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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 13
Rumble!
A thunderous roar echoed through the foggy forest created by the 'Ghost Princess's Castle.'
A translucent, ghostly galleon crashed into the decaying forest, billowing green smoke.
The broken mast dissolved into the air.
"---, ---?!"
"-----!"
The ghosts tied to the ship scattered in confusion, only to be pulled back into the ship as if bound by invisible chains.
Step.
I trampled across their deck, heading towards the captain's cabin.
A triangular captain's hat bobbed up and down inside the round window.
Knowing it was listening, I gestured provocatively.
"Come out."
"..."
"A captain should go down with his ship."
Just as I had, fate, whether good or bad, must be met.
He couldn't run forever.
Creak!
As if he knew that too, the door to the captain's cabin opened boldly.
【Ghost Captain Kidd (C+)】
【Even in death, Kidd is feared and respected by his crew.】
Step.
An eyepatch, a hook hand, a peg leg, and a coat.
The man, looking like a collection of pirate stereotypes, stood before me with a green pipe in his mouth and a cutlass in his hand.
"Captain, forgive my rudeness for boarding without permission."
I pretended to take off my hat and bow.
"Get off my ship!"
Ghost Captain Kidd shouted and kicked off the deck.
Thump!
His charge was so powerful it felt like the ground itself buckled, and the three successive sword strikes he unleashed while spinning were a display of masterful technique.
The distance closed in an instant.
The soul-cutting cutlass swung at my neck, side, and thigh in sequence.
Slash!
But I was a veteran of veterans, having cleared 20 floors of the Tower alone.
The attack patterns a creature with two arms and two legs could display were already predictable.
A super-fast strike was coming from the 2 o'clock direction.
Whoosh!
I deflected the flat of the cutlass with the back of my right hand and spun my entire arm.
Grab!
I tucked the cutlass under my armpit, twisted my body, and bent his wrist to force him to drop the sword.
Of course, Captain Kidd, being a ghost, tried to phase out of my grasp at that moment, but...
【"Now's your chance."】
"Yes, I know."
【Law of Light】
I ignited a white flame in my left hand and thrust my four fingers into Captain Kidd's heart.
"Hello and Goodbye!"
Stab!
"Urgh!"
Captain Kidd's single eye contracted.
Shock and admiration for me crossed his wrinkled face.
Boom!
His green spirit form and the crashed ghost ship burst like a balloon pierced by a needle.
The story of a pirate captain had ended.
【You have defeated Captain Kidd.】
【The ship and the captain share the same fate.】
As expected, the captain also served as the ship's core.
Tssss.
I felt the mana returning to my heart and landed on the ground beneath the vanished deck.
"---, ---! (Run away! Run away!)"
"-----!? (You'll disappear forever!)"
The Ghosts, Banshees, Wraiths, and Phantoms no longer dared to approach me. They just flew around in the fog, screaming incomprehensibly.
'That's a relief.'
When I used Law of Light, a portion of the mana from the annihilated enemy returned to me.
And with my Constellation sharing a third of my mana consumption, it wasn't a particularly difficult battle.
However, unlike my past body, which had a mana core that never seemed to run out, the mana in my heart was now nearing its bottom, like clothes getting wet in a drizzle.
'This is enough for today.'
Considering the journey back, it was time to retreat.
I had a habit of pushing myself to the breaking point, and it always ended badly.
So I just opened my status window to check today's gains.
I zoomed in on the important parts: my class and stats.
+
【Status Window
2. Class: Pyromancer (D+ ‣ C-)
3. Stats:
[Strength 185 ‣ 195] [Agility 205 ‣ 220]
[Health 220 ‣ 230] [Mana 240 ‣ 255]】
+
I raised my eyebrows in satisfaction.
It was a decent, no, an excellent result.
【"You've already reached C-Rank, even though I didn't help much."】
【"At this rate, you might even aim for A-Rank within this year."】
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' praises you.】
【"I'll sponsor some stat points. It's only a single digit, but be satisfied, as I'm a 7th Stage Ascendant."】
Ding.
【Mana +5】
【Mana 255 ‣ 260】
Receiving the bonus from my Constellation made me shrug proudly.
I carefully examined my class and stats.
Even with the '-' attached, being C-rank meant I was officially a 'Hunter.'
Not a porter, a laborer, or a half-assed bodyguard, but someone who could make a living hunting monsters and climbing the Tower.
Now, except for Strength, all my stats were in the 200s, and my Mana had even surpassed the 250 mark.
I still had a long way to go to reach my former prowess, but this was a solid first step.
I turned towards the exit of the Gate.
That's when I noticed the ghosts running away from me.
* * *
The ghosts weren't scattering in all directions but were gathering in one place.
Among them, I noticed a few Phantoms glancing at me.
Their gazes weren't the kind that said "we'll get you later," but rather the eyes of scouts gathering information about their opponent.
They were clearly relieved.
The enemies' relief meant our tension.
I needed to check it out.
"Constellation."
【"Can't you wait until tomorrow or the day after to check, when you're fully prepared?"】
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' is displeased.】
"Every second counts in life or death situations, doesn't it?"
【"Even 1 or 2 mana points can make the difference between life and death. Don't even think about taking risks until you get another Ring of Reincarnation."】
I thought for a moment.
My Constellation was right.
I only have one life.
So.
"I'll just check it out."
【"Then why did you even ask?!"】
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' writhes in agony.】
I felt sorry for my Constellation, but I've lived like this for 15 years.
I never overlooked even the smallest risk factors.
Once I noticed something, I made sure to resolve it completely.
And I never ran away from my duty, no matter what.
Even in this state, Baekya's pride was too strong to cower and protect myself.
Swoosh!
With the agility honed through countless battles, I dashed across the fog-covered ridge.
【Insight】
I used the skill to see through the thick fog.
"!"
My face hardened involuntarily.
I was short of breath from the considerable mana consumption, but the scene before me was too devastating.
The vast reservoir was filled with ghost ships.
The wide valley between the two hills was teeming with ghostly warhorses and knights.
And at the forefront of those knights stood a Dullahan commander.
He was giving a speech to the knights.
Judging by the atmosphere, I could understand it even without my Constellation's interpretation.
"---! -----!"
Every time the headless knight shouted something, the ghost knights and captains cheered, waving their spears and swords.
It was just like when I led my disciples on Tower raids.
They were clearly trying to break the seal and get out.
The emission itself... had already begun.
The sealing ritual, the 'Artificial Samdocheon,' was merely preventing them from crossing over.
The fact that this Gate had been left unconquered for months was unusual in the first place.
Then why hadn't anyone closed this Gate?
The answer was obvious.
Because I was gone!
I remembered receiving a schedule report from my secretary.
Originally, I was planning to wipe out all of them with a single use of Law of Light without having to bring in other Hunters.
The budget and manpower for the sealing had been allocated with my participation in mind.
But then I died overnight.
The tasks related to this Gate must have been left hanging.
Siyeol, couldn't you have waited just until the scheduled closure of this dungeon?
I shook my head, recalling the face of my beloved disciple and irreplaceable comrade.
"-----!"
The Dullahan commander shouted something and then raised his longsword towards the sky.
Poooo!
A Banshee trumpeter blew a long, charging horn.
The pirate captains unfurled the sails of their ghost ships, and the ghost knights grabbed the reins of their skeletal warhorses.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The Ghost Princess's army began to move.
I pondered for a moment.
If an incident occurs in a Rank 2 Gate, a Ranker within the top 100 will definitely come.
As far as I remember, this city is under the jurisdiction of one of the five major guilds, the 'Iron Blood Legion.'
And the guild master of Iron Blood Hall was one of the Regressors who followed Cheong Siyeol.
If he comes and sees my halo, I'm finished.
I can't hope for the optimistic outcome of getting away with it.
A natural question that any human would have came to my mind.
Do I really have to report this?
Isn't there a watchtower just a bit further ahead?
But my hand, unlike my head, was already preparing the 'Flame Signal' flare.
"..."
It can't be helped.
In the end, everything proceeds according to inertia.
This is how I live as myself.
I can't just rely on that watchtower.
I can't turn a blind eye to the potential crisis of a city being destroyed.
"Constellation."
【"Why are you asking for advice when you won't listen anyway?"】
"I'm not asking for advice, but for help."
【"I knew it."】
"Don't you always want to see me doing this?"
【"...I won't answer that."】
I heard a faint chuckle.
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' rises.】
"Thank you."
I shot the 'Flame Signal' into the sky.
Beeeeeeeeeek!
The fire arrows soared upwards in succession, making a loud noise.
A few seconds of silence passed.
Eeeeeeeeeeng!
A deafening siren wailed in response.
Signal flares announcing the emergency shot up from the watchtowers all around.
The sharp sound felt like a cheer supporting my choice.
"---, ---!"
Perhaps because my surprise attack had been discovered before it even began—
Ghosts, big and small, swarmed towards me.
Wraiths, Ghosts, Phantoms, Banshees, Ghouls...
"Kyaaaaaaaaak—!"
Their dance, which distorted my vision just by looking at it, and their screams, which clouded my consciousness just by hearing them, were dizzying.
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' successfully blocks the status effect 'Confusion.'】
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' successfully blocks the status effect 'Fear.'】
But my Constellation illuminated my path once again.
And I, too, walked steadily along that path.
"-----!"
A skeletal soldier charged at me, wielding a mace in one hand.
A zombie soldier thrust its long spear.
And a Ghost with its maw gaping open to its waist.
To block the enemies surging like angry waves...
【Wall of Fire】
I raised a wall of flames.
Boom!
An explosion instantly engulfed dozens of ghosts.
Five Banshees flying overhead crumpled and fell.
Whoosh!
The flames, their intensity slightly diminished, stretched out to the left and right, forming a wall over ten meters long.
"-----!"
A group of ghost soldiers charging towards me danced painfully in the flames before melting away.
"Ha."
The moment I breathed a sigh of relief...
Saaaaaak!
The Wall of Fire split open about 2 meters wide, creating a path for a massive ghost to walk through.
【Dullahan (C+)】
Clack.
The ghost knight, its head tucked under its arm, the Dullahan commander, pointed its longsword at me.
Once, it was a monster I could easily defeat.
Now, it was an enemy that could kill me.
* * *
Our fight didn't last long.
I had no intention of engaging in a head-on battle with a C+ Rank monster in my current state, with my mana nearly depleted.
Even at the same C+ Rank, this Dullahan commander was on a different level compared to the likes of Pirate Captain Kidd.
I finished it off using the skills bestowed upon me by my Constellation, not my honed techniques.
The moment the Dullahan swung its sword down, I used 'Descent from the Crimson Flame.'
Whoosh!
The instant my body turned into flames—
The Dullahan's sword stopped mid-air.
Screech!
It was an outstanding technique, rivaling immense power.
But I was one step ahead.
From behind the Dullahan, within the burning 'Wall of Fire,' I sprung forth like an arrow released from a bow.
Whoosh!
I reached out and snatched the head the Dullahan was carrying under its arm.
Without looking back, I dashed towards the exit of the Gate.
The enraged headless body chased after me, shaking the ground, but its massive size wouldn't allow it to catch up easily.
I threw the Dullahan's head into the sealing barrier, the 'Artificial Samdocheon.'
Even though the barrier was crumbling, it should still have enough power left to incinerate a single entity.
Splash!
The dead man's head twitched before sinking into the bottomless water.
The Dullahan's body stiffened and then collapsed onto the ground.
I also collapsed at the same time.
"I'm dying."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
My heart screamed.
I had no mana left.
Beads of sweat rolled down my temples, past my ears, and down my neck.
My lungs ached as if they were tearing apart.
As my vision blurred, a sweet notification sound rang in my ears.
Ding!
【Skill Acquired: Dullahan's Gaze (C)】
【The knight Dullahan, who carries its head under its arm, has a wide field of vision. Using this skill creates a burning eye that functions as an 'Observer.'】
It was a new skill.
【"You've worked hard. You're amazing, my contractor."】
【Your Constellation 'Sunny' praises you.】
A gentle breeze carrying the scent of sunshine brushed past my cheeks.
It was a welcome respite.
I murmured a "thank you" under my breath.
Beeeeeeeeeek!
In the distance, a mana signal flare shot up into the sky.
The Hunters of the Iron Blood Legion were coming.
The Guild Master, the Regressor who killed me, must be with them.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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