Chapter 34: Secret Art 

[JKBC Issue Talk, today’s topic is the hot issue that has shaken Korea over the past two days! It’s none other than ‘Korea’s First S-Rank Dungeon Clear’! Our special guest is Professor Park Ahjeong from Korea University! Hello, Professor!]

[Ah, yes. Hello. I am Park Ahjeong, specializing in Otherworld Lokpia History and Hunter Studies.]

[We look forward to your insights today! Now, Professor Park Ahjeong. Korea has become the ninth country in the world to clear an S-rank dungeon. But this is actually the first time an S-rank dungeon has appeared in Korea. Just how dangerous are S-rank dungeons?]

[To put it simply, imagine ten thousand hydrogen bombs detonating simultaneously in the same spot. Everyone remembers the S-rank dungeon in Hawaii that led to a dungeon break. American S-rank hunters somehow managed to wipe out the monsters……. but Hawaii can no longer be found on world maps. It has completely vanished from Earth.]

[It’s chilling to think something that dangerous appeared right in the middle of downtown Korea! But it’s okay! Two heroes saved the nation! Swordmaster Cheok Junseong and Red Mage Tower Lord Shin Sodam! Two A+ rank hunters clearing an S-rank dungeon—isn’t this a world first, Professor Park Ahjeong?]

[Well…… there are actually some puzzling points about that. ‘How could two A+ rank hunters defeat an S-rank monster?’, ‘Were there really only two people inside the dungeon?’, ‘Was another party involved?’. This isn’t to disparage them; it’s purely academic curiosity as a scholar.]

[Quite a sharp observation. However, the Hunter Association stated that all other A+ rank hunters were on separate missions at the time. Moreover, after the Swordmaster and Red Mage Tower Lord entered the gate, not a single person passed through it.]

[Then how about this? What if someone had entered the dungeon before the Swordmaster and Red Mage Tower Lord? In fact, several eyewitnesses at the scene testified that ‘when the Swordmaster and Red Mage Tower Lord escaped the gate, there seemed to be another person with them.’ Unfortunately, the identity couldn’t be confirmed…….]

Beep

The TV in the private hospital room turned off.

Shin Sodam’s face reflected on the blank screen.

She sat on the hospital bed, gazing out the window.

News, newspapers, the internet—everywhere was flooded with stories about Cheok Junseong and Shin Sodam.

Heroes who saved the country, strong candidates for S-rank promotion.

The Hunter Association had even announced plans to soon raise the A+ rank hunter rankings.

Yet Shin Sodam, one of the people in question, couldn’t shake a nagging unease.

She frowned and muttered.

“……I killed that monster bastard?”

Soon she slowly recalled what happened inside the dungeon.

On the first floor, she and Cheok Junseong had encountered the S-rank monster, the Death Lord.

The two had linked their strongest skills to create a powerful firestorm.

But the Death Lord had erased it with a casual wave, as if swatting a fly.

After that, Cheok Junseong was taken down by the Death Lord, and then…….

“I don’t remember.”

Neither defeating the Death Lord nor clearing the dungeon.

She couldn’t even recall how they escaped.

Only hazy memories, like a fogged window.

I think I was buried under building debris.

And from that state, she felt like she had fired one more skill straight into the Death Lord’s face.

……With someone’s help.

Shin Sodam’s eyes flashed open.

“There was someone else besides us. Who was it?”

The person who pulled her from the rubble and lent her a hand to cast magic.

She concentrated, trying to recall his face.

But neither appearance nor voice came to mind.

Only a vague memory that he was a man around her age.

Did that man…… defeat the Death Lord?

Circumstantially, that was the most likely hypothesis.

That woman on TV—Park Ahjeong or whatever—was spot on with every point.

She and Cheok Junseong had been toyed with like children by the Death Lord.

Anyway, a disaster-level monster like the Death Lord wouldn’t have vanished on its own.

Hmm, was there a hunter from another country staying in Seoul? Or vigilantes, those terrorist bastards……?

At that moment, Shin Sodam felt a strong déjà vu.

Someone eliminating a monster and the credit going to them.

It was remarkably similar to the Death Knight incident.

“In other words, it’s highly likely the same person who defeated the Death Knight.”

If so, almost certainly an awakened with power reaching S-rank.

“An S-rank awakened hiding their identity…….”

Soon Shin Sodam frowned.

“Of all things, the most troublesome type.”

Hunters could roughly be divided into three types.

First, those who valued money or fame.

They seemed vulgar, but they were better than the other two categories.

They were simple and easy to handle because they were honest about their desires.

Second, the type that loudly proclaimed ‘I have no interest in money or fame.’

These were the ones actually more obsessed with money and fame than anyone, so they needed to be watched.

Finally, the third type—those who truly appeared indifferent to money and fame even to outsiders.

From Shin Sodam’s experience, this group was the most difficult and troublesome.

They wanted something beyond money and fame.

Proving strength? Enforcing justice? Or religious conviction?

Just what did that man want?

He might simply be a recent awakener unable to control his power yet.

Shin Sodam gazed out the window and muttered.

“Whatever it is, fine. I need to find him before anyone else. First, I have to see him in person. And then…….”

Soon a seductive smile formed on her lips.

“I’ll recruit him into our Red Mage Tower guild. By any means necessary.”

Her red eyes blazed crimson.

***

Suddenly, the hair on my body stood on end.

I stopped walking and shuddered.

“What the—why am I suddenly getting chills all over…….”

I didn’t know why, but it felt strangely unpleasant.

Then Jeanne’s worried voice came from behind.

“Master, are you perhaps feeling unwell?”

“Uh, no. It’s nothing.”

“I am relieved, then……. but perhaps you should visit this place called the emergency room…….”

“Hmm…….”

Emergency room.

Hearing that keyword brought back vivid memories of escaping Lethe Tower.

I had carried Shin Sodam, Cheok Junseong, and even Jeanne out of the dungeon.

Then we were surrounded by Hunter Association staff waiting near the gate.

Checking if we were breathing. If we were conscious. 

How severe the injuries were.

After making a huge fuss, the association staff loaded the survivors into ambulances.

..Except for me.

Amazingly, no one paid any attention to me.

Compared to the others, I didn’t have a single scratch, so it made sense, but…….

In the end, the ambulance took the three of them and left.

So, well…….

I just went home.

Ah, of course I stopped by the emergency room to bring Jeanne back.

Thanks to the Kidovnik skill, Jeanne looked perfectly fine, but that was only appearance.

If the hospital treatment revealed she was undead, it would cause all sorts of trouble.

Anyway.

The credit for clearing Lethe Tower dungeon went entirely to Cheok Junseong and Shin Sodam.

Whatever.

I gained something far greater than that.

DING DONG!

[Skills]

▶ Expand

▶ Collapse

▶ Hereditary Skin Oil <A>

The Gigasnail’s skin is like an oil field, capable of endlessly spewing massive amounts of oil.

• 『Seven Demon First Strike Secret Art: Gluttony Slash, Beelzebub』<S> [NEW]

→ Gluttony Slash draws from the power of insatiable void, returning everything in front to nothingness. It is said that the secret art of Gluttony Slash even devours the darkness of the night sky.

A newly added S-rank skill in the skill window.

It was the secret art of the first form of the Seven Demon Strikes, Gluttony Slash Beelzebub.

Then Jeanne beside me spoke.

“To kill the apostle Peter Winsfelt and even acquire the secret art of the Seven Demon First Strike. As expected of the Master of Gluttony.”

“Well……. actually…….”

I told her about Winsfelt’s final moments.

Jeanne smiled and replied.

“You protected the honor of the dead. I am always in awe of Master’s character.”

“?”

“But Winsfelt was a vile scoundrel who drove countless people to death. Karmic retribution. He merely met a fitting end.”

She clearly didn’t believe a word of it.

Well. Even I couldn’t understand Winsfelt’s actions.

Jeanne continued explaining the Seven Demon Strikes.

“The Seven Demon Strikes mean ‘seven strikes to reprimand demons,’ seven forms designed to kill devils. And perfecting each form to the extreme is the secret art.”

“The secret art……. is quite different from the techniques you used?”

“It is the difference between a firefly and the full moon. The secret art is the clan’s hidden transmission reachable only by those who have attained the pinnacle of swordsmanship.”

“Among them, the inheritor of Gluttony Slash, Winsfelt, was an unparalleled genius of swordsmanship even among the seven traitors. I…… once learned the sword from him, so I know well.”

As expected, she had been Winsfelt’s disciple.

But why did he pass the Gluttony Slash secret art to me instead of Jeanne?

Still incomprehensible.

On the other hand, I was curious how strong an S-rank skill would be.

……Just how powerful is it?

I planned to test it starting now.

Where I stood was Deokpyeong Island, northwest of Incheon.

A new reclaimed land created by the government years ago for new city development.

This place should have been filled with dazzling apartment complexes by now.

……If a dungeon break hadn’t occurred.

The new city plan was completely scrapped due to the dungeon break two years ago, turning it into abandoned wasteland.

Perfect for skill testing.

Far off, the West Sea and vast sandy beach were visible.

The only problem was.

“Wow, look at all the trash people dumped.”

The area around the sandy beach was covered in garbage.

From small litter like paper, plastic, PET bottles, and cans to large items like refrigerators, TVs, bed mattresses, and bicycles.

Piles of trash towered like hills all over the beach.

It seemed conscienceless people had secretly dumped here, creating this chaotic mess.

“Well, since it’s just trash, I can blow it away without worry.”

Soon I opened the skill window to activate the Gluttony Slash secret art.

But.

Ah, I didn’t bring a sword.

As if reading my mind, Jeanne immediately said.

“The Seven Demon Strikes that have reached the realm of secret art can be used without weapon restrictions, Master.”

No sword needed. That was a huge merit.

I took a light deep breath and assumed stance.

What posture to take, how to condense mana, how to swing the sword aura.

Winsfelt’s honed knowledge and technique vividly flowed into my mind.

DING DONG!

<Casting skill 『Seven Demon First Strike Secret Art: Gluttony Slash, Beelzebub』!>

Mana surged from my danjeon.

Soon pitch-black aura began enveloping my fingertips in darkness.

I slowly raised my right hand.

Along the trajectory of my hand blade, jet-black aura rippled like waves.

I could feel it.

The sensation of a sharp jet-black blade hanging at my fingertips.

Soon I swung the Gluttony Slash aura forward with all my might.

At the same time, several system windows appeared.

<The skill caster’s possessed stats are significantly below the standard!>

<『Gluttony Slash Secret Art』 output will be downgraded to match possessed stats!>

<Current output of Gluttony Slash Secret Art  

1%>

They’re downgrading the output?

The moment I thought that.

HWAAAK-!

Black aura burst forth like an explosion.

Like a whale’s shadow, it covered the entire area in darkness.

A crescent arc curving like a demon’s greedily opened maw.

Soon.

KWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWA!

A fierce gale raged, blinding me.

Only sounds of something tearing, bursting, and shattering rang clearly in my ears.

A moment later.

I stared at the scenery before me and lost all words.

Just one second ago, the trash and waste had overflowed everywhere.

All of it had vanished without a trace.

No, that wasn’t all.

The entire sandy beach area of Deokpyeong Island had been erased.

Beyond it, the West Sea parted on both sides like the Miracle of Moses.

“Oh.”

……

..This is no joke?