Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 597

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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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-Detonation.

The moment Kim Rok-soo’s voice crackled through the radio.
Bae Pureun raised his voice.

“The attack has begun!”

Boom! Boom!
Simultaneously, thunderous sounds erupted from all directions.
Bae Pureun’s position was on the surface above Daeyeon Station, located between Gwangan Station and Seo-myeon Station. The people here were guarding all exits numbered 1 through 4 leading down into Daeyeon Station.

“Graaaah!”
“Screeeee!”

Through the thick fog, monsters revealed themselves.
They thrashed about as if seized by madness—or perhaps terror.

‘Just as our Rok-soo hyung—no, Commander said!’

Watching the scene unfold, Bae Pureun recalled Kim Rok-soo’s words.

‘When an Unranked monster appears, monsters of other grades will rampage as well. It’s a different pattern from the monster attacks on the early Shelter, but monsters will cause havoc throughout Busan.’

Kim Rok-soo had spoken with certainty.

‘Don’t be swayed by that chaos. You must kill the Unranked monster first.’

A single voice reached Bae Pureun’s ears.

“Shall we begin?”

It was Ki Hee-ran, the Chungbuk Representative Group leader commanding Group 5.

“Yes!”

Bae Pureun answered vigorously, repeating Kim Rok-soo’s exact words.

‘So to avoid getting caught up in the chaos, swiftly and efficiently eliminate the monsters on the surface.’
“Just swiftly and efficiently eliminate the monsters!”
“I know.”

With those words, Ki Hee-ran charged toward the monsters emerging from the mist.
And simultaneously, she shouted.

“Let’s go!”
“Yes!”

The Chungbuk Ability Users deployed their respective offensive abilities and moved swiftly away from the entrance of Daeyeon Station toward the monsters.
Ki Hee-ran’s eyes gleamed with golden light.

“One behind the building at three o’clock! One beside the commercial building 500 meters at seven o’clock!”
“Yes!”
“Yes!”

Wherever her eyes swept, wherever she called out, the Chungbuk Ability Users divided their forces and advanced at rapid speed.
Everything her eyes perceived was surely a monster.

“Take them down one by one!”

The mist offered no obstruction to her vision whatsoever.
That was why Kale Heniatus had entrusted Ki Hee-ran with commanding the surface battle squad for Line 2’s route.

“Wow. This is no joke.”

Bae Pureun marveled at Ki Hee-ran’s swift and precise commands, then shuddered slightly.

-This is Group 2.

Group 2, the ones who had detonated explosives at Suyeong Station moments ago.

-We’ve confirmed the first head is contained.

Good!
Bae Pureun’s fist clenched involuntarily.
Phase one had succeeded.

One of the two was confined between Yeonsan Station and Suyeong Station for now.

‘Now I just need to eliminate the second head before that time!’

And for that to happen, I needed to hear from Kim Rok-soo.
Perhaps Bae Pureun’s thoughts had been anticipated.

-Well done.

Along with Kim Rok-soo’s brief praise came the next set of instructions.

-Currently near Namcheon Station.

A sharp breath escaped.
Bae Pureun’s shoulders rose again.

It was almost time.
Just one station past Namcheon Station lay Daeyeon Station.

My gaze drifted slowly behind me, toward Exit 1.
Exits 2, 3, and 4 had all been deliberately collapsed, their entrances rendered unclear.
Only Exit 1 had been restored to serve as a proper passage.

And at Daeyeon Station, the entrance staircase leading down to Exit 1 was occupied by members of Group 3.

-About to step on the second head’s tail soon.

Kim Rok-soo’s indifferent voice continued.
Bae Pureun took in each person stationed at the entrance staircase, one by one.

“Time to move.”

Kim Min-ah rose from her position as our eyes met, and behind her—

“As expected, I trust you.”

Joo Ho-sik pressed his hands together and pushed off from the entrance pillar.

“…Captain.”

Lee Chul-min scrambled to his feet following Park Jin-tae, who was rising, and Park Jin-tae stood quietly, his scarred face turned toward one direction.
Bae Pureun and the others followed Park Jin-tae’s gaze toward the same point.

Exit 1, shrouded in darkness.
A solitary figure stood at the boundary between shadow and light, gazing down into the Underground Chamber, and drew his sword.

-Group 3, moving out.

The moment Kim Rok-soo’s voice reached them, the figure spoke.

“Let’s go down.”

It was Lee Soo-hyuk.
That was the moment.

“Safe travels, sir!”
“Commander, safe travels!”
“We’ll be waiting here!”

Near Exit 1—or rather, from every exit of Daeyeon Station, the Rescue Team members who had been standing by raised their voices in farewell to those descending into the Underground Chamber.

Their numbers reached several hundred.

Not only Lee Soo-hyuk’s own Rescue Team members, but also some of the combat-capable Ability Users from the Seo-myeon Shelter had joined their ranks.
And today, they were positioned not for rescue, but for combat.

There was one more group present.
The Ability Users led by Jo Min-ye of the Jeollanam Representative Group.

“…I hope this goes well.”

Jo Min-ye watched those descending into the Underground Chamber, unable to hide her concern.
The monsters’ violent currents, the fog blanketing all of Busan—
And the unknown enemy.
There was no way to suppress the worry.
Jo Min-ye stood before Exit 1 and opened her mouth.

“Everyone, keep your guard up!”

Bae Pureun, who had been descending into the Underground Chamber last, heard Jo Min-ye’s voice and immediately surged forward.

Then he extended the radio and opened his mouth.

“Um, Commander?”

He called out to Lee Soo-hyuk as if summoning a Rescue Team member.
Lee Soo-hyuk’s gaze slowly shifted toward Bae Pureun, then toward his hand.

“You hold onto it.”

With those words, Lee Soo-hyuk descended into the Underground Chamber at rapid speed.
Bae Pureun exhaled softly as he watched Lee Soo-hyuk go.

“Geez.”

He hadn’t even spoken harshly to me, yet Lee Soo-hyuk’s atmosphere was no joke.

‘It’s not just him either.’

Park Jin-tae was equally ominous.
And those two were positioned side by side at the very front.

“Hey, come back here.”
“Yeah. Got it.”

Bae Pureun quickly moved backward at Kim Min-ah’s words and brought the radio close to his mouth.

“This is Group 3. Currently heading into the Underground Chamber. Arrival imminent.”

No response came from Kim Rok-soo.
That silence meant Kim Rok-soo’s team of three had discovered the second head’s tail and was covertly following behind it.

Everyone here understood this, and they all reached the same conclusion.

‘The monster will arrive soon!’

I finally face the enemy I’ve been preparing to defeat all this time.
Lee Soo-hyuk’s eyes dimmed slightly as he headed toward the Subway Tunnel.
That was when it happened.

“…Aren’t you nervous?”

Park Jin-tae’s voice came from behind him.

“Well. Nervous, you say….”

Lee Soo-hyuk answered briefly.

“I’m not sure.”

I truly didn’t know.
Whether I was nervous right now, or if I was excited.
Or perhaps—

‘I was anticipating something.’

Fighting monsters had never stirred excitement or anticipation within me.
Yet today, strangely, I was overwhelmed by a multitude of emotions.
Lee Soo-hyuk loosened his grip on the sword hilt slightly.

‘Perhaps it’s because of now.’

I felt my own exhaustion creeping in.
Endless battles and people who constantly needed saving.
And the countless times I’d witnessed comrades departing or falling before me.

After experiencing all of this for nearly a year, I found myself sinking deeper into an inexplicable fatigue.

But after reuniting with Kim Rok-soo, my circumstances began to shift gradually.
The weight of responsibility and burden shifted toward another.

‘Kim Rok-soo.’

His essence remained unchanged, yet he had transformed so much in the time I hadn’t seen him.

“…That was proper stimulation.”

Lee Soo-hyuk’s lips curved upward.

“I’ll light the torches!”

With Bae Pureun’s cry, the lights began to ignite one by one.
Flames bloomed from the torches we had prepared in advance.

At last, Daeyeon Station revealed itself in full.

Lee Soo-hyuk stood before the platform.
Then he turned his head to the right.

A voice crackled from the radio in Bae Pureun’s hand.

-Kyungsung University Pukyong National University Station passed through.

Lee Soo-hyuk descended below the platform.

Thud. Thud.
And I moved forward.
I headed toward Kyungsung University Pukyong National University Station.

Not too quickly.
Yet not too leisurely either.

I walked.
And beneath my feet, I felt it.

Craaash—
Far away.
In that darkness beyond where the torches on the station platform could reach.
The sound of something shattering and approaching echoed through the tunnel.

It comes.
The second head comes.

Click.
Lee Soo-hyuk tapped the sword’s hilt with his thumb.
Each time, the blade’s blue-grey edge gleamed within the scabbard.

In that moment.

-Departure.

The instant Kim Rok-soo’s voice crackled through the radio on my back.

“Let’s go.”

I kicked off the rails and launched forward.

“….”
“Yes!”

Park Jin-tae and Kim Min-ah immediately followed in my wake.
I didn’t look back at them.
My eyes fixed only ahead.

Into the pitch-black darkness where nothing was visible.

Screeeech—Crash! Crash!

With each thunderous sound of destruction, I felt the monster drawing closer, ever closer.

My heart pounded.
Why?

“…After all, I’m at the front line.”

After all, I’d been positioned at the vanguard.
The one who would face the monster first.

“Tsk tsk tsk tsk!”

That would be me, Lee Soo-hyuk.

Clang!
The blade concealed within the sheath revealed itself.
In Lee Soo-hyuk’s eyes reflected the brilliant azure gaze of the Blue-Haired Monster, luminous even in the darkness.

At last, I had found it.
My prey.

And once again, I had found it.

“Kim Rok-soo. You timed it perfectly, didn’t you?”

Beyond the colossal Blue-Haired Monster, what lay behind remained obscured.
Yet there was undoubtedly someone who would soon step upon that creature’s tail.
In that instant.

Crackle!

Through the narrow darkness behind the Blue-Haired Monster.

Snap, crackle!

Crimson electricity surged upward.
Kim Rok-soo’s response was unnecessary.

“You’ve arrived.”

That was the answer itself.
And then, an actual voice reached my ears.

“Release!”

At Kale Heniatus’s cry, Kim Gang-hun deactivated his concealment ability.

The Blue-Haired Monster faltered.
With the concealment broken, it had detected the enemy treading upon its heels.

Kim Gang-hun hastily retreated while carrying Lee Sung-won on his back. He heard the voice of Lee Sung-won, whom he bore upon his shoulders.

“Beginning the record.”

Kim Gang-hun’s entire body erupted in goosebumps.

Crackle. Snap!
That crimson current whirling alongside the wind.
It overflowed from coursing through Kale Heniatus’s entire body, and the Blue-Haired Monster froze mid-motion.

Sizzle!
The Subway Tunnel cracked as the Blue-Haired Monster turned its head.
But was this because the eel had twisted its body?

Kale Heniatus and the three others could see a single figure beyond the Blue-Haired Monster, sword already drawn.

Kim Gang-hun retreated further back and heard Lee Sung-won’s voice.

“Commander Kim Rok-soo and Rescue Team Captain Lee Soo-hyuk.”

Crimson current infused with golden light surged forward, carrying the wind with it.

“The first battle of this war begins now.”

In that moment, Kim Gang-hun saw Kale Heniatus’s mouth open.

“Lee Soo-hyuk!”

Kale Heniatus could see Lee Soo-hyuk grinning widely at being called.
Lee Soo-hyuk’s mouth opened.

“You’re calling me just because I became commander?”

After muttering to himself, he spoke while looking at Kale Heniatus.

“Yes, Commander.”

The corners of Kale Heniatus’s mouth lifted.

I had been waiting for this moment.
To fight the enemy again alongside the Team Leader.

Countless simulations replayed and reconsidered—not merely for survival, but solely for perfect victory.
I would witness the culmination of it all this day.
He issued a command to Lee Soo-hyuk.

“Sever the fangs.”

Serpentine blue eyes met Kale Heniatus’s gaze.
He spoke to the monster.

“I will pin this creature down.”

Crash!
The one wreathed in golden lightning collided with the azure monster that resembled a legendary water dragon.
And following that golden brilliance, the one wielding the essence of the blade—the power to cleave—drove through the gap between them.

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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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