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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 83: Marking Territory
The first to notice the anomaly was an Ogre approaching the shore.
While struggling to adapt to the strong currents and flailing its limbs...
It sensed a black object emanating killing intent approaching on the surface of the water and stopped in its tracks.
[Herculean Strength]
Thud— Thud-Thud—!
Strength capable of easily pulverizing even a house-sized boulder surged into the Ogre's arms.
A force that could break the arm of even a 5 Star martial artist Hunter in a head-on clash.
Power that could crush an opponent without even needing Aura to cut through flesh was projected underwater.
Pwham—!
A fist the size of a compact car struck the crown of the black object.
Although it didn't unleash its full power underwater, it still packed enough force to shatter bones upon a direct hit.
The Ogre let out a victorious roar.
Crack—
A gruesome sound of flesh being crushed echoed as green liquid spread.
The Ogre's eyes widened in pain.
It raised its left arm high and slammed it down into the water once more, but...
-Kaw?
The Skalar, with a flick of its long body, effortlessly deflected the force of the attack.
The moment the raised arm plunged underwater...
Much of the Ogre's monstrous strength was absorbed by the water.
The remaining impact wasn't negligible, but the Skalar possessed considerable durability, rendering the attack ineffective.
"Krooo! Krooo!!"
The Ogre, gripped by fear, opened its mouth wide and screamed.
It struggled to stay afloat in the deep water.
Despite mustering all its strength in the midst of the surprise attack...
It failed to inflict significant damage on the Skalar.
-Kaw. Kaoo.
The Skalar let out a joyful cry.
Even as an undead, the monster hadn't lost its ferocity, and it bit into the Ogre.
Crack— Crackle—
Even the original Bloodfin Salmon could hunt an Ogre with just three individuals if the battle was underwater.
Considering the vast difference in combat strength between ranks, this was an almost impossible exchange ratio.
With [Dark Blood] and various necromancy spells, the Skalar surpassed its original form, possessing power equivalent to a top-tier 5 Star monster in underwater combat.
Gurgle—
The Ogre, vomiting green blood, sank beneath the surface.
Before long, its arms and legs were torn off, and it breathed its last, unable to even close its wide-open eyes.
"Krooo?"
"Groooo!!"
Screams erupted from all over the Yeonpyeong Island waters.
The tragedy the Ogre had just experienced was only the beginning.
"What are those things?"
"That doesn't look like a fish."
"Comrade, have you ever seen a fish like that before?"
"This is my first time seeing something like that."
Those observing the situation from the deck chattered noisily.
Human Hunters.
Their official name was the Former North Korean 5th Revolutionary Corps, but no one used that title.
They treated humans like livestock, tossing them to monsters as food.
Very few people showed respect for these beings who were more monstrous than monsters themselves.
"Look here. Isn't that a Bloodfin Salmon?"
A man with shaggy hair and a fur coat emerged onto the deck.
The human hunters who had been chatting saluted in unison.
"At ease."
"Sir!"
"I'm going for a swim now, so stay put."
"Battalion Commander, it's dangerous!"
One of the human hunters shouted.
The shaggy-haired man was the commander in charge of the Yeonpyeong Island attack and the third-ranking hunter in the 5th Revolutionary Corps.
He was a Tamer, a class specializing in taming monsters, who had surpassed the 6 Star rank and could subdue even an Ogre with his bare hands.
"Do I look weak to you, comrade?"
"N-No, sir!"
"This might be a good thing. If it's a Bloodfin Salmon, wouldn't it be a great help to you comrades?"
If they could tame a marine monster, they could turn the Yellow Sea and the northern part of Gyeonggi Province, and eventually the entire West Sea, into the human hunters' territory.
Hunters were also limited in their abilities at sea.
They were only slightly better than monsters, who were incapable of delicate actions.
Both Hunters and tamed monsters faced the same challenges in naval combat.
"Wait here."
The shaggy-haired man entered the water without hesitation.
Battalion Commander Ju Youngmin saw the black object shimmering on the water's surface and grinned.
"Nice to meet you!"
-Kaaaaw!
The Skalar charged head-on and bit into Ju Youngmin's abdomen.
Although a part of his fur coat was torn, the wearer wasn't significantly injured.
"Did it pierce through my blood-soaked bear fur? You're quite something."
Ju Youngmin didn't retaliate and instead placed his hand on the head of the Skalar that had firmly clamped onto him.
Blue energy enveloped his hand.
"You'll become my friend too."
[Taming]
A skill that allowed the user to control a monster by channeling their mana into it.
It was a Tamer-exclusive skill, a symbol of the human hunters.
At that moment...
Yoojin's eyes fell upon Ju Youngmin, who was grappling with the Skalar.
[Someone is attempting to tame your minion.]
[Another's mana is interfering with your control.]
'That's an interesting thing to do. So it was you, after all. That damned bastard who cherished monsters more than humans. It's even more heartwarming to see you again, you son of a bitch.'
A vicious killing intent flickered in Yoojin's eyes.
＊ ＊ ＊
The monster enthusiast, Ju Youngmin.
He had caused quite a bit of trouble in the previous life as well.
Currently, he was third in the human hunters' hierarchy, but later, after reaching 7 Star, he would even succeed in taming the "One-Eyed" monster.
He was the one who would surpass the first-ranked hunter and become the Army Corps Commander.
〔Quite a formidable opponent, it seems.〕
'Indeed. Before returning, he was the most troublesome one when I was crushing the human hunters.'
But...
This time around, it was their first encounter.
And yet, he dared to commit the atrocity of trying to steal a necromancer's minion?
[Dominion over the minion is strengthened within the territory.]
[The opponent's mana is disrupted.]
[Nullified.]
Crack—!
Blood trickled from Ju Youngmin's mouth.
His attempt to tame an undead under Yoojin's control backfired, causing internal turmoil.
For an ordinary Tamer, this would be a dangerous situation, a precursor to mana rampage.
"I took a hit, didn't I?"
He muttered nonchalantly, wiping the blood with his fur coat.
"Battalion Commander!"
"Stay put. If you come down here, you'll all die."
Ju Youngmin stared directly at Yoojin on the small fishing boat.
The distance between them was over a kilometer.
An ordinary person wouldn't be able to see more than a silhouette, but the two of them clearly perceived each other.
"Comrade, are those your pets?"
"They are. You damned bandit."
"My name is Ju Youngmin. What's your name, South Korean comrade?"
"Cheon Yoojin."
"Use that power of yours for the Revolutionary Army."
He was making a recruitment offer without even blinking.
Yoojin yawned theatrically.
"Why should I join you human butchers?"
"Comrade, you're not in tune with the creatures of the new era."
"Where's that dog barking?"
He dared to speak of a new era while referring to those half-baked creatures created by the Gate's mana?
Talking to them was as unpleasant as ever.
Yoojin raised his middle finger in response, and Ju Youngmin's expression darkened.
"I'll open your eyes."
Crack—
The jaw of the Skalar biting Ju Youngmin was ripped apart.
The monstrous strength contained in that brutal gesture...
He had torn apart a Skalar, which even an Ogre, the king of the forest, couldn't shake off, with a single hand.
-Kaaaaw!
As the jawless Skalar retreated, Ju Youngmin's hand, reaching out a moment too late, churned the water.
"You're quite fast, aren't you?"
Yoojin, who had withdrawn the Skalar, gulped.
He almost lost a Skalar, which he couldn't create more of for the time being, for nothing.
[Using Punishing Spike.]
[Using Unholy Blessing.]
He summoned ten nearby Skalar and even cast buffs on them.
After switching back his stats, he used [Unholy Command].
[Stats of undead within a 100-meter radius increase by 10%.]
[A portion of the damage dealt by the minion is converted into territory power.]
A necromancy spell that consumed little territory power and granted stat boosts to the undead.
There was one minor problem: the range of [Unholy Command] was 100 meters with the caster at the center.
〔Isn't that dangerous?〕
'If I were to worry about that, I should just tuck my tail between my legs.'
It was because the battlefield was the sea that he could attempt such a gamble.
If he had encountered the third-ranked human hunter in the border area, he would have thrown the undead at him and run away.
'Maintain distance to avoid being caught.'
Yoojin focused on controlling the Skalar group.
Even with the Skalar group enhanced by divine spells, a direct confrontation was burdensome.
Yoojin circled Ju Youngmin, maintaining distance and trying to create an opening.
Whenever a blind spot appeared for even a moment, he would send the Skalar charging to chip away at the durability of the fur coat.
"Your little buddies are quite scary!"
In the bottomless sea, Ju Youngmin's strength was less than half of what it usually was.
On the other hand, the Skalar group had become even stronger with the overlapping buffs of divine spells and [Unholy Command].
Even so...
He wouldn't show any openings.
〔Shouldn't a Tamer be weak in close combat?〕
'What are you talking about? Tamers are hybrid classes with a foot in martial arts.'
Two things determined the success rate of taming:
Mana stat and control.
Ju Youngmin was an extreme case, having invested most of his stats in physical abilities.
He had heard that when taming monsters, Ju Youngmin overcame his lack of stats with his innate mana control.
'Quality over quantity, they say.'
The only drawback was that he didn't receive bonuses to attacks and skills because he wasn't a martial arts class.
Other than that, he was in no way inferior to Hunters of the same rank.
'I should start playing my real cards soon.'
Ju Youngmin was gradually getting used to the speed of the Skalar group.
While observing the battlefield, Yoojin quickly rearranged his territorial power.
[Using Bone Spear.]
He held onto the magic spear that materialized in the air instead of launching it immediately.
Even with its power amplified by the Cursed Fang, it was only a 3 Star spell.
It couldn't pierce the fur coat the man was wearing.
Yoojin calmly rearranged his territorial power.
[Using Dark Spear.]
A black spear, created by converting territorial power into dark mana, appeared next to the [Cursed Fang].
Clap—!
The moment he slammed his palms together as if in prayer...
The Dark Spear attached itself to the magic spear and began to spin like a whirlwind.
'Although the nature of the two powers is different, their essence is the same.'
Using the Cursed Fang as an axis, he rotated his territorial power.
The Dark Spear's dark mana synchronized with the flow, weaving together as one.
A powerful magic combination that transcended ranks.
〔You've been considering this ever since you chose the darkness affinity!〕
Kronos exclaimed in admiration.
Instead of replying, Yoojin sent the Skalar group charging all at once.
"Have you finally made up your mind?"
Ju Youngmin beckoned towards the cargo ship.
The human hunters threw a rock near where he was floating.
Splash—
The rock sank as soon as it hit the water.
As the Skalar group narrowly dodged the rock and charged...
[Enhanced Grab]
[Whirlwind]
Ju Youngmin pulled the rock several meters away with his mana, then...
Using it as a foothold, he spun his entire body.
A bright blue light enveloped his arms.
Bam-Bam-Bam—!
The Skalar group, charging simultaneously, were struck by his Aura-infused fists and scattered in all directions.
At that moment...
Yoojin didn't miss the opening created by the Skalar's charge.
Shhhwing-!
The [Cursed Fang] flew towards him with ferocious momentum.
The Bone Spear and Dark Spear, spells rooted in the 'spear' origin, were interwoven, maximizing their destructive power.
The spearhead aimed for the torn fur coat where the Skalar had bitten.
The magic spear, launched without missing the momentary gap, tore through the already damaged 'Blood Bear' hide and wounded Ju Youngmin.
"Ugh."
Red bloomed from his side.
With a short groan, Ju Youngmin grasped the magic spear embedded in his flesh.
"So those little things were aiming for this, huh?"
"Feeling a bit more aware now?"
"Keke, this is quite enjoyable."
Ju Youngmin grinned.
When he was injured, the human hunters didn't stay idle.
"Save the Battalion Commander!"
"Quickly release the monsters into the sea!"
Splash— Splash—
Large monsters were once again deployed into the sea, densely surrounding Ju Youngmin.
Even if the Skalar tried to break through, they couldn't find an opening.
"Trying to run away?"
"Not at all. It's just disadvantageous for me in the sea. I'll die if this keeps up."
Ju Youngmin, using the monsters as a shield, climbed onto the cargo ship.
Yoojin didn't pursue further.
"Remember this. My name is Cheon Yoojin. The CEO of Black Company."
"Alright. I'll remember your name, comrade."
The cargo ship gradually moved away.
Yoojin watched it intently from the deck of the small fishing boat.
〔Is it alright to let them go like this?〕
'I might not be able to finish off the others, but I won't be able to kill him.'
A 6 Star Hunter.
Even if he tried to sink the cargo ship, it would take time due to its excellent durability and defensive magic.
By then, they would be close to land.
If Ju Youngmin took the risk and escaped, Yoojin, who would then be deep in enemy territory, would be in danger.
〔It seems you've done something pointless.〕
'Why?'
〔Haven't you exposed your strength to the enemy?〕
'I intentionally showed it to those bastards. To make it clear who this sea belongs to.'
The human hunters must have realized it too.
Even with a cargo ship, capturing Yeonpyeong Island wouldn't be easy.
Now they knew who the owner of the island was, right?
Yoojin chuckled as he watched the receding cargo ship.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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