WeTried Translations
Translator: ZERO_SUGAR
Editor: BlueMangoAde
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 868: F-Rank Hunter Jeon Myeong-hoon (7)
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Ting!
Shin Ah-young and Jeon Myeong-hoon's spears clash in midair for the first time.
Strangely, the two spears tremble with a clear, crystalline sound.
Ting, ting, ting!
After that, their spears clash again and again.
"What... are you...!?"
Shin Ah-young cries out in alarm.
The clear sound is the least of it.
What feels most unnatural is that Jeon Myeong-hoon is reproducing her spear technique perfectly.
Her eyes widen as she watches the spear forms unfold through his body.
"How...? How are you copying the spear technique I learned like that!?"
"Focus."
Bang!
For a while, Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear mirrors her movements.
Then it moves one beat ahead of her and targets her shoulder.
Shin Ah-young startles and pours out a massive amount of mana to block him before crossing spears with him again.
'What is this?'
That attack one beat ahead had been the move she intended to use next.
Yet he had anticipated even that and struck first.
'Does he know my spear technique too? Or does he have some sort of future-sight skill?'
As confusion fills her mind, Jeon Myeong-hoon moves his spear with calm eyes.
As an A-Rank Hunter, Shin Ah-young is driving Jeon Myeong-hoon back by pouring tremendous amounts of mana into her attacks.
A storm of blue mana rages around her, making it impossible to see what is happening within.
Within that storm, Jeon Myeong-hoon faces it with the flesh of a human who cannot properly use mana because of that damned Mana-Insensitive Body.
"Hoo...!"
All he can do is exhale and release hot breath.
Ting!
Shin Ah-young spins.
It looks as though she is preparing a powerful technique to subdue Jeon Myeong-hoon.
Jeon Myeong-hoon raises his spear and spins in exactly the same way.
At the same time, he rides the flow inside Shin Ah-young's mana storm, taking the optimal stance and diverting all her force into the surroundings!
Ting!
The clear sound rings out again.
'He blocked this too!?'
It is as if he can hear Shin Ah-young's inner voice.
Perhaps because this is another world without planes, the abilities of Treading Heaven Beyond the Path he originally possessed have almost vanished.
But how can a martial artist who has walked the path of martial arts rely only on such abilities?
Even without them, when weapons cross, he can hear some part of the other person's heart.
Jeon Myeong-hoon understands why the Heart Tribe greets one another that way.
'It is practically the same as dual cultivation.'
No.
It is even greater than that.
The pleasure of hearts colliding and seeming to unite completely as one.
'This is the Heart Tribe's heart...!'
Ting!
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Shin Ah-young's spears separate.
Tap, tap!
She takes three steps back across the sandy beach.
It is light, agile footwork.
Jeon Myeong-hoon copies it.
After retreating, she condenses a great deal of mana, spins her spear, and thrusts.
Jeon Myeong-hoon also gathers surrounding mana with Dragon Twister Thrust and copies her.
Their mana-condensed spears collide in the air.
Ting!
Though it is mana colliding with mana, a clear sound rings out from the clash.
Jeon Myeong-hoon feels as if he has entered the deep sea.
His true body is gone, and his soul's Immortal Rank is sealed.
All that remains is his existence as the pure Jeon Myeong-hoon.
No matter how hard he struggles, he cannot escape.
Humans have no fins, gills, or scales.
What should a human who had once moved freely do after falling into the sea?
'Perhaps... hope for rescue. Swim with all my strength. Or else...'
The more he clashes spears with Shin Ah-young, the more clearly he feels it.
The flow of this world.
Mana.
The system.
'I should find the current. In this vast sea...!'
Rumble...!
Dragon Twister Thrust reaches MAX Level in an instant.
Shin Ah-young's eyes widen.
'He has no mana. Then what in the world is he...?'
She bites down hard on her lip.
'Even without mana, he is turning my mana against me...! Is it a skill? I have never heard of a Unique Skill like that, except among protagonists... But he is F-Rank. Then is he truly receiving a Constellation's blessing!?'
Though no divine image of a Constellation rises behind him, he is using a Constellation's power.
'This will not end like this. Then... I have to use a Constellation's power too...!'
She does not want to use a Constellation's power.
The stronger a Hunter is, the greater the power they can borrow from a Constellation.
And no Constellation's power comes for free.
When a weak Hunter borrows weak power, they may merely lose some lifespan or suffer worse luck.
But when a strong Hunter borrows overwhelming power, the price does not end with something so minor.
That is why A-Rank Hunters and above do not casually ask Constellations for power.
'But I have to borrow it now. That man... is dangerous. If a mentally ill person has that much power, there will surely be many casualties...!'
Rumble...!
A figure rises behind her.
The Constellation supporting her is the [Blood Darkness Demon God].
Crackle!
A shape that seems woven from darkness and blood reveals its divine image behind her, pouring black-gold mana into her.
Her mana soars in an instant.
Shin Ah-young realizes that she has reached the very peak of A+ Rank.
"I am coming properly now. Brace yourself...!"
"Hm...!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon looks at the translucent power of the Constellation rising behind her.
'As expected...'
To Jeon Myeong-hoon, who feels the flow of this world, that Constellation is foreign.
'Mana too, but these Constellation bastards. They are not from this world. That Life God bastard was the same...'
Jeon Myeong-hoon recalls that time.
During the final battle with the Future King, when the Future King shattered nearby worlds and slaughtered Creator Gods.
Countless worlds were destroyed, while the worlds that remained intact cracked and suffered scars.
Seo Eun-hyun repaired all the worlds destroyed in the end, but he could not erase every crack in the surrounding worlds.
There were countless worlds marked by wounds and fractures.
This world also seems to be one such otherworld.
'This is a world where chief gods and supreme gods from other worlds crawl in and call themselves Constellations...'
The Life God of Alkaros, the Blood Darkness Demon God, the Gate God, and more.
Governing Immortal-level beings Jeon Myeong-hoon had heard about indirectly through beings of Heavenly Venerable level and Seo Eun-hyun are enjoying themselves in this world.
Then again, Jeon Myeong-hoon himself is effectively a former Governing Immortal-level being as a Heavenly King who arrived here to play, so he has little room to talk.
'Still, you bastards. If you are going to support someone, do not just give them power. Teach them some techniques too...!'
Ting, ting, ting, ting...!
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Shin Ah-young's spears clash without end.
Within that fierce spear dance, Jeon Myeong-hoon completely steals Shin Ah-young's spear technique.
Then he extends his spear toward the ultimate point her technique leads to.
Mana from Dragon Twister Thrust is drawn into Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear.
His spear spins with the buzz of a swarm of bees.
Shin Ah-young is also pouring mana into her spear until it gives off the same buzzing sound.
For a moment, they stand apart.
After gathering mana for some time, their gazes collide in the air.
The mana innate to an A-Rank Hunter, along with the alien power granted by a Constellation.
Combined, Shin Ah-young looks like a small natural disaster in human form.
Huuuu...
Hah!
The moment they inhale and exhale again!
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Shin Ah-young charge at each other and thrust their spears.
Shin Ah-young's spear thrusts nine times simultaneously, piercing through a wide area.
They are certainly thrusts, yet clumps of mana surge out and sweep away the entire area.
Since it is difficult to catch Jeon Myeong-hoon, she intends to blow away everything around him!
However, within the mana storm, Jeon Myeong-hoon sees the points where the forces collide and cancel one another out.
'It is excessive.'
Excessive, unstable, and unable to properly control its own strength.
'Her talent is excellent, yet did that Constellation not guide her at all?'
Whirrrr!
The spear in Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand spins faster and more viciously.
It is the ultimate point of Shin Ah-young's spear technique, but Jeon Myeong-hoon does not use the same form as Shin Ah-young.
'Without even recognizing the ultimate point your own spear technique leads to... this is all you can do...!'
Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear pierces through the scattered force.
Shin Ah-young widens her eyes and pours out every last bit of mana she has.
But at the final moment.
"You cannot even hear your spear crying. What spear technique do you think you are using!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon's shout tears apart all her mana and charges toward Shin Ah-young's chest.
Rumble!
To block Jeon Myeong-hoon's spinning spear as it pierces through her mana, she swings Grevolg, the demon spear.
But in the next moment.
The powerful rotational force transmitted through Grevolg's shaft makes Grevolg spin as well. In the end, pain like the skin of her palm being flayed makes Shin Ah-young release her spear.
Boom!
The air explodes.
"Hooo..."
Unable even to breathe properly, Shin Ah-young stares at Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear, which has reached the tip of her nose.
Thunk.
Off to one side of the beach where the Gate was cleared, Grevolg falls and embeds itself in the ground.
Jeon Myeong-hoon looks around.
Ding!
[You have acquired the skill, Mana Imbuement LV.1.]
After roughly examining the ability of the skill he gained while fighting Shin Ah-young, he looks at the aftermath their fight has created.
Jeon Myeong-hoon himself caused almost no damage, but the aftermath of Shin Ah-young's mana and the nine spear strikes she used at the end have evaporated all the seawater in the area and devastated the terrain.
"Excellent. If you had met a good teacher, you would have grown considerably."
"......"
"As promised, I will take this. Its owner handles a spear so poorly that it was screaming."
Jeon Myeong-hoon approaches Grevolg, plants his own spear in the ground, and grabs the demon spear.
Shin Ah-young flinches and tries to stop him.
"N-No! That is a demon spear... Unless you are at least A-Rank, your mind..."
Hummm...
"Hm? What did you say?"
Contrary to her worries, Grevolg hums in Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand more excitedly than it ever did in Shin Ah-young's, acting cute.
"Hm, what a cute little thing. Do not throw a tantrum before I break you."
Hummm...
Having subdued the demon spear's will in an instant, Jeon Myeong-hoon slings it over his shoulder and speaks.
"You saw the final spear strike, so you know. That is the peak your spear technique should reach. The nine spear strikes you used at the end waste far too much power. They are useful for massacring lesser opponents, but that is all. They are useless against a true master."
"Is that so..."
She smiles bitterly.
She thought she had worked hard, but it seems she still has far to go.
She awakened when the fourth Gate Wave broke out and trained her spear to survive until now.
At some point, she also developed pride as a spearfighter.
Her Hunter rank may not reach the level of a protagonist, but she had believed no one could match her in spear technique.
But it seems she had been a frog in a well.
"Thank you for the instruction. May I ask what you call that final spear strike you just used?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon snickers and gives it the name of the greatest spear technique he knows.
"Black■ Cannon!"
Since this is an otherworld different from the Earth he knew, there should not be a technique with the same name.
"Even if you are impressed by my naming sense, do not become too attached to the name. The name is not important. What matters is the will contained in the spear."
Jeon Myeong-hoon turns back toward Shin Ah-young, who is looking at him with a somewhat blank expression, and asks.
"What was the name of your final nine spear strikes?"
"...Black■ Cannon Nine-Dragon Fang."
"......"
"......"
Jeon Myeong-hoon wants to crawl into a hole.
'It is another world! It is definitely another world! Why does it have the same media franchise!'
For a moment, he sincerely wishes he had Seo Eun-hyun's regression ability. Then he clears his throat and runs away.
"Ahem, then I am going to Jeju Island! Do not stop me!"
Tap, tap!
Grevolg, the demon spear.
Evil otherworldly power travels from it up Jeon Myeong-hoon's arm.
Jeon Myeong-hoon suppresses that power with his will.
Grevolg has only two abilities.
[Summoning], which recalls Grevolg to its owner's hand no matter where it is.
[Regeneration], which accepts otherworldly mana and regenerates the body.
'This will be extremely useful. Let us hurry to Jeju Island.'
Satisfied with Grevolg's abilities, Jeon Myeong-hoon quickly erases the embarrassing memory of his final exchange with Shin Ah-young.
* * *
"Chief, why are you not pursuing him? He is clearly wanted... Even if he took your demon spear, you can recall it, and you have other skills and artifacts."
At the question from a subordinate at the Hunter Management Bureau, Shin Ah-young sighs.
"The demon spear has accepted him as its owner."
"Pardon? Does that not consume its user unless they have talent with the spear beyond a certain level?"
"That is not all. They also need a certain amount of mana and mental strength... Yet that man has simply subdued it and made it obey him. There will be no pursuit. For now, focus on our original mission of gathering Hunters here to go to the SSS+-Rank Gate."
"What does that..."
"More than anything..."
She looks at Jeon Myeong-hoon, who is fleeing in a panic far away.
He is the man she tried to arrest because she believed he was mentally ill.
But why?
The moment they crossed spears and he taught her, she felt as if she had directly faced the soul of the man called Jeon Myeong-hoon.
"He does not seem like a bad person. He will not cause harm."
"How can you know that...?"
"It is a feeling. More importantly, the Gate on this beach has been cleared, so find out who cleared it and watch the mana reactions around us carefully. It is the Gate Wave period. When one Gate is cleared, another Gate may appear."
Remembering what she had collided with for an instant, whether it was Jeon Myeong-hoon's soul or his heart, Shin Ah-young redirects the employees' attention and lets Jeon Myeong-hoon go.
She does so because she believes that man is not evil, and that trying to capture him for no reason would only increase the employees' casualties.
Besides, as she said, their original mission is more important.
* * *
"Haaah... I feel like I am dying."
Jeon Myeong-hoon arrives at Jeju Island.
Hummm...
He has stored a great deal of mana in the Mana Accumulation Bracelet, the clear reward he obtained from the Twin-Head Ogre Magic Swordsman.
Then he overworks his muscles while using Water Skimming.
When his muscles tear, he regenerates them with Grevolg's power. When he starts sinking into the water while using Water Skimming, he freezes the water with Ice Ball, the skill he obtained from the Twin-Head Ogre, and rests briefly.
After doing this for three days, Jeon Myeong-hoon finally reaches Jeju Island from Mokpo.
"My legs feel like they are going to break. Ugh... Damn it."
But they will not break.
Sizzle...
Grevolg's power is restoring Jeon Myeong-hoon's body.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
"Ha... Shut up already."
Jeon Myeong-hoon waves away the system windows appearing madly before his eyes.
[The Constellation, Life God of Alkaros, is paying attention to you.]
[The Constellation, Blood Darkness Demon God, is interested in you for subduing the spear it granted.]
[The Constellation, Master of the Purple Tower, is paying attention to you.]
[The Constellation, Master of Wonam Palace, is paying attention to you.]
[The Constellation, Silver Bird, is paying attention to you.]
[The Constellation, Silver Basket, is paying attent...]
"Silver Basket?"
[The Constellation, Silver Basket, is interested in you for calling its name.]
"What? Why are you here?"
[The Constellation, Silver Basket, asks whether you know it.]
"What bullshit... Ah, an avatar. This must be their avatar left after its true body was sealed in Mount Sumeru."
[The Constellation, Silver Basket, sends you a private message.]
Ding!
"...?"
Jeon Myeong-hoon is annoyed by the gazes of strange otherworldly Great Divinities peeping at him, but then he rises at Silver Basket's message amid them.
Crackle!
The instant Silver Basket says it is sending a private message.
The system window suddenly expands and covers the surrounding space.
Crackle...
Within a gray plain containing nothing at all, Jeon Myeong-hoon senses an indescribable silver giant looking down at him.
"As expected, it was an avatar. I could not even look directly at your true body."
: : You know my true body? : :
Boom!
The moment Jeon Myeong-hoon hears Silver Basket’s true words, his head explodes.
Silver Basket scratches its head, appearing slightly flustered, and snaps its fingers.
Jeon Myeong-hoon's head returns.
"Fuck! Can you not see that I have a human body!?"
"Hmm... My apologies. Is this enough?"
"Yes. Anyway, how did an avatar end up doing Constellation work here?"
"The moment my true body stole a fragment of Absolute from Mount Sumeru, the Future King pursued it. The Future King's blade shattered my true body's authority, and the Future King dragged it into his world and sealed it. Eons passed afterward... I was outside, gathering causality to rescue my true body according to the instructions it had left behind."
"So you were earning foreign currency just like me. Do not worry. The Future King is dead."
The silver giant nods.
"I heard of that shocking event. Countless Great Divinities and Creator Gods from other worlds were in an uproar. They said a great hero had arisen and slain the Future King? It was an achievement difficult to believe."
"Hm, that guy really is something."
Jeon Myeong-hoon nods at the avatar's words.
Then he asks curiously.
"So why are you still here? The Future King is dead, so why not go in and rescue your true body?"
"I wish to, but the signal from my true body has been cut off."
Jeon Myeong-hoon searches his memories.
'During the final battle... did the Future King tear it apart?'
He tells Silver Basket what happened in that memory, and the avatar nods.
"I see. It has died again for a while. It does not matter. The Future King is dead, so it will soon return... However, my true body and I are Travelers by nature. When we enter a world and leave it, we must pay causality. I should continue gathering causality. I intend to gather some causality from this world and several others. If you have the opportunity, can you deliver the causality I gathered to my true body within Mount Sumeru and help it recover?"
"It is not difficult. Silver Basket also helped greatly in the Audience Chamber."
Jeon Myeong-hoon readily accepts the avatar's request. Then, curious about its words, he asks.
"By the way, what exactly is a Traveler? And do you happen to know about the Wandering Merchant Company that purchased me?"
"It is simple. Those called [Travelers], or [Wanderers]. It is a collective term for dimensional travelers. It refers to travelers who leave their own otherworlds by whatever means and journey through other worlds."
Silver Basket's avatar tells Jeon Myeong-hoon various things about Travelers.
"Travelers also have ranks. This is because every otherworld has different rules and difficulties for leaving it. Thus, Travelers from worlds that are easy to escape are often weak, while Travelers from worlds that are nearly impossible to escape are often terrifying Divinities.
"So Travelers wandering from world to world meet and interact with one another, and through those interactions, they made rough ranks.
"Travelers at the level of ordinary mortals are called Mages.
"Travelers capable of conquering planets, solar systems, and galaxies are called Rulers.
"Travelers capable of walking throughout the universe and escaping an otherworld relatively freely are called Divinities. From this stage onward, they are treated as Outer Gods in any world.
"And... those who complete their own ‘stories’, can kill Creator Gods, and can blow up an otherworld to escape if it refuses to let them leave. They are called Great Divinities."
Mages, Rulers, Divinities, Great Divinities!
Jeon Myeong-hoon learns this simple hierarchy of power used across other worlds and nods.
There are not many ranks, and they seem rough, as though they are merely broad classifications rather than a system for training.
'Divinities seem to be at the level of True Immortals...'
"How strong are Great Divinities? What level am I?"
Silver Basket looks at Jeon Myeong-hoon and reaches toward his soul.
After seeming to observe something for a time, Silver Basket withdraws its hand and answers.
"If you add all the authority of your true body, you are at the level of a Great Divinity."
"Ohhh...!"
"You barely qualify. Do not walk around holding your head high before Great Divinities. You could be killed without a trace."
"......"
It seems an average Great Divinity is at least at the level of Governing Immortals.
"Then are all the ones peeping at me Governing Immortal-level too?"
"That is about right."
"Other worlds are horrifying. There are so many Governing Immortal-level Outer Gods..."
"Ha..."
Silver Basket laughs as if this is absurd.
"Your world is stranger. Judging by the memories my true body passed on the last time we were connected, your world is crawling with average Great Divinities, has hundreds of Great Divinities at your level, and is full of Great Divinities counted among the greatest across all other worlds. On top of that, the Future King was an absolute being counted on one hand among countless other worlds. The fame of the Crystal King who killed that horrifying Future King is also spreading now. With a world like that, who are you calling horrifying?"
"Hm..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon scratches his head, wondering if that is so, then asks.
"Anyway, you said Great Divinities sometimes kill Creator Gods. But I could not even reach the toe of your true body's foot. Why am I a Great Divinity?"
"You misunderstand. My true body is not an ordinary Creator God. It is a Creator God who temporarily gave up its position as a Creator God and wandered with me, a Creator God and Traveler."
"...? What are you talking about?"
"Most Creator Gods are not as strong as my true body or other Great Divinities. For example..."
Hummm...
An image rises above Silver Basket’s hand.
Within it, a mountain-range-sized snail slowly crawls across a continent, vomiting soil and expanding the continent's boundaries.
"That snail is a Creator God from a distant dimension. Its world consists of a single flat land across the entire dimension due to the soil it vomits, and every day the snail expands the world's boundaries by vomiting more soil."
"......"
"It is a world where life has not yet appeared, but if life does appear, it may be able to kill that snail."
"What? Kill a Creator God?"
"It is a snail, after all. If you sprinkle a great deal of salt on it, it will probably die."
"...???"
Jeon Myeong-hoon is flustered by the avatar's words.
Were Creator Gods not powerful beings?
Silver Basket disperses the image and speaks.
"Creator Gods that possess clear wills and exist in worlds where terrifying Great Divinities are nearby can be as strong as Great Divinities. But most Creator Gods are beings of law with no intelligence at all, and there are Creator Gods with death, such as that snail."
"Do Creator Gods not lack death?"
"It created even its own death."
"......"
Silver Basket speaks.
"I am saying that the authority of creation has nothing to do with an individual's martial strength. Of course, Creator Gods that have not created their own death are extremely, extremely difficult to kill. But incapacitating or defeating them is not difficult for Great Divinities. Naturally, Creator Gods that clearly and perfectly control their worlds possess tremendous authority and can trouble even Great Divinities, but only to that extent."
Jeon Myeong-hoon looks at Silver Basket.
"Why explain all this to me in such detail?"
"Because I wish to ask you to rescue my true body."
Hummm...
Majestic power gathers in Silver Basket's avatar's hand and enters Jeon Myeong-hoon's chest.
"When you go to Mount Sumeru later, deliver the causality I gathered to my true body. As I have said, not every Creator God is strong. It needs help."
"All right. By the way..."
Crackle...
Jeon Myeong-hoon notices that his conversation with Silver Basket is ending.
The gray space is gradually becoming stained by sparks from the system window.
"Time is running out. I will take one more question."
"What do the Wandering Merchant Companies do?"
"They help Travelers interact with one another. They are not a single group, but several groups. However, most of them receive the protection of the [Great Divinity of Contracts]. If you ever have a conflict with them, it would be best for you to contact the Great Divinity of Contracts as well."
"Thank you for the advice."
Crackle...
With those words, Jeon Myeong-hoon leaves his private meeting with Silver Basket.
"Hm..."
Back in Jeju Island, Jeon Myeong-hoon feels tremendous power within his soul.
This is probably the causality gathered by Silver Basket's avatar.
'This bastard...'
However, because of the causality Silver Basket's avatar gave him, part of his soul's Immortal Rank awakens, allowing him to sense something strange.
'No matter how I think about it, it feels like they are laying the groundwork to steal something from Mount Sumeru.'
The intuition of a former Heavenly King lodges itself in Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind.
It is true that Silver Basket is someone he should be grateful to, that they contributed greatly in the Audience Chamber, and that they kindly provided much information.
But it is also true that this being had originally tried to steal a fragment of Absolute and flee from Mount Sumeru, only to be caught by the Future King.
'Once I regain my strength, I should stop by Earth and contact the others before returning to Mount Sumeru. I have no idea what this thief is trying to steal...'
Clicking his tongue, Jeon Myeong-hoon engraves his instinctive wariness toward Silver Basket deep in his heart.
Then he begins walking toward Jeju Island's SSS+-Rank Gate.
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