Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 596

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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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Chapter 127. Observe the Back of the One Who Stands Before
【The names, locations, and settings depicted in this work are fictional and differ from reality.】

Lee Sung-won began to activate his ability, ‘Recording’.

“Today is November 6th, noon at 12 o’clock.”

Time had passed swiftly since escaping the Shelter yesterday.
The words flowing from Lee Sung-won’s lips were being recorded.

“Current waiting location: the Third Floor of Moonlight Hotel, positioned directly in front of Gwangalli Beach.”

Hotels lined the roadside that overlooked Gwangalli Beach.
Among them, Lee Sung-won had taken up residence in Moonlight Hotel.

Originally, it should have been a hotel that easily exceeded ten stories, but currently it barely maintained its structure up to the fourth floor.

Whoooosh—
The sea breeze surged forward.

“The seashore near Gwangalli Beach is shrouded in thick fog, obscuring visibility entirely.”

Yet the direction from which the wind blew remained invisible.

“Not only is the Gwangan Bridge hidden from view, but even the sandy beach cannot be properly seen from the hotel.”

Thump. Thump. Thump.
Lee Sung-won’s heart pounded fiercely with tension.

From beyond the sea’s horizon, fog had suddenly surged forth after midnight.
The fog not only blanketed the Gwangalli area but, according to communications, had spread across all of Busan.

It felt as though announcing the arrival of an enemy king.
Thus, within the opaque visibility, Lee Sung-won’s tension steadily climbed.
He felt his mouth grow dry as he opened it to speak.

“We are currently awaiting the first unranked monster, commonly known as the Electric Eel.”

I was afraid.
My abilities were so meager that I couldn’t even defeat a Grade 3 monster, let alone a Grade 1 monster.

Yet here I stood, waiting for an Unranked monster at the very frontlines.

‘…It’s fine.’

But Lee Sung-won reassured himself.
On the Third Floor of the hotel with all its windows shattered, a man leaned against the pillar where the window frame had been, arms crossed.

“Is the recording done?”
“Yeah, it’s done. Brother.”

Kim Rok-soo was here with me.
My fingers moved.

Click.
With that soft sound, my first recording ended.

“My heart is racing.”

My gaze shifted.
Seated on an old sofa of unknown origin was Kim Gang-hun, the leader of Changwon Seongsan Shelter and representative of Gyeongnam.

Kale Heniatus, Lee Sung-won, Kim Gang-hun.
Only three people were stationed here on standby.

Throughout the entire Gwangan-ri area.

‘…I never thought it would come to this—just the three of us.’

As time drew closer, Kim Gang-hun felt anxiety mounting with each passing moment.

Just as that commander Kim Rok-soo had said, the moment November 6th arrived, fog began to slowly engulf Busan.
I could feel the prophecy becoming reality with every fiber of my being.

“There is no need to be anxious.”

He turned his head toward the voice he heard.
Kim Gang-hun realized that Kim Rok-soo was watching him.

“There is nothing to fear.”

Yet despite that calm tone, Kim Gang-hun remained anxious.
Why?

“We do not attack the monsters here. We merely observe.”

Exactly!
That’s precisely what makes it terrifying!

‘That’s why there are only three of us!’

Kim Gang-hun wondered if he had made a mistake volunteering.
The more he thought about it, the less he trusted this composition.

‘…Lee Sung-won is not an offensive fighter. Not a defensive one either. Combat ability: zero.’

And.

‘They say Kim Rok-soo is strong, but I’ve never actually seen it.’

So the only one I could trust was myself.
Kim Gang-hun bit his lip, tension coiling through him.

“Uh, uh-!”

At that moment, Lee Sung-won’s voice rang out.

“It’s here.”

Kim Rok-soo’s composed voice followed.

Whoosh!
Kale Heniatus pulled the blind cord he had installed yesterday.
Two-thirds of the window from the top was now obscured.

“Extinguish the light.”

At Kale’s resolute command, Lee Sung-won, who had been stammering, hastily snuffed out the candle in the corner of the room.

“Whoosh—”

In an instant, darkness engulfed the chamber.
Yet such darkness meant nothing to the eyes of Lee Sung-won and Kim Gang-hun.

Shhhhwoooosh—
It was not the sound of wind.
That was unmistakably the sound of water being cleaved apart.

The sound of a monster approaching.

And now it was visible.

Kim Gang-hun crouched beside Kale and peered through the opening that revealed one-third of the outside world.

“…This… this cannot be.”

It was visible.
Beyond the mist, where the sea should have been, there was nothing but white fog stretching endlessly into the distance.

“…A, a monster—!”

Something colossal—incomparably vast compared to the buildings that stood in Gwangalli—was slowly parting the seawater as it advanced toward them.

Its exact form remained obscured, but one thing was unmistakable: it possessed two heads.

“Commander, that’s—”
“Silence.”

At Kale’s word, Kim Gang-hun instinctively clamped his mouth shut.
Kale, paying no attention to Kim Gang-hun, pressed his index finger to his lips.

“Shh.”

Lee Sung-won, who had been about to speak like Kim Gang-hun, quickly sealed his lips in alarm.

Silence filled the room.
Instead, only the sound of a monster approaching from outside could be heard.

Closer and closer.
Gradually, faster and faster.
The monster was drawing near.

Kim Gang-hun tried to remain silent, but ultimately found himself unable to keep his mouth shut.

“Commander, how is such a massive monster even entering the Subway Tunnel?”

That colossal creature shrouded in mist could never fit into the Subway Tunnel, even if split in half.

‘Even if it divides and shrinks, there should be limits to that!’

Words spilled from Kim Gang-hun’s lips unbidden.

“That body, even if divided and reduced in size—mmph!”

His mouth was covered by Kale’s hand.

“It will hear us.”

In that instant, Kim Gang-hun recalled the explanation Kale had given about the Electric Eel.

‘This monster possesses two heads, and each head grants it different abilities.’
‘This applies even when its body separates.’

In other words, when the Electric Eel divided into two creatures, its abilities would split accordingly, following each head.

‘Which is precisely why it can be defeated.’

Kale’s hand withdrew, but Kim Gang-hun covered his own mouth with one hand.

‘The one with the Yellow-Haired head specializes in sound and electricity.’

At that moment, Kale’s low whisper reached his ears.

“Begin.”

And Kale Heniatus fell silent as well.
But that was enough. Kim Gang-hun immediately formed a specific hand seal.

Uuuu—
A faint, bestial cry seemed to echo through the air.
Whoosh!
Simultaneously, a translucent blue light enveloped the bodies of Kim Gang-hun, Kale Heniatus, and Lee Sung-won.

Kale Heniatus regarded the light wrapping around his form with a peculiar expression.
His gaze flickered toward Kim Gang-hun.

‘Shadow of the Moon, Kim Gang-hun.’

That was the epithet by which the future would know this representative of Gyeongnam.
He was one of the rare few who had acquired abilities tied to concealment and movement.

‘…When there is no sunlight, using his ability renders enemies unable to perceive his form and presence, or so I’ve heard.’

An ability that prevented enemies from detecting movements of a certain intensity, the sounds and presence they generated, and even the act of displacement itself. Moreover, those bathed in the same blue light could perceive one another.
And those who shared the same blue light could recognize each other.

Of course, if discovered even once for various reasons such as movements or failed attacks beyond a certain intensity, it couldn’t be used against the same enemy again.

It seemed a grave limitation, yet in this world, night held far greater terror.
It might feel like a big constraint, but in this world, the night was more terrifying.

“Moreover, right now the thick fog prevents the sunlight from shining through.”

Even though it was midday, there was no sunlight whatsoever, and the thick fog only gave off a gloomy atmosphere.

Kim Gang-hun lightly tapped Kale Heniatus’s arm.
Then he gave a nod.
And then he nodded his head.

“Commander, you don’t need to worry about being detected anymore.”

Thus, Kale Heniatus lifted the blind with somewhat greater boldness.
So Kale Heniatus boldly lifted the blinds slightly.

In that instant.

Kwaaaaaaaa—
A sound entirely unlike the parting of water pierced the air.
And at last, the colossal creature that had been barely visible materialized before their eyes in its full, terrible glory.

“Gasp!”

Lee Sung-won stifled a cry, clamping both hands over his mouth.

‘…What in the—!’

Crossing the sandy beach, a monster bearing two distinctly different heads—one Yellow-Haired, one Blue-Haired—made landfall upon Busan.

‘That’s supposed to be an eel?’

Lee Sung-won’s pupils trembled.
Kim Gang-hun harbored the same thought.

‘That’s a serpent—no, a water drake—’

His palms grew slick with sweat.

‘Or should I call it a Dragon?’

The creature moved with unhurried grace, radiating an indescribable, overwhelming presence.

Soundlessly.
And with ethereal elegance.

The Electric Eel turned each head in opposite directions, gazing slowly into the mist as though every shadow within it lay bare to its perception.
As if the fog concealed nothing from its sight.

Kim Gang-hun found himself thinking:

‘It’s like a creature from mythology itself!’

Though its scales lay shrouded in mist, blue and gold intermingled, shimmering with an iridescent brilliance.
It was beautiful.

That was what terrified me.
It was a monster revered like a god.
A chill crept down my spine.

‘Kim Rok-soo was right!’

An unranked monster.
This was an entirely different dimension from anything we had faced before.
A rank 1 monster was incomparable—a presence of such colossal magnitude.

‘If we had faced such a creature without any warning…!’

Kim Gang-hun felt sweat beading on his forehead without realizing it.
Lee Sung-won’s shoulders instinctively shrank inward.

Then the massive monster moved.

Kuuuuu—
Buildings crumbled and collapsed in the wake of the monster’s passage.

‘Ugh!’
‘Gasp!’

Shhhhh—
And that colossal body swept past mere inches from the Moonlight Hotel.
Kim Gang-hun and Lee Sung-won’s bodies froze solid.

Thump. Tap.
Then warm body heat registered against both their shoulders.

It was Kale Heniatus.
With his usual expression, he gave a subtle nod.

Move.
That was the meaning it carried.
Even as Kale Heniatus concealed his presence, he carefully shifted his steps toward the rooftop with utmost caution.

‘Ah. Thank goodness.’

In that moment, Kim Gang-hun found himself thinking such thoughts without realizing it.
Watching the unwavering back of the figure striding ahead, relief flooded through him, and his frozen body began to thaw.
He offered his back to Lee Sung-won.
Lee Sung-won climbed onto it, and soon the three of them reached the hotel’s rooftop.

By then, the colossal monster had already stretched its body in a straight line, its two heads fixed upon a single point.

‘As expected.’

Kale’s lips curved upward.

The Electric Eel was staring directly at the entrances to Gwangan Station leading underground.

“Sssss-”

The Yellow-Haired Monster’s mouth opened, releasing an otherworldly sound.

“Tssut-tss!”

A sound also emerged from the Blue-Haired Monster’s mouth, and in the next instant, an astonishing sight unfolded before their eyes.
Kim Gang-hun and Lee Sung-won widened their eyes.

‘It’s shrinking!’
‘It’s splitting!’

The colossal monster gradually reduced its legendary, beautiful form.
And then its body split in half.

“Mm.”

Kim Gang-hun swallowed hard.
The body had shrunk considerably.

‘At that size, it would be similar to the serpent-type among Grade 1 monsters!’

Still, the problem remained that it was only Grade 1 in size.
At least the reduced size was now sufficient to pass through the Subway Tunnel.

“Ssssshhh!”
“Tssshhh!”

The two monsters exchanged some form of vocalization before each moved toward Exit 7 and Exit 3 respectively.

Crack!
Boom!

They began forcing their way through the narrow entrance and descending into the underground.
Kim Gang-hun watched the scene unfold, his mind drifting into thought.

‘Well, subway entrances are narrow compared to the tunnels themselves.’

That was when it happened.

Boom!

As the Yellow-Haired Monster tore through the subway entrance with a deafening crash, forcing roughly half its body inside.

“The Yellow-Haired Monster won’t be able to hear anything now.”

Kale Heniatus’s voice reached the two men.
Kim Gang-hun and Lee Sung-won turned their heads.

“Let’s move.”

Whoooosh—
Wind enveloped the three of them.
Kale Heniatus pushed off the ground and leaped between buildings, making his way toward Gwangan Station.
Kim Gang-hun followed behind, carrying Lee Sung-won on his back.

“They’re fast.”

Kim Gang-hun could see the Yellow-Haired Monster and Blue-Haired Monster descending into the underground with remarkable speed, a stark contrast to their earlier graceful movements.

While the destruction of the entrance had been loud, their subsequent movements were as stealthy as possible.
The Seo-myeon Shelter would never have noticed them.

“Should we follow them down?”

The three of them halted near a building close to Gwangan Station, and when Kim Gang-hun posed his question, Kale Heniatus took a moment to gauge the situation before nodding and speaking.

“Proceed with caution.”
“Understood.”

Despite masking their presence, the three descended into the underground with utmost care.

‘It’s a mess.’

Lee Sung-won took in the devastated landscape of the subway station.
Without the blue light enveloping the three of them, the darkness would have rendered everything invisible, yet even through the pale glow, the monsters’ movements revealed destruction far worse than before.

A subtle gesture.
Kale beckoned them forward with a flick of his hand.
Kim Gang-hun followed, descending deeper underground.

“Stop.”

And Kale came to a halt.

The two Electric Eels had already vanished.
They must have moved in different directions.

Kale crouched down.
He extended one hand, and moisture touched his palm.

Kale traced the path the water droplets had taken.
He raised his other hand.

“Group 1, Group 2, do you copy?”

A radio transceiver rested in his hand.

-Yes, we copy.
-We copy, Commander!

Watching this unfold, Kim Gang-hun swallowed hard at the voices of his fellow operatives.

‘It’s beginning!’

Seeing the monster in person, the overwhelming pressure it exuded was immense—the operation to hunt it was beginning.
Kale’s calm voice resonated through the space.

“Two Electric Eels have begun moving.”

There were two routes from Gwangan Station to Seokmyeon through the Subway Tunnel.

One was to travel directly to Seokmyeon via Line 2 without transferring.
The other was the path through Gwangan-Suyeong-Yeonsan-Seokmyeon.

“The first Yellow-Haired Monster has moved toward Suyeong Station.”

Gwangan-Suyeong-Yeonsan-Seokmyeon.
The Yellow-Haired Monster wielding the powers of electricity and sound was taking that route.

“As commander, I order you.”

Kale issued his first command.

“The moment the Yellow-Haired Monster passes through Suyeong Station, detonate it.”
-Yes, Commander!
“Simultaneously.”

His orders were not yet finished.

“Detonate Yeonsan Station as well.”
-Yes.

Beep—
At that moment, another radio in Kale’s inner pocket crackled to life.
He drew it out, and a familiar voice flowed through.

-Commander.

It was Choi Han, another hidden piece.

-We’ve confirmed it’s currently passing through Suyeong Station.

Suyeong Station came after Gwangan Station.
The Yellow-Haired Monster was traversing the tunnel at tremendous speed.

Only then could I reach Seo-myeon Shelter faster, could I slaughter the people there.

Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.
Simultaneously, he summoned the Voice of Wind once more.
Whoooosh—
Lee Sung-won and Kim Gang-hun as well. The three of them were enveloped in wind.

Line 3, connecting Suyeong Station and Yeonsan Station.
While I kept the first head trapped, unable to advance or retreat.

‘We kill the second head first.’

Kale Heniatus kicked off the ground.
His body began moving swiftly along the path where water droplets and traces of water existed.
The second. I pursued the Blue-Haired Monster.

-Suyeong Station breached.

Choi Han’s voice came through, and Kale Heniatus raised the radio.

“5. 4. 3. 2.”

Kim Gang-hun followed behind him, swallowing hard.

“1.”

Kale Heniatus commanded calmly.

“Detonate.”
-Detonating!
-Detonating!

The voices of the Group 1 and Group 2 leaders came in succession.
And then.

BOOOOOM—!

From far away, in a direction different from where Kale was heading, a tremendous vibration surged forward.
It was the tremor of an explosion rushing from where the Yellow-Haired Monster—devoid of moisture—was headed.

“This is the place.”

Kale stopped before the Subway Tunnel entrance.

Line 2—connecting Gwangan to Seokmyeon without requiring a transfer.

A thin smile spread across his face.
The corners of Kale’s mouth lifted.
He glanced at Kim Gang-hun.

“Maintain your presence concealment.”
“Yes, understood.”

Now it no longer mattered if the Blue-Haired Monster detected us, but for a more certain situation, Kale willingly suppressed his presence.
A blue luminescence settled once more in the corridor where the Blue-Haired Monster had passed.
Kale spoke with a smile.

“Now then, shall we step on its tail?”

Now I was no longer the one fleeing or being pursued—I was the hunter.
Kim Gang-hun’s and Lee Sung-won’s eyes widened.

A sharp whistling sound—
Kale, still enveloped in wind.

Crackle. Crackle-snap.
Around him, crimson lightning began to flicker and undulate gradually in the darkness.

The Blue-Haired Monster.
The second head’s attributes were water and formidable fangs—venomous teeth.

In Kale’s palm, red electricity gleamed brilliantly in the darkness.

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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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