The Returned Hunter Has Awakened to a Hidden Class - Chapter 74
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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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74
Chapter 74
Everlasting Flower (1)
A majestic tree like the World Tree.
Beautiful flowers of various colors surrounding it.
Kim Jun slowly descended.
His feet touched the soft grass.
‘This is it.’
Memories from before his regression came flooding back.
This place, beneath the Gigantic Tree.
Where the 「Everlasting Flower」 had bloomed.
Kim Jun turned his head and looked around.
Red flowers, blue flowers, yellow flowers.
Flowers of all colors were in full bloom.
However.
“…Huh?”
Kim Jun’s expression changed.
Something was strange.
The 「Everlasting Flower」.
It should definitely be somewhere around here.
Kim Jun knelt down and examined the flowers.
One, two, three.
“This is…”
The petals were tightly closed.
Flower buds that hadn’t bloomed yet.
‘No way.’
Kim Jun checked other flowers but.
“…”
They were all the same.
“This can’t be.”
Kim Jun hurriedly looked around.
Swish-
He stood up and searched here and there.
He walked around the tree once.
Dozens of 「Everlasting Flowers」.
But.
“None of them have bloomed.”
They were all flower buds.
There wasn’t a single flower in full bloom.
“Why on earth?”
Kim Jun frowned.
Before his regression, they had definitely been in full bloom.
Whenever he came, there were flowers blooming brightly.
‘Only fully bloomed flowers can be used as ingredients.’
Although Adelaine hadn’t specifically mentioned it.
Kim Jun knew that much.
For the potion to properly exhibit its effects.
It had to be a fully bloomed flower with complete power.
Kim Jun opened the Quest window.
[Currently completed floors: 2nd Floor]
[Remaining time: 6 days 23 hours 19 minutes]
There was still plenty of time.
In Kim Jun’s estimation.
‘4 days should be enough.’
To clear the 50th Floor.
But unexpected things always happen.
He couldn’t be complacent.
‘I need to gather ingredients as quickly as possible.’
He had to start conquering Hell.
There was no time to waste.
‘Why is this happening?’
Kim Jun thought.
Because he came up too quickly?
Or was it the intervention of another entity?
Like ■■■ or ▲▲▲.
‘There’s no answer.’
It was useless to worry about it alone.
“I should ask someone first.”
Kim Jun looked up.
30th Floor, Garden of Eternity.
There was an NPC here.
Dea.
The gardener who managed the flowers.
‘She would know.’
Rather than worrying alone here.
It was more rational to ask an expert.
Just as Kim Jun was about to spread his wings.
“Meong?”
He turned his head.
Meong Meong was rolling around in a flower bed a little distance away.
She had been on his shoulder the whole way here.
When did she get down?
“Meongmeong~”
The black cat was rubbing herself against the Lavender Field.
Her question mark tail showed no signs of coming down.
She was squinting her eyes, seemingly enjoying the flower fragrance.
“Let’s go.”
Kim Jun called.
“Meong!”
Meong Meong jumped up.
Patter patter-
She ran over with her short legs and.
Hop-!
Jumped onto Kim Jun’s shoulder.
“Meongmeong.”
She settled in as if satisfied.
“Shall we go.”
Kim Jun spread his wings.
Flap-!
flew toward the depths of the garden.
*
It was a peaceful afternoon.
Dea was tending to the flowers as always.
“Hehe.”
Humming a little tune.
She cut off withered leaves with scissors.
Watered them.
Smoothed the soil.
A tranquil daily routine.
That’s when it happened.
Boom-!
The ground shook.
“Kyaah!”
Dea screamed.
The vibration was so powerful that the watering can in her hand fell.
“Wh-what?!”
An earthquake?
No, there couldn’t be earthquakes in this place.
The 30th Floor was a safe place.
Boom-!
The ground rumbled once more.
Closer.
Stronger.
Dea pointed toward where the sound came from with trembling hands.
Dust rose up.
And from within it.
Flap-!
Black wings folded.
“A d-demon…?!”
Dea’s eyes widened.
Massive black wings.
An unmistakably murky dark aura.
A being with the form of a demon.
“How…”
Words wouldn’t come out.
This was the 30th Floor.
A place where monsters from other floors couldn’t cross over.
A place protected by the system, right?
Even if it were possible, there would be nothing for a monster to gain here anyway.
“Ah…”
Her legs trembled violently.
Goosebumps covered her entire body.
Step-
That being walked forward.
This way.
Slowly.
Step step-
With each step it took closer.
An overwhelming presence could be felt.
‘If it’s this powerful…’
Dea thought.
‘The system might not be able to stop it…’
Was it such a strong being.
Come to think of it, she seemed to have heard something like this from her mother before.
Step-
It got closer and closer.
10 meters.
5 meters.
3 meters.
“U-ugh…”
Dea stepped backward.
She wanted to run away.
But her legs wouldn’t obey her.
‘Didn’t it see me?’
A thread of hope.
Maybe it hadn’t noticed her.
But.
Step-
The demon stopped.
Right in front of her.
“Hiiik!”
Dea screamed.
She clasped her hands together.
“Pl-please…!”
Just as she was about to beg for her life.
“I have something to ask.”
A cold, low voice.
Dea looked up with trembling eyes.
The demon’s face.
No.
Looking closely, it was a human.
Just one overflowing with demonic energy.
“Why aren’t the flowers blooming?”
Kim Jun asked.
*
“W-well, you see…”
Dea began explaining in a trembling voice.
“The Everlasting Flower…is a flower that grows slowly.”
“How long?”
“It feeds on the Tower’s mana…and takes at least two months to fully bloom. Right now there’s about a month left.”
“A month?”
Kim Jun frowned.
“The place where you’re from, Hunter-nim. Earth. It hasn’t been long since the Tower was erected there, right?”
“About a month…no, maybe two months.”
“That’s why.”
Dea answered carefully.
“So…you’ll have to wait about another month…”
“A month.”
Kim Jun muttered.
A month.
“H-how did you get here so quickly?”
Dea asked with a surprised expression.
“Usually it takes at least 2 years to reach the 30th Floor… Oh, of course I only heard about it secondhand.”
“I was in a hurry.”
Dea had good reason to be surprised.
Even before his regression, it took Kim Jun over a year to reach the 30th Floor.
Just the 10th Floor, the Minotaur’s Labyrinth alone took nearly a month.
The Dark Soul Staircase… he didn’t even want to think about it.
“Haah. What should I do.”
Kim Jun recalled the Quest window.
[Currently completed floors: 2nd Floor]
[Time remaining: 6 days 22 hours 58 minutes]
6 days.
He didn’t have the luxury of waiting a month.
Of course, there was no penalty for failure, but.
‘I can’t give up on this Quest.’
The meeting with ???.
An existence of unknown identity.
He couldn’t miss that opportunity.
“Isn’t there another way?”
Kim Jun asked.
“A-another way?”
“Yeah. Something to make it bloom faster.”
“That’s…”
Dea made a troubled expression.
“The Everlasting Flower is a special flower, so…”
“I know. I’m just asking just in case.”
Kim Jun took a step closer.
The distance between him and Dea narrowed.
“Really nothing?”
Kim Jun lowered his head and looked straight at Dea.
With desperate eyes, pitiful eyes.
“Is there absolutely no way?”
“U-uuum…”
Dea averted her gaze.
She quietly stepped back.
One step.
Her hand repeatedly grabbed and released the hem of her skirt.
“A-are you in a hurry?”
“Very much.”
Kim Jun took another step closer.
“H-how much?”
Dea turned her head.
She answered while looking toward the flower garden.
“By today.”
“T-today?!”
Dea’s eyes widened.
“T-that’s too short…”
“I know. But I need a way.”
Desperation seeped into Kim Jun’s voice.
Dea stared intently at Kim Jun.
A man with the appearance of a demon.
At first she was scared.
But now it was different.
The sincerity felt in his eyes.
‘He must really be in a hurry…’
Dea let out a sigh.
“If you really insist…”
“Yeah?”
“There is one method.”
Kim Jun’s eyes lit up.
“What is it?”
“Forcing it to bloom.”
“That’s possible?”
“Yes. But…”
Dea trailed off.
“It’s not easy.”
“That’s not a problem. Just tell me the method.”
“If you inject an enormous amount of mana into the Everlasting Flower…”
Dea continued her explanation.
“You stimulate the flower with pure mana to force it to bloom.”
“Then it’ll work?”
“In theory, yes. But…”
“But?”
“The amount of mana needed is tremendous.”
Dea spread both hands wide.
Ten fingers.
“100,000?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
—-
[Name]: Kim Jun
[Race]: Half-Human Half-Demon Half-Dragon
[Grade]: S-rank
[Level]: 65
[Stats]:
– Strength: 400(+70)
– Agility: 210 (+60)
– Intelligence: 130 (+55)
– Health: 312,500/312,500
– Mana: 41,510/45,000
[Titles]: Dragon Hunter, Master of the Labyrinth, Demon’s Contractor…
—-
Kim Jun’s current mana was 45,000.
It was insufficient, but it wasn’t like there was no way.
“And.”
Dea added while gauging Kim Jun’s reaction.
“To inject the mana, you’ll also need a special item.”
“What kind of item?”
“Somewhere in this place. It’s an item you can get from a giant creature.”
It was one mountain after another.
Kim Jun organized his thoughts.
‘To obtain the 「Gate of Hell」.’
He needed to strengthen 「Diablo」.
‘To strengthen 「Diablo」.’
He needed to continue conquering Hell.
‘To conquer Hell.’
He needed status ailment immunity potions.
‘To make those potions.’
He needed the 「Everlasting Flower」.
‘To obtain that flower.’
100,000 mana and a special item.
“Haah…”
Kim Jun let out a deep breath.
He suddenly felt dizzy.
‘There’s no end to it.’
Of course, these were all things he had to do anyway.
Even without the Quest.
But having them all piled up like this.
In a chain reaction.
‘My head hurts.’
The tasks to be done stretched endlessly.
Solve one thing, and there’s the next problem.
Solve that, and there’s yet another problem.
It felt like climbing endless stairs.
“Phew…”
Kim Jun pressed his forehead.
Irritation surged up suddenly.
“A-are you alright?”
“…”
Kim Jun closed his eyes.
Deep breath.
Once, twice.
‘Calm down.’
Getting irritated wouldn’t change anything.
What needed to be done had to be done.
‘I’m just being sensitive.’
Too many things had happened in too short a time.
Two months since his regression.
How many things had happened in that time?
He was just momentarily exhausted.
‘Nothing will change.’
The work was still mountainous.
Time was still pressing.
But.
‘I just need to get it done.’
Just as he had been doing until now.
“I’m fine.”
Kim Jun opened his eyes.
What mattered now was moving forward.
‘The 7th Layer of Hell.’
The biggest obstacle to Kim Jun’s current growth.
If he could just break through that place.
He could strengthen 「Diablo」.
He could obtain the 「Gate of Hell」.
‘I’m almost there.’
Just a little more now.
“That special item. Where did you say it was?”
Kim Jun asked.
“Right below here.”
Dea pointed at the ground beneath her feet.
Below the garden.
“Underground?”
“Yes. It’s beneath the garden.”
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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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