novelraw Chapter 192 : Blade of Misunderstanding (1)
Chapter 192 : Blade of Misunderstanding (1)
Blade of Misunderstanding (1)
The French S-rank Hunter Hugo was extremely dissatisfied with the current situation.
After the semifinals with UK, the Odyssey had been postponed indefinitely, and then suddenly he was called out for this incident.
"Let them solve their own problems."
France sent out an S-rank Hunter, determined to use this opportunity to put America in their debt.
Of the only three S-rank Hunters in France, one had been dispatched to this incident.
Unluckily, Hugo was among those three.
"Defeating Owen McGregor, huh..."
He was a famous Hunter, one Hugo also knew.
An awakener regarded as the strongest in the world, even beyond America.
He had heard rumors that Owen had reached SS-rank, beyond S-rank, but Hugo simply could not believe it.
Not all S-rank Hunters were alike.
There were clearly vast differences even within the same rank.
Even for someone like Ryan Knox, Hugo didn't think he could last five minutes against him.
Yet, even Ryan Knox was still merely S-rank.
But above that, SS-rank?
"I heard Alencia is considered above SS-rank."
The footage hadn't been fully released yet, but there was a video of the SS-rank over-monster, Titan.
If that monster had been subjugated, then surely Alencia had to be above SS-rank.
It was hard to believe, but seeing Alencia's ability in the Odyssey made it seem possible.
So far, she hadn't even suffered a scratch in the Odyssey.
"If Owen is... really SS-rank."
Would they survive if they faced him in the dungeon?
A fear he had forgotten since becoming S-rank began to crawl up his throat.
"Why did Owen McGregor do this?"
"Who knows? Maybe he didn't like the finalist he was up against."
When one Hunter tried to lighten the heavy mood, some others chuckled.
After all, the finalist to face America was Korea.
"It seems Korea's S-rank Hunters, except for two, are all participating."
"Isn't it three? There should be one S-rank who's never appeared."
At the mention of an S-rank Hunter who had never participated, Hugo thought of Shin Ah-yeon.
However, it seemed the Hunter they were referring to was not Shin Ah-yeon.
"Oh, you mean No Name?"
"No Name? Did they register under an alias?"
"I'm not sure, but reportedly the Korean Hunter Association registered them that way. From what I know, they're the one who closed an S-rank gate alone."
The surrounding Hunters could not help but be shocked at the mention of someone closing an S-rank gate alone.
A gate wasn't something that could be closed simply because one wanted to.
"So Korea has as many as seven S-rank Hunters now?"
"To think they have so many young S-rank Hunters of that caliber ..."
"It seems their numbers have spiked recently. It's probably ever since that Park Jung-woo appeared."
Park Jung-woo— the man who gave the briefing at the Grand Canyon earlier.
The Hunter Association staff and the Korean and American Hunters listened to him attentively, so Hugo had kept quiet, but he didn't like him.
"Still, isn't he just a manager? Even his presence here is exceptionally unusual. I know he's here as Korea's coach, but this is a place where lives are at risk."
"I agree with Hunter Hugo. Why has a civilian come here... honestly..."
"This kind of thing should have been blocked by the association."
The Hunters said this as they looked at the man who'd been called an American Hunter Association staff member.
He was only along because he was an A-rank awakener, but they didn't particularly like the fact that an association staffer was tagging along.
"I understand your concerns. But for now, that isn't the priority..."
Oliver, an agent of the Bureau of Paranormal Phenomena Management disguised as an association staffer, wore a troubled smile.
He himself had once doubted Jung-woo, but not anymore.
Above all, they believed Jung-woo was a completely incompetent person.
He considered correcting that information, but at that moment, Oliver saw something.
"There— I saw something flash."
Something flashed?
Hugo was the first to react to those words.
He reflexively drew his sword to block.
KWAANG!!
A deafening crash, not something that could be said to be the meeting of two swords.
No, was that even a sword on the other side?
Unlike Hugo's simple longsword, the thing that had just been swung was a massive greatsword— easily two meters long.
Under normal circumstances, such a weapon could never have been used in a narrow dungeon.
But suddenly, a man with ashen hair and sharp eyes was swinging his sword without hesitation, shaving the dungeon's walls and ceiling.
Owen McGregor.
The awakener called the pinnacle of the world.
Hugo realized this acutely in a single blow.
"Unlucky."
With nothing more than a mighty swing, Owen had sent six S-rank Hunters flying, muttering as he did.
"... Unlucky? You mean us, for running into you?"
"No."
Owen nonchalantly held his greatsword.
"I mean me, for drawing the short straw."
At the word 'short straw', Hugo gripped his sword tighter.
The humiliation he had never felt since becoming S-rank made him charge Owen.
"You bastard!!"
At first, he'd never planned to fight this way.
He was facing the world's best; caution was warranted. But Owen's contempt either way was intolerable.
The other Hunters felt the same.
They threw themselves at Owen with everything they had— all the effort, strength, and Conceptualization Techniques they had built up until now aimed directly at him.
"As I thought, it's not you."
That was all.
"My prediction was correct."
Six S-rank Hunters.
Their team contained the largest number of S-ranks.
Yet, they couldn't even graze Owen's clothing.
'Is he even human?'
SS-rank— when he heard the rumors, he wondered if they were false.
But after actually facing Owen, it was hard to refute.
He was handling six S-rank Hunters without even exerting himself.
It didn't feel like his full power at all.
One of Owen's casual swings was equivalent to one of their all-out attacks.
Those attacks came at twice their speed.
If they hadn't taken turns blocking, Hugo's head would have rolled on the dungeon floor already.
'If all the S-rank Hunters involved in this incident rushed him, could we win?'
'Defeating this monster ... is impossible.'
All the Hunters facing Owen felt that way.
The outcome of the Odyssey had already been decided.
In a relay battle, there would be no Hunter who could defeat Owen.
A monster among monsters.
CRACK!!
Ultimately, Hugo saw his longsword shatter, unable to withstand Owen's weapon.
A brilliantly gleaming blade closed in on his face.
It wasn't the edge.
Perhaps thinking Hugo wasn't even worth killing, Owen targeted him with the flat of the greatsword.
It wouldn't kill, but he would surely collapse here.
Or so Hugo thought.
CRUNCH.
Someone caught the massive greatsword barehanded.
"So this was the answer after all."
Owen's eyes, which had been looking at him with boredom, lit up.
Hugo turned to see who had caught Owen's greatsword— not knowing when that person had gotten there.
Park Jung-woo.
The manager whose reasons for being here were unknown.
He had caught a greatsword none of these S-rank Hunters dared face head-on— with his bare hands.
'Am I dreaming?'
It seemed that way.
He hadn't blocked with a sword, but completely barehanded?
Could a human even do such a thing?
At that moment, the conversation replayed in Hugo's mind.
「There should be one S-rank Hunter who's never appeared.」
「No Name?」
「From what I know, they're the one who closed an S-rank gate alone.」
And the S-rank Hunters of Korea and America who naturally listened to him.
Recalling that, Hugo let out a hollow laugh.
'I should have been told this in advance.'
Had they done this just to surprise him?
Just as he was thinking that, Jung-woo's fist moved—
And Owen's body crashed through the dungeon, sent flying.
***
【Manager Park, the first dungeon is complicated in layout, but there are no major issues.】
【In the second dungeon, a large number of monsters have appeared, but while the magic power is unstable, there are no signs of a rift.】
In the dungeons, agents from the Bureau of Phenomenal Event Management were working alongside the S-rank Hunters.
Though not S-rank, they were all at least A-rank Hunters, so they wouldn't be a burden.
'As for demonic reactions... nothing sensed yet.'
It was unclear whether none had appeared yet, or whether they were hiding their demonic energy.
If they were hiding, there must be at least a top-rank demon present.
Even if someone hid their demonic energy from me, they couldn't escape Yeon-ji's half-demon senses.
And above all, there was now Ah-yeon, who had become adept at detecting demonic energy.
Though Ah-yeon seemed slightly odd, she didn't appear to be in poor condition.
【Manager Park Jung-woo! It's the fourth dungeon! Owen McGregor has appeared in the fourth dungeon!】
That was the signal I'd been waiting for.
I nearly dashed off to the scene, then spoke to Ah-yeon.
"Wait here for now, and move if instructed by the agents."
"The place where the rift incident will occur might not necessarily be where Owen is, right?"
"Exactly."
As always, Ah-yeon caught on quickly.
The location of Owen and where the rift incident would break out could be completely different.
'There's no way he's acting alone.'
So the other Hunters should also stay put and remain on standby inside their respective dungeons.
No telling how things might unfold.
There would probably be event management agents standing by not just in these four dungeons, but throughout all the dungeons in the Grand Canyon.
Enoch was a thorough person.
"So this was the answer after all."
Having arrived at the dungeon just in time to catch Owen's greatsword, Owen grinned at me.
As if he'd been waiting.
"What a joke."
KWAANG!!
I put considerable strength into my punch as I hit Owen.
He reflexively brought up his greatsword to block, but tumbled backward, shattering the dungeon walls like paper. I almost chased after him, then stopped, inwardly surprised by the tingle in my hand.
'The claim that he's the world's current apex is no exaggeration.'
Owen was far stronger than I'd expected.
There were rumors he might be at the SS-rank level, but seeing him take my punch just now, it seemed definite.
"I've been waiting for you, Park Jung-woo."
"Did you stage all of this just to call me here?"
Even after being sent flying by my punch, Owen rose casually.
Ashen hair, well over 190 cm tall.
Though over fifty, his appearance was that of someone in his early thirties.
'Demonic energy...'
It was there.
The demonic energy squirming within him was vivid.
But Owen wasn't using it at all.
"The demons seem to have gifted you handsomely."
I asked, trying to probe, but he only watched me silently, offering no real answer.
I couldn't discern what his intentions were or what the demons were after.
'Wait.'
Now that I paid attention, the demonic energy in the vicinity wasn't just Owen's.
Another demon's demonic energy was present.
And it was an enormous amount.
Moreover, it closely resembled the demonic energy emanating from Owen's body.
'Could it be a case like Sol Mayer?'
The difference was that, unlike the Sol Mayer case, the original body that had transferred that power was present here as well.
"You seem deep in thought."
Owen hefted his greatsword, pointing it slowly at me.
Unlike when he'd faced the other Hunters, his intent to kill was now palpable.
"If you won't come at me first, I shall make the move."
Crimson sword energy exploded from Owen's greatsword, making the enormous blade still greater.
Now four meters long, the dungeon's walls were pulverized and shredded whenever the sword moved.
"Demon King."
"...!"
With those whispered words—
A crimson slash tore through the air.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
I like that Jung-woo and Ah-yeon were on standby instead of going to the dungeons blindly to look for Owen. And they were also careful enough to leave Ah-yeon outside in case the rift isn't where Owen was.
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】