Chapter 24: Kitin Blade on Camera, Aura Blade in the Dark

The filming crew arrived late and hurriedly set up their equipment.

The questions had been prepared by Joo Eun-jong.

Choi Kangjoong, who was the subject of the interview for the first time, felt his heart race.

‘It’s just recording. If it goes wrong, just throw it into the Soil Pit. No, we can just re-shoot!’

The interview began.

As expected from a Dtuber, Joo Eun-jong’s hosting was light and lively.

In front of the camera, Choi Kangjoong was the embodiment of a gentleman.

Joo Eun-jong introduced Choi Kangjoong and exchanged questions and answers.

Choi Kangjoong was comfortable because he already knew the topics, and there were no sensitive questions about skills or race.

When asked what weapon he primarily used, he answered: Kitin Blade.

Click.

“Oh! You use a weapon like that!”

Joo Eun-jong, impressed, borrowed a guild member’s sword to compare, but the Kitin Blade was clearly dominant.

That was all Choi Kangjoong demonstrated regarding his abilities.

His flying ability was already well known to everyone.

“Thank you, Outer! I never thought a day like this would come for me!”

Joo Eun-jong was as enthusiastic as a devoted fan.

He asked if Choi Kangjoong could give an autograph, but Choi said he didn’t have one.

Joo Eun-jong said that was natural and promised not to disturb him any longer.

“Well then, happy hunting!”

Joo Eun-jong bowed respectfully.

Feeling a sense of liberation, as if he were a free man, Choi Kangjoong passed through the Gate.

He didn’t start hunting immediately.

He concealed his presence with stealth and observed how Joo Eun-jong operated.

Even though biometric reactions were truthful, there might be skills that could deceive even that.

“Son Manager, isn’t it amazing? How can a sword born from a person’s body be stronger than a sword forged by a Carrier Guild master?”

“There are monsters with tough scales too, you know.”

“Hey! Are you saying Outer is a monster?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

“Son Manager, you’re not impressing me today.”

“I’m sorry…”

Joo Eun-jong quietly filmed from places where Choi Kangjoong was out of sight.

“I can’t figure him out.”

Choi Kangjoong gave up trying to understand and decided to accept only what he could see.

There were people who were angels to some and demons to others.

“Anyway, thanks to Joo Eun-jong, there aren’t many people here.”

He promised to repay him later and summoned Apocalid.

With Lutal and the Giants appearing, trees crashed down everywhere.

He first sent out Air Scouts to check the Trolls’ positions.

“Go catch them.”

“Krk!”

As an Outer Mind, Choi Kangjoong shared knowledge with the Central Unit, so no explanations were needed.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Lutal went hunting alone while the Giants moved in groups with 15 to 20 Warriors.

“With so many hands, this is really convenient.”

If he were alone, it would have taken hours to kill 100.

“It’s started.”

Lutal leapt and cut down a Troll in a single strike.

Nearby Trolls raised tree clubs, but those were sliced through as well.

Air Walkers flew over and brought back the Troll corpses.

[Evolution Points acquired.]

[Evolution Points acquired.]

[Evolution Points acquired.]

[Current Evolution Points: 5,337,333]

[Troll Evolution Code Decryption Rate: 5%]

“Lutal killed five, so it seems each Troll grants about 1,000 Evolution Points.”

Because the Harpie Queen was a boss monster, they had gained a lot.

“Wonder if the Troll King will show up soon.”

As Apocalid’s feast began, the forest howled.

Small monsters fled noisily, and the roar of Trolls echoed thunderously.

The battle between a 20-meter-long Giant-class monster and a 10-meter-tall giant Troll was fierce.

When the Giant pinned the Troll down and rolled, the earth trembled as if an earthquake had struck.

Trees were uprooted and flung about.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The Giant stabbed the Troll pinned beneath with its scythe claws.

The Troll, its forearms and face slashed, quickly became drenched in blood.

The Psionic blades on the scythe claws slowed the Troll’s recovery.

Kuung! Kuung! Kuung!

Another Troll charged at the Giant’s side.

The Giant swept the ground with its tail.

The Troll, caught by the ankle, tumbled down with a crash.

The Giant stomped on the Troll with its middle foot, pinning it down.

Warriors rushed in, attacking the Trolls’ heads and necks.

Trolls died as their necks were severed and skulls crushed.

“Amazing. What on earth is going on here?”

Joo Eun-jong was curious about how Choi Kangjoong fought but, as promised, didn’t get close.

After filming the fight with the Trolls, he descended into the Underground Labyrinth where the Minotaurs lived.

The Walkers shuffled around, throwing trees into the Soil Pit.

Even if few, they became steady nutrients.

Dead Trolls arrived one by one and were dumped into the Soil Pit.

Bubbles rose, transforming into nutrients and Evolution Points.

[Evolution Points acquired.]

[Evolution Points acquired.]

[Evolution Points acquired.]

Lutal was by far the fastest hunter.

While one Giant and 20 Warriors took down a single Troll, Lutal killed three at once.

–Kroarrrr!

A powerful roar shook the forest.

It was so strong it created a sudden gust.

“Is that the Troll King?”

He sent an Air Scout to confirm the source of the roar.

As Choi Kangjoong expected, it was the Troll King.

“Wait, that looks bigger than the Troll King.”

The only monster similar to the Troll King but larger was the Troll Giant King.

It had stronger regeneration than the Hydra and immense strength, enough to rip up boulders and throw them.

“Now this will be fun.”

Choi Kangjoong summoned all the Fighter Warriors, Fighter Giants, and Cannon Giants.

He flew to the Dimension Boundary and called Kuongi and the Titans.

The two Titans climbed along the dimensional gravity at the boundary and targeted the Troll Giant King.

“Should’ve produced Terrestrial Titans.”

If Titans had self-awareness, they’d be anxious right now.

He could still melt them down in the Soil Pit to convert them into Terrestrial Titans.

Though he wouldn’t get 100% of the nutrients back, it was a method used when Terrestrial Titans were absolutely needed without nutrients.

“Since it takes time to summon Titans, let’s handle this with our current forces. We’ve got Lutal too.”

“Kuong.”

Starting with Kuongi, 75 Mana Cannons fired.

Mana Shells pounded the Troll Giant King fiercely.

They didn’t use Mana Storm Cannons because they were ineffective.

“Graaah!”

The Troll Giant King stomped the ground.

The earth bounced high.

Rocks scattered here and there blocked the Mana Shells.

Kuung! Kuung! Kuung!

The Troll Giant King charged toward the Cannon Giants.

The Central Cannon Giant ordered a scatter formation and then charged forward.

Boom!

The Troll Giant King swung its club, and the Central Cannon Giant blocked it with its shield.

Although the Central Cannon Giant was small in height, it weighed about the same and held its ground.

Bam! Bam!

The Central Cannon Giant pressed its barrel against the Troll Giant King’s chest and fired.

Hit at close range by the Mana Cannon, the Troll Giant King staggered.

“Good job!”

Encouraged by Choi Kangjoong, the Central Cannon Giant charged at the Troll Giant King.

Kuuuung!

The two massive bodies toppled, creating a huge crater in the ground.

The Central Cannon Giant pointed its barrel downward.

Three Mana Shells were fired, and purple vapor rose from its waist.

“The regeneration is incredible.”

The chest that was hit earlier had already recovered.

The forearm just struck by the Mana Shell rapidly regenerated as well.

At this rate, it would take a long time to kill it, but Apocalid’s strongest forces had something else.

“Krk.”

Lutal and the Warriors leapt.

Clinging blackly to its head and chest, they tore into the Troll Giant King’s hide.

Giants grabbed its arms and legs to keep it from standing.

Shreek, shreek, shreek!

Lutal’s Aura Blade sliced through the Troll Giant King’s muscles and ribs.

“Graaah!”

The Troll Giant King thrashed wildly.

But even its limbs were reduced to bare bones by the Giants’ scythe claws.

Glug glug glug glug.

The Troll Giant King’s heart pounded fiercely, now exposed.

Lutal pulled back all four scythe claws and then thrust forward.

Pwoooook!

Its heart exploded, blood spouted 100 meters high before settling.

Its head was also reduced to bones by the Warriors’ scythe claws.

“Big isn’t everything. Balance matters.”

The Walkers disassembled the Troll Giant King’s corpse and carried it to the Soil Pit.

[Evolution Points acquired.]

[Current Evolution Points: 6,236,542]

“That gives a million points. Boss-class definitely yields a lot.”

[Troll Evolution Code Decryption Rate: 100%]

When the Evolution Code was fully decrypted, Choi Kangjoong applied it to all classes.

The Central Unit immediately gained rapid regeneration.

The Central Cannon Giant’s dented Kitin armor regenerated.

The scratches on Lutal’s Kitin armor quickly vanished.

“A Brutal Lord with Troll regeneration.”

“Krk.”

Because Brutal Lord’s melee skills were exceptional, every time he gained auxiliary abilities like this, he grew noticeably stronger.

And even during the Dimension War, it was rare to apply the Troll’s Evolution Code to Lutal, but each time, it showed overwhelming might.

“Now we can slice through a hundred Great Bosses.”

“Krk.”

Choi Kangjoong patted Lutal’s head.

Though it looked fierce, to Choi Kangjoong it was a cute hand that moved on its own.

“Clear out the remaining Trolls too.”

Since the Troll Giant King was dead, he decided to wipe out all the Trolls in the dimension.

It would mean losing a good hunting ground, but Choi Kangjoong valued safety more.

Without him, Joo Eun-jong and his party could’ve all died to the Troll Giant King, and people beyond the Gate might have suffered damage.

Dododododododo!

Apocalid spread out, and the Trolls’ screams echoed.

Troll corpses piled up in the Soil Pit, but as their numbers dwindled, the arrivals suddenly stopped.

Choi Kangjoong sent Air Scouts throughout the dimension and confirmed there were no Trolls left, then descended into the Underground Labyrinth.

“Let’s wipe out all the Minotaurs too.”

“Krk.”

Choi Kangjoong and Lutal descended into the labyrinth together.

Though it was dark enough to need Night Vision Goggles, the Apocalid’s infrared mana vision made it no obstacle.

Shreek, shreek.

Every monster that appeared was sliced by Lutal’s scythe claws.

Thanks to the Psionic Kitin blades, there was no need to even use the Aura Blade.

As he steadily decrypted the Evolution Code, the labyrinth shook violently.

“What’s happening? Is it going to collapse?”

It wouldn’t matter even if the labyrinth collapsed.

He could escape through the Gate, and Lutal could be recalled.

“Let’s speed up the hunting.”

“Krk!”

Until now, Choi Kangjoong had left the hunting mostly to Lutal, but he also began killing Minotaurs.

The deeper he went, the stronger the Minotaurs became.

Still, they were all one-shot kills for the Aura Blade.

“Aaahhh!”

Right after the Minotaur Evolution Code was fully decrypted, a scream was heard.

“That’s Joo Eun-jong’s voice.”

Sure enough, Joo Eun-jong came running.

He was terrified and covered in blood.