The Returned Hunter Has Awakened to a Hidden Class - Chapter 85
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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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85
Chapter 85
Sanctuary of the Abyss (3)
“Ugh…”
Kim Jun let out a groan.
His body felt heavy.
Arms and legs heavy as lead, chest feeling as if crushed under a boulder.
No, his head was heavy too.
His thoughts weren’t organizing properly, and the countless pieces of information he’d heard yesterday were all tangled up.
Lucifer.
The Usurper.
▲▲’s choice.
The aura of rebellion.
The existence on the 100th Floor.
‘Too much.’
Kim Jun thought.
He had heard too many things all at once.
New information poured in before he could digest it, and other truths were revealed before he could understand.
And his body was exhausted too.
‘Did I push too hard?’
He had conquered over 20 floors in just two days.
From the Surface to the 30th Floor, from Underground to the 30th Floor.
Even though Kim Jun had grown overwhelmingly stronger, this pace seemed to have been too much.
The burden from using 「Yeonje」 was also great. 99% of his stamina was consumed, his muscles were torn, and his entire body screamed in pain.
In that state, he met Lucifer, made a contract, and accepted his power.
‘It was painful.’
Kim Jun recalled the memory.
When Lucifer’s power entered his body, it felt like being burned alive. His blood vessels boiled, his bones felt like they were melting, and his consciousness nearly faded.
But he endured it.
Gritting his teeth, holding onto his sanity, he endured until the very end.
And as compensation for that.
‘Dark attribute reached MAX.’
He could feel it without checking his status window.
The power of darkness flowing through his body had become much stronger than before.
But right now, more than that.
“Ugh…”
Sleep was more important.
His eyelids were heavy.
Even when he tried to force them open, they closed again, and his consciousness grew hazy.
‘Just a little more.’
Kim Jun thought.
If he could just sleep a little more.
If he could just rest a little more.
Just then.
“Meong meong~.”
He felt a weight.
On his chest.
“…?”
Kim Jun opened his eyes.
Meong Meong was there. Curled up in a ball on Kim Jun’s chest, sleeping with her fluffy fur facing toward Kim Jun’s face.
“…”
Kim Jun looked down at Meong Meong.
The cat was sleeping peacefully.
Breathing through her small nose, her whiskers occasionally twitching, and her tail swaying gently.
And.
“She’s even snoring. Lucky little thing.”
A small sound could be heard.
“Purr… purr…”
She really was snoring.
‘I never knew cats snored before.’
Kim Jun chuckled softly.
How soundly she was sleeping.
Throughout the entire conversation with Lucifer, even during the contract ceremony, Meong Meong had been sleeping peacefully in Kim Jun’s arms.
A deep sleep that wouldn’t be disturbed even if the world collapsed.
“Wake up.”
Kim Jun poked Meong Meong repeatedly.
“Meong…”
Meong Meong slightly opened her eyes.
She looked at Kim Jun with half-closed eyes, then closed them again.
“…”
Kim Jun poked her again.
“Meong meong~.”
Meong Meong yawned.
Her small mouth opened wide, revealing a pink tongue and sharp little fangs.
Then she stretched.
Extending her front paws and arching her back like a bow, her tail stood straight up.
“Meong meong~.”
She made a satisfied meowing sound.
Then she pressed her little paws into Kim Jun’s chest.
Her soft paw pads rhythmically pressed and released against Kim Jun’s chest repeatedly.
“You really were heavy.”
Kim Jun muttered.
She looked small but was surprisingly weighty.
Since she had been sitting on his chest all day, that’s probably why breathing felt a bit stuffy.
‘I’m still tired though.’
He wanted to sleep a little more.
His body had recovered but he still felt drowsy, his eyelids were heavy, and the bed was too comfortable.
But with Meong Meong on his chest, he couldn’t sleep properly.
“Go play somewhere else now… I need to sleep more… you’re too heavy…”
Kim Jun tried to lift Meong Meong and move her to the side.
“Meong?!”
Meong Meong looked shocked.
Her big eyes grew even bigger, her ears flattened back, and her tail drooped.
With a hurt expression.
As if asking how he could do such a thing.
“Ugh…”
Kim Jun sighed.
Why would she make such a hurt expression?
Having no choice, Kim Jun summoned Andras.
Peng-!
“What! Master!”
A flustered expression from being suddenly summoned.
It shouldn’t be time to call him yet, right?
“Play with Meong Meong for me.”
“…;”
Andras looked down at Meong Meong.
Meong Meong also looked up at Andras.
“Meong?”
“…Why should I.”
“It’s a favor. Let me sleep a bit more.”
“…Fine.”
Andras reluctantly nodded his head.
*
Kim Jun got up from the bed.
He looked out the window. It was still dark, the wasteland stretched endlessly, and the sky was gray.
He couldn’t tell the time.
This place had no distinction between day and night.
‘How long did I sleep?’
He checked his physical condition.
Much better.
His heavy limbs had become light, his torn muscles had recovered, and his head was clear.
That disgusting food probably helped too.
‘Lucifer.’
Kim Jun recalled last night.
Lucifer had said he would nurture Kim Jun.
Of course, it didn’t mean he would do everything for him, but that he would provide a foundation to become stronger faster.
As a result, Lucifer was registered in 「Deus Ex Machina」.
Kim Jun opened his status window.
—-
[Available Contract Slots: 5]
– Slot 1 : [Asmodeus] / Great Demon of Lust
└ Effect : For 1 minute, all attacks deal fixed damage
– Slot 2 : [Valderion] / Sword Saint
└ Effect : Deploy Sword Saint’s Domain for 30 seconds, sealing evasion and defense of all enemies within
– Slot 3 : [Lucifer] / First Fallen Angel, Great Demon of Pride
└ Effect : Enter 「Dark Emperor」 state for 1 minute
– Slot 4 : [Empty]
– Slot 5 : [Empty]
– Additional slots available when contracting with new transcendents and maxing affinity
—-
「Dark Emperor」.
Kim Jun’s gaze stopped at those words.
‘Emperor.’
Emperor.
Naming within the Tower carried power in the name itself.
It wasn’t just a simple title but proof of authority and qualification.
One who is not a king cannot claim to be king, and one who is not an emperor cannot claim to be emperor.
Names could only be created by those with appropriate qualifications, and could only be used by those with appropriate qualifications.
It was the same before regression.
There were those who called themselves kings, but those who held the title of king at the Tower’s ‘system level’ were extremely few.
Emperor was even rarer.
Those who could hold the title of emperor could be counted on one hand.
‘Then.’
Kim Jun thought.
‘What exactly is Kaiser?’
He had doubts.
The first seal of 「Kaiser’s Legacy」, 「Flame Emperor」.
It also contained Emperor. Emperor of flames, ruler of fire.
But Kaiser was a being bound to the Tower.
Moreover, he was human.
‘How can a human use the title Emperor?’
It was strange that an ordinary human, not a god or demon, could hold the title of emperor.
Of course, Kaiser wasn’t an ordinary human.
Even before regression, there were many legends about him, traces of him remained throughout the Tower, and long-lived NPCs sometimes claimed to have actually seen Kaiser.
But that was all.
‘There was no further information.’
Before regression, Kaiser’s weapons couldn’t be found, the source of his skills was unknown, and no one knew why he disappeared.
Only traces remained, but no truth.
‘But in this regression.’
Fortunately, it seemed he had found a clue.
He had obtained 「Kaiser’s Legacy」, could use 「Flame Emperor」, and would be able to obtain more seals in the future.
In that process, the truth about Kaiser would surely be revealed.
‘Will I be able to find out this time?’
The higher he climbed the Tower, the more tales related to him would appear.
Since he was growing faster than before regression, he would be able to see things he couldn’t see before regression.
‘How exciting.’
Perhaps traces of him that were carelessly passed by might become clues to learning the next skills sealed in 「Kaiser’s Legacy」.
Kim Jun smiled.
And checked his status window again.
—-
Attribute Affinity
└ Fire : MAX
└ Darkness : MAX
—-
“…MAX.”
Kim Jun’s eyes lit up.
His darkness attribute had reached MAX.
While accepting Lucifer’s power was quite painful, as a result he was able to raise his dark attribute to MAX.
Originally, he could have maxed it around the 70th floor of Hell.
“It’s gotten incredibly fast.”
Kim Jun muttered.
It was advanced by 40 floors.
At this rate, he wouldn’t need to use the holy attribute weapon 「Judgment Sword Victorius」 when conquering Hell in the future.
Most monsters in Hell were weak to holy attributes and strong against darkness attributes, so he had no choice but to mainly use 「Judgment Sword Victorius」.
But now it was different.
‘「Dragon Eater」 alone is enough.’
「Dragon Eater」, which had affinity for fire and darkness attributes.
Now that his darkness attribute had reached MAX, it would be even more powerful, ignoring attribute advantages.
“I wonder if they’re doing well though.”
Kim Jun muttered.
Before coming here, he had given his companions one assignment.
To reach level 50.
Because that was the level where second awakening became possible.
Even now, excluding Kim Jun, they could be called the strongest Hunters.
‘But compared to that bastard.’
They were weak.
Infinitely weak.
That existence on the 100th Floor. ■■. The Usurper.
Perhaps regression was the only way to clear this Tower – with the speed and growth from before regression, there was absolutely no way to defeat that bastard.
‘Now that I think about it, it pisses me off.’
Kim Jun frowned.
How the hell were they supposed to clear this thing.
‘First, my companions.’
Kim Jun organized his thoughts.
His companions’ growth was important.
No matter how strong Kim Jun became alone, it would be insufficient to face that bastard on the 100th Floor by himself.
Fortunately, the 29th Floor was a perfect leveling spot.
[Red Wasteland]. A place where Orcs endlessly appeared on the endless expanse of red sand.
A thousand elite Orcs. As soon as one was killed, a new Orc would respawn in another location, repeating this endlessly.
It was the optimal location that could be called an experience spot.
With his companions’ current abilities, there shouldn’t be any particular danger.
Han Su-in’s speed, Ryu Ji-a’s firepower, Park Min-soo’s tanking, Lee Seo-yeon’s healing.
It was a combination that could hunt stably enough.
‘I’m curious though.’
Kim Jun thought.
How much had they grown by now.
Had they gotten close to level 50.
He wanted to ask, but it was impossible.
The 「Communication Equipment」 obtained from the Dark Soul Staircase only worked within 10 floors, and Kim Jun was currently on the 30th Basement Floor, so it was nowhere near reachable distance.
“…They’ll do well, right?”
The reason Kim Jun’s heart was anxious was.
Because of two things.
No, two bastards.
Ryu Ji-a and Park Min-soo.
‘Ji-a is.’
Incredibly talented. She was a more powerful mage than anyone, and grew faster than anyone.
But the problem was interest.
She was the type to quickly lose interest if something didn’t interest her, and even during Gate activities before the Tower appeared, she would often enter powerful Gates alone regardless of level.
Monotonous hunting didn’t suit Ji-a’s personality.
She would definitely get bored.
She might give up halfway and go to the 31st Floor alone.
‘And Min-soo is.’
Kim Jun sighed.
That bastard whose brain was filled with muscle. Park Min-soo.
This guy was a gym fanatic who would exercise whenever he had the chance, and even during Tower conquests, he would subtly conserve his strength to save stamina for working out later.
His combat was powerful, but not efficient.
He would definitely say something like ‘Let me just do a hundred push-ups and come back!’ in the middle of hunting.
“…They’ll do well.”
Kim Jun muttered again.
Fortunately, Lee Seo-yeon and Han Su-in were there.
Lee Seo-yeon had a strong sense of responsibility, and Han Su-in was diligent.
With those two there, they would work hard, wouldn’t they.
No, they had to work hard.
They needed to reach level 50 by the time Kim Jun returned.
‘I trust them.’
Or else I’ll kill them.
Creak-
And Kim Jun also had work to do.
Beelzebub.
The boss of the 33rd Floor. The great demon of greed and gluttony.
He had to kill that bastard, become stronger, and conquer faster.
Kim Jun left the room.
He passed through the corridor and went down the stairs. In the 1st Floor Hall, Lucifer was standing.
“Did you rest well?”
“Yeah.”
“Then we’ll depart.”
“Right.”
“Don’t disappoint me.”
Kim Jun nodded.
[Entering 31st Basement Floor!]
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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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