his mouth.

“Information?”

 Kim Jun looked down with cold eyes.

“Information? I don’t need it. I already know everything.”

 If these bastards hadn’t existed, before the regression would have been vastly different.

 If the Hunters who didn’t die to them, if Han Su-in, if the Tower’s residents had lived, if they had all joined forces to climb to the 100th Floor.

 So what Kim Jun cut down wasn’t simply the necks of vermin.

 What Kim Jun cut down was his own foolishness for forgetting what he should have done first.

 A fragment of his weak self who had been captivated by immediate growth and missed the enemy before his eyes.

 The moment the greatsword severed the enemy’s breath, Kim Jun simultaneously cut away something within himself as well.

“I’ll kill you all.”

 Hate the sin, but not the sinner, they say. 

Stab-!

“Kheuk!”

“Aaaaah! Run away!”

 If sin had devoured everything human, could it still be called a person.

“Die.”

 So what Kim Jun cut down was also ‘sin’. 

*

“It should be around here.”

Scrape scrape-

 Dragging his greatsword along the ground, he walked toward the source of the foul stench like connecting a fuse.

 The sound of the blade scraping against the ground rang out like an ominous prelude.

 Not far away. 

 The den of ‘Eum’. 

“Kekekeke.”

“Now we can hunt some pretty strong ones, right?” 

 Laughter echoing from the darkness. Kim Jun could clearly see their outlines.

 Roughly thirty people.

 He readied his stance. 

 With the intention to end it in one strike. 

Whoosh-

 Dragon flames began to envelop the sword, 

Flicker-

 And soon spread throughout his entire body.

“What is that?”

“Fire?”

Roar-!

 Soon Kim Jun’s single-minded determination to kill the vermin was transmitted to the flames.

[「Berserk D」 activated.]

[Current rage level: Stage 2.]

[Current effect: Attack power +5%/Agility +5%]

[Warning: Loss of self is possible when rage reaches critical point.]

“What the hell is that bastard?”

 The greatsword raised high was brought down toward the ground with full force.

Whoooosh-!

 As it split the ground, dragon flames spread out in a fan shape, turning the bastards to ash.

“Kyaaaah!”

“What are you doing! Kill him!”

 The ones who avoided the flames soon came to their senses and began glaring at Kim Jun. 

 Assassins composed of A-rank and B-rank. They drew their weapons as if showing off their individual skills and abilities.

Swish-

 They began throwing their hidden weapons at Kim Jun. Dozens of gleaming sharp metal pieces flew from all directions in the darkness.

 Someone aimed for his back with swift movements. A figure hiding in shadows, aiming for a fatal strike.

“Die!”

Thud-

“Ugh!”

 But what was caught wasn’t Kim Jun, but the bastard’s nape. 

Crack-!

 Seeing their comrade’s neck crushed before their eyes, the remaining ones tried to flee, but it was already too late. 

Step-

 With each step he took, 

Thunk-

 One head would fall. 

Drip drip-

 Soon the entire floor of the alley was soaked with blood. As the red waves rose to ankle height, Kim Jun’s eyes showed not a trace of wavering.

 The surviving assassins, judging that survival was impossible at this rate, simultaneously drew daggers from their waists.

 The tips of the daggers glistened with green-tinted poison.

“Just one hit and you’re finished.”

Whoosh-

 At one person’s signal, hundreds of poisoned daggers poured down toward Kim Jun.

Clatter clatter clatter-

“No matter how strong you are, you can’t dodge all of this!”

 But Kim Jun simply stood quietly amidst the rain of daggers.

“Did you give up? Well, there’s no way to avoid my secret technique.”

“You’re dead now!”

 The bastards cheered, certain of victory. Their paralyzing poison was lethal enough to instantly incapacitate even an S-rank Hunter’s nervous system.

 But contrary to the assassins’ expectations, a red light began to emanate from Kim Jun’s body.

“「Dragon Blood Awakening」.”

 With Kim Jun’s quiet words, his entire body began to burn red.

 The blood vessels flowing beneath his skin glowed red-hot like lava, illuminating his entire body.

[「Dragon Blood Awakening S」 activated]

[All status ailments removed]

[All toxins neutralized]

[Attack power temporarily increased +30%]

 The daggers that had pierced Kim Jun’s body began falling to the ground one by one.

“Wh-what the!”

 Shadows of despair crossed the bastards’ faces. Their certain victory had been overturned in an instant. 

 They couldn’t understand it.

 No matter how S-rank a Hunter was, they would die if struck in vital spots. If their neck was severed or heart pierced, it would be over. That was the law of nature.

 Even S-rank Hunters called superhumans couldn’t ignore the laws of physics. But this bastard….

“「Dragon Slash」.”

Slash slash slash-!

 The being before their eyes was surpassing all common sense they knew.

 No attack, no poison, no weapon worked on him. 

 Like beasts lined up at a slaughterhouse waiting for their turn, they were simply beheaded one by one. 

“Phew.”

 Kim Jun slowly lowered his greatsword, caught his breath, and looked around.

 The entire alley was covered with corpses and blood. He had dealt with all the remnants of the Assassin Guild. No, almost all of them.

 Just as he was about to leave, a small box placed in the corner caught his eye.

 It was an unremarkable wooden box, but somehow seemed to shimmer with light.

 Opening the box out of curiosity, there was something wrapped in black cloth.

 Carefully removing the cloth, a robe with a strange luster appeared beneath.

“This is….”

 As Kim Jun lifted the robe, the surrounding light seemed to bend subtly.

 Its outline was becoming hazy as if trying to become one with the shadows.

—-

[Item Discovered] : 「Shadow’s Embrace」

[Grade] : C

[Type] : Robe

[Effect] : Enter stealth state when worn. Movement speed reduced by 30%.

—-

“This would be perfect for Su-in.”

 At the bottom of the box was another item.

 A uniquely shaped dagger.

 The curved blade resembled a serpent’s fang, and the handle was engraved with fine runic patterns.

—-

[Item Discovered] : 「Serpent Fang」

[Grade] : C

[Type] : Dagger

[Effect] : Target’s bleeding chance +25%, bleeding damage +40%

[Additional Effect] : Skill 「Viper’s Strike」 available

—-

“This is good too.”

 Kim Jun put both items into his spatial pouch. Such luck was rare. Especially equipment of C-grade or higher was difficult to obtain in the early floors of the Tower. 

Whoosh-

 He secured his greatsword to his back and brushed off his blood-stained clothes. After taking one last look around, he silently left the assassins’ hideout.

 As Kim Jun’s footsteps faded, there was slight movement among the pile of corpses.

 One assassin quietly raised himself from beneath his comrades’ bodies.

“Grrr….”

 He spat blood from his mouth and barely managed to stand by grabbing the wall.

 There was a wound on his neck where Kim Jun’s sword had grazed, but it wasn’t fatal. Thanks to his comrade’s corpse covering him.

“I will definitely kill you. Kim Jun…!”

*

 The second morning since the Tower opened. 

“Fresh bread here!”

“Buy recovery potions!”

 Tebe’s Market District bustled with Hunters who had flocked from all directions. Street vendors were busy calling customers with lively voices.

“Hyung? Hyung!”

“Min-soo?”

 At Park Min-soo’s booming voice running from afar, Kim Jun turned his head. Behind him, Lee Seo-yeon, Ryu Ji-a, and Han Su-in appeared in order.

“That was you, wasn’t it, hyung?”

“What was?”

“The person who killed the Dragon. The person who got the hidden class!”

 Park Min-soo’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

 He instinctively realized that the Dragon kill and hidden class acquisition news that had been delivered to all Hunters was Kim Jun’s achievement.

“Right!!”

 Park Min-soo spoke with a voice full of conviction. If not Kim Jun, no one else could have done it.

“That’s what happened.”

“Kiyaa! I knew it! I bragged to everyone about it! That the identity was none other than our hyung-nim. Hahaha!”

 Park Min-soo cheered and patted Kim Jun’s shoulder, but Kim Jun’s gaze was already fixed elsewhere.

 Toward Han Su-in, who stood quietly in the back.

“….”

 As always, taciturn, standing without saying a word.

 Her coldly stiffened appearance from before the regression overlapped with the vibrant Han Su-in before his eyes.

“Good work.”

“…?”

 Kim Jun approached and gently placed his hand on Han Su-in’s head, softly stroking it.

 He could feel the warmth seeping through her black hair.

‘…!?’

 Han Su-in’s eyes widened in surprise. It was rare for the guild leader, who was always as quiet and stoic as herself, to show such a tender side. 

 What she felt from that touch wasn’t just a simple greeting. For some unknown reason, it carried relief and affection. 

“Oppa! Me too! I was first to complete my class change!”

 Ryu Ji-a interrupted with a whining voice, grabbing Kim Jun’s arm. Her face was filled with a mischievous smile.

“Haha. Yes, Ji-a. Good work.”

“Ah, Park Min-soo came in last place again!”

 Park Min-soo’s face crumpled at Ryu Ji-a’s playful teasing. His expression twisted like a dented kettle, making everyone burst into laughter.

“H-hey! The tank class change exam takes a long time! The class instructor told me to hold a shield and endure attacks for a whole hour! He kept hitting me with a steel hammer while saying ‘A true tank is an unbreakable wall!’ and kept striking me! And then…”

 Park Min-soo waved his arms around in protest, but his desperate excuses only drew more laughter. 

“Nope, don’t believe you.”

 Ryu Ji-a shook her head from side to side. 

“I-I’m telling the truth!”

 Lee Seo-yeon wiped her tear-filled eyes with a handkerchief and said. 

“Min-soo, it’s okay. Tanks are always reliable.”

 Kim Jun quietly watched this peaceful moment. His companions laughing, chatting, and joking around. 

 The five members of Guild Han walked together through the streets of Tebe. Through the sunlit streets, bustling shops, and among the laughing and chattering people.

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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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