novelraw Chapter 261 : Chapter 261
Chapter 261 : Chapter 261
Chapter 261: The Decisive Battle
Kiiiiigigigigik—
An unpleasant noise, like iron and iron grating against each other, echoed continuously.
Everyone's gaze turned toward the gate's entrance, which was gradually narrowing.
The gate, shimmering with a violet light, resisted being closed, but once dozens of high-ranking Hunters were determined to shut it, resistance was impossible.
The gate, which had been shrinking for a long time, finally vanished without a trace with a whoosh— in the very end.
The gate was completely shut, and they confirmed that the gate reaction had also disappeared via the device one last time.
“We did it! It’s done!”
“Good work, everyone. Let’s head home.”
Only then did the Hunters, who had been seriously observing the situation, finally sigh in relief and show some ease.
The operation had succeeded perfectly.
At least, the Hunters gathered here, and those remaining at other gates, accepted the situation as such.
Of course, there was information that one associated person who was buying time inside hadn’t come out yet, but to them, a casualty of that magnitude was an everyday occurrence.
They didn’t know the person’s face, let alone that they weren't even a Hunter.
While it was a little regrettable, there was absolutely no reason to be gloomy or sad.
No, the expression “didn’t even care” was more fitting.
What was important to them now was—
“Wow, this is totally free money, isn't it? We got this for nothing.”
—merely today's pay, which was deposited into their bank accounts.
A few Hunters happily tidied up the equipment.
Their mission ended at this point, with the gate completely shut.
They heard that some other villains had suddenly popped up outside, but the Heroes who came separately had handled it well, so there was nothing to worry about.
“Well, honestly, it’s better for us to be salarymen like this. It’s better to destroy the monsters, gate and all, without fighting, rather than risking our lives to pick up monster byproducts.”
“But if we close the door like this, we don’t know when it’ll open again, do we?”
“We’ll just deal with that when it happens. They’ll just have to call us again, paying this much money.”
“That’s true!”
Of course, although they called it getting it for nothing, their role was by no means small.
The tools they used today to close the Gate weren't simple mechanical devices that operated with a single button.
Otherwise, Ho-cheol wouldn’t have had a reason to pay such a high price to gather these Hunters in the first place.
Gate shutdown devices or spatial compressors require the user’s physical strength and mental power, and a normal person could die instantly if they misused them.
Even Grade 2 and 3 Hunters could barely use them for a few minutes.
Because the Grade 1 Hunters gathered this time, they were able to maintain the devices until the gate was completely closed.
The near-disposable devices, the labor costs for the necessary personnel, and the completely no-return method of processing.
Most of the Hunters gathered here couldn’t help but call today’s operation a waste of money.
The few who were more awake wondered conversely, what the hell was inside that required them to resort to only this method.
—However, that doubt was short-lived.
Now that the gate was completely shut, the probability of anything emerging from beyond was zero.
As they were cleaning up, Se-ah returned from far away with a serious expression.
“Wow. You’ve worked hard.”
Since she was the public face of this operation, everyone greeted Se-ah, but she ignored all the greetings and walked right into the operation tent—
The Hunters were slightly perplexed by her reaction but quickly returned to their work, assuming there must be a reason.
Inside the tent, Se-ah threw down the in-com attached to her ear.
She nervously gnawed at her thumbnail.
The operation clearly succeeded perfectly.
However, for Se-ah, nothing else mattered.
Even if all the other Hunters died, it would be fine if only Ho-cheol was alive.
Conversely, all the other guys were alive, but Ho-cheol's life could not be guaranteed.
She felt like she could scream with frustration.
Leaning her back against a desk, she watched the spot where the gate had been just moments ago.
Even if Ho-cheol managed to come out intact from inside, there was still the problem that would follow.
Se-ah knew everything about the current relationship between the Association and Ho-cheol, and the circumstances before and after, so she was certain that the Association was constantly looking for an opportunity to kill Ho-cheol or reduce him to an equivalent state.
If she and all the Hunters withdrew like this, even if Ho-cheol later defeated the monster, crushed the core, and came outside, the Association might make a move first.
She could be certain.
If she and all the other Hunters left this place.
The Association would definitely send people here to capture Ho-cheol.
No matter how capable Ho-cheol was, he wouldn't be unharmed after such a fierce battle with that monster.
They might even kill him right there.
And Se-ah absolutely could not tolerate that sight.
“Aren’t you withdrawing?”
A Hunter poked his head into the tent and asked.
Se-ah answered him briefly without even looking at him.
“Teams that are finished cleaning up, please withdraw. I still have some work to do.”
The Hunter left the tent, replying that he understood, although his expression seemed confused.
Outside, Se-ah dragged a nearby chair over and sat down.
“No choice, I guess.”
She sighed and leaned back against the chair's backrest.
Hugging Gom-gom close to her, she pouted.
She gazed intently at Gom-gom and asked.
“Shouldn’t I at least wait for him? He's my friend.”
Gom-gom nodded as if agreeing.
“I knew you’d say that.”
Since he’s my first friend.
I have to do at least this much for him.
***
[An insolent fellow.]
Along with the monster’s voice, a giant hand sliced through the air.
No, it fell, tearing through the sky.
Given its massive size, its movements should normally be slow, but since it was not much different from a building flying at you, the oppression was on a different level.
Ho-cheol watched the scene of the arm dropping without flinching.
The experience he had accumulated so far wasn't so light as to panic or tense up just because a building was falling.
Kuwooong—!
The hand dropped, and along with a colossal tremor that shook the earth, a cloud of dust billowed up.
Ho-cheol had already vanished from that spot.
Shwiririk—
Ho-cheol, who had soared up through the dust cloud, instantly landed on the back of the monster's hand.
His body left a faint afterimage as he climbed up the monster's arm.
The monster also tried to block Ho-cheol with its other hand, but as if he had expected it, Ho-cheol plunged his sword into the monster's forearm and twisted it into a spiral centered on the forearm.
Following his movement, the sword embedded in the arm sliced the skin, leaving a bright red wound like a snake.
However, the wound healed again before Ho-cheol could even take his next step.
Seeing that, Ho-cheol inwardly clicked his tongue.
The previous fragment monster regenerated after it died, but it wasn't so overwhelming as to recover instantly like this.
It seems it will take quite a long time to kill it properly.
The monster, judging it was impossible to follow Ho-cheol's speed belatedly, stretched its hand toward its shoulder.
The place Ho-cheol was aiming for and would eventually arrive at could only be there.
And seeing that palm, Ho-cheol leaped high.
Although it was to avoid the hand, floating in the air was the worst move.
Even Ho-cheol couldn't change direction or leap again in mid-air.
He exposed a fatal opening.
Judging so, the monster raised the hand that was wrapped around its neck and shoulder to grab Ho-cheol floating in the air.
[……What?]
However, what the monster grabbed wasn't Ho-cheol, but merely a long staff.
Before the monster could even understand the situation for a moment, Ho-cheol’s voice rang out.
“You’re really blind as a bat. No, since you don't have eyeballs, are you a blind man who hasn't opened his eyes?”
The voice came from right above the monster's shoulder, within earshot of its ear.
“If you fight by gauging the opponent’s position with your Trait instead of your eyes. Didn’t you know this would happen?”
Ho-cheol subtly raised his head and looked at the monster's hand.
What the monster perceived as Ho-cheol wasn't him, but Peacemaker.
Just by applying power to the weapon and momentarily reducing his own presence, the monster mistook it for Ho-cheol leaping.
A being that was too massive and overwhelmingly strong, one that mediocre things couldn't even reach in the first place.
On the contrary, because it had never faced a proper enemy, its technique was infinitely lacking.
It only rampaged with the sheer magnitude of its power, but the way it fought itself wasn’t skillful, as expected.
Ho-cheol twisted the corner of his mouth into a smile.
“You weakling.”
Just as the monster was about to get angry, realizing it had been deceived.
Ho-cheol swung his sword.
“Now. First round.”
A long red thread was drawn across the monster’s head.
“I wonder how many times I have to kill you before you give up on reviving.”
A day?
A week?
A year?
It didn't matter.
This was a completely closed and stopped world.
Although the body would accumulate mental fatigue and wounds, there was no need to worry about nutrition or sleep.
***
Whirrr—
Kwaang—!
Ho-cheol's body spun once in the air.
Peacemaker struck the monster's temple.
The monster's enormous body tottered and fell sideways.
A clear fatal wound with more than half of its head crushed.
But the monster regained its balance from its semi-collapsed posture and stood up.
How many times had he killed it already?
In terms of days, probably more than a week had passed.
Until then, Ho-cheol had not slept, eaten, or rested, continuously killing the monster.
The number of times was sadly unknown to anyone now, as he stopped counting after it exceeded two hundred.
Ho-cheol scratched the back of his head while looking at the monster.
“Did you shrink again?”
The monster’s original size, which boasted a size greater than a building, decreased with each repeated death.
Now, Ho-cheol could meet the monster’s gaze just by lifting his head slightly.
Seeing the monster, which was now a little over 2m in size, Ho-cheol readjusted his grip on his sword.
The size decrease wasn't simply because he had killed it many times.
This was evolution, not a process of weakening.
In fact, such an absurdly huge size was a foolish form that only increased the hit area.
Nevertheless, it had persisted in that state because no enemy comparable to it had existed until now.
It was invincible even with such an irrational and inconvenient form.
But not now.
The first enemy that threatened it.
The monster's current state was the result of evolution to face an enemy.
To be faster, stronger, and more agile.
The result of that evolution was, ironically, too similar to the most threatening enemy.
The monster rushed toward Ho-cheol without preamble.
It swung its claws, which were dragging along the ground.
Blocking the upward-striking claw aimed at his chin with his sword, Ho-cheol swung his staff with his free hand.
The monster blocked the staff, aimed at its waist, by raising its knee.
It then stamped the raised foot directly at Ho-cheol's instep.
Kwaang—!
Ho-cheol easily dodged the foot by twisting his ankle.
The monster swung the hand that was blocked by the sword.
Ho-cheol pushed his shoulder forward to block the punch.
A fierce impact rattled his bones.
He drove his shoulder deeper and slammed directly into the monster's body.
Kuuung—!
As it was pushed back, the monster arched its body backward and swung its opposite foot widely.
Ssyaeeek—!
Even a simple kick tore the air, and a pure white shockwave sliced Ho-cheol in half.
However, what was split was only Ho-cheol's afterimage.
The distance instantly widened, and Ho-cheol clicked his tongue.
It was still rough and clumsy, but it was different from before.
Unlike before, when it was only overflowing with power but lacked strength, in this fight, the monster was faintly awakening to martial arts.
Furthermore, those movements were very similar to his own.
Well, that's all it had to watch and learn from.
And he was certain.
This was the final wall to completely defeat its mind, so it could never be resurrected again.
Ho-cheol muttered softly.
“Now, is it a fight instead of a hunt?”
If this is the opponent, I guess I can't just call it a hunt.
The monster opened its mouth.
Unlike before, when it always spoke directly to the brain through its Trait, it opened its mouth for the first time and made a sound through its own vocal cords.
“This is the final battle.”
The monster lowered its posture again.