Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 593

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The gazes of those gathered near the Hall converged upon Kale Heniatus as he descended from the podium, their intensity burning like fire.
Yet Kale did not return their stares.

“I ask for your assistance.”

Instead, he offered these brief words to Heo Sook-ja, who ascended the podium steps while he descended—a stark contrast in their paths.
Heo Sook-ja passed him by, accompanied by Ma Seung-jin and one of her subordinates.

“Don’t mention it. I should be thanking you. I’ll handle what comes next.”

And she added:

“Our commander.”

In that instant, Kale’s gaze, which had been directed downward, shifted toward Heo Sook-ja.
Their eyes met, and Heo Sook-ja offered a subtle smile before continuing forward.
Ma Seung-jin, following behind her, nudged Kale’s arm with his elbow as he passed.

“That was impressive.”

Then he moved past him.
Heo Sook-ja, now standing upon the podium, opened her mouth to speak.

“I am Heo Sook-ja, commanding the defensive forces at the Busan Seo-myeon Shelter. Anyone wishing to participate in this unranked monster operation should come this way!”

The attention that had been fixed on Kale shifted toward Heo Sook-ja.
Kale observed this transformation, then resumed his steps toward the exit of the Hall. Choi Han followed in his wake.

At the entrance of the Hall, a single figure stood waiting to greet him.

“Rock-soo, that was an impressive speech.”

It was Lee Soo-hyuk.
Kale leaned against a pillar outside the Hall, arms crossed, and fixed his gaze upon Lee Soo-hyuk, who was observing him intently.

“Where is Park Jin-tae?”

Lee Soo-hyuk still wore black gloves.

A thin smile spread across his face.
Lee Soo-hyuk’s lips curved upward.

“Jin-tae is at Kang the Healer’s place.”

This meant that Park Jin-tae had been beaten senseless and carried to Kang the Healer’s medical chamber unconscious.
Lee Soo-hyuk spoke as naturally as the wind passing through.

“When he wakes up, I’ll have to see him again.”

At those words, Kale Heniatus reflected.

‘He’s certainly getting a proper beating.’

In that moment, Lee Soo-hyuk added with an expressionless face.

“Jin-tae said he wanted to see me again, then passed out.”

At this, Kale Heniatus thought.

‘Park Jin-tae is truly insane.’

Lee Soo-hyuk smiled again as he spoke.

“Wouldn’t it be good if Jin-tae’s spirit and body both grew through this?”

Kale Heniatus, gauging the sinister meaning contained within those words, answered calmly.

“Indeed.”

Lee Soo-hyuk slowly opened his mouth as he watched Kale Heniatus respond as if merely listening to someone else’s story.

“…You’ve worked hard.”

It was not merely about the effort spent on the speech, but words laden with many meanings about the time that had passed.
Both Kale Heniatus and Lee Soo-hyuk understood all those layers of meaning, yet neither made it obvious to the other.

“Anyway, Roun.”
“Yes.”
“That monster appearing in Gwangan-ri.”

The unranked monster emerging from the Busan Gwangan-ri seashore would advance toward the Seo-myeon Central Shelter.
Lee Soo-hyuk slowly withdrew his black gloves as he asked.

“What’s its name?”

Lee Soo-hyuk was asking for the monster’s name.
Kale Heniatus dredged up the name from his memory.

“Electric eel.”
“…Huh.”

Lee Soo-hyuk exhaled a short sigh.

“That’s the name of such a terrifying unranked monster?”
“Yes. That’s what it is.”
“Did you name it?”

No.
The Team Leader named it after surviving.
Kale Heniatus swallowed the rest of his words. Lee Soo-hyuk interpreted that brief silence in his own way.

“Well, you only saw or heard it through foresight, so you must have named it. Your naming sense is lacking.”
“That’s not—”
“I understand.”

Kale Heniatus felt oddly wronged.
But Lee Soo-hyuk dismissed Kale’s expression lightly and continued speaking.
“Ah, there was one thing about the speech that bothered me.”

Bothered him?
Kale Heniatus looked at Lee Soo-hyuk with a puzzled expression.

“What was it?”

Lee Soo-hyuk regarded Kale Heniatus for a moment, then glanced slightly toward Choi Han before looking back at Kale Heniatus and speaking.

“I will stand at the very front.”

Ah.
Kale Heniatus recalled the words he had spoken during his address.

‘And at least in this battle, those of you gathered here will see my back the most as we fight.’

The words about seeing Kale’s back the most.
It seemed Lee Soo-hyuk had disliked hearing that.

So Lee Soo-hyuk was declaring that he himself would stand at the very front.

Kale’s lips curved upward.
He opened his mouth as he watched Lee Soo-hyuk walk away without looking back at him.

“Battle formations should be determined by ability—each person taking the optimal position for their strength.”

It meant that Lee Soo-hyuk couldn’t simply decide to stand at the very front just because he wanted to.
Lee Soo-hyuk, who had paused for a moment, spoke a single word.

“Fair enough.”

Then he walked away without hesitation.
Choi Han opened his mouth as he watched Lee Soo-hyuk depart.

“How long until Lee Soo-hyuk reaches his peak?”

Choi Han had witnessed Lee Soo-hyuk’s combat prowess in Choi Jung-soo’s final memories.
The current Lee Soo-hyuk could be considered the strongest among the ability users present, yet he fell far short compared to that future version.
Lee Soo-hyuk’s combat power would take at least several years to fully mature.
Choi Han was curious about that timeframe.
That was when it happened.

Kale Heniatus answered without much thought.

“Soon, I’d say?”
“Pardon?”

Soon?
It should take at least one or two years.
Choi Han looked at Kale Heniatus in surprise.
Kale spoke his prediction aloud regardless of Choi Han’s reaction.

“By the time this battle ends, he’ll have almost reached it.”
“…Is that even possible?”

A soft laugh escaped.
Kale answered with a deflating chuckle.

“That guy is a genius.”

He paid no attention to Choi Han, who had been rendered speechless by his words, and his thoughts drifted elsewhere.

‘Combat power isn’t the issue.’

Just as Choi Han taught swordsmanship to Choi Jung-soo.
Kale didn’t teach Lee Soo-hyuk directly the way Choi Han did, but there was something he wanted to show him.
Things that came not from raw strength, but from experience.

And all of those things would unfold in this battle, etching themselves into Lee Soo-hyuk’s memory.

Kale slowly reviewed the battle plan with less than three days remaining.
As he watched people gradually leave the Hall, he painted an increasingly vivid picture in his mind.

The electric eel.
Despite its ridiculous name, this unranked monster was quite formidable to face.

‘Because it possessed superior intelligence.’

It wasn’t the type of monster that charged in recklessly, consumed by savagery, destroying everything in its path.
Of course, there were unranked monsters of that type, but this electric eel was remarkably cunning.

“Rock-soo hyung, are you heading straight to Gwangan-ri?”

At Choi Han’s question, Kale nodded.

“Yeah. We need to go right away. I have to check everything in advance and make preparations.”

Less than three days remained now.
I had to use this brief window of time without a single moment wasted.
Kale Heniatus intended to go to Gwangan-ri and prepare to face the monsters.

‘I will prepare every possible measure.’

Kale Heniatus steeled himself again and again for victory.
That was when it happened.

“Huh!”

He turned his gaze toward someone drawing a sharp breath in surprise.

‘…Kang Il-rae?’

It was the one who had been raising his voice toward Kale Heniatus standing on the podium.

‘Hmm?’

But now that person was hastily stumbling backward in alarm as he tried to approach Kale Heniatus.

“Gasp!”
“W-what is that!”

And the others were no different.
Kale Heniatus felt a hand patting his shoulder at that moment.

“Kale Heniatus.”

At Choi Han’s soft call, Kale Heniatus turned his head.
He naturally followed the direction of Choi Han’s gaze.

“Hmm?”

Far in the distance.
I could see the reason for everyone’s shock.
Particularly, I could understand why the Ability Users who had not encountered Kale Heniatus’s group on the way to Busan were especially startled.

Kang Il-rae pointed and shouted.

“Ho, a tiger monster!”

In the distance, a massive Dark Tiger was rapidly approaching, leaping over buildings at tremendous speed.

“Why hasn’t any alarm sounded?”
“What! How can this be allowed—”

Kim Gang-hun, the leader of Changwon Seongsan-gu, trailed off mid-sentence as he grasped the situation around him.

‘Everyone is so calm!’

The people near the Dark Tiger that bounded over the buildings showed no particular change in expression, appearing much as they always did.
In fact, several from the Seo-myeon Shelter gazed at the tiger monster with distinctly positive emotions.

“…What in the world is happening?”

Not only Kim Gang-hun but others as well noticed this peculiarity.
Because of this, while everyone assumed a defensive stance, none dared launch an attack hastily.

“Ah. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”

Kim Gang-hun turned to look at the young woman who had sat beside him during the earlier speech.

“Do you know this monster?”

The surrounding Ability Users focused on her response.
The woman who received their gazes shrugged and gestured with her chin toward one direction.

There stood Kale Heniatus.

“He’s that person’s older brother.”
“…Pardon?”

At that moment, the Dark Tiger descended onto the path before the Hall where Kale Heniatus stood.

Thud!
With a dull sound befitting its massive frame, the tiger landed and approached Kale Heniatus, its black mane flowing elegantly.

“Older brother.”

And Kale Heniatus greeted the Dark Tiger warmly.

“Is he really your older brother?”
“Why would a monster be your brother?”
“Huh.”

Sighs and exclamations rippled through the crowd from all directions.
Then Heo Sook-ja approached from behind them and uttered a single phrase.

“He’s one of our allies.”

It was the moment when everyone’s expressions shifted once more.
The Dark Tiger’s voice reached all their ears.

“Little brother. Could we have a word?”
“Of course, older brother.”

Whether the bewildered onlookers were confused or not, Kale Heniatus departed with Alberu toward a quieter location.

It was beyond the City Wall of the Seo-myeon Shelter.

* * *

Once outside the Castle, Kale Heniatus confirmed that no one but Choi Han and Alberu remained nearby before speaking.

“Have you already completed everything I asked of you?”

Kale Heniatus had asked Alberu to meet with Sherit and the Dragon Hybrid regarding matters related to the Dragon.

“No. I fell asleep briefly before going to meet Lord Sherit.”

Fell asleep briefly.
That meant he had stolen moments of sleep to convey something urgent.
When Alberu slept, he would come here.

“What urgent matter is it?”

Kale Heniatus’s expression hardened.

“…Did the White Star launch an attack?”

Choi Han’s face grew even more rigid as he pressed the question.
Alberu shook his head. His mane swayed elegantly.

“No. Neither of them.”
“Then what—?”

Choi Han voiced his confusion, and Kale Heniatus immediately followed up.

“What happened in the Library Underground Stone Chamber?”

Alberu nodded.

“It seems we’ve obtained extraordinary information.”

Hmm?
Kale Heniatus hesitated slightly.

Obtained extraordinary information—or rather, it seems we’ve obtained it?
The phrasing was uncharacteristic of Alberu’s usual manner of speech.

“Tell us what happened first.”

Alberu, along with Raon, recounted everything that had transpired in the Library Underground Stone Chamber of the Roun Royal Castle without reservation.

An unbreakable spear.
The entire process of obtaining that white spear flowed from his lips, and shock gradually etched itself across Choi Han’s face.
Meanwhile, Kale Heniatus remained silent, his lips pressed firmly together.

“…This really does seem to be extraordinary information.”

Once Alberu finished speaking, those were the words Choi Han uttered.
The Dark Tiger affirmed with silence and looked toward Kale Heniatus. In that moment, Kale Heniatus’s mouth opened.

“A third Earth?”
“Yes.”

As Alberu answered, Choi Han began pouring out words from beside him.

“Doesn’t this mean there’s a first and second Earth? Parallel universes or parallel worlds or something like that—!”
“I’m thinking the same thing, Wind. If we can uncover more information based on this, we’ll surely gain insights not only into the secrets of this world and this trial, but also into our future endeavors.”

Choi Han raised his voice.

“Exactly! If we gather just a bit more information, we’ll definitely obtain something beneficial.”

Alberu nodded.

“That’s why I had a conversation with that spear before coming here.”

Before falling asleep, Alberu had made time to speak with the Unbreakable Spear.
Kale Heniatus blurted out.

“An AI?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it.”

He shook his head and gestured urgently for Alberu to continue.

‘Another Earth. Just how many are there?’

And was the place where Kale Heniatus and Alberu were located also Earth?
Or was it yet another planet?

Kale Heniatus felt his head beginning to ache at the ever-expanding scale of it all.

‘I’ll focus only on the necessary information.’

Rather than concern himself with a third Earth or whatever else, he decided to retain only the information from what Alberu had learned that was relevant to this place and where he needed to return.

“That spear introduced itself as ‘Tae-rang.'”

Alberu paused briefly, as if organizing his thoughts, before continuing.

“According to it, dungeons began appearing one day in that place, and Hunters emerged.”

Huh?
What?
Kale Heniatus found himself speaking without thinking.

“Hunters?”
“Yes.”
“And dungeons?”
“Yes. Monster waves? Apparently those exist too.”

…Sigh.
Kale could only exhale in resignation.
Regardless, Alberu was eager to share the information he had gathered.

“It seems they call ability users ‘hunters’ in that place, but they appear somewhat different from here.”
“In what way, sir?”

Choi Han spoke with growing interest, his eyes alight with curiosity.
He too gleamed with fascination at this new information.

“According to Tae-rang, that place has a system called ‘levels.’ By clearing dungeons, hunters gain stats, and by distributing the stats earned through leveling up, they can grow stronger. Though he mentioned that even this cannot overcome innate talent.”
“…That is certainly different from here. We have no such level system. While there is application and development of abilities, it is not expressed numerically.”

Choi Han nodded solemnly in agreement.

“Right. And the innate talent he spoke of ranges from F-rank to S-rank, and even extends to EX-rank. An F-rank hunter, no matter how much they level up, will struggle to catch up to an S-rank hunter.”

At Alberu’s words, Kale silently dragged his hand across his face.

“So according to Tae-rang.”

The words were so distinctive and carried such powerful meaning that Alberu remembered them clearly.
Thus, he spoke them exactly as he had heard them.

“‘If you use me, even an F-rank hunter will have a windfall of money and a path of prosperity and satisfaction unfold before them.'”
“…Ha.”

Having read countless web novels over the years, Kale found himself covering his face with both hands once more.
But soon he lowered his hands and could only stare at Alberu—because of what he said next.

“And another thing. I asked Tae-rang about the monster whose materials were used to forge the spear.”

The moment Alberu heard mention of the Third Earth, he instantly grasped what he needed to ask.
Kale Heniatus’s gaze gradually shifted toward Alberu’s eyes.

“That worst monster in history was bipedal—with the hide of a dragon bearing eight wings, the head of a lion, and the talons of an eagle.”

In that moment, their gazes collided.
Kale Heniatus’s lips parted.

“It’s the statue that was in the Demon Temple.”
“…As expected.”

A peculiar light flickered in Alberu’s eyes.
Witnessing that gleam, Kale Heniatus spoke bluntly.

“The strongest monster.”

Among the eight statues, I had encountered six.
But there were two more monsters that seemed even stronger than those six.
The first one among those two.

Its appearance spilled from Alberu’s lips.

The thought that there were two monsters stronger than the six, the realization that there was no data on them—it had given me a headache. But now, a glimmer of hope entered my vision.

Alberu, sharing the same thought as Kale Heniatus, spoke again.

“The spear I possess is supposedly the only weapon that can shatter that monster’s bones?”
“Then we should shatter it.”

The corners of Kale Heniatus and Alberu’s mouths rose—human and tiger alike.

* * *

“Commander-in-Chief.”

The first general strategy meeting.
The conference room was filled with regional representatives carefully selected by ability users from across the nation.
Kim Gang-hun, the representative from Gyeongnam, asked Kale Heniatus while observing him.

“The electric eel. Which route is that monster using to infiltrate the Seo-myeon Shelter?”

A cunning unranked monster.
A creature that appeared before people who never dreamed an unranked monster would emerge.
That monster rose quietly from beneath the sea surface, methodically destroying everything through covert means.

Kale answered briefly.

“The subway.”

The Seo-myeon Shelter connected underground.
This was precisely why this place had inevitably become a battlefield in the past.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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