Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 598

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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 dark Underground Passage.
Golden light suffused with the crimson hue of blood radiated outward in all directions.

Boom!

A deafening roar shook the entire corridor as if the very space itself might collapse.

“Ugh!”

Kim Gang-hun involuntarily retreated further back.
In that instant, the brilliant light flooding his vision made his eyes sting.
Yet he could not suppress his admiration.

“…Such power—!”

He possessed such strength all along?
Though he had heard countless tales from others about Kim Rok-soo’s power, witnessing it firsthand was something entirely different.

‘Foresight, and even lightning like this—!’

Then Kim Gang-hun heard the voice of Lee Sung-won, whom he carried on his back.

“That is not all.”
“What did you say?”
“There is more.”
“…Hah.”

He fell speechless, merely exhaling in wonder as he continued to retreat.
Then it came.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

Another exclamation escaped him.
Where the golden light faded away.

“…So even half of it transcends all ranks!”

The Blue-Haired Monster, which had been crouching in an instant, appeared before them.
Bae Pureun, who had been watching, opened his mouth.

“Not a single wound!”

He recalled what Kale Heniatus had said.

‘This Electric Eel possesses scales. Their hardness leaves not even a scratch against most attribute attacks.’

And he had added:

‘That is why we need Lee Soo-hyuk, the Rescue Team captain.’

Bae Pureun watched the spot where the golden light had vanished.
The small gap where the Blue-Haired Monster, crouching, slowly lifted its head.

He could see Lee Soo-hyuk rushing toward that opening.

‘If I launch an attack, the Blue-Haired Monster will curl up and protect itself with its scales.’

That would be the moment.

‘Captain Lee Soo-hyuk will definitely create an opening.’

Kim Rok-soo’s voice echoed in his mind.
Then.

“Too bad.”

Lee Soo-hyuk’s and the Blue-Haired Monster’s eyes met.
A grin spread across his face.
Lee Soo-hyuk’s lips curved upward.

“I was planning to sever its fangs first, but I’ll have to postpone that.”

With those words, his blade swept horizontally.
Kim Min-ah, standing beside Bae Pureun, opened her mouth.

“There’s no sound.”

The sword was swung.

Yet there was no sound.
Joo Ho-sik’s brow furrowed.

“…Is he cutting through even the wind itself?”

Unlike Choi Han, there was no gleaming black aura.
Unlike Kim Min-ah, no wind stirred around him or tremors shook the ground from his overwhelming strength.
Unlike Kale, no brilliant golden light or shields materialized.

He had simply drawn his blade horizontally in perfect silence.

Yet Kale’s eyes could see the beads of sweat covering Lee Soo-hyuk’s forehead.

That soundless strike had demanded everything Lee Soo-hyuk possessed.

And in response to that totality, his sword—his very nature—unleashed its power with unprecedented force.

*Screech!*

Those scales that Kale could not damage even if he used all of his current half-strength Ancient Powers.
Some of them were sliced clean through.

*Splaaaaash!*
Between the fractured scales, pale flesh tore open and blue blood erupted upward.

A massive body and an extraordinarily long frame.
Against such proportions, the wound was absurdly small.
A gap barely the span of an adult woman’s hand and a half.

The reason people had managed to survive the first Unranked Monster attack in the past.
The beginning of that reason lay in the power Lee Soo-hyuk possessed.

“…Hah.”

Having created that wound, Lee Soo-hyuk staggered and dropped to one knee.

“You’ve worked hard.”
“…Why are you being formal with me again?”

Kale Heniatus supported Lee Soo-hyuk from behind.
Lee Soo-hyuk’s back was drenched in sweat.

Then.

“Krraaaaaaagh!”

The Blue-Haired Monster, who had never imagined a mere blade could wound it, rose to its feet with a terrible shriek.
Blue blood streamed from the wound, but the creature’s fury far exceeded such a trivial injury.
A force brimming with explosive rage radiated from the monster.

“…You weren’t exaggerating. I poured everything into that strike, yet it only managed this shallow wound.”

Lee Soo-hyuk laughed bitterly, using his sword as a crutch to push himself upright.
Until now, he had won every battle of consequence.
But facing this unranked monster, he understood something profound.

‘Without preparation, I could never have won.’

Especially if I had tried to bear everything alone.
Beyond exhausting my full strength, I might have had to stake my very life.

‘But that’s not the case anymore.’

I had created an opening.

‘So now comes the next move!’

There was a turn waiting.
In that moment, Lee Soo-hyuk felt Kale Heniatus’s strength pressing down on his shoulder, forcing him back down, and simultaneously heard his voice.

“Park Jin-tae!”

An opening.
A span and a half.
Small it seemed, yet for someone, it was an enormous gap.

Especially for Park Jin-tae, who held the gun.

“Hah.”

Park Jin-tae exhaled once.
His gun barrel had already been aimed at the gap the moment Lee Soo-hyuk’s blade cut through.

“Graaah!”

The moment the Blue-Haired Monster noticed Park Jin-tae.

“Too late.”

Park Jin-tae had already pulled the trigger.

Bang! Bang!

Two bullets fired in rapid succession.

“Tsk tsk tsk!”

The Blue-Haired Monster twisted its body to evade the small, insignificant projectiles hurtling toward it—things it would normally have dismissed without a second thought.

But it was not easy.
The Subway Tunnel offered the monster only the narrowest of gaps.

The choice to split its body in two for covert movement, to diminish its power—
Entering this cramped passage—
Had become an obstacle to the monster.

Boom!

One bullet struck the Subway Tunnel wall and detonated.
And the remaining one.

Boom!
“Kraaaagh!”

A bullet embedded itself in the monster’s wound and detonated.
Tender flesh with no protective barrier didn’t merely bleed blue blood—the explosion tore the wound wider, charring it black.

“Kaaaah! Kraaagh!”

The monster writhed in agony.
But in the narrow passage, even that proved difficult.

The hunters still numbered many.

“Going in.”

The one who left those words for Kale Heniatus shot forward toward the thrashing Blue-Haired Monster. It was Kim Min-ah.
Her eyes fixed on the creature’s torso as it convulsed.
Her eyes turned toward the body of the blue monster lying on the ground.

“My aim still needs work.”

After several days of training, Kim Rok-soo spoke to Kim Min-ah.

‘Will that work?’
‘Of course it will.’
Of course.

It was Kim Rok-soo’s wind—slightly paler than before he’d used the golden lightning.
It would be Wind, Kim Rok-soo’s companion, now slightly paler than before writing the golden lightning.

Kim Rok-soo added the wind, but Kim Min-ah determined the path that wind would take.

Your strength is the best.

She swung the window.

‘Rough aim?’
‘Well, you’ve worked hard enough. You’ve trained—it’ll work.’
“Well, you’ve been working hard all this time, right? You’ve trained, so you’ll do fine.”

I worked hard.
Very hard.
I couldn’t count how much sweat I shed with Bae Pureun in the Training Ground.

She tightened her grip.

Crack.
Under the pressure of that force, a thin fissure appeared on the spear.
It wasn’t the weapon she usually summoned.
That’s why it cracked.
The Blue-Haired Monster twisted its body to evade the spear.

Her spear didn’t reach the Blue-Haired Monster’s opening.
Not yet.

Boom!

“Grraaaagh!”
“Ugh! You need to remember I’m here too! We can’t let Min-ah’s attacks go to waste, right?”

Bae Pureun, wrapped in wind, collided with the Blue-Haired Monster’s torso.
The wind pushed the monster back to its original position.
The position calculated to account for Bae Pureun’s interception.
The monster’s wound was exactly where Kim Min-ah and Bae Pureun had planned.

“Bae Pureun, well done.”
“Really?”

Thanks to that, her spear finally reached its target.

Crackle!
The sound of shattering echoed.

“Phew.”

Kim Gang-hun let out a sigh.

“I knew it! I knew you could do it!”

And Lee Sung-won let out an admiring breath.

The wound that Lee Soo-hyuk had carved open and Park Jin-tae had torn wider.
A iron bar, crushed by brute force, was embedded there.

Kim Min-ah had finally driven the spear into the monster’s torso, deep into the bone beneath the flesh.

“Huff, huff.”

Even half of it, embedding a weapon into the bone of an unranked-grade monster consumed tremendous strength.

“…Haah.”

Kim Min-ah gasped for breath repeatedly.
Then, Kim Gang-hun’s eyes widened as he shouted.

“Huh? Hey! Get away!”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk!”

The monster lunged at Kim Min-ah with a vicious glare.

“Roaaaah!”

Two massive fangs protruded from its gaping maw.
Those fangs dripped with black liquid as they seemed poised to pierce right through her.

“It’s fine.”

But the moment Kim Gang-hun heard Lee Sung-won’s calm voice.

“Did I do well?”

Bae Pureun flew in swiftly, caught her in his arms, and retreated backward.
Though the space was cramped for the monster, it was vast for humans, allowing them to move with agility.

“Yeah. You did great.”

Kim Min-ah casually patted Bae Pureun’s head and then looked toward Kim Rok-soo.

“Well done.”

The moment Kim Min-ah saw Kale’s lips form those words, she broke into a grin.
And Kale smiled as well.

Iron bars embedded in the Blue-Haired Monster’s body.
And water—the Blue-Haired Monster’s ability.

“Why aren’t you using your power?”
“Tsk tsk tsk!”

The Blue-Haired Monster finally glared at Kale.
It had realized that the commander would deliver the finishing blow—that Kale would be the one to end this.
Lee Soo-hyuk watched the Blue-Haired Monster’s glare fixed on Kale and muttered to himself.

“Iron and water. Now it’ll work perfectly.”

Crackle. Snap.

“Kim Rok-soo’s lightning.”

Golden lightning wrapped around Kale’s entire body once more.
Across from him, a single figure clasped both hands together.

“I believe in you.”

It was Joo Ho-sik.

“I believe that the commander’s lightning will travel through those spears embedded in that monster’s body and annihilate it!”

His eyes, his faith, turned toward Kale.

“I believe!”

Crackle crackle!
The golden light surged even more violently.
Kale felt the power of Destructive Fire coursing through his entire being and thought to himself.

‘…I’ll give it everything I have.’

Kale Heniatus decided to deploy his greatest available strength in the current situation.
This time, he had to do it this way.

‘The Yellow-Haired Monster…!’

One more remained.
That one was likely being held back by Choi Han and the other comrades.

He needed to join them quickly.

At that moment, Kale Heniatus saw the Blue-Haired Monster’s eyes fix on a single point.
Its mouth opened.

“Above!”

The instant he shouted, the Blue-Haired Monster had already changed direction.
The Blue-Haired Monster lunged toward the ceiling of the Subway Tunnel.

Simultaneously, his comrades rushed toward the Blue-Haired Monster.

“Just as predicted!”
“Bae Pureun, stay quiet and attack!”

Both Bae Pureun and Kim Min-ah recalled Kale Heniatus’s words.

‘Once the monster came under sustained attack and found itself cornered, it would surely attempt to escape the tunnel and head for the surface.’

The two of them had worried this would spell disaster.
But.

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Kale Heniatus raised the radio to his lips.

“Please prepare yourselves.”
-Yes. Understood.

Even if the Blue-Haired Monster climbed up, Jo Min-ye was waiting there.

The Spider Web Angler, Jo Min-ye.
The spider web she had woven was a net more resilient than any other.

Even if the Blue-Haired Monster broke through the ceiling, Jo Min-ye’s spider web would be waiting there.
That was why Kale Heniatus told his comrades.

‘When the Blue-Haired Monster is caught off guard by the spider web.’
‘That’s when I kill it.’

Crack.
Kale Heniatus moved toward the Blue-Haired Monster that was ramming its head against the tunnel ceiling.

‘It’s possible.’

No one would die, and they could hunt them one by one without issue.
With that thought, Kale Heniatus summoned even more Destructive Fire.

“I trust you!”

Joo Ho-sik shouted, and his comrades followed, preparing their attacks and readying themselves to support Kale Heniatus.

“For now, I’ll just take one of its fangs.”

Lee Soo-hyuk’s voice came from beside him.
Heh.
Despite the tension reaching its peak, Kale Heniatus couldn’t help but laugh at those words.

“There’s no time for jokes like that— huh?”

That was when it happened.

“Huh?”

Kale Heniatus saw something.

“Our Commander Kim Rok-soo. What’s wrong with him?”

Lee Soo-hyuk found Kale Heniatus’s reaction strange and followed his gaze to where his eyes were directed.
And he saw it.

“Horns?”

Horns were sprouting from the Blue-Haired Monster’s forehead.
A single thought flashed through my mind.

‘Kim Rok-soo never mentioned horns?’

I had never heard of horns before.
The moment I realized this, Lee Soo-hyuk’s gaze snapped sharply toward Kale Heniatus.
Then, only to Lee Soo-hyuk’s ears came Kale Heniatus’s quiet murmur.

“…It differs from the records.”

Records?
Lee Soo-hyuk’s eyes turned toward Kale Heniatus.
But Kale Heniatus couldn’t afford to pay attention to Lee Soo-hyuk.

Because something else—something unforeseen—had just occurred.

Beep—beep—beep—beep—
The radio shrieked with a piercing wail.

‘Emergency alert!’

It was the sound that came in urgent situations.
Kale Heniatus switched on the radio, and Choi Han’s voice came through.

—Kim Rok-soo! There’s another ability!
“Damn!”

Lee Soo-hyuk’s face contorted in shock.
By contrast, Kale Heniatus’s eyes grew cold and composed.

‘As expected—’

Why had I maintained such vigilance in preparing for an unranked monster despite knowing all the records?
Why had I gathered as many people as possible despite knowing the monster’s weaknesses from the records?

There was one reason for it.

‘The blind spot of records.’

Records cannot always capture every truth.

‘Just like now.’

The emergence of a monster beyond the first grade.
All records concerning it had been compiled before any systematic framework was established, constructed solely from the memories of survivors.

Then.
What if those memories were incorrect?
Or perhaps.

‘What if they had not witnessed all of the monster’s abilities?’

Could there have been undiscovered powers the monster possessed?

Most of those who fought the first beyond-grade monster had not yet properly developed their abilities.
Their judgment and experience were lacking compared to what they would become.

Variables in the records could exist.

Crash! Crash!
The Blue-Haired Monster with sprouting horns rammed its horns toward the ceiling.

Crack. Crack.
Fissures gradually spread across the ceiling.
But it did not matter. Jo Min-ye’s web and those waiting above to aid her were there.

‘But the situation has changed.’

Kale Heniatus opened his mouth.

“Choi Han. What is the Yellow-Haired Monster’s other power?”

-Boom! Crash!

Through the radio, thunderous sounds and the noise of destruction reached them.

The situation over there must be critical as well.
No—it’s likely far worse than here.
Kale Heniatus’s face twisted.

“Choi Han!”

The moment urgency drove him to call Choi Han’s name once more, his voice crackled urgently through the radio.

-Ground! Or perhaps earth, sir!

Ground? Earth?

-The Yellow-Haired Monster is currently changing course, moving through the underground, tearing through the earth!

The moment those words reached them, Lee Soo-hyuk’s and Kale Heniatus’s gazes collided.
Both men realized something simultaneously.

‘It’s coming.’
‘It’s coming here.’

Slowly, Kale Heniatus’s gaze turned toward the Blue-Haired Monster.

-The Yellow-Haired Monster’s direction of movement is south! Toward Daeyeon Station!

The Yellow-Haired Monster was heading here, where the Blue-Haired Monster stood.

—————
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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