Trash of the Count’s Family - Chapter 620

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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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Alberu murmured softly.

“Cut off its breath.”

He let out a quiet laugh as he spoke.

“Isn’t that why we’ve been struggling all this time?”
“Yes, sir.”

Kale Heniatus acknowledged plainly.
Until now, it had been difficult, and that was what troubled us.

“But not anymore.”

Just once.
Even those who have experienced it only once, even in the smallest way, gain insight and acquire knowledge.
There were now hundreds of such people.

Hundreds had faced that out-of-rank monster head-on, if only once, and survived.

Kale Heniatus trusted what lay behind him.

And as if answering that trust, Kim Min-jun, standing atop the City Wall, opened his mouth.

“Prepare yourselves. We will use our abilities shortly.”

Click.
At those words, Park Jin-tae gripped his gun tightly in his right hand.

“Will the plan work?”

A voice tinged with worry reached Park Jin-tae’s ears.

“The commander said it himself. We take it away, piece by piece.”

During the lull that had lasted for hours.
The tactical briefing that unfolded in the Grand Conference Hall prepared at that time.

‘I’ve already stripped away its fangs and vision. I’ll render the rest of its abilities useless one by one.’
‘And you will do this, just as you did when you took away the first two.’

Someone spoke up.

“Can we really do it?”

That was when it happened.

“Shut your mouth.”

The one spilling anxiety fell silent at Park Jin-tae’s irritated voice.
Click.
Park Jin-tae’s arm holding the gun moved with fluid grace.

“I can’t concentrate with all that chatter. If you’re going to run your mouth, step back.”

The gun barrel locked onto a single point.
No—it tracked only one moving target.
Kim Min-jun’s mouth opened urgently beside him.

-Now.

Kale’s command had come through.
Kim Min-jun shouted.

“Cease all ranged attacks!”

The countless assaults pouring from the City Wall into empty air.
They all stopped at once.

“Tsssshhht!”

The Yellow-Haired Monster, blinded and deafened by collapsing earth pillars and countless explosions, couldn’t find its bearings.
The moment that sound ceased, the creature couldn’t let this instant slip away.

It had to stop these humans who tormented and confused it.
It had to calm this chaos.

To accomplish that, I had to immobilize all these countless humans.
The Yellow-Haired Monster possessed one such wide-area attack.

The Yellow-Haired Monster’s mouth began to open gradually.

A sonic assault.
Through it, not all humans perhaps, but many would collapse upon hearing the sound.

“Keeee—”

The moment its mouth opened and the attack was about to commence.

A sharp grin spread across his face.
Park Jin-tae’s lips curved upward.

“Been waiting for this.”

With those words, he pulled the trigger.

Bang—
The sharp crack of a bullet piercing through the momentary silence.

Crackle. Snap!
Electricity erupted from various points across the Yellow-Haired Monster.
The small bullet evaded that current, and another moved in to prepare for the next phase.

“Bae Pureun.”
“Got it.”

Bae Pureun’s wind rode upon that bullet.

Whoooosh—
The wind carved a small tunnel through the water surrounding the Yellow-Haired Monster.
The bullet passed through that tunnel, propelled by the wind’s force.

Faster,
more aggressive.
The bullet flew toward its target.

“That’s it.”

I had finally reached my target.
Park Jin-tae lowered his gun.

Boom—!
“Kieee—Hack!”

The gaping maw. The bullet aimed at a single point within that tender, scale-less mouth embedded itself in the soft flesh and detonated.

“Gack, hack, cough!”

The Yellow-Haired Monster thrashed across the ground, shrieking as if trying to expel something from within.

A smirk.
The corners of Park Jin-tae’s mouth curved upward.

“I took Hana’s kill.”

Kim Min-jun, who had been observing this, opened his mouth and fixed Park Jin-tae with a sharp gaze.

“You hit the target precisely, correct?”

Park Jin-tae did not answer that question. He set his gun in order and looked not at Kim Min-jun, but at someone else.
It was the person who had spoken to him earlier, displaying signs of anxiety.

“Thanks to you, I could see it clearly.”
“Pardon? Ah, thank you.”
“Vision-enhancing abilities are quite useful.”

Park Jin-tae’s vision was currently significantly enhanced through another Ability User’s power.
Of course, it was only a temporary enhancement.
He turned his gaze away from the embarrassed Ability User and opened his mouth toward Kim Min-jun, who was watching him.

“The moment it tried to use its sound ability.”

It appeared before my eyes.

“A point of light shone from within the gaping maw.”

A faint cyan light bloomed in the monster’s toothless maw.
Park Jin-tae had aimed for that exact spot.

“Hack, hack, wheeze—wheeze, hack!”

Now only strangled, high-pitched sounds escaped from the creature’s sealed mouth.
An ability user with but a single power—to temporarily amplify another’s vision for up to an hour, once per day.
That ability user alone watched the scene unfold and opened his mouth.

“Ha, haha. My ability has its uses after all.”

“Of course.”

Park Jin-tae answered without emotion.

“Every power has its purpose.”

In that moment, his eyes met those of Lee Jin-ju, who stood beside Kim Min-jun.
The two regarded each other with peculiar gazes.

Park Jin-tae. When he was the leader of the Initial Shelter, he had divided people—not just those without abilities, but ability users too—into the useful and the useless.
Lee Jin-ju and Lee Sung-won had been useless ability users in his eyes.

Lee Jin-ju’s lips parted.

“Everyone has their role to play. They simply haven’t discovered it yet.”

Park Jin-tae turned his gaze away from Lee Jin-ju’s eyes.
Instead of answering her, he looked toward the figure beside her—the one constantly moving his hands, surveying the surroundings, recording something without pause.

The one writing on paper was Lee Sung-won.
The gaze of the ability user with recording powers met Park Jin-tae’s.

“Not recording?”

At Park Jin-tae’s question, Lee Sung-won snorted and looked away.
Then he opened his mouth.

“The earth-manipulating ability that easily destroyed earthen pillars has been rendered useless. And with Park Jin-tae’s subsequent attack, the sound-based ability has been eliminated.”

Lee Sung-won paused for a moment before speaking with conviction.

“Our forces have grown considerably stronger compared to the night battle before.”

It was true.
One could see it plainly.

“This is not only due to individual growth in abilities, but also because after one engagement, each person has found the most efficient position to deploy their power.”

Lee Sung-won continued, glancing at his notes and observations.

“Everyone is holding their position and fulfilling their assigned role.”

Everyone was busy.

“Those with combat-oriented abilities are using their powers at the City Wall and beyond it, each at their designated location.”

And.

“Those with non-combat abilities are either supporting the combat-oriented users or utilizing their powers at appropriate positions elsewhere.”

Furthermore.

“Those without abilities are assisting with minor injuries throughout the area, reinforcing the damaged City Wall defenses, and handling meals—ensuring support flows smoothly.”

Lee Sung-won’s voice grew stronger as he continued recording.

“Based on this, the next operation is.”

He paused mid-sentence.
His gaze shifted elsewhere.
In the distance, a figure’s back came into view.

“Next. To enable the Commander’s approach.”

The Commander—coughing blood, trembling, swallowing pain as he bound that monster.

“This time, we will restrain that monster’s torso.”

This time, it was our turn to take on the commander’s role.
The commander spoke.

‘Just a few seconds. If you can hold it for even a few seconds, that’s enough.’
‘Then I and the others will handle it.’

Beyond the City Wall. There were those rapidly approaching the Yellow-Haired Monster, which could not make a sound.

“Je Ha-jeong!”

Jo Min-ye, the spider web angler who had once ensnared the Blue-Haired Monster, shouted upon seeing Je Ha-jeong.

“Yes!”

Je Ha-jeong answered and scattered seeds.

“Water!”
“Right away!”

Someone immediately poured water where the seeds had been scattered.
A cultivation technique with little effect.
A power that seemed utterly useless in combat.
But when paired with Je Ha-jeong.

Whoosh—
Though inferior to Kale Heniatus, the trees began to grow rapidly.
Only the roots, though.

The roots moved through the underground.
Toward the depths beneath the Yellow-Haired Monster, where there was no electricity or water.

“Squad Leader!”
“Got it!”

Jo Min-ye’s hair turned white as her long strands began to extend at tremendous speed.
And behind her, one figure descended from the air.

“I trust you.”

Joo Ho-sik.

“I’ll concentrate all my faith in Jo Min-ye and Je Ha-jeong.”

Crack—!
Je Ha-jeong’s tree roots surged up from the ground.
They erupted right beside the Yellow-Haired Monster.

A space devoid of electricity and water—only the Yellow-Haired Monster remained.

“Got you!”

The moment Je Ha-jeong cried out.

Crack, crackle—
The roots shattered helplessly.

“Sssscreeeee—!”

The Yellow-Haired Monster recoiled at the sudden sensation.
Startled by the roots, its body convulsed.

Because one person came to mind.

“Hehehehe, I’m not the Commander!”

It was Kale’s power that flashed through its thoughts.
But the illusion was possible precisely because it couldn’t see.

‘Je Ha-jeong. Make the monster believe the illusion—that I will bind it again.’

Je Ha-jeong mimicked Kale’s power.
And the deception took hold perfectly.

Boom! Boom!
The Yellow-Haired Monster thrashed about desperately.
As it did, the force of electricity and water weakened.

“My turn now.”

Lee Soo-hyuk raised his sword.

“Slice.”

His blade swept horizontally through the air.

A sharp, tearing sound.

Electricity and water were severed.
The scope of the cut was far more expansive than anything Lee Soo-hyuk had managed before.

Which meant he could only do this once.
Just once.

But that single time was enough.
Because Jo Min-ye stood behind him.

“Bind it!”

With her cry, white webbing surged forth, ensnaring the Yellow-Haired Monster.
And countless others seized the strands, preventing the creature from breaking free.

“Screeeee—screee! Gack!”

The monster thrashed violently.
Constrained by the binding, electricity and water erupted anew around the yellow-haired creature’s form.

Lee Soo-hyuk watched the gap he had carved begin to seal shut once more, and he spoke.

“Go, little brother.”

The remaining opening.
Through that narrow passage, a colossal black tiger adorned with a silver shield and wings charged forward.
And upon its back, I saw Kim Rok-soo.

“Let’s move.”
“Right.”

Of course, Kale led the way, followed by Choi Han, Lee Soo-hyuk, Kim Min-ah, and Bae Pureun.

But Kale Heniatus—or rather, Dark Tiger—was already mounted atop the monster, ensnared in webs and root tendrils.

“Upward!”
“I know!”

Alberu responded to Kale Heniatus’s command, swiftly ascending toward the upper portion of the monster’s body.
The creature thrashed violently within the web’s grasp.

Crack. Snap.
With each convulsion, the web tore further.
Soon the strands would snap entirely.

“It matters little.”

A smile played at the corners of Alberu’s mouth.
I had already reached the target point.
Kale Heniatus had spoken during our charge.

‘I require your grip strength.’
‘Mine? The Dark Tiger’s?’
‘Yes. You possess the greatest strength among us here, do you not?’

The Dark Tiger’s massive frame and formidable musculature were undeniable.

‘And then?’
‘We must force its jaws open.’

I felt Kale Heniatus slip from my back.
That was the signal.

The Dark Tiger’s enormous, razor-sharp front claws surged toward the thrashing Yellow-Haired Monster.

“Shhhhh-rip, tear!”

And the creature’s jaws wrenched open.
The weakest point—where scales were absent.

Suspended in midair by Voice of Wind, Kale Heniatus extended his hand toward that vulnerable spot.

-Shall we burn it all to ash?

After a long time, Destructive Fire spoke to me with a grin.

-Kuhahaha! Let’s roast the insides thoroughly! Kuhahaha!

It had been a while since I heard such mad laughter.
Yet somehow, my own lips curled upward in response.

Crack. Crackle.
Golden lightning blazed across both my hands.

It would soon be over.
The moment this thought crossed my mind, time seemed to freeze.

That was when it happened.
A voice that was not from the Ancient Powers echoed in my mind.
It was the voice of the Sealed God.

-You’ve made it this far, haven’t you.

The god whispered.

-Is this the end of the trial?

The soft whisper sounded sweet.
But the words themselves were anything but sweet.

-Does this moment feel like the end of despair?

I gazed at the golden lightning burning in my hands.
My lips parted.

Is this moment the end of despair?
No.
Not at all.

“The despair of this world is only just beginning.”

Now it begins.
From this moment forward, despair would reveal itself to this world in countless different forms.

“But the people have hope.”

A year and more had passed since the world turned upside down.
For the first time, those who had always lost, endured, and survived now had their moment of victory.
They would shatter one despair—the unranked monster that had seemed insurmountable.

The Sealed God, who had remained silent, spoke with a mocking tone.

-Do you possess hope as well?

As if to say: you are not human enough to possess such a thing as hope.
That is what had been said all along.
Kale nodded slowly.

“No.”

I did not possess hope.
But rather.

“I possess conviction.”

I needed something more certain than hope. And at last, I had obtained it.

“This place will paint a future different from my past. Of this, I am certain.”

I would surely survive longer.
I would surely live better.

It was not mere assumption. Though the future had yet to unfold, it felt like truth to me.

And I wanted to see this first step toward that conviction through to its end myself.
A crimson-golden bolt of lightning left my hand.
At the same moment, I spoke.

“This is the first time I’ve ever said such a thing to a god.”

To the silent Sealed God.
To the god who had sought to bestow despair upon me.
Kale spoke.

“Thank you.”

I meant it with all my heart.

“Because of you, my memories did not end in despair.”

The moment the golden lightning pierced through the monster’s maw.

Boom—
As a tremendous explosion erupted and Kale and his allies were driven back from the monster.
And finally. As the colossal monster’s body slowly collapsed and its movements ceased.

I painted a radiant smile across my face.

“Truly, thank you.”

Now, having thanked the Sealed God.
This moment signified my perfect victory.

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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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